WMU Football Spring Showcase Postgame | 4.20.24

great turnout today for our Spring Showcase uh you know the great thing as a coach with spring games uh you know the Broncos are going to win so uh there are a lot of things that keep me up at night uh but uh the the winner of this game did not keep me up last night but uh really proud of the work that our guys have put in um you know I thought it was an excellent spring and really an excellent offseason they really attacked our offseason conditioning program weight train training program uh made gains in in the weight room from a from a strength standpoint um and nutrition standpoint and then theyve really attacked each day during spring ball uh with the mindset to to get better each day and uh maximize each opportunity um also proud of our staff got several new coaches new coordinators um some new support staff and I thought everybody came together uh pulling and Rowing in the same direction we are so much further ahead right now um this time than we were last year which is exciting um and when you watch that game out there and just watch and evaluate our practice film we're the exciting part is is we're much further ahead than where we were but we still have so much work and growth left um and that's the exciting part as a coach uh I think if we attack summer uh come back with the right mentality and mindset and continue to have that chip on our shoulder to show up every single day to work and get better uh I'm excited to see where this team can go and and what we can be what work in growth do you want to see um here in the summer and Le up the far Camp yeah I mean all areas uh you know um you know I thought uh uh assigning um our our coordinators as as head coaches for for each team would take some uh some worry and pressure off of me um it never does as a head coach you you still uh you wear you wear every mistake and you um you you labor over everything that you want to get better at and all the ways that you know that you can improve but I just told the guys in the locker room that you know uh one I want them to finish strong in the classroom uh finals week coming up that's important and uh and then you know they're going to get a couple of week break to be able to go home to rest and recover um at the first part of May and then we're going to attack our summer program just like we did our offseason program so we got a lot of work to do in the waight room uh but then we have to master the new schemes that we have on offense and defense I think we did a good job um installing our new schemes and and and a base understanding of them but we have to Master what we're doing uh schematically I saw Hayden in a boot out there just what's what's his current status and how is he going to be for the fall yeah so we had several guys out today um you know I think even even with Hayden um we decided to it was a decision that we wanted to hold him today so that he could go ahead and and rest his foot um he's had some issues um there with with his you know with his feet but we anticipate that he will be back in a couple of weeks he'll be you know good to go by June and we felt like him being able to maximize the offseason um and and and the summer would be most beneficial for him and for us I tell you what you guys didn't get to see it uh there today with him but he's had an excellent spring I thought he really has thrived under coach Bell's um offense I think what we are doing offensively really matches and favors his skill set putting him in position to be successful and he's unified our team with his leadership um to that was able to get other guys some reps in at quarterback today what what impressed you about Mark yeah Mark kegy uh you know I mean he was one of the post spring Award winners for as a walk-on he he really had a great spring he grew a ton and uh you know I thought he did a really nice job um you know we didn't give him much help from the skill position I think we had three drops by our receivers and tight ends in the first half which I challenged them with at halftime and um you know some of those guys uh were veterans and have caught a lot of footballs for us in Big G big games and so uh I really went over there and challenged him but I thought he did a really nice job responding um I think he's got to continue to work on stepping up in the PO pocket staying uh on Rhythm and and timing uh not holding on to the ball too long and taking some of those unneeded sacks what about JD Davis you know I thought he had an outstanding game he comes in he's an early and rolly uh coldest game he's ever played in um so just I guess for him to come in and Thrive really uh how do you think he's been able to come in and succeed and kind of show up today yeah I was really proud of JD today I thought he came in and and played really well he had his moments right um some highs and lows but uh he was able to make several really big time throws and plays and really helped his team uh uh wi win the game by by the way he played quarterback today and the throws that he made um you know when you look at him he should be getting ready to go to prom and and still in high school right now and so uh I think he was you know uh he will gain so much benefit by being here uh early enrolling having these 15 practices uh he'll be a different person uh by the time we get to training camp it'll be his third or fourth time he's heard an install and been gone through it and he'll be so much more comfortable and so uh there was so much new learning for him and things that he hasn't been asked to do yet um did you guys see that caught that still got good hands you know I was a receiver um I didn't drop any balls um so I thought he did an excellent job uh really proud of him and listen it's been a spring of highs and lows I mean there's been some good days and there's been