The Hurry-Up: Volume 2

NORMAN – As the Oklahoma football team wraps up its first week of preseason practice with an off day on Thursday, take a look inside camp with the second edition of The Hurry-Up, featuring cornerbacks coach Roy Manning, tight end Grant Calcaterra and defensive back Brendan Radley-Hiles.

Roy Manning

What are you seeing from your guys so far in camp? “I think the guys are really excited to get back to doing football. They had what I thought was a great summer. They did a great job of improving strength and their weight and their numbers. You're hoping that all transitions into camp. These guys haven't put on pads in a while so getting back out here, I think they've just been bouncing around and they're excited. It's been fun to watch.”

What, specifically, are you looking for out of your group? “Hands down, consistency. Schematically, those guys really, with the exception of the freshmen, should have a pretty good grasp of what we're doing. So for me, I'm just looking for consistency every day. Anyone can come out here and have a great practice or a great period of practice and things like that. I know we're on to something when we're doing it consistently day-in and day-out. Not just on the field, but off the field, in meetings, all those different things. Those are the things we're really trying to work toward before Sept. 1.”

Have the players shown improvement since spring and are they grasping the concepts of the defense that you're teaching them? “They are playing with more confidence and playing faster because they do know what they're doing more and understand more after 15 practices in the spring and all summer working with each other. I do think there's a different level of confidence that way. Once you give them what they need, get out of their way as a coach and let them play with their athletic abilities and their talents, those things start to shine through. I think those older guys are trying to do a great job of leading some of the younger guys. We have a mixed room. I think those younger guys are pretty appreciative of how they're doing that.”

What does the term 'Speed D' mean to you? “That embodies a lot. One of the biggest things is, it's a style of play. It's a style of play that starts with guys knowing what they're doing out there. There's a big difference in being fast and playing fast, or game speed. We think our scheme enables guys to be able to play fast. Then, there's a demand on their effort to get to the football. That's not an every-once-in-a-while thing, that's every single play, every single period. It's part of our DNA, of who we're going to be. We're going to fly around. The idea is to play faster than our opponent. It's how close we are off the field, too. It's playing for the guy next to you and embodying those core values and principles that we're trying to instill in these guys each and every day, because here in another three or four weeks we're going to start those tests each and every week. To have a catch phrase or something that sounds good in the moment is one thing, but to really believe in it and live it and sustain it, that's a whole other thing and that's obviously the way we look at it.”

Junior TE Grant Calcaterra

A lot of new pass catchers are on the roster. What's your assessment of those guys so far? "I think they've done really well. A lot of them came in the spring and they had that baseline, but a lot of them have really improved here in camp. You see a lot of them catching the ball away from their body, making contested catches and holding onto the ball. So I think they're all improving. The dudes in my position room who are new, like Stog (Austin Stogner) and Finn Corwin, I've tried to take those guys under my wing and show them the ropes a little bit."

What differences have you noticed in the defense from the start of spring practice to now? "Much more physical, much more assignment sound, much more intense. There's a big emphasis on playing fast and finishing plays, so it makes it much harder on the offense. And that makes us better as well."

You have a new responsibility this year as one of the team's long snappers. How did that come about? "I long-snapped in high school and once our backup long snapper transferred from OU I knew it was something I could help the team with. I approached our long snapper, Kasey (Kelleher), and (special teams coach) Jay Boulware. I told them I'd do whatever I could to help the team. I spend time on it every practice. While everyone is stretching, Kasey, some of the other long snappers and I get some reps in. I also did some work over the summer to get ready for fall."

You've played in a lot of big games in your first two years and had a lot of big moments. Any of them stand out to you as favorites? "I guess I would have to say the catch against Texas last year because we won the Big 12 Championship. It was a big-time game, big-time moment, so that one probably stands out the most."

What do you remember about that play? "I just remember that if it was zone defense (the ball) was going the other way and if it was man it was coming to me. So I saw it was man and I saw that the safety had walked down on me. I just did what Coach Riley and Coach Gundy taught me to do — use my hands, get my eyes around and make a play. One thing we teach here is just playing though contact. I was being physical, he was being physical. We both wanted to make that play. It all just came down to making it."

Sophomore DB Brendan Radley-Hiles

What were your main takeaways from your freshman season? "Personally, the speed and the tempo of college football is much faster than high school. Guys are more physical. I had to adapt to the speed, make sure my eyes were in the correct places. In the offseason I made sure I studied those things and mastered those things going into my sophomore year. A lot of things have slowed down for me."

How are you a different player now than you were 365 days ago? "I would say I'm way more disciplined. More disciplined with my eye control, making sure I attack my specific assignment and not try to do somebody else's job like I used to do when I was in high school. At this level you just need to take care of your job and make sure that you just maintain your discipline and everything will be fine. The ball will come to you."

We're almost a week into camp. How has it gone for you personally? "It's gone well, it's gone well. I have to take a big step up. This first week I've been making sure that I'm disciplined with my feet, locked in with my eyes and know where I need to be so my team can succeed."

What's it like to play for new defensive coordinator and safeties coach Alex Grinch? "It's fun, man, it's fun. He allows you to be simple, to play fast. He doesn't have you thinking too much. He just allows you to have fun, play downhill. There aren't too many rules — he just wants you to do a couple simple things. If you get those done the ball is going to come to you."

Roy Manning

Junior TE Grant Calcaterra

Sophomore DB Brendan Radley-Hiles

Players Mentioned

Grant Calcaterra

Finn Corwin

Brendan Radley-Hiles

Austin Stogner

Sponsors

University of Oklahoma Athletics