Quick Hits: Freshmen Impressing, Redshirting, Open Scholarships + New Offense

Installing new offense

"We want to get the plays installed and make sure our guys know what to do. We'll probably be a little bit slower. Before we worked a lot of situational football, it'll probably be less of that offensively and just getting more reps with the plays and trying to create some muscle memory."

Terminology of offense

"He's [Graham Harrell] got full control. What he's done is he basically came in and evaluated what we did here. There was some things that we did well. Now, it wasn't good enough as a total package. He's going to give a new wrinkle to it. He's going to look and see what he felt really good about what we were doing and hold on to those and then come in with the things he's been really good with in the past and install those. The terminology will all be his."

Which areas could be targeted in transfer portal/recruiting

"We're going to use one on special teams. We've got to get better at kicking the ball off. That was something that was a real struggle for us a year ago. Our starting field position was one of the worst in college football. Defensively, we've always had the intention to add a linebacker, so that hasn't changed and that will be a best available. Then, we want to add at least one, maybe two pieces in the secondary. There will be another wave of significant people in the transfer portal after spring practice."

Transfer portal

"I'm not inherently against the transfer portal. I'm not. We're going to benefit, we're going to lose guys - just like everybody in the country that decides to do business in there. You're going to gain some and then you're going to lose some. Where we've got to get to is where roster management is where it's truly manageable. We've got to get into windows. First of all, let's call it what it is, it's free agency. In what other sport do you have free agency year round? Well, the answer to that would be one, college athletics. We've got to get it into windows and it has to be feasible for the student-athlete and for the school. What you want is where you have certain windows where the transfer portal is open and certain when it's closed. The two periods that make the most sense for me are the month of December and it goes into January, mid-January. That's the first. It's postseason, so you don't have guys that are leaving during the season and doesn't put you in a position where guys are just walking out the door. It opens up a window in December, January where you have signing day, you know what your numbers are going to be and you can use them accordingly. It gives student-athletes who are in the portal to take visits during that time and then you do it again from mid-April through the month of May."

Josh Chandler-Semedo's transfer

"I think he's a good kid. I don't have anything negative to say. I don't think it serves myself or our program to get up here and talk about guys that have left. For whatever reason, he decided to leave we're going to coach the ones we got. He made a decision. The one thing about him is, I was as surprised when he came back. He came to me sometime in December and said that he was coming back. That was a surprise to me. Then, I think his feelings changed over the course of a five or six week period and he can answer to that. But we don't have any ill will toward him. The attitude I've taken is hey, we want to coach that kids that want to be here. So, let's take what we have and coach them up as best we can and let's create a great environment where they're excited."

Redshirting players

"I think redshirting is going to become less and less. Unless it's guys up front. We were able to do so with some secondary guys last year. We didn't really go into the year planning or anticipating to redshirt them. For the class that's coming in and moving forward we're going to be more intentional about playing those mids and skills on special teams early and making them prove that they're not ready rather than making them prove that they're ready."

Early enrollees who are impressing

"The ones that probably stick out the most is I'm intrigued to see Nicco [Marchiol]. Not just because it's him but because any quarterback that has the resume that he has, like I'm always intrigued to see how long does it take from a quarterback's perspective for the game to slow down. He played at a really good high school against really good competition, but he wasn't playing against teams like our defense that he's going to see every day now. I talked about Zeiqui Lawton. He's really hungry because he redshirted last year at Cincinnati and because we have some injuries up there, guys are going to miss time and it's going to create an opportunity for him. Then, Lee Kpogba. He went to Syracuse and it didn't work out. He got humbled and went down to East Mississippi junior college and now, he's got this new lease and he never has a bad day. He's attacked workouts and he's really done a nice job of learning."

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