North Carolina Central coach Trei Oliver called the Eagles’ spring football game competitive and promising, but said consistent play remains the top concern.
“I thought it was very competitive,” Oliver told the media after Saturday’s scrimmage. “Obviously a little too inconsistent, but when you have new coaches and new players, you’re going to get a lot of that. It wasn’t as clean as I wanted, but the guys competed and we put a lot of good things on film.”
NCCU’s offense showed early control of the day, though Oliver noted the defense answered in situational periods later in the scrimmage. What pleased him most was the balance — and the low number of penalties and turnovers that can derail drives.
“You’re never happy after a scrimmage because one side wins and the other side loses,” he said. “The defense gave up a lot on the edges with their pass rush, losing contain at times, but those are things we can fix.”
The Eagles wrapped up 15 spring practices, and Oliver said he came away encouraged with how his team — and his new staff — handled schematic adjustments.
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“With all the new coaches and new schemes on both sides of the ball, we had a lot to get done,” he said. “I’m pleased with where we are. We’re actually a little further along than I thought we’d be.”
What about the quarterbacks?
Oliver said the quarterback battle will carry into the summer, with four players taking reps this spring, including redshirt sophomore Joshua Jones, who has the most game experience among the current signal callers.
“I like the way those guys compete and how they’ve grasped the offense,” he said. “Some guys have kind of separated themselves, but it’s an athletic room — we want dual-threat quarterbacks, and I think we have those.”
With spring drills complete, NCCU players will focus on academics and final exams before returning for summer workouts.
“The guys will finish up school, go home for a week or two, then come back to work,” Oliver said. “We’ve been consistent around here, but now it’s about taking things to another level. With our team speed and competitive nature, we’ve got a chance.”
