Football Offseason Update: Jimbo Fisher

Coach Fisher addressed the media Thursday to provide an update on offseason workouts and discuss various parts of the program. Watch through the video link above. 

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Right now we're proceeding through some of our offseason workouts. Today we gave you just a glimpse of some of the things we do, the drills for the development of our players, not only physically, but mentally, psychologically, all the different drills and things we do. There's a lot of physical development in that too. Our guys are working hard. I like the offseason, the way it's going right now. Spring ball is just a few weeks away, so one more good week of this and then we'll have spring break and get back and after two days of kind of getting our feet on the ground will hit spring ball.  That's gonna be here quick. I've been very pleased with the guys' offseason, working hard.

Are there a couple of veterans you've noticed taking major steps forward?

You know something I've taken a lot out of a lot of those guys. Not just them, our young guys have jumped, our older guys, and I think they understand now the importance of how we do things and why we do things and the culture we're trying to create. I couldn't sit here name just a couple guys I've been very pleased with, there's a lot of guys. 

Who's been the most impressive of the eight early enrollees? 

All eight guys have come in and acted like they've been here two years. Did you notice any of them out there dragging or doing anything? And it's been that way from day one. It's been one of the most amazing things. All eight are very mature I think mentally and psychologically...it's not just physically but accept all the changes and have adapted very quickly. I've been very pleased with all of them. 

Do you think DeMarvin Leal is going to play in the spring?

No he won't be in spring drills because of that he had a very slight tear in his cartilage but they could sew it. By sewing it they they keep you out longer that way you don't ever lose the cartilage, so he'll miss the spring, but he'll be ready for camp, If it'd be one they'd clipped he'd have been back in two weeks. But you know he did that so we elected to sew it so he'll be fine.

What's his role going to be like in the fall?

Oh I have no idea, we will have to wait and see. He's a great player we were very happy to get I think one of the top players in the country so now hopefully he'll make an impact on us. But I mean I can't say that till he goes out and plays.

Bobby Brown played a lot of end but how impressive does that guy look?

Oh boy. He'll be on the outside and the inside. I mean he'll play out there but he'll go inside too and maneuver and  move around. He's 328, 330 pounds that can move and run. That group up front looks really good. 

Is one of the guys you're impressed with this offseason Jerry Schmidt?

Oh yeah. The guys in our offseason have done a great job. He's got those guys looking well during our weight conditioning program and the guys have bought into it. I mean they're not fighting him on it. We've been very pleased. Jerry's done a tremendous job. There's a reason why we went and hired him. 

What was the reason for going after Joe Jon Finley? 

A tremendous, tremendous coach. His players are very productive everywhere he's been, at not just catching the ball but I mean complete players. He himself was a great player, they had great knowledge of this state. He and his dad, who was a legend, a great coach in this state. He had eople connections. So I think from a recruiting base, from a cultural fit, from a coaching standpoint...and I think he also even though he's a tight ends coach he has a big-picture view of the game. He understands the game like a coordinator does and I think brings a lot to the table for us.

How do you feel about the way Anthony Hines is moving around?

Those guys coming back? I mean you see him, Chapman, KK, I mean all those guys are moving and there's a couple other guys in there that are getting back into the flow of the drills now. They won't be maybe full contact but they'll be out there in yellow jerseys, participating, taking reps, doing things. Their recoveries have been tremendous.  Not only our strength and conditioning but our medical staff have done a tremendous job. Dan Jacobi and the doctors have done a tremendous job of getting those guys ready. 

How good did Anthony look before he went down and how much will you guys lean on him this fall? 

Well he's gonna hopefully play. He was playing really well. He was having a big role in the things we were doing and really picking up the the defense. He's an athletic guy that can run and hit you, a very smart guy. 

Where's the battle for backup quarterback with Nick Starkel gone now?

We'll see when we get on the field. They're running now, I can't be with them, but I mean you got James and Zach and all those guys will be in there mixing and getting after it. It's gonna be a good battle, it's gonna be interesting and that's a very important part of it, who can establish that or maybe two of them can establish themselves.

Now that you've got him on campus what are your impressions of Zach? 

Very intelligent, workaholic, competitive, competes very good, fits right in, can change direction, very athletic. I mean he can throw it but he can move, he can change direction, stick his foot in the ground. Very intelligent, picks things up very well in our meetings, when you're talking to him and have a conversation, the questions he asks, how he relates, I've been very impressed with it. 

