Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman transcript following first camp practice

Notre Dame head football coach Marcus Freeman met with the media on Wednesday at Notre Dame Stadium following the first practice of preseason training camp, which was staged at the Irish Athletics Center. Here's everything he has to say. Answers are largely verbatim. Questions may have been edited for brevity and clarity.

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OPENING STATEMENT

“Welcome back. It's finally here. It was a good first day. It's a typical day. There's a lot of good, a lot of things you’ve got to improve on, but it's just good to be back out there with the guys, with our coaching staff and actually practicing football together.

“I think we had a great summer. I was really pleased with the summer and [director of football performance Loren] Landow and his team and how prepared our guys were for this upcoming training camp. I’m just making sure to give them a special shoutout for the job they've done. I'm excited about the coaching staff that we have. We had a chance last week to really spend some time together and get back into football mode. We call it the coaches’ retreat, but the ability to get back in football mode, I just kept taking notes of how great of a coaching staff this is in terms of teaching but also motivating, also working together. I'm excited to be with this group of guys.

“Just a couple of injury notes: Kahanu Kia is out. He tore his ACL this summer and had surgery, so he'll be out. Mitchell Evans and Kevin Bauman and Benjamin Morrison are all returning to play. They all practiced today in a limited role, but all [of them] are in return-to-play protocol. With that, I’ll open it up for questions.”

Q: You just touched on Loren Landow. Specifically, when you got the team out there today, what did you see that let you know he made an impact? And in what areas did you most notice that?

Marcus Freeman: “I don't know if it was today as much as these last couple of weeks since I've been back, just watching the train, watching them gel together. There's a true brotherhood that has formed in summer, through tough times. I was really pleased by the brotherhood that was created this summer. And their capacity to run — their lung capacity, how they run, how they've conditioned, was able to watch a little bit of that in the past couple of weeks. And they're a well-conditioned team, and they showed that today. We got a little bit winded at the end of practice, but you can never truly be ready for practice until you start practicing.”

Q: You've had your fingerprints on the defense the entire time you’ve been at Notre Dame. Al Golden is in his third year as defensive coordinator. What ways do you see that continuity and maybe what does it allow you to do immediately from the start of camp moving forward?

MF: “I think for our defense, it's that they're able to start in a place that they haven't been at in the past two years, because it's the third year of the Golden system. It's also a veteran group that has learned the details of every defense that he wants to run, and so they're starting at a level 500. And that's great, because now you can continue to harp on the little, intricate details of what makes a successful defense. So, I'm excited for the future of this defense in this upcoming season because of what they've built over the past two years into where it's at now. And so, I look forward to seeing how it progresses.”

Q: What did you think of Riley Leonard and Steve Angeli, and what is your plan in terms of naming a starting quarterback?

“MF: "RIley was going with the 1s. Steve was going with the 2s. I didn't get a chance to watch a whole bunch of 7-on-7. I was with the other group, but I'll go back and watch film. But the time I was over there, I was pleased with both of them. They both made some good plays in those last two periods. And again, this is day 1, and I'm sure there's a lot of learning, but I'm excited for what they did.”

Q: And then to follow up on both Morrison and Evans as guys that were starters, how much time does each need in terms of being ready to be full-go? Is one further ahead than the other in terms of being able to be cleared in time for the season?

MF: “Everybody will be cleared by the time we get to game week. I don’t know exactly when it's going to be over these next upcoming weeks, but we'll be good to go.”

Q: What has Aamil Wagner done throughout the summer to run with the first team? And what did you think of him today?

MF: “I think it goes back to spring ball. They [Wagner and Tosh Baker] were in competition in spring ball, and what he done over those 15 practices and progressed throughout the summer, it gave [offensive line] coach [Joe] Rudolph the confidence that [Wagner] should be the starting right tackle as we start fall camp.”

Q: And then what's the balance, when you are as experienced as you are on defense, and you're breaking in so many new starters on the offensive line of judging this offense early on, when they go 11-on-11?

MF: “It’s just practice 1, man. I think as you look at it, you evaluate it for what it is and you continue to find ways to improve. I have a lot of confidence in what our offensive line is going to do. And you know what? Iron sharpens iron. And so, if you're going against a really deep defensive line and also an experienced defensive line and a defense that’s running a lot of pressures early in practice and stuff like that, you’ve got to know that it's going to make them better. And so, this is a journey to get ready for the season, and I’m very confident in the play of our O-Line.”

