Fall Practice Press Conference (8.1.24) | Notre Dame Football

Marty Biagi coach adon's a pretty confident guy in general adon's a pretty confident guy in general how has his confidence grown since the spring L I think just mastering the Playbook and uh you know trying to go from being what's considered a young guy to a to a vet in a hurry you know and he does that by his study habits and he's shown off the field you know he's just 100% bought in um all he cares about every day is just getting better and he's taking notes constantly it's it's awesome to watch he's growing up really fast then your special teams unit was I think ranked fourth in efficiency last year and you had four touchdowns returned touchdowns as well where did you kind of impact that to kind of take it to the next level yeah I think it starts with you know again from the top credit to coach Freeman our coaches and our players and the buyin you know uh last year was all kind of new and uh they came right in uh adapted to the schemes that we changed some of what we kept and uh just really felt like it was a great starting you know starting uh start for us and now we got to we have to build off that that was last year so we're going to continue trying to elevate our standards and reach our full potential and then with Bronte he hasn't played a lot of safety what are kind of some of the challenges bringing him along right now yeah I think uh it has to do with it just the Playbook you know and uh like for any freshman but just getting really U locked into the Playbook and it's been great to see our veteran guys you know uh ex uh Adon Jordan Clark just some of those veteran guys Rod herd really um able to help those young guys and really try and push them uh to show how important every rep is everything in coach coach Golden's defense you know has an attention to detail um so how does Xavier take his game to the next level obviously statistically it seems like it would be almost impossible for him to duplicate what he did last year but how does he take his game to the next level so X did a great job uh once he was coming back truly understand what he needed to clean up on um and really just really work on drills and technique you you know and so uh we were able to show him different safeties in the NFL show him practice standards and so he's bought into that um and you know I think you're seeing it show up he's just playing so much faster um so he always knew the scheme but now it's really trying to uh dive in in any little detail that he can just Master he's truly challenging himself to this is my goal for practice I'm going to come right out of it and be able to show I mastered it and then with James cting the ball uh just takes through the balance of obviously having an an older guy but also very inexperienced guy and how that's working because obviously we saw firsthand his talent out there sure uh you know really just trying to get him um not necessarily acclimated but just uh locked into the routine of college football and uh you know the good part is he's played that sport uh ausie Rules Football over there you know since he was a baby so um he's not lacking any time of quality rep in terms of putting his foot to the ball so just being able to truly Monitor and and challenge him to know hey we have to be able to perform in a very limited amount of reps as opposed to the sport where he played where it was more like soccer you're just free flowing for 2 to three hours it's got to be when we when your name's called you're you're on Marty special teams is where new players have an opportunity to maybe see the field but you've also used veterans in the past what are you looking for as you're developing special sure well I think it's really important here which I love but uh to be able to bring the philosophy is all of our players everybody pretty much minus the quarterbacks no line take reps um and and learn the majority of all the different skill sets of each phase so uh even like our our our returners they're still going to learn and go through the repetition of being a Frontline guy maybe because in the in the future in the NFL that's their role but really I try and do that so they respect the game you know and matters that everybody sees okay these aren't just returners hanging back they appreciate what kind of techniques are involved uh for when they are the returner and so uh it's been great you know a guy like Devon Ford last year came in in the summer transferred in and was able to show up and make plays uh Luke talich uh you know was here uh in Fall camp and we started to go whoa really quick like okay he's ready you know he's still going to have to learn the Playbook more on defense as a freshman but we knew he could be able to help us so then it's starting to carve out a niche you know and you kind of break it down some some guys are role players some guys are hey core 4 you may not be playing yet um consistently or the amount of reps that you want on offense but you know you can get 20 or 30 reps pretty quickly on special teams and then there's guys like you know Kaiser uh who uh you know he wants to be on every single special team but now you know we're training him to be a teacher hey we're going to cut back some of your reps you're still going to have a role but really use this to teach the other guys which he's only going to make it uh you know level 500 for them and in your philosophy is there is there tangible that you actually look for in a player that you would say this is what we need on special team trust without a doubt number one thing is can I trust you and uh you know they have to learn the offensive Playbook the defensive playbook there's there's