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#227: FSU Recruiting with Jimmy Reno · North Florida Sports Network Podcast

• 0:08
  Speaker 1: Hey, welcome back to the North Florida sports network.
• 0:11
  Speaker 1: It's that holiday season, it's not signing day, early signing day, that is Officially signing day Back in February To sign all the classes.
• 0:27
  Speaker 1: Lost a little luster lately, but still a huge day as you build depth for your roster in the future.
• 0:36
  Speaker 1: I got Jimmy Reno with me.
• 0:39
  Speaker 1: We're going to look at FSU's recruiting class.
• 0:43
  Speaker 1: We're going to look at some big recruits around the nation, talk about where they went, how that affects next year's roster, and really try to get a grasp on what recruiting is.
• 0:57
  Speaker 1: Keep it locked.
• 1:01
  Speaker 1: If you haven't done so, you should download and subscribe wherever you get your podcast.
• 1:05
  Speaker 1: The podcast is available everywhere.
• 1:08
  Speaker 1: You can watch the show on YouTube and we're on Facebook, instagram.
• 1:16
  Speaker 1: Alright, jimmy, how's it looking so far?
• 1:21
  Speaker 1: We're coming at you about Coming up on three o'clock about two thirty five, right.
• 1:30
  Speaker 2: The bulk of early signing day is All but complete.
• 1:33
  Speaker 2: Biggest news for Florida State KJ Bolton flip going to Georgia.
• 1:39
  Speaker 2: Yeah, I had him pegged for Auburn.
• 1:43
  Speaker 2: I thought they were going to be the ones that would come in.
• 1:47
  Speaker 1: Oh must champ yeah.
• 1:51
  Speaker 2: And he said he knew three weeks ago he was going to sign with the UGA.
• 1:54
  Speaker 2: Funny that he managed to still come on his official visit to Florida State Even though he already knew he was going to Georgia.
• 2:00
  Speaker 2: You always focus on the bad, I think this is still a really really good.
• 2:06
  Speaker 1: It is a solid class man.
• 2:07
  Speaker 1: More than solid.
• 2:09
  Speaker 2: It's probably a great class, likely going to finish in the top ten Best class at Florida State since 2016.
• 2:15
  Speaker 2: Your most top 200 kids since 2016.
• 2:19
  Speaker 2: I think they have ten that fall in that.
• 2:22
  Speaker 2: Whatever consensus ranking they use Another kid later tonight.
• 2:27
  Speaker 2: That kind of falls out of that top 200 range.
• 2:30
  Speaker 2: Dina's white out of North Carolina deciding about 6 30 pm Shoot.
• 2:36
  Speaker 2: You know everybody says he's a probability for Florida State but you can't count them until they sign.
• 2:44
  Speaker 2: Like I said, he's out outside that top 200 play range.
• 2:50
  Speaker 2: But I mean it's, this kid is 6, 4, 6, 5, 335.
• 2:55
  Speaker 2: He's a body type that is not just growing on trees.
• 3:00
  Speaker 1: Right.
• 3:01
  Speaker 2: He's a very specific player.
• 3:03
  Speaker 2: He's going to be that space eater in the middle, so it'll be a nice pickup for him, and you know it.
• 3:10
  Speaker 2: Top 10 class.
• 3:15
  Speaker 1: Right now.
• 3:15
  Speaker 1: I said it for so.
• 3:18
  Speaker 2: Yeah, well, you got to figure that.
• 3:19
  Speaker 2: You know Blunt's not coming here.
• 3:22
  Speaker 1: Right.
• 3:23
  Speaker 2: You know, they've known that he's still being listed as a commitment but that's not going to happen.
• 3:28
  Speaker 2: So you know, top 10 is class man.
• 3:32
  Speaker 2: It's not terrible, it's really good.
• 3:35
  Speaker 2: You kind of hoped that, coming off of 13 and 0 season and everything like that, with a lot of NFL prospects on the field, specifically on the defensive side of the ball, that you'd be able to land a little bit more beef, little top in talent numbers and and in quality on both sides of the ball up front.
• 3:57
  Speaker 1: Well, it's been a while since, on the lines of scrimmage, those guys go up and they go to the big boys, top dollar guys.
• 4:05
  Speaker 1: Florida State has to Hit the transfer portal when it comes to those type of right Right, and they've done so in the past.
• 4:12
  Speaker 2: You wanted to, but you wanted, you thought as you move forward, especially with this record yeah, you get a track, some of these high and that's that's kind of the question that that I had personally these last three, four years, when, when Norval got here is is, you know, everybody assumed he's using the transfer portal specifically on the defensive line because he has to.
• 4:33
  Speaker 2: You know, there's no talent there and you got to, you got to bring in high and talent, you know.
• 4:38
  Speaker 2: But they've Like the way they approach recruiting defensive line, especially at the high school ranks, and just kind of what seems to be a lack of urgency from them.
• 4:51
  Speaker 2: It really has me questioning how much of a premium he puts on recruiting kids in high school.
• 5:00
  Speaker 1: Yeah, just you know especially at that position where you need development.
• 5:04
  Speaker 2: Right, and it just kind of leads to my biggest issue with this class.
• 5:07
  Speaker 2: You know it is a top 10 class most likely.
• 5:09
  Speaker 2: You know you, you hit on a lot of needs.
• 5:12
  Speaker 2: You got your QB, you got two really good running backs, you got skilled players at wide receiver at tight end.
• 5:18
  Speaker 1: Right.
• 5:19
  Speaker 2: You got three tackle prospects on the offensive side of the ball Defense.
• 5:24
  Speaker 2: You have, even with bold and flipping, you still have three top 100 corners.
• 5:28
  Speaker 2: You got another corner in Ricky Knight who's you know blue chip ish.
• 5:32
  Speaker 2: You know three star, four star, so there's something there.
• 5:35
  Speaker 2: But then you get into that front seven on the defensive side of the ball and it's scary man.
• 5:41
  Speaker 2: Lack of numbers and lack of what would be perceived as high end bodies.
• 5:47
  Speaker 2: You know if you're going to take two defensive linemen, you're going to need for both of those guys to be a hit with the evaluation.
