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Auburn HC Alex Golesh - Post-Transfer Portal Window · The Auburn Undercover Podcast

0:00
All right, I appreciate everybody being
0:01
here. Um, it's good to be back on campus
0:05
and we we actually get to coach our own
0:07
players here. So, this is uh it's an
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exciting time for us. Um, first
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condolences. Um,
0:16
Philip Marshall. I I met him twice uh
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and obviously was a staple in in the
0:22
community and and certainly the the
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journalism community here. every story
0:27
you hear, he he did it the right way for
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a really long time. So, condolences to
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his family, prayers with them. And then,
0:35
uh, National Girls and Women's Sports
0:38
Day today. I don't put a piece out on it
0:39
today, but we've got got some incredible
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women that work here. Powerful, strong,
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uh, in some key key roles that we count
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on to keep this operation going.
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Somebody's got a daughter and and, um,
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certainly have a ton of respect for for
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what they do. So, kind of a cool day um
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that we are honoring. I know everybody's
1:00
here to hear about our one sign today.
1:02
Uh a big time big time punter. Uh we we
1:06
had to go international there, but
1:08
obviously signed him signed at 7 a.m. uh
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his local time. Um which ended up for us
1:15
being yesterday, but uh added a punter
1:18
uh from Melbourne. And um I'm excited
1:22
about him. You know, obviously we've got
1:24
one here that's going into his senior
1:26
year, so to have a guy here that can
1:27
learn under him, uh, and and certainly
1:30
important. We don't talk about it a
1:32
whole lot, but important for us to get a
1:33
guy that we can bring in, develop, big
1:36
kid, huge leg, uh, really neat neat
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young guy
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that we're really excited about. Uh, and
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then we got we got 40 new guys here. Uh
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it was a it was an interesting process
1:48
coming in and and one evaluating
1:52
uh after getting through the retention
1:54
process and and that was an interesting
1:56
process. I I joked a lot with Taylor.
2:00
joke with our ad, joke with our staff
2:02
like, man, if if there was a documentary
2:05
crew in here, man, somebody can make a
2:06
ton of money. And and then I actually
2:08
proposed that we do that uh to make a
2:10
ton of money. And um and I was informed
2:14
that the SEC already has a contract for
2:16
that. So, at some point maybe that'll
2:18
happen. But it is a fascinating it was a
2:20
fascinating month and a half there uh
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from from the retention side to making
2:25
decisions to the pre-portal to the
2:26
portal. Um, you know, we brought in 40
2:29
guys and
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more so than talking about anybody
2:34
that's not here, the 40 that that we
2:36
brought, we're those guys are anywhere
2:39
from a week to 3 weeks into training,
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um, got a chance to actually be here and
2:44
and be around them here over the last
2:46
couple weeks and and I would tell you
2:48
collectively as a group, at least up
2:50
until this point, we brought the right
2:52
guys in. And that was more than anything
2:54
for us. Um, it was a mix of bringing in
2:58
guys that one have experience,
3:02
uh, they've been in moments that matter,
3:05
that count, and then a mix of young guys
3:08
that you've got to fill the roster out
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and
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guys that we feel like have potential,
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guys that we feel like have roles that
3:15
can grow into roles. And so, kind of all
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over the place. Uh, in terms of there
3:21
were some spots where it was absolute
3:23
needs, like absolute rebuilding from
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scratch positions, wide out, O line,
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tight end, uh, you know, edge rushers.
3:35
Um, and then and then there were some
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spots where it's like, man, if we can
3:39
get corners in that in that mold. And
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then there was some spots where it was,
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man, we need some depth or man, can we
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find some young guys that that fit what
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we're looking for? Measurables u maybe
3:51
don't have a ton of production yet, but
3:53
can and might uh turn into something.
3:56
Um, used a ton of resources to do it.
3:59
certainly this the staff um the a lot of
4:03
analytics behind it uh and and it's a
4:06
puzzle you're piecing together like
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that's why I joke with man if you could
4:10
have a documentary on this it would be
4:11
fascinating
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um just how many different things go
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into into acquisition from evaluation to
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the recruiting part to bringing them on
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campus I I will say this and uh they get
4:25
talked about a lot but the support
4:28
system here. Part of it has been in
4:30
place, part of it we put in place. But
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the people like to to get a young man on
4:35
campus, get him get his academic
4:38
situation evaluated, get him admitted,
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get him here housed into permanent
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housing. Um, there's a lot of people
4:47
that go into it and and I'm there's too
4:50
many to name, but there's a ton behind
4:52
the scenes from compliance to academics
4:54
to admissions to uh people doing
4:57
evaluations in the middle of the night
4:58
across campus. The one thing I'll tell
5:00
you is football's really important here.
