Spoke with RB coach Jafar Williams for a feature I'm writing about the running backs for our next magazine. Though it's pretty clear Knox and Green are the top two at this point, Williams had good things to say about early-enrollee Markell Jones.
"He flashed some things in that first scrimmage. So if he continues to develop and grow, I have no problem starting a true freshman, lining up against Marshall."
Then I mentioned that Jones has to understand what's happening first, right? Because Jones didn't run routes or block at all in high school, and he admittedly was behind early in the spring.
"Yeah. (laughs) The thing I was happy to see, though, after the scrimmage, I felt like he made progress. He was far behind before the scrimmage, and then I think he started to play faster after the scrimmage because I think he started to take it more serious. Because it’s hard to play fast when you don’t know what to do. When you’re indecisive, you can’t play fast. He didn’t look fast. I think he was learning the tempo we practice with, at least in our group. It’s a fast tempo, it’s full speed, it’s finishing 20 yards down the field every single play. That’s conditioning, (No.) 1, but it’s also setting a standard. We’re not going to be a group that gets through the line of scrimmage, the whistle blows and then we’ll stop. No, we’re going to finish on the field every single play."
"He flashed some things in that first scrimmage. So if he continues to develop and grow, I have no problem starting a true freshman, lining up against Marshall."
Then I mentioned that Jones has to understand what's happening first, right? Because Jones didn't run routes or block at all in high school, and he admittedly was behind early in the spring.
"Yeah. (laughs) The thing I was happy to see, though, after the scrimmage, I felt like he made progress. He was far behind before the scrimmage, and then I think he started to play faster after the scrimmage because I think he started to take it more serious. Because it’s hard to play fast when you don’t know what to do. When you’re indecisive, you can’t play fast. He didn’t look fast. I think he was learning the tempo we practice with, at least in our group. It’s a fast tempo, it’s full speed, it’s finishing 20 yards down the field every single play. That’s conditioning, (No.) 1, but it’s also setting a standard. We’re not going to be a group that gets through the line of scrimmage, the whistle blows and then we’ll stop. No, we’re going to finish on the field every single play."
