KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – With a strong core of returning leadership, as well as key newcomers looking to take on roles at the skill positions, Tennessee offensive coordinator and tight ends coach Alex Golesh is set to further develop the dynamic Volunteer offense in his second spring on Rocky Top. Golesh met with the media Saturday afternoon following the Volunteers’ third spring practice and first in pads.
Offensive Coordinator/Tight Ends Coach Alex Golesh
March 26, 2022
On evolving the offense…
“I think, being in in this league for a year now and having a really good feel for how people are going to play you, we’re always trying to attack from a multitude of different ways, from a tempo standpoint, a spacing standpoint. Now, how do we grow and change as people have a year on us? There’s going to be four new defensive coordinators that we have to play against. How will they attack us? Just continuing to create variation, whether it’s in tempo, whether it’s formational, but continue to create different ways essentially, at the end of the day, to get our playmakers the ball. As we study people in the offseason, we’re going to continue to grow. What are people like us doing? What’s going on in the NFL? What are they doing that’s been successful? I think we have to continue to evolve and change. We looked different a year ago then we did our last year at the previous place (UCF). At the end of it, who are our guys? There’s a bunch of new guys here. How can we get those guys the football and be successful? I think we’re going to continue to evolve, continue to change, with the core of it staying the same.”
On what he is looking for from the wide receivers…
“We didn’t play a ton of guys there. As the season went, we kind of settled in with who we felt really comfortable with and I thought we got better when we did that. Now, we have to replace a couple guys. Those freshmen have been really, really impressive. Chas Nimrod stands out. He’s a guy, through three days, that said, ‘Get me the ball.’ Jimmy Holiday has made incredible growth. Jimmy Calloway has made incredible growth. Ramel Keyton has made incredible growth. I was just telling Bill (Martin) walking in here, what a difference a year makes. These guys know what they’re doing now, so they actually have a chance to show you what they’re capable of. I think, a year ago, they were still learning and playing slow. It was really hard to evaluate at that point. So, we’re looking for six to seven guys on the perimeter that can get open and make a difference for us. There’s no secret to that part of it. If we have more than that, man, we’ll be cooking. Right now, we’re trying to get to six and seven outside guys that can help us do that.”
On quarterback Hendon Hooker’s impact on the offense right now…
“You know who the guy is going into it, so it helps you as you game plan. Him and Joe (Milton) really aren’t drastically different in terms of skillset, so we didn’t have to change drastically there when that change happened. In terms of input in the offense, he now has a really good understanding of it. He’ll speak up. He’s not a big ask you for things guy, more of a tell you what he doesn’t want guy. He has the same input he had a year ago. If there’s something he doesn’t like, we won’t do it. Obviously, it’s all about him being comfortable back there.”
On early impressions of freshman quarterback Tayven Jackson…
“Tayven Jackson just had a really, really good day. Tayven is really, really fun to watch. He’s a really good athlete. He’s got a really quick release. He’s really grasped the offense through three days, well. It’ll be interesting to see as things pile up as you go into (days) four, five and six – pads on today – what he actually looks like. It’ll be interesting when we scrimmage next week and coaches are off the field what he looks. (He’s) a superb athlete, has a really good understanding and has a really quick trigger. Everything we kind of hoped he would be, he certainly has been that so far. We’ve got to continue to put more on him and he’s got to continue to grow. We talked with him (about) consistently stringing days together. Can he be better tomorrow than he was today? I know this sounds a little bit cliché but, wipe it clean, play the next play, wipe it clean play the next play. He doesn’t seem to be bothered by a whole lot. He’s just kind of having fun. That kid won a ton of games in high school. He’s a winner, which is exactly what you want to recruit at that spot.”
On the learning curve for the early enrollees…
“It’s huge for them to be here early, obviously. They just went through seven weeks, going into spring ball, of install. That’s been awesome, the NCAA allowing us now, whenever that was four or five years ago, to actually be able to be in a classroom with them in the offseason. They’ve been superb. All those freshmen have been awesome in terms of, they’ve got the base fundamentals down. But similar to what we’re talking about with Tayven, now they’ve got to string days together. This is the first time for them. There’s class, there’s study table and now there’s football on top of that. There’s meetings. It’s just, for them, learning what it is to be a college football player. Being here, being early is awesome because they’ve got a feel for what that’s actually like. Just all of it at the same time – waking up early, eating, going to sleep, going to study. I think those guys – there’s such a level of maturity. I’m so excited about that freshman class we signed on our side of the ball. There’s this level of maturity, level of consistency with that crew. They came in here and they came in here to play, so that’s how they’ve attacked it. There’s a professionalism among that group that’s really, really superb. It’s been really cool to see.”
