Justin Wilcox: Really like the quarterbacks and what they've done this camp. Really, those three guys have gotten significant reps, probably upwards of 400 to 450, 500 each when you look at team and seven-on-seven. And I tell you what, all of them, starting with Fernando, have made huge strides, and we gotta keep them doing that. We don't have anything to announce right now, but Fernando, Chandler, CJ, all those guys have had really, really strong camps. And I think the thing I'm most excited about is just their decision making on where to go with the ball. The ball is going to the right spots. And, I think there's always some things to work on, and each of them have specific things. But really pleased with the group overall.

We'll have a plan once we going into the game, but how much we share is ... you're probably going to be wanting more information. I'll put it that way.

We all felt out of coming out last season, one area we could make a huge jump is in special teams. And we feel like we have the opportunity to do that. When you look at the specialists positions — the kicker, punter, snapper, holder — we feel really strongly about the talent there. Now, as we've talked about before, those specialists they only get one play at a time, and it's, kind of, as Ryan Longwell would put it's A or F. But tell you what, what they've done in camp has been really impressive. So we're excited about that group. And then the number of people we can cover a kick or punt with and and on the flip side, the people that can hold up and get a return going. And I think the other area where we feel like we've made a big jump, and ultimately we'll find out on game day, is the actual returners. Most coaches that I've ever been around, and I think it's true, would say, to be a great return team — kickoff returns and punt returns — it starts with the returner. That's like number one, two on the list. And then you have to have ability to hold people up and get the returns going, but really you have to have a dynamic returner. And we feel like we got some guys back there that can make the first guy miss and get us some yards. Because over the course of a game, the field position thing, it's a huge, huge deal. And when you look at average starting field position and what that means to successful drives, and also when you can back people up, make them go long fields, how hard it is for teams to score. And ultimately, that's the difference in winning and losing sometimes. So the the obvious things are obviously kick and field goals, PAT and field goals. Kicking the ball in or out of the end zone is huge. Obviously, the punter and his skill, the returners and their skill, but this average starting field position is something we talk about a lot. We feel like we have an opportunity to be much better than we were.

Well, I'm very confident that the guys will go out and compete hard. It's been a very, very competitive camp. And as we talked about last night in our team meeting, the candidates at each position. I mean, we've had more candidates for playing time and on this team than we've had in previous years, and that's a good thing. I think that's a product of, obviously, the coaches preparing them, but the transfer portal, the NIL marketplace, all that factors in, but there's more candidates for playing time, so those spots are really competitive. So I feel real good about that, and that guys are going to be looking to make the most of their reps and their opportunities. I think there's certain groups where we're going to play multiple people, and certain positions where you're just going to see more and more people rolling through there. Then, I don't know if it's keeping me up, but I'm excited to see in some of these position groups, like, when it goes live and we're playing for real and it's Saturday afternoon, who are going to be the guys that step up and make those plays that count? And, making a play in a game, whether it's a 12 yard completion, maybe it's a block, or maybe it's playing great technique at corner, whatever it is. But throughout the game, the guys that can do that over and over again and and execute their job at a high level, regardless of the situation in the game, how many plays we've been on the field, the opponen, none of that really matters. We just gotta go out and do our job. I want to see who can do that and show up on those game days and really perform at a high level. Like I said, there's a ton of candidates, and they're going to get opportunities. I'm excited to see who that's going to be.

Well, we think about that a lot, and it's balancing you want to have your best players on the field if something were to happen. Because in a perfect world, five guys would line up to start fall camp, and if those are your best five, they play together throughout the entire season. Unfortunately, as we all know, football is a physical game, and injuries occur, and so you want to make sure that when you have to sub somebody in, you're you're subbing in your next best player, and not always just your second team person at that position. And so we do consider the chemistry aspect, and can what can a guy learn multiple positions? And if he's a young player, is that too much for him or or not? And so we never want to, for lack of a better phrase, brought Peter to pay Paul. But we also want to make sure we got our five best players on the field, so we do consider it, and coach Bloesch does a good job of teaching those guys. We'll have a really good rhythm throughout the week of getting the guys work together, but as I mentioned before, I mean things happen in football, whether it's a guy goes down for a play two, or needs a needs one series or a rack of plays to catch his breath. Whatever it might be, you have to be able to play more than five guys, and finding those right five is art more than it is a science.

