Here's what Oregon co-defensive coordinator Chris Hampton said after the Ducks' fourth spring practice.
Erik Skopil
Oregonco-defensive coordinator and defensive backs coach Chris Hamptonmet with the media for nearly 10 minutes following the Ducks' fourthspring practice.
Below is a complete transcript complete with questions and answers.
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Q: What changes now that you're coaching all of the defensive backs?
CH: "We meet together, all the DBs, corners, safeties and STARs. We have one meeting. It's really a big change. I've got a bunch of help though. Rashad Wadood does a ton with our corners. I've got two guys with Antonio Parks and Connor Boyd, who work with me to help build meeting and offseason studies and things like that from a film standpoint. I've got a lot of help, but we have one meeting.
Q: How different is this secondary with all the new transfers?
CH: "It's a blessing and a fortunate situations for us, really. All guys have played at a high level. They've played a lot of football, so you've got a lot of experience. It's just different for them now learning our terminology and our system, but it's really a fortunate situation for me. I've got guys who've played a lot of football. It's been challenge. I've just got to translate somethings because football is the same, just different terminology depending on the team you play for. Making sure they understand what we the call things here compared to what they call it at other places has been the challenging part.
Q: What's your background coaching all the defensive backs?
CH: "Honestly, I've kind of always done that. When I was at McNeese State, I coached all five DBs. That was 2012-15. When I was at Tulane from 2018-19, Ihad all the DBs, and actually when I was the DC at Tulane, I had the entire secondary. I had some guys who worked with me, but we had one DB meeting and I was the defensive coordinator. So, I've done it before. This wasn't the first time. A lot of people do it this way. It's really good as far as everybody being on the same page — one voice. We have guys who play multiple positions because we have one meeting. The terminology and the language that is spoken is the same. So it's kind of easier to move guys around and play different positions.
Q: Is this almost your preference then?
CH: "Yes, if you asked me, honestly, yes, that would be my preference to do it that way. But, you can do it both ways. I've done it both. But, if you asked me, preferably, I'd rather do it this way.
Q: What is your relationship like with Rashad?
CH: "It's great. We have a great relationship.He and I get together a lot to decide what we're going to do during individual. There's times like today where the first part of practice I was with the safeties, and then I went with him during the second part with the corners. He and I get together and collaborate with what we're going to do during individual. He's watching the corners specifically. He does a lot ofcorrection meetings with them. I do a lot of the install meetings. That's kind of how we do it. I let him do a lot of the correction tape and I do the installations. We just bounce ideas off of each other. He's done a really good job with them. He's been in the system. I think this is his third year here now. He understands what we're doing.
Q: How much cross-training do you do at this point in spring?
CH: "We've got a lot of guys who've transferred in, so, I want them to master something first. In the spring, we play safeties left and right, corners left and right. We play some guys at safety and STAR, and some guys at corner and STAR. The guys who've been here for a while can definitely do more. We try to cross-train on sides for sure, not as much at positions. With some guys we do. The guys who've been here, the more experienced guys. The younger guys, like the freshmen, we try and let them corner or safety or STAR, but they will play both sides.
Q: What about Jabbar Muhammad made him a take?
CH: "He's really really competitive. He's got great ball skills. He has elite transitions and change of direction. He's a competitor at the end of the day. Anyone we talked to about him from his high school coaches to the coaches at Oklahoma State to some guys at Washington, they all talked about how much he competes and loves the game, and goes about his process. This is his first week because of the new semester, but he's been a joy. He's done a lot of Zoom meetings and stuff over the course of the last few months.
Q: Where do you hope to see development for Tysheem Johnson?
CH: "The biggest thing with him is that I've seen him become an elite communicator. Tysheem has always been a really really good tackler. He loves football, warrior tough. He's everything you'd want in a football player. I think now in his second year in the system, he's much more confident. He knows what we're going to install before we do it. He's just become an elite communicator and a leader. I think last year,coming in his first year here, he didn't say a whole bunch from a leadership standpoint. I've heard him be more vocal this year which is somethingthat we need.
