Everything They Said: Jerry Mixon and Tony Tuioti

 

Everything Tony Tuioti Said Saturday

Q: Are there many defensive lines in the nation that are as talented and experienced as you guys? What was the offseason conversation like with some of those guys after the Peach Bowl to get them to return?
Tony Tuioti: “Yeah, a lot of it is just really just trying to figure out what they wanted to do. You know, obviously one of them was Tatum, that was my son there. Teo with Amari and Bear too as well. You know, Bear announcing early, that was helpful, you know, because a lot of these guys want to play together. You know, and I think the way the season finished too as well put a certain taste in their mouth to the point where there’s still some things that they want to achieve. Obviously, the culture has to look a certain way. The building’s got to look a certain way for somebody to forego the opportunity to go to the NFL and come back. I mean, it’s not just them. You look at somebody like Dante Moore, like why would somebody come back to college football, right? There’s got to be some trust. There’s got to be some connection. There’s got to be a place where they feel that they can develop. And those guys went through the same process too as well. So I’m glad they’re back. There’s a lot of things for our young guys to be able to learn from through their experience. So the conversation was basically that, like, what do you want to achieve? What do you want in your goal? And they felt like they still had things that they wanted to get better at before you go to the NFL because the NFL is not a developmental league. So those guys made their decision to come back, and I’m just glad that they felt right in their own decision. And Coach Landon’s been great with the process with everybody, not forcing them or tricking them to come back. These are the reasons for you to come back. This is how we can help your game develop to put you in a better situation next year.”

Q: You guys added some depth on the D-line with Robinson and Simmons. How do they look so far and what do you expect from them?
Tony Tuioti: “Good. DeAndre’s been a really good addition to us. He’s a big body that’s athletic. He can run. He’s been to a few programs before he came here. It’s just like a lot of the other guys that have come here. We’ve got to be able to delete some of the things that were bad habits that they created and try to download some good ones for them that they can use to help them put them in a situation where they can win. You look at Jerome Simmons, another big body type for us. It’s hard to find big bodies, you know, and especially in the situation we were by the time we were done with the season, looking at some guys to fill up our roster. He adds that to our depth. So really good with him too as well.”

Q: A lot of the time when we ask Dan about last season, he’ll say this is a totally new team and a new season. But when you have so much returning, at least on the top end, how do you balance between wanting to pick up where you left off and wanting this to be a new team?
Tony Tuioti: “I think, you know, just having Tatum, Teo, Mari, and Bear coming back, they know the standard, you know, and we also know that there’s a lot of room for us to get better at and improve. You know, so we got to push harder to get what we’re doing. You know, nothing’s promised, nothing’s guaranteed that we’re going to get back to where we were last year, and every single day we’ve got to continue to push that. You know, so we talk about having a standard and living up to that standard each and every day, and it requires them to make a choice, and we push our guys here to choose hard every time because on the other side of their greatness is choosing hard.

“You know, having young guys like Matt Johnson, Aiden Breland, Elijah Russian, like these guys have stepped up a lot. They’ve been doing really good in spring. Excited about what they’re going to be able to do for us here in the future.”

Q: Going back to some of the players’ decision to return, what was your role with Tatum in terms of having a dialogue about what he was going to do next? Was it changing caps between dad and coach?
Tony Tuioti: “Yeah. You know, it was pretty much the same process. Like a lot of these guys are kind of like sons to me, you know, spending a lot of time with them. But, you know, obviously with Tatum, it’s just trying to figure out for him, like, what do you want to do? You know, do you feel like there’s room for you to improve? You know, he obviously wants to enter the NFL at the highest pick that he can get. And he’s somebody that just, you know, he’s a team first guy to us well. He wants to leave here in the right place, trying to set a legacy for himself too as well. So that played a lot into it. And at the end of the day, I think him just being along with Taylor to have another season again, having a chance to play again with Maury again. These guys have been together since they were freshmen. And you don’t have those opportunities too often to be able to start your career together and finish together. And I think that was a big piece of that too as well.”

Q: There were reports that Tony Cumberland was involved in a car accident at some point this week and that he’s injured. Can you speak on that and maybe give a status update on him?
Tony Tuioti: “Yeah, just real short with Tony. He was a passenger in a car accident. Obviously, we’re thinking about him. He’s recovering right now. He’ll be out for the rest of the spring. So we’re just keeping him in mind, praying for him and his family for a speedy recovery. And I’ll just leave it at that point.”

Q: Circling back to Simmons and Robinson, other than being big bodies, are there other traits they add that were imperative to help complement Bear and Amari?
Tony Tuioti: “Yeah, you know, you want to have guys that can play the run and be stout, especially in this conference. You can’t have enough big bodies in the run game, you know. A lot of teams that are playing deep in the playoffs, like depth is so important. And the biggest thing for us is how can we find guys that have certain traits, want to find guys that can be physical at the point of attack, but also be able to rush the passer too as well. And we’ve had those kind of guys in the past and they fit those similar traits and body types. Deontre does a really good job of being able to play with his hands and striking blocks and playing combination blocks, you know, going back and just watching his tape. And then he’s also athletic enough to be able to win and push the pocket inside.

