Everything From Georgia Tech Defensive Line Coach Jess Simpson After Monday's Fall Camp Practice

Week three of fall camp kicked off today for Georgia Tech, and Yellow Jackets defensive line coach Jess Simpson spoke with the media afterwards. Here is everything that he had to say.

On the progression of the defensive line…

“You know what, it's a really good mix. I really like the kids that we got out of the portal. The new guys have done a really good job of buying into the culture, being good teammates, and becoming a part of the room. Also new are those young kids. I've just been excited about them. I mean they're they're hungry, they're talented. Um they're learning every day. There's a lot of coaching going on in our room from player to player, which as a coach is really fun to watch. Kind of seeing guys take ownership and trying to help the young guys or discussing how to do that, or I like this what's worked for me kind of thing. It's been a fun room. It's been really different because it's either really old or really young, you know, there's not a lot of kids right there in the middle.”

On kickoff being 17 days away…

“You know, you can't wait to get to it, but you also know all the things you want to accomplish to be ready before you get to it. They're both, you know, creating stress in a good way in a sense of there's a sense of urgency of what's coming. I probably know more than the kids do. And so whether it's situationally learning what to do, combinations of playing guys together, you know, young guys being ready and understanding the moments in the game and how things change and how they're different based on time left, based on down and distance, you know, based on call.

But certainly, man, you don't want to wish your life away, but you can't wait for that first game.”

On where the group ranks compared to previous groups…

“I think it's a unique mix. Um, there's some size and girth. There's some depth that we hadn't had. There's some twitch with some young guys and some movement ability. So I think what I like about this room, number one, is the depth. Um, I like the ability that's going to be developed. You know, the biggest spot we're in right now is figuring out the players. You know, I always talk about learn the learner and how to feature the guys.

And it's, it's really fun to see, okay, after a few weeks of summer ball going, okay, we're going to be able to feature you this way, and we're going to be able to feature you this way. And we're still trying to figure out how we're going to feature you. Each guy that's that's individual. They're not cookie-cutter. They're made different. They have different bodies. They have different skill sets. Certain things we have to do. They're all the same. But in other ways, man, it is about figuring out how do I feature this guy and where his best game comes to light.”

On Christian Garrett…

“He's worked hard in the transition. If you've ever done it, which, you know, move from backer to DN or from DN to DTackle, man, those moves are just in some ways it's, you know, just so different, you know? So, he's done a really good job of trying to own like, okay, because things just happen so fast. You hit blocks in less than half a second. You're reacting to pressure. You're reacting to color. You're moving and making, you know, and reacting off the next blocker. Like, it comes at you really, really fast. Different from playing off the ball or different from playing on the edge. So, I think he's done a really, really good job. Um, he's learning.He's come a long way, and he has a long way to go. Um, but big hopes and aspirations for him.”

On Vincent Carroll Jackson…

“I tell you, the encouraging thing for Vince is um, I think Vince's game has really come to life the last three weeks. I think we're really going to be able to know how to feature him. He's a kid who knows how to get vertical. He actually got some initial quickness to him. I think you know with Boogie and what he wants to do up front, like I think there's a way to you know, allow that kid to really help us and create some havoc in the backfield.”

On Christian Speakman…

“Speakman has, you know, probably been a huge surprise since January. Wasn't heavily recruited. Um, we're really excited he's on our football team. Very, very talented young man. In saying that, like he's still a true freshman. You know, he has a lot to learn, but he has a natural instinct, um, for understanding how to fight blocks, play blocks, fight pressure, and play with his hands for his age and his experience at an above-average level. I expect big things out of him his freshman year. Um, but you know he's still just a freshman, so excited about him.”

On Shymeik Jones

“Shymeik for me man, he's unique. He's like a glue guy in the room. Um, he's an old soul. He is very, um, fundamental, extreme, you know. I remember working him out years ago when I was at another school at a camp, and like he's a big basketball player, super athlete, very bendy. He has really taken to like the so for those guys to me, playing D-Tackle the physical part of the game is the hardest transition and just watching his progression over the last few years you know and then watch what he did at the end of the year and a couple of those last games and the way he played you know he's come he's come a long long way. I'm really, really proud of him. There's more to go for him. Um, and he's very versatile. You can play him in a lot of places.

Very smart, very savvy, very good for the room."

On Landen Marshall…

“Landon, I thought, probably last week was one of the better weeks he's had. So, he starts, you know, he sees the room. He sees some old guys, you know, they're in front of him; he sees some young guys that are coming and pushing who want playing time. I think that's been, you know, the competition for our room honestly has been unbelievable, you know, and the guys look around, and they know it, and they can recognize, you know, those young guys making plays and playing blocks against our ones and go, "Wow, okay." Like, this room is real, and there's real competition here.

So, I think it's been good for all of us and especially him."

On how the depth allows the team to be more aggressive….

“If you watch us play and everywhere I've been the last 10 years, I believe like there is a feel for how to play guys, and I believe this man when guys are fresh their ball looks good and they play really, really fast. The best players in any league, when they get tired, it's bad. I mean, it's just they don't play. I mean, it's not as good. It's not what it could be. And if I can get a room that's four, five, six deep, I'm going to fight like crazy to play all those guys and have them fresh. And in saying that, it's hard to play five and six. It's hard to play five and six, but that's a good thing. You have depth, you have competition. Um, but idealistically, you want your best players out there when it's money time or certainly in the winning time moments situationally. Um, but I'm excited about the depth we're creating for sure”

On the ideal number for amount of guys in the rotation..

“I mean, it's twofold. You want to keep guys fresh, but you want to get guys in a groove, too. If you got a good player and he's not playing enough snaps in a row, it's hard to find that rhythm in a game. So, it's really having a feel and a balance for how the game is going, you know, has our offense been out there for 12 plays or was it three and out and punt, and like having a feel for seeing their faces on the sideline, you know? So, a lot of that is just kind of to me the feel for the game as a coach, coaching your guys and having a feel for what they need and what they do best and where they're at in that in them in those moments.”

On where he wants to see the defensive line at the end of fall camp…

“Yeah, that's easy. Um, last week, man, our Tuesday, Wednesday practices kind of like today, like I was so excited for parts of those practices and the improvement that I'm seeing. We got to take it between the white lines, like drills to the field, the white line theory, like these guys; we got to go out in a scrimmage game, and I need to see all that work that these guys put in. I need to show up. I need to show up, you know, and not just with one guy as a unit, not just the tackles with the ends. Like, you know, we put in some great work, and I've got the tape to say, man, we've improved. Um, this week the challenge will be, hey, I want to see it come Saturday, and more of it is probably the best way to say that.”

On relationship with Jason Semore and how they work together…

“He's a class act. He's fun to work with. It is certainly very different from the last two guys I've worked with. Um, but it's been a lot of fun. The players like it. It's a system of man, if you want to create havoc, if you want to be vertical, if you want to be multiple, if you want to create confusion in an offensive line, like what Boogie wants to do. So I've really, um, and everything's not all new; maybe the combinations of it, how we're doing it. There are so many little dynamics and intrinsic things that happen with it. Um, it's been fun. I'm excited, and I think we've been hard to block. So, we'll see if we can make that come to life on Saturdays."

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