Latest / Boundary Corner Podcast / Spring Forward

Transcript

Spring Forward · Boundary Corner Podcast

• 0:45
  And welcome back corner podcast, along with my partners, Brian
• 0:50
  Siegel and tally. I am Curtis Wilson, and this
• 0:54
  episode is presented by dr. Lord Jeremy counts at the Mean
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  Street Pharmacy. If you love this podcast, the
• 1:01
  Hokies the kind of Blacksburg. Make sure you are supporting the
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  Street. Pharmacy goes towards the You
• 1:15
  support. So next time you're in
• 1:17
  Blacksburg head on down to 301 South Main Street.
• 1:20
  Fellas, we got a big one on the Slate tonight.
• 1:23
  We got a lot of topics to cover. We got some wrestling talk, we
• 1:27
  got some recruit and talk, we're going to talk some new coaches.
• 1:31
  We got a little bit of women's Hoops, talk to go through.
• 1:34
  So we got a Full Slate tonight. We are jam-packed alley.
• 1:40
  You're pretty packed up, man. Ready to go everything in just a
• 1:45
  little while here mattei system 24/7 going to jump on with us to
• 1:48
  talk all things recruiting. We will be talking with the new
• 1:50
  hires, with him, a lot to unload dare.
• 1:54
  I think I think a couple of curveballs.
• 1:56
  I think mean we had heard did not we're not what we saw but
• 2:02
  we're going to talk about that later but we're going to kick
• 2:05
  off this evening. Me and Brian got to sit down
• 2:07
  with one of my really good friends.
• 2:10
  And by the name of David few days is one of my fraternity
• 2:13
  Brothers. I've known him almost 20 years
• 2:16
  of my life. He was a division to wrestler
• 2:19
  down at Longwood and he is a hokie wrestling Aficionado.
• 2:24
  And when I talked to him a few weeks ago about doing it, me and
• 2:28
  Brian and him were thinking, what, 15, 10, 15, 20 minutes, we
• 2:33
  have 30 minutes worth of content and it's jam-packed as hokey as
• 2:38
  the Hokies are in the wrestling. National Finals starting on the
• 2:43
  16th. So starting Thursday with a
• 2:47
  chance. So we're going to get to that
• 2:50
  first. So Brian, without further Ado,
• 2:54
  I'll let you punch the tape on that and then we will be coming
• 2:57
  back. All right, here we go.
• 2:59
  We got David Fuqua interview are in right now, both our podcast
• 3:03
  listeners tonight, we have a very special guest with a few
• 3:08
  days away from WrestleMania. Selling Nationals.
• 3:11
  I've talked about him all year, I mentioned the name David
• 3:14
  Fuqua, David my fraternity brother, the man who took me to
• 3:18
  my personal greatest moment in Lane Stadium. 2005.
• 3:22
  Georgia Tech game day. For some reason, he gave me a
• 3:25
  ticket to come with him that night.
• 3:28
  I still don't know why but I ever since then I've always been
• 3:31
  my brother but David was a wrestler at Longwood.
• 3:36
  David is a very very common sort of hokey wrestle.
• 3:39
  He Follow them very closely. And as I was joking with him
• 3:42
  today is the wrestling. The stuff come out, Brian.
• 3:48
  He literally is last night going through in his office.
• 3:51
  He's a CPA. So he's working his ass off this
• 3:53
  time of year he's literally going through.
• 3:55
  Seeing how far can each take, wrestler get.
• 3:58
  So we're going to bring him on tonight to talk about the season
• 4:00
  and Nationals Foundry Corner podcast listeners.
• 4:03
  Give a warm. Welcome to one of my best
• 4:05
  friends, David Fuqua. How's it going tonight?
• 4:12
  Good. How about you?
• 4:13
  Are you guys doing? We're doing good brother.
• 4:15
  We're doing good, man. I mean talking Hokies football
• 4:18
  basketball, which must not talk about what happened last night
• 4:21
  that was ugly, lots of good things, but man, hokey
• 4:25
  wrestling, you know, you grew up down in the area, you grew up in
• 4:31
  Vin and you wrestled. Did you ever think hooky
• 4:34
  wrestling would get where it is right now?
• 4:36
  Definitely not. I mean, there was talks where
• 4:39
  they were going to get rid of the program I know specially
• 4:42
  even after before Kevin dresser came on and when Brands went to
• 4:47
  Iowa, they were, I think they were about 24 hours away from
• 4:51
  driving the program. And what our girls clothes that
• 4:55
  I know, is that close. It was close writing, stuff up
• 5:01
  stuff out, but in dress, her came on and he dumped in there.
• 5:06
  R2 coaching position, and obviously they are where they
• 5:09
  are now. You know, him leading.
• 5:12
  And then now coach will be helping out.
• 5:13
  It's perfect. He just perfect.
• 5:16
  Yeah, and let's talk a little bit about this season and how
• 5:19
  that's going like going into this season kind of what were
• 5:22
  your expectations for the team? Well, I mean, I was excited,
• 5:28
  there's a couple of weight classes that, you know, there
• 5:30
  were some battles for starting positions, you know, 125 with
• 5:36
  Have an Eddie and then having Cooper, they are going on for a
• 5:41
  battle there. Even at 141, didn't know if
• 5:44
  Tampa Tom was going to be able to take over and go be able to
• 5:50
  take that spot. So and he actually did, you
• 5:53
  know, be now calling on that, which he was a qualifier in a
• 5:58
  couple times already. So so that was impressive in
• 6:02
  itself and then even 65 we had Transferring from Chattanooga,
• 6:08
  Drew Nicholson, who he was a qualifier and come into battle.
• 6:11
  Connor, Brady to so that and then, as well as the 197 with
• 6:17
  Andy Smith and or the junkyard don't guard dog.
• 6:21
  You don't know if he was going to you know who was going to
• 6:23
  take that on. So you had some solid guys.
• 6:26
  Obviously, you know, coming back was in do nian and Makai Tona.
• 6:31
  So you had your core group there so I was excited.
• 6:35
  There's definitely. It's taken are going to be able
• 6:38
  to go and get a dual championship and even Conference
• 6:42
  Championship at least and fight for it.
• 6:44
  So yeah, was excited to see. We're going, you know, what
• 6:47
  they're planning on doing. And yeah, they had some tough
• 6:50
  test early on, you know, how State they definitely do their
• 6:55
  schedule right by test themselves, early and see where
• 6:57
  they're at Sea where they need to be.
• 7:00
  So, I mean, that's kind of what I was expecting and, you know,
• 7:04
  ultimately overall Probably right, where, you know, I I
• 7:07
  expected them to be and you had some guys jump out and some
• 7:12
  others in might have been a little bit disappointed times,
• 7:15
  but it's wrestling. It's a tough long season, so
• 7:18
  Ebbs and flows. Absolutely.
• 7:20
  And you're right, I mean, top 10 ranking, again, I think any
• 7:25
  hooky sports fan. You see that?
• 7:26
  You know, they're going to be good.
• 7:28
  You mentioned, Ohio State, Ohio State's a good program beating
• 7:31
  Mizzou. I mean, I see I've been looking
• 7:34
  at the championship mizzou's. Got guys all over.
• 7:36
  The place to qualify. So their quality program,
• 7:38
  Cornell and playing. Obviously, the ACC would NC
• 7:41
  State and pit, but let me ask this and I don't, you have to
• 7:45
  bust anybody, but let's just be realistic.
• 7:47
  What wrestler? This year, has exceeded your
• 7:49
  expectations and who didn't quite hit, where you thought
• 7:53
  they'd be, or maybe in their development, you know, for this
• 7:56
  season. Well, first and foremost, I
• 7:59
  mean, the one that is exceeded is the number four seed, Caleb
• 8:03
  Henson. I mean, immediately, he came in,
• 8:05
  he was It's a highly touted recruit.
• 8:09
  I mean, he's a true freshman starting and the first duel me
• 8:13
  that he had was against number two ranks.
• 8:15
  A nice ass of a high 0 State and he takes him out.
• 8:19
  So right off the bat is super impressed and, you know, and
• 8:23
  they ended up just losing. He lost three time.
• 8:26
  You know, one day Yanni the number one, ranked guy.
• 8:30
  Another one was to mall or from Mizzou who is a he's the eighth
• 8:35
  seed of leave. And then you got the 12 seed zap
• 8:39
  from pins, those are his three laws.
• 8:40
  So it's not like he lost to one of us coming in there and some
• 8:48
  quality and he's got some quality wins to us a.
• 8:51
  So he's got some other top victories under his belt.
• 8:55
  So you can do some damage and and on the flip side of that, I
• 9:01
  mean, like I said, I was excited about everything and one person
• 9:04
  that kind of it was, it is What it is, but you know, I was
• 9:07
  excited for Connor, Brady to see what he's going to do this year.
• 9:11
  And he had some, he had some very tough matches, and it was a
• 9:14
  string of match especially early on.
• 9:16
  And in ACC play wedding, he lost it and see steak.
• 9:20
  And then he lost the pit. And I mean, they were closed,
• 9:22
  tough type matches and so it's just like, disappointing because
• 9:26
  he's got that, he's got that factor to where he can really
• 9:30
  turn it on and do something. I mean, he was want to say, he
• 9:33
  was the number nine overall rank.
• 9:36
  Recruit in the nation when he came in and he was number two or
• 9:40
  three in his weight class, so it's just like, all right, when
• 9:44
  we go on, turn it on, let's go, let's see this.
• 9:45
  And so I was a little disappointed, but, you know
• 9:49
  what, ACC tournament showed up and he, you know, you got a
• 9:53
  Revenge win and he Pete, pit Heller are Holden and then he
• 9:59
  got, he got in there, and he went for the championship seven
• 10:03
  and he came almost came out Victorious, and in the van,
• 10:06
  Miles to so, so he definitely redeemed himself in my eyes on
• 10:09
  that. So it was just again, like I was
• 10:12
  talking about earlier, it's Ebbs and flow.
• 10:14
  So you might have a lull and be down, but there's no if he Peak
• 10:18
  at the right time, that everybody forgets about that and
• 10:24
  that's good to hear, you know, kind of talking about the the
• 10:26
  highs and lows on that front. But let's talk about this.
• 10:29
  What in your opinion has been the absolute highlight from a
• 10:33
  team perspective, looking back on the season 2 Point.
• 10:37
  Well, if you follow wrestling protect, you know, our biggest
• 10:42
  Rivals NC State. So the fact that they have a one
• 10:45
  beside their record and that's the only little cloth that they
• 10:48
  have all years when they took them out.
• 10:51
  That's definitely the highest the high right now.
• 10:54
  Hopefully, you know, we can have our end of the week, you know.
• 10:59
  Hopefully we can have another little high and actually see if
• 11:04
  we can bring home some Hardware being a top for.
• 11:06
  It's definitely a potential but they definitely got to have a
• 11:09
  good, a good tournament, kind of reminiscent, how 2016 was and in
• 11:15
  order to get that Hardware. But yeah that's the high that I
• 11:19
  have and, you know, beaten and she stays always good.
• 11:23
  It's always nice to prevent them from having an undefeated
• 11:26
  season. Yeah.
• 11:27
  And that that, when effectively split the regular season,
• 11:31
  Pionship between the Hokies and the wolf pack.
• 11:34
  And also that was the night. I think, Mia's a rest as a hokie
• 11:38
  fan in watching wrestling. That was a night that took it
• 11:42
  big 5900 people in Castle that place was rocking.
• 11:46
  And who was the local kid Andy Smith that got that point where
• 11:50
  they knew. They cannot, they met tires, but
• 11:53
  they cannot win. They cannot win this.
• 11:57
  They cannot win this duel. You have to tell me where
• 12:00
  definitions I text him all the time by the way, during the
• 12:03
  match it. So why did this happen?
• 12:04
  Or we going to be able to win? Because the pit seriously, the
• 12:07
  pit. I miss like the first three
• 12:09
  matches. I text me like, we can't win
• 12:10
  anything. I'm like, so it's two matches in
• 12:13
  and that's why I'm here because I was talking to him about, you
• 12:15
  know, the rankings of who was, who was expected to win, and
• 12:19
  that NC State match was a rollercoaster ride in itself,
• 12:23
  you know, we had an upset, we got upset bowling almost upset,
• 12:28
  the number two guy in the nation Adams.
• 12:31
  Now, 3, it was up 30 and ended up losing it at the end, but and
• 12:36
  then that's how I was like, okay?
• 12:37
  Since Poland couldn't take that and that was again, where I was
• 12:39
  talking about how, you know, Connor Brady.
• 12:40
  It kind of was a little disappointment because he was
• 12:44
  ranked higher and projected. It was a coin flip, but he was
• 12:47
  spring tired than his opponent, and he ended up losing that.
• 12:50
  And that's why I was like, okay, this is really going to become
• 12:53
  down to. We're going to need a, we're
• 12:55
  gonna need one of these three guys at the end, whether it was
• 12:58
  bowling or Smith or our cactus, And getting an upset.
• 13:03
  So then bowling was coming out there and I was like, okay, he
• 13:06
  might get it and then he ended up losing it.
• 13:07
  And over time we lost for overtime matches in that in that
• 13:11
  duel me. So we're right there with them
• 13:15
  in the fact that, you know, we got that for me and this meant
• 13:17
  that was perfect and it was definitely exciting and he
• 13:21
  earned it and he had agreed a great job.
• 13:24
  So, I mean, that was definitely the high point for sure.
• 13:27
  Awesome. Alright, so in the ACC
• 13:29
  tournament last weekend, In Tech finishes second behind NC State,
• 13:33
  they get to individual titles. How important is the conference
• 13:37
  championships in wrestling, the grand scheme of things as
• 13:41
  compared to the regular season. He's talking about individual or
• 13:44
  overall team. Give me both because I feel
• 13:47
  like, isn't that where Mike I got hurt last year and
• 13:50
  effectively kind of he may have missed a chance to win another
• 13:53
  national title. He got her was a couple years
• 13:55
  ago where and I think it was in the Dual meet, right?
• 13:58
  Going again before that. Okay.
• 14:00
  He got Wrestling. I think it was against Pitt and
• 14:05
  he got hurt there but then he ended up wrestling and he
• 14:07
  actually just medical forfeit so he could save himself.
• 14:10
  But okay. Got you a it is important
• 14:12
  because especially this year with the seating there, okay?
• 14:15
  It's a weighted. The way that they do, see it in
• 14:17
  its, you never know what's going to happen who they are.
• 14:19
  Whether it go away, whether it's actual winning percentage, or
• 14:24
  the RPI who you beat, so this year, it looks like based off
• 14:30
  the seedings it That conference champions got a bump in the
• 14:35
  ratings and then there are scenes for the year.
• 14:39
  So, because there's definitely some people that, you know, have
• 14:41
  one loss, but they might be seated, you know, 8th 9th or
• 14:45
  10th because they didn't win their conference Championship.
• 14:49
  And then there's another, you know, so the winning the
• 14:52
  individual, your weight class definitely is helpful for
• 14:58
  seeding for NCC, NCAA tournament.
• 15:00
  And Saying that peace and that shows you, because, you know,
• 15:05
  Caleb Henson is ranked across the board, like, seventh or
• 15:08
  eighth, you know, amongst the coaches and the cross inner mat
• 15:13
  and Flo, Flo wrestling and the end up with the foresee that
• 15:18
  conference Championship. So and I think he definitely
• 15:21
  deserves that, but I mean, we'll see how it all plays out.
