Here are a few quick thoughts on media day before I get to writing.
Drink talked for close to 30 minutes and gave injury updates, coaching staff changes and talked about what the team wanted to focus on to start camp. You can find the notes on his presser here.
The biggest thing of the day that caught my eye was Erik Link moving back to Special teams coordinator full-time. He did that in 2020 and 2021 and had been doubling as the TE coach and ST coach for the last two seasons. I did talk to Link about the move and he more or less said the staff agreed as a whole that they can promote Derham and let Link focus on ST. With the new rules in place about the expansion of on-field coaching roles there isn't a need to stretch someone thin.
Link called "special teams a job in itself." He didn't seem like someone sad about the change.
The next biggest thing to me was how definitive everyone was about how open every spot is. Drinkwitz said the OL competition is wide open and honestly, my first thought was, "Is it open?"
It's coach speak. They want everyone to compete and if everyone feels like there are spots on the line then maybe they will compete harder (that's my guess). Anyway, when Drinkwitz said it was wide open and then OL coach Brandon Jones concurred, I noticed how they genuinely believe they have great depth. Sure, are Marcus Bryant and Cayden Green probably going to start? Yes. But the team seems high on players like Jayven Richardson and Mitchell Walters. Bryant and Green will have to earn their starting roles even though they're favored to win the roles. Two years ago when I started this job I don't know if Drink and staff felt that way about the OL.
First interview of the day I did was with Brett Norfleet. He was admittedly nervous for his first interview but he handled it like a champ. Talked to me about what happened last year as far as how he played and what he wants to work on during camp, which is basic TE stuff. Catching the ball and run-blocking. Kirby Moore said he believes Norfleet has gained so much confidence in the last year. Norfleet's a real chill guy. A "laissez-faire" type of demeanor is how Moore described him. But he said once Norfleet gets on the field he's a whole different guy.
It's possible the LB room could be an LB by committee. That doesn't mean it will.
LB coach DJ Smith said that what drew the team to add Khalil Jacobs (South Alabama), Corey Flagg (Miami FL) and Jeremiah Beasley (Michigan) was "speed and athleticism."
He said he noticed Jacobs flashing while watching tape with DC Corey Batoon after the latter had just been hired. He pointed out Flagg's experience and production at his last stop. Also said, "I think he ran a 4.51 (40-yard dash) this offseason. He called Flagg a physical and violent tackler who could play middle linebacker or weakside linebacker.
Mentioned how Beasley played two ways in HS and that he was a 2,000-yard rusher in high school. Beasley played more RB than LB in high school but Smith believes he can help Beasley make the transition. Smith himself did that same transition and he believes Beasley’s speed will carry over to the defensive side of the ball.
Corey Flagg told me before he even thought of leaving Miami he saw the adversity Brady Cook endured on social media (he indirectly referenced the booing of Cook during the K-State game) before he had a really solid 2023 campaign. Flagg admitted to going through stuff of his own in his life so when it came to joining a new team in the transfer portal he wanted to be a part of this brotherhood.
Spoke briefly with new DE Zion Young and he loves it at Mizzou. That was evident. I asked who he gravitates to and he could've named the entire team if he wanted to. That was the big thing for him. It seems like the big thing for most newcomers who come here is family or the brotherhood. It could be coach speak but too many players seem genuinely happy to be here for me to believe that's 100% the case. The players actually like the coaches and other players.
I got plenty of interviews and I have a lot of writing to do so I will save some of the stuff for the stories. It wasn't a wild media day. Nothing too crazy happened but it was a media day. The season officially starts for real this time.
The first practice begins tomorrow morning.
Drink talked for close to 30 minutes and gave injury updates, coaching staff changes and talked about what the team wanted to focus on to start camp. You can find the notes on his presser here.
The biggest thing of the day that caught my eye was Erik Link moving back to Special teams coordinator full-time. He did that in 2020 and 2021 and had been doubling as the TE coach and ST coach for the last two seasons. I did talk to Link about the move and he more or less said the staff agreed as a whole that they can promote Derham and let Link focus on ST. With the new rules in place about the expansion of on-field coaching roles there isn't a need to stretch someone thin.
Link called "special teams a job in itself." He didn't seem like someone sad about the change.
The next biggest thing to me was how definitive everyone was about how open every spot is. Drinkwitz said the OL competition is wide open and honestly, my first thought was, "Is it open?"
It's coach speak. They want everyone to compete and if everyone feels like there are spots on the line then maybe they will compete harder (that's my guess). Anyway, when Drinkwitz said it was wide open and then OL coach Brandon Jones concurred, I noticed how they genuinely believe they have great depth. Sure, are Marcus Bryant and Cayden Green probably going to start? Yes. But the team seems high on players like Jayven Richardson and Mitchell Walters. Bryant and Green will have to earn their starting roles even though they're favored to win the roles. Two years ago when I started this job I don't know if Drink and staff felt that way about the OL.
First interview of the day I did was with Brett Norfleet. He was admittedly nervous for his first interview but he handled it like a champ. Talked to me about what happened last year as far as how he played and what he wants to work on during camp, which is basic TE stuff. Catching the ball and run-blocking. Kirby Moore said he believes Norfleet has gained so much confidence in the last year. Norfleet's a real chill guy. A "laissez-faire" type of demeanor is how Moore described him. But he said once Norfleet gets on the field he's a whole different guy.
It's possible the LB room could be an LB by committee. That doesn't mean it will.
LB coach DJ Smith said that what drew the team to add Khalil Jacobs (South Alabama), Corey Flagg (Miami FL) and Jeremiah Beasley (Michigan) was "speed and athleticism."
He said he noticed Jacobs flashing while watching tape with DC Corey Batoon after the latter had just been hired. He pointed out Flagg's experience and production at his last stop. Also said, "I think he ran a 4.51 (40-yard dash) this offseason. He called Flagg a physical and violent tackler who could play middle linebacker or weakside linebacker.
Mentioned how Beasley played two ways in HS and that he was a 2,000-yard rusher in high school. Beasley played more RB than LB in high school but Smith believes he can help Beasley make the transition. Smith himself did that same transition and he believes Beasley’s speed will carry over to the defensive side of the ball.
Corey Flagg told me before he even thought of leaving Miami he saw the adversity Brady Cook endured on social media (he indirectly referenced the booing of Cook during the K-State game) before he had a really solid 2023 campaign. Flagg admitted to going through stuff of his own in his life so when it came to joining a new team in the transfer portal he wanted to be a part of this brotherhood.
Spoke briefly with new DE Zion Young and he loves it at Mizzou. That was evident. I asked who he gravitates to and he could've named the entire team if he wanted to. That was the big thing for him. It seems like the big thing for most newcomers who come here is family or the brotherhood. It could be coach speak but too many players seem genuinely happy to be here for me to believe that's 100% the case. The players actually like the coaches and other players.
I got plenty of interviews and I have a lot of writing to do so I will save some of the stuff for the stories. It wasn't a wild media day. Nothing too crazy happened but it was a media day. The season officially starts for real this time.
The first practice begins tomorrow morning.
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