NC State defensive coordinator DJ Eliot met with the media to discuss fall camp.
NOTE: Click the video above to watch the full press conference!
How much does that change things (injuries)?
Well, when we got here, we needed to recruit to the scheme, and that's when we signed those guys last year. A lot of those guys are gone, but we were able to recruit freshmen and new transfers to fill those spots. So, we feel like we've got a good amount of guys that fit what we're trying to do. It's year two, and anytime you can get your personnel in there to fit what you're doing, then you can grow. We felt like we've grown on what we're doing on defense, and a big part of that, as you said, is because we're closer to the personnel.
How much does Harvey change things, having that pass pressure?
Harvey, the good thing about him is he's a veteran player. So, there's a lot of things that he's sat on. Pass rush is a great skill set of his, and a lot of that comes from experience. He's had a lot of reps against a lot of tackles in a lot of situations. And so, it's good to have a veteran player as an edge rusher. There are a lot of things he's going to be able to do because he's seen it and he's done it. And when you get a transfer player, time is of the essence. So, the fact that he's played so much and he's made so many plays, he's got to help us.
Do you want a guy who consistently puts pressure on the quarterback?
We've got a whole slew of guys, really. We put pressure; we four-man rush. We've got those backers. And so, we're emphasizing that everybody finds a way to get to the quarterback and get pressure on the quarterback. Last year, Sebastian and Cian got their fair share of pressure, but we didn't get our fair share of sacks. And so, the big part this year is the finish, the finish. It's not just the hit on the quarterback; it's the finish. It's making sure that we're sacking.
So, how do you coach like that?
There are a lot of techniques that are involved in that. One of them is you don't try to tackle him; you try to strip the football. Depending on where you're coming from and what angle you're coming from on that quarterback, that's how you want to strip the football. A common mistake is players come off the edge, go to tackle him, and then he gets the ball off instead of going for the football. So, we always emphasize that we want to sack the ball. We don't want to sack the player; we want to sack the man.
Do you feel that versatility is the strength we need this year? Guys be able to play maybe in different spots.
Yeah, we've got a good core of guys in there, and I think that those guys have another year in the system of playing those techniques. And so, that's going to allow us to be more multiple.
You've also had a linebacker rematch last year. What was it like seeing Da’karri, what was it like seeing Popo, and some of the guys that came back?
Again, in today's era of college football, there's usually a lot of changes on the bench. And you have to manage young players and veteran players. And the good thing about Da’karri and about Popo is they're veteran players. Popo's played his fair share of snaps in Miami. Da’karri's been practicing every year at linebacker at Penn State, has played in his fair share of games as well. And so, that brings us to core players and veterans at that position, as well as the young guys that we're recruiting.
I'm sure there was a point in January, maybe, where you sat back a little bit. How did we make it through the season with all those injuries in the secondary? Was it just kind of crazy when you look back, just how you had to reshuffle from week to week to week?
Every year you get challenges, and you never know what it's going to be. And we were young in the secondary to start the season as it was, and then we got to a point where we didn't even have the numbers. And we were moving guys around, trying to teach them different spots. And by the end of the season, I thought those guys were playing better. And we were able to do some good things on defense.
I don't know what the challenges are this year yet. We're going to have to figure out how to solve them when it happens. The good thing, with everything that happens, something good can come out of it. The good thing is now we have a group of defensive backs that got a lot of game wins. We have a lot of guys that were here last year that got thrown into the fire, and that's made them better players.
Has Asaad gotten time to come back, save people and kids in some ways? And what will his role be this year?
Asaad can play multiple positions in the back end, and he had to because of all the injuries last year. And, again, that's another example of where something good came out of it.
How much does it help bringing King in? Obviously, you've got guys that played last year, but bringing in a guy that's played three years across the world makes it easier.
It helps tremendously. And, just like the other veteran players that came in at the other positions, it gives you a good mix of maturity and youth. And King's played in a lot of big games, right? So, when those lights come on, it's not going to be anything new to him. He's been in those environments, and so he's going to be able to execute when the time is right.
