Latest / The Lunch Rush with Trent Condon / David Kaplan talks Bears & Caleb Williams, Bill Seals on the Cyclones & the transfer portal & Mr. Monday Night presented by Circa Sports

Transcript

David Kaplan talks Bears & Caleb Williams, Bill Seals on the Cyclones & the transfer portal & Mr. Monday Night presented by Circa Sports · The Lunch Rush with Trent Condon

0:00
Our number 2 Miller and Condon, welcome back Iowa Sports Radio
0:03
Network wherever you're listening in the state of Iowa.
0:05
If you're just passing through the state of Iowa headed home, I
0:08
trust you had a good holiday season thus far.
0:10
Great Christmas and on Marie head to New Year's Eve.
0:13
Let's head to Chicago. Certainly appreciate our guest
0:16
David Kaplan, Centurion Stone sponsors.
0:18
Cappy. Cappy, thanks for being flexible
0:20
and moving up to today. Really appreciate it.
0:22
Thought that this Bears Niners chance had a chance to be, you
0:25
know, pretty good football game. Little did I know how
0:27
entertained I was ultimately going to end up being, what, a
0:30
football game, Cap. I know it didn't go the Bears
0:32
way. You're not a moral victory guy.
0:35
But man, just watching that, if nothing else, proved that you
0:38
know that this that this team can swim in those type of
0:41
waters. That was really good even in
0:43
defeat, Cap. Yeah, happy holidays to you
0:46
guys, Merry Christmas, Hope you had a great one and happy
0:49
healthy 2026 to all. Yeah, when I did my recap last
0:54
night after the game, I simply said we could be any team
0:59
anywhere, anytime and we have a top ten quarterback right now.
1:06
And you know, I simply challenge.
1:08
I was talking football with Jonathan Hood on radio.
1:11
I was debating with Tommy Waddle today.
1:14
My question to you is when you factor in that he's on a rookie
1:17
deal and you've got three more years of that rookie deal 2 plus
1:22
you'll pick up the 5th year option.
1:25
Tell me who in the NFL you would take over him going forward.
1:28
I'm not talking about for one game, I'm not talking about for
1:32
the next, you know, playoff run. I'm talking about I'll drop him
1:36
on your roster right now. Tell me the quarterback you
1:40
would take ahead of Caleb would. Maybe Drake made but.
1:43
And I think that's the only one that you may even come up with a
1:45
competent response to. Yeah.
1:48
Yeah, and Drake May's having a hell of a year, so I don't think
1:51
you could go wrong either way. The way that the bears are built
1:55
in, the way that Caleb can improvise, he's got a better arm
1:59
than Drake May. He may not be as accurate as
2:01
Drake May, that's for sure. At this point, I'll take Caleb.
2:06
I still. People laughed at me when I said
2:10
a few weeks ago, if the Bears were redrafting the 2024 NFL
2:16
Draft, even if they were redrafting at the end of last
2:19
season, I said this, that they would take Caleb Williams over
2:23
Jayden Daniels. We were like, oh, you're out of
2:25
your mind. Jayden Daniels wouldn't go in
2:27
the top 2 again. It would be Caleb 1, Drake May 2
2:32
or Drake May 1, Caleb 2, depending on who's doing the
2:35
picking. But if Ben Johnson and the Bears
2:38
and Ryan Poles were drafted, they'd take Caleb Williams 1A
2:42
again. As they should.
2:45
I just couldn't be. Yeah, there's the throws that
2:47
leave you pull your hair out and scratch your head.
2:49
How did that happen? But overall, just the total body
2:52
of work and what's still to come.
2:53
I mean, kept. They're still upside with this
2:55
guy. He's not a finished product and
2:57
and that's what makes it even more.
2:58
Exciting. Yeah, I Collin's work was
3:00
talking about it last night. Just Ben Johnson made a tough
3:03
dorm during training camp, made it difficult on him.
3:06
So by the time they get to this point, it's not going to be
3:08
difficult. But now think of a full
3:10
offseason with Ben Johnson and everything that they know.
3:12
That's what makes this even more exciting, not just the here and
3:15
now, but the future. And as you talked about this
3:17
window that's going to be open the next three years.
3:21
Yeah, I mean, look, they're going to end up paying this dude
3:23
and he's going to get paid a fortune of money.
3:26
He's going to be our guy for a long, long time now if you don't
3:31
win a Super Bowl with him then. People will go well you.
3:34
Failed. You didn't get to the ultimate,
3:36
and I subscribed to that philosophy.
3:38
You're in it to win it. And if you don't get a ring, in
3:41
the end, you failed. You got to get a ring like
3:45
Detroit. They've had a nice run.
3:47
Guess what they failed so far. They didn't get where everyone
3:50
thought they were going to get to.
3:53
But this guy has played 16 games with Ben Johnson.
3:57
That's it. Jordan Love, he said.
4:00
Six years with the same play caller in the same system with
4:04
Matt Lafleur. I would love to know what Caleb
4:08
Williams is going to be like. Six years with Ben Johnson.
4:12
I think he's going to be maybe the top guy in the sport at that
4:15
point in time, but we'll see. Fascinating stuff, Cap.
4:20
Luther Burden I guess. Any update on him?
4:23
I saw I think was, Schefter said.
4:25
Maybe they dodged a bullet. What have you heard when it
4:27
comes to their second round pick?
