ReliaQuest Bowl: Michigan
vs Alabama
Monday, December 30, 2024
Tampa, Florida, USA
Raymond James Stadium
Sherrone Moore
Kalen DeBoer
Press Conference
THE MODERATOR: Coach Moore, if you’d like to start us
off with a brief opening statement and go from there.
SHERRONE MOORE: Just want to thank everybody for
being here. We’ve had a great time this week. Looked as
it as a business trip, and our guys have really taken hold of
that and had a great week of prep. Really excited about
the game with a great opponent. I’ve known Kalen for a
very long time. We talked about our days when we were in
the MAC, going around Chicago, and I was at Central and
he was at Eastern, and I’ve always had a lot of respect for
him and how he runs his program and what he’s done.
Obviously we faced last year in the National
Championship, and just tremendous respect for him and
how he’s built programs and has winning traditions.
But really excited for this game. Our players are excited.
It’s going to be a great challenge with a great team, great
opponent. Ready to kick this thing off.
KALEN DeBOER: Yeah, it’s been a good few days down
here. Just appreciate everyone in the Tampa area. Got
over to Clearwater yesterday and just all these events that
our players have been able to be a part of, fans, as well,
just nothing but great hospitality.
Appreciate ReliaQuest with the sponsorship and just
everyone down here for greeting us from the time we got
here until I know the time we leave.
As Coach said, we’ve known each other for a while, and a
lot of respect for him, know some of the staff, and also just
the program there at Michigan in general.
Looking forward to a great game. Our guys, really proud of
the way they’ve gone about their work, going back not just
this week but all the way through the month. Just always
looking for opportunities to continue to get better
individually, collectively as a team, and ready to go out and
play tomorrow.
Again, great weather down here in Tampa. Looking
forward to an exciting game, and be our best.
Q. For both coaches and Coach DeBoer first, there’s a
plethora of sports movies being made today. If they
decide to make a movie that you’re in, what actor do
you want to play you? Coach DeBoer, I’m thinking Jeff
Daniels. Not the “Dumb and Dumber” Jeff Daniels but
the one who’s in “Newsroom.” And Coach Moore,
Cuba Gooding, Jr. What do you guys think?
KALEN DeBOER: Well, I think you said it. Yeah, I
appreciate the added piece on there with not the “Dumb
and Dumber” part. So thanks for that.
Yeah, I don’t know. I haven’t thought that far down the
road. I think probably just like Coach, we’re just trying to
take one day at a time and lead our programs right now
and take care of our guys.
Love a good sports movie, though, that’s for sure.
SHERRONE MOORE: Yeah, I haven’t really thought about
that. If I had to put some deep thought — the first person
that comes to my mind in any movie would be Denzel
Washington because he’s an absolute animal in any movie
that he’s in. But just really excited for this game.
Q. Kalen, curious, we’ve seen a lot of Jaylen Mbakwe
at wide receiver over the past few days. I’m curious
what you’ve seen from him in practice, but is it a
permanent move to wide receiver? Is he going to play
both ways for you guys?
KALEN DeBOER: Yeah, for this game, I think right now
where it’s transitioning to just with the opportunities there at
that position, I think it’s something that based on what
we’ve seen here through the first couple, I guess almost
two weeks now, of him taking reps, he’s certainly got the
skill set, and really excited about what he can do for us
there at that position.
He’s got the speed. He’s had the ball in his hands all
through high school, running the offense there at that level,
and then we’ve used him in the punt return game and the
return games.
We’re just really comfortable with what he can bring to the
table. Now it’s just learning the position, learning the
offense. I think you’ll see us continue to move in this
direction with him. He’s really been focused on the
offensive side really all of bowl prep.
It was natural, number one, because of numbers, but
number two, I think because of what he can do as a
football player. Not all guys just naturally move into that
role, but he’s provided a really good amount of confidence
in us and I think his teammates in this transition here
already.
Q. Coach DeBoer, in the landscape we’re in in college
football with players opting out for bowl games, what
does it say about your leaders that they came out right
away and most of the captains on the team are playing
with the exception of the injury to Malachi? Did you
meet with them or was that just kind of assumed?