Well, we know it'll be a great environment down there. We know it'll be hot. Obviously the fans and the pageantry will be second to none. But really, what we're most interested in is finishing out our fall camp and having a great first week of practice, because what's most important for us is that we played good football and acknowledge the environments we're playing in, at home or on the road, and any adjustments we need to make. But, we gotta do a great job of focusing on playing great football. When the time comes we'll adjust as needed, but we know it'll be a heck of a challenge. Our attention right now is on finishing out fall camp the best we possibly can, and then having a great week to prepare for UC Davis.

We're really glad to have him as opposed to be playing against him, I tell you that much. He is a very impressive young guy. Physically, he's a very talented guy, as you may have seen from the video of if you watched him. We knew that when we played against him. But I think what's as or more impressive is just his approach to football. I mean, he is an absolute professional when it comes to preparation, meetings, walkthroughs, how he takes care of his body, the lifts, all that, rehab. He is just a very, very driven, motivated, accountable guy. For him to really just get here this summer and to be where he is mentally with the defense and all that, you can just tell he's made of the right stuff. He really is. So I'm excited for him. And in terms of him playing against his former team, I would say five years ago or a decade ago it would be really unique for guys to do that, and in this era, it's just commonplace. I think we're just in a new era of college football, and there's going to be more and more of those situations where guys are playing against their former team. I don't want to speak for for Teddye on that. I I know he's done a great job for us. We're really glad to have him, and I know he's looking forward to playing.

I think so highly of Tim. I mean, Tim is a big-time football coach. I mean, really, really impressive coach. Even better human being. I loved having him when he was here. Tried to do anything we could to keep him here, but I'm very happy for him and his family. Just a great person who happens to be an excellent football coach, one of the smartest guys you'll meet. But leading up to this game, we haven't talked. I'm sure after the game we will and be talking on more regular basis, because he's a guy that I certainly would love to keep up with. But in our in our profession, this happens from time to time. I've coached against people that I consider great friends, but in the lead up to the game, everybody kind of gives each other their space because it what's most important is the team we're on and and our preparation for those games. Then, we'll be great friends post game. I think the world of him, and I will root for him on most every day, except for the one. That's just kind of how I feel about it.

So all three of those guys we're hopeful to be back. These injuries as they go, and you probably get tired of hearing me say this, but that's really between the players and the medical staff and return-to-play staff, strength and conditioning. So I don't decide on when the players come back. I'm hopeful that they come back as soon as humanly possible. I know that those guys are working really hard to get back, but the conversation essentially goes, so and so will be back at practice today, or they won't. And then we practice with the guys that are there. That's kind of how this goes. A lot of these injuries, your time frames, there's kind of a wide range, because there's a ton of factors. Whether it's the healing process or the rehab process, the physical, the pain tolerance, all these things factor in. But we're not in charge of that as coaches. We're told who's available, and we go with those guys.

That's a good question. I think bunch of those guys can help us in certain situations. The guy the last week that's really made a jump is Kadarius. I thought this last five to seven days he's really been noticeable. The Jet (Jaivian Thomas) gives you a little bit different element. He's showed up as well and made some really nice plays. Cardwell, coming off an injury, has been coming along. You've seen the growth in him throughout the past month. And then Jamaal, the young running back. Bigger guy, runs behind his pads. A different style than most those other guys, and he really just needs to get into football shape at this level. But he's shown some things as well. So I I think that room's done a good job, and I think you can see a number of different guys back there.