Q: You talked a little bit about the conditioning. I’m curious as to how do you balance working out in the heat on a day like today and wanting to be smart about that, but also realizing that in a month you're going down to Texas, where it's probably going to be hotter? I'm wondering where do you want that line to be as you get ready?

MF: “As much as we can practice in the heat, we’re going to. Today was a hot, humid day, and we know that's going to be the atmosphere on week 1. But I think, for our guys, it’s the ability to understand what they need to do to replenish and hydrate for a practice like today. There's nothing else that gives you experience but practicing it. So, what they're going to learn today post-practice, ‘OK, is the routine I have to get me ready for tomorrow exactly where it needs to be?’ And you don't know until you have practice tomorrow. And so, we have to really help them figure out their routine to replenish and rehydrate to make sure they're ready to go in any temperature.”

Q: Did any of the older-yet-newer wide receivers stand out to you today?

MF: “I saw Beaux Collins make a great play during [a] team [period}. I'm trying to think back. I'm watching so much stuff that it's hard to truly tell you. I haven’t watched practice [on film] yet. But I did see Beaux Collins make a good play. I don't know, I'll let you know next time I’m up here.”

Q: There are metrics out there that say only USC is less experienced than you guys are among you and your 12 opponents, based upon returning stats and starts and stuff like that. Did you sense that in the spring? Do you feel that or has your culture risen to a level that you feel that games played isn't necessarily a measuring stick for where you are as a program this year?

MF: “We have to have a process that we believe is going to get this group ready to perform these for 12 guaranteed opportunities. And that, to me, is something that we spend an enormous amount of time making sure that our process and what we're having to do from starting in January and we first get together until we go out there on field versus [Texas] A&M is the right one to make sure they produce the output that we want. And so, experience matters, but to me, more than anything, your routine, your process and the way you prepare to get you guys ready to play is more important than anything.”

Q: It sounds like the news on Morrison is good moving forward. But what's your level of concern as far as depth at cornerback? Do you feel like you're going to have io push the two freshmen to get prepared to play this year?

MF: “Yeah, I do. I think we're going to need one of those two freshmen to step up, and we'll be ready to go early in the season this year. If they're not ready, then we have enough versatility in the back end to move somebody else to corner. But, I think, right now our plan is to say, ‘OK, we know who the top three, four guys are at corner. Let’s really try developing these young guys and see who could be somebody that can help us.’”

Q: It feels like the assumption was that when Rod Heard announced that he was coming here that he would start at safety, and he got a lot of the 1 reps today. But what can Adon Shuler do to kind of push him for that job?

MF: “They both had reps with the 1s today. We trying to do a really good job of getting our guys to focus on every day and each day. And don’t care who’s with the 1s today, who’s with the 2s today. If you’re rotating, focus on your reps. We’ll get to tomorrow, and it'll be another guy another group. But focus on your opportunity. And I know that's coach-speak, but it’s really not. Them worrying about who’s going to be the starter at Texas A&M doesn't matter. It really doesn’t. Take advantage of today. And if Adon does that, then Adon is going to be the best version of him. And if Rod Heard does that, Rod Heard is going to be the best version of him. And when we get to Texas A&M week, we’ll figure out who's going out there with the first group. Both of those guys are going to play for us. I'd say that right now. And I just want to make sure that their mindset is right, like it doesn't matter who's out with the 1s. Take advantage of your opportunity today.”

Q: We saw a ton of combinations at linebacker. How excited are you and how confident are you that whoever you throw out there among those 4-5 guys is going to get the job done?

MF: "We're very confident in that linebacker corps. There are five guys in that room who have shown us that they can play right away. [Linebackers coach] Max Bullough has done an unbelievable job of really developing those guys. [Jack] Kiser is in his sixth year. He's been through a lot of training camps, but those other guys — [Jaylen] Sneed has been here a while. But to see what Sneed and Drayk [Bowen] and [Jaiden] Ausberry and Kyngstonn [Viliamu-Asa] — even Preston [Zinter] and those guys [can do], it's a credit to Max and his development of that room. And I have a lot of confidence in whoever comes out of that room and is going to be on the field.”

Q: It appears you have a lot of really good slot receiver options, and one of them, Jordan Faison, was playing on the outside today. Is that a permanent move? And what's Jayden Harrison giving you in the slot?

