Here are some of what Leipold had to say:
At the Rock Chalk Park offices, what does that look like for you guys in the summer?
Right now we're still at Rock Chalk Park and we will be the rest of the summer. We're able to get a temporary structure, though, for dining purposes next to the indoor, that started today. Everything that I've been told, though, we're still on target to be back in when we really kind of come back off a small break there as coaches, and ready for fall camp.
Obviously official visits are a big part of June. How do you guys plan on handling that with all the construction going on?
Well, we've been able to, on some of them, to give some tours of what's there towards the end of the workday. Obviously hard hats and everything going through, but you can see really what's changed in the last month. I've had a chance to see some of our guys today when they came back in, and the look on their faces and what's changed in, really, less than 30 days is really remarkable, and we'll continue to try to use that as best we can.
But it's progress, and when you're able to show some of the renderings of what's being done and some of the other things, I think it's going to be ideal. No, a lot of things won't be ideal, but I think they're going to be positive in the long run.
You talked about the offensive line up there. Do you have any idea about the defensive line at all? Any clarity about who you might have in that rotation?
I really like our defensive tackle depth right now. We're still going to have some questions at defensive end and it'll be competitive. When the young guys are all there, they're going to have a chance to show what they can do early. DJ Warner just reported yesterday and everybody's excited about him. I thought Dak Brinkley had a really, really strong end of spring ball. But Dean Miller has really stepped up to do some things that we've been hoping for a long time. And Jereme Robinson it was full go this morning after missing with labrum surgery.
You guys added Bai Jobe too, from Michigan State. What was it about him that really stood out to you…
Well again, somebody that we recruited out of high school would feel a younger player that has a tremendous upside in the future and hopefully the athleticism and past rush abilities that we're going to need.
Where do you see Amir Herring fitting in….
Yeah, again, I think he's going to add in more interior depth. He's 6-2, 6-3. He's thick-bodied. Again, the relationships obviously with Isaiah Marshall, his cousin, but Chris Simpson on the job that he continues to do a great job in the Detroit area in the state of Michigan, helped us there with a past relationship. Amir's mother had been down here, I didn't even know this. She'd been down with Isaiah's family twice before he even entered the portal. Just being around them and she had a chance to see campus and do things.
So those are the type of things that help you in those situations. When I look at Amir again, he's going to be playing catch-up obviously and fall camp, but that's another body of interior help that we're looking forward to having.
When you look back to this last year, to this year, is an area of growth that you've seen that you really like, maybe that you need to address...
Well, again, I look at the confidence of this football team and where it's at and your spring is unique for us, especially on the offensive side with two new coaches and just kind of getting, but it was good in the fact that we had to make sure we're going back to square one and doing some things on just the intermediate type stuff and keep going. I really like what's happening up front with our offensive line and where the younger players will come along and be developed.
Same thing defensively. I look at that linebacker core a guy like Alex Raich besides Cornell Wheeler are going to give us a chance to have more depth and speed than you maybe have played with really as a group. Logan Brantley is a guy I think, and I've said this in our end of year evaluation meetings with our players, I'm really excited to watch some of our players in the second week plus the fall camp. Because I think our early enrollees and some of our others are where we're really going to see the growth and maturing that you want when you want to be the type of program that we're in.
How is the quarterback room doing…
Well, they all just got back in here, but we're looking for all those guys. I know Cole Ballard didn't take a day off while he was there, and he probably spent half the time working out at the high school and the other half trying to sneak in at the coach facility or something, but he's working hard. We're up at a camp last week in Detroit, and Isaiah Marshall, he's looking great. That something.
I'm really looking forward again to have three quarterbacks, like those three that have gone through and then taking the steps of getting guys together and doing things that are necessary when we're not around. And a guy like Ben Easters is in our program, has been so highly regarded by his teammates and Mikey Pauley is a guy. Don't forget about Mikey Pauley. He continues to get better and does a lot of things that can help the football team.
You mentioned getting back in the facility, just how big would that be for everyone during the season to be back one spot...
I don't know what we're going to answering these questions about the stadiums and what the home games will be like, but I know our guys have handled the disruption of being relocated, so to speak, of routine. But I also know that they really saw the benefits of what we did a year ago with the locker room and the waiting room, and when they get a chance to experience the rest of what that building's going to be like. I view it, it should be a real positive shot in the arm of energy and positivity.
