Canes Camp Report: Aug. 8

CORAL GABLES, Fla. – The Hurricanes continue making their way through preseason camp, and after Thursday’s practice – which was featured on the ACC Network’s ACC Football Road Trip – head coach Mario Cristobal, wide receiver Sam Brown, Jr., wide receiver Jacolby George, wide receiver Isaiah Horton, and defensive back Jadais Richard spoke with reporters to recap the first week of camp and preview Saturday’s upcoming scrimmage.

Here are some of their best quotes after Thursday’s practice, along with some team notes, as Miami moves one step closer to its Aug. 31 season opener at Florida.

Head coach Mario Cristobal

On how the team looked after the first day in full pads:

“You know, it’s almost like nowadays, the first day in full pads, you’ve really already practiced full speed in pads. Because when you’re running practices in shells and you’re going, it’s live. You just don’t go to the ground. … But our technique and fundamentals have improved. You can tell a good summer has paid off. Our familiarity with our schemes showed up. Our communication seems to be improved, [but] we’ve got to work on it more. Rotationally, we did a lot of stuff. A lot of players see what they can do to see what we can do well and just increase the level of competition as best we can at every position. Overall, solid. Improving, push hard, going to push harder and they’re okay with that.”

On the format for Saturday’s scrimmage:

“Playing ball, flat-out playing ball. Halfway through, we will go back to thud and work situational football: third down, red zone, short yardage, goal line. … maybe a two-minute [drill], one or two shots of it. But the first part will be just playing football. As you can see, referees are out here. The officials are out here every single day. Helps us a bunch.”

On how much the scrimmage is a benchmark of where the team is after a full week of practices:

“I think every day is graded like a game. You know, we go from drill to drill. We grade one-on-ones. We grade two-on-twos. We grade five-on-fours. And they know that every single day, for us to be the team we want to be, we’ve got to treat it like a game. They haven’t disappointed. Everyone in the building knows we have work to do and everyone in the building’s really excited because of the progress that we’re making.”

On how the depth this season compares to the last two years:

“Oh, it’s better. We feel like we have significant improvement in a lot of areas, particularly the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball. Really, the front seven, you know, at [defensive back], we’re probably right where you need to be. You’d always like one or two more, but it’s where it needs to be. And the other positions – tight end, running back, wide receiver – you’re at the number [that you need] with the 85 scholarship rules. Soon, we’re going to go to 105, so things change.

“Competitive depth, there’s – I’d say – at least in six or seven positions, there are enough guys with the twos that are pushing guys with the ones. And we’re going to keep rotating those guys in. We want to find out who can do what in certain situations. So, overall, there’s a lot of progress in that particular area.”

On the progress defensive lineman Akheem Mesidor has made and how he is performing early in camp:

“Really well. You see the Mesidor that arrived here a couple years ago before the injury, probably with an extra 10 pounds of muscle. His motor is unique. He can go and he’s got a lot of versatility. He plays a lot of different positions. So, all in all, we expect a big year out of him. He’s done a really good job taking care of his body because he throws it around now. He really, really does. Expecting him to have an even better next couple of weeks, really push that d-line room. We’d like to see that entire defensive line room take another step in terms of toughness and physicality and knock-you-back type of stuff.”

On the expectations for offensive lineman Francis Mauigoa:

“I think Francis, if I’m not mistaken, was a Freshman All-American. So, he definitely was the best freshman tackle in the country. What can he work on? Everything. …He has done it all at a pretty high level. And now everything, from every part of his technique and fundamentals, from pad level to the use of his hands … We use him as a weapon. We feel we could run behind him. We feel safe in protection, in five, six, and seven-man protection. He’s also very versatile. We’ve played him all over the offensive line and if you ask [assistant head coach/offensive line coach Alex Mirabal ], just about everybody has. It helps us get better. It helps guys like Markel Bell develop. So, Francis is always hungry. You’re never going to find him avoiding the work. He’s always going to find some work and he knows he has to get better, and he is getting better.”

On the progress of running back Mark Fletcher, Jr.:

“Good. He’s probably taking 35, 40 percent of the load of a regular practice. He looks completely normal. Everything is done from a precautionary stance to make sure that we do it the right way. Time is the best healer for injuries of that sort, but we expect him to be completely full speed the next week or so.”

