--West Virginia defensive coordinator Jordan Lesley said the defense is faster than they have been and more athletic. They are experienced where they need to be so they don't have to structurally change a lot. He loves this group mentality and is something that they've been aggressive and they have that mindset.
--This game isn't designed to be perfect. You have to have the athletic ability to erase a mistake. They don't know in the last two years if they've had that.
--At the three safety spots, the number one thing that they have the ability to do is versatility and how important that is. You don't get yourself with injuries or facing different offenses pigeonholed into certain things. You have a lot more options to dual training.
--Lee Kpogba is ultra competitive and he was talking trash to a tire in a drill. He has that type of mentality that you want at that position. He has natural leadership abilities and isn't afraid although he's new to the roster to show that. He always owns the mistakes that he makes. They have to do a better job of moving onto what's next and he has that mentality. Does that translate to the game? We'll see but how he approaches it is something they needed.
--Kpogba is bigger stature wise than you think. Skill set wise you have to recruit and do some different things.
--Sean Martin has an extremely important spring forthcoming. He is really starting to make strides at his position and he's done really well up to this point.
--They went into last season trying to evolve some different things and different packages, but injuries derailed things. They won two games with a safety at WILL linebacker. They will have more availability at different positions.
--Lesley said that he approaches 2022 like he did at the end of 2021. It wasn't then it was with the departure of Josh Chandler-Semedo. You can complain about it or just deal with it. He loves this team and this group and they go in that indoor two mornings a week and there are things that are non-negotiable and top to bottom they are the first one that they don't feel like are fighting them on some of those things. He can't spend one second worrying about people that are not here, worry about who's here.
--The number one thing these winter workouts are for are competitive character. How he reacts when he wins and loses, and then regroup figure out what you did wrong and try to win. You learn details. Off the top of his head he can think of three losses that came down to a handful of plays.
--Offensive coordinator Graham Harrell said they come from similar trees and there is familiarity and they can speak the same language. Everyone that has stemmed from the Hal Humme guys has tried to put their own twist on it and they'll look a little different, but a lot of the same teachings. The operations will look different with seeing signals and that will be a bigger learning curve than the x's and o's. It will speed up the on field operational part.
--His father was a big inspiration on his coaching style. If you look at what he did in high school and what he did in college there's a whole lot that is alike. At the end of the day, it was very similar and allowed him to have success there. You don't have time to be good at everything, be good at what you do, identify what it is and make it complicated for a defense but simple for the kids and allow them to go out and play fast at a high level.
--Harrell is excited about having theses guys and do a lot of teaching. Quarterback play is really important at every level and if you have good quarterback play you can win games. You can mold young guys the way you want, but you can't replace experience. Being a leader is part of being a quarterback and you have to have the courage to step up. Whatever they identify as their culture, they have to embody it. If they don't you're in a lot of trouble because everybody is looking at them. The best quarterback is the one that can elevate the play of everybody around them.
--The quarterback position must be the most overcoached position in sports. You can't create robots, you have to take what they have and make the best version of you. Footwork is extremely important and the ball has to come out with the same timing.
--Harrell wasn't around last year, but what he thinks they need but they've got to have fun. At times the higher up you go, they're playing a little kids game even though this is a business. Don't lose the joy in that and he's tried to create confidence. He always expects to score when he steps on the field. Part of that is the mentality and confidence and some of that is schematically what they're going to do and play at a high level.
--Harrell is from small town Texas and this feels like home. A lot more like what he grew up in and would like to raise a family in. There's a bunch of good people around, more grounded people and the relationships here are real and sincere and the fans love football. It's refreshing how excited people are about football.
--When Harrell was in the Big 12 if you weren't scoring 50 points you have no chance to win, now if you score 28 you have a good chance to win. The league has changed and it will be a challenge but you expect it to change overtime.
--Harrell has been able to identify personalities. The offensive line seems to be a unit and they have some individuals leading. Everybody gets a clean slate and that's good for some people and others have to keep on the same trajectory.
--Harrell said the most important attribute for a quarterback is being accurate. He doesn't care about stature. It's harder to find now with a guy with a natural throwing motion but he looks for that. Arm strength is good enough or not, and extra arm strength is helpful but it can be overrated.
--Reps help but just spending time with them. Kedon Slovis had as much success as a true freshman because he did what he was supposed to do. If they will do what you ask them to do and have the ability to do it then age isn't important. Mentally experience helps, but young guys you can mold them if they do what they are asked to do. They can have a lot of success if you spend time and see the game the way you do. Not having one guy get the bulk of the reps will help because they'll all spend time with him.
