Indiana University Athletics
Spring Sessions: Tom Allen Pre-Camp Press Conference
3/2/2023 3:00:00 PM | Football
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - Indiana head football coach Tom Allen spoke to the media on Thursday (March 2) inside Memorial Stadium before the first day of spring practice takes place this weekend.
Spring Sessions
Jaylin Lucas (1/14)
Tom Allen (1/22)
Bob Bostad (1/22)
Transfers (1/27)
Allen/Guerrieri (2/18)
Bell/Tucker (2/28)
Below is a partial transcript of the press conferences, while video of the full media session can be found in the links above this story or at IUHoosiers.com/watch.
Tom Allen | Head Coach
Opening Statement
Appreciate everyone joining us this afternoon. Excited about spring ball starting on Saturday. We have had some really good OTA sessions with our guys leading up to spring ball. We have had eight of those on Tuesday's and Thursday's the last four weeks, just getting everyone mentally and physically ready for spring practice. Those have gone really well and excited about where our team is at right now. A lot of really good work by our strength staff and team over the last several weeks.
Also, really excited to have Anthony Tucker here as the new wide receivers coach and co-offensive coordinator. He just brings a tremendous amount of experience coaching multiple positions and being an offensive coordinator/play caller in the past. He has done a great job and been a part of some explosive offenses. Just really excited about the guys we have added, both players and coaches, and just continuing to build our team.
Excited about spring football. We have our three goals: number one, to be able to improve our fundamentals and technique, number two, to be able to install scheme and make some adjustments there, that will be a priority for us this spring, and then [number three] to be able to identify our depth chart once this is all said and done. Right now, we want to get a lot of guys lots of reps and be able to improve fundamentally, technically and schematically.
Ready for questions.
On anyone that has forgone remaining eligibility...
TA: We have had a couple guys that are just going to graduate and move on to their careers outside of football. Beau Robbins is one of those individuals. He is a tremendous young man and is getting a great degree here, both his undergraduate and masters - his MBA.
Caleb Murphy, same situation, guys that have given us so much and are going to graduate here in the spring. Just wish nothing but great things [for them]. Those guys have been awesome for us, great leaders on our team, have done a tremendous job and they are ready to move on. A lot of respect for that and appreciate those guys and all they have given to our program.
On Cam Jones' draft process...
TA: It has been a great experience for him. We spent time with him down in Mobile [at the Senior Bowl]. Got a chance to watch him practice in person and just to see how well he has healed up, it was encouraging. I was just really encouraged by the fact that he really didn't seem to be very rusty in his football technique, even though he hadn't played for a long time.
He has worked so hard. He impressed the scouts, and we talked to them, in the meetings. He is just a tremendous young man. We will go up and watch him tonight, he'll be doing his on the field work at the NFL Combine this evening. Just lots of prayers for him. He has worked extremely hard for many years leading up to this, so this is a culmination of a lot of things. He is representing us in a first-class way on the field and off the field. I can't think of better representation of our program than a young man like Cam Jones.
He has been able to increase his value as he has had this offseason experience and the preparation process for the draft. We are excited to see how it all plays itself out. He is going to go somewhere, and he is going to do a great job for the Hoosiers.
On the prospects in the defensive backfield entering spring practice...
TA: We have several guys that have been here that are working really hard. At the cornerback position, Jamari Sharpe is a guy that sticks out to me. Long athlete that we redshirted last year, and he can really run. James Monds III is another young man that came here and has a lot of talent and is working extremely hard. Trevell Mullen, as well. Those three guys as young guys in that room, we redshirted those guys to give them a chance to develop. It is going to be a big spring for them. Obviously, we have guys that we brought in as well, but those three young guys stick out to me at the corner position.
At the safety spot, Phillip Dunnam to me is a guy that needs to take that next step. He is a guy that played a lot last year as a true freshman and has an immense amount of talent, but has to continue to grow and develop, without question. For sure, Bryson Bonds has played some but expect his role to grow. Those are guys that have been here. Louis Moore, same thing, those are younger guys that need to step up. We obviously got the transfer guys that we have talked about before, they will be working, as well. But, those young guys that are in that room, and we've got several safeties that I feel like there's a lot of guys that haven't played a lot of Saturday football, but at the safety position has probably as much depth as any position we have in regards to number of guys that we feel have the opportunity to help us and I think you are going to see several different faces out there this spring and we'll figure out who those top guys are going to be.
