Latest / Run After Cast: The College Football Podcast / Checking the Pulse of Death Valley | LSU Spring Practice Ft. Matt

Transcript

Checking the Pulse of Death Valley | LSU Spring Practice Ft. Matt · Run After Cast: The College Football Podcast

• RAC Aaron: Welcome back to run after cast the college football podcast. I'm Aaron joined by my two good friends, Ryan. RY4N: Hey guys. RAC Aaron: and Chandler. RAC Chandler: Good night, gentlemen. RAC Aaron: And this week we brought special guests to join us here. We got Matt. Matt: Hello, good evening. Thanks for having me. RAC Aaron: And we brought you on because today we're going to be talking about preseason spring practices at LSU since y'all are a little too good for spring games, but we're going to get your, we're going to get your input, get your breakdown of that, your season predictions, what you think it's going to be we take a trip over to the reaction news desk to hear what we've missed this week. Matt: You sure are. RAC Chandler: So the only piece of news I have is been changing a lot, but as of late April, 2026, Brendan Sorsby has taken an indefinite leave of absence to enter residential treatment for a gambling addiction. So it's been reported via New York times that he has placed over 10,000 wagers since 2022, averaging about 20 bets a day at certain points. And he was betting on his own team, Indiana, during his redshirt 2022 redshirt season. And the NCAA has reportedly not had an official ruling on it, but they're likely to waive his eligibility completely in this 2026 season and deem him ineligible to return to college athletics. So him being one of the number one transfer portal picks behind Sam Levitt that LSU got. I don't think anybody's thought this coming, but since we have Matthew on, I he was supposed to go to LSU, so what is your opinion on dodging that bullet? Matt: That's a real bullet there. When the news went across, I just could not believe it. Like you have all this hype going in and then bada boom, bada bing. Just of words. Insane. I can't believe it. Hopefully once a bet's off, once the money. RAC Aaron: you RAC Chandler: Hahaha RY4N: He would've had six mil. RAC Aaron: 20 bets a day. You got to win some at least a couple of times. Yeah. Matt: That is insane! Look at how leee! RAC Chandler: I mean, 10,000 slips this man's put in? That's, that's yeah, wild in 2022 and 2023. I mean, so. RY4N: Mm-hmm. RAC Aaron: I feel like that when they first dropped this news and he, they mentioned he went to rehab. I would say in my cynical thought process on it, I was like, ⁓ he's getting out in front of it. when the news started dropping that it was like 20 bets a day, I was like, that's a, ⁓ a real lot. That's a, that's a big amount. Yeah. Yeah. RAC Chandler: Yeah, that actually is addiction. Matt: That is... RAC Chandler: So do you think he's gonna have to pay the NIL money back? RAC Aaron: I think we're in wild west territory here. I think we don't know how this is all going to go. Yeah. RAC Chandler: Or like did he even get the check yet? He might have not gotten the money yet, but if he did I I don't know RY4N: If he doesn't play, I don't think he gets the money. But like, is this rehab thing, is like this trying to like kind of be like a cover up so that they could maybe say it was like a huge issue and he doesn't get in trouble or like banned? Cause like anyone else is just like, you're not playing football ever again. RAC Chandler: Yeah. Matt: You shouldn't. RAC Aaron: I mean, there's definitely Tech is a program here. They're going to make a play. If in a program, you're talking this much money. You kind of have to, there's going to be all kinds of legal defenses here. ⁓ I say I feel for the kid because this is that it isn't necessarily, he's probably not the only one out there doing it. I'm sure at the team meetings. ⁓ this week have been, let's check your phones real quick. We're going to uninstall some apps. But in this case, it is going to be what I feel like the NCAA is going to make an example out of him. I think they want to be very clear, get out in front of this and they're, they're going to come down heavy on him. ⁓ I think Texas tech is going to rally together some money and they're going to put in as much of a legal defense as they can in this to try to get out and is a huge hit to a season. This is this is bad news. So you got to do what you can here to recoup. RAC Chandler: ⁓ yeah. And to make it worse, he was under 21. Like he wasn't even like old enough to gamble when he did it. So not only is he putting 10,000 bets out, but he's also illegally betting age wise. And he was betting in a state that at the time didn't allow sports betting. So, I mean, he was just the trifecta of just stupidity across the board. mean, it's, it's crazy. RAC Aaron: Yeah. Yeah, it does feel like it. That is like a rule that shouldn't have to be explained. It's like, you shouldn't do sports betting if you're an athlete, but in case we'll go ahead and make that a rack rule. Yeah. Yeah. A completely separate sport, anything that ⁓ not influencing the outcome of. But I think because of that, that's where they'll come down in the example territory. So wish well. ⁓ I the facilities in. ⁓ RAC Chandler: And if it was on like, horse racing or something, like, not on your team. Matt: Yeah. RAC Aaron: Helps him. hope he personally comes out of this with recovery a better place. I hope they don't go overboard in the punishment realm in terms of, you know, stripping out in terms of like his legacy is time in there. I hope they don't punish any, you know, the teams ⁓ for that