CFTV: Matt Campbell gives fall camp update

having another offseason with Reed kegi how much did that mean first you had one of the youngest teams in terms of experience yeah working with him and now you've got according to espb and belcon L the most production coming back how much of a boon has it been for them to have another session yeah you know I I would say it's been it's been Monumental in our growth process you know I I think Reed really came in and established at least an identity in the weight room last year in terms of you know at least philosophic who we want to be I think from a strength and conditioning standpoint him and his staff really did a great job and then you know I would say the other area that meshes with that sta staff I think equally is we have such an elite nutrition team and you know uh Nicole and Johnny that that kind of run our football nutrition program and I think that's what's been really fun to watch is those two teams work so hand inand together on not only what is your strength but how do we physically get you to maximize your days in the weight room equally how do we physically get you to a playing weight that's going to allow you to maximize your full potential and I think that's probably the greatest growth we've made in our football program in the last year and a half I think our young men's commitment to that um and then I think having having unbelievable leadership in both those areas it it has made a profound difference and I know I I said that with our young guys but again I I would also say Darren Porter you know last last year was probably playing at 180 lbs he's 200 lb right now you know you'd say the same thing about Jared Hufford um Jared hufford's a six-year player those are two oldest players and that guy physically looks completely different than he looked even at at at times last season so I just see that growth process and again I know I've talked about in our program we have to be able to win in the margins we have to be elite nutrition we have to be elite in the weight room um and I I think those two leaders um Nicole and Reed they have just been nothing short of exceptional and then their teams underneath them have just I mean they've taken such great care of our football team I'm beyond grateful to lead with them for sure with an opportunity to get into a scrimmage setting this past weekend what difference can film from scrimmage provide as opposed to practice film and what was that like going over with the players yeah you know we got to we I think the biggest difference is you take the coaches off the field and everybody is on the sideline and you know there are were some people in the stands you know we had our parents here this weekend which I think was great and so you kind of put yourself in a it's just a little different environment you know we I think we got about 50 plays with our ones we got about 40 plays with our twos and you know about another 40 plays with you know with our threes and so you know and then you got a little bit of special teams work I think our major emphasis was on offense and defense a little bit and some punt some situational stuff in the punt game but um you know it's like a I I feel like it's a you know if if we're in school it's like you're you know you're four weeks in and it's your first first major test you know who where are are we where's our strengths where's our weaknesses how do we grow forward um and then you know you get to add some more pieces to the curriculum this week you know you get into more situational football this week and then you can add that to you know hopefully another scrimmage here shortly and and then continue to evaluate the growth of this football team but I I think that's the fun thing about being so young and and having some experience is is they understand now what these situations are now getting to go out whether you you you pass or you fail the situation can we autocorrect him can we come back and not make the same same mistake twice and I think that's probably where you're seeing the most growth right now on this football team and that's really fun to watch couple for you here Matt uh first off just kind of a housekeeping thing any changes position moves injuries stuff like that to report yeah I think the only unfortunate injury that we have is is Daniel Jackson got injured um last week um you know I think more than likely he'll be out for the year lower leg injury and um you know obvious VI ly Daniel's back with our football team already but uh you know just tough because he's been through so much I I would say the one thing he's already shown is just incredible leadership through that and we'll kind of just navigate where that takes Daniel as we go but um you know we love Daniel and we think the world of him but that's fortunately for us the only major injury that we have right now um I think everything else is you know we're either dayto day or guys are you know we're kind of pulling guys out and you know helping guys just based on where they are in their career but um you know I think we're we're really fortunate football team to be where we're at at least right now in this portion of fall camp and uh from us uh you know changes you know you know I think right now is you know we feel like pretty confident of the evaluation of the players at the positions they're in currently is really where we're holding at least going into this week and I ask you this every year this point in Camp uh standouts from maybe the beginning position maybe position groups that have really stuck out yeah it it's it's hard I think probably the thing that's been so again this has been rewarding for this team is that it's been a really back and forth Camp um you know there's there's a lot of really good competition across the board right now um so you're not seeing domination you're seeing man there's a lot of