As the start of the Canes' football season inches closer, the team has a big scrimmage tonight.

One of the interesting position battles to watch is at safety. Sophomore JoJo Nicolas is a surprise starter at one safety spot, leap-frogging veterans Lovon Ponder and Randy Phillips. The other starter is talented but injury-prone Anthony Reddick, who, hopefully, is finally healthy.

Two other safeties to watch are Jared Campbell - brother of ex-Canes DE Calais - and Ryan Hill, who played corner in high school and wide receiver in his first two years at UM.

At cornerback, freshman phenom Brandon Harris is still not on the two-deep and last year's star freshman DeMarcus Van Dyke is on the second team. That must change. Those are the Canes' top two talents on the corner with current starter Chavez Grant excellent as a nickel. (Bruce Johnson is the other current starter and Carlos Armour is also second team.)

At linebacker, Colin McCarthy and Darryl Sharpton are starters as expected. I want to see freshman Sean Spence elevated to starter status soon. Veteran Glenn Cook currently holds the spot.

- In academic news, it looks like safety Joe Wylie will be admitted to UM. But fellow freshman DB C.J. Odom has left prep school and may never get to UM at all.

The good news is that OT Brandon Washington and LB Zach Kane are doing well at prep school. Hopefully, they will arrive at UM in the spring and be ready to contribute at 2009 spring practice.