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Defensive Coordinator/Secondary Vance Bedford

On how the defense will replace what they lost last season: It's going to be hard. We lost six quality football players. Four of them drafted and five of them in camp right now. We have a lot of young kids that are going to play hard and enthusiastically. The experience isn't going to be there and the leadership isn't going to be there, but the effort is going to be there.

On freshman class: Nothing changes at all. When you have young guys like this – and this is something that I've learned about them and you're a pressure team as it is – go blitz them. That's your gap, let them loose, and let them go have some fun. You find things what they can do. We have to adjust some things as coaches defensively to what our kids can do.

On scouting Notre Dame: We've been looking at Notre Dame, Cal, and Rice dating back to after spring recruiting. We start breaking them down. Best thing about what we are doing offensively, [Notre Dame] is doing a lot of the same things. We'll be able to get an early look at them just going against our offense. Right now, depending who you talk to, Notre Dame is the fourth rated team in the country according to Sports Illustrated. We are on the road and on NBC. It's going to be a lot of fun. You have two of the top winningest programs. There's a lot of buildup and will be a lot of fun with two national powers.

On Malik Jefferson : Malik right now is playing a position he didn't really play in high school at inside linebacker. It's a learning curve for him right now. He doesn't know what he doesn't know. He does have some ability and once he figures it out, he'll be a really good football player. Right now, people have him on such a high pedestal and he hasn't played a single down of Division One football. He's still a freshman. The biggest thing I learned from coaches in the past – and I've told him – is don't listen to the chatter. What you do out there every day is what you are. When we watch film, I tell the kids to be their own worse critic. If you are going to be your own worse critic, you have a chance to be successful. Don't listen to what people say.

On where the program is at: I think the foundation has gone in strongly. If you look at this recruiting class, that's where it starts. It starts with the players. Every great coach out there had great talent. Right now, this recruiting class that is coming in, that's the foundation. That's the research we put into that class and that's the direction we want this program to go in. We need to continue to recruit that way.

On if the defense can be great without great play from the linebackers: That's hard to do. The guy in the middle is half d-line and half secondary. He has to play the run and play the pass. Jordan Hicks was a guy I thought that was an exceptional guy. I thought he was one of the better players that I've been around. He was a guy that could get everyone lined up. With someone else now, they have to step up. That's what it's all about. We had a great group of players pass through and we need this group of players now to step up.

Defensive Line Coach Brick Haley

On the possibility of junior DT Hassan Ridgeway having the talent to fill the shoes of Malcom Brown : This is The University of Texas. Why wouldn't you expect that? We've got to go play like that. Our kids have got to think like that.

On what he has seen from junior Ridgeway this summer: He's a hard worker. He's a guy that seems like he's hungry to learn. I've seen him around the facility a lot, so that tells me that he's been spending time and doing the things that he's needed to do. I think he's put himself in the position have a good season. It's all about preparation, and hopefully he's prepared.

On what his coaching style will be during fall camp: A lot of energy, very few cuss words, it'll be demanding. It will be very demanding, but it will be caring. It will be tough. I've never had that question asked to me, but I want for practice to be tougher for them than any game they will ever play. I tell them all of the time that they're going to have to get comfortable being uncomfortable because I'm going to make them uncomfortable.

On how the defensive line will start: I don't know how we're going to start right now. With those guys, what I think we're going to do is take as much time to figure out who needs to be where. Tank ( Desmond Jackson ) didn't go through the spring, so why would I start out with him then? What I'm saying is we've also got to give him the opportunity to work his way back in and to get himself physically cleared and all of those things.

On fundamentals he will look for out of the d-line: I think you're talking about guys that are interchangeable. You're not going to play a one technique any different than you're going to play a three technique. You'd like for your three technique to probably be a little bit bigger of a person and probably be a little bit more agile. A guy who has been a playmaker for you, in most defenses. If you feel like you've got a really good three technique then you can start building your defense around him. As far as the techniques of one versus the other, there's really not much difference.

Linebackers Coach/Recruiting Coordinator Brian Jean-Mary

On the returning linebackers and if they're feeling pressure from incoming class: I think there's just competition in the room. The best coach in the world is competition. Obviously we picked up the competition in the room. I don't think there's necessarily heat but there's going to be a different standard to get on the field.