• 15:26
  But you know winning that championship for individual is
• 15:29
  good and it went in as a team. Team is definitely a bragging
• 15:32
  rights it's especially with there's only six teams in the
• 15:36
  ACC definitely want to have that.
• 15:38
  You want to have that that bragging rights and NC State.
• 15:44
  Unfortunately has that right now but there's definitely things in
• 15:48
  the works with the recruiting that's going on at Tech.
• 15:52
  The guys that they have coming in, they can definitely take
• 15:56
  that up and be able to do some things with that and flip that
• 16:00
  script. Yes.
• 16:02
  So we had a good showing at the at the acc's the program over
• 16:08
  the last decade, has really kind of been building itself into a
• 16:10
  top 10 power this week and kind of another first with 10
• 16:15
  wrestlers, qualifying for Nationals.
• 16:17
  How big of a deal is it having 10 wrestlers, make it to
• 16:20
  Nationals? It's a huge deal.
• 16:24
  I mean, were one of four teams in the country that can say that
• 16:30
  and one of those teams that It is not NC State and one of them
• 16:33
  is not Penn State so that's one thing we got up on both of
• 16:36
  those. It allows you to score more team
• 16:39
  points because that's what you need you guys to score points in
• 16:43
  order to win and get into the trophy talk top for get
• 16:47
  placements as far as the team team titles and that's what we
• 16:52
  got. We got fourth back in 2016 and
• 16:55
  funny thing is we beat Iowa by one point back in 2016, so it
• 16:59
  was kind of nice and Especially after that whole time Brands
• 17:03
  thing and so it was enjoyable for that to happen.
• 17:07
  But yeah. So I mean having more bodies
• 17:09
  there and more capabilities to, you know, pull off pull off an
• 17:13
  upset or run, have a Deep Run in the tournament.
• 17:16
  So some prize some surprising matches that might happen with
• 17:21
  always happens, you'll have, you know, and in basketball you'll
• 17:25
  get the 512 upset, you know, there's always one out of the
• 17:28
  four. You're definitely going to get
• 17:30
  some upsets It's and the good thing about wrestling is if you
• 17:34
  lose once you can still run it back.
• 17:36
  You can come back and get there, you know, actually talking about
• 17:41
  our 16-team, you know, are 174. He was ranked, I think eight, he
• 17:47
  lost the first round, and he came back and he won seven
• 17:50
  straight matches, and he got bonus points and so he scored a
• 17:54
  lot of points for us to help us out.
• 17:56
  And he was able to, you know, be a part of the team to get that.
• 18:01
  To get that trophy so it's nice and so you can battle back.
• 18:05
  So just because you lose once you're not done, you keep going.
• 18:09
  Nice thing, also to you in the way you mentioned the points and
• 18:13
  everything. In my head says, if you have 10
• 18:15
  guys, it's easier to get a chance to win a National Title.
• 18:20
  Where if you're with eight, everybody's got a win.
• 18:24
  Everybody's got to go deep. So for our 10 wrestlers, who
• 18:27
  have made it, you know, Hunter catgut Annie Smith hundred
• 18:30
  bowling Kyle Lewis Connor, Brady Bryce adani, Kayla Pence and
• 18:36
  Tom, Crooks a mokona. It even tresca.
• 18:39
  And yes it is very tough to say than Trust Co skill with Eddie
• 18:42
  great. We're going to give you four
• 18:44
  categories and I want you to put each guy or multiple guys in
• 18:49
  them about where you think they're going to land.
• 18:52
  And I'm only with the first one here.
• 18:54
  Who are? You just glad that they got to
• 18:56
  the National Championship stage? Well Eddie being one.
• 19:01
  Especially about the year that he was having up and down.
• 19:05
  He had some good good matches and Cooper Cooper coming in
• 19:09
  there and taking over for a match against Pitt, and him
• 19:13
  getting the getting the starting position back so it was for him
• 19:18
  to be. There is definitely a good
• 19:19
  thing. It's got to be a good psyche,
• 19:21
  redshirt freshman. So he's got three years left,
• 19:24
  something to build upon so it's definitely good for him.
• 19:27
  He's got a tough draw and you know, Where he's at, he's going
• 19:33
  to wrestle a kid from Missouri first round.
• 19:36
  He lost 6-4 during the end of the year or the beginning of the
• 19:39
  year. So I mean, he could, he could
• 19:40
  flip that, you never know. So like I said, he's a, you
• 19:44
  know, are scuse me. He's wrestling.
• 19:46
  The I think actually Northern Colorado.
• 19:49
  Sorry about that. But yeah.
• 19:51
  So I mean, Eddie can can flip the script and actually, you
• 19:55
  know, get a couple wins now. To become All-American.
• 19:59
  Definitely will be a little bit tough for him.
• 20:03
  But like I said, he's got three years he can build upon this.
• 20:06
  All the greats, have done it. The tone has done it and
• 20:10
  Indonesian study, so all the guys have got to get there first
• 20:13
  and then, whatever happens happens if you have a good
• 20:16
  weekend and he showed me get a medal around your neck, that's
• 20:19
  perfect. But first you got to get there
• 20:21
  and having all 10 guys. There's perfect.
• 20:25
  Now these I got three more guys in this category.
• 20:28
  I know but and I'll preface this is that, you know, Connor Brady,
• 20:36
  like I was talking about before yeah, he should be happy that
• 20:40
  he's there. But he's also should be having a
• 20:42
  drive because he's got the quality to get there to be an
• 20:47
  All-American. He could get there.
• 20:49
  Same thing for Andy Smith, he's very good, very solid.
• 20:53
  Good defense. Obviously, he got the pulled out
• 20:56
  the win against NC State. So he too has that quality to be
• 21:02
  able to get over the hump. When a couple matches in a row,
• 21:05
  get into the blood rounds, be able to get into that all
• 21:09
  American fight and we'll see what happens with him and then
• 21:14
  Hunter caki, he's got the pedigree to be able to do the
• 21:16
  same thing but it's tough this time of year and you're getting
• 21:20
  all the best and and all the nation Division. 1 wrestling is
• 21:25
  its intense and it's crazy. That's why I stuck the division
• 21:30
  to wrestling, so because I definitely would have made it
• 21:35
  individual one. But, but it doesn't mean that I
• 21:38
  don't love the sport as much and I, and I really enjoy watching
• 21:41
  these guys battle and I feel form and root form hardcore.
• 21:46
  So those are the four guys that I have in that category.
• 21:50
  I seagull Category, 2. All right, category to these are
• 21:56
  guys that have the Potential to kind of take the step to get to
• 22:00
  that All-American level. Who do you got in that category?
• 22:02
  And that's why I say, I was close to putting this last three
• 22:05
  there with Brady and Smith and khaki because they can get
• 22:08
  there. But I was looking at their draw
• 22:10
  and it's going to be, they're going to have to have a good
• 22:13
  good weekend. They can do it.
• 22:16
  They have the capability and they have the skill to do.
• 22:19
  So and I'm pulling for him because I want them to do so,
• 22:23
  but it's definitely a higher higher mountain to climb for
• 22:27
  them. The person that I have in here
• 22:30
  for potential All-American is one of the freshmen phenoms time
• 22:35
  crook so he's 15 seed. So you know you get to the top
• 22:41
  12 is blood rounds basically and you got to get in top eight so
• 22:47
  he can definitely take out some people.
• 22:48
  He's got some big wins this year.
• 22:51
  He's able to, he's been able to take out a couple guys that have
• 22:54
  been ranked higher than him and then even the close matches that
• 22:57
  he's lost. Just against higher rank eyes
• 23:00
  and then we can do it, you can turn it around.
• 23:03
  I just want to see him attack to be able to get to his is
• 23:06
  offense. And the sometimes when he's lost
• 23:09
  it's been like, okay, it seems like he's on his back foot just
• 23:13
  waiting for it to happen when he's when he's attacked and he
• 23:16
  can do it. And I mean the fact that he's a
• 23:19
  true freshman and he's in the NCAA tournament is great and
• 23:23
  there's 10 true freshmen that are in the tournament of 330.
• 23:28
  My God, there's 10 true freshman and Tech has two of them.
• 23:33
  That's big. That's Elite, man.
• 23:34
  That's Lovely. By the way.
• 23:36
  Colloquy. So we're two things in and
• 23:39
  you've only got half the guys. So the next category is who is
• 23:42
  All-American or bust? Well, I mean, I think I'm hoping
• 23:47
  they're all Americans because I don't want them to be busts.
• 23:50
  No, we don't either, but we got Sam Latona 133 is definitely,
• 23:55
  you know, he's shown, he can beat and wrestle with The big
• 23:58
  guys, he's had a couple losses where you're like head
• 24:01
  scratching and then he's had some close losses to so
• 24:06
  especially with NC State araignee.
• 24:08
  You know. He lost on the last 10 seconds
• 24:12
  in the semifinals ACC, but he came back, got third, wrestled,
• 24:16
  strong did what he needed to do to get to Nationals.
• 24:19
  So I think I'll be okay on that. On our bowling, you know,
• 24:24
  Redshirt senior, seems like he's been there.
• 24:26
  Six years, seven years almost. It's his final ride and he's
• 24:32
  been an All-American before last year.
• 24:35
  He didn't, he didn't get it and he, I think he went wanted to
• 24:38
  last year, so he's kind of a disappointment on that piece.
• 24:43
  So I'm sure in his mind. He's ready to let loose get back
• 24:46
  on that Podium. So I think he's definitely going
• 24:50
  to do it or else. He'll he'll probably feel a
• 24:52
  little bit bad if he his last year.
• 24:54
  He doesn't get that taken care of, then these Next two were
• 24:59
  close to the next spot but I don't think they're there yet.
• 25:04
  Caleb. Henson that freshman I was
• 25:06
  talking about 149. He's just, he's special, he's
• 25:12
  going to be enjoyable to watch over the next three.
• 25:14
  Three, additional years. Yeah, he's the force, he can, if
• 25:19
  things go as seed his chocolate, he can make it and he'll go up
• 25:24
  against a three-time national champion and Yony who we lost.
• 25:28
  At 26 22 this year. So it was a close match so you
• 25:32
  never know like I said it just went takes one match and Yony
• 25:35
  lost this year too. So so there's a potential you
• 25:40
  know that he is beatable so you never know.
• 25:44
  And that would potentially be in the semi-finals of when he would
• 25:46
  meet him. So that's exciting to watch and
• 25:50
  we'll see how far he goes. And like I said, he's got three
• 25:52
  more years after that. My last All-American or bus
• 25:57
  would be Bryce antonian. You don't know what you're going
• 26:01
  to get with them, but you're going to get excitement, that's
• 26:03
  for sure. You made a great run last year
• 26:06
  being the 11 seed and you made it all the way to the three.
• 26:10
  You got third place. So he 16 matches last year so he
• 26:16
  definitely he learned it last year.
• 26:18
  We had a good weekend and hopefully does the same thing
• 26:21
  this this year. He's got a, he's got a good
• 26:24
  spot. I mean, he and his quarterfinal,
• 26:27
  he would be up against a freshman from Penn State, Levi,
• 26:31
  Haines who just won the Big Ten at that, it would be asked, but,
• 26:37
  you know, he can use his seniority and kind of know using
• 26:42
  his Junior National skills, to be able to take out Levi hands.
• 26:48
  So that's what I'm pulling for and we'll see if he gets here
• 26:50
  and gets the same ease. And they even see If you can get
• 26:55
  to the finals, good for Brawn jumps in with the last question
• 27:01
  of the poor in the All-American, or bus category.
• 27:04
  Who's the one you think could win the national title?
• 27:07
  And surprisingly, I mean, I think it's Indonesian could
• 27:12
  definitely could Okay. And like I said, I liked his
• 27:17
  drawl. I think he can, he can take it
• 27:21
  to the guys that he that's in his side of the bracket and
• 27:24
  then, Then if it the top seed remains, and it's Austin
• 27:28
  O'Connor who you lost to, in the ACC Championship, and that would
• 27:32
  be sweet to go to the National Championship face.
• 27:36
  The guy that you lost to. Unfortunately, it's all come six
• 27:38
  times and he's lucky number seven.
• 27:42
  Yeah, exactly. But it's been closed the pass a
• 27:45
  list. Last one was closed and and
• 27:48
  their Styles, just kind of are different.
• 27:49
  And so it's, you know, Connors a national champion.
• 27:52
  So it's not like he's asked By any means.
• 27:55
  So I think you could get to him and that would be sweet to take
• 28:00
  him on and get that one win on the national stage if he can get
• 28:04
  there and do that. So he's got the capability to do
• 28:07
  it. Especially with that run that he
• 28:09
  had last year. He could definitely do it again
• 28:11
  because he was one point away from being in the national
• 28:14
  championship last year. Yeah.
• 28:17
  So so, we'll see how that your grace is always exciting.
• 28:20
  Like, you always going to get some fireworks?
• 28:22
  There. It is.
• 28:23
  It is your like, how does he get?
• 28:24
  It on top from being where he was just that, you know, he'll
• 28:28
  roll through a lot and he likes the to get the body locks and
• 28:32
  throw, he's just comfortable in that position.
• 28:35
  It's almost like he's inviting people to go into positions that
• 28:39
  he knows he can take advantage of and that's something that I
• 28:43
  think he'll reach back and throw people will leave his head down
• 28:48
  on the map to try to be like okay go ahead and throw this
• 28:50
  half in so you can try to you know put me on my back and I'm
• 28:53
  just going to roll through. But you on your back.
• 28:55
  I mean, it is, it's crazy. Just seriously, just watching
• 28:58
  him wrestle. It's entertaining for sure.
• 29:02
  And it's head-scratching to because you're like, how are you
• 29:04
  doing that? But then when he ends up
• 29:06
  flipping the script on the guy, you're like, okay they trust
• 29:12
  what he's doing, I know, right? So the last category and we can
• 29:17
  by process of elimination. We're looking at one guy fitting
• 29:20
  in here. But who is the legit National
• 29:23
  Champion Contender on this team? Mmmmm.
• 29:25
  Well, you gotta go with the, the champ, Makai Lewis.
• 29:29
  I mean, I know he was a champion in 2019 and then he, you know,
• 29:33
  he took Olympic year and then it was the covid here and then he
• 29:38
  got hurt and then you know up until last year's final, he was
• 29:43
  undefeated in the National Tournament 19-year, wherein he
• 29:48
  was undefeated because he won the Nationals and then the next
• 29:53
  year, when they had it in 21 he was Hurt.
• 29:55
  But he wrestled, two matches, he won two matches.
• 29:58
  Got to the quarter-final and then he medically forfeit it
• 30:01
  out. So, so those weren't technically
• 30:04
  losses on him. He just had to withdraw from the
• 30:06
  tournament and then last year we made it to the finals and he was
• 30:10
  seconds away from being a national championship again, a
• 30:13
  national champion again because they took it to the double
• 30:17
  overtime, right outs and so, and that's against Carter start,
• 30:22
  Russia of her Penn State to Who is now a two-time national
• 30:26
  championship? He's the number one seed and
• 30:29
  weight class but Makai is down below.
• 30:32
  So he wouldn't meet him until you know the final potentially
• 30:37
  and Makai you can take out. Mikey labriola is the number two
• 30:41
  seed and he lost him this year and it was in sudden Victory so
• 30:47
  it was an overtime and it was a scramble.
