Arizona Wildcats Training Camp: Taye Brown and Max Harris
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We are officially a week and a half out from the season opener against Hawaii for the Wildcats with them entering the final week of training camp. Following Tuesday’s practice, linebackers Taye Brown and Max Harris spoke to the media.
On LB coach Josh Bringuel being named to the 30 under 30 list:
Brown: “It’s definitely a well-deserved preseason award. He is a great coach, very knowledgeable in what he does. Learning from him all throughout the summer and spring, I’ve gained so much just from him specifically and applied it to my game which I appreciate.
Harris: “I think that coach doesn’t just say what to do, he is explaining everything why we’re doing it. (He is) explaining why we run this defense or why we’re doing this technique… I think it’s that and he brings the juice every day so that’s another thing on top of all his great coaching.”
On where Brown’s game has developed the most during training camp:
Brown: “Besides being more vocal out on the field, just being more comfortable with the defense and knowing what the defensive line is doing, knowing what the (defensive backs) are doing so I can adjust what I’m doing to the best of my abilities.”
On how Hawaii playing this weekend helps prepare Arizona for next week:
Brown: “It is definitely huge to see them play a week before. Just to see their tendencies and stuff like that, see how their offensive line is, their receivers… Just seeing all their little tendencies and what they run on these specific downs in these game situations.
Harris: “Them playing this week is going to help because it’s not about what they had last year. It’s about what they’re going to have this year, so I think there’s no better way to watch the film than to have something from this current year.”
On how pushing each other looks from players standpoint:
Brown: “I feel like it all started in January when we first got here… We would always be pushing each other being right next to each other… Just challenge each other every single day out on the field, challenge each other to run to the ball to working on our foot work in the box and outside the box just so we can excel at our position.”
On Chase Kennedy moving to the linebacker group:
Brown: “I feel like pass rush is his forte because he’s been doing that since he got to college. I’m taking tips from him. He’s a freak athlete, so I feel like stuff just comes to him naturally. I feel like just working on his foot pattern in the box, and his pass drops and where to go and what your mindset should be in pass drops and what routes you can expect.”
Harris: “They moved Chase off the ball because he can do it. It’s the same thing that I do with Taye or that Taye does with me that we do with each other in the whole linebacker room. We’re going to challenge each other to get out the break faster… Chase is just like another linebacker to me. I don’t necessarily think I don’t know if he can do this. I’m confident in everything Chase can do off the ball. He definitely helps me with my pass rush.”
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Ari Koslow is a sports writer covering the University of Arizona athletics at On SI. Koslow has been covering Arizona sports for several years. Born and raised in Seattle, he is a diehard Seahawks fan and a longtime sufferer of the Mariners. He is a huge fantasy football fanatic. Koslow is a graduate of Arizona’s School of Journalism.