Alabama State football wrapped up its opening weekend of fall camp and the Montgomery Advertiser got an exclusive with head coach Eddie Robinson Jr. during practice.
As the Hornets enter the season as favorites to win SWAC East Division, Robinson says it’s exciting to get back on the field for his third season.
“I think everyone around the country is excited. When you’re a football player around this time period it’s fun to get back out here,” Robinson said. “We are still in that excitement phase right now but after a while we are going to start pushing that wall a bit and begin scrimmaging. It’s a long time between now and our first game so our main focus is staying consistent and getting better each day.”
ASU QB Battle: Alabama State football: Observations from camp, including an emerging battle at QB
In the first day of camp, we reported the emerging quarterback battle between Eastern Illinois grad transfer Jonah O’Brien and Texas Southern transfer Andrew Body. Robinson has been known for having season-long position battles, specifically at the quarterback spot. Last season, Dematrius Davis and Damon Stewart both saw time under center throughout the 2023 season.
When talking about O’Brien and his progress early on in camp, Robinson says he brought him in to compete for a starting job.
“Jonah has done a great job coming in with the right mindset and he’s here to compete to be a starter,” Robinson said. “I told him I didn’t bring him in to be a backup and I want him to compete to get reps and be the best guy. Weather its him, Body or Zach Sims, however it works out we just want to win football games.”
He elaborated on the other position battles going on hinting at the uncertainty at the current kicker position.
“We have a couple of kickers competing right now and I can’t tell you who’s going to be kicking the first game, but we’ll have it figured out by then.” Robinson said. “We have quite a few positions with that level of competition, and I think that’s what makes a team sharp. If you miss a day, late day or even have a bad day you may not be the starter when you come back. Thats how you keep everyone on edge.”
Camp was the first time the freshman summer enrollees were able to suit up and practice with their position groups. With the Hornets still looking for clear first options at running back and wide receiver, Robinson says the newcomers have a great shot to impress the coaching staff for spot in the rotation. However, his eyes are on the sophomores who he expects to make a huge leap from last year.
“A lot of those freshman last year – Eric Horn, Ajai Harrell, Jalen Jones and Asa Gregg – know what to expect heading into this season,” Robinson said. “They have to transition from being on a college football team to playing on a college football team, and we need those guys to step up quick for the offense. We got some newcomers on the defensive line we plan on playing at least 10-12 plays a game so it’s all about building trust right now. They have to get to the point where we can trust them to make plays.”
The Hornets will return to camp for the first full pads session on Wednesday. On Saturday, they will host its first team scrimmage before Buzz Fest Aug. 17.
This article originally appeared on Montgomery Advertiser: Alabama State football has several position battles
