Latest / Boundary Corner Podcast / Road to the Draft
Transcript
- 0:46Welcome back to the boundary Corner podcast, I am Curtis
- 0:50Wilson, I'm Brian Siegel buddy. We live on a Wednesday night how
- 0:54you feeling back on hump day things had to be moved around a
- 0:59couple weeks ago for David Cunningham.
- 1:01We went to a Thursday but we are back in our regular slot and we
- 1:05got a big lineup tonight, Brian. Yeah, we're talking spring game
- 1:10later. Giving it a little preview of
- 1:12that. But before we get there, We got
- 1:15a big guest on tonight. Defensive tackle for the Hokies
- 1:21we got none other than Jordan Williams.
- 1:23I'm gonna go ahead and bring him on here.
- 1:25Jordan, how you doing tonight? Doing good.
- 1:27Are you guys doing doing real good?
- 1:31Doing real good tonight, man? It's Wednesday back after the
- 1:34week is here, spring game week. Bryan's head down.
- 1:37We know you're back in the Burgh.
- 1:39Already management all over the country to last few days.
- 1:47But you know, Jordan, let's start here, man.
- 1:50You went to cots High School down in Virginia Beach.
- 1:54Tell us a little about your about a bit about your
- 1:56background there and kind of lets go back to 2016.
- 2:02It was some talk about your initial recruitment because I
- 2:06mean you are four-star, top 150 player, I mean what 30-plus
- 2:12offers this oh man so give us But on that.
- 2:16Yeah, I mean recruitment was definitely wild for me.
- 2:19I didn't really have like early you like as early as recruiting
- 2:22as a lot of the other bigger name players in the state of
- 2:25Virginia. But for me, I just kind of just
- 2:27kept working and kept producing kept going to cams kept doing
- 2:30stuff like that for me after a while.
- 2:32It kind of just all, they all started piling up and I had a
- 2:36lot of Great Schools, a lot of in-state school that wanted me
- 2:38to stay home. A lot of big, big time
- 2:41conference school, a lot of big-time programs offered me a
- 2:44scholarship. So for me, It was just, it was
- 2:46pretty hectic, you know, I was talking a lot over with my
- 2:48family and it for me, ultimately, it came down for
- 2:52schools which were Clemson, Virginia, Tech UVA and
- 2:56Tennessee. And for me, I just, just after
- 2:59all, a lot of thinking, and a lot of prayer and talk to my
- 3:03family and things like that as if we just felt as, if Clemson
- 3:06was the best all-around choice for me.
- 3:10So I decided to go to Clemson for 4 years.
- 3:13Had a great career there had Verbal career.
- 3:15They're made a lot of made, a lot of great, Long Live
- 3:18Brothers, all types of stuff, man.
- 3:22And then, transferred to Virginia Tech from my last year.
- 3:24And now I'm still, I'm living the rest of the story.
- 3:27Now, there we go. There we go.
- 3:30Sounds like that's a, that was a, it was a big process for you.
- 3:32Who was the first like, first school to kind of reach out to
- 3:35you and really show you some love.
- 3:37My first, my first offer was Marilyn and I remember I wanted
- 3:43to Marilyn camps and I got offered at the second one
- 3:46because I know like a lot of guys that but got recruited in
- 3:49high school. There's like the camps that
- 3:51everybody goes to and then there's the in my cams that they
- 3:54yeah they do. So I was there with a lot of
- 3:57other big time recruiting guys and for me it was just kind of
- 4:00like I kind of just encounter was a moment for me where I was
- 4:03like I'm one of these guys now. You know what I mean?
- 4:05Like I went from wanting to be a highly recruited guy to be in a
- 4:08highly recruited guy. So for me, I got Maryland.
- 4:12And then ironically coach Pride. Franklin.
- 4:15No guys. At Penn State all from me,
- 4:16second. Okay.
- 4:17And it's okay that my recruitment kind of just blew
- 4:20up. It was just, it was phone calls
- 4:22every week letters, visits all types of stuff.
- 4:26So it kind of kind of happen fast for me.
- 4:29So, there's the Camp's you pay for and then there's the even
- 4:32like a, we we talked about that last year.
- 4:35I know. I kind of mentioned it.
- 4:36How many total offers? Do you remember getting like oh
- 4:41I want to say I might have had close to 50 like High 40s.
- 4:45Maybe and I right in assuming everywhere west coast East Coast
- 4:50north-south. Yeah, Westco.
- 4:52I had a couple West Coast offers.
- 4:53I didn't think I was really gonna get any because, you know.
- 4:56Yeah, it's hard for a guy to pack up from the east coast and
- 4:58move all the way out west, you know what I mean?
- 5:00So, but I still had a handful of West Coast offers and things
- 5:03like that. But yeah, it was bunch of
- 5:06conferences, bunch of different programs.
- 5:09It was hectic. I bet, I mean, it's kind of
- 5:13crazy that you got schools east to west that was kind of just
- 5:17sending sending you stuff and trying to get you to come out to
- 5:18the cans and right, see what it's all about.
- 5:22So you get all these offers the I know you touched on a little
- 5:26bit but what really set Clemson apart from the rest of that
- 5:28group. For me they were just real
- 5:31people like Clemson like dry recruiting a lot of programs
- 5:34that they'll tell you, you're going to come in and be a
- 5:36starter day one or you're going to come in you're going to be
- 5:39the man and things like that and really Basically when you're
- 5:43when you're hearing those things it's like yeah that's what you
- 5:45want to hear. But just being a realist with
- 5:47yourself like a college coaches, telling you as a 16 17 year old
- 5:52kid that you're going to come in and take a potentially a 23 24
- 5:55year, olds players position, you know what I mean?
- 5:59But for me, Clemson never really, they never promised me
- 6:01anything and they told me that I was gonna have to work for
- 6:03everything, they were genuine people, we had a genuine
- 6:06relationship and for me, it kind of just it felt real.
- 6:10So for me, that's Kind of what set them apart from everybody
- 6:12else. Um I'm going to ask because you
- 6:16mentioned your final four was VT your number 2.
- 6:20BT was my number two, so Virginia Tech, definitely was my
- 6:23second option. It was one that I kind of It
- 6:26kind of made things harder, you know, being being home in
- 6:28Virginia and then going to South Carolina, it kind of made things
- 6:32tough. But for me, like going into
- 6:34recruiting staying home, wasn't ever really a big part of
- 6:38recruiting. Like it definitely played a role
- 6:39but it wasn't like my deciding factor but it was definitely
- 6:44tough. Going to go.
- 6:45What six and a half hours from Virginia Beach to Clemson.
- 6:49Yeah. Yeah.
- 6:50Oh definitely. For sure.
- 6:51And like you said, getting recruited by so many people you
- 6:54know, you gotta you gotta kind of find that fit for it for you.
- 6:59I mean you know. Okay, so you get enrolled were
- 7:03you in early enrollee or I wasn't how enrolled in the
- 7:06summer camp, became wrong summer.
- 7:07So all right, get enrolled. You get there in the summer.
- 7:11What was the culture of the team in the field of community down
- 7:15there, in Western South Carolina?
- 7:16Because I think you wouldn't 16, they were just off the national
- 7:20championship, right? I got this pain that just came
- 7:23off a national championship and for me like, I got there and the
- 7:27older guys just kind of took me in and, and then maybe one of
- 7:31their own, you know, they accepted me.
- 7:32They invited me places. Invited me to come work out.
- 7:35Invited me to watch film with him and then just get a part of
- 7:39like, the actual team because like, there's As a commission
- 7:41period, of course, I freshmen come in and they're working out
- 7:44with each other and then we first get into like our real
- 7:47full team like workout setting, it just made it real clear that
- 7:51like why Clemson was the type of program.
- 7:53They are like it's a team that that that's really player lay
- 7:57like the players, like they're the ones that are then telling
- 8:00guys to come in and watch them, they're the ones that are having
- 8:03extra work out. As they're the ones that are
- 8:05setting up, all these things for guys to get better and gain more
- 8:10knowledge, that for me, Like being a Freshman being excited,
- 8:13being eager to just learn everything, is something that
- 8:16you kind of just, you just get on board with, you know what I
- 8:19mean? Yes, I got to get you kind of
- 8:22like a sponge and soak it all in and try and definitely
- 8:24definitely for right. Yeah.
- 8:26And when you hear about like the player led stuff, I mean that's
- 8:31culture because that really instills, you know, the Juniors
- 8:35and seniors are telling you guys as freshmen and sophomores.
- 8:37Take tape. Let's go get a workout in.
- 8:39Let's let's hang out. And then as you get older it's
- 8:43probably trigger. Like now I'm going to tell these
- 8:47guys, and exactly, that's something that's That's
- 8:50something that's hard to get in programs, man.
- 8:54It's hard to build, you got to instill it from the top down,
- 8:57everybody's got to be on board and Rowing in the same
- 9:00direction, right? Most definitely.
- 9:03So when you re Clemson, your position coach was tied Bates,
- 9:07right? Mmm.
- 9:08Correct. So we'll see your favorite coach
- 9:10down in Clemson. Was it Brent venables, or was it
- 9:12somebody else on that staff? Um, I wouldn't necessarily say,
- 9:16I had a favorite, you know, I feel like every coach offered me
- 9:21individually like Like different things, like a different type of
- 9:25like each coach has something different that they try to
- 9:27instill in me. And it kind of just like, like I
- 9:30said, there was just a real group of guys like real group of
- 9:33people, even the support staff. Like some of the ladies over in
- 9:37like the student academic center and things like that.
- 9:40Like, everybody just trying and still something different into
- 9:43me and it kind of a lot. A lot of things stuck with me.
- 9:45Some things I might have to hear again, but they definitely try
- 9:49to pour into me a lot. And I mean, it's definitely hard
- 9:52to pick a favorite. You know what I mean?
- 9:54Yeah, I can appreciate that. I get that.
- 9:56I want to ask this because we watch, you know, we're tech fans
- 10:00but we love college football. We watch all the games.
- 10:04Brent venables seems like he's one of the most animated guys.
- 10:06Does he have a voice like when you're at practice like when you
- 10:11hear his voice change tone you're like, oh somebody's about
- 10:14to get it. Yeah, and I mean, it's kind of
- 10:18like he's always like, Youkai you guys kind of call him
- 10:21animated but that's just how he always is.
- 10:23Like that's the only way we see him, you know what I mean?
- 10:26So when when you hear them like coaching you up, it might sound
- 10:30like he's like, he's like you getting on you or something like
- 10:33that. But it's really like, it's just
- 10:34him just being a coach is being called his type of coaching
- 10:37style that he has. It's just it's just something
- 10:40that you kind of get used to, but there's definitely a
- 10:41difference like, you know, when you're being coached and when
- 10:44you're being yelled at, you know what I mean, it's definitely a
- 10:47big difference and it's something that like Like as one
- 10:50of his players is something that you kind of like you catch onto
- 10:53very quickly. I got you, I got you.
- 10:57So let's let's talk about some another personality for that
- 11:00Clemson staff, all a personality.
- 11:04So this is just a question. I wanted to know about is the is
- 11:09the Davos winning that we see in the media interviews, as he's
- 11:12the same guy that you as a player, get in the locker room,
- 11:15100%, I mean coach loony. Like, and I tell everybody that,
- 11:19but like that's kind of the one of the most common questions
- 11:21when coach when he comes up and like my experience that said the
- 11:25same Guy that's in front of the cameras is the same guy that is
- 11:27behind the camera. You know what I mean?
