Coach Sims it was pretty simple because he was with me all last year and with me over two years, just moved myself to S from LB. Coach Barlow has been smooth and you can do a lot of different things with CB, corner technique and assignments are pretty simple, so that has been pretty easy, we spent a week going over cutups and as bad as it is to have turnover those guys have made it easy.
Because of the turnover in the secondary and gap or hole in recruiting from previous staff felt like they needed to bring in some experience and couldn't just solve it with freshmen. We went after the transfers and those were our three main targets in the mid-year now they are hear and trying to work like everyone else. All three will help, too early to talk about starting. We had guys last year playing that was probably too early, it is amazing to have four lines now of guys. They are fighting for practice time and to solidify themselves. The depth chart today was totally different than it was yesterday moving 2-3s to 1s and we will try to maximize reps and it is even in many battles.
On Edge Rusher and LB
The rushing question is an issue by not having those type of guys in the program, all of the sudden someone like Thaxton is much better than last year. Last year I had to slide the line and make Boyles a pass rusher, he is one of the better ones we have. Sometimes you have to be creative to find the best four. We work on some different types of pressures to get a 4-man rush and being more disciplined when we rush 3. When you drop 8 you have advantages and you can collapse the pocket without losing run lanes.
At LB we have Grier and Bellamy coming off shoulders so they are limited, Norris, Helton and others and freshmen in early can do more. Andrew Mims. Grier and Bellamy can do some limited things.
On having more size in the secondary, you want the tallest, longest and fastest you can get. TJ Robinson is also like a transfer this year too because he had to sit out last year. With the RPO game WRs are up tighter than they used to be, too many windows with the RPO, length helps you with the windows, that is an advantage, you can't miss on speed. If you can't flip and run, then someone can run by you. That is not good either, size along with the speed, I want both. It is different. In the old days the best cover guy was on the two outside WRs. Right now the NB better be one of your better cover guys, you need three cover guys out there.
Last year was a nightmare, we got in two today so we are up two, we weren't very good, one of the worst seasons love the kids, but our production was bad, to get in 15 practices it feels like our first spring. It is a new system and a unique system and then you are going against our offense and then we see 12-personnel and fall camp was cut short and guys were in and out, the different offenses then we have to get ready for the option, so we lost all of that, all of that is a long answer, we are thrilled by the repetition and the coach and the details to get the learning curve up and one guy was in and out. It was surreal to look back at last year, but it was a few months that will drive me, my own failures and mistakes really drive you.
At the previous two stops you'd see four to five games in you would see things click, and we would have great production, I would be disappointed if that didn't happen right now, we are pretty simple right now and the offensive is pretty simple. Basic motion we were on it. Last year it was like a coaching clinic, the steady increase and curve I want. If we stay healthy and consistent we can have great improvement. That is the only way up for us, year two will be the improvement between game one and game two at this point.
At Duke I coached all four DB spots, I had coach Sims to keep an eye on the LBs last year, so it the advantage of coordinator at the LB, sometimes you are with the front or 7-on-7 so now I'm tied to the backend more. When we had a chance to hire another secondary coach in coach Barlow he has coached all of it, our eyes are on it all the time. Da Prado is also on the backend with me, he has some time when he is not doing teams. I've got three the Star, FS and SS so it helps to have him. I love it, been LBs so long, the challenge of it got my juices flowing and i looked at old tape and new tape of drills to get things going. I've got a deeper understanding of the DBs now. I went out to eat with them last week to build relationships guy, unselfish and the more they know me as a person instead of as a screamer.
On Brian Norris, he is the epitome of a kid that is hungry, really hungry. When we gave him that chip the other day, I thought he stood out immediately. I was showing efforts to our team good and bad to the players and the two good ones one of them was Norris, an absurdly great effort chasing the ball down. When we broke out of our meeting yesterday and grading practice at 5:30pm, Brian was sitting outside my door wanting his grade sheet. Other players see that see his success, he was naturally a LB, works, love his grit and want to. Our job is to maxmize Brian Norris. If you want to write an artice on one guy on D it would be Brian Norris.