• 30:50
  So Micaiah was actually looking like he was going to get them
• 30:54
  and he When off the mat, so they had to stop and they've
• 30:56
  restarted it. Like, I got back in again and
• 30:59
  then labriola just scrambled ended up on top.
• 31:01
  So it was a, it was a close close loss.
• 31:05
  But I think Mike, I could definitely flip that and take
• 31:08
  the win this time and even in the championship will see how it
• 31:11
  pans out. I kind of think that's how it's
• 31:14
  going to go, but we'll see. We'll see, I'm excited.
• 31:18
  And kind of one more thing about having all 10 weight classes,
• 31:22
  you have more eyes on you. Visibility of the program.
• 31:26
  Yeah, and it's reflecting. I mean in recruiting I'm looking
• 31:31
  at who they've signed for 20 or who they're getting for 2023 out
• 31:36
  of any of the top 200 in the nation.
• 31:39
  They have six guys. You know they got to the number
• 31:43
  9 so he's like the number two or three heavyweight, he's coming
• 31:46
  in. He's a guys, enjoy him.
• 31:49
  Jim molan. Yeah.
• 31:54
  So you know that As we do. Oh yeah.
• 31:56
  And then Sammy Sasso his brother, he's coming and he's
• 32:00
  he's going to be either 197 maybe heavy weight as well.
• 32:03
  So I mean they're going to have some good guys.
• 32:05
  He's the number 30 recruitment agency.
• 32:07
  Probably top 10 in his weight class.
• 32:11
  Then we got a Virginia boy Rafael Hipolito and he's from up
• 32:16
  in Ashburn and he's number 88 and they and then we got two
• 32:22
  boys that are in the 141. 49 that are coming in there, number
• 32:27
  45, and 46 in the nation, you know Hector church and Hunter
• 32:31
  Mason and then we got another one that's ranked and I mean to
• 32:35
  it's just showing you that we're getting top-ranked, guys.
• 32:39
  It's not just all people going to Penn State Iowa, Iowa State.
• 32:44
  You know, we're definitely, you know, we're taking some guys
• 32:47
  away and they're going to be solid.
• 32:50
  It's but the room wrestling's going to be great because
• 32:54
  Typically, you know, I think the only people that were really
• 32:59
  losing this year our hunter:, because he's a redshirt senior,
• 33:03
  he's all out Makai looks unless he wants to come back, he has
• 33:07
  one more year of Eligibility. I mean, he's been in college for
• 33:11
  a while, so he might be ready to, you know, to move on and do
• 33:15
  things at Elmo on the National Team level.
• 33:17
  So, we don't know. And then even Bryce antonian, he
• 33:21
  has one more year of Eligibility.
• 33:23
  He's a senior. But I don't know if he's going
• 33:25
  to come back or not, so which he might because, you know, he's
• 33:28
  lost four straight ACC titles and and O'Connor will be gone.
• 33:35
  So yeah, it opens it up for him because he's always here, when
• 33:38
  darling, I know, I can come back and get one here even if they're
• 33:43
  not coming back some solid guys coming in, filling those spots
• 33:48
  and mean, even with the guys already in the room, too, I
• 33:51
  mean, it's just definitely Something enjoyable and and
• 33:55
  always say this, I keep thinking this is what's going to have
• 33:59
  this going to be this board. I think that Tech will get there
• 34:03
  if we want to get a national championship as a team.
• 34:06
  I think the wrestling team is the one that's going to have to
• 34:08
  provide it because hopefully football get there again.
• 34:12
  But now I like the wrestling teams odd right now more so than
• 34:17
  the football but they gotta grow to.
• 34:20
  So God will listen big man. We really appreciate you.
• 34:24
  You coming on tonight, going through this.
• 34:27
  I mean, for anybody that watches this and we watching the
• 34:29
  National Finals, you gave an unbelievable breakdown.
• 34:32
  Say some time on your calendar in the fall when we get close to
• 34:36
  wrestling season, Brian, he's coming back.
• 34:39
  Any book. You will, come on and give us a
• 34:41
  wrestling preview, will give you some weeks in advance.
• 34:45
  Luckily, it won't be tax season, so you won't be having to be in
• 34:48
  your office at 9:00 at night. But brother good seeing you as
• 34:52
  always. So if we can catch up sometime
• 34:53
  here in the RV, Say you have a good evening night.
• 34:56
  How are you to appreciate it? Appreciate it.
• 35:08
  The heck of an interview there, we are going to take a quick
• 35:12
  pause from our digital partner before we get into all the
• 35:15
  recruiting talk tonight. You take a quick break, we'd
• 35:20
  like to tell you about getting your free website report from
• 35:23
  our digital partner, Grassroots, digital marketing Studio.
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  Grassroots digital studio.com forward slash free Dash website,
• 35:38
  Dash report. Now back to the episode All
• 35:42
  righty Ron, without further Ado, Bring Em In the man, the myth,
• 35:47
  the legend, the taste sis VT scoop.
• 35:49
  How you doing tonight, man? I'm doing well.
• 35:52
  Can you guys hear me? Okay.
• 35:53
  Is the mic setup. Well, yeah, yeah, we got you.
• 35:56
  We got you. I was struggling a little bit
• 35:59
  backstage, but it's coming out. All right.
• 36:02
  Yeah, yeah, this is the first time entering the Green Room.
• 36:05
  Well, we're Midstream, there's a little little adjustments here
• 36:10
  in real time but I appreciate the That you sound good on this
• 36:12
  Earth You said you were taking some notes during the wrestling
• 36:16
  lesson there. Clearly that starts in a couple
• 36:20
  days. Clearly, we got a good shot at
• 36:22
  that in before we get into the crew.
• 36:25
  Talk. Let's talk about this because
• 36:26
  you are VT alumni. You got the wrestling team big
• 36:29
  showing up in up in Tulsa this week.
• 36:32
  Let's talk about the women's team though, win the ACC
• 36:36
  Championship and not only win it.
• 36:39
  I think everybody watch some of those games.
• 36:42
  Maybe their bodies ass in those three games.
• 36:44
  It wasn't like it was competitive games.
• 36:47
  They dominated. And now the number one seed,
• 36:51
  they're going to be having games in Castle this weekend, which is
• 36:55
  unbelievable. And, you know, looking at the
• 36:58
  bracket, you know, I'm buddy. Shelton has been saying, Italy,
• 37:02
  daily date, that looks legit. And if they go to final four,
• 37:06
  they're beating Yukon. How's that make you feel as an
• 37:09
  Alum to, you know, to have that happen to your school?
• 37:13
  I mean it's awesome. Like anytime you're talking
• 37:15
  about the big dance and especially like Virginia Tech
• 37:18
  with the number one seed next to their name.
• 37:20
  Like that's incredible. It's like something you don't
• 37:23
  think about. Like you know when it comes to
• 37:25
  Men's Basketball, you're hoping just to make the tournament and
• 37:28
  then you're talking about the women's team, absolutely?
• 37:30
  Like it's just domination like the game against Duke was just
• 37:35
  you know, from start to finish. They Did everything better and
• 37:40
  it looks like like not just making the dance but having
• 37:43
  legitimate hope to go very far and like I would absolutely love
• 37:48
  to see like this Virginia Tech Team faced off against UConn.
• 37:52
  Like, that would be unbelievable story program of UConn, women's
• 37:56
  basketball versus the risers in Virginia Tech like that's that's
• 38:01
  storybook stuff. Yeah, that mean that's a game
• 38:04
  that can kind of put you in that big time Conversation because
• 38:09
  really women's Hoops is kind of usually dominated by, you know,
• 38:12
  two or three teams every year. If this is the year where
• 38:16
  Virginia take takes that step, that could be huge, especially
• 38:19
  Downstream, as you talk about recruiting in a few years where
• 38:22
  you're getting the consistent and caliber players that the
• 38:26
  South Carolina is, are getting every year.
• 38:28
  Now if you know, we're probably like one step away from that and
• 38:31
  this could be, you know, that kind of cycle that puts us on
• 38:34
  the national stage that kind of helps us take that step. 100%.
• 38:39
  Yeah, I was looking at the bracket like I was a little
• 38:42
  surprised at how is like a is in there, North Carolina, like
• 38:48
  there are some tough teams but you know luckily if they make it
• 38:52
  all the way, you know South Carolina is a wagon there on the
• 38:57
  other side so at least they get to avoid them.
• 38:59
  But yeah, the number one seed is huge and obviously like
• 39:04
  legitimizes the program like puts them in that upper echelon.
• 39:09
  You know, we've been waiting for this for a little bit and it's
• 39:12
  awesome to see that you know it's coming to fruition.
• 39:17
  Absolutely. All right, so that's fun stuff
• 39:20
  to talk about. There's one thing that somebody
• 39:23
  on this program needs to address with you before we go further.
• 39:25
  Tally, tell you, how are you doing tonight, man?
• 39:29
  I'm doing well, how are you doing?
• 39:30
  Are you need to give me a re follow on Twitter?
• 39:36
  I've been following you for years.
• 39:38
  I've been following you on 24/7. I need a treat.
• 39:41
  I need the reef follow, buddy. By the end of the night.
• 39:45
  It's come. There you go.
• 39:46
  You the man. He said, the reason he joined
• 39:48
  the podcast was to get imitator, he followed.
• 39:51
  And that was it. I got to get this out there.
• 40:03
  I got to get the follow. I have, to be honest to, like,
• 40:08
  whenever I go to my feed, like, I always see tally on there.
• 40:14
  You might as well be followed him everywhere.
• 40:18
  All right, let's get into football talk because there is a
• 40:21
  ton of news and aircon things. We want to ask mattei, but
• 40:24
  yesterday the news broke and it was announced in today, it was
• 40:29
  kind of discussed at the pressors, two new coaches hired.
• 40:32
  Let's start with the first Elijah Brooks the new running
• 40:36
  back coach. Eliza Brooks is coming from the
• 40:38
  Maryland program where he had been since 2018 producing.
• 40:44
  You know, some really good running backs to the NFL
• 40:46
  Anthony, mcparland Jayvon leak. Jake funked AV on fleek Davis.
• 40:50
  So right there for years for different backs, the bigger part
• 40:54
  with him, he was an eight-year coach of DeMatha anybody in the
• 40:59
  country knows DeMatha is a stud football program in while he was
• 41:02
  there for eight years, he had their best eight year stretch.
• 41:07
  Hmm. That's saying a lot about that
• 41:08
  program. So you know, William and Mary
• 41:12
  Graduate played down Are William and Mary.
• 41:15
  If a guy plays football down there and comes out coaching
• 41:19
  finally, Jimmy, laycock coaching tree is stud, yo man.
• 41:24
  So I'm going to take it. It's awesome here on here
• 41:27
  because give us some recruiting insight about, you know, who's
• 41:33
  recruited. Where do you think you'll be
• 41:35
  recruiting with tech? Yeah, I mean it is a little
• 41:39
  awkward noting that Ramon Brown The attack was in on.
• 41:46
  He's the main reason he went to Maryland but you know in all
• 41:50
  seriousness he's a guy that has ties all over Maryland like very
• 41:54
  well respected coach Brian was talking about him and saying how
• 41:58
  they were eyeing it for positional coach while they're
• 42:01
  at Penn State like this higher is not just about his coaching
• 42:06
  pedigree, but really about securing, state of Maryland and
• 42:11
  working in tandem with, And pry has a ton of connections there
• 42:15
  from his time at Penn State as well.
• 42:18
  You know, he's going to be all over the state and it's not, you
• 42:21
  know, it is about him going to those high schools and where he
• 42:25
  does, you know, have that great reputation.
• 42:28
  But it's also bringing these other guys on staff with him,
• 42:31
  like Bo and like pry into the high schools and meeting these
• 42:34
  guys. So you know, it's huge for
• 42:37
  Maryland, especially when you look at how much talent comes
• 42:39
  out every single cycle, it's just huge.
• 42:43
  Terms of recruiting. Yeah, the the Washington
• 42:47
  Catholic of athletic conference's.
• 42:48
  Just stacked with Talent every year and it's not just a math.
• 42:53
  I mean it's across the board and obviously a guy like him that
• 42:57
  has the respect, not only of you know that DeMatha program but
• 43:01
  all those programs from having coached there for years.
• 43:04
  Having recruited for the last four years of Maryland.
• 43:06
  This is just to me Better higher than I anticipated, especially
• 43:11
  when we early on in the process. We're like, alright, we're
• 43:14
  probably gonna be hiring a running back coach, there's
• 43:16
  going to be some shuffling. Who's it going to be?
• 43:19
  I think we probably came out a little bit better than we
• 43:21
  thought we would it with the with a guy like Elijah Brooks.
• 43:24
  We think about Valley. Oh yeah I think it was a you
• 43:28
  know, it was a surprise to me. I didn't know that he was even
• 43:32
  kind of on our radar but it's definitely a welcome.
• 43:37
  Welcome surprise. It's because as a Natalia said,
• 43:41
  like he's got a great background from the Athletics up there and,
• 43:47
  you know, Marilyn as much as there are thorn in our side,
• 43:50
  their program that's, you know, on the rise a little bit.
• 43:53
  And if we can get something to kind of, you know, as we seen,
• 43:55
  we played them a couple of years ago.
• 43:57
  And we seen outcome of that for whatever reason.
• 44:00
  But you know, if we can still some still some stuff I would
• 44:02
  say plates, like, I'm all for that.
• 44:05
  We have fun tail on a couple of weeks ago and he talked about
• 44:08
  the Nation ships in recruiting and how sometimes you have to
• 44:13
  you know get two to three people before you get to the kid or you
• 44:16
  get to the coach you know somebody like a Brooks with no
• 44:20
  that lineage to go through. So I was excited about it.
• 44:25
  Yep. I think we all are excited about
• 44:27
  that because that was the name we hadn't seen.
• 44:29
  And then you start looking up, you know, was it Nick cross
• 44:33
  Ramon Brown? He's recruited some pretty
• 44:36
  high-profile guys in his time, in Maryland and short time at
• 44:40
  Maryland. So you know I think that's I
• 44:44
  think it speaks for itself and I think you know we'll talk about
• 44:48
  some of the shifting in a minute here.
• 44:49
  But I think for the most part tally, you made a point today
• 44:52
  that in you look, Going at it and being realist, right?
• 44:57
  Oh yeah. You got a I mean you got to send
• 45:00
  people to recruit what they like, they got to be
• 45:03
  comfortable, you know? Elijah Brooks is going to be, I
• 45:06
  mean, he's going to be recruiting running backs.
• 45:08
  Most of the running backs that he's going to be recruiting to
• 45:11
  Virginia Tech. What do they look like?
• 45:13
  They're gonna look like him? I'd much rather.
• 45:15
  Send him this still hopes to get me a running back.
• 45:18
  It's to go get a tight end, a big white boy.
• 45:21
  That's fine. Go get him, but Brooks, we need.
• 45:25
  Go to the main, you got to go into the 757, you gotta go onto
• 45:28
  Maryland, and you're going to have to grab some of these.
• 45:31
  Some of these running back that we missed Ramon Brown, he was
• 45:34
  committed to Virginia Tech for how long, and then, they stole
• 45:38
  him away. Like, how many times have we
• 45:42
  been one player away from 23 games?
• 45:46
  You know, having those having that one playmaker at a pivotal
• 45:50
  position and change the trajectory of your foot?
• 45:55
  Ball team. So I'm excited about it, man.