• 5:54
  Speaker 2: You know they're going to be contributors and you really don't have an option of them.
• 6:02
  Speaker 2: Then you know failing right because you only got two.
• 6:06
  Speaker 1: Yeah.
• 6:07
  Speaker 2: You would think, if you're going to take that number, that they're going to be high-end guys, guys that are gonna be ready to contribute.
• 6:13
  Speaker 2: You know, sooner than later and that isn't what we've seen out of Florida State, you know we took one defensive tackle this class.
• 6:21
  Speaker 2: You know, outside of the kid White who's deciding 6'30, and it's you know he's a guy that might be able to give you something in two years.
• 6:30
  Speaker 2: Jamory Flag.
• 6:31
  Speaker 2: You know, like he's not a guy that teams are looking at as he steps on campus and ready to go day one or all he needs is a redshirt year and he's gonna be right in the mix.
• 6:41
  Speaker 2: It's just, and it's the same story.
• 6:43
  Speaker 2: At Linebacker, you know, you're seeing guys that are much more, you know project and I look at those guys and I'm thinking, man, they're recruiting those guys with that intention.
• 6:54
  Speaker 2: Like, these are guys that we can sign and they'll stay here for two, three, maybe four years, but there aren't any of the high-end guys ahead of them.
• 7:03
  Speaker 2: You know you got Blake Nicholson last year at Linebacker and I think DD Holmes is a really good player.
• 7:09
  Speaker 2: I think he's underrated, I think he could develop into something quickly, but you've now pigeonholed, you've boxed yourself in where you have to hit the portal and they have to be guys that can come in and contribute and you're pretty much dependent on them being the same level as guys like Verse and Fisk and Jermaine Johnson and Kier Thomas and it.
• 7:31
  Speaker 2: You know, it remains to be seen if you're gonna be able to do that in the portal every year.
• 7:35
  Speaker 2: So this is not.
• 7:36
  Speaker 2: This is a really good class.
• 7:37
  Speaker 2: They restocked in a lot of areas, but it needed more beef in the front seven, both in numbers and in.
• 7:44
  Speaker 2: You know guys that are gonna be ready to make an impact.
• 7:47
  Speaker 2: So they, you know that and it's tough man, you know, and you had a guy like Blunt commit and he flips and he's doing that the whole time.
• 7:57
  Speaker 2: You're in it for a guy, right, right, well, I'm gonna say this about Blunt and I'm going to use rankings are subjective and I, you know, I know people hate hearing that.
• 8:06
  Speaker 2: You know stars don't matter, because they do.
• 8:08
  Speaker 2: But you look at a guy like Blunt and you look at where he's ranked this year, even reclassifying.
• 8:14
  Speaker 2: And then you look at a guy like Ruben Bain and where he was ranked last year, and you know you can ask Miami fans that guys that have poured over Armando Blunt's highlight tape, like they'll tell you he's not Ruben Bain, right, but he's about 150 spots ahead of him in the rankings.
• 8:31
  Speaker 2: So you would look at him and be like, oh, this kid's going to be ready right away.
• 8:34
  Speaker 2: No, no, no, dude, they're there.
• 8:37
  Speaker 2: I don't know how many defensive linemen were ranked ahead of Ruben Bain last year, but none of them had the impact that he did in year one in their freshman season.
• 8:45
  Speaker 2: So rankings are, you know they aren't the end, all be all, but you have to have bodies and you can't just take one guy at defensive end and one guy at defensive tackle and a couple of linebackers that are undersized and, you know, have G five offers.
• 9:02
  Speaker 2: I mean that can't be all you do on the defensive side of the ball and that was.
• 9:06
  Speaker 2: That's my big right with this class.
• 9:08
  Speaker 1: Wow, I mean geez.
• 9:09
  Speaker 1: Yeah, I mean, I mean.
• 9:11
  Speaker 2: I'm just, I'm just starting off bad man Still upset about it.
• 9:15
  Speaker 2: I'm still.
• 9:15
  Speaker 2: I'm starting off with the negative.
• 9:16
  Speaker 2: I'm coming I'm coming with the flaw in the class.
• 9:19
  Speaker 2: Okay, yeah, you don't want to.
• 9:21
  Speaker 1: You want to get some talent up front.
• 9:23
  Speaker 1: I love the big bodies man.
• 9:24
  Speaker 2: I always get love to see and getting talent, but it's it's, it's intensified, because that's where you're losing most of your guys.
• 9:32
  Speaker 1: Well, look at last year in particular.
• 9:34
  Speaker 1: You bring in talent on the offensive line, you bring in talent on the defensive line via the transfer portal.
• 9:40
  Speaker 2: Right.
• 9:41
  Speaker 1: And I think but you want to have some guys ready that have been here, ready to go.
• 9:47
  Speaker 2: Yeah, and with the the uncertainty we'll just call it uncertainty with the current defensive line and the roster status, I mean it would have been nice to have some more guys in the class that could come in and and I mean, even if they wouldn't be ready right away, it would be, it would be bodies man, it just you know.
• 10:07
  Speaker 2: So that's a little, it's a little concerning.
• 10:10
  Speaker 2: But you know, if you don't look at that and you look at the rest of the class, in every other area they, they did a really, really outstanding job.
• 10:17
  Speaker 1: I think it's a great class.
• 10:18
  Speaker 1: Yeah, you've got legacy recruits such as Cam Friars boy.
• 10:23
  Speaker 2: Yeah, you got, you got Matt Friars kid.
• 10:24
  Speaker 1: Camden Friars, camden Friars.
• 10:26
  Speaker 2: BJ Gibson is another, another slot receiver, another quick twitch athlete.
• 10:31
  Speaker 2: That's going to be really good and it I just guys like you know, luke, cam Davis, especially like these are kids that would be.
• 10:41
  Speaker 2: You know, they'd be garnering a lot more excitement from the fan base had they been making their decisions today, right, so don't lose sight of that.
• 10:49
  Speaker 2: That that's something that's always true.
• 10:52
  Speaker 2: Every signing day, every signing day.
• 10:53
  Speaker 2: These are the kids you want that stick with your class and that have been committed for a while.
• 10:57
  Speaker 2: They, they fade to the background.