Because of the turnover in the secondary and gap or hole in recruiting from previous staff felt like they needed to bring in some experience and couldn't just solve it with freshmen. We went after the transfers and those were our three main targets in the mid-year now they are hear and trying to work like everyone else. All three will help, too early to talk about starting. We had guys last year playing that was probably too early, it is amazing to have four lines now of guys. They are fighting for practice time and to solidify themselves. The depth chart today was totally different than it was yesterday moving 2-3s to 1s and we will try to maximize reps and it is even in many battles.
On Edge Rusher and LB
The rushing question is an issue by not having those type of guys in the program, all of the sudden someone like Thaxton is much better than last year. Last year I had to slide the line and make Boyles a pass rusher, he is one of the better ones we have. Sometimes you have to be creative to find the best four. We work on some different types of pressures to get a 4-man rush and being more disciplined when we rush 3. When you drop 8 you have advantages and you can collapse the pocket without losing run lanes.
At LB we have Grier and Bellamy coming off shoulders so they are limited, Norris, Helton and others and freshmen in early can do more. Andrew Mims. Grier and Bellamy can do some limited things.
On having more size in the secondary, you want the tallest, longest and fastest you can get. TJ Robinson is also like a transfer this year too because he had to sit out last year. With the RPO game WRs are up tighter than they used to be, too many windows with the RPO, length helps you with the windows, that is an advantage, you can't miss on speed. If you can't flip and run, then someone can run by you. That is not good either, size along with the speed, I want both. It is different. In the old days the best cover guy was on the two outside WRs. Right now the NB better be one of your better cover guys, you need three cover guys out there.
Last year was a nightmare, we got in two today so we are up two, we weren't very good, one of the worst seasons love the kids, but our production was bad, to get in 15 practices it feels like our first spring. It is a new system and a unique system and then you are going against our offense and then we see 12-personnel and fall camp was cut short and guys were in and out, the different offenses then we have to get ready for the option, so we lost all of that, all of that is a long answer, we are thrilled by the repetition and the coach and the details to get the learning curve up and one guy was in and out. It was surreal to look back at last year, but it was a few months that will drive me, my own failures and mistakes really drive you.
At the previous two stops you'd see four to five games in you would see things click, and we would have great production, I would be disappointed if that didn't happen right now, we are pretty simple right now and the offensive is pretty simple. Basic motion we were on it. Last year it was like a coaching clinic, the steady increase and curve I want. If we stay healthy and consistent we can have great improvement. That is the only way up for us, year two will be the improvement between game one and game two at this point.
At Duke I coached all four DB spots, I had coach Sims to keep an eye on the LBs last year, so it the advantage of coordinator at the LB, sometimes you are with the front or 7-on-7 so now I'm tied to the backend more. When we had a chance to hire another secondary coach in coach Barlow he has coached all of it, our eyes are on it all the time. Da Prado is also on the backend with me, he has some time when he is not doing teams. I've got three the Star, FS and SS so it helps to have him. I love it, been LBs so long, the challenge of it got my juices flowing and i looked at old tape and new tape of drills to get things going. I've got a deeper understanding of the DBs now. I went out to eat with them last week to build relationships guy, unselfish and the more they know me as a person instead of as a screamer.
On Brian Norris, he is the epitome of a kid that is hungry, really hungry. When we gave him that chip the other day, I thought he stood out immediately. I was showing efforts to our team good and bad to the players and the two good ones one of them was Norris, an absurdly great effort chasing the ball down. When we broke out of our meeting yesterday and grading practice at 5:30pm, Brian was sitting outside my door wanting his grade sheet. Other players see that see his success, he was naturally a LB, works, love his grit and want to. Our job is to maxmize Brian Norris. If you want to write an artice on one guy on D it would be Brian Norris.
