So, Tony Wilson is out. Bruce Figgins is gone for half the season. And Justin Houston won't make that trip to Stillwater or face Spurrier's Gamecocks in week two. Not good. The 'Dogs needed these guys to get the season started with a couple of big wins. Oh well, the player's know there will always be casualties along the way.
    I can remember looking around, during a team meeting pre-season and wondering who would be the casualties...be it injury, or the can't-do-right scenario. You sort of accept it and look to the next guy up to fill the void.
    Tony Wilson was a receiver that would have played mostly in run down situations. He could block. Now that's he is out of the equation, the 'Dogs will look to some young pups to step in and deliver. A.J. Green will be the go-to guy. Michael Moore will see the ball coming his way a lot with coverage tilting towards slowing Green down. Tavarres King is a young player that will have an opportunity to earn some playing time. He's had a year to get stronger physically and figure out the offense. Is he ready? I'll get back to you on that, but he certainly has the skill set to be a playmaker. Isreal Troupe looks ready to step in and deliver. It's his 3rd year in the program. He's got good all-around ability. Can do a little of everything. I like him. Marquise Brown will get a look. He made some plays in the spring game. Hitting campus later this summer is freshman Marlon Brown and he has big-time ability. At some point, look for Marlon and A.J. to be on the field at the same time causing match-up problems. Overall, Wilson won't be missed that much.
    At tight-end, the Figgins loss is big. Toss out that two tight-end set. That won't be in the gameplan much. Aron White is the #1 guy and he is more of a receiver than a blocker. The Figgins impact will be felt in short yardage, red zone and goal-line situations. The 'Dogs have two freshman TE's arriving soon, but you can't really expect them to step in and play. Bobo is in a tough spot here.
    Justin Houston looked ready to be an impact pass-rusher this season, but he couldn't do right. That really hurts this defense the first two games of the season. Pressure on Zac Robinson and Steve Garcia would have been huge. Now the DE position is the biggest question mark entering the 2009 season. Dobbs, Battle, Ball, and Cornelius Washington are all coming off injuries. Tripp has been added to the mix and he could prove to be valuable. Longo is a young pup that will get a shot at P.T. They might have to let LB Marcus Washington get some snaps at DE.