COLLEGE STATION, Texas (KRHD) — Texas A&M has wrapped up week one of fall camp at the Coolidge practice facilities in College Station, with position battles heating up on both offense and defense as players compete for playing time.
Head coach Mike Elko has made it clear that no matter who you are, you have to earn your playing time, pushing everyone to compete.
Defensive back Julio Humphrey said the competition between the offense and defense has been building since before camp even started.
"There's been a lot of back and forth going on between, um, the first day because the first day we ain't do one-on-ones, but it's been all talking in the locker room, building up to fall camp. But, um, you know, like one day we'll, like, you know, talk trash to them, we'll win, have a real good day, and then the next day the receivers come back and they'll have some good players on there. So I mean it's good healthy competition, so I mean. We're all looking forward to it, yeah, we're only getting better," Humphrey said.
Daily battles between offense and defense are helping everyone improve, and players are taking notice of who is standing out.
"I like Ricky (Gibson). He's fast. He gets there. He gets to the spot, he's strong too. Julio, he's strong, real strong. Dez, he real poised, you know, um, we are, they got dogs on the other side of the ball, not as much as us, but they got dogs," Ashton Bethel-Roman said.
When asked about the best trash talker he has faced, Bethel-Roman did not hesitate.
"It's Dez. Dez never stop. Dez never stop," Bethel-Roman said.
A lot has been made of last year's defense only creating 10 turnovers. Both players and coaches are working to raise this year's total.
"Coach Hempfield, he always harp in our room. He always say, um, we have to get the ball, the ball, the ball, the ball. So like the safeties coach and the corners coach and Nichols coach, we all talk about pre-practice. We, we each gonna get 25, um, catches on a job machine, like, and we, we like we all believe that the more we do that every, like every single day and be like, you know, um, consistent with that. Eventually, whenever it's game time and we see the ball in there, it's gonna be a habit and we go up and get it," Humphrey said.