• 10:58
  Speaker 2: That's now in the middle of June, none of us really had KJ Bolden or Armando blunt, even as a thought.
• 11:06
  Speaker 2: You know everybody was celebrating the fact that we had snag Charles Lester and you know we had our Cam Davis and we're probably going to get the key.
• 11:14
  Speaker 2: It just it's always.
• 11:17
  Speaker 2: What have you done for me lately in terms of following recruiting?
• 11:20
  Speaker 2: And I get it, man, that the fan base got really excited and hoped that that we'd get your Mya Smith and it sucks to lose.
• 11:28
  Speaker 2: He's going to Ohio State.
• 11:30
  Speaker 2: Yeah, he's going to Ohio State.
• 11:31
  Speaker 2: He's been committed to Ohio State the whole time.
• 11:34
  Speaker 2: He's never not been committed.
• 11:35
  Speaker 2: A lot of that is just all industry drama.
• 11:40
  Speaker 2: Yeah it.
• 11:41
  Speaker 2: You know, I'm pleased with the class.
• 11:44
  Speaker 2: If you had to give it a letter grade, I'd give it a solid B, you know, just just because you didn't get any of your, any of your high end up there on the defensive front.
• 11:55
  Speaker 2: But that's.
• 11:55
  Speaker 2: You know that leads into a whole another discussion Trying to think of other.
• 12:03
  Speaker 2: You know it could be worse, man.
• 12:04
  Speaker 2: We could be having a signing day like Florida.
• 12:07
  Speaker 1: What's going on there?
• 12:07
  Speaker 2: They're getting just absolutely wrecked.
• 12:10
  Speaker 2: I think they've lost six or seven top 150 kids since the 11th of November.
• 12:16
  Speaker 2: It's just kind of been snowballing for them.
• 12:19
  Speaker 2: 430 is when DJ Lagway signs up.
• 12:26
  Speaker 2: Until today it had been 100% Like there had been no signs that he was going to waiver from Florida.
• 12:32
  Speaker 2: But now there's a lot of smoke about, you know, holding off on signing or about USC coming in late.
• 12:39
  Speaker 2: Well, I mean.
• 12:40
  Speaker 1: I think you're loading up depth here you have.
• 12:42
  Speaker 1: You're taking every year right.
• 12:45
  Speaker 1: Norville's been here.
• 12:47
  Speaker 1: He's got a higher rated recruiting class.
• 12:49
  Speaker 1: He's getting the kind of guys that are ready to work.
• 12:53
  Speaker 1: We talked to Fabian last week.
• 12:55
  Speaker 1: I mean, what do you?
• 12:57
  Speaker 1: We asked him what would you tell recruit, you don't want to work, don't come here.
• 13:01
  Speaker 2: So yeah, well, you got it.
• 13:03
  Speaker 2: You got it and that's let's.
• 13:04
  Speaker 2: Let's put a.
• 13:05
  Speaker 2: Let me put my Jimmy Reno reminder out there.
• 13:08
  Speaker 2: And it's no disrespect to any of these kids that are going to play college ball.
• 13:13
  Speaker 2: They've got just just by the sheer percentages of it 85 to 90% of these kids are not going to live up to any of their hype, right that they have coming out of high school, you know.
• 13:24
  Speaker 2: So they've turned it into an industry and it's it's, you know every.
• 13:28
  Speaker 2: It's another way for fans to get excited and brag about something to you know, arrival fans and stuff like that.
• 13:34
  Speaker 2: But in honesty it's basically just like handing out tryouts.
• 13:39
  Speaker 2: Man Like these coaches are taking their shot at thinking that these kids and you get a kid like Jeremiah Smith and everybody knows he's going to be good in college, I mean, he's a no brainer.
• 13:48
  Speaker 2: But for the majority of a lot of these classes, it's kids that are just they're taking a flyer on man and they want a certain type of kid.
• 13:56
  Speaker 2: Like you said, they make it known If you're going to come to Florida state, you're going to work, that's all you're going to do, and you know it's some kids with high stars next to their name that might not be for them.
• 14:11
  Speaker 2: It doesn't mean that the kid that Florida State is taking is going to be any less than the five star, but it's, and the whole thing's just kind of a crap shoot when you break down to it, yeah yeah, well, you know, let's talk about the wide receivers.
• 14:31
  Speaker 1: There's four wide receivers coming in in this class.
• 14:35
  Speaker 2: Yeah, we get to the, just get to some of the players.
• 14:37
  Speaker 1: Yeah, and they're all four stars Camden Friar, the Wayne McCoy, bj Gibson and Elijah Moore.
• 14:45
  Speaker 1: Out of those four, what talk about?
• 14:50
  Speaker 2: well Elijah Moore is is To me he's the guy that that is different from the other three.
• 14:56
  Speaker 2: You know he's more of a big-body downfield, less of a.
• 15:02
  Speaker 2: I think there's really less of a chance that you're gonna see him do a lot of work in the slot.
• 15:06
  Speaker 2: But he's an exceptional wide receiver, has one of the biggest wingspans in the class.
• 15:12
  Speaker 2: Catch radius is off the charts, was a huge target for Ohio State.
• 15:17
  Speaker 2: This is a.
• 15:18
  Speaker 2: This a big win For the nose for for Dugans, for Mike Norvelle, like they did a lot of work to get him in the class.
• 15:24
  Speaker 2: Bj Gibson to sport athlete you know, exceptional baseball player, legitimate explosiveness from that slot position.
• 15:35
  Speaker 2: You know he's another guy's, about 510, maybe 511.
• 15:37
  Speaker 2: Him and cam fryer are very similar In their game.
• 15:40
  Speaker 2: They're both gonna be guys that you see in the slot.
• 15:42
  Speaker 2: Just, you know, catching wide receiver, screens guy that can turn it up field very quickly and get you yards.
• 15:51
  Speaker 2: Lorraine McCoy I'm not convinced that he doesn't end up on the defensive side of the ball.
• 15:56
  Speaker 2: Oh, oh, it's kind of a bonus for me.
• 15:59
  Speaker 2: I figured he was gonna sign with Miami.
• 16:01
  Speaker 2: That's kind of been the vibe on him for the last three or four months.