5:02
People care and it's really really easy
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uh to get things done once you get the
5:09
ball rolling. So, I'm super grateful to
5:11
a lot of people, like I said,
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compliance, academics, admissions,
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professors on campus, people willing to
5:17
open up buildings, uh, to people in the
5:20
community. You walk into into breakfast
5:22
or lunch or dinner and and it every
5:26
single person you come across, I'm
5:28
talking about people in the community.
5:29
Welcome to Auburn. Welcome to Auburn.
5:31
War Eagle. Welcome to Auburn. War Eagle.
5:33
when it's like that. Um, and there there
5:36
hasn't been last five, six years a ton
5:38
to cheer about. Um, but when it's like
5:41
that and you bring families in, you
5:42
bring kids in, that matters. And and
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that's a huge reason I chose to come
5:47
here 2 months ago, but it's a huge
5:49
reason a lot of guys are coming in. And
5:52
so, we've gone from the portal kind of
5:55
closing that out and as fast of a jump
5:59
start as we can get on 2027.
6:02
And man, that's been awesome. Uh we
6:04
spent spent time in December, spent time
6:06
in early January. Uh and the portal
6:08
butting up to contact period. Um you can
6:12
talk about the ways to improve it. And
6:15
I'm sure a question will come up on it,
6:16
but but there were days where I was
6:19
somewhere flying back for a dinner,
6:20
somewhere flying back to a dinner,
6:23
driving back to a dinner. the back and
6:25
forth, but we were able to get out and
6:27
and see a ton of 27s in this region,
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some nationally, and
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get into some fights that that I didn't
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know if we could get into, but we have.
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And so, we've got great jump starts at
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27. Same thing. We had a junior day um
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for uh for a basketball game in the
6:44
middle of January. We had a huge junior
6:46
day on Sunday. And it's the same if you
6:48
get around, you walk into into Neville
6:51
and and welcome to Auburn, where we're
6:53
welcome to Auburn. more Eagle. You could
6:55
sense the excitement, sense the energy.
6:57
Um, and it's that part has been
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absolutely huge. So, we've gotten a
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really good jump start heading into
7:03
spring in terms of being able to to
7:06
recruit at an elite elite level here as
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we move into spring and summer. So,
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talent acquisition, retention, all of
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that exciting. Again, I I think the part
7:17
that we're all just giddy about is
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getting on the turf with our guys and
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getting to coach football. Everybody's
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like, "Man, how you doing? I get to
7:24
coach football finally." So, uh, it's
7:27
exciting. Dudes are working their tails
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off. Strength staff's done a really good
7:30
job. And it's really really cool to see
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this infrastructure that we built really
7:35
really quickly. Uh, everything from from
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accountability to discipline to the
7:40
strength to the speed, all of it, every
7:43
foundational level of the program being
7:45
laid. And so, we're going to do
7:48
everything we can to give ourselves a
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chance to have the best spring we can.
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And that's the only thing that matters
7:52
right now. Uh is getting into spring
7:54
football as healthy, strong, um well
7:58
educated as imaginately possible to go
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have a lead spring and get ourselves
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ready for summer.
8:03
>> Questions?
8:04
>> Trying to play catchup with a bunch of
8:05
these guys compared to, you know, other
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schools that have been recruiting them
8:08
for a while.
8:09
>> Yeah, Christian. I I I think each each
8:11
young guy is a little bit individual.
8:13
Obviously,
8:15
majority of our staff's been in this
8:16
region um for for the last however many
8:20
years from from the defensive additions
8:23
we've we've made to the offensive
8:24
additions we've made. A majority of our
8:27
staff to you know analyst, gas,
8:30
recruiting staff have been in this
8:32
region. So there's a a majority of those
8:33
guys we've we've been in contact with in
8:36
some capacity. Very few is it the first
8:38
time you're having conversations with
8:40
those kids. Um, but the message has been
8:42
really, really simple. Um, this is one
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of the most historic blue blood programs
8:46
in the history of college football. You
8:48
come be the reason to get us back. And
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it it's been as simple as that. There's
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obviously a lot of things you're
8:54
selling, a lot of things that that
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matter in today's recruiting.
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The thing that's not changed and and
9:02
doesn't get talked about enough is young
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men still crave a relationship, still
9:06
crave a level of accountability, still
9:08
crave development. Um, and and there's
9:11
something about playing in front of
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88,000 every week and and being in a
9:15
place like Auburn where football is
9:16
really important. I hit on it earlier.
