LIVE: Ohio State football defensive coordinator Jim Knowles talks Buckeyes in press conference

e e e e e e e e anybody else need a mic check really quick yeah maybe mik check one two excellent microphone check one two one2 mic [Music] check excellent you I'll for e for [Music] surve oh boy culate the number of people who are coming times three times three days and buy that much water you stupid effing people you run the big confence USA e start get all right folks thanks for being here we're going to jump right into questions middle row or fourth row middle Pat Murphy 247 Sports Jim last year obviously statistically you guys had one of the best defenses in the country you bring back a vast majority of those guys what do you do now that you're in Fall Camp to ramp things back up when when they've kind of all been through this [Music] all we want to emphasize those things that we can get better at you know um being a silver bullet defense means being a a top five defense so you know we had an we had some significant top fives but not all of them so then we look at we look at those things uh that can make a difference like like um the presentation of our defense like that's a big deal you know like are we showing what we're play now you can get into the details are we showing what we're playing or are we disguising and then uh blitzing right we need to be more aggressive in terms of the calls you know getting more more blitzes run more pressures run um getting our D linan one-on-one matchups so then you know when you and we track it right so then when you call a blitz I tell them it's it's like running an offensive play everybody has an assignment you know so then we track you know our blitzes not even really about making plays right now you're not hitting the court but just is are we is everyone doing the right things and you track that and um because I can't call it unless we're at least all on the track so so you know you look at those areas you can get better at those are two that come to mind front row left Dave BD 247 Sports hi Jim will linebacker I know it's very early but how do you see that kind of playing out where are those guys at right now speaking of Sunny Styles and CJ Hicks do you think they might rotate do you want to find one guy who's your guy just break that down if you would please yeah in you know in a 4-2 scheme I I think they're they're both neck and neck right now um you know we gota continue to to look at and create more ways to get all three of them on the field you know take uh the nickel out you know so um I think our depth at nickel um concerns me you know um hopefully you know Lorenzo has been hurt he's coming back but hopefully he'll feel that you know right now that you know behind Jordan we you know everybody's kind of taking shots Germaine's taking some shots Denzel's taking some shots everybody's learning the position but um you know Sunny if you remember the plan initially last year was was playing that nickel Sam you know until lean got hurt and we had to Boop him back so I feel like um we can get all three of them in the game a significant amount uh deep right Jeremy Birmingham the podcast got in the eyes entering year three obviously first two years have been a little different you first year was felt maybe a little U aggressive and got beat a lot on big plays last year was kind of the opposite how do you find a balance of that heading into year three and is it really important to you that the defense be multiple this year and do different things you already mentioned getting the nickol off field more but maybe more mixing up the fronts Etc um multiple yes a lot of that happens with disguise but more calls out of the base look I would say you know more attack defenses out out of the base look and uh yeah it's a constant adjustment it's a constant adjustment and always learning always studying because you're at year one aggressive gave up some big plays year two um you know we were we were top five you know in explosive plays uh not giving them up but not as good in sacks and lost yardage plays so it's just a it's a it's a constant constant balance and tinkering with it fifth row right Spencer colbrook Letterman roll Jim how deep do you imagine this defensive line going I know Larry handles a lot of that but especially at tackle looks like couple guys Tak set and Jason kind of how deep do you tack yeah deep I mean we gota you I mean you'd like to have six tackles you know you mentioned hero and Jason but um you got to keep an eye on Kaden McDonald I mean he's a he can be a real Force you know that's another guy mention who I think will be ready to to play and then yeah you keep looking you want sex but I I I feel like uh you know we have at least the the pair in the spare right now and um we'll see who comes in you know we but we like to have six tackles Right Next Door Cameron T Robinson the athletic should talk about tackles but Mitchell's a guy that's really healthy out there flying around how much can he help you especially when you're talking about adding depth on the edge and not to JT Jack yeah I mean boy Mitch you know he he really impressed me when I first got here and then he's battled injuries and um I like to see him healthy and you know you got really good depth there kinat really showed up right away kayen Curry and Mitch Melton I mean you got really really good depth there uh third row left Andy Andrew 11 Warriors yeah um speaking of you know you talked about getting three linebackers on the field uh I believe we've seen a few looks where CJ was playing at the end on the line of scrimmage at the end of the line of scrimmage is that a way you can use him as sort of a chess piece this year you know coming off the edge and maybe covering tight ends in that area yeah CJ has some demonstrated Talent at uh uh we saw it in the spring you know of uh making plays you know when he's when he's on the attack so and I think uh you know Sunny can do that too so we're we're we're developing more of those opportunities for that will position because we think we have the guys to do it right behind him Tony German Buckeye huddle uh Jim you know we saw Sunny learning the will position in the spring looks like he's with the ones that right now what has he done from April to now to earn that or or earn that trust for you yeah I don't and you know he's like I said I think he he and CJ are both you know kind of bracketed right now but you know Sunny has proven to be um a guy you can count on you know in the big moments he's uh gained weight strength you know he's well respected by every body so you know he makes that move to Will and um you just see a lot a lot of production you know you see a guy who understands football um I've had a lot of success with bringing safeties down you know to be linebackers because they they have an idea of the bigger the bigger picture and everything that's going on um from sideline to sideline so Sunny shows that four right Andy Backstrom let him in roll Jim you talk about wanting your M