On how QB Jayden Daniel's has been adjusting to his offensive scheme:
"Just to try to implement the things that we've been imparting on him. And that's who he is and, you know, we are excited about where he is at and you know, there's so much more room for growth. And that's the fun challenge as the coach getting to, you know, show him a different way to do things and he has responded really well."
On how having WR Terry McLaurin at OTAs helps the team:
"Yeah, I mean, he's been fantastic. He has like set the tone for the group. He is working incredibly hard and every time he is out there he's making plays and showing the energy, the play style that we want to be all about. So, he's been excellent."
On how his offense can help McLaurin grow as a receiver:
"You know, I think, we may move him around a little bit more. You know, we will do the things that he does well to try to put us in advantageous positions. So, he's done an excellent job so far with handling what we've thrown at him. And then, you know, we're just, we're gonna keep asking him to keep pushing the envelope to build on the great career he is already had, and then try to take a another step."
On WR Antonio Williams and the wide receiver room:
"Yeah, I've been really pleased with the entire receiver room. It's just, you know, we talk about it like you're trying to build a basketball roster. Like you don't want all guys who can do the same things and Antonio's been great stepping in, learning the system and he's made some plays out here too which has been exciting. And we feel really good with the pass catcher room and where we're at in that. Getting [WR] Treylon [Burks] back and [WR] Dyami [Brown] and some of, you know, the acquisitions that we made there. So, feel really good about it."
On how his offense can help Daniels evolve:
"Yeah, I think, you know, just trying to open his eyes maybe under center to some of the play action concepts and different things we want to stretch, you know, stretch people horizontally and vertically and you know, it's, we're not creating essentially new concepts. Just asking them to do different things and I think at the end of the day, it's about us trying to put our best players in positions to be successful. And, you know, we'll evaluate that throughout the spring and in the training camp to do that."
On adjusting to his new role as Offensive Coordinator:
"Yeah, I think, you know, what's stimulating for me is every day, you know, there's something new with the role. So, whether it's leading the coaches or our group, it's been really cool to see it in different areas, new experiences, and, you know, I've really appreciated everybody just kind of being the wind at my back to keep going forward, and whether it's our coaching staff or the players buying in completely. And, you know, I'm really pleased with where the group is at as a whole."
On what has surprised him the most about this group:
"Surprised me the most. Man, that's tough. I think, I really do feel like no hesitation from anybody and not that that is surprising, but I think everybody has just full steam ahead said, 'Okay, we are, you know, we're locking the gates, we're going forward and we're just going, to be about what the vision is for this new system and what the '26 Commander's offense will look like'."
On a determination amongst the group:
"You know, one of the expectations we talk about a lot is the just the ownership of it with regard to the players just taking it, making it their own. And, because this thing, you know, I'll stand up here and I'll tell you guys, like, we've got 14 coaches and, you know, roughly 45 players on offense. This is a collaborative effort. Like it'd be foolish of me to teach [QB] Marcus [Mariota] exactly how I see the zone read, but when Marcus shares his wisdom from his experience, it makes the group better. Same with Terry catching a fade or you know, different experiences, all of our coaches who have different experiences. So, this is a collaborative effort and the ownership aspect of it, is what I've been really pleased with."
On his experience collaborating with Defensive Coordinator Daronte Jones:
"Sure. It's, you know, when we come out here, you know, and the guys get to be on the grass, it's about competing. But to set up the stage for that he and I under [Head Coach Dan] DQ [Quinn] have tried to create the best environment possible for collaboration to exist. And it's been all about, just kind of setting our players up to be in a position to be successful. So there's no surprises, there's nothing from that lens. And then, you know, it's a challenging defensive scheme for us to get to work against. You guys witnessed that, you know, when we went to Minnesota last year, and so, there's different challenges that arise and it challenges us as offensive coaches to have good solutions for our players as we take the field. So I think, you know, as we head forward, it, it's a big part of who we are as a coaching staff, and the collaboration has been really encouraging thus far."
On what TE Chig Okonkwo adds to the offense:
"You know, in the call it, you know, two and a half months or three months we've had Chig, it's been really exciting to kinda see him grow and buy all in and we're really excited about that whole room, room in general. You know, like over the first couple days, they've made a lot of plays, certainly Chig himself has too, and we're excited about just, you know, the explosiveness that he adds to the offense. So, as we go, I think, you know, we'll definitely find what his role is in the unit."
On if he's starting from square one or building on past experience with teams:
"You know, I really do think, you know, as we grow, we're a sum of everything that we've kind of taken in. So, there's been things that I've really liked along the way from other places that we will certainly look like. There's things that we did here that I really like that you guys will see as well. So, you know, as a staff, that has been been the goal so that you can walk into this offense and say, 'Well, why is it called that?'. And everybody in football always says, 'Well, we've always done it that way'. That the goal was to eliminate all of that and build it from the ground up, the collaboration and we're gonna make the '26 Commander's offense our own."
On collaboration with players:
"Yeah, certainly. You know, we had a player send a 2003 Varsity Wing T Playbook, a picture just this past weekend. Somebody shared that with me, one of our offensive linemen of course. And then, [laugh] and then, you know, from the quarterbacks to all the rooms, to all the coaching staff, this has been collaborative. We're building it together, and at the end of the day, man, you get 65 snaps on a Sunday roughly to put your guys in the position to be successful. And that's, you know, that's what we're building towards."
