I didn't have time to fool with this yesterday or until now due to travel and some family stuff and an unexpected internet outage (thanks Xfinity).
A not particularly riveting media session with Buster Faulkner on Wednesday. I missed it due to excess capacity at the Washington airport.
Faulkner was asked what the next step for the offense is and he said winning and competing for an ACC Championship. He said they have a lot of guys back and early enrollees so they have 38 of the 43 guys expected to be on scholarship in the fall already on campus right now to build continuity. It is a new season, what they did last year doesn't matter and they are looking to improve and be more explosive in the passing game and run effectively.
With the install, Faulkner said the extra 15 practices in the bowl game helped keep the guys sharp and helped with retention and that has been really high. They retained the info he gave them last fall and now they've added to it and different tweaks and put guys in different positions to them on the field. Fundamentals are big as well.
On having Haynes King back, it is huge, you've got an experienced quarterback that had some success back and everything runs through the eyes of the QB. It is the same thing with Zach Pyron as well, he has a guy who got a bunch of reps last year in practice and both those guys are really smart and work with Coach Weinke on a daily basis and their retention is high and they are highly competitive kids. That is a huge part of it all. Haynes mid-summer last year really took on a leadership role and that has continued to grow and it has been great in the offseason and the rest of the guys look to him as well. He is established now and they've got a year under their belt with him at QB now to know what his strengths and weaknesses are as well as them now knowing the receivers' and running backs' strengths and weaknesses and how to use that information.
On if they have the pieces to be more explosive in the passing game, last year we were explosive in the passing game, but that goes hand in hand with all 11. It is not just the QB, not just the receiver, the O-line, the TEs and the protection and the RBs as well. "Do we have the pieces? Yes I believe we have the pieces, but that is not just the pieces on the perimeter it is the pieces up front and then also in the backfield and at tight end so to make it go we need all 11," Faulkner said.
On the two freshmen QBs, Aaron Philo and Graham Knowles, it is big then arrived in January and you are seeing that across CFB now at every position, but it all started with QBs enrolling early so they can learn the offense to compete for the job. The best thing for those two kids and their first is they don't have to play right now. They can bring them along slowly to continue to develop them and get them as many reps as they can. In college often the older you are the better you are and those kids don't have to play right now. We excited they are here and we look forward to developing them and it is good they are getting the extra 15 practices and don't have to wait until the summer to get here because they can compete now. Both have bright futures.
On position changes in camp, nothing like Jamal Haynes last year to RB. It is more about finding different roles for guys to get on the field more. He thinks they are very deep in the WR room so they want to find ways to get multiple guys on the field from that room so they are experimenting with some things right now.
On the WRs coming off significant injuries last year, Chase Lane, Leo Blackburn and James BlackStrain, Chase was our leading receiver at the time when eh went down last year and he came back game eight or nine but he was ever 100% and whenever that injury happens it takes long than you think, but he was able to get a bunch of reps in bowl practice and kind of get back. He looks great. He has had an unbelievable offseason and probably looks faster and more explosive than he did a year ago.
On Leo, he got three maybe four practices last year and you saw flashes of a guy that can be really good. The one thing he brings is some size in that room. They are bringing him back slowly and being smart with him since it is not even a year out. They want his confidence to get really high and they are going to be smart with the way they rep him, but he expects him to have a really good season.
He skipped over BlackStrain, the media didn't ask for him to follow up on it.
On Haynes King's leadership, the biggest thing is he will get in front of the team now and it is easier for him to do that and rally the group and then go throw. Haynes understands what comes with the position and all of the things including the way you act off the field and the way you carry yourself. He speaks to everybody in the building, he is awesome and they are glad he is here and his leadership is getting better and better.
On Isiah Canion, he tore his labrum late in his senior season and he had surgery on it so he won't practice with us much other than some routes on air and non-contact stuff. He looks very explosive and he can catch the ball. You can watch his high school film and see what he was able to do.
On Trent McKnight, he as a history of developing receivers and building great relationships with his guys and a great track record of evaluating and recruiting within the state of Georga so that is a big hire for them and he was a guy who obviously called plays well so he sees it in several different way and he is glad he is here and the WRs have done a great job of taking to him and Faulkner expects big things out of that room.
