Brent Key had no clue what the uniforms were actually called so we decided to just skip over talking about that in the media session. He did say they will have Coach Curry at the game and this is a little bit of a tribute to his GT era.
Key talked about a switch they made to the schedule this year with practice. They still go full pads and full out on Tuesday and Wednesday but Thursday which used to be a shells practice is now basically a walk-through for the travel squad, but in the first 40 minutes of practice they have the developmental team (aka scout team/redshirting players) go in full pads and the rest of the team does their lifting and training. He said this is really helping with player development and they go through a mini-practice with those players who are not in the two-deep with indy and live reps with 10-minute periods. He said getting those extra 40 minutes a week has been huge for his guys because they are getting more fundamental work and technique taught to them and they could end up moving up as the season moves along instead of just redshirting and being put on the shelf for the year.
Key said that some guys that have started to show up during these Thursday sessions are DT Shymeik Jones, DE Ezra Odinjor, OT Patrick Screws (Key said he is a big man that can really move and does things the right way), OG Ben Galloway, C Gabe Fortson and TE Jackson Long.
The other area this has helped with is guys who were injured going into the season or got hurt in camp like WR Juju Lewis and WR James BlackStrain who are guys who could end up in the rotation at receiver eventually and can make up reps this lost in fall camp or the preseason with these extra sessions now.
Key said they also have added more good-on-good this week in practice to increase the competitive situations.
Key said they are trying to make practice and the prep flow in more of a W-shape now with Tuesday and Wednesday as ramp ups and Thursday as a wind-down and then ramping back up on Friday with some shells work ahead of Saturday games. Key said it is the GT part of him coming out when he came up with this instead of the old method where you went hard Tuesday and Wednesday and then ramp down on Thursday and Friday and then try to get back up on Saturday.
Key said he gives a lot of credit to Mark Smith and his sports medicine staff along with AJ Artis, Jordan Diaz and Sean Boyle who do the sports science stuff out of the weight room for helping make this work and also making the team play faster overall and helping with the preparation each week.
Key said that Jordan Williams will be out for a couple of weeks and they are targeting the post-bye week to get him back. They want to rest him and let him heal up. Key said he was really proud of how Jakiah Leftwich stepped up in the Wake Forest game and played the whole game and they didn't have to make huge swaps on the OL like they used to 2-1 for 3-1 moving guys around anymore when someone goes down. He said that is a huge sign of growth with the depth on the line.
Key said that WR Dom Blaylock is a full go now and will be a full go for the game coming off his injury.
WR Chase Lane should be out this week unless there is some big emergency at that position. They are shooting for the Miami game for him to return. He said Lane is huge in the WR room because of his mindset and maturity and he really plays and carries himself with a great level of maturity and professionalism that lifts up that room.
Key said he has a different approach with the redshirts and he isn't worried about saving kids right now because almost everyone graduates from GT now in 3.5 or 4 years and they'll have that powerful Georgia Tech degree in their pocket when they are done and can take their chances in the real world if football doesn't work out. He said he is trying to build his roster to win games and everyone on the team has to be bought into that vision and put the time and energy into building up to that goal. He brought up Patrick Screws as an example as he is up with the varsity now with Williams out this week and he has a tremendous future but if they need to play him they will play him.
Key said that Jaylon King is a shining example of what a Georgia Tech football player is and what he did academically in school and the pride he has in that is just as much as his football prowess. He said that he is a guy that has continued to overcome adversity over and over. He said that King pulled something ahead of the Louisville game and they did not think he would be able to play and somehow he was out there and playing hard banged up and he thought maybe they'd get 10-12 plays and he had to go the whole game (LaMiles Brooks was knocked out early) and that shows his true grit and toughness.
We talked about Ethan Mackenny which is for a story I'm doing this week, but he recapped the same story Ethan told yesterday about him camping and being underweight and then growing and he loves how he is developing. Key said that one thing that he loves seeing is the accountability the other OLs are teaching Mackenny and the young guys. He said that Mackenny missed a run block in practice and Weston Franklin nearly ripped Mackenny's facemask off and that is what he wants to see from his guys.
Key told a story about playing NC State his freshman year and he was the RG and they were holding a lead and he missed an assignment and gave up a TFL that was entirely on him. He said that he remembers this as clear as day even today, Ken Celaj the starting LT ripped him to shreds at the end of the game and that is when it clicked for him how important every play is and how important it is for your senior leadership to show the young guys that and how the game is supposed to be played. That is the culture he is trying to develop at GT. He said Mackenny has tremendous talent and that thing with Weston is a great sign the program is going in the right direction.
Key said practice this week has been better and he isn't one of those guys who is happy all the time. He knows how the game should be played and if they want to play that way the players have to practice that way and his expectations are extremely high for this team day in and day out. When they don't reach his expectations or reach their potential he isn't happy. He said they don't need people playing above their heads and he thinks that happened in the first games of the season, he just needs them to be the best they can be. He said it is disappointing when that doesn't happen and then unhappiness with that turns to anger and that was the strong message he sent the team last week during WF prep. It has been better this week and that will help them get the results they want.
I asked him about Dre White and Kyle Efford and the LB depth starting to emerge after years of just having three guys only. Key said it has been really good to see and something they were expecting to see as the season moved along.
Key said that once recruiting was over and the roster was set he wanted to see player development and that is why he hired Kevin Sherrer to coach LBs. He said that Sherrer is the best LB coach he has been around hands down and he is going to get the most out of these guys and develop them. He said you are seeing the adjustments being made and Kevin has done a helluva job getting what he is out of that group. He said that Sherrer is cut from the same mold as Key personality and coaching wise and they are never satisfied and want to build up the identity and standard for this team, but it is a constant work in progress.
