Urban Meyer isn't afraid to speak his mind, but wanted to make one thing clear Thursday on the Big Ten teleconference regarding comments he made Monday about the NCAA's ban of satellite camps and its new texting rule.
"I've never blasted the NCAA in my life," Meyer said. "The NCAA is us. I'm not sure people get that."
Meyer called the deregulation of texting between coaches and recruits "the most ignorant thing" he's ever heard on Monday. Thursday, he said its more about putting the student-athletes first and the entire process as a whole.
"If it’s better for the student-athlete to have unlimited text messaging in their phones where you can’t block and can’t stop people from doing, we all know the answer to that and that’s silly. No, it’s not better," Meyer said. "Then I’ll hear, ‘Well it’s easier on the coaches.’ No it’s not, who cares. That was my whole point. I’m not blasting the NCAA, I’m blasting the people who would make a decision because they think it’s easier to monitor or police and it’s easier on the coaches.
"To me, it's common sense," Meyer said. "But unfortunately there's not always common sense involved."
ADDITIONAL MEYER NOTES
- Meyer called former defensive end Noah Spence a "brilliant young person." He felt all he needed was to get the right people around him to excel, which is what he got at Eastern Kentucky and coach Dean Hood.
- Meyer said Kerry Coombs "has done a great job" developing his cornerback room, and it is obvious in the talent its put in the NFL with Bradley Roby, Doran Grant and now Eli Apple.
- Meyer reiterated how he thinks the NCAA should have a set of rules with regarding coach contact with recruits and if it broken, fire the coaches as penalty: "It's very easy. We have a set of rules. Live by the rules. Or you won't coach again."
- Meyer said he went to a Ohio high school coaches meeting and found out those involved in the association were "very upset" about the satellite camp ban. Meyer said he was unaware the ban would do away with coaches from non-group of five schools' participation at camps like ones at Ohio State.
- Meyer on the spring game Saturday: "There will be a lot of starting opportunities available."
- Damon Arnette, Denzel Ward, Damon Webb, Malik Hooker are still battling for starting jobs in the secondary. That continues Saturday.
- Meyer said Chris Worley and Dante Booker have established themselves at linebacker. Jamarco Jones (left tackle) and Isaiah Prince (right tackle) need to show "a little more" on Saturday to do the same.
- At right guard, Meyer mentioned Demetrius Knox, Michael Jordan and Matthew Burrell as still battling for the starting spot.
- The decision at running back between Mike Weber and Bri'onte Dunn has not been made yet and the battle will bleed into preseason camp, Meyer said.
- Meyer again praised the work of James Clark, Parris Campbell and Terry McLaurin this spring.
- Meyer said he and new Rutgers coach Chris Ash talk often: "He's one of the best coaches I've ever had. In a different kind of way I'm kinda proud. When guys leave I ask what they like and what we can do better, and I can tell what they like because they're doing it. "
- Meyer on the continued rise of the Big Ten: "Better buckle up, because it's coming this fall."
Ohio State Defensive End Tyquan Lewis
- Lewis said Dre'Mont Jones and Jashon Cornell are doing everything asked of them this spring on the interior of the defensive line.
- Lewis said the expectations within the program are clear even with the youth on roster: "Coach Meyer always makes that known."
- Lewis is pleased with the development of Dre'Mont Jones just like Meyer: "He's really fast."
- Lewis is curious about seeing the young guys perform in front of a big crowd Saturday, even though he will be out as he rehabs his shoulder injury.
The six other coaches from the conference's East Division and six players from those teams followed in the footsteps of their counterparts in the West from Wednesday and held a teleconference Thursday afternoon.
Below are more updates from the call.
Indiana Head Coach Kevin Wilson
- Wilson said this spring Indiana is "the best we've looked" in his tenure in Bloomington. He feels as if the recruiting on defense and returning starters on that side of the ball is helping with the improvements needed to take the next step and the transition to working with new coordinator Tom Allen.
- Wilson called the return of redshirt senior offensive lineman Dan Feeney "huge" for his program. Feeney had weighed the idea of potentially going to the NFL after earning first-team All-Big Ten and All-American honors in 2015: "He's as good as I've ever seen. He's the complete package and wants the Indiana football family to get even better."
Indiana Offensive Lineman Dan Feeney
- Feeney said he came very close to jumping to the NFL after 2015, but "felt like for the team the best thing was for me to come back."
- "I think this year we can definitely explode and get a lot more than six wins." — Feeney
- Asked about his thoughts on the new unlimited texting rules by the NCAA, Feeney mentioned his recruitment and how he felt the stricter communication between him and coaches "was just enough."
- Feeney said he feels the change in culture coming from the defense with its new coordinator in Tom Allen: "He brings it every day."
Maryland Head Coach DJ Durkin
- Durkin called his first four months at Maryland "jam-packed and crazy." The school named him head coach on Dec. 2. He was defensive coordinator at Michigan last season.
- Durkin added he said the biggest surprise he's faced as a head coach is how many things he's had to deal with on a daily basis that he didn't expect: "Things come across your desk that I just didn't have before."
- Quarterback Perry Hills and Caleb Rowe will receive equal reps in Maryland's spring game Saturday, Durkin said.
- Asked about satellite camps, Durkin joked, "I was wondering how long it'd take to get a question about that."
- Durkin called the camps "extremely beneficial to us" when he was at Michigan with Jim Harbaugh: "Jim is about as innovative as they came, he has a great vision and he always thinks outside the box."
- Durkin also said he doesn't see where holding a satellite camp is "a bad thing or where it's wrong."
