Defensive coordinator Don Pellum spoke with the media after Thursday’s practice for the first time since Monday’s media day. While the main story of practice was Vernon Adams’ official arrival, Pellum and his defense paid little attention to it, instead focusing on the defense’s development on the first day of practice in full pads. Though Pellum said some of his players were rusty, as can be expected on the first full-contact day, he praised head coach Mark Helfrich’s practice format that allows Pellum and fellow assistant coaches to teach individuals despite the fast tempo.

Give us a status report so far. How do you think things are going?

First day of pads, so it’s a little rusty, but things are going really well. I think, overall, all positions there’s some guys flashing, so that’s exciting.

Any names you see flash out there today specifically?

I think DeForest (Buckner) is playing at an extremely high level. A lot of guys are. DeForest, Tyree (Robinson). Tui (Talia) is showing up. Henry Mondeaux is showing up. Joe Walker. Tyson (Coleman) and (Christian) French are playing extremely well. I think the safeties are playing well. And Arrion Springs made a lot of plays.

Did your defense see a new quarterback today? If so, how did the QB look?

We don’t pay attention to that. For an assessment of the quarterbacks you have to ask the offensive guys. When we’re on the field we’re focusing on our guys. We’re seeing the reaction, so we’re not focusing on those guys.

How much actual teaching time is going into these early practices? Is there time to actually take a player aside and teach?

Fall camp is so awesome. The way coach Helfrich sets it up, you have pretty much 25 to 35 minutes with an individual per day. You can break that up and organize in any way that you need to communicate to your players.

The way coach Helfrich structures it, you have time to really teach.

What is Springs doing differently this year that he wasn’t doing last year?

I see Arrion more alert, more aware and he’s trusting his instincts. Last year, every now and then he would flash. Through camp, we can see him see it (snaps finger) and he’s going. He’s making more plays.

Last spring, you said Henry Mondeaux is the most improved player defensively. Have you seen that carry over into fall camp? 

Thus far, Henry’s production has not dropped off. He goes nonstop. What makes him special is his motor. He’s on the punt team, he’s on all these special teams and all these defensive groups. He doesn’t slow down. It’s amazing. One of those guys playing with a high motor.

At the fast pace these practices are conducted at, do you have time in between plays to do individual corrections, or do you have to file them away and later address them all at once?

That’s a very good question. The way practice works is, we rotate groups. So if I need to catch Rodney (Hardrick) for example, when Rodney’s out I can run over and grab him, but what our practice forces us to do, there’s not a lot of time to make a lot of comments. You have to pinpoint Rodney, “When you see this, do this.” And then you have to get back to watching the other guys.

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