so many situations so it's trying to get whether you're a transfer in whether you're a freshman you got so many things going on but can I now focus in when it's just those quick little periods or the the 15minute meeting of special teams am I locked in the whole time and once you stack those days in practice we started to go okay I can trust him and put him in last one you completed you your first season of te special teams coordinator now adding on a new role what did you learn from last year they kind of hoping to build on to season uh I think just time management understanding the flow of you know being here for a year uh you know definitely feeling like coach Freeman um you know is making sure that there's a balance and uh so you know coach Golden and Coach mickens have just been great the whole defensive staff welcoming me in um and then being able to apply a lot of some of the crossover drills uh so we can show even our defense hey this is just like a drill that would be on special teams but um really feel like just being able to to be familiar with um you know the whole the whole system that coach Freeman has all right thanks coach thank you thanks thank you hey Mike Denbrock everybody fancy meeting you here everybody doing okay yes sir um day two uh really like the progress that uh we're making offensively um I think from where we were when we started Spring football to now the progression that we've made to where we are starting fall Camp uh the kids have done a tremendous job the coaches have done a tremendous job and uh we're a lot farther along uh than we were in the spring are we as far along as we need to be to be ready for what comes ahead uh probably not but we got a few few more practices here to make sure that becomes a reality I love the work ethic I love kind of the grit and the toughness that the guys are competing with and uh we'll see where that leads us but uh very positive uh first couple days for us offensively how much does it help obviously to have Riley healthy and available and all in for you guys now as opposed to not being able to have much in the spring yeah I mean it's nice to have an opportunity to truly kind of evaluate him and see him live you watching watching players on tape is one thing and it's kind of a whole new ball game when you actually get a chance to see them do what they do uh in person and uh impressive uh you know way he's kind of picked up the system even though he didn't get an opportunity to take a bunch of reps in the spring um tried to do as much as we could over the course of the summer to kind of catch him up a little bit um and then here in Fall Camp obviously uh giving him as many opportunities as we can to kind of get a grasp on uh his overall knowledge of what we're doing and then how important is that obviously chemistry wise with everyone learning a new offense him coming on a lot of new wide receivers just everyone meshing together in the skill positions especially sure absolutely and and that's you know I think that's something that obviously gets developed over time we don't have a lot of time so uh we've kind of tried to purposely uh you know compress as much of that into each practice as we can and making sure uh that we're doing what we can rep wise to to make that process go a little bit smoother Mike you mentioned you don't have a lot of time can you outline the goals of fall Camp yeah I mean I think number one is just you know let's make sure we solidify uh what we're doing with the guys up front there's some position battles going on let's make sure our overall offensive knowledge of what we're doing offensively down to the fine details becomes a little a little bit more U inside of us and in our hearts and that it's not just in our heads assignment wise but we we know the scheme we know how to adjust it we understand it even that much more um and then I think you know just developing what our identity is going to be offensively um what is that I'm not quite sure exactly what that is yet I mean I have an idea of where I think we're headed um but the guys in in the way they execute and the way that they play will dictate ultimately what we look like when we line up and play another camp for you what is reinvigorating you this season and just being here uh is uh you know a blessing every day I just I I I love Notre Dame and I love an opportunity to be part of this program and and a part of this University and then obviously uh the student athletes themselves are uh kind of what gets me up in the morning and gets me rolling really you said that you it's different to see Riley from film to actually seeing them live is there anything that maybe has surprised you to actually now see him in person in action and what are maybe the tangibles and intangibles about him that you're liking so far yeah I mean I'll start with the second part first I think you know he's just he he's one of those magnetic personalities that people like to follow and he not only ask guys to uh kind of live to a standard but he he lives above that standard himself all the time and and and you know players will follow people who live the standard and he does that I think the thing that surprised me probably a little was how strong of an arm he's got he's got really good arm talent and uh that's exciting sneak in wks oh yeah thank you you've obviously coached a lot of talented receivers you know at LSU and here you know how did that kind of help craft your game plan going into another season here yeah I mean I I think I've been really really happy with how we've developed throughout the spring the summer and now where we are in Fall Camp I mean there there's some there's some pieces to the puzzle