Auburn Football Holds News Conference ahead of First Game

e e e e e e e e e e e e e e that A&M's got some uh you know there's several unknowns um coach mayor I I don't know personally but um he has a great reputation of being a a really good football coach and you know the quarterback battle is um a little bit up in the air I think at least we can't find out exactly uh what the plan is there they've got a returner and also a transfer um that you know we're trying to study a little both and um we do know they got a really good running back in seven he's he's a heck of a heck of a running back love 84 it tight end offensive lines got several All Conference performers uh big big group there and the wide receivers are led by six and three and they're big rangy guys but uh definitely um the quarterback Smith is the the transfer from Miami of Ohio he's a dual threat guy and and brown is uh played at Georgia State and is a is a is a got a big arm real big arm so you know I think they do want to run the football I think we've got to stop the run and try to make them onedimensional but um you know they've got some some really talented kids on that side of the football defensively um the free safeties All Conference performer number six and um Tate I believe is his name and and seven the defensive end is a Twitchy Twitchy pass rusher um one that we've got to pay attention to Ellis I believe is his name also then they're loaded with a bunch of transfers on on that side um and with a new defensive coordinator that's coming from South Carolina state and and another DC that's coming from gramling State and uh trying to figure out um you know what that looks like is um is kind of a guessing game for sure for us and you know is it is it what you saw at South Carolina state is it what you saw at Grambling is it a combination um the whole defensive staff is New U with a lot of transfers so I I usually like to know in my mind Hey on Third and one we really really want to run it to this defensive lineman or um I don't know any of that really going into this game and so there's there's several unknowns um I do know two of their transfers they they they were at Liberty and and they're both really really solid players so but they've got several on that side again with a total new defensive staff so the game planning for for us offensively is is uh is takes a little guess work and um but you've got to be able to adjust and and be ready to go with whatever we see whatever they come up with as the plan so um excited again Jordan hair at home 24 season to kickoff and uh um I just I know our kids will be ready and we're we're anxious for kickoff H you talked about swapping guys on the left side of that offensive line last week how did that go and you have an idea of what you want to do this week uh up front yeah I think it'll be a few games in before we kind of settle into exactly what it looks like but we actually rotated U um Tyler Johnson Percy and and dwade in kind of a three way rotation there along with u Brandon Joiner at that guard only guard uh position and um I think it's the most likelihood as you're going to see you know D way play a little of both and and US rotate around at that tackle position and kind of see who who plays the best I mean ultimately like I will tell our players today at some point uh the film has to be the resume that is the ultimate decider and um that's life that's football and nothing uh H can be given it must be earned week in week out by the way you practice on the film and um and the way that you perform on a Saturday and um so I think we'll we'll have to it'll take a little time to kind of sort out exactly what what that looks like from game to game and one thing I'll know is we will end up needing every one of them uh before the year is over and and hopefully uh we create great competitive depth there by rotating some around and keeping them fresher uh H how is it uh set up as far as who's in the Box oh let's see um offensively uh let's see Nicks and Kent and um Maurice Hiller I'm GNA forget somebody probably that those four I know are in the Box um that would mean that Jesse's probably down to communicate with Kent um and um Jake's down for sure and uh Marcus is down um get everybody Ben agamo was down defensively I think DJ is still working on that uh DJ will be down um I think he's just debating on who's who's best to keep down with him and and to go up heard from coach Nicks last week he expressed a lot of confidence in his running back room how do you plan to use jarquez and deari and Jeremiah this year keep them fresh and get them touches I think all three of those guys are Quality quality players um that uh add Great Value to us and and figuring out a way to get those touches to those guys is important for us for sure hey coach uh kandre lber Smith has been banged up a little bit in Camp but what is he meant for you guys both you know when he is healthy in the offense and then we know when he wasn't practicing as much but just around what is he meant for the rest of the guys in that room and for the offense as the whole uh one of the most impressive things about U Dre is his uh leadership the way he's bringing along and helping teach and coach and Mentor the cams and Perry's and and Malcolm's and Bryce's I think he's just I didn't know if that's the case when you get a transfer but he has really been selfless in in trying to help those guys and glad to see him he bounced back at the end of the last week and he looked he looked ready to play he had a great few practices the end of the last week coach it looks like you know at your starting wide receiver spots you're pretty solid on who's going to start there but Perry and Malcolm we saw a lot of them this fall uh can you talk about how you're going to work those guys in game one and try to get them ready yeah it's pretty free rotation um you know at that spot for I want them fresh if someone runs a deep deep deep route and uh it's an incomplete or there's not an explosive play you I'd expect the next guy up and um so that we're ready to snap the ball and and and ref fresher I don't I don't like the idea of a guy running a streak route and it's a deep incompletion and he's running back to the line and I've never been a fan of that at all and so I do think we're at a spot right now where now again they're going to have to go out there and do it um in the mock game uh Saturday um it was it was freely rotating among those top top six guys and um still a few too many um ma by the younger guys and uh we're going to talk straight about that today when I give them the truth and you know one of the hardest things I think today is I mean you've got to figure out as a coach how you speak hard truth to a player especially a young one um without