Spring Football Press Conference – Charlton Warren, Nick Sheridan, & Deland McCullough

Below are partial transcriptions of Zoom press conferences with Indiana defensive coordinator/linebackers coach Charlton Warren, offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach Nick Sheridan, and associate head coach/running backs coach Deland McCullough on Wednesday, April 28.

Defensive Coordinator/Linebackers Coach Charlton Warren
Opening Statement…
WARREN: I really liked the energy and effort that our guys showed this spring. We saw a group that worked on the fundamentals and technique of the game. We tried to go to the basics of football like blocking, tackling, and taking the ball away. We instilled a lot of heart, hustle, and juice into everything we did. It was not much about scheme because obviously these guys know the scheme. We have an older crew that has played this defense for three years now, so they knew scheme. While we did things that would make ourselves better, our focus was more on technique and effort and these guys responded. I thought we had a focus on building depth this spring. Getting a bunch of guys reps, changing the way we practice a little bit to get guys more reps, and I thought you saw our younger guys, with the extra reps, really step up and make plays and show understanding of the defense. Everything we talked about in the spring was more about concepts and not just what is my job, but more so the concept of the defense. Where is my help at, when I get these plays who can I count on based on the structure and the scheme of the defense. As a coaching staff, we tried to take their understanding and elevate it to another level. We pushed the older guys with formations, motions, and personnel groups to elevate their mind set. With the younger guys we gave them more opportunities. Then on scrimmage days the guys put it all together. Our big thing this spring was incremental progress, and I thought we had that progress throughout the spring. I am really proud of their effort as a group.

Q. On the importance of takeaways moving forward…
WARREN: Taking the ball away is always going to be paramount to having a great defensive unit. We did things this spring where we charted the attempts and tracked the progress at every practice of how many takeaways we got. Our havoc rate is something that we talk about a lot every single day. We opened up our meetings with what our havoc rate was from the day prior. We talked about our percentage of a takeaway, sacks, tackles for loss, and pass breakups. There were not many days where we did not get those numbers, but if we did not we would do a drill to reinforce what we did not do. I saw great progress and a continuation of a wanting to go after the ball. That is what we are going to need to have a successful defense.

Q. On Raheem Layne at the safety position…
WARREN: I was really impressed with Raheem. If I were a guy coming off the street, I would not have known that he had not played that position prior. He was very savvy. He showed ability to tackle. He showed an ability to learn, which is very important at the safety position. Raheem was able to grasp concepts, especially when things moved or changed pre or post snaps. I was impressed with his progress and I think he has a lot more growth potential, which is awesome. If you told me he played nine games last year and got 40 snaps a game I would have believed you.

Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks Coach Nick Sheridan
Opening Statement…
SHERIDAN: I thought it was a real productive spring. We got a ton of guys reps and a lot of young players. We really focused on their development both fundamentally and getting them to understand our schemes and what we are trying to do. I thought at every position there was growth and improvement. We are not where we need to be. We still have a lot of work to do this summer, and the upcoming months are going to be huge for us to have the type of season we are trying to have. Our guys know that. The energy, the effort, the toughness, and the willingness to improve and be coached was outstanding. I am super excited about the group.

Q: On what D.J. Matthews Jr. can bring to the offense…
SHERIDAN: I think some of the physical things that are pretty well know. You have seen from some of the production that he has had in his career just from the illusiveness, the quickness, and the change of direction. Those things have continued to grow, and he has continued to get stronger. You can see that on the film. I think the thing I was most pleased with D.J. was the level of maturity, the experience, the preparation, the note taking, and the film study. Some of those things that a player like him and the overall experiences that he has had, and his maturity has rubbed off on the whole group. I think that is probably, aside from the on-field production and plays that he made, that was what I was most pleased and excited about was his maturity, work ethic, and preparation on a day-to-day basis. He was a consistent and dependable player and certainly had production on the field and different moments throughout spring. We are really excited about D.J. He knows that he needs to continue to improve just like the rest of the guys, but he has been a real, I wouldn't say a pleasant surprise, but just a pleasant and great addition. We are excited about him. He has really integrated well with the team, and I think the guys like him and respect him. He likes to be coached. He wants to be coached, and I appreciate that about him. So, we are excited about D.J., but he needs to continue to improve and get better over the next couple of months. He has been great, and we are excited to have him.

