Springing into football

Now that Opening Day is upon us and we know who’s in the Final Four it’s time to turn our attention to……UC spring football.

Here are a few things to watch when spring drills get underway Tuesday:

How do Connor Barwin and Craig Carey adjust to defensive end? Moving Carey from quarterback to defensive end makes sense because it gives Carey a chance to get on the field. But the Barwin move seems rather drastic and is a sign that the Bearcats don’t have much at that position. How much will Barwin buy into playing defense after three years at tight end?

How good is Kazeem Alli? Brian Kelly wouldn’t have moved a quality player like Barwin if he didn’t believe that he had an adequate replacement. Alli has been highly regarded since he arrived at UC. Now he gets his chance to show what he can do. The Barwin move might also create more playing time for Ben Guidugli.

Is Demetrius Jones the answer at quarterback? While Ben Mauk still holds out hope that the NCAA might see things his way, Kelly has no choice but to assume that Mauk is finished at UC. The spring will go a long way toward determining if Notre Dame gave up too quickly on Jones or if Charlie Weis knew what he was doing when he demoted him last year.

Will John Goebel push Jacob Ramsey at running back? Kelly decided to redshirt Goebel last year because the sophomore had so much potential. Now with the three seniors from last year gone, the position is wide open. Goebel will challenge Ramsey during the spring and both of them will face competition in the fall from heralded freshman Isaiah Pead.

How good is Adrien Robinson, a redshirt freshman who excites Kelly with his combination of size and speed (he runs a 4.5 40)? “There aren’t too many guys who fit his athletic profile,” Kelly said. “It’s going to be fun to watch him in the spring.”