Rutgers football head coach addressed the media after spring practice No. 7 on Thursday. See what he had to say in the video above.
Some notes are down below.
General take of team
“I love this team and I have all offseason. They show up every day to work. The first practice we had coming back from spring practice on Tuesday wasn’t a very clean one, but they rebounded today. I thought they had a very energetic and spirited practiced. We’re getting better.”
Coaching staff thoughts
“Anybody who has been in our program, I appreciate them and their effort and time and commitment that they’ve made. The new coaches are no different. They’re working exceptionally hard. I think them and the players have done a good job connecting. The players have done a good job of learning new techniques and fundamentals. They’ve played with more confidence. A couple positions that needed to make some strides have done that.”
Which are?
“I think our offensive line and run game have taken huge strides. I like what they’re doing. We have to clean up some stuff in pass protection and get more consistent there, but I really like the way we’re running the ball. Then, our linebackers, I really like the way they are playing right now. I mentioned this before but they are probably our strongest and deepest position. Hopefully that continues.”
Left tackle competition
“Raiqwon O’Neal is doing a really good job there right now. Mike Lonsdorf is also doing a really good job. They’ve both played in the past and they’re both getting work with the ones and the twos. I really like what I’m seeing out of those guys right now.”
Balancing the slew of wide receivers
“Those reps have to be earned. They have to compete to get those reps. That’s what I like about the group. There’s a lot of competition and there a lot of guys who similar in their ability and they have to go out there and compete and earn opportunities. The ball isn’t going to be thrown to all of them, but when it is they have to separate themselves. I like the way the group is working.”
How much better can Raheem Blackshear be?
“He’s got a long way to go. He’s not even close to reaching his full potential. We are asking a lot of him and he’s going to be playing multiple positions. It’s more of a mental thing. He’s got a lot to learn and has a to master. He’s got the talent to impact our football team and offense and we have to put him in position to do that.”
Development of QBs
“Art’s a lot more comfortable. It’s like of like Blackshear from his freshman to his sophomore year, Art needs to show a bunch of improvement. Based off of what we’ve seen, he’s going to do that. He has a long way to go but the game has slowed down. I love the kid’s attitude and the way he leads the offense. It’s fun to watch, but he’s got a lot more poise. The young guys are coming along. They’re working their tails off and learning every single day. I like the room in general because they push. Art’s ahead, but they’re doing good things.”
Emergency QB situation if Johnny Langan doesn’t get waiver and freshman Cole Snyder is potentially the backup
“That’s a good question and observation. We have those conversation all of the time. We’re hoping Johnny is eligible but it’s out of our hands. We have a couple scholarships available and we kept them open for a reason and we have flexibility to do so if we need.”
Tight end update regarding Johnathan Lewis and Matt Alaimo
“They’re getting a lot of reps and that’s the No. 1 way to improve. They’re both improving a lot. Johnathan is probably ahead of Alaimo just because he’s been here and he knows the offense. Matt is a smart football player. He’s picked up a lot of things. We ask our tight ends to do a lot from different alignments to motions to pass protection to routes and he’s done a great job picking them up. Johnathan learned a lot that in the quarterbacks so he’s ahead mentally. But both physically are good players. I really like what that room looks like right now and when we put Travis back in the mix, I’ll be really pleased with it. They’re getting better. They’re running routes, catching the ball, doing some things in the run game.”
Daevon Robinson switch from TE to WR
“It’s more of his natural position. Last year we were really trying to ask him to do something he’s never done before. He’s a big-bodied receiver. He has a great ball radius and can go up and get the ball. He’s got long arms. He can run routes and has good speed. He’s probably our most consistent guy out there. I’m really pleased with what I’ve seen out of him. We saw those signs last year as a tight end. He had good ball skills to be a receiver. Blocking wasn’t his strength a year ago, but because of his size and length, he’s doing a good job on the outside.”
Practice on Saturday that is opened to season ticket holders
“Hopefully they’ll come out and see a spirited and energetic football team that’s going to compete. That’s what it’s going to be about, seeing a bunch of guys who are playing hard and trying to be physical.”
On Saquan Hampton’s NFL potential
“He’s definitely an NFL player. It’ll just be based on a team’s needs and how they see him. He’s got size, speed, and can play the game. He’s got football intelligence and make a team happy. I’m happy for him and excited to see what his future holds. He worked extremely hard over the last three years. He had some setbacks with injuries but had a great senior year and kept working and grinding and believing in the process. Hopefully he’ll get a chance at the next level.”
Chris Nalwasky contributed to this report
