Everything From Virginia Tech TE Coach Brent Davis On Wednesday Ahead Of Week 3

Virginia Tech tight ends coach Brent Davis spoke to the media on Wednesday, Sept. 10.

Virginia Tech Athletics

Virginia Tech tight ends coach Brent Davis spoke to the media on Wednesday afternoon; here's the entirety of what he had to say:

On stepping up for an injured O-line:

"Well, I don't think it means we're doing anything different necessarily. So, it's kind of the same plan as usual how we're going to, you know, spread the field and things of that nature. But hopefully, whenever anyone's injured, hopefully, everybody's trying to pick them up and just kind of improve your level of play. I thought last week, we did some good things. Got a lot of things to work on, but no, I don't think it's just all on one position. It's everybody."

Q: How do you feel like your group has done blocking wise so far?

"I think we're trending in the right direction. We're improving fundamentally. I think we've been pretty good. Speed of the game got to come along. I think we can play faster. The second game was better than the first. I expect this week to be better than last week. So, I think we're improving. Got to get better on the perimeter. Just consistency. That's what we're looking for."

Q: Satisfying to see Ja'Ricous [Hairston] have a game like he had last week:

"Yeah, he did some good things before the touchdown, and I always tell them, good things happen to people that that make blocks. And first snap in, he got the hardest look he could get. Got a blitz off the edge. He's coming from the other side of the formation and had it up and kicked the guy out and [quarterback Kyron Drones] went up inside. So, he ended up catching a touchdown. You know, I'm not concerned with the touchdowns. I'm concerned with the blocks we make. Those other stuff will come, to be honest with you."

Q: Was that the the touchdown play or was that a different one?

"No." [referring to the touchdown play].

Q: Looked like he did the same thing on the touchdown?

"He did and then later on, there was a G-play we ran. He came from the backside and kicked a guy out and Kyron found a seam in the endzone. But no, the first play was just coming from across on his own read."

On Hairston's versatility:

"Yeah, when we're in 12, there's two tight ends in the game, he's been the guy that's off the ball and Benji [Gosnell]'s been the guy that's on the ball. So, they're probably interchangeable, that maybe fits his skill set, a little bit more off the ball. He can do the hand-down stuff, too. Just kind of how it sorted sorted out as camp went on."

On if his group is excited to get more 12 personnel on the field:

"We love 12 personnel. Obviously, there's two of us in the game, but we need to do whatever we need to do to win. And 12 personnel number usually gets called in crucial situations, right? You're down the goal line, you're in short yardage. So, we got to be ready for those, whether there's one of them, 10 of them or none of them."

On prior experience as an offensive coordinator and offensive line coach and how often he helps them out:

"Well, I think there's different ways to solve problems, right? [Offensive coordinator Philip Montgomery] does a unbelievable job just spreading the field and making you defend all 53 in a third or whatever it is. And whether that's throwing a bubble or whether it's adding a hat and running the quarterback, there's different ways to do it. So coach takes input from everyone in the room. All the coaches in there have input and so I really appreciate that about him. And then working with [offensive line coach Matt Moore] with the offensive line, if you're the tight end coach, you better work closely with the offensive line coaches. And he and [assistant offensive line coach Jens Danielsen] do a great job."

Q: What's impressed you most about JaRicous' development since he got in the program?

"He's a high school quarterback and really, just his mentality has improved to seeing yourself as a physical presence, not a "skill guy." It's easy to think yourself as a skill guy. It's harder to put your hand in the dirt and go block 300-pound down linemen. So, I think he did a good job of really progressing at that in camp. And he's become more detailed. I really think he's grown up a lot, just matured naturally, just being another year in in the system and in this program. And I'm excited about him. I mean, he's got a high ceiling. He's just got to continue to put in the work and and continue to grow."