JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (WJHL) — With the annual Blue and Gold spring game just days away, ETSU Buccaneers football is focused on more than just fundamentals.
After adding over three dozen new players through the transfer portal and welcoming three new members to the coaching staff, the Buccaneers have spent spring camp working to get in sync on the field. Head coach Will Healy said the team has made significant progress since the start of practice, though recent scrimmages showed there is still room to grow.
“I think coach Healy and Coach Staggs have done a really good job of bringing us together, really prioritizing being a team,” said transfer defensive lineman Charles Woodard. “It’s only going to get better as the season goes on.”
Transfer wide receiver Brandon Winton echoed that sentiment, noting early growing pains have started to fade.
“Early on in the spring there were some little struggles, us trying to learn each other, learn the system and all that,” Winton said. “But we’re coming along, and I think Saturday is going to be a good day for us.”
Competition remains strong across the roster, especially at quarterback, where four players continue to battle for the starting role. The rotation has challenged the offense to adjust to different styles while continuing to develop consistency.
Despite the ongoing position battles, coach say the emphasis is on building connections within a new-look locker room.
“I don’t know that you’re ever where you want to be,” Healy said. “I think the biggest piece to me is the gelling of the staff and the players. We’ve got a lot of new faces. Them caring about each other and getting to know each other, that to me is the number one priority, even more so than the schematic piece.”
The Bucs hit the field in their annual Blue and Gold spring game on Saturday, April 25 at noon.
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