CORAL GABLES, Fla. – The Hurricanes were back in action on the Greentree Practice fields for their second day of preseason camp, and after Wednesday’s practice, offensive lineman Matthew McCoy, defensive lineman Ahmad Moten Sr., defensive back Zechariah Poyser and wide receiver Malachi Toney all spoke with reporters and shared their thoughts on the day’s session.

Here are some of their best quotes after Wednesday’s practice as Miami moves one step closer to its Sept. 4 opener at Stanford.

Matthew McCoy

On how the first two days of camp have gone for the offensive line:

“It’s been going well. Everybody’s been working. Everybody’s been playing different positions, just getting the work in. It’s just day by day. We’re going to take it day by day. It’s been going well, though. It’s going well.”

On the importance of cross training and knowing how different offensive positions operate:

“Knowing the entire offense in general helps your game get better. So, it’s just like if you know what the tight end’s doing, you know what the receiver’s [doing] and everything, it all plays together. … Coach does a good job with us. We don’t know just know what the o-line is doing. We know what everybody’s doing, so, that helps a lot.”

On fellow offensive lineman Samson Okunlola:

“It’s huge. He’s one of the leaders of this offense and he does a phenomenal job with this group, our o-line. We’re pretty much working with each other and just leading this group. He’s done a great job. I’m glad he’s back. … He came in, was a high recruit, but he’s put his head down and worked the last couple years and now he’s doing amazing. It’s great to see.”

On the development of Miami’s freshmen offensive linemen since spring practice:

“With me, Samson and Ryan [Rodriguez] leading that group, it’s been amazing because the freshmen came in and some of them tried to figure stuff out. And when we get on them, they start going. They respect us as leaders, so that’s huge. Leaders lead, followers follow. So, it’s great to see that the freshmen are getting better each day and leading them through that.”

On freshman offensive lineman Jackson Cantwell:

“He’s brilliant. He’s a really smart guy. Of course, he’s huge. He’s fast and strong, of course. But he’s [also] really smart and he’s really intelligent. That makes everything easier. I don’t have to worry about ‘this is this.’ He already knows. He’s asking me [questions], making sure everything’s good. But he’s sure of himself, too and that’s really important as [an] o-line. You can’t be guessing and things like that. He’s a really brilliant guy.”

Defensive lineman Ahmad Moten Sr.

On what it was like to be limited during spring practice:

“It was like a bittersweet moment. We lost the [national championship game]. I couldn’t go right back out there. But it was okay. I got to see what type of group we had, what type of guys we had; young guys stepping up, getting in there and getting a feel for the game. And I [was] watching film every day with the coaches, seeing what type of team we [had] and all that. And I really do believe that we’ve got some guys on this team that can help us win.”

On what it’s like to compete against Miami running back Mark Fletcher Jr. in practice:

“Yeah, it’s not fun going against him. I’ve been going against him since [high school] and Mark would run for 150 [yards] every game. … It’s competition, though and we take pride in that. We don’t want [anybody] to run the ball on us, even though it’s the best running back in the country. So, we go back and forth here and there in the locker room, but it’s all love. That’s my brother.”

Defensive back Zechariah Poyser

On communication among the defensive backs:

“That’s coming along very well. We watch film together. We do a lot of stuff together. We talk ball all day. We’re around each other a lot, so I think that’s coming along very [well].”

On stepping up as a leader in the secondary and how that’s affected his approach to preseason camp:

“I mean, Jakobe [Thomas] and Keionte [Scott] taught me a lot. … So, my approach is to try and be like both of them a little bit, know who I’m talking to and help when I can, be a coach on the field. If the young guys [have] any questions, I try to be there for them, just give off my game, what I know; be a blessing to them, for real.”

On what it’s like to cover wide receiver Malachi Toney in practice:

“You’ve got to watch him. I think he glows on the field. They call him [Baby] Jesus for a reason. I think you have to watch for everything, where he is at all times. Great blocker. Great route runner. So, I think you’ve got to watch him at all times, for real. … I think he gets us better as well. He’s probably the best in the country, so it’s a lot of pressure, but pressure’s a privilege. I mean, I love going against him. I love him.”

On the talent and depth on Miami’s offense:

“It gives us a lot of confidence. You’ve got to be confident in your guys anyway, but it definitely gives me personally a lot of confidence. It gets me excited for what’s coming.”

Wide receiver Malachi Toney

On what it’s like to compete against Miami’s defensive backs in practice:

“The entire DB room is great. You’ve got guys that are in the process of mastering their craft. … I feel like we’ve got the best DB room in the country, so just going up against those guys makes it easier for us on Saturday.”

On how differently it feels to start preseason camp as a sophomore, versus a freshman last year:

“This year I feel more prepared because I know what I’m going into. Last year, I was a freshman. … I didn’t know what I was getting myself going into the season, but now I know because I have experience from the past season.”

On the advice he gives the younger fans who approach him out in the community:

“Just tell them to stay the course. Don’t let somebody tell you what you can and can’t do. Just stay the course and believe in God.”

On what it means to have his mother’s support in his community outreach efforts and beyond:

“It means a lot because I really [didn’t] know how important my mom is until I look at someone else’s mom who was not there or whose mama passed away. Stuff like that made me realize how important my mom is.”