On how long it took for him to put together an offensive scheme:
"Man, great question. And I think there was construction of it right back in, call it January, February, things that I had stored away from prior years. And then there was a whole deconstruction process of with the coaching staff and input from certain players, a lot of communication with Jayden along the way and then you build it back up and okay, in March and in April, you know, it's been a full process. Call it from January until the players got their eyes on it for the first time on April 20th. And we kind of went from there and it's still evolving, right? This is a work in progress. It'd be foolish to say, 'Hey, this is, set in stone what we do'. So, we're gonna continue to find the best avenues to put us in a position to succeed."
On what deconstruction of the past offensive scheme looks like:
"Yes and, right? All of the above. Is it changing the names, is it changing the tempos? Is it changing the personnel grouping? So we're trying to be very multiple, be hard to prepare for and all of those factors play into it."
On Offensive Pass Game Coordinator David Raih:
"Coach Raih is the most detailed coach that I have ever been around. My time as a player, my time now in coaching, he's been fantastic detailing the passing game, making sure that we are spot on, marrying our and our pass. He's got experience coaching in every position room and his work over the last few years here, his history, coaching receivers, coaching positions, playing quarterback, we were very confident that he would be able to fulfill that role and do it at, you know, an excellent level."
On Daniels' growth:
"Sure. I think, I think as much as anything it just, you know, the expectation we talk about with regard to ownership, like he's bought in completely and it's the same work ethic. It's the same young man that you guys have, have grown to know and love and it's just, it's been cool to ask him to do something different and watch him soak that in as well because you guys have seen some of the excellent parts of his game and our goal is for you to see other excellent parts of his game as well. So, he has fully embraced that and gone for it."
On the running back room:
"We are, we're really excited about where the room is at now. Was really pleased with the draft to get [RB] Kaytron [Allen] and [RB] Rob [Robert Henry Jr.] in the building and just kind of continue to add to the room. [RB] Rachaad [White] has so much natural and past catching ability and experience. When we just added to the room and then getting guys back that we know and [RB] Jerome [Ford] has been excellent too. So we're really pleased with the running back room so far. And [Running Backs] Coach [Anthony] Lynn and [Offensive Quality Control] Coach [Jesse] Madden have done a great job."
On how Raih's attention to detail has helped him:
"Yeah, he, man, from an organization standpoint, he takes a lot off my plate and he has been excellent with man, there's so many things that go into the timing and spacing of a passing game from your splits, to your route dip, to different concepts you want to orchestrate. And he has a lifetime of experience detailing that, so to have that assistance has been really helpful for me."
On how his relationship with Daniels has changed:
"I think, you know, I have had a lot of time with him. I think the co collaboration aspect is probably higher now than it was in the previous role. And at the end of the day, you know, as he's an extension of our coaching staff taking care of the ball on the field, it has to be vital for he and I to be on the same page with what we're trying to execute."
On what the offense will look like in the fall:
"You know, I think, just philosophically, right, the three things that directly correlate to winning are ball security, right? These guys taking care of the football, playing with good fundamentals, explosives and then being good in situational football. So, you know, that's what we preach on, that's what we teach on. 'Can we take care of the football? Can we be explosive and can we score?' Call it last couple minutes of the half and the last couple minutes of the game when we need it most."
On communications with Daniels as he was building the offense:
"You know, first of all, I think [Quarterbacks Coach] DJ Williams and [Assistant Quarterbacks Coach] Danny Etling have maximized their time with them this spring, but he put a lot of work in outside. Whether it was a phone call here or texts there about naming of a concept or how something's supposed to be ran or, you know, whatever, a cut up that he wants to watch on his iPad. He studied a lot of guys that, you know, this offense was built around as well and his game fits into it. And so he has, he's dove right in and he's put a lot of the work in on his own and now, you know, he is kind of getting to see it come full circle here. As you know, we hit the grass really for the first time and understand the intent behind every play."
On the offensive line:
"Yeah, I think, first of all, getting as many guys back for the cohesion, you know, [is] as important as anything is getting as many guys back in the room. And, you know, it's really exciting as, you know, [T] Laremy [Tunsil] and him being around and the progression of [T] Josh [Conerly Jr.] and a lot of those guys. And then as we build, we're gonna let those guys compete to see, who the best five are to go out and fill that thing out for us. And, you know, it's a good problem to have good linemen to, you know, evaluate."
On how the scheme can help the team develop big plays:
"I think there's an aspect of just with every snap, right? As we're building this thing, putting the optimal player in the optimal position to try to give us the best probability possible to achieve that."
On the play action:
"Yeah, I think as, you know, hopefully as you guys see it develop, there will be, when we snap the ball, you should know if we're running it, throwing it, from all different aspects, multiple personnel groupings, and we will, you know, we'll let the chips fall from there. But we, yeah, have coaches have done an awesome job being intentional building it. And I think, you know, as we go forward, hopefully you'll see the things that we harp on and emphasize come to life."