MF: “Yeah, Jayden is doing a great job. He did a great job in the spring and had a really good summer. We're trying to figure out what's the best six —to put them in whatever positions we need to put them in and get them on the field. And we know what Jordan can do in a slot. We're trying to give him a chance to go outside and see what he can do outside. But at the end of the day, we're going to play the top six, seven wideouts. We just didn't want to have three-deep in the slot and not get Jordan the reps that he needs to make sure he's ready for this upcoming season. He missed, obviously, spring ball, so he's going to play a lot for us. Where he plays is to be determined.”

Q; And then just following up on the offensive line, are Rocco Spindler and Pat Coogan still competing at left guard? And what do you need to see out of the unit as a whole as you go through camp that will tell you they’re ready for Texas A&M and a difficult opening matchup?

MF: “Yes, there's ongoing competition in the O-Line, especially Rocco, Coogan and some of the guards. We still have an identity on offense of wanting to be able to run the ball. And we have to be able to run the ball. And one of the challenges we've had for the offensive line is to create a new line of scrimmage. We want to play football on the defense’s side of the line of scrimmage. And so, that's what I want to see, more than anything —can we get movement against our D-line? I feel like we have the ability to do that and we have the ability to get movement on any defense we play. But that's the challenge. That's the mindset of and challenge, is that we have to be able to create movement in the run game and to make sure we can run the ball effectively. And then the second part would be to protect the quarterback. We have to protect the quarterback. We know that. The mindset of the offense is that we have to be able to move the ball and run it.”

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Q: What boxes do cornerbacks Christian Gray and Jaden Mickey need to check in fall camp to earn a starting job?

MF: “Continue to build trust. How you earn playing time is trust. Can you do exactly what your coach tells you to do over and over and over? Everybody has ability, but we will play the guys that we trust more than anything to get the job done. That’s what you want to see over the course of now to the end of fall camp. Who, at every position, is going to continue build that trust within their position coach?”

Q: What have been your impressions of punter James Rendell?

MF: “He’s awesome. I’m glad to have him. He had a good summer. Just kind of adjusting to American football. He had some good kicks. He was up and down. I haven’t really watched the punts yet, but just being out there he had some really good punts and some punts that he’s got to improve on. That’s anybody. He’s going to be a weapon for us. I told him that early on what he got here. He’s going to be a weapon for us. I look forward to seeing him progress over this training camp.”

Q: Is there a happy medium in terms of the structure and pacing of your preseason from your first two years as head coach?

MF: “The preparation we had for Navy — it wasn’t like we didn’t prepare hard in training camp last year because we played Navy. You prepare to win whoever you play against. No matter if it’s Navy, it’s Ohio State, it’s Texas A&M. We have a plan, a great plan, that we put together that will make sure this group is prepared, one, but also healthy enough to make sure we go out there and we compete versus Texas A&M. I believe in our plan and what we have, but the focus has to be on taking care of right now and what’s right in front of us.”

Q: How do you balance reps with getting Riley Leonard the work that he needs after missing spring and the other three quarterbacks who could normally get more work this time of year?

MF: “That’s definitely a good point. It’s something we have taken into consideration. Riley got a lot of reps this summer in terms of just what he missed in the spring. We have to make sure he gets enough work to make sure he’s prepared to go. But we have to give these three other quarterbacks a chance to develop and continue to improve also. We’ll do that. It’s not just a perfect formula. We do have a good plan for that.”

Q: How has Mike Denbrock’s intensity ramped up since the spring? How is that helping your offense?

MF: “Coach Denbrock brings an intensity but leadership to our offensive side of the ball. Great leaders understand when things need to be said. It’s not just yelling and screaming over and over and over at you. A great leader is understanding at this point this needs to be a point of emphasis. I need to get these guys going, hold them accountable. He has a great feel for that. You can see it. You can see our offense respond to that. This isn’t something that just happens in practice. This is something that happens over the course of the year. I’ve seen, definitely, a level of leadership in our total offense coming from Coach Denbrock but on down it’s really risen.”

Q: Were there any limitations on Riley Leonard this summer?

MF: “Cut it loose the whole summer. He was free to cut it loose.”

Q: What are your thoughts on the future roster limits of 105? What impact do you see with that?

