Notre Dame Fighting Irish College Football Pregame Quote, 12/28/2021

You already submitted to Notre Dame to play lacrosse before going to Wisconsin for football. What does it mean to you to be here now at Notre Dame leading them to the fifth overall spot in the country and in the Fiesta Bowl? Just what does this program mean to you?

Yeah, I mean, it means a ton to me. It was always sort of my dream to come play football here at Notre Dame. And, obviously, I was coming here for lacrosse. And then when I was in the transfer portal and Notre Dame came around and offered me to come here, it sort of just felt like it was meant to be. So every day just feels like a blessing to be here. And I’m just super excited for this last opportunity.

Going off of that, when you were looking for where you were going to play this season after going into the portal, I guess, what were you kind of looking for in terms of a place you could really go into a competition to start, or was it more just: Hey, Notre Dame is Notre Dame, and I was going to come here, and it just so happened to be that they were replacing a three-year QB.

I’d say, number one, I was looking for a place that I could compete to play. And then after that, I was just looking for the best program. And, obviously, Notre Dame presented that opportunity, and I was hoping they would when I was sort of looking, and I think it worked out great.

The transfer portal in general, and the new wave of a lot more transfers, it obviously has paid off for a lot of guys – you chief among them. Are there any downsides to the rampant transfer, or is this just, all in all, a win/win/win for players?

To be honest, I’m not really sure. I know, for me, I felt like it was a win/win and just a better opportunity for me going forward. A lot of positives came out of it for me as far as playing on a great football team, meeting a bunch of new friends and having great teammates and a new coaching staff, gaining more knowledge about football and so on. So, for me, it was a win/win. It was a blessing. I’m sure some other people might not have as good of experiences; but for me, it was great.

As you sort of look back on the season and getting into the Notre Dame locker room, for a grad transfer, what were the keys to making it work in terms of getting to know guys, trying to lead, but not trying to lead too much; trying to fit in – what were the keys to making that work in your case?

I’d say the main key for me was just putting my head down and working as hard as I could. I felt like, at first, you have to lead by example before you can become that vocal guy in the locker room.

And I think it’s sort of just getting out of your comfort zone. You go from a place in Wisconsin where you’re sort of one of the main guys and you know everybody, everyone knows you, you’re great friends with everyone. Then you come here and nobody knows you; nobody knows anything about you. So it’s just getting out of your comfort zone, trying to meet new guys, put yourself out there and talk to guys and seeing what their story is, and so on.

[Coach] Marcus Freeman has been pretty clear that he wants the focus to be on winning this game and ending sort of the season and some of the careers for you guys on a high note. How much do you appreciate that as being a guy that this is the last game at Notre Dame for you? And what would it mean to you to have a big performance in the Fiesta Bowl to end your Notre Dame career?

Yeah, it means a ton to me. I certainly definitely want to go out with a win. You’re at a place like Notre Dame, a lot of guys are used to being in the playoffs and things like that. So you might take a breath or a step back and saying you’re not in the playoff; you’re just in a bowl game. But for him to say that we’re going to do this and this is a business trip, we’re going to go out and win, it means a ton to me. It would mean everything to end my career with a win.

Did you miss anything about playing in a conference this year?

Yeah, I mean, I’m not really sure. I think there’s positives and negatives to both. It’s definitely a little different. I’d tell you, for here, you get to play all over the place. We got to play at a bunch of different stadiums and play a bunch of different teams across the country. In the Big 10 we sort of just played our own schedule that was, like, within an hour plane ride from us. Here, we were in Virginia Tech, in Florida State, in Stanford. So it was all over the place, and that was pretty cool for me.

Yeah, it kind of stinks not having a conference championship. I think that’s something else to play for and it would be fun playing for. But I don’t know. I see it both ways. I think there’s positives and negatives to both.

How have you kind of worked through the tactic where they insert Tyler Buchner as a change of pace? What’s your focus on the sideline? Do you talk to Coach [Tommy] Rees? I assume you get feedback from Drew [Pyne]. And how have you kind of grown in that to allow it to help you when you go back in?

Yeah, definitely. I just try to stay in the moment and focus on each and every play that I have when I’m in there. And then when I’m out, I sort of just try to use it as a reset. I think about what I’m getting. Maybe look at the defense when Tyler is on the field and see what they’re playing and get a better sense for myself, so I just have a better chance to have some success when I go back out there.

