--West Virginia defensive coordinator Jordan Lesley said that they want to focus on fundamentals. It was one of the big things that stuck out last year at every position. They have to get back to fundamentally sound football and they should have taken that approach last year with how they were built. They have to get back to what they have always been.
--It's helpful that the secondary has experience after last year. Those reps didn't look how they wanted them to look last year but they are still valuable and guys have to learn. It was some valuable experience for all of them and you never can really learn until you're in the game. Lesley said having so many young guys does inhibit your calls but he takes the blame for trying to plug holes at times last year and created issues by doing it. Through the first part of last year, some things happened they didn't expect and some guys didn't play the way they thought they would play so they tried to plug holes and created other ones in the process. Lesley now thinks they are plugged and now it's about playing their defense and playing fast.
--You can't control the injury side of things but what is there up front on the defensive line Lesley likes it. They have to use it a little differently and through the next 15-practices you have to see what guys can and can't do and try to stay away from what they can't do by playing to their skill sets.
--This is the most athletic linebacker group that he has had since he's been there. Lee Kpogba is a junior college transfer and it was new for him last year. They feel good about the experience he got last year and they have poured a ton of time and effort into the guys that they have recruited there and they think they are going to be really good players. Those guys are going to be depended on during the 2023 season such as Josiah Trotter, Ben Cutter and James Heard.
--Lesley said replacing talent like Dante Stills is hard but you try to build it so you do but if you don't the sum of the parts have to be greater than one person. He doesn't know if that's how they will be built yet but Stills had everything you wanted at that position. Now, they have to find out the best way to use what's on the roster to get the best production that they need. He doesn't know if they have anybody that's that talented but they have to find out what everybody can do.
--At spear, West Virginia will use a combination of guys like Lance Dixon and Raleigh Collins. Will use more of a traditional nickel safety there as a cover guy. That's a position they can mix and match and play in between a linebacker and a safety. They are longer and can get out in space. Experience can help Dixon and weight room helped Collins. In a perfect world you want your spear to be able to play everything in space.
--The plan is to rep a number of guys between MIKE and WILL. Tray Lathan, Ben Cutter, Jairo Faverus will all rep there. Trotter can play a number of positions but is primarily a MIKE.
--James Heard has an incredible ball get off and his first step is very good. He is on you pretty quick which is why he's here and is the way he's going to be used.
--Number one way to stop explosive plays is just do your job. But another was a fundamental issue with having to mix and match guys and he should have done a better job putting the guys in the right position. The changes and the simplification will allow him to tell them every single day what their job is.
--The transfers that the program added can find the ball. In the secondary with Montre Miller and Keyshawn Cobb they can find the ball and play the ball. That was the number one thing they wanted to see on film when the ball was in the air how they responded. Up front with Davaon Hawkins was his ball get off. Fatorma Mulbah is the biggest body that they've recruited and they will use him a little differently here.
--Lesley said hearing the confidence from head coach Neal Brown was awesome after the down year. Last year some things happened they didn't plan on because the portal hurt them. But they have to fix it and he doesn't have time to complain about it or look at what ifs. They have to fix it.
--Lesley said the biggest thing last year was they had to look at what they had to ask their front to do but when you have to compensate in coverage it's hard to be aggressive. It created more holes in the run game than they wanted to and then once you start trying to compensate back for that it causes more issues.
--When you say simplify the defense it's picking the things you are and what you can do and simply doing it instead of trying to make a lot of wholesale changes you make minor tweaks as you go. And when you have injuries you have to adjust subtly but you can't wholesale change.
--Speed doesn't hurt but there are guys that run 10.3 that can't change direction. There is track fast and football fast and it comes down to overall athleticism being able to bend, change direction and react to the football.
--You're going to be what your personnel allows you to be. He isn't going to change what they do defensively based on where they play but you have a plan, execute it and play ball. Right now it's about them and you don't want to get ahead of what you're trying to do right now.
--West Virginia offensive coordinator Chad Scott said the biggest difference in the offense is the fact they have two mobile quarterbacks. They can do some different things in the run game with the zone reads. They also have been able to put multiple running backs on the field at the same time in the backfield and some flexed out.
