--Defensive coordinator Jordan Lesley said with Lee Kpogba there is always an adjustment period coming from junior college and while he did well last year at times there was a learning curve. It's more about being in the system and the things you can see and adjustments. He is playing faster and seeing things faster. Aubrey Burks has improved as a young player and through the spring and summer has improved a lot through the bright spots. Sean Martin has started to trust what he can do and Mike Lockhart has made some strides, too. Andrew Wilson-Lamp has taken some time to mold body in the weight room and he is playing with more confidence.
--Lesley feels much better going through the process with the transfer portal as they did it this year compared to the past.
--Whenever their timeline is to get here with transfers, that's the time you have to get them up to date. Three-years ago Tony Fields got here the second week of camp and was an all-Big 12 player so it's about getting across what you need to get across.
--Lesley's take is find the best football players you can find and make the scheme fit them. You have to find good football players and make them fit.
--None of the people that vote or write about this team are at practice so it has no bearing on what they do. It's no more than an opinion and that's based on something nobody in this building thinks about which is last year.
--There is always the possibility that Lance Dixon could move back to WILL because he has played the position. But they've got some pieces in there that they're putting under some tough evaluation to figure out who the guy is there and what the rotations will be. They don't know now and won't for a while but they have some guys they like there without needing to move Dixon.
--In the winter and the spring and the summer, they spent more time on video on fundamental things than schematic things and he feels that it's really helped them. You're able to show growth on things that are simple. They went back to simple things and showing them positive and negative all the time.
--Eddie Vesterinen has played well up front. They have a different type of bodies at nose guard with strength and size. DaeDae Hawkins has changed his body in a short amount of time and made himself more powerful.
--Tomi Durojaiye is adjusting to a new scheme and a new school. He is a good player and is a guy that is obviously learning and more of an outside backer in high school but transitioned to the defensive front. He is a high, high effort guy. It won't be long for him and he'll be depended on this year. James Heard is exactly why you recruit a guy like that because he is one of the most natural pass rushers and is a lot more savy in coverage than you'd think. He had a pick today off a tipped ball and he's going to be a really good player for them eventually.
--Tray Lathan is a guy that has shown some big improvements. Jordan Jackson has done some good things so far and is naturally fast. Lesley thinks he will find a role somewhere on defense or special teams.
--Josiah Trotter is rehabbing so you get him in the meeting room and around the guys. He's a great teammate and will be better down the road.
--Lesley would like to see the positions settle a little sooner. This is probably the best quality depth so they could have some 1A and 1B situations.
--West Virginia went back to try to find ball players than intangibles when it came to their secondary pieces from the transfer portal. They went back and said can they guy track the ball in the air or can he find the ball on the ground? Those attributes have been better for them when it comes to identifying players. It goes back to what you're trying to be. The defensive line they tried to get a little bigger and a little longer but they wanted good ball players and explosion.
--Offensive coordinator Chad Scott said he knew he was going to put guys in position to play more than they did last year at running back. They wanted to line them up at different positions so they could handle when there are two in the game. Yesterday they weren't as crisp in that department, but today they were much better getting aligned.
--The sooner the better when it comes to making decisions on who plays where.
--At the slot position, they have Jeremiah Aaron and Rodney Gallagher had a phenomenal day today and Jaheim White has shown the ability to flex out and be special with the ball in his hands. At the running back spot it's a deep group and they all have unique running styles so they need to see what they can do well. At outside receiver, they have some talented guys that need to prove it.
--On the offensive side they need to figure out who is going to be the sixth, seventh and eighth guy on the line.
--They need to find a way to get the ball in Jaheim White's hands and see what he can handle. They think he is special with the ball in his hands and they don't want him to think slow. He has great ball skills and he's gotten reps in the backfield and the slot. He's small but he has phenomenal vision.
--DJ Oliver is a load. When the defensive guys can see the 4 and the 20 they've got to make business decisions. They're efficient runners with four yards just falling forward. Judah Price has done really well also and is picking up on the offense and is competitive.
--Size gets you an ability to block on the perimeter in the slot and Noah Massey has good size as well as good ball skills. He is effective in the run game.
--Coaches have to do a phenomenal job of being clear so the players know what to do. You don't favor seniority, you favor production and they grade them on that every day. If you tell them the truth, they see it. Jaylen Anderson has had a really good practice but had one hiccup but immediately knew where he made a mistake.
--Scott has to be on the football field because he is an energy guy. He will give in-game adjustments with the run game and how they put them in positions. The biggest change for him will be the mid-week stuff and organization of it all to put guys in the best position to make plays.
--You look at all the games and the analytics toward the end of the week to see how you would make decisions. Scott likes to look at games and get a feel for how defenses attack and what teams did to hurt them and then go to the cut ups and do those. He likes to trust his game plan and what he studied throughout the week to take some risks.
--They needed a guy with speed that can stretch the field and that's EJ Horton's deal. They also needed a bigger body inside as a hybrid that can flex out and be an athletic slot as well as a mismatch there and block on the perimeter which is why they got Noah Massey.
--Scott thinks as the players get in pads they will see which ones can make plays in certain situations such as third and long, etc.
--Scott believes they have a talented group in the backfield that is competitive. They are the biggest cheerleaders for each other and they did a great job stepping up and being leaders.
--You have to be honest with the guys so Donaldson can play in multiple positions and the same with Jaheim White. Jaylen Anderson is another that could move around and play across the formation and each of them put in extra time studying this summer.
--They're evaluating what guys can do but trying to make everything look the same so the defense can't tell and it brings unpredictability.
