Everything RJ Moten said about fall camp on In The Trenches podcast
Michigan junior safety R.J. Moten joined Jon Jansen on the In The Trenches podcast, released Wednesday morning.
The Wolverines' defensive success will depend on many things, including Moten, the starting safety from New Jersey, replacing first-round NFL Draft pick Dax Hill.
During his 15-minute spot on the show, Moten discussed his impressions on the team's defense through three weeks of camp, his relationship with Steve Clinkscale, and praised new defensive coordinator Jesse Minter.
Here's everything Moten said to Jansen on the show.
To listen to the full episode, click here.
On last year’s crowd following the COVID season:
“It’s unexplainable. It was a dream come true, especially being able to play last year and contribute as much as I did. It’s a different feeling when you’re on the field. That’s the most people I’ve ever played in front or will probably ever play in front of. Then the Ohio State game and feeling that vibe, feeling that hatred; it’s 110 people behind your back who all hate Ohio State. You really just have to be there to experience it.
On the critics going into the year:
“Especially being on this team, Coach Harbaugh always tells us not to pay attention to the media. It’s Michigan vs. Everybody. So we know what we have to do when we go down there, we know how big the stakes are, and what’s at it if we win, or if we lose. Everybody is going to attack it at 100 percent with a different mentality that week, so I think we’ll be fine.”
On his offseason as a returning starter vs. last year as a hopeful starter:
“Going into last year, I just wanted to play. I hated sitting on the sideline and just watching. I was never hating against other people on the team. I just wanted to be out there, you know what I mean? Last year was ‘just do everything you can just to play,’ and now, seeing what it really is and how much really goes into it, this year it’s taking care of my body a lot more, studying the game a lot more. I understand the playbook, now I just got to understand how the offense is trying to attack us, different fronts, and where I got to fit now. Just taking a deeper dive this year than last year.”
On new Co-Defensive Coordinator Jesse Minter:
“I love him. I really do enjoy him. He’s got the same mindset as Coach Mac, so nothing has really changed. Same defense, just a little different. His mindset is Michigan vs. Everybody, and he wants to win a Big Ten Championship and win a natty, too.”
On Co-Defensive Coordinator/Defensive Backs Coach Steve Clinkscale:
“I look at Coach Clink, and I’m sure a lot of other players on the team do too, as another father figure. I’m from New Jersey, a long way out here; he sometimes will try to forget about football and talk about life lessons, which really means a lot to me and the secondary. Then there are some days where it’s like, ‘OK, I don’t want to talk to you, like you’re annoying,’ and he understands that. He does it because he wants the best for us; he wants us to be the best secondary in the country. He doesn’t even just do it to the secondary. You’ll see him talking to the linebackers, d-linemen, and sometimes the offense because he has connections with guys on the offense. He’s just a bigger brother, a whole bunch of years older than us. Good and bad days with him.”
On his biggest impressions of the defense so far through camp:
“Definitely, our confidence in being able to run the defense … last year it was our first time running the defense, so we didn’t really understand the whole picture behind why we call this or why we call that … but I can tell the whole defense’s confidence has sky-rocketed and our knowledge has sky-rocketed. Because we understand certain situations, we’re going to get this; and when we call this, there are different routes off it. I would definitely say our confidence.”
On grasping the defensive playbook allowing them to play "more free":
“I don’t know. When I know that everybody knows what they’re doing, I can do my 1/11th. Our thing is ‘do your 1/11th on that side of the ball.’ I know that if Junior (Colson) is in front of me, if we call a certain type of call and he’s got to fill this gap, I know he will fill that gap, and the ball will bounce to me, so I know I’ll be able to make a play. When you don’t have that on the defense, that’s when the pointing fingers happen; ‘oh, he did this,’ or ‘he did that,’ but there haven’t been any fingers pointed. We’re all together on this.”
On his personal goals for the season:
“Be the best version of myself. I really want to make this year that everybody will understand I’m the best safety in the nation. I’m versatile, I can play in the box, I can be in the post, I can cover. Be the best tackler on the team … get a whole bunch of tackles. I have goals but don’t like to say them because I don’t want to jinx myself.”
On replacing Dax Hill and what he learned from them:
“He set the standard that business is business. Same with Brad (Hawkins). I grew up like 20 minutes from Brad down the street. When I got here, Dax was in his second year and Brad’s fourth year. But they set the standard; they took me under the wing and showed me the ropes. They told me, ‘this is how we’re going to do it,’ it’s not this, it’s not that; it’s not high school football anymore. We’ve got shoes to fill. We have to pass that along to Keon (Sabb) and Zeke (Berry), and other safeties under them come up; it’ll be their turn.”
On the team’s excitement for Week 1:
“We’re ready to see that crowd. Ready to feel that football vibe. I know it’s a different type of vibe when you get out of camp and get ready for a game. We’re just eager to get back out there.”
On the defensive goals of a non-conference schedule that isn’t challenging on paper:
“Just be able to hone in on the details that the coaches, no matter our position, just make sure we got everything right before we go to Iowa. I hear that’s a tough place to win.”
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