The Opening Drive 4/1: Observations from Spring Practice
A coach’s lens from the Woody—offensive and defensive takeaways that matter heading into the season
Before we get into it, I want to touch on why I make the trip down for Spring Practice. I go as a coach first—always—but I also go to learn from the best. When you’re around one of the top staffs in the country, you’d be doing yourself a disservice not to study how they operate. Every rep, every period, every detail is filtered through one question: what can I take back and use to better support the student-athletes I coach?
And there were a ton of little nuggets throughout the day—especially some specific drills that tie multiple facets of the game into one rep. The kind of work that maximizes time, demands execution, and translates directly to the high school level.
The organization, the tempo, the clarity—it’s all high level, and there’s something to pull from everywhere you look.
But for me, today, it came down to one thing: the attention to detail during the defensive formation recognition and communication period.
That stretch of practice can turn into a grind if you’re not intentional. It’s easy for players to lose focus. It’s easy for coaches to go through the motions. But when it’s paired with the offense lining up, breaking the huddle, and working through their checks and pre-snap reads, it changes everything. Now it’s not just a walkthrough—it’s competitive, it’s mental strain, it’s real football.
It forces players to stay locked in—and just as important, it forces every coach on the field to stay locked in too.
Offensive Takeaways from the Woody
Julian Sayin looks to be in full command of the offense. There are going to be natural hiccups learning something new, but from a leadership and ownership standpoint—no question he’s taking control of the unit.
Jeremiah Smith — short and simple: he’s the best player in the country. Different level.
Zone 6 (WR Room) is deep. This is not a one- or two-guy show. There’s real production across the board, and this group is going to require a rotation to maximize it.
Devin McCuin, Kyle Parker, Brandon Inniss, Chris Henry Jr. all made explosive plays throughout practice—against both first- and second-group defenses. The juice in that room is real.
Staying with the receivers, Brandon Inniss showed true leadership. While competing directly with Kyle Parker, he was actively coaching him up and celebrating his wins. That’s what a room-changer looks like.
Devin McCuin is a legitimate deep threat this offense needs. Multiple times during team periods he got on top of the defense—but the QB didn’t find him. That’s explosive production waiting to happen.
Brock Boyd is going to play. Period. Contested catches, route-running, consistent wins vs DBs—I texted Jeremy and Jake about an hour into practice saying he’d be the first freshman to lose his Black Stripe… and he did.
At tight end, Hunter Welcing flashed in the red zone. Made multiple contested catches in the end zone—reliable target in tight space.
Up front, there were a lot of different offensive line combinations. Looked like Philip Daniels was limited for a stretch, which slid Ian Moore to Left Tackle and Austin Siereveld over to Right Tackle.
Running back room is still finding its footing. You can see the pieces, but the consistency and identity aren’t fully there yet.
Scheme-wise, this offense is leaning into a more under center, pro-style approach. Heavy doses of 11 and 12 personnel, with structure, movement, and intent behind it.
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Defensive Takeaways from the Woody
The first thing that stood out — Coach Matt Patricia as a teacher. There was a period where he was breaking down the differences between Cover 1 Rat and Cover 1 Robber, along with the disguises tied to each. The energy he had when guys were able to echo his language and ask real football questions—that’s what it’s about. I may have been the only coach still locked into that period, but it was probably my favorite. Just a coach and his guys, talking ball.
On first glance, I love the depth of the defensive line. There are bodies… and there are dudes.
Beau Atkinson and Kenyatta Jackson Jr. were rolling with the first group at DE. There was a lot of positive buzz around Beau from a staffer I spoke with.
Kenyatta Jackson Jr. and Eddrick Houston are absolute units. Physically, they look the part right now.
The addition of pass rush specialist Joe Kim is going to pay dividends. You can already see the intent and detail in how they’re working edge guys.
Cincere Johnson is up next. I don’t know when he’ll lose his Black Stripe or how much he’ll play this season—but he is a grown man. Brought physicality and had a few big hits today.
Earl Little Jr. looks like the move safety in this defense—very similar usage to Caleb Downs. With Leroy Rokerand Jaylen McClain alongside him, that group got a lot of praise from people around the program.
Terry Moore has real range. Covers ground and shows the ability to impact the ball.
Cam Calhoun rotated in at corner when Jermaine Mathews Jr. bumped inside to nickel. There’s a lot to like there—definitely a name to keep an eye on.
Dominic Kelly and Blaine Bradford were two additional guys who flashed. Both showed up in different periods.
Scheme-wise, there was a heavy dose of Cover 3 (with disguise) mixed with 1 Rat. Clear emphasis on communication and post-snap picture change.
When they got into their Penny Front, Christian Alliegro moved out to the edge—and looked very comfortable doing it.
I will be heading back to practice on Thursday hoping to spend some more time with the offensive line.
Buckeye Film Breakdown will return soon with some fresh content.