Q: On the offensive line and if that group had any surprises in the spring…
SHERIDAN: I think we are still a work in progress up front relative to the depth piece that you are asking about. I think we have a pretty good idea about who we are anticipating being in the top group or the top group and a half. Those positions are still open and to be determined. But certainly, there are some players there that have a ton of experience that we are expecting to continue to elevate their play. I think form the young player standpoint and just the number of reps that they were able to get. We have a lot of good, young linemen in the program that just need to continue to get developed, make mistakes, learn, and grow. We are excited about that. I am trying to think without missing players, and guys that took a lot of reps and stepped forward. Guys like Cameron Knight, Joshua Sales Jr., Randy Holtz, and Tim Weaver, and I'm sure there are others, but guys that are younger, developing offensive linemen in our program that we are really excited about. We think they have bright futures, but it is a developmental position. You are talking about the biggest, strongest part of the game. You are getting on the line of scrimmage. Not only from a physicality standpoint, but also from a communication and recognition at this level of football it takes time. Those guys are doing a good job and coach Darren Hiller is as good as there is. He is grinding those guys and trying to get them as good as they can be as quickly as can be. They have had a great attitude and are working hard. There are other guys that I'm forgetting off the top of my head, but we are excited about the young linemen that we have recruited here. Now it is our job to get them to play up to the level that we think they are capable of, and their job to work and get coached as hard as possible. They are doing a great job, and we are really excited about them.

Associate Head Coach/Running Backs Coach Deland McCullough
Opening Statement…
MCCULLOUGH: I thought the spring was very productive as far as introducing the guys to some new concepts, some new ways of doing things. The way we look at things as far as runners, receivers, and blockers. Just attempting to simplify everything and getting the guys more comfortable with where I'm coming from. The great part on the flip side was I got the opportunity to see these guys dedication and work ethic. Seeing those guys continue to ask questions and improve as the spring went on. I ended the spring very optimistic about where we're headed.

Q. On the rise of the program in recruiting…
MCCULLOUGH: A level of foundation was laid years ago, and Coach Allen and the rest of the coaching staff have taken and expanded that. Just the culture. LEO is not just a catchphrase. It's a way of life around here. It's very evident to me and I'm just glad to be a part of that. Those are some of the things as we're out and doing things and just the impressions of the program even from other coaches in other leagues. The environment is being built here. Excited to go out and really sell the program and put the program on display. You want to hope to continue to draw the right type of players to keep everything moving forward.

Q. On his initial impact on the program…
MCCULLOUGH: You got four years away from it and then you return, and you kind of get the opportunity to reflect as you walk around the building and see things. Even as I'm sitting in my running backs room, and just look at the guys and I'm showing cut ups of things that happened and it wasn't like it was 20 years ago, it was five years ago. Just seeing the response of my players, the appreciation for the things that we've done in that room. I'm using those more as a catalyst to show the things I'm coming to the table with. Not the catchphrases but the approach and the mentality you want in that room. Then, how the mentality of that room transcended the room, and I took it to other places and was successful. Now things come full circle and I come back. It's exciting. Just to look at those things. Even to your other comment about my return to IU. I am excited about it. There were other opportunities. Off the top of my head, seven or eight jump right out at me over the years. It was all about the right scenario for where I am with my family at this point and time and for what some of my long-term aspirations are. Indiana University was the spot that fit that and I'm happy to be there.

Indiana University Athletics

Spring Football Press Conference – Charlton Warren, Nick Sheridan, & Deland McCullough

Players Mentioned

Randy Holtz

Cameron Knight

Raheem Layne

D.J. Matthews Jr.

Joshua Sales Jr.

Tim Weaver

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