Notre Dame defensive coordinator Mike Elko addressed the media on Aug. 16 on a number of topics. Below is a collection of comments from the press conference.
Q: The overall install how far along are you?
Mike Elko: “We have everything we want to have in. Now it’s just a matter of refining it and running it better and running it at a higher level, so we can execute it when we need to.
Q: Everything was so new in the spring … how do you think they’ve picked it up since then?
Elko: “Good. The kids put in a lot of time and energy in this summer into continuing that development. We challenged them to come back at the start of fall camp and make it look like practice 100 and not practice one. I think they did that and that allowed us to have a chance to be successful.”
Q: Is the defense as a whole where you want it to be at this point? Is it ahead or a little bit behind from where you would necessarily want it to be?
Elko: “I’ve never tried to look at it that way. I’ve never gone into this thing with a plan of we need to be here at this date, here at this date. I’m happy with how the defense is working. I think we have the right mindset. I think we have the right attitude. I think we are coming out to work every day. I think the product on the field looks better every day. That makes me happy.
Q: Obviously, you weren’t here last year, but do you see a motivation from the group as a whole just based off how last year went?
Elko: “No. I think there is a motivation in the group to be successful at Notre Dame. There’s pride in who they are, pride in this program and pride in what they want to be. I think they want to go out and make Notre Dame successful. I would hope that would be the case regardless of what happened last year.”
Q: Brian Kelly has said at least at one press conference he felt the defense is a little ahead of the offense. Would you agree with that and what’s it mean to you to be able to put your defense in that position so far?
Elko: “I don’t pay attention to that. We’re getting better every day. I think our product is getting better every day and that makes me happy. I think our kids are getting more comfortable running the defense. That excites me. That’s all I care about.”
Q: Are there some things you’ve learned that you didn’t expect to learn coming into camp?
Elko: “I don’t know if there is anything I didn’t expect to learn. I’m pleased with the progress we’re making. If you had vision of where we wanted it to go, that’s where it’s going. That excites me. I don’t know if I’m surprised or shocked or anything like that.”
Q: Where do you see the strength of your group right now?
Elko: “I think as a group we are starting to understand how to play defense together. I think that’s where our strength has to be. Our strength has to be all 11 guys playing this defense together the right way, understanding where their help his, understanding where their leverage is, understanding how to play fundamental football.”
Q: Did it take them a while to get to that point?
Elko: “Any time you go somewhere and you try to implement your philosophy, initially it’s not something the kids are ready for. They don’t know exactly what you’re looking for and they don’t know exactly what you’re talking about. As we went through spring you kind of saw that feeling out process … I think we’ve picked up in fall camp.”
Q: How much do you work to get the players to acclimate to what you do or do you acclimate your defense to personnel and talent on your team?
Elko: “It’s a combination of both. I think there are some fundamentally principles for us that are unwavering. We’re going to focus on those and know exactly what we are trying to get done in those areas. When you start to get into the specifics of scheme or percentage of calls or what you want to do more, then that’s when you start to look more into personnel and say hey this was a call that was better for us at this school, but maybe at this school that’s not a call we’re going to use as much.”
Q: What are those principles that you mentioned?
Elko: “We want to be a group that plays extremely hard, that stops the run, limits explosive plays and creates turnovers. Those principles are what we chart and grade every day. We want to make sure we hit certain marks.”
Q: Is the defense playing mentally as fast as you want them to be?
Elko: Yeah. We’re not perfect by any stretch of the imagination, but I tell them all the time, training camp is hard because you’re running more defense than you ever would in a game against more offense than you would ever defend in a game because everybody is working all of their scenarios. If we’re doing it right, we’re prepping for 12 opponents right now. If the offense is doing it right, they’re setting up plays for 12 opponents right now. The scope of what we’re asking our kids to do is hard. It’s not perfect, but it’s certainly in the right direction.
Q: What have you seen from the defensive line?
Elko: “I think that group has kind of surprised a lot of people. I keep saying it and I’m not making it up. That group has been a lot more competitive. We had a short yardage period and that group held their own. They’re continuing to develop and get better every day.”