are happening on an individual basis, but We'll see how it all shakes out as they make their mind up. And, you know, as I've said a few times, I just hope it doesn't come down and, an over correction into the, to the fix here. Matt: How many years of eligibility did we have left? Do you know? ⁓ RAC Chandler: Well, according to the NCAA rule, they're saying he'd be banned from ⁓ playing any sports again. But the crazy thing is if he, if that happens and they do like that full ruling and they do the most they can, he's not allowed to play college football anymore. Then no NFL teams going to want them. So there has to be some kind of, I guess it doesn't have to be, but you would like think that there'd be some kind of middle ground. Because if he's completely banned from college sports now, then he's probably not going to get drafted. like his career is essentially over from football if they like max punishment him. And I mean, he had a bright future and he was probably going to be a first or second round pick if he lived up to the hype. I understand both sides of it, but at the end of the day, he is a kid and going to ruin his whole career if they fully punish him. Matt: Agreed. RAC Aaron: mean, he did something dumb, but he didn't hurt anybody. He you know, he didn't. Yeah. So if, if all of that goes through, he might find a place in the UFL, earn some stats back, get some footage, maybe move that forward. So, see how it all burns out. RAC Chandler: And he's using his own money, I mean... Yeah, on that that note though, if PriceQuix does want to sponsor the show, we're more than happy to take them on. Matt: Let's take his NIO money and we'll do that. RAC Chandler: place six million dollars worth of price mix slips. RY4N: Just give us one. Just us one million. We'll take one and... yeah. RAC Aaron: Yeah. Matt: One will take one. RAC Aaron: They can take his NIL deal or their NIL money. They can give that to the four of us and we'll play rotating quarterback. One down. Play. Matt: you RY4N: Hehe. RAC Chandler: ⁓ man, Whew, mean, so Sam Levitt, mean, his bright side's looking up now, because that was a battle between them two coming out of LSU, so. Matt: That was. RAC Aaron: Yeah. RY4N: You know, even before this, thought y'all got the better one with Sam Levitt. So, that's good. Matt: We'll see, hopefully it gets healthy. We'll get healthy. RAC Chandler: So did they cancel the spring games because 2C trashed the locker room or has that not been confirmed? Matt: So I think that's the room that's going around. So rumors are typically 98 % true. RAC Aaron: Yeah. RAC Chandler: on TikTok. RAC Aaron: Yeah, you just can believe everything we see on the internet. RY4N: think Mattie wouldn't sing for him anymore. Matt: You're at GPT. RAC Aaron: Yeah. RAC Chandler: His halftime performances are going to be incredible. RY4N: I don't know, they were having like sing during lifts and stuff and he said no, they kicked him out, you know? Matt: They are coming out. Uh-huh. RAC Aaron: you Matt: Coming up in half time. RAC Chandler: In his jersey still. Matt: Well. RAC Chandler: So I appreciate you coming on the show, Wellesley. It's been a long time in the works. How did you get into college football? How did you become an LSU fan? What does your journey look like? Matt: or an out of the tunnel. Thank you for having us. So we'll start off with becoming an LSU fan. So probably from the age from 9. Actually, we'll start before 9. My dad, huge FSU fan, he went to FSU, he got his Masters from FSU. And growing up, you you always want to make your dad either proud or you want to go against your dad. I chose to go the hard route and I ended up, of all teams, being a FortiGator fan to start. You know, maybe from like the age from 6. It's probably 8 maybe. six to eight, and then my oldest brother is a huge dog. He's a Georgia Bulldog. So he was my biggest inspiration. I'm a Georgia Bulldog for a little bit of time. And then the age of nine comes around and my brother's playing high school baseball and there is in LSU history, there's a famous baseball player named Blake Dean. He went to high school down the road at Crestview and my oldest brother was pretty good friends with him and. RAC Aaron: You Matt: He always would come to our house and then he ended up committing to LSU. We would go watch some baseball games over there. So it let in backstory behind LSU is being an LSU baseball fan. And then all I cared about was LSU baseball, probably until like the age of 15. And then all my friends are, I start playing football. My friends are talking about football. have no idea what they're talking about. So then I start watching football and then I got really big into it. not as much now, but. a big. ⁓ Big football guy. We'll deal with that now that my team has been pretty bad recently. RAC Aaron: You RAC Chandler: I remember in college when we lived together you had a collection of Joe Burrow football cards and I remember going down to the lobby and you would get like shipments like every other day of like ⁓ I have more football cards coming in and you're like collecting all of them so I know Matt: Yeah. So. Yep. had a really bad addiction in college. I actually collected every single Jobora rookie card that was ever, not every variation of it, but I had every single, you know, tops, panini, just like the basic default ones. And I some autographs. Over here, got some some helmets and autograph helmet and some autograph PSA 10s of them and... JoBurr is my guy. I think JoBurr is what made me fall in love with LSU football though. 