• 16:05
  Speaker 2: Is that he was Just waiting on the green light from them, but I Really really like him.
• 16:11
  Speaker 2: I think he's really underrated athlete.
• 16:13
  Speaker 2: I think he's another guy like Edwin Joseph that you could put in the secondary at a number of different positions, but we'll list him as a wide receiver and he's you know, he's a little bit more of Kind of a hybrid, a guy that you can play on the outside and slot.
• 16:29
  Speaker 2: Nice sticky hands, good speed.
• 16:33
  Speaker 2: I mean.
• 16:34
  Speaker 2: They did a really nice job stocking up the wide receiver room.
• 16:37
  Speaker 2: Obviously you want to, yeah, you want to get a prize guy like Jeremiah Smith or you know whatever, but hey, yeah exactly Then.
• 16:48
  Speaker 1: And then I don't get you know, upset.
• 16:49
  Speaker 1: You didn't get Jeremiah Smith, you didn't get KJ Bolden, who went to the Bulldogs.
• 16:54
  Speaker 1: But right, look at the D-backs, you did get you guys there's.
• 16:58
  Speaker 1: Charles Lestered, Jamari Howard and they kept right.
• 17:01
  Speaker 2: And Kai Bates, what?
• 17:02
  Speaker 2: What is interesting to me is, after they got KJ Bolden's commitment, they continue to recruit high-end defensive backs, kai Bates, jamari Howard especially.
• 17:13
  Speaker 2: You know I don't think that the staff necessarily felt like.
• 17:20
  Speaker 2: You know, this kid Bolden's committed, so we can just Count on him being here.
• 17:26
  Speaker 2: I mean, I know they needed numbers in the secondary anyway and you want to get as many good players, but I think they also were gonna make sure that they covered their butts.
• 17:34
  Speaker 2: You know, should one of these kids because Lester was also a kid that was.
• 17:38
  Speaker 2: You know he would get cute at times.
• 17:40
  Speaker 2: They had no reason not to believe him, but he likes.
• 17:45
  Speaker 2: You know, even this morning he sent out that he wasn't gonna sign today and then 20 minutes later his letter of intent was faxed into Florida State.
• 17:52
  Speaker 2: I mean it, coaches gotta.
• 17:56
  Speaker 2: You know they can't.
• 17:58
  Speaker 2: They got to kind of be for future tellers, man, they don't.
• 18:00
  Speaker 2: You know you take these kids and their families at their word.
• 18:04
  Speaker 2: But you saw what Bolden said today.
• 18:06
  Speaker 2: He knew three weeks ago that he was gonna sign with Georgia, despite telling everybody everything they wanted to hear.
• 18:11
  Speaker 2: So coaches got a kind of you know then.
• 18:15
  Speaker 2: They did a great job at that with the defensive backs of covering them, covering their butts, right, you still have three top 100 corners that you sign in this class.
• 18:23
  Speaker 2: Ricky Knight the guy that's not is I Think he's really good man.
• 18:26
  Speaker 2: He's not a burner at that position but he's very physical and he gets around the ball.
• 18:31
  Speaker 2: No matter where it is in the air, he's around the ball.
• 18:34
  Speaker 2: So it I think it did receiver and defensive back.
• 18:37
  Speaker 2: They did phenomenal.
• 18:38
  Speaker 2: You got your QB, that you wanted your stud QB.
• 18:41
  Speaker 2: You got two running backs.
• 18:43
  Speaker 2: You know, cam Davis, everybody talking, nobody, nobody talks about Dan Z from right here in Tallahassee.
• 18:48
  Speaker 2: That's a kid with the limpic speed, right.
• 18:51
  Speaker 1: I mean, you look at those two guys right there, and then cam Davis committed.
• 18:55
  Speaker 1: Yeah, we're only your own four two years ago and five right in there and his, he believed you know, he's kid has watched his, his, his rankings on websites go down With every update.
• 19:07
  Speaker 2: They have gone down.
• 19:08
  Speaker 2: He hasn't done anything but put up the same stats that he did when they ranked him as a five star, but he's been committed.
• 19:14
  Speaker 2: He hasn't taken any visits, he's not doing any interviews, he's not.
• 19:18
  Speaker 2: You know, there's nothing that's gonna generate clicks with this.
• 19:21
  Speaker 2: Yeah, this is so we got to keep just sliding them down.
• 19:24
  Speaker 1: That's fine.
• 19:25
  Speaker 1: They're breaking his own man.
• 19:26
  Speaker 1: This is a kid to be excited about.
• 19:27
  Speaker 1: Yeah, yeah, you also have a speed guy right here from Florida, high and Dan Z.
• 19:33
  Speaker 2: So that's a guy that's gonna he's gonna slide into that to a filly roll right with, with seamlessly it.
• 19:39
  Speaker 2: Yeah, they did a really nice job at the skill positions, right.
• 19:43
  Speaker 1: You can hit at the transfer portal man and get the.
• 19:46
  Speaker 1: Get the outline you got to fill the holes.
• 19:48
  Speaker 1: Yes, you want to get those big guys, but you do, but it's an uneasy it's an uneasy feeling, though to.
• 19:54
  Speaker 2: To be in this position.
• 19:56
  Speaker 2: I think you know, myself included, the entire fan base is used to.
• 20:01
  Speaker 2: You know, when Florida State's good Odell goes in and he gets Timmy Jernigan's, and he gets Eddie Goldman's and and things like that, and that's not, that's not happening.
• 20:10
  Speaker 2: So that you know.
• 20:13
  Speaker 2: But, like you said, they, they're, they're, they're premium positions.
• 20:16
  Speaker 1: Now better to go get another Fisk.
• 20:18
  Speaker 1: Yeah, you just go take the Mac.
• 20:20
  Speaker 2: Defensive player of the year and that's I'm with it, man, the best defensive lineman for real every year every single year man.
• 20:29
  Speaker 1: I really, I really would, I would have been graduate transfer, whatever the linebacker for Miami of Ohio right.
• 20:35
  Speaker 2: Yeah, he would have been great coming here, but he's locked in up there in Oxford.
• 20:38
  Speaker 2: Man, it's what about the?
• 20:40
  Speaker 1: kid from Troy.