- 11:29Like he's just he's a cuz he's another guy that just always is
- 11:33at the same level of course when there's a time to be serious, he
- 11:35knows when the lockdown and get everybody get everybody checked
- 11:38in and know that it's something else like this is some serious
- 11:41moment. But besides that, he's a goofy
- 11:44guy. Always dancing, always smiling,
- 11:46always talking, creating conversations, just wanted to
- 11:49have fun. Just just a guy that he's like
- 11:51when he's out there on the field, it looks like he enjoys
- 11:53being out there. You know what I mean?
- 11:54It's not like He's just walking around.
- 11:56Observing all the time. Like he's making.
- 11:59He's out there just making guys better just off of this energy
- 12:01alone. Yeah, you definitely see him.
- 12:04Especially their, you. They showing pregame he's
- 12:06talking around, you see him. Slapping guy wasn't laughing and
- 12:09joking. And like you said dancing and
- 12:13yeah, so it's interesting or interesting to hear to snow
- 12:17Dabo. Whoever we see, Dabo does Dabo
- 12:21exactly, it's not for the camera.
- 12:29You know, you were there, been there for years, got a national
- 12:37championship ring, you went to numerous playoff games, you
- 12:40played in some of the biggest games we saw every year, but you
- 12:45decided to enter the portal. You know what, what combination
- 12:49of things was it that made you decide, okay.
- 12:52I've had a great run here, I love this place but I've got it
- 12:55I've got to move on. Right?
- 12:57So for me, my education was something that kind of played a
- 13:02huge part in transferring. I graduated from Clemson.
- 13:05So for me, it kind of was like a combination of me wanted to
- 13:09finish school. There's a part of it where like
- 13:12football is something I plan on doing long-term.
- 13:15And for me, I feel like I was going into my fifth year as
- 13:20loaded. I finished my fourth year.
- 13:22Wanted to my fifth year wine at the transport portal and for me
- 13:25like the NFL is something that I want to do.
- 13:28And what the great I was getting back from from coach Sweeney in
- 13:31the scallops and stuff like that with my years, where I was draft
- 13:34eligible, I just knew there was so much left out there for me to
- 13:37put on tape so much lot, more out there for me to improve on.
- 13:41And for me, like, I just wanted to go somewhere where I had a
- 13:44different type of role in a different type of different type
- 13:47of snap count. I wanted to be able to get more
- 13:48plays and continue to produce and put a lot more on tape.
- 13:52So for me, you know we watch Virginia Tech on film a lot and
- 13:55because we play some of our opponents, you know, being an
- 13:57ACC and even like our culture sad was just impressed with how
- 14:01their defensive line play. Just how disrupted they are.
- 14:03How how I let it goes. Guys are how they just cause a
- 14:06lot of disruption in the middle and make a lot of plays.
- 14:09So for me, when I went into the transfer portal, basically,
- 14:13everything I said about high school recruiting, it was that
- 14:15like times to just because I had a shorter time frame to commit
- 14:20to a school and things like that.
- 14:21And More schools, reaching out. But for me, those were the
- 14:25Virginia Tech Darryl. Tapp was one of the first
- 14:27coaches to reach out to me. So build early relationship with
- 14:30him and maintain that relationship.
- 14:32And then obviously, you know, he went to the NFL to coach at San
- 14:36Francisco. Yeah.
- 14:37But if he did, Curtis is a Niners fan, so he is he as well.
- 14:43Listen, I'm Darryl. Tapp we're all here, I'm
- 14:45straight up. We had the opportunity to we
- 14:47interviewed Darrell last year. And dude, I was the most
- 14:50greediest guy you've ever seen. It's like, it's right that, you
- 14:54know, he's our age. We got to meet him back at the
- 14:57spring game. A few years ago, he was nice
- 14:59enough with his kid, on his back, to Take 5 minutes to talk
- 15:01to us and when we reached out to him to interview, he said, can
- 15:06you give me may like it wasn't like oh I'll check.
- 15:09It's like dude you could tell us like mixed bring like we will
- 15:14say, yes. But you know obviously you kind
- 15:19of I've already mentioned it. No, Darryl left for the NFL and
- 15:24then they bring in JC price from Marshall.
- 15:29We're JC and built eerily similar in their approach to
- 15:33practice. Or do they did they kind of
- 15:35bring different styles as you definitely brought different
- 15:38styles and they definitely brought different styles.
- 15:41We always used to joke around in our room and call.
- 15:44We would call a link to brains and Coach Price the muscle, you
- 15:47know, because Crisis, coming out there, he's gonna, if you mess
- 15:50up, he's gonna tell you right then.
- 15:51And there that you messed up. Mmm, coach lingo tell you, but
- 15:55he might just tell you in film or after practicing anything.
- 15:58That goes prize, he's going to let you have it right then and
- 16:01there, you know what I mean? He's a guy that notices all the
- 16:03little things. He's a guy that emphasizes just
- 16:06having energy hustling, moving moving quickly, everywhere.
- 16:10You're going to, and you kind of need that being out here kind of
- 16:13explains the type of Kochi as in the type of impact he had when
- 16:16he when he took over towards the end of the season.
- 16:20That's awesome. That's awesome.
- 16:21Yeah, I mean, you can definitely see like, just some of the
- 16:25anytime you see Coach Price out there.
- 16:28It looks like you can feel that energy, right, right?
- 16:31You know, whether it whether its media, whether it's just like
- 16:34quick steps that you catch on all social media, you see that
- 16:37energy and you feel that that passion, and it sounds like he
- 16:41brings that to the to the practice field to deafening
- 16:44silence. Oh, that's cool.
- 16:46So let's talk a little bit about about Coach am, was there a big
- 16:51transition for you coming from Brent venables system and then
- 16:55fitting into what coach an was doing at Virginia Tech.
- 16:59I mean, for me at Clemson, we ran so many so many blitzes, so
- 17:04many covered. It was just so much install that
- 17:07you had to know that you had to learn each and every week, but
- 17:10like I said, that, that player German culture, you know, like
- 17:13guys are already learning it, guys are learning the next day's
- 17:16install the day before, and it was just things like that going
- 17:19on. But for me, going into the
- 17:21transporter, I knew that if I could learn a system like Brent
- 17:24venables, and I'll be able to go anywhere in the country and
- 17:26learn to similar similar. System.
- 17:28You know what I mean? Or any other type of system,
- 17:31just because of how complex, and how much things we ran as a
- 17:35defense at Clemson. What about hams personality in,
- 17:41you know, energy level, because you mentioned grunts intense, we
- 17:45know that and I don't know, can can be intense, but they're
- 17:48sometimes, it looks like you was a little more.
- 17:52He keeps his cool a lot more definitely.
- 17:55You definitely speaks up a lot to US during practice.
- 17:57He definitely has a big voice for the whole defense.
- 18:00He gets all of us in line because I wasn't order game
- 18:03days. Are kind of where he's a little
- 18:05bit more mellow. You know, I mean, he's a little
- 18:07bit more chill. Chill it out unless we make a
- 18:09big play or less, we're messing up or blow a big carpet or
- 18:12anything like that, but he's a lot more mellow.
- 18:15But he definitely, you definitely has a strong voice
- 18:18for our defense and our team. Also yes, so you had mentioned
- 18:24earlier have I think I read it. I can't remember who put it out
- 18:28there but you know the familiarity you had with with
- 18:32Coach Fuente from your previous recruitment kind of played a
- 18:35role in your room to Blacksburg as well.
- 18:37What was that relation like for you and Coach winter?
- 18:40Um, for me, you know, coach Fuente.
- 18:44I'll never have a bad thing to say about him.
- 18:46I know that there's a bunch of people out there, a lot of fans,
- 18:49A lot of a lot of whatever you want to call it, but a lot of
- 18:53people bash them and a lot of people can say and say what they
- 18:56have to say about them. But for me, you know, I was, I
- 19:00was probably at one of my lowest points moving Clemson, you know,
- 19:02going into the transwarp portal, not really knowing what what was
- 19:05next for me and Coach Fuente was just so eager to call me and
- 19:11give me a shot and give me a chance.
- 19:12And it for me, like, I felt like I was talking to the same guy I
- 19:15met when I was 17 years old. So, he kept that same
- 19:19relationship. He wasn't, he wasn't spiteful
- 19:21against me because I didn't choose to go to Virginia Tech
- 19:24the first time around. He wasn't, he wasn't upset with
- 19:27me. He wasn't angry with me.
- 19:28And for me, we just had a great relationship because I came.
- 19:31I came in and I was just all about the right thing, and he
- 19:33knew that he knew that I came there to be a guy to be a leader
- 19:38to make an impact for that, for that team for the defense for
- 19:41the defensive line for everybody.
- 19:44And for me he just kind of he's a, he's a man that I always
- 19:47respected. He's And that I always recognize
- 19:49that gave me gave me a chance that that ultimately could have
- 19:52changed that ultimately can change my life.
- 19:54You know what I mean? Yeah, for sure.
- 19:57You know you said getting that opportunity and I mean I love
- 20:00you being candid talking about when you had enter the portal.
- 20:03It was a low point because when you came here you know we were
- 20:07as fans were excited because a lot of us knew the name from
- 20:10recruiting and stuff and you know you played your butt off
- 20:13last year man. You play this in a very again
- 20:16another unusual. Well year, you played your butt
- 20:19off. And let me ask this kind of get
- 20:22away from that because I could go down Road, man.
- 20:24But I'm going to try everyone Force.
- 20:27But, you talked about some of the cultural stuff in Clemson.
- 20:32What we're kind of the difference is, especially
- 20:34looking at the game to game prayer in when you Tech versus
- 20:40Clemson game to game prep, I know, we kind of had just four
- 20:45one, one of the main, Things I notice about as far as game
- 20:49prep, that was the difference as that Clemson we practice in like
- 20:53the later half of the afternoon and at Virginia Tech we practice
- 20:56in the morning, okay? Now you can ask who you want but
- 20:59after being in four years of afternoon practices, leaving the
- 21:03facility, at 8:00, 9:00 some nights, I'm fully onboard with
- 21:08morning practice. You know what I mean?
- 21:10Like, it's coming in going through practice just waking up
- 21:13and and, and just putting that time and for that little bit of
- 21:16time you're out there and then just going Home and being done
- 21:18with your dad around like noon. You know what I mean?
- 21:21It was just something that that I wasn't really used to but it
- 21:24was something that I definitely benefited me because I was able
- 21:27to have more time to get treatment more time to do things
- 21:29like that, but as far as prep those I mean every program
- 21:33across the country, you can go anywhere to any school, any
- 21:36level of college football, everybody's going to run their
- 21:38program differently and for me like coach coach funds.
- 21:43I know coach wants a mention in the interview like asking
- 21:46somebody and ask him something. I was, was I coming in there and
- 21:49like just did I notice a difference or that I like try
- 21:52and critique anything and for me like this, this is the program
- 21:55coach Fuente has been running for four years now, you know
- 21:58what I mean? Like I don't expect him me to
- 22:01come in and start changing how things go.
- 22:03You know what I mean? Because ultimately I can tell
- 22:05them how I want program is running, but Clemson is not the
- 22:09only program that's running by. He's they're not running a
- 22:11similar program. Everybody else like everybody's
- 22:13running a different program, a different preparation type and
- 22:16for me, It was definitely different but it definitely had
- 22:19its similarities as well. You know, like like I mentioned
- 22:23that we had a lot of player lead player.
- 22:25Led does a player like team from us for real?
- 22:27And I feel like a Virginia Tech. We were all kind of like really
- 22:31close. Like, for me, that was the one
- 22:33of the group's where I know like what the history of Virginia
- 22:36Tech a lot of guys transfer. A lot of guys transfer in a lot
- 22:39of guys, leave a lot of things, just a lot of things happening
- 22:42over the course of the season, over the course of a couple
- 22:44years, but this is like one of the most tight.
