Cincinnati Football | Satterfield, Sorsby, Lichtenberg, Dingle, Brown Recap Spring Game

all right man that was uh good 15 days for us it was um you know a lot of work I thought our guys put in obviously we've talked about it this off season with Coach Nico and his staff in in the weight room really and then on the field with the training that we had and man they put a lot of great work that was awesome to see but then we came out in Spring um installing a new defense you know bunch of new kids on that side of the ball you know I feel like on on on offense you had a bunch of guys back on on offense for this this spring which which was nice for us compared to last spring and you know I thought we got to accomplish what we need to get accomplished and which was you know getting through spring with learning what we needed to do offensively and defensively with all our new players um and then competing at a high level I thought every practice they were trying to make each other better at at the competitions and you know today we didn't do as much today I mean we going to keep it very simple today you know we didn't we didn't rush more than three all day on defense and that was intentional um offense ly um kept it a little bit more simple as well and just really letting the guys go out and play I mean today cuz everybody played on both sides so both Sidelines um you you really wanted to keep keep it clean and not have a sloppy game which I thought we did for the most part and um you know so it was a great day um I really want to give a you know shout out to all the fans that showed up today I thought it was a great atmosphere out there for our spring game um and really this week this week's been very special um you starting on Thursday when the Kelsey Brothers came back and met with their our team um you know Jason met with the o line and Travis met with the tight ends um and then being able to go see their their podcast uh Thursday night that was a great celebration as well and um you know and then the golf outing that we had I mean we had over 200 former football players come back for this golf outing on on Friday bad weather they didn't care they're not very good golfers anyway so it didn't really matter but uh they they went out and had had a good time um and then we had our Captain's breakfast this morning we had 40 captains that came back this morning um from you know I think the earliest guy I think was a captain in 1960 and then all the way to 2022 so um it was great to hear from them that you know several of them got up and spoke we had all our seniors that was at the breakfast to be able to to hear and for them to share with our guys um you know and you know today I mean so many NFL players come back you know yesterday I played with Josh Wy and and Alec um Pierce and um you know sace was out here today I mean just a you know a lot of our NFL players you know current players as well as guys that played long time in the league that's got Super Bowls and championships and um you know it just tells you about the rich history that this program has so many so many great people that are associated with this program and and every time this week comes around last year was really my first time to get to see it but this year you know having known the faces now it was so much more special I think um to be able to hang out with all these guys so it's a special place here and um you know excited about our team as we head in the summer questions for Coach I don't know what you would call it but the the way you organize the defense this this spring with the pods or whatever it was I know you talked early about going out of that into traditional ones and twos but you stayed with it we did what did you get out of that that was that was so valuable to stay in that system yeah I mean I I just think you know we had red red and black okay and so and each day we changed it up you know what the one day the red would start out first the next day the black started out because I I didn't want to say anybody say you're a starter or you're a second team or a third team it doesn't matter you know if you ask our freshman that just got here they got as many reps as anybody I mean those guys you know J Johnson and Simeon Coleman I mean these guys Jake we I mean they're getting a ton of reps out here um but I want we wanted to do do that on purpose we wanted everybody to feel like every position is up for grabs everybody's competing for that spot on this field I mean Dante corleon I told him you getting competition buddy and and Jay hunt gave him a lot of great competition this spring I thought he had a great spring so it was every single position and we did that on purpose and we continue that all through and you know what it's going to be that way all through summer too you know we'll find out in August probably you know toward the end of Higher Grounds when we figure out who's going to be our starters we tried out that first game so I I want that competition what's your what was your impression of the quarterback position today and smage and the white uniform full contact how do you kind of go about making that decision you did that with Brady last year yeah I mean we always we always try to do that with a young player you know I don't ever want a one of our players to go out and their first time getting tackled is on on a game you know so we want it to happen in quite honestly they want it too though they wanted it all all spring um Sage did last year drage did so we give them what they wanted you know let's see let's see you you know Sage came in here I mean he's a he looks like a linebacker anyway you know I mean the guy did 225 17 times it's stronger than some of our linebackers have been here you know so on the bench press so but it was good I thought today was a solid Day by our guys I mean San had to to me the the one mistake on the interception that he said he was trying to throw it away but you got to make sure certain that it's out of bounds um you know I I thought the guys played very good I mean today was a lot of drop eight not going to find as many windows in the back end they did a good job of you know throwing some underneath throws um so I thought it was very solid by those guys man they're they're such great people um in that quarterback room and you know and that's what you want you they're trying to help each