Burst was the word of the day as I heard three different UGA football coaches use it in their coaching of their players.
Starting with the defensive line, I really liked the speed of Daquan Hawkins-Muckle, Julian Rochester and a surprise here in Chris Barnes. Hawkins-Muckle and Rochester just moved really well throughout the drills and I really liked their ability to move laterally and “turn and burst” when they were told so.
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Chris Barnes did not have the crispest footwork, which is not a surprise, but he did move really well. I’m not saying Barnes is going to be a day one starter but he did move well today. On the flip side of that, Malik Herring looked rather slow on one rep and he got called out by not only Tray Scott but also some of his teammates.
Scott sounded like he was pleading with Herring when getting on to him as he said, “Come on man, turn and burst.”
Today, Lanning was very active in a drill where they had to make a quick move one way and then turn and run the opposite way to hit a bag. Lanning would move with them to the bag and then briefly run with them yelling the whole time “Burst! Burst! Burst!”
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Robert Beal won the drill when the initial step was to the right and Brenton Cox won when the initial step was to the left. This was the order that the outside linebackers worked in today. D’Andre Walker, Keyon Brown, Brenton Cox, Robert Beal, Jaleel Laguins, Walter Grant, and Kolby Wyatt.
Interesting to see Brown working number two, he has impressed all throughout the spring. Lanning always has compliments for him throughout the drills. Lanning said, “I love to hear you making noises Keyon, that’s how I know you are working.”
The corners today worked with their hand alignment and positioning and I overheard Mel Tucker saying “Put your hand in their breastplate, hand positioning is everything.” Throughout this drill, guys would take side steps left and right and would work on their hand placement against various type routes. I believe at the end Tucker would yell “Burst, Burst, Burst!” just like Lanning. The order they worked in was: Deandre Baker, Tyrique McGhee, Mark Webb, William Poole, Ameer Speed, and Eric Stokes.
Did not get the best look at inside linebackers and safeties, but Greg overheard Mel Tucker call Richard LeCounte: “Rich the Drill Killer” when he messed up on a drill.
Also, I believe I spotted Q Lawson at the Bulldogs practice today. Lawson is a 2019 OLB from Turner County High School in Ashburn, Ga. Lawson is listed on his Hudl as 6’5″ 195 lbs. with a 4.64 forty time. He was not the only recruit present, but the only one I could identify on the defensive side of the ball.
There was a surprising amount of Appalachian State coaches out at practice as well.