Chinander pleased to see Knights don pads
UCF defensive coordinator Erik Chinander isn’t fond of practicing without pads.
So Monday morning came as a relief when it was the first time this spring that the Knights were in pads.
“Sometimes the players like to be in helmets, but I don’t like the underwear Olympics very much,” Chinander said. “It’s kind of fake football. I’d rather be in full pads. I don’t care if we tackle. I don’t care if we take people down, but I like to see people strike.”
Chinander’s emphasis for the spring is to mold the defense into a physical unit. It’s hard to do that when hitting is at a premium, but he’s adjusted.
“It’s just a different tempo, more violence on the perimeter, more violence on the inside whether we’re going all the way to the ground or we’re staying up,” Chinander said. “I just like to practice in pads more than being in helmets.”
It’s also different for the players.
Prior to Monday, running backs and wide receivers could run all over the field without worrying about getting hit. However, getting smacked in the mouth separates you from those who shy away from the contact.
“You definitely see the guys who want to hit and guys who don’t,” linebacker Shaquem Griffin said. “You get a better feel for the team and that’s the good thing about having pads. Every day as we go on with pads on, you can see the guys starting to form and shape up.” wide receivers.
To see the field, you better be a willing blocker.
“That’s one of the biggest things coach Frost told us if you’re not going to block you’re not going to catch the ball,” wide receiver Tre’Quan Smith said. Smith is no exception. The 6-foot-1 redshirt junior led UCF with 57 receptions for 853 yards and five touchdowns in 2016, but he’s not focusing on how to become a better receiver. He has the natural tools to do that.
“A majority of my blocking is not up to par, but that’s [what] I feel like I gotta improve on the most and everything is going to come along after that,” Smith said.
As a unit, UCF’s receivers are adjusting to Frost’s demands. Opening holes for the Knights’ running backs on the perimeter clears space for the offense and sets up the play-action passing game.
“We’re preparing ourselves and [we’re] really buying into the process right now,” Smith said. “I feel like a lot of guys are really starting to understand. Paying attention to detail. We’re moving a lot faster than last year because guys are really understanding what to do this season.”
Kyle Gibson is no longer the greenhorn in the locker room.
After waiting his turn for two years, the junior defensive back is expected to be a leader in the secondary.
Gibson played in all 13 games last season but had limited production. He had 25 tackles and only one pass breakup and zero interceptions.
His production should increase with the uptick in playing time.
“Being behind Shaquill [Griffin] and D.J. [Killings] and Drico [Johnson], I was always behind that group,” Gibson said. “Me, Tre Neal, Rashard Causey came in together, so it’s time to lead the group of guys that we have and it’s time to take our next step.”
Replacing those three guys won’t be an easy task. Griffin, Killings and Johnson formed one of the top units in the AAC.
“[We’ve] got a young group, so I think we’re all just trying to learn and get on board together,” Gibson said. “Everybody is trying to improve. It’s a new group of starting guys and we’re just trying to pick up from those last guys. I guess find our own step.”