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Natalie Wright
Football
Ray Fink
Q&A with offensive line coach Ryan Pugh
What about this group has impressed you so far?
The competitive spirit. We've got what seems like eight guys that have started. I know, seven guys that have started multiple games. I'm talking three or four starts each. We had young guys, like Joziah Fogle, who played some significant snaps in significant games, meaningful games. It's kind of weird because it's a mature group, but when you look at how many years some of them have left to play, they're still a young group. But you mix in a couple of the seniors who are older veterans that
that been around the block; they provide that maturity level in the room.
But I think the thing that I've been impressed with so far is just their daily work ethic; to get better and compete with one another; and to really push each other to be their best. They know I'm hard on them because I want them to achieve their best each day. With that competitive spirit and them not having complacency when they could; not being unmotivated when they could be – that speaks to the level of young men that they are and their character and their discipline and their toughness. They want to be something special.
What are a couple of things you've emphasized so far in camp?
We're really focusing on the little details. Last year, being my first year with the group, everything was new. You know, every day was kind of a new day to them. And I joke with them that every day can't be Christmas morning. You can't wake up wondering what Santa brought. That's been good this year, because the second time around, all the guys played for me last year, and were here last year, they were able to understand things on a higher level. I ask a lot of them and to do things that maybe not everybody in the room had done before or had the same experience. You know, with the transfer portal; the way it is these days, some of the guys I'm coaching have had two or three o-line coaches in college. There's definitely a barrier there at first. This year, I've been able to emphasize and see a lot of growth in technique, fundamental understanding, true understanding of schemes on a higher level. They've been around me and we've been around each other, and we trust each other and we work well together in that regard. I've emphasized just getting really good at the details of things and understanding the how and the why behind every play we're calling.
With all of that experience in the room, what are your expectations of the returners?
Well, you know, it's a double-edged sword. It really is. You love having the experience back. You love having the returning starters back. But it does no good to have experience coming back if that experience doesn't want to work to get better. I love the experience. It allows me to sleep a little better at night. But, you know, we've still got a lot of things to improve on, in my opinion. I think we can achieve a lot more. There's a lot left out there. I'm always going to be honest with them and tell them when they do well. I also tell them when they mess up, correct it, tell them why, and that I'm going to hold them to a high standard. But I'm just continuing to push them to achieve the most they can achieve. It is our daily goal, not just being better than they were the day before because I think you can grow a little bit. But let's chase
perfection on things and let's see where we end up.
Who are some newcomers that are going to push their way into some roles?
You know, we signed three high school freshmen, Colter Lynch, Ford Ivey and Jamie Johnson. We signed a graduate transfer from the University of Houston in Carson Walker. Those four have really embraced the opportunities they've been given here in training camp so far.
Carson's got a little bit of a leg up on the young guys because he was here in the spring, so that always helps. Carson being a little bit older, a little bit wiser, having a little bit more experience, has put himself in a position to be a little bit ahead of them. We don't necessarily have a depth chart. We're just competing to be our best and see who can be in the top five, top 10, top 15, whatever it is. And we'll see how it shakes out from there. But I really focus on just the development of each player and the chemistry among the guys out there.
They play a lot of different positions. I mean, we have several guys who are going to play two or three positions in any one practice. There's not really anybody who just plays one position. It's a different philosophy. It's a different style. But they've embraced it. And they've begun to see the improvement that they're looking to have.
Who's emerging as leaders in this group or continuing to lead?
I think definitely Jacob Thielen and Reese Moore are the first two that come to mind. I believe they've earned the respect of not only the offensive line room but the locker room and the offense as a whole for a lot of reasons. They're great young men. They're good leaders. Their work ethic is tremendous. They've earned their respect, but they've also gone out and performed at a high level. That's what's been impressive with those two.
We're always pushing for more leadership. It seems like, as coaches we're never satisfied. The moment you get complacent is the moment you get passed by. I've seen a couple of other guys, whether it be Tay or Alan or Femi, or, Rafiti. Dylan Howerton. I mean, it's a unique group. We have a lot of fun, but mostly we have fun because these young men work hard, and they come in with a great attitude every day, willing to learn. That's all I want it to be. If they don't enjoy coming over here and learning and growing and playing well, then then why do we do it?
UP NEXT: Coach Devonte Danzey talks about the tight ends
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