UAB OL Coach matt mccants gives update on group’s progress

By Steve Irvine

BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA - August 16, 2024

UAB’s offensive line continues to take shape during fall camp under offensive line coach Matt McCants. Brady Wilson, a Rimington Trophy Watch List member, anchors the group from his center position. McCants stopped after practice early this week to talk about the progression of his group.

What were your takeaways from the offensive line play during last weekend’s scrimmage?

“I thought we played hard, extremely hard. Obviously, we want to clean up some things from a technique standpoint fundamentally. I saw a lot of really good things that are promising, but the hay is never in the born. We were real critical on ourselves as a group on things that we know we need to get better on. So, as we get closer to that game, we're able to peak and we're not having to ease into it. We want to be hitting our stride by that first game.”

What are some of the things you need to get better at?

“Just continuing to play with each other and understanding that as we go the cohesion as a group has to continue to build. You've got guys who are playing with each other for the first time. So, just being able to understand and have that cognitive feel for understanding of what's going on together. That's coming, but that takes time. The more reps together, the more comfortable they get with each other. You can almost get to a second nature thing where you're not even having to make calls. Getting those guys to that point where they're almost reading each other's mind, if that makes sense.”

Who are some of the guys who have stepped up in this camp?

“I have a handful of guys, but the guy that stands out is J.D. (JonDarius Morgan), who had to miss spring with a health deal that has since been resolved. He has come out and took in the steps and has really progressed to a point where now he's fluid with a lot of things. Actually, you can see him over getting some extra work. He's one of those guys who works hard and I’m super proud of him. I can go down and list the guys. Brady Wilson, Trey Bedosky, Quez Yates, who has improved  since last year and has played really good football. I have to mention Zaire Flournoy as well, who missed all of last year with the Achilles deal and came back strong. Obviously, getting him back has bolstered our offensive line.

Seeing those guys play extremely well and then also the guys that have been there, our young guys, Delano (Townsend), Jordan (Hall), Logan (Moore). Those guys have been really progressing well, so it's been really good to see. Also, Baron Franks, who has just got here. He's come in at the later portion of things, but has been able to step up and play when needed. He's been able to do that at a multitude of positions, from tackle to guard to center. So it's been exciting to see all those guys work together and get better each day.”

Finding that rotation is always important in fall camp. How many players do you think is an ideal number for depth purposes?

“Well, you know, our ideal number is, you know, 15, 16, 17. You want to have every guy in that room be able to step in because, as you know, football is a game where injuries happen. If you look at last year, you know, offensive line was kind of that room that kind of got decimated a bit. To be able to have those young guys be able to, you know, channel their mind to be able to say, hey, I'm one player way, even if I'm not really, but I want to always frame my mindset and prepare in a way that you never know when it's your turn. And so when it is your turn, be able to go in and perform at a high level and that's what it's about.”

 You talked about Brady Wilson a minute ago. From your experiences what does it mean for an offensive line to have a great player at center?

“We definitely are blessed to have a great one, man. It's kind of like that, that, that spike that, that holds everything together. He's the cog in the middle. He kind of calms the storm if things are kind of getting rattled out there. He's able to calm those guys down and from a leadership standpoint, he's a guy that's been there, done that. So, he knows what to expect and to be able to be that type of leader to rally the guys up. Because I always say a good leader is not only a person who is establishing himself with good character, but a person who can make the people around him rise to the occasion as well.  Brady is definitely that guy, just super happy and super blessed to have him.”

 With Trey Bedosky, going through what he did physically, do you see a spark from him now that he’s healthy?

“No doubt, I definitely have seen that spark. Trey Bedosky is a guy that I trust more than anything, man. He's a guy that you know you can depend on. You know what type of guy he is, and he's played a lot of great football. So to have him back from injury, back in my opinion stronger than he's ever been, it just solidifies that position for us in the offensive line. To have guys who have been there, done that, who are tough, smart, and physical. And guys, that most importantly you trust. To have a guy like him, as a leader in the room, you talk about the young guys. He's a guy that takes the younger guys in this room up under his wing. He's a guy that comes and is talking to them, reminding them about what he thinks, because he was once young. To have a guy who's been there, done that, and is willing to bring those young guys along, man, I can't speak enough about him.”

Has playing against your defensive line made the offensive line better?

“Definitely. Iron sharpens iron. Because they really have some talented pass rushers and run stoppers over there. They have challenged us every day to work on our technique, to push ourselves, because those guys are playing at a really high level and it's only made us better. The type of players we’re going against now, it’s preparing us for what we're going to see in this conference and also what we're going to see when we play those out of conference matchups.”