Brian Ferentz Q&A

[Blair Sanderson]

OPENING STATEMENT

Talking about the offensive line to open, obviously we lost three players off of last year's team. We lost two guys that have produced a lot for us, played a ton of football. You're talking about guys that have started games over the course of four years, four seasons. And then Eric Simmons who had done a tremendous job in our program of providing depth throughout that time.

We lose three guys there, we bring back five guys that have game experience, which is a positive thing. Wasn't always positive how we got them game experience, but they all got it and they made it through. So we bring five of those guys back. After that, we've got 11 guys that haven't played as much but are all working into the rotation. So what I'd say is obviously you've got Cole Croston and Ike Boettger, we've listed them as the tackles. That's where they are working in the spring. We are excited to see them continue to develop.

Really Cole has probably played the most for us on the edge out of anybody. And then we've got Boone, and Keegan Render getting the reps with the first group on the inside, doing a nice job. Sean Welsh has slid over to center and has performed pretty well there to open.

James is missing time right now; James Daniels, obviously coming off the knee injury. So that's been a little bit disappointing for him but it's allowed some other guys to get opportunity.

And that next group, you've got guys like Ryan Ward, Dalton Ferguson, Steve Ferentz, guys that have been around for a bit of time that are now starting to emerge and get some work. You have guys like Lucas LeGrand and Ross Reynolds, new names, red shirts a year ago, and now coming off their second season into their second spring and making some progress.

After that you've got the freshmen group who continue to make strides: Brett Waechter, the Paulson twins and Jake Newborg and then Mitch Keppy, that's an unfortunate deal right now. He had a little bit of a setback with the foot and wasn't able to participate this spring, so he's had to watch it from the sideline.

That's kind of the snapshot of where we're at. We obviously have a lot of work to do. But we do return some good experience and we've got some good, young guys that we are excited about and with that, I'd open it up to you guys.

Q. What did you see with Boone to think he could make that move inside?
COACH BRIAN FERENTZ: Well, I know you guys get tired of hearing it, the best five and it gets repeated ad nauseam, but really it's the philosophy that we subscribe to here. It's what we believe in. What we are doing is trying to fit the pieces as best we can.

For us when we look at it, it's not always about who is the best tackle. It's more about who is the most capable of moving inside because it's a little bit different of a position as far as what we're asking those guys to do as far as covering ground, just athletically. Boone is a very gifted athlete. He's very explosive.

On the inside, typically you see us play with a little bit smaller guy than maybe we'd play on the edge. Part of that is just the level range that's required on the inside is a little bit different than the leverage that's required on the outside. We were covering more space.

As a 6-5 guy goes, Boone is as good an athlete as we have. So that was why it was a natural inclination for us to move him inside. But also, and I'll just -- I'm going to go off-topic a little bit on that because I think, and this bugs me even now.

You look at a guy like (Brandon) Scherff last year and there's so much made about, is he a left tackle; for the draft, you're going in the draft right now is this guy a left tackle, is he a right tackle, is he a guard, can he play center. Outside of center, you want some length on the edges. You want some guys that can cover space and play that position.

But I just think there's too much made about this guy is a left tackle, this guy is a right tackle. Everyone we play has good pass rushers and they can move from side to side I've noticed. Or you'll play a team like Michigan State where Shilique Calhoun is a field player for them. He plays to the field. So that means our left tackle and our right tackle have to block him and he's a premiere pass rusher.

They had Lawrence Thomas on the other side who is also a good player. But I know whether you're a right tackle or a left tackle, you're going to play against premiere pass rushers, guys that can get off the ball and rush the edge of speed. If you're a guard you're going to see pretty good pass rushers, too. Because defensive guys aren't dumb. They sit around, and they are going to find the weakest link and they are going to put the best pass rusher over that guy.

That's why you've seen the influx of our radar package, Wisconsin was really the first one in our league to go to that pretty exclusively on third down. It's also part of Michigan State's package. They have not used it as much because they have had really good edge rushers. But you look at the teams where they play some different fronts and mix personnel groups, that's just about creating match-ups and those can be on the edge or those can be on the inside.

