Having endured his first monsoon-interrupted practice 鈥 welcome to 蜜柚直播! 鈥 first-year 蜜柚直播 Wildcats coach Kevin Sumlin looked forward to a time when he won鈥檛 have to scrutinize the weather report.
By this time next year, the Indoor Sports Center will be up and running. If rain and lightning strike the way they did Saturday night, practice simply and quickly can be moved inside.
鈥淵ou guys are used to it; I鈥檓 not. 鈥 It鈥檚 a complete crapshoot when we鈥檙e going to practice,鈥 Sumlin said. 鈥淭he big deal will be the indoor facility. It鈥檒l be nice to have.鈥
But first things first. Rain or shine, Sumlin has a team to prepare. The Sept. 1 opener against BYU is less than three weeks away.
Sumlin met with reporters for the second time since training camp started and spoke in depth about a variety of pressing personnel issues. Here鈥檚 a portion of that conversation, which has been lightly edited for context and clarity:
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What have you learned about your team over the past eight days or so?
A: 鈥淚 think that鈥檚 a two-way street. They鈥檝e learned more about us and how we communicate. I think that鈥檚 important too. It鈥檚 not just us to them 鈥 it鈥檚 them to us. I think the communication has gotten a lot better.
鈥淓verything we鈥檙e asking them to do, they鈥檙e doing it. I鈥檓 not saying they鈥檙e doing it exactly right, but they鈥檙e doing it. They鈥檙e doing it with effort. As long as we continue to do that 鈥 continue to give the effort they鈥檙e giving, asking questions, wanting to be a good football team 鈥 these guys have been fabulous. That comes with what we鈥檙e talking about (with) communication and trust. That鈥檚 been the biggest thing that鈥檚 improved.鈥
What are you seeing out of Khalil Tate?
A: 鈥淗e鈥檚 better than he was (at the end of spring). He鈥檚 had numerous opportunities with PRPs (player-run practices) this summer. I think every day that we鈥檙e out here, he understands a little bit more of the big picture. This is that time. You don鈥檛 have school. Our walk-throughs have been great for him.
鈥淏ut at that position, the whiteboard, the video, the walk-through is nothing like full speed. Rotations, safeties, where my hot (route) is, how fast that end鈥檚 closing. That phase is ongoing. The full-speed piece of it is where we鈥檙e working, to get his eyes right.
鈥淐oach Yates (Marcel Yates, 蜜柚直播鈥檚 defensive coordinator) is giving us a bunch of looks, and I think that鈥檚 good for our offense and good for him.鈥
What about the other quarterbacks?
A: 鈥(Saturday鈥檚 scrimmage) was important because we can鈥檛 give all seven guys those reps for the next three weeks. We鈥檙e going to make some decisions (Sunday) based on a lot of different things 鈥 based on work up to this week statistically, based on feel, based on video. And decision-making.
鈥淥ur whole team has to get better at situational football. (Saturday) was a situational scrimmage, but not as specific as it鈥檚 going to get from here on out. The decision-making process for that position becomes extremely important. That weighs into the decision of who鈥檚 going to get reps.鈥
Have any players or positions stuck out consistently over the first eight practices?
A: 鈥淭he linebackers (Tony Fields II, Colin Schooler). They鈥檙e comfortable in the system. They鈥檙e competitive but not combative. They鈥檝e been extremely competitive with the offense but haven鈥檛 been over the top, where they鈥檙e starting fights. They鈥檒l light you up, they鈥檒l let you know about it and they鈥檙e having some fun out there. That energy has been contagious. I would say that I expected it, but it鈥檚 probably a little better than I thought.鈥
Do you include Kylan Wilborn in that group? From what we saw in the scrimmage, he looked dominant.
A: 鈥淚 do. Oh yeah. He鈥檚 changed his body a little bit. They鈥檙e very active right now, and I want that to continue. That is contagious, not just for the defense but for the whole team.鈥
Tim Hough and Dylan Klumph have started practicing. How important was it to land grad transfers at those positions, cornerback and punter?
A: 鈥淚t鈥檚 a little bit like free agency. At two positions of need. At corner, here鈥檚 a guy who鈥檚 got real quick-twitch, who鈥檚 played a lot of football, who鈥檚 got strength and knows the game, brings experience and want-to and energy.
鈥淵ou saw the first punt (by Klumph). It just sounds different. Big ol鈥 smile on my face. It鈥檚 like anything else: You don鈥檛 really know what you have until you see it. I just told both of them, 鈥業鈥檓 glad you guys are here.鈥 They鈥檙e going to help us.鈥
You work closest with the tight ends. What have you seen out of those guys?
A: 鈥淭he guys have been great. I think Bryce (Wolma) is very versatile. He鈥檚 250 (pounds) right now, so he can play in line and flex out. Jamie (Nunley) is a little bit lighter (231), more of a flex guy. And I鈥檝e been pleasantly surprised by the freshman (Jake Peters). He can catch it. He鈥檚 a little bit bigger than you think (6-4, 222). I don鈥檛 know if he鈥檚 going to figure into every down; he may sometime in the year. But he鈥檚 got the frame and the body to help us on special teams if it comes to that.鈥
Do any other newcomers seem more ready than others?
A: 鈥淚t鈥檚 hard to say. There鈥檚 guys out there (Dayven Coleman, Christian Young) that may be caught behind some other people, particularly at safety, but have the body to play special teams and do some things. That鈥檚 what we鈥檙e going to have to sit down and figure out. Are we gonna redshirt this guy? There鈥檚 no doubt that you get better by playing, particularly the further you get away from the football.
鈥淲e鈥檝e gotta be smart with that. We鈥檙e probably going to have to have some depth at corner with some young guys (Azizi Hearn, McKenzie Barnes). With Tim (Hough) being here, that really helps that situation.鈥
Scottie Young Jr. has been reinstated. Is he basically starting from scratch with your staff?
A: 鈥淪ure. We don鈥檛 have a relationship with him. He鈥檚 been suspended since we鈥檝e been here. It鈥檚 basically where it is with him.鈥