there for sure I think we're still trying to make sure we've got the right guys in the right spots and making sure um you know that we give those guys the opportunities that they've earned but uh I love the direction that that room is headed and I think it's going to add a lot to what we do all right thanks coach thank you man thank you Mitch over Mitch Jeter the last seven months what area of your game have you and Coach bii kind of focused on I think just coming in and being able to adapt to new operation you know getting here getting comfortable with those guys has been probably the biggest change for me um you know with obviously Chris Alo has been holding for me a lot and being able to get out with them a lot this summer has been really good for our you know kind of our chemistry there um being able to do that and then for myself just being able to really focus on my contact and ball striking um I feel like if I'm there and I'm on my game with that um I feel like I can be the best I can be and then just what's your whole motor dame experience kind of been like on and off the field outside of the ball yeah it's been great I've been able to make a lot of connections here which has been super important um those connections that this place can give you is just second toone um it's something that makes this place special and then just being able to be a part of this University um and get a master's program from here or get into a master's program from here get a master's degree um doing a masters of business with sports analytics so being able to do that um and you know get involved in that as well has been super super cool Mitch what have you learned about yourself as a kicker since you've been here um I think it's you know like I said uh being able to focus on my ball striking and contact is going to make me great um being able to get out into the wind and make sure I'm hitting the same ball that I would um any other day and being able to play different winds and different temperatures and things like that being able to um come out here and just be consistent every single day coming into a new environment are you learning anything technique wise um I think just trying to you know I I always say like you try not to make super major changes as you go on um but there's a lot of minor tweaks that you can make throughout um you know with your swing or your contact and you're striking there's a lot of minor changes that you can make which I feel like everybody's always making you you never want to be a finished product and just say the work is done right you always want to do something and be able to uh kind of progress as you go on getting ready to kick in cold weather conditions this year absolutely how about mindset wise M how do you develop that end to to continue to have the confidence when there may be a rough patch how does how do how have you learned to develop the the mindset and the being a kicker um I think I think it's just how you go into every single day um and really being appreciative for you know what you do as a kicker you know it's it's kind of such a specialized skill that you can always um you know there's like I said there's always room to improve and there's always minor tweaks that you can make throughout you know you you're going on throughout your form and stuff like that so I'd say with my mindset same thing um trying to always better that and make sure you know I can always be better um and just continue to change and continue to grow well James what's what's this been like it's been a lot of fun it's James Rendell it's awesome um obviously 2 days into full camp now really enjoying it um know coach always talks about just stacking the days getting better every day you know win the moment win the day so that's what I'm trying to do um but it's been a lot of fun so far do you know what you're doing of course I know what I'm doing yeah yeah yeah um I mean obviously training back home PR Australia they they prepare you for exactly this so um I I've had a good expectation of what to you know what I'm coming into to and um you know it's been a lot of fun it's you know a lot of hard work as well but I think those two things are synonymous you know hard work and having fun guys hand in hand and um I guess that's a credit to the coaches for creating this environment where where that's able to take place on a more serious end of that just where are you in terms of development have you picked it up faster than you thought and how much farther along do you have to get in terms of just understanding what your expectations and your role is yeah I mean I'm a pretty quick learner I'd like to think so um I mean it's it's sort of hard to replicate being out on the field with pads and helmets and guys rushing at you and stuff but um yeah certainly the last two days has been great exposure and experience and um just going to keep getting better every single day there have been other Australian kickers in the league but you're at Notre Dame high profile position do you feel like a Pioneer and what do you hope with your experience here might open up to others from your home yeah obviously first Australian to to come to know to Dam so it's a huge honor and privilege and um incredibly grateful to be here with this opportunity um you know I remind myself every day um just to be grateful and you know take every day as it comes and I'm just trying to put my best foot forward and I have a lot of self-belief in myself and um yeah I'm not I'm not trying to look too far ahead at the moment I you know I set goals day by day and um I'm just all about staying in the present and and winning the day what's been the biggest challenge for you to