I think those are two great examples. Miles Williams, man, he's been here a while now. From the time he got here till now, like the growth on and off the field it's just been really, really enjoyable and cool to see where he was and where he is now. And Miles is an extremely smart guy. I mean, he knows our defense as well as anybody. I kind of talk to him all the time about like he knows it, like the coaches, almost, you know. And I think he takes pride in that. I know he does. He's a great communicator. He's put himself in really good positions and and now it's about going out and putting all that together, and then finishing the plays. The tackles, the PBUs. And I just think he's done a heck of a job. The guy practices every day, he's vocal out there. So I'm really, really proud of Miles and done a good job. And there's some other guys that are pushing for playing time there. I mean with Crosby and Yaites and that secondary. Cam Sydney. They've done a heck of a job, too. So we'll play more than two safeties, but Miles has done a really good job this camp. Mavin Anderson, same thing. I think Mavin, especially, the past week and a half, he has had a really, really good past 10 practices or so. Same deal, brought in competition and he's just been out there and competing. One of the things that is so critical in all this is just your availability. If guys get dinged up that you take advantage of the reps, and there's guys that are doing that, and those two guys are examples of that. They've made sure to be out there and available so they can get the reps, and that's what you want. Enough competition where, man, you don't want to let anybody take an extra rep. You want to make sure you get yours. And if you can, you're going to steal somebody else's. So I think both those guys are a good example of that, and it's a testament to their mentality this camp. And, we need to keep that going from them and others.

Another guy that's come really a long way since we signed him. He's from Flagstaff. Tight end, D-end. The story, we brought him to a camp, and he worked out at tight end and D-end, and we said, "Well, we don't think he's either of those, but he's going to be something." He's the old school, gray shirt, where he sat out the first fall and came in, put on some weight, came in and was here all last year. And he's done a heck of a job. I remember the first spring practices, we almost couldn't have him in with some of the D-ends because he was just unfamiliar with the position, was brand new, was still growing physically. And now, he's our starting left tackle. Just to be fair to him, he's still a work in progress but in a really good way. He has things that you can't teach. I mean, he's 6-foot-6 and 300 pounds, and he's athletic. His ceiling is extremely high. Is he close to hitting that yet? No, not quite. He's going to be learning a lot along the way, but if he sticks with it and keeps buying into the training and weightlifting and the eating and just the lifestyle that it takes to be a great left tackle, he's got a very, very bright future. So he's going to play a lot, and he's probably not going to be perfect, but each time he goes out there he's going to learn something really valuable. And if he can put that in the bank, he's got a bright future.

It's likely we'll play more than one tackle. And yeah, I think our job is to coach him and help him. When he makes a mistake that we correct him. And he makes a new mistake and not the same one over and over again, and he's got the mentality for it. Again, he's still a young, young guy who's come a long way in a short period of time. The more he plays, the better he's going to get. And so, that's just kind of how this game goes, right? You get out there, and you get your opportunities. You want to make the most of them and sometimes with the way the roster shapes up, maybe you'll get an opportunity earlier in your career, or maybe it doesn't come till a little bit later, but ultimately, you want to be ready to take advantage of the reps you get. And I know he'll do that, but we're not expecting perfection from him or anybody else. We're aiming for it, and then we're going to settle for for great but I'm really pleased he's here and looking forward to watching him.

Some personal goals. Well, my goals really align with the team. My job is to make sure our team is prepared the best it can be each and every week. Physically, mentally, situationally, that we're we're prepared to play great football. Coaches, like players, we're all always a work in progress. I don't pretend like everything we've done has been perfect, and we're always assessing what we've done. What can we do to get better? What are the best practices? How do we find situations that can help our players be in the moment and play full of confidence? I just think that my job is to prepare those guys, give them an environment where they're prepared to play their best football, and then each and every week, we're learning a little something about ourselves and adjusting and adapting to play better than next week.