A six-pack of fresh nuggets from Mark Richt's session from ACC media day earlier Thursday:

• What's the next step for Brad Kaaya?

“He’s really good. He’s a really good player," Richt said. "Like he was saying, get comfortable in our system and be able to execute at a high level on a consistent basis. I wouldn’t even dream about touching his throwing motion. He’s so efficient and so accurate, I wouldn’t even think about that.

"His footwork has to fit the route system and the play actions and the run game. The feet of the QB with me is non negotiable. Everybody has to do it a certain way. The ball-handling is non-negotiable. The reads and the progressions, those things are non negotiable. But when it comes to his ability to hit his target and see the defense, he’s really, really good.”

• Some draftniks rate Kaaya as a first-round pick next spring if he decides to turn pro after his junior season. And though Richt didn't discuss Kaaya specifically, he said he doesn't try to cajole players to come back for their senior years if their draft stock won't be helped by a senior year.

Here's Richt's philosophy on this: “I try to be as honest as possible, try to get them the best information. If your information goes through a lot of the media sites and gurus, if you take all the names of possible projected first-round picks, you may have a list of 60 guys that are first-round draft picks. Then you flip the card over, because that’s offense. There are 60 guys on defense.... You try to give them the best information as possible through the NFL system and through knowing scouts and knowing head coaches and knowing GMs who might say this is where we see him and let him make the best decision for him.



“I tell them: If you love Miami or if you love Georgia or you love wherever you’re at, and you want to lead this team and want to get your degree before you leave and have a chance to win a national award, then do it. The league is still going to be there a year from now. From a business point of view, I couldn’t tell AJ Green you’re going to improve your draft status [by staying]. I couldn’t tell Todd Gurley or Matthew Stafford, I didn’t give them a bunch of junk, and try to feed them something. The chance of you improving your draft status between now and next year, Knowshon Moreno the same way, it’s probably not got to happen. If you are going to stay, it’s because you want to be here, because you love it here, you want to win a national championship, you want to help your team be great."

• On why Kaaya is among the players working out at 6 a.m. most days: "They’ve got to do it sometime. Here’s the thing with our strength and conditioning right now: We go in smaller groups. I want a coach player ratio to be 3 and 4 [to 1] at the most. One coach to three players, maybe four. Because of that, we have to go at a different time of the day…. If you are doing it all throughout the day, there has to be somebody that comes in at 6. Gus Felder, our strength coach, kind of gave these guys a lot of them the option to see where it landed. Some had class. A lot of those guys chose to be with that 6 a.m. group; he was one of them.”

• On defensive coordinator Manny Diaz, Richt was impressed "coaching with him, coaching against him, watching him create all kinds of issues for offensive teams, including Georgia when we played them. Some guys blitz because they blitz. Some guys run a certain system because that’s what they do. Some guys do it because they understand protection, they understand run game, they understand what the offensive guy is trying to accomplish.

"They put in a certain blitz or twist that will hurt something they would like to do. It’s more well thought out in my opinion than some guys... It’s not like that with Manny. If Manny is bringing some kind of pressure, he’s doing it for a reason. I think he’s smart. He’s really good fundamental coach. I like a four-down front. I like letting the d-line penetrate."

• On how the rest of the defensive staff came together beyond Diaz: “Manny knew Ephraim Banda, the safety’s coach. Banda has been with him in a lot of different places, Louisiana Tech, Texas, Mississippi State I think. He knew Banda knew the back end of his defense front and back.….

"Craig Kuligowski, I hired Kuligowski before I hired my defensive coordinator. Usually, I would wait for the coordinator to get the guy. But my feeling was if the d-coordinator I’m interviewing doesn’t like Kuligowski, that’s probably the wrong guy because there’s no better in America, in my opinion, than Kuligowski. I knew him competing against him at Missouri, seeing the things they did, especially that front four.

"Mike Rumph, I met him fairly early on when I got on campus. He was coaching at American Heritage High School. Miami alum. First round draft pick. Played in the NFL. Very outstanding person. Head coach of a high school. Knows how to run a program, knows how to deal with young people. I really was intrigued by him. I wanted Manny to meet him and spend time with him. After we were done spending time with him, it was like slam dunk. Let’s get him.”

• Richt cautioned that UM's Sept. 17 game at Appalachian State isn't going to be easy.

"Great program. A team that’s used to winning. It’s going to be a battle royale I can promise going into their house. No matter where you play, it’s a great team. Well coached. I have seen their tape. I’ve looked at the first three, first four opponents. It’s going to be a battle.”

Appalachian State has beaten bigger schools over the years, including Michigan. UM agreed to a home-and-home because it needed to find another 2016 non-conference game on short notice.

Susan Miller Degnan will have a lot more from ACC media day on the home page shortly.... Incidentally, Richt declined to address the status of Al Quadin Muhammad and Jermaine Grace beyond saying both are on the team and practicing. UM has investigated both regarding their involvement with a Miami Beach luxury car dealer. The investigation centers on whether the car dealer rented cars to players at drastically reduced rates in exchange for a stake in their professional futures.

Please click here for a lot more from Richt from earlier today, including specific things he knows he needs to change from the Al Golden regime.

Twitter: @flasportsbuzz