On Jacob Warren and Princeton Fant…
“Both of those guys, Jacob and Princeton, both of them now have a year in the system. That’s a tough spot to play in this offense. You’re moving around. You’re playing a bunch of different places. Same as everybody else, there’s a year of it now under their belt. A year ago, you coach so much scheme and just understanding what’s actually happening. Now they can play fast. Jacob has gotten bigger. He’s up to 254. Princeton’s in the 240s. Their bodies are right. They’re both healthy. They have a really good understanding of what’s going on. In that room, for us right now, we really just have to find a three and a four. That’s what we didn’t have a year ago and we struggled at times because of that. Being able to get big and play in bigger sets at times, cost us a couple times. So, beyond those two, it’s finding a three and a four there, that way we can get big and change formations based on personnel there.”
On the next step in the evolution of the run game…
“I think being able to execute into multiple different looks. Again, because of how we play, people play us differently from what you see on film a lot of the time. It’s being able to adjust within the game – being able to get to the right things earlier in games and being able to adjust earlier in games. The quarterback run game, you know, with a healthy Hendon we look different. People have to defend us different. With a banged-up Hendon, you take that dimension out of the game and we’re uniquely different. So, continuing to develop the quarterback run game, continue to keep Hendon healthy. That gives us another dimension. And then just us, up front, as we continue to build to what should look like the starting five, those guys playing together is going to be huge in the run game.”
On running back Justin Williams-Thomas’ earning carried based on physicality or scheme…
“I think both for Justin. Justin, again, has been here now for two months. He’s still figuring out how we’re playing. There’s a lot of things going on back there and there’s not a lot of time to think about it, do just getting reps. It’s different from playing wide out. You’re in a box and there’s just bodies everywhere. So, for him, his three days have been touch-and-go. He’s still trying to figure it all out. But, for him, if he can show the ability that he can protect the quarterback – beyond running the football – can you protect the quarterback before we’ll ever hand you the ball? Because that’s the one spot that, as a young guy at running back, that you’ll screw it up really, really fast. So, if he can protect the quarterback, his skill set is awesome. He’s already big. He’s already strong. He’s got great vision. He’s a good running back. The protection side of it is what’s got to come for him, for any young running back, but specifically for him right now. It’s kind of like swimming.”
On the running back room as a whole…
“Similar to the quarterbacks, (they’re) really healthy right now, which is really good. It’s the same deal for us there. We’ve got to find the rotation. Because of our tempo, because of how we play, you really have to have four guys that are ready to go. That was so huge for Justin to get here early. Len’Neth Whitehead looks like a different player. He’s finally healthy. Jaylen Wright is healthy. Jaylen Wright in year two should make monumental gains. So, for us, we’re still waiting on one to get here, in Dylan Sampson, but they have taken a huge step. Again, same coach, same system and then getting healthy … you should see a huge jump there. In terms of what the rotation looks like, I think those guys know there’s a bunch of open jobs there. They’re fighting like crazy to get in the rotation.”
On going through spring ball knowing the starting quarterback…
“It makes it a lot easier. You’re rotating less and you’re being less political about it. So, there’s less meetings with me and Joey (Hazle). We, last year, would have meetings daily on the rotation and what plays you can run with certain guys and, it was like a Wordle. I think that’s big right now, trying to figure it out. It’s certainly easier right now knowing who the one is, who the two is. I’ll say Joe Milton has made monumental strides, too. Joe has gotten his body right. He’s really put a ton into it. So, having healthy and all in Joe Milton also helps because it helps Hendon and the competition between those two is really, really fun. So those two guys, talk about the pros. They coach each other harder than anybody else. So just having those two guys bringing Hendon along and Gaston Moore and Navy Shuler in that group. That room is really fun right now. A year ago, like those guys are competing and you could say they’re competing and really helping each other. I don’t know that it’s was necessarily that way. So just having Hendon, he knows he’s a leader. Those guys look to him as a leader. He’s got to continue to grow as a leader, too. It’s made it much easier.”