Maryland Defensive Back William Likely
- The opportunity to play under Coach Durkin and the new staff played into his decision to return to Maryland for his senior season, Likely said. Likely was an All-American punt returner in 2015.
- Likely said he is looking forward to Maryland's spring game Saturday because he thinks there will be a bunch of fans in attendance to see the new regime.
Michigan State Head Coach Mark Dantonio
- Asked about the increase to nine conference games, Dantonio said he does feel it will "be a little bit more of a grind, but it is a sign of the times."
- Dantonio added he thinks the Big Ten champion will likely make the College Football Playoff if it only has one loss as a result of the nine conference games. He sees improvement from the rest of the programs in the league to help with strength of schedule.
- Dantonio said he believes former quarterback Connor Cook "has first-round ability."
- "It's always been an extremely well-coached conference with great players. There are teams that will move up and win those big games because of that." — Dantonio on the Big Ten
- Dantonio: "Our goal is go to back-to-back ... it goes through the East nowadays."
- Dantonio said linebacker Ed Davis is "on track" to be back in the rotation for Michigan State this fall after suffering a major knee injury on the third day of fall camp last year.
- Dantonio feels like Michigan State has a chance to have an "excellent defense in 2016: "Time will tell."
- On freshman Donnie Corley: "Inevitably he'll play" both sides of the ball for Michigan State. Not ready for defense yet, however.
- Dantonio on his quarterback situation: "The one thing we don't have is a guy coming back that's won 13 games, but we'll find that."
Michigan State Linebacker Riley Bullough
- Bullough said he believes Michigan State's defense will be better in 2016 than it was a year ago because of the competitiveness and potential in the young players.
- Bullough said he's "been really impressed" with all quarterbacks on roster, namely Tyler O'Connor and Damion Terry: "Whoever emerges, the team and myself have all the confidence in the world in them."
Penn State Head Coach James Franklin
- Franklin mentioned eight names on his offensive line that have been working in for playing time.
- Franklin said he and his staff at Penn State is looking everywhere it can to get the best players into its program.
- On Christian Hackenberg: "We all know Christian is very, very talented ... We think Christian is going to have a very successful career."
- Franklin added he feels like he is not in position to say whether or not Hackenberg will be a first-round pick because he hasn't taken the time to look at the NFL Draft much this year. Been too busy with spring practice.
- Franklin is unsure if the Big Ten East will be more balanced this year despite how much Ohio State and Michigan State lost because of how well they recruited: "I think this will be one of the most competitive conferences in college football, especially the East Division."
Penn State Defensive End Garrett Sickels
- Sickels said he believes the young guys on defense are doing what they need to in order to step up for departed seniors like Anthony Zettel.
- Sickels said Torrence Brown has grown into a leader at defensive end especially: "I have confidence in all the guys there, but especially Torrence."
Michigan Head Coach Jim Harbaugh
- Harbaugh on the incident from Wednesday that Drake Johnson was reportedly injured by a forklift running into him while he was stretching: "He's doing well. I can tell you this, it would have killed a lesser man. He is blue-twisted steel. Very flexible. Amazing."
- Harbaugh also thanked God Johnson is OK: "It's a miracle. Right up there with Easter."
- Was there one quarterback that's played better than the others at Michigan this spring? Harbaugh: "I haven't decided yet."
- "My default is usually 'yes' when asked to do things." — Harbaugh when quipped about him being the commencement speaker at Paramus Catholic High School in New Jersey, the alma mater of Rashan Gary and Jabrill Peppers.
- Harbaugh said there are plenty of coaches looking to get some sort of change made about the recent ruling of banning satellite camps.
- More Harbaugh on satellite camps: "We're going to continue to put more thought into it and think of a course of action. We believe here it's beneficial."
- Harbaugh on not having other schools' coaches at camps: "I believe it affects thousands and thousands and thousands of people."
Michigan Tight End Jake Butt
- Butt said he saw a Snapchat Wednesday from Drake Johnson that had him in good spirits after the accident: "Knowing the guy Drake is, I'm sure he'll be good to go."
- Butt said he believes the 2016 version of the team the best he's been on since coming to Michigan.
- Butt: "The athletes are one of the driving forces that gets this NCAA to run. Sometimes I feel we aren't heard."
- Butt reiterated Harbaugh's point on how the coach is always out to help the student-athletes: "He wasn't breaking any rules. It's bigger than what's going on here with the satellite camps. We're looking to help student-athletes get out there and get recruited ... This is a tough situation. I hope they can figure it out."
Rutgers Head Coach Chris Ash
- Ash said defensive tackle Darius Hamilton has provided the necessary leadership and skill needed at his position this spring to grow into the leader his team needs.
- On satellite camps, Ash noted how it is his job like other coaches to help out the players in any way they can: "I'm all for giving student-athletes to be exposed for college football coaches ... I don't necessarily agree with the decision the NCAA made to ban all satellite camps. I wish they would have looked at possibly limiting the number of satellite camps coaches could be a part of, not completely banning them."
- Ash called Ohio State the "Cadillac of college football."
- Ash said he feels like Rutgers has "some players" who are on par with the others in the Big Ten, but the Scarlet Knights "have some positions of need right now."
Rutgers Defensive Tackle Darius Hamilton
- Hamilton said the strength of the defense under Ash is the new head coach allows it "to just play football."
- On the implementation of rugby-style tackling Ash brought to Rutgers: "It's a lot safer way to tackle ... and I think this tackling way is more efficient."
- He added Rutgers moved from "bite the ball" tackling to "kill the engine."
