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Mac & Bone Show - Grayson Mann Interview · Mac & Bone Podcast

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: Well, allow us to present you Clemson fans with the
• 0:03
  Speaker 1: Man of your Dreams, Grayson Man, Ladies and gentlemen, is here.
• 0:07
  Speaker 2: He's sat on old.
• 0:09
  Speaker 1: If Fitny can make plumb jokes, I can make great
• 0:11
  Speaker 1: man jokes. Grayson Man covers Clemson athletics and recruiting for Clemson.
• 0:17
  Speaker 1: Tiger Net also hosts the Orange Crush podcast and the
• 0:21
  Speaker 1: Tiger pregame show on the Roar down there in South Carolina,
• 0:25
  Speaker 1: and Grayson Mann joins us to talk about the twenty
• 0:27
  Speaker 1: twenty six Tigers.
• 0:29
  Speaker 2: Grayson Welcome to the show. Man. How you doing.
• 0:32
  Speaker 3: I'm doing good, the Man of the Dreams.
• 0:35
  Speaker 4: Man.
• 0:35
  Speaker 3: You're flattering me for the first introduction on y'all show.
• 0:38
  Speaker 2: There you go. I can tell you're blushing. I can
• 0:40
  Speaker 2: tell you are blushing right now. Let's all right.
• 0:44
  Speaker 1: So we played a clip of Dabbo in the first
• 0:46
  Speaker 1: hour of the show, and I'm sure you know exactly
• 0:49
  Speaker 1: which one it was from a presser this week, the
• 0:53
  Speaker 1: one about we're a bunch of nobodies and they got
• 0:56
  Speaker 1: to go out there and these guys got to prove
• 0:57
  Speaker 1: there of somebody, do you get the feet and you're
• 1:00
  Speaker 1: you're covering him and you're listening to everything he's saying
• 1:03
  Speaker 1: day in and day out. Is this an indication that
• 1:06
  Speaker 1: this is kind of the motivation like strategy is just hey,
• 1:10
  Speaker 1: we're nobody. We got to we won seven games, We
• 1:13
  Speaker 1: got to prove what we are like? Is that what's
• 1:15
  Speaker 1: going on in that quote? Or am I reading too
• 1:17
  Speaker 1: much into it?
• 1:19
  Speaker 3: It's certainly a different change up guys. And what's fascinating
• 1:23
  Speaker 3: about Sweeney is And this is the question I asked him,
• 1:27
  Speaker 3: was you try to get with anything that Dabo does.
• 1:30
  Speaker 3: He's a big cheerleader and is not short of optimism.
• 1:34
  Speaker 3: So usually when you ask, hey, who so far in
• 1:37
  Speaker 3: campus getting out to you, he'll give you a five
• 1:40
  Speaker 3: or ten minute monologue about, oh, man like this, these
• 1:43
  Speaker 3: guys X, Y and Z are standing out. You guys
• 1:46
  Speaker 3: just don't know it yet. Everyone makes fun of me
• 1:49
  Speaker 3: for making too much praise about these guys, and then yes,
• 1:53
  Speaker 3: you're are I think it was Tuesday, excuse me. Rather
• 1:57
  Speaker 3: he just is like, Nope, we're just a bunch of
• 1:59
  Speaker 3: nobody and we are going to have to have nobody's
• 2:02
  Speaker 3: turning to somebody's on Saturdays. And I think the fan
• 2:04
  Speaker 3: base has responded well to it where they're sort of
• 2:08
  Speaker 3: tired of the trademark optimism and they want to see
• 2:10
  Speaker 3: results after a seven and six campaign from last year.
• 2:14
  Speaker 3: So it definitely felt a little different. Very purposeful press
• 2:18
  Speaker 3: conference from Sweeney on Tuesday, very tight lipped, a little
• 2:22
  Speaker 3: bit short with us with a scrimmage coming up on Saturday,
• 2:25
  Speaker 3: so definitely a little bit different dabbo than what we're
• 2:28
  Speaker 3: used to.
• 2:29
  Speaker 4: The Zena taken over at quarterback for Club Nick. How
• 2:33
  Speaker 4: how has he worked so far? What's the word on
• 2:35
  Speaker 4: his camp and what do you think Grayson is a
• 2:38
  Speaker 4: fair expectation for the Zena year one as a starter.
