Ron Dugans Previews FSU’s Wide Receivers Ahead Of Spring
Transcript
00:00 And he really did a good job for us going into training camp.
00:05 So I was impressed with what I saw out of him.
00:10 From what I saw in the tour duty last year, up until the season, and
00:15 this tour duty now, he's a night and day from what he was before.
00:19 And it speaks volumes about him.
00:22 >> You lost a lot of receiver reps.
00:25 >> Mm-hm.
00:27 >> Got some talented kids coming in.
00:29 How will this receiver group be different than last year?
00:34 >> Well, this receiver, obviously, will be faster than what we were before.
00:39 You're right, we've lost a lot of big play, bigger receivers,
00:44 a lot of snaps on the perimeter.
00:46 But I'm excited to see what these young guys can do because they're hungry.
00:50 And you do have some guys in that room that's had a taste of success,
00:55 but just not a lot of it.
00:58 So I'm excited to see what those guys can do because we all talk about we want more
01:01 at bats.
01:02 Now you're gonna get the opportunity to do that.
01:04 Are you gonna shy away from it?
01:06 Are you gonna embrace it and take on the challenge?
01:09 >> What's the key for
01:11 Hickey Williams to take the next step?
01:14 >> He's gotta be consistent.
01:16 He's gotta be consistent in his training, being consistent,
01:19 taking care of his body, which he has been.
01:23 Now he's gotta carry on to the field, just being a consistent ball fetcher.
01:27 And on the perimeter, he's gotta be a physical young man.
01:29 The body that he has, we were doing the squat part the other day, and
01:33 I'm like, dang, I wish my body was like that.
01:37 But now he's gotta go out and just put it on display.
01:41 >> Some of the young guys, like a Friar, for example, others.
01:46 Can you talk about those guys and what they bring to the table?
01:50 >> When you talk about Cam Friar, man, he works his tail off.
01:55 I mean, unbelievable work ethic.
01:59 Friars hard, he strains, he's tough.
02:02 And you just see, when you look at him work, you see a bad case of the wimps.
02:08 Just a blue collar, his hard nose,
02:10 just coach don't give me anything, I'm gonna work for him.
02:14 I'm excited for him, because that kid really worked his butt off in the tour of
02:19 duty, and then BJ Gibson is one as well.
02:24 Kind of both did a little bit of baseball and football,
02:27 probably a little bit more of football.
02:30 And BJ, early on in the tour of duty, a little slower, kind of catching on.
02:36 But he's come along as well, both of those guys in the squat party,
02:39 probably did the most out of all the receivers.
02:42 Maybe all the skill guys, but they're both strong young men.
02:46 I'm excited for them.
02:48 When you talk about LaWayne McCoy, he's missed a couple of days because a couple
02:53 of things, sick, he still didn't miss a beat.
02:57 In tour of duty, we sent him back multiple times.
03:00 Every time, it looked the same as far as his effort.
03:04 And that's what you love to see when you bring those young guys in.
03:07 And I think it's a good group of guys, guys that wanna work,
03:11 guys that wanna get better, guys that actually wanna compete.
03:14 So I'm really looking forward to those guys battling this spring.
03:19 >> What were the biggest thing that jumped out when you started kind of recruiting
03:22 and looking at Malik?
03:24 >> Well, I looked at Malik a couple of years ago.
03:26 >> Yeah.
03:27 >> And before he decided to go to another school.
03:31 First thing he said when he got here, he was my coach,
03:32 I should have came through with his faith.
03:34 I'm like, no, no, I told you that.
03:38 And his explosive movements, and the way he practiced.
03:44 And that was one of the things when you look at a receiver, how does he practice?
03:48 When you go out and you're evaluating a guy, his ball skills is really good.
03:54 And he can run.
03:55 >> He can take a run.
03:57 >> Not as vocal as he is now, over here.
04:00 But when you look at his explosive movements, you're like, wow,
04:04 I think he'll really impact us and help us this year.
04:06 So that's what I saw in him early on when we recruited him.
04:13 >> When you talk about ball skills, Coach, you use that term a lot.
04:18 I think sometimes we listeners don't always understand what they mean by ball
04:23 skills.
04:24 Can you explain that to us, what do you mean by ball skills?
04:28 >> Well, I mean, when you talk about catching a football,
04:31 it's all about technique, hand placement.
04:33 Are you tracking the ball with your eyes or just your hands?
04:38 So when you talk about having those ball skills,
04:40 some guys just have it, they're natural ball catchers.
04:45 And some guys you gotta work with more than others.
04:48 So those are the things that you look for skill set wise.
04:51 I'm always tracking the football, where that ball is, am I using my hands?
04:56 It makes it really your fingertips, just having them at fingertips,
04:59 not catching the balls with my hands.
05:02 We talk about tracking and catching the football.
05:05 >> Is it also when to jump and high point the ball?
05:08 >> Right. >> And timing?
05:09 >> Right.
05:10 And when you watch on film and you're recruiting, does the guy go up and
05:14 high point the football or does he jump and catch the ball with his body?
05:17 Is there a body catcher?
05:18 Or does guys catch the ball away from their body?
05:21 And so those are some of the things that you look for and
05:23 that you teach when a young man gets here, when you see it.
05:28 >> I know you mentioned Malik earlier.
05:30 What have been some of your first impressions of him and
05:32 Jaylen Brown since they arrived in Florida State?
05:35 >> Well, when you talk about Malik, obviously he's played more than Jaylen.
05:38 He's been on the field more, and not as many balls thrown his way.
05:44 But he's come in and he's shown that he could be a leader and
05:49 lead that group by his actions, and not just talking about it.