some bad days which you would expect for a true freshman in early and rolly especially at the quarterback position and as much as we're putting putting on them offensively but uh I thought today he came out uh and really showed why he was one of the top recruits and uh LED his team you know deep in the playoffs and one of the toughest divisions really uh in in the state of Georgia right any more questions go ahead no I just uh this down the- field passing game that's kind of been implemented here uh under the new coordinator um the guys in the in the receiving room made some big plays today you know bugs Wooten I know it's early but I guess where do you see this group in terms of explosives and where it could be you know coming into the fall well that was area that we talked about as a staff post last season uh sat down and evaluated what we did well what we needed to do better we needed to be more explosive on offense um the first way you address that is by going out and um recruiting explosive Playmakers uh with speed and uh you know really proud of our staff and uh we've got speed and explosive playmaking ability um at the skill positions which is exciting and then you know from a schematic standpoint you know we want to be able to run the ball be physical and tough up front and run the football uh and then be able to stretch the field vertically um so that defenses can't make us one-handed and onedimensional and so um I think that you saw a little bit of that today you know uh run and get loaded boxes and and you know single high uh coverage to be able to throw the ball downfield uh to our Speedy Playmakers so that showed up today and really all spring so I'm excited to uh to really continue to grow that aspect of our offense um and one of the areas that we said we needed to address uh post last season thank you coach thank you guys appreciate it what was your thoughts on the the spring game today uh thoughts are very good I thought I'm very proud of both sides of the ball I thought a lot of guys stepped up younger guys stepped up it was it was really cool to see like guys like JD Davis uh drivers down on the go team and then um you know Josh Franklin stepping in a new role getting a pick for the brown team so I think overall it was it was a great day uh how do you feel like the spring went overall uh the spring went very well I think we are definitely ahead of last year when we were in the spring uh even with the new scheme on both sides of the ball and I think that uh you know the sky's a limited for us this year with how many guys returning and everything so I think it would it went very well how how comfortable are you now I mean obviously last year was your first spring here and now that you've been here a year do you feel just different do you feel more like a leader how how do you feel yeah I would I would say just now that I get a year under my belt the guys trust me more I would say and I've built those relationships with uh multiple guys where they can trust me more so yeah I would say it's definitely going to year under my belt it's definitely uh do or die now and they can trust me no matter what it's a new defense so under uh Scott power what what do you like so far about what he's implemented um I like a lot what coach brows bring is familiar to me when I came from Michigan state so they ran a similar defense so um yeah I I like it a lot I like I'm I guess I'm just used to it selfishly so I've kind of already seen it once so it's kind of just remembering all my brain but I like a lot and I love coach power I think he has a great great scheme and you know just a great coach overall he knows what he's doing is it more aggressive or is it um I mean there's it it depends I would say it's I mean last year we were we were really aggressive and I we still have aggressive stuff we have but uh we got all sorts of things we can do all sorts of things with his defense so I like it a lot what do you like about this defensive front now I think it's you know you bring in a ton of power PL for sure uh so what's impressed you about that group and what it could be really just guys stepping up I mean obviously lose Maran who's about to be hopefully a first round draft pick which is crazy so uh yeah just really just step in that role and what that's what Cory Walker's done uh Cory Walker stepping into that role being that dominant person then we got three other dudes papy Rodney and Tyson Lee and they're all unbelievable as well so it's going to be it's going to be fun playing behind them it's going to be a lot of fun I think a lot of people you know they look at the in of Spring ball and they're like all right I got a second to like breathe and relax but does this just really make you excited for you know fall Camp oh yeah 100% yeah we're going to be back in a couple weeks and straight to Summer and summer is the best time you know hanging on with the guys uh only people on campus so it's all us and then you know really just creating those bonds so coming to the season it's it's go time what's it like to see a guy like Mara guy from your neck of the woods in Grand Rapids be a draft pick does that make you excited about just hey West Michigan is is going to be on the biggest stage again oh for sure yeah always in the 616 yeah I got to I I talk to him all the time and he's just such a great dude and no better person to represent the 616 than him and I'm just so proud of of him and yeah it's just awesome and it helps everybody else out that's for sure I know coach was talking about how uh he wanted to add to the secondary room in the transfer portal um do you feel like you guys have a chip on your shoulder right now with some of the guys that have left and do you use that to your advantage maybe yeah I would say for sure you know losing canai lovely let this year I wish I could have that dude