linebackers to be the quarterback of the defense is Gab pow ready to be that behind Cody yeah I mean I think uh Gabe really started to show up end of last season and um you know did a did a great job in the off season so uh you know he is he's being groomed for that and you know he's he's shown all the signs of of being capable of it all right Adam King wbns when you look at someone like Caleb DS I mean how excited do get to just be able to use him and all of his talents you know he's uh coaches dream you know he's he understands everything he picks everything up he takes the meeting room to the field he's locked in in meetings you know he um takes great notes you know he's he's a pro you know so I think aside from what he does on the field making all the adjustments and knowing where to go he really has a great effect on the guys in the meeting room too third row right Dylan Davis Del Gazette going back to the interior defensive line dep is Taiwan Malone a guy who's pushing for playing time see what you've seen from him from Spring to now absolutely you know I've seen Improvement I've definitely seen Improvement um you know he's competing you know we'll see more when the pads get on you know that is a very uh physical position and uh you know we've become accustomed to our defensive tackles making tackles you know not just using up blocks so I've seen Improvement in Taiwan so I think he's he's going to be he's going to be in that mix battling for playing time front row right Austin Ward podcast do in the eyes Jim you talked about wanting more blitzes and T sacks tackles for loss different looks up front moving around guys like CJ and sunny that to me sounds like a jack conversation you've done that throughout your career I don't know if maybe the last two years you used that to the level that maybe you wanted to or hope to is that a solution for what you're talking about how much is that in your mind or in the plans for this year yeah like I've said it's always there but um I don't think that right now with what we have that it's uh it's the answer you know so it's it's uh what I want to do is win you know and when you have uh defensive line like like we do um you're not looking to take one of those guys off the field I think we have players that could do it you know and I think it's a long season so we we'll keep that in our back pocket you know you never know with injuries and things that happen but um I think our our pressures and our aggressiveness you know needs to be created out of that out of that four down look um you know in fact what here because of what we have if anything we we might uh go the other way right like five five of those uh rushmen on the field you know and um you know particularly in passing situations and then you have uh you know you have ends here who can drop at times and do different different things you know you just have to always balance okay if I if we drop a JT or a Jack and then what are we giving up by them rushing you know they they that's how they that's how they help us the most so you know I think uh while the Jack Position will always be uh you know available to us I think here we have to just create more pressures out of the four down look front row middle Bill Rance Columbus Dispatch um it's hard to tell without pads um but it looks like everything that people thought about this defense looks to be I mean guys are not getting open very often just again given the caveat that you're not in pads and all that what are your impressions of the first two days yeah I think uh the first two days um you know like I said we've been focused on Basics we do the basics go against the offense do the basics and then um kind of go off on our own and work on some things you know but um you know I'm I'm I'm good right now with what I've seen in two days you know the important Point uh to get across to our guys is that uh you know Vince Lombardi said it we got we have to chase Perfection we have to we have to chase Perfection um you know it's it's impossible but you catch excellence in the process and you know we can never be satisfied with just being good I mean we have the guys to really reach for Perfection and we just got to keep pushing for that so I'm seeing good things like you said um I've seen us cover guys you know fit the right gaps do that and now um you know we got to keep we got to keep pushing them we got to keep pushing them and uh and just always chased to be the best in the country right behind Sten means cleveland.com biger picture thing when you came here I think you know as a pretty aggressive play caller and how you went about like you talked about that and want to dictate the offense like the first play call here you send Denzel Burke on the blitz now got burned on it but you kind of had talked about living with three to five big plays and you'd live with that and maybe it burned you later on in the year and it felt like you backed off of that last year a little bit um and then it felt like sometimes teams were able to drive on you now that you're in year three and you've got a lot of guys here who have played a lot of football in this system is there a middle ground of balance you're trying to find where maybe you don't always have to be as aggressive as you were at other stops because of what the talent is but also picking the right moments to be aggressive so you're not you know you can get off the field a little quicker create some of those turnovers that you're talking about yeah that's that's the key that's the key you know uh you look at our last game and we had a we had a shut out uh what pretty close to the fourth quarter and um you know sometimes you reach those points here where you just I don't want I don't want to be the one to mess them up you know I want I want them to be able to it's not about what I know or being creative when we're going good I think that's the balance we're going good hey we're going good let's just keep it going but you know when you stay in anything too long or you become predictable it really doesn't matter who you're playing you know they're going to take some kind of like Missouri did run this guy all the way across to the other hash you know if if they if they can really can predict what kind of coverage you're in so I think that's uh my job like you said to find the middle ground like even when things are going good even when things are going good we still need to take some chances third row left Dan hope 11 Warriors Germaine Matthews and Calvin Simpson hunt looked like Calvin had a really good day out there today Germaine you you mentioned he's been practicing with the Nick a lot just where do you feel like those two guys are going into your two um you know Jermaine has already showed us that he can he can play in the big moments right I mean he had to go as a starting Corner against uh was it Penn State right wasn't it you know and they went after him so Jermaine has already shown that he can be a gamer and uh you know that's why he's some nickel you know we're