“So those two guys, along with what we have, I mean, Matt Johnson has grown so much. He’s going to be a young man that’s going to, you know, a lot of people haven’t seen him play a lot, but Matt Johnson redshirted. And then he played pretty much every game in the playoffs. So you talk about the amount of development that he’s made from redshirting after his fourth game and then playing every game in the playoffs. I’m really, really excited about his development and growth. Other guys like Aiden Breeland that you haven’t seen much the last couple of years. He’s another guy that’s grown tremendously this spring. He’s basically a young man that can play all the positions. He can play a five. He can play a nine. He can play a three. He can play a zero. So he adds position flex to us. So really excited about the young guys. And so right now, the biggest thing for us in our room is how can we close the gap between the guys that are returning, that are possibly professional draft pick guys, and the younger guys. And so if we can do that as we get late to the end of the season, we’ll feel good about where we’re at.”

Q: It’s early in spring and it’s hard to assess with true freshmen, but I know Prince just arrived and Tank’s been here for a little bit. What have you seen from those guys and what are the expectations for what they could provide early?
Tony Tuioti: “Yeah, really excited about Tank. You know, Tank had a really good practice today. He’s another one very similar to Aiden Breely in our big end positions where he can play the edge, he can slide inside and play the three technique. And Tank’s done a really, really good job. It’s a very complicated defense. And to be able to compartmentalize everything, he’s done a great job with that. So in terms of Prince, Prince has got here in April. So this is really his first week of practicing. It’s kind of like dropping him in the deep end, and he’s done a really good job of just trying to keep up with everything. So he adds some pass rush value to us, which is something that we always were looking for, and also does a really good job in trying to help us in the running game too.”

Q: Can you go a little bit deeper on Elijah? He’s someone who obviously has the talent and just needs more opportunity. What specifically does he need to do to become more of a contributor and have an impact on this defense?
Tony Tuioti: “Yeah, we had a really good talk with Elijah in the offseason. He’s put on more weight. He’s 285 pounds now. So he’s tall, he’s long, he’s continuing to get bigger and stronger, so he’s able to anchor in the run game a lot better. When he first came in here, it was like 250, trying to anchor in the run game and get as much knockback. He wasn’t that strong enough to do that. So now he’s growing into his body now, which is something that happens with a lot of defensive linemen when they come in. You got to develop to be able to play that position effectively. And now at 285, he’s able to get some knockback. And he always was able to provide some pass rush ability for us, but it was really like, can you improve in the run game and be more stout there for us? And that’s been a point of attack for him, and he’s done a really good job of making that a point of focus. And it’s showing up in practice, which is awesome, because he’s another player too as well that has that position flex to play the edge, slide inside, and also be able to rush from the interior. I really like how we have our depth in the room where we have guys that can play outside and play inside. And, you know, we can use that to our advantage to try to create mismatches.”

Q: You guys lost a lot of good leaders on defense, including Bryce. Have you noticed anyone trying to take that mantle, maybe Jerry Mixon or anyone else establishing themselves as the next Bryce?
Tony Tuioti: “Yeah, you know, Jerry obviously is doing a really good job of taking that step to be the guy, to be the vocal leader up front. Devin Jackson’s also a guy that’s been here before that’s done a really good job. So we have guys that have been in the system for a while. Now it’s their opportunity to carry the mantle. And they’ve done a good job of taking on that challenge too as well.

“You know, a lot of our guys now, it’s just a matter of just training the defensive linemen, really training their ears, you know, to be able to hit, to be able to listen to this voice. They got a certain pitch. You know, so it’s going to be loud at Autzen Stadium, but you really got to train them. It’s going to like whistles to a dog, you know, so they got to hear that pitch. So for a long time, they’ve been trained to listen to Bryce. You know, before that, they’ve been trained to listen to boss’s voice, who’s the commander. Now it’s like, all right, who’s the commander now, who we got to train our ears to. And so, you know, Jerry’s been doing a good job of that and also Devin Jackson, too.”