learn the American sorry what was what's been the biggest challenge for you um I mean I guess I was a jet lag for the first couple of days the time Zone's um quite different but um I haven't really found anything too difficult it's such a special place with special people so um they've made the transition really easy um and yeah like I said I'm just trying to make the most of every day and um enjoy every opportunity that comes my way has there been anything that has surprised you I know you said you felt like you were prepared when you got here but has there been any differences or surprises for you um no I don't think I've been caught off guard by anything um I did a lot of you know of my own research and study um about you know the South band and America and college football so I felt like I was um pretty well equipped um prior of coming here and and so far um it's it's been an easy transition Buton you're a super confident guy I guess where does that Adon Shuler kind of come from is that something you've developed throughout the years or is it come from one of your parents yeah um I would just say just coming up just coming from New Jersey I feel like we have to be confident you know just just from the way we have to live um I would say uh the hometown I'm from Irvington uh you know my coach coach smoke he he's instilled uh being confident and you know we go by Irvington tough so I just feel like I have to continue to you know have that no matter where I'm at and then with Coach bii moving to the safey work he kind of helped you and what's kind of his teaching style yeah uh of course biology he's still mad energetic and you know that brings a lot of energy to the room and I feel like you need that a lot you know especially during Camp you know it gets slow down so just having him you know be there to have confidence in us and just intill whatever he's learning and you know whatever coach mickens is telling us so he just kind of like an extra voice to hear it from and then with you being able to see playing time at the end of the tunnel I guess does that change your mindset at all from say last year at this time no I wouldn't say it changed my mindset you know my goal's always been to get better and you know each day I feel like can continue to stack and be the best version of myself how much better are you now than you were a year ago I would say a lot better just knowing football more just kind of being a vet to the game and kind of getting a routine and understanding it more is it is it the mental end more than being physical end yes for sure can you go into that a little bit more of how that's kind of developed for you I would say I'm way more prepared than I was last uh Camp you know being a Freshman you don't know you know where your feet are you know I wasn't kind of w to the system yet but now I am I feel like I'm swimming in the deep in now are there some specific areas in your game where you've noticed growth in comparison to where you were at this time last year yeah I would say my uh my vocalness uh last year I don't think I was very vocal um I was kind of just out there like not like kind of just going through the motions but now I feel like I'm kind of a leader and I kind of bring a different attitude to the defense Don what comes naturally to you at safety and what are the areas that you're really working on right to to improve your game I would say um finding the ball is really natural to me uh ever since high school I always been had a knack for the ball but um just kind of now just like playing test with the quarterback uh you know he kind of looks you off in the post game so understanding that and understanding where the ball and the concepts will be has been like something I've been learning and I guess how much of an honor is it to be you know here on this satday football team but also back for another season yeah uh it's it's a it's a tremendous honor you know being here last year seeing the guys that came before me and kind of getting to talk to them is just it's it's amazing I'm blessed every day to be here Jordan out Jordan Clark defense is a lot to learn I guess what's your comfort level in it after coming out of the spring and everything uh I'm super comfortable now more comfortable than I was in the spring uh over the summer they did a good job of kind of giving everybody all the tools they needed to be able to do stuff on their own and learn on their own and um I'm old I don't have a lot of hobbies I don't do very much so I basically just sat in my house and looked at that all day uh my comfort level is way higher than it was in the spring um as it should be and I'm really excited to just keep building on that and then kind of building off with that is your role in this defense similar to what it was at Arizona State or there's some nuances to it um there's some nuances to it it's pretty similar you know Brian Ward want runs a a NFL like defense and coach Golden runs like the same thing here you know there's a little bit more um ultimately though I came here for that reason I came here to grow and progress um and I think that coach Golden has given you know me the opportunity to do that and then you've seen some several young guys enter college at this point what are your impressions of Carson and Tay and T Bron oh I love them all I love the way they play um three super talented kids uh three kids are kind of eager to learn as well you know what I'm saying they're okay with being told no this is wrong and kind of adjusting off of that and progressing and getting better so I love them all I think that they all had pretty good first days and excited to see how they keep Xavier Watts building X how have you uh