• 45:57
  I think it was a good move. I know, we're gonna get into
• 45:59
  some more of the, of the, the shuffling, a little later, but
• 46:03
  I'm pretty stoked for real. Absolutely.
• 46:06
  I'm with you on that. Alright, let's talk about the
• 46:08
  second guy. A guy who owned this program?
• 46:12
  We got notified. Tell if you remember a couple
• 46:14
  weeks ago, I buddy. Put in the name in the chat of
• 46:18
  wrong Crook, in Rock, Creek is being you offensive line coach
• 46:22
  at Virginia Tech last year? Going to season that South
• 46:26
  Dakota smaller program, obviously.
• 46:28
  But if you look at this 10 year in the last decade, he was out
• 46:32
  of Stanford, then he went to West Virginia.
• 46:35
  Hmm. And then he was at Cincinnati.
• 46:37
  When Cincinnati went to the playoff Mateo.
• 46:40
  I know offensive line is the toughest position for y'all, any
• 46:44
  recruiting serving, anybody trying to look at it.
• 46:46
  But where do you see, Ron crook? Where do you think he's going to
• 46:50
  be recruiting? And is there anybody out there?
• 46:53
  He's coached or Rooted that has caught your eye.
• 46:57
  Yeah. So he's mainly going to be out
• 46:59
  in like, Ohio, South West, Virginia, obviously.
• 47:02
  West Virginia has a lot of contacts there, but surprisingly
• 47:07
  like Virginia Tech is really hitting Ohio art this upcoming
• 47:11
  week. Next week.
• 47:12
  There's, I think like, 25% of the visitor list is from Ohio.
• 47:18
  So he's already out there recruiting.
• 47:20
  He's already hit up a guy like TJ Tolliver, four-star,
• 47:23
  offensive lineman. In Virginia top ten guy, you
• 47:27
  know he's already you know hit the ground running it's
• 47:30
  interesting because you know like you guys probably heard a
• 47:34
  couple weeks ago, he was always number one in terms of the
• 47:37
  offensive line fit and you know Brent prai has a lot of ties to
• 47:41
  West Virginia and contacted a bunch of people got like raving
• 47:46
  reviews about him obviously you talk about Stanford and their
• 47:49
  lineage of offensive linemen like most of them go into the
• 47:52
  NFL, West Virginia. Beasley recruits a similar level
• 47:57
  as Virginia Tech but you know they fight over a lot of the you
• 48:00
  know the same Prospect then obviously at Cincinnati building
• 48:04
  up that line which I think is really important for Virginia
• 48:08
  Tech. Right now you have a ton of
• 48:09
  young guys in the program being able to develop them.
• 48:12
  Like we didn't see that a lot last year.
• 48:14
  And as good as Joe Rudolph is and you know as much as people
• 48:17
  Rave about him you really need a guide to bring it the young
• 48:21
  guys, build them up and get them ready.
• 48:25
  See it's tough coming in with spring all you know, about to
• 48:28
  kick off. So we'll see how like the scheme
• 48:31
  adjustments and all that change out, but if you're going to
• 48:34
  bring in anyone to coach up the offensive line, want a guy with
• 48:37
  a ton of experience so I think it's an all-around.
• 48:40
  Great iron. Yeah.
• 48:42
  I when I saw it, I was like, yeah, this this is this is a
• 48:45
  really good higher. It's a good fit.
• 48:47
  It's a guy that has each coach in zone schemes.
• 48:51
  He's coached and some power schemes out there and Stanford.
• 48:55
  In some of that split or po type stuff that was those run and at
• 49:00
  Cincinnati with Ritter there. So you know I think there's a
• 49:02
  lot of upside to what he brings from a scheme standpoint
• 49:06
  especially knowing what we're trying to move towards and Tyler
• 49:09
  bone was talking about it today in the press conference, you
• 49:11
  know, moving towards more vertical running game, be kind
• 49:15
  of set up those rpos and get Tempo going and things like
• 49:17
  that. And I think some of that was
• 49:19
  what we wanted to do last year, but I think this is more of an
• 49:23
  emphasis this year. Especially now that we've got
• 49:25
  the Personnel to run it in a little bit more effective way
• 49:29
  and I think Crooks going to do a good job of kind of filtering
• 49:31
  that down to the offensive line and making them more effective
• 49:35
  snap to snap and that's the big thing.
• 49:37
  And if we get more effective especially on first down, that's
• 49:40
  going to make their job a whole lot easier on second and third
• 49:42
  because you're going to put the defense in a conflict.
• 49:45
  I mean, you know, I agree. I agree with, you know, what
• 49:47
  seagull, the saying there? I came up for a game.
• 49:51
  Well, I think it was the the Duke game a couple of years ago.
• 49:56
  Had to stay in Princeton West Virginia which was fucking
• 50:01
  crazy. Ha ha ha it's to 350 pound black
• 50:07
  man in Princeton West, Virginia's nuts, and I'm from
• 50:10
  Alabama. So I'm used to some redneck
• 50:13
  Podunk shit, but it was nuts there.
• 50:17
  You know, different water levels.
• 50:18
  Different level man walked in Walmart.
• 50:21
  I was like, this is definitely where they, they film wrong
• 50:24
  time. Fucking crazy.
• 50:28
  But I mean shit, you got wrong crook, he's from that area,
• 50:33
  unites any from Princeton but the West Virginia area, he's
• 50:37
  familiar with it. I think our best lineman last
• 50:40
  year came from West Virginia. What about high-profile players?
• 50:43
  Like I never understood the going to Germany to get a
• 50:47
  fucking offensive lineman you're in Virginia.
• 50:52
  Open the back door. There's some big ass boys out
• 50:55
  there. That's pushing tractors and
• 50:57
  pulling tires and tell them to come play football.
• 51:01
  I mean you got crook out here wearing his hat backwards in the
• 51:04
  snow and rain with shorts on. That's the offensive line coach
• 51:08
  man. That's my kind of dude right
• 51:09
  there. That's what kind of dude like I
• 51:12
  wouldn't have big advice fan. You know what I'm saying?
• 51:15
  Just because you know, whatever he's gone, ran a couple people.
• 51:19
  I thought could have stayed but whatever the case is, He he had
• 51:23
  them, he brought a certain nastiness practice and to the to
• 51:28
  the line that me as a, you know, tight end offense of lineman
• 51:33
  like to see, you know, if you're going to get a penalty, I want
• 51:36
  you to get a penalty gouging, somebody's ass.
• 51:39
  Yeah, I don't want you to get a priest in a pit stop on
• 51:43
  somebody's nuts when they're on the ground, whatever the case
• 51:46
  may be. I like that.
• 51:48
  Let's go, man, like I think it's a did I, you know, I got a lot
• 51:51
  of But it's been on Twitter talking about the higher the bar
• 51:55
  blah. I know we're going to get into
• 51:56
  it a little bit farther. I've been pumped up about this
• 51:58
  because I've been asking questions and I can't get the
• 52:01
  answers. So well, here here's the thing.
• 52:04
  Like, with the with everything, the teen you probably did the
• 52:07
  same with the research constantly.
• 52:08
  What I did well, when Crooks name came across, I bored you, I
• 52:13
  started doing the research. I started looking up and I'll be
• 52:16
  damned if it everywhere. He's went, the Run game, has
• 52:20
  improved West. When they won ten back in 64,
• 52:23
  like 13th in a country and that was out of the whole person air
• 52:26
  raid Zone type, run scheme, what they did at Cincinnati with
• 52:31
  doesn't with Ritter and that are pea.
• 52:33
  Oh, split! Brian, you were talking about
• 52:35
  the split Zone with that. Yep.
• 52:38
  They took that team to a national championship and they
• 52:42
  didn't get curb-stomped by Alabama, Alabama, eventually
• 52:44
  beat them, but it's not like they went out there and didn't
• 52:47
  just get beat down so the man clearly knows how to coach.
• 52:51
  And And divine and he's got that mentality.
• 52:54
  So, you know I feel like if you just see the name, it's not a
• 53:00
  flashy name and he was at South Dakota dig deeper read deeper,
• 53:05
  you'll, you'll you'll start uncovering some good stuff.
• 53:08
  Alright, so boys, obviously we got any run-ins bass coach, we
• 53:14
  lost a quarterback coach, you got a new offensive line coach,
• 53:17
  it means we still need to coach has filled out.
• 53:19
  And you know, the tea leaves were Going out over the weekend.
• 53:24
  Tyler, Bowen. Moving the quarterback.
• 53:26
  Coach. Matej, you can probably speak to
• 53:33
  it best when it comes to recruiting, though the last two
• 53:36
  prospects quarterback, why's that came through the door.
• 53:39
  Who is their primary recruiter? Yeah.
• 53:41
  Tyler Bowen. And again you know this cycle
• 53:45
  you got a guy like de bellefort guy out of Florida for Star
• 53:48
  Quarterback. You know it's it's really his
• 53:51
  connection to Bowen and you know Chiron drones like when he came
• 53:56
  it was because bow and went there is it It took a plane like
• 54:00
  convinced him to sign on the night so he's good with you
• 54:06
  know, just bringing order backs recruiting identifying what the
• 54:09
  offense needs. Tally, I'll let you go because
• 54:14
  you value, I don't know. You know, I was ready so I was I
• 54:19
  was ready but looking at a looking at, you know, just kind
• 54:24
  of how it transpired and we got called him names.
• 54:27
  Everybody's on Twitter. If y'all ain't on Twitter
• 54:30
  fucking with people, you need to get a life.
• 54:33
  This is this, that's the fun stuff to do.
• 54:35
  But, you know, I've seen a lot of tweets were people saying,
• 54:38
  you know, I understand, I was out of our chat.
• 54:43
  Probably the most critical of the staff last year before the
• 54:47
  season started. I said, we have so many new
• 54:49
  coaches in new places. I'm not expecting much everybody
• 54:53
  says, oh, no, the we're going to do good, because it is whatever.
• 54:57
  So, this year, a little bit more optimistic, because I've seen
• 55:01
  some things and we've got some more Playmakers.
• 55:04
  So now we're going to fast forward to what we're doing.
• 55:08
  Franklin didn't show me nothing. I think our quarterback play was
• 55:12
  the worst that I've seen since I've been attacked for him last
• 55:15
  year. Not saying that's all on the
• 55:16
  couch. Not saying that's all on the kid
• 55:20
  or kids, but I'm just saying from what I seen as a tech fan
• 55:24
  last year there was that was nothing to build on.
• 55:28
  So I don't feel like the quarterback coach.
• 55:31
  We had brought anybody in, I mean and he was an experienced
• 55:35
  coach everybody's saying he doesn't have experience in this.
• 55:38
  If you don't have experience in that, we need Playmakers, we
• 55:42
  need people. Who can we meet some coaches?
• 55:44
  That can go recruit and get Talent when we bought Jerrod in
• 55:49
  the dodos that it was coaching him.
• 55:51
  That we figured out. We didn't really care about.
• 55:54
  I don't know how much coaching they did.
• 55:55
  He just came in and played hinden, just came in and play.
• 56:00
  You got to go and get some play makers.
• 56:03
  So if Boeing can go and get some play makers, this it enough.
• 56:07
  See y'all. All like he's he's got an
• 56:10
  opportunity to just get it started and then we can pivot
• 56:12
  next year if we need to go get a quarterback coach.
• 56:15
  That's going to be able to give us a little bit more
• 56:16
  development. I think we can do that but for
• 56:19
  are you people on Twitter that's been talking about how laughable
• 56:23
  it is and horrible it is I asked a question about three times.
• 56:28
  Give me some names of some coaches that are the best coat
• 56:32
  best quarterback coaches in college football.
• 56:35
  I don't know names because people don't Know that they know
• 56:39
  the player you talk about the, the coach that coach that
• 56:42
  cleansing. He was coaching Trevor Lawrence.
• 56:46
  I could have coached Trevor Lawrence and he would have been
• 56:48
  good enough. I'm saying, like, I'm not taking
• 56:51
  nothing from the coaches. I'm just saying, people throw
• 56:53
  stuff out before they give it a chance.
• 56:55
  So I'm going to calm down a little bit, people talk.
• 57:00
  I'm going to pass it back to the panel shit, shut out, Thomas
• 57:05
  train for thinking, I look like Tyler Bowen, so yeah, we got to
• 57:08
  Tyler Bono here tonight. He'll see gloat.
• 57:10
  Now, you will say, I will say this though, ain't no way.
• 57:15
  You can fuse, the short neck do for Tyler Boeing, like I ain't
• 57:17
  got, this ain't no ain't no way you were that confused.
• 57:23
  The seagull you you got some points on this tally.
• 57:26
  Basically what Tally saying and it's kind of going weapon with
• 57:29
  Mateo you saying but tell you talk about Belfort's, a
• 57:31
  four-star, pop Watson's a four-star drones as a four-star
• 57:35
  tally, you just saying I want somebody that can recruit the
• 57:38
  room if he can sell the vision of what he's doing.
• 57:41
  I want the best player there. Now Brian, you probably agree
• 57:44
  with that, but I think you were going a little different
• 57:46
  direction, more schematically when he came to White Bones of
• 57:50
  quarterback coach. yeah, I was just looking at his
• 57:54
  schematically, so the way I'm seeing it, If you want to hire a
• 57:59
  quarterback, you want them to be good.
• 58:01
  At probably, one of two things either need to be excellent at
• 58:04
  mechanics and technique. They need to be an absolute stud
• 58:07
  at knowing what a scheme expects of their quarterback or it needs
• 58:11
  to be a combination of the two Boeing checks that second box.
• 58:16
  So tip to me that that's good. We also between what the NCAA
• 58:20
  rulings are changing and the guys we already got on staff.
• 58:23
  We got we got Crist out there that can assist with some of the
• 58:28
  more finer points of quarterback mechanics and Technique.
• 58:32
  We also when we look at positions that get a lot of work
• 58:36
  in the offseason outside of the coaching structure, the
• 58:41
  quarterback is the one position that gets third party folks
• 58:46
  coming And working with them specifically on technique and
• 58:50
  things of that nature in the offseason.
• 58:51
  So you've got those things that are already building towards
• 58:54
  that. You're from a technique
• 58:56
  standpoint. Tyler, Bowen knows what the
• 58:58
  quarterback supposed to be within the offense.
• 59:00
  I can guarantee that. So when you put those two things
• 59:04
  together to me, that means he'll be effective.
• 59:07
  Now, obviously, I think some people would want both in that
• 59:10
  package, right? So the up, the optimal idea is
• 59:14
  that if you want to have a quarterback in OC, Coach that
• 59:17
  they are very technical when it comes to the quarterback
• 59:21
  position and they know schematically how the
• 59:25
  quarterback Works within that structure and then call the
• 59:27
  place, that's the optimal. But I think given the situation
• 59:31
  we were handed this late in the cycle.
• 59:33
  I'm okay with this. Now I'm not saying it's not
• 59:35
  risky, I think there is some risk with moving a guy that has
• 59:38
  not coached the position into this spot.
• 59:41
  But, you know, some of the again, some of the comments
• 59:44
  thrown out with laughable and things like that.
• 59:46
  Like now, it's a calculated risk even though it is a risk.
• 59:51
  And my other point is that some people were talking about, well,
• 59:55
  you know, you should have hired a quarterbacks coach.