2019, took or Chandler came to a game with me. went to, it was seven of the 16 games, including the playoff game against Oklahoma. What are the good ones? we go to that year? We went to the Auburn game. to you. Texas A &M and it was, that year was just insane. RY4N: was a tough one. RAC Chandler: ⁓ yeah, I mean we live super close to it too, so at the time it was like a day trip to go over there and watch it and then come back. Matt: Yeah, what we There was a two-third game, the Auburn game that went to. You know, the first set. RAC Chandler: Ding Jo in person is a in college with Jamar and I know that was, that was a good time. Justin Jefferson. Yep. Matt: Yeah, yeah, JJ does. mean, just the talent on that team. ⁓ RAC Chandler: That is Moss. RY4N: While we have you here, while we're on this, do you think Justin Jefferson or Jamar Chase is better? Matt: I think Chee Jettas is better, personally. RY4N: Okay, okay. Matt: I know what's crazy was got, he was a three star coming into high school. He was a three star. RAC Chandler: He had the chip on his shoulder. Matt: I liked the first episode with you all because since Teal's an Arbord fan, I have to say the greatest game I've ever been to though. Teal, if you had to take a guess of my best game I've been to, what would you say? What's your favorite game of all time besides the Ironbolt? RY4N: Johnny Manziel Alabama game for 2013 Matt: It was an Auburn Georgia game 2013, you the Hill Mary. ⁓ So my is a big Georgia fan. We went up ⁓ and were sitting in the Auburn faculty section, like right behind the hedges. And it was, that was the most crazy game I've ever been to, but not an OSU story, but I figured I ⁓ had tell you. That's my favorite game I've ever been to. ⁓ RY4N: Ooh! The prayer joint hair, my dad was there. Mmm. I that. I didn't know that. I don't know how that never came up. Matt: I did. Well. You should ask and ask my brother all about it. RAC Aaron: Thank RAC Chandler: I actually didn't know that either. I'm sure your brother remembers that day. Just crystal clear. Matt: Yes, it does. RY4N: Is this the one that likes throwing golf clubs at the cart? ⁓ yeah, I he was real happy. ⁓ man. Yeah, probably should have made it home. Matt: That's the one. That's the one. ⁓ he was. RAC Chandler: It brings his own golf club to the stadiums. Yeah. ⁓ Matt: Imagine having to drive home with them. Duh. RAC Chandler: So a lot of moving parts, a lot of changes in LSU this year. So I mean, the biggest, you know, don't want to bury the lead on it. How do you feel about Lane Kiffin coming over? How's he going to turn out? I know he's a hotspot in the media, so there's going be a lot of cameras always on you. Matt: He is the hottest guy on the media, that's for sure. RAC Chandler: especially in the hot yoga. It's a hot spot there too. Matt: now. RAC Aaron: You Matt: I'm still like in awe that he is coming to LSU. And I always think if I was in his shoes, I always think if what if I was in somebody else's shoes, what would I have done? And my biggest thing is I always say, why would I not stay at Ole Miss? Now I'm just going to start it off with that. You could have stayed at Ole Miss and you'd built that program from where it was to where he is and like where he left it. He's like the next save at Ole Miss. If you want to stay, he would have a statue. I mean, they made the playoff. And then he's coming to LSU, what has recently been a pretty dumpster fiber program all around. So going in and everyone's thinking coming in, it's going to be, he's the savior and year one, let's get down to business. We're 11 and one, 10 and two. I see it happening. That's just me. So I think, I think the bar is set really, really high. I think this first year is it's. It's going to be interesting. RAC Chandler: Yeah. RAC Aaron: do think he is as a fit for the program though? As a cultured school like LSU? You think he will fit in? Matt: I think he'll fit in. think he'll do the job. I he's going to all these basketball games and everything. Like he is fitting in the culture that is LSU right now, I believe, from what I've seen. So, yeah. RAC Chandler: He's definitely bought in. RAC Aaron: I can see it. As much as a Mississippi State fan, him leaving Ole Miss, great for us. ⁓ did take that program to the farthest it's ever been. So good for y'all bringing it in, but I also feel like as he left, he kind of embraced the villain role that the media put him into. I think he's still doing it. His trash talking, sending tweets over about like, Matt: Yeah. RAC Aaron: Baseball and softball games and it's like he doesn't have to do it every LSU fan I've hung out with Very people to hang out with but if you go see them on game day, they are different people that it's aggressive ⁓ and Matt: it is a different animal. They're pre-gaming. They're tailgating at 6.30 in the morning. RAC Aaron: ⁓ yeah, if they haven't started from the night before. So it is something that I can see him embracing that role, being a fiery guy for y'all. I think y'all will embrace that too. I think ⁓ game day, that's, that's the environment you like where, you know, with the Brian Kelly era, he looked like a guy who complained that oatmeal was too spicy. And I just don't think that was going to vibe well. Matt: It all ⁓ started, it's a great day to be a tiger. RAC Aaron: Yeah. Yeah, that that first first meet the fans day was a rough one. Yeah. Matt: ⁓ gosh. He made a hell of an impression. Yep. RAC Chandler: I do think that Lane Kippen is a player's coach the tee. And I think he's always going to buy into whatever culture he's in. And I think with how rich LSU's culture is and