On working with wide receivers coach Kelsey Pope…
“Yeah, it’s been fun. I’ve worked alongside Kelsey Pope for a year now. It’s so cool to see Kelsey kind of come out of his shell now. You know, there’s like this level of confidence that he’s always had, but you’re kind of in the background. You’re just kind of there to help. Just seeing him come out of his shell has been awesome. We interviewed Kelsey at the previous place. I’ve known Kelsey for a long time. It’s been just incredibly fun, and Kodi Burns and I are really close. I’m super excited for Kodi and his opportunity and that was a really fun year working with him because that’s a really, really smart young football coach there, too. How Kodi groomed Kelsey, and now you see Kelsey light up with his confidence. Those kids love him. He is so easy to communicate with and talk to. That group has just taken monumental strides, and Kelsey deserves a ton of credit for that.”
On competition at right tackle…
“Yeah, you know, we’ve played a lot with Darnell Wright, playing at right. That’s kind of his natural home. That’s kind of where he’s always wanted to be. Played a lot with him and really messing with the left tackle spot. That’s kind of natural too, for JJ (Jeremiah Crawford). You know, we’ve moved Dayne Davis around a bunch. I think Dayne can help us inside some, as well. So, that that’s a daily conversation piece. Is that guy here – when is Gerald Mincey going to grasp it fast enough to actually be able to compete? Gerald has made strides too, but we need JJ and Gerald and Dayne to all take a huge step. And that’s not saying Darnell doesn’t need to take a step. Darnell just has a bunch of experience now. He’s confident. He is the easiest one to move back to his kind of natural home and allow us to get those guys to compete at the left tackle spot. It may end up being that Darnell moves back and we end up over there, but I’d say that Mincey and JJ continue to grow. JJ has got a leg up. We were hoping JJ, coming in a year ago from junior college, that he would be ready to go. He had a spring season under his belt, but he got here at the end of July like, bullets flying. He really didn’t have a chance. So now JJ with an offseason, JJ with a strength offseason, a nutrition offseason. He seems to be really confident right now, too. At the same time bringing Gerald along to where he can have a chance to compete, as well. I think we’ll get there by practice 15. Right now, it’s super, super early.”
On Kelsey Pope getting his first Power Five job…
“Yeah, I don’t think there’s a difference in levels of coaching. If you’re asking about mine, I went from coaching defense to offense. So, I had no idea what was going on. I was coaching the running backs at Toledo and literally had no idea what was happening. So that was fun. Probably would have been an interesting mic’ed up segment. I had a guy in Matt Campbell that took me under his wing and taught me and gave me confidence. For Kelsey, Kelsey’s coached. I mean, he’s been a full-time coach for five years coming into this. I don’t think that matters. Where it’s different, at the Power Five level, and certainly at this level, is the recruiting. So, it’s not just, man you got this position group of these guys like ‘Hey, you better go sign three to four a year that are dudes.’ So, for him it’s that. It’s how do I manage the position and the recruiting. I think that’s why he’s here at five in the morning and doesn’t leave till midnight. It’s because he’s trying to figure all of that out. For me, having the confidence, because somebody gave me the confidence to do it and help bring me along. I’m trying to be that for Kelsey and literally, he’s not a player but every time something is good, like ‘Hey bro, you’re doing a great job.’ Every time is jacked up, ‘Hey bro like, we got to fix this.’ And he’s handled it all with such professionalism and class. He’s a high-end, intelligent, young guy that can communicate extremely well, and that’s really all you need. Being here for year, what’s helping him is he doesn’t have to learn the system. He knows the system, so now he can just continue to grow. He’s been really fun to watch come out of his shell and he’s just got a fun personality. You guys will get around him, super funny and has some Alabama jokes – like there’s some funny stuff in there. So, he’s been fun. But again, for me more than anything, just continuing to give him the confidence to be to be able to just go do his job. Coach (Josh) Heupel has done a great job. I think when you get an opportunity like that at this level, you get an instant bit of confidence, but there’s always a little bit of doubt right. Like, just like with any of us, there’s human nature to have doubt. As long as people keep pushing you and continue to push you forward. He’s had a ton of success recruiting early, too, right now, which I think will just continue to give them confidence and grow in that regard.”