9:18
the more we can get them here and get
9:20
them around us, I I think what these
9:23
young guys have sensed is this is one a
9:26
high high-end staff um to a really
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genuine
9:32
relationshipdriven
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recruiting process that then turns into
9:36
a relationship driven development
9:38
process when they get here. Um and and
9:40
is that different? I don't know. I I
9:42
know that's just how we've always done
9:44
it in the sense that it's been you
9:46
recruit the whole young man. It's you
9:48
got to obviously identify and there's
9:50
got to be traits you like and there's
9:51
got to be the the film has got to be
9:53
what what you need it to be. But then
9:56
that part hasn't changed and I I think
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we recruit at a high level because we we
10:00
work harder than everybody in the
10:02
country at developing the relationships.
10:04
Um and you can catch up in that way.
10:07
These guys know man I've been here for
10:09
for two months. Um and for the first six
10:13
weeks it's been our own roster in a lot
10:15
of ways but but I've I our staff, we
10:19
found time it whether it's in the
10:21
evening, in the middle of the day, you
10:22
get a kid on a phone and start to build
10:24
and develop relationships. Technology
10:26
helps. It's easier to FaceTime than than
10:28
used to be you could only call. And so,
10:31
uh, we've tried to fasttrack a lot of
10:32
it, but a huge part of it has been
10:34
getting these kids on campus here before
10:36
this D period so they can get around us
10:37
and get around our staff. But that's
10:40
what we're selling person. You talk
10:42
about jump start. talk about the
10:43
importance of bringing in I guess 13
10:45
guys from uh South Florida who have uh
10:48
played practiced uh for you to the
10:52
culture and understanding the system
10:53
especially offensively. Yeah, 11 of
10:56
those guys on offense, Bill. And and
10:58
part of it is you had to replace a ton
11:00
on offense, you know, and and so, you
11:03
know, I think for each of those guys, it
11:05
started with, man, who who do we feel
11:08
like can can help us win football games
11:10
here? And and I would tell you all 11 of
11:12
those guys fit fit that. Um and and you
11:16
could look at it and say, man, how is
11:17
there so many at South Florida? Well, I
11:19
would tell you we recruited and
11:21
developed at an elite level there. And
11:23
so those guys were guys we felt like
11:26
could could come in one play to have
11:32
have uh surface
11:36
I guess surface level or
11:39
at least an introduction to what the
11:41
heck we do on both you know on both
11:43
sides of the ball. Uh production was a
11:46
key. There's a couple young guys we
11:48
brought though that that we as they were
11:50
there, we thought, man, like we hit on
11:52
this, didn't we? Like like this kid's
11:54
better than we thought he was. Uh but
11:56
more than anything else, it it's a group
11:58
of guys in that locker room that some
12:02
are better leaders than others, but all
12:04
of them when when guys walk in there and
12:07
and inevitably it's human nature to
12:09
question what you're doing because if
12:10
what you're doing is different than what
12:12
you're used to, you're going to question
12:13
it. And for those 13 to say, "Hey, he's
12:18
got his man. Just trust him." And that I
12:21
would tell you is absolutely priceless.
12:23
As you go in that proof of concept I
12:26
continue to talk about, they've seen it.
12:28
And and I'm not talking about scoring a
12:30
bunch of points or any of that. Like
12:32
that is what it is. And that'll come.
12:34
But more so just just the level of
12:36
accountability that's required to play
12:38
football here. The level of discipline
12:40
that's required to play football here,
12:41
the level of work ethic that's required
12:43
to play football here, the type of human
12:46
being you have to be to play here. These
12:49
guys can stamp you and the the time it
12:52
takes to build trust and build
12:55
relationships within a football program.
12:57
I mean, that takes years a lot of the
12:59
time. These guys can accelerate it by
13:01
saying, "Hey, stop it. Trust them." And
13:05
when it's one of your peers telling you
13:06
that, it's a lot easier to to gain that
13:09
trust. And obviously, we can't break it
13:12
then. But it's definitely uh it's
13:14
definitely creates a level of trust that
13:18
makes it a lot easier to then go ahead
13:20
and teach from there.
13:22
>> Justin Fergus, the reserver, you guys
13:25
got Jeremiah Cob back and then you went
13:27
out and added three more guys who were
13:29
number one running backs for their
13:30
teams.
13:31
Can you explain a little bit more about
13:33
building the depth that way and getting,
13:35
you know, several guys that were feature
13:36
backs in their old old schools to come
13:38
here and play together?
13:39
>> Yeah, absolutely. That's a spot that
13:43
that you knew. You had you had a guy in
13:45
Jeremiah who who had a phenomenal year a
13:47
year ago.