grown in your game obviously last year was such a special Year how have you figured out ways to to grow even farther yeah I'd say I just became a better leader um you know I'm one of the older guys now uh veteran really uh you know all my years I've been here you know the other guys in the safety room I've been like DJ or DB room in general like DJ and camart so you know it's kind of my time you know just be one of the older guys and be like them uh you know lead the other younger guys bring other guys along with me and then obviously statistically last year was UN believable for you is that are those goals that you feel like you can attain again or have you realized that okay maybe that might not be doable and I still have to figure out other ways to help the team yeah I definitely think I can attain it again you know last year I feel like I could have even had 10 picks that I missed out on so you know it's definitely a 10 more again you know I'm not coming into the season being like Oh I need to get seven interceptions again or anything like that but uh you know I definitely want to come out there and just Dominate and you know do the best I can when you look back on last season what was that like to to experience that after um you know all the years of waiting for your opportunity it was awesome te uh you know it was really fun it was one of some of the most fun I had playing football you know uh like you said kind of what I've done um my early years playing receiver DB and all that not getting too much time on the field and just last year you know just being able be out there you know all the time and just having fun with my teammates and just dominating posing teams is really fun x it's a long season what do you do to keep yourself fresh and to respect your body and to enable you to play later on the season what do you do learned over the past yeah uh definitely one of the first things is like sleep uh it's like cliche but I mean it's definitely biggest thing probably sleep for sure I mean I used to go to bed 1:00 a.m. midnight all that staying up really late so now I go to bed at like 10:00 so I'm like an old man I go to sleep really early so sleep and then obviously like ice bath is really important like contrast normex I'm start getting massages all that stuff like you said it's going to be a really long season so just staying on top of all that even like what you're eating and hydrating and just your position what have you learned over the past couple of years to improve yourself what do you see in yeah uh you need to see the entire field uh one of the biggest things I was messing up was uh coming in which is really just you know just looking at one side of the field or just looking at the quarterback you need to be able to see the entire formation and be able to communicate with your teammates uh communicating with everybody just keeps everybody in the same page and not not talking just leaves everybody you know uh messed up so how was coach byi kind of improved your game since he kind of stepped into the room yeah coach baji has been great a great addition you know he was a special team's guy but him coming in DB room he's the extra eye on you know the DBS as a whole being able to watch specific things uh you know he helped us with individual drills so he has some good drills that's being able to translate into the field is there a different feel coming into this Camp maybe compared to last year for you personally after the season that you had last year but also as a team as is there more Buzz or more I don't know excitement yeah I'd say um it's definitely more excitement like you said like uh me coming in from last year you know I'm just excited to do do even more get even better and then just the guys that we brought in you know I feel like one of the most exciting teams I've been a part of most talented team so I'm just excited we see what we can do Cooper how does coach Dem br's offense kind of CER to your strengths yeah um I Cooper Flanagan think just being able to do both pass game Run game just take advantage of both um being able to get physical and then getting elusive in the past game and then what's kind of been the communication like between you and the two new tackles yeah um Charles I uh came in with so we we've been close since then he's a great kid and then Tosh and um Tosh has been great um he's a leader older guy so be great have you improved from a year ago yeah I think question I think just being able to you know really really get better on like little details of things little details of pass game that I think D didn't really teach me little details of the Run game um just little things like that Kevin me are you fully cleared for Kevin Bauman everything at this point uh the knee feel is great um that's a big shout out to our training staff coach landow and his staff Rob and his staff um and also some of our supports site guys who have helped me a lot with the mental process of returning um I'm in the return to play Phase right now so we're kind of easing into things um so a lot of Indie drills and kind of building more confidence in in my knee and and kind of just in my game but uh I feel great I'm just I'm happy to be out there with the guys and and kind of get some reps and you've had quite a few tight end coaches during your time here I guess what does coach denro bring to the room and what's kind of his teaching style yeah um I'll say he leads with with fiery passion he he comes to comes to work every day he makes it easy for us to come in and want to work for him every day um you know he leads us with passion like I said and and just his um his philosophy in the game and and the dynamic offense he