Oklahoma State University Athletics
Gundy Previews Spring Practice
March 06, 2017 | Cowboy Football
PHOTOS - SPRING PRACTICE NO. 1
STILLWATER, Okla. – The Oklahoma State football team began its 2017 spring football practice Monday afternoon at the Sherman E. Smith Training Center, practicing in helmets, jerseys and shoulder pads. Coach Mike Gundy also met with members of the media at Boone Pickens Stadium earlier in the day to discuss the team's status heading into the spring practice period. His comments:
Opening statement:
"You guys have the information on our two analysts that will be with us moving forward, but other than that we don't have anything new so I'll answer any questions you guys have. The health of our team is the exact same as what we were on signing day. We're ready to go out and practice some special teams out in the wind."
On position changes:
"We used Ramon Richards at safety last year. We feel like he has good range and that he can make some plays from there. We used Kenneth Edison-McGruder at linebacker during the bowl game. He's developed a little bit and gotten a little bit thicker. He's at a position where he can cover the No. 2 receiver and support the run some. If we can develop him in that position, it should help our defense."
On if Richards' style of play will mirror Tre Flowers or Jordan Sterns':
"Tre will play in the back end and depending on who we're playing, one of those guys will drop down some. Ramon will be a guy who plays more in the middle of the field.
On how that affects the cornerback position:
"Obviously (Darius) Curry is here. We've got some young guys that we want to get a lot of work. They'll get a lot of work as far as from a depth perspective, and they'll definitely get a lot of reps in the spring until we get some young guys in. We need those young guys to come in and improve. That's one of the positions where we need those guys to come in and play well for us next year, and to do it earlier than what you normally would at that position. We like the young guys. We like what they bring to the table. They just don't have a ton of experience yet. They've had a good offseason."
On the team's kicking situation:
"(Matt) Amendola will kick. We'll see how he develops. Right now, in practice and games, he's been six-for-six from 55 yards and out, but he hasn't been good from 35 and in. We're going to work him quite a bit this spring."
On handling the youth of the running backs:
"It's the same thing as the corners. We like our young guys, but they don't have any experience at all. That's one of those key positions that we feel pretty comfortable with who we have up front, but we need someone to come in and give us a little bit in the backup role."
On the wide receiver rotation:
"We'll play them all and we'll play fast. They give us a luxury that we had in the years that we had (Justin) Blackmon and those guys. We could play them in groups of three or four at a time, let them play four or five plays and then get them out and put another group in. There's a chance that we could play with four wideouts more than we have in recent years because of that, but we're going to try to play fast and use that to our advantage."
On Tyron Johnson and Tylan Wallace:
"We think now that both of those guys will start inside and we'll see how they develop. What I had mentioned to the offensive staff is that we need to know what Tyron's strengths are coming out of the spring and where he can help us most early in the season. He is different because he's already been in college for a couple of years. His body has changed and he's developed. We're going to start out with those guys instead."
On Marcell Ateman's status for this spring:
"He's full-go. He'll fall in the same category as (James) Washington, Mason (Rudolph) and Jarrell Owens. Those guys are proven players. They'll be full-go, but they won't be in as much of the team stuff as guys like Tyron Johnson and some of the younger guys."
On reloading at the Cowboy Back position:
"(Blake) Jarwin and (Zac) Veatch brought a lot to our offense. They had a lot of versatility that allowed us have a running game and to play fast because they had the ability to play inside, outside and in the backfield. They were intelligent and understood our blocking and protection schemes. Keenen Brown needs to show up and give us something similar to what Jarwin gave us so that we can continue with what we've started at that position."
On the transition for the newly-hired assistant coaches:
"I had worked with both of them before, so they were fairly familiar with me and our style and kind of our culture here. Josh (Henson) was a very smooth transition because he already knows our terminology and the scheme. (John Wozniak) was very familiar with what we're doing because of his background recently and the style of offenses that he has been in."
