Everything From DE/OLB Coach Kyle Pope After Georgia Tech's Monday Practice

Fall Practice rolled on for Georgia Tech on Monday, and the Yellow Jackets are now less than four weeks away from their season-opening game against Colorado. After practice, Georgia Tech's defensive ends/outside linebackers coach Kyle Pope met with the media, and here is everything that he had to say:

1. On the development of his group since the spring...

"Honestly, I've just seen some sustained growth. I mean, I've seen guys who come out of the spring, focus on the things that we need to focus on and gotten better. And that's the biggest thing you can ask for, just guys continue to grow both physically, mentally, and they've done it. And they've come out this fall camping, worked their tails off, man. So I'm excited just to see the growth, to see those young guys that were, there were pups. Now they're growing out of their pup phase and coming in to contribute, man. I'm excited about it."

2. On the young freshmen...

"I'm seeing some freshmen who have come in that have good football IQs. They've been well coached. My guys that's coming in that want to work like the different freshmen, whether it is the Andre Fuller's, the Christian Garrett's, all these different guys, the Carrington Coombs, are guys who have come in and just busted their tails. And honestly, it's been a pleasant surprise of how good they are. And that just going through the process you understand what you're getting but as soon as you're able to work with them you're truly able to see the tools and things that they have you able to just work on those small my new details of it like man it's been great I'm truly excited about I think it was an amazing freshman class and those guys have high upside for sure."

3. On A.J. Hoffler...

"A.J., first of all he looks amazing right now he's kind of got his I mean, he's healthy, but he's a student, and that's where he starts. He begins as a student first. Like, he's gonna be the guy that's gonna send you videos, see your phone, ask questions, take notes in a meeting. Like, he wants to be better in all aspects. And once he's on the field, you see it in his play. I mean, he runs around, plays physical, plays with great effort. Like, he's the guy that I'm very excited about and pleased to have."

4. On Amontrae Bradford and Jordan Boyd...

"I think they've grown and developed the most mentally. And also from an IQ standpoint, those are two guys that's always had that athletic ability, but coming into college they had to just pick up how we do things, the schematics of things. And where they's grown the most is just come out in Fall Camp and just showing a look, I belong, I fit here in the execution. Like those guys are a play at a time and you continue to see those guys get better. I give both of those guys one thing a day to get better at and we leave the feeling they get better at that one thing a day and that's all I'm gonna ask for but those are two guys that I'm truly excited about and two guys that are gonna compliment us a lot."

5. On Ronald Triplette and Brayden Manley...

"Definitely, still seeing the same thing out of both Triplette and Manley. I think both of those guys are two different style players, but they bring something to this team that we were looking for, and that's why we have them here. They both bring a dynamic ability that's gonna help us this year. Triplette, he's an older guy. He's the guy that's played a lot of ball, has a lot of and he's the guy that he wants you to tell it to him once, he's going to get it done. And Manley is just a dynamic player that can affect the game in a lot of different ways. And so both of those guys are guys that went out there looking for guys. They fit the mold, they check the boxes, and just being blessed to have them here, we're excited about."

6. On defining who plays standing up and who has their hand in the ground...

"I think for me is I never said it so much to say, "Hey, you're doing this or that." I'm always telling them, "Hey, we gotta learn to do both." Because at the end of the day, I want a guy who brings value more than one way. I want guys that are interchangeable. So I want all those guys, when we're teaching the tool, I'm teaching them how to do both. And then we're going from there because at the end of the day, I want guys that bring in value, to be multifaceted, and all those guys in that room are. So, and that's kind of like a steal and a cheat code, because you got guys who have the ability to do more than just one thing. They can be boxed into this certain thing. So, those guys are going to be able to help in different areas, all over the field."

7. On if there is a number he is looking for as far as contributors...

"For me, it's all about the competition. Who's gonna come in and compete and be ready to contribute? I'm not looking for a magic number. The bigger the number, the better the value. It's about guys who come in and compete day in and day out and put themselves in a position to go out and help us win ball games. That's what it's all about at the end of the day, win a ball game. So if that's a big number, I sleep better at night."

8. On if he has specific goals in mind for this season...

"I think for me when I go into the season I always have personal goals as a coach, then also have goals for the room. I think the biggest thing that I want to be able to see us do this year is, like you said, to finish, not just being in the position. It's great to be in the position, but we got to be able to finish more. And that's the thing that we're hitting on so much in the spring and also in fall camp. We got to be able to finish, and we've built that room in a way to where it's finishers in there. So I'm excited about it, but at the end of the day, they understand that goal in mind is to be a relentless defensive, a relentless front. And we got to be able to affect the quarterback every way possible. But to affect him, you got to finish on him. And that's the goal, to be able to finish every single player. And if you get a chance, you can't miss it. Got to take advantage of it. And that's something that I preach to those guys every day. And you see it in practice. And we grade it every day. More so, not just grading the lows, but also grading your finishes. Is that a play that you're going to make? Is that a play that you're finished on? Because when the season come, You're not going to be able to get that play back again."