The Bears had running backs coach Julian Griffin and Co-DC’s Vic So’oto and Terrance Brown on the media banner today following this morning’s practice.
Griffin was asked what the current top three running backs in the room bring to the field. He started with his former UTSA protoge, Brandon High, followed by NC State transfer Kendrick Raphael along with TCU transfer LJ Johnson.
“Brandon brings a lot to the room,” Griffin said. “One obviously, he knows me. He knows my temperament, he knows my style of play. But the one thing he's brought to the room, just for the guys, is just a knowledge of the game. Obviously, he's a young player, but he's extremely smart, high academic kid as well. So he just understands defenses, understands just how to play with great leverage, has obviously great speed. So just bringing in just that toughness, that mental toughness and the physical toughness, for sure.
“Brandon, he's about 5’10, 5’11 but he's like 219 pounds. But he was a 10.4 100 meter guy coming out of high school. So he's a big kid that can run.
“Then on the flip side, you have Kendrick. You know, Kendrick is a great player. He has great speed. He has long speed, right? He's very quick. He's like, cat quick in the backfield. So he's a guy that can make people miss.
“And then you have LJ, who has the kind of best of both worlds. He's able to run pretty fast. He can get down field. He has great hands. And then on the flip side of it, he's powerful. He's a guy that I can definitely see getting in between the tackles and making those hard, tough runs, getting three, four or five yards, and then, boom, we burst one, and everybody's excited.”
An area where the program has struggled for years is running back pass protection. Listening to the new Bears running backs coach, if this year’s crop of backs don’t do their part protecting the QB, they can expect to ride the pine till they do.
"When it comes to pass protection, I'll tell you this, and you can quote it,” Griffin said. 'Pass protection is job protection. If you cannot protect the quarterback, you will not play.' And I say that like I really do mean it. And don't get me wrong, things happen. There are going to be breakdowns in pass protection. Running backs are going to miss here and there, but consistency for me is what I look for. Do you have to make every block? No. Do I want that? Absolutely right? But at the end of the day, I want them to understand pass protection is job protection. So protect the quarterback. You have a higher chance of playing.
“We have great quarterbacks, obviously, I think you guys know that, right? So the more time we give those guys in the backfield, the better chances we have to make a play downfield. So pass protection is job protection, for sure."
Co-DC and outside linebackers coach Vic So’oto was asked about defensive playcalling and provided an interesting nugget on the staff’s plans when asked who will be calling plays.
“Yeah, Terrance,” So’oto said. "So we'll get together. The game plan will be the game plan. And then ultimately, at the end of it, we'll talk about what we're doing. And it'll be a collaborative effort like we've always done, and same when Pete (former DC Peter Sirmon) was here. We get into situations and we all know what's coming, and getting our guys ready. So the work throughout the week is what we're we've always been focused on.
"Here's the best thing about what we do, is we mold our defense to the players that we have, and that's where we are right now. What we do on Saturday in Corvallis will be what our players can do. As it sorts out, who's playing what and where.
"I think the best thing I like is that we aren't big ego guys. So the things that I lack and the things that he lacks, we complement each other really well, which I'm sure Coach Wilcox put a lot of thought into. But being able to gain his knowledge as well as share mine, I think that's what's been great. We've been working together for three years already, basically doing the same thing, and titles change and this and that. But at the end of the day, it's how fast can we get our guys to play."
The Co-DC was asked about one of the primary competitors to play alongside veteran ILB Cade Uluave in BYU portal transfer Harrison Taggart and what he's seen in him so far.
"I credit Harrison for coming in and always going 100%," So'oto said. "So not only him personally through summer workouts, but he brings the best out of everybody, like he is running and he's loud, too, and then he has this log of game experience that we've watched at two different universities. So he has something to prove as well, right? So what he's been able to do is he's been able to jump in. Teammates love him, and he's been able to be a leader through how he works, where he gains a ton of respect, because he just runs, like he's going 100 miles an hour every play."
Brown elaborated more on the defensive gameplanning and playcalling process this season.
"I feel like I've been asked that not only you know from yourself and you know from family members as well, and the honest answer is, not much has changed from my day to day in terms of how we've done things here over the past, it's always been a collaborative effort. We've always worked on a unified front as a defensive staff, and so we always go into the defensive staff room. We spend time together, we plan practice together, we plan game plans together. We've done everything together. So that hasn't been much of an adjustment. Obviously, the responsibilities have increased, but in terms of the day to day, we've operated on the same routine. And I think that it's been a proven success in terms in terms of the formula. So we're trying to continue to uphold that.
"To be honest, it's such a blessing even to be considered for that or given the opportunity to call, to call the plays on defense. This is my first time, right? It's my first time. And the best part about it is I'm surrounded by such great experience. Bob Gregory, Keith Hayward, Andrew Browning and Vic Soto, and obviously, our head coach Justin Wilcox. So to be able to have that advice and that insight and that wisdom, to be able to go and ask a question, you know, if there's something that I may need a little bit more clarification on, or just some guidance, some direction, it's been such a blessing to be able to have them in my corner. And, you know, it goes back to what I was saying earlier in terms of it being a collaborative effort, like, even though didn't call it last year as coordinators, we've always worked amongst one another. Coach Sirmon relied on us as well. So we're just gonna continue to keep chopping wood."
