P.J. Fleck talks importance of depth players in Huntington Bank Stadium practice

anybody got any questions great to see you everybody thanks for coming out beautiful day back in the stadium PJ we talked a lot about the in ingame communication what about the tablets what type of impact you think that'll have on well I thought we we got a chance to use the tablets in the bll game which I thought was a huge um not you can't say the advantage because everybody gets to use them so there's not one person gets use something that some somebody else doesn't use but I I do love it I love to the National Football League with the pictures I do love the sideline video and what we're able to use on there just to be able to educate show The Players what they're getting uh I think it's a huge advancement in college football when you're talking technology and using it and you know we're moving more and more towards like what the NFL has and and why the NFL has it I just think it's um I think it's really important I think it's very functional and you know we we've been able to use them which has been a benefit for us if you're going to get something from the return game this year what has to change I think we've gotten some good things from the return game in the past you look at a lot of things that you know I think Q reading set up a lot of either big scores or go-ahead scores or put us in really good field position I think he's been really smart with the football um but I do think our our 11 have to play um the whole play you know there's times there's 10 out of 11 or nine of 11 uh we didn't make a very good decision we didn't use our technique um you know we didn't we didn't box out block we're supposed to box out block we didn't punch the far number weren't supposed to P punch the far number and then I think you know as we continue to go as as teams present themselves in the P block situation if we can get some block punts like we did a few years ago I know we open the year with one against Michigan and um we just got to get better at that again our players allow us to do what we need to do and I like the depth of our punt return team our punt block team I like how many players we have and they're very skilled at at being able to do both so um hopefully we have a lot more creativity and we have a lot more um options uh in the scheme game to be able to do better than we have we saw a lot of Drake Lindsay today was that planned to have Max not practice quite as much yeah there's a few guys there's about nine or 10 guys um some were held up by the training staff just based on numbers uh we analyze numbers very heavily here um I think our dietitians nutritionists trainers doctors do a really good job and we have so many different monitoring systems on our players in practice um and so trainers pulled some guys back today um they'll be back Thursday you know uh that's the great thing about having a double walkthrough tomorrow you kind of benefit from that uh but also there might be one or two guys um nicked up that we kept out uh and then also just to be able to get some other guys some reps you know I think that's critical to have I didn't tell them what was going to happen just kind of did it and let Drake Take a lot with the ones pulled some other guys out see how the other guys would respond this is about week two is about taking the floor and and raising the floor I've always believed that in training camp you're there's a lot of guys you know have played a ton of college football here uh they performed in college football I know what they can do not like they're not going to practice they practice the entire time except for today in a small piece of it uh but now people are fighting for jobs in week two I need to be able to answer questions by the end of week two in the middle of week three on the depth chart and what we're going to do and how we're going to do it uh and what the answers are if and when something happens to somebody and those are the questions we're answering here in week two and I think we had a great day to be able to evaluate it we got a ton of reps about 115 plays and uh when you look at that close to 80 plays are with uh whether you want to call them um twos one A's uh some threes some really young players so some guys opened our eyes today and we'll go back and evaluate the film some Rose of the occasion some didn't but guys are fighting for spots and they're competitive that's what I like to seej thiser you feel about where you're at along both lines you know I think I think we're um I think we're really talented I think we got to continue to create our depth um I like our depth of the defensive line of how how different each player is and the ability to move each player around at different positions uh we haven't necessarily had that before where our nose guard can technically play five technique and some downs and distances as well as our five technique coming down to three technique and do the same thing um we can take some linebackers and put them on edge as Edge rushers we can take some safeties and put them down in the Box as a linebacker in some packages we just have a lot of Versatility on defense that I don't know if we've had in the past with as much versatility on the offensive line I feel like we've got some guys that have played a ton of football here and then we've got a really really good players who just haven't had an opportunity to play in a big 10 game yet but hopefully they get the opportunity this year that inal INR MTI just it it is when you kind of look at what we're able to get in recruiting and what we're able to get in the transfer portal and the type of player we were really focusing on versatilities at the top of the list and I'm not talking about a corner playing three technique I'm talking about just being able to move guys with length size speed uh athleticism especially with what we've always done with our movements and what we've been able to do I mean um we're not a big three four team where you got this huge