KALEN DeBOER: We didn’t have a big meeting, but I think
the leaders, as you mentioned, I think that’s always the key
is what’s your leadership, and the leaders just
understanding the precedent that’s been set here in this
program when it comes to bowl games, opting out, and just
kind of setting the tone on how important every opportunity
when you get to put the crimson on is, and these guys get
that one last chance here this year. Guys like Tyler Booker
really stepping up and Milroe, as well, and others, just
really saying, hey, we get one more chance as a
brotherhood to go out on that football field together, we get
a chance to be better as football players, and we want to
set the program off continuing in the right direction going
into next year and leave it at the best possible place that
we can.
They’ve poured everything into it, all these guys. Just
couldn’t be more proud of the mindset and how that’s
trickled throughout the team and really led us to have some
really good practices here all the way through the bowl
practice here, even today.
Q. Kalen, do you have an update on Kadyn Proctor’s
status for tomorrow?
KALEN DeBOER: Yeah, we’re expecting him to play.
Q. Coach DeBoer, with all the portal activity in
December, obviously your roster right now looks a lot
more like it will look in spring practice than it did for
any regular season game. Does that make the tape
from this bowl game more valuable as a self-evaluation
tool ahead of spring practice than what you would get
in the fall?
KALEN DeBOER: From this past fall? Yeah, I think every
guy, it’s an opportunity. There’s some opportunities that
some new faces are going to get. Maybe they’ve had
roles, but their roles are upticked a little bit just as far as
the reps they may get. Might be special teams, might be
offense, defense.
I think this game, the whole purpose, though, is still to go
out here and go find a way to win. So that’s the priority,
and along with it, just because there is movement, as you
mentioned, with the portal, new guys are getting upgraded
roles, more opportunities, and they’re looking forward to
taking advantage of it.
Again, I think as you were kind of alluding to, it does help
you kind of move forward into spring practice, which will
just be right around the corner here before you know it.
Q. Kalen, a chance to get 10 wins with this game.
What have you communicated and what have people
told you about what that would mean for that streak
with this program?
KALEN DeBOER: Yeah, it’s something that’s really
important to the guys. There’s no question. They want to
keep the streak alive there with 10-win seasons.
We always talk in terms of really trying to even simplify it
down beyond that and just the most important game is the
next one, just like the next play is the most important one.
That’s where we’re focused.
But there is a piece, too, with the tradition and just
everything. You don’t do it to put added pressure on
yourself, you just make the game what it is, and this is an
important game because it’s the one that’s in front of us.
Our players finding those motivational pieces, that is
certainly one of them.
Q. Coach Moore, can you talk about the offensive line
and who you expect to play tackle in this game? And
there are reports that Juan Castillo might be joining
your program again. Can you talk a little bit about
that?
SHERRONE MOORE: Yeah, we’re really excited about
the guys that are going to play in the game. Evan Link,
obviously been there, moving over to left, Andrew Sprague
getting a start, feel really confident about him. He’s a guy
that’s super talented that we’ve moved into the game a little
bit and played, and then the guys that have played inside
are the same guys.
Super excited for them. Super excited for the opportunities
that they have.
Coach Castillo has been a guy I’ve known for a long time,
obviously been here and been back, so he’ll be back
helping. Just a veteran guy that’s been in the NFL, that’s
been in college, groomed really high quality offensive
linemen. Obviously that’s an important position for me. I
want guys that I feel like can help that position as much as
possible, and feel like he can bring a lot to the table.
Q. Coach DeBoer, you mentioned the leadership and
the brotherhood going into this game. Is that what you
might be most proud of when you look at this group,
the 2024 season in the larger context?
KALEN DeBOER: Yeah, I think that’s something I know I
feel going back to January has certainly been just a
stabilizing force for our team. There’s so much that was
happening. I can sit here and talk all day just about this
particular area and how important it’s been and how proud
I am because there are some guys that pretty much put
their foot down and said, this is the place that we believe
in. They believe in themselves. They chose to stay. The
ups and downs that came with our season, they just were
steady through it and understood that the task wasn’t going
to be easy.
Anytime you’re a program that’s on top, it’s hard enough
just to stay on top when the continuity is all there, but they
took on that challenge, and I couldn’t be, again, more
proud of just the way that they’ve stuck together, whether
it’s the upperclassmen or whether it’s sides of the ball.
That includes our staff, as well, just the way they’ve
continued to stay the course and look at every day as an
opportunity for us to grow our program, continue to build
our foundation.
But yeah, that brotherhood, that family environment that we
really feel strong about, it’s carried us through a lot,
including this last month, just, again, with the highs and
lows of what’s come our way.
