Good morning, HOB. I’m back at the JCFTC today for our next spring practice notebook. We’ll have OC Bush Hamdan and select players from the offensive side of the ball joining us around 10 ET to discuss their progress entering another week of workouts. Stay tuned for the latest news and notes…
UPDATED SPRING ROSTER
UK OC BUSH HAMDAN Q&A:
* On tempo and how you simulate that in practice to make sure you’re getting it right… Yes. A lot of checkpoints in place to make sure they are where they need to be. They are very “intentional” about the script to make sure they’re doing some huddle, some hurry up, being good at both.
* Guys are playing at a high level with the pads on now. The culture and the pride in physicality shows through the first couple of days.
* Maclin is doing a great job at WR. Has grown a lot since he was with him at Mizzou. Maturity is a big plus.
* On OL physicality… Building competition. When they see 7-8 guys who could be starting or be in the rotation, it pushes guys. Looking for guys who can strain and compete.
* On Brown… NFL talent, no doubt about it. Loves his attitude and work ethic he’s showing. Resiliency to come out every day and take coaching has been big.
* Coach Shorts doing a tremendous job earning trust and respect from the WRs. You can see how quickly those guys are taking the next step after being taught something.
* Allen and Farrier are good in-state guys to have back in the program. Allen has been “extremely consistent” at QB.
* TE room may be further ahead than maybe any other group on offense. Vince does a tremendous job with them. 3-4 players they can go out there and win with today.
* On Chip Trayanum and his serious approach to the RB room... He comes off as a pro-type guy. He comes in and watches film often before coaches even do. Asks the right questions. Knows what the job looks like at the highest level. He and DSK have done a great job of leading the young RB room and showing how you have to work.
* On Cutter Boley... Sometimes you have to remind yourself that he should be getting ready for his HS prom, but you have to coach him the same way as those other guys. High ceiling, a lot of talent. He's still growing into his body. Such a long athlete. You have to start with his feet and build the foundation from there, speeding up his feet, getting into a good throwing posture. Has to learn that RBs are a nice security blanket for him, you don't have to go downfield all the time, check it down.
* If you're playing with a RB who cannot be a passing threat, it's almost playing a man down. Thinks DSK can be a nice receiving threat out of the backfield, maybe filling some of that void with Ray Davis leaving.
* RB Jason Patterson has been a pleasant surprise early this spring. He’s moved up and grabbed some of the reps with the 1s.
* Farmer doing a tremendous job of improving every day on OL.
* Farrier and Gilmore showing flashes at WR. Gilmore may be one of the more impressive guys he's seen at 17 years old. Trying to help him adjust to the speed of the game right now.
* On facing a Brad White defense... Have to be patient. Have to take what they give you. Sometimes hard to get it down the field. Jokes that everything looks good up front until you have to account for Deone Walker.
*****
ERIC WOLFORD Q&A:
* Excited to be back. Family loves Lexington, thinks it’s a very underrated place.
* Expectation is to re-establish that Big Blue Wal that John Schlarman built. When it started leaking out that he may come back to UK, LeeAnne Schlarman was one of the first to reach out to him.
* More depth here now than the first time he came to UK. Stoops wants 7-8 guys who can play “winning football,” not just bodies in a rotation. Work in progress right now, but feels like he has their attention.
* Keeping details of the renewed relationship with Stoops private, but says they had a "good ol' Youngstown meeting“ to patch things up and resolve things. "We're in a good place."
* Nice to have a couple of familiar faces who were here the last time he was at UK. Eli Cox, Jager Burton, and some guys he's recruited and/or worked with a lot in camps.
* On improving the physicality... You have to address it. There's no hiding the fact that you have be physical and win up front in this league, and that starts in practice. It starts in meetings and places where you don't even have shoulder pads on. Can't be lip service. Have to give them visual examples of what great OL play looks like. Has shown them some stuff of the SF 49ers on film to demonstrate how it's done.
* Asked how they can get Jager Burton playing to his potential... Not sure Jager, but all the guys have to know they have a clean slate. Admits he was really hard on Jager the first time he was here. He's improved since them. Thinks he still has room to improve. "Failure is not an option." Told him, "I work for you."
