ATLANTA- Georgia Tech hit the field early Friday morning for the second day of spring ball and despite rainy conditions, the Jackets worked in Bobby Dodd Stadium for two hours continuing offensive and defensive installs. After practice, offensive line and assistant head coach Brent Key spoke to the media along with some of his offensive linemen about spring ball.
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Key said they are still doing installation right now and it is a pro-style offense with tempo and a lot of moving parts to it and a lot of different schemes in the run game and passing concepts that are different for the kids. He said some of it is similar to what they ran before with different terminology like the run schemes, but the amount of protections and types have changed and they are installing them, they put in four new ones yesterday and six more protections in today.
Rod asked about Quick or Tchio playing tackle (they were both recruited as guards here which he should know)
Key said that they do look at position versatility but he wants them playing guard next to Weston Franklin at center and working on communicating with Weston and how that works. He said maybe toward the end of spring ball going into the summer they may look at moving guys around for emergencies but right now he wants them focused on guard where he picked them up to play.
Key said they've added calls to help the guys out on the offensive line to make it easier on them with the protections and that is why they have more calls now. "there's a lot of ways to help guys out you know there are protections if you have a really good three-technique inside to get a double team on protections to be able to get a double team on the nose guard if it's a really good nose protections to be able to help out a defensive end. You know if a tackle struggling blocking a certain guy, being able to manipulate to protections change the protections add new ones in get help different spots and really shore up the pocket and allow the quarterback sit back there and operate that's really been the biggest difference in the added stuff we are pushing on the guys right now."
Key bragged on Jordan Williams said he has had a great offseason and first few days of practice and he has taken on a leadership role as well being vocal and also leading by playing more physically. He said he will reserve some judgement until the pads get on. He was 350 in 2020 and he is down to 305 right now and he is expecting a lot out of him right now at RT. He is also teaching him some LT as well because with Long's offense and the protections they are using it is a little more mirrored so you don't have to be a straight up with LT/RT with pure blindside protections. He said that is his next goal for Jordan, getting him to where he can play both LT and RT if needed.
He said that Wing Green has been running with the twos at RT and a few one snaps and Jakiah Leftwich has been the LT and he wants to keep them at their sides for now until they are more comfortable with what they are doing. Key said that Jakiah is still really young but they expect big things out of him and he is doing a really good job of learning and both Wing and Jakiah have done a lot of things in the weight room to help them strength-wise and hopefully they can play fast and won't be blinded by the big lights when it is time to suit up.
Key said that Weston Franklin got 60-70 snaps last season and they were very valuable as he got to see some things that are hard for them to replicate in practice like against UGA seeing a cross dog or a backside blitz against Notre dame and sometimes there is value is messing up and giving up a hit or a sack as a learning tool for an OL so they don't make that same mistake in another game and he feels like that playing time really benefitted Weston.
Key confirmed what I've reported about Nick Pendley and Ryan Spiers both being medicated. he said that Pendley was especially tough because he was a guy they picked up with three years to play three and had so much potential and had played well when he was out there and he was a key guy because he was older and helping backfill the transition from 2018 and 2019 with the OL classes and changing over the system and that was something they made a major effort of trying to find guys like that to replace missing classes basically around Mike Maye who is the last guy left from that group. He said they've had terrible luck with injuries and medicals, but that is not uncommon with OLs and his small group right now is pretty consistent with what everyone else has and what he has had his whole career other than his time at Alabama. He said they are building some depth back by adding Paul Tchio and Pierce Quick, but he is still really bummed about Pendley. He is happy that Pendley and Spiers are helping coach now though.
Key said the one plus side of having around 12 OLs is they can only run two groups so you are not getting a lot of watered-down third team OL work and the two groups get a ton of reps, he said he was actually smiling after the last two practices he was so pleased with how they've looked so far. He said at UCF he had six OLs in a season or 7 so 10-12 is fine.
Rod asked him about Joe Fusile a walk-on OL
Key said that walk-on Fusile has been getting a lot of reps at tackle, but he is probably an inside player. He said that Will Milam is another guy they like and he has known his family for a long time as his dad was Key's academic advisor at GT.
Ken asked Ken about Key's year one comments on recruiting to GT and if that is still true
"I still have the same belief, I still believe you can recruit here and Georgia Tech is a place you can recruit to. If you look around everything that we have here at Georgia Tech, I've got an unbelievable feeling and desire for this place and what this place is and what it can do for you," Key said. "We've had some unfortunate breaks as far as literal breaks with injuries and whatnot, at the same time we know it is not going to be an overnight thing as far as the recruiting process. Let's not turn a blind eye either. We will put a product on the field this year that is going to allow us to create a higher level and today that's what it is all about."