brings to us is great but I think above all we we enjoy coming in um and working with him every day and uh like I said he's he's great he's a great leader you know he's always firing us up out on the field in the meeting room um he's on top of us which I think we like but also gives us that room to to Le each other and and kind of do our our thing that we know we can do what's the dynamic like in tiend this season yeah we're we're a close Nick group of guys and that's that's been the case in my 5 years here now we um no matter what guys kind of come in and out it's always a close n group of guys and and that's no different this year um you know we we root for each other we help each other um and you know no matter who's in there taking the rep and practice at the moment we're all back there learning we're all going to um critique him and and help him learn from his mistake or or you know what he did right and stuff like that but um we have a great Dynamic um we love we love coming in again to work with each other every day we're close um off the field as well I know we we all we doed all summer long together we you know hung out to whatever on the weekends but it's a close the group which is great what's it like to be around you know Riley leard at this point you know being the new quarterback here Notre but he also has experience in what's that like for you it's been great um like especially the past two years with transfer guys coming in but uh Riley fit in right away um and he's a great guy to be around um on the field and off the field uh he's he's the ultimate competitor he's a baller he brings passion every day um but really he's the same guy every day which I admire about him he he comes in no matter the day no matter the time he's going to be in here he's going to be the same guy day in day out um and that's something really special about him he he comes to work he's a baller um and it's awesome to see a guy like with the consistency like that Eli does it Eli Raridon seem like year three for you and I guess where did you kind of take a step forward in your game can you say that again does it feel like year three for you right now and then where did you kind of take a step forward in your game over the summer um yeah it's my time's flown by um it hasn't really hit that it's like year three but um here we are and um I think for for as far as the development my game I think Spring ball helped a lot with pretty much everything in the Run game uh pass game running routes and just getting more familiar with Dem bro's Playbook um so pretty much everything I I think I improved a lot during spring ball and um I've been doing I've been doing uh okay so so far in Camp um still got to work on some some things for sure but um I would say it's been going pretty well so far and then the tight end position is it completely different than what it was last year is it there's some crossover there I would say it's uh you know we're in a different spot last year with uh Holden Mitch and uh me Kev HT um and now Cooper's got a lot better um M and Kev are starting to return to play so I think our tight end room this year is uh pretty uh dangerous and stacked um and I think there's a uh I think we have a lot of really good players Eli what's your personal goals for the F Camp what are you looking to accomplish I just want to uh walk out of here uh saying that I put in the best effort I could um you know didn't make any uh didn't have any regrets with um how I prepared and um obviously you know High goals for you know playing time and stuff like that but just want to play the best I can and put as much effort as I can and just at the end of the day not Mitchell Evans have any regrets Mitch how's the KN or are you clear to De at this point um I feel good he's strong um I'm in like the return to play status that we have here um so just doing what that entails so pretty good and then just going through rehab what were you able to do to improve your game obviously you could do everything you wanted to do but how' you get better yeah the biggest thing for me in this offseason was you know just trying to be more of a leader um trying to get other guys help them as much as I possibly can um and also be more like mentally involved mentally focused um especially now during Camp when um I'm kind of getting back into things haven't played football for a little bit but um just being more mentally in tune with what I'm doing Jack's been on campus for seven months what are some of your early impressions of him he's a great guy Great Character um I love him he's pretty good um but yeah he's a good football player he'll be good here um have a long career here and I think you know he's going to be a great player Jen Jayden Harrison what's your comfort level in Dolphins 7110 out of 1 to 10 what's what's your comfort level in Den Brock's offense s months in uh I'm getting real comfortable with the offense learning like I learning in all the plays but now I want to go deeper into like the protection and different coverages I'm focused on other things now so now the game can start to slow down and then on the other side what does Jordan Clark do well that makes it challenging for a SL uh Jordan Clark is very patient he knows exactly what he doing he knows football so you have to be very detailed and very precise with your movements is he's not going to go he not going to give up his leverage or anything like that so you have to be very detailed on what you're doing and then I know he hasn't been here long but what have you seen from Logan Sal since he got here in June uh the way the way he moves is like he been in college for you already so he's catching on pretty fast yeah