Florida State coordinators Alex Atkins, Adam Fuller and John Papuchis talk with the media after Sunday's second scrimmage of preseason camp.

On Shyheim Brown

Fuller: “He is moving in the right direction. He's been trending in the right direction now since camp two years ago when we really invested in him and put him in that role last year. It was all because I thought he deserved that. But I also think he has the ability on the field. I think he's a really good teammate. I think the guys love him. He loves the team. Whether it's offense or defense, Shy is usually somebody that's right in the middle of it, trying to encourage, I think it's one of his really positive character traits. Shy will be a very important player for us this season. I think he's got all of the ability to do multiple things, and we're going to be able to play at a high level, and I do believe in him.”

On takeaways and Greedy Vance

Fuller: “Greedy, he made a good really good one-on-one play. I thought the offense was doing a pretty good job in the throw game of just executing but, they throw a one-on-one and the way we coach and the way Coach Surtain coaches, is that balls in the air, there is no wideout, there is no DB. That’s about being aggressive. Greedy did a nice job of going out and making the play. It gave us the ball at midfield at the change of possession. I think we knocked a couple of balls in the ground today too, and I don’t think we came up with many of them. I thought we made a lot of strides during the week to have just talking about the opportunities and making sure that we're working at the football, even if they don't get out, you got to really work it and I thought we actually were probably one of the better weeks of just punching and attacking football. So I think that's got to continue.”

On how good defense is capable of being

Fuller: “We got a chance to be as good as, as good as there is. I think we got a really strong nucleus of players. We're constantly trying to build depth because you're going to need it. But I feel really comfortable group of guys we have we're going to have to continue to work at it and continue to execute on game days. I don't put any limits on what this group can accomplish both defensively and as a team. We've got the right people but that right group of people needs to continue to push in the right direction. I've got no questions about who we coach right now. And I'm excited to go to work and jump into the season with them.”

On Tatum Bethune

Fuller: “Tatum is somebody that you can absolutely see him having an impact after football. Just with his character, his personality and his encouragement. He's got such maturity to him. I think we noticed that right when he walked through the door last year. He's got good quickness, he's physical, he’s smart. I just think his maturity is really important to this football team. He's got a really good way of looking at things and like I said, he’s very mature, he's a winner, and he won in high school. He will do everything he can this year to make sure that he is the person this team reaches whatever potential we have.”

On DJ Lundy

Fuller: “I would say right now he's our most improved linebacker. So, that's saying something. I thought Omar was probably the most improved in the spring. When somebody's going into, I guess that's year 4 for DJ. He's shown the growth that he's had, just, I think he's, he's trending in a really strong direction. And he's somebody that I think can affect third-down pass rush to just offer some opportunities. Because of how physical and, and twitchy he is. He has been really, really impressive with the way he's gone about the work here the last three weeks.”

On Coach Surtain:

Fuller: “More just his personality. I'm so pleased because when you try to speed the hiring process up, I dealt with my limited information with him early just when he was at (American) Heritage. And then I trusted really with people that were around him from outside of that with the (Miami) Dolphins. And then that week that really, really tried to spend as much time with him as he was still coaching with the Dolphins. I had a feeling about it and I thought our personalities really connect. And he's exactly what I thought he would be from a standpoint of there's never a situation that he's uncomfortable even whether he doesn't know whether it's an expert at it, whether it's relationships, he's got really easy going but demanding personality to him, and I think our players gravitate towards that.

"Listen, you can be a great player, like he was with great history and guys will read about it, they'll be excited. That only lasts for a week or so. Until the players really say okay, this guy's invested in me. Now he not only was a player but he can teach me but just the day-to-day workings of with with with Coach Surtain. For me, it's been exciting to them. I'm in that room with him a lot. And just to see his relationship grow with those guys and see the trust and just his everyday personnel as the thing that I would jump out because I knew he would know how to play the bounce back we're all different types of teachers. I knew that the teaching component would be there. It was just a matter of what type of that tone even said that that group and just really pleased at this point."