4:30
The first of two second round picks.
4:31
They got the other one right too.
4:32
What's his name? The lineman Trapezo Trapillo.
4:37
Ozzy. Trapillo, Trapillo.
4:38
They got that right obviously. Loveland looks like a great pick
4:40
as well, but Burden was carted off late in the game.
4:43
Cap any update? Yeah, I heard it was nothing.
4:46
It was good exhaustion. And you know, he's trying to
4:51
play through the ankle that he was out last week with.
4:54
So yeah, I've heard again, they're going to do more imaging
4:58
today is what I was told, and I'm waiting to get that.
5:02
But from what I've heard, they dodged the bullet.
5:04
He's OK. Tell us a little bit about the
5:06
sickness, the illness that was coming through the team and
5:10
going from a couple of different guys that were late getting
5:13
there just because they're going through treatment, all the
5:14
different things. When did that come to the
5:16
forefront kind of the of you? And it was a holiday weekend.
5:19
I didn't know about it until, I don't know, an hour before the
5:22
game that so many of these guys were banged up.
5:23
And and also what what it says about this team to be right
5:26
there and be a play away with so many guys sick.
5:30
Yeah, DJ Moore was not in a good place.
5:33
Darnell Wright did not travel with the team.
5:36
And to show you how different business is being done by the
5:40
Bears, this is a franchise that did not allow their own general
5:44
manager to fly first class $8.8 billion franchise valuation.
5:50
I might add billions with AB. Nope, we only fly coach.
5:54
They flew Dan Quinn in for his interview, middle seat back row
5:59
of the plane and coach and he was furious, considered not even
6:04
getting on the plane. That's just not how NFL teams
6:08
operate. They just don't, you know, 98%
6:12
of them the owner has his own plane anyway and they just use
6:16
that. Well, George Mccaskey doesn't
6:18
own a plane. His only business.
6:20
He didn't make billions of dollars in industry, in business
6:24
and then by a team. He grew up.
6:27
He was the ticket manager and he worked for the organization that
6:31
that's just, they live in the same small house out in the
6:35
sticks of Illinois. Sycamore, His late mother,
6:40
Virginia, she lived in the same house for like 60 or 70 years.
6:45
Like, they're not the craft, they're not the cronkies,
6:49
They're not like these conglomerates that own these
6:52
teams. And so when I heard Darnell
6:55
Wright's flying on a charter, they chartered a plane to bring
6:59
their right tackle. I went, OK, Kevin Warren, you
7:02
may not have gotten the stadium deal done yet, but you have got
7:05
George to a place where we're operating like a big boy market
7:09
now. That's super cool to see.
7:11
So the difference between they can hold on to the two, how far
7:15
can they fall, and what's what's optimum cap?
7:19
Keep the two and play the Packers because it looks like
7:21
they're locked in at 7. Well, there's a few things that
7:27
could happen. You could end up with the
7:29
Eagles. You could some weird scenario,
7:32
end up with the Rams, but it's most likely you're going to be
7:36
hosting the Green Bay Packers in two weeks.
7:39
I love it. Bring it on.
7:41
Absolutely. The banged up Packers, how rough
7:44
that it certainly looks for them and the injury front and it'll
7:47
be a rubber match, but definitely does not feel that
7:49
way. Have to feel good about that
7:51
situation. What about in that second game,
7:53
say they do get past the Packers and do you want to see the
7:56
Eagles again? They become to Chicago in that
7:58
scenario, obviously a very good defense.
8:01
But what we saw, what they did to them on Black Friday, Is that
8:03
who you want top of your wish list, or would you rather see
8:06
like a team like the Rams happen to come into Chicago in January?
8:11
I'm good with whatever you know, you, you, you can say, oh boy, I
8:17
don't want to play Philly. They're really good with Saquon
8:19
Barkley and the next thing you know, Philly ends up being the
8:24
team that goes out quick and the team you thought you wanted to
8:27
get. Look, you're not going to be
8:29
able to get the Raiders. They're not coming here.
8:32
We're not going to have them. We're not going to get one of
8:35
the worst teams in the NFL. You're going to play a good
8:38
team. So whoever, I'll take it,
8:39
whoever we play, bring it on. Let's go line them up and let's
8:44
try and beat them. Yeah, I truly believe Cap, this
8:47
is as wide open as a playoff for both conferences, the AFC and
8:50
then the NFC that I can recall in a long, a long time.
8:53
There's really no dominant team. You can poke a hole seemingly in
8:58
all of them. So other than other than Bird
9:00
nude, looks like he dodged a bullet.
9:01
And obviously the sickness that was prevalent in the locker room
9:05
prior to the game. No significant injuries going
9:08
into the final week of the regular season.
9:11
No, I mean you saw Roma doomsday out and I don't.
9:15
I will be shocked, shocked that they let him play next week.
9:20
Even if he says he's ready to go.
9:22
Why would you do that? I mean, I need Roma Doomsday to
9:26
be ready to go the first week of the playoffs if possible.
9:31
Like if Kyler Gordon comes off IR, you're not playing him next
9:35
week. You're just not.
9:37
You're going to save him and say, all right, we're going to
9:41
take a shot and see if you can play in the playoffs for us.
9:44
That's where I think it's headed.
