Fall Camp Focus: Linebackers

Monday it was the linebackers' turn to meet the media as the Aggies enter week two of fall camp. Hear from Buddy Johnson, Braden White and Anthony Hines III.

Monday it was the linebackers' turn to meet the media as the Aggies enter week two of fall camp. Hear from Buddy Johnson, Braden White and Anthony Hines III, through video and notes, below.

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Notes from Johnson's media session:

(key to taking next step defensively to become elite) Coach Elko always tells us at times we played hard but not always played hard. Have to be more consistent in playing hard whole game, every snap. Having relentless effort.
(rank QBs in the SEC) Not really sure. Being a QB in this league is hard. Have to be very talented, very smart. Hats off to all of them. Think they’re all great. Just excited to go against the ones we’ll go against. Great opportunity for this defense.
(standouts the first week of camp) Kellen is playing with great confidence, leading the team by example. Guys are looking up to him. Another guy really standing out to me is Ainias Smith. Making blocks. Good looking at it from a teammate perspective that we can go out and depend on this guy in a game.
(is this a championship-caliber defense) Most definitely. Coach Elko has wonderful scheme. We view ourselves as a championship defense. That’s only way you should view yourself. Elko has laid standard for us. We take game reps at practice. Hopefully that leads into game. Guys are flying around. Lot of energy. Lot of competitiveness. It’s fun. Energy is contagious. Guys playing fast. So fun to be around.
(continuity of the linebacking corps from last year) Have a lot of new guys that came in at linebacker. Lot of upperclassmen, me, Braden, Anthony, guys with experience leading the linebackers. Lot of guys wanting to help and wanting to learn and picking up the playbook well. Us older guys doing whatever we can to help them get ready. It’s our responsibility to be able to help them. Linebacker room is one of best rooms I’ve been in. Lot of guys that are able to play. Have been short on linebackers in past. Coach Fisher did great job going out and recruiting linebackers. We’ve got another great coach at linebacker. It’s fun.
(playing next to Anthony Hines) We can be great together. Have high expectations for each other. Go out in practice and take game reps all the time. Always tell each other, Go finish this. Even during summer workouts. That’s what it takes, being able to have teammate call on you and push you. That’s the type of teammates you want to have. He pushes me and I push him. Anthony is a great, smart guy. Athletic. Very twitchy. Very fast. Can get to the ball and make plays. Love playing next to him. We know playbook inside and out. If we’re not making checks, the d-line gets on us. We make sure the defense is doing everything we have to do. We look at it as it starts with us.
(what seen from the d-line so far) Man, those guys are tremendous athletes. Bobby Brown is a big guy in the middle. Me playing behind him makes my life lot easier. Everything I do this season, all that has to go to him. Linemen don’t always get the credit they need. Most of time when a linebacker makes a play it’s because the d-line did its job. We have a great d-line right now. Fun playing behind them that’s all I can say.
(missing Justin Madubuike) He was different type of dude. Texts me every day. Great guy. Excited for him to see what he will do at the next level. Has tremendous athleticism. It starts here at A&M, sending guys off to the league. Just fun to be able to watch a guy grow up like that. Excited for him.
(best linebacker on the roster) Hines, without a doubt. Smart. Fast. Twitchy. Dependable. Coach Fisher always talks about accountability and dependability. His two favorite words. You can always count on Anthony being where he needs to be and knowing assignments. Will show up with all his effort.
(Santucci back as position coach and how he’s different) Great guy. Loved Coach Peveto too. Those two are great coaches. Bring a different type of style to the game. One thing that stands out to me with Santucci is he always has a quote from someone that’s already been there, done that and brings that into the game and life. Always sets examples for us. Just the other day, we got in trouble for something and had to do up-downs. And he’s doing them with us. He wants to be a guy that will be there for us and we can depend on. Love having him as our coach.
(rankings) Don’t pay attention to them. Control what we can control. If we take game reps in practice we’ll be where we want to be. Stay focused, do what we have to do and that’s all we’re worried about right now.
(how banged up was he at end of last year) Wasn’t as banged up as I thought I’d been. Goes back to the way Coach Fisher prepares us for the season. Our bodies are used to that because of the way we practice. Builds toughness. He talked about his culture when he came in and toughness was one of the most important things a team can have. Our team is used to that.
(approach this year any different) Matured a lot more. Lot more experience. Know what it takes. Raise my expectations for myself and leadership I demand from this team. Trying to make sure all the guys on the same page. Raising the standard is what it’s all about. Need to be higher than they were last year. That’s what it’s going to take.

