WATCH: Durkin addresses media for second time during spring ball
COLLEGE PARK, Md. -- Maryland head coach DJ Durkin met with media for the second time during spring ball ahead of the Terps' sixth spring practice.
Watch Durkin discuss the team's progress as well as some of the early standouts in the video player below or you can read his full quotes from earlier below that.
Opening statement:
“Looking forward to practice six. It’s going really well. I’m liking where we’re at. Our team has a really good workman’s attitude to practice day to day. We’re getting better offensively and defensively, making each other better. Special teams is doing well. We’re going to get out there today and scrimmage a little bit, which will be good. It's the first time we’ve done that (this spring). Overall, I’m pleased. I’m looking forward to today.”
On being indoors for practice:
“I think they like it in here. It’s great. We can kick, we can punt, there’s nothing we can’t do in here. We’ve got plenty of room on the sidelines so we can scrimmage or do any type of drills. It’s been great for us, especially on some of these really windy days, it’s hard to get stuff done in the throw game and all that. To be able to come in here and have this option I think it’s been tremendous for us in terms of getting stuff done. Obviously, whenever we’re able, we’ll be back outside. But at least for the time being, the weather that we’ve had so far, it’s been great for us.”
On RB Jake Funk:
“Jake’s doing great. What we’re doing offensively really helps Jake as well as our whole running back room because we’re able to utilize those guys a lot more in different ways. Jake’s doing a lot of things for us, as always. He’s one of those guys that can play about anywhere you want him. He picks up on it and does really well. He’s playing a lot of positions for us. He’ll certainly be a guy that’s in the mix a lot for us, offensively.”
On if the running backs will be used more as receivers:
“Yeah, in a lot of ways. You look at our running backs and the depth of position… I mean we have a significant number of guys in that room that I feel are dangerous with the ball in their hands as well as can do other things. To me, as a staff, it’s our job of figuring out different ways to get them the ball. Get more than one guy on the field at a time, give them the ball in different ways to where they can utilize those abilities that they have. That’s one of the great things that [Offensive Coordinator] Matt [Canada] does, he’s extremely innovative, very intelligent in how he thinks things through. That’s what we’re looking forward to be able to do.”
On WR Rayshad Lewis:
“He’s got a great competitive spirit about him. He’s feisty, gets after it. He’s really good with the ball in his hands. He’s got a great short-area quickness change of direction. He’s doing really well. He had a great winter, a great spring for us so far. He’s a guy that we can use in some different areas. I think he can help us on both sides of the ball, as well. He’s got that ability about him.”
On how the offensive line is performing with two starters sitting out with injuries:
“It’s been good for us. Obviously those guys would like to be out there and we’d like them at certain times to be out there, but it’s been good for us. I feel we’ve got some really good young talent at the position. Young guys with limited snaps so the more snaps they get, the better they’ll be. Guys like Marcus Minor and TJ Bradley get great reps at tackle as well as Johnny Jordan inside and Jordan McNair. A lot of guys that we know we’re going to need and that we feel are really good players are getting the bulk of the reps and it’ll be good for them.”
On what he saw from Rayshad Lewis in the fall despite having to sit out:
“Rayshad saw a bunch of [reps] because he was on the scout team; he was ineligible to play. He was on the scout offense and he would go against the one DBs and the one defense all practice long and he did a great job. He’s got a quiet way about him but the guy is competitive, he’s got great confidence. He believes in himself and what he can do and he’s got really good ability. He went and played significant snaps as a true freshman at his previous school and did a great job. I don’t care where you are, what level you’re at, to go do it as a true freshman, you have something about you. He certainly does.”
On DB Marcus Lewis:
“Marcus has been great. He was another guy with us practicing last year so we kind of knew what we had there. We’re very excited about it. I think one of the best things about Marcus is how physical he is. He’s really shown up as a guy who’s playing physical in contact drills in that we always knew his speed, his coverage ability was there, that was another element that we never put him in those spots last year. Didn’t need to at the time. Now, he’s really proven himself that way.”
On how difficult it is for transfers to gain a leadership role:
“Yeah, sometimes. I think leadership – probably to me – falls more on just your personality and what you’re about. There’s certainly some of that when you come in from somewhere else until you find your way. Byron Cowart’s another guy that has transferred in; I think he’s really taken on that role. He’s kind of an old soul, he has that about him about him as well. He’s been talking a bunch with the offensive line. We mentioned some of those young offensive linemen that are getting reps, he’s talking to those guys and helping them along and they’re battling every day, going back and forth. I think that’s pretty neat, I’ve seen some of that.”
On WR Jeshaun Jones:
“Yeah, Jeshaun’s been great. He’s really come along. You see him getting better and better every day, more comfortable with learning the offense. I think he’ll be a guy that plays and helps us as a freshman. He has that ability about him. He’s got a great confidence about him, and he’s a mature guy. He’s doing well. Every day, he’s shown flashes of more and more. We’re going to keep giving him a bunch of reps and keep bringing him along.”