USC DC Clancy Pendergast discusses juggling personnel and DE/OLB Christian Rector and LB Jordan Iosefa discuss juggling positions in light of recent injuries ...
DC CLANCY PENDERGAST
--on what Christian Rector brings to the Predator position
"Stability. He’s got the ability to move inside and outside. We like his matchup on tackles because of his length in pass rush situations. He’s just a unique body type and we can play him in different spots. He’s open to playing inside or outside."
--on whether the plan already was to use him at Predator at times before Gustin was injured
"I think so. Yes, no doubt. We really kind of came up with that last year in fall camp and he demonstrated that during the season, that he could bounce in and out."
--on who else has stood out to him at outside linebacker.
"I’d say Hunter Echols, Juliano (Falaniko) and Kana’i (Mauga). It’ll all depend on who we play from as scheme standpoint, and who we’ll play out there matchup-wise."
--on whether he feels better equipped to lose a projected starter (Rector) from the D-line
"No question. We’ve got more bodies inside. That depth really does help us to be more flexible in other areas."
--on who’s impressed him at defensive end
"We’ve got some guys, Malik, able to play a 3-technique. He’s real probably our best technician. Jay Tufele’s had some really good practices as of late. Liam Jimmons has done a nice job of bouncing out there and playing 3-technique. And Marlon’s got that ability to where he can swing playing both nose or 3-technique. He’s an active guy for his size."
--on if Tuipulotu is 100 percent back
"I haven’t seen anything but full speed out here. He’s shown no signs of having surgery last year."
DE/OLB CHRISTIAN RECTOR
--his thoughts on moving back to Predator
"I like were I’m at right now. It’s a position that I feel comfortable at, and I think I can make the most plays at that position. I can really play anywhere on the line I think. But I feel very comfortable with where I’m at."
--on seemingly preferring Predator to defensive end
"If I had to pick, definitely. Even in the run game, the blocks I’m getting on the outside are a lot easier to play, a lot easier to make my reads and convert them to a pass rush."
--on what was key to his success last year at Predator
"I’d say I was very coachable, I was willing to adapt. I knew I wasn’t going to have everything down when they threw me out there because I’d been playing mostly inside. But I just took the coaching that KU and Nansen gave me and was able to adapt and make plays. I think I have a natural ability to get to the passer. I wasn’t getting too deep too much and I think I had a good counter move inside, especially helping me get home."
--on how much he played on the strong side
"I played on both sides. We were in our over front a lot more than our under front, so a four-down front. In our under front, I was mostly playing the 5-tech, so they would move Uchenna to that Predator spot. I was playing on the other side of that, to the boundary."
--on what he’s learned at his position since emerging last fall
"Most of the offenses run zone read, RPOs, and so I wasn’t as acclimated to that as I am now, because I’ve had a full spring and full summer to get better and develop at those things, change direction, flipping my hips."
--so the primary focus this offseason has been playing the run
"Exactly."
LB JORDAN IOSEFA
--on Pendergst saying he could play any of the four linebacker spots
"I guess I could. I’m not saying that I’m perfect at it. I just think playing all positions really helps be an overall player. Having a chance to play inside is just as good as outside, you see the whole picture from playing inside. Playing outside linebacker really helps see what they (outside linebackers) do, and it’s really unseen what they do, the effort thy put in, the amount of conditioning they have to do, the hard-nosed effort every single play."
--on if he’s better inside
"I don’t know. I think it takes a lot of time and practice. I’ve had equal time playing both positions. Game reps are every important. You need those reps to build that confidence in yourself. Getting the reps at ones at MIKE helps me see the whole picture, helps me take command."
--on Pendergast saying Iosefa knows the defense as well as anyone and when that would have happened
"I think when I got my concussion after the Washington State game, I really took it upon myself to, if I’m not playing, then I got to see what everyone’s really doing. Then after being thrown into the Notre Dame game, I’m just like, alright, this is what the outside guys are doing. If they’re doing this, then the safety and corner are going to be doing this. If the safety’s doing this, then the MIKE’s doing this. If the dime (linebacker) is doing this, then the outside linebacker will do this. If the nose (tackle) is doing this, the tackle has to do this."
"A lot of it is context clues, you see a sentence, if it’s missing a word, then you got to fill it in with a word. Seeing the whole picture really helps. You just got to fill in what happens."
--on whether he thinks he’ll play some inside linebacker this year even after Cam Smith returns
"When he got hurt (last week), Clancy came up to me and was like, you got the MIKE today? I’m like, sure, why not? This is very humbling, and I’m glad that they trust me in that aspect."