• 2:43
  Speaker 3: Yeah, this has been the talk of the town with
• 2:45
  Speaker 3: him battling true freshman Tate Reynolds. Than our understanding is
• 2:49
  Speaker 3: is that the Zena has really taken over this fall
• 2:51
  Speaker 3: and made sure that this is a battle that I
• 2:54
  Speaker 3: think the gap is a little bit wider than maybe
• 2:56
  Speaker 3: the public has anticipated with how he's performed so far
• 3:00
  Speaker 3: the first week and a half. And this is someone
• 3:02
  Speaker 3: that just when you gather from people inside the building,
• 3:06
  Speaker 3: this is someone that even before he was the guy
• 3:09
  Speaker 3: taking over, even with Kate Klubbeck in the building, this
• 3:12
  Speaker 3: was someone that everyone in that locker room was ready
• 3:14
  Speaker 3: to rally behind, specifically with what happened at the SMU matchup,
• 3:18
  Speaker 3: where he kind of gets thrust it in at the
• 3:20
  Speaker 3: last minute, throws three touchdowns, performs rather well, and you're
• 3:25
  Speaker 3: just sort of waiting for him to step out of
• 3:27
  Speaker 3: the shadows and become Clemson's next quarterback. So I think
• 3:31
  Speaker 3: an expectation is we still don't know what this is
• 3:35
  Speaker 3: going to look like. Obviously he had a great showing
• 3:38
  Speaker 3: against SMU, but SMU's pass defense, I think the three
• 3:42
  Speaker 3: of us could go out there and perform them well
• 3:43
  Speaker 3: against that defense. Last year, I think it ranked at
• 3:45
  Speaker 3: the bottom of thes So to say that it's going
• 3:49
  Speaker 3: to be the same against LSU and Death Valley, that
• 3:53
  Speaker 3: certainly may not be the expectation of everybody in the
• 3:56
  Speaker 3: fan base. I think we're all in wait and see mode.
• 3:59
  Speaker 3: It's steel, feels very new, and so a variety of
• 4:02
  Speaker 3: things can happen. But I do think under Chad Morris's offense,
• 4:05
  Speaker 3: he's going to be more of a point guard at
• 4:07
  Speaker 3: quarterback and just trying to be the distributor, don't make
• 4:10
  Speaker 3: the backbreaking turnover, and if Clemson can just win that way,
• 4:14
  Speaker 3: they're gonna have to win a specific way this year,
• 4:16
  Speaker 3: but I think a lot of it's going to be
• 4:18
  Speaker 3: a lot of It reminds me of Carson Beck and
• 4:20
  Speaker 3: that Miami playoff run where you just got to not
• 4:22
  Speaker 3: screw this up for us, and I think we can
• 4:25
  Speaker 3: take care of the rest.
• 4:26
  Speaker 1: We're talking with Grayson Manning covers Clemson for Clemson Tiger Net.
• 4:31
  Speaker 1: We're talking Clemson. They're in camp right now, obviously getting
• 4:34
  Speaker 1: ready for that LSU opener.
• 4:37
  Speaker 2: You mentioned Chad Morris in the return.
• 4:39
  Speaker 1: This one that's I'm trying to figure this one out, Grayson,
• 4:42
  Speaker 1: because like obviously he was great when they were there,
• 4:45
  Speaker 1: and I do think he's the type of guy that
• 4:47
  Speaker 1: can commit more to the run game and get that
• 4:49
  Speaker 1: going again for them, But also he hasn't exactly been
• 4:53
  Speaker 1: killing it, you know, since he left Clemson. What do
• 4:56
  Speaker 1: you think about the Morris return? Are there any early
• 4:59
  Speaker 1: indication to give you a gut feeling on whether this
• 5:02
  Speaker 1: is going to work?
• 5:06
  Speaker 3: Yeah, this is one that it's a little bit strange
• 5:10
  Speaker 3: to me, guys. It was one I think I think
• 5:15
  Speaker 3: in January it was one that I was a little
• 5:17
  Speaker 3: bit hesitant to. I wasn't as warmed up to it.