I asked [Coach] Tommy [Rees] about Logan Diggs, and one of the things that he said was just the maturity that he has for a true freshman. So I’m curious how you saw that maturity kind of develop throughout the course of his true freshman season. When did it get to a point where, when you saw him jogging on to the field, you were like: Okay, there’s not going to be a dropoff; this guy knows what he’s doing, and he’s a very capable back at this level and at this program? 

I’d say from day one, he’s had a big swagger and confidence to him that was noticeable. And from day one in fall camp, I saw how talented he was. Then going on, I saw how smart he was in protections and finding holes and things like that. So he’s made so many plays throughout fall camp and during practice throughout the year.

So I was super excited when he got his first opportunity to touch the ball. And I knew he was going to have success here from pretty much day one.

I saw the video of [Coach] Marcus Freeman, the reaction in the locker room to him when he was announced as the coach. The raw energy and the emotion from that, what was that moment like in the locker room?

It was amazing. It was such a special moment for him and I’d say for us too. You could see how much guys loved him and were excited for him. And we definitely want to start him off on the right note and get a win for him. And guys are going to play very hard for him.

I was interested if you could sum up where the offense got better, how it got better in the second half of the season, and if you sort of see the Fiesta Bowl as a chance to sort of stress-test that against a defense comparable to Wisconsin, comparable to a Cincinnati, what was obviously a very difficult match-up for you guys earlier in the year.

Yeah, I mean, I’d say the offense started playing more efficient. I think that started with me and getting the ball out of my hands and making quick, smart decisions right away. Obviously, in the beginning of the year, I was taking a bunch of sacks. I felt like a lot of that was on me. I could have gotten the ball out quicker and gotten us in the right protection and things like that. So I’d say that’s one area we’ve improved.

And just continuing to just be smart and protect the football and create explosive plays. I’d say that’s been the biggest thing for us.

You clearly had interest in Notre Dame before you ever got to South Bend, but Notre Dame is such an iconic brand nationally, historically. Do you see Notre Dame any different now after being there 11, 12 months than you did before? Or is it sort of what you thought it would be in terms of just what Notre Dame football is?

Yeah, I’d say I definitely see it a little bit differently. Sort of coming in here, you don’t know how it’s going to be, how the work ethic is going to be. You come into a place like this where there’s a lot of five-star or four-star kids, and so you don’t know how the work ethic is going to be. And when I came here, I just realized how blue collar it was here and how hard everyone works.

I’d say one of the best parts about being here is being part of Coach Balis’s strength and conditioning program and just seeing the way the guys compete and bringing it every single day and bring the energy. That’s been, I’d say, one of the main things that’s really stuck out to me.

We heard [Coach] Tommy Rees express the confidence that he had in you, and obviously Coach [Brian] Kelly did as well by sticking with you throughout the entire season. I just wondered how you avoided maybe a slippage in confidence, especially early in the season when the pass rush was pretty ferocious?

Yeah, I mean, I’d say I’ve always believed in myself. I know when I go out there, I have a lot of great teammates around me and coaching staff that’s going to put me in great situations. And, obviously, I love to play football. So every time I go out there, I’m just having fun enjoying every single snap and I’m not worried about messing up or getting pulled or anything like that.

What was your relationship with [Coach] Marcus [Freeman] like for the first 11 months he was here, basically until he was named head coach? I imagine as a team leader, you were around him maybe somewhat, but he’s probably still not in any of your meetings. What was that like and what gave you the sense that he could do this and he would be a guy that the team would rally around?

I’d say we’ve always had a good relationship. He’s always around the facility, always around the guys, talking to different guys, both offense and defense, getting to know everyone, getting to know their stories. Obviously, I haven’t been in meetings with him or anything like that, and it’s been a ton of fun to be in the team meetings with him now and really get to know him even more.

But he’s just been a great guy; so authentic from day one. I think guys have seen that from the very first day he stepped on campus. And everyone is really excited for him and his family, and we’re excited to play for him.

Notre Dame has always talked about culture, but how important is continuity to this program moving forward?

Yeah, I think it’s really important. I think that’s one of the main reasons why they kept the coaching staff intact here, is there’s been such a great culture built here over the years, and the coaches here have basically been the main part in that. And, for me, it’s been a blessing to come in and see this culture and be a part of it and adjust to it and become more like it. So, yeah, I’d say that’s the main thing.

What is the key offensively to winning this game, and do you see this as sort of like a low-scoring sort of ball-control type of situation with the two great defenses?

I mean, I hope it’s not low-scoring ‚Äì for us at least. I hope we can put up a ton of points. But I’d say one of the keys is protecting the football, not turning it over, creating explosives down the field, and just being efficient. Getting good plays on first and second down, staying in third in manageable situations, and just being a smart football team.