Five With Coach Kap

In working with the offensive line, how do you balance getting what you need out of spring practice from them with also being patient as you try guys in different positions that they haven't played before? – "That's the key to spring practice. Trying to prepare the guys for what we know we need to accomplish as a unit. Then trying to prepare the guys for the unknown of what we'll face during the season in terms of injuries or adjustments we may need to make with the depth chart. You want your guys to maintain their competitiveness throughout camp. So that means having your best guys in their best positions to give them the best chance for success when they're competing against the defense every day in practice. However, as a coach, there are days you have to swallow your pride a little bit and experiment with guys at different positions. You go in knowing there will be some rough spots and a learning curve that needs to take hold in those situations. But you're doing it to get guys comfortable at different positions in order to provide versatile depth going into the season. The last part of why we do that is to also make sure we know what combination of guys at different positions seem to fit well together because sometimes when one guy goes down, the better adjustment may be to move multiple guys around in order to get the best working combination on the field together. You're not going to win or lose a game in the spring, but it's a great time to get guys ready to be versatile in the fall; and that is what will help us win games in the fall."
You have two additions to your unit in the form of graduate transfers. What are you expecting them to add to your position room? – "First thing, you have to make sure these guys have the personalities that can fit in with the group. That's one of the reasons we moved ahead with bringing these guys into the program because you want your chemistry enhanced, not disrupted. Now human nature is what it is and there's always a transition period when new guys enter the room that are ready to compete with the guys here. These guys are coming in to compete to play this season. I think our guys know that and know that overall it's better as a whole for the team because it adds more competitive depth. The other skill they add to the room is game day experience. That's not something we can teach. Both guys have played in big time atmospheres and have a ton of live snaps under their belt. So in the end, I expect them to help this room take that next step forward we need heading into this season."
Looking at the offense as a whole, where do feel like that side of the ball got better during the spring? – "Well, we had a good spring, but I think we all feel we have some work ahead of us before we get to the Cal game. We saw some good development from our young quarterbacks that was good to see. I was pleased to see that with experimenting with the line, as we mentioned earlier, that guys showed some versatility we didn't see last season. Guys like Bentley Spain, Charlie Heck and William Sweet showed me they can play in multiple spots now and do well there too. That should help us be more nimble in certain situations. We saw some of our skill guys like Juval Mollette make some great strides as the spring went on and we needed to see that from that next group of guys that we need to step into those play-making roles. It was a shame that injuries limited what we could see from the running backs, but what we did get to see is that the potential is there with that unit. Another bright spot was the development and progress we saw from the tight ends group. Multiple guys had great springs and are healthy now, which is big because that group will be important to us this fall. Overall the progress was there to see, but the work ahead of us is nowhere near over."
The offense has a ton of new faces filling those skill position spots. Does that get you excited heading in to the fall or does it keep you up at night with nerves? – "Probably both(laughing). There's definitely some anxiety because you know the challenge ahead for those guys and what that means for the offense. You have to evaluate how those guys did in the spring as you worked with them to develop. You have to create a plan to get those players where you need them to be. Then it's time to coach to that plan and push them to new heights. Each individual is different in how they'll get there and how fast they'll get there. Coach Brewer, Coach Scott and Coach Smith worked hard this spring with the skill position groups. I think we saw great development across the board which gives us great momentum heading into the summer and then on into fall camp. But yes, it's something that's definitely always on my mind, and it will be until we get the season started and see what these guys do on Saturdays."
Speaking of heading in the summer and fall camp, what factors are front and center on your mind when thinking about what needs to get accomplished before kicking off against Cal in the first game? – "For us it starts with establishing the starting quarterback. That position is the key to what we do and we need to find out what the depth chart looks like there as soon as we can. Next we need to solidify the five guys on the line that will protect that quarterback and create the holes for the running backs. Then we need to see which receivers want to fill the shoes of the guys that just left. I guess what you're seeing is that when fall camp starts, we need to see a high level of competition that will result with the next starters emerging. Once those guys emerge then the rest is what we always do which is creating the plans we need to beat Cal and execute those plans when the ball kicks off in Kenan. This fall camp will start out focusing on who wants to be "The Guy" and having those players step up to the line ready to lead this team."

Players Mentioned

Charlie Heck

Juval Mollette

Bentley Spain

William Sweet

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