Jalen Rivers previews Miami Hurricanes training camp and talks OL chemistry
Miami Hurricanes left tackle Jalen Rivers previews Miami's upcoming football training camp. He tells host Alex Donno about Miami's offensive line chemistry.
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00:00We got Jake Jalen Rivers here starting left tackle at Miami.
00:03First of all, Jalen, what does it mean to you to be able to represent Miami here at
00:07the ACC kickoff media days?
00:09It means a lot.
00:10We have a great team, and I get to represent the guys that's been working just as
00:13hard as I am.
00:14We represent the coaches and represent the fan base.
00:17So it's important for me, like Keiko and Cam, to be here to really put out what
00:22we've been working on, what we foresee happening for the season for us.
00:26And tell everybody, hey, we've been doing this, we're ready for the season.
00:31What have you personally been working on in terms of techniques, conditioning?
00:36What has been your big focus this offseason?
00:39I'm just building on what we had last season.
00:41So we had a great season as an offensive line.
00:44I mean, we could have had a better season as a whole team in general.
00:47But just building on what we had last year and what we learned from last year.
00:51So the spring, we got a little taste to work on it with just having pads on.
00:57This summer, looking at what we had during the spring and just learning from that.
01:00So it's kind of like a learning process, you have different phases.
01:03So the season, spring, and then now summer.
01:06And then that led us to working on things we're gonna work on for fall camp.
01:10So that's our main focus for next week, to really hone in on our skills.
01:14And for me, I'm holding on my skills, building my physique even better.
01:20But other than that, just holding on our skills and
01:24just focus on what we need to focus on right now and
01:26learn what we did last season and during the spring.
01:29You got three returning starters on the offensive line,
01:33new transfer center and Zach Carpenter.
01:36There seems like a competition at left guard, but
01:39do you feel like the unit is gonna be cohesive?
01:42How's the chemistry been?
01:44I mean, for us, we have to be cohesive, that's with every unit.
01:46But with offensive line, we have coach Mirabal to tell us,
01:51not even to tell us cuz we do it our own self.
01:53But he really emphasizes the fact that to be tough,
01:57I mean, to be having a cohesive unit, you gotta hang out.
01:59So we go to this house every year, every summer, to have a pool party.
02:04And then we hang out really by ourselves as offensive line, really every day.
02:08Some guys go to people's apartments, some guys we go out to eat a lot.
02:12So I feel like with anybody we put on the offensive line,
02:16we would have that kind of bond to be playing with because we're like that
02:21off the field.
02:22I mean-
02:23And there's also a bond being built with your quarterback, Cam Ward, right?
02:26Tell us about that.
02:27I mean, like I say, we'd be hanging out.
02:29Cam's the one who'd be taking us to eat.
02:31He took us out to eat like three times.
02:32We went over his house to watch basketball one time and eat Raisin Canes.
02:38But it's fun, it's kinda exciting to have that type of person,
02:42our quarterback, to really spend time and
02:45really appreciate the offensive line that he has.
02:48So it's very important for Cam to build that trust with us, but
02:52it's important for us to hang out and trust and
02:55see what type of person he is off the field with our quarterback.
02:58So, I mean, it's great, and
02:59I love to have that bond with everybody on that team, really.
03:03Is there anything you can tell us about, we've seen a couple guys maybe competing
03:08for the left guard spot on how that's been going, cuz you're gonna be, and
03:12I know you're gonna be comfortable with whoever's next to you, but
03:14any insight you can give us on how Samson Okunmola and Matt McCoy are doing?
03:19I mean, like I said, they're all competing for that spot.
03:22They're doing a great job, and I'm excited for
03:25Fall Camp to really see that competition even more.
03:29They're two great football players.
03:32I wouldn't mind playing with either one of them.
03:36Do you feel like this is gonna be a special year?
03:38Because a lot of the stars seem to be aligning,
03:40just in terms of the amount of talent that's on the roster now.
03:44I would say we have all the talent in the world.
03:50We have a very talented roster.
03:52It's on us to really put the pieces together and
03:56see how far it can take us when we put the pieces together.
03:59Because the season, you're gonna face adversity.
04:04You're gonna have all the talent in the world, but
04:05it's on us to face adversity and see how we face it.
04:09But we have the leaders, anyways, to really calm down the whole team and
04:14for people to look at us, cuz when we're hanging our heads,
04:16when we're doing this, we have other people following us.
04:18So it's important for us as leaders to have that confidence and
04:22spew all that confidence to everybody else to really have a successful season.
04:26But we have all the ability, we have all the talent in the world.
04:29We just gotta, we're not gonna get far if it's just talent.
04:34Yeah, and there's specifically a lot of talent on both sides of the football.
04:39But the offense is very talented this year, Jalen.
04:41It seems like Miami is the type of team that can kinda dictate whether they wanna
04:46be a power running team or whether they wanna be more of an air raid type of team,
04:51and hopefully a combination of those things.
04:52Yeah, so like you said, we can be anything we want.
04:56I mean, we have all the pieces.
04:57So to be honest, we can do anything in the world.
05:02We just gotta be successful at it, and I feel like we will.
05:05Have you had a chance to play the new NCAA or college football 25 game?
05:09I play that almost every day if I can.
05:11But obviously now I don't got my places with me down here.
05:15But when that thing came out for us, we got early access with everybody.
05:20Every student athlete got it, I guess, or every football player got it early.
05:23I think Monday or Tuesday of when that last week, I think it was last week.
05:28I don't remember.
05:28I think it was, yeah.
05:29Yeah, but we've been playing it nonstop.
05:31That's been the talk of the week since it came out.
05:36Well, that's awesome.
05:37Did you get a chance to, any pancake blocks on there for yourself?
05:40I did see it, and then sometimes it'd be fake cuz I'd be getting beat and
05:44I don't even touch nobody.
05:45I'd be like, what?
05:46But it's fun to see my player and everybody else's player on the team.
05:51I've been playing with Miami a lot.
05:53We've been playing with Miami, Miami versus Miami a lot of times because we
05:57have NCAA on the football game in our player lounge at the school in our facility.
06:02So nobody's playing any other game, I would tell you that, other than NCAA.
06:09Nobody's been playing any 2K, Madden.
06:11It's been just NCAA.
06:13We appreciate your time, Jalen Rivers.
06:15Enjoy all the festivities today.
06:17You're gonna be talking a lot today, so I hope you keep that voice.