how addictive it is when you're around it. mean, around Baton Rouge and really the whole state of Louisiana is just die hard LSU. And think ⁓ being there being in that is so much different than anywhere else in the country. Matt: But I think... Huh? RAC Chandler: that it's going to be very easy for him to kind of hit the ground running. But it's also important that he doesn't go in and set the bar too high in the media before the season starts and then undershoot it. And then he's on the hot seat when he created it for himself. Matt: You know, that's one thing I thought that he was, I think he is so smart for not having his spring game at LSU because you already have all this, this media that is at LSU and with him and these players transferring and not having that extra, extra pressure injuries and that media at the spring game. I feel like it was very beneficial that aspect. RAC Chandler: sure. Matt: Now come when the season starts, see. Because they're not having that actual in-game moments that pressure building moments that... other teams have had. RAC Aaron: And as a fan of football, how much patience do you have for this first season? as era of people start yelling immediately, is this something where you're looking for just progress? ⁓ Are looking for where's the for you? Matt: See, I'm hearing all different things. Like, it's already playoff or there's nothing. He made the playoff with Ole Miss ⁓ you know, he should be able to come here with a better talented roster and be able to do that already. My pedestal is not that high. So for this season, could see us being good, but not great. Now everything in today's world, it's based off wins, you know, let's go 10 and two, let's go seven and five. I think this team can go eight and four and it means two completely different things. They can go eight and four, but you beat Alabama, but you lose to let's say Louisiana Tech. Not going to happen, but. The inconsistency I feel plays two different roles of a record. RAC Chandler: That's true. Yeah, there's definitely a thing of good losses and bad losses. ⁓ don't want to ever have those losses that you could win a hundred times out of a hundred, but then you go in and beat an Alabama, like you said. that definitely helps whenever your losses are against an Alabama by like three points or like to a Georgia on the road from a last second field goal. Like those losses definitely look better. Matt: And if. RAC Aaron: Yeah. Matt: I like that was the thing with Brian too that was just so frustrating. It was just so inconsistent with everything that they did. You had some games where you're running the ball, you're throwing the ball and you know, all things are good, but then you have the next game. I don't even know who it was the second, like against Clemson, they look like a legitimate playoff contender. We had all this hype going on the road. What was it? Number four, Clemson and defense was spot on. Offense was spot on. RAC Chandler: Yeah. Matt: Garrett looked good, but then this next game against a nobody, just, it looked like it looked like dog poop. And I feel like that's been LSU stories since Brian Kelly was hired. Opening games with FSU, they looked and then the next game, ⁓ looking good. That was the most frustrating part of the past couple years. So ⁓ year. RAC Chandler: Yeah. It's like what we talked about with, with, with Ryan, the whole, the Auburn standard and the Auburn bar. Like it's, it's, it's important to not have that drop as the years go. You want to keep that same kind of standard year in and year out, no matter what coaching staff you have coming in, whatever player roster you have coming in, whatever your standard is, should always be your standard. So yeah, you should, you should be able to have that consistency throughout your program, no matter who's coming in the door. Matt: So, I mean, think for this year, me personally, I would be happy with seven, eight, nine wins. I mean, they got a tough schedule this year. I got, I mean, I think games that they're gonna be underdogs in is gonna be at Ole Miss, at Tennessee, Alabama, and Texas. Then there's some 50-50 games, which, you know, I think it could go either way. I think that's gonna be Clemson. I think that's gonna be A &M. RAC Aaron: It is. is. RY4N: they do. Matt: both at home. Auburn on the road, Jordan hair. That place is different. Especially a night game. You're telling me these fans are that at a night game with these blue lights going boom, boom, boom. That is intimidating. RAC Aaron: You Okay. RY4N: It's definitely loud for sure. Matt: And then another 50-50, I think at Kentucky. They got a new coach coming in. I think it's a sneaky environment. I think they're a disciplined football team. I think they will be. RY4N: Mmm. RAC Chandler: don't think you have a problem with Kentucky or RAC Aaron: seen enough Kentucky games to agree with you there Kentucky is one that can come up and surprise you. It's something where you could, ⁓ you can be predicted to win the way. And then all of a sudden you just fall apart playing at Kentucky. And it isn't that they beat you. It's that you ⁓ as a team fall apart and there, there's something with the crowd, something with what they do that can unnerve a team. RAC Chandler: basketball school. Matt: What was it last year with Georgia that it was, it was right there and they had an upset against Florida a couple of years ago. ⁓ RY4N: They're scrappy. RAC Aaron: Mm-hmm. RY4N: I mean, we lost last year, but ⁓ Heafreeze lost on purpose because they loaded us by out, but that's ⁓ something else. Matt: You Fuse! RAC Chandler: Yeah, they had a baseball score against Kentucky last year. RY4N: Yeah, they actually lost to the World Series on the same day and they scored less than like the Blue Jays, I think. RAC Chandler: That's rough. what are your key pieces you're looking for this season? Like from the spring, I know there's been clips and media days at practice on LSU. So what are your key things that you were looking for that you want to see? Cause I know you have a huge transfer portal hall coming in. You basically have a brand new roster. There's like. Matt: ⁓ 50 players in spring practice. 