• 59:57
  And I was like, well, if you hire the quarterbacks coach, you
• 1:00:00
  probably don't get Brooks or crook potentially, you know, you
• 1:00:04
  get you get someone else in those spots and they were like
• 1:00:06
  well no you know you can you know, you fire us to hope I'm
• 1:00:10
  like so you want to? So you're saying it's laughable
• 1:00:13
  that we're moving. the o.c. into the quarterback coach's role but
• 1:00:18
  it's not laughable that you're going to fire someone that in
• 1:00:22
  March that you decided in December and January were
• 1:00:25
  rolling with I mean, that's true.
• 1:00:28
  I mean if you if you want something that's laughs was
• 1:00:30
  laughable deciding in December and January, he's your guy, but
• 1:00:34
  all of a sudden because two guys put promotions, he's not your
• 1:00:36
  guy to me that says, I don't know what I'm doing a lot more
• 1:00:40
  than moving. Your OC into the quarterback
• 1:00:42
  coach's role. Well, the other part mean, let's
• 1:00:44
  just jump right into it. Still holds going back to tight
• 1:00:46
  ends and he's special team coordinator.
• 1:00:49
  So if you fire him, you not only have to fill this position roll.
• 1:00:53
  You also have to find special teams, coordinator and boy.
• 1:00:56
  Yeah. Who potential on the roster now.
• 1:00:58
  So that would be a, you know, between cheetah and crook.
• 1:01:00
  You've got to that could potentially take that role but
• 1:01:03
  you're still out of you still out of position coach.
• 1:01:05
  Yeah. But are you going to ask, you
• 1:01:06
  know, your quarterbacks coach who has a pretty young room?
• 1:01:09
  Hey, go take over special teams or you're going to ask coach to
• 1:01:12
  coach all line offensive, offensive line and special teams
• 1:01:16
  like that. Again, that's more laughable and
• 1:01:18
  now we're running back in tight end or definitely the positions
• 1:01:21
  you would prefer having your special teams coordinator role
• 1:01:23
  because they are the least demanding from a position.
• 1:01:26
  Stay in point. Yep.
• 1:01:29
  So I live, there's actually less your head coach.
• 1:01:31
  Has it like we had with Frank? So yeah.
• 1:01:33
  Well, but there's, there's only so many to do that.
• 1:01:36
  Well, let's talk about, you holding the tight end and tally
• 1:01:38
  already made his point about Steve Holt, probably going into
• 1:01:41
  the mountains of North Carolina mountains of Virginia finding
• 1:01:44
  him, some big kids, but my take, what does his track record with
• 1:01:47
  high-end look like as far as recruiting, those yeah, I mean
• 1:01:52
  he's when you look at his background I mean he's pretty
• 1:01:55
  much split between being a running backs coach and a tight
• 1:01:59
  ends coach and I do want to like hit on one more thing just with
• 1:02:03
  the staff in general, like I think what gets Lost in
• 1:02:07
  Translation a lot and it's just like putting these coaches in a
• 1:02:13
  box where you know they have to be, you know, this one
• 1:02:17
  positional unit like like When you listen to the staff talk
• 1:02:22
  about, you know, the offensive staff, they're all
• 1:02:25
  communicating, all the time. They're always like, multiple
• 1:02:29
  guys are helping out in certain positions, like it doesn't fall
• 1:02:32
  under one guy to just do everything.
• 1:02:36
  And I was just thinking about this in terms of Bowen and I'll
• 1:02:39
  get to Holt in a little bit. But like, Bowen, I was lucky
• 1:02:42
  enough to go to the coaching convention in Northern Virginia
• 1:02:45
  where I was able to like, talk with a bunch of the coaches,
• 1:02:48
  like really understand, like what there?
• 1:02:50
  Shin is and without going too much into depth of that.
• 1:02:54
  Like, I was really impressed how technical Crist was in terms of
• 1:02:59
  what he expects out of the quarterback.
• 1:03:01
  Different schemes talking with High School coaches in terms of
• 1:03:04
  what they're doing and being able to relate to them, like how
• 1:03:07
  you can change things around and then additionally like Bowens
• 1:03:12
  knowledge of the entire offense. Also impressed me because, you
• 1:03:15
  know, you look at last year's offense and you can say, okay,
• 1:03:18
  this is a train wreck like nothing's.
• 1:03:20
  Working. But looking at it in a different
• 1:03:23
  way where you know if this one block happens or if this is you
• 1:03:27
  know the identity were having here if this is the type of play
• 1:03:31
  we're running but we can't run it because we don't have the
• 1:03:33
  Personnel like those things. Make a huge difference in terms
• 1:03:37
  of the entire Outlook of the, you know, the product of it.
• 1:03:41
  So I think like again, just people hyper-focus into, you
• 1:03:47
  know, this guy didn't do it before, he can't do it.
• 1:03:49
  But you know, as an Sense of coordinator.
• 1:03:51
  He's working with all these guys.
• 1:03:53
  He's flowing these ideas around and then I guess for Holt, you
• 1:03:58
  know, obviously today he was talking about having to Gallo
• 1:04:02
  having Benji, Daquan how excited he was for him.
• 1:04:07
  You know, I think he's going to be a good fit and obviously has
• 1:04:09
  worked with bone quite a bit. So I think it's an easy
• 1:04:13
  transition. I don't know how much you can
• 1:04:16
  expect out of the tight end route to change, but I'm
• 1:04:20
  excited. Not The less.
• 1:04:21
  Well he smirked when he talked about Daquan right?
• 1:04:23
  He's smart. Like maybe that was the most
• 1:04:25
  athletic type in he's ever and tally, tell me about this day,
• 1:04:31
  only go back to the Special Teams part because we were me
• 1:04:34
  and tally crunch. Added a tally, you play tight
• 1:04:38
  end. How many special teams use did
• 1:04:40
  you play on? Well, that's the tight end.
• 1:04:43
  I played on a lot of our special teams unit.
• 1:04:46
  I've been running backs. You're running back so I don't
• 1:04:48
  like they're not going to play on me.
• 1:04:51
  Unless they're returning the ball, you know, kick off, you
• 1:04:55
  may have running back back their tight end.
• 1:04:57
  You're going to be up guy, that's going to be a wedge
• 1:05:01
  stopper. I mean stopping the wedge
• 1:05:03
  Buster. So a lot of the tight ends are
• 1:05:06
  probably going to be involved in those special teams.
• 1:05:08
  So I think that helps but also, you know, like Brian touched on
• 1:05:14
  a little earlier. When you do bring a guy in like
• 1:05:17
  Crypt it's got a lot of experience and guess what?
• 1:05:20
  He's coached special teams as well.
• 1:05:24
  So it's kind of all hands on deck.
• 1:05:26
  You know, I'm saying, I feel like the coaches know what
• 1:05:29
  situation we're in. They noted we can't afford to
• 1:05:33
  have another year like last year if this program wants to move
• 1:05:38
  up. So I don't think that they're
• 1:05:41
  relaxed. You know, I think that they have
• 1:05:44
  some intensity and I think that we're going to, we're going to
• 1:05:48
  watch it. And I think some people Be be
• 1:05:52
  surprised. I think we're going to have a
• 1:05:54
  good year when I say Good Year. I don't want to give predictions
• 1:05:56
  yet but I 100% say it. Last year we will not make a
• 1:06:00
  bowl game. It's going to be it's going to
• 1:06:03
  be a struggle this year. I'm a little different like I
• 1:06:05
  feel like it's we got to get to a bowl game and I feel like
• 1:06:09
  we'll get there. So I'm going to be watching, I'm
• 1:06:12
  going to be at the spring game. I'm gonna be looking for my boy
• 1:06:15
  matej seeing how he seeing him out there with the ladies.
• 1:06:19
  Hope you ain't married. Seagull you say yeah one more
• 1:06:23
  thing you want to hit on this before we move on.
• 1:06:25
  Yeah so my last point it just looking back at the offense last
• 1:06:29
  year and kind of what's going on with Boeing and everything on
• 1:06:32
  that side of the ball to me when I looked at some of the parts of
• 1:06:36
  last year, it looked a little bit square peg round hole
• 1:06:40
  sometimes and it looked a little bit too many cooks in the
• 1:06:44
  kitchen. And I know that, you know, a guy
• 1:06:47
  like Brad Glenn and a guy like Joe Rudolph were brought in
• 1:06:51
  That's kind of somewhat backstops for a first-time
• 1:06:55
  power, 50c and Tyler Bowen, but I feel like it at some points in
• 1:07:00
  the season. It was a little bit too much of
• 1:07:04
  a lot of ideas that were out there, but not necessarily a
• 1:07:08
  cohesive plan from top to bottom from, you know, kickoff to the
• 1:07:13
  final whistle. I think with having bow and
• 1:07:17
  moving to the quarterback role and also having What looks like
• 1:07:21
  a full control over. What?
• 1:07:24
  This offense is going to look like top to bottom, and it's
• 1:07:28
  going to be shaped in his vision through this whole process.
• 1:07:32
  I think that's going to give us a better idea of what this
• 1:07:36
  offense is capable of and it'll help us.
• 1:07:38
  I think evaluate, you know what these coaches are capable of
• 1:07:42
  this year, a lot better, especially now that we've got
• 1:07:44
  some talent to go in that on that side of the ball as well,
• 1:07:47
  where we can really kind of say okay well this is what's
• 1:07:49
  working. If this is what's not, we know
• 1:07:53
  we have the talent now to execute these things.
• 1:07:55
  It's so if things aren't happening, we can at least know
• 1:07:58
  what we're working with a little bit better than that last year.
• 1:08:00
  Where there were times where sometimes it's like the product
• 1:08:04
  was so bad. I couldn't could really
• 1:08:06
  evaluate. All right.
• 1:08:07
  Is this is this a player issue? Is this a coach issue?
• 1:08:10
  As a scheme issue? Sometimes it was just so ugly.
• 1:08:13
  It was hard to really differentiate.
• 1:08:15
  Absolutely good points, guys. Good points, everybody on all
• 1:08:18
  this stuff, but let's get into it.
• 1:08:20
  It. Let's talk about the 2024 cycle
• 1:08:24
  here that's why we brought Mateo on the take.
• 1:08:27
  Thank you for all the insights from going to the convention
• 1:08:30
  last week in Northern Virginia your insights on some of the
• 1:08:33
  guys they recruited, that's really helpful.
• 1:08:35
  Getting to where we are now. But let's start with this one
• 1:08:37
  out the gate, I had to look at the top 20 today.
• 1:08:40
  First of all, y'all changed it from last week I did some
• 1:08:43
  updates because my numbers changed.
• 1:08:46
  So top 20, looks as follows. We got six in the greater our VA
• 1:08:50
  I got five from the 7575 from Nova to from the Eastern Shore,
• 1:08:57
  both those guys top 10 with yall's to from Southwest
• 1:08:59
  Virginia. So there is Talent all
• 1:09:03
  throughout the state this year in the top 20, you go to any
• 1:09:06
  reason you can find highly rated guy.
• 1:09:10
  With that being said, with this staffs effort, in that Statewide
• 1:09:15
  assault, from the second, they leave feet on the ground.
• 1:09:17
  Last December, you think it's going to take peyote?
• 1:09:20
  A off with this type of spread this year, I do think so.
• 1:09:24
  And I think they've done like obviously, we can go back to the
• 1:09:28
  last regime under Puente and say like, you know, they're visiting
• 1:09:31
  high schools, maybe once every couple months.
• 1:09:34
  Like these guys are persistent, when it comes to keeping in
• 1:09:38
  contact, making those inroads, like, I talked about the
• 1:09:41
  coaching convention and I was talking to a lot of the coaches,
• 1:09:43
  and they were just saying, you know, we're so happy that
• 1:09:47
  Virginia Tech is back in this area.
• 1:09:49
  I was lucky enough to go to the Nova one.
• 1:09:52
  You know, Evan, a dog on our site were able to go to the
• 1:09:55
  Richmond one. Unfortunately, they didn't do
• 1:09:58
  one in the 757 this year, but, you know, the feedback from the
• 1:10:02
  coaches was completely different, like the connections
• 1:10:05
  made everything. Like they're, they're making
• 1:10:08
  inroads for the future, their brutally honest.
• 1:10:10
  You know, they didn't just do these conventions and I know
• 1:10:14
  there's a lot more that goes into it, but they want to help
• 1:10:17
  out these high schools to cultivate talent for many Years
• 1:10:21
  to come help them with their schemes, help them with, you
• 1:10:23
  know, the problems are having using their insight as
• 1:10:26
  Collegiate coaches to help them out.
• 1:10:30
  And I think it's paying huge dividends because, you know, in
• 1:10:33
  recruiting it's oftentimes viewed as a one-way Street.
• 1:10:36
  Like, who's your top guy? Like send them here.
• 1:10:40
  This is what we can do for him, but it's never the other way
• 1:10:43
  around. And so I've been really
• 1:10:45
  impressed with how they're relating to these coaches.
• 1:10:48
  The fact that they're seeing them every couple Weeks staying
• 1:10:51
  in contact with and you can see it from the recruits.
• 1:10:55
  Like anytime we write a write up, like, the amount just like
• 1:10:59
  human connection between these coaches and the recruits are
• 1:11:02
  paying off. Now, I'm not going to say
• 1:11:04
  they're going to come out here and completely take every single
• 1:11:07
  guy from the top 20. But, you know, in the long run
• 1:11:11
  it there, it's paying dividends. Like they have people welcoming
• 1:11:15
  them into their high schools, and they're making those
• 1:11:18
  connections, and that's what's important in.
• 1:11:20
  The grand scheme of things. Yeah, I love what you're saying
• 1:11:23
  about those relationships and how the two way street is
• 1:11:26
  working there. Because I think that a lot of
• 1:11:28
  people talk about that, as much, you know, relationships is not
• 1:11:30
  just about showing up in face time.
• 1:11:32
  It's about, you know, working together to help each other kind
• 1:11:36
  of build each other's programs there.
• 1:11:39
  And I think that that success is going to build both directions
• 1:11:42
  there. So that's important.
• 1:11:43
  Let's talk about the RV. Amy encouraged to the stomping
• 1:11:45
  grounds here. Six of the top 20 are in the RV
• 1:11:49
  a area. You know, we had fontelle back
• 1:11:52
  on, he's kind of started to put up a wall a little bit in the 80
• 1:11:55
  for which we like to see. So we've had some success the
• 1:11:57
  last couple Cycles here. Do you think we can land at
• 1:12:00
  least two of those are VA recruits that are in the top 20?
• 1:12:05
  Yeah absolutely. I mean Reiner's a guy that you
• 1:12:08
  know we've already put out a crystal ball, he is a good
• 1:12:10
  connection with Cam Fleming, you know, just really good defensive
• 1:12:14
  back. Noah Jennings is another guy
• 1:12:16
  that we just put out a crystal ball four.
• 1:12:18
  So there's already two You're talking about guys.
• 1:12:24
  Like Chris Cole Lamar Miller is visiting this weekend, I believe
• 1:12:29
  Eric Smith is another one. Like there's a ton of talent in
• 1:12:32
  Richmond van tell, you know, he was, he was the guy for the
• 1:12:37
  staff in terms of recruiting last year like the amount of
• 1:12:40
  success that he had. And it's not just like picking
• 1:12:44
  out these guys to, you know, try to influence future Cycles.
• 1:12:47
  It's like these are legitimate Playmakers in.
