Sophomore defensive end Jonathan Garvin has jumped some veteran players to work with the first team defense across from Joe Jackson early in fall camp. What did he learn from last season that has him prepared for a larger role in 2018?
“We dominated last year. Chad [Thomas] and all of them, they showed us how to do it. I thank them for it. We’re just going to carry on and do what they were doing and do it better if we can. We’re going to dominate.”
Garvin reported today that he is up to 6’5” and 252 pounds with his measurables. The second year player plans to use that frame to fight for his spot in the starting lineup during Saturday’s scrimmage.
“The competition, the emotion and how important it is to everybody,” Garvin said on what he looks forward to in scrimmages. “It’s going to be a lot of fighting and showing coach what you’re about, what you’re made of and what you can do.”
The offensive line has received praise so far in camp after struggling this past spring, and Garvin gave his take on where the O-Line is at right now.
“I think they’re growing,” Garvin said. “The biggest thing I notice is tenacity and I mean you have to respect that no matter how it goes. They are all real aggressive. They’re doing well and will keep going.”
Who has given him the biggest challenge on the O-Line?
“Everybody. That’s where tenacity comes in,” Garvin said. “It’s more about effort than anything and the effort itself makes it tough, so then you have to keep on going and do it with technique.”
**Going into his redshirt senior season, OG Jahair Jones has yet to play a meaningful down at the University of Miami. However, Jones has held a first team job at left guard since the first day of spring ball. Jones says it’s the improvement in his off the field habits that have gotten him in position to start versus LSU in the opener.
“Just staying in my playbook, keep asking questions, keep going over film - changing my diet, sleeping habits, things of that nature,” Jones said.
What will he be thinking if he makes his first career start versus LSU?
“It’s like any other game. We have got to come out there and perform,” Jones said. “That’s all. Just come out there, do your best. And try and come out with a victory.”
Mark Richt spent the day praising the first string O-Line’s performance so far this fall for their ability to work together as a unit and Jones agreed with that assessment.
“We are meshing together pretty well,” Jones said. “You know, since Coach Searels shifted around us, a bunch of positions that a lot of people never played or regain to play again. But, you know, it’s meshing together.”
On senior transfer Tito Odenigbo, who Jones says has been the toughest D-Lineman to go up against: “He’s strong, he’s nimble, agile. It’s competition, I like it.”
**After Thursday’s practice, junior DT Patrick Bethel showed up to the interview session with his jersey ripped over the right side of his chest and nearly falling off his body. While he wouldn’t reveal who did it or how exactly it happened, Bethel said it’s emblematic of the level of competition on Greentree and simply part of the game.
“It’s just work. It’s going to happen. It’s football. Next play. Let’s go,” Bethel said.
Bethel came to UM to as a defensive end, then kicked inside for his sophomore season, receiving backup reps at DT behind two future NFL draft picks in 2017. So far in fall camp, Bethel has been holding onto a starting role, while guys like sophomore Jon Ford are pushing to usurp him. Bethel elaborated on Ford’s progress as well as the D-Line as a whole.
“I think he’s doing a great job,” Bethel said on Ford. “I think the entire line is doing a great job. We still have a lot of work to do, a lot of progress to make.”
What does the D-Line have to do to make that next step?
“I don’t think [the young players] are really intimidated,” Bethel said. “I think they are more anxious to get out here and work. I can see today that they are really getting better. As leaders, we just have to make sure we’re leading by example, correcting them where they need to be corrected and as a unit we just need to keep pushing each other. In the end, everything will take care of itself and then we’ll become better.”
The Canes had a sour taste in their mouths to finish the 2017 season, but have used the fuel of three straight losses to ensure that never happens to them again.
“Of course. We didn’t go out the way we wanted to,” Bethel said on last season’s ending. “We have to build on that and use that to drive us and do whatever we can to not go back to that feeling.”
The Canes will play their first scrimmage of fall camp on Saturday night, and the staff has said that’s when the most depth chart separation happens.
“I think everybody is looking forward to the scrimmage coming up,” Bethel said. “You get to play against the best. You get to compete, tackle, have some fun and it’s going to be exciting and fun.”
**Head coach Mark Richt said earlier today he is hoping to get the backups on the offensive line more cohesive and operating as a unit. Junior offensive guard Hayden Mahoney echoed those sentiments as the team readies for Saturday’s scrimmage.
“I am just hoping to build unison,” Mahoney said. “First, second team; third team, everybody. Just create three solid lines and just create good teamwork. Everybody is battling, everybody is competing. [Offensive line] Coach [Stacy] Searels preaches that, just ‘everybody compete every day.’ And that, especially Saturday, that is what’s going to be big for us.”
Mahoney has been working with the starters at right guard since the end of spring ball, but sees that one freshman on the line has been pushing for serious playing time.
“DJ (Scaife) has been doing really well,” Mahoney said. “He has been grading out well. And he is going to be a good player, he has done really well.”
Another newcomer is redshirt junior offensive guard Venzell Boulware, who transferred into the program over the summer as a grad transfer from Tennessee and is trying to steal one of the starting guard spots on the line. Mahoney updated what he’s seen from his backup.
“He is a good player, I like Venzell,” Mahoney said on Boulware. “You know, we help each other a lot. He is obviously an older guy, just like me. But, we help each other and we are competing every day. He is a good guy. He competes. He is good technique wise, good everything.”