13:49
It's a spot you got to have multiple
13:50
guys that can do it. We're going to run
13:52
the heck out of the ball. We we've done
13:54
it for as long as I've been a head coach
13:56
and coordinator. Uh that's where it all
13:58
starts offensively for us is you got to
14:00
be able to run the football and and I
14:01
don't care what league you're in. Uh you
14:04
need backs that can run the ball. Uh the
14:06
experience piece helps you in so many
14:09
ways. Uh you know that position
14:13
there's so much that goes into it. The
14:14
pass protection part you can't
14:18
the time on task and the reps in-game
14:21
reps speed of the game reps you can't
14:25
substitute. And the pass protection part
14:27
is such a huge part of playing running
14:30
back. You're you're a huge part of
14:32
protecting the entire franchise every
14:34
single time you decide to throw the
14:36
football. So that's where the the
14:39
production that you we were searching
14:41
for came in. And and guys, you there's
14:44
three guys that came in from three
14:46
different places, three different styles
14:48
of play. That was the other thing um
14:50
that we were looking for. We were
14:51
looking for for different types of backs
14:54
than what we have here. Uh we wanted
14:57
some size there, we wanted some speed
14:59
there and we found it. And and the key
15:01
to the whole thing was we need guys that
15:03
have produced at this at this level
15:06
because when it bullets are flying, all
15:10
those guys in that room can run the
15:11
ball. The guys that are young can run
15:12
the ball. It's it's can they protect?
15:15
Can they catch it out of the back field?
15:17
Can they operate snap to snap? And when
15:20
you play with the tempo we play at, you
15:22
you got to have multiple guys that can
15:24
go because it's in general you got to
15:26
split the reps. But when you're going at
15:28
that tempo that we are, you got to have
15:30
multiple guys that are ready to rock and
15:32
it's why all those guys chose to come
15:33
here.
15:34
>> Go hog JG Nathan Mike
15:37
>> Alex just sports three sports. Talk
15:40
about from an NIL perspective again
15:43
adjusting to quickly here's our number,
15:46
here's what we got available. Now you've
15:48
got to sort of figure out valuations and
15:50
how do you dole that out? You're
15:51
probably recruiting a different level of
15:53
players well than you were at South
15:54
Florida. Resources are different. Just
15:55
kind of how quickly did you have to
15:57
adjust to what you have from the NIL
15:59
perspective and just working working
16:01
through that to maximize you know what
16:02
you have available?
16:04
>> Yeah, Justin, I think I think
16:07
I could stand up here for a while and
16:09
answer your question. The the biggest
16:12
difference obviously you're you're
16:15
dealing with a bigger number. you're
16:17
dealing with with different caliber of
16:20
athlete one through 105. And I I think
16:24
if and you guys will find as transparent
16:26
as transparent gets the the hardest
16:29
thing I think for me was to figure out
16:33
what does that roster number look like
16:35
in terms of how many like you're sitting
16:38
there you got 105 scholarships and you
16:40
got 105 roster spots but man do you
16:45
squish that down into 70 60 in an NFL
16:49
model is it 53 or do you spread it out
16:53
knowing that that one, it's a long
16:55
season. Two, the caliber of player
16:58
you're getting based on how much you got
17:00
to spread out. Side note, they added a
17:02
ninth game in this conference. So, it's
17:06
one more tough grinded out matchup. You
17:09
look at our non-conference, it's it's
17:11
not a joke. You look long term, too,
17:13
it's it's serious as you go. And so the
17:17
ability to develop guys to develop depth
17:19
long term. I think the hardest thing
17:22
besides truly figuring out how many do
17:25
you want to go one to one to what like
17:27
what's that number of what do you truly
17:30
got to carry in the sense of guys that
17:33
are that are non-developmental guys
17:35
actually ready to play guys. That's one.
17:38
to
17:40
when you're trying to when you're trying
17:42
to recruit at the same time you're
17:44
trying to figure out who you're
17:45
retaining. That's the part that I think
17:48
the juggling act there those first
17:49
couple weeks of the portal being open.
17:52
Um I think if you know, man, these are
17:55
the guys that are going to be here. And
17:56
there were some guys we made decisions
17:58
on quickly. There were some guys that
17:59
said quickly, man, I'm I'm here. I'm all
18:01
in. And then there's some guys that are
18:03
trying to figure out. And respectfully,
18:05
I get it. I I really do.
18:07
and here's this new guy comes in.
18:09
Everything is flipped upside down and do
18:11
I want to be a part of it? And we didn't
18:14
plan the bowl game. So those guys were
18:16
gone a week and a half into me being
18:18
here. So a lot of that a lot of those
18:21
conversations I met with everybody
18:22
initially and then the uh those
18:25
conversations were ongoing. And so there
18:27
were certain points where you're like,
18:28
"Dude, are you going to be here or not?