- 22:47Groups I've been around and is very player led and one thing I
- 22:50noticed is that the players respect each other.
- 22:53You know what I mean? Like, for me when I came in,
- 22:56brought Hoffman was not. I've said in an interview before
- 22:59brought Hoffman was one of the players that I immediately
- 23:01respected just because of the way he were just because of the
- 23:04way he, he was with the, with the offense of line.
- 23:07And the younger guys, just the way that the younger guys looked
- 23:10up to him. It was something that was really
- 23:12cool to see. So for me like that, that, that
- 23:15plays a huge part in, to a lot of a lot of teams Access.
- 23:18If you got guys that are like you only a couple of guys are
- 23:21out there and I everybody's out there and then only those guys
- 23:24are really like getting that that Advantage.
- 23:26You know what I mean? That's as opposed to a whole
- 23:28group being able to get some extra work and get some extra
- 23:32knowledge and watch a little bit extra film and things like that.
- 23:34So for me I would say like that's something that kind of
- 23:40surprised me you know just coming into a I'm a I'm a grad
- 23:43transfer coming into a brand new locker room.
- 23:46I'm wondering Our guys are going to view me like how guys are
- 23:49gonna look at me. I got sent me, are they gonna
- 23:52welcome me and bring me in? Am I going to be a part of the
- 23:55culture, the Brotherhood and things like that?
- 23:57For me just seeing how fast all that happened for me.
- 24:00Kind of just made me feel a whole lot better about my
- 24:02decision. Yeah, that's also, because I
- 24:05will say this, I noticed, like in Fall, when things were
- 24:08starting to ramp up like the camaraderie, you were having
- 24:11with, like, like James Mitchell and trade turning, like, cutting
- 24:15up during like interviews and stuff like that.
- 24:17Like, Like it definitely seemed like y'all really had like a
- 24:20that family atmosphere going on, pretty quick.
- 24:22Most definitely, it's all from the here.
- 24:24Alright, so it is the Friday before Labor Day, 20, 21.
- 24:32And you guys are sitting there in the locker room and it's
- 24:35about 550 and you start the walk.
- 24:39Just give us your thoughts and your experiences of that first
- 24:42one become those. For that was the first time Lane
- 24:45had been filled since the Last time we were there in 2019 and
- 24:51for a lot of people that was like the semblance of college
- 24:55football was back, y'all are already used out.
- 24:57The crowd was onge is give us your feelings walking down
- 25:03through the tunnel. Just for me, that was actually
- 25:08my first game ever and laying. I haven't been to Blacksburg on
- 25:12a visit even in high school for a game.
- 25:15I came for like a couple cams. Just some Doing business by
- 25:18never been in Lane Stadium, ever for a game.
- 25:22And I was going to be my first time and it just so happens.
- 25:25That is my first game at Virginia Tech as against a
- 25:28ranked opponent, the game sold out, like you said, we got the
- 25:32orange on, like it was just, it was just chill.
- 25:36Just something that I'll definitely never forget.
- 25:38And like, there's so much more about it that like, I wish I
- 25:43could say, I remember but it just kind of just happened like,
- 25:46being in the Don't like that. Everybody was asking like,
- 25:49what's it like what's it like running out to enter the
- 25:51sandman? It was so loud for me.
- 25:52Like I didn't even hear anything.
- 25:54I didn't hear the music. It just sounded like one big
- 25:57just noise as you ran out the tunnel and for me, like I was so
- 26:01I was just so eager, I was so hyped up.
- 26:03I didn't even know that. That the players jumped into the
- 26:07stands with the Court's order, I went and did it anyway.
- 26:09You know, I'm not first time out there, like, I'm gonna do
- 26:12everything I can do everything, right?
- 26:15And then we went out there and And there was also the game just
- 26:18spoke for themselves as far as the the hike going up into that
- 26:23into that moment. Absolutely, absolutely.
- 26:28That's awesome to hear and like you know, people make claims but
- 26:33I mean I still say there's no atmosphere like laying,
- 26:36especially when it's packed when it's a nice.
- 26:40When it's a big game, it's a great game like big game.
- 26:44Anytime it's a big game that plays just rocks like, None
- 26:47other. So let's turn into a little bit
- 26:50of you know a little more somber, note here.
- 26:53So you know it's been November. The team is five and five get
- 26:56the news coach Fuente has been removed as head coach Jacy.
- 26:59Price has been named interim, was this move a shot to y'all in
- 27:03the locker room or was this something where you kind of saw
- 27:06the writing on the wall as things were going into November?
- 27:09Um, For me, it was definitely something that we saw like
- 27:15happening in the near future. Definitely not on a Tuesday,
- 27:18practice going into a game that could make us Bowl eligible.
- 27:22You know what I mean? And every you can ask any
- 27:24college athlete and Tuesday, such a pivotal part of
- 27:28preparation, like, Tuesday's like a full padded practice full
- 27:31speed and sure like one day of the week, where you guys are
- 27:33really like, hitting each other and really like, getting actual
- 27:36game reps in and for us to be told this news before we go, Out
- 27:41on the field. It just it shocked everybody.
- 27:44And I mean for for Coach Price to Cusco we all of us heard the
- 27:50news at the same time, you know what I mean?
- 27:52So for Coach prize to get Heat coach prize came in when I did.
- 27:57So for him to get in and what was that like mid-January we
- 28:00both got in and mid-January for him to hear this news that he's
- 28:03going to be not only like he's not working with the defensive
- 28:07line along, but he's going to be the head coach.
- 28:10It was just something that kind of Just I know shocking for him
- 28:12as well, but as like for us as a coach, you not even just for us,
- 28:16but I as a coach like that, that heard the exact same news that
- 28:20you heard at the same moment, it's kind of like, what can you
- 28:23like? It's going to be hard to keep a
- 28:25team locked in when we just like, you know what I mean?
- 28:27When such a big changes happen in our in our locker room.
- 28:31So for us, we kind of just like I said, the leaders on the team,
- 28:34the seniors, the older guys, just trying to keep everybody
- 28:37locked in and keep them. Keep them focused on the task at
- 28:40hand, which was trying to be polite eligible by the end of
- 28:43the season. Yeah, and I can't imagine, you
- 28:46know, like you said, it was on a Tuesday when that happened.
- 28:50I can't imagine, you know, how I felt for you guys, because, you
- 28:55know, if it's, and I'm not trying to say what's right,
- 28:59what's right? Like, if it's done on a Sunday
- 29:02Drive of, y'all have a couple days to deep breath.
- 29:05This is our new coach. This is how we're doing things
- 29:09but to get it, like you said, like one of the biggest practice
- 29:12days. I mean, in, right before, Not
- 29:14after you know, that, that's definitely I give you guys
- 29:19credit because you're going out and you all played y'all's asses
- 29:23off against Miami. He'll be a real played your
- 29:26asses off against Miami. And, you know, came up short in
- 29:30that game, not for a lack of effort, but then the next week,
- 29:35it's, you know, the game for the Commonwealth cup.
- 29:38You guys going to Carlinville. What did it mean to you?
- 29:43Because they They had a you know you know what did it mean to you
- 29:48to go in there? In bring the cup back to
- 29:53Blacksburg for me. It was you, you know, I kind of,
- 29:59I kind of knew a lot about the Rivalry, but I didn't really
- 30:03like, just like going leading up into the week.
- 30:07I didn't really like, have that same hate life for me for four
- 30:11years. All, I know was the Gamecocks,
- 30:13you know what I mean? Like, just, I hate them, but I
- 30:16knew I had it on, like, I played there.
- 30:18I've, I've been able to experience their faith.
- 30:20Is and things like that. So for me like my first trip to
- 30:24Charlottesville playing them, of course.
- 30:28It was, it was crazy. You know, like getting there,
- 30:31just being in the hotel, not even on the field, you're just
- 30:34being a home. Like I hate these guys, you know
- 30:36what I mean? Like I had that same similar
- 30:38hate to him and like just seeing how other guys went about the
- 30:42Rivalry as well, like the height that goes into it, the real the
- 30:46real hatred Backyard Brawl type of type of game.
- 30:49It is, you know what I mean? I mean it's something that I
- 30:51kind of just bought it so you know I've never do my first time
- 30:54ever playing UVA. It was a moment where it made us
- 30:59Bowl eligible. We kept the cop, we allowed my
- 31:03first time ever being on a field that like, on an opponent's
- 31:06field that got storm by our fans that never happened to me.
- 31:09That's why. Yeah.
- 31:11So for me it was just a all overall experience.
- 31:14My first time ever. My first time ever?
- 31:17No, never mind. My first time ever.
- 31:19I was gonna say my first time ever smoked Cigar after the game
- 31:21but I did after UNC game. I got to drink out of the cup
- 31:26life for me. I'll told you I came to Virginia
- 31:29tag, learn a lot about the Traditions about the things like
- 31:32that. I had, I just felt like I had to
- 31:34experience all of it. You know what I mean?
- 31:36It sounds like you were just soaking everything in Old Time,
- 31:38right. Definitely.
- 31:39You know, during the game, it's kind of like it was, it was that
- 31:41type of game where how it ended and things like that, but after
- 31:45the game that's that's when you just kind of got a so-called of
- 31:47it in. Like I wanted to be one of the
- 31:49last ones off the field. And things like that.
- 31:51Just that's just a moment. That's that's huge for you.
- 31:54A moment that you'll always be able to remember and tell your
- 31:56kids about what was what was Coach Price in the locker room
- 32:00after that game because we got to see him on national TV,
- 32:04right? Almost bring most of us fans to
- 32:07tears, but what was it like in the locker room?
- 32:10After obviously, the own field celebration was Wild and Woolly.
- 32:14I'm sure they heard you guys. Lane Stadium, North Lake.
- 32:21Naco surprised. He was just he really just just
- 32:24made it a point to express how proud he was of us.
- 32:27You know. I don't think there was any team
- 32:29in college and all the college football last year that had a
- 32:32had to deal with what we had to deal with, you know what I mean?
- 32:34We had so much things going on in our program that that would
- 32:38like a lot was out of our control, but it was it was
- 32:40something that we just had to deal with and something that we
- 32:43had to take on and accept and work through every day.
- 32:47So for us to pull out a big game like that again.
- 32:50Against those that one team down the street, it kind of was just
- 32:54huge for us, you know, like there was something that like it
- 32:57was a moment where, like I said, all of that, that tight bond
- 33:00that I told you guys about it, kind of just, it made it all,
- 33:03like, seeing real. You know what I mean?
- 33:05Guys were hugging on guys, taking pictures with the cup in
- 33:07the locker room guys on the phone with their parents on the
- 33:11phone with all their friends and things like that.
- 33:13Like it was just a it was really a cool moment to be a part of
- 33:16and then I feel like just how it ended was just it made me even
- 33:19more better. You I mean like it was a little
- 33:22stressful it during the time but how I just how it ended.
- 33:25Definitely just made everything it just made the moment
- 33:28complete. Yeah, I mean, you guys had so
- 33:31many close calls in the first part of the season and then you
- 33:33had all the turmoil that happened in November with, with
- 33:37Coach Fuente stuff getting relieved there.
- 33:42I'm sure that was just like, all right, well, we got one, we turn
- 33:45it around. We finish the way we wanted to
- 33:47finish and we did it at our route.
- 33:50Owls field. And I just can't imagine how
- 33:54good the feeling that was after after the kind of the Way That
- 33:56season that went down, right was such a good feeling.
- 34:01So let's turn it this, I know after the season, you've
- 34:03declared for the draft during this process, where have you
- 34:08been working out and who have you been preparing with I want.
