Watch: Mike Gundy Praises Team Energy, Quarterback Growth, and Rising Playmakers After Spring Game

Q: What did you learn from today’s scrimmage?

Mike Gundy:

There was a lot of excitement. The guys were fired up. Young people still love to play the game, and I think today was a tremendous success. We ran about 87 plays—less than a real game because we huddled on both sides—but the energy and the players getting into it was great to see.

Q: Everyone’s always excited about quarterbacks. What did you see from that group today?

Gundy:

What I’ve been telling you for the last three weeks—everyone's been playing pretty well. You got to see it for yourselves today. They’ve all been performing consistently, and that’s what showed up out there.

Q: Can you talk specifically about what you saw from Maea today?

Gundy:

He executed well—made some throws, ran the ball effectively. Like I’ve said, what you saw today reflects what we’ve seen all spring. He’s been solid.

Q: Have you noticed growth from Maea throughout the spring?

Gundy:

Definitely. His understanding of the offense has improved. What we’re doing now is very similar to what we used to do with Meach (Doug Meacham), so the quarterback has a big role in this system. Maea’s grasp of what to do and when to do it has taken steps forward.

Q: Running backs had a nice day—Rodney Fields especially. Can he make a leap this year?

Gundy:

Yes, Rodney’s shown flashes since last year. He’s tough and really enjoys playing football. But we’ve got a good group—Kalib, Sesi, Trent—they’ve all done well this spring and that showed today.

Q: You said you wanted Sam Jackson to get touches. What impressed you about him today?

Gundy:

He’s a very unusual athlete—not many guys start at both receiver and quarterback at this level. Sam just loves football. He can catch, throw, run, and make people miss. He’ll get plenty of chances at inside receiver, and while there are big shoes to fill there, he gives us a real shot to be successful.

Q: Does this feel like one of the fastest receiver groups you’ve had in a while?

Gundy:

We’re definitely fast at wide receiver, which is an advantage. We’re inexperienced—outside of the portal—but we’ve brought in guys to help develop the younger ones. I.O. didn’t play today—he’s banged up but should be back next week—and he adds some size out there too.

Q: Did the defense meet your expectations today?

Gundy:

Yes, I was pleased. Like I’ve been saying, they’re playing sound football—staying in the right gaps, tackling better. The one big run by Rodney came after a missed gap and a missed tackle, but otherwise we didn’t give up many big plays. I think we’re improving as a tackling team.

Q: Any concerns with the offensive line play, especially with splitting up the squad?

Gundy:

That’s always the toughest part when you split teams. The offensive line struggles a bit because they’re not used to playing together or communicating in that setup. We split them right down the middle, so you’ll see issues—like the five or six sacks today. But the benefit is seeing how players, especially quarterbacks, respond under pressure.

Q: Hicks scored twice—how difficult is it to evaluate when you’re trying to avoid injuries?

Gundy:

It’s tough. We’re going about 75–90% out there, not full contact. Hicks had a great move on one play, and I told him, “Do that next fall, and it won’t end up the same.” But overall, I was happy with how it played out—fast, physical, but also safe. It’s not perfect, but it worked.

Q: What was the benefit of having your coordinators step back and observe today?

Gundy:

It gave other coaches experience calling plays. That’s crucial. If you want to be a coordinator one day, you’ve got to think and act like one in the preseason, postseason, and in-season. Today gave two assistants the chance to step up and get that valuable experience.