other out um but yet at the same time they're trying to compete I mean they all want to play we all we all understand that and and they're trying to do the best job they can once they get out there the thing about it is you're throwing a bunch of guys into the Huddle that some will play next year for some won't you know and you don't know what's going to be in there some sometimes you call a route a guy may not run the right route so I mean it's a little bit I think difficult for those guys but at the same time I thought they did a really good job with it um you know running back wise I thought those guys ran hard today you know we held Cory out I mean we know what he can do he can break a lot of tackles right we didn't want to he takes a lot of beating in the fall we didn't want to have them get beat up in the spring so we allowed those other guys to play and we need to see them and I thought they man they had some really good strong runs today and this is the first day we really tackled this much you really can't tell how running back is going to be until you tackled and and so we needed that with those backs I thought they ran hard they ran tough they made some good cuts um took care of the ball when they ran it so I thought that was to me was really really pleased to see that in that running back room um thought the tight ends did some nice things blocking um and catching you know so I really feel good about that room um you know I think uh I think it was fun to see you know wide receiver wise we we were out missing some a few guys today and so you know some of the other guys had to play but um I still I thought Sterling had a a really Burkhalter had a really good Spring ball I thought he had a couple good catches out here kale caught him a nice deep ball in the back corner of the end zone he he's had an impressive Camp as well he can really run um you know I think um you know Tyron SM didn't do much today but he's he's a very solid player for us as well so you know I thought wide receiver down a little bit today but I still think this overall spring they they did a good job with it you've got Carter Brown back to kick but the long Snappers different the holders different made everything today including a 55 y did you see that unit grow over the course of 15 practices you know I think uh and then Fletch hit hit some bombs today too you know I I think U I think Carter struggled a little bit this spring quite honestly and um you know wasn't as consistent but he's working through some things you know he's obviously trying to get better um you know but I thought man he kicked it great today it's the best he's looked today I mean he he hit him he nailed him it was um there was really no doubt once he kicked the ball that it was going in and that's what you want to see you want to see that confidence you know Fletch has been around a long time he's holding now but he's been around here um you know but I think the operation today was good we got a lot of kicks today that we needed to see live action and and you know when the lights are on and people were in these stands that's when you got to knock it down and that that was I was proud of Carter the way he came out and did that today and as well as Fletch you know Fletch he missed probably the first half of spring um and then toward the end started getting back punting a little bit but today was really his first big live day and man I thought he kicked the ball great as well so you know it feels good to have those guys come back off a team especially with the experience that they got last year coach fight runs out on the field after Logan makes the pick there at the end uh how do you gauge and judge the defense on a day when you know two of the guys are in red shirts so sometimes it looks like well maybe they they might have made it or maybe they wouldn't have well I mean that's spring you know we we'll go back on film and you'll say yeah they're in a great position to make it I think that's all you can ask for be in the position to make the plays um you know I think it's hard to tell at some point you know when as you're looking at it out here when you go back and watch the film you really get to see you know where was their alignment where they were they properly aligned what was their steps where was the depth correct were the hand placement correct and that's what you want to see as a coach are doing the correct things fundamentally um you know and then you know when a slide like this are they bringing their feet running trying to tackle these running backs I mean I think that's that's the other thing we got to go back and look at if you know who who missed tackles who didn't who needs to work on those type things with the adjustment of the defense to Tyson bite system how much have you seen that that group kind of gel together and and what does it look like timeline wise in terms of just the install of that full system as we get in the summer yeah I mean I I think you know it's it's a slow process you know we really took it slow early in the spring then toward the middle of it you know we started doing a lot more things with it today we dialed it right back and just did day one install stuff today the call sheet was probably three plays on it today we just want to see the guys run around and make plays but um you know I think this Summer's going to be big you know anytime you got a new a new scheme you know we got to take advantage of these days in the summer um by meeting with our kids and and and really going through this dissecting what we got to do and then August obviously Higher Ground you know putting everything we in need to put in in order to start the season but please with where we are defensively you know as we come to the spring um a lot of new faces on that side of the ball and and a lot of guys that I think could be able to play and help us in year one there was pretty clearly some gains that needed to be made in physicality athleticism length when you look at this team out there how much closer do they look like to to longterm where you want to get this thing yeah I mean we're we're pleased like you know for example the the 10 high school players that came in we're excited about those guys I I thought you know those guys came in and really came out like sints today Saints made a couple great plays he looks like he belongs out there you know