Long answer to a simple question. But that's why Boone was moved inside. We just saw him as the most capable of moving inside. Not that he's not a great tackle. If history is any indicator, I think we'll see him back on the outside probably before the season is over, unfortunately for everybody.

 

[Blair Sanderson]

Q. Talk about Sean's development?
COACH BRIAN FERENTZ: It's been good. Sean's a natural football player, which is why he was a candidate to slide to center. If a year ago it was a concern about tackle depth, which that would be accurate, this year it's concern about depth on the inside. We haven't really addressed that. We haven't had to; we've had essentially two centers for the better part of six year, seven years.

So if you look at that and then Tommy Gaul slid in and did a nice job for us. But we haven't played a lot of centers. So all of a sudden, now we are looking at the first off-season where we don't necessarily have a guy there with a lot of experience, so you take a guy who is a natural football player like Sean, which is why he slid to tackle and why he's done some things for us. You slide him into center and really, you just count on his football aptitude to kick in because there's a little bit different when you're snapping the ball and you're blocking guys, that's a little bit different.

But he's adjusted nicely. There's some things that he still needs to work on. He's going to have to continue to work on those things but I'm pleased with his progress this far and if he can continue that progress, I think he's got a chance to be a pretty good one.

Q. When you say natural football player, what do you mean?
COACH BRIAN FERENTZ: I mean things happen very naturally for Sean Welsh. That is not a good answer to that question.

When you coach a player, there are certain players that are more instinctive than other players, if that makes sense. It's easy to see in a linebacker because linebackers come downhill and they hit the ball carrier, right, or they don't. And if they don't, then they are not very instinctive. It's harder to see in an offensive lineman because blocking people is not necessarily a natural act.

Run blocking is more inherently natural. You really are just asking guys to come off the ball and hit people, which if guys are football players, they are generally pretty willing to do that. Pass blocking is much more difficult because it goes against every natural instinct. There's nothing natural about pass protection. When you find a guy that's a natural football player, those things that seem a little bit unnatural just make sense to them.

And I think I've used the example before with you guys, Rob Gronkowski was that type of guy. He probably couldn't diagram for you or talk intelligently about it; all due respect to Rob, he is a bright guy. But football-wise, he wasn't going to be able to explain to you the difference between cover two man and cover two. But he would find the hole in the coverage and he would get open.

You may say, well, what kind of leverage was this, how did they play you and he would just look at you. And you would just say, well, that was good, do that again. So it was natural for him. That's all I mean with Sean.

Q. With Welsh, how many guys have you had that could play, potentially start games at guard, center and tackle, in basically a calendar year? It's pretty rare, isn't it?
COACH BRIAN FERENTZ: Since I've been here, this would be the first one. It is pretty rare. You look at guys, the only other guy that comes to mind and I didn't coach him, but has that kind of versatility and unflinching versatility, would be (Marshal) Yanda when you look at what he's done in the NFL.

I guess it was two years ago, they all run together for me, it was either last year or two years ago, I'm watching them play the Texans. Would have been bowl prep for us, late in the year, and their right tackle goes down. And J.J. Watt is having a field day anyway, but the right tackle goes down and they have to put a guy in that I think they had just activated him. He had been on the roster but he had not played.

So now this poor kid has to go in and block J.J. Watt and the next series which didn't surprise me at all, Marshal slid out to right tackle and they put the other guy in there at one of the guards. They shuffled the line and so I remember talking to Marshal afterwards and just saying, hey, what happened there. He said, hey, look, I wasn't going to get the guy go in there. The best thing for the team was for me to go out there and block Watt.

I think that's a little bit uncommon for a couple reasons in the NFL. No. 1, NFL players don't want to be embarrassed. These guys are in the business of paychecks and how it looks and how they play and how they are evaluated. And especially at that time, it must have been this year because they are not a playoff team. They were not even in the conversation. And most guys in the NFL wouldn't do that. They are waiting to get their golf clubs out and play.