Q: A couple offensive linemen have commented on the defensive line being stronger. What have you seen with their growth and development under Coach Balis?
Elko: “It’s a combination of all of it. They are getting more confidence because they are stronger. I think that’s allowing them to play harder and faster. That even multiplies that success. Each day they go out and a little bit of have success gives them a little more confidence they can be better. Matt has done an unbelievable job with those guys in the weight room, and from the start of us getting here until fall camp all the kids got bigger and stronger and bought into that side of life.
“They know what they are going against every day. They’re not backing down from that challenge.”
Q: How are they better in pass rush? What are they doing better?
Elko: “The pass rushers are a year older. It’s always hard for a freshman to be successful. So some of the kids in that freshman class that are now sophomores, I think will be the better pass rushers off the edges. They’ve developed because they are a little more comfortable playing college football. I think inside we probably move those guys a little more and create edges for those guys a little more. Which gives them a little more of a chance to be in one-on-one situations to be successful.”
Q: Could you single some young guys out on the defensive line that have impressed you?
Elko: “I think we’ve gotten some reps some of the freshmen — Kurt [Hinish] and Myron [Tagovailoa-Amosa] — those guys have done a good job. So, have some of the kids that have been here. It’s not necessarily just the new guys. Across the board the defensive line is working hard and going to be a good group.”
Q: We’ve heard a lot about [defensive end] Andrew Trumbetti’s physical transformation. Does that show on the football field?
Elko: “Yes. He’s playing really physical, really fast. I’m really happy with what he is doing and where he is going. I think he has having a really good camp.”
Q: How has defensive end Daelin Hayes progressed since the spring?
Elko: Daelin is another kid who hasn’t played a lot of football. Each time he goes out there and practices, he gets more and more confident with himself and what we’re asking him to do. Obviously, he’s challenged day-in and day-out by some pretty good offensive lineman and that allows him to improve every day.
Q: What are some thing you want to see out of Hayes?
Elko: With everybody it’s going to be the same. Everybody has shown us flashes of what they’re capable of, it’s just that ability to consistently play at that really high level and that’s what, across the board, we need to do. We just need to be consistent at what we’re capable of.
Q: What have your impressions been of Jerry Tillery personality wise?
Elko: I enjoy Jerry. Jerry is coming into a good spot for himself where he’s balancing his priorities with football with his eccentric view of life. Jerry is interested in a lot of things and there are a lot of things that pique his interest. I think since we’ve been here we’ve been very happy with his balance of making sure he stays committed to football as No. 1 and not taking away from that.
Q: There’s a perception that the interior defensive line is the weakest part of the defense. How important is Tillery to the interior defensive line and who is behind him that you are confident in?
Elko: First off all, that perception is wrong. I don’t know where it came from, but it’s not right. He’s extremely important because he’s in the middle of our defense. I’m getting more and more comfortable with all of our defensive lineman and their ability to compete at a high level.
Q: How has Tillery been bringing the young guys along?
Elko : With that group, I think you’ve got a lot of guys that are really focused on their own development. Obviously there’s been a million things written about that group and what they need to do. What we’ve challenged them on a lot is ‘focus internally, focus on making you the best you can be, don’t worry about all the other noise that has pulled you in other directions.’ I don’t think it’s fair to ask some of those kids to be great leaders. I think you get that leadership from the linebackers. I think you get that leadership from Coach [Mike] Elston and Coach [Harland] Bower. That’s where the leadership comes from.
Q: What do you expect to see from that group against Temple?
Elko: I think you’re going to see a group that plays extremely hard and that is extremely disruptive and is active. I think that’s a group that will be a strength for us.
Q: Have you ever walked into the locker room and seen Tillery reading a newspaper?
Elko: I have not seen it. It wouldn’t surprise me. This is Notre Dame, so we’re recruiting kids that are well-rounded kids, so I embrace that side of it, as long as it doesn’t interfere with the balance which is that football at Notre Dame has to be top priority. That, in my opinion, is what Jerry has done a better job of re-centering his priorities to that.
Q: Was there a special conversation with Tillery about that?
