A few of us caught up the other day with secondary coach J.D. Williams. Here's some of what he said:

On Tripper Johnson and having more experience in the secondary: "Tripper hasn't played, but just the life experience he brings, he's been in front of a crowd before, so compared to last year when Jason Wells had played a little bit but we didn't have anyone else who had played, it's good to come into a season with experience.

More on Johnson: "You think that this kid has been a pro baseball player, a pro athlete, so he came in this spring and did some good tings and just let his natural ability flow. He has some ability. Now it's just a matter of picking up the defense and everything. He's a smart kid, so I'm pleased with his progress right now.''

On the battle at safety: "They are all in the mix. I don't think there is anyone on the outside looking in. Everything is based on performance and everybody gets equal reps. It's how you perform in those reps. Everything they do is graded, so we're being fair to each and every one of them."

On the recent injuries at safety: It means opportunity. As a coach you always hate to see a person get injured, but for the next person to step up and not miss a beat, that's a great thing for a coach to build some depth. As for Jason, one thing he does have is that he's got a sharp mind back there. Now it's just a matter of getting his leg back right. I think Jason, being 10 months off the injury and back practicing, is doing a great job. But I think once he gets the confidence with his knee and everything --- it's just like riding a bike, he'll be back on it."

On who would start at cornerback right now: Quinton (Richardson) and Mesphin (Forrester) right now. Byron (Davenport) has been injured, but Matt Moseley is playing well, Vonzell (McDowell) is playing well. Guys are competing. That's what I like to see out there.

On Davenport battling injuries again: "The kid is kind of snakebitten right now. Nobody is more frustrated than he is. He knows he can play better than what he has shown.

On the improvement in the overall secondary: "It's experience. The guys feel more confident. They are playing with confidence and they believe they can get it done. So any time a person believes they can get it done they are apt to work that much harder.''

On where the freshmen fit in: "Greg Walker's at safety, Adam Long is at corner and he's one of the fastest guys on the team. But right now those guys are a little behind. Justin Glenn is at corner, he's probably a person who could step in and play, but you want to hold them as much as you can.