How was tackling this week compared to last week’s scrimmage? Also, can you reflect on Jared Verse's growth from spring to now.

Fuller: "From last week, I wanted the physicality in practice to show up. In today’s game when you’re trying to keep guys up during practices, there’s a way to do that and still bring physicality. I think throughout the week we did a good job of that and back to Ira’s question about the ball disruptions and attacking in. I thought we made a lot of strides this past week in allowing our guys to practice hard and physically but being smart in the same way. I thought there were some really good open-field plays. I thought Conrad Hussey and Ashland Barker had some really good tackles in the open field, but we missed a few too. I think it’s something you’re never going to say ok we're there and we’re going to walk away from that fundamental. We’ve got a chance every Saturday or Sunday to judge what that is and we need to have competitive excellence. I do like the mindset and the way we practice this week. We’re we perfect today? No. It’s never something you’re going to check the box and say let's move on. Tacking is the name of the game and if you don’t take it away, you’ve got to be able to tackle it. We do need to create that one-on-one tackle situation and make sure that we are executing."

Coach Norvell mentioned Justin Cryer earlier. What improvements have you seen in this camp, especially having to make a quick transition?

Fuller: "It was a quick turnaround with Justin. With the background that we did, he’s a good-sized framer backer with really good footwork. We’ve just got to keep pushing the development with him. It’s going to be a lot of work to get him ready for this year, but we’re going to work through it. He’s defiantly going to have an impact in the football program, whether it’s on special teams or it’s just in development this year. We are happy to have him. He fits us. He’s going to be a good player in his career here at Florida State."

You guys have brought in some good DBs and there were already good DBs there are a lot of guys that have played multiple positions and have started a ton of games. We talk about how the offensive line has more than five starters and the feels like the secondary has more than five starters. How do you guys plan to handle that and how have the guys handled that so far?

"We brought in a really strong class year. You put that on top and you add Fentrell to that class. The year before the one in that class was Azareye’h and before that, you had Jamie, Shy and Kevin. You put all those groups together and you have the J Dub, Renardo and Aykeem that were here in year one. We’ve recruited, we’ve evaluated well but you also have the Renardo, Aykeem, J-dub, and development. It’s kind of a mixture of that. You have a. chance to create multiplicity in your best players out there. Whether that’s J-Dub at Nickle, Greedy playing some corner or Nickle or Kevin back. Then the young guys, when you’re trying to get a late second or third group, these are the guys that can play. We’ve played over 200 snaps of six and seven DB sets, so you need those scholarship numbers because of the number of man-match coverage we play. The physicality of the safety is going to play with. The answer is making sure that some guys play at limited spots and some guys play at multiple. That’s a way to create depth. This DB class is outstanding. This group we brought in. Is everyone going to be a starting player this year? No, but everyone belongs at Florida State. Some guys will immediately help on our special teams and some guys will help on some longer rotations. Shyheem was a great example. In his freshman year, he redshirted and played 30 snaps. Kevin almost started every game that year as a freshman. Now, I think they’re both really good players. We’re going to play a lot of them. We’re going to need them all. We make sure we’re playing them at multiple spots so we have the best group on the field each down."

On Jordan Travis' performance

"Jordan was Jordan. He got in there and operated, making decisions, took care of the ball. It was good to see him go out there and operate at a high level. Sometimes you get accustomed to seeing it and you kind of take it for granted. He's a special player."

What's it like to watch this passing game, first-team offense when it is really clicking?