- 34:12So after I opted out of the ball game, I went back home.
- 34:16Spent Christmas with my family. Probably my first, I think it
- 34:18was my first Christmas ever being at home, you know, being
- 34:22in being at Clemson. We were always playing on.
- 34:25Like, we really didn't even get to be home for Christmas.
- 34:27We're always traveling and practicing during Christmas
- 34:29time. So I Have been spend Christmas
- 34:32at home my family, and then I shortly after that, I flew out
- 34:34to Fort Lauderdale and I was training at the gym called
- 34:37perform and Davey. So I trained there for three
- 34:41months. Got a lot of good work, met a
- 34:44lot of good people and after that came back here for pro day
- 34:50and since then I kind of just been, you know, just working out
- 34:52on your own just just work coming up with workout plans.
- 34:56A lot of guys like to go back to the facility.
- 34:57They trained a lot of guys just do.
- 35:00Different things. But for me, you know, I just
- 35:02been putting in work on my own. I've been in Florida.
- 35:05I've been, I've been here in Blacksburg doing some work and
- 35:08after I leave here for after the spring, am I plan on going back
- 35:11to back to Virginia Beach and doing putting in some more work
- 35:13just until the dry. If, you know, you just kind of
- 35:16want to just, just always say ready, just staying in shape
- 35:18because you just never know where your journey is going to
- 35:21end up at. How did you feel about your pro
- 35:24day down in Blacksburg? I know it was a ton of folks.
- 35:28There, how do you feel about No, it was exciting.
- 35:32You know, I definitely had the nerves, like, it's kind of like
- 35:36going into a game, almost, you know what I mean?
- 35:38Like it is and it isn't except like the guys that are the
- 35:42Scouts in. The guys are watching you there,
- 35:43right in front of your face at pro day.
- 35:46You know what I mean? So it just makes that market or
- 35:48a lot smaller but after you kind of go through, you're going
- 35:51through your first couple of drills and kind of just is
- 35:53really just you and you out there.
- 35:55You know what I mean, is you against yourself, you know, you
- 35:58know, this type of caliber player you are, you know, Show
- 36:00your abilities. You know, you know what you can
- 36:02do. And now all that's left to do is
- 36:05just go out there and do it regardless of who's around you
- 36:07regardless of who's watching. So, for me, it was definitely,
- 36:11it was definitely exciting. I feel like I was able to go out
- 36:14and display everything that I needed to display.
- 36:16A lot of the questions that Scouts had on me.
- 36:18I was able to go out there and really just display those things
- 36:22and show them that I can. I am who I say, I am, you know
- 36:25what I mean? Yeah, and the nerves thing that
- 36:28I think that's anything you care.
- 36:30Out of want it. If you're not nervous, then you
- 36:33know, it's like he's there any passion in you, right?
- 36:37That's, that's that's what, you know, that's what I've known.
- 36:41That's what I've always felt throughout my life because if
- 36:43you're you're nervous about something you care and when you
- 36:46care, it definitely shows up. We got a question here from
- 36:51coach Robbie Compton. Can you see that Jordan?
- 36:53Yeah, I can see it and if you could pick his team drive
- 36:55wherever you want to go, I mean I've always growing up.
- 37:00Always been a Redskins fan the Commander's now, but always been
- 37:05arrested as fan for me now though, you know, just being
- 37:10being older knowing what's going on.
- 37:13Like NFL. I want to go somewhere where
- 37:15it's nice and nice weather. Great weather year-round.
- 37:18You know what I mean? I'll be fortunate enough for
- 37:20whoever whoever pick me up. What would you ask me?
- 37:22Wherever signs, me. But if I had to choose, I'm
- 37:25definitely gonna go towards the Sun and towards the warm
- 37:27weather. You know what I mean?
- 37:29All those books. Traded down in Florida, you
- 37:31write one of those floor disease have minor in Florida.
- 37:36Since January, I knew you didn't like you went from the coal to
- 37:40Blacksburg and I know you guys were up in New York City to
- 37:43what, 75 and Sunny every day, right?
- 37:46All the time it was it was crazy man.
- 37:52So have you had a chance to talk to any teams directly throughout
- 37:57this process so far? Yeah, I mean, I've talked to a
- 38:00lot of Teams on pro day. I've had some interviews with a
- 38:03few teams after the process. I know that tie-ins the
- 38:08Chargers. The the 49ers are few of the
- 38:11teams but yeah, I mean this is always on the phone.
- 38:15Always talking to talking to different Scout always filling
- 38:18out, filling out questionnaires doing assessments and things
- 38:21like that. Like it's real process and its
- 38:24really getting down to towards the end where now we're going to
- 38:27figure out where we're guys are going to wind up at.
- 38:33So throughout the president you talked about filling out
- 38:35questionnaires. What's the weirdest question
- 38:38that you've encountered throughout those interviews?
- 38:40And those questionnaires there's a lot.
- 38:47I mean I feel like you're not really supposed to think too
- 38:50hard about them, but I mean there's some places where it
- 38:53kind of like I wouldn't say they're weird but the kind of
- 38:56questions that make you wanna like, second-guess, you know
- 38:59what that's like. Is this a trick question?
- 39:00Kind of question. Like, they'll just ask you just
- 39:03things that was but I was like one of the hardest things you've
- 39:06gone through and it's like you're about to tell a scout
- 39:09that you that that you never met that doesn't really know you
- 39:12like something that really like challenge you throughout your
- 39:15whole life. You know what I mean, by there's
- 39:18different questions. Like I know.
- 39:21One Scout asked me, who if there was anybody in the law?
- 39:26Anybody in the world, I could eat a meal with, like, you
- 39:28dinner with who Dead or Alive. Who would it be?
- 39:32And it's like, that's not a, that's not a weird question, but
- 39:34it's a question. Whereas like why I would never
- 39:36expect you to ask me that? Like, were your NFL scout ya to
- 39:41sign me to drive me? And you're asked me, who's one
- 39:44person? I would want to, like, have a
- 39:45meal with you dead or alive? Like that's just something that
- 39:47kind of for me, like it makes you think a different type of
- 39:50way. Yeah, you don't want to under
- 39:52think you but you don't want to overthink it either.
- 39:54Yeah, exactly. You don't want too much about
- 39:56it. You just kind of want to just
- 39:57just happen to have a name ready and just throw it out there and
- 39:59just be able to stand on its and fired by.
- 40:02It's true. Those are those are the old.
- 40:06Those are the old who's talking. It is my lungs.
- 40:13I couldn't broaden know if your dog has slipped in the room.
- 40:16I saw the cat a few minutes ago, but those questions.
- 41:07So Jordan, you know, we're wrapping up here and if you guys
- 41:13who are watching us on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, We Don't
- 41:18Instagram tonight. Brian twitch twitch or figuring
- 41:22out everywhere. Bottom of your screen is all of
- 41:25Jordans info. Check out his ni L apparel line.
- 41:30Right there, Jordan Williams. A pair of Jordan Dash Williams.
- 41:34That's your peril. . My Shopify.com you parlament
- 41:40underscore blessed underscore 23 on Twitter or J Will 12
- 41:44underscore on Instagram? You know, our buddy who asked
- 41:48you that question. He also said, if you get drafted
- 41:51by the Commander's, he will buy your jersey.
- 41:57And you know, I only got one. 49ers jersey.
- 42:01If you get drafted by the 49ers, I got you.
- 42:06Taken care of. Yeah.
- 42:23But, you know, it was also in your Insight Man the best of
- 42:36luck to you, you know what the NFL stuff.
- 42:39But beyond that I think the type of person you are and it shows
- 42:43here tonight. Whatever you do next.
- 42:46I believe you're going to be successful in it man.
- 42:48Sir, I appreciate you guys so much and thank you guys for
- 42:51having me and just being able to tell a little bit about myself
- 42:54and about my journey. Absolutely, yeah, and I know
- 42:57Hokie Nation, appreciates everything that you did for 21
- 43:00coming in and being a leader on that team.
- 43:03And just, you know, the man Now that you are in the way you
- 43:06carry yourself. So we appreciate that and I know
- 43:08they do as well. Yes absolutely Jordan, you have
- 43:12yourself a good rest of your weekend but those who are going
- 43:15to the spring game Jordans in Blacksburg.
- 43:18Look for him he'll be all around, I'm sure most
- 43:21definitely. All right.
- 43:23All right guys, as we wrap up here with Jordan, we are going
- 43:26to take a quick pause for a message from our digital
- 43:29Partners. Before we jump into preview in
- 43:31the spring game. Because we take a quick break,
- 43:34we'd like to tell you about getting your free website report
- 43:37from our digital partner, Grassroots, digital marketing
- 43:40Studio. They'll tell you how your
- 43:41website ranks on Google on-site, SEO and social media.
- 43:44No commitment to buy anything. You can get your free report by
- 43:47visiting. Grassroots digital studio.com
- 43:50forward slash free Dash website, Dash report.
- 43:54Now back to the episode All right, in Vegas and we do had
- 43:59graphic what you think? I told you yesterday.
- 44:03Man Brian Brian doing a little handy work there with his
- 44:07graphic design, good job babe. The live read was pre-taped at
- 44:13the old house. I was like, well, if I'm going
- 44:14to do this let's go ahead and and dress it up a little bit
- 44:18more to have fun before we move on by other topics again.
- 44:22We can't think Jordan Williams from joining us enough tonight.
- 44:25Night, great human being, great individual Braun.
- 44:28I hope you can connect with him over the weekend up in the
- 44:31Burgh, if you see. And, but, and that I tell you
- 44:36that, that story about that Tuesday, that's laying up.
- 44:39Yeah, I can't imagine that. Yeah, I mean, that's a whole lot
- 44:43of process while you're trying to, you know, prepare for
- 44:46against a rival opponent on the road.
- 44:49Huge huge. All right, so before we get into
- 44:52spring game, there are three things we are going to cover
- 44:55here tonight. Guys and first run.
- 44:57We finally got one in the boat. We got one in the boat.
- 45:01Yes sir. And of course it had to be an
- 45:03interior offensive, lineman Lance Williams 64 306 out of
- 45:08Alcoa Tennessee, a three-star with additional authors from
- 45:16appstate, Cincinnati and Georgia Tech Brian.
- 45:22What do you think of Lance preliminary tape review?
- 45:25I mean it looks like he's got a nasty G which I like to see and
- 45:28I think that's going to bode well for what coach Rudolph is
- 45:33trying to do with this offensive line.
- 45:36And I think he kind of fits right into that mold of that
- 45:39that style of Lyman that Rudolph is typically recruited.
- 45:45You know time will tell if he's going to be able to make the
- 45:49transition into a rotation. A little too deep layer or
- 45:52starter, but I think this is a good start for the 23 class
- 45:56especially at a position where we need some depth.
- 46:00Yeah, you know, we've got to replenish the lines, I mean with
- 46:05without a doubt, you know, and you feel like with Rudolph.
- 46:08It's one of those the way he's developed not only High Caliber,
- 46:14you know, or high rated offensive lineman, the last guy
- 46:18he had been turned into an All-American, it was constant,
- 46:21As a two-star guy that legitimately had.
- 46:24He was their offer. No.
- 46:27You feel like the hope you feel like Joe Rudolph probably has a
- 46:31knack for finding the guys he wants and like you said, you
- 46:34can't teach nasty, you can teach you other stuff.
- 46:37Alright, next note announced today Braun As you've been
- 46:42saying over and over, we ain't Mom and Pops anymore.
- 46:46When Sheraton donate five million dollars to update the
- 46:52locker rooms five large and that's going to be big.
- 46:58We said it we said it earlier today that that might be what
- 47:05what do we say? We said that might be some some
- 47:08slide money. Yes.