So for Yanda to do that, I think that was really impressive on two levels. That's what Sean reminds me of as a football player. I'm not saying that he's a Pro Bowl guy or he's at that level, but as a football player, he's a team-first guy and he's willing to do things that maybe are a little bit uncomfortable because they come pretty natural to him and he doesn't give it a whole heck of a lot of thought. I bet you I was more nervous the night before the Northwestern game last year than he was. It didn't faze him very much. I was petrified. I was scared to death of what was going to happen.

Q. Austin Blythe, what do you see from him in the coming years?
COACH BRIAN FERENTZ: Yeah, I would draft him. Tough, dependable, reliable, experienced, smart, go down the list, athletic. And I know in the NFL they get caught up on measureables and value to the team based on what position. The guy can play center or guard and he's done it at a high level at a good program and he's got pretty good pedigree, I would take him.

I don't know where I would take him, I'm not a decision maker in that realm, first round, second round, third round. As a center, I would feel pretty good about him against the other guys that are out there, and I think I said that, last time I talked to you guys, December, or whenever that is when they voted for the Rimington and all that, for me he was the best guy. That's how I would answer that question.

Q. What about Jordan (Walsh)?
COACH BRIAN FERENTZ: I think Jordan will have a chance, I really do. It's a little bit harder for a guys that's really only played one position. I think that's probably the biggest knock on him. When you're an interior guy, if you haven't snapped the ball and you're not 6-5, that can be a little bit of a problem. But he's a tough guy. He's played a lot of ball. Same as Austin. He's done it at a pretty high level. He was an all-Big Ten player last year. He'll get an opportunity.

I don't know that he'll be drafted. I haven't seen that kind of conversation, but I know he'll be in a camp and he'll have an opportunity to compete and make a team. If you look at our guys that are in the National Football League right now, they all took a little bit different path.

Obviously Brandon was the fifth overall pick. You have Marshal who was the first pick of the third round. You had Riley (Reiff), you had (Bryan) Bulaga, guys that were other first-round guys. But we have a whole host of guys that were undrafted that finished the season on rosters last year, and some of them started games.

There's a lot of paths to the NFL, and I think if Jordan could get into a camp and showcase the skills he has, he'll have as good a chance as anybody else.

 

[Blair Sanderson]

Q. Last year you talked about Cole Croston as a walk-on needed to come through for you. He came through in a big, big way. What was maybe the tipping point for you?
COACH BRIAN FERENTZ: He was a walk-on. I know we awarded him a scholarship but to me if you come into this program without one, you're a walk-on till the day you leave here. And that's a badge of honor. That's a good thing.

Cole is a guy that traveled with us to Michigan his freshman year. He was red-shirting. We took him and Ryan Ward. We had some depth issues. Those two guys went, really had no intention of taking a red-shirt off of either of them but you never knew if it was going to happen.

He's been mature beyond his years since the beginning. He just physically had not caught up, came in, 220 pounds, probably will play next year somewhere around 310,315, so a guy that physically has matured a great deal. Even in the last year, he's really grown leaps and bounds.

But last spring he certainly made a case. He was in that competition for one of the tackle spots. I know you guys get limited glimpses of practice, and we're very aware of when you're there, too. So you don't always see what we're thinking about, and we all know the game gets played.

He was the guy that was in the competition and, in the end he we just felt like the other two guys were better options and that's the truth. Now, when we lost one of those guys, when Boone went down in the North Texas game, Cole stepped in and never stepped out. I think that's a credit to him. And what he did was he stepped in and he demonstrated to us that we had made a mistake. Not that necessarily he's better than anyone but he deserved to be on the field.

The guy started every Big Ten game and I would have put him up against most guys in the conference, I really would have. He's played on the right side, the left side. He just needed an opportunity. And some guys are that way. Sometimes the best thing for us is that we can't keep a guy out of the game because he goes in and he never leaves, and that's a good problem to have.

Q. The pass protection, there's so many variables to it, and easy to point to the offensive line to blame, I know it's not always that way, but pass protection; is that something you want to improve?
COACH BRIAN FERENTZ: Sure, you really did a good job of equivocating that question, too.