Elko: I don’t know about special conversations, but we felt like that was his challenge. Learning how to balance all of his interests and also his burning desire to be a great football player and how much of his time an energy needed to go into football to get that goal situated for himself.
Q: Before you took the job, what did you see in the defensive line that encouraged you about their potential as a group?
Elko: I just saw youth. When you look at the defensive line, it’s not a position where young kids should be successful. We had some young guys out there that, maybe to the naked eye, weren’t playing at a high, high standard. As I looked at it, I saw freshman out there competing against the best teams in the country. I thought that gave us a chance, and that gave me enough hope to come.
Q: From the little we’ve seen so far, I think the linebackers have been the biggest beneficiaries because if you’re defensive line is stronger and controlling the point of attack your linebackers are going to be able to flow and make plays.
Elko: “I think that is part of it. I think the D-line would tell you that the linebackers are fitting things faster than they did in the spring which means those [Quenton] Nelson, [Mike] McGlinchey double teams aren’t on them quite as long. So, I think it is a combination of both. I think the linebackers are playing faster and that helps the D-line. I think the D-line is playing stronger and that obviously helps the linebackers.”
Q: Where’s [safety] Devin Studstill at with your system in the big picture and what do you expect from him?
Elko: “Devin’s had a good camp and he’s getting better every day. He’s working hard. What the expectations are of him don’t mean a whole lot to me. He’s getting himself into a position to where he’s going to be able to have a productive role and help us this year. I think every day he’s working towards that.”
Q: Where is the safety group?
Elko: “That group is getting better every day. I think that is a group you have a lot of young kids that haven’t played a lot of football. So, that group is working every day to get where they need to be, so when we go out and play Temple we’re ready to go.”
… “I think we have some athleticism, youth and some pretty talented kids.”
Q: Can you give us an idea of who is in the front group there?
Elko: “It’s the guys you’ve seen. It’s [Jalen] Elliot, [Nick] Coleman, Studstill, Isaiah Robertson. Those are the guys that have taken the majority of the reps.”
Q: What’s Nick Coleman’s transition been like from cornerback to safety?
Elko: “He’s getting more comfortable every day. I think seeing the game from the inside is different. Each rep he gets helps him get better at that. He’s been a lot better this fall than spring because of that.
“The biggest thing for Nick is he a is a plus-cover guy at safety. He moves from the outside to the inside where he is a very good coverage safety. His development since I’ve gotten here has been in understanding run fits and how to play the game. I think it’s given him a comfort level because when he moves to the inside and plays that positon, he’s a really good cover guy. That helps him relax and play ball.
Q: What have you seen from Devin [Studstill] and Jalen [Elliot]? Have you seen them continue to grow?
Elko: “They are getting better and more comfortable with what we’re doing and how we’re doing it. Getting more confident in their communications. I’m happy with where they are headed.”
Q: [Alohi] Gilman..you still don’t know about him yet. So you can’t give him an overwhelming amount of reps?
Elko: “It’s been hard for him to balance what we’ve done with him. I do think is a kid who can be in the mix if he is able to play. We’ve tried to do enough with him that he’ll have a chance to do that if we go that route. Without over doing it, so if he isn’t ready to play then we haven’t waste a ton of reps.”
Q: Is transfer safety Alohi Gilman the same guy you saw on film?
Elko: Yeah. I think he’s everything we thought he was going to be. Now it’s just waiting on the word, and that’s been a tough balancing act. That’s been hard on him because you’ve got to give him enough reps that he can do everything, but you can’t give him too many. So it’s been a challenge.
Q: Why is safety a difficult positon especially for a younger player?
Elko: “You have to see everything. It’s a lot like playing quarterback. When you sit in the middle of the back part of the defense you have to see it all. You have to see run, you have to see pass. You’re involved in the run game and you’re involved in the throw game. It’s hard to minimize a safety’s job. As college football has changed with the more spread, the more open space tackling, that puts a ton of stress on a safety. Where as in the old days of two tight ends and a fullback play this game in a pile of dust. That’s not as hard to be a safety. Now you’re sideline-to-sideline and things are flying right at you with these big, strong athletes. If you’re slow reacting at all it’s not a good situation.”
