Liberty had its first day in full pads on Thursday morning, and following the session head coach Hugh Freeze held his second press conference of training camp. Here’s everything Freeze had to say during his media session, beginning with his opening statement:
“I was really pleased probably until today. I think everybody is in their feelings a little bit today, practice seven, everybody is sore. We’ve got to push through that. Our theme is about being Watchmen, and we’ve got to see we respond in our meetings this afternoon, our team meeting. Film will tell the tale for sure, but it just seems like today was the least had the amount of passion and drive that you need to compete with the schedule we have this year. I do think there were some good things, but it just seemed like we were a little flat. Pretty pleased though, to this point. Like our team, I like our staff. We have fun together. They still have a lot of energy at night, they just didn’t show it today. Tomorrow is another day off, they need that for sure. We will have a great Saturday, Sunday, Monday, hopefully.”
HOW IS THE QB BATTLE GOING?
“I think that, again, all four could function and we could probably do fairly well with all four. It wouldn’t shock me for any of the four to do good things. At the end of the day you have to make a decision and go with one who you think does the most good things. I think I’m fairly close to kind of knowing how that will look at the start. I wouldn’t be afraid, if we’re not doing well, to try someone else either. If things continue as they are, we will probably make a decision and an announcement toward the end of camp. My gut, I usually go with it, I kind of have a gut feeling and the stats that we look at this morning kind of back it up. I’m not down on any of the four.”
DO YOU ANTICIPATE FOCUSING ON JUST 2-3 GUYS?
“After camp you have two weeks before the first game. You’ve got to get two guys the majority of the reps. You will give a third one some, but he will get about half of what the other two get.”
HAS THERE BEEN ONE PARTICULAR THING WITH THE QBS?
“Well, we grade decision making every single day on every play. Then we grade execution on every single play. Then, I look at what appears to be in team setting some intangibles that you just have a knack to make some plays. We take all of that into consideration. You can’t ignore what is real. Decision making is real, execution is real. When those two grades measure up with what you feel or think you see on the field in team settings, ultimately that is probably where the decision will lie. I will say that all four have had some great days grading out in both execution and decision making, but again there will come a point where we’ve got to say over the course of this two weeks this is what is real on stats and this is what’s real for me as a coach to have a gut feeling. I think we will arrive there hopefully middle to end of next week.”
HOW ARE THE KICKERS PROGRESSING?
“If it’s like today, we need to go for it on fourth. Until today, that’s probably what got me in a bad mood. We might not have been as bad offensively or defensively today but I got in such a bad mood. We’ve been really good until today and I thought they were all over the place. I didn’t think we protected very well in it either. That set me off in a bad mood. Until today they have been pretty good. I’m going to let Tanner make that call ultimately, and then obviously I can make the change if I don’t like the direction it’s going. He’s got all the numbers on them on every kick they’ve made in camp. Been pleased in punting with Aidan and Max both have punted well. Stricker has been kicking off well. Field goal is still up in the air.”
YOU STILL HAPPY WITH ALL 4 RBS?
“I like them all. Oh yeah. I like all four of them. I think they all bring a little something different to it. I think Caper has really impressed in camp. He’s physical. He runs hard in short yardage drills. The other three have got some twitch to them and Dae Dae has twitch and power. I’m pleased with that room.”
WHAT ABOUT AT TE BEHIND JEROME JACKSON?
“We’re getting them a ton of reps. I like their effort. I like those kids. I wish we were a little bigger, a little stronger, but they are all young. They’ve all got three-four years left. I’m pleased with the passing game with them. We’ve got to get them more physical in the run game.”
COACH CURTIS SPOKE HIGHLY OF THE FRESHMEN SAFETIES, HOW DO YOU SEE THEM DEVELOPING?
“I think we did really well. I think we’ve created good depth at safety. A’Khori I think will be a heck of a player. Brylan, man athletic, closes, fast. Freeman gives us a bigger body that we can play if people are going bigger personnel and you don’t want to go linebacker. He fits that mold for a nickel or the weak safety there. Sweeney, he’s really athletic. He’s got a learning curve he’s chasing a little bit but he’s young. I think he will be fine. I like all four of them.”
HOW ARE THE OL TRANSFER LOOKING?
“Excited about the depth they create, the competition they create. I think Nassir and X, Reggie and Cam, they are fighting for starting spots. If not that, they are certainly in the mix for rotation and depth. Definitely helped ourselves there.”
DOES THAT ALLOW YOU TO LET SOME OF THESE YOUNGER GUYS DEVELOP?
“Yeah. I’m excited about Harry too. I think Harry is a heck of a player and is going to be really good for us for a long time. We need all of them. You need 12 guys ready to play in that room. I think we’re close to feeling like we have some of that.”
SOUNDS LIKE CJ BAZILE IS MAKING A PUSH.
“He’s a handful. Great kid. His response when you get on him is ‘Yes, Coach.’ His response when you praise him is ‘Yes, Coach.’ He’s a handful. I think we identified a good one there.”
DO YOU THINK THERE COULD BE A SPOT FOR HIM TO PLAY THIS YEAR?
“It’s too early to tell. You have to look at the injuries and all of that. We will do what’s best. I like the rules, they can play in four games for sure. You could hope with the depth we have there we could get through with him playing in the four games and keep the year but you never know those until you get in the season.”
IS RASHAUD PERNELL IN THAT SAME BOAT?
“He would be one we certainly, he’s starting to show flashes, but I think we definitely like to redshirt both of those kids if we can.”
