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The Mailbag

Keenan Singleton

Welcome to "The Mailbag," where you, a fan of Cougar sports or maybe just a fan of me, have free range to ask anything pertaining to Cougar sports.

The first installment of "The Mailbag" has a distinctive Cougar football slant to it, which is somewhat odd considering there are (by the time you are reading this) 135 days until the Bayou Bucket victory over Rice.

Letis see whatis in the sack this week.

Will Barrick Nealy regain his starting spot after tearing his ACL last season, or will Nick Eddy be under center?

Early signs indicate it is Eddyis job to lose. Eddy dazzled during the Spring Game, completing 17 of 21 passes for 325 yards and four touchdowns. It looks like he is confident with new head coach Art Brilesi new offense. But donit count out Nealy; he began last season as the starter and is immensely gifted.

Who will be the starting running back?

I donit have a crystal ball, but by my count, as many as five guys have a legitimate shot. In no particular order, those guys are Jackie Battle, Anthony Evans, Bobby Tillman, Cody Thibodeaux and Charles Sapp. Remember, 135 days separate today from the start of the next season. I doubt even Briles knows at this point.

Who is going to replace Hanik Milligan?

On the depth chart, itill be senior Jermain Woodard, but no one can truly replace Milligan, who had 149 tackles last season and is expected to be drafted into the NFL. But Woodard has been solid the past two seasons and should help the transition.

It seems like all our coaches were coaching high schools last year; will they be able to succeed at Division 1?

I hope so. I, for now, have confidence in the coaching staff (as should everyone else).

Hey dude, Iim amped about the start of the football season. Coach Brilesi recruiting class looks solid. What freshman players are going to start?

Look, dude, I ainit Ms. Cleo. But former coach Dana Dimel redshirted most of his last two classes, making it difficult for true freshmen to come in and receive significant playing time. I donit think any of them will start, but who knows -- an injury here or there could drastically change things.

Why isnit Guy V. Lewis in the Hall of Fame?

Because itis stupid.

Will Cougar basketball ever return to the greatness of Phi Slama Jama?

No. The landscape of college basketball during the early 1980s was much different and the odds of having two of the NBAis 50 greatest players on the same squad are about as likely as me becoming the starting center for the UH womenis basketball team. But with that said, I have supreme confidence in Ray McCallum and his staff leading the Cougars back to the NCAAs. Letis say within three years.

What do you think of the new logo? I think itis a great improvement over our older ones.

I donit care what you think. Remember, Iim the one answering the questions. Next.

Be honest, would you really have streaked if the Cougars made it to a bowl game last year like you promised in "The Trash Man"?

Absolutely. It would have been embarrassing, as well as bare-assing, but it would have been fun.

Are you single?

Are you?

And that concludes the opening salvo of "The Mailbag." To get your question answered in the next edition of "The Mailbag," e-mail cougarmailbag@keenan.com.

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