so that's what you want to be able to see is those guys play make him play Simeon he looks like he belongs you know so um I think uh those tight ends man I think they're going to be really good you know it's just it's good to see them and the thing that we love about it because those early enrollers they get a million reps we get to coach all of that make those mistakes and Corrections and then come back out um you know Z Johnson Willie goodn yeah I mean really all of them I can go on all 10 of them and um you know we had I think five or six of our SES were here today as well and they're they're looking good you know so so can't wait to get him in the summer so I mean you know and then the transfers you know I think about particularly in the defensive back room you think about maybe the safeties and and and the corners you know we brought in some guys I think they'll be able to help us to compete at this level one more for Coach used to be after today you could maybe head to the beach but this this portal thing starts to go and uh how does that affect your next couple of weeks yeah I mean it's just it's always busy I mean we stay busy you know and I think um you know for us right now next week we're going to we'll meet with guys we got a team meeting on Monday we we'll meet with our guys man we like where we're at with our team you know I feel good about our guys um you know it's it's all about culture it's all about connecting and being having a fit and this is a tight team you know I think this team cares about each other U you know even the guys that just got here I feel like you know the guys are really working hard to connect with each other and I think that's what it's all about I think when you create that culture guys want to be a part of that they want to be on that team every team's not like that you know every team's not where everybody's pulling for each other and I think we're creating that we're year you know it's going to be year two we're headed in that direction and um but it is it's a it's aggravating that we have to deal with this but it's part of it and you know but we'll sit down we'll meet all with all our guys and figure out where we need to go we have we have a few more scholarships available so you know we'll look to add a a couple more guys to come into the mix to where we feel like we need to get some more um either depth or or a position that may need of some help as a starter so we'll go evaluate that and see where we're at and um but I'm just looking forward to this summer and getting back with our guys and working with them you know all summer long appreciate you guys Brendon how many of those runs were uh were ones that you would have uh extended maybe 10 15 yards and how many would they have gotten you well if you ask the defense probably none of them but um you never know like me and me and L are out there we both wish that we were in white you know we say that now but our bodies feel a lot better than than than most of the guys out there but um you know maybe a couple of them I might have broke I don't know I feel like I had a couple good runs and and maybe some that I would have been sacked maybe I could have extended it but overall felt good felt like you know the ref had a pretty good whistle on it today so it was it was good 15 practices in how comfortable are you getting with the offense and how much you know fine-tuning do you still think you have to do through the summer before you get to Higher Ground uh yeah there's definitely still some work to be done uh operationally I feel like I'm pretty good but just knowing it like the back of my hand I still got some work to do and you know I'm getting with the other QBs you know me and L are up here watching film and stuff and you know I'm trying to have him help me out he knows the offense like the back of his hand so I'm trying to to learn from him and you know just continue to grow and and get better each and every single day you made a couple tight window throws outside the pocket when you're coming into a day like today is it execute take what's in front of me or are you just trying to make as many plays as possible kind of grow your confidence type thing really just take care of the ball but at the end of the day you got to be a ball player and try to make plays as many as you can but uh definitely not trying to turn the ball over want to take care of it um feel like I did a good job feel like I missed some stuff but overall a pretty solid day and like you said once I got on the run I feel good I feel like I was actually getting to play a little bit so it was nice speaking of the Tight Windows you rolled out to your right found Sterling Burke halter through double coverage could you just walk us through what you saw on that play to make that throw uh really I was just rolling out just keeping my eyes down field and then once I saw him turn up I know I could put it up there for him he's been great all spring long he's been one that's that's stood out and uh you know he he had a great game out there today and he was battling even with some with some leg cramps and stuff but uh yeah he played he played great today and he went up and made a couple catches for me you're missing some receivers today but the young man Woodburn can fly and get the ball does he have a chance to get out there and play right away I tell you what he can yeah like you said he can absolutely fly he's uh he's a 22.5 m per hour guy and you know early on he's he's getting a ton of reps with uh with how thin Our receiver room is right now but uh you know he's done a great job every practice he's getting better and he's learning The Playbook better and you know he went up and made a a great play for me over there on that fade ball in the back of corner of the end zone so it was it was good uh good to see him get one and I'm looking forward to him I think he was about 145 pounds when he got here has he surprised you by how quickly he's been able to emerge is a legitimate threat for you guys yeah we always give him a hard time about how small he is and stuff and he's still small but he can fly and and that helps you whenever you can can run that fast you don't have to be as big and um he definitely going to be good for us and and he's going to continue to get bigger that's just what's going to happen we got a whole summer ahead of us he's only been