On the preparation heading into the Tennessee game…

“We prepared very hard for that game, as hard as we do for any other game I'd say. We locked in on the plan and I think we executed well.”

On how he has grown as a player this season…“On the year as a whole, I think that I've tried to progress every game. I make mistakes every game, obviously. I'm just trying to hone in on those mistakes during the week and try to make sure I don't make that same mistake during the next game. I think that I've been trying to work on my leadership skills, trying to be more of a vocal guy in our room, on the team in general and on the defense, which I think is one of the places that I've stepped up the most.”

On his excitement level to defend against the Mississippi State passing attack…

“If you don't get excited for every game, then there's something wrong. It's a great challenge that we have in front of us, and I think myself, the defense and the defensive backs as a whole we're working very hard to prepare for that challenge.”

On how his tackling can affect big plays…

“Being in the SEC, it's imperative that you are physical at every position, from the front line and all the way to the back end. That's something that we work on in practice daily, just being physical in the perimeter, because the perimeter is just as important as the line of scrimmage because, with our front, a lot of teams are going to want to take us outside, so being physical out there is really important.”

On preparing for the Mississippi State offense...

"Of course, they throw the ball well. They have a lot of good receivers. They have an experienced quarterback. A part that a lot of people look over is them running the ball. They have a pretty solid run game, and they have been trying to improve over the last couple of years. It is a balance between both of those."

On developing physical and mental toughness...

"The coaches put us in a lot of uncomfortable positions where we have to be tough and adapt to it. The coaching staff puts us in positions where they help develop that in the players."

On the progression of the defense this season...

"From game one, I think we have come a long way, but there is still a long way to go. Even the best games we play, there can still be a lot of improvement. Week in and week out, if you keep improving, the sky is the limit."