"I think the positive came from we had our whole operation going from communication to everybody on the sideline and on. I think the biggest thing we saw was growth over the summer of being able to get the signal, get lined up, operating with tempo and confidence. That helps the passing game quickly because we can get lined up and operate and now guys are not worried about their assignment, they're looking at where the defense is going. So a receiver can not just say, 'What do I have on this route?' He sees it, knows it, looks forward and is kind of predicting, visualizing what he's going to see as he starts attacking downfield, which our operation makes faster. I think that helps the passing game. We've got some guys that are matchup problems and can cause some issues, but everybody isn't just playing man coverage. Sometimes, you've got to know how to find these holes, get to those spaces, know what a route's depth should be. That goes beyond just the mismatch. I think those guys did a good job of operating within the system, seeing the signal, getting lined up and not just processing their assignment but attacking what they're seeing in front of them."

How have you seen Jordan use all the offensive weapons he has?

"He's allowing the game to come to him, where he's not just saying, 'I've got to get the ball to this guy.' No, you have a weapon at each spot. Whoever gets it in those situations can be special with the ball. Now, he's more attacking what the defense is giving him and if you take that underneath throw, it can go from three yards to 12 yards because of the special player that is catching the ball. When we get to matchups and they've got everyone covered down, it's cover zero, cover one, somebody has got to go win, there's a preferable matchup. But at the end of the day, it's really the players who are catching the ball, doing what they do after the catch. I think that's what has been a relief for Jordan is I don't have to force or go for that big gusto. I can take the checkdowns, I can take the underneath throws and still get big plays out of them because of the players that we have that can do that."

Was there a moment today where it clicked that the offense was exactly what you were looking for?

"A big thing I watch in practice is their eyes. There's a process when you call a play from the sideline, they're looking at you. That's the first part of eyes. When you're running upfield and they should be knowing exactly where they're going, now they're looking at the defense. A lot of times, you get nervous when they're looking at you, they get the call and they're still kind of looking at you, processing what they're going to do. Then they run out there and they're still processing what they're going to do and then they line up hoping they do it right. That comes through repetition, that comes through being comfortable. We're starting to see that confidence in the assignment. We're throwing the whole deal in, we're not limiting it. So for them to start settling down, the install is settling down a bit and to see them operate with efficiency, that was the moment I saw it as far as they're looking at you when you're calling a play in the huddle but when they take the field, they're looking at the defense and then going right for their spots. The more we can get that thing sharpened, the better we can operate."

Destyn Hill made another play. What has allowed him to be so consistent in his first preseason?

"That's his mindset. Our job as coaches is we've got talented players. The work is hard. It's a long camp, it's every day, all day. There's not a refreshing period. Really, it's training the mindset of how to approach. He has something that is hard to find. He has desire. You don't have to motivate or inspire him. It's already in him. You know why he's doing it, you know why he wants to do it so those are the ones you have to protect from themselves. As long as there's work, he's going to go find it. He gets after it. I really want to praise his mindset and approach, his preparation which has allowed him to have those opportunities. Sometimes as a coach, you have a guy with all the talent in the world but the desire is not quite there yet so you have to inspire them with desire so that instead of making them meet, they want to meet, they want to go get to work. He has that in him already. He comes from a wonderful high school program. He knows why he's working and what he wants to get out of this."

On the offensive line, how much easier it for guys to play with confidence, do their job when they know the guy next to them will capably do their job?

"Yeah, that's why early on, we had a couple of new pieces, I don't move them around. I keep them in one spot so they can learn and build the confidence to be able to do that before we start building the depth in other spots, the continuity. For example, when you first get into camp, the o-line makes every call. They get up there and they might say, 'Hey, it's us two to these two.' They're giving away everything, they're calling. Now, you start to see the continuity where they don't even have to say much. They understand, 'I know he knows what I mean when I do something, when I have a particular action. I know he knows whether I'm giving a dummy call or a real call. I know he knows why I'm widening out here.' Those things come with the continuity coming. We have a bunch of that. We have a bunch of guys that have played a lot of reps. I am spoiled in that fact, I've had the same guys for awhile. But those new guys, I'm starting to see them take on that where they're building the relationship in that room, that continuity. I give those guys a salute for that because the closeness of the room is starting to show with less communication because they already know the guy knows."

