Everything Grant Newsome said to the media about fall camp
Michigan tight ends coach Grant Newsome is one of the youngest coaches in the country.
The former Wolverine offensive tackle went from a player to a player-coach to a graduate assistant and now a full-time assistant coach.
Read everything the New Jersey native said about his position group, Jay Harbaugh, the offensive line, and more.
On Harbaugh saying Erick All & Luke Schoonmaker will battle to be the best tight ends in the country:
"I see it the exact same way. I think they have every ability and every license to go make it one and two. That's on our team goals & our offensive goals, and that's definitely our goal as a unit, to have those two battling it out to be the Mackey Award winner."
On Erick All putting on weight and how it affects his athleticism:
"He's still playing athletic. He's still moving really well. I think (the weight) is only going to help him with some in-line blocking. It's crazy because he still looks bigger, more cut, you wouldn't think he put on weight without looking at the scale. He told me how much he weighed the other day, and I couldn't believe it. I put him on the scale to verify it. He looks great. Coach Herbert and his staff have done an amazing job developing all of those guys, especially Erick."
On Erick All's evolution as a tight end:
"He got here probably 220 pounds, so to now be 257 and still be fast, still have all of that, and I think he's gotten faster than he was when he got here. It's a credit to Coach Herbert and his staff and the work that they've done. The work that Abigail O'Connor has done to continue to develop him from an athletic perspective, to put that weight on and still maintain all that athleticism."
On who's faster between All & Schoonamker:
"That's tough. I'd say Erick is probably quicker. Schoon might be a little faster at the top end. I'm curious to know what they run at the combine. I think it'll be close."
Will the two tight ends, who played more snaps than any offensive skill players besides Hassan Haskins and Cornelius Johnson in 2021, play as many snaps as last year?
"It's going to depend, obviously, game-to-game. How the flow of the game is going? Who's hot? It's a good problem to have, right We're not just two-deep, but we're really deep in the tight ends room. I feel like we got five or six guys who can go win us a game at tight end. I think that those two have demonstrated they deserve to be on the field, and we're not going to depart from that. It's still going to be our identity, to be physical and have tight ends involved in the passing game and the run game."
On Newsome's ascension in the program and embracing his opportunity, going from player to graduate assistant and now full-time tight ends coach:
"I love it. This is my home. I'm very blessed and very grateful to Coach Harbaugh and the whole staff to still be here in this elevated role. Enjoying every second of it and trying to make the most of it."
On what Newsome likes best about being an assistant coach:
"Just interacting with the guys. As you guys know, we're very, very blessed here to have amazing young men. It makes it easier to come to work every day. To have them, you know, their passion for the game, the type of people they are, and be able to work with the best staff in America with the best head coach in America. It makes it really, really easy to come in and enjoy what you're doing."
On the adjustment to recruiting as a position coach:
"It's somewhat of an adjustment. It's different when you go from being that support role to now being the lead (recruiter) on guys. And also having an area. It's been good. Obviously, it's time intensive, but I love it, and it's just another thing to compete in. At the end of the day, it's about being a genuine human being and being able to have relationships."
On Max Bredeson:
"He fights his tail off every single day. he can go up and be super, super athletic and make plays. Extremely physical in the run game. He's had a really good camp, and I'm excited to see what his career holds here. I think he's going to play a lot of games for us.
On Marlin Klein:
"He's going to be pretty good. Both of those freshman tight ends are going to be really good. They've both had really good camps, and I'm excited to see both continue develop. Marlin as well as Colston have a lot of physical tools that are going to set them up to be really good players here."
On Joel Honigford's leadership in his sixth year on the team:
"I think it's invaluable not only for our position room but for our team to have not only Joel but Carter Selzer, two sixth-year guys who I always joke with that they should be eligible for ARP or Medicare. It's invaluable to have those guys and their leadership, and also just having two good football players who know the offense inside & out. You put them out there, they're going to get the job done to the best of their ability."
On Honigford's improvement as a receiver:
"Joel has taken a lot of steps forward. He's gotten faster, for sure, and he's worked on his hands. Is he ever going to be Erick or Schoon? Probably not, but he's made it so that he can be out there for passes, which I think is the biggest thing moving forward to make sure we don't have tendencies so that when he's out there, it's not just a run to his side."