• 20:43
  Speaker 2: Ah, I'm just waiting for him to jump in the portal.
• 20:46
  Speaker 2: You know that that's.
• 20:47
  Speaker 2: Another thing is that you know there's there's kids that are gonna be jumping in the portal, that are at that, are waiting.
• 20:52
  Speaker 2: They're waiting for early signing day to be over.
• 20:54
  Speaker 2: They're kind of waiting to see where the opportunities are gonna be and and you know what schools are gonna really need something you know, like, for instance, florida State really needs linebacker help.
• 21:04
  Speaker 2: Yeah, you know the rumor is that that the bowls kid from UGA is gonna hop in the portal.
• 21:10
  Speaker 2: That's somebody that, okay, some of the resources we're allocating to high school recruiting and this, and that, like you, maybe want to take a look at that kid.
• 21:19
  Speaker 2: Theoretically, it's all, it's all theory.
• 21:22
  Speaker 1: Hypothetically, you know we're gonna have, we're gonna do a moment unrealized, the unrealized idea that you had who's getting it for recruiting?
• 21:35
  Speaker 2: The unrealized idea.
• 21:36
  Speaker 2: Yeah today yeah, today is gonna be Billy Napier and his staff.
• 21:41
  Speaker 2: Oh, you know I am.
• 21:43
  Speaker 2: I was ready to give it to Ryan Day man.
• 21:46
  Speaker 2: He looked like he was gonna catch it on the chin.
• 21:49
  Speaker 2: Today it looked like they're losing their big five star from Buford.
• 21:52
  Speaker 2: They looked like Smith might really go to Miami, but they managed to hang on and really have a nice class.
• 21:58
  Speaker 2: It's definitely Florida.
• 21:59
  Speaker 2: Their class is falling off the the rails If they can just keep DJ lagway that.
• 22:07
  Speaker 2: I mean he's at 430.
• 22:09
  Speaker 2: Yeah, 430.
• 22:09
  Speaker 2: If you lose DJ lagway dude, you might really see Napier Well, loses job well with that schedule.
• 22:16
  Speaker 1: It feels like it's set up for him to lose his job.
• 22:18
  Speaker 2: Well, he's doing favors there.
• 22:20
  Speaker 2: That's one of the toughest schedules I've ever seen right, but for the past three months all they've been pumping to that fan base is, you know, just wait till these recruits get here.
• 22:28
  Speaker 1: They have to play a true state championship.
• 22:30
  Speaker 1: Next year they're gonna play all three power five.
• 22:33
  Speaker 1: That's right schools they're in Florida besides them.
• 22:36
  Speaker 2: There's a real chance.
• 22:37
  Speaker 2: There's a real chance of them going going on three.
• 22:40
  Speaker 1: And then they have a murderer they have to play.
• 22:42
  Speaker 1: Oh it's it, everybody's seen it.
• 22:45
  Speaker 1: It's a ridiculous schedule.
• 22:47
  Speaker 1: You better be ready.
• 22:49
  Speaker 1: I mean, if he may, if Florida makes a bull next year, I Coach to the year right now, just just early reaction.
• 22:57
  Speaker 2: But he'll be.
• 22:58
  Speaker 2: He'll be gone right Before they there's.
• 22:59
  Speaker 2: They are.
• 23:00
  Speaker 2: We're just gonna move the other chance to even go to fire him.
• 23:03
  Speaker 1: Find, try to find the next guy.
• 23:06
  Speaker 2: It is I really you know some of the missteps that he's taken as head coach.
• 23:12
  Speaker 2: There are kind of they remind me a lot of Willy, just really yeah, just decisions that like what were you thinking?
• 23:18
  Speaker 2: kind of decision.
• 23:19
  Speaker 2: They still don't have a defensive line coach.
• 23:21
  Speaker 2: You know they got rid of their guy.
• 23:23
  Speaker 2: You know, before this, as soon as their season was over, they announced that they're getting rid of their D-line coach and they've yet to replace him.
• 23:32
  Speaker 2: Well, and this was the most crucial time for recruiting and they've just watched it's a different game and you got it.
• 23:39
  Speaker 1: I love what I really like about Mike Norvell, since he's been here, and what Fabian love.
• 23:44
  Speaker 1: It kind of looted to last time was.
• 23:47
  Speaker 1: You know.
• 23:47
  Speaker 1: It's been the same way when they were 0 and 4, yeah, and when they were 13 and 0, they did everything the same.
• 23:53
  Speaker 1: And you gotta love that and you want, and if you don't want to be a part of it, don't come.
• 23:57
  Speaker 1: You got a guy like Cam Davis coming.
• 23:59
  Speaker 1: You got a kid like Camden fire coming.
• 24:01
  Speaker 1: Yeah, luke Croman.
• 24:02
  Speaker 1: Ha, you got your quarterback.
• 24:03
  Speaker 1: He's never had a problem recruiting quarterbacks.
• 24:06
  Speaker 1: Previous coaching staff couldn't even get one.
• 24:10
  Speaker 1: So I Love what I'm seeing.
• 24:12
  Speaker 1: You have to have that mindset in today's.
• 24:14
  Speaker 1: You don't want to fall victim and you know getting into these bidding wars or whatever.
• 24:19
  Speaker 1: Hey, here's what we're gonna offer you.
• 24:20
  Speaker 1: We want you to come here's with standard boom.
• 24:23
  Speaker 1: If you don't like it, don't come right, just move on.
• 24:26
  Speaker 1: Right a classy and move on.
• 24:28
  Speaker 2: I think, I think, I think, I think they very clearly have a certain set of rules, standards, call them whatever and when it comes to NIL, that they're not going to Engage in right, and I think that's ultimately why they keep losing there.
• 24:45
  Speaker 2: I mean right, you know the kid fall class.
• 24:47
  Speaker 2: You know the kid the kid fall class year that went to Auburn.
• 24:51
  Speaker 2: Let's be honest dude yeah the only reason he wasn't committed to Auburn in the first place Was because Brian Harston was their head coach and that might be the worst hire in the history of the sport, right it?
• 25:02
  Speaker 2: You know that was a kid, that you were doomed as soon as they fired Brian Harston.