How much fun has it been to watch Darius Washington, how far he has come?

"Darius embodies the total of what we want a guy to become once they get into that fourth, fifth year. Knowing all five spots, knowing how to practice, knowing how to operate, knowing the expectation. He is the embodiment because when he got in, he had the shoulder surgery and then he had the knee deal last year. Now he's fully healthy and ready to roll. He's having fun, he's playing with confidence. That's what I tell those o-linemen. The game doesn't get fun until you know what to do and you're in good shape and you're strong. It is not fun to play o-line when you don't know what to do, you're not strong and it's hard to get through practices. It's not an enjoyable experience. He's getting the fruits of those labors where now it's fun. That's when you start playing your best ball because now I know what to do, I know what to expect, I know how my body is going to feel when I'm tired, I know what's going to happen. I've been here before. Some of those young guys, they haven't hit that fun part yet. It's still a challenge for them, and I make sure it's a challenge in how I operate with them. But he's at the fun part of it. Now, it's I love coming to practice, I love coming to work because I know what to expect, what to do and if I make a mistake, I know exactly what I did right after doing it."

How close are you to starting five on OL?

"We've got eight guys that can go win us football games. Two more that can go in a game and operate at a high level and we'll see if they can win games. They just haven't done it yet. I feel good with that room. I think it's a unique situation where we'll play more than five."

On the kicking competition between Ryan Fitzgerald and Tyler Keltner

"I was really pleased with the kicking today, I thought all of our specialists had a good day. We were perfect on our kicks. I think Tyler (Keltner) was 2 for 2 today, Ryan (Fitzgerald) was 1 for 1 on field goals. We made all of our PATs. I thought the punters both had really good days, both with directional punting and with hang time and distance. So I thought today was our best day probably as a unit for the specialists. In terms of just overall assessment, I think in terms of kickers, I think both guys have had a really good camp. I think here in the next week or so, obviously we're going to have to make some tough decisions. But both guys have competed well, there's been pretty consistent performances from both kickers and that's a good thing to have that kind of competition in camp makes everybody better and then also obviously creates depth for your roster moving forward."

There’s a chance both might end up being needed regardless of who kicks on Sept. 3

"We haven't really gotten there yet in terms of what that would look like. But I think they understand how it works and I think both guys know that you got to be ready when your number is called, regardless of the situation. They compete well together. I think there's a good relationship and a good bond there. I feel like the competition, although I know both of them want to win the job, I think they also are going to be supportive teammates, and if they're needed in the season, if we have a situation where the other guys up, I think they'll certainly be ready to roll."

Edmond and Turner in scrimmage 1 impressed, how about in scrimmage 2

"I thought Byron had a really good scrimmage today. He did a lot of good things. I thought Gilber also had a good day. I haven't had an opportunity to watch the tape yet. But those guys continue to progress and, I'm pleased with our progress. I feel really good with that top four defensive end group. And now it's about continuing to get them better and then finding that next guy that's going to be the fifth guy behind that top group of four."

Jared Verse’s impact today, what have you seen him in year 2

"Jared is an extremely hard worker. Going into year 2, he and his teammates probably know him better. I think he's probably a little bit more comfortable in a leadership-type role. So I thought through the offseason, I can see him kind of growing into that role, a little bit more of an assertive leadership position. In terms of the impact that he makes, I think he's an elite defensive lineman. When he's on the field, we definitely feel his presence. And he can impact games in a lot of different ways. And having him out there today, you did feel his presence and you did feel his impact."

You’ve worked a lot of guys on kick and punt returns, do you feel good about the two guys at each spot

"I think we’ll be settled into the group that is going to be our primary kick return guys. We have some pretty good depth in the kick return game, so I do think we have some flexibility and some multiplicity in terms of that. Punt return will be settled in terms of who we want it to be. We may use to two guys depending on situations but once we settle into that and coach is ready to announce how we're going to enter that, I think we’ll be pretty comfortable with who those are."

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