There was a time in college football when freshman weren't allowed to see playing time. This year, perhaps more than ever before in college football, programs are having to prepare and rely on the youth of their roster more than ever because COVID could impact a program and quarantine your experienced guys at the drop of a hat.
Because of that reality, I've talked with a number of coaches the last several months coaches have had to take an inventory of their coaching style and approach to effectively reach all of their guys because every player could be called on to perform at some point during the year.
Miami defensive coordinator Blake Baker shared a little bit about his approach with the 'Canes and some of their younger players at his position at the end of a recent presser.
When asked about a couple young defensive players in particular, Baker notes that they do a great job with their initial reads when he looks at their "point of attack" cut-ups, meaning they do a great job reading their key initially, but become hesitant and second guess for whatever reason during a play. He wants them to "cut it loose" and trust their instincts a bit more.
Baker says he has adjusted his coaching approach with those guys in the last few weeks and sought feedback from his guys as to why they've been so hesitant to cut it loose on the field.
Then asked about guys that may "cut it loose too much," Baker offered the following comparison on how a young player's brain can be a bit like the latest update to your beloved iPhone.
"Let's use the phrase that they're a cell phone and their brain is a computer. Sometimes you don't like when Apple downloads you to iOS 14.2. Sometimes you want to take it back to 14.0 when it ran a whole lot smoother."
"Sometimes I think, maybe I need to change my coaching style. Maybe coach them less and give them less so that they feel more freedom to run and play. But some guys, when they're really young, they don't know any better and they just cut it loose and sometimes it ends up well, and sometimes it doesn't."
So what makes some young players one way, and other guys the opposite? In Baker's opinion, it just comes down to how guys are wired.
"A lot of it, in my opinion, is internal. Some guys come in here as freshman and they're scared to death to make a mistake. Some other guys come in here as freshman and they play care free - and sometimes that's good and sometimes that's bad. I think a lot of it is just internally, how guys are wired."
See Baker's full comments in the clip.