Date: 8/5
Time: 3:15-5:45 p.m. (CDT)
Place: James A. and Frances H. Yance Football Practice Facility
Practice attire: Helmets and shorts, no pads
Offensive Players of the Day: Jalen Wayne, Jr., WR, Mobile, Ala., and AJ Phillips, R-Fr., RB, Mobile, Ala.
-Offensive coordinator Kenny Edenfield on Wayne and Phillips: "In our first group today, I thought Jalen Wayne had a really good day. He made some plays for us today and he's really been coming on; we've had a lot of guys coming on here lately and making plays for us, but I happened to notice him today. With our second group, I noticed AJ Phillips making some runs. We just moved him to the tailback position and he did a really nice job."
Defensive Player of the Day: Patrick Rosette, Jr., LB, Richmond, Texas
-Defensive coordinator Greg Stewart on Rosette: "He made a lot of plays and seemed to always be around the ball. He really did some good stuff out there on the field. I'm really proud of him."
Play of the Day: Picking up where they left off in the 2019 season-ending defeat of Arkansas State, Desmond Trotter and Jalen Tolbert connected for a 40-yard touchdown pass in the middle of the first team period of the afternoon.
Team period highlights: There were two 15-minute team periods — both featuring approximately 25 snaps — with the first coming just prior to the middle of the session and the second closing out the workout.
Miscellaneous Notes
-The practice was split into two sessions, with the first group on the field for the first hour and the second unit working out the final 60 minutes.
-Trotter finished 11-of-16 passing combined in 7-on-7 skeleton passing drills and the team period.
-Jalen Wayne led all players the first half of practice with five receptions — highlighted by a 28-yard touchdown catch in 7-on-7 action — while Tolbert posted three receptions, and Nae'Saan Dickerson, Patrick Palmer and Keyshawn Woodyard added two apiece.
-Chris Henderson recorded the only sack in the first half of practice, with Joshua Carter and Jamall Hickbottom adding stops behind the line.
-During skeleton passing drills in the second half of practice Tylan Morton found Jamel Thomas, Christian Wortham and Ty Smith for long gains while completing 5-of-7 attempts.
-Thomas also caught a touchdown pass from Elijah Gainey in the same period.
-In the team period that closed out practice, Roy Yancey was credited with a pair of sacks and he broke up a pass on the final snap of the afternoon.
-Patrick Rosette broke up a pass in both the 7-on-7 and team periods in the second half of the workout, and he also had a sack.
-In between the two sessions, the trio of Diego Guajardo, Frankie Onate and Noah Karwacki combined to make 6-of-8 field-goal attempts from a variety of distances.
-All practices are closed to the general public.
Head coach Steve Campbell
-On the first day of practice and what he saw out on the field: "It was a good first day for us, it was good to be back out on the field. We've had the two-week period of walkthroughs and now we are into our real football practice. We're excited to be back out here and I liked the way our guys worked. You miss those 15 practices that you get in the spring, but normally there are three to four months between spring training and your first day of [fall] practice. I feel that we are actually further ahead 'X and 'O wise. From the standpoint of the physicality part of it, you missed four scrimmages and 11 practices in the spring, those are what you have to make up for; mentally our guys are ahead, and physically is where we have to catch up."
-On his expectations for the year: "I am excited about this group. We go into this year with every expectation to win the Sun Belt Conference. We know we have a lot of work to do and that it's not going to be easy, but the landscape of college football has a chance to change and we are excited about that opportunity."
-On what he sees in the Jaguar offense: "We have the most experienced group coming back offensively since I've been here. I feel better about our quarterback position than I have at any point since I accepted the job, we're deeper and more talented at receiver than what we've been and we'll be better on the offensive line. We have to replace Tra Minter but we have a deep stable of backs back there and I know somebody is going to step up and take charge there. Offensively we're much further ahead than we were at any point last year."
-On the Jaguar defense: "We're deep at linebacker and in the secondary Keith Gallmon has really taken a step forward. We're going to be young on the defensive line, but I like the talent level that we have over there."
Senior WR Kawaan Baker
-On the first day of practice and being back out on the field: "It felt good to be back out there after just having a long time of uncertainty [with the pandemic]. We didn't know when we would be able to get back out here on the field, but it felt great to compete and run around with my boys."
-On what he's seen in the way of improvements with the offense: "We've made a lot of improvements offensively from last season. Everyone is older and has another year of experience. We have some talented young players also. The quarterback situation is looking really good and competitive. Our receivers are competing and our offensive line is looking good. I feel like we've improved in every area."
-On what he wants to see more of out of himself this season: "I want to see myself finish more plays. I want to be able to break more tackles. I don't want to know just my position, but I want to also know what everyone else is doing in order to help the overall play. I want to help in anyway that's needed."
Junior CB Davyn Flenord
-On making making the adjustment to cornerback: "It's a lot of preparation, I will say that. In the time that I've been here I feel like I've gotten a lot better under [assistant] coach [Josh] Jones."
-On what he brings to the position: "A lot of excitement, some folks are telling me they are missing that on the other side of the ball. I just want to win games, and I feel like I can help on that side of the ball."
-On the excitement of the team's first practice: "Do you see my smile? We are ready to go, we're pumped. I wish we were playing tomorrow to be honest with you."
Senior DL Jeremiah Littles
-On the first day of practice and being back out on the field: "It felt really good to be back out on the field, everybody seemed excited to be back. We went several months without football and it is really good to get all the newcomers here along with the returners."
-On dealing with the uncertainty: "It was very difficult, but unity brings power and I feel we have that within this team. We've been able to use that throughout this process. I'm glad our guys have stayed focused and our coaches have been with us along the way."
-On how the defense has improved: "We've done well with our improvements defensively. We have a good mix of young and veteran talent. I'm excited about our defense and I feel we are going to continue to improve throughout camp."
-On what he wants to see out of himself in his senior season: "I just want to see more production from myself and be able to showcase what I've wanted to over these past five years. I just want to be a leader and win. I want to be able to bring a bowl win and a conference championship to this program."
Up next: The Jaguars will practice in helmets without pads for the second day in a row beginning at 3:30 p.m. Thursday
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