Well, we gave up 32 sacks last year, so we gave up seven in the bowl game. I think we gave -- we may have only given up three in the Big Ten Championship game but it sure felt like more than that. I'd like to sit here and tell you that they were all the quarterbacks, running backs and wide receivers faults but we all know that's not true.

I would say, yeah, absolutely, that's the No. 1 priority now outside of developing our roster and our depth is improving our pass protection. We went from two years ago -- I know in 2013, we ended up giving up 15 maybe, 15 or 16, including the bowl game.

So to double that number in two years, I think that's alarming and certainly when you look at what we did down the stretch, that's alarming. Two different things happen: I alluded to it earlier with some of the defensive packages, what defenses do a good job of now is isolating your weaknesses. Or putting their best guy on your worst guy in a match up. Same as you would do in the passing game or something like that.

So what happens to us a lot of times is in the Michigan State game, for example, our No. 1 problem in that game was hard rushes and that's not an indictment of the tackles. I mean, they are blocking NFL players and at some point if you play 70 snaps, you're going to get beaten.

Unfortunate thing is you may win 20 of your 22 head-to-head battles but the only two that are going to matter to everybody, including us, are the two you lose. What we need to do is probably give them a little more help. Do a better job of formation, chipping, motioning, some of those things, to protect those guy. I wouldn't put that on them. That was bad coaching in my opinion, starting with myself.

In the bowl game, I think what you saw more of was -- they did a very good job. They went back to the Wisconsin game, Wisconsin, Indiana a little bit, but those were teams that did a very nice job of -- you know, a lot of times, if you don't have just a great guy, you'll get into some games and movement and stunts and you'll find a way to get three-on-three but give yourself an advantage.

And they did a really good job of studying our protection, getting a bead on what we were doing, and probably again, bad coaching, we were maybe a little too predictable what we were going to do on third down from a protection standpoint and then isolating three-over-three with a game or pick or stunt designed to put stress on that. That's been a point of emphasis, and that's been something we've talked about in our room and went back and studied and looked at. Because I mean, I'll be willing to bet it's going to happen again. We open with Miami of Ohio; they have studied that tape. Iowa State is watching that tape. I know they are hungry to beat us. So they are watching that tape. North Dakota State certainly is not real impressed with anybody because they are a really good outfit; they have been watching that tape. Go down the list and then our nine Big Ten opponents are probably all studying that tape. Obviously that's been a point of emphasis.

Q. How much of a handle do you have on what James Daniels can give you?
COACH BRIAN FERENTZ: I think that's a fair question. Not a great handle because he's never played center. I think we've got a decent handle on what he is at guard, at tackle. Would have loved to have this time to work with him.

But going back to the bowl prep, we knew that an issue was going to need to be addressed, so we tried to make sure that we maximized our time with him when we were going to have him back in December. And practice and do those things so that we got a really good look at the center position.

But certainly, you'd like to have him out there on the practice field right now and in that developmental mode. We'll get him back in the summer and we'll go to work. I think we've got a handle on what he is as a guard. I think we have a handle on what he can do at tackle. Hopefully we don't need to do that again this year, but you never know. As a center, we'll give him more work in there.

It will just come back to the original point of what are our best five. If he is in that best five -- is he a guard, is he a center; I don't know that. We'll figure that out, and it depends on what Welsh does or doesn't do. There are too many variables right now. I'm just happy that we've got five guys that are practicing right now. I'm pleased with that.

Q. Is Render six at this point?
COACH BRIAN FERENTZ: I would say right now if I had to make a clear-cut declaration, that Render would be six right now. I think he knows that. That could change. That could certainly change by August. I'd like to play six or seven. We'd like to do that. We've preferred to do it in the past. We've been forced to play more than six before.

Six is a good number. If we can get six in the conversation where they have to be on the field, and then you can develop a little bit of healthy competition, I just think it raises everybody's level. It would be good for everybody. But right now that six is probably going to have to come on the inside because our third tackle is really starting at guard right now.