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ATLANTIC COAST CONFERENCE FOOTBALL MEDIA CONFERENCE

April 19, 2018

Brian Kelly

Greensboro, North Carolina

BRIAN KELLY: We finish up Saturday with our spring game. We've got one more practice, field practice tomorrow. It's been a miserable spring. We've been inside for 13 out of our 15 practices or 12 out of our 13 practices, but we made great progress. Obviously, building off of our success last year in a sense that winning our bowl game, we were able to come into our off-season program with a lot of confidence.

Guys have done a great job in terms of building themselves physically. Then we went to the field and worked on our technique. We've got a new defensive coordinator, so that tactical piece. The mental end of things, our guys are so much stronger in terms of understanding what it takes and what our process is.

Feeling really good about our spring other than the weather. The questions that we needed answered, I think we're clearly in a position where we know our team as we go into the game on Saturday.

Q. With Coach Lea taking over as coordinator, what have you seen this spring about what kind of impact that's going to have and how the defense will be looking this fall?
BRIAN KELLY: Well, from a systems standpoint, very similar. There's just some slight tweaks here and there and some technique that we wanted to make some, what we thought were appropriate adjustments for our personnel. But it looks, and everything in terms of its foundation is what was developed last year.

His style is different than Mike Elston, and I think everybody has their own style. But he's a great communicator. The guys really trust him. He takes the time. I think when our players, when you look at it, at the end of the day, the players want to know why, and they want to know how they can be the best they can be. He does a great job of communicating that. And I've seen that play out in the way they've practiced.

Q. I know Memphis and a handful of other schools decided to have spring practice scrimmages or practice sessions off campus in other cities just for the program, for recruiting benefits, that type of thing. I was wondering if you had ever thought about doing that or had done that in the places you've coached, and why more schools don't do something like that, you think?
BRIAN KELLY: Well, I think for us it would be where do we go? If we're going to do it, you'd want to go to a warm-weather climate, so then it just depends on where do you go to do that? We all know a couple years ago Michigan going to IMG, going to Europe.

I look at spring ball as you don't have a ton of time and contact hours with your team. So if you can create an opportunity off campus, I think it makes sense. But the logistics are hard, and it's expensive. When you're talking about expenses at Notre Dame, the reality is is it worth the expense of shipping your players off campus? You generally have to take up some of their free time to do it.

So I don't see what the net benefit is doing it off campus. I think it's a great instructional and teaching time. And I think that's kind of where I'll stick with it.

Q. To look at the quarterback Brandon Wimbush, what can you say about his evolution through the spring, and if you feel he's been pushed at all through the season?
BRIAN KELLY: Oh, I think there's great competition there. I think Ian Book is 2-0, he's a guy that's come in and he started one game and finished another against North Carolina and LSU. So we know he's very capable. So that competition is there.

But on the other hand, I think Brandon has made great progress. He needed to certainly solidify and develop his consistency fundamentally, and I think he's done that. When you see that repeating delivery, a confidence starts to build. So I think a lot of confidence in what he's been able to do from a mechanics standpoint because it's helped him mentally. But at the same time, Ian Book's had a good spring, so there is natural competition with that group.

Q. (Inaudible)?
BRIAN KELLY: You were breaking up, but I think the question was what is the upside of Quenton Nelson if he gets drafted. At least I think that's what it was? Is that it?

Q. Yes.
BRIAN KELLY: You know, again, I think this is sometimes hard to say. But he brings immediately, and I know it's an NFL locker room, but he brings a toughness. He brings a mindset that is really, for me, it starts to envelope your whole locker room and team. The way he practices, the way he trains, the way he goes about it every single day, the guy's around him, he influences. And that's a big thing when it comes to getting drafted in the NFL at such a high level.

Q. Coach, Miles obviously had the big catch against LSU in the bowl. How has he and the rest of your receivers progressed this spring?
BRIAN KELLY: I'm very pleased with Miles. He's taken over as our top receiver. He's practiced that way. He's made plays. I expect him to have an impactful -- he'll be impactful in terms of what he does for us this year.

I think Michael Young, a young receiver for us. Chris Finke who both had big catches and touchdowns in the LSU game, have had outstanding springs and Chase Claypool, another player that we need to see emerge. I think he's taken a step forward. A guy that was red-shirted last year, Javon McKinley has had a really good spring.

So I like our young players. Miles will be the centerpiece of that. Then we'll actually even look for guys that will come in as true freshmen that will be able to contribute as well.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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