9:45
So I think there'll be some guys who will sit what they do with
9:52
Jalen Johnson, some of these guys that have dealt with major
9:55
injury during the season. Do you play those guys?
9:59
I mean, I think they're going to start Caleb Williams.
10:01
That's the way I'm being told they're going to play.
10:05
So we'll see. One who go to the final play
10:08
last night as they do the hook and ladder get to the ball.
10:11
I thought they could have maybe spiked a little quicker, got to
10:14
the ball, got on there and maybe hopefully got 2 plays off and
10:17
last that didn't happen. I know there's some talk out
10:19
there that the alignment was off.
10:21
I love that Ben Johnson took accountability, something that a
10:24
lot of head coaches don't. He did said I didn't get the
10:26
play in quick enough and you saw that was kind of a fire drill at
10:28
the end. They're trying to just get that
10:30
snap off in time. As you look back on it, should
10:33
Caleb Williams, knowing that they didn't have the alignment
10:35
the way, just spiked it and there would have been 2 seconds
10:37
left and take one final play. Did you like the way that that
10:40
played out and the possibility of Caleb Williams or is that
10:43
just asking too much out of your quarterback?
10:47
Look, he's a young quarterback, he's trying to learn on the fly,
10:51
and Ben took accountability. I'm sure 2-3 years from now
10:56
Caleb is going to be a different guy.
10:59
You know, I remember being thrown into a show that had
11:03
nothing to do with sports on like 30 seconds notice.
11:07
Oh God, the host just got sick. Can you host a show?
11:10
I'm not kidding you on the effect the US government had on
11:16
wars in France. That was literally the topic.
11:19
And I'm like, excuse me? They're like, yeah, this author
11:24
flew in and you've got to handle that show and you're on in 30
11:27
seconds. I just finished my sports show.
11:29
I was packing up the leap and I said OK let me see the book.
11:35
We don't have it. The guy who's hosting the show
11:38
who called in sick just now took it home with him.
11:41
So I go to the old Google machine and I just googled the
11:45
author and guess what? It was a 2 hour show by myself
11:50
with a guy who I met 8 seconds before I went on the air.
11:53
And somehow, someway, you fuck figure it out, but you're on the
11:57
fly. Well, today I would be much
12:00
calmer and figure out how to handle that.
12:03
That my point is you get thrown in these situations, Caleb
12:07
Williams, he's not prepared for. Oh, God, the clock's running
12:11
down. You panic.
12:12
You're young. If that's Caleb Williams and
12:15
he's 31 years old and he's won a Super Bowl and he's that dude,
12:20
he handles it a whole lot different.
12:22
I was OK with how things went down.
12:25
Ben took accountability. I just wish we would have had
12:28
two different plays, but. Yeah, give Robert Sala some
12:31
creditors as well as they were able to to shut that down.
12:34
Did you see DJ Moore wide open? Yes, yeah, yeah, Had a.
12:38
Bit of heck of a throw. It would have been.
12:39
The other end and I'm like hey dude, why don't you Sprint over
12:42
to at least like the goal posts and make it a potentially good
12:47
throw. Want to wrap up the Bears
12:50
conversation with the defense and Shanahan and Purdy and
12:53
McCaffrey. They were doing basically
12:56
whatever they wanted. They lose Trent Williams,
12:57
there's no George Kittle. How concerned are you with this
13:00
defense and in the spot? They got a couple of stops, but
13:03
not a whole lot of them that this team can be a playoff
13:06
defense. I can get them 456 stops over
13:09
the course of a game come playoff time.
13:13
Look, you're not going to fix this defense until the
13:16
offseason. That's just a fact.
13:18
You can't fix everything. In every offseason.
13:21
They fix the offensive line and it's the best probably in the
13:24
National Football League. It you're not going to fix this
13:28
defense, Kyler Gordon coming back makes you better and a
13:33
little bit of rest perhaps knowing you, you're in.
13:36
Maybe some guys won't play next week.
13:38
We'll see what Ben ends up doing, but this defense is
13:42
basically what it is. Guys are going to have to step
13:46
up and make more plays. Montez, what's paid as an elite
13:50
superstar pass rusher, He's not He's good.
13:53
He's fine. You need another beast on the
13:56
other edge. He's not Michael Parsons never
13:58
will be. He's not Miles Garrett, never
14:01
will be. He's not TJ Watt, never will be.
14:04
So that stuff's going to come in the offseason.
14:07
The defense is what the defense is.
14:08
They've had good days. You know people.
14:11
Last week the Bears came back and beat the Packers, but guess
14:14
what? They held him to 16 points.
14:17
They were not horrible against Green Bay.
14:19
They were not good last night. Speaking of fixing things in the
14:23
offseason, have the Cubs fixed their bullpen?
14:25
Hunter Harvey the latest. He's always hurt captain when he
14:29
does. Told the rubber he's pretty darn
14:30
good. He's a flamethrower.
14:32
Your thoughts on the Cubs as they tried to retool their
14:35
bullpen in advance of spring training, which is 6 weeks away,
14:39
boys. It's crazy now.
14:41
They still haven't fixed their rotation.
14:43
They've got to get another elite arm in there.
14:47
If they don't, then they're telling me they're not as
14:49
serious as I thought they were going to be to win the World
14:53
Series. That's just a fact now.
14:55
Framer Valdez is still out there.
14:58
Emai, the Japanese pitcher, is still out there.