• 5:21
  Speaker 3: As I am right now with the Morris higher. But
• 5:23
  Speaker 3: I think overall it's somebody that's coming and brought out
• 5:26
  Speaker 3: different energy into the building. And after a seven and
• 5:29
  Speaker 3: six campaign, you need a shot in the arm and
• 5:31
  Speaker 3: the worst way possible, and this guy has the trademark.
• 5:35
  Speaker 3: He's kind of this red bull guzzling maniac and is
• 5:38
  Speaker 3: a football sicco in all the right ways, and so
• 5:42
  Speaker 3: that part of it has certainly been a different change
• 5:45
  Speaker 3: for Clempson. But this is one it wasn't called plays
• 5:47
  Speaker 3: in five years. So again, like the quarterback, we don't
• 5:50
  Speaker 3: know what this is going to look like, and so
• 5:53
  Speaker 3: there's a sense of apprehension from Tiger fans across the
• 5:56
  Speaker 3: country as how this is going to look against LSU
• 6:00
  Speaker 3: Week one. I think it could take a while and
• 6:02
  Speaker 3: maybe by October you'll see a little bit more refined
• 6:05
  Speaker 3: refinery on the offense. But I think right now, again
• 6:08
  Speaker 3: like the quarterback, we're waiting see mode with how this
• 6:10
  Speaker 3: is going to look.
• 6:11
  Speaker 4: Speaking of Tiger fans, grace and take us into the
• 6:14
  Speaker 4: mindset of the Tiger fan here in twenty twenty six,
• 6:17
  Speaker 4: what what would make this a successful season in the
• 6:21
  Speaker 4: fans mind and make them happy? For the future of
• 6:24
  Speaker 4: this program.
• 6:26
  Speaker 3: I use the word rebuild guys, And it sounds weird
• 6:29
  Speaker 3: when you talk about a Dabosweeney Clemson led team, because
• 6:32
  Speaker 3: the expectation has always been that it's a program competing
• 6:35
  Speaker 3: for national championships. But when you look at the last
• 6:38
  Speaker 3: several years and the body of work, I try to
• 6:40
  Speaker 3: remove what happened over a decade ago and really look
• 6:44
  Speaker 3: at what has Clemson done since twenty twenty two. Let's
• 6:47
  Speaker 3: just use that as an example. They won eleven games
• 6:50
  Speaker 3: in twenty two, but since then it's been nine wins.
• 6:52
  Speaker 3: You sneak into the AGC Championship and win ten games
• 6:55
  Speaker 3: and make the playoff, and then last year, in a
• 6:58
  Speaker 3: year that everyone figured clem was a showing for the playoff,
• 7:01
  Speaker 3: you win seven games. So for me, it's can you
• 7:04
  Speaker 3: have some semblance of progress. Can you get back to
• 7:07
  Speaker 3: let's say nine wins, maybe you get that ten winning
• 7:10
  Speaker 3: a bowl game. I don't think it's as simple as
• 7:12
  Speaker 3: playoff or bus for this program. I think it's they
• 7:16
  Speaker 3: got to show proof of progress to a fan base
• 7:18
  Speaker 3: that's just looking for something. And so when last year
• 7:22
  Speaker 3: you deem some of those games as really I would
• 7:25
  Speaker 3: say the words sometimes came out as a competent from
• 7:28
  Speaker 3: our understanding. And so let's say they can take down
• 7:32
  Speaker 3: a LSU. Let's say they can compete with a really
• 7:34
  Speaker 3: great Miami team, go out and survive on Friday night,
• 7:37
  Speaker 3: aganst Cal and be in the conversation. I don't think
• 7:41
  Speaker 3: it's as simple as if they don't make the playoffs,
• 7:43
  Speaker 3: it's a failure. I think if this team has ten
• 7:45
  Speaker 3: wins by the end of it and can build into
• 7:48
  Speaker 3: twenty twenty seven, I think that's the right step for
• 7:50
  Speaker 3: this program that clearly lost its way last fall.
• 7:54
  Speaker 1: Last question I want to ask you is about the defense.
• 7:57
  Speaker 1: Last year's defense had all that NFL talent, and I
• 8:01
  Speaker 1: thought there'd be more production from the guys up front.
• 8:04
  Speaker 1: The past defense, my lord, that was brutal. I mean,
• 8:07
  Speaker 1: asked at Dabble will tell you, you know, has told you
• 8:10
  Speaker 1: numerous times. Man, that's the worst I've seen our past defense.
