Fall Camp Notebook: Week 3

Jimbo Fisher addressed the press during week three of Fall Camp, spending about 20 minutes at the mic Thursday afternoon inside the Kyle Field Media Center.

Some of the highlights are below in our Fall Camp notebook. Videos below of Jimbo Fisher, Fadil Diggs and Jaylon Jones are available as well.

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Fall Camp: Week 3 Press Conference Notebook

• Fisher opened by discussing how these are the “true days” of camp...half done, half to go. Guys are learning to fight through the physicality, the “nicks and nacks” as he calls them, bruises, sores etc. He’s pleased with the progression of the young players as well as the older guys, where more and more leadership is emerging.
• Last Saturday’s scrimmage, the first of the fall, went well. “I was pleased with a lot of things, but, we were inconsistent in a lot of things. We’re always looking for more consistency...alignments, assignments and techniques, and making sure we are dotting Is and crossing Ts before we move on.” Fisher thought both sides made plays during the scrimmage as well. “It was very competitive. It got physical. There were some really good hits. Plays made on offense, plays made on defense.” He called it a “typical first scrimmage.”
• When asked if he expects to know who the starting quarterback is after this coming Saturday’s scrimmage, Fisher said: “I’ll wait and see. We’ll see how the scrimmage goes. You could...you could not. We’ll wait and evaluate that as we go. I’m not putting a timetable on it.”
• Fisher said at this point, he does not anticipate any of the injuries will keep players out of the opener. “Not that I can see right now. I won’t ever put a timetable on it, but I don’t see that happening right now.”
• After losing NFL first-rounder Kenyon Green, Fisher says he’s been very pleased with the progress of the guard position, and the offensive line in general. “(Jordan Spasojevic-Moko) has done a tremendous job. He’s getting better and better. (Aki Ogunbiyi) has done an unbelievable job, he’s playing as good as anybody. He’s really, really talented and playing really good up front. He can play guard or tackle. Of course, (Layden Robinson) is in there. (Matthew Wykoff), man, he’s done a really good job. He’s playing really good football--playing center, playing guard. I’ve been really pleased with him. He’s improved a lot in how he’s playing and his consistency, and how maturity has helped him.”

• New Jersey product Fadil Diggs made his media debut just before Fisher--you can watch that below--and Fisher was adamant about Diggs being a really good leader and example of the type of player who can make a difference in the program both on and off the field. “I mean, he’s a guy who works, says yes sir, no sir, and what else can I do? He’s always helping those young guys know how to go about business on a daily basis. His work ethic, technique, toughness...I think he’s doing an excellent job. He’s a great example of the effort and toughness you want to play with, and he’s there every day. Every day. I can’t say enough good things about him.”

• The final scrimmage of the fall comes up this weekend. One of the biggest things Fisher will look to work on? The “shot clock”, as he calls it--getting plays and calls to the players, communicating on the field, things like that. “You’re worried about getting plays in, not getting delays, substitutions, no self-inflicted wounds...those things are all critical.” And then between the white lines? Fisher wants to see the execution go up. “Understand what you’re trying to accomplish on every play, grow in knowledge of the calls, and also our situational football. Plays are different based off the objective of whatever the play is. Understand and get a better grasp of that--on offense and defense--and putting yourself in a position to make better plays from a mental standpoint and then finishing it out physically.”
• When asked who has surprised him or stood out to him in the first few weeks of practice, Fisher pointed out a lot of the veterans on the roster. His point was how time in development, and the maturity gained as you stay in a program, can make you an even better player. “Those guys that stay around now? Three years, four, even five? It’s amazing how few mistakes they make and how good they can play. You grow that potential. Maturity does make a difference in how you play and the consistency with which you play...they keep developing knowledge and experience during the time they’re here, and that’s critical.”

Up Next

• Texas A&M practices late Friday afternoon before taking to Kyle Field for the Aggies' final scrimmage of the fall on Saturday. All practices are closed to the public.