Photo courtesy of Diego Besne

All About the Small Details Now

With the Knights now entering week three of the fall camp and with kickoff just a little over two weeks to go, it is time to hone in on the details.

With Tuesday being the only day we were gonna be able to see practice this week, it sure did not disappoint.

Across all positions- defense, offense, and special teams you could feel that the players are ready for game one.

However, some questions still remain as we get to the end of fall camp as it pertains to the offensive line, wide receivers, and defensive line. Those questions are still left to be answered before week one.

Sights From the Field

• Per usual, Barnett and Annett led the first and second teams out in opening scrimmages. However, we got to see Keyone Jenkins get in some reps at the end raising the questions about QB3.
• The secondary and the pass protection are definitely showing the signs of improvement compared to the start of camp.
• Quarterbacks got more work in with the running backs in the passing game, making it evident offensive coordinator Steve Cooper wants to see more out of their skillset.
• QBs also got in work with the tight ends to hone in on more and more technical things. Head coach Scott Frost even got involved in some teaching moments on some of the guys.
• Tuesday was a very physical day for Frost as he got hands on work with the tight ends and the offensive lineman.
• Most of the intensity came in the 1-on-1 drills with the DBs giving receivers a hard time and winning what looked to be 70% of the reps.
• One of the guys that clearly stuck out in these drills was defensive back DJ Bell as he had a couple of beautiful pass breakups. Which of course, earned an electric response from coach Overstreet.

Photo by Diego Besne

Coach Frost Focused on Strengthening Fundamentals

Frost said after practice that the main focus right now, before opening kickoff, is strengthening the fundamentals of what has been put in this group.

• Frost said that before focusing on specific opponent schemes, the team must increase intensity on basic execution because strong core techniques translate to any scheme.
• He also mentioned that he identified one or two inefficient areas for every position group and challenged players to refine those specific details and master their individual craft.
• He emphasized this with the offensive line, saying that doing tasks right reduces unnecessary mental mistakes like penalties, missing snap counts, or forgetting to key the football.
• Frost also mentioned that he views holding team standards like meeting team academic goals and avoiding lateness as fundamental habits that dictate how well the team will perform.

Photo by Diego Besne

Cushman On Strengthening the Offensive Line

We also spoke with Preston Cushman, who we haven’t heard from since spring camp, and he built on what Coach Frost pointed out about techniques. This time, more focused on the offense and the o-line.

• Cushman stresses that high execution begins by framing every single practice rep as a Big 12 championship moment, requiring players to bring maximum focus and detail every day.
• He also broke down his personal execution by focusing on micro-details day-by-day to improve himself along the line.
• In terms of the group’s connection, he said execution relies heavily on the chemistry between adjacent linemen, which allows them to detail pass-protection sets seamlessly with each other.
• Cushman also stated that coach Blazek isn’t installing anything super complex; the unit prioritizes mastering fundamental techniques and varied looks over overly complex schemes.

Photo by Diego Besne

Thomas on the Growth and Explosiveness of the Wide Receiver Room

Another face we haven’t spoken to since spring camp is wide receiver Duane Thomas Jr., and we got to do so on Tuesday. He broke down the growth he has seen from the receiver room up until now as well as how explosive they are.

• Thomas said the entire unit has made major strides in detail-oriented execution, with older leaders mentoring younger receivers who have quickly bought into coaching points and high team standards.
• He also stated the senior receivers set a tone early in practice that sustains through late reps, helping young playmakers like Tyren Hornes showcase their natural playmaking ability.
• Thomas also mentioned that he expects explosive output across both the run and pass game thanks to Barnett’s ability to act like a point guard, distributing the ball effectively to multiple targets on a single drive.
• He also said the offense’s big-play ability relies on small details like getting out of the huddle fast to read pre-snap looks, tracking post-snap safety movement, and driving hard out of route breaks.

Photo by Diego Besne