50. RAC Chandler: Yeah. So, I mean, there's only so many expectations you can have, but what are some people that you're interested in or have your eye out for? RAC Aaron: Oof. Matt: One thing that I'm going to say is that QB room, that room is wide open. Sam Lovett does not have that job. spring practices, Houston Long Street and Linden Clark. Linden Clark was the was the top dog of the quarterback room. Now, Sam Linden really get to play too much, but. Clark, ⁓ had he was playing first team reps as soon as he got in and instantly with trade as Harlem Berry. I mean, from what it saw and what from what I was reading is that chemistry with them already with Linden Clark? ⁓ It's already up there. Now Sam's coming off an injury and I mean, anyone off an injury, you're not going to be the same person. the QB room, I think that's going to be wide open come ⁓ camp. I think the offense is what needs to ⁓ stay consistent and going to be the determination factor of how good this football team is. It's like last year, you cannot rely. Now I think the defense is going to be really good again, but you can't rely on the defense. All 12 games, especially come this SEC schedule with this tough schedule that you got to pull out of games. Now they're going to come up with their clutch stops, yes, but that offense has got to capitalize when they need to. RAC Chandler: Yeah, you can have what 13 points average the game. Matt: So. Well, was awful. They could not run. I think Harlem Berry coming back. running room, the running back room. ⁓ The pieces are there. It's just got to come together and I know. Not having the spring game. I think it also is very beneficial because it is allowing them more time to install these new schemes and everything. Compared to, you know, we got the spring game right here. This is what we're to go with. Boom, boom, boom, boom, boom. Let's build off that. RAC Aaron: you Matt: They don't know what works and what doesn't work. going to look very, different. And it's going to be a lot of adjusting pieces that hopefully an offense can adjust to. RY4N: say Lane historically has these big kind of dynamic offenses at Alabama, Ole Miss. So it's kind of good that I feel like y'all are one of those teams that needs offense. We were kind of the same boat last year, pretty good defense, terrible offense, but we had like key little weapons there. So I think he's going to be able to come utilize them. I like Tarlem Berry. Do y'all have any other running backs this year y'all got in the transfer portal? Matt: ⁓ I can't tell you how I did that much research. RY4N: Okay, okay, I mean, I don't know, I think y'all be good. RAC Aaron: Yeah RAC Chandler: That's interesting. That's interesting. You say that about Sam Levitt though, because it's so ⁓ pressed and we talk about that a lot ⁓ how media driven hype is and being the number one transfer portal guy, Lane Kiffin jumping through all these hoops to get him and closing the deal. That was a huge media day and feed everywhere on all social media so that he was the guy. He was the highest paid quarterback in the transfer portal. Matt: Mm-hmm. RAC Chandler: And now for you to say that the quarterback room is fair game for anybody is interesting because that's definitely something you don't read in the media. And it's probably there's probably more truth to that than than what the media wants to say. Matt: It'll be interesting. RAC Aaron: Well, and it is something we know about. If it he's got an eye for quarterbacks and there could be something in Levitt that he sees, but if it's not firing, there could be something in Clark that he's running with that he's seeing timing. He's seeing things come through. Cause ⁓ didn't realize that 50 new players coming in. That's a ⁓ roster shift. So it Levitt could be something that it's like, once that starts clicking, it's there, see how it goes and fall. Matt: Huge. RAC Aaron: That's something where I think it's smart. didn't do a spring game because I didn't realize they were that new things were gonna look clunky. But if you go to practice, everything's controlled. You've got an environment that you don't have to somebody in unfamiliar situations for, know, no broken coverage or broken line or anything like that that could be picked apart. ⁓ And he seems like of those guys that wants that controlled presence. Matt: Is it true that from now, I don't know. Is there another open transfer portal period? No, so everyone. OK. So that's the only thing if it comes to least. RAC Chandler: No. Unless a coach leaves. RAC Aaron: Now there ⁓ is to schools ⁓ as student and going in for your middle ranks, they're not officially transfer portaled. They are stopping academics at one school going to a different one. And then they kind of go in through ⁓ the back essentially that's ⁓ mumbles and in the background that you hear about, but, I don't know. any prime examples of it happening, but I do know that's something that they've done. RAC Chandler: Well, that's like what Tusi with his master stuff. He