STATESBORO - Georgia Southern football kicks off its spring session this week as the Eagles take to the field for the first of 15 practices on Tuesday morning. GSEagles.com had a chance to sit down with first-year offensive coordinator Ryan Aplin to get his thoughts on his side of the ball.

Q: What are the top goals for the offense this spring?
A: The first thing for us is playing as a unit. We've got to do a really good job of collectively playing together and communicating. What I mean by that is not having stalls, staying on track, and keeping on pace. I think a lot of that has to do with me coaching the quarterbacks, making sure they're right, and not forcing plays. I'm not trying to make rash decisions, but I'm keeping us on pace. Another piece for us is we've got to take care of the football. I think that's a major emphasis that we've got to do, and then we've got to be really good in the red zone. I think that's an area that we've got to really improve. That's an area that, as a coaching staff, we have to fight like crazy to make sure we get the best out of our guys but also put them in the best situations to be successful.

Q: Who are some young guys on the team last year that probably didn't play a lot but you are excited to watch develop this spring?
A: I think there are several, especially in that wideout room. Taylor Bradshaw was a kid who came in last year and redshirted. There's Josh Dallas and KD Dorsey. We're hoping for a little bit more prominent role out of Marcus Sanders. So we're excited to see how those guys have progressed. I think a hidden gem that everybody's waiting to see come back out is Sam Kenerson. He's on track to put himself in a good situation this spring. I want to see more from Joshua Thompson and have a bigger role for him. DeAndre Buchannon showed up on special teams last year, but I can't wait to see what he's got. Then you've also got a true freshman in Carmelo Mays, who just got here. We'll see where he fits and put those feet to the fire to see how he adjusts.

At running back, Terrance Gibbs is a guy coming back from a crazy injury in high school, so we'd really like to see him have a big spring. Then, obviously, J'Shawn Anderson, the freshman we signed last year, is there. I'm really looking forward to seeing what he brings to the table and their running back room.

In the tight end room, you've got JP Mikhael, who redshirted last year, and Elijah Walton. Those are the two young guys in that room, and you're looking forward to seeing them out there on the field.

From an offensive line perspective, you've got Ethan Williams, Matthew Williams, and then, obviously, Robert Wright, who showed up a little bit early on. Those are all guys that we're going to see where they fit and kind of how they've progressed after their first season at Georgia Southern.

Q: Who are some guys that transferred in that you're excited to see take the field next week?
A: We're excited to get a pair of offensive linemen in Kyle Frazier and Justin Kanyuk out there. We're looking for them to have a big spring and see where they fit in. We've got Tyler Fromm, who we're excited about at tight end. He's an older guy who has played a lot of football, so we'll see where his skill set best helps us. And then you've got LV Bunkley-Shelton, who's coming from Oklahoma. We're excited about him based on what we've seen so far. You've also got two other guys in that wide receiver room in Deyandre Ruffin and Deuce Petty, who are both Division II transfers who were really productive at their respective schools. And then, finally, we have Dexter Williams II, who I think could be another big piece of the puzzle. You've seen a lot of flashes from him in college football, so I'm excited to get him back out there and let him rip it.

Q: Were there any position changes from within the offense of note?
A: The only one would be Weston Wallace, moving from the defensive line to the offensive line. He's a very selfless kid who wants a bigger role with this team. We went to him, and he accepted the idea with open arms, which I think sometimes can be really hard. Here's a guy who transferred in thinking he was going to play one position, and now we're asking him to move to another, but he has been fantastic. He's an awesome personality and a great person. He's working his tail off and will add depth to that whole offensive line room.

Q: Can you talk about what each of the two new coaches bring to the offense?
A: Coach Lankford is brilliant. I got a chance to work with him at Western Kentucky, and a lot of the success they had at Western is in a system that is very, very, very similar to ours. He's very knowledgeable in both phases of the offense, and I think he understands what we do from an offensive perspective. If you watch what they did last year at Western and what they've done the past couple of years, a lot is because of what he brought to the table. He brings a lot of knowledge, insight, and maybe a slightly different perspective. He's a great recruiter and is great with the kids. He's back home, and I think it was pretty cool for him to get back home to the state. He's one of the offensive line coaches who sees from the box and big picture perspectives, which is awesome for me as a playcaller.