Q. Kalen, this isn’t any player specific, but just in
general, what have your conversations been like with
guys who are considering the NFL? How has your
advice changed over the years when they can now
come back to school and make money with NIL?
KALEN DeBOER: Yeah, a lot of this has been going on,
especially the last month. Just position coaches,
coordinators, just as much information as we can always
give these guys, we want to help them make the best
decision that they can. That’s the priority.
Yeah, those conversations continue to happen now. I think
a lot of the guys have a good feel of where they’re leaning,
but there’s still some decisions that need to be made, and
we’re here for them. I think they understand that.
Of course our program moving forward is probably better
with them if they stay, but that’s for each guy to make his
choice, and we’re going to help them through it the best we
can. I think most of them here sooner than later will have
that final decision made.
But the conversations do, as you mentioned, they certainly
are different now than they maybe were three, four, five
years ago as far as what the opportunities and why you
might stay compared to what it was before NIL and so
forth.
Q. Coach Moore, now that Mikey Keene has signed
and you can comment on him, what made him
someone you guys targeted in the portal, and how do
you expect he’ll factor into the quarterback
competition in the spring?
SHERRONE MOORE: Yeah, experienced guy that’s
played a lot of football. Really excited about him. We
played him in the first game, so we know how tough he is.
We know the type of throws he can make.
Just heard great things and tactical things about him as a
leader, and really excited for him to push that room and
give us an experienced guy that we feel that he can win us
games, and that was the most important piece of it.
Q. Coach Moore, now that you’ve had basically a
month of bowl preparation for this game, who do you
feel has made the most of their experience in terms of
practice, and who do you feel like has really taken their
game to the next step?
SHERRONE MOORE: Yeah, you just look at everybody
on the team, and I don’t think there’s a position group that’s
overachieved or overexceeded. All those guys have really
taken the opportunity to get better. You look at from the
O-line to the D-line to the DBs, the quarterback, running
backs, all those different positions, everybody has taken
the chance to get better, and they’ve really invested the
time that they’ve had to get better.
Really excited about the young players that are going to
get to play in the game, the older guys that are playing in
the game. They just want to strap it up for Michigan.
Q. Sherrone, your impressions of Jordan Marshall
during practice? Second question on Evan, he took
some heat this season. How do you think he
progressed later on in the season, and how confident
are you at left tackle with him?
SHERRONE MOORE: Yeah, first Jordan Marshall, he’s a
young kid. He’s dynamic. We really felt really good about
him throughout the year. Had a couple of bumps and
bruises and was limited a little bit, and is at full strength
now. He’s got a chance to be a really special player. So
really excited about him.
Then Evan has been great. He switched in fall camp from
the position where he naturally was at, and he’s done a
really good job. Really excited about him. Really the last
two games he played exceptional. Played really good in
the last game of the year, and he’s had a really good
month of prep, and excited for him and what he’s going to
do.
Q. Sherrone, when you bring in a transfer quarterback,
what’s the message to him about the potential starting
and getting into games?
SHERRONE MOORE: Yeah, it’s open competition.
Nobody is promised a certain spot. Everybody has got to
earn it, and he really understands that, even with the guys
we’ve brought in. So he’s really excited to push the whole
room.
He’s a guy that’s played a lot of football, that has a lot of
experience and made plays at all different levels. He’s
familiar with Chip Lindsey was really huge. They had a
connection previously. That helped.
But just all the reviews that we got from him as a person,
as a player, and then it was huge that we played him this
year. We saw him live in action. We saw him make some
really good throws and do some things dynamic. So really
ready for him to get going in this program.
Q. Coach DeBoer, final game in your first year as
Alabama’s head football coach. What does a win mean
to you?
KALEN DeBOER: Well, yeah, you want to win them all,
right? That’s a given. But I think just finishing this year off
with a positive would be big for just the direction, for this
team to kind of put an end to it, but also to help us just
moving forward and the trajectory. I think that’s what bowl
games are in general. But yeah, certainly after finishing up
the first year, it’s been a whirlwind of 11 months.
But I like where we’re at with the mindset, like where we’re
at with how things are coming together, and looking
forward to taking those next steps, and I think this bowl
game can certainly help in that and moving forward.
Q. Kalen, for double clarity, Jalen and all your draft
eligible guys, this is their game. They’re expected to
play the whole game and go the distance if they can,
correct?