groups flashing and then you see a response by the next group the next day or you know halfway through practice we just had an incredible practice and man the defense came out hot the offense came right back and you know we end up you know having a final situation to kind of end the day which was awesome see and so I I think that part certainly hugely positive I think some individuals you know standing out so far again I think this week will tell us so much of who's really into it but some young pups kale B's had a really good camp I know he's a young guy talked about um that I think has really flashed in a in a profound way so far early on in Camp it's been really fun to watch what he's accomplished um I know we talked about Canard Snider I think that guy continues to flash in a really positive way for for us you know I think the veterans on offense um have really done a great job and then you know I I I would tell you probably the positive is on the other side of it I don't know if you're really disappointed in anybody right now I think you're you see a lot of guys competing and I think this week week three of fall Camp it's kind of Separation time you know and and what what gets separated where do we go from here um today's practice tomorrow's practice and then you know Saturday's practices those are big practices for at least a pre you know preliminary depth chart as as the season gets closer upon us but uh yeah I think there's a lot of competition right now a lot of guys that are peing and a lot of guys that are competing right now but uh I'm certainly not disappointed with our football team coach with half of the Big 12 being new teams in the last two years what are maybe some of the advantages and disadvantages of that from your perspective yeah you know I I I think just it'll hard to hard to say what what that looks like until I feel like you get through you know the the games I I think last year having at least part of that turnover last year you know and us getting to play at Cincinnati and play at BYU last year and obviously this year we'll get you know the newcomers from a year ago Central Florida and Houston um I I think the the positive is as a coach and a competitor you love to go to different environments and and play uh you know BYU was a man was a really special place to go play great atmosphere Cincinnati was the same way both have great football Traditions um so you know I think it's hard till till kind of the landscape settles to give you an exact answer but you know I I I know for us it's it certainly is enjoyable to go play different places and and and play against people maybe you haven't played before but I think when you still look at this conference top to bottom I think what makes it really hard and really unique is boy you better bring it every Saturday I mean we didn't bring in a team that's going to lessen the value of of competition um and so I I think when you when you look at your schedule and you look who you got to play whether it's home or away you got bring your aame you got to play a football in this conference I think there certainly is a lot of parody a lot of teams that look alike similar characteristics and and when that happens you're going to have to do all the little things really well to win football games and I think that's certainly the challenge for the Big 12 and certainly Iowa State football within this Big 12 Conference right now Matt in terms of the schedule for Camp how many scrimmages would you like to have before you get into game week yeah you know I I I think the intensity that a scrimmage can bring sometimes I think you know we had our first one Saturday um there's portions of that in this week's practice you know I I feel like um those are those are really important because I I think from my end of it getting the coaches off the field and testing the knowledge of our football team I I I've always said I I think there's a you know you're almost got the cheat sheet when your coach is out there and telling you hey you got to get lined up here and get here that that's not real football that's that's that's fake um so the reality is when the coaches get off how do you you know how do you quantify what a young man really knows and how do we quantify what our team really knows and so today's practice a little bit tomorrow's practice will have pieces of scrimmage situations and then you know on Saturday we'll have another you know where primarily the main focus of practice will have scrimmage situations involved as well and so you know once we get there I I think you try to look at your football team you know where and how much then before you're two weeks out before your first game um you know how much do you need in that next week as you kind of get yourself going but I think I would tell you three more days two now um you know I think are really important for the mentality the physicality and the type of execution you'd like to have with your football team at least going into the early part of the Season hi coach I have a couple um along the same topic in Vegas you talked about how exciting it was to experience with some of the technology advances in college football assuming you used those in scrimmage what was your experience with some of those things yeah you know I I our our main focus really early on was was probably more the quarterback and linebacker communication just because um you know I I think from my end of it that's the most important um how we want to play how you have the ability within the flow of the game to communicate um and i' just say it's been a great learning curve you know what does each quarterback like how do they like to be talked to how much do they want how much is too much um and then I'd say the same thing you know how how are we communicating to the to the to the guy that's got the Green Dot on defense and that can be a multitude of