Clint and I have known each other for quite a long time. We weren't best friends by any means, but we've always had a mutual respect for one another since we met around 2014. We stayed in touch throughout the years. Clint brings a lot to the table as a former coordinator who's had success at several places. He's coached multiple positions. He's coached the tight end room and had a Mackey Award winner at FAU. He's also coached receivers and quarterbacks, and being able to go into that room and handle both those positions as well as teach them from the quarterback perspective is something that I really like. I think that he brings a lot of knowledge. He's been in this conference. Like Coach Lankford, he's a really, really good recruiter; that is a big piece of what we do here at Georgia Southern. He brings another level of thoughts, ideas, and different ways to do stuff, and he brings it from a coordinator mindset, which I really like.

Q: Speaking of a coordinator mindset, yours switches to that now with the OC title and then moving from the inside receivers and tight ends to the quarterbacks coach. What, if anything, will be different about the Eagle offense with you calling the plays?
A: A lot of it will stay similar, especially in terminology. If you go into year three and then change everything, all you do is hurt the kids. That was one thing Coach Helton and I talked about. I want to keep as much terminology as we can the same to allow us to play faster. That's an emphasis for us, maybe not just in terms of the tempo but getting lined up and executing our assignments.

The big thing is there are going to be a lot of similarities. I don't see there being a tremendous amount of change. Some of it will depend on the quarterbacks. The one thing I've always prided myself on is that I can adjust to their strengths, what they're really good at doing, and what they're comfortable with. We'll find out those strengths with each guy as the spring goes along. I don't think we've had enough time yet to put the hammer down on where we think it is. The terminology will essentially be the same. There may be some minor changes to certain things, but we just have to find out who we are outside of that. We've got a different skill set than we had last year, and I think there are some unknowns in terms of figuring out which young guys can help us. This spring is a big test for us as coaches to figure out who we are and what our strengths are, adapt to those strengths, and put our players in the best situation to succeed.

Q: Let's take a look at each position group. What are you looking for out of the offensive line in the spring?
A: Yeah, you know, you lost three starters, including Brian Miller and Khalil Crowder, who played a lot of football here. Trying to fill those voids is a top priority. That room is probably the deepest it's been in a while, but we still have room to grow. But in terms of the big picture, we're not all freshmen in there it felt like the past two years where we were kind of mixing and matching and having to play some true freshmen across the board. We got to redshirt a couple of guys, which I think was huge for them.

The big piece is getting them all on the same page. We play a unique style of football. Sometimes, it can be fast, so it was really nice to have guys who had been in the system. They've got their feet wet now, and I think it's time for them to take the next step. We will put a premium on them being physical in the run game, getting movement on the down, and getting to lap the linebackers, then seeing them play as a unit. That's one thing they've done a really good job of the past couple of years, even with the turnover in the O-line room. That group has stayed glued together, which is ultimately the driving force of the offense. When those big boys are moving the right way, you've always got a chance.

Q: What about the tight ends?
A: We lost a lot of production, obviously, with Jjay and Keaton leaving, so I think there's a little bit of an unknown to see who kind of steps in to fill that void. With Tyler Fromm coming in and Beau Johnson returning, I think you've got some older guys in there who have played. It's going to be who can make the next strides, who can solidify themselves, come in, and fill a role that has been pretty productive for us the past two years.