Spring Sessions
Jaylin Lucas (1/14)
Tom Allen (1/22)
Bob Bostad (1/22)
Transfers (1/27)
Allen/Guerrieri (2/18)
Bell/Tucker (2/28)
Below is a partial transcript of the press conferences, while video of the full media session can be found in the links above this story or at IUHoosiers.com/watch.
Tom Allen | Head Coach
Opening Statement
Appreciate everyone joining us this afternoon. Excited about spring ball starting on Saturday. We have had some really good OTA sessions with our guys leading up to spring ball. We have had eight of those on Tuesday's and Thursday's the last four weeks, just getting everyone mentally and physically ready for spring practice. Those have gone really well and excited about where our team is at right now. A lot of really good work by our strength staff and team over the last several weeks.
Also, really excited to have Anthony Tucker here as the new wide receivers coach and co-offensive coordinator. He just brings a tremendous amount of experience coaching multiple positions and being an offensive coordinator/play caller in the past. He has done a great job and been a part of some explosive offenses. Just really excited about the guys we have added, both players and coaches, and just continuing to build our team.
Excited about spring football. We have our three goals: number one, to be able to improve our fundamentals and technique, number two, to be able to install scheme and make some adjustments there, that will be a priority for us this spring, and then [number three] to be able to identify our depth chart once this is all said and done. Right now, we want to get a lot of guys lots of reps and be able to improve fundamentally, technically and schematically.
Ready for questions.
On anyone that has forgone remaining eligibility...
TA: We have had a couple guys that are just going to graduate and move on to their careers outside of football. Beau Robbins is one of those individuals. He is a tremendous young man and is getting a great degree here, both his undergraduate and masters - his MBA.
Caleb Murphy, same situation, guys that have given us so much and are going to graduate here in the spring. Just wish nothing but great things [for them]. Those guys have been awesome for us, great leaders on our team, have done a tremendous job and they are ready to move on. A lot of respect for that and appreciate those guys and all they have given to our program.
On Cam Jones' draft process...
TA: It has been a great experience for him. We spent time with him down in Mobile [at the Senior Bowl]. Got a chance to watch him practice in person and just to see how well he has healed up, it was encouraging. I was just really encouraged by the fact that he really didn't seem to be very rusty in his football technique, even though he hadn't played for a long time.
He has worked so hard. He impressed the scouts, and we talked to them, in the meetings. He is just a tremendous young man. We will go up and watch him tonight, he'll be doing his on the field work at the NFL Combine this evening. Just lots of prayers for him. He has worked extremely hard for many years leading up to this, so this is a culmination of a lot of things. He is representing us in a first-class way on the field and off the field. I can't think of better representation of our program than a young man like Cam Jones.
He has been able to increase his value as he has had this offseason experience and the preparation process for the draft. We are excited to see how it all plays itself out. He is going to go somewhere, and he is going to do a great job for the Hoosiers.
On the prospects in the defensive backfield entering spring practice...
TA: We have several guys that have been here that are working really hard. At the cornerback position, Jamari Sharpe is a guy that sticks out to me. Long athlete that we redshirted last year, and he can really run. James Monds III is another young man that came here and has a lot of talent and is working extremely hard. Trevell Mullen, as well. Those three guys as young guys in that room, we redshirted those guys to give them a chance to develop. It is going to be a big spring for them. Obviously, we have guys that we brought in as well, but those three young guys stick out to me at the corner position.
At the safety spot, Phillip Dunnam to me is a guy that needs to take that next step. He is a guy that played a lot last year as a true freshman and has an immense amount of talent, but has to continue to grow and develop, without question. For sure, Bryson Bonds has played some but expect his role to grow. Those are guys that have been here. Louis Moore, same thing, those are younger guys that need to step up. We obviously got the transfer guys that we have talked about before, they will be working, as well. But, those young guys that are in that room, and we've got several safeties that I feel like there's a lot of guys that haven't played a lot of Saturday football, but at the safety position has probably as much depth as any position we have in regards to number of guys that we feel have the opportunity to help us and I think you are going to see several different faces out there this spring and we'll figure out who those top guys are going to be.
Players Mentioned
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