On selling Michigan's offense to recruits:
"Yeah, man, I don't think it's a "pitch." It's Michigan, right? You're going to come here and compete for a Big Ten and National Championship every single year. It's a top 25 university worldwide, you're getting coached by an amazing head coach who's genuine and knows football inside and out and a staff who's going to develop you and care about you. I don't think we have like a shtick; we just try to be genuine people and let the play on the field speak for itself."
On how he describes Michigan's offense to recruits:
"I think we do a lot. I think that's one of our appeals. We're an NFL style, we can get into 13 personnel, play downhill football, and we can throw the ball to the tight ends. But at the same time, we have elite skill, and I think you saw that last year, and it's only going to continue. If we feel like we need to run a ball down a team's throat, we can do that, like Washington last year. If it's a game where we have an advantage skill-wise, or we want to be in more 11 (personnel), we can do that, we did that against Iowa. I feel like there's nothing we can't do offensively just because of the variety of personnel we have."
On the offensive line and how it allows the offense to be creative:
"It all starts with the offensive line, and obviously, I'm biased because I played it. Those guys are doing a heck of a job, and I know Coach (Sherrone) Moore is obviously outstanding, and the way those guys fight for him and play their butts off for him, it's awesome to see. It makes me want to be a better coach and inspires the rest of the team because I really feel like those guys are the leaders of the team. It all starts up with them. If you look at last year, there's no way we would've had the success we did if those guys hadn't played the way did. It's only continuing. Obviously, Olu (Oluwatimi) has been a great addition. Trente (Jones) and Karsen (Barnhart) are doing a great job as well. They've had a great camp, and I'm excited to see them continue to grow because I think they should be better than last year."
On young guys gravitating towards Newsome due to his age:
"Sure, I think there's definitely an ability for me to connect with them a little bit differently than some coaches because the age range is not as great. But I think in general, we have a really young and personable staff. Even the older guys age-wise on staff, like Coach Clink (Steve Clinkscale), I think he connects with the players maybe the best of anyone. I really think that's one thing across the board with the staff is that there's really no one the players can't go talk to. No matter the age, no matter the position. We just have a bunch of genuine people who actually care about the players, and I think the players understand and appreciate that."
Does Newsome have anyone on the staff who he goes to, similar to how the players go to a coach?
"I think obviously having Sherrone (Moore), who's kind of been my mentor in this profession, has been huge for me, especially since he's coached the (tight end) position. And also, Jay Harbaugh is huge, I tell anyone, listen, Jay is incredibly smart. I think he's the smartest coach in the building, which isn't a knock on anyone else. I think there are a lot of incredible coaches in the building. I think the world of Jay, and having him a couple of doors down to bounce ideas off him. I think everyone in the building goes to Jay for one thing or another, just how smart and how talented he is. Great person as well."
On Jay Harbaugh being the Swiss Army knife of the staff:
"I think it's a combination of how he connects with players really well and he's extremely, extremely smart. There's really not a whole lot of things he can't do. I think he might coach all 11 positions by the time he's done. He's awesome, and I think he's going to be an incredible coordinator, already is an incredible coordinator, and an incredible head coach sooner than later."
On what makes Jay Harbaugh so smart, the communication or the Xs and Os?
"I think it's all of the above. I mean, obviously, he's crazy, crazy smart in terms of Xs and Os and schemes. For him to be able to go in different worlds ... I think he's extremely smart on the offensive side of the ball and also be, in y opinion, the best special teams coordinator in the nation, and also to go on defense and contribute where you have to be Xs and Os smart, especially to do it as such a high level. I also think he does an amazing job of recognizing what connects and clicks with the players and putting it in terms that they understand, using methods and teaching tools that seem outside the box but when you actually think about it and see them in action, it's really, really smart. I can't say enough good things about Jay."
On his first impressions of freshman defensive tackle Kenneth Grant:
"He's big. He's very, very big. Very few people in my life make me feel small, and he's one of them. He's a massive human being. I think he's going to be a really good player. Coach Elston is doing a great job with him."
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