Q: Moving out to the receivers, what are your thoughts on that group?
A: I'm really excited. We've got a lot of production coming back with Derwin Burgess Jr. and Dalen Cobb. But the big piece is taking that next step. A point of emphasis has been for us to make the first guy miss. And so this spring, we will emulate those scenarios with those guys and put them in unique spots. And then we've also put a premium on blocking and how we play without the football. Are we extending plays? Are we allowing a 2-yard throw to become a 50-yard play because of how we block and chase the football? We're trying to fight for our brother to get down the field and maybe make one miss so we don't have to call another play. Who will be selfless and put their body on the line when they don't have the football? I'm excited for that group because they have been working extremely hard and I'm looking forward to seeing who can step in and take a bigger role.

Q: Into the backfield, can you talk about the running backs?
A: It's pretty exciting to have Jalen White come back. I think it tells you a lot about him, his character, and how he wants to try and finish his last year out here. And so I'm excited. You've got J'Shawn Anderson, Terrance Gibbs, David Mbadinga, Jamarian Samuel and Robert Edwards III. Jalen and OJ are two guys who have played a lot of football here, but we have to figure out who can step up next. That's the one room in college football where you never have enough depth. We have to find guys we can trust and rely on to give us the best chance to move forward and stay on pace as an offense.

Q: And finally, can you talk about the quarterbacks?
A: I'm really excited about this room as it's probably one of the more talented rooms I've been around as a collective whole. On top of that, they're great kids. I think you can go across the offense and see that, so I'm extremely excited. I'm looking forward to getting out there and watching them compete, get thrown to the fire, and see who can handle some pressure situations. And for some of them, it's their first spring. Maybe they've been here a couple of years, and then for others, it's a chance to go out there, reprove themselves, and try to make a name for themselves. I think the biggest thing is there's a trust factor with your offense when you're out there. I talk about it all the time that it's your show. When you go out there and we're not out there, it's you and the 10 other guys, so there's got to be a relationship piece, and there has to be a trust piece. And there's also got to be a knowledge piece. How are you helping your teammates? Are you over-communicating? So communication this spring will be big. I want to see how those guys communicate. I also think being a great teammate and picking guys up is important.

The thing I'm looking for is who keeps us on track; who keeps us on pace? I think sometimes, playing the quarterback position, you get into a drive or a lull, and you're like, 'Alright, I gotta make the next big play.' That's when you get in trouble.

The biggest thing we will talk about this spring is getting first downs. Something good will happen when you continue to get first downs on that drive. So we'll talk about taking what they give you, knowing when to take a chance, knowing when not to take a chance, knowing the scenarios, and being an overall leader. The guy that gives us a chance is a guy that's the most consistent week in and week out. We're not looking for a guy who just throws two touchdowns and makes two big plays because if you've got two picks to follow those plays, that doesn't help us. You may not always have the best stats, but you're the guy that keeps us on pace. You make the smart decisions. You're not forcing throws. We're staying ahead of the chains where you're not constantly fighting an uphill battle. So that's what I'm looking for in that group.

I don't know who it will be, but I'm really excited. The way these kids work has excited me because I think it's different than a lot of places in college football on this as a collective. You know, our kids enjoy being here. You can tell they have fun. They love the weight room. They love each other, which is a big piece for us.

Q: Finish the sentence. Spring practice for the Eagle offense will be successful if:
A: we play as a unit. I think there's a trust factor in this game with the guy next to you. When you can look at him and it's third down, and you say, 'Hey man, let's go. It's time.' If there's a relationship piece there, it means a little bit more. That's something that we have here that's different than most places. We have Coach Helton, who's the leading and driving force behind that. When you have a guy at the helm who gets these kids to buy in and believe from a genuine perspective, I think that's when you have something special.

But for us, it's about us playing as a unit. There are going to be hard times and mistakes. There will be mess-ups, but it's about not flinching or batting an eye. We're not going to point fingers at each other. We will look the guy who made the mistake in the face and tell him we're good. Let's keep pushing. One thing we talked about a lot is playing the next play. You can't worry about what just happened. You can't dwell on the past. You've got to move forward. And so I think we've got to do a great job of playing as a unit, playing together as an offense, staying patient and finding a way to score touchdowns, not field goals.