Bullets:

• Jake Ryan had his surgery on Thursday.
• "No update" on Will Hagerup's suspension.

Opening remarks:

“We’re going to get after it pretty good tomorrow. I thought we had a good practice. I think it was practice eight. I think we’ve done a nice job of competing. I think a lot of the young guys are really doing a good job in the competition area and also how they’re grasping the things that we’re doing offensively and defensively.”

Has Jake Ryan had surgery yet?

“Today.”

Do you have any sense of his recovery timeline is?

“No. I think everybody’s different, so I think -- nine months, 12 months some people say. Some people say six to nine. I think it just depends on the individual.”

How have other guys like Cam Gordon responded since Jake’s injury?

“I think they had that impetus anyway because the competition that we want to have. I don’t think Cam is doing anything differently than he did before. I think we moved Brennen over there a little bit because he’s played some for us. Gives us another body. I don’t think they’ve changed their work habits, their study of their game, their work ethic.”

Do you anticipate getting Jake back at all?

“Well I hope so. We’re being very optimistic.”

Wouldn’t that not be until mid-season?

“I can’t make those predictions. I’m not qualified.”

Is Fitz Toussaint ahead of where he was expected to be?

“I think his progress has gone well. I think everyone who has the medical knowledge of where he’s at -- I think they think he’s ahead of where they may have thought he would be.”

Do you feel like it’s likely he’ll be back for the first game?

“Well again, I think it’s hard. We’re optimistic for it, yeah.”

How has Frank Clark looked? He obviously had a good season last year.

“I think he’s done a nice job. I think we have a great competition. Beyer plays that position some. Ojemudia’s doing a really nice job. And Taco. I think all three of those guys or four of them to some degree are doing a nice job. I think Frank had a great winter in the weight room. I think we thought he did a really nice job through the conditioning aspect of it.”

You coached a lot of different quarterbacks. What kind of traits would you like Devin to emulate?

“Well, you know, I think you want a quarterback who, number one, manages the game and manages the ball. You have a guy who can make sure we don’t give the ball up. Decision making’s all part of that. That’s a trait you want and I think that’s one he understands.”

Does he have a leadership style similar to anyone you’ve coached before?

“I don’t know. I really can’t answer that. I think you’ll see more through the summer. I think you’ll see more in fall camp.”

How has Brennen Beyer looked after switching positions?

“Good. Brennen’s a smart kid. He has a high football intellect, a high educational intellect. I think he’s a kid that loves to play. I think he’s a guy that’s really changed his body, continued to physically. He can handle anything, especially from the mental process.”

Does he have to change his body again?

“No. No. Because we’re multiple enough to do a lot of different things.”

Any update on Hagerup’s status?

“No.”

Will he play or practice at all this spring?

“No update.”

MGoQuestion: Last season coach Mattison seemed pretty excited about the defensive linemen who were redshirting. How have they looked?

“I think they all -- I’m not going to pick one guy out -- but I think they’ve all done a nice job. I think when you look at numbers from the weight room and numbers from the body fat and the lean muscle and all the things that go with that and how they run around on the field, how they absorb. Because most of those guys don’t absorb quite as much because once they get to scout teams, technique and fundamentals may be the same but what you call it is different. I think they’re doing a nice job with all those intangibles and out here they’re working really hard.”

MGoFollowup: When we asked Mattison about whether you had any pass rushers in that group, he said, “Oh yeah.” Who are they?

“Oh yeah.”

MGoFutility: Is that it?

“Yeah.”

How is Raymon Taylor doing?

“You know, I think Raymon’s done a really good job. It’s exciting to see Blake because he’s doing everything but full drills. I think how Ray really is taking it seriously. I think Courtney’s playing better. He seems to be moving better. He seems to be more physical. I think we’ll have a nice skillset of guys to compete with.”

Chris Wormley is fully back now?

“Mmhmm.”

How has that been?

“Well I think it’s always just a mental process. The healing process is done. There’s always a mental process to them getting back on the field and wanting to get back on the field. I think some guys always have a little shyness. I think Chris is really, eight practices, has really come a long way.”

Have any of the other guys been fully cleared as well?

“[Kaleb] Ringer’s done more. Chris [Bryant’s] done some. I don’t think he’s there. Antonio Poole has done very little team stuff. But other than that, no.”

Do you anticipate any of those guys getting cleared by the end of spring?

“No. I don’t think so. I think Kaleb probably is the closest. I don’t think Antonio will be. Blake probably could be but we won’t do anything contact-wise with him.”

Is it hard to assess what Chris Bryant could be bringing to the table?

“The only thing that I can go on is when he got hurt, he was really starting, we thought, to get it and to come on a little bit. Now through this process, he’s got to manage his weight because that’s part of the pressure that you put on your legs and knees. I think he’s done a pretty good job of coming back and doing everything that he feels he can. I think he’s doing more now, if that makes sense.”

Has Desmond Morgan stepped up his leadership? Anyone else on defense?

“I think Thomas Gordon has. I think Des has, but I think Des is more of a man of action than word. I think Quinton Washington’s the same way. Jibreel has been positive for us in that leadership role, and Cam has.”

How do the early enrollee freshmen look? Have they acclimated to college yet?

“I think they acclimated well. I think the six of them, obviously this is a big change from going to school to the food you eat to doing your own laundry to playing a brand new style of football. But I think all of them have done a nice job of making progress.”

Do you think Russell Bellomy has a chip on his shoulder?

“I think Russell has always had a chip on his shoulder. I think that’s good. I think he uses it to his benefit.”

Is the improved team speed from conditioning or is it from having been in the same system for three years?

“I think that’s a big part of it. Number one, the players, the athletes. The next part of it is them understanding the defense because defense is such a reactionary part of football. I think all those things and playing faster.”

MGoQuestion: As a staff, do you keep track of players’ times (i.e. 40-yard dash, shuttle, etc)?

“No.”

MGoSkeptical: How do you assess their speed?

“By how good a guy runs from point A to point B on the football field.”

MGoUnsatisfied: Just by looking?

“You can tell.”

Do you think any of your freshmen are good enough to play in the fall?

“I think they’ve all done a nice job. I think all of them have acclimated well educationally in the classroom and socially and football-wise.”

Seems like Jake Butt is in a position of need …

“Yeah, but we have a long time before we kick off the season.”

Is Frank Clark usually athletic?

“Frank’s unusual. But Frank has an ability -- a God-given ability, but there’s a lot more of those guys.”

How is he unusual?

“He’s got great instinct. He’s got a suddenness to him.”