Indiana University Athletics
Quoted: Fall Camp Edition - Linebackers
8/17/2023 2:00:00 PM | Football
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – As the Indiana Football program continued the third week of fall camp, defensive coordinator/linebackers coach Chad Wilt and select linebackers addressed the media inside Memorial Stadium on Thursday (August 17).
Below is a partial transcript of the press conference, while video of the media sessions can be found on the right sidebar at IUHoosiers.com.
Chad Wilt | Defensive Coordinator/Linebackers
On working with Matt Guerrieri…
CW: It's obviously a unique dynamic when you start sharing those coordinator duties. Matt, first off, is a tremendous human being. Great dad, great husband to his wife, Alex. It's been a very easy transition when a guy doesn't walk in with an ego. We've been able to really blend and mesh. We've been able to really put this package together in a way that I think highlights our players. That's what you're always looking for ––– think players first, plays second. We've kind of been able to take pieces from a lot of different things to put it together. We're sharing scripting duties. Obviously, Matt will be in the box play calling, I'll be on the sideline a lot like last year, handling adjustments. That part of that stuff for me from a gameday standpoint hasn't really changed except for the scripting parts. We both have voices in the unit meetings, we both have voices with the group after practices. Not a lot for me has changed in a dramatic way as my role and my job.
On Jacob Mangum-Farrar's leadership…
CW: Walking in day one in January, he wasn't trying to be the assertive guy, he wasn't trying to be the dominant personality in the room. He understood where Ace (Aaron Casey) was. 'Let me figure out the dynamics. Let me figure out what I can contribute. Let me figure out what I need to do just playing linebacker.' It's a new scheme and system for him. He came in, just put his nose to the grind, went to work, just kept developing. You've seen his body develop and grow. As his body has grown and developed, his comfort in the scheme has grown and developed. Which has allowed him to start focusing on the next steps. … He also has used his voice in the position rooms, and the defensive unit room and the team room pulling guys together. He's proving himself to himself but also proving to others he's worthy and capable of having that voice and they're listening.
On Aaron Casey's growth from last year…
CW: Tremendous growth by Aaron. We talk about confidence; a lot of confidence comes from demonstrative performance. Aaron had a phenomenal season last year. He just saw his growth and the confidence based on what he did last year but then the other things he's doing behind closed doors, the unseen stuff, the dirty hard work in the dark that nobody sees. His preparation, his mental growth, his confidence in himself as a player. We had Cam Jones last year, but even after Cam got hurt, Cam was still the leader. Guess what, Cam is gone. Aaron and I have had a lot of conversations. He doesn't have to be Cam Jones. All he has to do is to be the best version of Aaron Casey. And the best version of Aaron Casey is an awesome human being. … Aaron has really gained that confidence from his own demonstrative performance, but also the guys saying 'Hey, you're the guy" … because they have confidence in who he is as a player and who he is as a person. He has felt the backing from his team. Doesn't have to be Cam Jones, just be Aaron Casey and he is doing a phenomenal job of being Aaron Casey because Aaron Casey is a phenomenal person.
Aaron Casey | LB | R-Sr.+
On growing into a leadership role…
AC: For me, it's just being more vocal is something I really had to work on over the offseason. Doing that and just encouraging my teammates, holding them accountable for different things is something I had to work on. Just growing in that aspect.
On expectations for the coming season…
AC: I want to play with an edge all season long. My one word for this year is Edge, so I'm taking that into everything I do. Playing with an edge, playing with a purpose, and just attacking everything with a different mindset.
Matt Hohlt | LB | R-So.
On fall camp so far…
MH: It's going well. I think we're working really hard. I think as a group we're really, really connected, and as a team we're really connected. After playing from last year, I think I learned some things, and I'm still learning and growing each and every day.
On working with some of the new players…
MH: Jacob (Mangum-Farrar) and Josh (Rudolph) are awesome. Jacob came in and was a leader right away. He's very vocal. Josh is great also. He's a big body, he plays aggressive, plays downhill and I just watch that and follow in their footsteps.
Jacob Mangum-Farrar | LB | R-Sr.+
On different playing style from Stanford…
JM: Here I'm playing a lot more zone. We played a lot of man at Stanford. I was man on the tight end maybe 40% of my snaps. But here it's a lot more zone concepts.
On gelling with new players and faces…
JM: Even though a lot of guys are new, we still feel like we've known each other for a while. Just through team activities, getting connected that way, and just the grind of camp, it's brought everybody together pretty well.
Josh Rudolph | LB | Jr.
On his decision to enter the portal and choosing Indiana…
JR: My decision to hop into the portal was to look for better opportunities, to showcase my talent on a bigger stage. I chose Indiana because Coach Allen was the first P5 (Power 5) coach to really believe in me and tell me his plan for me. I believed in that and that's why I chose to come here.
