Spring Practice Q&A: Omar Cooper, E.J. Williams discuss Indiana's wide receiver room

Indiana football wide receivers Omar Cooper Jr. and E.J. Williams Jr. spoke with reporters on Thursday to provides updates on the receiving corp after spring practice No. 7 for the Hoosiers.

Below is the full Q&A, as well as a partial transcript of the conversation.

RELATED: Indiana football wideout Tyler Morris suffers season ending injury

SEE ALSO: Coach Q&A: Curt Cignetti provides spring practice updates for Indiana

Omar Cooper Jr. | R-Jr. | WR

On working with new quarterback Fernando Mendoza…

OC: Fernando, he has a really good spin on the ball. We are still trying to build that connection, as well. Fernando, he is learning the offense really well and just starting [to see everything click]. Like today, we started really connecting — all of the receivers. The difference [between Fernando and Kurtis Rourke], I wouldn’t say much. They are both really good quarterbacks.

On what his focus was in the offseason…

OC: Really, everything, honestly. Just because, at the receiver position, there is so much you can learn. Right now, I focused on top of the routes and getting better getting out of the routes. Then, also, just learning the defensive schemes so when I am out there, I am not just loose in the mind … trying to understand [what the defense is doing] and know what works best against that defense.

On the loss of Tyler Morris to injury this spring…

OC: It’s really tough. Tyler was a really good player for us, and he was going to do well in the slot position for us this year. It makes us have to work harder, take more reps and learn more about the offense to play inside and outside. It sucks for Tyler and the whole receiver group, but it helps us to learn the slot and outside and be able to rotate.

E.J. Williams Jr. | R-Sr.+ | WR

On deciding to come back after entering the portal…

EW: Going into the portal, I didn’t really want to go into the portal to start off with, but it was like a team rule that coach Cignetti has that guys that redshirt can’t be a part of the team, so I understood that. I wanted to do what was best for me, so I decided to go into the portal. I happened to be on a visit at one school and coach Cig reached out to me and we had a good talk, and I decided I was going to come back.

On what is going to help him be successful this season…

EW: Really, the focal point for me is to stay health, stay in the training room and be able to prehab. Then, just hone in on learning concepts and not just one position, learning the defense so you can think clear while you are out there running routes, and just make everything polished at the top of routes and releases. And hone in on blocking in the run game, too.

On what last season was like for him…

EW: It was definitely mixed emotions. Of course, I want to be part of something special like that here at IU, knowing our past and our record and stuff the year before. It was a good feeling seeing my guys like Coop [Omar Cooper Jr.], Elijah [Sarratt], Myles Price, Miles Cross, Ke’Shawn [Williams] make the plays I knew they had made in practice that I was seeing every. All in all, I was happy to see them have that success that I know they had put the work in to have.