Super Bowl Update

Finally got a chance to speak with Troy head coach Larry Blakeney, mostly on the large mid-year signing class, but on some other topics as well.

"I'd say we signed a pretty good class," Blakeney said. List HERE - all the JUCOs are spring signees, as well as two grayshirts, a transfer and an early high school graduate.

I didn't get to ask Blakeney about every single signee, but was curious to which ones he'd mention. Troy needed a boost in the secondary and found one in Northeast Miss., CC corner Jeremy Spikner.

"He's a pretty good, solid corner and bigger than most guys at the position," Blakeney said.

Eli Canton, a linebacker from NE Mississippi, is another signee Blakeney is excited about. Canton will be a sophomore this year.

"He's a guy that had the test scores out of high school and his coach let him be recruited (in junior college)," Blakeney said. "He's a big guy, 6-3 or 6-2 and a half and 250 pounds. There's no telling what he can do for us, and he seems like a guy with leadership qualities as well."

Along with leadership..."I was impressed with (quarterback) Deon Anthony and his demeanor when he came on his official visit. We obviously needed someone who can go in and be a dual threat, throw and run and do what we want to do. We will give him a chance to compete, and he's a guy that can play other positions as well. Corey (Robinson) will respond to the competition and do what he's got to do and Deon Anthony will as well."

Blakeney also mentioned offensive lineman Chris Hawkins, who will be a sophomore, and a pair of former Trojans who got their grades right and re-signed - wide receiver Jamel Johnson and linebacker Mark Wilson.

Troy signed five guys who could play linebacker or nickel - Wilson, Canton, Wayland Coleman-Dancer, Brandon Powe and Martrez Reaves. The Trojans have two starting linebackers coming back, as well as three backups with experience.

"Most of these guys can run and I hope they make us better," Blakeney said. "We didn't sign any of them to sit on the bench and look good, but at the same time we've got some guys that are pretty good coming back."

***Blakeney said the staff was still finalizing dates for spring practice, but a return to Phenix City for a spring scrimmage will likely happen. "That's been talked about, but it may be on a different day, maybe a Friday night," Blakeney said.

***Blakeney sent off tape on junior defensive end Jonathan Massaquoi to the NFL for an evaluation. Massaquoi has had two productive seasons as a starting end, has his degree, is a big guy, and another thing to consider is that he'll be 24 years old in May. The NFL isn't like the NBA in drafting young guys with potential, but most teams would draft a 22-year-old senior higher than a 25-year-old.

***The coaching staff remains intact, and no one has left for other jobs, and Blakeney seems like he'll be rolling into the 2012 season with the staff intact unless better opportunities open up for assistants. "If they don't trust me to make the right decisions, they need to find a new head coach," Blakeney said. "I'm in evaluating mode like I am every year, but now we're on to recruiting mode. I don't have plans for anybody to leave, but you never know what could take place."

***Troy starts the spring semester Jan. 11, and the NFCAA Coaches' Convention is early next week. There is always movement there (remember, Neal Brown was hired to Texas Tech there), and the footballscoop rumor sites will be buzzing galore with stuff that most of which probably won't be true.