--CJ Donaldson is limited but they have to be smart with him. He did a great job today and is still learning the position. They want to utilize him in the pass game and he can run routes but he is going to be involved in a lot of different things.
--Scott said they are installing the offense and the running backs are getting back more involved with the pass game. They will eventually get to the point where they can play three running backs on the field but right now it's more two. Typically the blocking is the concern, but Donaldson can block phenomenally well on the perimeter.
--It is a big adjustment for him looking at the entire offense and the entire picture instead of just the running backs and linebackers. He loves the idea of being a leader and connecting with the team.
--Scott said decision-making will be important in the quarterback battle.
--Right now, the decision making was really good and taking care of the football. They haven't had the type of guy at the position to do the zone read and it created some explosive runs. They had no idea how they would react in open sets. Nothing really is different with Marchiol being left-handed but they just have to rep them left and right.
--The coaching staff does not move Milum to right tackle if Marchiol is in the game considering he is left-handed.
--The two young coaches on offense in Bilal Marshall and Blaine Stewart have great energy. They had time to get around each other and Scott embraces doing things right and being detail oriented.
--Scott doesn't know if he will be in the box or on the field because he has always been on the field. But his view is better from the box. A big thing for him is going to be learning how to see that whole picture. Scott has always had the ability to connect with all of the guys and being able to make an impact with them is big for him.
--Scott said they will work through play calling this spring and see how it goes. Calling plays is a big deal but one of the most important parts is the organization of it and the idea of putting it all together to have stuff in the script to even be called. You have to be able to put it all together to be able to run a practice. The organization behind it and the ideas are the toughest challenge.
--Devin Carter made some critical plays on third down situations today. He made two outstanding contested catches and they are really excited about his ability to stretch the field and go up and make some contested catches for the offense.
--West Virginia has to play to their strength but the guys outside have to continue to develop. You can't get through games just handing it off and the wide receivers are going to have to make some plays. But they are loaded in the backfield and are going to find ways to get them the ball.
--Scott had no idea he was going to be named offensive coordinator until about 30-minutes before it was announced to the team. It was awesome to see the reception.
--It's fast for Jahiem White right now. He is very talented he just has to learn how to practice. He catches the ball well and is special with the ball in his hands.
--It's helpful that the secondary has experience after last year. Those reps didn't look how they wanted them to look last year but they are still valuable and guys have to learn. It was some valuable experience for all of them and you never can really learn until you're in the game. Lesley said having so many young guys does inhibit your calls but he takes the blame for trying to plug holes at times last year and created issues by doing it. Through the first part of last year, some things happened they didn't expect and some guys didn't play the way they thought they would play so they tried to plug holes and created other ones in the process. Lesley now thinks they are plugged and now it's about playing their defense and playing fast.
--You can't control the injury side of things but what is there up front on the defensive line Lesley likes it. They have to use it a little differently and through the next 15-practices you have to see what guys can and can't do and try to stay away from what they can't do by playing to their skill sets.
--This is the most athletic linebacker group that he has had since he's been there. Lee Kpogba is a junior college transfer and it was new for him last year. They feel good about the experience he got last year and they have poured a ton of time and effort into the guys that they have recruited there and they think they are going to be really good players. Those guys are going to be depended on during the 2023 season such as Josiah Trotter, Ben Cutter and James Heard.
--Lesley said replacing talent like Dante Stills is hard but you try to build it so you do but if you don't the sum of the parts have to be greater than one person. He doesn't know if that's how they will be built yet but Stills had everything you wanted at that position. Now, they have to find out the best way to use what's on the roster to get the best production that they need. He doesn't know if they have anybody that's that talented but they have to find out what everybody can do.
--At spear, West Virginia will use a combination of guys like Lance Dixon and Raleigh Collins. Will use more of a traditional nickel safety there as a cover guy. That's a position they can mix and match and play in between a linebacker and a safety. They are longer and can get out in space. Experience can help Dixon and weight room helped Collins. In a perfect world you want your spear to be able to play everything in space.
--The plan is to rep a number of guys between MIKE and WILL. Tray Lathan, Ben Cutter, Jairo Faverus will all rep there. Trotter can play a number of positions but is primarily a MIKE.
