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#UNC offensive coordinator Bobby Petrino press conference after the first practice
Jul 30, 2026
#UNC offensive coordinator Bobby Petrino press conference after the first practice
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0:00
this morning. It's It's fun to to
0:02
finally get on the practice field for uh
0:05
practice number one. It's generally the
0:07
most prepared practice all year long
0:09
because you're waiting on it,
0:11
anticipation.
0:13
Uh we had the players around yesterday.
0:16
Um but it was fun to finally get out
0:18
there. Uh offensively, I'm I'm very
0:20
encouraged about what type of offense we
0:22
can have. Uh I think we've got to be a
0:25
team that can run the ball physically.
0:28
We're talented in the back field. We got
0:30
a good group of tight ends. Uh our
0:32
receivers are very willing and tough
0:34
blockers. So, we've got to be able to
0:37
run the football and and once we run the
0:39
football, it'll open up our passing game
0:41
and allow us to do the things that we
0:43
want to do in the passing game. Um and
0:47
then third down is third down. You got
0:48
to be able to throw the ball and
0:50
convert, but it's tight coverage and man
0:52
coverage and deep pressure. So, those
0:54
are the the biggest things that we'll
0:56
work on here. Um, but I had a lot of fun
0:58
out there today. I think our players um
1:01
showed a lot of dedication this summer.
1:03
The work that they put in and and uh our
1:07
weight room staff did a great job. Uh,
1:10
we're physically ready to go. We got
1:12
guys that are are very strong, very
1:14
fast, and um, but we got a lot to learn.
1:17
We got a long ways to go, but I'm very
1:19
encouraged about where where we're at
1:21
and where where we'll get to. It'll be
1:24
fun opening up over in Ireland. Never
1:26
been there before. Um not sure what
1:29
it'll be like, but I know it'll be a new
1:31
experience. So, uh they tell me the
1:34
crowd's going to be rowdy. Actually
1:36
recruited, um a young man from a school
1:39
that played the Friday night before the
1:42
college game last year. Uh they have a
1:45
high school game there and he coached
1:47
one of the high school teams and told me
1:49
it was the rowdiest crowd. He's been
1:51
around. They they have fun and enjoy
1:53
life over there. So that'll that'll be
1:55
an interesting experience for us. Um
1:58
with that I'll just open up for
2:00
questions.
2:01
>> Start right here.
2:03
>> Good morning.
2:04
>> Last one or I guess this one Phil B said
2:07
there's no leader in the clubhouse in
2:09
the quarterback race. Obviously the four
2:11
guys that come from you know all vastly
2:13
different backgrounds that are in
2:14
different spots in their college career.
2:16
What have you seen from each of those
2:17
four guys?
2:18
>> Yeah I mean I I look at it this way. You
2:21
know there's there's two ways you can
2:22
look at it. Uh some people might say,
2:25
you know, are you waiting to to make a
2:27
decision and does that hurt the starter
2:30
getting reps? Um I look at it is that uh
2:34
they reported here today. We went out to
2:36
practice and the pressure is immediately
2:38
on all of them and I think that's a good
2:41
thing. I think it showed their their
2:43
preparation for the practice, showed how
2:46
they called the plays in the huddle, how
2:48
they understood what their progressions
2:49
were. They've been working hard all June
2:52
and July on the understanding that one
2:56
of us is going to come out here and run
2:57
out there the first play of the game. So
3:00
that's how I look at it. You know, when
3:02
when you look at the group, obviously
3:04
Billy Edwards is the one with the most
3:05
experience.
3:07
Um when he got here uh in in the winter,
3:11
he had some things to take care of
3:13
physically and he's as healthy as he's
3:15
been in a long time. So, it'll be it'll
3:18
be fun to see how he how he does out
3:20
there. Uh, Miles O'Neal is a big
3:22
physical guy, big arm, run, uh, you
3:26
know, a great athlete that that can make
3:29
a lot of different things happen. Uh, he
3:31
just got to show that he's consistent
3:33
with decision making and accuracy. Um,
3:36
Tori is a guy that that uh, I like a
3:38
lot. He understands the the offense.