18:30
I'm good. Just tell me." So I know if I
18:32
got to go get another guy. That's why I
18:34
made the joke about if there was if you
18:35
were going to film a documentary, this
18:36
would be a fascinating one. Um because
18:39
that's the balancing act and and you
18:42
there's you're keeping guys warm.
18:44
They're taking other visits. Like
18:46
there's so many things that are going on
18:47
at the same time. And these are they're
18:50
they're things everybody's dealing with.
18:52
I think when you're in year one, it's
18:54
even harder. Uh just because there's the
18:58
retention part of it is so uh up in the
19:02
air. I guess would be how you would uh
19:04
quantify that. And then and then the no
19:07
bowl game too, like we were playing the
19:09
bowl game, you'd have them around at
19:11
least another couple weeks to where
19:13
you're constantly around and those
19:14
relationships are being built and then
19:16
you can get to a final answer quicker.
19:19
Uh, but I would tell you those are the
19:20
two hardest things is truly the size and
19:22
then and then who's saying and who's not
19:26
so that you know who you got to replace
19:28
because I think the the um figuring out
19:32
who you want to recruit is probably the
19:34
easiest part uh once you can look at
19:37
film and see production and do digging
19:39
and do research try to put a profile of
19:42
who the young man is. And I would tell
19:44
you, man, I I don't have a exact number
19:47
in front of me, but I would tell you
19:48
about 75% of the kids we signed, there
19:51
was a previous relationship and and like
19:54
a real previous relationship where when
19:56
you made that call, you knew who you
19:59
were talking to. They knew who they were
20:00
talking to. They knew the background of
20:02
what you were coming with. It's that 25%
20:05
where you don't have a relationship and
20:08
you're like, man, I like the film. my
20:09
digging research tells me he's a good
20:11
human, injuries, all of that. Like,
20:15
what's up, man? Alex Schol from Auburn,
20:18
you know, it's like one of them like
20:19
sup. And you start there. Those are the
20:22
the hard ones. But, but that process I
20:24
think is the easiest part. It's the
20:27
roster piece. Who's saying who's going
20:29
and the size of what you want to invest
20:31
knowing what you have financially on top
20:33
of then working like crazy to to get
20:36
that number to grow as fast as you can.
20:42
>> Hey, Alex JG with Auburn Sports on three
20:45
sports. Uh first of all, I think you got
20:46
a great idea on the documentary. I guess
20:47
the SEC has a lot of money so they don't
20:49
worry about it. Uh my question is about
20:51
Byron. Do you feel you got to protect
20:53
him from some of the expectations are
20:55
going to be crazy when we start getting
20:56
closer to the season? I think a lot of
20:57
people have put the Superman cape on him
20:59
already. Kind of how are you planning to
21:00
deal with that? I know he's playing at a
21:02
very high level, but still.
21:04
>> That's an awesome question. I I think I
21:07
think anybody dealing with any sort of
21:09
expectations, I think experience is is
21:12
what you bank on that you've been there,
21:14
done that, played in big moments,
21:16
executed in big moments. I I think
21:19
having real confidence
21:21
is what guards you from being unprepared
21:23
for the expectations and I think the
21:26
only way you can have real confidence is
21:27
if your process your preparation was
21:30
elite. That's where your confidence
21:32
rests. Um Byron Byron has been in these
21:36
moments
21:38
in in a lot of ways and he's had success
21:40
in in big time moments and then has also
21:43
failed in some big time moments that
21:45
he's been able to grow from. But those
21:47
are all things you you talk through. You
21:50
you you
21:52
go back to previous experience and and
21:54
you build confidence that position,
21:56
really any position, but that position,
21:57
man, like you can't you can't fake the
21:59
confidence because they're split-second
22:02
decisions you're making. Um, but that's
22:04
a young man that that chased this
22:07
opportunity in the sense that he wanted
22:09
to play on the biggest stage knowing
22:11
that he's an NFL player that that felt
22:15
like he needed one more year at the
22:16
highest level to get to where he wanted
22:18
to go in terms of draft stock. And
22:23
for him, he knows he'll be prepared for
22:26
the moment. Anybody that spent a day
22:28
with him here since he's been here would
22:30
tell you, man, he's going to be ready
22:31
for that moment. And that's where his
22:32
confidence will will be at in himself
22:35
knowing that he's worked m maybe as hard
22:39
as they make in country.
