On what to expect from the new offense:
"Yeah, it will be significantly different than what we've done in the past. Jake's a really good coach, as is Coach Bloesch and Tim Plough. There's some really good football minds in there. Systematically, you can see why those guys have been so successful. There's still a lot to be determined based on our roster and learning our strengths, but it's been real enjoyable sitting in there with those guys and going through the details of installation and what it will look like, but again, it will continue to evolve with our roster."
On his early impression of Sam Jackson:
"During the workouts, he's a very, very athletic guy, quick twitch. He's eager, as are we, to get out on the field and start playing."
On the most important thing he wants to accomplish this spring:
"Get better at football so we can win more games in the fall. That's what we've got to do. We've got to get better playing football."
Again, prodding for more details on the new offense:
"Formations will be different. Yeah, with that being said, there's only so many ways you can line up 11 people and be legal, but there are going to be some differences in the formations, pace of play, style of run, style of passes. So it's a pretty significant shift. Players have done a nice job in the meeting time that we've been allotted taking to it, but we need to get out there and practice. You've got to go out and play the game."
On Sam Jackson's best asset:
"His athletic ability. He's a real sharp kid, too. You can tell. Pretty quiet, he's brand new, he hasn't been here that long, so kind of learning his way around. But I think he's a very talented athlete -- there's no doubt about that -- and he's a sharp kid."
On what played out six years ago when he got the job and Jake Spavital left for WVU:
"That's the first I had met Jake. I knew about him, obviously, from what he had done offensively. I think it helped this time around to have some background with each other, but really good guy -- really, really good guy. I'd heard all those things along the way. People that had worked here, not only his football acumen but the type of guy he is to work with. When that many people say it, it's true. It's been that way -- he's really a easy guy to be part of the staff and get to know and chat with, really sharp football mind how he sees things. Real humble, hard-working guy, you can tell. It's exciting for us and the team."
On how much the roster will still change before the season:
"You know, with the way college football is now and the transfer portal, there's still probably some changes that we would see and some additions. That's just kind of how it works now. I would expect us to add some more players post spring ball as we get into summer. What that number is, I couldn't quite tell you, just because there's a lot of decisions that people make. We feel good about the players on our team right now. We do have a little bit of room, and that's a dynamic number. Things are moving constantly. But we feel good about the players on the team, and like I said, there's likely to be some additions in the summer."
On how getting some defensive linemen back by summer will impact what the defense can do:
"Well, our job as coaches is to assess the roster and do what's best for the position, the unit, the team so we can win and give us the best chance. So, as we evaluate the roster this spring, the new players, the guys returning off of injury, we'll determine that. I think there's some good players on defense. We have to get better in certain areas, there's no doubt about that. We'd like to be healthier in others. There's also some really talented teams we'll be playing against this fall, so we know playing in this conference against those offenses and it is very challenging, but yeah, much will be determined through spring football and as we get into summer and fall camp. You'd like to be 100 percent healthy all the time, but that's just not the way it works."
On whether Cal could play a more aggressive brand of defense this year:
"Yeah, I think we'll see. We've got high hopes for those guys. We brought the newcomers here for a reason and we think the guys that are coming off of injury have a chance to help us improve, but we've got to get better on defense. There's no doubt about it. There were moments when we played good football last year, some others where we didn't play quite as well as we thought we could have. I think every position can be part of the solution."
More on what's stood out about working with Spavital:
"I mean, he's a really knowledgeable guy. He's a good teacher. People gravitate toward him, players and coaches alike. But philosophically, he's got a strong background in where he comes from, he's learned under some great coaches and then evolved on his own to build offenses with the players available to him. I wouldn't say any two offenses that he's coached have looked alike because the players change. I think he's done a really good job. Now being around and the other coaches, you see why they've been so successful in their past."
On plans to add a quarterback:
"Yeah, we'll see. I would say it's likely that we would add a quarterback, but again we'll evaluate everything moving forward at that position. That's fair to say, just based on the numbers."
*Confirms all the transfers are participating this spring*
Again, how he'd summarize the new direction on offense:
"Yeah, I mean, it will be sped up and spread out. That doesn't mean ... we'll place a large emphasis on the run game. Some of the formations may look a little different, some of the run schemes would be a little bit different than they'd seen, but I do think the use and/or threat of tempo and some of the spacing will look a little new."
On the thinking behind the different tempo and spacing:
"Yeah, there's a lot of reasons that people do it. There's good reasons creating space for your players, creating angles and numbers in the run game, whether you are or aren't using the quarterback as a run threat that changes everything, as we know. So I think having options and having answers built into the play. Maybe you could call one certain play eight or 10 times in a game, and it's going to look different seven or eight out of those ten times just because of the options within the play."
On how Sam Jackson's mobility opens the pass game:
"Well, it's math. If the defense is going to account for the quarterback in the run game, you start running out of people and the coverages you can play. When the quarterback's not a running threat, you have more bodies available to support the coverage. So all it is is math."
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