Everything from Defensive Tackles Coach Kevin Downing At His Wednesday Media Availability

On Wednesday, defensive tackles coach Kevin Downing talked to the media about the newcomers, returners, and an outlook at the interior of the defense. Here is everything he had to say.

On Anthony Britton and Jason Hammond coming back…

“It's so great. It's awesome to have them back, right? Whenever you can retain players who have been with you, players that have played, right, the first thing it does is just they're culture carriers, right? They're carrying the culture that Coach Elliott has laid here since we first got here. They know what's expected. So when you get returns back, it's just awesome. I think the offseason, both of them had a really good offseason. Both of them got bigger, stronger, and faster. They know the defense, um, the details. Now the challenge is just how consistent you can be daily. The thing yesterday, I thought we had a team meeting was really good and Shep spoke to him about habits. So, it's about building good habits daily and how consistent can you be?”

On the ceiling for Hammond and Britton….

“I think they both can (All-ACC) if they're consistent daily and they come out every day with the right mindset. I think the sky's the limit for them. I just think they're both in a good place right now, working hard, doing a good job this spring. So both excited about them. But I do think um that ceiling for them is there. So excited to just see their development and just continue to see them grow.”

On if someone new has stepped up in a leadership role…

“Jah’s (Jahmeer Carter) gone now, and you know we all know who he was, and he was what you know, coach Elliot built this program on about being a champion man. That's what he was. I think we got, you know, a couple of guys whom you mentioned already, Britton and Hammond, um, whom you see, um, just kind of taking on that role. You hear their voice a little more. Fisher Camac is a guy whose voice you hear a little more. So, it's been exciting, you know, as a coach, um, as you work, as long as you're in this profession, you know, you see guys come in, and they grow. Um, and when they leave, you miss them, but it's also exciting to see new guys kind of step up and new guys kind of grow in that role. So, it's been exciting. It's been good. It's kind of a little bit more by committee, which you know what I thought what I thought it would be, but you know, guys are working hard every day to try to do that, and it's been fun.”

On Sichan John and his growth…

“I think you've seen a lot of growth, and it starts with his body. I think Coach Smoke and his staff did a phenomenal job. Just his body is a lot better; he's cleaner, he's leaner, and his body's moving much better. I think he's understanding the defense a little more. I just think just the consistency, you know, fundamentally just building good habits daily. I think that's the next step for him. Um, just kind of growing there and growing and becoming a guy that we can count on for more than just first and second down. I think that's something that he wants to do. Being a guy that we can count on for um pushing the pocket some. So it's exciting to see. He's such a great kid. Comes from a great family, and he comes in every day with the right mindset.”

On what stood out about Zion Wilson…

“The first thing I thought you know that I was looking for when I met him is just getting the right guy. We talk about OKG. He's our kind of guy, and you know, Zion our kind of guy. He's the right type of guy. You're around him. He's a hard worker. He's selfless. Um has no ego. He just shows up every day with the right mindset. Then you get a chance to watch his film for a big guy. He's got twitch and suddenness. which you like. He's got some playmaking ability. Um, so just very excited for him. He's really strong. Um and just excited about the kid he is. I love coaching him. He shows up every day with the right mindset, and he's fit in seamlessly.”

On the newcomers and if anybody fits the bill that can help with interior pass rush…

