Trent Bray and Ryan Gunderson Give Their Thoughts on Beavs Saturday Scrimmage

After the first scrimmage of fall camp yesterday, Head Coach Trent Bray and Offensive Coordinator Ryan Gunderson spoke with the media. They highlighted certain players and position groups and gave a general overview of where things are at right now in fall camp.

Coach Bray’s instant thoughts on the scrimmage

"It was good. We got a lot of guys reps, especially later in the scrimmage we got a lot of young guys, new guys a ton of reps, see what they can do. Saw plays being made on both sides of the ball. Maalik had some really nice throws, Eddie had a great catch in the end zone, things we need to see on game day."

Have there been any other positive surprises other than Eddie[Freauff]?

"There’s been quite a bit of positive surprises, I think on the defensive side of the ball Jalil[Tucker], the way he’s played. Up front Tevita[Pome’e] is playing really well after losing the weight that he needed to lose. Thomas Collins is playing really well. I think on the edges Kai Wallin is playing extremely well, Nikko[Taylor] is back and we know he’s solid. On the offensive side of the ball freshman Kourdey Glass has done really good stuff. Marquise Crosby has come in and done a great job, so those are kind of the big surprises that we didn’t know what we had before we moved into this thing[fall camp and the scrimmage]."

Bray on the Inside Linebacking Unit

"I feel probably as good about this position as I did in ‘22, with the depth and the talent we have at that position. Dexter[Foster] has had an unbelievable camp, Ray has come in and done a great job. And then Aiden[Sullivan] and Makiya[Tongue] have played really well, Kord[Shaw] has done a lot of good things as well. So they’re kinda battling for “whose that next guy in.” So constant competition, and I feel good about that position."

Ryan Gunderson on Murphy’s TD pass to Eddie Freauff

"He’s a great touch passer. He was actually supposed to hand that ball off, we’re gonna have to deal with that, Maalik likes to throw. But it was an unbelievable throw, unbelievable catch."

Gunderson on how the Offensive Line is coming along

"There are some guys we’ll be playing with on Saturdays that aren’t necessarily out there right now. Very rarely do you play with five all year, so we’re gonna have to develop that depth. Those guys have to go in there and fail. Guys don’t play fast until they really trust what they’re doing and know what they’re doing. So, I like where we’re at, we got a ways to go."

Gunderson on Cooper Jensen, Riley Williams, and the Tight End group as a whole

"Offense is about who the best eleven are. You prove that you can be on the field, show that you’re a playmaker. Those two [Cooper and Riley] have had a great camp. Cooper, my first year here struggled with some injuries, and it’s good to see him healthy. But whoever the best eleven are, are who we’re going to try to get out there, and I’m really happy with where that room is at right now. "

Gunderson on getting to see the Halfbacks showcase themselves in the scrimmage

"I think this is a group where we had to figure out what we had. Been a pleasant surprise, we’re very deep in that room right now. There’s a lot of guys that will play. Obviously Hank is a proven commodity. But we’ve talked about in our room, that Hank was a much better football player when he had Jam with him. Not that he wasn’t good at the end of the year, but it’s hard to take 30 carries a game. So we want those other guys to fit in where they can, we’re gonna use them all."