3:41
He's a quick learner. his his ability to
3:44
uh be consistently accurate just needs
3:47
to get get better. But he's done a good
3:49
job. Travis wasn't with us a lot in the
3:52
spring. You know, we tried to do some
3:53
things with him with young guys to get
3:55
him extra reps and get him going. Uh at
3:58
the start of summer workouts, he was
4:00
back to to full speed. Um he's a
4:03
tremendous athlete. He's got a quick
4:05
release, strong arm, and uh you know, he
4:08
impressed me today with how hard he's
4:11
worked in his ability to step in the
4:13
huddle, call the play, picture the play
4:16
in his mind, and go through his
4:18
progression. So, he like he he took a
4:20
huge step forward in the month of June
4:22
and July. And I think that's a, you
4:24
know, a tribute to the um only one
4:28
portal that you get the whole group that
4:31
was here in in spring practice here
4:33
together all summer and those guys went
4:36
out there and and led the the player
4:39
practices and players work and they've
4:41
all shown improvement. So it'll be fun
4:43
to see how it all plays out.
4:46
>> Good morning.
4:47
>> Morning. Can you walk us through your
4:49
installation process maybe back to
4:51
springtime?
4:55
>> Yeah, it actually goes back to to the
4:56
winter, you know, because in the winter
4:58
time we get we get the meeting time with
5:01
them and um you do some things in in
5:04
your mat drills and stuff like that to
5:06
correlate uh to the install. But what
5:09
what I've normally done is taken five
5:11
installations and that gets the majority
5:13
of your first and second down uh plays
5:17
in and then you sprinkle in third downs
5:20
in there. But we go through it in the
5:22
winter. Um we test it and then we come
5:26
back in spring, we install it again.
5:29
That's what we did in in in spring
5:31
practice. Uh a lot more situations come
5:34
up which are good in spring practice.
5:37
And then we come back in the summer and
5:39
do it again. Um, and now we started over
5:42
on it again today. So, basically they'll
5:44
have four uh times through the
5:47
installation. And uh a long time ago
5:50
when I was young as a coach, some
5:52
psychologist told me if you learn
5:54
something three times, you should know
5:55
it. So, I'm telling those dudes, they
5:57
need to know it. Now,
6:01
back to
6:04
17. How important is the one game in
6:06
college football like a predominant one
6:09
team make it a challenge for for
6:14
>> Yeah, I think you know everybody's got
6:16
to be able to run to win. That's what
6:18
I've always believed throughout my
6:19
career. Um sometimes you throw the ball
6:23
first. Uh some people have spread o
6:26
spread out open formations and you know
6:29
their identity is to throw the ball
6:31
first, but eventually you need to run
6:33
the football to win. Whether that's in
6:35
the red zone, whether that's in the
6:37
fourth quarter, whether that's to kill
6:39
the clock, you have to be able to run
6:42
the football to win games. And there's
6:44
been years where we were that way. Throw
6:46
it first, run second. There's been years
6:49
where we ran the ball first, and that
6:51
set up our deep play action pass. and
6:54
you know your your passing game off of
6:56
your ability to physically run the ball
6:58
gets you a bigger box and less guys in
7:00
the secondary. So it opens up the pass
7:03
that way. Um we're working to see which
7:05
way we're going to be right now. But
7:07
I've just been impressed with the
7:08
running backs and you know the tight end
7:11
group and their their ability to um make
7:15
plays. Uh the depth that we have there.
7:18
you know, it's sometimes when you're
7:20
when you're rotating guys in in spring
7:23
football and and that, you know, it's a
7:25
difference. Um, when this running back
7:27
goes in, uh, I've kind of felt like this
7:30
crew is pretty even and and, uh, you
7:33
didn't see any drop offs like that. So,
7:35
that that's been impressive to me.
7:40
>> Bobby, will you offensive line, how deep
7:44
do you think this group could go? seven,
7:46
eight, and also they midfield.
7:51
What have you seen from them?
