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Posted on by Phil Callihan

Michigan Football Camp Report – Safety RJ Moten

8/12/22 Player Availability

Q:
What’s the difference for you this year, going into your third year compared to some of other years as far as your approach and knowing that you were vying for a starting spot?

Moten:
I mean, really, I just got to attack each and every day like it’s the same, you know, I gotta take care of my body a lot better than what I did the past two years. I got to study the game a lot better than what I did, understand the defense, understand the offense we’re playing that week. I’m really just doing everything another notch higher than the year before.

Q:
Obviously, the team had a lot of success last year, what will it take to take the next step?

Moten:
Everybody’s just got to do their 1/11 whether it’s on special teams, whether it’s on offense, defense, we all just got to you know, know what we’re supposed to do like that one person, and then everything will click.

Q:
We’ve heard a lot in the last couple of days from both coaches and other players, Luke Schoonmaker was talking about how when he lines up against you guys everyone’s screaming. And then the coach is talking about obnoxious communication. What does that look like to you? And how different is that or similar to what the past defenses you’ve been a part of?

Moten:
Obnoxious communication just comes from everybody understanding, like I said what 1/11 is, and you’ll see us out there, we’re pre snap communication, we’ll see something that somebody’s doing and then we’re all saying oh, he’s about the motion. Alright, so what’s that check we’re going to in…it just shows we’re all on the same page, we all understand what’s about to happen and what we’re supposed to do.

If we have obnoxious communication, I think we can be the best defense in the nation.

Q:
Do you feel like you has that in some of you other years?

Moten:
Freshman year- not really, last year a little bit but this year since it’s our second year in the defense everybody’s comfortable and it definitely has stepped it up.

Q:
Coach Harbaugh has mentioned that there are some pieces of the defense that are further along now than they were at this time last year it’s outside of the obnoxious communication what pieces are those?

Moten:
I really don’t know, I feel like every everything’s just the way it’s supposed to be you know we understand the defense, our tackling has gotten better, coverage obviously has gotten better. We’re able to put like little little things in, I really think we know the whole defense is just like what it’s supposed to be right now.

Q:
Going against your two quarterbacks how much does that help prepare you for the season? And how much of a challenge do you think it’ll be for other teams to cope with both of those guys?

Moten:
I mean, they’re two different quarterbacks so you know, you got one that you know JJ who likes to rollout and run so we obviously you got to know that when he does that, we got to plaster, find our man. I think that you know, game planning for both of them will be obviously hard, because they both have a different style of play. So one can do one thing and one can do the other. But I think game planning for them will be a lot harder this year for sure.

Q:
Ronnie Bell was elected captain last year then he has the injury and how hard was that for y’all to see that and do you admire how he was able to maintain his leadership role?

Moten:
Oh, yeah. 100% you know, going into last year, everybody knew Ronnie was gonna have a big year. You know, that was one thing that he made known. But seeing him go down that first game really hit home, and, you know, just seeing that he never hung his head made us never hang our heads. He’s just been putting in the work getting rehab done. And I think this year will his year.

Q:
I know he’s playing in front of you. But how much have you seen Junior Colson evolve from when he first arrived last year to where he’s at right now?

Moten:
100%…evolved he understands the game a lot more. He’s vocal a lot more, you know, you see him covering now on running backs, tight ends and he’s just all around the ball like anywhere the ball is. The ball could be here on one play and the next play, he’s gonna be here. So he’s, he’s doing a good job.

Q:
Is there anything that he can do that maybe we haven’t seen yet in games that we don’t know about?

Moten:
Jr. can do it all? Do it all. I promise you that.

Q:
You mentioned, finding ways to take care of your body better, prepare better than you have in the past? I was wondering is that was that the decision to embrace those things was that linked at all to last year with you and Rod battling for playing time and maybe realizing that every little thing adds to where your standing might be on the depth chart? Or was it not connected to that?

