Everything WRs coach Mike Furrey said about South Carolina spring practice

South Carolina wide receivers coach Mike Furrey spoke to the media on Monday to share an update on how spring practice has gone so far. Here’s everything he had to say.

What have you seen from your guys these first few weeks of practice?

“A lot of talent. A lot of competitiveness, to be honest with you. A lot of improvement. When you look at our room, it’s really made up of guys that transferred in, guys that are coming back. A lot of them are coming back. And some of the freshmen that are coming in. So when you look at it, the majority of the room is very experienced. I think that’s something that we haven’t been able to talk about a lot in our room over the last couple of years.

“It’s unique because some of that experience is coming from other places, and some of that experience is just from coming back from last year. There’s a lot of connectivity in that room and really good relationships because those guys respect each other because they know what they’ve done. It’s been pretty neat.”

What did you learn from the Interim offensive coordinator role last year, and how has it been getting back to “normal” (being the wide receiver coach only) this year?

“The biggest thing that I learned is, you have to be around these guys daily and be prepared to get them prepared, if that makes sense. When you’re doing multiple things, you just run out of time of being able to really focus on one thing. I really enjoyed being back in that room with these guys and being around them all day. The text messages and the notes and the meetings and answering the calls and doing all those kinds of things have been refreshing for me. It’s a reminder of how much these guys really need you 24 seven, to continue to grow in their careers.

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“We’ve had a lot of fun over the last few weeks. That room is very mature. Two words to describe that room are experienced and very mature. It’s been nice to walk in that room with these guys who were in there and respecting each other, and there’s that kind of competition, we’ve got to handle our business, and they’ve got to be locked in and doing things the right way. That allows these guys to text and hit you up and be able to meet a little bit more, when they can, so they can get an advantage in that room. It’s been really nice to do that.”

With most of your guys (wide receivers) being with you for multiple years now, how much more comfortable is it for everyone, and have you changed your coaching style at all?

“The biggest thing is everybody wants to use the word comfortable because you’ve been around here. I think the biggest thing these guys have learned now, since they’ve been here, is they understand what it takes. They’ve been around. They know what the meetings are supposed to be like. They know what we demand in practice. They know we’re demanding in that room. They understand how much it takes to be a big-time wideout. Big time SEC program here, South Carolina. We haven’t had to introduce those things and talk about those things as much as now; they know and have experienced that stuff.

“They know what they have to do. It’s created maturity where guys are in that room, nobody’s messing around. Nobody is goofing around. They’re all paying attention. They all want to learn. They all want to get better and compete. When you have guys that have experience, and now you’re going to have to compete against, it’s different than competing against people that haven’t done it yet. I think when you look at that now, these guys are respecting each other in that room, and they’re starting to really grow up.”

What were you looking for when you were evaluating the wide receivers in the transfer portal?

“Experience was the big key. Guys that could come in this room, who have played this game at the high level and have had a lot of production, have played in big-time games. I think it’s been mentioned that already. I don’t know if you used the word lack of leadership, but just not a lot of people stepping up. We’re all kind of related to just being young. It’s hard for young guys who are trying to get so acclimated. Being a freshman or being a sophomore, still trying to have that role, and yet still trying to perform at a high level and in a big-time environment. That takes time for people to really start voicing their opinions. I think leadership is also another key factor that we were looking at, on top of the experience. I’m really pleased with the guys that we’ve brought in, and it’s exactly what we were looking for.

“We also wanted to make sure we got guys who wanted to be in South Carolina. That wasn’t just out there shopping around for everything. They really had a reason for where they wanted to go and why they wanted to go there. And obviously, they wanted to be here at South Carolina. All those things, we checked the boxes.”

What do you hope to see out of Nyck (Harbor)?

“I just keep challenging him every day. I think you can see his growth. We all see his growth. You guys can see his growth out there. He’s a completely different person right now, mentally and physically. When you go out and watch him warm up or watch him run around and run routes, you’re looking at a pretty, pristine route runner. He looks like a wideout. Sometimes, if you use the word comfortable, once you get those things, you can start getting comfortable. That’s not the case. For him to continue to learn the game, and to be able to slow the game down, and obviously learn this new offense. But at the same time, just continue to gain all the knowledge that he can of how corners play, how defenses disguise things, and how they move around. The leverage for routes and understanding all the little things that are included in running routes and running concepts. That’s what we’re really working on right now. To slow the game down and help him play a lot faster.”

