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ATLANTIC COAST CONFERENCE FOOTBALL MEDIA CONFERENCE

April 26, 2017

Mark Richt

Greensboro, North Carolina

MARK RICHT: We did finish up spring ball on Saturday. It was a good day. I guess the biggest blessing of all was the fact that we got through the entire spring without any serious injuries. We had a couple guys get dinged up. But it looks like every single player that we have will have a chance to be 100% ready to compete when fall camp opens. So that's very encouraging.

Q. What did you learn about your quarterbacks during spring ball?
MARK RICHT: Well, I think I've got some guys that will compete well. I think I've got guys that are capable. I've just got to figure out which one's going to be the starter. But the good news is we've got more than one guy that I think can handle the responsibility of the job and help us win. We've just got to see who is going to be the best one to start out the season.

Q. Just getting back from vacation and saw some news about Jack, obviously. It came out yesterday that you guys are looking to have more of a dual-threat quarterback, and I just wanted to see your reaction to that.
MARK RICHT: Well, that's not so much the case. We want to make sure whoever we have back there can move well. That will be helpful. So I think you want a guy that can throw the ball and make good decisions and lead your team. A guy like that could certainly function well, but it helps that the guy has the ability to move.

So we're not saying we're going to a quarterback run game. That's not the case at all. We are just, you know, we just want the ability to make sure whoever is back there can move well. That's part of the criteria of what we're looking for.

Q. Do you see looking at the roster what you expect will be there, do you feel you'll have enough of that element, or now that another spot has opened, might you even go explore the grad transfer route or something like that?
MARK RICHT: No, we're not going to do that. I feel comfortable with who we have and who is coming in. We'll compete with who we have. Let's make it really clear, we're not changing our offensive system dramatically. It's just there is enough zone read in just about everybody's offense in America, that you want if the quarterback does pull the ball, that someone will have to respect the fact that he might pull it and run a little bit. So that's really the main thing on that.

Q. I kind of wanted to follow up on that a little bit. What is it about (Indiscernible) game beyond just the fact that he can move? Obviously you've seen enough of him in high school and talked to him enough on the recruiting trail. How does he fit into those other categories that you still very much prize from the quarterback position?
MARK RICHT: Well, again, number one for me, can the quarterback make the throws that need to be made? That's a big part of that. Then he's got to be able to make good decisions, and he's got to be able to handle the pressure of the position, the pressure of that job. Those are the main three things for me. Then when you add the ability to move, that's a bonus. So he certainly can do that.

So we'll see if he can handle the first three parts. I've seen him throw the ball. I think he's outstanding. He's got outstanding arm talent, and from what I've seen, until you get a guy in the meeting room and spend time with him, you don't know exactly how quickly he'll pick it up. But we're allowed to meet with these kids a couple hours a week in the summer, so we'll get a gauge of how much he can pick up.

Just like Weldon coming in, you've got to learn the playbook before you can start competing. So he's got to learn what to do, and we'll see what he does when he gets here.

Q. The other thing I wanted to ask you, how much do you feel like the defense has sort of the personality of Manny Diaz? How much has he kind of rubbed off on not just the Xs and Os of your defense, but sort of the way those guys approach their job?
MARK RICHT: Yeah, well, he's a very passionate coach. A lot of defensive coordinators are. But he's got a great mix of the passion for the game, and the ability to motivate. But he's also -- he really understands offensive football, which helps him understand how to play defensive football. He's very calculated in what he does and why. He understands people's protections. He understands people's run schemes and what they're trying to accomplish.

So he's got a great blend of being a really good football Xs and Os kind of guy, but also a great motivator.

Q. When you talk about guys like Cade Weldon, and N'Kosi Perry, how much are advantages that Cade had in the spring when he was there for early enrollment? Was it Robert burns at running back?
MARK RICHT: We had ten, actually. We had about ten kids that came in mid-year. So it helps a lot. First of all, you get 10 to 15 hours of credit under your belt academically, and then you get a chance to go through our off-season program with our strength and conditioning coaches and all the food, nutrition and all those things. Then you get a chance to learn the system and be coached within the system.

So when the summer rolls around, you really, truly know what coach wants and you can be working on those types of things. So I think it helps a lot. Ahmmon Richards a year ago didn't come in mid year. He came in in the summer. Didn't hurt his chances to make a tremendous contribution as a true freshman. So it's not like it's mandatory to come mid year to have a chance to compete, but it certainly helps.

Q. I was going to ask about last year's class. You've got five guys that started as true freshmen last year. Is that a sign of maybe where the program was that you needed that much help? Or including all three of your linebackers were true freshmen. Are you all beyond that now where maybe one or two, but not that group is a true freshman group?
MARK RICHT: Well, that's hard to say. When guys come in, we want them to compete. We want them to prove that they deserve to play and even possibly start. So I'm not going to put any limitations on these kids. We're going to play the best man. We need to, we have to, and we're obligated to. If it happens to be a true freshman, so be it.

Q. Coach, talk about what you've seen in the spring game last week that might get you ready for the fall? What did you see on offense and defense?
MARK RICHT: Sure. Well, I felt like offensively our offensive line is getting closer to what we need. We'll have two injured players that have played a lot of ball back. Nick Linder, and Sonny will come back, we've got other young guys coming in that will have a chance to compete.

So I think our offensive line is going to be in much better shape to get our first and second unit well in. I think the quarterbacks have all -- they've all shown signs of being able to handle the job and all those types of things. But it wasn't quite as consistent as we wanted in all areas. I think they're capable. Defensively we've got really good depth right now on the front seven.

Our back end, we need some help. We've got help on the way. We've got three, at least -- well, there are two I can talk about, but we've got some help at corner coming in here. Probably another safety as well. So I think that will help us on the back end. We've got a great kicker coming back. We're not sure who the punter is going to be yet. But a lot of good things. We've got Berrios as a return man, Walton can do just about anything on special teams. So we're in good shape.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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