different people based on kind of what we're doing which um you know that's been a whole process so I think it's been really great learning process I think you know for me that's I've got such a curiosity to how that can play out um that it's been really enjoyable to kind of work through that and then you know actually today was the first day we even brought an iPad out to practice and just started to kind of um you know use that again how do you communicate through that we'll try to use it this week in practice to kind of prep ourselves for the game but again I think the great thing about football is you can add all this stuff but there can be paralysis by analysis sometimes and we don't want to be that either and so I think taking it slow and right rather than trying to just man flood our kids with so much information you got to still tackle you got to catch you got to block you got to do all the things that win games so um I think just trying to find that sweet spot for us on defense specifically there you mentioned that multiple players could have the Green Dot on their helmet how have you gone about identifying some of those play players and if you're comfortable how are how like who are those players specifically yeah I think you know the who for us is still kind of like evolving I would say you know I we've tried linebackers we've tried safeties um you know I just think for us it comes down to communication and again you're only allowed to have one right on the field at one at one time so you know I think what we're looking at is based different P Personnel packages different situations who is that who do you want to have that and um at the end of the day I think defensively the greatest gift you can give give is situational awareness and I think that's what we've really tried to work on and then offensively last one for me you mentioned obviously trying to figure out the wrinkles of everything communicating with the quarterback are you going to be the one talking with them or will that be coach Mouser yeah you know and well it won't be me which is probably the good thing I I think Rocco can hear me plenty well enough uh most of the time so um but I I think from my end you know where we've kind of worked back and forth you know coach Mouse coach waters you know who's going to do that you I think there is maybe some process that you know let the play caller be the play caller let let the quarterback coach potentially be the communicator um you know we kind of work back and forth and I don't know if we've hammered out exactly but that's kind of been our toggle rather than you know having me be on there and drive him crazy I'm not going to do that speaking of the offensive coordinator I guess what's just been your impression of him running his first fall Camp yeah yeah you know and and again I think what I love about Mouse is man he's got great curiosity he's a constant growth process and I I think he's done a great job so far I I think what I've been so impressed with him is you know taking nine years of evolution and you can even go back to some great offensive coaches at Toledo Mouse is a elite student of the game and I think you know what started to occur a year ago you know picking up from you know all the great things that Tommy brought to some of the great things that Nate was able to to bring to the table and now miles having the ability to put his spin on it with that staff acting together and I I probably say the the greatest gift that that Taylor's getting is you have such continuity back with that staff um you know I think it's a really Dynamic offensive staff and obviously you throw coach rooll in I think some of the spin that he's been able to bring in terms of man he's been that player he's led the room um and and really the impact that he's had on the position his position group let alone you know the offense it's been really fun to watch so um I I've been super impressed I'm really proud of him and and really excited to watch him continue to evolve as we get ready as a former coordinator I'm curious I mean his job is big and he's got to do a lot of different things for a long time and then the only thing people are going to care about is they don't if he Calla a play they don't like on public number one yes what's that like where there's so much that goes into it but the little sliver is the public yeah I think that's what's really hard you know I I but it's our job you know I think that's what comes with it it's no different than playing quarterback and it's no different than being the head coach and it's no different than you know being the defensive coordinator and the offens a coordinator I think in leadership positions um you know that's part of the world we live in you're going to be you know half the people are going to think you're good and the other has think you stink and that's just the way it goes but the reality of it is man can you keep growing can you keep getting better it's like no different than any player that you're talking to can you not worry about the result but really focus in on the process and usually when your process is is really really good you're more times than not you're going to get the result that you want and I again that's where I think my my impression of of Taylor's been so positive and you know as that as that leader it's like any leadership position in life like how you respond to the good days and the bad days how you respond to success how do you respond to failure um if you're authentic and you're real and you say hey man I screwed this up I got to get better yourself um then I think what people do is naturally rally around you and I think that's always been Taylor's gift is man he is such a selfless human and he listens to the the staff and people around him I think people gravitate to him so I think no matter what the outside world will ever think of