KALEN DeBOER: Yeah, there’s been no conversations or
anything. I guess I’d be pretty surprised. I think they’re
here to win, to compete to put the best product that we can
put out there on the football field for four quarters and go
out there. I would not expect something like that.
That’s the way these guys are. Jalen Milroe, as you
alluded to, and the other guys, they’re going to go out there
just like they always have been and give everything they
have, and they’ve shown that in practice, so I wouldn’t
expect anything different.
Q. Last year you guys were playing in the Rose Bowl
in the National Championship, so late. I know that that
sort of hindered things within the portal and the way
there was going to be development. I guess this year
how much do you have to do in the portal and what’s
your balance been like preparing for obviously another
important game here but still obviously been
successfully attacking that, as well?
SHERRONE MOORE: Yeah, I think there’s always going
to be that balance. With the calendar how it is, regardless
of if you’re in the playoff or a big-time bowl game like this
one, you’re going to have to have some balance with the
recruiting piece.
The recruiting piece never stops. It’s 365, even when it’s a
dead period. People are still calling you, texting you. It
never stops, so for us it’s been a continuous emphasis on
what we have to do and the guys we have to get. There’s
still a few positions we need to get and we want to get.
But ultimately they’ve got to be the best fit for the program.
But the main thing right now is to go try and win this game.
Q. In the trenches, is that the positions where you’re —
SHERRONE MOORE: It’s a mix of different positions for
sure. Always want the best guys up front.
Q. For both coaches, when you’re looking at film of
the opposition, offense, defense, is there anything
similar to teams you played when you look at Alabama
or when you look at Michigan?
SHERRONE MOORE: I mean, for us, you start off
offense, and Jalen is special. He’s not like any quarterback
we’ve played or the ability that he has to impact the game
with his legs. They’ve got great playmakers on the outside,
a big offensive line. It’s just a different animal. It’s a
different group.
Defensively, again, NFL players everywhere. We’ve
played some really good teams all year. We’ve played
Oregon, played Texas, played Ohio State. So similar to
those guys and the guys that we’ve played, the top
competition that we played all year.
KALEN DeBOER: Yeah, I think the last part, too, would
certainly apply. Take the most physical teams that we’ve
played all season, and that’s what you’re going to look at
when you’re getting ready for the game tomorrow is both
sides of the ball, when it comes to Michigan, just being
physical up front. That’s across the board, not even just up
front. Just the style of play, the mindset that they have
spreads not just in the front but all the way through the
back half and the skill positions, as well, in just how hard
they play, how physical they are.
So take the teams that you’ve played, each side of the ball
maybe has faced different challenges from our end
throughout the year, but these guys certainly present that
at the highest level when it comes to the physicality.
They’ve shown style of play that I think going back to at
least the last game here with their nice win against a
playoff team, you understand that there’s a style of play
that you’ve got to be ready for, I think, in knowing what they
can do to win their football game. So we’ve got to counter
that.
Q. Kalen, do you have an update on Justin Jefferson’s
eligibility, like a definitive if he’s coming back next
year?
KALEN DeBOER: Yeah, I’ll let him make the decision —
not the decision, the announcements. But I know he was
pretty excited to hear about the opportunity. So if that can
give you an indication of where his head is at, and we’ve
had the talks, and pretty confident that he’s excited to
continue to play college football.
Nothing official has been said, but that was certainly a big
announcement there right around Christmas. A good
Christmas present for him and a good Christmas present
for us for sure.
Q. For both coaches, you guys had a connection in
the portal this off-season with Damon Payne and
Justice Haynes. Can you talk about what you saw
from them on film, and Coach DeBoer, talk about what
you saw from them on the field coaching them this
season.
SHERRONE MOORE: Yeah, both those guys, I can’t
really comment on those guys right now. I’ll just go from
there. Both great players at Alabama, and I can’t really
comment on those guys right now.
KALEN DeBOER: Tough question. Yeah, I’m just going to
say this: I’m always going to wish the guys that are in our
program the best, and those are two really good solid
young men. Always going to wish them the best. I hear
the word “fit” coming from Coach Moore’s talk here, and
that’s what you always hope, is that the college experience
for anyone that you get to coach, you want it to be in your
program, you want it to be a lead in your program, but
ultimately this time comes and goes really fast, so I’m
always going to wish the guys the best that were part of the
year that we had here or anytime I’ve coached throughout
my career.
Q. Sherrone, Max Bredeson, a cornerstone of the
offense, a captain, he’s here and said he hasn’t made a
decision about his future, but can you speak on the
impact his leadership and his play on the field have
had in practices so far?
