Accelerated learning

You might think that the COVID-19 pandemic and resulting campus lockdown would be especially detrimental for a school like Northwestern.

After all, the Wildcats are breaking in new offensive coordinator Mike Bajakian this season, and players aren’t together on campus to learn his new system.

But you’d be wrong. In fact, head coach Pat Fitzgerald said during a Zoom meeting with local media on Tuesday that it’s been an advantage for his program.

“I think it’s been a great asset for us,” he said.

The Wildcats were somewhat fortunate because they got eight spring practices in before the state of Illinois issued a stay-at-home order in mid-March. That enabled Bajakian to get a glimpse of his personnel and the players to begin to get a feel for his offense.

Fitzgerald believes that, since then, the constant Zoom meetings between Bajakian and his players – quarterbacks first, and the whole offense second – has accelerated the vital relationship-building between the coach and his players. That has, in turn, has sped up the learning process

That goes for the whole team, too. Instead of being out on the road recruiting in April and May, Northwestern’s assistant coaches are now spending more time with players on Zoom to conduct what Fitzgerald called “a mental install” of the playbook.

“It don’t think that has slowed us down AT ALL,” Fitzgerald emphasized, while acknowledging the fact that players can’t do anything physical. “It’s a lot more mentally intense. I think we’ve done a really good job of that, and not given the guys too much."

The program has basically created a “virtual Walter Athletic Center” on Zoom, said Fitzgerald. There are position rooms set up, where coaches are meeting with players, just as they would at their facility on the shore of Lake Michigan. Fitzgerald pops into each room as he sees fit to see what’s going on.

He said that the challenge is keeping players the players engaged. That’s why the Wildcats have been bringing in guests to speak to the players as often as possible, as you’ve probably seen on social media.

Celebrities like impressionist Frank Caliendo, ESPN analyst Louis Riddick, sports business reporter (and NU alum) Darren Rovell and former NFL star quarterback Peyton Manning have all addressed the team, as have former Wildcats in the NFL, such as Tyler Lancaster.

Caliendo was a highlight, speaking for about a half hour, according to Fitzgerald, and doing “all” of his impressions, including John Madden and Mel Kiper Jr.

“The majority of our guys think he’s absolutely phenomenal,” said Fitzgerald.

The questions on everyone’s mind: Fitzgerald made it clear upfront that he wouldn’t have any updates on when Northwestern’s campus might reopen.

“It’s a very fluid situation, I think not only at Northwestern but across the college football landscape,” he said.

However, Fitzgerald did share his thoughts on what it would take for the sport to return in the fall.

“If we are able to get back going across the country in the beginning of July, we can get in a normal training camp and ‘let’s go play ball,’” he said.

If not, he says that “six weeks (of practice) would be very beneficial.” He cited the NCAA guidelines for avoiding catastrophic injury, which call for “two weeks of a percentage increase in workouts” before a player can fully participate in practice.

Ramsey officially joins the QB competition: Northwestern announced on Tuesday the official additions of grad transfers Peyton Ramsey and punter Derek Adams to the roster for 2020. Fitzgerald said that both players joined team Zoom meetings late last week.

Many seem ready to anoint Ramsey the starting quarterback for the upcoming season. He started 23 games at Indiana and is the Hoosiers’ sixth all-time leading passer with 6,581 yards and 42 touchdowns.

But Fitzgerald said that Ramsey will be in a competition with Hunter Johnson, TJ Green, Andre Marty and the other QBs on the roster to determine who will trot out with the first team for the opener.

“Whether it’s a grad transfer or a guy that we’re recruiting, we are bringing him in here to compete to start, and that’s what we expect,” said Fitzgerald. “That’s what the expectation is for everyone that comes into our program.”

Fitzgerald added that, while he hasn’t seen any of them on the field, the medical reports for both Johnson and Green have been “all positive” as they both recover from injuries.

According to a Northwestern spokesperson, tight end John Raine, another grad transfer who committed to Northwestern earlier this month, will likely officially join the team later this week.

Lessons learned: Fitzgerald thinks that many of the changes brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic could lead to substantive changes in the way college football conducts recruiting. He is hoping that the American Football Coaches Associating will take “a deep dive into the whole recruiting calendar.”

“You can get a lot done this way,” he said, referring to Zoom calls and other virtual technologies replacing in-person meetings with recruits and coaches.

Before COVID-19, assistants would typically fly all over the country in the spring to visit high school coaches during the evaluation period. Now, Fitzgerald says that “the ABCs of body type” that they look for in a player – wingspan, hand size, frame – can be accomplished on a Zoom call.

Then, he added, coaches could assess the player’s athletic ability at regional combines, rather than visiting each player's high school.

That would greatly reduce the travel load of assistant coaches, whose “qualify of life can go way up,” said Fitzgerald. It would also significantly drive down costs, something that may be more important than ever considering the financial hit college athletic departments have taken – and will yet take – because of the coronavirus.

Fitzgerald also thinks the AFCA should take a good, long look at fall recruiting, when coaches hit the road to watch their top targets on Friday nights.

“I don’t know how much we accomplish going out to high schools and going out to games in the fall, outside of just making sure the ‘N’ was seen at the high school, that Northwestern was in the building,” he said.