“You talked about Jacob. I thought he had a great year, and he provided something different in there for us. It's been a couple of days here early, but I've been impressed with the guys. I've been impressed with um Darrion Henry-Young. You know, you've seen something there. Um, big kid, athletic, good feet. So, um, guys are still growing, so we'll continue to watch them and continue to coach him and see them. But I've been impressed with what we got in there and just the guys we got, and it's all about competitive depth. I think what you saw last year was five guys playing close to 250 snaps. So the guys were fresh and able to roll bodies in and out. Then for us it's always going to be about our you know the pass rush was much improved last year, but you know our run defense was much improved. That's what it's going to be about. You know, if you can get guys in situations where the guys up front know they've got to throw the ball, and they're going to be a lot better. It's hard to rush a quarterback when it's third and fourth. So we got to be really good versus the run. We get a chance to go against a really good front every day in practice. I can tell you that. You know, those guys, man, they're really, really good. So, we get better going against those guys. I mean, you talk about Bowley and Monroe and Makilan. I mean, you just name them, man. They're really, really good players. Drake Metcalf, I mean, you go against really, really good players every day. You'll continue to get better. We're fortunate here that we get to go against those guys every day, and it helps us.”

On if Virginia looked at Darrion Henry-Young tape on them last year…

“Yeah, you do. You watch clips, you watch it, and you're just looking for traits. That's all you're looking for, traits that you think will fit who you are. and fit the defense. And I saw the traits, and then you get a chance to meet him. Just his personality is infectious. He's the type of kid that thrive here and do really well here at the University of Virginia. I thought he was a really good fit for the room and he has been. He's been awesome.”

On if there was something seen last year that was a point of emphasis this spring…

“I think just the ability to not stay blocked, you know, getting off blocks and you know, winning some more one-on-ones and having the ability to finish. I thought we

missed some tackles that we really focused on here, and you know, just a lot of them up front were just us not willing to go down a level. We had more opportunities for TFLs that we left on the table. So those are some things just inwardly that you know that we're looking at just defending the gap scheme run is something that you know we're constantly trying to look at and see how we can improve at. Some of those things are things that we're working on, but fundamentally, I think just hand placement and staying active with our feet, you know, are things that allow us to get off blocks a little better and finish.”

On what he gathered from Jonathan Allen in their first meeting…

“The first thing when you meet him is just you find out he's a great kid, comes from a great family. Really hard worker, means a lot. He's smart. He picks up the defense really well. Coach (Jonathan)Celestin, who's back with us now, was at UAB with him. We had a chance to talk with him, and he said he was our type of guy. And I think that's the biggest thing when you're going into the portal, you just want to find guys that fit, right? Guys that fit. You know, you watch your traits and make sure, you know, they good players, but it's got to be about the fit. He's a guy that fits. He's getting better every day. Um, fundamentally, he's a guy that, you know, showed that he can play with some knock back and, um, you saw it, you know, on tape, and he's been a guy that's came out every day with the right mindset. So, super excited about him and where he's at right now.”

On how to attack the portal in a short span of time…

“I think it's a combination of a lot of things. I think as you talked about, you want productive guys, right? You want guys that have played and been productive. Um, but you want guys that fit, you know, got the right mindset, you know, guys that can fit at the University of Virginia and do well. I don't care how good you are. Um, if you're not a fit and you're not enjoying where you are, it's going to be pretty hard. I think we got the right guys, guys that fit, guys that love this place, guys that love being in this building, love the culture that Coach Elliot has built. I think you see him thrive. I think that's the most important thing for us is just, you know, we get references, you know, when we can on guys, but getting around them as best you can and getting a chance to meet them and talking to people about them and getting a chance to see them with your players and see how they fit because that's the most important thing, just finding guys that fit. I feel like we got a good culture and that's really important. Last year, I thought we had a bunch of guys that loved each other, and we were really close football team, but we were really close on the D line and the O line. I thought, you know, those guys were always together, always with each other. I think when you can have that, have that connection, especially in those position groups, I think it's a plus for you. So for us, that was the big thing, just production and fit. I think that's been pretty good.”

On seeing the returners lead the team and bridging the same elements from last year…

“I think you've seen it. It started with coach Smoke when he had him um, several mornings they had breakfast together, and you know, they were together, and coach Smoke had questions for him to get to know each other. So I think all those things are really important. I've seen it. I think this is a football team that you see that has a want to.Um, and just if we can continue that way, I think we'll finish out this thing this spring the way we want to.”