05:54 So just one of the things that he's done is he's taken ownership in it.
06:00 And his approach to everything that he's done since he's been here has really
06:03 been on point.
06:04 I know we hadn't put on the pass yet, and really that's what I'm waiting on.
06:07 >> Coach O'Reilly talked about Kench on court here and taking that next step.
06:11 He wants to take that next step.
06:14 Do you think he's ready to take that next step?
06:16 >> He is.
06:18 I thought Tron was ready to take that next step last year.
06:22 He really had a really good spring for us last year.
06:25 And unfortunately, he got hurt and went a little longer than expected.
06:30 But I do feel like he's ready to take the next step.
06:33 He's also tried to lead in that receiver room as well.
06:36 Now he's gotta go out and do it and be consistent doing it.
06:40 >> Even with the losses of Johnny and Keon, to have Kench run back and
06:43 Ja'Kai and Deuce and Darion, to have that experience, how big is it for you guys?
06:49 >> I think it's really big because a lot of the guys you just named,
06:53 they played for us last year or the year before that.
06:57 And they've all had their moments.
06:58 So they've all had a taste of success.
07:01 And now it's about going out and being consistent with those guys.
07:05 And leading by example on and off the football field, but
07:08 now just going out and just being a consistent playmaker.
07:10 >> How exciting is it for you as a position coach?
07:14 It's talent, but it's a lot of unknown kind of talent.
07:18 Is that fun to get to mold that or
07:20 just to see, starting really tomorrow, what these guys are all about?
07:24 >> It's always fun, especially when you get a group of,
07:26 whether it's new guys or young guys.
07:29 It's always fun getting an opportunity to get your hand on and mold them and
07:34 take them to where they can't go on their own.
07:36 So I'm always excited when you do get a group of newcomers,
07:40 eager to learn, willing to learn, that's coachable.
07:44 And going out there and seeing the application when you leave the meeting
07:47 room, and when you talk about the things and the two are doing.
07:50 You see the carry over on the football field and
07:53 what they've done so far in all season.
07:55 So always excited to see the development of guys.
07:59 >> It is a unique to like last year, especially when Keon came out in the
08:02 spring, you're like, okay, well,
08:03 we kind of know who your two starting wide receivers are.
08:05 Two of them in the way were Johnny and Keon.
08:07 This year, I imagine right now, as we talk in the middle of March,
08:10 you have no idea who's gonna be starting for you.
08:13 >> Everything's about it.
08:15 I'm excited about it because I know when I played here and
08:18 now we had the different names, the guys, but it was, okay,
08:22 got the Andre Cooper and EG Green left now, who's next?
08:28 And it kind of goes back to that, who we had.
08:31 Vernon's code, myself, Snoop, Aikwon, Pete.
08:36 So it's kind of like, okay, who's that next guy?
08:39 Because you think about, I think Pete Monterey's right now.
08:43 You know, I did.
08:45 So you just didn't know, okay, who's gonna take over?
08:47 And it's kind of like that now.
08:49 And I'm excited to see it and see where it goes.
08:53 From the actions and the way these guys have been approaching this all season so
08:58 far, it's gonna be really good for us.
09:00 >> And is it, I'm not gonna say it's a better wide receiver score than it was
09:04 last year, cuz you had two NFL guys, but is it deeper?
09:07 Do you foresee it being deeper and certainly faster, I assume?
09:09 >> Yeah, I say deeper and faster.
09:12 You got guys that can really take the top off in that room now.
09:16 And really looking forward to that.
09:18 Some things that we definitely need to clean up, pushing the ball down the field,
09:22 getting more explosive plays on the perimeter.
09:25 And guys that can get the ball in their hand and they can take it to the house.
09:29 And that's what you're looking for this offseason, this spring, moving forward.
09:34 >> Van Dravis really came out last spring and impressed out of the gate.
09:37 Which of the three true freshmen wide receivers do you think are most ready to
09:40 go enter the spring?
09:41 >> That's hard to say right now.
09:44 [LAUGH] I mean, I'll say this, they're all working.
09:48 And they're working hard.
09:49 Now it's putting it all together.
09:52 Who can be consistent, who can retain the information, who can go out and
09:56 make plays.
09:57 So, but they're all those guys are hungry.
10:01 So but I just say which guy, like I'd say all of them right now,
10:05 just kind of wait and see.
10:07 I'm big on putting the pads on, man.
10:09 [LAUGH] So they look good running around, but until you get hit,
10:13 until you get off a jam, until you go with somebody and make a play.
10:16 That's what I'm looking forward to.
10:18 >> And obviously Destin didn't get here until last summer.
10:20 How big is it now for him to have a spring to acclimate?
10:23 >> He's done a really good job this offseason.
10:27 You see purpose, you see intent, you see a bad case of the wumps.
10:31 And everything that he does, he's training, he's finishing.
10:37 This offseason, I mean, he just, you can tell that he really wants to be the guy.
10:42 So he's showing that now he's gotta go out and gotta do a spring ball.
10:46 >> And you see Hykeem, he started to make a jump, it felt like, last fall,
10:50 to make another sizable jump and be a dude that can compete for a starting spot.
10:54 >> Yes, I do see that in Hykeem.
10:58 Just because the way the kid cares himself.
11:02 He does all the little things right.
11:05 And you can tell, you see how bad he really wants to be a football field.
11:09 And it was discouraging to him when he got hurt because he felt like his
11:13 confidence had grown so much.
11:16 And just to take the air out of it, it really hurt him a lot.
11:21 So he really wants to capitalize and take advantage of the next opportunity he has.
11:26 Because he felt like that was kind of taking away from him with the injury.
11:30 So just looking forward to that.