How's the transition with the new offensive line coach? 

Oh Josh has been great, I mean he and I had been in the system before. We've coached before together. We were at LSU many years ago and Josh is a very accomplished line coach but also a very accomplished coordinator. When Missouri went to two SEC championship games he's calling the plays for that. He's recruiting well, he's doing a great job, the transition's been very easy. 

What are the things you're looking for in sessions like today?

First of all is what we always talk about, toughness, effort, discipline, pride and grit, but also today was more of an agility day, balance, body control, being able to stick your foot in the ground, changing direction,  accelerate in the other direction, or up, or whatever you got to do and then develop the lower body. Football's a lower-body game, lower-body flexibility. It's played low to high and you've got to be able to stick your foot in the ground, change and be explosive from the ground up with knees bent, trying to do that at full speed with technique and controlling your body as you're doing it. I think two things, one we're understanding how to lift and we're doing that, and two we're understanding how to eat better. I think we're understanding being disciplined on where we have to be weight-wise, whether we're gaining whether we're losing, and the importance of and also identifying the weaknesses in whether we need upper body strength or lower body strength. I think we've identified those and had enough time to work at it. Our strength and conditioning staff, our nutrition staff have all done a tremendous job in that regard and then also I think our players are buying into the whole process. 

How important was it to keep Mike Elko this offseason?

Oh it was great. I mean the continuity, Mike's one of the best defense coaches in the country. I wouldn't hire him if he wasn't. But to be able to keep him, and the continuity we've got going in the second year, that's tremendous. We're blessed to keep him for sure.

how do you feel about the player leadership this offseason?

Love it. Guys are taking ownership. As you saw today you didn't hear me yell one time. I haven't been that way this whole camp, from time to time you have to get on a guy here and there and remind them but then soon as you go other players are tapping guys on the shoulder. I think they're accepting that it's their team and they're trying to take it over. You see a multitude of guys doing it. Guys are learning to communicate with each other and what I mean by that is some guys get offended when another guy gets on you. But no it's just part of our culture. Hey pick it up, let's go, move on, and the guys not only leading better but accepting leadership better that's a big part of it too.

Is there something Mike did that first year that really impressed you?

He coached really well. I mean I think he gets the overall picture and I think he understands how to strategically plan. He understands how you know if they've got advantages against your safeties or against your corners or against your linebackers, how to cover that up and and also still stay physical. I think he does a great job of stopping the run without exploiting the same guy in the secondary all the time, which makes it tougher on the offense to attack. 

The loudest you got today was praising Baylor Cupp on that blocking drill...

He's one of them, one of those young guys. They are very receptive and have an eye on how they mature and how they're going about their process. I've had a lot of young guys come in sometimes and they look terrible out there, which you expect, as an adjustment time, but especially jumping in when you don't have a bunch of other freshmen with you that are kind of as I say the lost ducklings on the side. You're with a bunch of upperclassmen and they fit right in, but Baylor has done a great job physically and mentally. 

Has Leon O'Neal been able to carry the bowl game into the offseason?

I tell him, all you gotta do is listen. No, I teased him about that. But you know something, I'm never around a guy who...I think part of that is he loves what he's doing, he loves to play ball, he loves people, his communication skills...I enjoy the heck out of Leon. But he is improving, he got stronger, faster and I'm looking forward to a good year from him.

What have you seen from Micheal Clemons?

He came back in bowl practice he was looking really well. You can see the physicality, the strength and now he's healthy and he's sticking his foot in the ground and running. You see his body, he's big,  strong, fast...he's gonna be a great edge guy for us, no doubt.

Why was he out?

He broke one of those little bones in his foot and those bigger guys, the bigger you are like that sometimes it takes longer for those little bones to heal because you got so much more pressure and then a guy that's athletic like that there's a lot of force behind it. He's 275 pounds, so that's a different force.

Do you get a sense that your guys are excited for the start of spring ball?

Yeah I do, I really do. I think they're looking forward to it and I think they feel confident and they know what to expect this year. They're coming in now, we had success at the end of last year, we had a solid season, and I think their assignments, the culture, how we work, what we do, what we expect...there's a comfort zone there. It's not a comfort zone where I'm relaxing, it's a comfort zone of okay I understand what they want now let's go get better. 

What about you? Has it felt like a smoother offseason for you?

Oh much better, because just of knowing what to do, and the players accepting the accountability part of it. I mean you sense that from them.