Jay Niemann 11-15-23
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00:00 really is a product of the system in terms of just learning, growing, maturing.
00:06 A lot of that has to do with the things that he accomplished down in the weight
00:10 room, just in terms of his growth as far as explosiveness, strength, power, speed.
00:15 He's changed his body a lot over the course of that time,
00:18 has endured some injuries, just not major things, but little nicks along the way.
00:24 And things that D-Lyman or Custom were playing with, he battled through that.
00:28 A lot of that again, due to his toughness and
00:31 just the training that he's put in over the course of his time here.
00:36 Been phenomenal, been fun to watch.
00:38 He's a great guy.
00:39 [BLANK_AUDIO]
00:42 >> Tom Caker.
00:42 [BLANK_AUDIO]
00:46 >> You skipped Chad, that's okay.
00:49 >> All right, I'm used to it.
00:51 >> [LAUGH] >> That's okay.
00:54 Coach, I wanted to ask you about Merriweather, Break Knee,
00:58 those guys, the red shirt guys, what they've been like for you and
01:01 what have you seen in their development?
01:03 >> Yeah, we've got a couple of them.
01:06 Kenny Merriweather is a really twitched up guy.
01:10 He's gonna be fun to watch.
01:13 He's got a lot of personal, not personal, but physical growth, I should say,
01:17 that he needs to go through just in terms of putting on some size and strength.
01:22 But he's got really good length.
01:24 Like I say, he moves really well, he's a flexible guy.
01:28 He's already shown up in pass rush in terms of just having a real knack for
01:33 rushing the passer.
01:34 And we haven't even begun to scratch the surface on really coaching him up on
01:38 the finer details of how to get better in that area.
01:40 So I'm really anxious to watch him improve and
01:44 grow over the course of his career here.
01:46 Chase has been real steady.
01:50 He's a big, strong guy.
01:51 Really anxious to learn.
01:53 And all these guys, including Maddox Borchardt and Johnson,
01:58 who's the other guy in that class, those guys are working hard.
02:03 And like all these other guys, like Joe Evans,
02:05 who we referenced here just a minute ago, gonna be a product of the system.
02:10 Just coming in and doing everything day in and day out that other guys have been
02:13 asked to do over the course of their careers here.
02:16 And as they do that, I think you'll see their fundamental base improve.
02:20 And their opportunity for playing time will be directly related to that.
02:24 But hardworking guys, fun to be around, very coachable,
02:27 fit right into our room, just like the others who preceded him.
02:30 [BLANK_AUDIO]
02:36 >> Go ahead, Chad.
02:38 >> Hi, Jay, good morning.
02:39 >> Good morning, Chad.
02:40 >> Yeah, unique quarterback preparation.
02:44 Illinois has got a red hot backup.
02:47 But today they announced that Luke Altmeier will start.
02:51 I don't know if you believe that, but how do you go about preparing for
02:56 this type of situation?
02:57 Because I imagine you might see both on Saturday.
03:03 >> I would expect to see both unless Altmeier is the starter and
03:07 does come out and is just red hot, which obviously we hope he's not.
03:10 But it doesn't appear as though they changed a lot from
03:16 as far as their system between the two quarterbacks.
03:21 But Altmeier is probably a little bit more mobile and
03:24 is very, very dangerous with his feet.
03:27 He gets out of the pocket and runs on people, although they scored moving out of
03:31 the pocket in the last play of the game in overtime last week to beat Indiana on
03:36 the last play of the game by breaking contain and getting outside the pocket.
03:40 Wasn't necessarily that the end was in such bad position as much as he
03:44 just didn't have the athletic skill set to keep the guy in the pocket.
03:49 Cuz those guys can really run and move and they're just both really good,
03:53 honestly, at extending plays with their feet.
03:56 Very maneuverable guys in the pocket and have a real good idea where their
04:01 receivers are at and do a good job of getting the ball to them.
04:05 So again, I don't know that will change much X's and O's wise,
04:09 depending on whichever one is in there.
04:11 You just have to know what they like to do one more so than the other.
04:16 And that's kind of how we got to go about it.
04:18 >> All right, next question is from John Steffi.
04:22 >> AJ, good to see you.
