QA: Dave Doeren talks new players and more

NC State head coach Dave Doeren met with the media following Thursday's practice to talk about several things, including his approach to a depth chart, hitting with full pads on and breaks down each of the team's three new players and how they have done so far.

In your first spring practice here, how do you approach the depth chart?

The depth chart is dynamic, it's changing. It changes in the middle of practice sometimes, we call it a battlefield promotion or a battlefield demotion. That's what spring is for us in our first year, it's an evaluation time for us to really look at what we can and can't do well, and try to adjust our schemes accordingly.

Do you move guys around and change positions?

Yeah, we've moved a few guys back and forth. In the secondary with [Jarvis] Byrd, he's getting some time at safety and corner. We've got guys playing nickel and corner, and some of the linebackers are multi-trained that way, as well.

You talked about on Tuesday having some periods where the guys did live hitting, did you do that today?

We just did it for the last 25 minutes of practice.

How did you feel it went?

It was fun to watch. Guys had good energy and it was good to see guys finish plays.

On installing the offense with new quarterbacks:

We are teaching the offense to them, kind of spoon-feeding it. We aren't putting in a ton of things at once. We want them to be good at it. Day-by-day, we are just adding a few pieces here and there. Some of them have different skillsets. Coach [Matt] Canada is trying to call plays accordingly as to who is in the game.

Do you have any thoughts on the three new guys - quarterback Jacoby Brissett and early enrollees Bra'Lon Cherry and Cole Blankenship?

Yeah, Jacoby is doing really well. He's kind of been up and down, which you expect learning a new offense and learning new teammates. But he competes, he's a great leader, he's really energetic.

Bra'Lon Cherry made a couple of plays today at receiver. Cole is struggling snapping the ball at times, but he's playing hard. Of course, those guys should be in high school except for Jacoby. Those two guys should still be going to prom and things like that, but I love their work ethic. They show up every day.

Do you like getting those recruits in early, is that something we can expect more of?

Yeah, I mean as a coach, it gives you more time with them, but we're also sensitive to the family's needs. There are some of them that want it.