Everything From Georgia Tech WR Coach Trent McKnight After the Yellow Jackets' Wednesday Practice

Fall Camp continued for Georgia Tech today and the season opening game against Colorado is now 16 days away. After practice on Wednesday, Yellow Jackets wide receiver coach Trent McKnight spoke with the media for the first time since the spring and here is everything that he had to say.

1. On how the freshmen and transfers will mix at the position...

"I hope they all fit into the room. It's been really good. I think we got another great group. I think that was one of the challenges in recruiting. Like when I came in here a year ago, we had a great group of guys, high-character guys, and wanted to maintain that. And that's what I always believe in. I mean, you're around each other so much. You want to make sure that the guys get along with each other and then some, like the time that we spend with them, we want to have fun, and we want to get better each and every day and be able to push them and want guys that are coachable. And I think that's what we did in the recruiting process. And it's been a really fun group to work with. And I think they're another close -knit group, which is exciting to see."

2. On the depth of the room and working with both quarterbacks...

"Yeah, right now, and that's what I always believe in, and especially you gotta be able to get guys work with both quarterbacks, right? And all the quarterbacks see them against different DBs, right? So it's a challenge, especially when I think of Ahmari Harvey's playing at a high level right now, and so you wanna have as many guys as you possibly can go up against him, and then some guys work with the second group, and you've got to be able to roll guys, and that may be something this year we can rotate guys in a little bit more than maybe in the past but I am a true believer in like I've discussed before position flexibility and then also trying to create as much competition as you possibly can so every day that you go out there, they've got to work and I think that's what we have in this group right now right guys are competing and there's good competition each and every day to get better."

3. On Isiah Canion...

"He's been really good and and I've always been a big fan of Isiah and I've said that and thought he can be an elite player and he's getting better each and every day like we knew it was gonna be it was gonna take some development with him but I think last week he got a really good week and then finished it with a good scrimmage and then, I think he's put two days back to back together and that's what we're on him about is being dominant every play every day and that's what he continues to improve. The mental part of it, where he's focused on each and every rep of being an elite player. But he's fun to coach, excited to have him her,e and excited to see what he does because each and every day he's got a chance to improve because his ceiling is very high and we're just scratching the surface right now so can't wait to see the receiver that he turns into."

4. On Eric Rivers...

"Yeah he's very dynamic very explosive and I've talked about this in here before but the receiver position, there's a lot of things that go into it, right? There's a lot of little things that everybody looks at it and hey, it's just running and catching a football. But he's really handled it like a pro because he missed the spring. The mindset that he comes to work every day, wanting to take coaching, taking notes in meetings, being intentional in walkthroughs, trying to get better each and every day, he's really got a sense of urgency to improve. But it's a, he's the guy who's walked on twice at two schools and then was an All-American this past year. But he's fun each and every day to have in the room and to coach. And I think he truly has a professional mindset."

5. On the true freshmen...

" I think when they first come in, you want to give them every chance they can to get on the field. I mean, that's what we talk about in recruiting, right? We want to give them every opportunity, and at the end of the day, the cream rises to the top, right? And so the way we practice, the way Coach Key structures it, the way Buster structures what we do, they get every opportunity to have that chance, and that's part of what you're doing in recruiting each and every year, right? You're trying to create as much competition in the room so that other guys are pushed, and that's what we told those guys in recruiting, and that's what we've done so far with them when they've gotten in here."

6. On the speed of this group...

"Yes, I think we do have a good group, and that's what Buster always looks for, right? Try to get as many fast guys as we can, but also think of receiver rooms kind of like a basketball team, right? I mean, you got different size, shapes, and guys that can do different things and that's what we ask them to do because obviously perimeter block is a big thing in all the things that we do offensively so I think you got to be able to have guys that are fast because they create explosive plays and explosive plays are one of the biggest stats in winning and losing football games on the offensive side of the ball so when you have dynamic players that's what we want in this offense but you also want guys that are big that can block and do things on the perimeter and that's the great thing about about all those guys, those fast guys, is they're tough and they will compete out there on the perimeter block and want to work hard to get better each and every day."

7. On who the best blockers in the room are...

"All of them are competing, right? And I really say that's a lot of what perimeter blocking is, like it's effort and toughness and who's going to strain to finish and who's going to play harder than the other guy. And we always talk about when our film turns on that it should look different from what people see on the perimeter blocking. Isiah Canion's one who's probably the most dominant blocker right is 6 -3, he's 210 LBS, so he's got the ability to do it, but then on the other side you've got, and y 'all've seen it, Malik, who's a smaller guy, but he goes out there with good technique, he fights and competes, so we expect the whole group to block."

8. On how much of a mismatch problem Eric Rivers is for the defense...

"Yes, he's learned it very well. He's learned it very well. And we ask all of our guys, not just him, but everybody's gotta learn to play in multiple positions. And going back to what I said earlier, that's what you have to be. Because if you've got two really good Xs and they're one of the top then you got to get the best guys out on the field right so that's our responsibility as coaches it's also for them but with what we do formationally you have to know each and every spot because one concept you could be the number one boundary receiver the next time you could be number one to the field the next time you could be number two to the field so all of our guys are expected to know every position because of our formation flexibility."

9. On Zion Taylor...

"e's right there in the middle of the competition. But he's another one that works hard. He's getting better each and every day and on the attention to detail that's needed to be great at this level. But another fun personality to have in the room and really hungry right now to go out there and compete each and every day."

10. On Malik Rutherford...

"I think Malik had his best day today. Just energy from the meeting room to how he practiced everything. And that's one of the things senior leader, right? That's what you gotta do and do it by example. That's what we keep preaching to him is do it by example, show these younger guys, show the newcomers what the standard is here. And that's the challenge for him. And him and I met back in the spring and hey, this is how you can take your game to the next level. And so each and every day there's a hunger to improve in those areas. We all know he's elite with the ball in his hands, is probably one of the best in the country but continuing to develop to be a complete receiver and again I think today was one of the best days that I've seen him have."

11. On the vertical passing game...

"I think that's the challenge for us each and every day as coaches to get the receivers to play the best that they possibly can, 'cause all that Haynes has done for this program. And I take ownership in that to make sure that we have guys that he can go out there and trust that are gonna do their job, be where they're supposed to be, right? But also be able to go out there and win one -on -one battles. And I think everything he's done for Georgia Tech in this program, I think I owe that to him as a coach to be the best that we can possibly be each day."