Hello HOB. Back over at the JCFTC for today’s spring practice, which was open to media today. We’ll have some practice observations and comments from Mark Stoops coming up soon. Practice is scheduled to end around 11:30 ET. Stay tuned for the latest news and notes…
MARK STOOPS Q&A:
* Good to get outside on a nice day. Plenty of work to be done, but really like the work and attitude and the process. I like this team.
* On Jager at center… Want to be flexible with guys who can work multiple positions. Wibberly was banged up a bit early this spring.
* On the RB room… Going to be by committee. Position takes a lot of hits, very physical. Different guys with different skill sets. We’re going to need them all. Patterson has made progress, growth. Could be an every-down back.
* QBs… Growing as a group. You can really see Calzada’s experience. He’s played 6 years. Just getting comfortable in our system. Boley has made progress. Both of those guys have really live arms. You can see that. Pass protection has been much better. Definite improvement. Good depth.
* Law has been flashing at WR. Big, strong guy. Made a nice explosive play today. He can create some big plays.
* Maclin is interchangeable in his WR positions. We want to move him around, take advantage of that.
* On so many new numbers at DL… Group is playing really hard, fundamentally taking the coaching. Great effort. Good length and size in spots. Passion and energy, a little bit of wiggle, ability to create havoc plays. Need to stay healthy. Last year last two guys from this group at this time of year.
* On freshman WR DJ Miller… Really smooth. Would like to see more urgency from him, but he’s got some real potential. Great young man. Works really hard. Likes the coaching. Buys into everything. Just want to see him grow up and continue to get better and better.
* On ILBs… May sound like a broken record, but everyone’s getting better. Good to have some reps and experience at the safety position, too, behind them.
* On Willie Rodriguez… Love everything about him. Tough guy. Plays hard. We want to get him the ball.
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UK PLAYERS Q&A:
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kentucky.rivals.com
PRACTICE NOTES & OBSERVATIONS:
* 1st-Team Offense for 11-on-11:
LT Pete
LG Braun
C Burton
RG Farmer
RT Wollsschlaeger
QB Calzada
RB Wilcox/Patterson
TE Rodriguez
WR Law, Maclin, Farrier
* 1st-Team Defense for 11-on-11:
DL Saunders, Jerod Smith, Gusta (NT)
ILB Godfrey, Alfari
OLB Rayner, Soles. (Rayner seems to be working more outside than inside)
CB Waller, Hardaway
S Lovett, Bryant
Nickel sets: Scott & Olds in, Godfrey & Saunders out
* 2nd-Team Offense for 11-on-11
LT Wood
LG Johnson
C Wibberly
RG Ramsey
RT Crease
TE Kattus
QB Boley
RB Patterson/Wilcox/Dowdell
WR Miller, Quisenberry, Lanter
* 2nd-Team Defense for 11-on11
DL Edwards, Williams, Henry-Young
ILB Watson, A. Smith
OLB Greene, Olds
CB Thomas, Addison, Scott (Nickel package)
S Dooley, Carter
* Extremely windy day at JCFTC, so that affected the passing game a lot. Not a lot of deep balls, but a couple of the nicer plays of the day was a great contested catch down the field by freshman WR DJ Miller and a big explosive play by Alabama transfer WR Kendrick Law. Those two guys grabbed a lot of attention today. Another WR, Fred Farrier, made a super-tough catch on an intermediate crossing route. Miller kinda reminds you, physically, of Key.
* QB Zach Calzada really puts some zip on the ball. He’s got a short, compact, quick release, and it’s kinda impressive to see the zip that comes from it. I feel like he looked for the whole field in his reads, used all his weapons.
* QB Cutter Boley looks better in Year 2, more assured of himself and his arm. Spinning it well. Threw some pretty deep balls today, but hard to connect on them with the huge gusts of wind we had ahead of this storm front that’s moving in.
* Freshman QB Stone Saunders was working as the 3rd guy. Another guy who throws a nice-looking ball.
* RB Jason Patterson seems like he’s much improved, some good stuff from him catching the ball out of the backfield.
* RB Dante Dowdell certainly passes the look test. We didn’t see any goal line type situations, but he looks well-equipped for that job. He had some nice inside runs today in 11s.
* New WRs coach Washington is REALLY demanding. He was all over his guys on every detail today.
* TE Willie Rodriguez looks like a stud. You can tell he’s oozing with confidence in Year 2. He absolutely bullied a couple of the smaller DBs for contested catches today, and he’s a mismatch on most LBs too with the way he moves. He could be a huge weapon for them.
* Quisenberry was really active today. Caught a bunch of balls out of the backfield, short routes. Looks like a guy you can move around to a lot of spots, line him up in the backfield and get a mismatch, use him in the slot at times.
* Really like Gusta at NT. He’s a fireplug. Does not look 6-3, but maybe that’s from us getting used to big Deone Walker in there. I liked his energy today. Active guy.
* We’ve heard a lot about Rayner moving inside, but it seemed like he was outside most of today.
* Freshman Martels Carter working at safety. He’s another guy they could move around a lot. He and Dooley were the 2s safeties. Stoops spent a lot of time working with them today hands-on.
* DBs probably got the best of the battle with the offense today. They broke up quite a few passes down the field. Most of the completions against the D were of short variety. Again, wind played into that. I could hear Stoops praising Waller several times today. It seems like he's taken a step up.
* DB Quay’sheed Scott looks good, physically. He seemed to be the first nickel guy, working with the 1s and 2s a bit.
* A little surprised to see RS-Freshman DE Brian Robinson working with the 3s.