Key said that is big working with Chip Long and Chris Weinke
" I think anytime you have experience with somebody you coach with, it's a bonus man because you know, you know how to, you know, you know how to get each other, you know, in a good mood, you know, when they're in a bad mood. You know what to say to them, you know how to help each other out on the field when one person's going through one thing and one thing is happening. You just get a feel for guys that comes with experience, guys haven't been in a room with somebody. You haven't been the same, you know, a lot of the same backgrounds. Were working for the same guys. I think that begins a bonus because there's a level of expectation that we have with the guys out there on the offense and you know, I think across the board, those guys come in and have the same expectations in what the same end goal."
Right tackle Jordan Williams said that he is trying to take over some of the leadership piece that Ryan Johnson brought to the table and he learned a ton from him and from playing the last few years and now he is trying to piece all of that together to be a great player while also taking over some of the leadership on the OL. He said he is really trying to play more physically. He said he doesn't consider himself an old guy even if he is, but he is trying to get the hang of the leadership piece.
Williams trimmed down about 35 pounds, he said he was trying to cut fat and add more muscle. He said he is trying to do whatever coach Key wants him to do.
Williams said QB protection is the one area they are really trying to improve at because the pressures were too high and they want to continue running the ball.
Williams said the entire team is pretty energized right now.
Guard Paula Vaipulu celebrates his birthday today, he spoke with us as well and he said that coach Key believed in him last year and he had the tools and the power to play, but not the experience yet and that is what he got a taste of playing last year and that was really good for him. He said he is trying to be a smarter player now and put together all the pieces and learn the playbook. He said with the second day on install they've messed up some, but they are doing a pretty good job with the install.
Vaipulu said he is mostly focused on playing left guard right now, but coach Key had him learn tackle his first year learning outside in and he can play guard or tackle.
Vaipulu said he and Weston Franklin are really close and they both had some tough experiences last year getting thrown into the mix but physically they are both better prepared now and they are trying to be more physical and dominant especially in the run game.
Vaipulu said that Pierce Quick and Paul Tchio are doing well at guard and he has a great relationship with both of them and they are learning fast.
Center Weston Franklin said learning through his mistakes last year has really helped him this spring as he has a tough job making all the calls and being vocal on the OL which is not something that comes naturally to him because he is more of a quiet guy by nature and a lead by example type and he is having to adapt to fit his role now and step up and be vocal.
Franklin said that they are installing a lot of new protections and that takes time for him to study and learn and the best way to really hone it is going out on the field and seeing the different movements of the defense.
Franklin said he is focused on narrowing his base this year, he felt like he got too wide last year and blocked some running lanes at times.
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Key said they are still doing installation right now and it is a pro-style offense with tempo and a lot of moving parts to it and a lot of different schemes in the run game and passing concepts that are different for the kids. He said some of it is similar to what they ran before with different terminology like the run schemes, but the amount of protections and types have changed and they are installing them, they put in four new ones yesterday and six more protections in today.
Rod asked about Quick or Tchio playing tackle (they were both recruited as guards here which he should know)
Key said that they do look at position versatility but he wants them playing guard next to Weston Franklin at center and working on communicating with Weston and how that works. He said maybe toward the end of spring ball going into the summer they may look at moving guys around for emergencies but right now he wants them focused on guard where he picked them up to play.
Key said they've added calls to help the guys out on the offensive line to make it easier on them with the protections and that is why they have more calls now. "there's a lot of ways to help guys out you know there are protections if you have a really good three-technique inside to get a double team on protections to be able to get a double team on the nose guard if it's a really good nose protections to be able to help out a defensive end. You know if a tackle struggling blocking a certain guy, being able to manipulate to protections change the protections add new ones in get help different spots and really shore up the pocket and allow the quarterback sit back there and operate that's really been the biggest difference in the added stuff we are pushing on the guys right now."
Key bragged on Jordan Williams said he has had a great offseason and first few days of practice and he has taken on a leadership role as well being vocal and also leading by playing more physically. He said he will reserve some judgement until the pads get on. He was 350 in 2020 and he is down to 305 right now and he is expecting a lot out of him right now at RT. He is also teaching him some LT as well because with Long's offense and the protections they are using it is a little more mirrored so you don't have to be a straight up with LT/RT with pure blindside protections. He said that is his next goal for Jordan, getting him to where he can play both LT and RT if needed.
He said that Wing Green has been running with the twos at RT and a few one snaps and Jakiah Leftwich has been the LT and he wants to keep them at their sides for now until they are more comfortable with what they are doing. Key said that Jakiah is still really young but they expect big things out of him and he is doing a really good job of learning and both Wing and Jakiah have done a lot of things in the weight room to help them strength-wise and hopefully they can play fast and won't be blinded by the big lights when it is time to suit up.
