Previously: Jim Harbaugh, DJ Durkin, Kyle Kalis, Brian Cole, Chase Winovich, Drake Harris,Jabrill Peppers, Royce Jenkins-Stone, Willie Henry, Jourdan Lewis, Wyatt Shallman, James Ross III

[Bryan Fuller/MGoBlog]

Greg Mattison returns in 2015, and though he’ll be working in a different capacity he inherits a line of which he was one of the chief architects. He talked about the functional differences (and similarities) between the 4-3 and 3-4 and the progress his linemen have made over the summer at last week’s Media Day.

[I jumped into the scrum mid-response]

“You know, one thing [is] you don’t get around the kids much in the summer. I saw him [Lawrence Marshall] today [and] I said, ‘What do you weigh?’ He looks great. All our kids- Kevin [Tolbert] did a tremendous job in the weight program and all our kids worked extremely hard whenever I had a chance to pop my head in and take a look.”

DJ said you guys are going to be multiple. How much of a challenge is that for your defensive linemen?

“It’s not. It’s not. You know, when people talk about different schemes it really comes down to techniques. You can call it anything you want; one time you play a five-technique, one time you play a four, one time you play a three. You’ve got to learn them all.”

Do you like the depth and talent that you have up front?

“Yeah, I definitely do. These kids, we’ve been together for a long time. These guys have played a lot of football and maybe before they should’ve, but now they’re bigger, stronger, and older. Now it’s our job to get them to be as good as they can be.”

You guys have used Taco [Charlton] at a couple different spots his first couple years. He’s played some here and there. He’s a junior now. What does he have to do to really [inaudible]?

“I think he’s got to keep working on his technique. He’s a guy coming out of high school that really wasn’t a defensive lineman, so I think you’ve got to continue to take the technique with the strength. Add both of those together. And he makes flashy plays, [he] makes good plays. Now he’s got to do that consistently.”

[After THE JUMP: ways the 4-3 and 3-4 are the same]

Is there anybody that’s really caught your eye that you have really high expectations for that you want to lean on on the defensive line?

“Not really, and I’m not being vague when I say that. All of ‘em at times. Like I said, I’m excited about these guys because you can’t pay for experience, and these kids have all started and played a lot of football. Now it’s their turn; ‘Okay, you’re older. You’re stronger. Okay, here you go.’ And so there’s not one. I think there’s a bunch of them.”

Did you see that extra year in the spring or that extra six months, whatever it was? Were you starting to see that in Willie [Henry] and guys like that?

“Yeah, I did at times see it. Now we’ve got to get consistent with it. We’ve got to know what our expectation is for the position. We have very high expectations for this position because, again, go back to experience, age, and things like that. So okay, you’ve got that. You’ve put that in the bank. Now, okay, let’s go. So we’re going to have very high expectations for how we play.”

[Note: I left to do another interview and came back later, jumping in mid-answer.]

“…whatever they call the defense, that’s the technique I play them. And every one of them is an individual guy all playing together to form that defense, so it’s just- it doesn’t effect them really at all.”

Not even for someone like Mario [Ojemudia], who maybe has to drop back now…?

“No, he did before. He did that before. That hasn’t been new to him at all.”

What’s it been like for you taking over that defensive line group?

“I love it. I’ve coached D-line my whole life. It’s always been my favorite position to coach and I really like coaching those guys and I know how important it is. You’re only going to be as good on defense as you are up front. It’s a proven fact, so I’m excited.”

Maurice Hurst in the spring game seemed to be making a lot of plays. Do you think he’s ready to contribute a lot more?

“No question. No question. We saw that when we recruited him. We saw that at times last year. Now he’s a grown man. Now he’s older. Now it’s time for him to take the next step and we’re going to put him in positions where he can. He’s competing, just like all the other guys.”

Does it help for him to be able to move around?

“Positions?”

To be a nose tackle or try-

“Right, and that’s what we’re trying to do. We’re trying to get the best six, seven, eight guys so we can roll them and play them any way we have to to make sure we’ve got our next good player in there.”

Bryan Mone’s a good 30 pounds heavier than a year ago. Think that will help him a bit?

“If he can run. That’s going to be the key. If you can’t run you’ve got to take it off.”

MGoQuestion: Is that the same case for Lawrence [Marshall, who told me he’s up to 255 from the 238 he’s listed at on the roster]?

“Yeah. Lawrence’ll be fine. Lawrence’ll be fine because Lawrence is just growing. It allows him now to play some end as well as the Buck, and again, all those things when you can do that allows your defense to be stronger.

“When you’ve got a guy who’s 210 pounds and all he can play is a Buck he better be a really good Buck. Now all of a sudden you’ve got a 260 pound guy and he can go different places; it helps your depth.”

MGoQuestion: When you go to the 3-4 look, who’s in the mix at nose tackle?

“Oh, the same noses as in the 4-3.”

MGoQuestion: They’re just shaded over a little bit more?

“See, the thing you’ve got to understand when you say 3-4 or you say 4-3, it’s just where you’re aligned. Same people. Same people playing. Instead of being a one-shade on a center you’re a zero head up on a center, okay? Instead of being a three-technique outside a guard you’re head up on a tackle. So it doesn’t- the players, they could care less. It’s another technique for them to learn.”

MGoQuestion: Does it change whether they’re one-gapping or two-gapping or are they still-

“Depends on the defensive call. Depends on the defensive call. Just like in the 4-3, are you slanting or are you playing straight? It’s all just different techniques by the position you’re playing.”

MGoQuestion: And how do you choose when they’re doing that? Is that based on the opposing personnel or is it when you want to do show a team a different look?

“No, no. It’s on what their tendencies are. You know, if a team has a tendency, for example, to run away from what’s the three-technique then show them a three and make them be a two. You know, that kind of thing.”