Q: I wanted to get your thoughts on Nasir Wyatt. Obviously we saw the pass rush ability that he had last year, but in terms of becoming more of an every-down player, where is he at in that progress?
Tony Tuioti: “He’s grown a lot. He’s gotten a lot stronger. He’s showing up in spring practice too as well, the way he strikes, the way he uses his hands. Obviously, he’s got a great gift in rushing the passer, and he can win with speed. But now he’s showing up to be able to win with speed and power. So that’s always been the challenge for Nas. Every player that we have, they all have their individual growth plan. And one of those things for Nas was like, all right, how do we help you become an every-down player, not just a DPR designated pass rusher? And he’s done a really good job bulking up and getting strong. And, you know, when you look at him, he’s lean, he’s kind of built up, but he’s got very powerful hands for a guy that’s his size. So he’s also going to be another guy that’s going to create a lot of havoc plays, and we’re going to need that from him. And, you know, when we get a chance to go rush the passer, he’s somebody that everybody’s got to watch out for because he’s definitely got a gift to do that. So proud of his development where he’s at so far too as well.” 

 

Everything Jerry Mixon Said Saturday

Q: With Bryce gone, you’re kind of the old head in the room now. Does it feel that way this offseason, and how have you kind of taken on that role?
Jerry Mixon: “Really just being more of a leader. I really don’t feel that way because we’re all like in the same age yet, but being more of a leader, just talking out there, communicating with my defense, and just being a leader for the young guys.”

Q: Coach was just talking about defensive players trying to learn your pitch, so they understand where the commands are coming from. How do you go about trying to make sure guys recognize your voice and recognize that you’re talking to them from wherever you are?
Jerry Mixon: “Really just because it’d be loud out there. So just getting closer to D-line, communicating with them. Don’t be too far. And just doing like hand signals with the back end because, you know, they’re a little farther from me. But just making my voice high pitch so everybody can hear me on the field. Yeah.”

Q: Coach was also talking about how everybody has a personal growth plan with the coaches. What, in your head, is your growth plan for this year? What do you need to do to grow into this role as the guy?
Jerry Mixon: “Really just being more vocal, being more of a leader, and just encouraging my teammates. And then game-wise, you know, just playing more physical, just being out there, being more sound, making the other team lucky for me.”

Q: Another part of maybe filling in for some of Bryce’s role is the green dot part. I’m wondering how much practice you guys had prior to this year when he was here, and what that process has been like stepping into that role now.
Jerry Mixon: “Yeah, in the practice last year, we both had it. So it was making me getting used to it and stuff. Just hearing Coach Ham, you know, he got a little accent, so it’s a little different in the headset. But just hearing him and just communicating to the defense.”

Q: You played more last year than you had in a long time. How did you feel at the end of the season, and how does your success last year carry over into your confidence heading into this spring?
Jerry Mixon: “Yeah, it carried over a lot, just being more confident out there, really slowed the game down, seeing what offense like to do. So I feel like that played a big part in it.”

Q: The past two years, Dan has made a big statement with his actions by not going to the portal for linebackers and just kind of staying with your group, showing his trust in you guys. How does that feel as a player in that room, knowing that he believes in what you guys are doing? And what is it like trying to live up to that belief?
Jerry Mixon: “It gives us confidence, you know. I want to go to Coach Michalowski. He helped develop all of us in the defense right. Really, it’s hard to learn the system. So just sitting back with him, teach us a lot of things. So I feel like that gives us confidence that Coach Landon trusts us.”

Q: Obviously the core group last year was kind of you, Bryce, and Devon. What’s going to need to be seen from some of the younger guys to step in there and be competent replacements into that rotation?
Jerry Mixon: “Really being more vocal and in production, make plays. Our coach always says whoever makes the plays is his favorite player. So you make plays out there, they got no choice but to put you in.”

Q: What are your impressions of some of the new defensive line additions, specifically Robinson and Simmons?
Jerry Mixon: “Oh, they showed a lot of flashes out there. You know, they learned in defense and got a long playbook. So just seeing them show flashes out there and then seeing them get more comfortable.”

Q: Ahead of the Peach Bowl, Brayden Platt had to switch over to running back because of some of the injuries. What was that experience like for your whole room to see him go over? And did you guys have any words with him on the other side of the field now?
Jerry Mixon: “Just really show him, like, who he is as a person, you know. Anybody else probably would have got discouraged, probably hit the portal. But, you know, he wanted to help the team any way he could. So I respect him for that.”

Q: Following up on what I was asking earlier, what impresses you most about Brayden, Dylan (Williams), Gavin (Nix), the guys who have come back who maybe we haven’t seen a lot of and maybe we’ll see this year?
Jerry Mixon: “Yeah, really distrusting the process. They go out there every day to attack. You know, it can be hard as a young guy. You’re not saying I feel like he was in high school. So just going out there and attack every day like this they last.”

Q: Going into your last year, you’re stepping into a much larger role than in years past. Does that change how you approach this offseason compared to prior offseasons?
Jerry Mixon: “I wouldn’t say, like, not really. But I feel like during the breaks, years before I would take breaks, you know, go trips, wherever I wanted to go. But this year I feel like I stayed down, grounded. Stayed in Eugene over spring break and worked out and trained to improve my game. So I wouldn’t say it changed a lot, but definitely put a little bit more effort into my game for sure.”