Miami Hurricanes linebacker Chase Smith spoke with the media. Here is everything he had to say, reflecting on the Hurricanes fall practices:
On how scrimmages help the team prepare for the season: [They] give us a really good judgment on exactly what we have to fix as far as on the field and really in between these meetings. It gives us a really good judgment. We’ve got a lot to fine tune and we’re really going in and attacking each day trying to focus on ourselves.
On how sophomore linebackers Ezekiel Marcelin Jr. and Kellen Wiley Jr. have grown since last season: Really, honestly, the mental part of it has really progressed [for them]. They’ve always been extremely physical guys, been athletic, been able to really move very well. But now, they’re really fine-tuning their mental part of the game, understanding what’s coming before it happens, being able to anticipate things before we even see it sometimes. And that’s like we’re all growing off each other and it’s really good to see their progression as far as those two sophomores.”
On what it’s like to compete against Miami’s offensive line in practice: We’ve got a little competition going on right now, and [those] guys are very physical. We’ve definitely been forcing each other to get better each and every day. And iron sharpens iron, man. Our o-linemen, they’re playing physical; they’re playing fast and that’s exactly what we need on the defense to make us extremely better as well.
On playing under Corey Hetherman for a second year: It's definitely allowed me to progress really exponentially, and familiarizing yourself with the defense and having a second year to kind of pat that, pat that, it makes it a lot easier, and you're able to communicate with guys a lot quicker and get to each position you need to be in a lot quicker, as far as getting in better shape too. That helps a lot.
On the defense’s communication: Extremely well, and having a good relationship with each guy on every level, whether it's the D-line or the back end, it makes everything a lot easier. Hanging out with those guys outside of the field and the facility makes it a lot easier to communicate with them and knowing them.
On how scrimmages help the team prepare for the season: [They] give us a really good judgment on exactly what we have to fix as far as on the field and really in between these meetings. It gives us a really good judgment. We’ve got a lot to fine tune and we’re really going in and attacking each day trying to focus on ourselves.
On how sophomore linebackers Ezekiel Marcelin Jr. and Kellen Wiley Jr. have grown since last season: Really, honestly, the mental part of it has really progressed [for them]. They’ve always been extremely physical guys, been athletic, been able to really move very well. But now, they’re really fine-tuning their mental part of the game, understanding what’s coming before it happens, being able to anticipate things before we even see it sometimes. And that’s like we’re all growing off each other and it’s really good to see their progression as far as those two sophomores.”
On what it’s like to compete against Miami’s offensive line in practice: We’ve got a little competition going on right now, and [those] guys are very physical. We’ve definitely been forcing each other to get better each and every day. And iron sharpens iron, man. Our o-linemen, they’re playing physical; they’re playing fast and that’s exactly what we need on the defense to make us extremely better as well.
On playing under Corey Hetherman for a second year: It's definitely allowed me to progress really exponentially, and familiarizing yourself with the defense and having a second year to kind of pat that, pat that, it makes it a lot easier, and you're able to communicate with guys a lot quicker and get to each position you need to be in a lot quicker, as far as getting in better shape too. That helps a lot.
On the defense’s communication: Extremely well, and having a good relationship with each guy on every level, whether it's the D-line or the back end, it makes everything a lot easier. Hanging out with those guys outside of the field and the facility makes it a lot easier to communicate with them and knowing them.