- 47:09Some pool slide money, it's not going to quite be E, Florida,
- 47:12Cabana money. I think a band of money.
- 47:14I saw some people say, get a good barber shop in there.
- 47:18I'm sure how about sleep pause. Like they have at LSU, although
- 47:22I would just like to know the cost of one sleep pod for my
- 47:25house. Yeah, I would like one of those.
- 47:27I can just put that in my desk here, the home office, take a
- 47:31nap midday. You know, that that would
- 47:34definitely be the ideal setup here for me, you know, bigger
- 47:39pieces and we and we've seen some of the pictures In the
- 47:42locker room is some significantly dated?
- 47:45Oh yeah. It's I mean it was it was dated
- 47:48eight years. Yeah it probably it probably
- 47:50should have been updated in like 2010 but we digress on that but
- 47:55seeing this sword again, the money keeps rolling in, you
- 47:59know, along with everything else we've seen in the last, you
- 48:02know, really six months to a year, the money's coming and
- 48:08it's time to get the facilities where they should be.
- 48:11You know I can't wait in me and Brian.
- 48:14We were talking today. I think this is something we see
- 48:17revealed what we say Brian neck about a year from now.
- 48:22Yeah, I would think so. I think they if you know,
- 48:25depending on where they're at in the planning stages of this, I
- 48:27don't know if they already had, you know, planes ready to go,
- 48:30just waiting on the funding to come in or what the situation
- 48:33is. But if that's the case, getting
- 48:36this turned around, before you start getting some of the big
- 48:40Junior days next year, at least before the spring game next
- 48:44year, that would be the probably ideal scenario when you get a
- 48:47lot of those big recruits on campus, you know, they're not
- 48:51just looking. At a poster.
- 48:53They're not just looking at promotional material.
- 48:55They're looking at the real deal.
- 48:58Absolutely. And you have to be able to have
- 49:00them walk in there and see it Live In Living Color huge but
- 49:04also, you know, huge for the guys.
- 49:07They're currently right. Like know.
- 49:09They, you're fighting to be one of the guys that gets here so,
- 49:13it's awesome. Other thing there is definitely
- 49:16going to be something in il related.
- 49:19Getting announced tomorrow at Virginia Tech.
- 49:22Some of the, some of the known Virginia Tech in il Twitter's
- 49:29are there basically they're sending out the signals that
- 49:33something's coming up? Yeah, something bigs happening.
- 49:36Keep keep your eyes peeled. Keep your eyes peeled.
- 49:41I know one was performance, I saw two tweets.
- 49:46One was at like 5:00 today and one was it like six?
- 49:50That we will just kind of like something's happening and I love
- 49:53the timing of it too. I really like the timing of it
- 49:57because you're talking about announcing this and probably
- 50:01what Friday all the kids are going to be coming in for the
- 50:05visit for the official spring game.
- 50:07So you're announcing you making this announcement as they walk
- 50:11in you have something immediately to talk about not
- 50:13only the locker room but the N IL deals.
- 50:17Yeah you got a selling point right out the gate 4.
- 50:20And you've got a large number of kids coming in.
- 50:23So you're not just, you don't, you don't just have something
- 50:26new to sell, but you got a lot of eyes that are ready to
- 50:29listen. That's not a lot of ears and
- 50:32eyes that are ready to listen. I was ready to look ears.
- 50:34Ready to listen. Yeah, well, let's flip it now.
- 50:37Brian, let's take a look. And start doing a little preview
- 50:40of the spring game, things were looking for and a lot of other
- 50:45things as well. But let's start with the format
- 50:47which coach Pride announced today in his press conference
- 50:50There are going to be two rosters into staffs and
- 50:53essentially coach prai is working on splitting that up.
- 50:58So Brian mean, you've been talking about it.
- 51:02We're probably going to get pretty even teams and we're not
- 51:05going to probably see some guys play together that we were
- 51:07expecting to. Yeah.
- 51:09I mean there's there's positives and negatives to this format.
- 51:13You know, the positives, are you get to see a lot of guys working
- 51:18with various Into. So you get a good mix of how
- 51:23everybody that's going to be in the rotation for significant
- 51:26snaps. Come fall.
- 51:28How they're going to work? They're going to get a good
- 51:30amount of snaps. What you don't get to seize.
- 51:33You don't get to see how the the first line or the second line or
- 51:38gelling, or how this player, you know, works with that player
- 51:42because they may be on separate squads.
- 51:45So you might not see, you know, Wells, throwing to Blue, you
- 51:49know, you might It, you don't see that starting five on the
- 51:52offensive line altogether. You're probably going to have
- 51:56Silas Dancy and Johnny Jordan probably on separate lines
- 52:00because they're probably going to be the leaders of their
- 52:02respective units. So there's going to be things
- 52:04like that that you don't get to see.
- 52:07But what you do get to see is probably a better more
- 52:10entertaining game and we're talking about for 12 minute
- 52:14quarters. The first half is going to have
- 52:16a normal clock. Second half is going to have a
- 52:18running clock, but when you have those Mostly evenly matched
- 52:21teams. You're going to get a better
- 52:23product and that's going to that's going to think benefit
- 52:26them from a more casual or typical fan perspective.
- 52:31Versus guys like us that like really like to dig into the
- 52:34minutiae of the roster the depth chart.
- 52:38Yeah and you know breaking down what's happening on the field.
- 52:43I think for those, for those casual fans and for those fans
- 52:46that just, you know, are showing up to have a good time.
- 52:50And enjoy the game. I think that's they're going to
- 52:52probably get the best product this way.
- 52:55You definitely get the best product.
- 52:56But I even think for guys like us and, you know, followers with
- 53:00our account and other folks who are deeper into it, you're going
- 53:03to start seeing more names, right?
- 53:06Like my thought is backs hollifield now and Tuesday will
- 53:09not be at Mike and we'll together.
- 53:13It's probably going to be Dax and probably Jaden Keller that
- 53:16will and you know, you've heard prize speak a couple times.
- 53:20He's making some, you know, inroads, you know, in the same
- 53:24thing with corner, you might see Jaden blue, go against Elijah
- 53:29Howard, who was mentioned today at having a pretty good camp to
- 53:32be a younger guy. So so if we see if you see a
- 53:38guy, you don't know, and he's starting to make strides
- 53:41immediately. He's on your radar.
- 53:43Why can't we get to fall camp? And that's what is really cool
- 53:46about this format. But you know, Sometimes you just
- 53:51want to see one ones and see who can run it the best.
- 53:53But let's get into it, Brian. Let's start with the quarterback
- 53:57room and From the sounds of it. It feels like well, Grant.
- 54:05Well, might have a little bit of an advantage going into the
- 54:08spring game. Do you feel that way from here
- 54:12in Fred talked? Last week?
- 54:14Tyler talk, and then Coach cry talked a few times.
- 54:19Yeah, I mean, it sounds like, I mean, he's won the spring baller
- 54:23award for the offense, so he's got that under his belt.
- 54:27He's been the name that Even when both Wells and brown have
- 54:33been mentioned Wells, as name has been brought up first
- 54:36consistently and I don't know whether that's just by default
- 54:41or whether that's something there's something to that but it
- 54:45seems like Wells has the advantage.
- 54:47It was mentioned that you know looks like he's throwing a
- 54:49pretty good deep ball has good command of the offense.
- 54:53The coaches had mentioned that both Wells and brown have only
- 54:55thrown one Pig during scrimmages as of our last Last talk there,
- 55:00so that's a good sign and especially for Wells who did
- 55:04have some concerns with interceptions during his time at
- 55:10Marshall. Yeah, so that's good to hear
- 55:12both above 65 percent completion percentage during those
- 55:15scrimmages, the question is going to be is, you know, are
- 55:20these going to Wells and brown? Are they going to be the one
- 55:24guys for their respective squads?
- 55:27It sounds like they are. Yeah.
- 55:29And that's going That's going to give us a pretty good.
- 55:31Look at what they're able to bring to the table.
- 55:34You're not, you're not worried about splitting snaps or whether
- 55:37you know, Browns working with mostly twos and Wells is working
- 55:40with mostly ones. You get a good mix for both.
- 55:42So you really can kind of see how these quarterbacks handle
- 55:45those situations. Yeah, and the whole thing now
- 55:48about the snap count is us as you know, kind of paint.
- 55:51You know, in the minutiae fans we're not going to worry about
- 55:54that anymore because they're probably going to get the same
- 55:56number of snap counts with the ones with the Their respective
- 56:01ones, right? Yeah, exactly.
- 56:02So exactly know that was something we thought about
- 56:04looking in. If they're going to play it
- 56:06another way. Where's more defense offense?
- 56:10What we might be? Seeing is all right.
- 56:12Well Wells got, you know, he got 50, you know, he got 20 more
- 56:16snaps, he's clearly leaving but we're not going to be able to
- 56:19see that. So maybe we get a decision,
- 56:22maybe we don't now what I'm going to be more interested in
- 56:26brine is who what? Ins they give to each
- 56:32quarterback. We keep hearing.
- 56:33You said it already Grant well deep ball accuracy.
- 56:38Well what if their decision on him is the best deep ball guy?
- 56:40They're going to put over with Jason Brown.
- 56:44Yeah, that's going to be interesting to see how those
- 56:46matchups are set up. You know, whether you know, you
- 56:50get blue on one side Loft and on the other, whether whether blue
- 56:54and Lofton, they're going to be together, I feel like those are
- 56:57probably the two most potent weapons at the wide receiver
- 57:01position that we're going to have come fall.
- 57:05Bloomer question is, are ya blumrich?
- 57:07Where is he going to be? I mean we know he's not a
- 57:09quarterback anymore but is he going to be you know, that your
- 57:13third or fourth tight, Dorsey just going to be a guy that
- 57:16they, you know, drop on one Squad and see what he can do at
- 57:20multiple positions there. So that's going to be
- 57:22interesting to follow as well. And then, you know, we've
- 57:25obviously, I've even talked about Taj Bullock and Devon
- 57:28Farrell here who are rounding out the quarterback room.
- 57:33I think the big thing to watch for them is going to be
- 57:35mechanics, you know, which of those two is is bringing sound
- 57:40mechanics and and looks good with their release and It has a
- 57:44good command of where they want to go with the football.
- 57:48Yeah. The other thing about it, you
- 57:49mentioned by the to essentially the, the two guys in the running
- 57:53for the starting over 65% coach also mentioned Todd and Devon
- 57:57both 65 percent plus completion percentage in their time as
- 58:01well. He did not mention interception
- 58:03but I expect them to younger guys to have a few more.
- 58:06But the other thing is, you know, who's out there barking
- 58:09the instruction because they're tick, they're essentially going
- 58:11to get a significant amount of snaps.
- 58:14Who commits if the Hubble who commands the team better, who
- 58:17gets a chance to go out there. For example, you know, let's say
- 58:20it's brown and Bullock and they've got Jaden blue.
- 58:25Do they get the opportunity to go out there and play with Jaden
- 58:28blue or you know, some of the other guys were perceiving to be
- 58:34you know contributors on the offense.
- 58:37And yeah that's a big one in. I think the other thing when we
- 58:41look at who ideal Lee could emerge as that third quarterback
- 58:46for this fall and even looking long-term I think, You kind of
- 58:53want it to be ties, right? And I think the reason aside
- 58:57from his having one extra year in the system, but also my thing
- 59:04is, you know, pry and others have mentioned the position
- 59:08flexibility that Farrell has, you know, there might be, you
- 59:14know, some options with him moving to another position as
- 59:16need be or as is better for our roster.
- 59:20So ties taking the lead. In that group may be the
- 59:24preferred outcome just because of that flexibility, it may be.