• 1:12:50
  Men that they're able to quickly bridge that Gap and get them
• 1:12:54
  onto campus, get them, you know, to represent their in-state
• 1:12:58
  school. So absolute like I Richmond's
• 1:13:01
  always going to be one of those big areas for Virginia Tech and
• 1:13:05
  you know, their ceiling goes as high as Richmond.
• 1:13:08
  And you know, I really think it's important every cycle but
• 1:13:12
  this Cycles, another great year for Richmond.
• 1:13:15
  And I think they'll at yeah, at the very minimum to I'm
• 1:13:19
  expecting, like 4250 Beyond. Okay.
• 1:13:24
  Stated his wife. I like that.
• 1:13:28
  Yeah, I'ma tell you, he's got, he's getting us.
• 1:13:29
  Getting us a little too excited. Now, I got to be a, I got to be
• 1:13:32
  a Debbie Downer and kind of go with the next Point here Metate.
• 1:13:38
  So last cycle, the Hokies guys, zero seven, five seven kids.
• 1:13:44
  I know the staff has been rebuilding.
• 1:13:46
  Those bridges and, you know, trying to break back into that
• 1:13:49
  Tidewater area. You how you how you think we
• 1:13:53
  feeling how you think we looking in that area for this year?
• 1:13:57
  Yeah I mean it's definitely been an interesting area.
• 1:14:01
  It hasn't been as easy as Richmond Nova.
• 1:14:05
  You know it's definitely going to take some time there but I
• 1:14:09
  think especially this cycle like you look last year.
• 1:14:12
  A lot of those guys were predetermined like you're
• 1:14:15
  talking pen say you know, Notre Dame like they're already going.
• 1:14:20
  These schools and Virginia Tech is like showing up at the door.
• 1:14:24
  Like we're still here to build these connections but we can't
• 1:14:28
  build the connections with the current crop of crew of recruits
• 1:14:32
  and I felt like 757 especially last year was heavily inflated
• 1:14:36
  towards the top. This year feels, you know, there
• 1:14:38
  is a lot of high-end talent but overall I think it's a lot
• 1:14:42
  higher. Like there's a lot more recruits
• 1:14:45
  that are do unworthy from the 75 and you know, like a guy like
• 1:14:49
  healin Adams. Would have never even picked up
• 1:14:53
  the phone when Virginia Tech, call it a couple years ago,
• 1:14:55
  right? And you know, he's one of those
• 1:14:57
  guys that they brought onto campus.
• 1:14:59
  They have one black Jersey that they're willing to give out and
• 1:15:03
  have recruits try on. He's the guy that, you know,
• 1:15:06
  they made the exception for like they're put, whether it's you
• 1:15:09
  know something as silly as that. There's miners that like they're
• 1:15:13
  pulling out those types of stops for him and I think it is going
• 1:15:16
  a long way, you know, he's in constant communication with
• 1:15:19
  Virginia Tech, I'm not He's basically every program in the
• 1:15:23
  country wants this guy but he's building that connection.
• 1:15:28
  Now he's coming back to campus on a consistent basis so you
• 1:15:32
  never know and then you have other guys like Assad, Brown
• 1:15:35
  lockdown cornerback like he's super high on Virginia Tech.
• 1:15:40
  I thought he was going to shut down his commitment early.
• 1:15:42
  That's how much he liked cheetah.
• 1:15:44
  He's a guy that you know, Virginia Tech desperately needs
• 1:15:47
  to build around and you know, kind of elevate his profile.
• 1:15:50
  On the college level and show that to everyone else in the
• 1:15:53
  757. Like you need a more recent
• 1:15:55
  example of a guy that can really shine on the college stage and
• 1:16:00
  you know, Assad Brown. I'm excited for him.
• 1:16:02
  Yeah, I want to, I want to hit on a couple of or something, a
• 1:16:06
  little different Off Script here because you brought it up, you
• 1:16:10
  talked about the uniforms, you talked about having the one
• 1:16:14
  black uniform I know that you I mean, you're the recruiting guy.
• 1:16:17
  That's why we got you here, how? And we are you Time.
• 1:16:20
  I'm orange guy. How excited are the kids about
• 1:16:28
  the uniforms and the different colors whenever they're on
• 1:16:32
  recruiting trips? Yeah, I mean, they're very
• 1:16:35
  excited. I'll say to like the production
• 1:16:38
  team like the media team, especially obviously it helps
• 1:16:42
  getting, you know, additional staff, but way they do photo
• 1:16:45
  shoots away, they bring kids into the locker room.
• 1:16:48
  The amount of gear they have Like how everything is set up so
• 1:16:52
  well it's definitely made a huge impact so you know obviously
• 1:16:56
  recruits love that stuff and like you know, I wish they did
• 1:17:00
  have a couple of more black jerseys, maybe they're just
• 1:17:03
  saying that and they're hiding the rest in the back but it's a
• 1:17:07
  big impact. I like it.
• 1:17:08
  The contract is up soon so we married the some fresh ones
• 1:17:12
  coming out of here. Soon, I'll say this, the Jersey
• 1:17:15
  they never wore after 2010, that they should have the Boise State
• 1:17:19
  Jersey. That wasn't we lost that game
• 1:17:22
  with that was a sick Jersey that they never pulled out again, and
• 1:17:26
  it's like, wow, you know, they did so much in the 2010s with
• 1:17:32
  some combinations. And some were good, some were.
• 1:17:35
  Yeah, but that was like, such a good jersey in the net, like, we
• 1:17:39
  lost the game. Like, who cares?
• 1:17:41
  We've lost another colors before?
• 1:17:42
  Bring them back, that's a whole another, that's a whole nother
• 1:17:45
  episode. It is.
• 1:17:49
  All right. So let me let me Pivot to this
• 1:17:51
  it's good to hear the stuff with the 757.
• 1:17:54
  I got the sheet up here I looked up Keelan.
• 1:17:56
  Holy crap is that? I mean literally everybody in
• 1:17:59
  the country is offering we need him.
• 1:18:01
  She's in y'all's top hundred y'all have him rated as a
• 1:18:04
  four-star. Now let me talk about this and
• 1:18:07
  talking about Virginia still last year 2023 huge cycle to
• 1:18:12
  start that re bridging process. 12 players but let's be
• 1:18:17
  realistic. The highest-rated was Over 18,
• 1:18:21
  Caleb Woodson who I know Brian's really high on.
• 1:18:25
  Because he thinks the way he built that outside linebacker
• 1:18:28
  spot tally, hound and to, he could probably come in and maybe
• 1:18:31
  by next year be pushing for it. But can the Hokies take the
• 1:18:35
  stuff on this Trail? It's great.
• 1:18:37
  They got that many players. And can they get a few top-10
• 1:18:41
  prospects and you've already mentioned to their high on.
• 1:18:44
  But are there any other guys in that top 10 besides the sod and
• 1:18:47
  killing that, they definitely have a legit shot at?
• 1:18:50
  And Could be in Blacksburg this time next year.
• 1:18:53
  Yeah. I mean I know van tells working
• 1:18:55
  on Chan's Wiggins. He's a guy that you know
• 1:19:00
  obviously I think he's a four-star.
• 1:19:02
  Yes. Mase Mason ways another yeah
• 1:19:06
  Mason Wade. I think just crack the top. 10
• 1:19:09
  is kind of moving up. He's an absolute gym rat.
• 1:19:12
  He looks the gym like three times a day.
• 1:19:14
  I think he's listed at like 280 last season, he was playing at
• 1:19:18
  like 305 and then came back. Up down but he's he's just a
• 1:19:22
  warrior. Like, he's unbelievable.
• 1:19:25
  And then, you know, DJ Tolliver Crooks is on him now because
• 1:19:31
  Shaun Henderson is another guy shouted.
• 1:19:36
  Wi-Fi Victory, Life And then I think, you know, one sleeper,
• 1:19:43
  they'll throw in there. I think is Josh Clark, who's in
• 1:19:46
  Nova? He's a DB, I know, Derek Jones
• 1:19:49
  is high on him. He's a guy that I think could
• 1:19:52
  really Elevate as this process moves along, I would expect him
• 1:19:56
  to be a four star and I think Virginia Tech's.
• 1:19:59
  It's really well with him right now.
• 1:20:02
  So, there are numerous guys, like, last year, I looked at the
• 1:20:06
  top ten, I was like, there's no shot like I want to give Give
• 1:20:10
  people good news. I want to say like, yeah, maybe
• 1:20:12
  there's a possibility, like, some of these Penn State guys
• 1:20:15
  with the pride connection, but there was absolutely no chance.
• 1:20:19
  I think this year, there's a chance like realistic shot.
• 1:20:23
  At least three. Okay, Italy?
• 1:20:26
  Howry? Oh, wow.
• 1:20:28
  I mean, we're happy right? And I slowly right now we were
• 1:20:33
  talking earlier, so I'm glad I'm glad to hear it.
• 1:20:40
  I think he's phenomenal. Yeah, but I'm glad you gave us a
• 1:20:43
  little insight on him because we were kind of talking a little
• 1:20:45
  bit earlier about how he was, kind of all over the board a
• 1:20:48
  little bit. I think, you know, kind of rated
• 1:20:50
  different with some different entities out there.
• 1:20:54
  But to hear you talk about him. And I mean, to say what you
• 1:20:57
  said, because we've me and Brian was kind of talking, you know,
• 1:21:00
  of offensive line that's the hardest to judge for high
• 1:21:04
  school. So to hear you say he's a gym
• 1:21:08
  rat like he's putting in that work.
• 1:21:10
  Work. And that's where it starts with
• 1:21:11
  what alignment because you know once you get to College the main
• 1:21:15
  thing that's different is you're not blocking 150 pound lineman
• 1:21:20
  anymore, he's not blocking 200-pound defensive lineman, you
• 1:21:24
  know, you're starting to get into the 250 and 300 so that
• 1:21:30
  that I think that translate well for him and I hope we hope we go
• 1:21:33
  out and grab him. Yeah.
• 1:21:34
  We talked about that a lot. We're like, you know, it's hard
• 1:21:36
  to recruit because of the variations in skin.
• 1:21:40
  Oh, level and things like that. Where is skilled positions?
• 1:21:43
  Athleticism can always scale up. But when you look at, okay,
• 1:21:47
  well, this guy's pushing this guy around but can then scale up
• 1:21:50
  its hard to really judge that especially when you look at the
• 1:21:53
  talent level. So that's why you always see
• 1:21:55
  with offensive lineman. If you work in recruit sighs,
• 1:21:59
  you'll at least know at worst. You're going to have a good
• 1:22:01
  scout team body. So if you can get a guy that's
• 1:22:04
  that kind of that ready you're at least raising the bar of
• 1:22:08
  where you're at and then you kind of can go up.
• 1:22:10
  From there. And hopefully you know with
• 1:22:12
  crook coming on board, we can get these kids develop and
• 1:22:15
  hopefully we find some guys that are able to kind of contribute
• 1:22:18
  for us right away because we need it, we're thin especially
• 1:22:20
  at the The Tackle position, you know, looking long-term so Let's
• 1:22:30
  see, and I'll kind of go ahead and pivot pivot off of Curtis
• 1:22:32
  here. Let's see how well position are
• 1:22:35
  the Hokies to kind of take that next step, both organizationally
• 1:22:39
  and kind of with how they stand with the players of getting some
• 1:22:42
  more of those top 10 caliber players in the boat.
• 1:22:47
  Yeah, definitely, I think the conversations this year, I've
• 1:22:49
  elevated quite a bit like, being able to go in on these guys.
• 1:22:54
  Not just like this cycle. But last year, that makes a huge
• 1:22:58
  difference. Like, But you're a girl.
• 1:23:00
  You're talking about these top 10 guys, whether it's Virginia,
• 1:23:04
  North Carolina, South Carolina, like unable to really start that
• 1:23:09
  relationship. And now you're talking about
• 1:23:11
  multiple year relationships with these guys and I think, you
• 1:23:15
  know, with how big the staff is, how good, the recruiting staff
• 1:23:19
  is, and then having proven Recruiters on on the staff and
• 1:23:25
  getting more guys, in I think their position pretty Well like
• 1:23:30
  obviously it's a huge leap from last year to this year to even
• 1:23:33
  be in consideration for you know, five top 10 guys.
• 1:23:38
  I know I named a few earlier but I think they still have to make
• 1:23:43
  that next step and really earn those commitments.
• 1:23:46
  Like there's a lot of guys that are very high on Virginia Tech
• 1:23:49
  and I think could have shut down their commitments already.
• 1:23:53
  So just seeing that closeout phase.
• 1:23:56
  I think is, is really what I'm eager to see next.
• 1:23:59
  I know you've hit on a couple of different, kind of states and
• 1:24:04
  places that we've been in places that we're doing moving forward,
• 1:24:08
  but I just wanted to kind of go back to that mistake last year.
• 1:24:11
  Tennessee was a state that we hit pretty hard.
• 1:24:15
  We got a lot of talent out of that state.
• 1:24:17
  When you talk about that, Aiden green and chants chants
• 1:24:21
  Fitzgerald and a couple other guys there that we were we were
• 1:24:24
  able to pull in. Do you foresee that continuing
• 1:24:28
  or do you see us Maybe, you know, pick it up, another state
• 1:24:32
  and getting Talent out like we did out of Tennessee.
• 1:24:35
  Yeah, I think, you know, in a lot of ways last year.
• 1:24:38
  What happened in Tennessee? Like Sean Quinn deserves, a lot
• 1:24:42
  of credit there has made a lot of inroads there and he's just
• 1:24:45
  great all-around. Great guy to be a representative
• 1:24:49
  of Virginia Tech, but I think like a lot of those battles were
• 1:24:53
  towards the end of the recruiting cycle.
• 1:24:54
  Picking up guys based on connections, like knowing High
• 1:24:57
  School coaches in the areas kind.
• 1:24:59
  Of knowing the Situation's of the players, whether, you know,
• 1:25:04
  you know, they weren't a fit at one school at the recruitment
• 1:25:07
  open backed up. But guys, like eating green was,
• 1:25:11
  you know, came late in the cycle.
• 1:25:12
  Most Phillips was another one that they were on for a while,
• 1:25:16
  but took a long time I think there's going to be other
• 1:25:19
  territories. I don't expect the same type of
• 1:25:21
  success like they're still going to recruit Tennessee but you
• 1:25:24
  know, Ohio North Carolina obviously Marilyn now or We're
• 1:25:29
  kind of the big ones in terms of that estate, what about North
• 1:25:33
  Carolina, where are we hitting? Because I mean, it's right
• 1:25:38
  there. You know what, the area, what
• 1:25:41
  areas are we going to be hitting in North Carolina this year?
• 1:25:44
  Because you've got really to me, you've got three, you've got the
• 1:25:48
  triangle, the Triad and Charlotte.
• 1:25:54
  Yeah, so I think the staff is taking a huge emphasis on
• 1:25:58
  Charlotte itself. Like obviously there's been an
• 1:26:00
  emergency with Charlotte Christian Charlotte Catholic.
• 1:26:04
  There's Providence day there, there's been a lot of you know,
• 1:26:08
  even before this staff a lot of inroads in Greensboro
• 1:26:13
  salisbury's and other up-and-coming area right
• 1:26:15
  outside. You know they're sitting well
• 1:26:18
  right now with three star Edge. Derek Dandy, he's a guy that's,
• 1:26:24
  you know, we put out a crystal ball for really likes.
• 1:26:27
  Virginia Tech has been on campus a few times.