7:55
>> Yeah, you know, you you'd like to say,
7:57
let's just be five guys, play every snap
7:59
and go. That'd be ideal. No injuries,
8:02
everybody stays healthy. Obviously, that
8:04
doesn't help a lot happen a lot. Um, so
8:08
we're working hard on, you know, who the
8:10
two deep guys are. So, you know, 10 11
8:13
guys probably right now are getting the
8:15
majority or will get the majority of the
8:17
reps. Um, you know, I think the two guys
8:20
that that were here last year that that
8:22
you mentioned um are are much better
8:25
players. You know, we didn't see a lot
8:27
of Banfield in spring um because he was
8:31
coming back from a an offseason uh
8:34
surgery, I believe. Um but he's been um
8:37
very very good in everything we've done
8:39
this summer. He's very mature. He
8:42
understands uh how to play the game. His
8:45
technique is I think his the biggest
8:47
thing he gives us is leadership on
8:48
technique and fundamentals. And the
8:51
young guys or guys that are younger than
8:53
him watch how how you really do it, how
8:56
you get in a perfect stance every time,
8:57
how you step right, where your hands
8:59
are, how you finish the play. You know,
9:02
that that helps us as a group to have
9:05
him back. I'm I'm excited that he's back
9:06
and going and doing a good job.
9:08
>> Right.
9:10
How do you envision a guy like Mason
9:11
Humphrey, his 6'4 frame, sort of
9:13
allowing you to do different things on
9:15
offense? And so what are some of those
9:16
unique things and a receiver with size
9:19
like that allows you to do?
9:20
>> Yeah, I mean, you you have to be able to
9:23
um work mismatches if he gets a smaller
9:25
or shorter guy on him. Uh Mason has done
9:28
a nice job, you know, he coming in here
9:31
uh learning the offense, he gives us
9:34
speed, he gives us length, size. He's
9:37
shown up um being able to make contested
9:40
catches. I think that's one of the
9:42
biggest things in college football is,
9:44
you know, you're going to be covered a
9:46
lot of the time. Quarterbacks have to
9:48
understand they can throw the receiver
9:49
open and their confidence in him right
9:52
now keeps growing and growing. You know,
9:55
like he caught a a play in the end zone
9:58
today for a touchdown and um I heard the
10:01
two quarterbacks say to each other,
10:03
"Man, I love throwing him that route."
10:05
You know, so when the quarterbacks feel
10:07
good about it, you know that if they get
10:09
the right look, they're [snorts] going
10:11
to be able to deliver the ball to him.
10:12
They have all the confidence that he'll
10:14
make make the catch. But he's got the
10:16
talent and the size and hands to to have
10:19
a very very good year.
10:21
>> Next, Michael.
10:23
>> Morning, Robbie.
10:24
>> Jordan Ship has kind of become almost
10:26
the face of this program in the short
10:28
time that he's been here. So much so
10:30
that his teammates are calling him Mr.
10:32
Carolina sometimes. How have you seen
10:34
him sort of be a leader not just in the
10:36
wide receiver room but for the offense
10:37
as a whole?
10:39
>> Yeah, I mean the first thing Jordan is
10:40
is a great um ambassador for University
10:43
of North Carolina. You know, here's a
10:45
guy that's already graduated, smiles
10:48
every day, goes out and works extremely
10:50
hard, um helps his teammates. You know,
10:54
I think one of the biggest things in
10:55
being a leader is your ability to help
10:57
your teammates and be a positive
11:00
influence on your teammates. and he kind
11:02
of does that every single day. Um he's a
11:05
good talker, so I'm sure you guys like
11:07
him a lot and he likes to talk, you
11:10
know, that's that's a very positive
11:11
thing for him. But um he can make plays,
11:15
you know, he's he's he understands the
11:17
game and uh he's working hard on on his
11:20
technique on his routes and he's
11:22
improved his speed uh and he can really
11:25
make catches when he's covered also. So
11:27
uh I know the quarterbacks enjoy
11:29
throwing him the ball. in front of.
11:32
>> Hey Bobby, u going back to the spring
11:35
and then where you guys started today,
11:36
how do you feel about the progress? Are
11:38
you where you want to be? You feel like
11:41
you're all behind or right where you
11:42
expect?
11:43
>> Yeah, you're never where you want to be.
