On how much do you think your players fit into your system
“It was a learning curve for those guys and understanding them. I’ve taken over a few programs of different defenses and it’s always the same. It’s a learning curve. At the end of the day, if you have a positive attitude and you’re ready to work, which these guys have had, you start to see the return in your investment. The guys are picking it up every day and every practice. They have gotten a lot more comfortable with it. This summer will be extremely valuable. Those fall camp reps that you’ll get. We’ll be ready by the time that we get to kick this thing off.”
On the growth of the players
“We obviously have been thin at some of those spots. I think our coaches have worked extremely hard. You really can see the growth in our first practice to where we are now. To the kids’ credit, those guys have worked at it. The inside linebackers are ultra-thin at this point. The guys that we have in there have been pushing. I told Coach (Brian Jean-Mary) a day ago I literally can see the improvements. We’re not where we want to be yet. We know it’s a long road to go but ultimately, we just want to see some daily improvements. We want guys to invest and get a return in that investment. If they continue to work the way that they’re working, they will like the results in the end. That can be said for the outside linebackers as well.”
NEXT: Tim Banks discusses Vols’ defense