it it seems like everything is I me used to Mike you just as a coach 10 years ago you just you put it on film and said this is absolutely horrendous you got to get it right you are you not going to play you know you've got to be accountable to the team and to this and now it's you know you you really have to think about the way you say those things because the the the fine line between coaching is I mean unfortunately we part of our job is to is to be to critical evaluators um but I don't ever want it to be personal and it seems as uh as life has changed or whatever everything is is kind of Taken personal and so we as coaches have to do a great job with building relationships with our players where they know man the guy honestly cares about me and when he says this is absurd if what you're putting on film right now uh it it's not some type of indication that you as a human being are are less than in any way it's man you've got to be accountable to to your team and some of those younger guys um you expect them to make some mistakes you do but we're at a point in our journey here where we're dependent upon them and man it's high time you I get you may have a drop or you may mess up the top end of a route but man when all other 10 get the signal exactly right in your asleep at the wheel and it destroys the play man that that that that stings that hurts and we had we had about six of those and they were all from young kids um but if we're going to have this free rotation mindset that's got to change and so they're going to get challenged today with that and um but you know I I expect you to see a good rotation there um early in the games especially obviously if you get down to to it you got to have your your who you think has gives you the best opportunity to to win the football game out there but um I'm anxious to see all of those guys jump in there and see how they perform when it's real I know you mentioned Austin Keys maybe as a question mark for this first game do you have any update on him and then any other sort of injury updates Yeah in our uh in our staff meeting this morning the medical report um um our our medical team felt like he was a probable um so we'll see how he handles uh you know he has another day today which is just walk through today but um I'm going to need to see something out of him Tuesday and Wednesday for me to feel that way um but that's the way they felt about he and and keante you talked about the uncertainty with transfers obviously adjustments are always important but early in the season does it make it even more of an hus to execute and kind of do what you do especially when you're trying to play so many new faces yeah I think you know you you you you feel comfortable with your base calls and that uh your quarterbacks understand the answers to you know certain issues and um you know the fronts may be different than what You' kind of planned for or certain alignments by backers or coverages may be a little different but some things can't change is there six in the box is there seven in the Box I mean th those things come back to your base rules and how do you handle that if they are and so uh yeah early on the game you would expect us to still execute our base stuff we may have to get to the sideline and change a blocking scheme or something but as far as should the ball been handed off or should have been thrown you would expect us to handle that and then pass Pro heck we've seen every Look Under the Sun against DJ so I don't we can't use that as an excuse that all of a sudden they jumped in a a different front and we can't pass protect it so um some of the base stuff you would expect us to still be able to execute yeah on the defensive defensive depth chart you've got 37 players listed as starters I mean essentially everybody are you smoke screening or you just going to really rotate a whole lot honestly it's not I y'all know how I feel about dep chars from day one I think they're ridiculous and um they're not accurate it and and I'm not trying to hide something from you but honestly I don't even know who we have like I haven't looked at it but who do we have at left tackle I honestly it's going to be either Percy or Tyler or maybe dwade um I mean I I don't know and then defensively you want to talk about defensive tackles we've got six that we're going to rotate in there and I could care less who goes out there the first snap I really don't I don't care and um and obvious need us DJ if we got 37 starters so um you know you better play a lot of guys particularly early in the year and you know and it's it really I know it doesn't I mean I'm laughing about it because I think but you know to some people it matters you know to some kid it matters to some Mama it matters and um so we'll list them all as starters the ones that we think are are have earned the right to to to roll out there and play and I really do mean it I have no clue who DJ and his staff and Von tril are going to roll out in the defensive front to start the game well are we an odd are we an even I I don't know and and but if you're an even I know jmx's going to be out there and I know K's going to be out there um those other six in the middle they all have been with the first team they've all been the second team or the blue orange team as we referred to it or the white team and I don't see a ton of drop off really so um that's it's not really a smoke screen um I I don't know what the secondary looks like because that's where we're the thinnest for sure um but I would expect keante and can Lee to to get a nod at the at the corners but we're going to need others to play too we're still trying to figure out the safeties though truthfully thanks for the extra sleep uh how confident are you in that pton can get the job done this year and how confident are you going in the first game with him controlling the offense I'm very confident sitting here today and at the same time I've said every for since spring practice that ultimately he's got to get the job done but I wouldn't be uh I I wouldn't be going with him if I wasn't confident in him and I've always believed in him and believe in in him even more today than uh than I did in January because of what I've seen and what I witnessed and what I hear in the meeting room in the film room when I'm with him and um I think he's uh I think he's excited to to prove that to a lot of people also uh what do you uh what have you seen from Hank since since he was designated the number two quarterback have you seen a change in him and and how's he how's he done um still has a ways to go in the protections and um and the fixes that we need him to be able to make um throws the Deep ball extremely well extremely well needs to be a little more accurate in some of the others