Xavier Nwankpa on his camp injury, thoughts on Kadyn Proctor situation | TJ Hall on fall competition

how's the hamstring I heard it was you maybe tweaked it a little bit the other day yeah I'm feeling good though okay bouncing back cover ready to go awesome uh what's it been like maybe finally being kind of a veteran you know you're mentoring a lot of young guys I just got done talking to Rashad and a lot of young DBS there Jaylen Watson's another one what's that like taking on a kind of a leadership veteran role it's kind of crazy to actually being mentored as a veteran now with all the six years and stuff we got back but really just trying to get back to what the people provided for me like Kon GW and cast they really helped me throughout my time growing up so I'm really just trying to pay that forward help the young guys get ready for when their opportunity provides your I know you've been asked this before um so this won't be new to you but what was it like for you as a friend to kind of be in the middle of the the situation with Kaden during the offseason where you know he commits to Alabama and he's here and he's back at Alabama what was that like for you as a not a teammate but as a as a friend that was kind of tough like obviously still close them in this day one of my one of my guys grew up with him so really want to be teammates with him but I really kind of push football aside for that cuz I don't want something like that to restore a friendship so really focused excited for him this upcoming year and see what he can do where's your biggest room for growth here early in Camp and heading into 2024 to where you can turn into a an all big 10 level safety I really just put more time in the film film study helped me play faster on the field make some more agressive see things a little faster just run around fly around make some play is it a bit of a luxury having Quinn back oh for sure he's kind of the genius right behind coach Parker so it's big having him back and uh young guys I know everybody's excited about Cohen that play gets how much is that play that happened against Michigan where he runs down the return how much does that get talked about I mean that's that's got to be special at least in his memory yeah it is big he's obviously mad that he missed the initial tackle kind of stings a little bit but he's really excited when he gets the opportunity he's really going to provide and show out so I'm really excited for him when he get opport and as far as the rest to that room is there anybody young that's really stood out so far here uh through summer and first couple weeks of Camp I wouldn't say they're young but the Sean Lee goes by be he's really stood out TJ Hall and John Nester all around all making plays so really excited for them what makes John Nester so special uh he really he's physical he's smart and he goes he goes around he's always around the ball so big his piig as a DB he gets a chance to get paid so something about those uh suburban Chicago kids right that's John described them well so and Sebastian right so what's uh what type of year is Sebastian Castro going to have I feel like he's in for a big year he obviously had a tremendous year last year trying to build on that uh really we have more chemistry on the defensive unit so should allow him to free up and make some more plays this year and last question I do appreciate you the time when you look at this this defense as a whole I know that you know you guys lost some veterans like Logan Lee and and Joe Evans up front um obviously Cooper on the back end but can this defense meet expectation to where it was last year and beyond that that or do you feel like there's a couple needs that still really are daunting that have to be addressed here the next few weeks I feel like we have a special opportunity to build on what we did last year so last year is now the standard of how we play just every year every year we get better that becomes a standard so we're trying to bump that and up uphold that stand even more so really excited for the opportunity we have and all the guys with their opportunity this what are some of the wide receivers that really bring out that competitive uh he's one of them uh Jacob uh who came from Northwest he been giving us a lot of competition uh TJ Washington uh let's see who El kayen ween uh those are some of the guys that I would say that are bring the best out of me and I got to make sure I'm on point every time what makes so good uh one his competitiveness and uh he's very physical at the point of the catch he uh he comes back to the ball so uh you know you definitely have to uh be physical when you're going against him he's a bigger receiver so you know you got to bring everything you got you sort of got thrown into the fire early in your career when uh Cooper went down how have you really as a quarterback oh man I feel like I've grown a lot I feel like gr into my third year uh the game had really slowed down for me uh I would say I'm really more patient and instead of like trying to go bu something to do I just let the game come to me and is that uh sort of a function playing and really great getting the the the defense mentally or or how has that really slow down no definitely definitely uh it really all starts in a film room The More film you watch the faster you can play so with being able to uh study uh like not only off our offense but other offenses and uh with me being injur last year and I had to take a mental side of the game it really helped me develop and uh so like I it really slowed down for me and uh now I feel like I'm able react how do youe the uh going up against the receivers in practice like just the Environ a it's super competitive um we be drawing at each other going at it uh we know it's all love though uh nothing personal but we know every day uh nobody wants to lose and I mean if you want to lose then you're in the wrong sport so we all want to win our battles and give it our best each and every day so I love the competition and then uh any personal goals for this season uh yeah I have quite a few personal goals but uh I'll hold them to myself for now if I if I achieve them you guys will know but uh know yeah a lot of personal goals that I hope to achieve and hopefully I can get to them thanks a lot TJ thank you looks like you uh you presented coach Don Patterson with a nice Jersey that frame Jersey that's pretty cool what was the inspiration to give that to him oh Coach P that's my guy my dad played for him at Western Illinois after he had came from with coaching with Coach fry so uh and then he was kind of in a process that kind of got me here uh my dad hit him up and was like Hey like what do my son look like do he look like he was playing a big 10 and Coach P was like yeah he looks real good and so uh got that to Coach P and so yeah that definitely my guy what's it like competing against um sounds like John neer's really jumped head first and competing for that second spot alongside Jamari but also Deshawn who got a lot of time last year you're now veteran this is your three I don't know if it feels like it but what's it like having that level of competition oh I love it uh competition brings the best out of me so uh just having to compete and get my best every day uh I love it uh I love battling and uh it's all a good healthy competition and all of us want to put our best foot for thanks TJ appreciate it