Two-A-Day on Greentree for Day 6 of #CanesCamp
CORAL GABLES, Fla. – The Hurricanes offense won the morning session of Miami’s first two-a-day practice, as #CanesCamp continued Tuesday on Day 6 from the Greentree Practice Fields.
The first practice lasted roughly 90 minutes, while the team regrouped later in the day for another 90-minute session.
“That was very exciting,” tight end David Njoku said about the morning win for the offense. “It’s always competitive on the field. You try to take it day by day, work to the best of our ability. Today, we came up with a win.”
Njoku said he is excited about his position unit, which provides the versatility that head coach Mark Richt and tight ends coach Todd Hartley are looking for in the offense.
“I think with our athletes [at the position], we’re going to have a pretty big role,” Njoku said. “We have Stan [Dobard], I always say this, but Stan is the leader. Chris [Herndon], the do-it-all. Then me, I have a little speed on me. With our newcomers, Malik Curry, Jovani Haskins and Michael Irvin II, everyone is working hard.”
Dobard was blunt in his assessment of Njoku, who led the unit with 21 catches and 362 yards as a redshirt freshman n 2015.
“He’s a freak,” Dobard said of Njoku. “He does a lot of things well. He’s also becoming a great blocker and not just a pass catcher. He’s becoming more of an all-around, complete tight end.”
Njoku, known for his 4.49-second speed in the 40-yard dash and impressive leaping abilities, said he owes his improved blocking abilities largely to strength & conditioning coach Gus Felder.
“It started in the weight room, just grinding every day during the summer,” he said.
The team will return for Day 7 of #CanesCamp Wednesday, where the offense will battle the defense in the first scrimmage of the fall.
Read on for post-practice commentary from student-athletes after Day 6 of #CanesCamp:
Tight End Christopher Herndon IV
On his role in the offense…
“I just feel like knowing more of the offense allows me to be more valuable to the team, not just for myself, it’s more than just me. They can use me on special teams, the more I learn and embrace the more beneficial I will be for the team.”
On the play of the team’s quarterbacks…
“I feel like they are all doing pretty well right now. They are getting in the playbook more and starting to use some of the little details with their foot work and throwing mechanics and they are all just getting better each and every day.”
On true freshman quarterback Jack Allison…
“He has a great arm, he can throw it deep and has feet under himself. If he ever feels like he has to scramble, he can get out of the pocket and beat a few people.”
On redshirt freshman quarterback Evan Shirreffs…
“He has a lot of hidden talent that most people don’t know about because he hasn’t really played much since he has been here. We all know what he can do and he is slowly getting better every day like everyone else is.”
On strength coach Gus Felder and nutritionist Kyle Bellamy…
“The biggest difference for me since they have started training us is my conditioning. We did a lot of team running on the weekend in the summer. I just feel like everyone on the team feels a lot better.”
Running Back Gus Edwards
On practicing in pads…
“It feels great. I feel a lot better than I did in the spring. I feel a lot more comfortable; I think I am at 100 percent right now. The coaches are pushing us a lot and I think everyone is taking it in. It’s been real fun.”
On his change in weight…
“I feel good; I feel just as fast, but at the same time, I feel I am in better shape now. I weigh 230 and my body fat is at nine percent.”
On the rotations in the line up…
“We are all getting a lot of reps at practice. As far as a rotation, it is all really up to the coaches, I don’t really have anything to do with that. I just come out here and practice hard.”
On his role in the offense…
“I am willing to do whatever they want me to do. I don’t think they plan on holding me back from anything. They have got me doing it all. I have been getting reps in just about every type of situation.”
On getting acclimated to tackling…
“We go against a tough defense every time we are out there. We haven’t really done any full tackling, but at the same time we are not backing down…If I can go against those guys, I can go up against anything.”
On freshman linebacker Shaquille Quarterman…
“Shaquille Quarterman has impressed me. He’s like the quarterback of the defense as far as I see it. I see him cornering a lot of things and he’s very vocal. He has impressed me the most.”
On freshman running back Travis Homer…
“Travis is a hard worker. He has taken everything he has learned and he’s moving fast. If he has questions he asks. He’s a good running back and adds a lot of depth to the back field.”
On the differences between running backs Joseph Yearby, Mark Walton and himself…
“I think we all bring different things to the table. Yearby is real shifty, he can catch the ball out of the backfield and he can do a lot of things. He’s put on some muscle weight and he’s really strong and leaner too. Mark is very slippery; he can break out a lot tackles. I think I am strong and fast.”
Tight End Standish Dobard
On fellow tight end David Njoku’s ability…
“He’s a freak. He does a lot of things well. He’s also becoming a great blocker and not just a pass catcher. He’s becoming more of an all-around, complete tight end.”
On tight ends coach Todd Hartley’s coaching style…
“He’s a real cool guy. He’s tough at times. We joke around, but when it’s time to work, it’s time to work.”
On what freshmen Michael Irvin II and Jovani Haskins have shown so far…
“They’re playing real hard. Right now they’re trying to learn the playbook, but as far as working hard they’re both doing real well.”
Tight End David Njoku
On offense ‘winning’ the morning practice…
“That was very exciting. It’s always competitive on the field. You try to take it day by day, work to the best of our ability. Today, we came up with a win.”
On what the team’s different tight ends bring to the offense…
“I think with our athletes [at the position], we’re going to have a pretty big role. We have Stan [Dobard], I always say this, but Stan is the leader. Chris [Herndon], the do-it-all. Then me, I have a little speed on me. With our newcomers, Malik Curry, Jovani Haskins and Michael Irvin II, everyone is working hard.”
On the key to improving his blocking in the offseason…
“It started in the weight room, just grinding every day during the summer. It helped me a little bit.”
