Quotes from CAA Media Day

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Ambrose opening statement
This is the time of year where every football player in America, looks as it like it's Christmas Eve. It's been a long year but a great offseason. Probably one of the best offseasons we've ever had. To say our guys are excited about this fall is a massive understatement. We had a large graduating group last season. When those guys graduate, they were 4-7. What's left doesn't like 4-7. Those players don't like the fact that we haven't been in the playoffs. In 2011, we had a team meeting before the season. Thekids were confident and worked hard and they put it together. The kids are hungry now and are together. It's similar to 2011.

Offensive line
This is one of the tightest groups we've ever had. And they are having fun. When you are having fun, it tends to show signs of something special.

From the spring
We're taking those guys that graduated and we had to fill in those spots. We needed to find an identity as a team and we're not there yet, but we made greater strides than I anticipated. We were beat up on defense in the spring. We're deeper, healthier and stronger than we've been in five years.

There are some spots that are relatively solidified. That (WR) group is so talented and deep. I think from where we were a year ago, I probably vote for us the same way (10th). I got a chance to see us in the offseason and I feel better about it.

On Morgan Mahalak
He's talented and getting better. We weren't breaking redshirts last season at qb. Ellis was standing out there on an island. Morgan with a year in the program and have two freshmen behind him...we're smart, athletic, we can throw the ball and have depth that can play. I plan on sleeping better.

To have a chance to win a national title, you have to be able to run the ball. To have those guys returning, that should bode well.

On transfers
They bring positional experience from another school. They can play at a Division I level. What can they do? You have to find out in a couple of weeks.

On Monty Fenner
I get the opportunity to coach young men. Eventually they grow up. Monty used to look like a 12-year old boy. Now he looks like a man. He's a grown up and is responsible. He wants to stand up and take the mantle on defense. Instead of looking at it like a job, he's excited about it. He's working hard on catching but as talented as he is, he should not have just two interceptions in his career.

On turnover ratio 
A lot of that was on offense. Ellis might have set records for giving up pick-sixes. We've been bad on takeaways and on third downs (defense). That's what we are working on.

On long snapper Will Hayes
There's a reason Will is here. He's the number one long snapper in this league and the best I've ever coached. Cory Kirby should be in the NFL. Will works so hard at his craft, he has a chance to play at the next level. This is not just media day speak. He's as accurate and fast as I've ever seen and big enough to tackle any return guy. Stats don't win games, teams win games. 

On offensive line
Garnett had a decent spring and we'll find out where Francis can play. He has quick feet. At center, Rusollilo, Zane or Carnesale. They can also play right guard. Antonio Harris could start at guard but played some tackle in the spring. Many of these guys are great students, who can play multiple positions. 

Running back
Sherrod Hawkes claims he played at Northwestern and is better than Terrance West. Shane is there and he's multiple. He can play wideout too. All those guys are going to play. We've always needed more than one running back. 

WR
John Tsimis, from all reports, knows how to practice and play. He's the prototypical receiver. Situation at Rutgers was not the best. RB C.J. Williams is good if he's healthy. Take the stress off being the full-time guy and we'll have more of a RB by committee. He's a physical specimen. Greenwood (KY receiver) was recruited out of Washington D.C. He brings height and great leaping ability. He's like a bigger version of Jabari Allen. He goes and gets the ball. The two of those transfers will raise the level of play at receiver. If you want to play wideout this year, you better come to work. If you don't come prepared, you won't play. Leatherbury was recruited out of HS. Everybody thought he was too short, hands not good enough. Just a track guy. Nobody in this room knows who he is.

DLine
Was beat up in the spring. There will be two players not 100% on the 30th of August. Myles Wright (knee) is out for the year. Kanyia Anderson tweaked a hamstring running a 4.6 40 at 275 pounds. Should be ready to go. Indicative of our offseasons. Clifton Jones ran a 4.9 40 at 270? Cox is back and is healthy. Nose guard Reece Burnett and depending on how we mix things around. Malik Tyne ran a 4.6. He was a running back in HS. Bryce Carter ran a 4.7 and he's strong as an ox.

AT LB
Keon Paye (now 220 pounds) looks great. We recruited him as a wideout. We moved the distractions. Every single linebacker is under 4.8 40. Competition at middle linebacker. They want to play and they want to win. Chris Tedder is the one I've seen the least this summer. At WLB, Hayward and Tedder are battling. Paye will play strongside.

At DB
Boles ran a disgusting number. He's a freak athlete. JPD can play boundary corner and the safety spot. We're big and Lyrics is healthy. Both shoulders are good. He wasted half his freshman season and was injured last year. Jamal Watson started out at safety and can play corner. He's a heady player. Tyron McDade is focused and into it. He can play nickel, boundary, etc.

TE 
Joe Green, Zach Herron, Metice Moore, Ellis Knudson. Each one of those guys ran under 4.7 and are over 250 pounds. Ellis is over 260 right now. Wright is 240 and will have the year to get his knee right. 

On surprises after the spring
Brandon Sheppard can play both safety spots and had a strong spring. Mitchell Boles is super athletic. I don't know who is going to line up at fullback but I like who I have. 

Dorsey and Greaves are really fast but I don't know until they put the pads on. Good kids and smart kids. Desperately want to see us succeed. We're going to be alright for a couple of years. Seagraves, Buckner and McCants look like players. One of those three has a chance to play this year. 

There's a whole bunch of unknowns, but you don't know what cards I have but I have some good cards. 

Monty Fenner on 
I started out as a strong safety, but we know both positions. I might have to play free or strong depending on schemes. Boles and
Sheppard are trying out for the other position. Shep is picking up the defense quickly. He's very vocal and is not scared to tackle. It's the game experience. Some people get caught up in the moment. Most people listen to me first because of my experience.

On new DC
More man-blitz concept, which I like. It really tests our skills. We were more of a zone team with our old DC. This will showcase our skills. We're good enough to play man. We have a lot of speed. Lyrics (Klugh) runs a 4.3 and JPD is a pretty aggressive at the line.

On last season's issues on D
Too much cover 2. Teams can call that before we even called it. It was a play here and play there.  We changed up the concept and
we have the talent and the ability to rush the passer. I trust coach Johnson. Coach Ambrose trusts him. They worked together at
UConn. He gets his point across every well and is a bit laid back. Coach Tric is going to treat everybody the same. I love coach
Tric(ario).

We need to be healthy. We had a lot of guys down last season. Our quarterback went down and it hurt our season. We weren't
getting blown out. It was a play here and a play there that hurt us. We need to be more consistent on defense. Extra studying on
film. 

On first two games
Playing Morgan is going to be their Super Bowl and Maryland is going to be our Super Bowl. We have 4-5 new DBs coming in. Here, you have
a chance to play early. If you can play, you can play.

Rankings
They don't really mean much. They always have it out for us. We have one of the toughest schedules every year. Teams always have it out for us.

Playoffs
After the 15 year, we went 7-4. We were tied with New Hampshire, the year we lost to Elon in the rain. You never know what happened. If we beat Elon, we would have been in the playoffs. We were picked to finish very low that year. It definitely gives kids some motivation.

Definitely feel confident. We have a tough schedule, even though we don't play JMU this year. We need to be healthy and need to
be focused.