White: British defense brings the right energy, practice approach

[ad_1]

By KEITH TAYLOR, Kentucky today

LEXINGTON, Ky. (KT) – Brad White loves the way the Kentucky defensive unit opened up fall camp.

“The energy in this squad is good and they have to keep it that way,” said White, whose team focused on the third held situations in practice on Thursday. “I expected it to be like this with the strong leadership that we have at all levels, with the mixture of adding (the) young people.”

Other Kentucky defensive staff, including defensive back coach Chris Collins, were impressed with the energy level of the preseason and added that “putting small things into practice” helps. to keep players active.

“It starts with the coaches bringing juice and energy to this group of positions and they challenge these guys and make them accept this challenge,” Collins said. “You have to be a little creative, but again, the competition often adds to that.”

White was also pleased with the team’s chemistry heading into the team’s Sept. 4 opener against Louisiana-Monroe.

“Young people feel like they can cheer on the old, and vice versa, older guys get excited about young people playing games,” he said. “That’s what is good but, again, there is still a lot to clean and fix. We are going to do it. I just like the energy.

Some newcomers have been impressive this fall, including first-year linebacker Trevin Wallace, who should give the Wildcats an extra boost amid the team’s defense.

“’He’s a smart kid,” said Kentucky linebacker coach Jon Sumrall. “He’s really, really smart. There’s a difference between understanding it in the classroom and applying it in the field, but this guy in the classroom is incredibly impressive.

Veteran DeAndre Square was also impressed with Wallace.

“He’s going to be a player,” Square said. “I like everything about him. I like its size. I like his confidence. He listens to everything. He’s not a guy who thinks he knows everything at a young age. He listens to everything. He wants to improve. I think he will be a big part of the defense this year and years later because he is a hard worker.

A week after the start of fall camp, White said it was too early to single out players who have made progress in training. He added that Saturday’s scrum will help staff provide a thorough assessment.

“There were a couple of guys who flashed, but to isolate one early… I really think you have to go through a scrum first,” White said. “Who can nail a running back to the ground in a live scrum when the ball is moving and there is tempo and who can really rush a passer? … Scripted training reps are different from scripted scrum reps. Tagging someone this early, I think, would be unfair to any of our guys.

On the other hand, White has said that Liam Coen’s offensive approach on a daily basis is “great for our guys.”

“I don’t see it as a negative, I see it as a positive, our guys having to adjust and adapt to things that are a little bit new,” he said. “I think it’s great for us coaches to adapt on the fly.

Keith Taylor is sports writer for Kentucky Today. Contact him at [email protected] or twitter @ keithtaylor21.

[ad_2]