DC CLANCY PENDERGAST
--on what Christian Rector brings to the Predator position
"Stability. He’s got the ability to move inside and outside. We like his matchup on tackles because of his length in pass rush situations. He’s just a unique body type and we can play him in different spots. He’s open to playing inside or outside."
--on whether the plan already was to use him at Predator at times before Gustin was injured
"I think so. Yes, no doubt. We really kind of came up with that last year in fall camp and he demonstrated that during the season, that he could bounce in and out."
--on who else has stood out to him at outside linebacker.
"I’d say Hunter Echols, Juliano (Falaniko) and Kana’i (Mauga). It’ll all depend on who we play from as scheme standpoint, and who we’ll play out there matchup-wise."
--on whether he feels better equipped to lose a projected starter (Rector) from the D-line
"No question. We’ve got more bodies inside. That depth really does help us to be more flexible in other areas."
--on who’s impressed him at defensive end
"We’ve got some guys, Malik, able to play a 3-technique. He’s real probably our best technician. Jay Tufele’s had some really good practices as of late. Liam Jimmons has done a nice job of bouncing out there and playing 3-technique. And Marlon’s got that ability to where he can swing playing both nose or 3-technique. He’s an active guy for his size."
--on if Tuipulotu is 100 percent back
"I haven’t seen anything but full speed out here. He’s shown no signs of having surgery last year."
DE/OLB CHRISTIAN RECTOR
--his thoughts on moving back to Predator
"I like were I’m at right now. It’s a position that I feel comfortable at, and I think I can make the most plays at that position. I can really play anywhere on the line I think. But I feel very comfortable with where I’m at."
--on seemingly preferring Predator to defensive end
"If I had to pick, definitely. Even in the run game, the blocks I’m getting on the outside are a lot easier to play, a lot easier to make my reads and convert them to a pass rush."
--on what was key to his success last year at Predator
"I’d say I was very coachable, I was willing to adapt. I knew I wasn’t going to have everything down when they threw me out there because I’d been playing mostly inside. But I just took the coaching that KU and Nansen gave me and was able to adapt and make plays. I think I have a natural ability to get to the passer. I wasn’t getting too deep too much and I think I had a good counter move inside, especially helping me get home."
--on how much he played on the strong side
"I played on both sides. We were in our over front a lot more than our under front, so a four-down front. In our under front, I was mostly playing the 5-tech, so they would move Uchenna to that Predator spot. I was playing on the other side of that, to the boundary."
--on what he’s learned at his position since emerging last fall
"Most of the offenses run zone read, RPOs, and so I wasn’t as acclimated to that as I am now, because I’ve had a full spring and full summer to get better and develop at those things, change direction, flipping my hips."
--so the primary focus this offseason has been playing the run
"Exactly."
LB JORDAN IOSEFA
--on Pendergst saying he could play any of the four linebacker spots
"I guess I could. I’m not saying that I’m perfect at it. I just think playing all positions really helps be an overall player. Having a chance to play inside is just as good as outside, you see the whole picture from playing inside. Playing outside linebacker really helps see what they (outside linebackers) do, and it’s really unseen what they do, the effort thy put in, the amount of conditioning they have to do, the hard-nosed effort every single play."
--on if he’s better inside
"I don’t know. I think it takes a lot of time and practice. I’ve had equal time playing both positions. Game reps are every important. You need those reps to build that confidence in yourself. Getting the reps at ones at MIKE helps me see the whole picture, helps me take command."
--on Pendergast saying Iosefa knows the defense as well as anyone and when that would have happened
"I think when I got my concussion after the Washington State game, I really took it upon myself to, if I’m not playing, then I got to see what everyone’s really doing. Then after being thrown into the Notre Dame game, I’m just like, alright, this is what the outside guys are doing. If they’re doing this, then the safety and corner are going to be doing this. If the safety’s doing this, then the MIKE’s doing this. If the dime (linebacker) is doing this, then the outside linebacker will do this. If the nose (tackle) is doing this, the tackle has to do this."
"A lot of it is context clues, you see a sentence, if it’s missing a word, then you got to fill it in with a word. Seeing the whole picture really helps. You just got to fill in what happens."
--on whether he thinks he’ll play some inside linebacker this year even after Cam Smith returns
"When he got hurt (last week), Clancy came up to me and was like, you got the MIKE today? I’m like, sure, why not? This is very humbling, and I’m glad that they trust me in that aspect."