trying to find a home for him and I think Calvin is still proving himself look like I'm with you it look like he had a good day uh today so we just need to see more more good days out of him but I know Germaine is going to be there um you know come game time second left Steve hellwagon 247 Sports he coach uh I noticed on the national stats you guys are great in just about everything but you were like lower 20% in turnovers 11 turnovers in a 13 game season and I think what was it four fumbles and seven interceptions just what part of uh I guess the overall thought teaching you know mindset goes into producing a few more of those and you're so close to being yeah no you're right that's the one I didn't mention I mentioned uh things that we tracked this spring and we'll track and fall Camp our um the presentation you know uh our blls is our bullz execution and then our turnovers so what you know it's only way I know how to do it is what you what you emphasize you'll get so you know we've just created that in practice not just the turnover but you know do we see you actually you know even if you don't get it out going through the punch going through you know pulling the ball out do do we see you because you're not you never hit the quarterback but do we see you like just matching the hand of the quarterback all those things that create the turnover so you come up with an elaborate point system and and you know you start giving guys points for at least taking a SW swing here or doing this thing you know the things that you think will create turnovers and you just start uh evaluating and Grading them on that but it's definitely a point of emphasis because we were not uh top five even top 10 in that and and we need to be if I can also just ask U once the season start starts it'll be apparent how you're using sunny and CJ somewhat apparent is this as simple to say that because Sunny comes from safety and as you mentioned you want him to be the the cover safety and then CJ is CJ perhaps the better run player I don't know would you see it fit that way or is that just too overly simplistic to put him in boxes at this point yeah I think it is I think it is um too simple to say that because uh you know there are so many things involved with football and you just you just can't predict all the time you know uh what you're going to get so yeah you really just keep uh evaluating and pushing them on on all aspects of the game you know and it's a it's a really good situation but you're right once game time comes you know everybody will see it and and and we'll see it and and um you know we'll keep creating opportunities for them to do what they do best now like you try to learn what they do best and then when they're in the game you call those things but um I think it's a it's just it's it's going good right now because they're both showing up Joey caufman Columbus Dispatch Jim with just follow on sunny when you talked about your experience moving guys from safety to linebacker and past stops relatively how is sunny done with like learning curve you talking about as football knowledge but is it faster than maybe expected is it what's just you always expect like some kind of initial you know drop off or learning curve but I think Sunny has been at the top of the learning curve from the time he started and getting better all the time right next door Tim May Tim May podcast thanks Jerry uh Jim in a nutshell what is it like to be coaching a veteran in defense as opposed to two years ago when everybody was learning your system and you were learning them and stuff you know notot not not not a lot of people have been in your kind of position where you can like really explain the difference and is it like teaching an upper level course is it like teaching a a master's type course what what is it like out there yeah it's it's definitely an upper level course um you know uh and I think there's just more confidence that guys are going to be able to make the adjustments themselves you know um obviously I put a lot of pressure myself to be right all the time but I'm not so when you get different things that happen or formations that happen in the course of a game you know you can you can expect that those guys will be able to fix it on the field you know in case Point what where did you see uh Jack sawer just take that leap last year and I'm telling you he looks like a different guy you've been out there in practice now at least from my vantage point what have you seen just come right with him or the light bulb come on so to speak confidence you know what I mean end of last season you know great ball game you know he just just confidence and he's and you know Jack is always a a really good-natured personality but you can see um like how serious he is about his craft you know and he's and he's just uh he has seemed to really Advance it to Next Level stuff you know yeah he seems to be an example what I'm talking about about guys that were here that have now blossomed under the system right yes it yes from a potential standpoint where it can take you yeah when he makes a mistake you know I don't even get to yell at him because he holds up his hand I I got it you know I got it you know that kind of thing you know and uh um we're glad to have him that's for sure got time for two two Mark right behind him Bill Landis the podcast Kings of the north Jim um do you see a way for arll ree to help you guys defensively this year and and I guess long term do you give him is more that will linebacker type or Mike linebacker or liner scrimmage player just how do you see that playing out yeah I was thinking about that today actually um talented you know talented and just has made great strides you know um how's he going to fit in this year I don't know you know we gota we got to get him those game reps and see how he handles it um you know to really prove himself that he understands the concepts of the defense and and you know he's come a long way in a year uh now we got to we got to see in action so we got to create those opportunities for him you know uh he can do a lot of things right he's one of those guys that you just always like man should I move you like he can play DN you know he could play Jack he could do you know he could do a lot of things and it's just always in the back of my mind you know that what's best for him and to help our team right now he's still just learning but he's made great progress and final question four or left Joe nen WC Jeremiah Smith doesn't appear to have too many issues with oneon-one defense from a defensive perspective what do you make of his talent is a yeah he's uh he's shown right away that uh you know he can he can handle uh anything you throw at him and if you put him in a one-on-one situation you know even against our best you're kind of holding your breath I know it makes our makes our guys better iron sharpens iron but um everything I've seen from him is just uh you know not not only great talent but great maturity coach thank you very much [Laughter]