Q: How much did connections at UTSA help with Kam Alexander?
CH: "I don't know that much. I know Antonio Parks was there before and Will Stein was there, but I think he only played oneseason at UTSA. He was actually at Sam Houston State before that. I think he got in the portal, and once he got in, he had some options. He came out here and visited, and it's hard not to like this place when you come out and visit.
Q: What about his skillset made him a good fit?
CH: "He's really fast. That's the first thing. He's got really good ball skills. He's tough. I've seen him come up in these first two practices in pads and just thud people. I think he's going to be a tremendous asset for us. He's got really good change of direction. The other thing about him, he takes really good notes in meetings — really really good notes. He asks good questions. He's been fun to coach.
Q: What sort of safety combinations have you liked so far in spring?
CH: "It's kind of hard to tell now. In the spring and in fall camp, we don't really do 1s, 2s or 3. We do green and yellow teams. I'm sure you guys have heard ofthis. We do green and yellow. We mix guys up, so a lot of guys get reps. Tysheem will be working with a freshman. Kobe is with a freshman. They haven't been together. We kind of mix guys up and let them play.I think the young guys have shown a lot of promise. Just me from last year coming in with the first year in the system, learning the terminology. I was in their shoes last year. I've been around a whole lot more football than they have, obviously. I was a little bit overwhelmed. These guys are catching on really really good. I think we've got a really good group. There's no one where it's like 'Man, I hate that we signed this guy'. I like them all so far. They've done a great job, and they're smart. They're smart kids and they should really still be in high school right now.
Q: Do you expect Jahlil Florence to practice at all in spring?
CH: "We may get some out of him later on in the spring. He's out there now doing some of the walk-through stuff with us, but that's about it right now. I think his rehab is going pretty good from talking to Chief, and talking to Jahlil, he's in a much better space than he was about a month ago. I expect that we may be able to get something out of him at the end of spring.
Q: What's the ceiling for him as a player?
CH: "He's got a lot of potential. Jahlil is long. He can change directions. If he can just stay healthy. Last year, he got hurt. He played as a true freshman. Last year he was coming on. He started a bunch of games and then he go injured. Jahlil can be an NFL player. He's really good. He can tackle. He's pretty smart. He can play inside or outside. We did a little of that in practice last year, but not as much in games. I'm really high on Jahlil. We've just got to make sure he can get back healthy.
Q: How much does facing a lefty in practice change things for your guys?
CH: "It's been good. I've been impressed watching Dillon. I had the opportunity to play against him at Tulane when he was at Central Florida. He's a really talented quarterback. I think our guys have accepted the challenge. Our offense every day gives us a challenge. I don't know what were last year, two or three in the country in total offense. Every day is a challenge, but I enjoy it. It makes us better because weseea variety of things fromour offense and we have really good players. It's been good everyday for us.
Q: Could the strength at corner let you play more dime coverage?
CH: "I hope we can. That's kind of the hope, that we can utilize these guys skillsets. We have a bunch of them. We have some really good players. I'm fired up about our corner. The more guys we can get on the field the better, and I think it will help us in pass coverage for sure.
Q: How much separation do you want to see at corner? Do you want to end spring with a top two?
CH: "I think the competition is good for them. It's making them better. Each and every day, they're working together. There's not any animosity amongst them. They're competing at a high levelagainst each other and making each other better. They're coaching each other. I think the more the merrier. If you look at last season, guys get banged up throughout the season. You're going to need those fresh legs.If we're playing as many games as we can, 15 or 16, I guess, that's a bunch of games. You're going to need guys. We've got a lot of talent and a lot of experience. We've just got to continue to develop them and get them to reach their maximum potential.
Q: Where does Daylen Austin fit?
CH: "Daylen is having a really good spring. He really is. He can play STAR, and he can play corner for us. He's doing both. I'm really really fired up about his development and how he's getting better and better. I think he can have a big season for us.
