The Miami Hurricanes had their first practice of the fall on Tuesday. Following that practice, several players addressed the assembled media. Here’s some of what they each had to say:

RJ McIntosh, Junior, DL

On how he maintains his weight after practices…

“I lose maybe four to five pounds, so I try to eat and keep eating every day three to four times to keep the weight.”

On how freshmen DJ Johnson and Jonathan Garvin help the depth at defensive line…

“If they can play, they’re going to play. Adding them to the D-ends is a good thing. It will also give Chad [Thomas] and Joe Jackson a break. They’re going to play.”

On the secondary’s abilities…

“I think they’re getting better. We lost a few players from last year, but they’re working and they will get better. With the good receivers we have, they’re going to make them better.”

Christopher Herndon IV, Senior, TE

On the first day of camp…

“It felt good. The whole team had energy when we came into the locker room. We were all happy to be back here and playing some type of football again.”

On the buzz surrounding the team entering the season…

“It’s exciting seeing so many people have faith in us, but we don’t really depend on what other people say. We just come in and work every day and fall back on how we train to succeed in the games.”

On being the clear cut starting tight end…

“I’m just taking it day by day. It’s also part of me being a leader. I have a bunch of young guys behind me. It’s not just me. I have to bring them along with me because we are going to need more than one this season.”

Kendrick Norton, Junior, DL

On the first day of fall camp…

“It feels good to be back out here. We have been waiting for it all summer long, through all the runs and conditioning. It feels good to be back playing football.”

On the potential of the defense…

“The sky is the limit for us. We’ve got a lot of returning players and a lot of young guys who could possibly step in. They have a lot of older guys in front of them to show them and a lot of younger guys that can step in and contribute.”

On the excitement surrounding the team entering the season…

“There is a lot of excitement because we know what we are capable of and we know what a lot of people expect us to do. We know the standard down here in south Florida and Miami and around the nation. We have a lot of expectations riding on us and we embrace it.”

Braxton Berrios, Senior, WR

On the first day back at camp…

“It came quick. Summer really flew by and we got a lot done. Coming out here, there are mistakes on the first day that are typical first day things but we are excited and I think you can feel that. Energy is really high and I think we are well off and well ahead of where we were at this point last year.”

On what it felt like to be at his final first day of Canes Camp…

“It’s crazy. They tell you it flies by and you don’t believe it at first, but now I’m sitting in the center of that front row and this is my last camp and it’s real.”

On how the receivers can help the quarterbacks…

“It’s our job to make them as confident as they can be. If they throw a good ball, they have to know that we are going to catch it. That is our main job and we have to give them that confidence.”

Standard stuff, but it’s good to be back in football season.

Go Canes