Tre'Mon Morris-Brash embraces change, strives to become better leader

Tre'Mon Morris-Brash is finding himself in a new role this spring.

After establishing himself his first two seasons, the junior-to-be returns as UCF's most experienced defensive end and knows he needs to take the next step as a player which also means becoming more of a leader.

Morris-Brash was quite candid during his Wednesday interview session which came after the 10th practice of spring.

"I feel like my performance, I feel I have to be more consistent," Morris-Brash said when asked about personal goals. "Some things I've been talking about with my coaches is applying the technique and also playing the man in front of me. It's hard, trying to play the man in front of you and look in the back field. It's not going to work like that. Just work the man in front of you and that will tell you what you need to know. I feel that's something I need to do better - play my man. That's the defense we play. Our d-line, everybody has a man. Once I do a better job of that, I feel like I'll be fine."

He's also quite aware all eyes are on him.

"I definitely do feel the need to become more of a leader," Morris-Brash said. "Even my coaches are telling me. At certain times I'll come out, not that I don't have energy, but people will say I'm too casual sometimes. When I'm too casual, that rubs off on the other d-linemen. He was like, 'Players on the d-line, some can't flip the switch like I can.' I have to have it on, so they can feed off me. Not let up."

One change with the transition is Morris-Brash has a dedicated defensive ends/rush coach in Kenny Ingram instead of one coach that oversees the entire line.

"I definitely see the benefits of (two coaches)," Morris-Brash said. "I love Coach Ingram. He's a great coach. Every day he's telling us he's giving us million-dollar information. If you don't choose to take that information, it's up to you. Every day we start off with devotion. Talk to God. I like that about him. He's a cool coach. He can relate."

Is there more of a "family feel" now?

"I definitely do feel like since the old coaches left and the new coaches, Coach Malzahn and T-Will, I feel we've become more closer," Morris-Brash said. "Even when we knew Coach Heup had left and it was just us and we didn't have coaches. We were wondering who was coming in, we got closer then. Gus is trying to keep it that way. It's great. Definitely more team oriented I feel."

With the spring game coming up around the corner, Morris-Brash was asked what he was most looking forward to.

"The thing I want to do is tackle Dillon Gabriel," Morris-Brash said. "But I know I can't. In the last scrimmage, all the QBs were live but not him. He needs to get hit. But that's my guy though. It's all love. That's one thing I want to do. I know it'll probably never happen in my time here, so I've got to stop looking forward to that."

Which of his teammates have had a good spring?

"Player who stood out to me, KD (Kalia Davis)!," Morris-Brash said. "It's like bro, how do you take a whole year off and you come back and look better than before you left? Cam Goode is also standing out. Keenan Hester. He's gonna get it right. That's my guy. Dallaz Corbitt, Landon Woodson, those guys, once we understand and take what Coach Ingram is coaching us and apply that, I feel we'll be a lot better. There's still time and things we're working on. Then I would say Josh Celiscar, but he's on quarantine right now so he hasn't been here. But he was standing out before he left."

The team obviously missed the majority of 2020 spring practice and a good chunk of the summer as well. Morris-Brash admitted that had a negative impact on his play last season.

"Definitely affected us," he said. "It affected me a lot. When we first came back I weighed 280 pounds. It's not possible to be able to produce and play at a high level if you're 280 pounds. Looking at it now, I weigh 250. It's a big difference."

Morris-Brash was asked if he was looking forward to the season, but says they can't lose sight of what they're working on now.

"Kind of thinking about it. It's truly a mindset you have to have. Every day we step on the field, that's the game right there. Coach Malzahn stressed it to us. 90 percent of the teams we play, we've already beat them here. We're gonna beat them today or already beat them on Monday. That's the approach we have to have. Every time we step on the field for practice it's a game. Then come game time it won't really be a big deal."