11:44
You know that. But uh no, I think that
11:47
uh it showed a lot of hard work
11:49
throughout the summer. You know, I'm I
11:52
remember the first day we went out there
11:54
in spring and the centers and the
11:55
quarterbacks understanding who the point
11:58
was and what the front was and um what
12:01
we needed to do and the schemes uh just
12:04
wasn't quite the type of tempo that you
12:07
like. And you know, tempo on offense is
12:11
is not just going as fast as you can.
12:13
tempo is having the right speed of how
12:16
you call the play, how you get to the
12:17
line of scrimmage, how the center
12:19
communicates, how the quarterback, you
12:21
know, overrides it or seconds it and
12:25
then you get the ball snapped or emotion
12:27
shift. So, there's a lot of things to it
12:29
when and uh I felt today our tempo was
12:33
way ahead of where we were in spring
12:35
practice for the first day. Um,
12:37
obviously we got a lot lot to work on.
12:41
Brian Berl. I know you've known Bill for
12:44
a long time. What's it been like working
12:46
alongside of him and how much of this
12:48
offense is your offense and how much of
12:51
it has this combination of you and what
12:53
he's like to do?
12:55
>> Yeah. Well, when I got here, you know, I
12:57
wasn't looking to run my offense. All
13:00
right. We have really good coaches on
13:02
offense, guys.
13:05
We've got a head coach with six Super
13:07
Bowls. Um, so we wanted to put together
13:11
the North Carolina offense. Um,
13:14
obviously there's a lot of stuff I've
13:15
done throughout my career. There's stuff
13:17
that, um, coach has done throughout his
13:19
career. There's some things that are
13:21
our, uh, other assistant coaches add to
13:24
it. Um, and I like to get input from
13:27
everybody. Um, and I'm open to, um,
13:30
trying it, seeing how it works and
13:33
learning and getting better. I think
13:35
that's, you know, my dad was a football
13:37
coach for a long time and the one number
13:39
one thing he always emphasized was get
13:41
better every day. So that allows you me
13:45
to get better every day when I get the
13:47
input from the other coaches and coach
13:49
Bellich. And we're starting to mold it
13:51
together as as our offense. And you
13:54
know, it's it's got another step to go
13:57
because we're putting it all in, putting
13:59
it all in. And then at the at some
14:02
moment here, we're going to have to say
14:03
this is our guy and then we got to mold
14:05
it around him. And then this package
14:08
might be for the backup guy. So um you
14:12
know once you know who your quarterback
14:14
is, the offense molds around his
14:17
abilities of what he does really well
14:20
and try to um hide what he doesn't do
14:22
really well.
14:24
back row of the team. Chris Lee uh from
14:27
WRL. Actually, my question very similar
14:30
to Brian's question right here, but I
14:31
wanted to know specifically with coaches
14:33
who've been here, James, coach Matty, uh
14:36
those guys that have already kind of
14:38
been established going for a bit. How's
14:40
it been working with them and kind of
14:42
meshing what you want to do uh with what
14:44
they're comfortable with, but also how
14:46
they kind of helped you along being a
14:48
new person here?
14:49
>> Yeah, I mean, it's been great. Uh, I I I
14:52
really like our offensive staff. The
14:54
funny part about it is when I went to
14:56
the Jaguars,
14:58
um, and worked with for Coach Coughlin
15:00
and first got there and I'm learning the
15:02
offense. The guy toting the rock is
15:05
Natron means. He's the one on all the
15:08
cutups for the Jaguars. Uh, so you then
15:11
you feel like, oh man, I know this guy.
15:13
Uh, but it's really fun having him. He
15:15
he really understands the game. He's a
15:18
he's a very very good role model to all
15:20
our players and um his love for the
15:23
university is is special. So that that's
15:25
a real good deal. Uh Garrick McGee and I
15:29
um you know I coached Garrick when he
15:31
was 18 years old and you know worked
15:34
with him a number of times. The Jaguars,
15:37
Arkansas, Louisville. Uh so I kind of
15:40
feel like you know he's been my son for
15:42
a long long time. Really really good
15:44
coach. Does a heck of a job. and uh also
15:47
another good mentor to our to our
15:49
players. Matt Lombardi uh we worked
15:52
together uh before. It's fun to see how
15:55
much Matt has grown up and matured. I I
15:57
had him when he was just out uh of
16:00
college and was a graduate assistant and
16:03
it's it's uh fun to see how much he's
16:06
matured and how much knowledge he's
16:08
absorbed throughout his stops in the NFL
16:11
and everything. And uh then Will Friend
16:15
um you feel like you you know each other
16:17
really well because there's probably
16:19
four or five guys that we've both worked
16:22
with or you know have have had influence
16:24
on our careers. Um and I really enjoy
16:28
working with Will and the O line and um
16:30
I like to spend a lot of time with Will
16:32
with Will and the O line.