nose who's too Gap and everything um you know we're still what we do and how we do it on defense but if we can get some long athletic rangy guys that are really strong and then we can move people around I think that's hard for an offense to game plan uh move protection just to one player um and really hard to know where we're coming from and if you can get a lot of players that can rush the passer on third down depending if their linebackers or or d lman uh hopefully that bodess well for uh success one or two more I know you're a big notaker what's in the notes about biggest areas for improvement want to see I it goes back to when we talked about the beginning of the of of training camps consistency it's not about if they can make the play it's can they make the play all the time you know we're past the days of like oh he did it once like we got to play him guys have to be able to show it on a day in day out basis of the consistency the the mental fortitude the emotional fortitude um to being able to keep your body healthy uh commitment to the process commitment to the film room know what you're doing because again we're we're three weeks from game day I mean that's going to be here here before we know it so if you're making alignment assignment motion problems and you're not that's going to be hard to be able to make all that ground up in a week and have trust you got to do that for that's what all the summer meetings are for that's what all the things we did in the summer when you get in here you should be at least be able to line up have motion shifts uh and if we're behind on that you know we we've uh we either got to make some adjustments really quickly or you got to move on Darius green and Dan yeah Darius uh should be back pretty soon he had an off the field issue in the summer uh that the trainers are keeping him out for and then who else Daniel Jackson oh yeah he'll be back on Thursday he's one that trainers just held out um for the day and you know I love our Trainers for that you know I mean they they bring up suggestions at times in terms of numbers then they also say hey this guy can't practice um same with our nutritionists our our Sport Science people and uh we're tracking all of that so but he'll be back all the guys you saw out uh today should be back by Thursday or Friday fin question when you have guys you mentioned that are kind of versatile how what's a challeng as a coach used to have to know just how much to give him like you do all this stuff let's feed it all to him or let's make him good at one thing first and then move down there well I think that's where you you you start out you know when you're working on in Indie you know in the summertime you know even in the spring you have an idea you don't know what type of Team you're going to be yet in the spring because a lot of guys are still going to join but that's where I think the first five days of this Camp six days of this Camp have been uh on hypers speed you know throw a ton at them who can handle it who can function uh who can perform under the pressure of the situation that's what it's all about I mean it's not about here on you know Tuesday at 1:25 p.m. it's about who can do it and that's why we're over when the lights are on that's why we're always here in the stadium as much as we can be over here uh having our fans in the stadium was critical the other day um you know having all of you here is really important I think that adds another layer of pressure as they're getting evaluated as you ask questions and and you're you're putting Perceptions in your own mind about players as you watch him so uh I think that's really important for him we educate him on that and uh as they spend time with you too educate him through the media process and and getting them to be able to talk to the media and have that added pressure to them oh was great I have a blast doing that with the with the walk you kind of get the other side of it now where you got to figure out how close to talk to the Walky and then Drake's yelling at me because he can't hear the play and I'm screaming but uh it's good hearing seeing that Dynamic now and then I'm getting mad at coach har because I can't hear the play I can kind of understand where that's coming from now any surprises at a training camp so far no I think our our team's developing you know as as we expected it to I think we're we're growing every single day both offensively and defensively and as a team collectively um you know for us it's a one- and0 mentality we want to get better every single day and I think we're doing a really good job doing that outside of Daniel whove you developed chemistry with for Camp so far yeah all the guys are are playing their butts off right now um you know people have stood out right now are a life Spencer like mecky Brockington um you know Ken nuke these are guys that have been grinding you know since spring and summer and you know showing on showing on the field during Camp um that's a testament to them but also for that receiver room the leaders in that room Q reading um Daniel as well for for holding that standard and making sure that you know everyone's keeping up with the pace your field vision of processing or a couple things the coaches have brought up a lot over the years what have you done to expand and grow in that area yeah I think it's I think it's different when you get to to a different school and you kind of see the same the same schools over three or four years in the ca where I played the same teams and now I'm coming to Minnesota where we're playing you know new defenses and new coordinators and I love that challenge I think football's a chess game it's a big chess match and it's a chess match against you the defense but also coordinator versus coordinator um and that's the fun part for me is I actually play a lot of Chess to kind of keep my my brain thinking and um it's it's away for me to keep my mental efficiency going and I think it translates really well to football um so that way you can you