- 59:28But I think it's going to be in that case, whoever is the third
- 59:33best quarterback is going to be the third best quarterback and I
- 59:36think that valves going to go into fall Camp.
- 59:38I think it never wins. That job is going to be running
- 59:40Scout teams and then the other guy is essentially going to have
- 59:43to find, you know, a home to do something whomever it is.
- 59:47So it'll be really interesting. All right Brian, let's flip
- 59:50over. Let's look at the o-line next.
- 59:54Tell me what you're looking for because you're going to be there
- 59:56in person. You can be able to see it live.
- 59:59What are you looking for from these guys?
- 1:00:02So, the big thing I'm looking for is nastiness, especially
- 1:00:06when I'm looking at the Gap scheme plays, along that
- 1:00:10offensive line, I'm looking for assignment soundness.
- 1:00:14I want to make sure they understand where they need to
- 1:00:16be, how they need to approach that block.
- 1:00:20They're taking the right steps, they're not taking false steps,
- 1:00:24I'm looking for pass Pro, that is at a level that's acceptable
- 1:00:30at this point. I think there's some guys in
- 1:00:32this, even in the first group that their past Pro is still
- 1:00:36coming along. They might get beat here and
- 1:00:38there, but if we can see Improvement, and we can see a
- 1:00:42pretty Steady Hand in past Pro, I think that's what we're
- 1:00:45looking for. And the last thing Looking to
- 1:00:49see who can be a part of that seven and eight man rotation.
- 1:00:54We kind of know the first five is pretty locked in.
- 1:00:58So how are they pairing those? That second group with some of
- 1:01:03those starters in this matchup and who in those groups is kind
- 1:01:07of taken the next step to really show that they can be part of a
- 1:01:12seven or eight man rotation in the fall and you know I'll ask
- 1:01:17this question to see if Do you think?
- 1:01:22There's Johnny Jordan, do a good job of making those around him
- 1:01:25better because I feel like that is the key factor when we look
- 1:01:29at both spraying. And then what we're looking at
- 1:01:31long-term in the fall, I think we're going to find that out
- 1:01:34Saturday, honestly do. Because what I think is going to
- 1:01:38happen with I think we're going to look at something like,
- 1:01:42whoever's lined up with Johnny doesn't have Solace on their
- 1:01:45left, whether it be Bob shake or whether it be just Hanson.
- 1:01:50How good do they play? And then I'm sure the coaches
- 1:01:53have notes to say, well, you know, let's say Bob gets me and
- 1:01:57Bottles playing great today with John, oh shit.
- 1:02:01When Jesse was there with Jonny, Jessie was playing great, maybe
- 1:02:05not so much on the right side, that's where I'm.
- 1:02:08That's what's going to be fascinating about.
- 1:02:10About Saturday's to see how the linemen go.
- 1:02:14You know, is it going to be again?
- 1:02:17I think you're 100%, right. I think Johnny and Silas are
- 1:02:20going to be on opposite sides. I really do think that.
- 1:02:26But then what do you do? You do you, do you, do you
- 1:02:28booked in tackles and then let you know, do you let multiple
- 1:02:34guards? Do you do you let do you let the
- 1:02:36guards? Like let all the interior play
- 1:02:40together and keep shit on the same side where you can rotate
- 1:02:43them in. I mean there's so many different
- 1:02:46ways you can go with this and you know brim process the day.
- 1:02:50He felt like the offensive line has progressed has been.
- 1:02:53He's been pleasantly surprised with how they've progressed,
- 1:02:56which is a good sign. Is it also a good sign?
- 1:02:59A guy like Bryce, good nerd. Gets moved to defensive tackle.
- 1:03:05It's got to be right. I mean, the fact that you're
- 1:03:08less concerned about the second or third team offensive line
- 1:03:13compared to the second or third team, defensive line that says
- 1:03:16that you're in a better place than we thought we would be.
- 1:03:20And it also, you know, bodes well for the defensive tackle
- 1:03:24depth long-term and for good nor getting on the field faster
- 1:03:28which I think is something that was important to him.
- 1:03:31Exactly. So I'm going to be I'm going to
- 1:03:35be probably getting here late. I'm going to probably miss the
- 1:03:37game. We've got a, you know, everybody
- 1:03:39knows I'm not going to be here Sports on Saturday.
- 1:03:43I mean, I'm Really Gonna pause the TV.
- 1:03:45Maybe they'll get some back angles.
- 1:03:47I know, Brian. I think you need to be what West
- 1:03:51stands right side. So you're facing kind of where
- 1:03:56we were in 06, where you get that kind of that perfect view
- 1:03:59of the backside of the home, puts in line, because the combos
- 1:04:03are going to be so interesting. Do they play with in?
- 1:04:08I mean does anybody jump out to you?
- 1:04:12I think that's gonna be interesting.
- 1:04:13We talk next week and we talk probably I'm not going to call
- 1:04:17you Saturday because you're going to have your son with you.
- 1:04:19You're going to be all sorts of, but we talk Sunday.
- 1:04:25I'm expecting you to say a name, like this person is going to be
- 1:04:30in the 2D and I didn't see that coming.
- 1:04:33Yeah, that's what I'm gonna try to identify, see you, who is
- 1:04:38playing above their, their expected level, like like,
- 1:04:43because like we said, we know that, you know, maybe Jesse,
- 1:04:46Hanson aside the first five we can.
- 1:04:50Yeah, we're pretty solid on, we trust them.
- 1:04:52We trust them to go out there and play and that's not to say
- 1:04:55we don't trust Jesse hands and we just haven't seen enough of
- 1:04:57him to know whether that's that's something we can trust or
- 1:05:01not. In.
- 1:05:04Well, I think what made us feel better last week with hearing
- 1:05:06Bob shakes name. Finally, finally.
- 1:05:09Seth other than the, the five we know about finally breaking
- 1:05:13through. Hopefully.
- 1:05:14Yeah. And if we can get two more guys,
- 1:05:17to go along with him, then you got an eight, man rotation, and
- 1:05:20you feel pretty decent again. I'm more concerned about Center
- 1:05:24than I am necessarily guard or tackle, just because I think
- 1:05:29Johnny Jordan is going to be somewhat Unreplaceable in that
- 1:05:34offensive line on a percent. I will flip next prime let's
- 1:05:38look at the skill positions, the wide receiver and the tight end,
- 1:05:42we've already mentioned his name.
- 1:05:44Once let's mention it again. Connor blumrich.
- 1:05:47I mean we expected him to. I mean is he going to be no W?
- 1:05:52It's you just going to be all over the place or do we think
- 1:05:56you know they're going to stick him?
- 1:05:56It just tight end or just big slot.
- 1:06:00What are you forcing? I've seen mostly weighing in big
- 1:06:05slot but I think he's going to be you deployed a lot of
- 1:06:10different ways across once we get into the fall, once the
- 1:06:15Playbook is fully open, I think he's going to be deployed in a
- 1:06:17lot of different ways but in terms of what I think we see on
- 1:06:21Saturday in the spring game I think he's going to be deployed
- 1:06:25pretty much as a wing and a big slot and that's not to say
- 1:06:29that's a bad thing that's just you know, We're taking taking a
- 1:06:34building blocks approach, and that's step.
- 1:06:35One is getting him where he's comfortable doing those things
- 1:06:41and then we can really stretch out, you know?
- 1:06:44Okay, well with his skillset, how can we get him even more
- 1:06:47involved in the offense whether that's in throwing him screens,
- 1:06:51whether that's in using him in the running game and using him
- 1:06:56in a in a trick play variety where he's throwing the
- 1:06:58football. I mean, there's so many
- 1:07:00different things that you can do with that type of player.
- 1:07:03But I don't think we see a whole lot of that Saturday.
- 1:07:05I think we see mostly lining up at the wing lining up at the, at
- 1:07:10the big slot. Yeah.
- 1:07:11So I think Saturday is just going to get him used to being
- 1:07:15in a game environment which it was mentioned last Saturday.
- 1:07:19They did a full game Ox which they're not doing this Saturday
- 1:07:23because they're splitting everybody up full game is
- 1:07:25basically who was ever going to be up tops?
- 1:07:28Going to be up top. All the sideline folks were
- 1:07:30there the communications they Did a true game of how they're
- 1:07:35setting it up to be in the fall but I think for him is just get
- 1:07:39him comfortable. If I make some passes will be no
- 1:07:42running in the round with him just so they can see where they
- 1:07:47want to go with him on Saturday. All right.
- 1:07:49Brian will give you seven names. Distribute them amongst the
- 1:07:53maroon and the white teams ready?
- 1:07:57Yep. Jaden blue.
- 1:08:00Even God's know, Caleb Smith, Dwayne Lofton, Jalen Jones, they
- 1:08:07done right? Christian Moss.
- 1:08:09We know there are more ride receivers.
- 1:08:12These are the names. We've heard more of than anyone.
- 1:08:16So, Brian, give me give me how you would mix them.
- 1:08:22I would probably go. Jalen blue.
- 1:08:31Right, and I'd probably go. Smith Lofton, guys.
- 1:08:40Know and then you can put moss on either side there.
- 1:08:44All right, how about this? You give you give them off to
- 1:08:52the blue team and the other team gets gallo.
- 1:08:56Seems like a fair trade, that's a fair trade, you know, the most
- 1:08:59productive wide receiver. What are you looking for?
- 1:09:03As you put these guys on their team, is it the route?
- 1:09:07Is it? Where theyre playing?
- 1:09:09What's going to be more your eyeball test on Saturday?
- 1:09:13So there's big things like you know, we want to see how the
- 1:09:16route trees developing. I think that's important but I
- 1:09:18think what's more important is How each of those players is
- 1:09:23being deployed within the scheme of the offense.
- 1:09:26That's what's intriguing me more like who's primarily lining up
- 1:09:30in the slot. I think it's probably going to
- 1:09:32be blue and Lofton but let's see what happens on Saturday.
- 1:09:37You know, who's at the excuse that the Z.
- 1:09:41What are they doing at those positions?
- 1:09:43What type of routes are they running?
- 1:09:45What are they? How are they getting involved in
- 1:09:47the offense? That's more important to me.
- 1:09:51But I do want to see that route tree and you know, more creative
- 1:09:56use of the route tree than we saw from the previous regime.
- 1:10:00Yeah, that that's definitely a big thing is to see the more
- 1:10:03creative youth we know it's going to be a vanilla game plan
- 1:10:06but even vanilla game plans, you can show your route tree.
- 1:10:09I think you from looking at the Fordham tape and looking at the
- 1:10:13Penn State game, your we're already seeing the a
- 1:10:16significantly larger route, tree and pass development type.
- 1:10:21Game. So that that doesn't worry me.
- 1:10:24But I am with you in what stinks about not having offense versus
- 1:10:29defense is like, for example, let's say.
- 1:10:32Jaden blue is in the slot with Caleb and Gosnell.
- 1:10:37But when Duane Lofton comes in Jaden, doesn't even feel Jaden
- 1:10:41goes to the X. Caleb goes off the field, guys
- 1:10:44know, that's what we're not going to get to see because
- 1:10:47yeah, see those different Combos and from the way we've seen, you
- 1:10:53know, and we already talked about Tyler bones potential
- 1:10:55offense, there's going to be things like that.
- 1:10:58Like, oh, he's at X, but this guy comes in who's a better, ex
- 1:11:00he's slipping down the slot, the why is going off the field?