Notes from White's media session:

(are you still the 12th Man) As far as I know. Ultimately up to Coach Fisher. For me it’s just helping my team in whichever way I can, and represent this university in best way possible on and off the field. Being a leader for the new guys coming in. Lot of leadership on this team and just being able to be a part of this team is a blessing. Really looking forward to it.
(last year’s role and this year’s focus) Been awesome, from last year being named the 12th Man to carry that throughout the year. Been a lot of fun. Enjoyed every second of it. Role is whatever coaches need from me. Ready to go. Lot of depth on this team. Lot of great players. Wherever they need me I’ll be ready.
(best part about wearing 12 at A&M) Pretty tough question. being able to represent A&M and knowing how much that means to me. Coming here I didn’t really know much about A&M. Accepted me with open arms. Becomes like a second home to me. Really special to represent everything it’s about, from the core values, to the traditions, and playing a role in one of those traditions. That’s amazing. Being able to represent this university is my most favorite part.
(leadership on team an advantage) Definitely. Experience always going to help on football field. Lot of these guys I came in with and seeing them and the younger guys progress has been awesome. All the guys worked super hard to get where we are today. Looking forward to where we are as a team and taking on all opponents this season.
(if in a foxhole, who on team you want with you) Micheal Clemons was in my workout group this summer. Heck of an athlete. Way he’s built, his size, an ideal body for an athlete. Just to see the way he runs and lifts. He’s an outstanding guy. Can’t brag about him enough. I would definitely pick him immediately. Second pick Jayden Peevy. Another guy that’s a freakish athlete and I think if I have those two guys I’d feel pretty safe in there.
(improvement you’ve seen from defensive line) Like Buddy said, having group like this in front of you makes your job a lot easier. Ton of depth. Micheal Clemons, Jayden Peevy, Bobby Brown, Tyree Johnson, all those guys. Have come a long way. Guys have been here a while, lot of quality reps, lot of experience. Lot of production too. Playing with good technique. That makes it a lot easier for us playing behind them.
(young guys that have stood out so far in practice) Been a few. One thing kind of neat about the setup of this summer is we’ve been with different position groups. Wasn’t really all linebackers together. Got to work with some different guys. Being able to do that some of the young guys really impressed me. McKinnley Jackson from the start. Haynes King has really impressed me. I’d be out there doing extra stuff after workouts and he’d come hit it with me. Not very often you see a freshman quarterback hitting it with the linebackers. Antonio Johnson is another one. Across the board they’re all working hard and getting ready to roll.
(younger LBs) First off, this group as a whole is great group of linebackers. For younger guys coming in, first year is not always easy, but they’re adjusting well. Antonio Doyle and Edgerrin Cooper have done a good job. Picking up on defense well. Chris Russell is doing really well in practice. Making good plays. Ke’Shun Brown. Andre White. Really this group is one of best I’ve been around. Biggest thing for us is this group is super close. That means a lot, going to play with these guys each and every day.
(what makes Johnson and Hines such a great combo) Play well off each other based on their strengths. Buddy is a versatile guy. Can really do it all. Holds it down well inside. Hines is another versatile guy. Really can hold a guy in coverage and the things he has to do on the perimeter. They know each other’s strengths and weaknesses, play well off that and play well together.
(is LB group one of more established position groups on team) Definitely brings a lot to table as a group. With Coach Elko’s defense, a lot of different things that go into it. Having core group who knows defense in and out and then a younger group coming in and buying in to the foundation that has been built, that sets up a group that’s really close. One of tightest groups I’ve been around at linebacker. That’s important, knowing you’re going to push each other day in and day out and in the long run that makes each of us better.
(offensive standouts) Ainias Smith. Definitely stood out. Speed in open field. That’s a tough guy to tackle. Been some other guys. Jhamon Ausbon doing a heck of a job. His leadership is really important to the team. Offensive line is a great group as well. Ryan McCollum, Carson Green, Dan Moore. Experience up front. All those guys are great athletes. Across the board on offense I’ve been really impressed with what I’ve seen.

