Coordinator Speak: Andrew Thacker on GT's D 9/1

Georgia Tech defensive coordinator Andrew Thacker feels much better about his 2020 defensive unit after a strong showing in last Friday's scrimmage. He talks about what he liked about Friday's scrimmage and the versatility of some of the positions groups as the Jackets build depth for the upcoming season. Here is what Thacker had to say on Tuesday.

On turning the defense loose on Friday in the scrimmage

"So the way coach Collins structured the scrimmages we've had two main scrimmages where they've been out getting live reps. We've had an opportunity to tackle to the ground. Since we were being protective of our guys on the first scrimmage we were very static, in terms of our defensive structure in our scheme. So those are base fronts, base coverages, that is designed for who can play blocks, who could play base defense, who could tackle, obviously from the other side of the football, who could throw, who can catch, who can break tackles in those situations so we're able to see that we were very simple in those in those settings. So that was a great observation tool for us.

A little more of our personality defensive structure-wise is to have movements, whether it be front movements or bringing people from the second level and being a little more exotic. I say the word exotic but we have a base defense but (Coach Collins) allowed us to open up the playbook.

To your point, we were able to be a little more of our personality and doing that, that allows us to create more negative plays and to get the offense behind the sticks a little bit. So us playing our personality. How we moved, I think we had more confidence. I think as a defense we played better in the same sense I was much more pleased with violence with effort, violence, energy, and just the contact piece of it.

I thought in the first scrimmage. That was on the front end of us tackling as well. So, we can work a billion tackling drills then you get to a live setting, and you get to the moment of truth is the word that I use a lot the last time we had that opportunity so to speak. The moment of truth was a little more catchy, a little more soft a little more uncertainty.

The second scrimmage I think we got back to just playing fast-playing more violent while using technique and effort, and it was a much better product out there by the defense.

Coach (Collins) set up an unbelievable environment for a Friday night football we ere out in Bobby Dodd, we had some of our new little cool things in the stadium with lights and music's and it was a cool game-day atmosphere and just the energy picked up. But again, back to the point Kelly, I think just opened up the playbook a little bit allowed us to move which is more personality, allow those guys to have more confidence to play faster, and it showed up on tape."

On where the three freshmen linebacker are developmentally

"I saw progress and saw why we recruited them. Why did we recruit them? They are the right type of dudes and then they have playmaking ability.

Okay, so in that scrimmage again, we had an opportunity to literally play every single player on the roster and get those guys live reps. So the three guys that we brought in, Tyson Meiguez, Khatavian Franks, and then Khaya Wright''s also playing linebacker and being a flexible guy for us as far as a pass-rush specialist. So those three guys were able to get a moment of truth. Of those three all three showed positive things and all three showed why they're freshmen again always talk about bridging the gap and how difficult that is from high school to college, there's a large gap to bridge right there, but it is their mature approach that they've given themselves a chance.

In terms of assignment, being most competent and what they're doing right now, that's Tyson Meiguez. He's had an opportunity to get more reps with some and older groups because of his mature approach, knowing what to do, having confidence in those situations. And then now he's got to bridge the gap with those moments of truth versus elite backs, he had an opportunity to go tackle Jahmyr Gibbs and J.P. Mason, Dontae Smith and Jamious Griffin. So those are elite backs we've got elite running that room and having to tackle those dudes within the framework of the box and in space. We saw a lot out of those guys in those moments.

Somebody that had some just missed practices for smaller things was Khatavian Franks. He has had less reps. We got into a scrimmage setting and he showed up alright so now he's got to bridge the gap just with a middle piece of everything, but I'll share this information with you taken Frank's was at 17 live reps of the scrimmage and he made five tackles. That's almost one out of every three he's in there making plays where his playmaking ability again back to the original question was something that showed up and they tie it we've had an opportunity to let him play linebacker reps.

With Khaya, we went over pass-rush one-on-ones today, and I sent him over to pass rush one-on-one, just because he has that. Its his dominant trait, his edge rush is just a slippery mess. His ability just to attack in space out there so we've had an opportunity to put him in third-down packages and utilize his skill set and not just put him into a square peg."

On balancing preparation needs versus protecting the offense with live reps

"So, the controlled environments, you know, we will not do another thing where we'll make a big deal about it and have Friday nights under the deal and we're out there tackling, you know, our, our top four running backs we won't we will be doing that.

But control drills, I'm doing live drills with one running back and linebackers where they're short-area space, which where they have to have those moments of truth. When we go to the developmental team right that's our substitution for saying scout team, developmental so that coaches point they're not over there running cards and doing this thing on the card they're running their plays just guys that aren't up there with the above the line groups we're getting to play versus a solid group will have live periods, it'll just be one a day but we'll have live periods and then everything else.

We teach tackling. So, as defenses have kind of evolved, that moment of truth is critical and important, but the way that we teach tackling that rugby-style tackling has become this become popular, we call it near foot near the shoulder, you can get those reps on every single play in the third period and end up in dominant body position.

So we're critiquing those small little things. But to your point, until they got to a live scenario, they didn't feel that moment of truth. Now they've had gaps in their game they've made mistakes. So now in a controlled environment, they understand the urgency of coming into those reps. So control drills. And then one environment today to where they could get live reps and then teaching make them were micromanaging thuds."

On the freshmen defensive ends and how they fit into the defense right now

"They're developing they showed up. They showed up. So, Emmanuel Johnson has, they all have different skillsets which is the best part. Emmanual Johnson has been able to play five-technique and play inside at three-techniques so he's already given us multiplicity. He is mature he is strong heavy-handed he gives us an edge right there.

Kyle Kennard has the most pass rush ability of the three, and then Jared Ivey has given us some flexibility playing that rush position and playing the defensive end. I think he found a better home, getting down into a three or four-point stance and being heavy-handed to be in a five-technique. He just gives us a certain amount of length and body space, and just disrupting and messing the throwing out of the quarterback that you can't coach or teach so that it's neat that all three of them kind of have a dominant trait now.

They're bridging the gap to be total players. They've been developmental but at some point they're going to be able to help us, and then Emmanuel Johnson with incredibly mature approach having some flexibility. Khaya has run off the edge speed pass rusher third down and just as just shown up on one on one pass rush which is, which is great for him."

On the nickel position

"So coach (Nate) Burton has the nickels and the safeties in the same room right now so he's doing a great job of managing them. We don't just give lip service to position flexibility. So Kaleb Oliver, Wesley Walker, Charlie Thomas, Jaytlin Askew all played multiple positions for us. So nickel, free safety, strong safety and then Jaytlin still goes over and plays corner as well

All four of them have had a billion rips at the nickel position, also our scheme gives us like it's flexibility, obviously, Jaytlin Askew has a different skill set than Charlie Thomas. As far as what can we do, is it more of a Sam linebacker overhand or we can do our base nickel stuff. Is it a true nickel position? Coach Collins when he was at Florida he had Duke Dawson, who was a draftable corner but played the nickel for him.

So what that allows us to do our scheme and build a game plan we have a base defense, we have a dime defense and then we have a third-down Prowler defense. All of those guys give us a skillset. Is it difficult to give them all one reps with that A-group, the first group that goes out there. They've done a great job of competing having the correct attitude and being selfless at that position, and the competition has been great.

So all three of them. all four of them, have you know skill sets that are different. And then you'll definitely see Kaleb and Wesley Walker also within a game get safety reps as well so that they're not pigeonholed to just being stacked behind each other at nickel.