um holding still getting his share of reps and is is is is is doing quite well also but Hank's biggest thing right now is is slowing down when it has to slow down and and make sure you get protected Hugh yall worked a lot of different guys at part Turner uh in Fall Camp you kind of have a feeling on who might be the first to go out there or is it going to be a rotation well well let's say Keon's healthy he he'd probably be the first one that went if he's not I would think it'd be Dre Dre and then after that Bryce or Malcolm um if we ever get in a situation where it's one where I just definitely must have the possession of the football and it must be caught have great confidence and will Upton also any update on on the kicker situation um don't think Alex is much better he's much better and he's getting better I don't think he will be ready to go but I don't hold me to that um so towns is is prepared and and ready to go and it's had a really good week last week and so we're we're uh that's that's where I think it's headed um but Alex did kick a little bit last Thursday um but I I don't think he will be um I don't think he'll be quite ready this Saturday thank you hey coach as you're getting ready to get year number two underway on Saturday what is the statement you're wanting to team to make uh I want us to play with a passion in Jordan hair that is one that would be consistent all year long um and a confident football team that that looks like they love one another and that they love being together at Auburn and it shows in the way we play and execute and obviously the coaching iny wants to see us uh play a smart brand of football which is taking care of it the ball no selfish pre-nap penalties that put you behind the chains and um obviously situational awareness understanding it's third and one and I probably don't need to get booed because you're throwing a fade ball on our RPO system unless you know we're going forward on fourth down and again that helmet helmet that this communication deal is uh is kind of helpful stuff like that truthfully because I'm the world's worst at getting the third and one and not calling off the rpos um because I expect um pton or Hank or Holden to to know the situation now I can I can feel a little better about those but really want to see us passionate and execution to be clean without the the the sloppiness of of penalties taking care of the football on offense going to get it on defense and us being a really really smart situational uh football team hey who uh you mentioned obviously you have no shortage of talent at receiver now this season but with Sam Jackson coming in um with his speed how do you and the offensive staff plan to utilize him in the RPO game and try to again utilize that speed the best you can yeah we're blessed you know to have him and um you know and Robert and Malcolm and Bryce all kind of in that slot position and um all of them have skill sets and you know three of those forward will will will be freely rotating in the game and we'll sort it out as the season goes but everybody's a little different you know Sam's definitely got some tools that you can use him in some of the you know speed Sweep game um screen game um and and in the past game so uh he's even played some quarterback before who knows might see him at wild cat quarterback and um but glad we have him for sure coach some of the words throughout this offseason have been comfortability confidence going into this year so far you're coming into this game week what has validated those feelings for you and stands out about this team on the field and as you open this press conference not sure who you are just yet what do you expect to see through this week and Saturday to start answering that question for you yeah I you know I don't um you you don't know how they're going to perform when it gets real but as far as the things that we've continuously talked about since January through SEC media days to now is the uh just the uh the chemistry and the culture difference that I feel in year two um with the entire building and that's continued I've had U no second thoughts on that even as we've gone through the grind of camp and that third week's always a tough week with school starting there's no game and yet still found reason to to to feel good about you know what I'm seeing from the leadership of our team look um most people inherently are selfish all of us and the great thing about football is nothing great happens by yourself and I've just I've been around enough teams to know man if if they really can get it and understand it's a team first deal and you take yourself off the platform which is hard because everybody wants their stats and everybody and they they have voices in their head telling them that and you can win a game and somebody's upset because their mama or daddy or Uncle told them well you didn't get your share and we just won a game man we ought to be singing the fight song and rejoicing together that we did it together and and what I sense from this team right now is that and the only way that ever happened is it is is for it to be empowered by the players to lead that way I can stand up and say it till I'm blew in the face but if if it becomes uncomfortable for you to be opposed to that that culture and that chemistry if it becomes unpopular in the locker room then you're on to something and um that's the reason that I am am hopeful coach how um comfortable are the coaching staff and the players with the new helmet communication will it be used um a lot this Saturday uh the players seem to be handling it pretty easy it's probably me more than I think I'm talking into it and I'm not cuz I'm not hitting the right button or you know it's uh I I literally have I mean I feel like I don't know I've got feel like I'm wearing one of the police belts you know there's just stuff everywhere and um and you got to hit the right button so it's taking me some adjusting for sure um the players is pretty easy I I will say we unfortunately we had a little issue with with ours in the stadium Saturday and I sure hope that's not going to be the case um you know Saturday night I mean they quickly got it fixed but it did was it was two plays um but you know I hope that that's not the case and a reoccurring problem that you might have and they they really couldn't tell me what was wrong with it so um but it's uh it's taking some getting used to from the coaches standpoint I think DJ handles it better than I do because he just uses a walkie-talkie um but my hands are so full that I don't uh I'm trying to use all the buttons and maybe that's a mistake I don't know but um I'm it it is I do think there's some benefits to it for sure yep thank you guys zero sugar what's up how we doing good e e e e e