Notre Dame wide receivers coach Chansi Stuckey spoke to local beat writers following Friday's preseason practice No. 14 for the Irish. Below is a transcript of that conversation. Questions may be paraphrased.
CHANSI STUCKEY
How much deeper is the wide receiver room now compared to 18 months ago?
"It's remarkable. We send out two and a half groups right now, when everyone's healthy, that play at a high level. You have Rico and JG that's come in and they're running with the second team right now because of an opportunity and they're taking advantage of that opportunity. They're going against Ben Morrison sometimes, you know Christian Gray's are really good young corner, and Cam and you know they're holding their own so that's encouraging to see in the slot and outside. I think that builds volumes for our room, and it gives Tobias a break when we need to. There's less of a fall off than there has been in the past. JT, if he needs to come out, and Deion and Matt, who's had a great camp, can go in the game. Chris and JG are getting body types and they bring different things to the offense. So, I think it's cool to be in (Gerad Parker's) shoes with so many different elements that we can do on offense."
What kind of competitiveness has that created?
"I think firstly, it speaks to the culture that the players themselves have built here. The culture of accountability, a culture of competitiveness, and knowing that us as coaches love them and we're going to push them to be great. We have to continue to let them know that hey, we're doing this because I want you to be great. You know, when we get on you it's because the details really, really matter and coming from great programs that our young guys come from they have the mentality to work. So that adjustment there is not huge like at some places. So, I think that identifying the right guy with the right mindset from the right places is so great when they get here in the spring."
What has Jordan Faison done to be able to work with the No. 2 offense the last two days to start practice?
"Jordan just has to continue to develop. Some guys we're holding out for practice to rest and guys have to take reps. He's doing a good job of learning and getting better. That's what I told him, you just need to learn, between learning (the) position, for him to learn the details and just continue to work hard and get better."
He’s unique as a walk-on who has a lacrosse scholarship. Could he contribute this year?
"I mean, he's just a different body type. Not that as unique, as you would say, but he has some great gifts. An elite short area quickness and he comes from a lacrosse background, so he's he used to be in shifty. But again, he just has to keep working."
How deep is this group in terms of guys who can play?
"We have the guys that I have in mind and we're about seven deep right now, which is a great, great luxury and our top seven guys can play anywhere. Our second group can probably push for starting time at another place and that's what you want to create, that lifeline of multiple, multiple guys coming in year-in, year-out that are competitive that can play and that deserve playing time. No matter if you start or not, you still need to warrant putting you on the field and that's what a lot of our guys have done, so that's a great problem to have."
What’s the biggest development in Chris Tyree in the last six months?
"Just understanding football. You know, he's so used to seeing everything out front, back there with the quarterback and now a lot of times his back's turned to the defense. Understanding what a nickel was trying to do a safety's trying to do, recognizing his own man, understanding the details of a split, what kind of route I'm running, what am I trying to sell? Also just understanding concepts and where it needs to be and being there on time has been the biggest thing and there'll be another jump once he starts playing games of understanding what people are trying to do to him and what's the scouting report on him and how can I break those things and get away with tendencies."
Where has Tobias Merriweather grown and where does he still need to improve?
"Just maturity. Just his mindset is different from last year. He's matured so much. He's taken a leadership role. We had a great summer and like any receiver, even ones who are playing the NFL, there's always room for improvement and route running and understanding there's always, we want guys with a mindset to learn all the time and he has a deep mindset to learn, urge to learn, understanding why and how detailed can I be and that's all I can ask for. The rest will take care of itself. It's the truth of who he is. The work and then results will take care of themselves."
How important is it for you to be able to share the details and technical aspects you learned as a player?
"It's insurmountable. Like I always tell my guys, I'm trying to teach you how to think. It's whatever you had in high school when you come to come to this place, how to think about football. I'm not just running to the line just to get lined up, I have 'this'. Okay, why do I have this route? What are we trying to accomplish? What is the DB doing? If he's outside or inside, head up? What's my near safety doing? Like you have to see all of this stuff in hundredths of seconds and process it and it has to be like that (snaps) and everything has to be on the move. So, if you don't train and think that way, the game is never going to slow down for you, so the goal is to teach them how to think so that the game can slow down, that everything is moving in slow motion. So, that takes time and it takes a willingness but when the guys get it, they get it and it's just like that and then it's beautiful."
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