I spoke with a number of coaches and players today, and I thought these things were noteworthy:
*I asked several people which freshmen had stuck out the most so far this summer, these are the names I got back: Offensive tackle Terence Steele, outside receiver Tony Brown, inside H receiver Quan Shorts, outside Z receiver KeKe Coutee, and safety Jamile Johnson.
*As has been noted before, offensive line coach Lee Hays told me he really got lucky with this group of freshmen offensive linemen. They've all equaled or exceeded expectations, and they've been working their tail off as a collective unit.
*As for OT Terence Steele, Hays noted that he's very, very young for his class, and he has potential to be a very, very good player. Had he been a senior this year, Hays said, "I'd have had to wait in line to go see him."
*The O-line coach feels that this year's group of senior offensive linemen - Clark, Morales, and Kaster - is very special to him. They're the most tight knit group of O-linemen he's ever been around, and he's built a really unique and close bond with them as a group that you don't find very often.
*In fact, the first thing that Hays noted was just how hard they pushed themselves and the rest of the offensive line unit as a whole this summer. They were getting extra workouts and film sessions in almost every day, including on Saturdays. Hays actually had to tell them to back off.
*Offensive tackle Paul Stawarz has been better so far than Hays believed he would be. He has a bit of a leg injury holding him back for a few weeks right now, but he's certainly in line to win that right tackle spot once he gets back healthy.
*Mike Jinks said that his group of tailbacks have had a great summer, and it's one of the most competitive position groups he's been around. For example: Quinton White was Tech's primary back in third down situations last fall, so what did DeAndre Washington do? He worked as much as he could this summer on catching the ball out of the backfield. No one wants to lose any playing time, and they're all fighting for carries.
*Jinks also noted that Corey Dauphine is having a bit of a learning curve trying to pick up the offense right now, but that's the same issue that almost every freshman goes through. However, if Dauphine is good enough to beat out DeMarcus Felton or Justin Stockton for carries, the RB's coach is going to play him.
*That's really the biggest issue for Jinks right now, too. With as much talent there is at tailback, they're trying to figure out the best way to split up carries as a staff. That's a big reason why they're creating a fullback role for Quinton White.
*Jinks also made note that DeAndre Washington has added a step to his speed, which could certainly help him become an even better tailback.
*From talking with every player and coach at Media Day, the biggest response I got to the offseason was in regards to the intensity of this year's summer program. Everyone's mindset has been very different this summer than it was last year - which has certainly been covered quite a bit already - but every player is approaching things with a no-nonsense attitude.
*Webb, Mahomes, Kingsbury, and several players all noted how far the wide receivers have come from where they were at the beginning of last season. It's a unit that's grown and matured quite a bit, and I think there are some hopes that they can be much improved as a whole.
*Webb, when talking about the offense as it relates to running or passing numbers this fall: "Passing or running, I'm just telling everyone that it's going to be a scoring offense."
*I asked several people which freshmen had stuck out the most so far this summer, these are the names I got back: Offensive tackle Terence Steele, outside receiver Tony Brown, inside H receiver Quan Shorts, outside Z receiver KeKe Coutee, and safety Jamile Johnson.
*As has been noted before, offensive line coach Lee Hays told me he really got lucky with this group of freshmen offensive linemen. They've all equaled or exceeded expectations, and they've been working their tail off as a collective unit.
*As for OT Terence Steele, Hays noted that he's very, very young for his class, and he has potential to be a very, very good player. Had he been a senior this year, Hays said, "I'd have had to wait in line to go see him."
*The O-line coach feels that this year's group of senior offensive linemen - Clark, Morales, and Kaster - is very special to him. They're the most tight knit group of O-linemen he's ever been around, and he's built a really unique and close bond with them as a group that you don't find very often.
*In fact, the first thing that Hays noted was just how hard they pushed themselves and the rest of the offensive line unit as a whole this summer. They were getting extra workouts and film sessions in almost every day, including on Saturdays. Hays actually had to tell them to back off.
*Offensive tackle Paul Stawarz has been better so far than Hays believed he would be. He has a bit of a leg injury holding him back for a few weeks right now, but he's certainly in line to win that right tackle spot once he gets back healthy.
*Mike Jinks said that his group of tailbacks have had a great summer, and it's one of the most competitive position groups he's been around. For example: Quinton White was Tech's primary back in third down situations last fall, so what did DeAndre Washington do? He worked as much as he could this summer on catching the ball out of the backfield. No one wants to lose any playing time, and they're all fighting for carries.
*Jinks also noted that Corey Dauphine is having a bit of a learning curve trying to pick up the offense right now, but that's the same issue that almost every freshman goes through. However, if Dauphine is good enough to beat out DeMarcus Felton or Justin Stockton for carries, the RB's coach is going to play him.
*That's really the biggest issue for Jinks right now, too. With as much talent there is at tailback, they're trying to figure out the best way to split up carries as a staff. That's a big reason why they're creating a fullback role for Quinton White.
*Jinks also made note that DeAndre Washington has added a step to his speed, which could certainly help him become an even better tailback.
*From talking with every player and coach at Media Day, the biggest response I got to the offseason was in regards to the intensity of this year's summer program. Everyone's mindset has been very different this summer than it was last year - which has certainly been covered quite a bit already - but every player is approaching things with a no-nonsense attitude.
*Webb, Mahomes, Kingsbury, and several players all noted how far the wide receivers have come from where they were at the beginning of last season. It's a unit that's grown and matured quite a bit, and I think there are some hopes that they can be much improved as a whole.
*Webb, when talking about the offense as it relates to running or passing numbers this fall: "Passing or running, I'm just telling everyone that it's going to be a scoring offense."
