Everything Defensive Line Coach Larry Knight Said After Friday's Practice

Georgia Tech defensive line coach Larry Knight spoke to the media on Friday

Jackson Caudell | Aug 12, 2022

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The defensive line was the focus of the media sessions after practice for Georgia Tech on Friday and defensive line coach Larry Knight spoke after practice.

Here is what he had to say.

1. On what he is seeing in the first week of fall camp from the defensive line...

"They are embracing the competition. Some serious competition in the room and as y'all know, there are quite a few guys that have played significant and meaningful snaps and they look around the room and they know it and now it is about how can I increase my playing time and how can I increase my value to the team. So what's happening is those guys are competing on a daily basis and they are not taking days off because they know if they take days off, somebody could end up taking those snaps away from them. It has been really good competition in the room and I have been happy with that so far."

2. On what he is seeing from Josh Robinson and Sylvain Yondjouen...

"Josh is just dependable. He is doing the right thing and always is where he is supposed to be. He is just one of those guys where you never have to worry about them. It has been great to have a healthy Sylvain back. Sylvain is an energy guy, he always has a lot of energy. He can run, has really good questions in the meetings and you can tell that he is just happy to here and happy to be healthy and happier to have an opportunity to compete."

"It is very good to have those guys competing and pushing Keion as well. He has been very good for the room and I think that the chemistry there is really good at that position with those guys pushing each other, but also coaching each other as well so that has been really good."

3. On the difference in Keion (White) from last year to this year...

"If I am being honest, there is not really a difference. What I mean by that is he is conducting himself like a pro since he has been here, even when he was injured, He was working hard at everything, showing up to everything, pushing others, being a positive influence on the team and having him back healthy, he is able to do that and that has been really good because he is one that conducts himself like a professional since he stepped foot on this campus and it is great to have him back out there because now you see those things that he has been coaching other guys to do, he is doing himself now that he has his health back and that's been a really positive influence and not just in the room, but the whole team and the entire defense."

4. His thoughts on the rush group...

"To me, that is one of the most competitive spots on the defense. Guys are fighting and as you can see, guys are rotating every day. I walk in the room and I say "What have you done for me lately?" and that is where we stand. That is why you can't have any bad days and they know it. If you have a bad day and someone else has a good day, then he is gonna be the guy. All of them have played significant snaps, all three of them have made plays in games and all three of them are athletic kids."

"What I am hoping for is that they continue to push each other and I think we can find work for all three of those guys. So far they have earned it, they really have, with their approach and their mindset and the competitiveness, it has been on a level that I have been wanting to see, but right now, they are all neck and neck and they all continue to push each other, which makes me proud."

5. On Noah Collins...

"In the spring he wasn't quite 100% and now he has gotten to that point and really mature and you can kinda see how freshmen are trying to figure it out, trying to get in where they fit in, trying to be on time, trying to remember what are the team rules, where do I go, how do I do this, how do I do that. He is past that point now where he is trying to advance in his game. In the past I was doing this, but how do I fix it? Where do I put my eyes in this situation?"

"We are seeing some growth out of him because his future is really really bright if he stays focused on it and the sky is the limit for that guy, it really is."

6. On if he has guys that can win 1-on-1 battles and get to the quarterback...

"Yeah, we just have a lot of work to do to get to it. We have guys that have the natural ability. I just have to continue to coach them up on their technique and continue to work the way that they have been working and we will get to that point. They are doing the right things to get there and we just have to have the right guys in the proper situations to create the success that we want to get to the passer."

7. On the impact of having a guy that other teams have to scheme for...

"I can't crown him yet, but I hope that is where we get. I hope that he can command attention. I hope that the guys playing on the other side can too. Then you have real problems when you have two guys like that, so I am hoping that it is not just him that we can have someone at each of those defensive end positions that can command that type of attention because it opens it up for everybody, not just the defensive line but it helps the defense as a whole on pressures and it helps the coverage."

"We are trying to get to the point where we are developing playmakers on both of those sides and not just the side that Keion is playing on."

8. On how it has been for him coaching on the outside...

"Y'all know that is my natural position. I have had a blast and an opportunity to slide back out and work with those guys. I think that they have been excited, our chemistry is working really well together. I am just excited to see what they do man, you know how it is, it is like you, when you have those little babies and they start growing and they start walking and then all of a sudden they start talking and they repeat the words when you drop something and it is the wrong word and the next thing you know they are repeating the same word."

" So it is kinda like, you get a chance and I got to see those guys in the spring first and they were terrible with the technique that I was teaching them, you know what I mean and I will say it to their face and it was terrible. As spring went on, I could see them start to get better and I am like, all right cool, from laying on their back to crawling then we went from crawling to walking, now we jogging a little bit, now we are putting sentences together, so we are getting out of that infant stage and I feel like we are growing up and that is the part that has probably been the most exciting."

"Now the next step of it is, what do our consistency levels look like. Are we being consistent with our actions, are we being consistent with our technique and then it has to translate onto gamedays. It doesn't matter if we don't translate the drill to the field and from the field to gameday. What we are doing now and how we are improving now is what shows up on September 5th. I am confidnet that these guys can do it, I really do. I am hoping that the development that these guys have right now continues to translate as we move forward

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