Taylor he's got that unique ability that I don't think he's ever going to put his chips on man what's the outside world think man how are we doing this am I doing what's best for the best interest of the team man do the kidss believe in me man and when I do screw up hey can I say because we all screw up none of us are going to be perfect we'll have Taylor will have bad calls I'll have bad calls coach hok's going to have bad calls but man can you have more good ones than bad ones and that's the key and can you have great ownership when and it's not right can be my best and I think that's probably one of the great things I love about our coaching staff right now is I think you got a great a bunch of leaders that believe that's the focus and kind of rally for each other which is which is hugely positive too what are you seeing from Rocco yeah I think you know Rocco really really had a great day Saturday um I think you see a guy that I would say a year ago was competing you know to um just figure out if he can do this you know and I I've always said this about Roco I think Rocco is a young man that's always earned the right to be confident um and he had to work through some things even as I think we would all identify even the early part of last season like you saw his confidence really grow and honestly after the second half of the Ohio game you saw a guy that that at least said I can do this and I think everybody else said he can do this and it was really fun to watch and now you see a guy that I think as a when you're a great quarterback you become like a surgeon you don't get emotionally caught up in all the stuff that's going on you're like coming in and you're challenging yourself with Elite precision and detail and I think that's where you started to watch Rocco really grow um you know you see him really coming into practice understanding and owning the situational parts of football attacking that getting the 10 players around him to understand what situation we're in what's going on instead of just trying to get through it he's like man give me more of those situations so I can succeed fail understand why it happen and then keep moving forward so um yeah I think you you see certainly a different football player right now um which is which is hugely positive and that doesn't mean it's going to be better or worse it just means I think a guy that's that's very mature and very confident and at least understanding the process it takes to be his best on Saturdays and that right now that's fun to watch coach what type of void does Daniel Jackson's injury leave and is there a early front runner or two to maybe fill that well you know the I think think the greatest void that you have with Daniel is just the leadership and character that y that young man brings to our locker room you know I I think Daniel's a guy that's persevered through really hard things and um probably the greatest joy that I had is watch our every right after you know he did have surgery right after his surgery I was in there with the whole wide receiver unit his parents and almost everybody in our football team I think that's how much respect our team has for him and so I I don't I I I don't want to M minimize the player because I I think that would be certainly wrong but I think I'm going to maximize the who and who he is what he stands for but man like I told you I mean he's out there at practice today he was back on Saturday at practice with our football team at the scrimmage you know on the bench helping our football team be successful so I think that indicates the man and I think that part of it I don't feel like we'll lose um you know from a from a on the field piece you know there's a lot of competition I mean that room that room's heavy right now I mean there's a there's a lot of players that are playing playing really good football I mean it's a it's a room that's got great competition it's a room that's got a lot of guys that are competing to be the to be really special and then you got two guys that are I would say having Elite Camps that are two of the best leaders maybe we've ever had in our football program and Jaylen and Jaden and so you know I I think we're we're in a spot where the next guys whoever that'll be will be ready to ready to continue to to pick up the rope and be ready to play but yeah I think Daniel's the the man that was probably my greatest concern just because of what he's been through but boy it's been really special to watch him lead through hard and um you know it's that's what life's about adversity's coming tough things are going to happen how you respond is who you are and indicative of who you become and there's nobody more special of that than Daniel Jackson just a quick follow up there I know he had an injury red shirt year already yeah he's been here long enough to maybe have a CO year but this going to be his Co year is there a chance he could come back yeah it's a great question Rob I I think you know we were we were already in conversation before the season even started in before this situation started about man where are we going to go with this what do you what do you want to do and so you know I think the biggest thing is in my conversation with him is man let's let's let this settle let's figure out where we are um and let's figure out if you're ready to go attack this thing from a football perspective you know Daniel finished his degree this summer um you know would had been starting on his master's degree right now and so I still think there's a great Focus for him to to begin that Journey um but the football piece of it I think you know it's just time you know I think we're going to try to work through that um let this kind of navigate itself here the next couple days and then have that conversation probably at the end of full Camp J Specialists um Kyle you talked about how tight a bond he had with