know make really quick and decisive decisions um and also it's just kind of getting used to it you know every single defense has their um you know different specifics that they do that can define a defense and our specifically we know we've gotten used to it uh fall Camp over the past eight or nine days and I'm excited to to kind of build upon that and and face new people throughout the year Max as you're in here does it you have moments of in know three weeks it's for real or is there still kind of a lot to happen between now and then I think there's I think that's there's there's both sides of the story I think there's I don't know like 26 days or something to the first game and we're doing a good job not not really thinking that far forward we know that we have you know that that many more days to to really grow into our into our true State as a team as an offense and a defense um which I you know I really I'm proud of my guys for doing that of really stacking days and not trying to focus too far in the future um but it is become a reality it's like you know we have you know for a lot of us is our last season playing football and that's that's kind of something you think about too like this is my last one this is my last go around um as well as the older guys in the team so um that's becoming a reality but you know that that allows you not to take every day for granted because you know we're out here to play football is what we love to do and it's the last girl wi in college and Greg the other night talked about the importance of 70% completion M how fixated if at all are you on that number and how do you go about trying to to get there yeah I think that kind of goes back to the part about you know focusing on the end goal cuz if you're focus on I got to get 70% 70% 70% every single play you're not really going to get 70% um you're focused too much on being perfect um into the quarterback world if you're 70% or higher you're your Elite you're in the top whatever number of the country and um for us that's our goal you know we want to you know be the best and and the efficient as as possible um but again if you're focusing to much on the end goal you're going to lose out on every single rep um and so for us as an offense especially as the quarterback position we want to focus on you know going one and0 every single rep and try to win that rep every single time Max uh when you joined the team did you know you going to have a left tackle at at the level of arante and what's impressed you about him what have we learned about him since you've been here it was cool kind of looking up on that when I kind of researched Minnesota um you know this whole Line's very very experienced and um really talented and skillful people on this to line and um having a Blindside tack who's really really talented really helps quarterback stay comfortable on that left side um but I'm just I'm proud of the whole Old Line being you know the communication has has exceeded my expectations and our expectations that's why they're rolling right now as the they're off the charts with their communication and um it starts from from Greg to Center and then works out to the tackles um through the guard to the tackle and um that's that's been a huge highlight of all the offensive line and while we're running and throwing the ball so well what do you say to Drake was it looks like he's kind of having some struggles today it's it's going to happen that's my number one thing is the first thing I said to him is look it's your first time taking you know the ones reps and really getting thrown into the fire and every quarterback has to have that whether that's in practice or even in a game too people who get to play as a freshman um you know when they're younger in actual games you're going to feel that heat and we we had talked at the field he's like dang like it's it's fast it's fast it's really fast on the field and like yeah even I'm experiencing that too I'm still building up to that and and really feeling that every single day and um you know it's a it's a testament to you know the whole group as a preparation I think we're doing a really good job together is preparing together and um as a unit I got to do better job of making sure that he's prepared more for the next practice um and I'm going to do the best of my ability to do that and I have fun doing that with the group and coach harbone and Keegan as well have fun doing that but I told him about sweat it it's going to happen it's football you remember back when you were young that first time that I you struggled and the coaches were all over you oh yeah I do um that's happened here too in a good way though because we're we're always trying to grow but as a freshman I I don't know what I'm looking at at the field I'm just like throw to the open guy but sometimes you have no idea where the open guy is so um it's it's definitely a growing um you know challenge for him and I'm excited to see where he goes with it going back to something you said earlier how often you play chess and what's your favorite aspect of yeah the game so I play CH I don't I I've been playing a lot during fall Camp it's a it's a good way to kind of get off of social media and try to really focus on you know what's at hand um I probably play like 10 to 15 games a day um which is a is online though when I have like five minutes I play like bullet chest and just try to tough it out for 5 minutes um I I don't know the thing that I like the best about it is number one like I feel like I'm actually competing against somebody where cuz I am it's online and you're competing against someone so you can kind of like ah gotcha and like really kind of get the feel uh of actually competing against someone and then also just knowing that it's really beneficial for my head um it kind of takes me out of the moment for a second like if I'm like footballed out for a second all right let's just play a game of chess and then reset um so I use it for both any more for Max thank you guys yeah