Texas Tech Football: Yates and Ah You Discuss Spring Practice

I think the official site is a bit behind in posting things, but these were posted I think Wednesday, but I didn’t have time to get them ready as I had to work on the baseball post. Regardless, neither coach really wanted to tell the media very much at all. Yates was more talkative than Ah You for sure, but Ah You was very non-committal about who was doing well. As an aside, the roster changed things up and we know what players are considered outside linebackers because they are designated now: Jessiah Pierre; Robert Wooten; Bryce Ramirez; Isaac Smith; L.B. Moore; Tyree Wilson; James Grando; and Charles Esters, III.

Secondary Coach Marcel Yates

Happy with building a solid 2-deep and that’s on special teams, in our room as well. I think we’re getting to a solid 2-deep.
Need to get better at running to the ball and finishing plays, getting better at man-to-man and our eyes, they are working.
Kobee Minor has played well, Malik Dunlap has come on strong, but I have a veteran group so not a lot of young guys.
Don’t think there’s a spring MVP, we’ll give the MVP at the end of the season after we go to a bowl. They are all working hard, Reggie Pearson, Marquis Waters, Shad, Malik, Adrian Frye. My group works hard, they are working on overcoming being consistent every day. DB’s can’t have a day off, when you mess up it is a touchdown, urgency needs to be 100 all of the time, last time of defense when it comes to run and pass, got to play hard every snap.
[Question asks about cornerbacks as Rayshad Williams and Adrian Frye with Marquis Waters, Reggie Pearson, Dadrion Taylor-Demerson at safety] Tyler Owens and Kosi Eldridge are in there, have some veteran guys, how that turns out goes through the spring. Need to be about 10 to 12 deep, when it comes to our group on the back end.
[Re. Eldridge] He’ll do both, he can play safety, or backer, or nickel, the scheme sort of fits him, but we don’t have any one-set thing for him right now.
It’s been shown, what I like they want to be coached and when we get off the field, they are watching film and on iPads watching video, they do a good job o that, they want to get better and be coached. They are in my office, with DeRuyter, or Bookbinder.
That is comforting, it comes down to doing it, my main thing is to be more consistent as far as execution. new defense they are learning, and not thinking so much, starting to get to the point where they are playing.
Dadrion Taylor, plays hard, student of the game, fun to be around, that room is a pleasure to coach, as they are learning the system, they are learning me and I’m learning them. There are going to be days where I push them, I’m going to push them to a level they don’t think they don’t think they can get to.
It comes down to why we do this, Coach McGuire is what he’s building here is getting these guys to understand it is more than football and be better men off the field as well, more than football, ask them about academics, families, girlfriends, everything in life, not just about football. We truly care about these guys.
I would say this staff as a whole, as a coach, when you think about you know that every coach on the staff is doing every group is doing the most to help their group, we are learning each other as well, just being around these guys, I feel like every coach on this staff, every coach is coaching them up.
Start up front, with the o-line and d-line coach, coaching my guys.
Waters has looked good, working hard and improving everything he’s a student of a game, he’s probably about to start watching film. Always get better how he needs to improve he’s doing what he needs to do.
The group is close, I am a guy that I coach hard and like to have fun. If you are sensitive you are in the wrong room, they know when it is time to go. When it is time for the hammer to drop, it is time to get it.
Kobee is playing corner, he’s one of the fastest on the team, he’s working hard, these next 5 he’ll continue his growth and help up.
[Question is who has the best tape right now] Jah’Shawn Johnson, our G.A. I don’t have one guy, I have a couple of guys who are good. Jah’Shawn Johnson.

Outside Linebackers Coach C.J. Ah You

It’s a process for us, as coaches, for my guys, the biggest part is to get through spring, our brand, every day keep striving for that, those guys are definitely working hard.
I think in the whole group, when you come into new situations, there are old habits, they have embraced every day and every emphasis for that day, they have become better edge setters and pass rushers.
That’s hard to say, each guy has had their own personal growths, the older guys are getting closer and closer and the young guys have some more ball underneath them, to pinpoint one person would be hard to do.
Jessiah Pierre, he looks great and moving around well. He’s bought in and every day he’s getting better like everyone else. His best asset is his motor, he works hard and everything he does. Everyone is improving every skill, depends on the emphasis of the day. The emphasis is to run around, play hard and have passion.
Robert Wooten, all are on the same level, setting the point and getting to the quarterback, and have to improve on that.
Bryce Ramirez, same skillset, going after the same goal.
Different because we come from different places, but we know what winning is. We have a lot of great knowledge on the team and like each other.
All of the quarterbacks are doing a great job, make sure they are uncomfortable each day. We’re getting there.
It goes back to the process trying to improve a certain skill and pass rush, no where near a finished product.