Note: This interview was from Thursday, prior to the release of the depth chart. I edited a question from Shannon regarding Chester Brown being on the first team to "On the offensive line depth" in the transcript since it was pretty clear Key was choosing his words pretty carefully.
Thursday's season opener against FIU will mark Brent Key's first game as offensive coordinator. The longtime assistant speaks about the process to identify the depth on the offensive line, the surge of true freshman lineman Tyler Hudanick, the FIU defense and more.
Do you now have a better idea of where this team is as far as the depth chart?
"Yeah, no doubt. Camp is a work in progress from the first day all the way to the end with the scrimmage. You're constantly evaluating. That's what our job is to go out and evaluate guys and put them in situations where we feel like are the closest to the games. Once you get in that stadium and that scrimmage, that problem is the most realistic to a game scenario that the kids go through. Some guys show up and play well. Some guys it shows it was their first time out there. Our evaluations over the course of time and over the course of this camp we'll allow us to sit down on Sunday to put the depth where it is and get ready to go into the game week and win the game."
On the offensive line depth:
"We're just trying to get the best mix. As I've said all along, we're trying to get the best five guys on the field. Consistency. That's the biggest thing at that position. We want to get a consistent group of five out there than can do what we're asking them to do. Those five guys have got to be able to play together. That's one of the things coming off of last year that we wanted to accomplish is create a group of guys that stayed consistent and cohesive throughout camp. We've settled in one the guys. But like every year, there's going to be more than five guys that play. The thing I've always said was in a perfect world you've got eight guys: Three tackles, three guards and two centers. If you have that, you're better than average."
I know it's difficult to play as a true freshman on the offensive line. I know a few have done it like the McCrays. It looks like Tyler Hudanick has a chance to do so.
"I think offensive linemen, ideally you'd like to redshirt all of them. Let them mature and have them for that fifth year because there's so much maturity between being an 18-year-old kid or a 23-year-old man. That's a huge difference at that position. Like some of the others that have come in and played as freshmen for us, if the need be, those guys are ready to step in. He is a guy that's talented. You can tell obviously as a freshman a lot of time, but he does have talent. He's going to be a good football player before he leaves here."
Can you tell when a player comes in as a freshman, maybe they don't always play that first year, but are there signs that show you that this guy can be a significant contributor down the road?
"Right when they come in, I don't think you do. Just because you look at kids at tape, you evaluate them on tape, you get them here for six weeks early during summer school, they work out, they run, they try to get in shape. Even then, looking at them trying to evaluate them based on size, speed, athletic ability, those things. But it's such an inexact science because there's some guys who when they put those helmets and shoulder pads on, they turn into a different person. That's when the intangible shows up is when they put the pads on. I think Tyler (Hudanick) is one of those guys. Obviously he's got a long way to go being a freshman with 21, 22 practices under his belt. But he's going to be a good football player.
"One of the things that we do is take those guys that do play early and the ones who end up being good football players, whether it be a Tyler Hudanick or a Jordan McCray or a Josh Sitton, and across all positions, and take those guys and go back and look at their high school recruiting tape. Did it project what they are at that time? I think that helps you in the future looking at recruiting. It helps you to become a better evaluator of talent. What were the characteristics of linemen who have played early and become good players, what characteristics did they have and all share on tape? What are the characteristics of a receiver that came in and played early? Or a quarterback or linebacker or defensive back for that matter. Go back and look at their tape again, helping you project moving forward."
Less than a week before the season starts, does the practice feel different?
"There's no question. It's game week. Plain and simple. That's the message laid out yesterday to the team. That's the message as coaches that we're relaying form the top down from him. It's game week. Time to go. There's no more second chances. No more do-overs. Camp is over. We've settled in with the guys we're going to work to win football games with. It's time to go play. Time to try and win football games. Intensity picks up when that happens. I tell the guys, when we started the meeting yesterday, 'There's being in contact shape which coach always talks about, but now it's time to get in game shape.'"
Are there still opportunities to fight for spots?
"That's one of the great things about football. The lineups are always changing just because of the nature of the game. The physicality, the contact that comes with the game of football. There's always going to be guys that get injured or hurt or have to move spots. And guys who continue to mature as younger guys. All of a sudden the light comes on and they start to move forward at a more rapid rate than some of the other ones."
What does Jordan Franks bring to the receiver corps?
"Moving Jordan over, he obviously brings size. He's a big guy. Physicality. He's a physical football player. Has that mentality. Played wide receiver in high school. Strong hands. He's a guy that really brings an added bonus to the offensive group not only from a size and ability standpoint, but from a toughness standpoint."
What stands out to you about FIU and their defense?
"I think they have the 32nd or 34th returning defense in the country, I lost the stat off the top of my head. They're extremely athletic bunch of guys across the entire back end. The front seven, not only are they athletic, they play extremely physical. To start off the season with a defense like FIU, it's going to be a great opportunity for us and a huge challenge. This is a team that returns a lot of guys on defense and did very well last year on their defense. I know they're excited to play us. We're excited to play them. It's going to pose a huge challenge for us."