* Mixing and matching a lot of guys at multiple positions. Telling those guys, if they want an opportunity to play in the NFL, you can't be a one position player.
*****
UPDATED SPRING ROSTER
UK OC BUSH HAMDAN Q&A:
* On tempo and how you simulate that in practice to make sure you’re getting it right… Yes. A lot of checkpoints in place to make sure they are where they need to be. They are very “intentional” about the script to make sure they’re doing some huddle, some hurry up, being good at both.
* Guys are playing at a high level with the pads on now. The culture and the pride in physicality shows through the first couple of days.
* Maclin is doing a great job at WR. Has grown a lot since he was with him at Mizzou. Maturity is a big plus.
* On OL physicality… Building competition. When they see 7-8 guys who could be starting or be in the rotation, it pushes guys. Looking for guys who can strain and compete.
* On Brown… NFL talent, no doubt about it. Loves his attitude and work ethic he’s showing. Resiliency to come out every day and take coaching has been big.
* Coach Shorts doing a tremendous job earning trust and respect from the WRs. You can see how quickly those guys are taking the next step after being taught something.
* Allen and Farrier are good in-state guys to have back in the program. Allen has been “extremely consistent” at QB.
* TE room may be further ahead than maybe any other group on offense. Vince does a tremendous job with them. 3-4 players they can go out there and win with today.
* On Chip Trayanum and his serious approach to the RB room... He comes off as a pro-type guy. He comes in and watches film often before coaches even do. Asks the right questions. Knows what the job looks like at the highest level. He and DSK have done a great job of leading the young RB room and showing how you have to work.
* On Cutter Boley... Sometimes you have to remind yourself that he should be getting ready for his HS prom, but you have to coach him the same way as those other guys. High ceiling, a lot of talent. He's still growing into his body. Such a long athlete. You have to start with his feet and build the foundation from there, speeding up his feet, getting into a good throwing posture. Has to learn that RBs are a nice security blanket for him, you don't have to go downfield all the time, check it down.
* If you're playing with a RB who cannot be a passing threat, it's almost playing a man down. Thinks DSK can be a nice receiving threat out of the backfield, maybe filling some of that void with Ray Davis leaving.
* RB Jason Patterson has been a pleasant surprise early this spring. He’s moved up and grabbed some of the reps with the 1s.
* Farmer doing a tremendous job of improving every day on OL.
* Farrier and Gilmore showing flashes at WR. Gilmore may be one of the more impressive guys he's seen at 17 years old. Trying to help him adjust to the speed of the game right now.
* On facing a Brad White defense... Have to be patient. Have to take what they give you. Sometimes hard to get it down the field. Jokes that everything looks good up front until you have to account for Deone Walker.
*****
ERIC WOLFORD Q&A:
* Excited to be back. Family loves Lexington, thinks it’s a very underrated place.
* Expectation is to re-establish that Big Blue Wal that John Schlarman built. When it started leaking out that he may come back to UK, LeeAnne Schlarman was one of the first to reach out to him.
* More depth here now than the first time he came to UK. Stoops wants 7-8 guys who can play “winning football,” not just bodies in a rotation. Work in progress right now, but feels like he has their attention.
* Keeping details of the renewed relationship with Stoops private, but says they had a "good ol' Youngstown meeting“ to patch things up and resolve things. "We're in a good place."
* Nice to have a couple of familiar faces who were here the last time he was at UK. Eli Cox, Jager Burton, and some guys he's recruited and/or worked with a lot in camps.
* On improving the physicality... You have to address it. There's no hiding the fact that you have be physical and win up front in this league, and that starts in practice. It starts in meetings and places where you don't even have shoulder pads on. Can't be lip service. Have to give them visual examples of what great OL play looks like. Has shown them some stuff of the SF 49ers on film to demonstrate how it's done.
* Asked how they can get Jager Burton playing to his potential... Not sure Jager, but all the guys have to know they have a clean slate. Admits he was really hard on Jager the first time he was here. He's improved since them. Thinks he still has room to improve. "Failure is not an option." Told him, "I work for you."
* Mixing and matching a lot of guys at multiple positions. Telling those guys, if they want an opportunity to play in the NFL, you can't be a one position player.
*****