Q: Where are your cornerbacks?
Elko: “Probably about the same. Again, you don’t have a lot of experience and guys who have played a ton of football. You have guys who have come out and competed and want to work every day to get better. I think our secondary is an experienced group that is working day in and day out to get as good as we can be and get where we need to go.”
Q: Nick Watkins, as a senior, hasn’t played a ton of football, but is providing some maturity at that position? Or who is?
Elko: “Maturity, yes. We have a combined eight starts back there. At the safety spot I think we have a combined seven.”
Q: When you look at Nick Watkins, what stands out to you?
Elko: “Just his physical presence. He’s a big, long and physical corner. He has the ability to get his hands on people, he runs better than you think for a big kid, so he gives you that ability to lean on him as a one-on-one defender.”
Q: Do cornerbacks Julian Love and Shaun Crawford help you create depth?
Elko: Anyone that has flexibility creates depth. What we’ve got to balance is Shaun Crawford had played only a handful of college football games. Julian Love is a true sophomore who has never played a game in Mike Elko’s defense. To think it’s easy to just flop those guys all over the place, it’s not that. You walk a fine balance of saying here’s certain things they do to help us, and we want to utilize that, but we don’t want to throw too much at them to where they’re not capable of playing the way they want to.
Q: What do you as a coordinator to mask that or make sure that’s not a problem?
Elko: “I don’t think we have to mask it. I don’t think that’s where we are. I’m not sitting here telling you it’s a deficiency or I am worried about. It’s just an inexperienced group that needs to get better. There are days where we look great and periods we don’t. We’re just pushing for consistency every day.”
Q: How long do you think it will take for the secondary to get to that point? Where you need them to be in order for them to be a successful unit for you guys?
Elko: “Sixteen days. That’s all we’ve got. They’ll be ready. Sixteen days and they’ll be ready to go.”
Q: What gives you confidence that the group will be ready by that first game?
Elko: “We have talented players back there. We have talented players who are working hard every day to be as a good as they can be. So, each day they get another rep, they get a little better. And they’ll be ready to go when the season starts.”
Q: What makes Drue Tranquill a perfect fit for the rover position?
Elko: “He’s extremely physical. He’s extremely dynamic and he’s really versatile. He can do a lot of things well. We’ll try to use him at those things.”
Elko: “I don’t envision the rover positon. I love Drue. I think Drue is a tremendous player. I think he’s extremely dynamic and very physical. He has the ability to make a lot of plays on both the perimeter and the box. He’s very versatile in what he can do and the things we can do with him. I don’t know if he fits the prototype of the rover. I just think he’s a really good player and really glad we’ve got him.”
Q: You talk about the inexperience at safety and defensive line…having a guy like Nyles Morgan in the middle that knows what things need to be done, how much does that help?
Elko: “A lot. Anyone who has been through this before is certainly more prepared to go through it again and has a little bit of ability to lead some guys and help them along. Having Nyles in the middle plays a huge role for us.”
Q: What makes him so special?
Elko: “He’s just extremely physical. When he hits things, he has explosiveness in his hips that is rare.”
Q: How important is the leadership of linebackers Nyles Morgan and Greer Martini?
Elko: I would put [linebacker] Te’von Coney in there too. We have three linebackers that have a lot of experience, so obviously we’re going to rely on those guys to be anchors for our defense.
Q: What is the next step you want to see with Nyles?
Just being a consistent playmaker day-in and day-out on the football field. He knows that he’s going to have to play a big role for us as a produce on defense for us to be successful. He knows he’s going to have to bring it every week and to play at the level he’s capable of consistently, week-in-week-out is really what we’re looking for.
Q: Talk about Mike Elko away from the football field
Elko: A husband who has a great wife who runs the show for him when he’s not around. I’ve got three great kids, so if I’m not doing football, I’m with my family. That’s really the extent of existence these days.
Q: How does that carry over to the football field?
Elko: I think when you have kids, you kind of get a little bit of an understanding of how to coach kids and how to treat kids. Maybe it puts life in a little bit better perspective for you in how you go about your business. Maybe giving a new perspective would be the best way to word that.