Moten:
Oh, yeah, every little thing matters. Like, no matter, like everything I do, whether it’s in the game or not, whether it’s how I sleep, everything matters like if you want that starting job or not…

Q:
What goes in to taking better care of your body?

Moten:
Getting in the ice tub every day, you know, actually getting into the treatment room and even if something feels sore to telling them like, hey, this is sore and not pushing it aside…

Q:
Coach Clinkscale mentioned that there’s an emphasis on creating more takeaways, why don’t you think you guys were able to do that this year? And what are you doing to improve that number this year. Why do we think it didn’t happen last year? And what are you doing to improve this year?

Moten:
That’s a hard question. Really, what we’re doing is every time that you know, the ball is thrown or ran, we’re just taking shots at the ball, you know, you’ll see us a practice, punch out the ball, you know, to create that habit in my mind every time you know, if you’re the second guy in punch at the ball, punch at the ball…I mean, we did it last year, too. So I mean, I don’t know how to answer that part of the question like, how that could have been different. But yeah you’ll see as we’re doing a lot more ball drills…and that’s really just punching at it and trying to strip it out.

Q:
Do you think it’s also has to do with positioning, I guess maybe just being in a spot? I mean, as a safety or, or whatever. I mean, it is that something that maybe can be improved just by the fact that you guys are in the second year of this system?

Moten:
Do I think it’s harder?

Q:
Yeah. I mean, like the position that, you know, being in a position, the right position to make the play…being in the second year of the system?

Moten:
Oh, yeah. Yeah. Yeah, definitely being able to understand, you know, defense a lot better I can get ahead of the play. If that’s what you’re asking. Yeah, for sure.

Q:
Do you think it’s fair to describe this defense as a no star defense?

Moten:
We’re all stars. Swear, everybody, every person that will play this year is a star. I don’t care what the critics say, I don’t care what anybody else says, we will be the best defense in the nation.

Q:
What makes you so confident?

Moten:
We all know what we’re doing and we’re a lot hungrier, you know and everybody you know, is chasing that same goal. Like I said, that obnoxious communication comes along with it. We all understand what we’re doing. We all understand, you know, our parts and we’re just, we’re just ready. Yeah.

Q:
How similar is the defense despite being a different defensive coordinator?

Moten:
It’s the same thing, just a couple of tweaks, some different terminology.

Q:
We asked Ronnie this but when you’re looking at such a packed receiver room, is there someone who may surprise us this year?

Moten:
Our receiver room is deep. I think every every receiver in that room has has an opportunity to you know make a couple plays this year. I don’t really like to single out just one person. I think I’ve seen a lot from all of them and I’ve gone against all of them almost. But I think obviously room- they’re all like they all are playmakers.

Q:
Who has made the most impressive play so far?

Moten:
Impressive play, probably Ronnie. I don’t know if y’all saw the pictures the other day, but right I think Gemon tipped the ball like, Ronnie made a one handed catch like, barely in the endzone but yeah, I think that was the most impressive play this year.

Q:
You guys obviously lost the playmakers last year Aiden, David, and Dax, but when you hear your coach come out and say that this defense could be better than last year, what does that mean, you guys in just in terms of confidence?

Moten:
Let me figure out how to say is- we all we all are confident, you know, I’m saying most of us played in a couple games last year, we got a couple new guys getting ready to play this year. But I think that with the leadership that the guys that have been in the fire before, I think that we’ll be able to all compact as a defense and you know, be better and see bigger than last year.

Q:
Maybe one of the only knocks on last year’s defense was some of the struggles with tempo were lining up, you know, in avoiding some of the too many men on the field penalties. With the defense being the same how does Coach Minter attack some of those things so that it doesn’t repeat itself this year?

Moten:
We’ll do those scenarios and practice so it’d be like two minute, and then we’ll know like now okay, we can’t sub in two minutes or like certain situations we can’t sub, we can sub or like certain situations he knows he’s got to get the call out faster. So we’ll, we’ll do all those scenarios in practice.

Edits made for clarity.

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