Chase last season we heard about how much he pushed him as well what do you see there and then obviously Tyler Perkins one of the best in the Big 12 two seasons How does it go to maybe the best yeah yeah I I think the the thing about both those guys you know Kyle um again kind of like Brock a year ago you know you're or or Rocco a year ago um earning his confidence first time having to kind of be the guy and you know what's been enjoyable is you watch him and I I said this in a team meeting and hopefully I this probably get me in trouble but man I really don't know what the heck you know like the kicker like that's like such a I I wish I could tell you I'm an elite kicking coach but I think you guys all would say that's probably not true um and the reality is that that is true you know but it's like how do you give that guy confidence and how do you keep as the head coach how do we put him in great situations to be successful and what's been really fun to watch Kyle is man he's got this unbelievable mental toughness about him to kind of autocorrect and kind of work through it and I really feel like he he had a really great day today there was a lot of field goal situations in today's practice um you know had a great day Saturday so I I think you know his consistency is really coming and I think his confidence is growing but again first time through all this as as being the guy and that's a different animal than you know competing for the job um so um we're excited for him it'll be really fun to watch Tyler Perkins you know again I think has great talent and you know his consistency I would group him as some of the players you guys asked me about man you've seen this guy he's really good what's going to make this guy a great player and it's consistency for Tyler you know there were times last year where he did he looked like one of the best punters in the Big 12 and then there's times where man we needed him to be better and he wasn't as good as he needed to be and so you know I think just finding his consistency Tyler's a Relentless worker um a guy that that certainly it's really really important to and we're really proud of him but I think can I consistently be my best when my number gets called and I think that'll that's defining of an elite punter and it's easier said than nothing because you know man that's that may be six five four reps a game you know who knows um but you got to come out you got to be able to be your best and I think that's the maturity an elite punter would have the ability to have and show take one last putting on your CEO cap here with scholarship limits been 85 you could go over that a little bit with Co years there for a while I think that's about at the end of its run now and now you get 105 if you choose to use those what's kind of your outlook on that and and what's Iowa State going to do yeah you know I I I would just say my Outlook is is probably constantly evolving because I don't know you're just such a I think until the rules and regulations clearly get defined and I think they are but they're still cloudy in my opinion at times that that piece of the equation at least is a little clear today um then you know I think it's really hard to say because I think it's a big picture right like how does Iowa state continue to be its best and I think you have to you can't just look at something like roster limits or this or this I think you got to be able to put the whole picture together and then and say all right um man this is this is how we're going to go attack it um I don't think much will change in terms of at least our mentality of we got to find the guys that fit who we are and fit what our football program is about and you know obviously our development and culture is going to have to win out um and then you know I would say from an Iowa State perspective at least early conversations with Jamie I know there's a lot of time to figure all this out um but I we want to compete at the highest level you know and I I think there's there's either going to be a highest level or there's not and I think you you want to put yourself at least in the position to be in that and and I think Jim's you know certainly working behind the scenes to to continue to figure and what's this exactly going to look out what is the highest level and how do we put ourselves in a great situation to be our best yeah I don't know if that's what that means you know I I think again that's a putting all of it together some people that may be what it means but I think at the end of the day how do you give your team and your program the best opportunity to be its best and you know I think until you can put you know what is revenue sharing what are those numbers look like what does this whole thing look like and then how do you do it best for you you know in your locker room and your program it's not you know I it it'll be a completely different world in one way shape or form but I also think at the end of the day it's going to put that much more emphasis on culture and you know if we're saying we're trying to get a little bit closer to the NFL model boy there's still seems like there's 6 to8 NFL teams that win every year and everybody's playing at least at that level by the same rules you know we're we're nowhere close to that right now right we're we're as inbalance as inbalance can be so hopefully no matter where we get we're a little bit more close to man what is the Level Playing Field what does that look like and then how do you put your athletic department and your football program in the best position to navigate you know whatever comes our way and I just think we're so far away from that right now until there's absolute Clarity but at least it's a great question and and I think one that until you can put all the pieces of the puzzle together it's it's a really hard question to answer so thank you guys thank you yo