• 25:06
  Speaker 2: And it sucks, man.
• 25:06
  Speaker 2: It sucks you.
• 25:08
  Speaker 2: Just you know you would love for the staff to be able to hold on to kids like that, but it just, I mean, you know it seems that might be.
• 25:17
  Speaker 2: Their great fault is that they're gonna get left at the altar pretty much every signing day, but at least one kid.
• 25:23
  Speaker 2: But it's how you you cover your butts.
• 25:26
  Speaker 2: You know right how you make up for that and for this position.
• 25:29
  Speaker 2: You know KJ Bolton, for this particular one, like they did a really nice job of making sure they had other guys.
• 25:35
  Speaker 2: Defensive line you know blunt, even though they've known blunt has Been going to Miami for probably the last month, month and a half.
• 25:43
  Speaker 2: They've done absolutely nothing really to to supplement that right that's what is confusing.
• 25:51
  Speaker 2: But again, like you touched on the mindset here that it's work, work ready doesn't change right and that's very hard to Maintain when you're going through assistance.
• 26:01
  Speaker 2: That you know.
• 26:02
  Speaker 2: Assistant coach turnover right.
• 26:04
  Speaker 2: So I would, I would, I would keep an eye out for, like these, next year or two to see Some assistants, maybe move on well, that's, that's part of the game, and one thing yeah but one when we were in Florida State was looking for a coach.
• 26:19
  Speaker 1: He had a lot of assistant turnover at Memphis.
• 26:22
  Speaker 1: Yeah, he only improved.
• 26:23
  Speaker 1: So he not only does he hold his players to a standard, it looks like he has a standard in his coaches.
• 26:30
  Speaker 2: So I have full confidence he does um the, he has a standard.
• 26:36
  Speaker 2: I did you know it's what you choose to believe that he puts an emphasis on.
• 26:40
  Speaker 2: Is it coaching and development?
• 26:41
  Speaker 2: Is it the ability to recruit?
• 26:46
  Speaker 1: It's just winning man.
• 26:47
  Speaker 1: Yeah, I gotta have a little bit of everything to, and I think there's some guys that that get better.
• 26:51
  Speaker 2: Like yeah, I don't think it's just get better.
• 26:53
  Speaker 1: We're trying to get better as a team and you want every player.
• 26:55
  Speaker 1: Why are you?
• 26:56
  Speaker 2: here to get better.
• 26:58
  Speaker 1: That's the goal and I think he's.
• 27:00
  Speaker 1: You know, and if you're like we at, you know you don't.
• 27:02
  Speaker 1: We don't want you to be like, oh God, we're bringing in a guy at my position, we'll get on then we want.
• 27:09
  Speaker 1: That's only gonna help you or make you better.
• 27:10
  Speaker 1: Iron sharpens iron.
• 27:11
  Speaker 1: You know.
• 27:12
  Speaker 1: I can't wait to be a part of it.
• 27:13
  Speaker 1: Love, and was saying I'm gonna come back to be a part of something special and that's where you want.
• 27:17
  Speaker 1: You want to have Right competition.
• 27:20
  Speaker 1: I want to be a part of something and have good players come with you exactly, and that's let's.
• 27:25
  Speaker 2: We'll take the defensive side of the ball and and there's last two seasons that that we've had here, and you look at, let's say, linebackers, coach Randy Shannon.
• 27:35
  Speaker 1: All right, absolutely that's a great job.
• 27:41
  Speaker 2: Yeah, and he's linebacker does not, does not hold his weight as a recruiter in terms of of you know what you expect out of a linebackers coach and what we've seen in the past Florida State, at Florida State but Might be as good a linebackers coach in terms of teaching the game and and getting the most out of the players as we've had at Florida State right the last 20 years.
• 28:04
  Speaker 2: And you know he brought Bethune with him.
• 28:07
  Speaker 2: That guy was coming in and that was that at the time.
• 28:10
  Speaker 2: He's a high-end linebacker and we needed that.
• 28:12
  Speaker 2: He turned Katelyn DeLosch into an NFL linebacker.
• 28:16
  Speaker 2: He turned DJ Lundy into, you know, an all-conference type.
• 28:20
  Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah, you know, but you know those guys are gone right.
• 28:25
  Speaker 2: You kind of you know that the way that it's always worked is, once you start producing NFL guys, you start kind of getting more talented kids from high school.
• 28:35
  Speaker 2: That hasn't necessarily been the case there at linebacker.
• 28:39
  Speaker 2: You know we got Blake Nicholson right, but that's it.
• 28:41
  Speaker 2: You know right bunch of bunch of you know underrated or lowly rated guys doesn't really reflect their ability, just that they're not really gonna be ready to step on.
• 28:53
  Speaker 2: Sorry man, yeah, and that's where you gotta have to hit well, that and that's, that's if, if it's gonna be something that they continue to, just you know what, we're just gonna take our chances on the portal, then guys like Randy Shannon will probably you probably keep him around because you can trust him to coach and develop.
• 29:23
  Speaker 2: Same thing with Odell, although I'm gonna I'm gonna be honest with you, man, as much as I love Odell and I do I like, I really do think that, like, the entire defensive line strategy of recruiting needs to be overhauled, whether that means he needs to be put in a different role or you need to make a change.
• 29:45
  Speaker 2: That, like I, because I don't, I don't understand it.
• 29:48
  Speaker 2: You know, I don't understand how you could have a defensive line with you know Fisk and love it and even farmer getting NFL buzz, and you got Peyton and verse out there and you can't seem to Buy a quality defensive tackle prospect.
• 30:04
  Speaker 1: Well, the game's changing man.
• 30:06
  Speaker 1: Yeah, but it's not the same.
• 30:08
  Speaker 2: They're not the same, but it comes down to well, we, are we not allocating the resources towards that position?
• 30:15
  Speaker 1: because that's a huge mistake if we're not well, if you look at it, I think it's not.
• 30:21
  Speaker 1: You look at the skill position as opposed to Front or offensive line or front.
• 30:26
  Speaker 1: Seven.
• 30:26
  Speaker 1: Those positions I would rather.
• 30:30
  Speaker 1: If I had to choose, I would rather hit the transfer portal for those, because that takes development.