--This game isn't designed to be perfect. You have to have the athletic ability to erase a mistake. They don't know in the last two years if they've had that.
--At the three safety spots, the number one thing that they have the ability to do is versatility and how important that is. You don't get yourself with injuries or facing different offenses pigeonholed into certain things. You have a lot more options to dual training.
--Lee Kpogba is ultra competitive and he was talking trash to a tire in a drill. He has that type of mentality that you want at that position. He has natural leadership abilities and isn't afraid although he's new to the roster to show that. He always owns the mistakes that he makes. They have to do a better job of moving onto what's next and he has that mentality. Does that translate to the game? We'll see but how he approaches it is something they needed.
--Kpogba is bigger stature wise than you think. Skill set wise you have to recruit and do some different things.
--Sean Martin has an extremely important spring forthcoming. He is really starting to make strides at his position and he's done really well up to this point.
--They went into last season trying to evolve some different things and different packages, but injuries derailed things. They won two games with a safety at WILL linebacker. They will have more availability at different positions.
--Lesley said that he approaches 2022 like he did at the end of 2021. It wasn't then it was with the departure of Josh Chandler-Semedo. You can complain about it or just deal with it. He loves this team and this group and they go in that indoor two mornings a week and there are things that are non-negotiable and top to bottom they are the first one that they don't feel like are fighting them on some of those things. He can't spend one second worrying about people that are not here, worry about who's here.
--The number one thing these winter workouts are for are competitive character. How he reacts when he wins and loses, and then regroup figure out what you did wrong and try to win. You learn details. Off the top of his head he can think of three losses that came down to a handful of plays.
--Offensive coordinator Graham Harrell said they come from similar trees and there is familiarity and they can speak the same language. Everyone that has stemmed from the Hal Humme guys has tried to put their own twist on it and they'll look a little different, but a lot of the same teachings. The operations will look different with seeing signals and that will be a bigger learning curve than the x's and o's. It will speed up the on field operational part.
--His father was a big inspiration on his coaching style. If you look at what he did in high school and what he did in college there's a whole lot that is alike. At the end of the day, it was very similar and allowed him to have success there. You don't have time to be good at everything, be good at what you do, identify what it is and make it complicated for a defense but simple for the kids and allow them to go out and play fast at a high level.
--Harrell is excited about having theses guys and do a lot of teaching. Quarterback play is really important at every level and if you have good quarterback play you can win games. You can mold young guys the way you want, but you can't replace experience. Being a leader is part of being a quarterback and you have to have the courage to step up. Whatever they identify as their culture, they have to embody it. If they don't you're in a lot of trouble because everybody is looking at them. The best quarterback is the one that can elevate the play of everybody around them.
--The quarterback position must be the most overcoached position in sports. You can't create robots, you have to take what they have and make the best version of you. Footwork is extremely important and the ball has to come out with the same timing.
--Harrell wasn't around last year, but what he thinks they need but they've got to have fun. At times the higher up you go, they're playing a little kids game even though this is a business. Don't lose the joy in that and he's tried to create confidence. He always expects to score when he steps on the field. Part of that is the mentality and confidence and some of that is schematically what they're going to do and play at a high level.
--Harrell is from small town Texas and this feels like home. A lot more like what he grew up in and would like to raise a family in. There's a bunch of good people around, more grounded people and the relationships here are real and sincere and the fans love football. It's refreshing how excited people are about football.
--When Harrell was in the Big 12 if you weren't scoring 50 points you have no chance to win, now if you score 28 you have a good chance to win. The league has changed and it will be a challenge but you expect it to change overtime.
--Harrell has been able to identify personalities. The offensive line seems to be a unit and they have some individuals leading. Everybody gets a clean slate and that's good for some people and others have to keep on the same trajectory.
--Harrell said the most important attribute for a quarterback is being accurate. He doesn't care about stature. It's harder to find now with a guy with a natural throwing motion but he looks for that. Arm strength is good enough or not, and extra arm strength is helpful but it can be overrated.
--Reps help but just spending time with them. Kedon Slovis had as much success as a true freshman because he did what he was supposed to do. If they will do what you ask them to do and have the ability to do it then age isn't important. Mentally experience helps, but young guys you can mold them if they do what they are asked to do. They can have a lot of success if you spend time and see the game the way you do. Not having one guy get the bulk of the reps will help because they'll all spend time with him.
