With just over two weeks before the annual spring game, head coach Joey McGuire was made available to the media after the eighth spring practice.

McGuire once again hammered in his philosophy of being extremely strong in the trenches while also building depth.

“It’s our standard, we want to be really good on both sides of the ball up front,” McGuire said. “

McGuire also spoke about where the new transfers, Ty Buchanan and Michael Shanahan, will land in the lineup.

“Right tackle,” McGuire said when referencing Buchanan. “Shanahan is going to be able to play tackle/guard, everybody of that body type is snapping right now.”

McGuire started to speak about who has stood out to him as a leader, but especially gave credit to his secondary.

“They’re probably ahead of all the groups,” McGuire said when asked about the secondary group. “Those guys have played big time football.”

McGuire also gave lots of credit to the running back room, but especially Tahj Brooks and Sarodorick Thompson for becoming leaders in the locker room.

“Thompson and Brooks have come to work, they’re really mature,” McGuire said. “What’s cool is, the young guy, [Kam’ron] Valdez, they’re like older brothers, they’re bringing him with them.”

McGuire was asked about his special teams’ situation and said he has been impressed with the kickers to this point of the spring.

“Well, [Trey] Wolff, missed his first one, so we went seven practices before he missed a kick,” McGuire said. “He kicked a 50-yarder in the scrimmage the other day and Gino [Garcia] hit a 57-yarder in practice the other day. Those two have risen to the top of that group and of course [Austin] McNamara is a stud at punter.”

McGuire closed with more praise for the first-year linebacker Ty Kana, one of the many times his name has been brought up this spring.

“He’s banged up right now but probably Ty Kana,” McGuire said when asked about the most impressive true freshman. “Ty had a huge play in the scrimmage…Ty is the one who has showed up the most.”