Full transcript: Dave Doeren updates NC State spring practice

NC State football coach Dave Doeren held a spring football availably to update the media on the progress of practices after the team held its first scrimmage over the weekend.

Here is a full transcript from that press conference.

"Nine practices in. Had our first scrimmage on Friday night. It was good to get out there and see guys finish plays. I think just looking at the nine practices we've had, there's been a lot of good reps for young players. It's been fun to see the incoming guys, transfers in, newcomers, progress, and then other guys pick up where they left off.

"I think C.J. Riley, it's been fun seeing him get back to form. Last year, he obviously played, but I didn't think he played the way he was capable. I think an ACL, even though physically might be there a year later, it's mentally sometimes longer before a guy can overcome that injury. He's really playing good football, so it's been fun to see C.J., get back to being not just a big guy that can catch, but a big guy that can run and catch.

"Overall the quarterback position, I know that's where everyone wants to go, Devin [Leary]'s playing very confident. Didn't think he had a great day Saturday, but he's had a really good spring. Ben Finley is way ahead of where he was a year ago at this time. Aaron McLaughlin is starting to do some things where he's not thinking as much. It's a lot to learn an offense against any college defense but particularly one that has so many players back in it like ours. Our defense is playing really fast. So it's been fun to watch.

"The transfer guys that are in here, I think Derrek Pitts and Cyrus Fagan have both been great additions to our back end. They're competing. I'm not going to say they're starting right now because they're not, but they're competing every day and making us better and there's great competition. There's competitive depth at the corner, nickel and safety position.

"I thought our running backs, with Bam [Knight] and Ricky [Person] being out for the spring, it's been fun to see those guys rep and Demarcus Jones and Delbert Mimms really ran hard and physical in the scrimmage. Trent Pennix has done a lot of things in our offense. We're trying to teach him some different spots and be able to use him with his versatility. He had a nice short-yardage catch that went for a touchdown.

"On the d-line, obviously lost Alim [McNeill] but just seeing the progress there with C.J. Clark and Davin Vann. Daniel Joseph's back. Savion [Jackson] is probably the most improved out of the group. He's playing really well and he's almost 300 pounds doing some of the things he's doing. It's fun to watch him take that next step as a player.

"We're excited about just being out there for one but, the fun the guys are having, an intensity, the way we're practicing, there's a lot of things, between now and end of the spring, I could see us improve on. Particularly with the younger guys. There's still too many penalties and most of them are happening in the freshman and sophomore class. I think a lot of that is fatigue and focus issues with younger players but it's been fun being a part of it.

"Open it up for any questions."

Alim was such a big, important part to your defense, and C.J. is played that spot before. How has he embraced those extra reps and possibly being the guy to replace Alim for the nose tackle spot?

" Well he got his first start in the bowl game. I think he plays really hard. That's one thing about C.J. you love. It's been more about getting him big enough. He was probably in the 280s, and now he's up to close to 300. And so to be able to play with the motor that he had last year, but with the size that we need for him to be an imposing guy in there.

"He definitely brings a different type a nose guard, then Alim. Alim was 330-some pounds. So, you're playing with a auicker guy. I think we have a good rotation in there right now with him and Davin and and Josh Harris, where different types of people are playing that spot and that creates different problems for the center and guards, and their combo in those two guys.

"I think it's just about playing really hard and taking advantage of opportunities. He is a disruptive player, which I like. A little bit different, where as Alim was occupying two blocks a lot, I think C.J. is a guy that can really penetrate and get some things going out way for us."

You mentioned Savion is 300 pounds. Is he still on the outside or is he switching from inside and outside?

" He's playing on our defensive end positions, and is moving well. I think he's a guy that really thought. He's a pleaser, he's a kid doesn't want to make mistakes. Sometimes when you're in that mindset, Kentavius Street used to be like that, you don't play as fast because you're afraid that you're going to make mistakes, and when you play like that you actually play slower.

"He's cut it loose. He's kind of let that fear of failure go, and he's making a lot more plays He's a lot more disruptive, and he's been fun to watch this spring."

I wanted to ask you a little bit about the the freshman class and just the acclimation process and if you feel like it's any different? How do you feel like that's affected them and how do you think maybe it's kind of changed things for them?

" Well it's a tough time for all these kids in that age group, whether you're a football player or not. I feel for them. I have a son that's a freshman in college and, watching what those kids lost their senior high school with their prom, with their graduation, all that. Now they're in school online not getting the social interaction that a normal freshman would get, it's not good.

"Does it hurt the bonding of our football team? No, it doesn't. These guys are together a lot. Our football team bonding is fine, but societal and just cultural interaction and things that you'd love to see these guys being a part of on campus, it's a lot different. So you do worry about that.