--James Heard has an incredible ball get off and his first step is very good. He is on you pretty quick which is why he's here and is the way he's going to be used.
--Number one way to stop explosive plays is just do your job. But another was a fundamental issue with having to mix and match guys and he should have done a better job putting the guys in the right position. The changes and the simplification will allow him to tell them every single day what their job is.
--The transfers that the program added can find the ball. In the secondary with Montre Miller and Keyshawn Cobb they can find the ball and play the ball. That was the number one thing they wanted to see on film when the ball was in the air how they responded. Up front with Davaon Hawkins was his ball get off. Fatorma Mulbah is the biggest body that they've recruited and they will use him a little differently here.
--Lesley said hearing the confidence from head coach Neal Brown was awesome after the down year. Last year some things happened they didn't plan on because the portal hurt them. But they have to fix it and he doesn't have time to complain about it or look at what ifs. They have to fix it.
--Lesley said the biggest thing last year was they had to look at what they had to ask their front to do but when you have to compensate in coverage it's hard to be aggressive. It created more holes in the run game than they wanted to and then once you start trying to compensate back for that it causes more issues.
--When you say simplify the defense it's picking the things you are and what you can do and simply doing it instead of trying to make a lot of wholesale changes you make minor tweaks as you go. And when you have injuries you have to adjust subtly but you can't wholesale change.
--Speed doesn't hurt but there are guys that run 10.3 that can't change direction. There is track fast and football fast and it comes down to overall athleticism being able to bend, change direction and react to the football.
--You're going to be what your personnel allows you to be. He isn't going to change what they do defensively based on where they play but you have a plan, execute it and play ball. Right now it's about them and you don't want to get ahead of what you're trying to do right now.
--West Virginia offensive coordinator Chad Scott said the biggest difference in the offense is the fact they have two mobile quarterbacks. They can do some different things in the run game with the zone reads. They also have been able to put multiple running backs on the field at the same time in the backfield and some flexed out.
--CJ Donaldson is limited but they have to be smart with him. He did a great job today and is still learning the position. They want to utilize him in the pass game and he can run routes but he is going to be involved in a lot of different things.
--Scott said they are installing the offense and the running backs are getting back more involved with the pass game. They will eventually get to the point where they can play three running backs on the field but right now it's more two. Typically the blocking is the concern, but Donaldson can block phenomenally well on the perimeter.
--It is a big adjustment for him looking at the entire offense and the entire picture instead of just the running backs and linebackers. He loves the idea of being a leader and connecting with the team.
--Scott said decision-making will be important in the quarterback battle.
--Right now, the decision making was really good and taking care of the football. They haven't had the type of guy at the position to do the zone read and it created some explosive runs. They had no idea how they would react in open sets. Nothing really is different with Marchiol being left-handed but they just have to rep them left and right.
--The coaching staff does not move Milum to right tackle if Marchiol is in the game considering he is left-handed.
--The two young coaches on offense in Bilal Marshall and Blaine Stewart have great energy. They had time to get around each other and Scott embraces doing things right and being detail oriented.
--Scott doesn't know if he will be in the box or on the field because he has always been on the field. But his view is better from the box. A big thing for him is going to be learning how to see that whole picture. Scott has always had the ability to connect with all of the guys and being able to make an impact with them is big for him.
--Scott said they will work through play calling this spring and see how it goes. Calling plays is a big deal but one of the most important parts is the organization of it and the idea of putting it all together to have stuff in the script to even be called. You have to be able to put it all together to be able to run a practice. The organization behind it and the ideas are the toughest challenge.
--Devin Carter made some critical plays on third down situations today. He made two outstanding contested catches and they are really excited about his ability to stretch the field and go up and make some contested catches for the offense.
--West Virginia has to play to their strength but the guys outside have to continue to develop. You can't get through games just handing it off and the wide receivers are going to have to make some plays. But they are loaded in the backfield and are going to find ways to get them the ball.
--Scott had no idea he was going to be named offensive coordinator until about 30-minutes before it was announced to the team. It was awesome to see the reception.
--It's fast for Jahiem White right now. He is very talented he just has to learn how to practice. He catches the ball well and is special with the ball in his hands.
