West Virginia head coach Rich Rodriguez addressed the media following the eleventh practice of spring football. WVSports.com provides a summary of what was said.
--Guys are working hard and they have some time left to evaluate. It was ugly today doing two-minute drills.
--There are still some concerns at certain positions on defense, but it's all new. There is not a guy over there that's returning that's really played.
--Rodriguez said they need some offensive linemen, defensive linemen, kicker, linebackers, running backs, etc. as he jokes about all the positions they need out of the portal. Quarterbacks and long snapper have been good.
--Rodriguez feels that they don't have enough bodies at wide receiver. They're getting better and getting confidence but they don't have enough bodies so they're looking at some guys and they will fix that.
--Rodriguez said that play makers aren't really showing up right now but it will come as they get more confidence. Rodriguez just wants guys that can run the system and better than others can run it.
--Rodriguez saw where Coach Prime brought up playing another team in the spring. You get so competitive coaches probably don't want a game that counts. He thinks the fans would enjoy it, but he's not really opposed to it but doesn't favor it. He's worried about players being poached if somebody stands out in it. He loves the model of being able to practice against somebody else if they cut the rosters down.
--Defensive backs have gotten better. The last couple practices have been getting better. they have to get some more wide outs to challenge them. They're doing a little one on ones and wide outs but there are some concerns with depth.
--The biggest benefit of guys following a coach is they know the terminology more than anything. A lot of techniques are similar from coach to coach but the terminology and schemes and they way they are called are different. Every one of the players from Jacksonville State have been yelled at quite a bit.
--Rodriguez isn't selective when he's yelling. They better not choose what they want to listen to because they're going to play and they're going to coach.
--There's a lot of things they want to work on and improve but they won't be soft or lazy. If there's one guy that is soft or lazy then they got to change it or can't play for the Mountaineers.
--Versatility is more important now with the roster limit than ever before. That's part of looking at their current roster as well as the future.
--Different terminology and different system than when he came in here the first time. It was a hard spring and a bad season.
--It was his team the day he took the job but sometimes the team changes. It's evolving. It's frustrating but it's a good challenge and a new challenge for him so he wants to accept that and try to win at it. He wants the team to be more competitive.
--The frustrating part is some of the younger guys that you could see in a year or two develop and that is still important but you have to make decisions to win now. That makes it hard when looking at some of the young guys.
--Rodriguez said it ticks him off that you're going to end up cutting walk ons as a former walk on. A lot of those guys are good players and are productive but because you have to cut the roster size they won't have a place.
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