Virginia offensive coordinator Des Kitchings recaps UVA's third practice of fall camp.
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00:00 >> We're gonna practice 15 coming out of spring.
00:02 So that's growth.
00:03 The gains the guys have made additionally showing up, they look more physical.
00:09 And we just gonna keep stressing them mentally every day and they're responding.
00:13 >> In talking to Ravel, I wanna say he seemed almost really relieved after
00:18 the first practice kind of physically being able to, that he felt like he could
00:23 do it, have you seen a difference between them just this week or
00:27 what is it then confidence wise?
00:29 >> Injury like that, there's a mental confidence that goes along with it and
00:34 there's an athletic confidence that goes along with it.
00:36 And combining his time away from the injury,
00:39 the time he's put in with the trainers, the strength coaches.
00:42 He has a lot of confidence in his leg and now he's having mental confidence.
00:46 So we've seen a better Ravel than we saw in the spring.
00:49 Now, is he a finished product?
00:50 Nope, nope, nope, he's still got work to do, but there is improvement with that.
00:54 >> Yes.
00:55 >> Your numbers are running back or better.
00:57 How is it this past spring, where is your running back from that?
01:00 And what have you seen there?
01:01 >> It's a daily competition, it's a constant rotation.
01:05 No one has emerged, so we're waiting to see that.
01:08 Who's gonna take it and emerge, it's practice three.
01:10 They had to show the pads off for the first day, so
01:12 now you can really start to see how does a running back separate himself.
01:16 He sat there in the helmet.
01:17 So tomorrow we come back, get some more work in, and
01:20 hopefully we see somebody start to separate themselves from the crowd.
01:24 >> Coach. >> You guys talked about
01:25 challenging Mike Collins.
01:26 >> Yes. >> Have you seen him kind of
01:27 continue that progression that you guys saw in the spring?
01:30 >> I think he's kind of where he is.
01:32 We left off in the spring, wanna see more from him, honestly.
01:35 And that just goes to the whole group, with all the guys, right?
01:39 Whether it's Paris or whoever's in the room, they all get an opportunity to show
01:43 that they're consistent in what we ask them to do and being a physical guy.
01:46 >> Coach, speaking of running backs, obviously, you get asked this a lot, but
01:50 so much of that has to do with the O-line.
01:52 Where are we at in terms of O-line?
01:54 >> We have more bodies, so that's a positive.
01:57 Then we've had in the spring.
01:59 So it's just kind of getting those guys to gel, right, with the group.
02:02 Because what, two of them only played together in the spring, maybe three.
02:06 So we're trying to get that group of five, hopefully we get that set,
02:09 eight or nine guys that we can get to work together in jail.
02:11 So again, it goes into the first few days just in the helmet.
02:15 They're synchronizing and working together.
02:16 Now we get the pads on, and we're playing with good leverage, or hand placement,
02:21 those type things.
02:21 Are we setting right a pass protection,
02:23 the things we need them to do at a high level for us to win.
02:26 >> Coach, talk- >> [INAUDIBLE]
02:29 >> Yeah, so Cody's still finding his way,
02:32 right, cuz he joined us in the summer.
02:34 So he's kinda got integrated in the team, didn't go through a spring practice,
02:38 hadn't been coached by us.
02:39 So the first day, you can tell he's trying to figure it out.
02:42 Each day, he's starting to have a little more presence.
02:44 Today benefits him cuz he's a physical guy, so he's got some shoulder pads on.
02:48 So hopefully we start to see more of that coming out of him.
02:51 >> Coach, talk a little bit about your selection being on the Coalition Academy.
02:55 How did all that come about?
02:56 And just talk about the value, Coach Elliott was a part of the academy too.
03:00 >> Yeah, honestly, I don't know how it came about.
03:04 I'm thankful for that.
03:05 I received the email from him.
03:07 I know Coach Elliott was a part of that group, asking for me to join.
03:10 Honestly, I was honored to do that.
03:13 Had a conversation with some of the leaders of the group,
03:19 Desiree, Rad, Coach Locksley with that.
03:24 So looking forward to what that program entails here over the next calendar year.
03:29 >> It's difficult with new staff, but have you seen anyone that you haven't
03:32 expected kind of emerged student-wise in a leadership role?
03:35 Cuz being vocal in practice when you're also still trying to learn,
03:39 how's that process been?
03:40 >> It's not a new guy, but just cuz he wasn't with as much of his brain.
03:46 Having Derek Devine out there, very comforting.
03:49 Cuz obviously he's an older guy, experienced guy.
03:51 He has some confidence with him.
03:54 Grant Mish out of my room, he's an older guy, but
03:58 he's not stepping into that role in that fashion.
04:01 Other than that, he was still trying to figure out.
04:04 >> How important that we need to do?
04:07 >> It's very important.
04:08 We need more than one guy on the offensive line.
04:11 We need more than BA, we need more than KT.
04:14 We need more guys to really step out of this shadow here and step to the front.
04:19 >> [INAUDIBLE] >> Yeah, I tell you, John's a smart guy.
04:25 He's a utility guy.
04:26 He's already played a couple positions for us in the practice.
04:29 It's really good to have.
04:30 We'll keep pushing him and mixing some things up in the rotation and
04:34 seeing, is he in our top five?
04:36 Is he a sixth guy?
04:37 He has some swing to him.
04:38 So it's a great benefit to have right now.
04:40 >> With the O line, is it kind of daily you're mixing and
04:43 matching to see exactly what you have and how it fits together?
04:46 >> Early on, we kind of set it and try to work a group.
04:49 And then the next group, who emerges out of that, and
04:52 they earn an opportunity to kind of get into that group.
04:54 Does the guy in that first group not do as well and kind of rotate in there?
04:59 It's competition, right?
05:00 Every day is competition, and that's the coach's best point.
05:03 >> [INAUDIBLE]
05:13 >> Yeah, I think they picked up where they left off.
05:14 We've had three good practices in the pass field stuff.
05:17 I'm excited to go watch this film now that we have some pads on,
05:20 get some inside run, see how they did the run fits.
05:23 But we got some movement, had a couple good runs down there inside the front.
05:27 I'm running behind those guys, but very excited about the opportunities.
05:31 Especially coming out of spring ball and
05:32 kind of seeing how they got some touches, right?
05:35 And moving forward with that.
05:37 >> [INAUDIBLE]
05:41 >> Yeah.
05:41 >> You've seen him a couple of days now.
05:42 >> Yeah.
05:42 >> What are your impressions?
05:44 >> Like they said, Billy has the ability to make some plays.
05:46 We're managing him, all right, cuz he hasn't played ball in a while.
05:49 So we're not just gonna blow him up in the first three days of practice.
05:53 But the times he's been out there and doing what we ask him to do,
05:55 he's done a good job with the ball in his hands.
05:57 But he's also trying to pick up his learning curve because he missed
06:00 the spring as well with this.
06:02 >> Anything else?
06:06 All right, coach, thank you.