On filling out the offensive line:
"Larry (Williams) will be at the guard spot. We've got Dylan Galloway who will start out at left tackle."
On the value of having analysts on staff:
"We wanted to bring in another guy on defense to somewhat equal the staff, but also to bring in a coach that has experience in a three-down defense. I've been around offensive football for 30 years at this level and if you asked me to, I could draw the wishbone offense on a board, but I couldn't teach it because I haven't been in the room and had it taught to me over time. For me, I see that the same way on defense. He has an extensive background in a three-man defense, and we've gotten a little bit more into that. Obviously we haven't converted to that, and we won't covert to it, but I thought it would be smart to bring in someone with experience in a three-down system."
On why the team uses a variation of defensive fronts:
"I think college quarterbacks have become coaches on the field, like what's happening in the NFL over the last three or four years. These guys across the country are very well-coached and understand the game. If you don't give them a different look sometimes and use some variation in your defense, they're pretty good at picking you apart. We think there are times for three-down and times for four-down, but the difficult part is deciding how much time do you allocate to each one so that you don't end up not good at either one. That's really where we're at and that's why I wanted to bring a guy in to help us with how much you need to work on each area."
On what the plans are for the backup quarterback role:
"We would like to come up with a package like we had with J.W. (Walsh) for one of them. I would like to do that forever if we had the option, but we didn't have that person last year. I think we have a couple of guys that meet that criteria and that could be successful in that style of play. What that will do is give them some added reps in practice and games and potentially help us solidify who will be the No. 2 guy. (Keondre) Wudtee obviously has had a great offseason and (John) Kolar has had a great offseason. John is a lot different than what people think. He came in at about 130 pounds, jokingly. He looked like he was about 130 pounds, but his body has developed and he looks like he may be able to fit that role. We're looking to establish a backup quarterback and maybe somebody that can be a short-yardage guy for us."
On how much weight could work for Jelani Woods' frame:
"Maybe 270 pounds or so. He's at 253 right now. He's a big man. What's encouraging about Wudtee, Kolar and even on a short note with Jelani (Woods) is that they're extremely competitive. Our February running program that Rob Glass puts our team through, which I've said I would probably quit if I were involved in an offseason program like what Coach puts our guys through. Our high school players, including Jelani – he should be thinking about who he's going to take to the prom and getting out of school and going to lunch with his buddies – but he went through our running program and he did very well and made it through all of it, so that's good news. Mason (Rudolph) is going to get a limited number of reps this spring, so that will give all of those guys an opportunity to do things. There is never enough reps to go around for the quarterback position though, because unlike those other positions there's only one guy out there."
On Jeff Carr's development this season:
"He's going to get the ball a lot more this spring. His role was diminished last year because of the emergence of Justice (Hill) and Chris (Carson) was here. Obviously Chris is gone now, but Jeff's body has changed and I like how he's developed. You've also got a couple of guys who are right there on his tail and have developed as well. It'll be interesting. One thing about the running back position, and it goes back to what Coach (Pat) Jones used to say, is that you can find out real quick if you've got real running backs. You can put them in there and let them go and when they get a little bit tired and banged around, the real ones will stay in there and fight."
On the defensive line's depth:
"We have nine guys on the defensive line that power clean more than 315 pounds. We have nine guys that bench press more than 350 pounds, and five of them are over 400. We have nine guys that all squat more than 450 pounds. That's what I like about them. They're all somewhat mature. Their strength levels are very high and they run well. Their attitudes are good. I think we're back into that role where we can play a solid two-deep and rotate those guys to keep them fresh. In this league, that's really important to try and make it through the duration and make it all the way through to November. In this league, your defense gets beat up in November. We've got the best basketball league in the country, but nobody knows it because they just beat each other up for two months. That's what happens to defenses in football. Everybody around the country says that we don't have defense in our conference, but our guys are in a track meet every week. That's what I like our defensive line. Hopefully, (Jordan) Brailford, who has been turned loose, will be able to develop and sustain the pounding because we really liked him in the Sugar Bowl. We thought he played as well as any of our defensive lineman in the Sugar Bowl and then we lost him to that stress fracture last year. If he's up and running, he should give us an added lift and he's really matured as a player."
