Eric Hansen

It was an awkward celebration.

Not that it was lacking genuine enthusiasm, but the execution was a little clumsy.

The hero of the moment — sophomore kicker Brandon Walker — banged a 41-yard field goal at the end of practice recently that might have been good from 60 yards. That feat, in front of the discerning eyes of the media, excused the entire team from its final sets of wind sprints and touched off a pile-up that might have rendered a more-frail kicker claustrophobic, at the very least, and injured, at its most tragic.

The robust 6-foot-3, 202-pounder noted that former 400-pounder Chris Stewart was directly on top of him. The saving grace is that Stewart is now 329.

"It didn’t look like (defensive coordinator) Corwin (Brown) got away from the pile, and Corwin is a veteran," noted Irish fourth-year head coach Charlie Weis. "I think I might have gotten a glass of water in face from somebody myself, to tell you the truth. I haven’t been able to find that on tape yet."

The good news is, this team may have more reason to celebrate this year.

The most noticeable difference in practice from a year ago at this time is how much more physical it is, how much more intense it is, how much faster the tempo is. That said, this is a team that still has much to learn about itself before the Sept. 6 opener with San Diego State.

Here are five things we do know early on with the pads on, two-a-days now a reality and Weis’ training-camp scowl in full bloom:

1. The top position battles will be at running back, wide receiver, both outside linebacker positions, tight end and the defensive end slot opposite senior Pat Kuntz.

Running back: Junior James Aldridge has the most experience, sophomore Robert Hughes the most momentum, sophomore Armando Allen the speed that infatuates Weis. Most likely some sort of time-share will emerge, with Hughes leading the way.

Wide receiver: Senior captain David Grimes is a fixture and sophomore Duval Kamara broke Tim Brown’s school freshman receiving record in 2007, but he landed in the doghouse on the first day of practice for reporting four pounds overweight. Until the 6-foot-5 New Jersey native gets under 220, he is stuck wearing offensive line-ish No. 60 instead of his favorite No. 18. Beyond those two holdovers, there are so many options. Assuming the rotation stretches to five, juniors Robby Parris and George West, sophomore Golden Tate and freshman Mike Floyd will battle for three spots. Do NOT count out Floyd.

Weakside linebacker: Sophomore Kerry Neal and junior John Ryan are in a dead heat early. Freshman Darius Fleming’s athleticism is tantalizing.

Strongside linebacker: If sophomore Brian Smith stays at middle linebacker, then senior utilityman Scott Smith and freshman prodigy Steve Filer will battle here. And don’t be surprised if Filer surfaces. The wild card is safety Harrison Smith, who is so valuable in different flex packages that the strongside linebacker might not be on the field all that much. The Irish will play with three safeties instead.

Tight end: Sophomore Mike Ragone will miss the season after undergoing surgery Aug. 22 for a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee. Junior Will Yeatman, back from suspension in the spring, is the likely starter, but freshman Kyle Rudolph will also get some playing time.

Defensive end: Speedy Morrice Richardson and solid Justin Brown are feeling 6-4, 275-pound freshman Ethan Johnson’s presence. Weis also is intrigued by freshman Kapron Lewis-Moore (6-4, 257) at this position.

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