22:41
>> Nathan and Mike and Nathan King already
22:43
cover. Can you talk about your
22:45
confidence level heading into spring
22:46
with an offensive staff you are so
22:49
familiar with and and putting together a
22:51
playbook, putting together your
22:52
offensive scheme and installing that
22:54
knowing that you've known you have so
22:55
many of these guys on your offensive
22:57
staff for so long, including your play
22:58
call.
22:59
Yeah, I I would tell you offensively
23:03
it it's it's our scheme. Um, you know,
23:06
and I I say that I want to correct you
23:08
in the sense that
23:11
that I think the reason why we've had
23:12
success offensively over the years, and
23:15
this goes back to to Iowa State, but
23:17
Joel is it has been a collective effort.
23:20
Um, I got a lot of credit for things
23:23
I've done, Joel's got credit for things
23:25
he's done. I I'm telling you, it is as
23:27
collective effort as as I've ever been a
23:31
part of. You add a guy like Larry Scott
23:34
who's been a play caller in this
23:36
conference. You add a guy like Larry
23:37
Porter who um who's been a head coach,
23:40
who's been in this league, who's been
23:42
here. Um and and these are guys that
23:45
they sit there as they learn it and
23:47
you're getting ideas like man, like have
23:49
you ever thought about this? And man, as
23:52
long as I've done this, like, man,
23:53
coach, I haven't thought about that.
23:55
That's that's incredible. I I think
23:57
where our success has come from is us
23:59
being able to have zero egos in that
24:02
room. And and that's driven by me. Joel
24:04
Bordon has maybe the least ego of
24:06
anybody I ever met. Like that's driven
24:08
by
24:10
just the ability to listen more than you
24:13
talk sometimes. Uh Cody Burns added so
24:16
much a year ago a year ago to us down at
24:19
South Florida just from his experience
24:22
being being in the NFL for a couple
24:24
years.
24:25
And
24:26
the probably biggest thing that we've
24:30
got to get out of spring, you asked
24:31
about the confidence in the offense.
24:33
We're going to install a base foundation
24:36
of what we are offensively. The spring
24:39
is going to be huge for us to know, man,
24:42
what the heck are we actually good at?
24:44
What are we not good at? Um, and then
24:47
build an offense around the personnel.
24:49
What's made our offense
24:52
as good as it has been is that we've
24:54
adjusted year to year and and anybody
24:57
that understands football has watched us
24:59
from from the Iowa State to the UCF to
25:02
the Tennessee to the South Florida
25:05
like we've looked different. Uh the core
25:07
foundation has been the same. We're
25:09
going to run the piss out of the ball.
25:11
We're going to play really fast at
25:12
times. Um the ball's going to get out
25:15
quick.
25:16
But formationally, we've evolved. What
25:18
we've run schematically in the run game
25:20
and the pass game has evolved. Uh, and
25:22
that's been yeartoear. And I think
25:24
really good play callers, really good
25:26
guys that can scheme will evolve and
25:28
change based on on what you're what you
25:31
have and then what you're expecting cuz
25:34
the guys we're playing against are also
25:36
going to be different here. And and so
25:37
the ability to to have an element of not
25:40
just an element of surprise, but an
25:41
element of understanding what you're
25:43
really good at. You got to think could
25:45
be a whole new O line, a whole new
25:47
receiver court, um whole new tight end
25:50
group, new quarterback. All of these
25:52
guys working together for the first
25:54
time. I I would tell you the key to our
25:56
success and I would feel really
25:58
confident if we left spring and we knew
26:01
who our best 11 were, who our next best
26:03
11 are, uh who the the other guys that
26:07
can help us are, and then give us the
26:10
month of May, June, July, August to
26:13
piece together a schematically piece
26:17
together an offense that will give us
26:19
the best chance to go in. Go Mike,
26:21
Peter, Taylor,
26:23
>> Michael four. Coach, uh, can you talk
26:28
assess your offensive line and what you
26:29
guys did there in the portal? Do you
26:31
feel like you have the offensive line uh
26:33
to to to give by the time it needs to
26:35
be, right? And then in in regards to
26:37
your question about the collective
26:39
effort of the coaches, can you comment
26:41
on whether play calling will be a
26:43
collective effort or will it just be
26:45
single?
26:46
>> You talk about play calling offensively.
26:48
>> Yes.
