Fall camp is underway for the Missouri football team. Throughout the three weeks of practices, PowerMizzou will catch up with all of the newcomers that are available to the media. Saturday, we talked to freshman wide receiver Dominic Gicinto, who enrolled in school early and participated in spring practices. The Kansas City native was listed as a No. 2 receiver on the team's first depth chart of the preseason.
Question: How much did enrolling early and participating in spring ball help you out?
Dominic Gicinto: “I think it helped a lot. It prepared me more than I could really see at the moment. It really gave me a chance to prove myself to the coaches earlier than every other freshman that came in the summer.”
Q: What was biggest adjustment you had to make after getting here in the spring?
DG: “Just the tempo. Everything’s moving faster, ball’s moving faster, harder. Really just getting used to it.”
Q: How much different is this offense than your high school offense?
DG: “My offense back in high school as a high-tempo offense like this. We didn’t have a tight end at all, actually, and everything was out of the gun. This offense is similar but it’s just more complex.”
Q: A.J. Ofodile said you're a "cool customer," that nothing really rattles you. How does that help with stepping into a new offense?
DG: “Yeah. I just roll with the punches, really. I just adapt, because in high school I had a different offensive coordinator almost every year, so I just had to do what they asked me.”
Q: So stepping into a new offensive system isn’t new to you?
DG: “No, it’s not at all.”
Q: What do you feel like you have to do to get on the field as a freshman?
DG: “Just keep learning the plays and executing as much as I can, and keep making plays.”
Q: After going through spring practices, do you feel like a freshman out there right now?
DG: “No, not really. Like most of the older guys are treating me more as their level. And like Coach (Derek) Dooley always says, he has a high standard and he’s not going to change it for anybody.”
Q: Have you been playing all over the formation? Both slot and wideout?
DG: “More on slot, but I don’t know what they have in store yet.”
Q: In high school were you mostly slot?
DG: “In high school I played outside. I played outside, slot, quarterback, punt returner.”
Q: How do you like playing the slot?
DG: “It’s a lot of fun. There’s a lot of mental things you gotta go into and it’s just a lot of thinking. You have to think real fast.”
Q: You were the only true freshman on the depth chart that came out a couple weeks ago. Did that mean anything to you?
DG: “Not really. It just meant I’m at least getting looked at to get on the field.”
