Everything From Georgia Tech Wide Receivers Coach Trent McKnight After Tuesday's Practice

It is game week for Georgia Tech. The Yellow Jackets' annual White and Gold Spring Game is this Saturday, but there are still two more practices before they play. After practice today, wide receivers coach Trent McKnight spoke with the media and here is everything that he had to say.

1. On the depth of the position...

" I feel good about the depth right now. I think right now we've got a good two -deep that'll compete, and we'll be able to get some rotations in there. Part of that is some guys that have been here developing some of the plans that we've had for them, and then part of it will be from newcomers that we've brought in. Obviously you miss those guys from last year and they did a lot here in the energy that they brought in especially like when I got here a year ago they knew the offense so I think that's been the part this spring of these guys learning the offense but they've been hungry and feel pretty good about the two deep right now and where we're at."

2. On if Dean Patterson and Eric Rivers previously being teammates has helped their transition to Georgia Tech...

" I think definitely you can see, and I think it does help. And when we recruited them, it wasn't that we recruited them together. It was kind of we recruited both of them separate, and then it worked out that way. With the two of them, it is nice to have a familiar face without a doubt. So that's helped them and just having somebody that you've been through a lot of things with. I think the biggest thing the two of them they're both different players and how they'll go out there and play. I think the biggest thing with both of them is the maturity and how they handle it like a pro. Like when we're at a walkthrough sometimes you got preached to younger guys if it's important to get a mental rep it's important to see the signal. When you're at a scrimmage same thing of taking notes in meetings and I think both those guys have really come in here and they're mature, they know what it takes to be good at the division one level and so they've carried that over here and then too both of them are hungry and want to prove themselves at this level so it's been really good to add those two."

3. On what makes Isiah Canion special...

"I think he gives you something with size and speed that you don't see a whole lot many times. And his play speed's really good. When he came in and played last year, he's able to play fast. He's able for a bigger guy to run routes, which you don't always see. You don't see a 6 -3 guy that can run routes that can sink his weight, that can get in and out of breaks. He's another one. He was mature when he got here, and that's kind of what got him on the field last year. And then I think he's got a chance to be a complete receiver because he can stretch the field vertically but he's also a physical presence in our run blocking stuff of what we want to do in perimeter blocking and he's got the ability to run every route in so he's continuing to work he's had a good spring and you look at what he was in the fall because he didn't go through last spring he was doing routes on air but he's made great strides and I think a lot of that was to what we did in the fall, whether it's a developmental practice or getting mental reps, watching some of the older guys chase Lane and Abdul and some of those guys of how they operated and that affected him. And he's carried that over to the spring, but very excited about what Isiah can do."

4. On Zion Taylor...

"I think it's all still to be determined and that's that's what we want it's no different than last year like if you look at the depth chart from when we started spring to where we ended up last spring it was completely different with guys moving around we want to create as much competition as we can I think with Zion, you've seen him get better throughout last year of what he did especially again some of the developmental work that he did the said that he had going into the bowl game, I thought that was big and him having a chance he probably got 15 reps there in the bowl game and kind of was able to leap forward him into this spring. Now what his role is going to be that's going to be determined by what he does, what the other guys do, and how we move forward, but I know all of us are very excited about what Zion can do. We'll continue the competition in the summer finish up spring obviously continue it in the summer, and then carry it on into fall camp. And I think that's where you're really good is where you create as much competition as possible, and he'll be a huge part of that."

5. On who the threats are in the vertical passing game...

"So right now, Bailey Stockton's one that just consistently wins down the field. And like you look at it, he just finds a way to get open. And so he does a really good job, and he can stretch the field vertically. And then the other one would be Eric Rivers is the next guy just with speed, and he's explosive, and can get in and out of breaks. I think he's got a chance to be a complete receiver also, but he can stretch the field vertically. But I do feel good. Isiah has made a lot of plays this spring. Zion always consistently makes plays down the field. So I think we've got-- it may look a little bit different than what we might have been in the past, but we've got some guys that can win 50 -50 balls down the field, so excited about that and how we progress."

6. On Chris Elko...

"I mean, just, he's been what you look for in a coach, right, like we put put together and Buster did something I think it's good we put together teach tape and try, what we're trying to do is see what shows up in practice, what shows up in games, what shows up in the NFL and Elko's all over that teach tape and when you watch you can pull up any individual drill like we go out there today you pull up the indy drill he's he's going to show up where he's working and he's intentional and he has a purpose in how he works it right when I was leaving the field after talking with a couple recruits, he's out there getting work. So he's exactly what you want. You always talk about the unseen hours he puts the work in. He's up here watching film, studying, figuring out ways that he can get better. But he's also, he's a Georgia Tech guy, like he wants to do whatever he can to help the team. Last year his role was on special teams and he did a great job. Same thing, we were in a special teams meeting last week and he showed up on the teach tape of what we want to do on kickoff return and then you're always looking for guys that you trust and you have confidence in. So he's everything you look for in a coach from that standpoint and the intangibles of what you're looking for."

7. On Malik Rutherford...

" I think he's done a good job this spring, especially of being a leader, being more vocal, like I made a point to him, our first scrimmage. You could see him, he was up on the sideline, he was consistent in his energy, encouraging other guys. And that, I mean, even Malik, and Malik knows he's trying to take his game to the next level, so there's certain things we looked at after the season where he can improve and make himself more of a complete receiver. And I think he's done a really good job this spring of trying to take ownership in those things and knowing what he needs to work on. Like we know Malik's really good with the ball in his hands. He's one of the more explosive guys that we have. Continuing to develop as a downfield receiver is where he's got to continue to make strides. But the leadership, he's been really good. I always say this, like since I've been here day one, you walk in a meeting in the receiver room, okay? You ask a question, you're trying to make it interactive. He's gonna be the first guy to answer it and he can answer it for any of the positions. He sits on the edge of his seat, so he's one that he leads a lot by example too in how he's doing it, but I do think we've heard him more vocally throughout the spring."

8. On moving David Prince from tight end to wide receiver...

"Yeah, that's what DP brings is he's a bigger body that can he does some good things route wise, obviously when we threw him there, He's there's, some learning that he's having to do out there at receiver but he's a fun guy to be around each and every day. I think the guys in the room loves him. He fits in the room really well so we're excited what DP can bring out there at the receiver position."

9. On trying to be more positionless...

"I think it's been good and I think the other thing is like a guy like Bailey sometimes he just stays in there in the slot and he knows that position but it's good to challenge him and get him outside of that and I go back to my philosophy always is we got to get the best guys on the field right last year there are some examples where we might have done it with where we move Chase from Z to X, right? And then it's still good for your overall game as a receiver to run those routes outside for Zion to go inside and run some of those routes. So I think that's part of it 'cause everybody's goals to go to the next level, right? And you gotta be able to play multiple positions because of what they carry on the roster. But then also for us, it's our job to get the best guys out on the field, right? So we can't say that, hey, this guy only knows the Z, we can't put him at X if he's the second best guy. So that's always been my philosophy of how we approach it. And you can see, especially like we'll mix it up and walk throughs again guys in different spots and sometimes put Isaiah in the slide and it just tests them, challenges them, makes them a better receiver overall too."

Additional Links

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