At the Rock Chalk Park offices, what does that look like for you guys in the summer?
Right now we're still at Rock Chalk Park and we will be the rest of the summer. We're able to get a temporary structure, though, for dining purposes next to the indoor, that started today. Everything that I've been told, though, we're still on target to be back in when we really kind of come back off a small break there as coaches, and ready for fall camp.
Obviously official visits are a big part of June. How do you guys plan on handling that with all the construction going on?
Well, we've been able to, on some of them, to give some tours of what's there towards the end of the workday. Obviously hard hats and everything going through, but you can see really what's changed in the last month. I've had a chance to see some of our guys today when they came back in, and the look on their faces and what's changed in, really, less than 30 days is really remarkable, and we'll continue to try to use that as best we can.
But it's progress, and when you're able to show some of the renderings of what's being done and some of the other things, I think it's going to be ideal. No, a lot of things won't be ideal, but I think they're going to be positive in the long run.
You talked about the offensive line up there. Do you have any idea about the defensive line at all? Any clarity about who you might have in that rotation?
I really like our defensive tackle depth right now. We're still going to have some questions at defensive end and it'll be competitive. When the young guys are all there, they're going to have a chance to show what they can do early. DJ Warner just reported yesterday and everybody's excited about him. I thought Dak Brinkley had a really, really strong end of spring ball. But Dean Miller has really stepped up to do some things that we've been hoping for a long time. And Jereme Robinson it was full go this morning after missing with labrum surgery.
You guys added Bai Jobe too, from Michigan State. What was it about him that really stood out to you…
Well again, somebody that we recruited out of high school would feel a younger player that has a tremendous upside in the future and hopefully the athleticism and past rush abilities that we're going to need.
Where do you see Amir Herring fitting in….
Yeah, again, I think he's going to add in more interior depth. He's 6-2, 6-3. He's thick-bodied. Again, the relationships obviously with Isaiah Marshall, his cousin, but Chris Simpson on the job that he continues to do a great job in the Detroit area in the state of Michigan, helped us there with a past relationship. Amir's mother had been down here, I didn't even know this. She'd been down with Isaiah's family twice before he even entered the portal. Just being around them and she had a chance to see campus and do things.
So those are the type of things that help you in those situations. When I look at Amir again, he's going to be playing catch-up obviously and fall camp, but that's another body of interior help that we're looking forward to having.
When you look back to this last year, to this year, is an area of growth that you've seen that you really like, maybe that you need to address...
Well, again, I look at the confidence of this football team and where it's at and your spring is unique for us, especially on the offensive side with two new coaches and just kind of getting, but it was good in the fact that we had to make sure we're going back to square one and doing some things on just the intermediate type stuff and keep going. I really like what's happening up front with our offensive line and where the younger players will come along and be developed.
Same thing defensively. I look at that linebacker core a guy like Alex Raich besides Cornell Wheeler are going to give us a chance to have more depth and speed than you maybe have played with really as a group. Logan Brantley is a guy I think, and I've said this in our end of year evaluation meetings with our players, I'm really excited to watch some of our players in the second week plus the fall camp. Because I think our early enrollees and some of our others are where we're really going to see the growth and maturing that you want when you want to be the type of program that we're in.
How is the quarterback room doing…
Well, they all just got back in here, but we're looking for all those guys. I know Cole Ballard didn't take a day off while he was there, and he probably spent half the time working out at the high school and the other half trying to sneak in at the coach facility or something, but he's working hard. We're up at a camp last week in Detroit, and Isaiah Marshall, he's looking great. That something.
I'm really looking forward again to have three quarterbacks, like those three that have gone through and then taking the steps of getting guys together and doing things that are necessary when we're not around. And a guy like Ben Easters is in our program, has been so highly regarded by his teammates and Mikey Pauley is a guy. Don't forget about Mikey Pauley. He continues to get better and does a lot of things that can help the football team.
You mentioned getting back in the facility, just how big would that be for everyone during the season to be back one spot...
I don't know what we're going to answering these questions about the stadiums and what the home games will be like, but I know our guys have handled the disruption of being relocated, so to speak, of routine. But I also know that they really saw the benefits of what we did a year ago with the locker room and the waiting room, and when they get a chance to experience the rest of what that building's going to be like. I view it, it should be a real positive shot in the arm of energy and positivity.