here for a couple months so um really looking forward to seeing how he grows coach mentioned the chemistry how is it coming together through your eyes going into the summer uh really good uh like he said I feel like uh our team's in a really good spot right now I feel like the guys are continuing to grow closer each each day and through the offseason those workouts will will make you closer whether you want to be or not and those things are are unreal so um looking forward to those all summer long not really but uh it should be a a good time um just looking forward to it uh the chemistry is only going to get better from here and I'm excited on scale of 1 to 10 what's your comfortability expertise of this Playbook as you enter the summer you know like maybe a six or seven like I I feel good out there but like I said I don't know like the back of my hand yet I I feel good about it out there and and today I feel like I made the the right reads and stuff but um we'll just see I just got to continue to grow and and get better in the Playbook and just physically mentally all that stuff so I'm being grandfathered in one more question uh timing is so important between the quarterback and the receivers how how will you attack that now in the offseason going forward between now and campire ground uh yeah you know after our lifts and stuff in the summer we'll probably get out here a few times a week and and throw at the receivers and work on timing there but you know I feel great after this spring I feel like we've got a ton of reps um shoot we got a ton of reps today out there as well and we'll probably get some more next week probably take some take some time off it be a good break and then uh get back and get to work thank you sir thank you have you told him about Higher Ground yet a little bit I think we were talking about the other day a little bit he doesn't know much yet but he will how good's it feel to get out there and and get back after with this group and and get into this competition trying to to to be qb1 yeah it feels good I think as a whole um throughout the entire spring we had a we had a great spring offensively and defensively defense I think took the biggest strides just because it's a new scheme bunch of new guys and you could tell like practice eight nine like something clicked and they were out there playing ball instead of thinking so I think um you know I feel really good as where we're at as a team right now you had some young receivers today make some big plays Sterling Leslie and kale Woodburn what have you seen from them in terms of the whole quarterback stream chemistry and just how they've come along yeah definitely um I think Sor we already said it but Sterling had a great spring um he's a guy that you can rely on and last year was his first year here and I think this spring you can really see his confidence grow and when you're playing with a lot of confidence and you're out there playing instead of worrying about making a mistake um good things happen and I think he had a great spring kale had a good spring made a really nice catch and was doing that all spring for us um so I think those are guys to be excited about and uh you know they definitely help the quarterbacks you got out on some runs today would you really have liked the white shirt or was he just say yeah I was say when SW we said that I don't know but uh no it's um yeah I mean having a white shirt's nice because sometimes the refs like to blow it dead when it really wasn't a sack but um I think the refs were fine with how they called it and um if I was in white I would have been fine but I'm I'm good with sticking with the red Brady can you describe the challenge of facing this defense considering that pre- snap it generally looks like eight guys are going to be in coverage yeah it's hard cuz like you said pre- snap looks like eight guys from in coverage and they run several different coverages that look the exact same pre- snap there's not many TOS like some defenses there's the Sam's inside a little bit you can tell what it is with this one there's there's no tells so it's hard and uh and then when you think there's ating coverage they they're bringing five or six and then there's guys in the back still so um it's a hard defense to go against I mean you saw it versus Iowa State last year um gave us a lot of problems but I think it's good going against this because I feel like it's just growing more and more throughout the game I think more more schools are starting to run it um so it's good to go against this and get reps vers it I know you weren't necessarily in the o line or the tight end room but from a player's perspective what was it like like having Jason and Travis around oh these couple days yeah I mean I didn't really realize how big of a deal it was until whenever it was Thursday like you could just feel the buzz in the air um on Thursday like not to mention there were just cops everywhere so there were some Taylor Swift rumors um but uh yeah I mean they've mean so much to this University and the way they're able to represent us on a national stage is is awesome and and it's also just awesome seeing them being proud Bearcats like Travis and Jason are always doing stuff like whether it's a celebration after a touchdown or whatever whatever it is um they're always what call advertising uh you see so it's it was great having them back went to the podcast and that was really cool um yeah it was was cool having them here did you get to interact with them at all I did not face to face um but with the team meeting we did um and that was I mean this they're the exact same in person and they are on TV so I think that's one of the coolest Parts is they're not playing a character on TV or anything like they are who they are and it's cool to see them question for thanks thanks guys what up Jack uh Sor be said or it might have been Brady you saw it start to they felt it start to come together around the middle of the spring when did you guys feel like or have you felt like okay we're we're comfortable now we don't have to think as much and we can just start running around and playing well I mean definitely this uh the last week of Spring ball here I mean you kind of see everybody coming together um we we improved improved each day but then you have mistakes you have a down off day some one day then you come like last this