• 30:34
  Speaker 1: Right you can have the skill guys.
• 30:37
  Speaker 1: Be ready to contribute faster.
• 30:39
  Speaker 1: Right like wide receiver, I would agree with you there.
• 30:44
  Speaker 2: That that you know it, you have much, much less of a chance grabbing a guy that plays defensive line, offensive line, that's gonna be physically ready and you get a cold man yeah last year.
• 30:55
  Speaker 1: You get an NFL defensive lineman for a season yeah, that I mean, do that again.
• 31:01
  Speaker 1: I mean you're gonna have to find some.
• 31:04
  Speaker 2: That's the that's the great question is is it gonna actually be a model that that is Sustainable in like?
• 31:11
  Speaker 1: every year, right, right, and I see we're not gonna get a fisk every year.
• 31:14
  Speaker 2: You're gonna try to.
• 31:15
  Speaker 2: You're gonna try but, like the hope can't rely.
• 31:17
  Speaker 2: What I'm saying is the hope is that, you know a 13 or no season, 19 straight wins right guys on the line, or yeah?
• 31:24
  Speaker 2: Yeah, like you should be walking into to the dudes in the top 250, anybody playing on the D line and you know, hey, at least getting looks.
• 31:34
  Speaker 1: We knew this was coming, so why West this is?
• 31:37
  Speaker 1: This is professional football.
• 31:39
  Speaker 2: Right and it doesn't have any rules right, but there's no reason why we shouldn't be spending professional money at that position.
• 31:45
  Speaker 2: That's it.
• 31:46
  Speaker 2: You're gonna have to have yeah, so that's my that's my big question is really what is going on with the defensive line?
• 31:52
  Speaker 2: Yeah, recruiting, not even in high school, just just portal, like what's gonna happen with that going forward?
• 31:59
  Speaker 2: Because right now it certainly looks like it.
• 32:01
  Speaker 2: They're relying, sir, solely on portal.
• 32:04
  Speaker 2: You know like maybe you retain.
• 32:06
  Speaker 2: Maybe you retain Jackson, farmer and Peyton.
• 32:09
  Speaker 2: It's, I'm operating under the assumption that all three of those guys are gone All right, your best defensive linemen is all came via the transfer portal.
• 32:18
  Speaker 1: So right, keep it rolling.
• 32:19
  Speaker 1: Yeah, you've done it.
• 32:20
  Speaker 1: You kept it rolling.
• 32:21
  Speaker 1: You just got to keep swinging right and so don't want to take guys like you're gonna Swing, then they'd swung at the big guys, the big fish.
• 32:28
  Speaker 1: Yeah and they did not get them.
• 32:30
  Speaker 1: They were in there so now.
• 32:31
  Speaker 2: Now they're sitting back, now you have to have, you have to hope those guys, yeah, actually going the portal.
• 32:36
  Speaker 1: You're hoping that you would Capitalize off.
• 32:40
  Speaker 1: You know the good work you've done.
• 32:41
  Speaker 2: But right, it's just a competitive market out there and it it is, and the problem is is now you?
• 32:47
  Speaker 2: Know with this school is first portal window you've seen all the real top-end talent at that position or along the defensive line has been scooped up and you're gonna get life changing money without even playing a down.
• 33:00
  Speaker 1: So yeah.
• 33:01
  Speaker 1: Yeah, I mean that you were like the top, top players you want to like, yes, you go after them if they want to come, great, but you're not gonna start getting in a bidding war with these guys.
• 33:12
  Speaker 2: Then you kind of mess up the culture that you've worked so hard to develop and that's another point that that An aspect of it, that is, is hard, pretty much impossible for anybody to To actually know the reality of right.
• 33:26
  Speaker 2: What is it doing to these locker rooms at these schools?
• 33:28
  Speaker 2: Yeah, when you have a kid, that holy shit like I'm reading on the internet that this kid's getting four million dollars to come here next year.
• 33:35
  Speaker 2: I've been here three years and I might have gotten like 1500 in per diems.
• 33:40
  Speaker 1: Yeah, you know, but that you have to be able to explain it to him, right, and I?
• 33:45
  Speaker 2: think, and just cuz he's not a productive player, you know, on Saturdays doesn't mean that when he goes into the locker room that guys don't respect that four-year starter.
• 33:53
  Speaker 2: Right, that's not getting anything.
• 33:54
  Speaker 2: You know that when he says something, that's the way do it don't get attached to players.
• 33:59
  Speaker 1: No, you have it's, it's like the it's getting.
• 34:01
  Speaker 1: It is almost Too similar to the NFL.
• 34:05
  Speaker 1: I Mean every, every year, it's gonna get more and more some of these players.
• 34:11
  Speaker 1: Yeah you know are gonna be so talented at a young age, they're gonna be offered such high dollar.
• 34:16
  Speaker 1: You know you want to stay in college, but what?
• 34:20
  Speaker 1: What's making them not do the same thing the next year and get more money?
• 34:25
  Speaker 1: And we got to have contracts eventually and you have to lock these, kid.
• 34:29
  Speaker 1: What do they got the have to put them in like four-year deals or something, or three-year deals.
• 34:33
  Speaker 1: You know, yeah, you get this money but you have to complete these years and if you're not willing to do it, go go somewhere else.
• 34:42
  Speaker 2: Yeah, or there needs to be some sort of I'm very interested to see what happens with a lot of these kids next year.
• 34:54
  Speaker 1: It just hasn't been addressed overall.
• 34:55
  Speaker 1: You know Chip Kelly's been talking about just regionality, having teams football such as break off from everything else, and it makes a lot of sense.
• 35:03
  Speaker 1: But I think you know you have.
• 35:08
  Speaker 2: Well, what makes the least amount of sense is that these schools are prohibited from paying the players and that it now falls on fans and boosters, and the people that are already paying to support the program have to do more of it.
• 35:22
  Speaker 2: While you know, the school continues.
• 35:25
  Speaker 2: Well, yeah, and the schools continue to reap the rewards Right, and you know it isn't unique to any school, any collective that is raising money and, you know, supposed to be charged with getting the talented players.
• 35:39
  Speaker 2: You know what are the fans supposed to think when their school doesn't get the talented player Right?