16:35
>> Second part,
16:37
excuse [clears throat] me, you've worked
16:38
with a lot of very talented young
16:40
throughout the course of your career.
16:41
Um, where does Travis stand in terms of
16:44
like just where he's at at this point
16:45
compared to maybe some of those other
16:47
guys
16:48
probably a high bar set for anybody, but
16:50
just in terms of where you would expect
16:52
a freshman to be given his talent level.
16:54
>> Yeah, I think your talent level um is
16:56
very very high. His ceiling is very
16:58
high. you know, we we need to see him
17:01
more in in action and how quickly you
17:04
learn, how quickly you can um handle
17:07
protections, how quickly you can handle
17:09
blitz, you know, things that he wasn't
17:11
able to do in spring are still like
17:13
question marks on on how he'll do. But I
17:16
was impressed with him today. I like the
17:18
way he approached practice. Uh I could
17:21
tell that um one of the areas we talked
17:23
about in the summer was being better in
17:25
calling the play in the huddle. Uh, and
17:27
I could tell that he really worked hard
17:29
on that. And, you know, we had a couple
17:32
long too many syllable calls today. Uh,
17:36
he handled them well. So, he certainly
17:38
practiced doing it and that shows a lot.
17:42
>> On the left side,
17:44
>> just follow
17:46
for a long time. What is that
17:48
relationship
17:50
together?
17:55
Well, he's a head coach and he's a
17:57
defensive coach and he would like to
17:59
kick our butt every day, [laughter]
18:01
you know, that's the competitiveness in
18:04
it. So, uh, you know, it's fun to learn
18:06
and understand exactly what they're
18:08
doing on defense and how that correlates
18:11
to what we can improve on and what we
18:14
can do better on offense. So, it's it's
18:16
been a a very very educational so far.
18:19
Mark the far left.
18:21
>> Uh Bobby, you've been a part of several
18:23
success successful teams in the past.
18:25
Where do you feel like this team stacks
18:27
up against those teams? And if it's
18:28
less, how do you think you can elevate
18:30
or even, you know, make it higher than
18:31
than those other teams?
18:32
>> Yeah, you know, you really don't ever
18:34
think about that. You know, what what
18:36
we're doing right now is trying to get
18:37
better each day. And um I do I do think
18:41
that we're better right now than we were
18:43
in spring. Uh, I thought the the players
18:46
and the and the effort that they put in
18:48
and the work they put in throughout the
18:50
summer. Uh, and not having new guys like
18:54
the no transfer portal guys um has
18:57
allowed us to take a giant step forward.
19:00
Um, but we got to come out every day and
19:03
have the intensity and the um commitment
19:06
to our fundamentals so we can take a
19:08
step to being a a great offense.
19:13
How across
19:16
area influence
19:18
the strength of the offensive line
19:21
strange offensive talent
19:26
quarterback
19:28
position groups especially offensive
19:31
line that you take to what you can come
19:34
up with?
19:35
>> Yeah, most definitely. you know, we we
19:37
we've got to get our offensive line
19:39
cranked up and find out who the five
19:41
guys are just like the starter at
19:43
quarterback is get them to work together
19:46
and communicate together. Um, and then
19:49
go out there and be able to physically
19:51
run the football and protect the
19:52
quarterback and uh I like what I see.
19:56
Um, but we have a ways to go.
20:01
>> We're expanding the playbook.