went in and signed on to be academics first LSU and then he walked on to the LSU football team. But I mean, going back to your Sam Levitt talk, I think Lane can't be scared to play the best player on the field. I don't think he ever has been, but just because you're paying a guy the money that Sam Levitt's getting, if he doesn't pan out or he doesn't have the chemistry with the team, then you can't play him just because you're paying him. So I think he is a good guy to not do that and fall into that trap. think Lane will play the best people on the field that has the best chemistry. And I think if Sam Levitt doesn't end up starting and what was the other guy's name that you said was doing really well? Yeah, if Landon Clark comes in and just lights it up, if he plays and starts. RAC Aaron: No, I agree. Matt: Bye, green. Atlanta clerk. RAC Chandler: you're gonna get off-ramp media like going, we got Sam Levitt like if we start losing games immediately because Sam Levitt's not playing. So it's be a media battle the whole time but I definitely think Lane will play the right people. Matt: Mm-hmm. RAC Aaron: ⁓ absolutely. RY4N: Yeah, I don't think he cares. I think he'll just do whatever. Matt: I think so. RAC Chandler: I don't think so either. RAC Aaron: No. Yeah. No. And he loves the press. He likes people talking about the program, whether it's good, whether it's bad. going to do what he's going to do. Matt: He's not a people pleaser. RAC Aaron: I think he's there to win, which it's good to have in a coach coming in, but that's the type of guy is. Now I do have a question. Do you think he's there to stay or do you think this is another stepping stone for him? Matt: I think it's eventually I think it's one more stepping stone to ultimately what would be his end destination and I think that's Alabama. So I could see in the future if. The board goes somewhere and that doors wide open. I could see. The lane going up there. It was a scare this passenger because with Penn State being open. There are rumors those rumors going around that the board is going to go up to Penn State. before Lane even gets to LSU, he's gonna go to Alabama. I'm like, oh boy, this is not good. But I think it's just another stepping stone. If he stays and it's successful, then I'm all for it. RAC Aaron: Mm-hmm. I mean, LSU is a large historic program. that is so, mean, we can say Alabama as well. I mean, that's a huge school. That's a huge get. But do you think he's looking collegiate or do you think he might be looking down the road towards NFL? RAC Chandler: Yeah. Matt: I don't see it. I see him being a college guy. him with doing all this. For example, every time I think of Lane Kiffin and being a college coach, I think of him and his defensive boys when they get a turnover, they got the basketball hoop and he's like, hey, give it a ball. He's throwing it up and these kids are dunking and all that. They don't do that the NFL. I think that is him. That's, I see when I think of Lane Kiffin and RY4N: He does have... Matt: That is him with those moments. RY4N: He does have that personality. Yeah. RAC Aaron: I agree with you. Yeah. Where in the NFL, the big personas to not go, don't like that as much. They like the controlled PR presence. And I think Lane wants to be a big persona. RAC Chandler: mean, you can almost get paid the same amount in college as NFL as a coach now. I mean, coordinators are making two, three, four million dollars a year now. think Matt Patricia's like three and a half million dollars a year. He's a defensive coordinator. I mean, if you could, if it's almost a, which one do you like more? Which one? Like if you don't like going on the recruiting trail and being a DEO type person and having to go out and constantly be at people's houses or high school games and all that kind of stuff. Matt: I that's it. RAC Aaron: Yeah. RAC Chandler: then you'd probably lean towards NFL. But I mean, if the money is the problem, I mean, I think if you're going to a big place like the LSUs, then they're going to be able to match pretty closely to what somebody is going to give you in the NFL, especially now with how much money is floating around. Matt: I think to build on with that, another huge aspect of LSU's off season was getting Blake Baker back and the fact that he could have went to his alma mater of Tulane. you know, with those talks for there that that was going to be the next thing and LSU is going to be looking for a new defensive coordinator. And then all these guys are going to transfer out, then Lane, Lane gets him to stay and you know, and she, I don't know the exact contract and everything of what he would have got at Tulane or what he. His exact contract is at LSU, but I'm pretty sure that it's it's remotely close to what he would have got as a head coach position. Now it's not a powerhouse of all things, but it's his alma mater and it's a head coaching job to get a head coaching career started. So I mean, money is floating everywhere. RAC Aaron: Yeah. RAC Chandler: Yes. And that's why. RY4N: think he's good, stayed though. I mean, he's like, he's a defensive guy. I think some of those guys are better as coordinators rather than head coaches and he already had a good defense. So he just had to have Lane come clean up the offense a little. He kind of just needed to keep doing his thing. So probably pretty good. Matt: Mm-hmm. So we'll see. RAC Chandler: I just think it gets to a point where if you're in a good position and they're going to pay you a good amount of money, then a lot of people that will like force leave to go try to get that head