04:24 >> Good to see you.
04:24 Good morning.
04:25 >> Good morning.
04:26 So with Noah Shannon obviously not being able to contribute on the field,
04:30 how have you seen him kind of contribute off the field this year in the defensive
04:34 line room?
04:34 >> Well, he's with just a couple of exceptions.
04:39 So some of the things that have been going on with him,
04:41 he's been in the meeting room every day.
04:43 He's been out on the practice field.
04:46 He's basically like a coach, if you will, from the standpoint that he's been
04:51 in the system so long and knows all the intricacies of the nose and
04:56 the tackle positions that he's able to pull guys aside after play and
05:01 say, look, you should have done this or that or you should have seen this or that.
05:06 He's been plugged in, he's been great.
05:08 He's not a real super vocal guy if you get to know him.
05:12 So it's not like you had this big voice that all of a sudden wasn't there.
05:18 He's pretty subtle in his approach, but there's just a tremendous amount of
05:22 respect for him in this building, as well as in the D line room, of course.
05:26 But he's done a great job of staying plugged in and
05:29 despite some of the difficulties that he's encountered,
05:33 he's really been good for the guys and stuck right with it.
05:36 So we appreciate love and having him in here every day.
05:38 >> Next question is from Scott Docterman.
05:42 >> Good morning, Jay.
05:44 I hope you're doing well.
05:45 >> Thank you, you as well.
05:46 >> Yeah, I wanted to ask you about kind of in-state recruiting and
05:51 the current freshmen, true freshmen class.
05:55 Last year was a tough year, I guess, for you guys.
05:58 You lost some head to heads, but then this year you doubled up.
06:01 Signing day's still a month away, but you've gotten, I think,
06:05 seven out of the top eight recruits in the state.
06:08 Was there a different kind of, did you guys double your efforts or
06:12 do anything differently in recruiting?
06:14 Or is it just a matter of kind of the recruits preference as to how you ended
06:18 up with just an overall huge swath of players from the in-state this year?
06:26 >> Well, no, I don't think our approach has changed at all.
06:29 What drives them to decide to come here, whether it's personal preference for
06:35 the school or a certain coach or a style of play, I don't know exactly.
06:41 Each guy's decision is probably based on something just a little bit different.
06:46 But we've just kind of stuck to our method and done what we have done.
06:51 And fortunately, if we can follow through and get all these guys to come and
06:56 sign with us in December when that day rolls around, then it will be a good class.
07:01 But it's gonna fluctuate a little bit from year to year probably,
07:05 just based on the numbers of guys available out there and what it is they're looking
07:09 for out of their experience in college football and in a school.
07:13 But short answer to your question is no,
07:15 I don't know that we've done anything differently.
07:17 >> Coach, next question is from Cooper Worth.
07:20 >> Good morning, Jay.
07:24 I was just kind of shifting more towards the secondary.
07:27 I was wondering your thoughts on Quinn Schulte.
07:29 I know he's a guy who's been in the program for a while.
07:31 And your thoughts on how you've seen him grow and
07:34 kind of make an impact for the defense to make the job easier for the front four?
07:39 >> Well, Quinn's a great guy and he's another success story.
07:45 Much like Joe Evans, came in here, worked his tail off,
07:50 climbed his way up the ladder just through hard work.
07:53 And just being a coachable guy who does what the program asks of him day in and
07:59 day out, he's instrumental in doing with what we have to do on the back end
08:05 defensively, which also ties into the linebackers and eventually the front.
08:11 The free safety and the Mike linebacker probably have the most control,
08:16 if you will, of checks, front checks, coverage checks, overall defensive
08:21 adjustment checks, things that we have to do to get ourselves lined up and ready to play.
08:26 And I know the casual observer out there kind of views Iowa as a vanilla
08:31 kind of a defense, but we're pretty far from it in all honesty.
08:35 And we've evolved a little bit,
08:37 changed some things over the course of the time that I've been here.
08:40 And it's been fun to watch and be a part of, but
08:42 I can just tell you this, that guys that play his position,
08:46 they have to have great football IQ, they have to have some leadership skills.
08:50 He has both of those.
