Coach Knowles & Defensive Line Talk Fall Camp
8/3/2023 12:28:00 PM | General, Football
On Kourt Williams Switching to LB
“Kourt is a guy we always felt would be better off closer to the line of scrimmage. We had debated that move for a while and thought it was the right time to move him down fully. He’ll still play sam linebacker in our 4-3 defense, he’s a first class young man and it’s great to have him at linebacker.”
On his plans for CJ Hicks fitting into defense
“My plans about CJ have been pretty strong the whole time, he has had a great offseason and continues to improve. He’s going to play at will, he’s going to play at Jack, and we’re going to look for ways to get him in the game, it’s on me to find those opportunities.”
On what he learned from the TTUN game
“We just have to do better on defense, thats the bottom line, no better way to explain it except we have to do better.”
On this first day compared to last year
“I see quality, I see adjustments, I see fits, I hear communication more than I see it.”
On how he feels physically
“I feel great. Dangerous. It’s just nice to be able to get back out there and to run around with the boys.”
On having Tommy back on the field
"It’s awesome, he’s like a barbarian out there commanding the troops, he’s just a great guy to have around and it’s great to see him back out there doing what he loves.”
On Teammate CJ Hicks
“He’s unlimited, he can do whatever he wants really. In the weight room he’s a specimen, on the field he's learning the plays more and more each day and he’s really stacking it up right now.”
On the team knowing Coach Knowles defense
“Hearing the checks that everyone makes and the confidence that everyone has out there, its a good feeling..but also when you watch film you can see guys understand it.”
On being the leader of the defense
“It means a lot hearing that but I know just about every single person on the defense is a leader.”
On how the TTUN & Georgia games impacted the preparation for the defense this season
“I’d say 2nd half versus team up north. If they don’t score a point they don’t win the game. Same thing with Georgia too. If they don’t score, they can’t win, and so, I think we really took that to heart.”
When asked how he thinks he’s better today than at the end of the spring
“Mentally I’m ready to go. The first day of camp was alright for the whole defense, but we gotta keep going. Our goal is to be the best defense in the country.”
On what he was trying to accomplish this offseason
“I was just trying to show that I can be one of the hardest workers on the team. I wanna make a name for myself. I feel like a lot of people remember me or know me for what I did in high school and not really what I’ve done on the field yet. I haven't really done anything. So I decided to do that.”
On getting more playing time
“It’s a true blessing. At the end of the day I still need to go out there and do my job and have fun with what I'm doing. That being said I also understand my responsibilities.”