On the importance of depth at the position: You want to build depth. Based off the teams that we play, the thing that you learn is that teams try to wear you down in the second half. If you watch the video from last year, a lot of teams would wear us down in the second half. A lot of the big plays happened in the second half. We want to build depth and have two to three guys prepared at every position in case there are injuries and so that guys are fresh in the fourth quarter.

On playing freshmen: We always feel as a defensive staff that if they earn the right to play on the field, they should play. At the end of the day, we want to have the best 11 players on the field. Whether they are inside or outside linebackers, we want to have the best 11 guys out there. If you follow Coach Strong's history, he has a history of playing freshmen. He wants to get the best guys on the field.

On who he is looking to fill leadership roles: We are still trying to find them. The spring was a learning process because we were so young. It's still developing. I don't know if we have that Jordan Hicks leader in the room or even Malcom Brown or Quandre Diggs kind of guy on defense.

Wide Receivers Coach Jay Norvell

On whether receivers are natural playmakers or have to be developed: That's what football is, you develop players and you develop playmakers, and it's our job to move the ball and score points. We have to develop players. That's what we do as coaches.

On what he is looking forward to in the fall: I'm just anxious to get started. Every year at this time you're anxious to get started. Your kids have worked really hard over the summer to improve themselves as players. They've spent a lot of time together. This group is getting a lot closer. You're just anxious to get your hands on them. We're not allowed to work with players over the summer, and the season is getting close. It's always exciting to get on the field and really start working this time of the year.

On what he sees in senior RB/WR Daje Johnson : Daje (Johnson) has got a lot of work to do to be honest with you, just like a lot of our players. He's going to be anxious to get to it. We're looking forward to just getting him on the field just like the rest of our guys and to see what kind of progress he has made over the summer.

On senior RB/WR Daje Johnson 's hometown reputation: I don't know if it's been warranted to be honest with you. We've got a thing in our meeting room called the square of truth. It's the film. The film really dictates what a player's reputation is. All of our players, we've kind of made that point to them. One other thing that we've started offensively is that our players have to earn the right to get the football and that comes from trust. They're all working to develop that trust, so we'll just continue to work with each kid and make sure that they've earned the right to get the football in their hands.

On his approach to working with the new guys: It's the same as it is every year. We're trying to establish our package and our identity. We have some things that we really are pushing with these kids. We want them to understand the skills that we're asking them to do for these plays to be successful. It's their job to master them, and it's our job to demand a certain level of execution for them every day. We'll start that tomorrow. They've been doing it all summer. They've been doing it since the spring, so this is just another level of repetition before we start going into games. We're working specifically on things that we're going to use in games now, so it's a little different preparation in the fall than it is the spring. Spring football is about fundamentals and competition. Fall football is about really mastering those fundamentals and sharpening your sword for game day, so it's a little different focus. It's a little different level of demanding pressure from the coaches, and we've got a bunch of freshmen that are here now that haven't been through it. They have to understand the level which we expect them to play, so there's a lot of introduction teaching for that group.

Running Backs Coach Tommie Robinson

On what is expected out of senior RB Johnathan Gray : You always expect great things when you're going into a new season, a fresh start. You always expect a lot of good things. Johnathan (Gray) had a good year last year. I wouldn't say it was a great year, he had a good year. We've got to build upon it. I think Johnathan has had an awesome off-season. I'm expecting a lot from him. Johnathan expects a lot from himself. He can be one of the top backs in the country, and he should be. I'm expecting that kind of performance from him, and I think he's expecting that kind of performance.

On developing stability and the load that senior RB Johnathan Gray can carry: Johnathan (Gray) is capable of carrying a big load, but you want to develop that stability. I've been accustomed to that, and I get a joy, a thrill out of developing young backs to get them to the point that they need to be. Johnathan should be one of the top backs in the country this year, and he's very capable of carrying a bigger load than he did last year. He didn't have to last year because we had another back in Malcolm (Brown), but this year the backs don't have quite the experience coming in that the two guys had last year. We'll be looking for somebody to develop out of that group that can step in and give us quality time. We don't have a big difference in production.