"I've never liked the online learning academic part of this for anybody, regardless of their age group. I think, in general, our country's losing out right now when it comes to learning and growing and the building blocks of the prerequisite courses that everybody needs in life and, nobody's getting that. So I'm concerned about that."

Your thoughts on Jordan Poole nine practices in?

"Jordan Poole has done a good job.

"He's swimming a little bit mentally, but he can run really fast, physical. Everything we'd hoped he'd be athletically. He's a great kid to coach. Doesn't make a lot of the same mistakes twice, he's just trying to learn and transition from playing high school football to college football a semester early, and it's a lot.

"He's getting a lot of reps, Payton and Drake being out. He and Caden Fordham have gotten all those reps, and so it's been really good for him. I think, in his situation, being here early, it's been a great decision just because of the amount of work he's getting on the field right now."

Devin is now getting a full spring with with Coach Tim Beck. How important has that been for him and have you seen him progress nicely because of that?

"Yeah, you're starting to see Devin finish [Beck's] sentences, and he knows the offense now, and so now it's just putting it into play.

"I think sometimes all quarterbacks try to make too many plays and not just distribute the ball. At the end of the day, that guy's job is like a point guard. It's to distribute the ball to pass the football to the right people, to hand it to the right people, and not try to do too much. Let your arm talent do the rest. I think his biggest thing is sometimes those guys just want to make some plays that aren't there and get them in trouble, instead of just taking what the defense gives you and letting those guys, now let the athletes make you look good.

"The part of your question about him and Coach Beck being together, it's been great. I mean, it's impressive to see what Coach Beck did with two quarterbacks last year that he didn't get to coach in spring ball. Both of those guys I thought performed at a high level under his leadership. You're getting to see that with Ben Finley now to. Ben's in year two with coach and you're going to see that growth with him. Aaron's the one that you can see is really struggling at times mentally."

Devin being back from injury, do you think he maybe, not say respects the game more but just wants it a little bit more because it was taken away from from him for a while?

" I think losing the game to injuries, it's a humbling thing. It's a reflective part of the game that you wish every player could have without being injured. I think it really does give you some perspective as to how much you love the game and how much you regret maybe taking some things lightly prior to. You wish you could practice, you're dying to practice, but you can't when you're hurt. Then when you're healthy before an injury, sometimes like, 'Oh man I got to practice.' You know?

"I think it just really puts things in perspective on how much you love being out there, and Devin's definitely learned from that experience that way."

How important is it for those quarterbacks get those reps those extra reps of spring and kind of put them in as many game like situations as possible into the fall?

"Every move the ball type segment we can do with those quarterbacks, whether it's out in the field, redzone two minute, backed up, you name it, where it's truly just move the football drives, those are critical for these guys right now. We need to get as many of them as we can and continue that when we get into fall camp because that's the most important thing.

"I mean we skelly, we can do one on ones, all that kind of stuff, but that's not real football. It's not 300-pound lineman chasing you, trying to put you in the ground. Real football is different, and so the more we can do those type of exercises for them, the better and the more they'll get confident and their pocket presence will improve, and all that stuff pays off."

At tight end, you don't have a lot of experience, especially from a depth standpoint, has anybody kind of stepped up and emerged?

" Dylan Parham has had a really good spring catching the ball well. He's always been a really physical blocker for us. I thought last year he was one of our most physical blockers, and so it's great having him in there.

I think Andrew Jayne is a guy. Andrew played professional baseball. Walked on here last year, so his college is getting paid for by pro baseball, but is a great athlete. He's learning how to play, still, but he's doing some really good things. Kam Walker's a guy we're excited about. He's been hurt for part of the spring, but he's worked really hard.

"I think [Ezemdi] Udoh is coming along, has a great skill set. Cam Woods, same thing, tough, hard working guy that can do everything. I think Parham is by far the lead guy in that room.

"I do think Trent Pennix is someone that can do a lot of the things that you saw back when Jaylen Samuels was here and Dylan Autenrieth and Cole Cook and their backfield placement, where they can be lead blockers but also used in the past game out of the backfield. I think Trent, you're going to see his position kind of change. He can play running back but also play that H hybrid type position for us to give us some flexibility in personnel."

How about the offensive line? How have I been developing? Anybody kind of standing out?

" The guys that played last year. Dylan McMahon's really worked hard on his past protection, and you see him get a lot better. That was an area that he struggled in last year at times.

"Grant Gibson's picked up where he left off. Ickey [Ekwonu]'s picked up where he's left off. It's good to have Tyrone [Riley] back out there. I think Derrick Eason is probably one most improved o-lineman. Derrick's playing guard and tackle both and, Bryson Speas is back, played a lot of football.

"The freshmen Lyndon Cooper's played a lot this spring. We are impressed with him. I think he's a guy who can do a lot for us at that position. He's very strong. Patrick Matan before Saturday's scrimmage was doing a lot of good things, struggled Saturday at times, but he's come on, compared to where it was a year ago.