On if the staff works on communication during the offseason after the Central Michigan game:
"I don't know if I'll ever know all of the rules. I would like to sit here and say I would. We work on communication every day because of the style of play we're in. Our practices are open, so you guys should come and watch them if you want. It's pretty interesting because there's so much from Yurcich to the certain coaches to the quarterbacks to the quarterback. We have to do it every day all the time, so we always use the technology and verbal communication through the headset throughout the entire practice.
"With (Central Michigan), the rule book is thick and small print. You're probably smarter than I am because when I went to college and the textbook was really thick, I dropped it the next day. I liked the thin book classes, so the rules kind of kick by butt. I'll tell you what we have thought about. We've thought about trying to find somebody that is an expert on the rules and have them with us during games for that reason. What's funny is that, as proven during the Central Michigan game, a lot of times the officials don't even know the rules because there are so many of them."
On after the Central Michigan game:
"Like I told you last year, I should have taken my shirt off and laid on the field and said we're not playing anymore until we know for sure, but I thought I already had enough issues with things I have done in the past so I was going to be a nice guy. It cost me a game."
On if any defensive ends will be moving over to tackle:
"Tre Carter is 293 pounds, so we're going to see if he can play outside a little bit. He's still pretty agile. Is that a guaranteed 40 plays per game at 293 on the edge? History tells you no, but we'll see. With Brock (Martin), you're talking about a fairly mature young man who has had a lot of success in not only football, but wrestling too. His body is pretty developed, and he gets it. We would like those young guys to be able to contribute if they get enough mass in their bodies prior to September."
On playing with a four-man front defensively:
"I think that the advantage of the four-man front that has allowed us to do it some is that we've had improvement on the defensive line over the last few years so we've been able to get pressure on the quarterbacks. In my opinion, I'm not a defensive guy, but in my opinion, the reason the teams in this league and everywhere in the country are going to more of a three-down is because all of the movement and style of play with motions and sweeps and pop passes. When you're in a three-down that means you have one extra person who is securing a spot that has vision to the ball. The guy that has his hand on the ground doesn't have vision to the ball. I think that some defensive coaches in this league are concerned that there aren't enough people that have vision where the ball is compared to years ago where everything was played between the hash marks."
On how he thinks this year's team currently compares to the 2011 team:
"There are a lot of similarities. (We have) quarterback experience. We were a little more experienced in the running back spot with Joe Randle. Justice (Hill) is a good player, but obviously not as experienced as Joe. We had a group of wideouts then and Justin Blackmon, who would be comparable to James Washington. The good news is that we may be better on defense than we were then, but those teams were really good at forcing turnovers which allowed us to get more opportunities so we could outscore you. A lot of what we do in this league has come down to that anyways. The strategy that we talk about, based on what our personnel is and what we think we can do in all three phases. There are a lot of similarities. I hope it turns out that way."
On why he thinks the defense is better than it was in 2011:
"I just think we have more depth. I think that we've recruited longer and that our culture is in place so we have more depth than we did then. We've got to get a couple of corners. We need to get a couple of guys that we trust that can play. We're going to play multiple guys, but at some points we need to get a couple of guys in there in key situations that are fresh that you trust because you've got to be able to cover a little bit in this league. We've got to develop some guys. I think we're going to be a lot better at those two positions in October than we are September 1. It would be difficult to think we could be that good on September 1 because a lot of those guys haven't played. It's difficult because there's no substitution for experience and we don't have any experience right now at those positions."
On if there were any positions on the 2011 team that improved during the early part of the season:
"It was the same as this year. There are a number of positions in our starting 22, or starting 28 when you talk about your six or seven core guys on special teams, where we're really good. We need to stay healthy at those spots, but if we don't we can go from being pretty good to just above average pretty quick just based on personnel."