15:01
And I believe they've got what, 10/12/15 days?
15:06
And then his posting window closes so he doesn't sign.
15:09
He can't come over here this year, so he's going to sign
15:12
somewhere. And I know the Cubs are in
15:14
there. I don't know how you know what
15:17
level they're willing to go to. Now, if the Dodgers decide
15:21
they're going to take him to, then you're not going to get
15:25
beat because they, it's like having somebody else's credit
15:28
card. You don't care what the bill is.
15:30
You just keep running it up because they got so much money
15:33
to spend. But if they bring him in, too,
15:36
and I keep hearing the kid doesn't want to pitch for the
15:38
Dodgers. Supposedly he told somebody at
15:42
the winter meetings, yeah, I want to beat the Dodgers.
15:45
I don't want to join them. I want to beat them.
15:47
So when I hear that, bring it on.
15:50
Let's go bring him in. If he's that good.
15:52
I don't know what their Scotty reports say.
15:54
I know he throws 99 miles an hour and I would love to have
15:57
him if he's what they think he is, but if they don't have more
16:01
starting pitching, they're not serious.
16:03
Not knowing obviously what's going to happen the rest of the
16:05
way with free agency. Is it a three team race in the
16:08
Central this year? Is it the Brewers, the Reds and
16:10
the Cubs and Cardinals? Pirates.
16:12
Good luck next year. I mean, anytime you've got Paul
16:16
schemes, I know they made a few signings.
16:19
They don't spend a lot in Pittsburgh, like like anything
16:23
can happen. But if you are a Cardinals fan,
16:27
good luck to you because they have basically told you we are
16:31
not trying, we're rebuilding. That's it.
16:35
So you're probably right this the Cubs should win the
16:38
division, and if they don't, shame on them.
16:40
And. The Brewers will manage just
16:42
every time, every year. Such a good organization, well
16:46
managed. Capra, good stuff again, pal,
16:48
Thanks for doing this for us on a Monday.
16:50
We'll talk to you the following Wednesday.
16:52
So have a wonderful new year, New Year's Eve into the new year
16:56
and we'll talk to you. We'll know where the Bears, who
16:58
the Bears are going to host on either Saturday, Sunday or
17:01
Monday of that weekend. Thank you pal.
17:03
Appreciate. It going to be cool, happy,
17:05
healthy to everybody out there. I love being on with you.
17:08
Thank you, pal. Good to talk to you David Kaplan
17:10
as we check in on the Bears and the Cubs etcetera with our buddy
17:14
Cappy. I do want to Jeff Holder, my
17:17
buddy just sent me this 2022 quarterback draft class.
17:20
It's it's remarkable. First of all, I want to read and
17:23
and let you know about our sponsor here, Centurion Stone of
17:26
Iowa. They make Cappy possible on a
17:28
weekly basis. They have the premier selection
17:31
of stone veneer, stone veneer. If you're looking for
17:33
manufactured or natural stone, of course they've got natural
17:36
stone, but they're manufactured stone is that is a centurion
17:40
stone. It's got the look and feel of
17:41
natural stone over 200 different color and pattern combinations.
17:45
Check them out. If you have a project, once the
17:47
snow leaves, you want to get outside, do something in the
17:49
backyard or inside the house as well.
17:51
Centurion stone of Iowa. The showroom is 5525 NE 22nd St.
17:56
in Des Moines, 5525 NE 22nd St. in Des Moines.
18:00
So here is a recap of the 2022 quarterback class.
18:05
That right, these guys were drafted.
18:08
Kenny Pickett was the first pick, first quarterback off the
18:10
board. He went about 15, if memory
18:12
serves, somewhere in that area. Then Malik Willis was 2 and then
18:16
he's turned out. I think he'll start for
18:18
somebody. Next year I think so too.
18:19
He's going to have a Justin Fields type chance.
18:21
I'm with you, a bridge quarterback.
18:23
Yes, Desmond Ritter was the third quarterback taken.
18:26
Matt Carell was the 4th, then Bailey Zappy, Sam Howe, Chris
18:30
Oladukan, who we just saw on Christmas night against Denver,
18:33
Skylar Thompson, and then the very last person taken in the
18:36
entire draft, Brock Purdy. I mean, look at those
18:39
quarterbacks that went The only one that's got a chance to play
18:42
in the league other than Purdy is Malik Willis.
18:45
Yeah. Right.
18:47
Only Dukan you. Didn't see enough.
18:49
I mean, no, he did some things. He did some things, but a
18:54
backup. Yeah, but a backup best case in
18:55
it, right, Right. I think Willis could start.
18:58
Skylar Thompson had a couple of moments, a couple couple of
19:01
moments, Zappy had. Nothing there maybe.
19:04
Yeah, a couple of moments, but that's it.
19:05
How? Yeah, Matt Corral forgot about
19:08
that move. It's that was out of.
19:10
Nowhere. I would love to be able to go
19:12
back and listen to me talking about this quarterback who I
19:14
liked. Oh yeah, I don't remember who I.
19:16
Liked Did you like Pickett? I don't.
19:18
Think so. I don't know if I.
19:19
Liked anybody so? I will say this, I said there's
19:22
no way in hell Brock Purge is going to throw it past the NFL.
19:24
Whoops. I wasn't alone.
19:25
No, I was went right down that path with you.
19:28
He doesn't have a strong enough arm, right?