past week uh last day of spring uh it's it's been great I mean we can see us all coming together and we're we're ready to go last year is kind of your first year of action now you're coming into this year as a leader of the defense how different does this season feel for you and how much do you think you've grown since you stepped on campus as a true freshman oh I went from here to here I have my confidence is through the roof now I'm I'm a I'm a leader on this team now um and that's it's got to keep on approving improving obviously but uh yeah have grown a lot I know you can't hit the quarterbacks in this game but there was one in time where you and Dante pretty much could have had a swords be sandwich how tough how tough is it to back off in in in situation like this uh I mean I I can't sack the quarterback I mean with the red jersey on I me I wish I mean you go out there and you play as fast as you can and you see that red in front of you you're like ah can't touch him but uh it's it's awesome seeing Dante up in front of me and uh seeing him work and making it making it an easier job for me there's a new guy in the linebacker room that you used to run after yourself what's it like having Brady droos in that linebacker room now oh it's awesome he's a smart guy but we're we we're teaching him we're trying to get him there I mean he's he's never played I don't think he's ever played a snap of Defense in his life and uh but uh I think he he's looking up to the older guys and just trying to figure it out but uh he he'll get it does that help you having a guy a new guy a fresh guy in there along with you all trying to learn this new defense at once under bik oh yeah I mean we're all we're on together I mean he comes over I'm still learning the new defense um so it's it's not that bad for him to come over we're just we're just kindy of kind of carry him up get him up the speed and get him in that lineb back position to be more physical cuz he was a quarterback what's the biggest attribute of your game you feel like has shot up like you just said a few confidence for sure I mean as a linebacker you got to have that confidence you got have that leadership to lead the defense and uh just going out there and make plays has Sime and Coleman surprised you this spring huge big time that that man can run around and freaking hit people now yeah he's awesome he he's going to be a hell of a player here especially as he gets older as he grows he's only a freshman right now still making those little freshman mistakes i' call him but uh yeah he's going to be a beast and then the Kelsey Brothers what was it like for you having those guys around this week awesome that was awesome having around learn learning from them what the experiences they came through here and uh yeah I mean it's just hear them talk to us and give us advice it was it was very special for usol one more hey I'm I'm curious up look you can't erase what happened last year here in Spring football right but how much has last year sat with this team and the urgency for this team this year to kind of get UC football back to the standard you expect what you do is you you you learn from it then you forget about it and you build a new team and you start from scratch and that's that's what we've done this Spring ball we we learned we learned from it we went back and looked over the film and stuff and see what we got to improve and we just move on and start from scratch and see what we can do better thank you sir appreciate it thank you all right how are you all good you great for Carter Carter coach said it it it's been a spring where you're working on some things maybe not your best how good does it feel to end it by going out there and and having a really good day today and hitting a 55 y um it feels good honestly uh it's been not difficult but it's definitely been a task trying to get uh a new Snapper and a new holder in Rhythm uh Fletch has done a great job Jaden's done a great job they both work really hard and are passionate about it and that's made it easier on me and just kind of like every other part of the team these last couple weeks it's really started to come together and um we've been better and Today Show first time we've talked to you how did you kind of get into kicking in the first place and when did you realize you had the leg to potentially play in college um so I got into kicking about seventh grade I uh started playing soccer and then one of the coaches just found out that I played soccer and so I gave it a shot I kind of sucked seventh grade eighth grade got a little better and then freshman year was when I really started to take off I was ranked high in the country and uh it just kind of went from there and obviously went to Arizona State things didn't work out and then was happy to end up here I was at some practices and they would end and you would kick and it'd be a miss and I was thinking D wi why they let him go again uh is it nice to get out here and and and put three through the uprights to for your own well-being um it definitely is uh it's a thing you have to learn from though and I think it's a good thing they don't let me go again because in a game you don't get to go again so I think it's a good thing to practice and uh everyone's going to fail it's just how you bounce back and move on to the next kick you mentioned new Snapper new holder what is the difficult aspect of that change is it the timing is it how it looks what is it from your perspective um for me it's really just a chemistry and timing uh Jaden's a great Snapper so we've had to change some things as far as speed and I've had to speed up a little bit and just cuz he gets the ball there faster and uh so it's really just timing and chemistry and that's really came together recently and uh it looked great and it looked great today so Carter you talk about a new Snapper and a new holder obviously talk about from year one to year two what was the biggest Focus you guys were working on this offseason try to get this thing going here for your too for you in Cincinnati um one of the biggest things for me me was making more kicks uh I was 79% last year I'd like to be up closer to 8590 and uh with this new crew and how they work and how they do things I definitely think it's possible uh even better possibly and um it's just really came together any more questions thanks thank you