back again that dude was a ball player so but yeah definitely a chip on our shoulder you know BK coming back we just got Isaiah Paul but yeah those guys will definitely step into that role of what canai did and yeah as you can tell BK today with a pick that dude's unbelievable I think this guy's a limit for him too and I think yeah definitely a chip on our shoulders and hopefully get a couple more key pieces to that as well so we'll see how it goes thanks thank you Mark I know this was kind of a a good way for you get to get some really solid experience this spring overall how do you think you did and kind of you know does this or did it go as well as you thought it did this spring yeah no I thought it went well I mean I got the probably one of the best opportunities I've ever had here at Western and so I just wanted to take advantage of it you know like make every play count you know just do my best and that's that's all I could ask for for myself so I thought it went well I thought I grew a lot and I learned a lot so overall I think it was a good spring for me what ways do you think that you grew the most like some specific things that you really worked on uh just being in like some situations like like the third Downs the two minute drills you know like actually getting like real reps at those and live reps you know seeing things happening seeing like rotate like like basically like defensive structures and like getting that in front of me it's just like like kind of learned like how the game works at the college level and different different from the high school level uh what what is it just like to go to Western and uh be a football player here yeah I know it's sweet I mean I'm just up the road being from mosan you know like an hour and 15 minutes it's like I've known Western I've been to Western games before I've come down here for camps and whatnot so I just think it's a great opportunity you know to kind of have like the little bit of a HomeTown feel you know to be at this University it means a lot to me so it's been good so far what's it like to have a lot of Mona Shores guys on the team too ises that make it a little bit easier yeah that's super sweet obviously to have deari and Jacob on the team so far actually kind of funny story in high school deari when unfortunately when he got hurt he coached me on the the JV team so that's kind of the cool that we came full circle and then we're adding another motor Shorts kid next year uh Andrew Baker who's coming up here so it's kind of cool to like have all like the motor shorts Alum come down here and play ball um what how do you hope that you can improve uh this summer going in the fall Camp next year uh you know just keep improving my game you know on the field off the field you know in all aspects you know getting in the fing room you know obviously I got to review my my work from this spring and get better you know just find ways in my game and uh and just overall I just need just keep grinding and keep going to work how how tough uh like how much more work do you have to do as a walk-on to to really try and stand out you feel like that that puts a chip on your shoulder a little bit yeah I mean you come as a walk on and you're you're not going to get the looks that you want right right away and that's part of it you got to know that coming in you just got to take every day like hey this is the day I got my opportunity I got to take the the like the most advantage of it cuz it might be the only one I get so that's kind of the mindset I had coming in you know like whenever my number's going to be called I don't know when but I'm going to be ready for it and when it happens you know I'm I'm just going to do my thing and like do what I know I can do today you got one of those opportunities what what can you take away from today yeah no super sweet obviously you know I wish Hayden speed recovery and I wish him the like the best with his foot and everything and his body but you know the opportunity arose and I just decided to make the most of it and take advantage and you know play play the best I can and that's that's all I can ask for for myself the guys around you at the skill position I know there's a lot of new talent coming in um just what's the chemistry been like and what do you like about this overall receiving corpse tight ends yeah I mean obviously you get any new receivers or any like receivers from last year after extended period of break you got to build that chemistry back a little bit so it kind of just started right when they got on campus you know like reaching out to those guys building starting to build a relationships and on and off the field and you know getting on the field and you know seeing the way they've run their routes and seeing like their Tendencies and my Tendencies and you know obviously building that chemistry and that started in January right when we got back to campus so you know throughout January throughout winter workouts and then obviously in the spring like I thought we developed like a really good chemistry between all the quarterbacks and all the wide receivers and you know it's only going to get better moving forward through that the summer and then the the the new offensive coordinator what do you like about what he's implemented I've heard you know you know you guys are able to stretch the field a little bit more how does that kind of fall into your game and I guess your thoughts on the offense yeah I mean his offense like it it opens up opportunities to take shots and that's that's what I like you know I think that's what every quarterback likes right to be able to stretch the ball down the field you know make those big time explosive plays you know so I I just appreciate that and you know him putting the trust in uh in US to make the plays and execute his offense thank you thank you guys