* Maclin, Stellato, and Law seemed to be getting a lot of the punt return action.
MARK STOOPS Q&A:
* Good to get outside on a nice day. Plenty of work to be done, but really like the work and attitude and the process. I like this team.
* On Jager at center… Want to be flexible with guys who can work multiple positions. Wibberly was banged up a bit early this spring.
* On the RB room… Going to be by committee. Position takes a lot of hits, very physical. Different guys with different skill sets. We’re going to need them all. Patterson has made progress, growth. Could be an every-down back.
* QBs… Growing as a group. You can really see Calzada’s experience. He’s played 6 years. Just getting comfortable in our system. Boley has made progress. Both of those guys have really live arms. You can see that. Pass protection has been much better. Definite improvement. Good depth.
* Law has been flashing at WR. Big, strong guy. Made a nice explosive play today. He can create some big plays.
* Maclin is interchangeable in his WR positions. We want to move him around, take advantage of that.
* On so many new numbers at DL… Group is playing really hard, fundamentally taking the coaching. Great effort. Good length and size in spots. Passion and energy, a little bit of wiggle, ability to create havoc plays. Need to stay healthy. Last year last two guys from this group at this time of year.
* On freshman WR DJ Miller… Really smooth. Would like to see more urgency from him, but he’s got some real potential. Great young man. Works really hard. Likes the coaching. Buys into everything. Just want to see him grow up and continue to get better and better.
* On ILBs… May sound like a broken record, but everyone’s getting better. Good to have some reps and experience at the safety position, too, behind them.
* On Willie Rodriguez… Love everything about him. Tough guy. Plays hard. We want to get him the ball.
******
UK PLAYERS Q&A:
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PHOTO GALLERY: Spring Football, Day 9
Sights and scenes from the Cats open workout.
PRACTICE NOTES & OBSERVATIONS:
* 1st-Team Offense for 11-on-11:
LT Pete
LG Braun
C Burton
RG Farmer
RT Wollsschlaeger
QB Calzada
RB Wilcox/Patterson
TE Rodriguez
WR Law, Maclin, Farrier
* 1st-Team Defense for 11-on-11:
DL Saunders, Jerod Smith, Gusta (NT)
ILB Godfrey, Alfari
OLB Rayner, Soles. (Rayner seems to be working more outside than inside)
CB Waller, Hardaway
S Lovett, Bryant
Nickel sets: Scott & Olds in, Godfrey & Saunders out
* 2nd-Team Offense for 11-on-11
LT Wood
LG Johnson
C Wibberly
RG Ramsey
RT Crease
TE Kattus
QB Boley
RB Patterson/Wilcox/Dowdell
WR Miller, Quisenberry, Lanter
* 2nd-Team Defense for 11-on11
DL Edwards, Williams, Henry-Young
ILB Watson, A. Smith
OLB Greene, Olds
CB Thomas, Addison, Scott (Nickel package)
S Dooley, Carter
* Extremely windy day at JCFTC, so that affected the passing game a lot. Not a lot of deep balls, but a couple of the nicer plays of the day was a great contested catch down the field by freshman WR DJ Miller and a big explosive play by Alabama transfer WR Kendrick Law. Those two guys grabbed a lot of attention today. Another WR, Fred Farrier, made a super-tough catch on an intermediate crossing route. Miller kinda reminds you, physically, of Key.
* QB Zach Calzada really puts some zip on the ball. He’s got a short, compact, quick release, and it’s kinda impressive to see the zip that comes from it. I feel like he looked for the whole field in his reads, used all his weapons.
* QB Cutter Boley looks better in Year 2, more assured of himself and his arm. Spinning it well. Threw some pretty deep balls today, but hard to connect on them with the huge gusts of wind we had ahead of this storm front that’s moving in.
* Freshman QB Stone Saunders was working as the 3rd guy. Another guy who throws a nice-looking ball.
* RB Jason Patterson seems like he’s much improved, some good stuff from him catching the ball out of the backfield.
* RB Dante Dowdell certainly passes the look test. We didn’t see any goal line type situations, but he looks well-equipped for that job. He had some nice inside runs today in 11s.
* New WRs coach Washington is REALLY demanding. He was all over his guys on every detail today.
* TE Willie Rodriguez looks like a stud. You can tell he’s oozing with confidence in Year 2. He absolutely bullied a couple of the smaller DBs for contested catches today, and he’s a mismatch on most LBs too with the way he moves. He could be a huge weapon for them.
* Quisenberry was really active today. Caught a bunch of balls out of the backfield, short routes. Looks like a guy you can move around to a lot of spots, line him up in the backfield and get a mismatch, use him in the slot at times.
* Really like Gusta at NT. He’s a fireplug. Does not look 6-3, but maybe that’s from us getting used to big Deone Walker in there. I liked his energy today. Active guy.
* We’ve heard a lot about Rayner moving inside, but it seemed like he was outside most of today.
* Freshman Martels Carter working at safety. He’s another guy they could move around a lot. He and Dooley were the 2s safeties. Stoops spent a lot of time working with them today hands-on.
* DBs probably got the best of the battle with the offense today. They broke up quite a few passes down the field. Most of the completions against the D were of short variety. Again, wind played into that. I could hear Stoops praising Waller several times today. It seems like he's taken a step up.
* DB Quay’sheed Scott looks good, physically. He seemed to be the first nickel guy, working with the 1s and 2s a bit.
* A little surprised to see RS-Freshman DE Brian Robinson working with the 3s.
* Maclin, Stellato, and Law seemed to be getting a lot of the punt return action.
