Samford closed its second week of spring football practice on Friday with a 90-minute scrimmage at Seibert Stadium.

It was the ninth practice of the spring for Chris Hatcher's team.

"We got a good look at some guys that we needed to see what they could do in a scrimmage-type environment," Hatcher said. "I thought defensively we forced some turnovers, which is a bad deal for the offense. We had some good drives offensively, and we turned it over, so it depends on what side you are pulling for, whether it was good or bad. Our red zone defense was outstanding. I thought (quarterback) Mike (Hiers) looked really sharp, and it was good to see (wide receiver) Ty King come back."

King was an All-Southern Conference player in the 2021 spring season but was limited to just seven games last season.

Hatcher singled out transfer portal cornerback Isaiah Watson as being "better than advertised." The 5-foot-10, 175-pound Watson played in 26 games over the past four seasons at Eastern Michigan.

"We got some guys, but it's still early in camp," Hatcher said. "The goal in camp is to work hard, get your techniques down and then find out where everybody is at. When you get to fall camp, you have a good idea of what everybody can do. You're not scrambling when that time comes around."

Hatcher said another key part of Friday's scrimmage was getting some young players and reserves an opportunity.

"We had some guys that didn't practice today that got beat up earlier in the week on the defensive side of the ball, but it gave some down-the-line guys an opportunity to practice," Hatcher said. "We got to build our depth and find out what the guys can do, so we can put them in the best position to be successful come fall."

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