Gus Malzahn recaps first week of spring practice

UCF squeezed in four practices their first week of spring, wrapping things up on this warm Saturday afternoon. Afterward, head coach Gus Malzahn met with the media to update their early progress. The team will reassemble for a fifth practice next Tuesday and hold their first full scrimmage next Thursday.

Opening statement:

"We have one week down in spring ball with four practices. I feel very good about where we're at. We're learning to be able to count on each other. From player to player, coach to player. We put quite a bit of install in offensively and defensively. Today was a third-down day. It was really our first day of emphasis. It was good work on both sides. A little bit hot at the end which is always good, facing a little adversity and see how we respond. We'll have a practice Tuesday. It was more red zone oriented. Thursday we'll put the ball down and scrimmage. We're really looking forward to that. Overall, I love the spirit of our team. I love our approach and their approach to our coaches. Good first week."

What's your perspective of the offense, how they're working with Coach Hinshaw and implementing what he wants to do?

"It feels really good out there, the way our players are responding to Coach Hinshaw. The way our staff is working with our guys. There's a lot of good things going on out there."

Addison Williams, his first spring as defensive coordinator, what are you seeing on that side of the ball?

"He's a great teacher. That's what I'll say starting out after the first week. The players are really responding to him, taking on his personality. Overall, they had a really good week."

You mention third down was the focus today. What exactly are you looking for?

"Situational football. You're developing your foundation and your base downs and all that. Situational food, third down is one of the most important downs if not the most important in football. Where the sticks are. What is the situation. Everything that goes with that. Offensively and defensively. You can't get enough of that. We'll repeat that again the day after our scrimmage. We'll probably three good days of nothing but third down."

I know it's still pretty early, but the quarterback position, how are John Rhys, Tommy and Timmy looking?

"Darin is rotating the guys through, trying to get them in different groups and see how they respond. I'll say after the first week I think all three in a good spot as far as understanding the foundation of things that we're doing and want to do. All three are very coachable and really off to a good start."

Are you seeing a jump from Thomas Castellanos? Last year was his first year getting experience and they say guys make a big jump in their second year.

"He's a different player than he was. You can tell he's more mature. He's starting to understand the big picture. Starting to process things. Starting to be reactive instead of having to think. He's a very talented young man. He's off to a good start."

On John Rhys, there was a baseball game last night and spring practices all week. How has he handled that?

"He has as much energy if not more energy than anybody out there today. He's got a baseball game here tonight. He's handling everything like a champion. He's got a lot of winner in him. I've said this before. He never really got a break after the season. He went straight to baseball and has been doing both. He hasn't missed a meeting or practice. Very impressive with what he's doing."

Darin talked about footwork with him. How important is footwork for the quarterback position?

"Always believe the waist down as much as throwing the football. Look at the great quarterbacks with different release points, but they were all really good with their feet. That's been a focus with Darin with all three of our guys."

Coach Hinshaw mentioned discipline, attitude, toughness and effort on Thursday. Have you seen that from your players?

"That's an emphasis. We've been pretty good the last two years. That's an emphasis to try to instill that in our offensive guys and their approach, trying to improve each day in that area."

One player we heard mentioned the other day by Javon Baker was running back Demarkcus Bowman. I know he sat out last year after transferring. It sounds like he's been impressive from what the players say. What have you seen?

"He's extremely talented. He's got a skill set that he can do it all. He is still learning the offense. I love his approach. Each day we work on one thing. Kam Martin has done a great job with him. A big key the other day was slowing down. Slowing down in the zone, let it fit, press the line of scrimmage. He's an unbelievably talented young man. Looking forward to watching him in this first scrimmage next week."

What are you impressions of the back seven? We talked to Coach Addison about that group.

"He's been real patient back there as far as making sure all the details of the different coverages and integrity of the coverage and everything. Each day that group has gotten better and better. We have some extremely young guys that you can see that really grew this first week from practice one to this one. Sprinkled in with some veteran and transfer guys that had a good week too."

Nikai Martinez is one of those younger players in the back seven. What do you want to see from him this spring?

"When he first got here last spring he had a hamstring and it kind of hurt him, missing most of spring. He's a football player. He got experience last year. There's nothing like a true freshman getting experience. You come out here and you can just tell he's taking that next step as far as being more of a veteran guy. He's got really good football instincts anyway. He's had a really good first week."

Big media blitz with Kingdom and SJ Tuohy leaving to lead them. How important is that for developing that program?

"SJ, I think you know how important he's been to me and our football program. It's about what's best for our football program so he's going to run the collective. He's going to do a great job. Like I said before, we've recruited really well since we've been here. The reality is in the NIL world, we've lost some of our players because we couldn't compete NIL wise. We've recruited some guys, high school, that wanted to come here and we couldn't compete NIL wise. Now the goal is to be competitive. This is a great place. It's set up. We can recruit with anybody in the country and we can be competitive in that world. That is the first step in getting to that point."

What did you think about the facility plans that were announced?

"It's got the wow factor to it. This place is already a special place. When Terry had the vision and the plan, we've been talking about these things for the last year. Man, I'm real excited about it. When we get all that stuff this place is going to be unbelievable. It's real exciting for the future."

Can you talk about the freshmen and who is standing out?

"You always have your eye on the freshmen and the new guys. I'd say we hit on all of them. I think all of them are really good football players. Kaven Call is standing out. He's doing a super job. John Walker is standing out. Of course we thought both of them would. I think they both had a really good first week. I think all of our transfers have come in here and you can see, okay good, I'm glad we got them."

What really pleased you this first week?

"I'll say this. It's just big picture. You can tell that every player and every coach, we're like this. In this day and time in college football with all the outside distractions, that's probably pretty rare. They're responding to coaching extremely well. Our coaches are doing a great job with positive energy and really demanding the best out of them. It feels really good being out there watching the big picture."

Where does that come from? Is that culture?

"I think it's a little bit of everything. It's culture. There's no doubt that's where it starts. The type of players we recruit. This is the third year. We've actually hand picked most of these guys. I think that's important. Our staff, most of our guys have been with us. We added a couple guys. It should feel that way. Third year in your program, it should feel that way. It's a really good feeling for a head coach in the spring."

Next week will build up to the scrimmage?

"The scrimmage is next Thursday. What we're doing, we had a third down day today. We'll have red zone on Tuesday. Then we'll put the ball down on Thursday. Saturday we'll come back and clean some things up, have a good practice and scrimmage the Saturday of the next week. The spring game coming up, there will be a scrimmage aspect of that. It's going to be a little more fan friendly. We've got a couple surprises for everybody that I think everybody will enjoy."