• 1:26:29
  I think he's going to visit are coming up.
• 1:26:32
  James Nest has another guy. He's an inside linebacker High
• 1:26:36
  three-star. He's visiting actually on
• 1:26:38
  Thursday and then they have some other guys, deuce deuce Walker,
• 1:26:43
  another high Three Star Quarterback.
• 1:26:46
  Employer, who's a 68 offensive lineman lose our virginity.
• 1:26:52
  Back and then obviously cheat has been recruiting Brody
• 1:26:56
  Barnhart, who's a safety. So there I mean there's just a
• 1:27:01
  ton of talent in North Carolina and Charlotte.
• 1:27:05
  Specifically is a major footprint, I think Virginia Tech
• 1:27:09
  like when you're talking about where most kids are going to
• 1:27:12
  come from, I think they're looking to add, you know as many
• 1:27:15
  as they can out of Charlotte. Yeah.
• 1:27:17
  When we look at Charlotte, I mean Charlotte's an area.
• 1:27:20
  I think you know people have talked about it For, you know,
• 1:27:23
  there's more Hokies of the Charlotte area than there are
• 1:27:25
  UNC and NC State grads. So it's a very hokey Rich area
• 1:27:31
  that already has some of that kind of mindset as these kids
• 1:27:35
  are kind of coming through school.
• 1:27:36
  So that's kind of I think a big very good jumping off spot for
• 1:27:41
  what they're trying to do in Carolina for sure.
• 1:27:44
  I'll tell you something else. You know, you started to mention
• 1:27:47
  the names and I've got the pages up.
• 1:27:48
  I'm honored you're mentioning three Guys, they would Dandy
• 1:27:53
  Nesta and their three top 20 players in the state.
• 1:27:57
  And it's not like, we're getting into the 30s and the 40s where
• 1:28:00
  we're scraping the barrel. We're talking about legit three
• 1:28:04
  top guys in the top. 20 in. Yeah, that says a lot to me
• 1:28:10
  because it's like you know, Callie you jumped out making the
• 1:28:13
  point we went to Tennessee. We found chance Fitzgerald, that
• 1:28:17
  might have been the best, recruiting story all year,
• 1:28:19
  right? Because mattei, if people are
• 1:28:23
  familiar, tell them what happened because we weren't
• 1:28:25
  exactly in fight with little dogs to get that guys to come to
• 1:28:28
  Tech. Now, there is a lot of big guys
• 1:28:31
  on him. I know Michigan Works.
• 1:28:33
  The very end was, you know, they were really high on him.
• 1:28:37
  And, you know, luckily the staff sold a lot of, you know, that he
• 1:28:45
  well I'll say this, he there was a lot of good conversations.
• 1:28:50
  Going for the Hokies. And I think that you know,
• 1:28:53
  ultimately the relationship with his parents were the most
• 1:28:58
  realistic out of the top schools that were recruiting him.
• 1:29:02
  But he's a phenomenal player phenomenal wide receiver
• 1:29:06
  obviously came on late towards the end of the cycle but I think
• 1:29:10
  the Persistence of the staff and showing how much they cared
• 1:29:14
  about him. I know some of the other schools
• 1:29:16
  were in on him. But overall, yeah, I would say.
• 1:29:20
  Say that Virginia Tech just really stayed on him in the end
• 1:29:23
  and that was the difference in it.
• 1:29:25
  They didn't quit which says a lot about this stuff in the way
• 1:29:28
  they recruit compared to Prior years.
• 1:29:31
  All right. I won't go tally.
• 1:29:33
  Hearing be a little, Debbie Downer - Nancy.
• 1:29:36
  Alright, so in the last few Cycles, in the states of Georgia
• 1:29:42
  and Florida, two of the biggest football states in the country,
• 1:29:46
  we've only had four recruits To or holdovers to are offered by
• 1:29:53
  this staff, these are two Talent, Rich date and the
• 1:29:57
  northern part of Georgia down into Atlanta.
• 1:29:59
  That's in the footprint that Brent track continues to preach
• 1:30:02
  about. Why haven't we seen as much
• 1:30:06
  action in those two states? Because I feel like us as hokey
• 1:30:09
  fans, I mean, we just start throwing out names.
• 1:30:12
  You think Brandon Flowers, you think Isaiah Ford?
• 1:30:16
  There's always Talent. There's some, obviously, some
• 1:30:18
  guys from George, I'm missing, but why haven't we hit it that
• 1:30:22
  hard? Yeah.
• 1:30:24
  I mean it's a great question. You know, it's one that in terms
• 1:30:27
  of you know, these massive territories that Virginia Tech
• 1:30:31
  is after you know, whether it's you know, Brad Glenn was a big
• 1:30:37
  connection last year in terms of Georgia.
• 1:30:39
  Obviously, Tyler Bowen has some ties to Florida but you know for
• 1:30:44
  whatever reason it just didn't work out.
• 1:30:47
  Last cycle in Georgia. I know they're evaluating a lot
• 1:30:49
  of guys and then Florida like You know you're talking about
• 1:30:55
  like Mario Kendricks norell Pollard, like guys on the roster
• 1:30:59
  right now that like our fan favorites and I think like, you
• 1:31:04
  know, kind of getting back to those roots is important.
• 1:31:07
  I'm still trying to figure out like obviously with the two new
• 1:31:10
  guys like they're going to be shifting, kind of the recruiting
• 1:31:14
  region. So I'm still trying to figure
• 1:31:16
  out, like who exactly is in charge of Georgia, who's in
• 1:31:19
  charge of certain parts of Florida.
• 1:31:22
  So, I Still think it's very much a work in progress.
• 1:31:25
  And, you know, a lot of the other areas we've talked about
• 1:31:28
  have kind of been established among the staff.
• 1:31:32
  So I still think they're building those in roads and
• 1:31:34
  maybe it'll take time, but I'm with you.
• 1:31:36
  Like, ballplayers. Just come from those States and
• 1:31:40
  got to find a way. Like, even if you're talking
• 1:31:42
  about, you know, a guy rated in the 60s in Georgia, he's
• 1:31:45
  probably comparable to top 20 guy in Virginia, you know, like,
• 1:31:50
  there's just so much competition in those States.
• 1:31:53
  So, You know, hopefully as things progress, they're able to
• 1:31:56
  Lance more Talent from there. Yeah, look at it.
• 1:31:59
  You've got a bunch of golfers that are out there, but we
• 1:32:01
  haven't seen necessarily a whole lot of positive traction at a
• 1:32:05
  Georgia and Florida, so far this cycle and we haven't really
• 1:32:08
  tapped into those Delray Beach and Duval connections that we've
• 1:32:12
  seen previous staffs, pull from both go, you know, going back
• 1:32:17
  even to Beamer days. What is you think as a
• 1:32:20
  reasonable amount of commits to kind of expect From those two
• 1:32:24
  states this cycle, is it still kind of in that 122 range or are
• 1:32:28
  we looking to maybe take a little bit of a bump up?
• 1:32:31
  You know, I wouldn't be surprised if it's more than that
• 1:32:34
  obviously like still a lot of evaluation still trying to bring
• 1:32:37
  guys on campus. You know, I think you know the
• 1:32:41
  name that jumps out to me the most in terms of Florida, is it
• 1:32:45
  maybe Belfort is a guy that's super high.
• 1:32:47
  He named Virginia Tech and his top three I think with Texas A&M
• 1:32:52
  and Michigan. State if I'm remembering
• 1:32:54
  correctly, he's a guy that I'm looking at as they you know,
• 1:32:59
  that's Bowens guy right there seeing if they're able to land
• 1:33:03
  him. So if they are, you know, that's
• 1:33:05
  one off the bat. But in terms of some of the
• 1:33:07
  other names you know still waiting to see what comes out of
• 1:33:11
  there. Like just having heard a lot of
• 1:33:14
  concrete info in terms of recruits just yet.
• 1:33:20
  Yeah. And it and it makes sense.
• 1:33:22
  It's early in the cycle. How do they get the guys up?
• 1:33:25
  And, you know, we were looking the other day in Daquan right.
• 1:33:28
  Ranked in the mid-30s in and you start saying is that a place
• 1:33:32
  like in Georgia, Florida we Circle do we Circle in the
• 1:33:34
  mid-30s to go find talent because you know what we do
• 1:33:39
  Brian we pulled up the state of Georgia.
• 1:33:41
  We look I'd the thirty fifth ranked player in the state of
• 1:33:44
  Georgia. This year is a four-star
• 1:33:49
  offensive lineman I think University,
• 1:34:06
  but we are surrounded by so many Talent Rich States, and we have
• 1:34:09
  connections, or we did have connections to the State of
• 1:34:13
  Florida for years. And that's why I look at those
• 1:34:16
  two in like you kind of said, and thanks for kind of It up.
• 1:34:20
  It's like we don't effectively what you're telling us is
• 1:34:24
  they're still having to build the relationships there as the
• 1:34:27
  program of Virginia Tech. And if we take a look at Brent
• 1:34:31
  pry, it's almost dark clothes slowly build out slowly build
• 1:34:35
  out slowly build out. And again, I'll go back to North
• 1:34:38
  Carolina. Those three of the top 20 and
• 1:34:41
  you saying, they are feeling good and they have good things
• 1:34:45
  going for Tech, that's big but again, you know, it's the same
• 1:34:49
  way. What?
• 1:34:50
  Like Florida. You know you look and you think
• 1:34:52
  you know you talk about diving Belfort Dhabi.
• 1:34:55
  Billboards her 24/7 drink 88 and you go look at them and it's
• 1:35:00
  like okay he's an 88 ranked player in the state that's
• 1:35:03
  really low and then you look a little bit closer and it's like
• 1:35:06
  well I'll have them as an 87 you'll have them as a top 50
• 1:35:10
  quarterback. He's still in the top, he's 88
• 1:35:14
  in that state. He still in the top 450
• 1:35:16
  nationally. That's crazy to think that and
• 1:35:22
  you look like, you look at his offer list you mentioned, am you
• 1:35:25
  got Michigan State on his Trail? You've got all sorts of SEC, Big
• 1:35:29
  Ten, ACC schools offering him. So, I mean again, and if he's
• 1:35:36
  proud and if he's not pry, if he's bowling Sky.
• 1:35:40
  While I pull the trigger and pop.
• 1:35:42
  Watson was bolin's. Got you pull the trigger?
• 1:35:43
  You get them in, you compete. you know, to transfer portal was
• 1:35:48
  generous to the Hokey so far this year, we all will admit
• 1:35:52
  that But just kind of looking at the numbers and hearing things,
• 1:35:59
  how much movement do you foresee after spring and do you think
• 1:36:05
  with how big the class could potentially be for this cycle?
• 1:36:11
  How could it affect that? Yeah, I definitely think that
• 1:36:18
  there's going to be a lot of movement.
• 1:36:19
  This spring. I mean prior I was kind of
• 1:36:21
  talking about it earlier today, just saying that you know
• 1:36:25
  they're constantly evaluating the guys whether it's in the
• 1:36:27
  Hunger drills during the winter. Now they're getting into
• 1:36:30
  practices for see quite a bit of attrition coming and you know
• 1:36:39
  whether it's I think they would be open because, you know, like,
• 1:36:44
  once the transfer portal opens back up, there's going to be
• 1:36:47
  some names in there that. I feel like, you know, if you
• 1:36:50
  can grab them, plug them in their veterans, whether they
• 1:36:53
  have connections with any of the current staffs from former
• 1:36:57
  schools or what, you know, they could NAB another guy or two out
• 1:37:02
  of the transfer portal, but definitely like there's a vision
• 1:37:06
  in place for getting you know, whether it's the next recruiting
• 1:37:10
  class getting a Plethora of talented, you know, just kind of
• 1:37:13
  making the roster, how plan envisions it just kind of
• 1:37:16
  working all those things out. Well, let me let me ask this
• 1:37:19
  because as I take a look here, 24/7 transfer portal, you know,
• 1:37:23
  I get into the top 50, most of those guys are committed
• 1:37:26
  elsewhere. But is this a chance after
• 1:37:30
  spring could there be potential, former 24/7, you know, top 300
• 1:37:34
  players that eventually maybe went to the wrong fit.
• 1:37:40
  Maybe, you know, when somewhere coaching changes happened and
• 1:37:46
  now not effectively that they want to move out.
• 1:37:49
  But okay, the guy who recruited me isn't here anymore?
• 1:37:53
  The scheme is changing. I need to get in the portal, try
• 1:37:56
  to find a home in when they're that young is like a redshirt
• 1:37:59
  freshman Finchley. There's still an unknown
• 1:38:01
  product, right? It's almost like, recruiting
• 1:38:03
  high school kid again. Yeah 100%.
• 1:38:08
  I know there was a blanking on the name right now but I know
• 1:38:11
  that there was a four-star guy out of Virginia.
• 1:38:14
  That was committed to Notre Dame.
• 1:38:17
  Oh yes, backed off. So that's like one example where
• 1:38:21
  you know something shifts or it doesn't work out release from
• 1:38:25
  your ni l or an ally. But you know that's you know, an
• 1:38:31
  opportunity for Virginia to open up that conversation I know that
• 1:38:36
  guy Some looking at Michigan. Ohio State, some of the other
• 1:38:40
  big 10 schools right now, I know Virginia Tech is in contact,
• 1:38:44
  but, you know, there's going to be several cases like that where
• 1:38:48
  you have a four-star guy. Whether, you know, even the high
• 1:38:51
  priest are guys that, you know, release from a certain school,
• 1:38:56
  you know, a freshman that doesn't see where they fit into
• 1:38:59
  the equation. All of a sudden they're on the
• 1:39:02
  Move, obviously, the transfer portal brings craziness and you
• 1:39:06
  can't really predict what? It's going to happen.
• 1:39:07
  But you know this staff is very in tune with it and I think that
• 1:39:13
  they're constantly evaluating checking every day and if
• 1:39:16
  there's a way to make Virginia Tech better though, will take
• 1:39:19
  that opportunity. Sounds good.
• 1:39:22
  So let's talk about this. Then, you know, we with the last
• 1:39:27
  staff and just recruiting a general over the last few years,
• 1:39:31
  it seems like roster management hasn't been great and we've kind
• 1:39:35
  of gotten to a head the last couple years with that, in terms
• 1:39:38
  of the, on the field product from a roster management
• 1:39:41
  perspective. What position group, can we not
• 1:39:45
  afford to have low number of commits in this cycle?
• 1:39:49
  It has to be defensive tackle like, it just has to be you.
• 1:39:54
  Look at the Ross. Now, again, you have like
• 1:39:56
  Kendricks, you have neural Pollard, you have fuga, like,
• 1:40:02
  could all potentially go. And then you got a backfill that
• 1:40:05
  I think Wilfred penne is a redshirt Junior.
• 1:40:09
  At this point, obviously has an extra year, but if that's your
• 1:40:12
  number one guy, going into the next season.
• 1:40:15
  And, you know, that kind of shows you how you built that
• 1:40:18
  room. I know that they're looking at a
• 1:40:22
  guy like Mike appendix, who's not rated right now.
• 1:40:26
  Out of Virginia, he's coming to campus soon.
• 1:40:30
  They have Emmett laws who's an absolute stud from DeMatha
• 1:40:34
  obviously the DeMatha actually he's visiting as well this
• 1:40:40
  weekend. He's a guy that I think is like
• 1:40:43
  the absolute number one priority Target in terms of defensive
• 1:40:48
  tackle. Brooks on that man.
