UAB Fall Camp SNAPSHOT: Day Eight
By Steve Irvine
BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA - August 11, 2025
UAB Fall Camp Snapshot
Perhaps no position group on the UAB roster is more loaded than the secondary. There doesn’t seem to be a lot of separation among a large group of players fighting for playing time at cornerback, nickel back and safety.
Brent Vieselmeyer is coaching the secondary and serving as the pass defense coordinator while Ryan Lewis Sr. is in charge of the cornerbacks and Tee Mitchell is coaching the nickels. Vieselmeyer, who has experience coaching in the NFL, college and high school, stopped by after practice last week to talk about the progression of the secondary.
On his impressions of the secondary after the first two weeks: “Very pleased in the sense of the stuff that we went through in spring, it's really caught on and we're making big time progress. We've done a good job taking the ball away in camp so far. We need to keep that up always, every day. I think that's been the biggest thing but also more of the mental sharpness. The guys have been pretty sharp on that. They’ve done a good job.”
On creating turnovers: “The game is funny as it keeps changing and evolving. Possessions are like number one. If you look at most schools (and) NFL teams, the more possessions you have, the higher chance you have to win. So taking that ball away is key. Now, teaching it, there's gonna be some things that are innate. Hopefully you recruit the guys that really have a sense for the ball. I think giving them pre-snap cues and then post-snap cues of how I can put myself in position to have leverage on a receiver is part of it. Then I think you know the biggest thing is just guys physically catching the ball. It's not the same anymore, like you see a lot more drops than you used to on both sides of the ball. So just just keep working that skill.”
On having veteran players in the secondary: “I think it's huge. I think just having snaps under their belts (is important). As the game has changed it's harder to get snaps and reps and live reps are hard right. It just make guys comfortable. They've experienced things and a lot of those older guys they've had some warts, some bad things happen to them and you learn from those scars. I think it's been really good, you learn from that experience that you’ve come through. Then as you get younger guys too, it makes their development quicker. Because you got someone over there saying ‘Hey, this happened to me, here's how I would deal with that.”
On the secondary’s emotional leaders: “It's a good question. I think it's been a big part of just by committee because there's so many guys. Now, some might be a little less vocal but they're really they're a great lead by example kind of guy They've done it before, they played meaningful college reps, some of the portal guys that came in. They sort of know what it's about. That's what's sort of cool. I can sit back and just tell them I need this, this and this and they care of a lot of those things. That’s a blessing. Whereas, my last few years (in the NFL) I had so many rookie safeties. (They were) great but in the NFL that’s a big learning curve right away.”
On if there is a difference in coaching college players and NFL players: “Yes and no. Some of it is just the sheer age and where they’re at in life. We all have the same problems. There's always gonna be those certain categories, it's just to the magnitude, right? It might not be girlfriend problems or in high school even getting a date. Now you got problems maybe with the family or someone else that's weighing on you or different kinds of things. I think my first year when I was at Oakland, Charles Woodson was only a couple years younger than me and I'm coaching him. That's very, very different. I think, too, when you get guys with that maturity, you could tell them this is what I need and you’re working together a lot. I think sometimes, they may be a freshman coming into college, they have a certain expectation level. You got to raise maybe effort, expectations, life skills. You don’t have to do that all the time (in the NFL). That's where it's maybe a little bit more different. But sometimes you get some really experienced college guys that, as far as being on the field, they get it pretty instinctually. Then we’ve had some guys in the NFL where it takes a minute. But I tell you what, you put athleticism with learning together, you know, you get really good players.”
On the difficulty of formulating playing time in what appears to be a loaded secondary: “I've been blessed in my career to have that over and over again. I think it's just trying to find guys really good roles (and) show them where they can develop. Once they all buy into that we're all sort of working in harmony, it's worked out well. I think you're gonna have guys graduate, guys are gonna have to step up. I think that's just sort of that continuing process. But our guys have been great. I think they're hungry, so maybe they want a little bit more, but that's not a bad problem.”
On the cornerbacks: “Well, again, there's some guys with some experience, which is really nice. And then we have some good young players, so I think it's sort of just merging those together. That group works together so much that they’ve jelled really well. Like, it's a fun room every morning to come into, which makes work fun. I'm very pleased so far but there is still a long ways ago. It's still a first-year system, it's pretty complex. I think for some guys that are asked to do a few more things than maybe they have, even at other schools. It's been good for them, though, because it’s raised their level.”
On the intensity during offense vs. defense part of practice: “That's a big part of (growth). One of the things that we're talking about is competition being everything and every day competing. It’s going to happen in football. Quite honestly, you and I know, it happens in life, right? You better come to compete every day. I think that's going good. I can't speak to the past, but I just know that some of more fun teams I've been a part of that's been a big thing, It really strains back to compete for a job, win a job, compete for your brother. That’s sort of a big thing.”