coaching job or try to get that higher coordinating job somewhere else. And it just doesn't work out. That's like, it's one of the situations where the grass always is a greener. And I think if he stays at LSU, I mean, he proved last year that they can be a great defense. They can. RAC Aaron: Yeah. RAC Chandler: Playing twice as much as the offense did because I want how much they were on the field They constantly kept them in games. So I mean if he can keep doing that leave it's LSU? RY4N: Mm-hmm. RAC Aaron: Yeah. Well, and if you believe in the program at that point, if you believe that Kiffin's the coach that you're going to work under, that's going to take you to that championship, to the playoffs even, only raises your value into that first step. So I see arguments all around the table. It's a lot of money that gets thrown. But if you believe in the program and that's a credit to Kiffin for getting somebody to whatever he said, Matt: Mm-hmm. RAC Aaron: It was enough to believe in whether it's through or whether it's hot air. We'll find out in the season, but whatever he did work. Matt: you RAC Aaron: So with taking that all in, what do you want to see from spring practices from last season into this coming season? Where do you think the most improvement is needed? Matt: Biggest thing from last year to this year? That's a really good question. Sorry about the thresholds too. RAC Chandler: Subscribe, cut on a stick please. Matt: ⁓ RY4N: You That's good, what is it? Meow meow. Matt: Are they gonna be consistent? Are we gonna see consistent football on all sides of the ball? Are we gonna see some muff puns this year? Are we gonna have some quarterback answers? Are we gonna have some healthy quarterbacks? Are we gonna be able to stay healthy? RAC Chandler: you RAC Aaron: Yeah, I know watching those season openers with special teams the Kelly era. Those ⁓ you felt terrible when you'd see the muff punts, the muff, kickoffs. It seemed like curse on y'all that you couldn't shake. Matt: ⁓ boy. RY4N: What? Matt: the first his opening his first game as an LSU Tiger actually went to the game out in New Orleans. man, I'm with FSU fans. I'm sitting next to them sitting in the FSU section. It was disastrous. It was just so ⁓ embarrassing. they are just looking like a high school football team worse than the high school football team. Fun fact, I actually ended up leaving that game. I don't even know. ⁓ It was the beginning of the fourth quarter. And it was, I didn't know. I called you. Well, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. Chandler called me because I had no interest in the game at all. My team lost. I'm in the middle of New Orleans. I have no friends right now. My phone is dead. I don't know where we parked. So I don't know what was first. First things first, I'm walking by a bookstore and Chandler's calling saying. RAC Chandler: you called me. RAC Aaron: Yeah. RY4N: ⁓ I remember this. RAC Chandler: Your phone. Matt: Hey, you guys just got the ball. You guys just got the ball and above the putt. I'm like, what's going on? Did I just leave about to be this amazing comeback that's going on? So they ended up scoring. I'm on the phone with Chandler all ⁓ going good without being on the phone with Chandler. Then I get on the phone with Chandler. That's whenever they finally score, but then they blocked that field goal. I remember, and this is to go on to the Brian Kelly phase. I paid. $40 for two 16 ounce beers from this random guy just at the end. That summed up my Brian Kelly coaching era. Just on the side, yeah. RAC Aaron: Just a questionable beard, ⁓ over the feelings there. RAC Chandler: I remember we used to always call each other during like when you were at the games like whenever they were on offense and they were doing well you would call and then whenever they stopped doing well you would not call anymore but every offensive drive they were doing well you would keep calling. Matt: And then I went to the, one the year after when they played in Orlando and it was a competitive football game for the first half. I think I was using it winning in the first, after the first half. And then they just got dominated. If we could pull up the box score of what the score was in the second half, if I could, I would, it was awful. ⁓ So And then what I think the year after that was UCLA, but That's gosh. RAC Chandler: masterclass of Brian Kelly. Matt: I don't know. wouldn't. went to Clemson ⁓ beat Clemson at Clemson, ⁓ no matter how good or bad Clemson is, like a game of that magnitude to go in of what was a top 10 matchup and to go into the fake death Valley and then ⁓ and come out with a win that game. I mean, that's a pretty impressive win. Night game. And so you got to give that to him at least. But the biggest thing going into this year from the previous years is the consistency. They stay consistent. think eight and four being a consistent football team better than a seven and five. I'm sorry, better than a nine and three non consistent football team. RAC Chandler: Yeah, win the games you should. a coin flip game here and there, it's okay. Matt: Sorry, maybe I should have used the 7058 and forks. That's a lot better. RY4N: You know, I think when we went through the record, I said y'all win nine games. I think I said y'all will go nine-three. RAC Aaron: it Matt: 9 and 3, I'd be happy with 8. I would love it. 8 and 4, I think 8 and 4 is a good year. If they go 8 and 4 and they won the games that they should have, I think it's a good year. RY4N: I think I can see it. 8 and 4, 9 and 3. I can see it. RAC Chandler: Now what's