What do you like about Nitro Tuggle, and what have you seen from him so far?

“When you’re experienced and you’ve done things at a high level, you have a lot of confidence. And when you have a lot of confidence, you play really fast. You have a little swag to you, and you have some patience in your route running. He’s brought all that to our room because of his experience. Real pleased with where he’s at, and he’s explosive. He’s smart, he’s tough as all get out. He loves football. He loves being here at South Carolina. He’s continuing to get better every day. The more and more he’s just become more acclimated here. Real pleased with where he’s at.”

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How many (coaching opportunity) calls were coming last season?

“I won’t get too much into those details, but we had a fair share. As I’ve mentioned to you guys, a long time ago, when I first came here. We love South Carolina. I’ve been around South Carolina for a while. We really enjoy it, but we’ll keep those between Coach (Shane) Beamer and me.”

What do you like about Stone Furrey, and what is it like coaching him now in a place like South Carolina at this level?

“I was just talking about this the other day, and I’m not saying it just to say it because it’s real. First of all, I’m proud of him, right? I mean, I’m his dad. You know, it’s pretty cool for your son to be playing in a program like this. The only thing I wanted for Stone was to go play somewhere where he would be treated the right way, where he was in a culture that was built by a head coach.

You guys know I believe in a thousand percent of what Coach Beamer does here in South Carolina. And the one thing I’ll share with you is, Coach said, ‘What do you think about Stone coming here?’ My answer to him was, ‘I just want him (Stone) to play for you and to be around.’ So I’m proud of him and happy for him to be here and be in this culture and be in this locker room around a bunch of great young men down there.

“I was telling somebody the other day, it’s no different than Mazeo Bennett or Nyck Harbor or Donovan Murph or Nitro Tuggle. Jayden Gibson, who is here. There’s no difference; they’re all the same. I’m just as passionate about all those guys out there on that field and their success and their development and their growth. That I am of Stone. It’s pretty cool when you look over and see your son running around with the South Carolina jersey on and making some plays here and there in practice when he gets an opportunity. It’s a pretty cool moment.”

What’s the next step for Malik Clark and Jordon Gidron, and how would you evaluate their progress?

“It’s to take over. That’s all it is now. We’re looking for our guys in that room, including Nyck, all the way down to the incoming freshmen. You don’t wait around anymore in college. It’s time to grow up and take ownership of your career. I think the next big step for Jordon Gidron, Donovan Murph, and Malik Clark is to take ownership of their career, take ownership of their skill set, and take over a role in this program that helps us win. You know what you’re supposed to be doing.

“You know where the cafeteria is. You know where the study hall is. There’s no excuse for acclimation. Now it’s time to produce and develop their strengths. And so, every one of them understands that they’ve had a good spring so far and are looking to continue to grow, I think these next two weeks will be a big 12 for those guys in that room.”

Why do you think Mazeo Bennett didn’t get a lot of touches last season, and how has he looked so far this spring?

“I’m really proud of him. He’s looked great. He’s worked his tail off. He’s learned a lot. I’ve learned a lot through that whole situation last year, just from trying to find the right people to help us in games and win games. If he’s a little bit more explosive or whatever it is from a skill set standpoint. But you’ve got to go back to the passion, the love, the consistency. What this place means to a young man. And that’s Mazeo Bennett, right? We’ve learned a lot from that situation, and we’ve had great conversations since last year. He’s grown up a lot. He’s had a heck of a spring. I think he’s probably having one of the best springs right now. Out of the guys in our room, just from a consistent standpoint. He’s made it really, really important. Really, really been impressed with him this spring.”

How exciting is it for those in the group and for you, knowing there could be a lot of guys who could get some run?

“It makes it easier for me because I have to worry about playing, you know, two or three guys at one time, we can maybe get to the 4 or 5. Whatever it is, you know when Coach (Kendal) Briles tells us to put three, and we’ll put three, and before, you know, put four and we’ll put four, and I’ll leave all that stuff to him. The guys are really excited. They respect each other in that room because they understand what they’re going against every day. That makes that room a lot more competitive. It makes it more demanding and makes you better as a player. We’ll have the opportunity to get to all that stuff later. But I’m just proud of those guys right now, the way they’re working. And as I said earlier, they experience the maturity in that room.”

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