Camp Chronicles: Sports Science and Depth Allowing for More Share of Reps

Camp Chronicles: Sports Science and Depth Allowing for More Share of Reps

8/7/2021 11:24:00 AM | Football

With the addition of Director of Integrated High Performance, Jason George, the Demon Deacons have seen a new approach to their fall camp schedule and the delineation of reps throughout each practice.

By: Ryan Sosic and Andrew Kovar

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. -- The Demon Deacon football team completed their third fall camp practice of the year on Saturday morning, before heading to Truist Field for the first time in camp for session number four on Sunday.

The first three days allow players to get acclimated while just wearing a helmet and skeleton pad before putting the pads on for the first time.

Despite being largely non-contact for those days, competition for playing time has begun to form with a little under four weeks remaining before kickoff against Old Dominion on Friday Sept. 3 at Truist Field.

The Demon Deacons have also seen a new approach to the practice schedule and each session with the help of one of the newest members to the football staff.

Hire of Jason George and how that changes reps in practice
With the help of one of the newest additions to the Wake Forest football staff, the Demon Deacon practices and individual's reps have changed this fall camp.

Jason George, who was hired as Wake Forest's first ever Director of Integrated High Performance this spring, is helping use analytics and science to manage players load management with the goal of helping prevent injuries.

"It's been great," Clawson said. "We have a meeting every day after practice. He goes through the roster of guys that he feels are running hot, guys that are low reps, guys that we have to maybe increase their reps to get them ready for the game and guys who maybe need to tone it down a little bit.

"Jason is someone with tremendous experience in the sport science field." - Coach Clawson

Welcome home, Jason 🎩
— Wake Forest Football (@WakeFB) April 28, 2021

George is a former Sports Science coordinator for the Houston Texans and long-time NFL strength & conditioning coach. George helps innovate existing technological innovations the program already uses, such as Catapult metrics (GPS, accelerometers and gyroscopes worn by players under their pads) through advanced data analysis. He has also integrated new technologies into the program as they become available.

George has extensive experience with these systems from his time in the NFL. Before leading the Texans' sports science operation, he served as head strength & conditioning coach for the Chicago Bears under John Fox and designed Athlete Management Systems for the Denver Broncos.

"Every day there's a plan for the time and the reps that we get," Clawson said. "It's all a build up. We're trying to get these guys to a level that once we get into a game week that they can manage the practice load and the game load."

Depth battles across the board helping raise the level of the team
Throughout the first three practices of fall camp, a major theme has been the competition across the board. With 18 starters returning on offense and defense from a year ago, the majority of the battles have been taking place in the second and third team units.

Day ✌️ starts now. pic.twitter.com/SHLnFeek3C
— Wake Forest Football (@WakeFB) August 6, 2021

"There are battles. To me, it's like okay that Zach Tom is gonna start for us to tackle but is it DeVonte (Gordon) or Spencer Clapp. You know Christian Beal-Smith is to start running back but Justice Ellison and Christian Turner.

"How big of the pie are each of those guys earning? In the secondary, you have Nasir back and you also have Nick Andersen. Can Nick learn two positions? Nasir - how many plays can he go? Now, you have Chelen Garnes. He is also a good player. AJ Williams and Zion Keith. What is the rotation?

Not only does the depth allow the Deacs to be a versatile defensive group, the playbook will open up for coach Clawson and defensive coordinator Lyle Hemphill in the many different scenarios and packages during a football game.

"Then, we get into third-down packages. Is that a way to get maybe some of the starters off the field, and give some of these younger guys the role that allows us to extend our season. I've been obsessed with this for years. I want to be able to get to November with a healthy football team. And we've got to think proactively to get there. How do we manage September and October? It's not going to happen by accident. We've given ourselves the best chance to win. In the secondary now, we should have minimal drop off. There's a lot of playable guys now. What is their role, what's their best position? And then what do we do when we play a team that runs two tight ends, what do we do with the team that runs four receivers, how do we handle different personnel groups, what do we do on third down, do we play with two defensive lineman, three defensive linemen or four defensive linemen? We have all these secondary guys now like back when Mike Elko was here. Our third-down package, we had six safeties out there. Thomas Brown was playing linebacker and he could blitz, he could play man coverage and he could play zone. We had a lot of flexibility. We haven't had that in two or three years. We can have it again this year. We can now get a little bit more creative on third downs. Traveon Redd and AJ Williams are actually pretty good edge pass rushers."

Perry making most of opportunity
When head coach Dave Clawson announced a season-ending injury would prevent Donavon Greene from taking the field this year, the Deacs turned their attention to a handful of young wide receivers to fill the void.

One of those players that the team is counting on to step up is redshirt sophomore A.T. Perry. In two seasons, Perry has made 15 appearances, catching 19 passes for 273 yards and a pair of touchdowns.

With the opportunity of securing a bigger role, Perry has made it a mission to make the most of his third preseason camp, turning his attention to improving on a day-to-day basis throughout a long and grueling set of practices.

"I came into camp with a mission, with a plan, to just ball out," Perry said. "Control what I can control and just work. I want to make a statement this year for the team and myself. I just tell myself, it's a mind game. Really, it's either you came to play or you didn't, and that's your spot. I just told myself, you know, get up, it's another day to get better. One percent better. I tell myself that every morning. Get out and get to work."

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After performing well in Wake Forest's Thursday and Friday sessions, Perry went up and made a contested catch in today's practice, a prime example of how the Lake Worth, Fla. native's mindset is translating to the gridiron at Doc Martin Practice Fields.

"I talked to Coach Higgins last night and he was telling me about jump balls, going to compete for balls. So that was my one opportunity and I wasn't going to take that opportunity for granted. So I went up and got the ball. It felt good, I mean, it's been a long time since I've been up a jump ball. So just to do it again, it was bringing me back. That felt better than any catch I've had so far this camp. Just being able to go up and come down with it. It's a great feeling."

As the Deacs continue to move toward Opening Night at Truist Field presented by Lowe's Foods on Friday, Sept. 3, head coach Dave Clawson is looking forward to seeing how Perry builds upon his performance during the beginning stages of camp.

"So far, so good in camp," Clawson said. "He is making contested catches. He still has to get used to playing faster.

"He has had a really solid camp. Now, the challenge is always sustaining that. He's always had his moments here that he's flashed. Can you sustain that? That's his challenge, because good players are able to sustain that level of performance."