A not particularly riveting media session with Buster Faulkner on Wednesday. I missed it due to excess capacity at the Washington airport.
Faulkner was asked what the next step for the offense is and he said winning and competing for an ACC Championship. He said they have a lot of guys back and early enrollees so they have 38 of the 43 guys expected to be on scholarship in the fall already on campus right now to build continuity. It is a new season, what they did last year doesn't matter and they are looking to improve and be more explosive in the passing game and run effectively.
With the install, Faulkner said the extra 15 practices in the bowl game helped keep the guys sharp and helped with retention and that has been really high. They retained the info he gave them last fall and now they've added to it and different tweaks and put guys in different positions to them on the field. Fundamentals are big as well.
On having Haynes King back, it is huge, you've got an experienced quarterback that had some success back and everything runs through the eyes of the QB. It is the same thing with Zach Pyron as well, he has a guy who got a bunch of reps last year in practice and both those guys are really smart and work with Coach Weinke on a daily basis and their retention is high and they are highly competitive kids. That is a huge part of it all. Haynes mid-summer last year really took on a leadership role and that has continued to grow and it has been great in the offseason and the rest of the guys look to him as well. He is established now and they've got a year under their belt with him at QB now to know what his strengths and weaknesses are as well as them now knowing the receivers' and running backs' strengths and weaknesses and how to use that information.
On if they have the pieces to be more explosive in the passing game, last year we were explosive in the passing game, but that goes hand in hand with all 11. It is not just the QB, not just the receiver, the O-line, the TEs and the protection and the RBs as well. "Do we have the pieces? Yes I believe we have the pieces, but that is not just the pieces on the perimeter it is the pieces up front and then also in the backfield and at tight end so to make it go we need all 11," Faulkner said.
On the two freshmen QBs, Aaron Philo and Graham Knowles, it is big then arrived in January and you are seeing that across CFB now at every position, but it all started with QBs enrolling early so they can learn the offense to compete for the job. The best thing for those two kids and their first is they don't have to play right now. They can bring them along slowly to continue to develop them and get them as many reps as they can. In college often the older you are the better you are and those kids don't have to play right now. We excited they are here and we look forward to developing them and it is good they are getting the extra 15 practices and don't have to wait until the summer to get here because they can compete now. Both have bright futures.
On position changes in camp, nothing like Jamal Haynes last year to RB. It is more about finding different roles for guys to get on the field more. He thinks they are very deep in the WR room so they want to find ways to get multiple guys on the field from that room so they are experimenting with some things right now.
On the WRs coming off significant injuries last year, Chase Lane, Leo Blackburn and James BlackStrain, Chase was our leading receiver at the time when eh went down last year and he came back game eight or nine but he was ever 100% and whenever that injury happens it takes long than you think, but he was able to get a bunch of reps in bowl practice and kind of get back. He looks great. He has had an unbelievable offseason and probably looks faster and more explosive than he did a year ago.
On Leo, he got three maybe four practices last year and you saw flashes of a guy that can be really good. The one thing he brings is some size in that room. They are bringing him back slowly and being smart with him since it is not even a year out. They want his confidence to get really high and they are going to be smart with the way they rep him, but he expects him to have a really good season.
He skipped over BlackStrain, the media didn't ask for him to follow up on it.
On Haynes King's leadership, the biggest thing is he will get in front of the team now and it is easier for him to do that and rally the group and then go throw. Haynes understands what comes with the position and all of the things including the way you act off the field and the way you carry yourself. He speaks to everybody in the building, he is awesome and they are glad he is here and his leadership is getting better and better.
On Isiah Canion, he tore his labrum late in his senior season and he had surgery on it so he won't practice with us much other than some routes on air and non-contact stuff. He looks very explosive and he can catch the ball. You can watch his high school film and see what he was able to do.
On Trent McKnight, he as a history of developing receivers and building great relationships with his guys and a great track record of evaluating and recruiting within the state of Georga so that is a big hire for them and he was a guy who obviously called plays well so he sees it in several different way and he is glad he is here and the WRs have done a great job of taking to him and Faulkner expects big things out of that room.