26:48
>> Gotcha. Yeah, Michael. Um, man, this
26:52
offensive line it I think on paper you
26:55
feel really really good. I think from a
26:58
we I think we hit it on on two sides. We
27:02
had to go get immediate production guys
27:04
that have played at a high level
27:07
and and you're talking about tackles,
27:10
interior, like all of it. just purely
27:14
what you lose to the draft, what you
27:16
lose to the portal, some decisions we
27:19
made to let some guys go to create some
27:20
space and obviously some money to be
27:23
able to allocate it differently. Um, I
27:26
would tell you what we brought in and
27:29
what we decided to retain here, you feel
27:33
really good top to bottom. We've got 17
27:35
scholarship guys that that the top end
27:40
of it in terms of production, you feel
27:43
like you're going to have nine guys that
27:46
have played a ton of football that are
27:48
ready to rock and roll. I think the key
27:50
is going to be which of the guys that
27:51
haven't played a ton yet take a giant
27:53
step in order to be able to have the
27:56
depth that we need. Um, and we're going
27:59
into it and I can tell you maybe in your
28:01
mind you feel like you know who's going
28:02
to start, but I I'm 100% convinced it
28:06
ain't going to look like that. And so
28:09
there's a bunch of hungry guys. What
28:11
what's incredible, Michael, when you go
28:12
into a situation like this is there's 17
28:16
guys, you got three walk-ons in there.
28:18
So there's 20 guys in there that think
28:19
they all have a chance to start. And I
28:22
would tell you right now, I would agree
28:24
with all of them that they all do have a
28:26
chance to start. and they all have a
28:27
chance to earn playing time. When it's
28:29
like that and you know, man, like
28:31
listen, these jobs are wide open. Go
28:33
take it. The level of competition is
28:36
going to be incredible. Like,
28:37
incredible. And they're working that way
28:38
in the weight room. There's a bunch of
28:40
guys that think, man, I'm the guy. And
28:42
when it's that way, you got a chance to
28:43
be really good. To tell you, man, I know
28:46
we're going to be elite at certain
28:49
spots, man, I'd be lying to you. Uh, I
28:52
can tell you I've prayed a lot about it
28:55
and I'm going to continue to pray. If
28:56
there's one position I'm praying about,
28:58
it's the O line. So, if anybody wants to
29:00
join me, have at it. Uh, but
29:04
there's praying about it and then
29:05
there's going to work. And I can tell
29:07
you, Coach Hood and and PB and Mike and
29:10
those guys have worked incredibly hard
29:12
to to put that group together. And then
29:15
man are we excited to get on the drafts
29:16
with those guys that we can start to not
29:19
just evaluate but develop that group.
29:21
That's one position that'll drastically
29:24
physically and mentally change from
29:26
today to when we wind up in September.
29:29
Um every day for those guys, the ability
29:32
to play the way we play every day for
29:34
those guys is absolutely critical and
29:36
and every part of what they do to be
29:38
able to the hope is you have 10 guys
29:40
going into fall that you feel really
29:42
good about. We have a single play
29:43
caller.
29:44
>> Play caller. Yeah. Joel Gordon it calls
29:46
the plays on game day. Um and and I go
29:50
back to the way we play. It's really
29:53
hard to interject sometimes in the
29:55
middle of it. Um I have been known to
29:58
interject
29:59
a lot at times. Uh but it is truly a a
30:03
collective effort. Uh you get down in
30:05
between the drives and it is it is
30:08
everybody talking. Again, part of what's
30:11
made this really, really good is that
30:13
there's no egos. Everybody has a voice.
30:16
Sometimes that voice is coming from one
30:17
of the young coaches and it's, "Okay,
30:19
uh, I'm going to speak up here. I think
30:21
we should do this and and it's as good
30:23
of an idea as we've had." And so, it is
30:26
truly a collective effort. I would tell
30:28
you that entire offense is super super
30:31
involved in in between drives. If
30:34
somebody has an idea in between, guys
30:36
will speak up. We have a really good
30:37
rhythm and a really good system. We got
30:39
to get um Larry Scott, Larry Porter in
30:42
the fold in terms of feeling comfortable
30:44
enough to speak up in it. And they they
30:46
certainly will. Those guys are pros and
30:48
vets that have done it for a long time.
30:50
Um but everybody knows they've got a
30:52
voice in there. They can speak up. Um I
30:55
certainly do speak up when when I feel
30:58
like I've got something that that's
30:59
really good. You can ask Joel, but my
31:02
hit percentage on scoring touchdowns
31:03
when I speak up is
31:06
up there.
31:08
So we go Peter Taylor then we're
31:09
finish.com
31:12
five tight end transfers come in I guess
31:14
what's your vision for that group in
31:15
this offense and you know what do you I
31:17
guess what do you see the incoming group
31:19
that's coming
31:20
>> yeah that tight end spot is so critical
31:22
for us offensively simply in um in the
31:25
ability to create matchup issues
31:27
formation variation
31:30
um and
31:32
being able to be multiple talked about
31:35
uh changing year to year finding the
31:37
best 11 and then the next best 11. Um,
31:40
we've been at our best when when we've
31:43
been able to play in some heavier sets.