Q: What was the understanding coming in and how do you balance it with a new season?
Elko: We’re at Notre Dame and the expectation is for us to play great defense and win games. Regardless of what happened last year, that would be our expectation. That’s all we talk about. We talk about what we want to be and where we want this thing to go.
Q: How important was it to work with Matt Balis in terms of strength and conditioning of your guys?
Elko: I just tagged along. I certainly wouldn’t say I worked with him. Matt has been great. I think the development of what he did with those guys with getting them bigger and stronger and getting them faster and getting them in great shape to come in so that we could get our hands on them and really push them, Matt did a great job. That whole staff did a great job.
Q: Who has stepped up as a leader?
Elko: I think the leadership has to come from the guys who have played successful football at this point. You look at Drue Tranquill, Nyles, Greer Martini, Te’von Coney. When you talk about leadership, there has to be component of guys that have done it and done it successfully. That middle of our defense has done that throughout their careers, so those guys are our leaders.
Q: What does Nyles bring in leadership?
Elko: It’s not one over the other. It’s really not. It’s all of those guys together. Just kind of pushing the vision of what they want this thing to be. Any time things veer off course, those guys step in. Now, Nyles is the more vocal one and that helps us because he’s the guy that maybe feels a little more comfortable getting the group and being a little bit more vocal with the message. But it’s all those guys. It’s all those guys equally, making sure we’re heading in the right direction at all times.
Q: What’s your view of the next 11?
Elko: I think that depth has started to solidify itself. I think that’s been a huge push for us with these kids in camp. We needed to get more depth. We need to be able to play more guys. So I feel like that has made a huge stride from where it was in the spring. I think our ‘2V2’ scrimmages and practices in the spring weren’t very competitive. I think this camp, those scrimmages have been a lot more competitive.
Q: Is Notre Dame uniquely different than any of your other stops?
Elko: When you’re talking about kids from different places who selected Notre Dame over other high profile schools, those kids are going to have personality interests that are broader than the average rock-headed football player, right?
Q: And you’ve experienced that?
Elko: Yeah, just in conversations. You don’t see it on the football field, but if you sit down and have lunch with Jerry, he wants to know why it’s called the Demon Deacons, that’s an interesting thing. It’s in having conversations and sitting down with these kids and getting to know them and getting to know what it’s all about for them and that side of it.
Q: Does coming from the ACC and having five SEC opponents help in the transition/preparation?
Elko: It helps for sure. Now, we haven’t played Miami and we didn’t play North Carolina a ton, so there’s a balance to it. But there’s a familiarity with the league and the talent level.
Q: Are there specific characteristics of the league?
Elko: No. I think nowadays because recruiting has gone so national, you have the ability to just put your handprints on your program to make it whatever you want. It used to be that you were so tied to your region. So, a northeast program would look a little different then a southern program, and I think some of that stuff has gone away with how recruiting has become so national.
Q: How much offense is there across this country?
Elko: A ton. There’s a ton. People ask why has offensive scoring gone up so much over the last few years. You’ve got a lot of different styles going on. Defensive kids are being exposed to a lot of different things week-in and week-out. There’s a challenge for sure
Q: Is tempo the biggest of the issues?
Elko: No. Space is the squirliest. I think you have to be smart these days and define the defense on tempo. You can’t run a scheme that doesn’t adjust to tempo these days in the game of football. That’s part of it. It certainly puts stress on your kids, but I think from a schematic standpoint you have to have answers for that. You can’t’ answer space. Being able to play in space is not something schematically you can do a lot about.
Q: Is offensive coordinator Chip Long’s offensive tempo beneficial to you?
Elko: There’s no doubt. It’s not a matter of the tempo. It’s a matter of playing your fundamentals and your technique properly as the game gets sped up, as your heart rate gets sped up and as your snap count gets sped up. Can you still play? It’s a lot different when they run a play, go back to the huddle, you can catch your breath, you’ve got an hour to look at the sideline and figure out what the next play is. That’s what the tempo creates a challenge in. the more you can do that, the more your kids can do that, the more comfortable they are.
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