On the biggest challenge of learning the defense…
JR: I've been getting way better at just knowing the playbook like the back of my hand. From FCS to P5 is just a bigger playbook. So, knowing different schemes, knowing different coverages and adjusting to that has been fun. It's been difficult, but fun at the same time.
Below is a partial transcript of the press conference, while video of the media sessions can be found on the right sidebar at IUHoosiers.com.
Chad Wilt | Defensive Coordinator/Linebackers
On working with Matt Guerrieri…
CW: It's obviously a unique dynamic when you start sharing those coordinator duties. Matt, first off, is a tremendous human being. Great dad, great husband to his wife, Alex. It's been a very easy transition when a guy doesn't walk in with an ego. We've been able to really blend and mesh. We've been able to really put this package together in a way that I think highlights our players. That's what you're always looking for ––– think players first, plays second. We've kind of been able to take pieces from a lot of different things to put it together. We're sharing scripting duties. Obviously, Matt will be in the box play calling, I'll be on the sideline a lot like last year, handling adjustments. That part of that stuff for me from a gameday standpoint hasn't really changed except for the scripting parts. We both have voices in the unit meetings, we both have voices with the group after practices. Not a lot for me has changed in a dramatic way as my role and my job.
On Jacob Mangum-Farrar's leadership…
CW: Walking in day one in January, he wasn't trying to be the assertive guy, he wasn't trying to be the dominant personality in the room. He understood where Ace (Aaron Casey) was. 'Let me figure out the dynamics. Let me figure out what I can contribute. Let me figure out what I need to do just playing linebacker.' It's a new scheme and system for him. He came in, just put his nose to the grind, went to work, just kept developing. You've seen his body develop and grow. As his body has grown and developed, his comfort in the scheme has grown and developed. Which has allowed him to start focusing on the next steps. … He also has used his voice in the position rooms, and the defensive unit room and the team room pulling guys together. He's proving himself to himself but also proving to others he's worthy and capable of having that voice and they're listening.
On Aaron Casey's growth from last year…
CW: Tremendous growth by Aaron. We talk about confidence; a lot of confidence comes from demonstrative performance. Aaron had a phenomenal season last year. He just saw his growth and the confidence based on what he did last year but then the other things he's doing behind closed doors, the unseen stuff, the dirty hard work in the dark that nobody sees. His preparation, his mental growth, his confidence in himself as a player. We had Cam Jones last year, but even after Cam got hurt, Cam was still the leader. Guess what, Cam is gone. Aaron and I have had a lot of conversations. He doesn't have to be Cam Jones. All he has to do is to be the best version of Aaron Casey. And the best version of Aaron Casey is an awesome human being. … Aaron has really gained that confidence from his own demonstrative performance, but also the guys saying 'Hey, you're the guy" … because they have confidence in who he is as a player and who he is as a person. He has felt the backing from his team. Doesn't have to be Cam Jones, just be Aaron Casey and he is doing a phenomenal job of being Aaron Casey because Aaron Casey is a phenomenal person.
Aaron Casey | LB | R-Sr.+
On growing into a leadership role…
AC: For me, it's just being more vocal is something I really had to work on over the offseason. Doing that and just encouraging my teammates, holding them accountable for different things is something I had to work on. Just growing in that aspect.
On expectations for the coming season…
AC: I want to play with an edge all season long. My one word for this year is Edge, so I'm taking that into everything I do. Playing with an edge, playing with a purpose, and just attacking everything with a different mindset.
Matt Hohlt | LB | R-So.
On fall camp so far…
MH: It's going well. I think we're working really hard. I think as a group we're really, really connected, and as a team we're really connected. After playing from last year, I think I learned some things, and I'm still learning and growing each and every day.
On working with some of the new players…
MH: Jacob (Mangum-Farrar) and Josh (Rudolph) are awesome. Jacob came in and was a leader right away. He's very vocal. Josh is great also. He's a big body, he plays aggressive, plays downhill and I just watch that and follow in their footsteps.
Jacob Mangum-Farrar | LB | R-Sr.+
On different playing style from Stanford…
JM: Here I'm playing a lot more zone. We played a lot of man at Stanford. I was man on the tight end maybe 40% of my snaps. But here it's a lot more zone concepts.
On gelling with new players and faces…
JM: Even though a lot of guys are new, we still feel like we've known each other for a while. Just through team activities, getting connected that way, and just the grind of camp, it's brought everybody together pretty well.
Josh Rudolph | LB | Jr.
On his decision to enter the portal and choosing Indiana…
JR: My decision to hop into the portal was to look for better opportunities, to showcase my talent on a bigger stage. I chose Indiana because Coach Allen was the first P5 (Power 5) coach to really believe in me and tell me his plan for me. I believed in that and that's why I chose to come here.
On the biggest challenge of learning the defense…
JR: I've been getting way better at just knowing the playbook like the back of my hand. From FCS to P5 is just a bigger playbook. So, knowing different schemes, knowing different coverages and adjusting to that has been fun. It's been difficult, but fun at the same time.
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