19:29
Not going to happen. I was a Malik Willis guy.
19:32
Loved him at Liberty. Yeah.
19:33
Yeah, but. Yeah.
19:37
Starter bridge. And if you don't have one, you
19:41
don't have a chance. The Niners got one that is for
19:43
certain. All right, we'll take your time
19:45
out. Bill Seals will join us on the
19:47
other side. The latest on Iowa State.
19:48
They'll play their final non con game tonight and then they hit
19:53
the road for Big 12 play. The lid lifter is they'll head
19:56
to Morgantown 8:00 on Friday night which is weird but for
19:59
fits for me. And we got basketball tonight or
20:03
this afternoon starting. Woohoo Iowa, they played this
20:06
afternoon. I thought it was.
20:07
Tonight UMass lol 4:00 tip off on BTN.
20:10
'S got it. I know that good.
20:12
And 7:00 for Houston Christian and I will stay up.
20:16
Have you looked ahead to next week starting Thursday?
20:19
So. No, that's that's a huge thing
20:21
that is happening. So we have a college football
20:23
semifinal on Thursday Yes, we have a college football
20:26
semifinal on Friday, wild card Saturday, wild card Sunday, and
20:30
a wild card Monday. Wow, that's five pretty darn
20:34
good days of. Football.
20:36
Where will they put if we get Bears, Packers in the playoff?
20:40
What window is that going to get?
20:41
Well, I hope it's Monday night. Monday light, Monday night stand
20:45
alone. Is there another?
20:47
Let me look, is there New England would host.
20:50
Jacksonville would host. Baltimore would host in the NFC,
20:55
Bears would host, Eagles would host.
20:57
And you want to say Carolina? Yeah.
20:59
OK, Carolina would be the let's get this out of the way.
21:03
Yeah, they're, they're like the early Saturday game.
21:05
Amazon. They're Houston Texans of of of
21:07
past years. And then who gets the Sunday
21:12
night and who gets the Monday night?
21:14
Packers Bears because of the tradition.
21:16
Well, and we don't know how the selection process works, do we?
21:19
I don't know where Fox and CBS get their first picks first.
21:22
Does the NFL the. NFL just hand them.
21:24
They dictate everything. That's a great.
21:26
Question, Trent. Because Rams Vikings last year
21:28
was good, but I don't think it was the headliner.
21:31
I don't think Monday usually gets the headliner.
21:33
Now that's just off memory, but it doesn't feel like it.
21:35
Was brand new last year, wasn't it?
21:37
I think you're #2 was it 2? I want to say that I think
21:42
Bears, Packers would be that feels like that Fox 330.
21:46
Probably so. That that one, that where that
21:48
one's going to sit, that that's the likelihood.
21:51
So we'll get a 330 and a 7:15 on Saturday, a noon 33715 on
21:58
Sunday, and then Monday Night Football.
21:59
Yeah, 3:30 and 7:00 Saturday, noon 33715 Sunday and then 7:15
22:05
Monday. And appreciated Thursday and
22:07
Friday night by a semi final. One thing that they've also
22:10
changed that I love is now in the divisional round, they have
22:12
it set up the Sunday, just like the times that we get for the
22:16
AFC Championship, 2 and 5:30 I think.
22:18
Last, there's 1 I think. They did.
22:20
Yep. I'm with you, Bill Seals next.
22:22
Miller and Condon talking sports with you.
22:23
Glad you're with us wherever listening in the state of Iowa
22:25
and the Iowa Sports Radio Network.
22:28
Hi, Miller. Condon, welcome back.
22:30
Just past 130 on a Monday, Top of the hour off the bench.
22:34
Sean Roberts, Lucas Strain, both in studio today.
22:37
They will take you until 5:00. So here's what's coming up.
22:40
We have the mornings on, everybody's here tomorrow,
22:44
Wednesday, just the morning show first quarter and then we're off
22:48
and the boys are off. Yes.
22:51
We're both off on on on Wednesday.
22:54
Nobody works on Thursday, we're all back on Friday, if I got
22:56
that. Right.
22:57
Sounds right to me. It does to me, too.
22:58
Let's get the Bill Seals in here.
23:00
He's been a busy guy. Never seen anything like it,
23:03
Bill, just watching this transfer portal, just a one
23:06
cyclone seemingly after another. I think you've got the number at
23:09
40. Now.
23:10
Obviously this is something it's it's new in college athletics.
23:15
It's just different, right? And we don't know how it's going
23:17
to play out. Obviously, the portal opens on
23:20
Friday. And while you lose guys, you can
23:22
also get guys. So that's the positive that's
23:24
out there. But just uncharted times, Bill,
23:27
in your world, like it isn't for Trent and myself.
23:30
Yeah, I mean it's it's unlike I've ever anything I've ever
23:33
seen before. And and I've started doing this
23:36
in 1999. Kenny, you were I think newer to
23:40
the market and as well. So, yeah, I mean, it's just,
23:45
it's unlike anything that I've ever seen that it's been a a
23:48
constant stream of drawn out transfer portal entry
23:53
announcements over the last what, probably 2 weeks?
23:57
It's hard to believe Rocco backed it seems like his
24:00
announcement was like months ago and he was one of the first then
24:05
we're up to 40 now. So I mean, it's, it's an
24:09
interesting approach. I think you, you're probably
24:11
going to get the, the whole, you know, there's two sides to every
24:14
story on this whole thing, whether it's kids that were,
24:19
are, are following Matt Campbell to Penn State.