On senior RB Johnathan Gray being a full year removed from his injury: I think Jonathan (Gray), as the year went on last year, developed a lot more confidence in himself. I think he was a little nervous at the beginning of the year, just in his mind wasn't ready to make those hard, drastic cuts. As the year went on, he forgot about it. He didn't think about it anymore, and he became more of a natural runner and his ability showed up going down the stretch.

On the mindset of the coaching staff coming off last season and entering the fall: When you coach football and you coach as long as we've been coaching, most of us have 30 years plus, you're a competitor, and you can't go out like that. We didn't go out the way we wanted to, and when you're a competitor you've got to come back stronger and harder. You've got to have this bitter taste in your mouth and this feeling in your gut that won't allow that to happen again. As a staff, that's how we feel. We're not going to allow that to happen again. We're going to give these kids our all. We're going to give this team our all. We're going to give this University our all. We aim to change the outcome of this season. Right now everybody in the world is undefeated, The University of Texas is undefeated, so we all have the chance to be national champions. We're going all in to get that done. For me, it's a feeling in my gut that I've had to carry all year. I can't wait until tomorrow, because I'm not going to remove that feeling, it will not leave me or any coach on this staff until we go out there and we line up and we beat Notre Dame. Then we'll move on from there. We've got to get rid of this feeling.

Tight Ends/Special Teams Coordinator Jeff Traylor

On what he is doing to make specials teams as critical as offense/defense: First of all, it won't just be me. Our staff has tremendous input in the special teams. We split it up, and we all are a part of special teams. I'm just the one overseeing it, you'd say. I don't know that I'm going to bring anything more of an expertise. Coach Strong has been wonderful coaching defense, and they've been great on special teams over the years. Coach (Chris) Vaughn did a great job last year as well. The key is it's buy in from your players. It's getting them to understand that there's a reason it's called special teams -- because they're special. I know that sounds very "coachy" talk, but it's just the truth. How much buy-in can we get? How much more depth can we get?

On coaching Kris Boyd at Gilmer High School and the reward of now coaching him during his growth with Texas: My mother taught Kris (Boyd) pre-kindergarten, so I've known Kris basically all of his life. This is no different from pre-k to intermediate to junior high to high school, and now we're in college. Each level is a different level. All of us men have been through that. Each stage is different, and for Kris this is different as well. I'm glad to be coaching all 105 of them, but obviously there is a special place in my heart for Kris. I'm going to do my best to help him grow into the young man we've always wanted him to be. I'm really excited to be here and help him, and I know he's as excited.

On reaching out to high school coaches now that he is coaching collegiately: I had a great time at coaching school, just getting to see them all. Nothing has really changed honestly about that. I'm in a different role, but nothing has changed. The thing about Texas high school coaches that's so unique is that we try to beat each other like crazy on Friday night, but other than that we all help each other. We try to teach other tricks and trades. Those guys, nothing has changed. I still call them and ask them things. What are they doing? What are they finding out? I need their players, so that's a little different. I don't know that I've every helped them near as much as they've ever helped me.

On one of his roles being a connection for Coach Strong with Texas high school football coaches: No doubt. There is a reason Coach Strong wanted to hire a Texas high school football coach. I think he had made his mind up as to what he wanted to do, and I was the one he chose. That's what one of my roles is - to make sure those guys feel comfortable coming down here. Those guys are welcome at any practice. They are welcome to come to any of them, they just have to call us and let us know they're going to be here and we'll open the door for them.

Defensive Backs Coach Chris Vaughn

On cornerback depth and roster competition: I think these guys have tried to respond well. Competition is what makes everyone better so I think the fact that we've got some talented freshmen on campus kind of makes everybody pick their game up but that's good for the team. I'm looking forward to seeing how those guys compete

On junior CB Bryson Echols : We have to see how he matures. We've tried Bryson at nickel a little bit last year and it didn't come to him as natural, but he is growing and maturing and we will see if he can handle some of those duties. Watching him this summer, he has made some strides. A lot of it is because of competition.

On senior CB Duke Thomas : Duke has done a really good job. I think before he kind of thought it was Quandre [Diggs'] unit and with Quandre graduating he is trying to take that role. Duke has always played extremely hard, has good leadership qualities, and I think it took him time to feel like it's his room.