--Oliver can get downhill right now. They don't fit up on him like they should when he's getting downhill. He plays like a freshman, he doesn't know a lot he just puts his head down and believes he can do it all. He isn't thinking, he's just running.
--Luke Hamilton is somebody they're trying to find a role for and incorporate him in the game.
--Lesley feels much better going through the process with the transfer portal as they did it this year compared to the past.
--Whenever their timeline is to get here with transfers, that's the time you have to get them up to date. Three-years ago Tony Fields got here the second week of camp and was an all-Big 12 player so it's about getting across what you need to get across.
--Lesley's take is find the best football players you can find and make the scheme fit them. You have to find good football players and make them fit.
--None of the people that vote or write about this team are at practice so it has no bearing on what they do. It's no more than an opinion and that's based on something nobody in this building thinks about which is last year.
--There is always the possibility that Lance Dixon could move back to WILL because he has played the position. But they've got some pieces in there that they're putting under some tough evaluation to figure out who the guy is there and what the rotations will be. They don't know now and won't for a while but they have some guys they like there without needing to move Dixon.
--In the winter and the spring and the summer, they spent more time on video on fundamental things than schematic things and he feels that it's really helped them. You're able to show growth on things that are simple. They went back to simple things and showing them positive and negative all the time.
--Eddie Vesterinen has played well up front. They have a different type of bodies at nose guard with strength and size. DaeDae Hawkins has changed his body in a short amount of time and made himself more powerful.
--Tomi Durojaiye is adjusting to a new scheme and a new school. He is a good player and is a guy that is obviously learning and more of an outside backer in high school but transitioned to the defensive front. He is a high, high effort guy. It won't be long for him and he'll be depended on this year. James Heard is exactly why you recruit a guy like that because he is one of the most natural pass rushers and is a lot more savy in coverage than you'd think. He had a pick today off a tipped ball and he's going to be a really good player for them eventually.
--Tray Lathan is a guy that has shown some big improvements. Jordan Jackson has done some good things so far and is naturally fast. Lesley thinks he will find a role somewhere on defense or special teams.
--Josiah Trotter is rehabbing so you get him in the meeting room and around the guys. He's a great teammate and will be better down the road.
--Lesley would like to see the positions settle a little sooner. This is probably the best quality depth so they could have some 1A and 1B situations.
--West Virginia went back to try to find ball players than intangibles when it came to their secondary pieces from the transfer portal. They went back and said can they guy track the ball in the air or can he find the ball on the ground? Those attributes have been better for them when it comes to identifying players. It goes back to what you're trying to be. The defensive line they tried to get a little bigger and a little longer but they wanted good ball players and explosion.
--Offensive coordinator Chad Scott said he knew he was going to put guys in position to play more than they did last year at running back. They wanted to line them up at different positions so they could handle when there are two in the game. Yesterday they weren't as crisp in that department, but today they were much better getting aligned.
--The sooner the better when it comes to making decisions on who plays where.
--At the slot position, they have Jeremiah Aaron and Rodney Gallagher had a phenomenal day today and Jaheim White has shown the ability to flex out and be special with the ball in his hands. At the running back spot it's a deep group and they all have unique running styles so they need to see what they can do well. At outside receiver, they have some talented guys that need to prove it.
--On the offensive side they need to figure out who is going to be the sixth, seventh and eighth guy on the line.
--They need to find a way to get the ball in Jaheim White's hands and see what he can handle. They think he is special with the ball in his hands and they don't want him to think slow. He has great ball skills and he's gotten reps in the backfield and the slot. He's small but he has phenomenal vision.
--DJ Oliver is a load. When the defensive guys can see the 4 and the 20 they've got to make business decisions. They're efficient runners with four yards just falling forward. Judah Price has done really well also and is picking up on the offense and is competitive.
--Size gets you an ability to block on the perimeter in the slot and Noah Massey has good size as well as good ball skills. He is effective in the run game.
--Coaches have to do a phenomenal job of being clear so the players know what to do. You don't favor seniority, you favor production and they grade them on that every day. If you tell them the truth, they see it. Jaylen Anderson has had a really good practice but had one hiccup but immediately knew where he made a mistake.
--Scott has to be on the football field because he is an energy guy. He will give in-game adjustments with the run game and how they put them in positions. The biggest change for him will be the mid-week stuff and organization of it all to put guys in the best position to make plays.
--You look at all the games and the analytics toward the end of the week to see how you would make decisions. Scott likes to look at games and get a feel for how defenses attack and what teams did to hurt them and then go to the cut ups and do those. He likes to trust his game plan and what he studied throughout the week to take some risks.
--They needed a guy with speed that can stretch the field and that's EJ Horton's deal. They also needed a bigger body inside as a hybrid that can flex out and be an athletic slot as well as a mismatch there and block on the perimeter which is why they got Noah Massey.
--Scott thinks as the players get in pads they will see which ones can make plays in certain situations such as third and long, etc.
--Scott believes they have a talented group in the backfield that is competitive. They are the biggest cheerleaders for each other and they did a great job stepping up and being leaders.
--You have to be honest with the guys so Donaldson can play in multiple positions and the same with Jaheim White. Jaylen Anderson is another that could move around and play across the formation and each of them put in extra time studying this summer.
--They're evaluating what guys can do but trying to make everything look the same so the defense can't tell and it brings unpredictability.
--Oliver can get downhill right now. They don't fit up on him like they should when he's getting downhill. He plays like a freshman, he doesn't know a lot he just puts his head down and believes he can do it all. He isn't thinking, he's just running.
--Luke Hamilton is somebody they're trying to find a role for and incorporate him in the game.
