WATCH: Kain Medrano on UCLA's New Defensive Staff, Practice in Heat

UCLA football linebacker Kain Medrano spoke to reporters after Wednesday morning’s fall camp session. Medrano talked about the benefits of inside linebackers coach Ken Norton Jr. and defensive coordinator Bill McGovern having NFL experience, how the Bruins plan to improve their pass defense and the younger players who have stood out to him in practice so far. 

Coach Kelly said he thinks bringing in NFL coaches will help with pass defense – how can the linebackers contribute to that?

I think we can contribute to that. We have a lot of experience so far – Darius coming in and then we have me and then we got Shea Pitts – so we can contribute to that cause I feel like a lot of us are former safeties, former defensive backs. So moving to that position with that background of defensive back kind of helps us. And then with coach Norton coming in from the league and from the NFL, he is providing that experience and that knowledge of the NFL and that wisdom that he's preaching to us. So I think that all is just gonna go hand in hand.

Overwhelming to learn from so many new coaches?

No. Really and truly, they came in and we just got started right where we left off, really and truly. Coach Norton came in, great blessing, kinda connected right away with the whole entire room and then coach McGovern, same thing. Came in and got a great connection with everybody, so it was like we didn't skip a beat, really and truly.

Coach McGovern's biggest imprint?

Biggest imprint is just effort. Effort to the ball, make sure we're running, make sure we're knowing our assignment and just getting after the ball, really and truly. And just being consistent every day is the main thing we're all trying to focus on, it's just being consistently good and consistently great.

How has your role changed in the new defense with new coaches?

It's kinda the same thing from last year. There obviously is some new things, some different techniques and some different defenses that my role is gonna be a little bit different in, but at the end of the day, it's all the same thing going from where I was at last year to where I am this year.

Main areas you're trying to improve individually this fall?

Me, personally, this fall, I think I've been trying to work on – after looking at film from last year – is just kinda my footwork and my hands, making sure that those things are playing together because any linebacker, he needs to have his hands, he needs to shed blocks and do all this stuff. So that has kinda been my main focus going from this offseason into this fall.

Standout linebackers behind you and Darius?

Our linebacker room is stacked, Imma be honest with you guys. We have a lot of great talent up in the linebacker room. One guys that's really caught my eye so far this fall camp has been Jalen Woods. Coming in as a freshman, J9 has proven himself every day, but it doesn't stop there. Really and truly, how I feel personally in our linebacker room, we can put anybody in the game and there's not gonna be a fluctuation of a falloff here or a falloff there. I think everybody is proving themselves this fall camp, from the freshmen all the way up to Jeremiah Trojan, Carson, all those guys, they're doing amazing. And so it's exciting to see that and they're feeling more and more comfortable with the defense and so it's good, so it's really good.

How is Choe Bryant-Strother looking after making the move to linebacker?

He's big. He's big. I think he looks good. Obviously, it's gonna be a little different feel from moving from an edge rusher into a linebacker spot. But once he's getting the hang of things and all that is going good, he'll help us out a lot and he's contributing a lot this fall. 

Training in the heat in full pads bring out of you guys?

It brings out a mindset that you're gonna have to have during the season. We're gonna play at 11 o'clock in the Rose Bowl, it's gonna be hot out there, you know what I'm saying? So it's like we're – having this heat and practicing out when we do is gonna train us and get our minds prepared for the Rose Bowl. But like our coaches say, we can't let the heat affect us. So we just gotta come out here with the same mindset that we do whether it's raining, snowing, hot, whatever it is, we just gotta come out with the same mindset of we're just out here to work and we're just out here to get 1% better every day.

Still wearing GPS tracking stuff that tracks heart rate?

Yeah, the Catapults? Yes, we are.

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