20:04
I'm not really sure you say expand
20:06
because like right now what we're doing
20:08
is working on the knowledge of knowing
20:11
the different concepts in our playbook
20:14
and then at some point we're going to
20:16
say well this is really what our O line
20:19
gives us this play we got to set on the
20:22
shelf or keep practicing it and use it
20:25
as the season get down the season. I
20:28
remember one year when I was the
20:29
offensive coordinator at Auburn, um we
20:32
practiced empty offense every week.
20:36
Coach Tubberville came in to me and
20:38
said, "Are we ever going to run this
20:39
empty offense?" We practiced it every
20:41
week. And uh the last game of the year
20:45
in the Iron Bowl, we had two um NFL
20:48
running backs hurt, had a tight end
20:50
hurt, we came out and empty uh and went
20:53
out and scored points and won the Iron
20:54
Bowl. So, you know, you don't just put
20:57
it away. You keep improving on it,
20:59
working on it, and somewhere down the
21:02
the line, it's got to help you win.
21:06
>> Follow
21:08
Jackson.
21:12
Some story behind that share.
21:16
>> Yeah, I think I'll let coach share that
21:18
one with you. [laughter]
21:21
We're growing the right salad.
21:22
>> Um I'm just curious if if you and Bill
21:24
Bellich have talked at all about him
21:27
needing to take any kind of different
21:28
approach to coaching much much younger
21:30
players than he has for the majority of
21:32
his career. And so are you coaching him
21:35
in some respect?
21:36
>> No. No. No. Uh no I'm not doing any of
21:39
that. Um you know I think the thing
21:41
that's that's uh fun about coach is that
21:44
he understands it's different than the
21:46
NFL. you know, the um the abilities, the
21:50
not quite where they um are developed
21:53
and the improvement that needs to go on
21:55
each day in practice. And you know, um
21:58
but I think he also motivates the
22:00
players tremendously
22:02
um because they know what he's worked
22:04
with, who he's coached. He does a great
22:07
job of bringing bringing some of his ex-
22:09
players back in to talking to our
22:11
players and making sure they understand
22:13
the hard work and motivation and
22:16
everything that goes into it to getting
22:19
there. So, uh, it's been a lot of fun to
22:21
watch.
22:22
>> Backward
22:24
back.
22:27
You mentioned potential packages with
22:29
another quarterback. You somebody
22:32
>> I didn't mention that. I didn't mention
22:34
that. You said, didn't you say they're
22:37
going to give another package?
22:38
>> Oh, okay. I see what you're saying. I
22:40
wasn't really saying like, okay, we're
22:42
going to throw this guy in there and
22:43
have a package for him. I've always
22:45
believed this that that you have your
22:47
starter and you mow the offense around
22:49
him. Unfortunately, as a quarterback, as
22:53
a number two quarterback, a number three
22:55
quarterback, you get less reps than any
22:57
other position that has a chance, one
23:00
play to be in the game. So instead of um
23:04
I've always what I've always done is
23:06
this is my backup quarterback. This is
23:08
what we're doing with our starter. If
23:11
something happens and we got to go,
23:14
this is the package he's going to
23:16
execute if it's a in the game because of
23:18
an injury and then that obviously would
23:21
grow if he had to continue to play as
23:23
the year went on. So that that's what I
23:25
meant to say. So, are you somebody or is
23:28
your style somebody that's looking to
23:29
play as you like?
23:32
>> I mean, I think you everybody wants to
23:34
have the main guy. I've always wanted
23:35
that.
23:36
>> As far as that to follow up, do you are
23:39
you looking for a potential timeline as
23:41
far as that goes or you guys want to
23:43
take it all the way back to
23:44
>> Yeah, you know, I think coach is going
23:46
to decide on the timeline and um I think
23:49
he'll know it when he when he feels it,
23:52
you know,
23:53
>> right?
23:55
What uh who's impressed you among the
23:57
running backs? Is it your fault to try
23:59
to just set some or one down to get the
24:01
best majority of the carries? You
24:03
usually like to spread around a few.