• 8:13
  Speaker 1: Second year for Tom Allen, they still got talent there
• 8:16
  Speaker 1: is do you think they're.
• 8:17
  Speaker 2: Better on defense this year?
• 8:19
  Speaker 1: What do you think of that side of the ball.
• 8:22
  Speaker 3: The phrase that I've gotten guys as addition by subtraction,
• 8:25
  Speaker 3: which when you have the NFL Draft picks to had.
• 8:28
  Speaker 3: I think that in April a lot of people were
• 8:29
  Speaker 3: puzzled when they kept seeing the Clemson name pop up
• 8:32
  Speaker 3: on the draft bark. They're like, how is this team
• 8:34
  Speaker 3: seven and six last year? When you got guys like
• 8:37
  Speaker 3: Peter Woods going in the first round or TJ. Parker
• 8:40
  Speaker 3: is the early second round the Buffalo Bills And everyone's
• 8:43
  Speaker 3: scratching their heads, right Avian Farrell going to the Falcons
• 8:47
  Speaker 3: that picked forty eight? How many games did this team
• 8:51
  Speaker 3: win last year? And I think that the big crux
• 8:54
  Speaker 3: of that, guys is I look at the secondary and
• 8:57
  Speaker 3: I think that's a unit, especially in the back end,
• 8:59
  Speaker 3: that got a lot better. You brought into transfer editions
• 9:02
  Speaker 3: and Corey Myrick and Jerome Carter that replaced I think
• 9:05
  Speaker 3: a really a secondary group in the safety group last
• 9:09
  Speaker 3: year that was pretty terrible. They gave up a lot
• 9:11
  Speaker 3: of chunk plays. There were moments where the communication certainly
• 9:15
  Speaker 3: wasn't there. I think Terrell was fine and certainly did
• 9:19
  Speaker 3: enough to warrant the draft slot that he got, but
• 9:22
  Speaker 3: other than that, it was really it was a disaster,
• 9:24
  Speaker 3: frankly at times. So I think that the secondaries improved.
• 9:27
  Speaker 3: There's a little bit better communication up front, and you
• 9:30
  Speaker 3: have some addition by subtraction there from the building from
• 9:34
  Speaker 3: last year. So Tom Allen and this defense certainly feels
• 9:36
  Speaker 3: like they've got a better pulse on what they want
• 9:39
  Speaker 3: to achieve. You'd feel better if the Luke Farelli situation
• 9:42
  Speaker 3: didn't happen. He had a linebacker to co star with
• 9:45
  Speaker 3: Sammy Brown. So you're just sort of I think if
• 9:48
  Speaker 3: you're a Tiger fan, you're praying Sammy Brown stays healthy.
• 9:51
  Speaker 3: Obviously at that position, it's always a big if. But
• 9:55
  Speaker 3: I think the talent is still there. You may not
• 9:58
  Speaker 3: be as talented as last year, but I do think
• 10:01
  Speaker 3: the pieces make a more cohesive unit for Tom Allen.
• 10:04
  Speaker 4: Here two, I just noticed that your Twitter background photo,
• 10:07
  Speaker 4: despite being a Clemson awam, it's Drake may as a Patriot.
• 10:11
  Speaker 2: Are you a be honest he Are you a Patriot fan?
• 10:14
  Speaker 3: I am. My dad grew up in Boston, so I
• 10:17
  Speaker 3: was raised on the Patriots. Yes, sir, Well, it was.
• 10:21
  Speaker 4: Going so well for well as a as a as
• 10:25
  Speaker 4: a Jets fan myself.
• 10:26
  Speaker 2: Good luck to you there, Hey, good luck, good luck.
• 10:29
  Speaker 3: Ye fans are rooting for Kate Clubnick up there, man.
• 10:33
  Speaker 1: That's right, Kate Club, Nick Kate Club, mcban doing some
• 10:36
  Speaker 1: things up there in Jets Camp. Oh yes, all right, Grayson.
• 10:39
  Speaker 1: Appreciate you brother. Thanks for all the information. Man Clemson
• 10:43
  Speaker 1: fans at Gray underscore man with two ends twenty one
• 10:48
  Speaker 1: on Twitter slash X, Thank you, brother, Appreciate it.
• 10:52
  Speaker 3: You guys take care, have a good one.