31:45
I think in this conference, especially
31:47
with the way the D lines are, um, man,
31:51
you've got to be able to equalize edges
31:52
and and you've got to be able to create
31:54
some formation variation, make people
31:56
think. I, you know, everybody talks
31:58
about how good players there are in this
32:00
conference. My two years in it, I would
32:03
tell you the coaching matches that as
32:05
well. um see the elite leading. The more
32:08
variation you can have, the better. Um
32:11
and the tight ends allow you to create
32:13
that variation. As you look at that
32:15
group that we took,
32:18
production again talks very similar to
32:20
this running back group. It's
32:21
production. It's it's the ability to be
32:25
really really multiple with what those
32:27
guys can do. Meaning they can play in
32:29
the box, they can play out of the box,
32:31
they can play in the back field.
32:32
um you were trying to find high
32:35
production
32:37
um high physicality but guys that can do
32:40
things uh with the ball in their hands
32:42
as well. And you don't want a bunch of
32:44
guys that are the same in that room. And
32:47
as you look at those guys, they're all a
32:48
little bit different. They have a little
32:50
bit of a different skill set. As a play
32:52
caller, it allows you to be really,
32:53
really multiple based on who's in there.
32:56
That's what we went out and and had to
32:58
go after.
32:59
>> Last one from Taylor. Taylor born the
33:01
barn. When you're talking to high school
33:03
prospects, how do you manage those
33:05
conversations with guys who are eager to
33:07
come in and contribute early while
33:09
emphasizing the importance of patience
33:11
and giving yourself time to develop?
33:14
>> Yeah, Taylor, I I would tell you um
33:18
there's so much more that goes into
33:19
that. Um because I think going back to
33:22
this NIL question earlier, it's what do
33:24
you want them to invest and wait, you
33:26
know, and and there's so many so many
33:29
positions where guys at a high high
33:32
level could come in and play right away
33:33
and then there's certain spots that are
33:34
developmental spots and then you're
33:36
trying to gauge how long are you willing
33:38
to wait and that's that portal versus
33:40
high school question. Um, I would tell
33:42
you our stance on it has always been to
33:45
be really, really honest. Um, and show a
33:49
depth chart, show where you feel like,
33:51
man, this is where you can be if you're
33:53
at your best. I do think guys are
33:55
realistic in the sense that you're
33:57
coming into the the best league in
33:59
college football. Like, you got to be
34:01
physically, mentally ready to to go get
34:03
it. And certain spots are easier.
34:05
Obviously, the skill spots are are
34:06
easier because there's less of a um
34:09
developmental like physical element to
34:12
it that there's not a physical element,
34:14
but less of that to play in the trenches
34:17
in this conference as as a young guy.
34:20
You got to be special and and elite like
34:23
a one of one type. And and if if that's
34:25
the case, then you got to be ready to
34:27
make that investment. If you're ready to
34:28
make that investment, that's who's
34:29
playing. And uh I think it's probably
34:31
the biggest thing that's changed is is
34:33
there's an investment that goes
34:36
financial investment that goes with the
34:37
caliber as well and you're trying to
34:39
constantly gauge if they're not going to
34:41
be ready. Am I ready to make that
34:42
investment? Um I would tell you you're
34:45
working through that constantly. But
34:47
there's guys that you're that you're
34:49
watching that like man like that's a day
34:51
one ready to go play guy. Um but again
34:54
so much goes into that from a mental
34:57
side, from a true physical development
34:59
side. the abil and when I say mental
35:01
side, the ability to learn it to be able
35:02
to go play fast. Uh, but I think the
35:06
ultimate answer to your question is you
35:07
got you got to be really really really
35:09
honest with the guys. Here's where I see
35:10
it. Cuz I think the one thing that that
35:14
hasn't changed is the transparency has
35:16
to be real cuz as soon as these guys
35:18
realize that, man, this guy's full of it
35:20
and you're not going to get the next one
35:23
there. And um and so you're just as
35:26
transparent as you can and and you you
35:28
try to be as um as accurate with your
35:32
evaluations as you can and and I think
35:34
that stuff you get better as you go. I
35:36
feel really confident in our scouting
35:38
department and then certainly our
35:40
position coaches and myself and trying
35:42
to project that. Um but there's also an
35:46
element where like man I can't take them
35:48
right now for whatever reason in college
35:51
football and maybe I'll go take him next
35:52
year. So, building those relationships
35:55
throughout, no matter if you're going to
35:57
be in it or not, to be able to be in it
35:59
later on down the road.
36:01
>> All right. Thank you, coach.
36:02
>> Thank you, guys. Where you know?