Georgia Tech returned to the practice field on Tuesday with just a handful of practices ahead of the annual spring game on March 17th. Head coach Geoff Collins, quarterbacks coach Chris Weinke and quarterback Jeff Sims spoke to the media after the morning session.
Collins said that Saturday they scrimmaged for half the season and they worked on fundamentals as well. They had Legends of the Flats Day and had over 100 former Georgia Tech players and their families there and they had a big BBQ afterward with the players and they had the players' families there. He said people hung out for 45 minutes after the scrimmage.
Collins said they are just nine days away from the spring game, 6 pm on the ACCN and Chris Cotter will call the spring game for ACCN. Collins said they've been focused on getting better on both sides of the ball and as a team, he said they did that on Saturday during the scrimmage and they played together on both sides of the ball. He thought the guys did a good job.
Collins said that Jeff had a good day on Saturday in just his seventh practice in the offense and he completed over 80% of his passes and spread the ball. He said that Sims is getting more comfortable every day in the scheme and with coach Long and coach Weinke's coaching.
Collins said the OL they've been trying to develop depth there with some new guys and being physical and executing at a high-level.
Collins said the TEs are being asked to do a lot of things and they way they've had the multiplicity is great, he is proud of them and how they study it.
Collins said with the RBs and WRs they've put a big emphasis on protecting the football, he said on Saturday they did not have a single turnover, so protecting the ball, catching the ball and executing at a high-level has been the focus.
Collins said that the perimeter blocking has been the best it has been since he has been at GT so far. Being good at covering guys on the perimeter and blocking them.
Collins said also they've been looking for playmakers on offense, he said at RB, Hassan Hall, Donate Smith and Daylon Gordon at RB who is a walk-on, but can be a good player for GT. At receiver, Malachi Carter and Nate McCollum had good days and at TE Dylan Leonard and Luke Benson made some really nice plays on the day.
DL wise, he said they are playing as a whole unit and being physical and stopping the run and then transitioning into pass rush, they came out with the right mindset and demeanor, they have some depth there. He said a big thing is being gap sound against the run and controlling the gaps and then making that transition to pass rush when needed.
LBs he said that Ace Eley had a nice day as did Charlie Thomas. Trenilyas Tatum have made a lot of splash plays throughout the spring. Going into his second year in the program, proud of how he works and he watches Knight, Eley and Charlie and learns.
He said the secondary is playing a lot better and as one unit all on the same page. He said protecting explosives has been a major focus and they've done a good job limiting the deep ball explosives.
Coach Long's offense is helping the defense pre Collins because they use tempo, eye-candy movement and motions and the adjustments that the D have to make are really helping the D adjust to that on a higher level than before. That is an area they wanted to improve on D anyway and that helps.
Collins said the amount and volume of install they flooded them the first three days and then they've layered it from there. It is clicking more and more each day. The offense is very multiple and the defense is also getting more multiple as well, kids have the right attitude to get better.
Collins said the new players have been embraced by the current players, they like how they work and they've been good in the locker room, he said that Ahmari Harvey, Khari Gee and Jaylen Marshall on the back end have been great and Paul Tchio and Pierce Quick along the offensive line, Luke Benson at TE and Hassan Hall at RB have been putting in some good work and have been big additions for GT at the midyear.
Chris Weinke said anytime you install a new offense the QB has the biggest challenge and he is pleased with the progress the QBs are making. He said spring helps the install be a little less pressured as well with the nature of spring ball. He said the kids like what they are doing offensively and they are gaining a better understanding of it every day. Weinke said he has been especially pleased that when kids make a mistake when they try something for the first time they usually don't make that same mistake twice and that is really encouraging as a coach that they are learning from their mistakes and the progress has been evident from practice one to sitting there today. He is pleased with the direction they are headed and excited about the opportunities the QB gets in this offense.
Collins said that Saturday they scrimmaged for half the season and they worked on fundamentals as well. They had Legends of the Flats Day and had over 100 former Georgia Tech players and their families there and they had a big BBQ afterward with the players and they had the players' families there. He said people hung out for 45 minutes after the scrimmage.
Collins said they are just nine days away from the spring game, 6 pm on the ACCN and Chris Cotter will call the spring game for ACCN. Collins said they've been focused on getting better on both sides of the ball and as a team, he said they did that on Saturday during the scrimmage and they played together on both sides of the ball. He thought the guys did a good job.
Collins said that Jeff had a good day on Saturday in just his seventh practice in the offense and he completed over 80% of his passes and spread the ball. He said that Sims is getting more comfortable every day in the scheme and with coach Long and coach Weinke's coaching.
Collins said the OL they've been trying to develop depth there with some new guys and being physical and executing at a high-level.
Collins said the TEs are being asked to do a lot of things and they way they've had the multiplicity is great, he is proud of them and how they study it.
Collins said with the RBs and WRs they've put a big emphasis on protecting the football, he said on Saturday they did not have a single turnover, so protecting the ball, catching the ball and executing at a high-level has been the focus.
Collins said that the perimeter blocking has been the best it has been since he has been at GT so far. Being good at covering guys on the perimeter and blocking them.
Collins said also they've been looking for playmakers on offense, he said at RB, Hassan Hall, Donate Smith and Daylon Gordon at RB who is a walk-on, but can be a good player for GT. At receiver, Malachi Carter and Nate McCollum had good days and at TE Dylan Leonard and Luke Benson made some really nice plays on the day.
DL wise, he said they are playing as a whole unit and being physical and stopping the run and then transitioning into pass rush, they came out with the right mindset and demeanor, they have some depth there. He said a big thing is being gap sound against the run and controlling the gaps and then making that transition to pass rush when needed.
LBs he said that Ace Eley had a nice day as did Charlie Thomas. Trenilyas Tatum have made a lot of splash plays throughout the spring. Going into his second year in the program, proud of how he works and he watches Knight, Eley and Charlie and learns.
He said the secondary is playing a lot better and as one unit all on the same page. He said protecting explosives has been a major focus and they've done a good job limiting the deep ball explosives.
Coach Long's offense is helping the defense pre Collins because they use tempo, eye-candy movement and motions and the adjustments that the D have to make are really helping the D adjust to that on a higher level than before. That is an area they wanted to improve on D anyway and that helps.
Collins said the amount and volume of install they flooded them the first three days and then they've layered it from there. It is clicking more and more each day. The offense is very multiple and the defense is also getting more multiple as well, kids have the right attitude to get better.
Collins said the new players have been embraced by the current players, they like how they work and they've been good in the locker room, he said that Ahmari Harvey, Khari Gee and Jaylen Marshall on the back end have been great and Paul Tchio and Pierce Quick along the offensive line, Luke Benson at TE and Hassan Hall at RB have been putting in some good work and have been big additions for GT at the midyear.
Chris Weinke said anytime you install a new offense the QB has the biggest challenge and he is pleased with the progress the QBs are making. He said spring helps the install be a little less pressured as well with the nature of spring ball. He said the kids like what they are doing offensively and they are gaining a better understanding of it every day. Weinke said he has been especially pleased that when kids make a mistake when they try something for the first time they usually don't make that same mistake twice and that is really encouraging as a coach that they are learning from their mistakes and the progress has been evident from practice one to sitting there today. He is pleased with the direction they are headed and excited about the opportunities the QB gets in this offense.
