SDSU Camp Notes: Day One
San Diego State kicked off its first fall camp practice on Monday at 7 p.m. Take a look at ASR's Camp Notes from Day One:
Lockett transitioning well
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A few months ago, Colin Lockett was just finishing up a workout with his Aztec teammates when head coach Rocky Long stopped him and had a conversation with him.
"How do you feel to be wanted on the offensive side?" Long asked Lockett, who was a defensive back at the time.
Locket looked at him with a puzzled face.
"I like it," he responded. "I played in high school."
So Long let him know Ryan Lindley and the rest of SDSU's offense wanted him on their side of the ball.
"I want you to play wide receiver," Long told him. "So start learning the plays."
Lockett caught up with injured receiver Dominique Sandifer and new starting receiver Dylan Denso and buried his face in the playbook. And when the new depth chart was released a few days ago, Lockett was listed as one of the starting receivers.
"It caught me way, way off surprise," Lockett said of the whole ordeal. "I've been on the defensive side ever since I got here. So I was just thinking of coming back in the fall and ready to compete and get to play at corner. But it's been a real good opportunity."
Lockett didn't drop a pass in SDSU's first practice. He ran crisp routes and, most importantly, he didn't look like a cornerback. Rather, he looked like he belonged.
"Anything is going to be tough," Lockett said of the transition. "But if you want to go out and take it, it's going to be a real easy transition."
Door still open for non-qualifiers
Incoming freshman Sam Atoe and Anthony Sheffield both failed to qualify academically, and because of NCAA rules, they now must graduate with an AA from a junior college if they want to play at a Division I school in the future.
And if they accomplish that, and are still the players SDSU wants them to be, Long said the door might still be open at State for them to return.
"We thought they were good players," Long said. "So if they continue to improve, yeah we'd love to have them back."
Long said some schools place players who failed to qualify in local junior colleges so they can keep an eye on them. Long said SDSU does not do that, however.
Sam Meredith to stay for this semester
Incoming freshman Sam Meredith will stay this semester at San Diego State and then will likely leave for his LDS missionary work in the spring, Long said after practice today.
Meredith, a 6-foot-4, 250-pound defensive lineman, will wear No. 98 for SDSU this season. And, if he's good enough, he could see the field this year in Long's 3-3-5 defense.
"He can play this year," Long said. "If he's good enough, he can play for us this year."
Deakin and Lewis volunteer
Former Aztecs Doug Deakin and Darryn Lewis were both at practice today. Long said they were both volunteer coaching and helping out with their respective former positions.
"They want to be out here as much as they can," Long said. "Anybody that's ever played for us or ever played here, we don't mind them being out here with us."
Short Shots
Long seemed very pleased with how practice went on Monday night, saying "We were way ahead of where I thought we would be." … Both Long and Lockett, and almost every other player for that matter, loved the new field turf that was installed this offseason. "Compared to the one we were on last year, it's unbelievable," Long said.