Alexander Working on Details with Receivers

Del Alexander has coached some talented receiver groups in the past, but his group at Notre Dame might be the biggest he’s had. While the Irish have size, Alexander might be the most excited because all of them are receivers and not guys growing into tight ends.

“We have a big group of men in our receiving corps,” stated Alexander. “The one thing different is we have multiple guys that are athletes with good speed. They catch the ball well, and you have guy big guys aren’t going to be put at the tight end position.

“These guys are receivers even with their size.”

With the size of Equanimeous St. Brown, Miles Boykins, and Chas Claypool, one might be tempted to change the offense. However, Notre Dame won’t be doing that…yet.

“In situations, you may throw jump balls, but that’s way down the road,” explained Alexander. “We are just teachers and trying to give instruction.”

Alexander, who is in his first year at Notre Dame, is in the process of figuring out what his guys do well and who is ready to play when the lights come on. He has seen his unit test well away from the practice field, but Alexander is looking for guys that can turn it on when the pads come on.

“When they are tired or don’t understand what they are doing, they aren’t going to play as fast,” Alexander stated. “When you look at the offseason conditioning, it’s pretty competitive. You can see multiple guys win the race, but when you put fatigue and the playbook on them, then they start to change gears a little bit.

“I am still trying to figure out who can play fast at game speed.”

Notre Dame is past the halfway point in the spring, so who has impressed Alexander with their hands?  

“The best hands on the team,” laughed Alexander. “How do I say this in one word- EQChaseMilesKJJavon…They are all doing a good job catching the ball.”

The Irish offense in the process of learning the tweaks and details of Chip Long’s offensive scheme. The goal for the receivers is to be able to interchange positions and eliminate some of the field/boundary roles within the offense.  

“When we come out of the spring, the guys will have a pretty good grasp,” Alexander said of his guys knowing the offense. “Sometimes they will be able to lineup in a different spot. They understand the concepts and guys can get lined up quickly to cover for each other, so the tempo can keep going faster and faster.”  

One guy leading the charge in the receiver room this spring is junior receiver, Chris Finke. The former walk-on saw an increased role in 2016 and is looking to build on his 10 catches for 122 yards and two scores.

“He’s one of those guys when you talk about leadership,” said Alexander. “He leads by example. He comes in and takes great notes and make great plays when you call his number. When you talk about leadership, you have a guy there that is an example of how to approach the game, and that’s how I use his leadership.”  

Boykin was the talk of the internet last week as he took a Brandon Wimbush pass about 70 yards for a touchdown. The play wasn’t a surprise to Alexander as he has seen growth from Boykin this spring.

“He’s a competitor,” stated Alexander. “He has been competing. The best thing about him is he knows our offense to this point. We still have some things we want to do, but to this point, he understands it. He understands some of the technique I am teaching him, and he’s been aggressive.”

For Claypool, it’s about fine-tuning his game. The 6-foot-4 receiver has all the physical attributes a coach could want in a receiver, but now he has to be able to translate the little things to turn himself into a player Notre Dame can count on.

“He’s passionate when he crosses the line, which is a big deal,” Alexander stated. “He plays fast, hard, and physical. He is still trying to adjust to the finer things like releases, techniques, and leverages.”

Javon McKinley broke his leg last fall and has worked his way back onto the practice field. While he isn’t taking contact, McKinley has shown his new position coach that he wants to be on the field.

“He’s done a great job to this point,” said Alexander. “He’s rolling in and out with our different personnel groups. He isn’t doing anything live. He’s limited when he is sore, feels pain, or doesn’t respond to a practice.

“He’s been out there and running around. We’ve been giving him the best shot to be evaluated.”

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Del Alexander from Michael Frank on Vimeo.