Miami Hurricanes left tackle Jalen Rivers previews Miami's upcoming football training camp. He tells host Alex Donno about Miami's offensive line chemistry.
Category
🥇
SportsTranscript
00:00We got Jake Jalen Rivers here starting left tackle at Miami.
00:03First of all, Jalen, what does it mean to you to be able to represent Miami here at
00:07the ACC kickoff media days?
00:09It means a lot.
00:10We have a great team, and I get to represent the guys that's been working just as
00:13hard as I am.
00:14We represent the coaches and represent the fan base.
00:17So it's important for me, like Keiko and Cam, to be here to really put out what
00:22we've been working on, what we foresee happening for the season for us.
00:26And tell everybody, hey, we've been doing this, we're ready for the season.
00:31What have you personally been working on in terms of techniques, conditioning?
00:36What has been your big focus this offseason?
00:39I'm just building on what we had last season.
00:41So we had a great season as an offensive line.
00:44I mean, we could have had a better season as a whole team in general.
00:47But just building on what we had last year and what we learned from last year.
00:51So the spring, we got a little taste to work on it with just having pads on.
00:57This summer, looking at what we had during the spring and just learning from that.
01:00So it's kind of like a learning process, you have different phases.
01:03So the season, spring, and then now summer.
01:06And then that led us to working on things we're gonna work on for fall camp.
01:10So that's our main focus for next week, to really hone in on our skills.
01:14And for me, I'm holding on my skills, building my physique even better.
01:20But other than that, just holding on our skills and
01:24just focus on what we need to focus on right now and
01:26learn what we did last season and during the spring.
01:29You got three returning starters on the offensive line,
01:33new transfer center and Zach Carpenter.
01:36There seems like a competition at left guard, but
01:39do you feel like the unit is gonna be cohesive?
01:42How's the chemistry been?
01:44I mean, for us, we have to be cohesive, that's with every unit.
01:46But with offensive line, we have coach Mirabal to tell us,
01:51not even to tell us cuz we do it our own self.
01:53But he really emphasizes the fact that to be tough,
01:57I mean, to be having a cohesive unit, you gotta hang out.
01:59So we go to this house every year, every summer, to have a pool party.
02:04And then we hang out really by ourselves as offensive line, really every day.
02:08Some guys go to people's apartments, some guys we go out to eat a lot.
02:12So I feel like with anybody we put on the offensive line,
02:16we would have that kind of bond to be playing with because we're like that
02:21off the field.
02:22I mean-
02:23And there's also a bond being built with your quarterback, Cam Ward, right?
02:26Tell us about that.
02:27I mean, like I say, we'd be hanging out.
02:29Cam's the one who'd be taking us to eat.
02:31He took us out to eat like three times.
02:32We went over his house to watch basketball one time and eat Raisin Canes.
02:38But it's fun, it's kinda exciting to have that type of person,
02:42our quarterback, to really spend time and
02:45really appreciate the offensive line that he has.
02:48So it's very important for Cam to build that trust with us, but
02:52it's important for us to hang out and trust and
02:55see what type of person he is off the field with our quarterback.
02:58So, I mean, it's great, and
02:59I love to have that bond with everybody on that team, really.
03:03Is there anything you can tell us about, we've seen a couple guys maybe competing
03:08for the left guard spot on how that's been going, cuz you're gonna be, and
03:12I know you're gonna be comfortable with whoever's next to you, but
03:14any insight you can give us on how Samson Okunmola and Matt McCoy are doing?
03:19I mean, like I said, they're all competing for that spot.
03:22They're doing a great job, and I'm excited for
03:25Fall Camp to really see that competition even more.
03:29They're two great football players.
03:32I wouldn't mind playing with either one of them.
03:36Do you feel like this is gonna be a special year?
03:38Because a lot of the stars seem to be aligning,
03:40just in terms of the amount of talent that's on the roster now.
03:44I would say we have all the talent in the world.
03:50We have a very talented roster.
03:52It's on us to really put the pieces together and
03:56see how far it can take us when we put the pieces together.
03:59Because the season, you're gonna face adversity.
04:04You're gonna have all the talent in the world, but
04:05it's on us to face adversity and see how we face it.
04:09But we have the leaders, anyways, to really calm down the whole team and
04:14for people to look at us, cuz when we're hanging our heads,
04:16when we're doing this, we have other people following us.
04:18So it's important for us as leaders to have that confidence and
04:22spew all that confidence to everybody else to really have a successful season.
04:26But we have all the ability, we have all the talent in the world.
04:29We just gotta, we're not gonna get far if it's just talent.
04:34Yeah, and there's specifically a lot of talent on both sides of the football.
04:39But the offense is very talented this year, Jalen.
04:41It seems like Miami is the type of team that can kinda dictate whether they wanna
04:46be a power running team or whether they wanna be more of an air raid type of team,
04:51and hopefully a combination of those things.
04:52Yeah, so like you said, we can be anything we want.
04:56I mean, we have all the pieces.
04:57So to be honest, we can do anything in the world.
05:02We just gotta be successful at it, and I feel like we will.
05:05Have you had a chance to play the new NCAA or college football 25 game?
05:09I play that almost every day if I can.
05:11But obviously now I don't got my places with me down here.
05:15But when that thing came out for us, we got early access with everybody.
05:20Every student athlete got it, I guess, or every football player got it early.
05:23I think Monday or Tuesday of when that last week, I think it was last week.
05:28I don't remember.
05:28I think it was, yeah.
05:29Yeah, but we've been playing it nonstop.
05:31That's been the talk of the week since it came out.
05:36Well, that's awesome.
05:37Did you get a chance to, any pancake blocks on there for yourself?
05:40I did see it, and then sometimes it'd be fake cuz I'd be getting beat and
05:44I don't even touch nobody.
05:45I'd be like, what?
05:46But it's fun to see my player and everybody else's player on the team.
05:51I've been playing with Miami a lot.
05:53We've been playing with Miami, Miami versus Miami a lot of times because we
05:57have NCAA on the football game in our player lounge at the school in our facility.
06:02So nobody's playing any other game, I would tell you that, other than NCAA.
06:09Nobody's been playing any 2K, Madden.
06:11It's been just NCAA.
06:13We appreciate your time, Jalen Rivers.
06:15Enjoy all the festivities today.
06:17You're gonna be talking a lot today, so I hope you keep that voice.