Notes from Hines' media session:

(how much further along this year than last year at this time) Of course two years removed from injury means I’m feeling a lot better physically. With this defense it’s a mental thing. Spending whole year and offseason locking in to mental aspects of the game is what’s advanced me the furthest. Really comfortable with where I’m at right now but obviously still trying to improve.
(young standouts on offense) Kenyon Green. When he’s pulling it’s a guy you’re going to have to get on your horse to get around. Athletic, strong young linemen. Haynes King, that dude can flat out fly. He’s a good player.
(did it take a while to shake the rust off last year) Not necessarily. Never really felt quite like that. Just a matter of how can I stay locked in this week. As weeks went on I got more comfortable. Just comes to fact that I hadn’t played ball for a while up to that point. Each game tried to improve. As season went on that’s why I had better games in the last few games.
(is this a championship-caliber defense) That’s the goal. In practice really been focusing on assignments, the little things that it takes to be best defense in country. We have the talent that’s for sure. Just trying to make those things mesh. Working toward that every single day.
(continuity of LB group leading to success) That’s huge. Be able to have that year under our belts that chemistry formed. It was me and Buddy’s first year starting. But everyone in linebacking corps has that too and that will help.
(missing Justin Madubuike) Loved playing behind him. But each year the next man has to step up. Confident in guys we have now. They’re animals. Really good players. Working their butts off the whole entire offseason. Really confident in their ability to take that next step.
(best linebacker on team) We’ve all got our own little talents. Depends on the day honestly. We have some dawgs. We’ve got some animals, even behind us.
(toughness culture and what ticks Coach Elko off more than anything) Probably just repeat mistakes. That’s what gets most coaches the most angry each time. We don’t do it much but if he’s yelling it’s probably because of something like that.
(not playing hard all the time last year) Just comes down to doing that in practice. That’s been emphasis first few practices in camp. Have to run to the ball every single play. We’re doing that. That’s going to bleed over.
(what sets this fall camp apart from past ones) Experience. Each one you learn stuff on the way. Learn how to handle details that will make the difference. Time as well as commitment. We’re ready to take that step we need to take.
(creating more game changing turnovers) Mentioned earlier the effort standpoint. When on the back side of a play make an effort to sprint across the field. Really been emphasizing that. Forced turnovers could be a d-lineman running across the field, a straight effort play. Really working on that aspect of our game and we think that can increase turnovers.
(is this most talented team since Jimbo got here and what does this team have to do to take next step in SEC West) Definitely agree this is most talented team I’ve been around since I’ve been here. Taking the next step is all about details. Effort, execution needs to be priority. Not ok to make mistakes. We’re trying to win. Limiting mistakes and having relentless effort.
(playing next to Buddy Johnson) Can expect great things from us. Push each other every single day. Even when super tired, we push each other and make sure we make each other better. Really enjoyed playing next to Buddy. Bring the best out of each other. Look forward to playing next to him this year.
(competition within own team) Iron sharpens iron. Will boost us and only make us better. Buch of guys aren’t afraid of competition. Bring our A game every single day. Think it will show on Saturdays.