• 35:44
  Speaker 2: Do they feel like they've been conned out of money?
• 35:46
  Speaker 2: Like what happens to that money we get?
• 35:49
  Speaker 2: You know like things are going to get really ugly with all of this the next five years.
• 35:54
  Speaker 2: There's no rules to any of it.
• 35:57
  Speaker 2: I think you need to start seeing these kids like, like a Smith, and not necessarily him, but a kid like him that'll jump into the portal two or three times now because there's no limit to it.
• 36:08
  Speaker 2: That's why you got to have structure.
• 36:10
  Speaker 1: You got to have discipline.
• 36:11
  Speaker 2: Yeah, the price is going to go up.
• 36:13
  Speaker 1: If you want to work, you got to have an identity and I think Norville's done a great job of establishing that identity.
• 36:19
  Speaker 1: You know, I talked to some old school Memphis alum and they couldn't talk about enough, about the type of men he develops and the character.
• 36:29
  Speaker 1: Because of what he does and how you do it and you're not going to.
• 36:32
  Speaker 1: It's part of the process, especially nowadays.
• 36:34
  Speaker 1: You're not going to get a lot of these guys because there's so much attention.
• 36:39
  Speaker 1: You got coaches with prime documentaries and you know you just say, if you don't want to come here, all the love.
• 36:45
  Speaker 1: But if you come here and get ready to work and I think I just I love the simplicity of that and you have to be proud of that.
• 36:53
  Speaker 1: If you're a Noel, it's the.
• 36:55
  Speaker 1: You got to have a way in this climate because you can't get into these wars with Texas and Alabama and Georgia.
• 37:04
  Speaker 1: No, you have enough.
• 37:06
  Speaker 1: You if a commit to the battle's end, if you're a fan.
• 37:10
  Speaker 1: But it's not just FSU, that's increasing prices.
• 37:14
  Speaker 1: It's across the board in big game, college football.
• 37:17
  Speaker 1: It's turning into the NFL.
• 37:19
  Speaker 1: Look at every NFL stadium and what do you see?
• 37:22
  Speaker 1: You see executive suites right there in the prime spots.
• 37:25
  Speaker 1: That's what's coming and all the big, big schools across the country.
• 37:29
  Speaker 1: Yeah.
• 37:32
  Speaker 2: Well, cost, cost to operate.
• 37:35
  Speaker 2: Man, it's like you said, it's just American.
• 37:38
  Speaker 1: Yeah, we've got to get on out of here though, man, but we're going to come back to you and wrap this whole recruiting thing up.
• 37:44
  Speaker 1: I'll see you guys later shortly.
• 37:45
  Speaker 1: We still got some transfers out there.
• 37:47
  Speaker 1: If you had to predict who's going where as far as the quarterbacks.
• 37:55
  Speaker 2: Dude, that dude, right now, you know.
• 37:59
  Speaker 1: You got Cam and you got DJ.
• 38:00
  Speaker 1: Yeah, you asked me.
• 38:01
  Speaker 1: I think FSU's after both of them.
• 38:03
  Speaker 2: Yeah, yesterday I was, I was, I was still saying you know, dj to FSU all day.
• 38:08
  Speaker 2: Dude, I don't, I don't even know now, um I there's some talk that Ward is it's really torn between FSU or the NFL and Miami's not really even in the picture.
• 38:21
  Speaker 2: Um, okay, I find that kind of hard to believe.
• 38:25
  Speaker 2: I could, I could, I could buy it if that was DJ deciding between the two, nfl or FSU.
• 38:32
  Speaker 2: Well, I mean, yeah, I'm still leaning DJ to, to FSU.
• 38:36
  Speaker 2: I have no idea what Cam works on If I had to put money on it.
• 38:39
  Speaker 1: Who's still going to Miami?
• 38:40
  Speaker 1: Do you think that which FSU had to choose?
• 38:44
  Speaker 1: Who's getting the spot?
• 38:48
  Speaker 2: I mean I assume DJ.
• 38:50
  Speaker 2: Was they both going to come?
• 38:51
  Speaker 2: Well, I assume they're both going to come.
• 38:52
  Speaker 2: Who would you?
• 38:53
  Speaker 2: Who does force they?
• 38:54
  Speaker 1: want.
• 38:55
  Speaker 2: I have.
• 38:56
  Speaker 1: That Is, one of them want to come and they're waiting to hear out from the other.
• 39:00
  Speaker 2: That's a that's a great question.
• 39:01
  Speaker 2: Like I, I legitimately I figured that they would bring in them both in on a visit the same day and then have them wrestle it out.
• 39:11
  Speaker 2: Yeah.
• 39:12
  Speaker 1: Who throws it harder.
• 39:14
  Speaker 2: Put like I would love that, by the way, play a game of barely tasks or something?
• 39:17
  Speaker 2: Yeah, I know.
• 39:17
  Speaker 1: Let's just put some competitive fire out there.
• 39:19
  Speaker 1: Let's get the receivers out here.
• 39:22
  Speaker 2: Yeah, let's see who looks better.
• 39:23
  Speaker 1: Who's seeing who's going to run this offense.
• 39:24
  Speaker 1: Have some little like pop quizzes, like it's a draft day.
• 39:28
  Speaker 1: You know, it's like this senior bowl almost.
• 39:30
  Speaker 1: I mean, that's what you're going to have every year.
• 39:31
  Speaker 1: Such a new climate.
• 39:34
  Speaker 2: And what it sounds dude from what it sounds like is they were more unsure about Ward right, but brought him in anyway.
• 39:42
  Speaker 2: And I think they were kind of surprised about how many you know quote unquote boxes he checked.
• 39:48
  Speaker 2: But I don't know.
• 39:50
  Speaker 2: I still feel like they felt that Ward would pick Miami and then they just give DJ the green light.
• 39:55
  Speaker 2: But I don't know man it's making me a little bit uneasy.
• 39:59
  Speaker 2: I really wish they'd just go ahead and figure it out.
• 40:01
  Speaker 1: Well, we'll keep an eye on it and we'll react to it, and we'll do it right here on the North Florida Sports Network.
• 40:07
  Speaker 1: We had to go.