How do you figure out how to develop players that are younger, as in we might need them in November or beyond?
“It’s a continuum. You play the guy that gives you the best opportunity to win the game. That’s what you do, right? Every decision we make is based on our opportunity to win the game. I don’t know that we look down the road. In practice we do, we say OK this guy’s really talented but he doesn’t know our system, offense or defense or special teams, but he’s talented. So we might put him in a position to get reps, and be a two and grow, and then ‘Hey we’re repping this game, let’s get him in there, let’s get him some experience. But we never put him in there before another guy gives us a better chance to win. Because one play can decide a game. The left tackle blocks the wrong guy and the quarterback gets hit from the blind side. I would never put somebody in there before they were the best guy to play the game. I don’t know if I’m answering your question.”
Darnell Washington and Tykee Smith updates...
“They both were running and doing cardio yesterday, did a good job. They ran today. They did not do their position work, meaning they didn’t go and take reps. But I was just walking off the field and they both ran really good today. They both hit really good speeds. I talked to both of them coming off the field. They both felt really good about where they were, they were comfortable. They aren’t in cleats yet. Cleats aren’t the best thing to run in for that foot injury. But they were in rubber turf shoes, and they were running really well, and they built up their volume. So we’ll increase that tomorrow and see where they are. They’re in a much better place, and I was really pleased when I saw them running in black shirts today, and I was like, Who is that, that guy is fast. But it was those guys, Tykee and Darnell.”
On Broderick Jones potentially moving in at left tackle and when that might happen...
“He’s played, right? I know he played the last two games. He played in the rotation No. 1. I think it helps Jamaree’s conditioning. No 2, he’s a good football player and he’s earned the right to play based on how he’s practiced in spring ball and through camp. We’re not ready to say he’s a starter right now. He still has some mental hiccups and mental busts. He’ll be the first to tell you. He went in during the UAB game and Stetson threw a touchdown pass and he completely botched it, didn’t even block a guy. Stetson got the ball off before the guy could get there. He blocked the wrong guy on Kendall Milton’s fumble. The guy was unblocked. Didn’t block his guy. He’s got to clean those things up and get better. One thing I like about Broderick is he’s always trying to get better. He’ll come ask you what can I do better? What can I do here, what can I do there? He’s competing. We’re going to put the best five out there. It’s also Jamaree we feel like right now is playing better at tackle than he has at guard. It’s a lot more to it than what everybody thinks. I think everybody thinks you just plug and play, but we’re trying to get the best combination of guys out there. That’s the work in progress.”
On elite defenses he's coached and does it give you a standard for where these guys still have to go?
“Yeah, I think everyone’s different. They have different identities. I’ve been around some really good ones and they’ve all been different. Some have been good because of the secondary, some have been good because of the front. Some have been a combination of both. Everyone’s different and has a different personality and identity. That’s usually created by the staff that spends time with them and I think our defensive staff with the likes of Dan and Glenn and Jahmile and Tray and Will have done a really good job of getting players to take on their personality. They’ve bought into that. It’s been a good vibe on defense. Those guys have really done a tremendous job. This is a different group. This is a really athletic group. I don’t know that I’ve had an athletic front seven like this one. I’ve been much deeper in the secondary but I don’t know if I’ve had a group as athletic as this group that can move and twist. In today’s college football world, that gives you a chance because of all the spread stuff.”
On Jordan Davis and getting the most out of him...
"Yeah. I’m really excited about Jordan. He’s a tremendous worker, a tremendous person. I think you’re seeing the side of Jordan that we have seen prior. Trey (Scott) has done a good job honing in on his skill set. He was a block striker, and anchor I would say, an immovable object and that was great. But that can only get you so far. When it comes to tackles for loss, you’d better be quick, you’ve got to have stunt steps and you’ve got to have twists, you’ve got to have gains. I think the place where Tray, and Dan and Schu and all the guys on the defensive staff have done a great job is create movement so that guys up front can make plays. "We went a long time without being sack leaders, getting a lot of sacks and getting a lot of TFLs. The whole havoc thing came along about two or three years ago, I guess that’s when that word started popping up, and if you want to be a good havoc team you’ve got to move, you’ve got to stunt people, you’ve got to chase people. That wasn’t Jordan. That wasn’t Jordan’s expertise. It wasn’t what he was great at. But he’s taken pride in doing that, not necessarily by being lighter, because he’s not lighter, but by being quicker."
On not playing Vanderbilt last year and how close to getting another game...
"I was disappointed because the players were prepared. I think we were already prepared once. I can’t even remember that season, but I know there was an expectation we were going to play them. It was our last home game and for the seniors I wanted it because they had meant so much to our program and so many of them had been through the turnaround. I just wanted the game for them. When their interim coach called me, I said ‘golly.’ It hurt but I understood. It was beyond their control. I really didn’t do much to try and find a game. I texted a couple of people just hoping but it was too short notice. I know some of the people upstairs and Josh (Brooks) tried to work some things out, but there was no realistic shot. It was never like it was close to anything.”