24:06
>> Yeah. What I've always believed on
24:07
running backs, you need somewhere
24:09
between two, three, and four. You know,
24:12
when you look at when you look at
24:14
college football, the running backs, the
24:16
linebackers, and the safeties are the
24:19
ones that take all the hits or give all
24:21
the hits. You know, it'd be nice for us
24:23
if our running backs were always the
24:25
hammer, not the nail, because then
24:28
they're given the hits, but there's
24:29
going to be times where they're taking
24:31
the hits from the linebackers or the
24:33
safeties. Um, and sometimes they get
24:36
nicked up and and sometimes they get
24:39
injured or maybe they're not at full
24:41
speed. Um, so it's been, you know,
24:44
ideally some years you got two or three
24:47
guys that you trust in pass protection
24:50
first. That's the number one thing. You
24:52
know, I know I told the young man once
24:55
when he was 17 years old, if you don't
24:57
protect the quarterback, you're never
24:58
going to play. He ended up being a great
25:00
player for me, coached for me for a long
25:02
time. Um, and he he remembers it, too.
25:07
You know, but they have to protect the
25:08
quarterback. But, you know, sometimes
25:11
this guy's full speed, healthy, and he
25:13
comes in and he's the guy that carries
25:16
the the the ball that game the most. Um,
25:19
we do have to have different packages.
25:22
We do have to understand what the
25:24
different uh uh skills that they have in
25:27
the passing game um and in what runs
25:30
they do. But uh if you don't protect the
25:33
quarterback, you can't get in the game.
25:34
And you know, that's one of the things
25:36
we did this summer. Went back, watched
25:38
all the pass protection and graded the
25:41
running backs on protecting the
25:43
quarterback. And uh you know I I think
25:46
we'll have a great competition here in
25:48
camp on you know who who's going to be
25:50
the starter, who's going to be the
25:52
bellcow, who's going to get the majority
25:54
of the carries early in the year and
25:56
then see how it goes from there.
25:58
>> Who's impressed?
25:59
>> I mean I I like you know a number of
26:01
them but you know Ben Hall is a guy that
26:04
that uh is a tremendous leader for us
26:07
and and does a good job. He's made
26:08
really good plays in spring. J-Mack is
26:11
is a guy that has tremendous talent and
26:14
upside. Ju Guu done has done a real nice
26:17
job. Uh you mentioned Caleb earlier.
26:20
Caleb's kind of a different flavor. Um
26:23
and sometimes it's good to have a
26:25
different flavor. We just got to get him
26:27
at the right weight cuz at at the right
26:30
weight, he's super fast. You know,
26:32
here's a guy that can really really run
26:34
at that size, catch the ball out of the
26:36
back field. Um there'll be times we have
26:39
two backs in the back field. They're all
26:41
big enough to block and run. So I I
26:45
think we have some talent there that we
26:46
have to utilize.
26:48
>> Right. Probably sorry a little off
26:51
topic, but I'm just curious. You you
26:52
been a really good offensive coordinator
26:54
for the last few years. Do you have any
26:56
desire to try to get back to coaching
26:58
job or you kind of liking what you're
27:00
doing now? you know, I kind of really
27:02
enjoy the classroom and being with the
27:04
players and teaching and um it's
27:07
different. The whole deal is a little
27:09
bit different now. So, I'm I'm enjoying
27:11
my role and and the things that I've
27:13
been able to do for the last four years
27:15
has been a lot of fun.
27:17
>> On my last one, uh coach conference
27:21
obviously, how much does what an
27:23
offensive line can do to sort of shape
27:25
what you want to do if you have guys?
27:29
Yeah, I mean we talked about that
27:31
earlier. We we have to um be able to run
27:34
the ball with power. Run the ball when
27:37
we have to. So the best way to run the
27:40
ball is when you have to is be able to
27:42
run the ball when you want to, you know,
27:44
and then but there's going to be games
27:46
where we're going to have to go run the
27:48
ball in the end zone to score. Are we
27:50
going have to run the ball to run out
27:51
the clock? Are we're going to have to
27:53
run the ball to keep their quarterback
27:54
off the field, you know. So there's
27:57
different prime times. you have to be
27:58
able to run the football. Uh, and then
28:01
their ability to to protect the
28:02
quarterback and, you know, keep him
28:05
clean. So, I think if we can get those
28:07
two things out of the offensive line,
28:09
um, then we're getting closer to what we
28:11
want.
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