24:21
I, I'm, it's not going to be 40, It's probably not even going to
24:24
be half of that number. I, I don't think so.
24:28
You know, you're going to get the, the group of loyalists to
24:31
him that are, are going to go out to Happy Valley and then
24:33
you're going to have a large percentage of these guys that
24:36
end up elsewhere. So that brings you back, back to
24:39
the question like why, Why couldn't it work for those guys
24:43
at Iowa State? So, and you know, maybe, maybe
24:46
it's a thing of Jimmy Rogers wanting to hit the reset button
24:50
as well and get all his own guys.
24:52
Then he did a lot of that last year at Washington Stadium and
24:58
only ended up being there one season.
25:00
But I think he had, well, he's told the story a few times about
25:03
how he arrived there. There were like 40 or 50 in the
25:06
portal already. I think shortly thereafter that
25:10
grew into the 60s and he did a complete reset there.
25:14
So he's had experience doing it. Maybe that's the, the way he
25:18
wants this thing to go. But I, I don't, I don't know how
25:22
this thing's going to work out. January is going to be be a
25:24
blur. You know, Iowa State under Matt
25:27
Campbell, they always were left to hit the portal very heavily
25:31
and they were kind of averse to doing that.
25:34
Really, they just fill a few holes while there's a lot of
25:36
holes to fill this year and the Iowa State will deal with their
25:40
what, 1414 and a half million dollars, I think a Rev share and
25:45
and try and fill a whole lot of spots in this roster in the in
25:49
the next, what, 4-4 or five weeks?
25:53
There's been so much conversation about the departing
25:55
guys, the 40 guys on your list, Bill, that have made it known
25:58
that they're going to be entering the portal come Friday.
26:00
What name that's been out there possibly coming the other way at
26:03
the quarterback position is Jalen Rayner, of course, saw him
26:06
at Arkansas State this past season.
26:08
Guy that's been around there has been successful in the Sunbelt
26:11
and has put together a couple of nice seasons this year, 19
26:14
touchdowns against 11 interceptions threw for almost
26:16
3400 yards. What can you tell us about
26:19
Rayner and is that maybe at the top of their wish list right now
26:22
of the names that what we know in the portal?
26:25
Well, yeah, I think he's the obvious one that everybody is is
26:28
kind of talking about right now. You know, there's there's the
26:33
the connection to I think with the the quarterbacks coach Keith
26:37
Heckendorf, that hasn't been announced by Iowa State yet, but
26:41
it's been I think it's it's the foregone conclusion He's going
26:44
to be the Q BS coach he was at Arkansas State.
26:47
He was the offensive coordinator as well as as coaching Rayner at
26:52
that position. And I think that kind of the
26:54
more and more we get into this, what this offense is going to
26:58
look like at Iowa State next season, they're going to have to
27:02
you got to be a mobile quarterback, someone that can
27:05
run, make plays and and with your legs.
27:09
I think Raynor did a lot of that, put up good rushing
27:12
numbers also. Well, you saw it in the game
27:15
against Iowa State down there in in September.
27:18
So I think when you when you look at what a quarterback's
27:22
probably going to look like in this Tyler Roll offense probably
27:25
looks a lot like Jalen Rayner and what he brings to the table.
27:28
So I think that would be a a good fit.
27:31
Of the roster that that what the planet Oklahoma State the final
27:35
regular season game and that's still that's still as far as we
27:40
know a part of the team. What's the biggest name or who's
27:43
the biggest name That's still we're still waiting.
27:45
What might it be, Abu Sama Bill? Give me a name or two that
27:49
you're waiting for, whether they're going to stay or whether
27:52
they're going to move on. Well, yeah, I mean that Abu
27:57
seems like all the other guys with starting experience have
28:00
gone, but I don't know about Abu.
28:03
I think he if there's any of these guys, it's probably going
28:07
to stay put. I think it's him.
28:09
He's very close to his family is his his brother's cousin saying
28:14
he's very it's a very close tight knit family unit there.
28:18
So he's one guy I could see stay and put No one probably maybe
28:23
that Chase so well at wide receiver.
28:26
He hasn't officially come out yet.
28:28
I think there's been rumors floating out there that he's
28:30
going to head to the portal. But then again, he's wide
28:34
receiver number one right now. So and he's already been at what
28:39
Colorado, East Carolina, Now he's in Iowa State.
28:43
Does he really want to push the reset button program wise or or
28:47
school wise and go to a fourth school or does he want to maybe
28:51
see how this thing goes at Iowa State and be the the X wide
28:56
receiver that the number one guy.
28:58
So that's probably the the the two on offense.
29:02
I think everybody's kind of waiting to see with a little
29:05
bit. We did get the news that Elijah
29:07
Carnell he'll enter. That was the most recent one
29:11
added to the transfer portal tracker at cyclone report.
29:15
So then you looked up up and down the the rest of that.
29:19
Probably not any any guys that I'm really waiting on.
29:23
It's just been the starters are pretty much all gone.
29:27
There's guys that have had starting experience, but not
29:30
like guys that started an entire season or multiple seasons.