SHERRONE MOORE: Yeah, he’s the ultimate competitor,
ultimate leader, everything you want in a captain and a guy
you want on your team, as physical of a player in college
football I would say, and he’s everything you want from a
leader on your team. He impacts our team not just on the
field but off the field in huge ways and making sure the
locker room is aligned in every single way.
I just can’t speak highly enough about that young man, and
just excited for his future and making his determination,
whatever he does.
Q. What has your experience been like here in Tampa?
What kind of bonding things have you been doing?
And what do you want your guys to get out of this
experience?
KALEN DeBOER: Yeah, I think it’s a setting where there’s
some time for the guys where they don’t have to worry
about classes, they don’t have to worry about other things.
It’s just enjoying each other, enjoying the moments that we
have. There’s been different activities, events hosted by
the bowl that I know they’ve enjoyed, and the practices and
all that, this is what these guys love to do, and being able
to just focus on football, and then when they have the free
time, focus on the relationships and the friendships that we
have.
We’re a smaller group now, just with some guys maybe
that aren’t with us, that are not with the team, so I think
these guys are really taking advantage of continuing to
build, and the ones that are maybe spending their last days
in the program, we’ve always tried to highlight them and
celebrate what they’ve brought to this program and what
this last game means to them and every practice being the
last one potentially in this last moment here and that last
moment there, tonight will be the last team meeting that
we’ll ever have as this football team.
It’s just cherishing those moments that come along with
these type of situations.
SHERRONE MOORE: Yeah, it’s been an awesome
experience. The bowl game has provided a great
opportunity for our players to just sit back sometimes and
get some time off their feet and relax but also get some
time to do different things as a team. Going to Busch
Gardens, guys riding roller coasters, doing different things,
feeding giraffes and animals, they really honed into that
and loved that, and spending time with each other when
there isn’t football around.
But when it’s time to do football, they’re really excited about
that, and just like Kalen said, not having class at the same
time, they can really study the game even deeper, and
those guys love to do that. They love to embrace the
opportunity to get better, especially with film study.
Just anytime we eat a team meal, guys are sitting down
and just talking and just talking about nothing, talking about
random things and talking about life, I think it’s cool to get
that opportunity as a coach but also our assistant coaches
to be able to sit down with their players and just have that
time and not have those time restrictions of different things
that they can do.
It’s been a great opportunity for our players and our staff to
get out here and enjoy this, and obviously coming from
Michigan, the day before we left it was like 19 degrees, so
66 and 70 feels really good to us, so we love — this
weather has been great for us, and just continuing to
embrace these moments with our players.
Q. Sherrone, Steve Casula alluded to this earlier, that
Michigan’s offense is always going to be Michigan’s
offense, but what you do specifically is always going
to be dictated by specific personnel. With so many
new faces in the mix, whether it’s Steve or Chip
Lindsey popping in here and there, different players,
does that allow you to do anything a little bit different
this week, maybe a more individualized approach that
sets you up for maybe something a little different or
more success this week or maybe later on down the
line that can be beneficial?
SHERRONE MOORE: Yeah, I think the best thing about
offense is just if you’re going to have a really good offense
you’ve got tell a story in what you do and how you do it,
and you’ve got to get the best players the ball and the best
players involved and do things that our players are really
good at. At the end of the day, that’s what we’re going to
think to do this week and this game, and not try to be too
crazy and be out of the box, but we’ll have some specific
things that we have for the game, and when you’re
attacking this defense, this defense is difficult to deal with
and you’ve got to have a plan for different things that they
do.
For us, it’s going to be about getting the best players the
football and making sure they can impact the game and
control the clock.
Q. For both coaches, and Coach DeBoer, you first,
you were both in the College Football Playoff last year.
If you cannot be in it, is there a better place to tee it up
than Tampa, Florida, on New Year’s Eve at the
ReliaQuest Bowl?
KALEN DeBOER: Talking about the newbies who are
going to be in it someday, too. Yeah, we’re excited to be
here, when we found out we got the opportunity.
It’s lived up to everything that I’d hoped.
SHERRONE MOORE: Yeah, it’s been a great experience
for us, the staff, the players. Wouldn’t want to be anyplace
besides the playoff, but this has been a great opportunity
for us as players, as staff to continue to bond and build our
camaraderie and to get better and feel good about it, and
just excited for the game.
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