On the advantage of having a four-year quarterback in Mason Rudolph:
"A lot of what Brandon (Weeden) brought. Brandon was 26 or 27 years old, so he had that maturity from an age standpoint. Mason has a lot of reps, good demeanor, and personality, all of those things. He's been great. One thing you always worry with players of that stature is if they can stay committed to the game at the level they are now instead of bypassing that mentally to the level they think they're going to be at next year. He's done really well with that. James Washington has done really well with that. Mason and Weeden both have experience, they understand the game."
On incoming signee Tylan Wallace recording a school-record long jump:
"I have the advantage of having a 12-year-old, so as soon as stuff hits the wire he lets me know. We're excited about him and his brother. His brother obviously had the injury, but what he's done was pretty electrifying before he got hurt."
On how he approaches comparisons to the 2011 team:
"I think there's a lot of truth to some carry-over. History tells you there are times when teams play very well in a bowl and then don't start the season well, and then there are times where they finish strong and do start the season well. For us, my personal opinion is there is carry-over. When we started in January and February, my message to them was that nobody cares where you finished last year and in order to get to where you want to be next year, we need to start now. That's the approach that we've had here."
On which point of the season he realized the 2011 team could win the Big 12 or contend for a national title:
"Once we got into the latter part of September and early part of October when we started playing conference games, and we were blowing people's doors off, I thought we are pretty good. Then you get into cruise control, don't mess it up, don't get in their way, don't overcoach them, let them play. When you're playing teams in the league that know you like we all know each other in this league and you're winning by three and four touchdowns, pretty easily, then I thought we were pretty good."
On how much giving up play-calling as a head coach helped him and the team:
"It was beating me up physically and mentally. The hours, the 5:45 a.m. starts and watching video up until noon, then running to do media, then running to a team meeting, then practice, going until 10:30 or 11 o'clock at night. It was just mentally beating me up. I wasn't as good with the players, recruiting or with the coaches. It just wore me out. I couldn't do it. Some guys do it, and there are guys that have done it for a long time, but it was beating me up."
On if he still does any play-calling:
"I've been lucky, and have had some really good guys at that position. I still have suggestions now. If they work, I can say 'I told you so' and if they don't I can say that I called it. I never really got back into it when I got out because I stayed out of the room during the day."
On how much satisfaction he gets from OSU football being where it is:
"We're thrilled with it. I think the one thing that I'm most happy with is the culture that we've created here has been very positive and successful in a lot of different areas. We went through a transition with the APR that we've made the adjustments and have been very successful in that area. We're graduating players on four-year schedules and we're very competitive in a clean fashion and winning at a rate that is fairly impressive for the history at Oklahoma State. All while doing that, our players and coaches like being here, and there's an environment that has been created where we can have some sort of a life. I enjoy that part of it, but years ago I said that the one thing that would make me happy is to have a team that when we go out on Saturdays, we know if we take care of the ball and minimize big plays we have a chance to compete with or beat anybody we play. That's really all we can ask for. If we don't play well or turn the ball over then we're not going to win, but for the fans, I want them to be able to come to the games and say, 'If we play well today, we can win.' For a long time, it wasn't that way. They would come to the stadium and there was that faithful 32,000 who would come to the stadium knowing there was probably a chance we'd get our butt kicked. That was encouraging and fulfilling for me personally."
On how he and his brother Cale Gundy have made it work coaching against each other:
"With Meacham going to Kansas, DeForest at Kansas, Tom Bradford is at Kansas, Joe Wickline is at West Virginia, and all of the young guys that have worked on our staff and branched out and are at different locations in this league, now we all really know each other well. With Cale and I, we don't ever really talk about football, unless it's vague. I'm fairly busy and don't talk to a lot of people on the phone. I guess he is too, so we don't have a lot of discussions about football or recruiting. I'm sure he probably trusts me in recruiting, but I don't trust him, so we don't have discussions over football or recruiting."
Players Mentioned
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