- 1:11:04Because we're going double pipe here. yeah, that's the question
- 1:11:08and we probably won't see it because, you know, if we're
- 1:11:11talking about the difference between The guys that are going
- 1:11:15to be out there in the first run and then your best three players
- 1:11:19at the receiver position, that might be two different sets of
- 1:11:22three players, right? You know, you might have a first
- 1:11:25line that looks like, you know Smith blue and Gosnell just
- 1:11:31throwing three names out there. But, you know, you want to get
- 1:11:36lost in a lot of touches, but he's going to primary line up at
- 1:11:39slot Blues. The better slot, but your best
- 1:11:43three wide receivers Crews are potentially Smith blue and
- 1:11:46Lofton DVDs. If you bring Lofton in does blue
- 1:11:50slide over? Is that something where they're
- 1:11:52not necessarily going to be on the field at the same time?
- 1:11:55I don't know. We haven't seen the Tendencies
- 1:11:57of that. How the coaching staffs going to
- 1:11:59handle that? You know, is it going to be the
- 1:12:02best? Three are going to are going to
- 1:12:05get the the first reps in the most reps?
- 1:12:07Or is it going to kind of be a mix and match, you know,
- 1:12:10depending on who needs a blow and the game Flow?
- 1:12:13And what we need from the passing offense versus, you
- 1:12:17know, if we're for managing the game from a rushing standpoint,
- 1:12:20it might be better to keep those first three that I mentioned out
- 1:12:23there and not necessarily have blue and Lofton on the field the
- 1:12:26same time so I don't think it could all be dictated by game
- 1:12:30Flow. Yep and that's things we're not
- 1:12:32going to see until September so you know book that down that
- 1:12:34first game the Friday before Labor Day.
- 1:12:38Again we'll start finding out those things.
- 1:12:43Obviously, night in with Drake and with Gallo locking down the
- 1:12:48first two. You know, who's going to come
- 1:12:51out of that third option. I know a lot of people are
- 1:12:53saying that's gonna be blown Republic.
- 1:12:55I opinions blemish going to be everywhere, so, don't guarantee
- 1:12:59him as the third option, but you've got guys on, you got
- 1:13:02Saint-Germain already, you know, already with the team.
- 1:13:07Benji, guys are not Steven, and you've got Daquan right coming
- 1:13:10on. Do you think we're going to
- 1:13:13figure out? Who's the third tight end is?
- 1:13:15Because obviously this week if gospels playing, you're going to
- 1:13:20have drink on one side, you have Gala on the other likely, you're
- 1:13:23gonna have Saint-Germain and him owner.
- 1:13:26Yeah, I mean, the question is going to be does Benji Gosnell
- 1:13:30is he had a point now where he can play an actual scrimmage and
- 1:13:33do significant things? I'm not sure if he's there yet,
- 1:13:36let me last. We heard from David Cunningham,
- 1:13:39two weeks ago, he was still more or less rehabbing wearing a blue
- 1:13:42jersey during these. So I don't know if he's come far
- 1:13:45enough since then we're that's something that we can actually
- 1:13:48get a look at or if that's something that's going to be
- 1:13:51safe for the fall. Now what I think is going to
- 1:13:55happen is this is this is me is that, you know, you're going to
- 1:13:59end up having Saint-Germain, kind of being that fourth tight
- 1:14:03in third not counting kind of blumrich for this spring game
- 1:14:09and unless he pops, I think this is going to be right.
- 1:14:13It's job in the fall Ryan calls, it take one rides, gonna be the
- 1:14:19third tight in and the fall. I mean he's he's got the
- 1:14:23athleticism. The definitely make you that
- 1:14:26joker to bring a little bit of a change of pace to that position
- 1:14:30room. So we shall see.
- 1:14:33Now there is an upside to what we're doing here, brown with the
- 1:14:35split squats and all that. We're going to actually probably
- 1:14:40figure out with the running back room, who's in and who's out?
- 1:14:46Yeah, yeah that's going to be. We're going to get a good look
- 1:14:49at most of these running backs. You know.
- 1:14:51I think you're going to in this format, you're going to have the
- 1:14:55lead back, get somewhere around 10 touches, you're going to have
- 1:14:58probably one or two more guys, get more than five touches in on
- 1:15:03both sides of the of the squad's there.
- 1:15:06Yeah so you're going to get probably The seven guys that are
- 1:15:10going to get at least five carries in these in these
- 1:15:12matchups. So that's going to be
- 1:15:14interesting to see who, what they do with those carries.
- 1:15:18You know we've heard Keyshawn King is called the coaches
- 1:15:20attention, the last few practices and you know last
- 1:15:22scrimmage you know is he climbing up the depth chart or
- 1:15:26is he still kind of more of a situational and special teams
- 1:15:30contributor we've heard Malachi Thomas has named a lot and
- 1:15:34they've said he's the most well-rounded and it's picked up
- 1:15:37the offense quickly so he's He's let's go ahead and put him in
- 1:15:40there as the as the lead option, right.
- 1:15:43He's been what he's he's kind of one a right now heading into the
- 1:15:46spring game by all accounts. Yeah I want to go back to
- 1:15:49Keshawn King real quick because with his explosiveness, with his
- 1:15:53value on special teams, I mean in, especially the last few
- 1:16:00weeks out, he has been getting talk more and more up.
- 1:16:04He brings value. Yeah, he's going to have a role
- 1:16:07in the fall regardless. Of where he ends up on the
- 1:16:10running back depth chart because of his skill set and then and
- 1:16:13then there's chance black, who we know has value at kick
- 1:16:16returns 100%. Malachi's, the most consistent
- 1:16:19guy book him as your one but then they're talking about doing
- 1:16:23things with chance and 5 W sets. Yeah.
- 1:16:26And what your what I'm hearing is there's probably four guys
- 1:16:31with the three we've just mentioned in Jalen Holston.
- 1:16:36We're almost guaranteed rolls, you all.
- 1:16:38Did you have Bryce Dooku's a freshman?
- 1:16:40If he does anything great. So there's really like, is it
- 1:16:44for for one? Is that what we can say?
- 1:16:47Or is it for 42? Between Hampton.
- 1:16:51Yeah, I think it's for for maybe two maybe two.
- 1:16:55Yeah. And I mean let's go back real
- 1:16:58quick before we talk about those other guys, but let's talk a
- 1:17:00little bit more about chance black.
- 1:17:02You mentioned, five wide receiver sets that gives you so
- 1:17:05much flexibility with the hurry up.
- 1:17:07No huddle, right? Yeah.
- 1:17:09Because you can because you can go 5 wide then you still got a
- 1:17:11running back on the on there that you can easily slide back
- 1:17:14into the backfield and keep it moving there.
- 1:17:18You don't really have a drop-off.
- 1:17:19Off. No, not at all.
- 1:17:20So that's the big thing. But yeah, you know, you know,
- 1:17:24the question we talked about who's going to mix in for those
- 1:17:26carries, but you know who are the guys that potentially, you
- 1:17:31know, could be looking at the poor lift, they don't have
- 1:17:34success on Saturday, you know. We mentioned, you know, a few
- 1:17:39names here. I think, you know we got Brunson
- 1:17:41we got Lee Hampton, Marco Li NG Chris Kenji Christian, I think
- 1:17:47Kenji based on where he is. Is in his time at Virginia,
- 1:17:51Tech. He's probably not as high on
- 1:17:55that list in terms of Trent portal potential just because I
- 1:18:00think he still has a year potentially to move up the depth
- 1:18:03chart and obviously, they'll be some natural attrition with with
- 1:18:07at least whole host of moving on after this season.
- 1:18:11So, you know, I think he's still got a path to get some carries
- 1:18:16if not in the fall, you know, probably some time next season.
- 1:18:19And whereas some of these other guys, this is it, this is put up
- 1:18:23or shut up because you're getting passed by guys younger
- 1:18:26than you and there's another class with a new coach coming in
- 1:18:29starting next year and the biggest piece is flexibility the
- 1:18:34other. The other three guys that are a
- 1:18:37little older, which essentially, this would be their junior year.
- 1:18:41There are Juniors. Technically in the juniors are
- 1:18:46either retro, Juniors. Richard sophomores by their
- 1:18:48three. Not traditional.
- 1:18:49Oz. Yeah, it's there's no
- 1:18:52flexibility, there's no special teams.
- 1:18:54You know, there's no return value again.
- 1:18:57You don't normally see running backs on punt.
- 1:18:59Block units, or, you know, own punt protection or kick
- 1:19:04protection units. Very very unheard of.
- 1:19:07We're chance and Keyshawn, we know, and we've seen them be
- 1:19:11successful on the kick returns when you don't have that added
- 1:19:15element or chance black. Who we know can catch passes it.
- 1:19:19You're one pony and you've got to do this.
- 1:19:22And when, you know, there's a guy like Holston who's kind of
- 1:19:24the leader of the room and then there's a guy that when the
- 1:19:28coaches are now saying, Malachi's just consistent, which
- 1:19:31means it sounds like it's something that you hold is
- 1:19:34already talked about. Now, like I said, if you want to
- 1:19:37be, you want to be known as good be consistent because if you're
- 1:19:40consistent, what are people going to say about you?
- 1:19:44He'll give the coaches, the coaches, love things, that that
- 1:19:46are predictable and that they can account for.
- 1:19:51All right, Brian, let's flip over to the defensive side of
- 1:19:55the ball next. And let's start with the
- 1:19:58defensive line, much, like the offensive line now, who's mixed
- 1:20:04in with, who Yeah, that's the big question, right?
- 1:20:09That and especially with all the attrition and position changes.
- 1:20:13We've seen a lot of this is going to be brand new names.
- 1:20:18Oh yeah it's going to be like I know that person is it's almost
- 1:20:22going to be like this is Camille.
- 1:20:24I know your name but I've never seen you take a defensive line
- 1:20:26snap ever what's coming you're gonna have like on the defensive
- 1:20:30- we like whole Nelson and jock food on the other side for me,
- 1:20:35Paula And it's going to be garment.
- 1:20:37And then in between, there are the guys that were going to be
- 1:20:40like know your name, never seen me play.
- 1:20:43Yeah, you'll probably have you'll have gun or mixed in
- 1:20:45there. You'll have been a mixed in
- 1:20:47there. Don't open a stretch Carol McRae
- 1:20:52that's going to be just just fascinating to watch to see how
- 1:20:56they blend that there. Cuz we do need a 2d.
- 1:21:00We've been hearing CJ McCray's name more In more?
- 1:21:05Yeah, I mean is he pushing for kind of that second line now,
- 1:21:10you know, we haven't heard stretch Carol.
- 1:21:12Having heard his name any. Yeah.
- 1:21:14So you know, it's McRae passing him in terms of Too Deep.
- 1:21:18You know, who's to say, I mean, we know, you know we got Jalen
- 1:21:23Griffin hasn't really done a whole lot in the spring Eli and
- 1:21:28Eli Adams. You know, we know that they'll
- 1:21:30be there in the fall. But Is going to be that that
- 1:21:35reliable second end on that 2D, that's still up for grabs in the
- 1:21:41spring game. And then who's going to be that
- 1:21:44third line, which are, we're going to need a third line?
- 1:21:46Yeah, going into this season. I mean, you know, I talk about
- 1:21:50it all the time, you know, your first and second line, give you
- 1:21:53about 80 to 90% of the steps but you need that third line to give
- 1:21:58you that 10 to 20%. Yep.
- 1:22:00To get you over the hump and we're going to Need that third
- 1:22:03line of that, that D line to show up.
- 1:22:05So we're going to need to see what these guys have in spring
- 1:22:09so we can kind of know what we're will be working with in
- 1:22:11the fall. Yeah.
- 1:22:12Going to be fascinating to watch that and going to be fascinating
- 1:22:15to see who's paired with who and who, you know, really, you know,
- 1:22:21who stands out on the defensive line on Saturday line back and
- 1:22:27group. I mean, I feel like brick pride
- 1:22:31and they just basically told Gionta Jenkins.