On starting cornerback competition: [Sophomore CB] Antwuan [Davis] made some strides this spring and if he continues to mature like he did this spring then he's a guy that we are going to ask to help. But like I said earlier when you have competition and some of those older guys see those talented guys that came in, I think that pushes everybody. You push from the bottom to get better. I think either one of two things is going to happen with the young guys: they are going to bypass those guys or push those guys to be in a position to help us a lot.

On incoming freshmen defensive backs: If they end up helping us we'll be really comfortable because that's the only way it's going to be able to work. Those guys have to put themselves in a situation where we trust them. We know that they care and that's what they need to show during this fall camp. If they do with the athletic ability they have then we will feel good about putting them out there. A lot of that will be on them as we coach them and teach them. A lot of that is going to be on them. Anytime you play with freshmen you're going to have learning experiences because everything is new to them. Again those guys have done a good job this summer. They've come hungry. They want to come play and they are going to get an opportunity to compete.

Assistant Head for Offense/Quarterbacks Coach Shawn Watson

On if he believes there will be a clear cut winner in the QB competition: There will be. I think that's what training camp is. Training camp is another part of what we started in spring practice. So going into the training camp period, I think both Jerrod [Heard] and Tyrone [Swoopes] are excited about what they did this offseason and what we are doing offensively. They've had good summers and are ready to compete. We are looking to find a starter.

On playing both quarterbacks against Notre Dame: One of the things that I've always done is play the backup – play two guys. I've always done that. I learned that from Mike White a number of years ago. You always want to make sure your other guy is ready to play and give him a series at the beginning of the season. It serves a lot of purposes. One, they are getting developed in a game situation, which is totally different than what you do in practice. Secondly, when that voice and person walks in the huddle, it's not new to the unit. We did that with [former QB] Teddy [Bridgewater] at Louisville and it helped his development. We'll see how things work out through camp and who wins the starting job.

On the decision to redshirt Heard last season: Just coming into college for the first time and he wasn't here in the spring. He had a lot of catching up to do. Early on, he really wasn't ready to go. He and I have had those conversations. He's worked really hard to get caught up. The game is just so different from high school. There are so many different coverages that a guy sees in a game and defenses change week to week. There's a lot of volume that's thrown at a guy. He just wasn't ready. Now he's settled in and ready to roll.

On the difference in Swoopes' attitude from last season: I see a determined person. He's learned a lot from his experience last year. He learned some good things and he learned some bad things. I think he has a real edge to himself right now. He has something that he needs to prove.

On either of the quarterbacks winning over the team: How a quarterback wins over the team is by his performance. The team plays for the quarterback and that's by performance. What I've seen from both of those guys is that they've had a great summer in terms of working with [Strength] Coach [Pat] Moorer and our players at that period of time. They basically ran the seven-on-sevens. They spent a good amount of time in our quarterback's school. They are always around the building. I feel good about where they both are.

Offensive Coordinator/Offensive Line Coach Joe Wickline

On challenges from last season: I look at it as part of the business. I never thought of it as a challenge, I thought of it as my job with what you got, you got. As a coach and a staff and a team, you are concerned about the people you have in front of you and you are concerned about the people you aren't in terms of who is ready to play a game and who is behind. You mix and match the best you can by matching your schemes and who you are going against and you go with it.

On how much improvement the team has made since last season: I've seen a lot. First of all, since a number of players hadn't played, it was all new for them last year. I think it was all new for them. It was a new coaching staff, new offense, new opponents, and new things going on. However you cut it, there was a bunch of things going on. Even had it been a different setup, these players are going to be better, have more experience, and know what's in front of them.

On freshman OL Connor Williams : I think he's very athletic and he's shown a lot. He has a long way to go. People sometimes jump on young guys too early. He's still a young man. The thing that Connor has is that he has a really sharp mind. He's very mature and is a very fast twitch guy. He has a long way to go but he's a flexible and multiple kind of guy. He can play inside and can probably snap the ball if we wanted him too. He came in as a tight end so we are happy to have him.

On the mindset of the line headed into camp: These guys know that they are battling for jobs every day and they are starting new. In each single day, we are trying to be the best offensive line and unit and group that The University of Texas can put on the field.