Everything From Wide Receivers Coach Trent McKnight After Wednesday's Practice

Jackson Caudell | Apr 10, 2024

Oct 11, 2014; Atlanta, GA, USA; Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets helmet on the bench against the Duke / Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports

One of the most recent hires for Georgia Tech, Trent McKnight is coming over to The Flats after spending time at Georgia State and he is taking over one of Georgia Tech's best position groups. McKnight will get to coach Eric Singleton Jr, Malik Rutherford, Leo Blackburn, and others this season as Georgia Tech looks to remain one of the ACC's top offenses.

McKnight spoke with the media on Wednesday for the first time since being hired and here is everything that he had to say.

Opening Statement

"I think it's been a really good camp. I mean, it's been fun to work with this group of coaches. It's been fun to work with this, the entire staff, and then the players that we have here, so it's been good. It's been fun seeing guys get better. I mean, we got a great receiver room that's hungry to go out there and get better. So I've had a ton of fun. It's been a lot of learning within this offense. But just the people that we're around daily has made it fun each and every day to come in the building."

1. On how he ended up at Georgia Tech...

"So I've known some of the staff and it's just from obviously being right down the street, you get to know them, whether it's at a camp or from Buster and I have coached with some of the same people.

So I think that was part of the relationship. Obviously, Coach Key seeing him out on the road, recruiting and had a chance to interact with him. But I think it always comes down to relationships. And then some of it too is on some of the success we had with the receivers over there. So it's been good. I've gotten to know them. know them a lot better. We've been at camps and other things where I've gotten to know them a little bit but it's been fun to be in here and work with this group on a daily basis."

2. On what it is like being the new guy...

"Well it's been... because there's a lot of learning right with the offense that we run there's high volume and there's a lot of NFL terminology but what's been really good, and I told the receivers this from the very beginning, was that they're gonna know it better than me. You know, a lot of those guys this their second year in the system, so they've been really good of understanding it. Dre's done a great job, the GA in that room's done a really good job, and then the staff too, and knowing it, but it's just for me, there's stuff each and every day that I'm learning as we go through it, but it's been really good. I think always when you get in an uncomfortable situation, because I've been in a place seven years, been in the same offense for five years, that it's good to get uncomfortable and for me to learn and for me to grow and have the growth mindset has been something that I've really enjoyed about it."

3. On how much he knew about the wide receiver room...

"Correct so I've made a point really not to go back and watch film from last season just because we want to try to create as much competition as we can within the room based off what they're doing in this camp not what they've done previously so that part of it now in the summer, I'll go back and watch more and kind of see some things we may need to work on, but I made a point not to do that now. The first part of your question, the good thing I had coming in here, obviously I've been in the state for really the last seven years and a year before that. So the great part was I knew a lot of these guys. I've recruited a lot of these guys. I've seen certain guys in camp. I've kept up with them as the season progressed. Obviously a lot of what happened last year. But so there's some relationships there going into the room that I had just because of I've been recruiting the state of Georgia in the receiver position."

4. On how the receivers can improve upon last year's success...

"Well, and again, I'm really just going off the spring, right? So I haven't looked a whole lot at what they did last year, and that's, that's what I'm made a point, is that I didn't want to. So I think it's constant improvement on the little things of us improving releases or outrunning, staying on top of blocking, right? I think that's the things that you're always trying to get better at. I think in the receiver room, there's a lot of details and techniques that you can always get better at, but not being able to see what they did last year, right? And obviously, I have access to it. but for my evals, I want to do it based off all what we do this spring. So that's what I've really focused it on and tried not to look at last year, but I think the receiver position sometimes can be undercoached and underdeveloped. And that's what we focused on is the releases, the techniques, how we get better at the little things, trying to watch some NFL tape, trying to watch some of the guys that are the best at those spots to try to get them to improve at those things."

5. On Leo Blackburn and Chase Lane...

"So both of them I think have had good camps, I mean even if you went out there today, they are. I thought both of them made plays. They're continuing to get better. I think continuing to gain back confidence, right? That's a big thing. Coming off some of the injuries that they had is get their confidence back. So I think you've seen each day there's been improvement from both of them. Obviously Leo gives you a big target, right? There's not many receivers around the country that have that size. And then Chase, again, me not watching it, but... but from what everybody said, was the leading receiver before he got hurt last year. So I think he had juice like today. He went out there, he made some plays, and really seeing him grow in his overall games been fun."

6. On Zion Taylor...

"So Zion's one that's really fun to work with just because athletically he's one of the more talented guys in there, right? He continues, I think he continues to make plays each and every day. He continues to push himself. I think the thing like a lot of young receivers has continued to improve, consistency in what I'm doing, right? Goes back to what I was saying earlier, right? The details. details of the position and him doing that on a consistent basis is what you see him continuing to work on but the good thing is like I saw him up here Friday night before the first scrimmage and he's going out there to get extra work so you can tell he's hungry and he wants to do well."

7. On any standouts...

"I mean the whole group really I mean you got such a big group and and the depth that's in the group. I think Eric and Malik have done a great job. They love the game. They're hungry to get better each and every day. Bailey Stockton's done really well in what he's trying to do. So the entire group's been good."

8. On Avery Boyd...

"Yeah, so and I think Avery's really fun to be around each and every day. He's got a great personality. He's another one I had a chance to recruit in high school. Remember going to watch him down in Tallahassee in the spring and really he's been impressive this spring. Yeah. how he's handled it how he's taken ownership and kind of his role improving on the route running improving on the releases that he's got to continue to work on but just positive attitude each and every day really fun to be around so from since I've been here the last month Avery's done a great job."

9. On Abdul Janneh...

"He loves to work, great effort each and every day, wants to be coached like you see him in the front of the meetings he's very, very attentive to details, right, taking notes. We've worked him a little bit inside and outside and he's done a good job with that. I think you can tell that the progression is better from what I've heard or what it was last spring. Obviously, I wasn't here, but I'm excited about what he can bring to the group. He's done a really, really good job blocking on the perimeter, playing with an edge, kind of really been our best blocker out there being consistent, and then continuing to get better at his route details. He's done a good job playing with speed down the field, so excited to see how he continues to progress."

10. On coming over from Georgia State during a coaching transition...

"Well, it worked out great for me. I mean, I'm thrilled to death. death to be over here, like I said, I mean, the thing I've loved the most about being here is just the people, from Coach Key to the offensive staff, to the receiver room, to the entire team. So it was a whirlwind of what happened over there, but the good Lord took care of us and got us over here. It's one of the things I say, 'cause it is a rarity to see, you see a bunch of movement in coaching, right? I've been lucky to this be going in year eight in Atlanta and love living here. The thing I say that I was blessed with is my kids, nothing's changed for them, right? So school's the same, baseball team's the same, all their friends. And you don't always, you're not always able to go through a transition like that. And for those things to remain constant, they just got to learn a bunch of the players over here, so they're excited to get to know them. And they were up here at the first scrimmage Saturday in May. some friends with the coaches and were able to meet a few of our players."