- 1:22:35This is your job. If you go ball this weekend, he
- 1:22:39said, verbatim he answers our potential starter at Sam.
- 1:22:44And we haven't, we know he moved there.
- 1:22:46What? About two weeks ago?
- 1:22:48Yeah, and when I hear that say today to meaning, that sounds
- 1:22:53like a challenge. It sounds like he's doing the
- 1:22:55right things because I don't think Brent, prize, the type of
- 1:22:59guy that's going to say that s word.
- 1:23:02Unless he feels the guys ready, unless he's putting significant
- 1:23:06distance between everybody else. It's practicing their he's not
- 1:23:09going to say this guy has starting potential.
- 1:23:12Yeah. Because he hasn't said it about
- 1:23:14anybody else really that he has started games before at
- 1:23:18positions that they're still playing at.
- 1:23:20So I think that that's going to be big, you know.
- 1:23:24And when we looked at what what Jenkins had done at safety
- 1:23:27previously, and even going back to some of the tape with the
- 1:23:31Hokies all-access where we saw coach am talking to him during
- 1:23:35that like it seems like sometimes he was overthinking
- 1:23:40things and you know proud was talking about Sam not being
- 1:23:43quite as much of a of a thinking position more of a read react
- 1:23:48and fast and physical. Yes.
- 1:23:51And we know that Jenkins can bring that and if he's picked
- 1:23:55that up quickly and he's doing well with that, I think that's
- 1:23:58probably going to be the best thing for us because Give that
- 1:24:02position is key to all the other blitzing stuff that this defense
- 1:24:08likes to do. So, it's 100% true.
- 1:24:10And on Sean Quinn also said something about how that
- 1:24:14position you have to be a half Superman, which just tells me
- 1:24:18you have to be crazy athletic but it's also a position to me
- 1:24:24and Brian were discussing today. If you have a safety or a
- 1:24:27linebacker, that's a high recruit that seems like the way
- 1:24:31to go. Go after you want to talk about
- 1:24:33starting time, first years, that same position.
- 1:24:35So start thinking about adding a future, you see a stud athletic
- 1:24:39kid out there. You know, undersized linebacker
- 1:24:42at like 2:00 10:00, that might be where they get them.
- 1:24:45Say, this is where you can go and be to debase out because
- 1:24:48you're their athletic and work your way into will of Mike now.
- 1:24:52Get Beacon of Will, and Mike, Bryan, we're split squads.
- 1:24:56So you've been, you've been, we're not, we're going to
- 1:25:00probably see Keller. With Dax probably ski, Sean
- 1:25:03Tisdale. Is this kind of a time for
- 1:25:10Keyshawn, artists to shine? Yeah, I think this is this is
- 1:25:15his opportunity because he wants to take the next step as a
- 1:25:17leader of the line backing unit. This is a great opportunity for
- 1:25:22him because he's not getting those like second team reps
- 1:25:26against second team offenses and things like that.
- 1:25:29He's getting to lead his unit as the mic one.
- 1:25:34On that other Squad. And so that's going to give him
- 1:25:37an opportunity to see if he can be that vocal leader that prize
- 1:25:41talked about because I think tool wise he's as good or better
- 1:25:46than taxes right now and definitely has better instincts.
- 1:25:49So, you know, we'll see what, how that shakes out and that's
- 1:25:53no knock on Dax. I think Dax is a good player,
- 1:25:57but I think dax's role on this team.
- 1:26:01Obviously, I think, That vocal. And that, that being loud and
- 1:26:07understanding how to get everyone where they need to be,
- 1:26:11that's his biggest attribute coming into the fall, does
- 1:26:14artist, take enough of a step forward in that capacity where
- 1:26:18he's going to challenge Dax for that position, yet in the
- 1:26:20calendar, for the position if he doesn't challenge him.
- 1:26:23But does he eat into it? Because remember, he was getting
- 1:26:25some rough last year. One of those words.
- 1:26:28It's not like 85/15. It's, you know, 70/30 like yes,
- 1:26:33it Situation. If you've got to run heavy team
- 1:26:36you probably want artists out there much much more.
- 1:26:39So all right, let's look at safeties next.
- 1:26:43I mean you know we thought people had locked up one of the
- 1:26:48safety position, but then Mike Hawkins gets talked about
- 1:26:51yesterday. So it seems like they're
- 1:26:53battling and they're battling for boundary safety because it
- 1:26:58seems like Jamari Connor has locked up field safety, which I
- 1:27:03think for some people, People, they might be a little bit like,
- 1:27:06oh no he's playing more of a free safety type position.
- 1:27:10Not not down in the box. But you made a point earlier by
- 1:27:15you talked about the guys plate nickel.
- 1:27:17The guys has the guy has covered.
- 1:27:19Does he have some lapses? Yeah but he is a good player in
- 1:27:24that field safety position and we know he's a leader.
- 1:27:27We know he's a dog, we know he has the respect of just about
- 1:27:31everybody in that secondary so When you hear field safety,
- 1:27:35don't get scared, folks. No, it's the guy that has
- 1:27:38already had some of those responsibilities before.
- 1:27:41Yeah, I mean. Yeah, there is, there is some,
- 1:27:44some concerns with I know sometimes.
- 1:27:47There were lapses, in tackling technique, they were lapses in
- 1:27:50coverage, you know, he's going to be asked to probably do less
- 1:27:54in terms of man and locking someone up and more in that
- 1:27:59reading react. And I think the bigger thing is
- 1:28:02that he's still going to be coming down.
- 1:28:03He'll a lot from this position and so you know, look for look
- 1:28:09for that to be something that he's able to do and do pretty
- 1:28:13well. So I'm looking forward to see
- 1:28:15what he can do. They're not necessarily
- 1:28:18concerned by this move but yeah it's something to keep an eye on
- 1:28:21for sure. Yeah and today we really only
- 1:28:23heard three names mentioned from the safety room.
- 1:28:28I'm going to bring something up in just a second as we look at
- 1:28:31Corners here because we also heard today Day.
- 1:28:34I mean it sounds like DJ Harvey has nickel, just locked down and
- 1:28:38there is a nickel package. Yeah, that's what it sounds
- 1:28:42like. It sounds like Harvey's really
- 1:28:43stepped up and is locked in at that nickel, which means it will
- 1:28:47have a true nickel package and based on his bill and stature
- 1:28:50and his skills. I mean, that really matches
- 1:28:55exactly what he what he does. Well, so I think that's going to
- 1:28:58be a good role for him and it also gives him a chance to get a
- 1:29:02good amount of live reps without being thrown into the fire of
- 1:29:06being, you know, a relied upon corner for For the full four
- 1:29:11quarters. Yeah.
- 1:29:13And we kind of mentioned it with the safety, and we mentioned it
- 1:29:15here that we have a reliable forth.
- 1:29:19We heard Armani's name today, we heard prions, and we heard
- 1:29:22Dorian as coaches feeling good about them.
- 1:29:24He mentioned Elijah as making some strides, as well as cam
- 1:29:29Johnson. But then he kind of said, but we
- 1:29:32still need one more. We still need one more and the
- 1:29:37way he kind of phrased, it was in my opinion.
- 1:29:40We Could either go after a field safety, and or a corner.
- 1:29:46So I think we are going to go portal shopping after the spring
- 1:29:51or one of those and some people would say, well, why would it be
- 1:29:55one of the other? If we look at this system,
- 1:29:58Brian. You know, we dived probably do
- 1:30:01than to it a lot of field. Safety responsibility is in
- 1:30:05man-type coverage when they go with the blitz heavy stuff.
- 1:30:12Yeah and I think that's the thing that we're looking at is
- 1:30:14that are they are they looking at bringing in a dog like
- 1:30:21essentially a 1-1 type type player that's in the portal or
- 1:30:26they looking to bring in more of a contributor and locker room
- 1:30:29type player to fill out the depth at either position.
- 1:30:33I don't know if we're looking to upgrade at corner or if we're
- 1:30:37looking to fill out depth I don't know if we're looking to
- 1:30:39upgrade at safety real looking to fill out.
- 1:30:41With at safety. I feel like it's more the
- 1:30:44latter. I think it corner.
- 1:30:46It could be the former, whether it's looking for that true
- 1:30:50leader of the of the secondary to step up or whether it's just
- 1:30:54to, you know, make sure that you've got four super reliable
- 1:30:59players that you can count on. I mean, we know we got, we got
- 1:31:03Marie, we got Chapman, we got Dorian strong, and, you know,
- 1:31:08you got DJ Harvey mixed in there at the nickel, but you Really
- 1:31:12want to have, you know, a solid too deep at the corner there.
- 1:31:17So you got that five counting, the nickel.
- 1:31:19Yeah. Where you can really rely on to
- 1:31:21put them in coverage against any any of the best receivers on the
- 1:31:25other Squad, right? Yeah.
- 1:31:27And when you talk about leader and I've mentioned tomorrow, I
- 1:31:29think Temari for me, he is the guy that probably could emerge
- 1:31:33the leaving the secondary, just because of, you know, his
- 1:31:38personality being a dog. And I think we Will.
- 1:31:44We won't get a chance to see that Saturday, right?
- 1:31:48Because they're not all going to be on the same side but I know
- 1:31:52you'll probably get out there early Brian.
- 1:31:54But who is the guy that's, you know, pumping them up during the
- 1:32:00during the warmup, that's the things I'm looking for because,
- 1:32:03you know, we really feel like at every level you like Dax is the
- 1:32:07leader. You, we're getting this feeling
- 1:32:09a real college really in Garbodor stepping into the
- 1:32:12defensive line room. And the secondary because
- 1:32:15tomorrow, I went back, we're kind of missing that.
- 1:32:19Yeah, that mean battle the council Armani Chapman has been
- 1:32:23both a vocal leader and he's got the skills.
- 1:32:28You know, we've seen inconsistency.
- 1:32:30Be the thing that has dogged him.
- 1:32:33Yeah. During his time at Virginia Tech
- 1:32:35has he cleaned some of that up? And is he able to, you know, be
- 1:32:40that player that leads, by example, but it is also the
- 1:32:44vocal leader for that, that group of cheetahs absent freaky
- 1:32:48And lutely. All right.
- 1:32:50Ron anything breaking additional quotes.
- 1:32:53Anybody tweet. Anything crazy.
- 1:32:56I think we're good to go man. We got, I will let you intro,
- 1:32:59but we got something special to close this thing out.
- 1:33:02Yep. We do.
- 1:33:02So as we wrap up this episode of The Boundary Corner podcast, we
- 1:33:06do have a very special music Premier from our very own Jason
- 1:33:10long. Now before we press play on
- 1:33:14that, we do want to remind you to visit the website, boundary
- 1:33:17Corner, beat t.com and let them do all of our episodes.
- 1:33:21Follow us Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, subscribe on our
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- 1:33:33plays this out. We are premiering tasting,
- 1:33:36Long's new song, This will be out on Spotify and apple music
- 1:33:41in the upcoming days. I want to make a joke to Jason.
- 1:33:45I think Jason watches us, occasionally and feels like
- 1:33:48we're the inside. I don't know where the
- 1:33:50inspiration as the old men yelling at the TV on Saturdays,
- 1:33:54but I'll take it. If we are Jason will also be at
- 1:33:58Grandin farmers market in Roanoke 8 to 12.
- 1:34:00So, if your head to the spring game from Roanoke, drop by
- 1:34:03there, take a look at him but tonight World premiere, Jason,
- 1:34:08long old man yelling. Stevie,
- 1:35:40Stevie, Stevie,