08:52 And on top of that, he's made some really clutch plays for us and
08:55 has just been really consistent and steady back there.
08:58 And it takes somebody with a lot of moxie and a good football IQ to keep
09:04 everything going and staying in sync on the back end.
09:06 So he's done really well for us.
09:08 >> Our next question is from Tom Keker.
09:11 >> Much more of a kind of a personal question, but what's your Sundays like
09:18 with the last few years with two sons in the NFL and
09:22 your job responsibilities at the University of Iowa?
09:25 >> [LAUGH] It's a tough balancing act.
09:29 I'm not sure there's as much balance there as what I would like on the personal side
09:33 because we're so tied up with what we've got to do on Sundays.
09:36 Sundays are a transitional day because in the morning, we usually come in and
09:43 get the film graded from the previous night and spend up until about noon doing that.
09:49 And then in the afternoon, we start to transition.
09:51 We watch the film with the players and
09:53 then transition on to the next opponent, busy looking at film to try to get ready
09:57 for our Sunday night meetings because we practice in the mornings on,
10:01 well, every day as you know.
10:03 But Monday morning rolls around on you pretty quick.
10:06 But we do have a little bit of flex time in the afternoon on Sunday.
10:10 And if I can, if one of the boys' games is on the major network television,
10:15 then I'll try to sneak some peeks at it.
10:18 It's best for me if they're playing Sunday night or Monday night,
10:21 because then I might have a chance to watch a little bit more of it.
10:24 And I do have a subscription to the NFL Game Pass.
10:28 So if I miss it all together,
10:29 I can just watch it whenever I want to once the week is over with.
10:34 My wife and I were able to get down to Kansas City to watch the Chargers play
10:38 the Chiefs the day after the beginning of our bye week, that's what it was.
10:43 So thankful for that.
10:45 And sometimes towards the end of the year, once we get into postseason,
10:49 just depending on what we've got going on in conjunction with when they're playing,
10:54 hopefully I have the opportunity to get away and see another couple games.
10:57 So we make it work however we can.
10:59 >> All right, coach, we'll go four more questions.
11:04 First one's from Tyler Taschman.
11:06 >> Okay.
11:07 >> Hey, Jay, I hope you're doing well.
11:09 Was just curious about Ethan Hercate as a guy that has been a contributor this
11:14 season, how have you just kind of seen him develop over his time at Iowa?
11:19 >> Ethan's been fun to coach and great.
11:23 Another example of a guy who has just continued to climb through hard work and
11:28 really just seeing his fundamental base grow.
11:32 We consider him a starter.
11:34 He plays just about equal reps with Joe Evans and Devante Craig, Deontay Craig.
11:39 And he's playing some really good football for us right now.
11:44 Really physical guy, very steady, very few mental errors.
11:48 Just a real positive force for us in there.
11:52 And like I said, playing excellent football.
11:55 And his best days are still out in front of him.
11:57 He's just continuing to climb.
11:59 So we're really happy with the progress he's made and how he's playing.
12:01 >> Chad Lysico.
12:04 >> Hey, Jay, one more for me.
12:07 You haven't had a ton of turnovers this year.
12:09 It's kind of different from some previous teams.
12:12 So how would you describe kind of the identity of this defense maybe versus some
12:16 of those more ball hawking defenses?
12:18 Or do you feel like the turnovers are bound to come at some point?
12:20 >> We're running out of time, so I hope they come pretty soon.
12:24 Turnovers, it's kind of funny.
12:28 And it's kind of cliche, but they seem to come in bunches.
12:33 And why that is, I'm not absolutely sure.
12:36 I do think that some of our interception numbers over the course of time
12:42 are due to the fact that we're top heavy in zone coverage.
12:44 So we get a lot of eyes back on the quarterback,
12:47 even though those numbers may not be quite as good this year as they've been in
12:51 previous years.
12:53 It's not because we've changed anything about how we practice or
12:56 just how we are systematically.
12:57 That just a lot of times comes through guys being super aggressive and
13:04 opportunistic.
13:05 And hopefully with several games yet to play,
13:09 we'll really see that number jump up and we'll be able to get some bunches.
13:13 Cuz you're right, there's no arguing the point that it's been a little bit up and
13:18 down.