Key talked about a switch they made to the schedule this year with practice. They still go full pads and full out on Tuesday and Wednesday but Thursday which used to be a shells practice is now basically a walk-through for the travel squad, but in the first 40 minutes of practice they have the developmental team (aka scout team/redshirting players) go in full pads and the rest of the team does their lifting and training. He said this is really helping with player development and they go through a mini-practice with those players who are not in the two-deep with indy and live reps with 10-minute periods. He said getting those extra 40 minutes a week has been huge for his guys because they are getting more fundamental work and technique taught to them and they could end up moving up as the season moves along instead of just redshirting and being put on the shelf for the year.
Key said that some guys that have started to show up during these Thursday sessions are DT Shymeik Jones, DE Ezra Odinjor, OT Patrick Screws (Key said he is a big man that can really move and does things the right way), OG Ben Galloway, C Gabe Fortson and TE Jackson Long.
The other area this has helped with is guys who were injured going into the season or got hurt in camp like WR Juju Lewis and WR James BlackStrain who are guys who could end up in the rotation at receiver eventually and can make up reps this lost in fall camp or the preseason with these extra sessions now.
Key said they also have added more good-on-good this week in practice to increase the competitive situations.
Key said they are trying to make practice and the prep flow in more of a W-shape now with Tuesday and Wednesday as ramp ups and Thursday as a wind-down and then ramping back up on Friday with some shells work ahead of Saturday games. Key said it is the GT part of him coming out when he came up with this instead of the old method where you went hard Tuesday and Wednesday and then ramp down on Thursday and Friday and then try to get back up on Saturday.
Key said he gives a lot of credit to Mark Smith and his sports medicine staff along with AJ Artis, Jordan Diaz and Sean Boyle who do the sports science stuff out of the weight room for helping make this work and also making the team play faster overall and helping with the preparation each week.
Key said that Jordan Williams will be out for a couple of weeks and they are targeting the post-bye week to get him back. They want to rest him and let him heal up. Key said he was really proud of how Jakiah Leftwich stepped up in the Wake Forest game and played the whole game and they didn't have to make huge swaps on the OL like they used to 2-1 for 3-1 moving guys around anymore when someone goes down. He said that is a huge sign of growth with the depth on the line.
Key said that WR Dom Blaylock is a full go now and will be a full go for the game coming off his injury.
WR Chase Lane should be out this week unless there is some big emergency at that position. They are shooting for the Miami game for him to return. He said Lane is huge in the WR room because of his mindset and maturity and he really plays and carries himself with a great level of maturity and professionalism that lifts up that room.
Key said he has a different approach with the redshirts and he isn't worried about saving kids right now because almost everyone graduates from GT now in 3.5 or 4 years and they'll have that powerful Georgia Tech degree in their pocket when they are done and can take their chances in the real world if football doesn't work out. He said he is trying to build his roster to win games and everyone on the team has to be bought into that vision and put the time and energy into building up to that goal. He brought up Patrick Screws as an example as he is up with the varsity now with Williams out this week and he has a tremendous future but if they need to play him they will play him.
Key said that Jaylon King is a shining example of what a Georgia Tech football player is and what he did academically in school and the pride he has in that is just as much as his football prowess. He said that he is a guy that has continued to overcome adversity over and over. He said that King pulled something ahead of the Louisville game and they did not think he would be able to play and somehow he was out there and playing hard banged up and he thought maybe they'd get 10-12 plays and he had to go the whole game (LaMiles Brooks was knocked out early) and that shows his true grit and toughness.
We talked about Ethan Mackenny which is for a story I'm doing this week, but he recapped the same story Ethan told yesterday about him camping and being underweight and then growing and he loves how he is developing. Key said that one thing that he loves seeing is the accountability the other OLs are teaching Mackenny and the young guys. He said that Mackenny missed a run block in practice and Weston Franklin nearly ripped Mackenny's facemask off and that is what he wants to see from his guys.
Key told a story about playing NC State his freshman year and he was the RG and they were holding a lead and he missed an assignment and gave up a TFL that was entirely on him. He said that he remembers this as clear as day even today, Ken Celaj the starting LT ripped him to shreds at the end of the game and that is when it clicked for him how important every play is and how important it is for your senior leadership to show the young guys that and how the game is supposed to be played. That is the culture he is trying to develop at GT. He said Mackenny has tremendous talent and that thing with Weston is a great sign the program is going in the right direction.
Key said practice this week has been better and he isn't one of those guys who is happy all the time. He knows how the game should be played and if they want to play that way the players have to practice that way and his expectations are extremely high for this team day in and day out. When they don't reach his expectations or reach their potential he isn't happy. He said they don't need people playing above their heads and he thinks that happened in the first games of the season, he just needs them to be the best they can be. He said it is disappointing when that doesn't happen and then unhappiness with that turns to anger and that was the strong message he sent the team last week during WF prep. It has been better this week and that will help them get the results they want.
I asked him about Dre White and Kyle Efford and the LB depth starting to emerge after years of just having three guys only. Key said it has been really good to see and something they were expecting to see as the season moved along.
Key said that once recruiting was over and the roster was set he wanted to see player development and that is why he hired Kevin Sherrer to coach LBs. He said that Sherrer is the best LB coach he has been around hands down and he is going to get the most out of these guys and develop them. He said you are seeing the adjustments being made and Kevin has done a helluva job getting what he is out of that group. He said that Sherrer is cut from the same mold as Key personality and coaching wise and they are never satisfied and want to build up the identity and standard for this team, but it is a constant work in progress.