Thursday's season opener against FIU will mark Brent Key's first game as offensive coordinator. The longtime assistant speaks about the process to identify the depth on the offensive line, the surge of true freshman lineman Tyler Hudanick, the FIU defense and more.
Do you now have a better idea of where this team is as far as the depth chart?
"Yeah, no doubt. Camp is a work in progress from the first day all the way to the end with the scrimmage. You're constantly evaluating. That's what our job is to go out and evaluate guys and put them in situations where we feel like are the closest to the games. Once you get in that stadium and that scrimmage, that problem is the most realistic to a game scenario that the kids go through. Some guys show up and play well. Some guys it shows it was their first time out there. Our evaluations over the course of time and over the course of this camp we'll allow us to sit down on Sunday to put the depth where it is and get ready to go into the game week and win the game."
On the offensive line depth:
"We're just trying to get the best mix. As I've said all along, we're trying to get the best five guys on the field. Consistency. That's the biggest thing at that position. We want to get a consistent group of five out there than can do what we're asking them to do. Those five guys have got to be able to play together. That's one of the things coming off of last year that we wanted to accomplish is create a group of guys that stayed consistent and cohesive throughout camp. We've settled in one the guys. But like every year, there's going to be more than five guys that play. The thing I've always said was in a perfect world you've got eight guys: Three tackles, three guards and two centers. If you have that, you're better than average."
I know it's difficult to play as a true freshman on the offensive line. I know a few have done it like the McCrays. It looks like Tyler Hudanick has a chance to do so.
"I think offensive linemen, ideally you'd like to redshirt all of them. Let them mature and have them for that fifth year because there's so much maturity between being an 18-year-old kid or a 23-year-old man. That's a huge difference at that position. Like some of the others that have come in and played as freshmen for us, if the need be, those guys are ready to step in. He is a guy that's talented. You can tell obviously as a freshman a lot of time, but he does have talent. He's going to be a good football player before he leaves here."
Can you tell when a player comes in as a freshman, maybe they don't always play that first year, but are there signs that show you that this guy can be a significant contributor down the road?
"Right when they come in, I don't think you do. Just because you look at kids at tape, you evaluate them on tape, you get them here for six weeks early during summer school, they work out, they run, they try to get in shape. Even then, looking at them trying to evaluate them based on size, speed, athletic ability, those things. But it's such an inexact science because there's some guys who when they put those helmets and shoulder pads on, they turn into a different person. That's when the intangible shows up is when they put the pads on. I think Tyler (Hudanick) is one of those guys. Obviously he's got a long way to go being a freshman with 21, 22 practices under his belt. But he's going to be a good football player.
"One of the things that we do is take those guys that do play early and the ones who end up being good football players, whether it be a Tyler Hudanick or a Jordan McCray or a Josh Sitton, and across all positions, and take those guys and go back and look at their high school recruiting tape. Did it project what they are at that time? I think that helps you in the future looking at recruiting. It helps you to become a better evaluator of talent. What were the characteristics of linemen who have played early and become good players, what characteristics did they have and all share on tape? What are the characteristics of a receiver that came in and played early? Or a quarterback or linebacker or defensive back for that matter. Go back and look at their tape again, helping you project moving forward."
Less than a week before the season starts, does the practice feel different?
"There's no question. It's game week. Plain and simple. That's the message laid out yesterday to the team. That's the message as coaches that we're relaying form the top down from him. It's game week. Time to go. There's no more second chances. No more do-overs. Camp is over. We've settled in with the guys we're going to work to win football games with. It's time to go play. Time to try and win football games. Intensity picks up when that happens. I tell the guys, when we started the meeting yesterday, 'There's being in contact shape which coach always talks about, but now it's time to get in game shape.'"
Are there still opportunities to fight for spots?
"That's one of the great things about football. The lineups are always changing just because of the nature of the game. The physicality, the contact that comes with the game of football. There's always going to be guys that get injured or hurt or have to move spots. And guys who continue to mature as younger guys. All of a sudden the light comes on and they start to move forward at a more rapid rate than some of the other ones."
What does Jordan Franks bring to the receiver corps?
"Moving Jordan over, he obviously brings size. He's a big guy. Physicality. He's a physical football player. Has that mentality. Played wide receiver in high school. Strong hands. He's a guy that really brings an added bonus to the offensive group not only from a size and ability standpoint, but from a toughness standpoint."
What stands out to you about FIU and their defense?
"I think they have the 32nd or 34th returning defense in the country, I lost the stat off the top of my head. They're extremely athletic bunch of guys across the entire back end. The front seven, not only are they athletic, they play extremely physical. To start off the season with a defense like FIU, it's going to be a great opportunity for us and a huge challenge. This is a team that returns a lot of guys on defense and did very well last year on their defense. I know they're excited to play us. We're excited to play them. It's going to pose a huge challenge for us."
