WESSON &045; Suitors are waiting patiently to see what J.D. Hamilton can do on the football field.

There’s only one problem &045; he has no game tapes to give them.

The former Natchez High standout has yet to play a game this season at Co-Lin as the Wolves finally open their season tonight at Northwest following Hurricane Katrina’s aftermath.

Then Hamilton can resume the communication process with the interested parties &045; West Virginia, Ole Miss, Oklahoma State and LSU.

&uot;(West Virginia) has offered, and everybody is waiting on game film,&uot; Hamilton said. &uot;I can’t give them anything until after tomorrow.&uot;

That’s fine with the 6-4, 290-pound offensive tackle, who earned All-American honors prior to the season. He’s confident in his ability to play at that level but remains focused on this fall and helping the Wolves do something they haven’t done in recent seasons &045; be a force in the state’s junior college ranks.

That’s what having training camp extended by three weeks will do to you.

&uot;A month and a half now,&uot; Hamilton said. &uot;It’s been beneficial. We’re getting a lot of mental reps in and making sure our technique is right. (Being All-American) is making me play a whole lot harder. I’ve got to play a lot harder to maintain that. I want to try to be a post-season All-American.&uot;

Katrina forced the Wolves to scrap their first two games Holmes and Northeast &045; both home games &045; and reschedule their game at Pearl River for Nov. 3. This fall will be a seven-game season with just three home games after having just four last season.

But right now, it doesn’t matter if it’s home, road or neutral site. The Wolves are just ready to play somebody.

&uot;Hopefully they’ll be excited about playing &045; I know they’re excited about not practicing,&uot; Co-Lin head coach Glenn Davis said. &uot;You practice things over and over, and offensively those are things you need. But defensively, I can see how you can get bored. We’re trying to keep kids from getting nicked up. We’ve tried to make it as fun for them and not make it so monotonous.&uot;

Hamilton has turned into one of the leaders on the offensive side as one of only two non-freshman starters back there. Davis and his staff overhauled the roster in their second year at Co-Lin following a 0-6, 1-8 debut season.

Hamilton and right tackle Damien Jones are the only returning starters.

&uot;I matured a lot,&uot; Hamilton said. &uot;It’s a different tempo than high school &045; a whole lot faster. Just from watching practice films, you’ve got to make sure you make the right steps. You’ve got to stay low all the time.&uot;

Hamilton is among 12 players hailing from Adams, Jefferson and Franklin counties on the roster. Michael Davis of Fayette will start at right guard, Franklin County product Kyle Tutor will get the nod at center and Deandre Davis of Meadville will get the nod at tight end.

With the inexperience there, Hamilton has stepped up his presence, Davis said. He’ll be one of the team captains for tonight’s game in Senatobia.

&uot;He’s had a great camp,&uot; Davis said. &uot;I think he’s going to do big things for us. We’re counting on him to, that’s for sure. He’s a good young man who has tried to be a leader for us. He’s being recruited pretty heavily right now, and we’re fortunate to have him.&uot;

On the defensive side, the Wolves will insert former Adams Christian standout Luke Ogden into the starting lineup at linebacker. Today’s opener will be a new lease on life for the former Rebel, who struggled at times last season just making the adjustment to college ball.

So he went back in the weight room and committed to improving. After checking in at 215 pounds his senior season at AC, he’s now at 237.

&uot;Last year I didn’t start or anything,&uot; Ogden said. &uot;I’d go in a lot, and it helped me learn the game. It’s a big step from high school to college. It helped me learn what to do and how to do it. I made a few tackles, and over the summer and the 11 weeks of practice I’ve worked hard at it.&uot;

Ogden said he’s garnered interest from most of the same schools who showed it while in high school. An improved sophomore campaign could help make that step, and the team’s defensive unit as a whole should be improved.

&uot;He came out and matured a great deal,&uot; Davis said. &uot;The thing that got Luke in trouble last year was he didn’t tackle well. When he was in, he did some good things. He didn’t make some of the plays we thought he could make, but he’s matured a lot.&uot;

The Wolves’ defense may be improved thanks to Davis and his staff recruiting more speed at cornerback. There’s more speed at wide receiver, too, to give the team a little more play-making ability.

Overall, however, there may be a chemistry that wasn’t there last year when things turned south.

&uot;For me, I think the kids feel they do have more talent than they had last year,&uot; Davis said. &uot;I’ve told people around here I don’t know if we’ll win more games but we’re more athletic and match up with people a lot better. &uot;

That infusion of talent has got both Hamilton and Ogden smiling now.

&uot;Overall, I’d say it’s more talented this year,&uot; Ogden said. &uot;We’re more of a team.&uot;