MF: “It’s something that we’ve been planning for and having discussions for. The NCAA sets the roster limit. We’ll make sure we adjust accordingly. I’ve always had this response to questions when people ask my opinion on these things. It really doesn’t matter. Whether I like 105 or I like 120, they passed a ruling that said it’s going to be 105. OK, how do we come up with a plan to make sure this group, these 105 guys in the future, are ready to roll and can really reach its full potential. We have a great plan that we’ve been preparing for for months. If this was going to be the case, we know exactly the way we want to structure our roster.”

Q: What does it say about your program that women are being given power in roles like Zaire Turner as director of player personnel and Olivia Mitchell as assistant athletics director of football operations? What kind of edge does that give you against male-dominated programs?

MF: “It gives us an edge, because they’re really good at their jobs. This wasn’t a decision that was to create publicity. It wasn’t to do anything but to promote two people that really give us an advantage to have the best football program we have. Olivia’s done a terrific job and deserved her promotion. The same thing with Zaire. She’s going to do a wonderful job as our director of player personnel. We’re just grateful to have them here, have them a part of our staff and to be able to keep them. They’re going to be a vital part for us really achieving the goals that we have.”

Q: How satisfied are you with where you guys are with headset communication? What’s the key to making that seamless?

MF: “It’s something we started in spring, so we’ve been working on it throughout the spring. We have a really good plan. We’ll have to continue to do it throughout training camp. It’s just something new. It’s going to be a relationship between the coordinator and the quarterback. What amount of information do they want? What’s too much? What’s too little? Obviously, it cuts off at 15 seconds. It’s been something we’ve been practicing since the spring, and I truly believe that our offense, specifically, has a great plan. Defensively, we’ve done the same thing. Coach Golden, obviously, had experience being in the NFL with the green dot. I feel really confident about our plan.”

Q: What were you looking for as you walked the field today?

MF: “Day one you’re looking for the flow of practice. You’re looking for guys having the urgency that you want. Head coaches have to be master observers. You have to be able to observe and see everything. That’s what I try to do early in practice. I spent some time with the younger guys in 7-on-7 to make sure they understand how important it is. We did a lot of two spot today, which is something new for us. I wanted to spend some time with those younger guys. I get it. When the head coach is over there, it creates a little bit more sense of urgency. I have no problem being over there when that happens. My job is to be where I’m needed at certain times. I have a plan every day as I go into practice. But as a head coach, you have to be able to be where you’re where you’re needed during the duration of practice.”

Q: How difficult is it to get freshmen who arrived in the summer ready for what they need to do?

MF: “It’s a challenge. It goes fast. Especially practice one, you can tell the guys that weren’t here for spring ball. Those young guys. It goes really fast. You can do all the summer walkthroughs and meetings that you want, but there’s nothing like getting out there the first day and actually seeing it in practice speed. They’ll be better. I’ve always had this belief. People always ask me, ‘Do you think it’s better to come in early or come in June if you want to play as a freshman?’ Some of the best freshmen that I’ve been around that have played as true freshmen have come in June. I’ve been around some that have come in January. If you’re good enough to play as a freshman, we’ll know by the time we get to week one. We’ll know. It’s the ability for those guys to play fast. When we evaluate you in high school, we evaluate you playing as fast as you possibly can. All of them are good, but the guys who are able to play fast faster here, like sooner, are the ones that are probably going to have a chance to play early. That’s the challenge. Can I process all this information with the motions and everything that’s going on and still play fast? If you can do that, you have a great chance to play early.”

Q: What do you need to see from your running backs to trust them going forward?

MF: “In the running back room, No. 1 is ball security. They have to be able to take care of the ball. They have to be able to protect the quarterback and pick up the different pressures. And then, yeah, we want them to make plays with the ball in their hands. It’s all those different things that we asked you to do, one, without the ball in your hands and, two, being able to protect the football when you do have it in your hands that are going to really help earn the trust of Coach McCullough and the offensive staff. That gives them a chance to play early. It’s a talented group, especially a talented group of young guys, that I’m excited to see what happens in the next couple of practices.”

Q: Jeremiyah Love got some time at wide receiver in the spring. How do you keep working him in with his responsibilities at running back and all the guys you want to play at receiver?

MF: “You have to find ways to get Jeremiyah Love the ball. That’s where we have a creative offensive coordinator and a creative offense that we’ll do that. As we get towards game week and those type of things, we’ll game plan specifically how we get the ball into his hands. You don’t have to be a rocket scientist to know in our offense you have to find ways to get Jeremiyah Love the ball.”

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