“He’s adjusting well. The heat can get to people, but he clawed through it just like everybody does. Now he’s getting better. The first two days he had to get over that hump and now he’s doing really well.”
“We dominated last year. Chad [Thomas] and all of them, they showed us how to do it. I thank them for it. We’re just going to carry on and do what they were doing and do it better if we can. We’re going to dominate.”
Garvin reported today that he is up to 6’5” and 252 pounds with his measurables. The second year player plans to use that frame to fight for his spot in the starting lineup during Saturday’s scrimmage.
“The competition, the emotion and how important it is to everybody,” Garvin said on what he looks forward to in scrimmages. “It’s going to be a lot of fighting and showing coach what you’re about, what you’re made of and what you can do.”
The offensive line has received praise so far in camp after struggling this past spring, and Garvin gave his take on where the O-Line is at right now.
“I think they’re growing,” Garvin said. “The biggest thing I notice is tenacity and I mean you have to respect that no matter how it goes. They are all real aggressive. They’re doing well and will keep going.”
Who has given him the biggest challenge on the O-Line?
“Everybody. That’s where tenacity comes in,” Garvin said. “It’s more about effort than anything and the effort itself makes it tough, so then you have to keep on going and do it with technique.”
**Going into his redshirt senior season, OG Jahair Jones has yet to play a meaningful down at the University of Miami. However, Jones has held a first team job at left guard since the first day of spring ball. Jones says it’s the improvement in his off the field habits that have gotten him in position to start versus LSU in the opener.
“Just staying in my playbook, keep asking questions, keep going over film - changing my diet, sleeping habits, things of that nature,” Jones said.
What will he be thinking if he makes his first career start versus LSU?
“It’s like any other game. We have got to come out there and perform,” Jones said. “That’s all. Just come out there, do your best. And try and come out with a victory.”
Mark Richt spent the day praising the first string O-Line’s performance so far this fall for their ability to work together as a unit and Jones agreed with that assessment.
“We are meshing together pretty well,” Jones said. “You know, since Coach Searels shifted around us, a bunch of positions that a lot of people never played or regain to play again. But, you know, it’s meshing together.”
On senior transfer Tito Odenigbo, who Jones says has been the toughest D-Lineman to go up against: “He’s strong, he’s nimble, agile. It’s competition, I like it.”
**After Thursday’s practice, junior DT Patrick Bethel showed up to the interview session with his jersey ripped over the right side of his chest and nearly falling off his body. While he wouldn’t reveal who did it or how exactly it happened, Bethel said it’s emblematic of the level of competition on Greentree and simply part of the game.
“It’s just work. It’s going to happen. It’s football. Next play. Let’s go,” Bethel said.
Bethel came to UM to as a defensive end, then kicked inside for his sophomore season, receiving backup reps at DT behind two future NFL draft picks in 2017. So far in fall camp, Bethel has been holding onto a starting role, while guys like sophomore Jon Ford are pushing to usurp him. Bethel elaborated on Ford’s progress as well as the D-Line as a whole.
“I think he’s doing a great job,” Bethel said on Ford. “I think the entire line is doing a great job. We still have a lot of work to do, a lot of progress to make.”
What does the D-Line have to do to make that next step?
“I don’t think [the young players] are really intimidated,” Bethel said. “I think they are more anxious to get out here and work. I can see today that they are really getting better. As leaders, we just have to make sure we’re leading by example, correcting them where they need to be corrected and as a unit we just need to keep pushing each other. In the end, everything will take care of itself and then we’ll become better.”
The Canes had a sour taste in their mouths to finish the 2017 season, but have used the fuel of three straight losses to ensure that never happens to them again.
“Of course. We didn’t go out the way we wanted to,” Bethel said on last season’s ending. “We have to build on that and use that to drive us and do whatever we can to not go back to that feeling.”
The Canes will play their first scrimmage of fall camp on Saturday night, and the staff has said that’s when the most depth chart separation happens.
“I think everybody is looking forward to the scrimmage coming up,” Bethel said. “You get to play against the best. You get to compete, tackle, have some fun and it’s going to be exciting and fun.”
**Head coach Mark Richt said earlier today he is hoping to get the backups on the offensive line more cohesive and operating as a unit. Junior offensive guard Hayden Mahoney echoed those sentiments as the team readies for Saturday’s scrimmage.
“I am just hoping to build unison,” Mahoney said. “First, second team; third team, everybody. Just create three solid lines and just create good teamwork. Everybody is battling, everybody is competing. [Offensive line] Coach [Stacy] Searels preaches that, just ‘everybody compete every day.’ And that, especially Saturday, that is what’s going to be big for us.”
Mahoney has been working with the starters at right guard since the end of spring ball, but sees that one freshman on the line has been pushing for serious playing time.
“DJ (Scaife) has been doing really well,” Mahoney said. “He has been grading out well. And he is going to be a good player, he has done really well.”
Another newcomer is redshirt junior offensive guard Venzell Boulware, who transferred into the program over the summer as a grad transfer from Tennessee and is trying to steal one of the starting guard spots on the line. Mahoney updated what he’s seen from his backup.
“He is a good player, I like Venzell,” Mahoney said on Boulware. “You know, we help each other a lot. He is obviously an older guy, just like me. But, we help each other and we are competing every day. He is a good guy. He competes. He is good technique wise, good everything.”
“He’s adjusting well. The heat can get to people, but he clawed through it just like everybody does. Now he’s getting better. The first two days he had to get over that hump and now he’s doing really well.”