13:18 So hopefully we can get that back in the right direction.
13:21 >> Scott Dockerman.
13:23 >> Yeah, I wanted to ask you about why Black, his numbers are not super imposing,
13:31 but yet playing a lot of two gap and playing where he is.
13:36 You don't ask him to do that.
13:37 That's where Jay Higgins gets those numbers in a lot of cases.
13:40 But how dominant, is there a way to kind of show how dominant he is without
13:45 necessarily looking at the numbers?
13:48 Cuz he seems to be playing as well as most offensive tackles in the league.
13:52 >> He's playing really good football for us and you're right, Chad.
13:56 He just can't, there's no statistic to back up what he does.
14:07 So Scott, sorry, he's just disruptive.
14:12 You have to put the film on to appreciate what he does.
14:15 He knocks a line of scrimmage back, which is really what we wanna do.
14:21 Obviously we have gap responsibilities and things of that nature, but
14:24 we're more concerned about being able to push the line of scrimmage back.
14:28 And he does a great job of that.
14:29 He had a critical sack here two games back,
14:33 just through knock back against the guard that was past proing him.
14:36 And came off and made a nice play, had a good sack in the game.
14:39 And it just, his size, his physicality, and I've said this before about him, and
14:44 I'll say it again.
14:46 I think he's probably got the highest football IQ in our entire room.
14:49 He's a very, very smart football player.
14:51 Understands protections, understands blocking schemes,
14:55 understands pre-snap body language from the offense.
14:59 Just a very sharp player.
15:01 And good to see him get through the season without getting nicked up.
15:05 He's had so many injuries that he's dealt with in the past.
15:07 And I think we're seeing everything we expected.
15:11 We could see if we would get him healthy and string together a progression of
15:15 games where he could just keep going without injury.
15:17 So hopefully he continues along those lines and he's having a real good year.
15:22 >> All right, coach, last question will be from Elliott Clough.
15:25 [BLANK_AUDIO]
15:28 >> Good morning, Jay.
15:29 I don't think we've met.
15:31 So I'm Elliot, obviously.
15:33 Nice to meet you.
15:34 >> Nice to meet you.
15:35 >> And Terry Thompson is a guy that on special teams, it just seems like you have
15:40 to make sure you're watching every time that the opposing team is punting.
15:44 Also just kind of an athletic freak from what we've seen.
15:48 Have you seen him grow?
15:50 And is he a guy that Hawkeye fans should definitely be aware of,
15:54 especially going into next season when you may lose some guys on the D line?
15:58 >> Well, I'm not gonna put those expectations on him for next year.
16:04 Obviously, that's our hope.
16:05 But that'll come through hard work and
16:08 just begin to understand the intricacies of his position a little bit more.
16:13 But he's a very athletic guy for his size, very explosive.
16:17 As you mentioned that, as you referenced,
16:18 that's showing up in special teams already with being in on two block punts.
16:22 For a guy who is as tall and heavy as he is, he moves exceptionally well.
16:29 So hopefully all those physical qualities and
16:33 traits will translate over into playing the D line.
16:36 And it just seems like something that ought to be automatic, but it's not.
16:40 You have to learn how to be able to use your power, your strength,
16:43 your size through being fundamentally polished.
16:47 And right now, like any other new player to our program,
16:51 it takes time for guys to learn how to do that.
16:54 But he's making good progress.
16:56 He's contributing in ways right now that he can.
16:59 Which is through special teams.
17:01 And then we did get him out there towards the tail end of the game last week.
17:06 Actually, he was involved in the last stop of the game.
17:10 And did a really nice job in a line stunt with one of our ends and
17:15 had a good rush.
17:16 So it's good to get him out there, get his feet wet.
17:19 Hopefully we'll be able to do more and more of that as we go.
17:22 And again, he's gonna be just like these other new guys, like I said,
17:25 where the more he plays and the more he practices,
17:28 the more he just stays locked into our system.
17:32 The better off he's gonna be and the more you'll see the progress come along.
17:35 >> All right, coach, thank you.
17:37 I appreciate your time this morning.
17:39 >> Thank you guys, appreciate it.
17:41 [BLANK_AUDIO]