Transcript: Garrett Shrader ACC Media Day Press Conference
Q. I'm curious how you've kind of begun laying a foundation for your relationship with the new offensive coaches, coordinator and quarterback coach? What has that process been like, and how are you enjoying those guys?
GARRETT SHRADER: It's been awesome. It all started with I have a little bit of background with air raid, the same system they came with when I played under Mike Leach, Mississippi State. That was good common ground. A lot of stuff we were running I already knew and was familiar with, so that was awesome.
I love those guys. They coach you hard with passion, and it takes a little bit off everybody else because they will absolutely coach you hard.
My job is just to try to be an extension of them. Being a coach on the field and being able to get all these guys right and get them to where they need to be. Obviously, these guys here as well. But Matthew Bergeron, he sets the tone from up front because you can't do anything with from offensive line. He is clearly the leader in that group. Just trying to be an extension of them.
I think it's been good so far, and we're working intent and know where we are right now, but we know where we need to be come this fall.
Q. Garrett, you and Sean Tucker combined on the ground for over 2,200 yards last season. Just what you can say that means to you to be in this offense as a part of that tandem? And then, secondly, on the passing side of it, just what Coach Beck is doing to open up your game a little bit more so we can see what else you can do on the field?
GARRETT SHRADER: As far as the run game goes, we'll address that first. It starts up front, first and foremost. We have a great offensive line that are doing a lot of good things. We have a great running back, obviously, in Sean Tucker. He can do a lot of things, very versatile.
A lot of things that most people don't see that goes unnoticed is the coaching staff and how creative we actually get in our run game and putting us in the best situation to have one-on-ones or be running on air basically most of the time. That's the credit needs to be given to. That definitely needs to be addressed, and the position that they put us in to be successful in the run game.
Moving on to the new staff and offensive-wise, they're doing the same thing we've again doing last year, keeping that and then bringing what they brought from Virginia. You know, it's not necessarily a concern of if we can get the job done because we know we're more than capable and competent, and we've got a lot of receivers that didn't get a chance to show themselves. We have some names that will be big this year and put on a lot of good plays. We're looking forward to it. We're going to be explosive this year. I will say that in both aspects of the game.
Q. Two new quarterbacks in the locker room with you now. What's your relationship like with the new guys?
GARRETT SHRADER: It's been good. We have got a good group of guys. They're a little bit younger, a little bit less experienced, but our room was a little dwindled down due to the transfer portal and other reasons.
We have a good group, and we feel a little better. We lost one key aspect of the room this spring. We're just trying to bring those guys along. There's a big learning curve. This is my fourth offense in four years, and one of those I wasn't even playing quarterback. I've seen a lot of football and learned other systems, but I've been playing the whole time, versus these guys that are just trying to learn a new system and haven't had the experience. Just trying to bring those guys along and trying to help them out as best I can. We're all in the same goal, same mission.
Q. You just mentioned it, your fourth different offense in four years. Is this offense the most tailor-made to fit your skill set, and how do you feel going into I guess what would be the second year in this offense even though there's a new coordinator?
GARRETT SHRADER: Oh, yeah. This is the most excited I've been since I have been in college for a football season. Part of that is just because I feel like it's my offense, my team that I can kind of go wherever I decide to take it. These coaches have done a great job. They're really, really exciting to play for and just have coaching on the field.
Moving forward, we've got all the pieces we need. Now we have to go out, and Coach Babers has given us all the support staff and tools that we need. We just have to go out and do it. That's what we're looking forward to. We're excited because we're going to be given the opportunity.
Q. You mentioned a couple of the wide receivers going under the radar coming into this season. Can you elaborate a little bit on that and what your chemistry with them has been like throughout the offseason?
GARRETT SHRADER: In terms of air raid, that background that they have, we've been given the framework, and within that, you know, we're running our offense based off the defense.
I have built a little bit of a chemistry with those guys, but even last year I didn't -- I wasn't the starter until Week 4. Just continuing. We were growing the whole time last year. It wasn't like it was a finished product at all. Then we have a new system. We have a little bit of structure, but we're continuing to work on those fine details, but we've got a great group of receivers and I'm excited about what we're going to be doing this year.
THE MODERATOR: Your last question from the podium. Your father has called you an old soul. Why is that?
GARRETT SHRADER: I listen to the same music that he listens to. That's part of it. '70s. Listen to the Eagles and all that stuff. I don't have a lot of social media and all that stuff. I don't really care for it either.
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