29:34
All those guys are gone. And then you know, the 2026
29:38
Class 2 still waiting to hear kind of on a few of those guys
29:42
as well. Some of them have come out and
29:44
and said that they're staying put.
29:46
Daniel Howard, I thought he was one of the best that they signed
29:50
on December 3rd with Campbell as the head coach and Jimmy Rogers
29:55
talked about needing to to bulk up at the defensive line
29:58
position. I think Howard still is on the
30:01
fence a little bit, but gosh, he'd be a foundational guy.
30:04
I think they they need to get in the program.
30:07
New portal window opens on Friday.
30:09
It will end on the 16th. Is that hard and fast?
30:13
Like once the 16th hit, you can't go anywhere else.
30:16
I know you can't enter the portal.
30:18
Do you know kind of the insurance and outs though of
30:19
that part of it Once we get to the 16th is is it over or is
30:23
this thing going to trickle and maybe you're going to be a week
30:26
late starting for classes and registering for classes and that
30:28
kind of thing. How this treats for portals
30:30
exactly going to look because trying to put together this
30:32
roster in two weeks, boy that looks tough.
30:35
Yeah, yeah, I, I, I think that guys, what my understanding is
30:40
they have two weeks to get in and announce, but I think you're
30:44
still going to see commitments and additions well after that.
30:48
Guys that are not going to come in January, guys that are going
30:53
to join the program over the summer, there's not really a
30:55
window for that. There's just that two weeks
30:59
there that they've got to get officially get into the portal
31:03
to, to go elsewhere. I think you're going to see a
31:06
steady stream of visits though in in January.
31:09
I think that's pretty much the entire month of January's open
31:13
as far as visits go. So they'll be able to have an
31:17
number of those portal entries in to to see aims.
31:21
I think that's kind of the one of the the things right now with
31:24
these commitments that they've gotten from guys that signed
31:28
with Washington state, None of those 2026 guys have seen AIMS
31:33
at all. So I think there's kind of an
31:34
unsettling feeling, I guess maybe if you're a Cyclone fan or
31:39
or someone that's covered recruiting as long as I have
31:42
when you're bringing in so many of those guys that have not
31:45
physically been on campus before.
31:48
It's just going to be interesting to see once those
31:50
guys, I would assume some of those 2020 sixes, the ones that
31:54
don't sign in January and arrive, are going to want to see
31:57
Iowa State at some point. So, yeah, I mean, it's going to
32:02
be a busy stretch there. We haven't even talked about
32:05
like what they're going to do with junior days because
32:07
typically a lot of the 2020 sevens will come in in January
32:12
as well. That's a big recruiting month
32:14
and a lot of the focus is going to be on the portal,
32:17
unfortunately. And that kind of puts the staff
32:19
a little bit behind the 8 ball as if they weren't already as
32:23
far as recruiting that 2027. Class A couple more minutes with
32:27
Bill Seals, cyclonereport.com part of on three media, one name
32:31
on the defensive side of the ball and Trent and I both we saw
32:34
some things from Van Denter, a little attitude from him, if
32:38
nothing else, right? What's what are his plans?
32:41
Have we heard from Carson Van Denter whether he's staying or
32:44
whether he's going? I would imagine that Van Denter
32:48
will probably stay. We haven't seen anything from
32:51
him. I've got a total of nine guys
32:54
right now, defensive backs that are our scholarship guys in my
32:59
pipeline. And you can find that on the
33:00
front page of my site as well. It gives a nice rundown by class
33:05
of what they've got coming back. So yeah, I mean, Van Denter, I
33:09
own Surge. This is probably a guy that's
33:11
going to stay put. I would, I would think Benny
33:15
Nagoya, haven't seen any hang on him.
33:17
David Coffey, those are your 4 juniors and seniors next year.
33:21
And, and you've got to guess, yeah, they're going to go back.
33:24
They're going to go from 5 to 4 defensive backs, but they've
33:27
still got to have some of those guys.
33:29
I would think that they retained in addition to the influx that
33:32
we'll see out of the portal. I don't think for me over to
33:36
basketball another number. Three team in the country
33:38
haven't even brought them up right they're.
33:41
Favoured by 35 1/2 right now over Houston.
33:44
Was a Christian Baptist, whatever it is.
33:46
What are you looking for tonight though?
33:49
Well, you know, it's an interesting thing I saw on on
33:52
Twitter or X this morning that Kansas State was a Kansas State
33:57
and Houston Christian have a common opponent.
33:59
I think it was was one of the Louisiana directional schools.
34:04
Well, Houston Christian scored more a higher point differential
34:09
than Kansas State against that team.
34:10
I thought that was interesting. But you know, Houston Christian,
34:13
they've got an sounds like a guy with Iowa roots as the the head
34:18
coach down there, Craig Craig Dodie.
34:20
So that's always interesting kind of a local match up there.
34:23
But you know, this is this is the last non conference by game
34:28
that we're going to have to cover here.
34:30
So I think it's just getting as many guys on the floor as you
34:34
can getting through this game healthy.
34:37
And again, it's it's a team that's in the two 80s and Ken
34:41
Palm. They're better probably than
34:43
some of these by game teams that they played.
34:46
So yeah, I mean, it's just kind of getting through this one and
34:49
and getting prepared for West Virginia.
34:51
I think the Big 12 season steps up really well for ISU 3.
