The Pac-12’s annual preseason media event took the form of webinar on Wednesday, with each head coach answering questions for approximately 25 minutes.
The Hotline monitored the proceedings. Here are comments that jumped out over the six hours …
*** Arizona coach Kevin Sumlin, who tested positive for Covid-19, on his health: “We’ll see where we are at the end of the week. I don’t have symptoms; neither does my son … The lesson is, this thing is serious. You cannot be too careful. You just can’t.”
*** UCLA coach Chip Kelly on having Covid-19 in the spring: “The biggest thing is, I’m still not really sure how we got it. That’s the one thing about the virus. You hear about super-spreader events and non-social distancing, but you don’t have to be exposed that way. You can be exposed in other ways. I had one day where I felt like I had a cold. My wife was a little longer. It’s something we all have to take very seriously. One thing I learned during this process is you can get it any time.”
*** Cal coach Justin Wilcox on the lifting of local restrictions to allow the Bears to start training camp on Friday: “We are not cleared as of today. We are anticipating getting clearance today or tomorrow. That would be the final piece that would allow us to practice in cohorts of 75.”
*** Stanford coach David Shaw echoed Wilcox’s comments, saying: “We have a lot of ‘i’s to dot and ’t’s to cross. We’re in constant communication with Santa Clara County.”
*** Colorado coach Karl Dorrell on getting clearance for full practice from Boulder County: “We’re hopeful that’s going to work out. We’ve operated the last two-and-a-half weeks under the new ordinance … We’ve been doing individual workouts.”
*** Arizona State coach Herm Edwards on the lack of minority coaches in football: “We’ve got to do better. College needs to do better. The NFL needs to do better … The Pac-12 has done an outstanding job. This conference is about innovation; it’s about opportunity. All the things it preaches, it backs it up. That’s something I don’t lose sight of.”
*** Oregon coach Mario Cristobal on cornerback Thomas Graham possibly opting back in (following the return of Deommodore Lenoir): “I don’t have any information.”
*** Oregon State coach Jonathan Smith on defensive lineman Jordan Whittley, who has a heart tumor: “He is not close to returning. He is a long-term, more or less, injury. I’m not ready to call him out for the season, but he’s not someone in the first couple games that you’ll see out there.”
*** Sumlin on sophomore quarterback Grant Gunnell: “He’s stepped forward and really done some things to grow and help grow our team together. From a leadership standpoint, he’s made some serious strides over these last seven months.”
*** Cristobal on the quarterback competition between Tyler Shough and transfer Anthony Brown: “We’ll enter Day One with Tyler taking first reps and with Anthony taking reps with the twos. We’re going to make it a competition, but it starts off like that.”
*** Washington coach Jimmy Lake on naming a starting quarterback: “As soon as somebody takes control … and it feels right, then we will make that announcement. If it doesn’t feel right that first game, we may have multiple guys play.”
*** Washington State coach Nick Rolovich on his inexperienced quarterbacks: “I love how they’re working. Even some of the stuff we’re doing now, I see a lot of improvement. (Position) coach Craig Stutzmann has done a really good job mentoring them. What I think the offense gives these kids is the opportunity to be effective in their own skill sets and mentalities.”
*** Smith on the Beavers’ quarterback competition: Tristan Gebbia, who started the Oregon game last year, “will begin camp getting reps with the ones.” But each of the projected backups (Chance Nolan, Nick Moore and Ben Gulbranson) “will get a turn with the ones early in training camp.”
*** Edwards on quarterback Jayden Daniels: “I want him to shine with the leadership part. Now, all of a sudden, this offense is designed around him. The thing I can’t stress upon him enough is that you can’t get involved in the outside noise … I want him to enjoy being a student athlete and don’t get caught up in anything else.”
*** Dorrell on a new coaching staff with no spring practice attempting to identify a starting quarterback: “It is what it is under the circumstances. We’re going to do the best we can under these 25 practices. We’ll get someone out there who can manage our team and manage our offense.”
*** Utah coach Kyle Whittingham on his willingness to play 10 a.m. games: “Whatever the maximum willingness level is, that’s where we’re at.”
*** Lake on 9 a.m. kickoffs: “I see a lot of positives in it … They’ll be great for the Pac-12. They’ll be great for the media and fans (across the country).”
*** Shaw on early kickoffs: “College students don’t go to bed at 9 p.m. They need their sleep.”
*** Kelly on his reaction to playing Oregon in crossover game: “Really not much … Our attention when the schedule came out was Colorado (the opener).”
*** Wilcox on the return of cornerback Camryn Bynum, who opted back in: “What he brings off the field, how he prepares, how he lives his life … he’s just a great example for our team and our younger players. He is so consistent and so motivated and you see it every day. And that is golden.”
*** USC coach Clay Helton on receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown: “He’s in by far the best shape I’ve seen him in. He’s put himself in position to have a great third season.”
*** Smith on linebacker Hamilcar Rashed: “He had a great year last year, but he felt like he had more to put out on tape.”
*** Whittingham on heralded freshman cornerback Clark Phillips III, expected to help replenish a secondary decimated by attrition: “He has proven to be a special player.”
*** Dorrell on fair expectations in his first season: “I still have great aspirations for this team. Have we had a practice together? No. But we’ve done enough work off the field. Everybody’s a Zoom expert … Now, we’re at the point there we have to put it together.”
*** Helton on new defensive coordinator Todd Orlando’s scheme: “It’s ultra aggressive, and it really gives us a great advantage with our personnel … Multiple coverages, multiple looks, hidden coverages that are hard on a quarterback, and he’s able to pressure from everywhere. I’ve gone against it as an offensive coordinator, I’ve gone against it as a head coach, and it’s not easy.”
*** Rolovich on WSU’s scheme change: “We’ve had a high level of buy-in. That’s made it not only smooth but given us a chance to get a little bit ahead.”
*** Cristobal on Covid-19 health guidelines: “The protocol is a way of life. The mask really doesn’t come off … There’s the saying, ‘If you leave your nose open, you can get hit.’”
*** Shaw on the abbreviated schedule: “I’m saddened, honestly. I enjoy competing against our Southern California mates.”
*** Lake on his desire for the College Football Playoff to expand to six teams: “This would be a great year to start it … I have my model all drawn up.”
*** Kelly on a Pac-12 team reaching the CFP: “I just have my fingers crossed that we can play on the 7th.”
*** Whittingham on the death of guitarist Eddie Van Halen: “One of the great ones.”
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