On running back transfer Damien Martinez:

“Impressive guy. You see what you saw at Oregon State. He’s not just a downhill runner. People think he’s 240 pounds, [and think] he must be between-the-tackles guy and whatnot, [but] he’s very versatile. His game is diverse. He can slash. He can hit the gas and run by you. He can run over you, catch the ball really, really well and protects well. He’s really worked on protection. He’s made it a big thing and it’s paid off in camp.”

On which players have stepped up in leadership roles:

“Two of the best leaders right now, that are leaders because they’re men of action as members of the leadership council and members of this team are both Meesh Powell and Cam Ward. Right now, they stand out as two guys that, besides doing what they’re supposed to do, really go out of their way to impact other people. And they’re really good at it. They’re naturally charismatic, for the right reasons. And they grind, now. These guys are in here all day, all night. They’re not afraid to stand up and speak up. And they’re very experienced guys. They’ve seen a lot of ball. They’ve seen a lot of ball against each other, so, they kind of get it cranking in practice. They get after each other. They try to match each other’s intensity and bring everybody else with them.”

Receiver Samuel Brown, Jr.

On how he’s felt after the first week of camp:

“I feel healthy, feel fast. Year five. I was coming into camp thinking my body was going to be worn down, but I’ve just been taking care of my body a lot more, just being in the training room, being around the facility. And when you’re around, you kind of get acclimated.”

On what it’s been like getting to know and work with receivers coach Kevin Beard:

“It’s been great. He is getting to know me a little bit more. I’m getting to know him. … At first, it was a feeling out, but now, it’s like I trust him, and he trusts me. So, we come to each other with open eyes and open ears.”

Receiver Jacolby George

On the chemistry in the receivers room:

“We all have a great chemistry. We all go out to practice and do stuff on the off days. Cam [Ward] has everybody in the building when we don’t have to be in the building. We all just like getting extra work together and that just brings us all closer together.”

On what makes quarterback Cam Ward different:

“I feel like we have an NFL quarterback at Miami right now. He’s great. Like, that’s the quarterback everybody would ask for and we have him.”

On what he’s looking forward to about Saturday’s scrimmage:

“I’m looking forward to putting on a show.”

Receiver Isaiah Horton

On the competition between the receivers and defensive backs early in camp:

“Competition’s been great. From across the board, from [Jadais Richard] to Daryl Porter, Jr. to [Damari Brown], all the guys. They’ve given us the equal amount of competition. They’re all different corners, so you know you’re going to get different looks, different presses, different techniques, but great competition. Exactly what we need.”

On the competition in the receivers group:

“Great competition. We keep each other going every day. We motivate each other. We’re pushing each other to be better. … We understand how it’s going to go, and we just want everybody to be good and we’re not trying to be selfish about it. We understand how it’s going to go.”

On how he wants to build on his successful spring now that camp is here:

“Just consistency. I don’t want to get complacent. I don’t want to, since I had a good spring, get relaxed. I want to keep going. I want to be better. I want to be great. I have my teammates inside the receiver room – Sam Brown, he just got here, he’s motivating me; Jacolby George, he’s been motivating me; Xavier Restrepo, he’s been motivating me. Even Cam Ward, since he got here, they’ll [all] get on me, but they’re motivating me to be the best I can be because they see the potential inside of me.”

On what it’s meant to work with receivers coach Kevin Beard:

“He’s helped ever since he got here. He saw my potential and said something to me – I’m not really going to say [what it was] – but he said something to me that stuck with me, and he’s been on me hard, coaching me hard. But off the field, he loves me. We talk. Coach has been great to me.”

Defensive back Jadais Richard

On the importance of being versatile in the secondary:

“It’s great … in case somebody goes down, it’s good for me to be playing multiple positions, so I can always fill in that role, too; somebody else fill my role. It’s always good to play multiple positions.”

On his excitement level for Saturday’s scrimmage:

“Everybody’s excited in the building. That’s the first time we get to actually play hard-nosed football. So, everybody’s excited for Saturday.”

On what it’s like to work with cornerbacks coach Chevis Jackson:

“He knows how to have a relationship on and off the field with you. He can get on you on the field, but then at the same time, you know it’s all love off the field, too.”