On George Pickens, what this situation has been like for him, what his progression is like...
"I was excited for George. Two weeks Monday or Tuesday, he had a meeting with Dr. Andrews. He visited with him and of course he's the foremost authority. Ron (Courson) went, his mother went, they had a sit down meeting, and he felt like he was in a really good spot. He cleared him to do some football activity in terms of route running. Things on air, not contact. And George is running well. He's a special guy when it comes to coming off of injury. He's out there running, catching balls. You wouldn't think twice. Ron has a protocol, Ron's following that exactly. George has done a tremendous job of doing what he's supposed to do in rehab, being where he's supposed to be. He works out during the practice. He only gets a little bit of time with us. He's prescribed 15-20 minutes at the beginning of practice, and then he goes and does his rehab program and his lifting program. He's done a great job of doing that. What is the progress? I don't know. I don't know the timeline on that. I do know that he's working really hard. We've not made it about George's return, that's not what we talk about. We talk about George getting healthy, and that's what we've consistently sold to him."
On how Pickens' recovery compares to others that he's seen, if he's ahead of schedule...
"I'm not a good judge of that. You'd have to ask Ron Courson that because Ron's done thousands of ACLs it seems like since he's been here. He would tell you better. He does say that George's recovery, his body is just naturally on top of it. And it wasn't as bad as some of the others. Some of the others had multiple tears in there. His was not as bad as Nick's (Chubb) and some of those guys."
On Sedrick Van Pran, what gives him confidence based on what he's seen so far...
"His character, he's a leader, he's smart, he's very intentionally. Just a very serious dude when it comes to his habits, his work ethic. He does a tremendous job."
On Harris English and Ryder Cup, what it's like having so many Georgia guys representing UGA on PGA Tour...
"It's awesome. We've got so many Dawgs on tour. It's been incredible to see what they've been able to do. Harris stopped by practice not too long ago. He had his dad with him, his caddy with him. It great to see him out there. I'm really proud of what he's been able to do. He's a great person, he represents the University of Georgia the right way, I love being around him. I'm pumped for him and the Ryder Cup, one of the coolest events in all of sports to me. I love it, and I'll be tuning in to see how he does."
On the team's attitude and focus this week...
"I think it's really been good. We've tried to change up practice the last two days and do some different things and have some competitions. We've done some more... They've got some similarities with us, offense and defense, so we've done some more ones on ones, twos on twos, and we try to change things up just so they don't get bored. They've been focused and they've handled it the right way. I'll feel a lot better if they do that tomorrow as well."
On if any players were angry after the cancellation of last year's Vanderbilt game...
"Not really. I think frustration is a better word. Anger is probably not a better term. I just think frustrated with the whole process. It was a long year and it was at the end of it and there would probably be some guys that would say they were glad. I hate to say it, but they were probably tired and guys who that didn't think they were going to play. Then you've got a group of guys that want to play every game because it's an opportunity to get better and it's an opportunity to make a statement about who we are. For some guys, it was their last home game. But no anger, I think (frustrated) is the better adjective."
On maybe being surprised that Jamaree Salyer has been such a good offensive tackle and what makes him successful at that spot...
"Well, I think it's his athleticism. He's got really good feet. He's got an ability to... strong, really strong, so when he stays in front of people, it's hard to get around. He's got a lot of experience playing out there. He played at a high level last year and did a good job against some really good pass rushers. It's not that he can't play guard because he's played good football at tackle. That's not an easy place to play in this league. It's probably the most exposed position there is and I think coach (Todd) Monken does a good job helping him with tight ends, helping him with chips, things like that. I never doubted that he could play it and in some ways he plays with more confidence there than he does inside."
On Quay Walker and his development...
"Yeah, Quay has come a long way, man. I was kidding with him today at walkthrough that he used to get so frustrated when he didn't know something. There were so many little words and nuggets in our defense and Quay would get so mad. I think he thought at times he'd never learn it. He got frustrated. He struggled academically early and there were times where he was like, 'I don't want to go to college. I'm tired of it.' Frustrated, not playing, highly rated coming out but man has he made a turn. Somewhere at the beginning of last year, the spring before last year, I know we didn't have spring ball but just he made a leadership turn. He committed to being excellent and doing what he's supposed to off the field and on the field, became much more of a student of the game. He holds people accountable now and this is the guy who wouldn't do it. Now he's doing it all and it's pretty awesome to see how far he's come. I love watching players grow like that because I got to sit in his house for a long time and now getting to see a different person."
