The Troy Trojans football team will hold their first scrimmage of the preseason today, and all fans are invited to attend.

The scrimmage comes just two days after Troy’s first full pads practice Thursday night.

Many players were excited about finally being able to practice with some full contact.

“O line and D line pretty much go at it all the time, even when we’re just in helmets,” said senior offensive lineman Danny Franks. “But, pads, as they say, separate the men from the boys and that’s what we’re going to prove today.”

Senior defensive back Courtland Fuller said the start of contact practices would be a test for the Trojan defense.

“I’ve been waiting for a long time to hit somebody,” Fuller said. “We’ve done a little hitting, but we’re actually about to start taking people down. It’ll be a good test for us to see where we are as a defense.”

Fuller also said he was looking forward to seeing how some of the Troy newcomers would respond to getting hit.

I’m hoping some of these newer guys will get shook up,” Fuller said.

Troy still has some unanswered questions heading into today’s scrimmage, namely alongside Franks and Fuller at offensive line and defensive back.

Fuller said the newcomers in the secondary have made progress, but still have work left to do.

“Some of them are getting it, they just have to get the little things like lining up right,” Fuller said. “They play the assignment right, but they just have to get the alignment right.”

Franks, meanwhile, said the offensive line is close to being set.

“You know, really some gaps were filled during spring,” Franks said. “We’ve got James Brown playing left tackle and Kyle Wilborn playing right. I think they’re going to be really solid for us. They’re both really smart players and incredible athletes, so I don’t think we’ll have any problems on the outside.”

Like most college football teams, Troy is hoping for big things out of some of their new faces.

“Bryan Willis, I expect him to step up,” Fuller said. “He’s been having pretty good practices. That’s the one y’all are really going to have to watch out for in a couple of years.”

Troy fans will be happy to know that Franks has been impressed with the play of one of Troy’s premier signees, defensive tackle Eugene Kinlaw.

“We’ve had a couple of JUCO guys come in and impress me,” Franks said. “Kinlaw is one of them. He’s a great player. He’s one of the best I’ve ever faced. He’s definitely going to get our O line better, along with us getting him better. We’re looking forward to doing real big things this year.”

Troy fans can come out and watch Franks, Fuller, Willis, Kinlaw and the rest of the Trojans in Troy’s first scrimmage today at 10:30 a.m.