Key said that Weston Franklin got 60-70 snaps last season and they were very valuable as he got to see some things that are hard for them to replicate in practice like against UGA seeing a cross dog or a backside blitz against Notre dame and sometimes there is value is messing up and giving up a hit or a sack as a learning tool for an OL so they don't make that same mistake in another game and he feels like that playing time really benefitted Weston.
Key confirmed what I've reported about Nick Pendley and Ryan Spiers both being medicated. he said that Pendley was especially tough because he was a guy they picked up with three years to play three and had so much potential and had played well when he was out there and he was a key guy because he was older and helping backfill the transition from 2018 and 2019 with the OL classes and changing over the system and that was something they made a major effort of trying to find guys like that to replace missing classes basically around Mike Maye who is the last guy left from that group. He said they've had terrible luck with injuries and medicals, but that is not uncommon with OLs and his small group right now is pretty consistent with what everyone else has and what he has had his whole career other than his time at Alabama. He said they are building some depth back by adding Paul Tchio and Pierce Quick, but he is still really bummed about Pendley. He is happy that Pendley and Spiers are helping coach now though.
Key said the one plus side of having around 12 OLs is they can only run two groups so you are not getting a lot of watered-down third team OL work and the two groups get a ton of reps, he said he was actually smiling after the last two practices he was so pleased with how they've looked so far. He said at UCF he had six OLs in a season or 7 so 10-12 is fine.
Rod asked him about Joe Fusile a walk-on OL
Key said that walk-on Fusile has been getting a lot of reps at tackle, but he is probably an inside player. He said that Will Milam is another guy they like and he has known his family for a long time as his dad was Key's academic advisor at GT.
Ken asked Ken about Key's year one comments on recruiting to GT and if that is still true
"I still have the same belief, I still believe you can recruit here and Georgia Tech is a place you can recruit to. If you look around everything that we have here at Georgia Tech, I've got an unbelievable feeling and desire for this place and what this place is and what it can do for you," Key said. "We've had some unfortunate breaks as far as literal breaks with injuries and whatnot, at the same time we know it is not going to be an overnight thing as far as the recruiting process. Let's not turn a blind eye either. We will put a product on the field this year that is going to allow us to create a higher level and today that's what it is all about."
Key said that is big working with Chip Long and Chris Weinke
" I think anytime you have experience with somebody you coach with, it's a bonus man because you know, you know how to, you know, you know how to get each other, you know, in a good mood, you know, when they're in a bad mood. You know what to say to them, you know how to help each other out on the field when one person's going through one thing and one thing is happening. You just get a feel for guys that comes with experience, guys haven't been in a room with somebody. You haven't been the same, you know, a lot of the same backgrounds. Were working for the same guys. I think that begins a bonus because there's a level of expectation that we have with the guys out there on the offense and you know, I think across the board, those guys come in and have the same expectations in what the same end goal."
Right tackle Jordan Williams said that he is trying to take over some of the leadership piece that Ryan Johnson brought to the table and he learned a ton from him and from playing the last few years and now he is trying to piece all of that together to be a great player while also taking over some of the leadership on the OL. He said he is really trying to play more physically. He said he doesn't consider himself an old guy even if he is, but he is trying to get the hang of the leadership piece.
Williams trimmed down about 35 pounds, he said he was trying to cut fat and add more muscle. He said he is trying to do whatever coach Key wants him to do.
Williams said QB protection is the one area they are really trying to improve at because the pressures were too high and they want to continue running the ball.
Williams said the entire team is pretty energized right now.
Guard Paula Vaipulu celebrates his birthday today, he spoke with us as well and he said that coach Key believed in him last year and he had the tools and the power to play, but not the experience yet and that is what he got a taste of playing last year and that was really good for him. He said he is trying to be a smarter player now and put together all the pieces and learn the playbook. He said with the second day on install they've messed up some, but they are doing a pretty good job with the install.
Vaipulu said he is mostly focused on playing left guard right now, but coach Key had him learn tackle his first year learning outside in and he can play guard or tackle.
Vaipulu said he and Weston Franklin are really close and they both had some tough experiences last year getting thrown into the mix but physically they are both better prepared now and they are trying to be more physical and dominant especially in the run game.
Vaipulu said that Pierce Quick and Paul Tchio are doing well at guard and he has a great relationship with both of them and they are learning fast.
Center Weston Franklin said learning through his mistakes last year has really helped him this spring as he has a tough job making all the calls and being vocal on the OL which is not something that comes naturally to him because he is more of a quiet guy by nature and a lead by example type and he is having to adapt to fit his role now and step up and be vocal.
Franklin said that they are installing a lot of new protections and that takes time for him to study and learn and the best way to really hone it is going out on the field and seeing the different movements of the defense.
Franklin said he is focused on narrowing his base this year, he felt like he got too wide last year and blocked some running lanes at times.
