Tight end Cam McCormick
On how productive he believes the tight end room can be, now that Elijah Arroyo is healthy, and Elija Lofton has joined the team:
“This group can be really, really productive. We all have different skill sets and bring something different to the table. So, I’m excited to see what this room can do this year just because we’re a very unselfish room. We like to celebrate the success of others in the room and whenever someone in the room makes a big play … we’re all super excited, cheering, getting loud for each other. We know the hard work that we put in in the offseason is going to lead us to … when we get out there on Saturday, those big plays are going to find us, and we’ll be right there to celebrate with all of the guys.”
On freshman Elija Lofton’s progress:
“He is definitely ahead of the game, for sure. You can just tell when guys come in and his work ethic, how hard he works and just how competitive he is to be on the field. It’s impressive for a guy so young to learn the game so easy, so quick. High school to college is a big level, a big jump. So, for him to come in and I guess get [accustomed] so fast, I give him his props. He’s doing a great job.”
On what makes quarterback Cam Ward different:
“Just his ability to bring the guys together. When he talks, everyone listens. … He’s a leader and when he does say something, all the guys listen and do what he says. I think outside of football, he does a great job of just bringing everybody together, getting guys together, hanging out, just building that camaraderie with each other off the field. That’s important, so that when we get on the field, it’s all trust. When we get out there and he says something, it’s like ‘Hey, listen to him and let’s do it. Let’s get it done.’”
On his advice to the Hurricanes going through their first preseason camp:
“Just work hard, compete. Days are going to get hard and there’s going to be adversity that’s going to come your way. It’s about how you can handle that adversity and move forward. Every day is not going to be a great day. How are you going to be able to move on from that, process that, [because] we have another practice tomorrow. It’s like, how are you going to be able to adjust your mindset to ‘Hey, we’ve got another practice tomorrow. We’ve got to do it all over again. Can you keep the same level of consistency throughout the week?’”
On what it’s like to face the defense in practice:
“Those guys like to fly around. They like to have fun. They fly around. They’re smart and they’re physical. So, it’s a challenge every day going against the defense and I’m glad I’m going against them every day because it’s going to only make myself better, [and] the whole offense better every day.”
Defensive back Daryl Porter, Jr.:
On what it’s like to work with cornerbacks coach Chevis Jackson:
“I would say the way he coaches, he brings the confidence out of you, makes sure that you’re playing fun and doing whatever you have to do to make plays. I feel like he’s going to be a really good coach for the guys that are younger than me.”
On what it means to now be one of the veterans in Miami’s secondary:
“I feel like I have to turn into a coach sometimes, telling them everything that I know from experience on and off the field. I feel like I have to do more outside of football.”
On how the game feels different for him now, compared to last year:
“I feel like I’m learning more little things that I didn’t really see last year. Last year, I felt like I was just out there playing, focused on who we had each week. But I feel like more I’m learning the game even more.”
