Mickey Joseph gives a rundown of Nebraska's wide receiver room full of new faces on "Sports Nightly"
Husker associate head coach and wide receivers coach Mickey Joseph was a guest on “Sports Nightly” on the Huskers Radio Network to discuss his position group ahead of his first fall camp as a coach at Nebraska.
Here is a quick recap of what he had to say:
On adding talent
*** Joseph said the culture needed to change in the wide receiver’s room and the talent “needed a boost”. He likes to keep 10-11 really good players and said he has nine or 10 players he’s comfortable with playing as of now.
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On Oliver Martin
*** Joseph said Oliver Martin had a “decent” spring and is having a “really good” summer. His technique and confidence have improved.
Martin “catches the ball, runs really good routes and he’s fast.” Now, Joseph is working with Martin on his releases to use his speed to get downfield and put pressure on defenses instead of “dancing around” at the line of scrimmage.
On Alante Brown
*** As for Alante Brown, Joseph said he is a really good leader in the WR room because of his work ethic and his desire to be great. The coach said he tells his group they’re striving for excellence and Brown is clearly working hard.
He said Brown, who was a high school quarterback, is still learning the position but is getting better at catching the ball and is really talented.
On Kamonte Grimes
*** Joseph said he told Kamonte Grimes he needs to have more confidence and play faster. He tells Grimes to go fast and he will slow him down if necessary.
“When he does that, he’s really good,” the coach said. “But when he doesn’t play fast, he’s really not that good.”
Grimes is really talented with good hands but Joseph said they’re still working on his route running.
On Victor Jones Jr.
*** Victor Jones Jr. has gotten a lot better since the spring, when he was just a baby, as Joseph said. Joseph said it is a big adjustment for players when they’re 17 years old, come to college and have to hang out with 21-year-olds. Jones has caught on now in the summer and is doing well.
“We’re going to continue to work on his route running skills and catching the ball but he’s a big talented kid, big bodied,” Joseph said.
On Decoldest Crawford
*** Decoldest Crawford moved to the slot when he got to Nebraska after studying and planning to be a Z and X. Joseph said the Huskers needed more depth at that position and Crawford was the “twitchiest” of the three incoming freshmen. Crawford is running really good routes and picking it up fast, Joseph said.
On Janiran Bonner
*** Joseph said Janiran Bonner currently has a hamstring injury. Earlier in the summer, Joseph was impressed with his big size, speed and his ability to catch the ball. Joseph is excited to get him back on the field.
On the freshmen
*** Joseph said they will be ready physically but he needs to get them caught up mentally on the scheme with the big change from high school to college.
On Trey Palmer
*** Joseph said Trey Palmer is a completely different kid than he was at LSU.
“He’s playing with more confidence. I think he understands the grind I expect out of the group,” he said. “I think he understands that every day he’s got to come and fight to keep his job.”
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Joseph said people ask him why Palmer didn’t play more for him at LSU and he explains that Palmer sat behind two first-round NFL draft picks in Justin Jefferson and Terrance Marshall Jr. The coach said Palmer is doing good and he’s happy to have him as a Husker.
On Isaiah Garcia-Castaneda
*** Isaiah Garcia-Castaneda missed spring practice with an injury but Joseph likes what he has seen so far.
“He’s going to be an outside guy for us. He runs well, tracks the ball well, catches the ball well and runs good routes. He’s a veteran player so he’s caught up mentally so we have just got to keep him caught up.”
Joseph said the New Mexico State transfer fits in well with Offensive Coordinator Mark Whipple’s scheme and that he is really versatile and can play special teams.
On Marcus Washington
*** Joseph said he recruited Marcus Washington in high school when he was at LSU, so he is very familiar with the Texas transfer. He said he has really good hands, runs really good routes and is a big body.
The coach said Washington brings grit to the receiver’s room.
He said Washington reminds him of Racey McMath, who he coached at LSU that is now in the NFL with the Tennessee Titans.
“He’s gonna play special teams but he brings attitude to the room,” Joseph said of Washington. “He’s kind of the bully. You go get him. He’ll set the tone and that’s what I like about him.”
On Brody Belt, Wyatt Liewer and Ty Hahn
*** Joseph said Brody Belt, Wyatt Liewer and Ty Hahn are all “unbelievable” and hard workers. He said all three of them can play all three positions. He said all three of the walk-ons know he will be fair with them, “if they perform, I’ll walk in there and say “hey this kid deserves a scholarship.”
Joseph said Belt is one of the best football players on his team because he can do so much: running back, wide receiver and special teams.
On walk-ons
*** Joseph said Nebraska treats its walk-ons really well and very different from other places he has coached. At LSU, Joseph said the walk-ons didn’t get many reps.
At Nebraska, walk-ons get an opportunity for reps and Joseph said he loves seeing them have good days. He listed Elliott Brown, Zach Weinmaster and Cooper Jewett as some of the Huskers’ good walk-ons.
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