Blue White Illustrated

C O A C H S P E A K • E X C E R P T S F R O M J A M E S F R A N K L I N ' S W E E K L Y P R E S S E R You rotate players at other positions, so how close have you come to trying other offensive linemen during games? Well, actually what I [referenced] was the O-line and the tight ends. There are a lot of things that factor into it. It's not just those guys. But we're playing the guys who we feel give us the best chance to win on Saturdays. We've obviously had some injuries, which have factored into it. We don't spend a whole lot of time talking about injuries, because it's the next-man- up mentality on offense, defense and spe- cial teams. But we've got to be more physical up front with the O-line and the tight end. There is no doubt about it. But we're not planning on making any changes there. You mentioned again today the need for more physicality up front on the of- fensive line. Is there any reason you think why that's been such a continued sticking point for you guys? And what can you do to change that? It's probably the toughest position to play in college football from a physical perspective. There are positions like quarterback that are really hard to play from a physical and mental perspective. But I think O-line is probably the next- toughest from a physical and mental per- spective. I think playing corner in major-college football is maybe the most physically difficult thing to do. That's where experience counts so much. We've still got some growth to go there. We've got one senior on the unit. We've got a redshirt freshman, a redshirt sophomore, a true sophomore, a junior and a senior. So the best offensive lines that I've been around… are senior-laden or junior- and senior-laden. Sometimes there are offensive lines that are success- ful and do not have that type of experi- ence, but I think it's a combination of those things. I think it's youth, I think it's experience and I think it's mentality. I think Will Fries has a chance to be a re- ally, really physical, intimidating offensive lineman. He has the ability to do that. Steven Gonzalez has the ability to do that. Connor McGovern has the ability to do that. Brendan Mahon has the ability to do that. And so does Chasz Wright. We've just got to get them playing consistently with that type of confidence and that type of mentality. I think what happens is, it's like any- thing else: When they start getting praised for it and patted on the back and having success for finishing blocks, it be- comes contagious. And we need more of that. Like any other position or any other unit or team, you need one guy to really start saying: "I'm the guy. Watch me. I'm going to show you how to do it." And then it becomes contagious for the group. So I'm looking forward to seeing who that's going to be and when that's going to be. Same thing at the tight end position. It's probably harder than it's ever been at the tight end position, because most tight ends in high school were big wide re- ceivers. [It's a matter of] getting all those guys to embrace the physicality of the po- sition and the importance of being com- plete players on the O-line and the tight end. The running game as well as the passing game are critical for us to go where we want to go. Mike Gesicki has proven to be a very good pass-catching tight end. In terms of blocking, how would you rate his ca- reer as he's grown in that area? Matt Millen got into him on the broadcast. I didn't hear the broadcast. I think Mike has come a long way, considering that when he got here, he had never blocked anyone in his life. He made tremendous progress early on and continues to chip away at that. He understands it. There have been very clear conversations be- tween me and Coach [Ricky] Rahne [about] fundamentals and techniques. I would say when I watch Coach Rahne's drills and we go over practice plans, I would say proba- bly 80 to 90 percent of their drill work is not running routes and catching balls, it's all the run game. So he understands very clearly what he needs to do. I don't think there is any gray area there. I wanted to get your thoughts on Ayron Monroe, the young safety. He looked like he was pretty active against Rutgers. Ayron Monroe we're really excited about. He's very athletic. He's got really good range and ball skills. He can run. He's growing. I know Coach [Tim] Banks is really excited about his development for our future. He's playing a lot on special teams for us as well. I think you guys know I've got a lot of history with Ayron and his family. I re- cruited his older brother, Andre, to the University of Maryland. Dad's a cop in Baltimore. Great people. I think Ayron's got a chance to leave here having a great career before it's all said and done, and we're excited about his future. What sort of impact did this senior class have on not just the program but you personally, considering many of them did join up just a few weeks a5er you got started? It's kind of a combination. You've got a few redshirt guys who were brought in the year before I arrived. You've got some guys who were committed when I got the job. Then you've got a few guys who we brought in [who] played as true freshmen. You know, it's hard. Senior Day is an ex- citing time for those guys, because it starts to kind of get them in the mode of thinking about the next step in their life and the natural progression that happens through a football program. These guys are part of our family. They're part of the locker room. But it's more than that. You get to know these guys on a very personal level. You experience highs, you experience lows. They're there for you, you're there for them. My daughters, Addy and Shola, these guys are like big brothers to them. We do family night every Monday where we have dinner and all the families go up to the training table. It really is a family environment. I know a lot of places say that, but it really is here for us, probably more so than any place I've ever been. That doesn't mean that the family is al- ways puppies and rainbows, but it's no different than any other family. I used to get in fights with my sister and argu- ments, but you work through those things, and every time you work through them, you become stronger. I think that's how we are. Tough conversations, hon- esty, holding each other accountable and ultimately preparing these guys for life. That's what we're trying to do. N O V E M B E R 1 5 , 2 0 1 7 B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M 12

• Cover