34:56
Very winnable games the the first couple weeks of January
34:59
and then that date I'm sure circled on the calendar for a
35:02
lot of us at Lawrence, KS January 13th.
35:06
If they get through that Bill, I can and we can both find a path
35:10
to get this team unbeaten into the month of February, which is
35:13
bananas. But.
35:13
Makes you wonder. It does.
35:15
Absolutely. Does Bill still
35:16
cyclonereport.com part of on three media?
35:19
Bill, I don't, I'm not going to ask you what you got going on.
35:22
I can see it on the front page of your side.
35:24
It's unbelievable. When we talk on Monday next
35:27
week, I'm guessing you'll have lots of news to share with us
35:30
and our audience. Thank you, Bill Seals.
35:32
Happy new year, Bill. Thanks.
35:33
For doing this, Happy new year guys, take care.
35:35
Good to talk to you, Bill Seals, as we catch up on Iowa State
35:39
comings and goings and soon there'll be some comings to
35:42
soften the blow just a little bit.
35:43
I feel for Cyclone fans. I do it's.
35:45
Just unthinkable. It really and truly is watching
35:48
this roster just poof gone and all the times and all the highs
35:51
that Campbell LED the program to and boom.
35:54
Anyways, we'll come back. Mr. Monday nights had some highs
35:57
lows, but he's got a chance to go out on a winning note at
36:00
least this Monday. How do you see this game?
36:04
What what do the Rams have to play for?
36:07
Very little. Well, here's the one I guess
36:11
aspect that they do have. They have Atlanta's first round
36:14
pick. Are you aware of that?
36:15
Oh, really? So if they keep the Atlanta
36:17
down, maybe that pick is the 8th overall instead of the 12th.
36:22
I'm I'm reaching for straws. Trent, your Mr. Monday night's
36:26
pick is next. It's the Iowa sports radio
36:27
network. I'm Lori Con, the final couple
36:30
of minutes of our program coming up next off the bench.
36:33
Lucas is off today. Just Sean Roberts, Connor
36:36
Ferguson, They'll take you until 5:00, 5 to 6.
36:40
Overtime, Iowa. All right, Mr. Monday night,
36:42
let's end the regular season. Still have one more the playoff
36:45
game. National championship game.
36:48
That's a Monday as well. Mr. Monday Night owns the
36:51
national championship in that Monday night.
36:54
All right, what are you going to do?
36:55
What's the number? Is it under a touchdown?
36:57
It's 7 1/2, there's some sevens in the market, 7 1/2 not juiced
37:01
everywhere. So take the points.
37:04
That's what Mr. Monday Night does, and he's going to do the
37:06
same here. The Rams, we've seen this last
37:09
year, remember, McVeigh in Week 18 had nothing to play for.
37:12
What did they do then? Play their guys?
37:15
Are we sure Puka's going to go tonight?
37:18
No. Are we sure Stafford's going to
37:20
go the full frame? I.
37:22
Mean they're almost locked to the five seat, are they not?
37:24
Basically they can't get up to the one no because of that.
37:29
Keep an eye on it. And Atlanta's still alive.
37:32
There's no they're not alive. They're eliminated from playoff
37:35
contention. They though if they win their
37:37
final two games right, then Carolina automatically would get
37:42
the playoffs. So Tampa could win Saturday
37:45
afternoon into the evening. OK.
37:47
Yet if the Falcons win tonight, the Falcons win their final
37:50
game, Carolina would still be in.
37:53
That's what it. Is that's what it is.
37:54
Atlanta's out, but. 6 to 9. They could still help the
37:58
Panthers get there, but the Panthers game already be played.
38:01
That's true. Could you imagine being the
38:03
Bucks? Oh no, you win that game and now
38:06
you have to hope after Atlanta. Assuming Atlanta wins.
38:09
Tonight holds the upset tonight. And who does Atlanta finish up?
38:12
Carolina. Oh, Atlanta.
38:14
No, they play New Orleans. They have the Saints.
38:16
Who's also playing well? Tyler Shuck.
38:20
Rookie of the Year. He is.
38:22
I hate to say it because I got 2 good tickets, but I'm going to
38:24
not cash either of them. It's going to be Chuck.
38:27
Chuck's going to be. It's not Anderson, it's not
38:30
who's the other one I got the receiver from Tampa from.
38:33
Ohio, yeah, Yeah. Abuka, Abuka not going to be.
38:36
It's going to be Tyler Shuck, the New Orleans Saints.
38:39
Q. Jackson Dart has more passing
38:40
yards than him though, yeah. But he's missed too many games,
38:42
I think. Well, Chuck didn't play at the
38:43
beginning. I.
38:43
Know he didn't, but the Saints are finishing with a pulse.
38:47
That they are. I thought they were going to be
38:48
the number one pick. Yeah.
38:49
Fart away. You know that's going to be the
38:51
Raiders. They don't see what they do.
38:54
I'm. Not did you watch any of that
38:55
garbage. Yesterday, no, I couldn't watch
38:57
it. I couldn't watch that.
38:58
I'm out. I was watching the main event.
39:01
All right, that's going to do it for us off the bench coming up
39:04
next. We'll be back tomorrow.
39:07
We're all going to be back tomorrow.
39:08
We appreciate you being with us as we talk sports with you.
39:11
Trent and I do Miller and Condon Monday through Friday, noon
39:14
until 2 on the Iowa Sports Radio Network.