"Like the competitive depth we have in there and, obviously losing [Justin] Witt and [Joe] Sculthorpe there's some guys that need to emerge. We have a lot of guys that played last year on the o-line that are back, and we still have the transfer that's joining us here when we get to the summer. I like that group, we just got to get the chemistry that group where we want it now."

How surreal is it that you're entering your ninth season at NC State and how much growth do you think he's made since 2013?

"I'm proud to be here still. I think being at a school as long as I have, says a lot about NC State's commitment to me and also my commitment back. This is where I want to be. I love it here. It's a great place to live and to recruit. Our children loved here. Sara and I've developed some great friends, love our church.

"Still things to finish that we haven't finish. I think we've done a lot of good things here, really like the staff I have right now. It's fun coming to work with them every day. You know this team's been through a lot, and I don't know, if I can make it through year 10 a couple years from now, there's not many coaches that can say they coached at one school for 10 years in a row and it'd be quite an accomplishment.

"Just going to take one day at a time.

"How have I grown? I think, when you're a head coach, and I remember I was 31 when I became a head coach. Coached from 22 to 31 as an assist coach, and you get really good at being an assistant in that period of time. All of a sudden you become a head coach and even though you work hard and you're really good at being an assistant, that doesn't mean you're a great head coach right away. It takes time, there's lessons that you don't get.

"Game day is way different as a head coach that it is as an assistant. I've just got a better routine. I've learned through experience. I've been through a lot of tight ballgames: one minute, two minutes on the clock possessions, and all those things add up over time. You're better at managing your staff. You get better at how to hire people when you lose staff.

"So there's a lot of things that I would say I am better at now and more than anything I think just being patient. Like you, like fans, I want stuff to happen like that. and I don't have a lot of patience for poor performance. I've learned how to help people probably more now than I did back then, but it's been a great experience here and I look forward to hopefully many years to come."

Drake Thomas and Payton Wilson being out of linebackers have more of a precautionary thing and do you feel that they've had enough game reps to be now to spring won't hurt them?

" No, it's not precautionary. It's part of their recovery from their surgeries they had. They're both doing great, but we're not going to put a guy out there before the trainer saying we can. They're just not there in that progression yet, They're both lifting, running different changing direction things, but the contact piece on their timeline isn't fitting where we're at in spring ball."

Can you give us a good example of a story or when a guy left and you hadn't seen him for months and then he came back and because he had been just dedicated to football for the last couple months he just like a entirely different player?

" I have seen Alim and Joe already, haven't seen Cary [Angeline], and they both look great.

"I think the biggest thing that happens to these guys, when they get to these facilities where they're forced to eat a certain way for however many days they're there, is they're able to change their body composition very quickly. For us, we feed them, we have a training table, but, we're not standing there over them and this is the only thing you get to eat and follow him around all day long. I think the just the regiment of their nutrition piece and they don't have school so it's just 24/7 get in shape. So you get to see them transition from 330 to 315 or whatever it is, and it just looks better.

"They're dedicated to that task, and obviously as college coaches we wish that we could get them to do that during our time here, but they have to go to school here. I mean they're out cramming for tests and writing papers and you all know how that is. Sometimes you're going to eat a pizza at midnight, when you go through something like that. It's hard to get them into that same exact type of nutritional habit, but I hope the best for them.

"Obviously tomorrow's our Pro Day and we're excited for these guys and look forward to them going out and doing the best they can, you know to take that next step."

I wanted to ask you about the wide receivers room. It seems like you've got basically all of your production from last season coming back, but you've also got a lot of young talent at that position. Good problem to have, but how do you kind of juggle that from a rotational standpoint? Also are there any young guys specifically that have really impressed you this spring so far?

"Well it is nice to Thayer [Thomas], Emeka [Emezie], Devin Carter and CJ Reilly back. That's being having those kind of players back. We want explosive plays, we want big plays in the pass game, and there's competition.

"I know Porter Rooks is competing hard to get more reps, Keyon Lesane is competing hard to get more reps. Chris Scott, Jalen Coit, these are young players that are fast.

"How do they get the ball? They got to go out and outperform these guys. That's on them, it's not on us as coaches. They've got to earn it and they got to show it. They got to be consistent. I can't really point out a single guy. I want to see all of them make plays, whoever's in there.

"Anthony Smith is a guy that we think has tremendous upside, hasn't shown it yet as far as being consistent catching the football. Running fast and getting open are great, but you got to finish with the ball and score. We're just trying to get those guys up confidence wise.

"It was good to get in the scrimmage. Chris Scott and Jalen Coit and Keyon all made some plays, so it was good to see and just keep progressing. We want to have a good rotation at that position. If you're playing fast on offense and you're able to get 70 to 80 plays you're going to need a good rotation at that position in order to stay the way you want to health wise."

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