• 1:40:51
  Exactly. Like they need to pull out all
• 1:40:55
  the stops for him but again it's one of those positional units
• 1:40:59
  where like it shouldn't be that hard to evaluate guys in high
• 1:41:05
  school but somehow it is and I wouldn't be surprised.
• 1:41:09
  If, you know, Virginia Tech is going into the portal next
• 1:41:13
  offseason and plucking out to guys that are, you know, have
• 1:41:16
  done it had the body. E type, they're looking for and
• 1:41:20
  and can play in their scheme. So I understand like you don't
• 1:41:24
  want to just reach and get guys, they're not going to be able to
• 1:41:28
  compete but definitely defensive tackles one of those positional
• 1:41:32
  groups where they got to get it. Right.
• 1:41:34
  So you're pretty much saying we got to kind of front feel
• 1:41:36
  impactful. Yeah definitely and every portal
• 1:41:41
  heavy 2024 class heavy, hit the pit that Porter as hard as we
• 1:41:45
  can. I'm all for and another, you
• 1:41:48
  know, I guess the Next question, it will kind of go with next
• 1:41:51
  topic will bring up is what you kind of led into.
• 1:41:55
  We're closing out the 23 class, the kind of know what we have
• 1:41:58
  and what we need. But looking back over that
• 1:42:02
  class. I'll tell you.
• 1:42:03
  Who do you think was the most important recruit in that cycle?
• 1:42:09
  It's a good question. I'm I know it's kind of a easy
• 1:42:12
  answer, but I would sail a scanner because not only like
• 1:42:17
  when you have a guy like that. And I think what gets Lost in
• 1:42:20
  Translation a lot in terms of looking at 24/7 Sports profiles
• 1:42:24
  is like when a guy commits kind of early, like, they don't
• 1:42:28
  report offers anymore, but there are still teams that are
• 1:42:31
  actively after them. And I know that West Virginia
• 1:42:34
  was a major Force Penn State was going up against Virginia Tech.
• 1:42:38
  There are some other big 10 schools in the mix that really
• 1:42:41
  wanted him and he's very like he already has rave reviews on
• 1:42:45
  campus. He's a guy obviously with Crooks
• 1:42:48
  that, you know, they'll built a good connection there, but he
• 1:42:52
  was someone that a lot of schools wanted and even though
• 1:42:57
  his offer list is, you know, pretty insane to look at on the
• 1:43:00
  site like add 20 more offers to that, like there are a lot of
• 1:43:04
  guys asking about him UNC was another team that was trying to
• 1:43:08
  take. Late in the cycle really trying
• 1:43:11
  but he stayed committed the whole time.
• 1:43:13
  So obviously, Joe Rudolph is gone but you know he really
• 1:43:17
  believed in the Virginia Tech Vision, he's an early enrollee
• 1:43:20
  and I think he's going to do great things with with Crooks.
• 1:43:24
  Okay. I got it.
• 1:43:25
  I got to go with something else to that.
• 1:43:26
  I've been wondering. This is just me and you we don't
• 1:43:29
  have to get Curtis and and Brian involved in this.
• 1:43:33
  Do I know you're not being recorded, you can be honest with
• 1:43:37
  me. He's not being recorded on.
• 1:43:39
  You know, a lot of us fans. When a player commits to certain
• 1:43:48
  schools, they get a bump or they get a drop.
• 1:43:53
  Was that true? Or is that just fictional
• 1:43:56
  thinking it is fictional? But I do like The Narrative of I
• 1:44:00
  like I like when people say, you know, I don't like it but it's
• 1:44:12
  it's more like an I don't do rang As myself thankfully,
• 1:44:18
  otherwise I would have every recruit in my DMs, you know,
• 1:44:23
  guys when they're, when they're evaluating, like when a guy
• 1:44:26
  commits, like they're looking again at that tape and making
• 1:44:29
  another decision on it. There are times especially like,
• 1:44:33
  Virginia Tech, like, they don't want someone committed without
• 1:44:37
  being evaluated, in terms of like, you know, if it's an
• 1:44:40
  unranked guy that they haven't gotten around to yet and he
• 1:44:43
  commits to a school like all of a Then he jumps to the top of
• 1:44:46
  the list in terms of who they're going to rank next.
• 1:44:49
  So, a lot of the times when you see like a most Phillips, like
• 1:44:52
  he got a ranking like two weeks after he committed, right?
• 1:44:56
  All right. So he has put the myth to bed
• 1:45:00
  badly, I should feed into one. We're talking in August, you
• 1:45:20
  know, chatting with you, in some way shape, or form.
• 1:45:23
  And we're hearing from Camp, like, this guy's killing it.
• 1:45:26
  This guy's going to be on the field for whatever unit he's
• 1:45:29
  with. He's going to get to some
• 1:45:30
  special teams action. Who are you hearing?
• 1:45:34
  Do you think In six months, right?
• 1:45:37
  Six months yet, six months there, on the side, huh?
• 1:45:41
  Math is hard. You know, I'm going to give you
• 1:45:45
  two answers for this and it's one on defense, but a guy like
• 1:45:50
  eating green, another early enrollee, He's listed at like 6
• 1:45:54
  foot and a half. I think he checked in at like
• 1:45:56
  6:00 to he was 16. He on his profile and he's like
• 1:46:00
  closer to 175 like he had, it's been turning a lot of heads and
• 1:46:06
  I know they brought him like a ton of Transport transfer portal
• 1:46:09
  Talent transfer portal Talent into the wide receiver room.
• 1:46:14
  But I think he's a guy that can scratch the too deep because
• 1:46:17
  he's not like he's versatile enough to play in the slot but
• 1:46:21
  he can also play out why I know it's you know maybe it's easier
• 1:46:25
  to put him you know spot reps in the slot but I really think he
• 1:46:30
  could be someone that you know, comes in as you know the fifth
• 1:46:34
  or sixth wide receiver next year.
• 1:46:36
  Like I think they really want to build a rotation there and I
• 1:46:39
  think he's a guy that could produce, I'm not going to say
• 1:46:41
  like he's gonna have over 500. It's five touchdowns but he's
• 1:46:46
  someone that I think like will see pretty early on and I think
• 1:46:50
  he could establish himself definitely in the 2D before you.
• 1:46:54
  Before you go on to your next player Metate.
• 1:46:58
  Do you know how welcoming that is?
• 1:47:00
  As a fan that had Caleb Smith last year?
• 1:47:04
  The only wide receiver catching passes, but you did say you'd
• 1:47:07
  like, we may have a early impact player being our fifth or sixth
• 1:47:12
  wide receiver. Hey I told you I wasn't feeling
• 1:47:15
  good this year, I'll say this to you because you know, I like
• 1:47:19
  getting the morale up and I'm always hesitant to pick wide
• 1:47:22
  receivers, you know, a guy like Tucker Holloway like we are
• 1:47:26
  hearing great things about him last year, getting into the too
• 1:47:28
  deep and obviously we saw some flashes on special teams but
• 1:47:34
  yeah I really do think Aiden. Green does have that type of
• 1:47:37
  talent that, you know, could establish himself in there.
• 1:47:41
  And if he shows up and you know, the system works, Obviously no
• 1:47:45
  freshman's going to do well in last year's offense but I think
• 1:47:49
  you know more simplified version getting more guys on the field
• 1:47:53
  you know, not making the scheme as complex.
• 1:47:55
  This year I think is really going to help some of the
• 1:47:58
  younger guys and then defensively like surprisingly
• 1:48:02
  like I've heard a lot of good things about most Phillips.
• 1:48:06
  I know that safety is obviously you know you're looking to build
• 1:48:09
  depth are you know Jalen Stroman.
• 1:48:13
  See your peoples Are obviously, like, the two guys you're
• 1:48:16
  looking at there, but I think outside of that, like, you know,
• 1:48:21
  most Phillips can push and Jalen whole oil in the 2p and really
• 1:48:26
  establish himself. Like he's a hard hitter, he's a
• 1:48:28
  physical guy. He does remind me that of
• 1:48:31
  Tomorrow Connor and, you know, I think he could make an instant
• 1:48:35
  impact, like, he's really impressed and I think he goes
• 1:48:38
  beyond his rating. Like he was just kind of one of
• 1:48:41
  those sleeper guys late in the cycle.
• 1:48:43
  And You showing up and playing well.
• 1:48:45
  So I think he's another one that could sneak in there.
• 1:48:51
  All right. Let me ask this.
• 1:48:52
  I feel like this is kind of something that can kind of put a
• 1:48:55
  bow on this 23 situation. So, you know, we talked a lot
• 1:48:59
  about relationships. We talked about how the staff is
• 1:49:02
  really rebuilding those bridges in Virginia.
• 1:49:05
  Let's take Holland Springs and their players out of the mix.
• 1:49:07
  As we know the relationship there.
• 1:49:09
  With Lauren Johnson, everything else.
• 1:49:12
  What's a player or a school that we targeted this cycle?
• 1:49:17
  That could that we got to recruit from that?
• 1:49:19
  Could really benefit the Hokies for future Cycles.
• 1:49:23
  Yeah, I'm gonna go with the cop-out answer here and I'm
• 1:49:26
  going to say Dante love it. The Matha alive.
• 1:50:18
  An example of a guy that was very important to keep like a
• 1:50:21
  lot of schools wanted. You know, I don't know if
• 1:50:24
  they're going to get a guy like Cavani Mozelle who's, you know,
• 1:50:28
  I think he's a five star running back out of the math.
• 1:50:32
  He committed. He's probably gonna head to the
• 1:50:34
  SEC but you know between Brooks Bowen Pride like Maryland in
• 1:50:42
  general is you know I'm very excited to see all the
• 1:50:46
  recruiting news come out of there.
• 1:50:48
  It's the third highest offer, lisper, 24/7.
• 1:50:51
  You get Virginia. North Carolina, Maryland stirred
• 1:50:54
  at 22 by itself and looking. It's a talented class and you
• 1:50:58
  mentioned. DeMatha less st.
• 1:51:00
  Francis st. Francis puts out.
• 1:51:02
  Good play. We got cam Johnson who got some
• 1:51:04
  PT last year, Good Counsel. It's a lot of places up there
• 1:51:10
  and now again, Gonzaga and st. John's, I mean, there's good.
• 1:51:13
  Oh yeah, now with a whole new coaching staff, we maybe go back
• 1:51:17
  in there. Let's not talk about that whole
• 1:51:20
  situation. Jesus Lord.
• 1:51:22
  But it's It's like I think the the mentor Delaney thing I've
• 1:51:27
  mentioned in this Italian Brown earlier.
• 1:51:29
  They may be one of the biggest selling points.
• 1:51:31
  First of all his brother who is already looking like, going to
• 1:51:35
  be a unbelievable stud. It's a Kindle Fuller situation.
• 1:51:39
  Little brother or big brother was good, little brothers Elite.
• 1:51:44
  But you start thinking about means we're coming in and they
• 1:51:48
  basically you're good enough to play go out there and play.
• 1:51:52
  And how easy that is to sell and then you start going into those
• 1:51:56
  schools and say, Hey listen, if you come here and you're good
• 1:51:59
  enough to play, you're not going to sit on the bench.
• 1:52:02
  No these other schools guess what they're going to do?
• 1:52:04
  Because they've got to keep all the four and five stars.
• 1:52:08
  Happy you might have to sit three years from you don't get
• 1:52:11
  to play and that's still the most I think as a fan and it's
• 1:52:15
  probably all of us, you see talented players, go somewhere
• 1:52:20
  and sit and sit. And sit and then finally gave it
• 1:52:24
  to start and they show out, but you sit here and, you know, for
• 1:52:28
  a fact dude, you could have went anywhere in the country as a
• 1:52:32
  true freshman and started playing.
• 1:52:34
  But you went to Alabama, you went to Georgia and oh, they're
• 1:52:38
  going to develop me. Like dude, you're already
• 1:52:40
  developed all they're doing is taking their brand sticking it
• 1:52:44
  on you in. Anybody could do that.
• 1:52:47
  Sorry random choice. I'm trying to.
• 1:53:04
  I haven't made a combinations yet.
• 1:53:05
  I'm working with Evan G Watkins on that road, but definitely try
• 1:53:10
  and what have you? And Evan need a bodyguard.
• 1:53:13
  Y'all let me and Brian. No.
• 1:53:15
  Absolutely. We going to be there.
• 1:53:17
  We don't have some, some BCP gear for you.
• 1:53:22
  And we going to do Ready to grab some recruits and pushing
• 1:53:25
  Reynolds. Let's do it.
• 1:53:28
  Gentlemen, if y'all check the Twitter sphere is anything
• 1:53:30
  broken. Anything interesting happened?
• 1:53:32
  And the last two-plus hours? Let me check and see if I got my
• 1:53:35
  follow yet. Still on me.
• 1:53:38
  Never mind. No, not yet.
• 1:53:46
  Not yet. It's coming.
• 1:53:48
  Hold on. Wow, this is a huge moment for
• 1:53:51
  tally. This is pretty big man.
• 1:53:56
  Hey we got it. Documented live on air.
• 1:54:27
  We definitely want to have you back.
• 1:54:30
  Absolutely. And I can't wait till I it's
• 1:54:33
  always so fun between the times we do it to look at the names
• 1:54:37
  talking about Street and then the name that come in.
• 1:54:39
  Yeah. Like what's Shadow over what has
• 1:54:41
  it? How much you do we've had you
• 1:54:43
  can say his name because you stamped it July unless Something
• 1:54:48
  doesn't change. He's going to pit.
• 1:54:54
  You stamped it. I don't think you broke some
• 1:54:56
  people, from Virginia Tech fans hearts that night, but she was
• 1:54:59
  just being real with us. No man knows his stuff.
• 1:55:02
  He does man. Well, listen, that is going to
• 1:55:04
  wrap up this episode of The Boundary Corner podcast brought
• 1:55:08
  to you by Main Street. Pharmacy, in Blacksburg with our
• 1:55:11
  guests matej, sis, I'm Curtis Wilson, I'm Brian sigelei.
• 1:55:15
  Talibans visit our website, boundary Corner V t-dot-com Mom
• 1:55:23
  to listen to all of our episode. Also visit our newly launched
• 1:55:27
  merchandise shop, the boundary Corner Store while you're there.
• 1:55:31
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• 1:55:37
  favorite podcast Source, including Spotify, Amazon and
• 1:55:41
  apple podcast. As always we let our buddy.
• 1:55:44
  Jason long, he plays a sin, he plays us out, check him out.
• 1:55:50
  His website, Jason long, music.com there.
• 1:55:55
  It's going to link you to all of his music, including Apple,
• 1:55:58
  including Spotify, also his YouTube account, and Facebook
• 1:56:04
  pages. He's got a new single coming out
• 1:56:06
  soon. I know he's working on it.
• 1:56:07
  He's also working on something for us, if you can get certain
• 1:56:11
  guests in the, hey, hey, This could be a big surprise but he's
• 1:56:20
  working on some things for us as well.
• 1:56:22
  You know, and I don't think I think Jason might have just
• 1:56:25
  quit. I'm looking here, I don't see
• 1:56:28
  anything. It's like he never gave up just
• 1:56:30
  he's in the he's in the studio. He's in the studio.
• 1:56:33
  So we thank you for listening and as always let's go.
• 1:56:38
  Okay.