your hot seat looking like for Alain Kiffin? kind of season would he have to have for him to have negative media attention come in? Like obviously you're not gonna fire him because you just hired him. But what it take for him to be like, like is this the right guy we hired or do we just hire a guy that's all hype? RY4N: Y'all beat Alabama. Matt: I think if they go six and six and that's when people are going to say that they're in the hot. I don't think there should be a hot seat this year. You're coming in this brand, this brand new, well, you know, anywhere you go, people are going to say, ⁓ this guy sucks. And you know, even if he goes, even if he goes nine and three, I guarantee people are going to say that. RAC Chandler: No, no, no. especially how much money is going around. RAC Aaron: Yeah. Yeah. Anything short of a national championship, you're going to have fans that call for someone's head. Now, how many years in a row could you not win an SEC game with that ⁓ Not for any particular reason, not because I'm a Mississippi State fan and ⁓ won our first one for the first time in three years last year, but RAC Chandler: Yeah. You can't please every couch fan. Matt: But. ⁓ man. RAC Chandler: you're the guy that always sits there and says that Auburn and Mississippi State are in the same boat after you just won your first SEC game. Matt: I would say if RAC Aaron: Bye. Hey, it's the tail of the tape, right? You're only as good as last season's stats. Matt: think if they go seven and five, I think they met up to expectations. That means that you beat everyone that you should have. ⁓ I could see them losing at Ole Miss, at Alabama, or no, Alabama's at home, at Tennessee ⁓ Texas at home. RAC Chandler: mean the Ole Miss game is going to be the game of the year. RAC Aaron: It's a, we've already talked about that. It should be. It is, it is easily a hype game. Like one of the most, can't wait to watch it. Matt: I think so. Ticket prices are already insane. RY4N: Mm-hmm. RAC Chandler: I believe it. I think if you're an Ole Miss fan, you get a gun with your ticket. to bring in the stadium just in case, know, start a riot in there. RAC Aaron: I think I said Mississippi there's not a lot to live for but there's a lot of worth killing a man for. Matt: No, I think that's week three. I think, yeah. RAC Chandler: Yeah, it's early. RAC Aaron: Yeah, it is early. RAC Chandler: We'll have to have you on the show at the little round table. We'll have to do an in-person recording for that one and we can do some live recording for that one. RAC Aaron: ⁓ yeah. Matt: Make sure they're max charged and update it. RAC Chandler: But you won't need it if we go in person. RAC Aaron: Hahaha Yeah. Now with that quote or with that idea of like seven and five, seven and five, how much of an improvement would the following season to you need to be? Do you need to see a strong improvement or just improvement to keep on the hype there? Matt: don't think seeing success in today's football world, I feel like it's With NAL, I mean, you have all these players and all this money going everywhere, which yes, LSU has all this money in the brain and this talent, but until you can figure out a scheme that is working and you adjust to this culture that is LSU football, until that is established with I think, you know, being like... a seven and five, eight and four norm for two to three years. And then when you figure that out, man, it's good time. But it's gonna take time to figure it out. You're going into something. ⁓ RAC Aaron: I think that's completely refreshing to hear. I think that is something that we as fans need to start reeling back in to stop wanting immediate success. And especially in somebody like Lane Kiffin, we've talked about on the show before with Dan Mullen, coaches need time to develop. ⁓ you can't bring them in for what they're good at and then not give them the opportunity to be good at what they're doing. So ⁓ Matt: Mm-hmm. RAC Aaron: I think you have to accept bringing in a new change can lead to a season where you might just be bowling. You might be at that benchmark or right at the threshold. that doesn't mean ⁓ never going to win another game in your life. So it is good to hear. ⁓ having rational conversations like that does help. mean, I get emotional. I get hype ⁓ much as anybody else does. But I think there's something where you have to, you have to say either the program is developing. I've been waiting to see improvement or we're nose diving. And I think there, then that's a time to pull the shoe. Matt: Yep, but you'll see when that time comes. RAC Aaron: ⁓ yeah. RAC Chandler: I I think I would argue that NIL and the Transfer Portal makes it harder to have immediate success where I think the media and the fan base is pushing that it should be easier because you can just buy who you want. But the problem is, is the people in the Transfer Portal are not always the best at their position. Those are, most of time, of course, there's the one-off guys, and use Ohio State guys as examples, there's the Caleb Downs, the Quinshawn Judkins, the Julian Sands that leave because a coach leaves. Matt: I think, yeah. RAC Chandler: But for the most part, these guys are leaving because they're not starting or they don't see an immediate step in future in a starting role at the program they're in. So it's going to take time for these guys to go over into a new program, into a new scheme, get that scheme down, build that chemistry, and then start an upward progression in their progress. And all these guys think that like, oh, we paid $6 million to this guy in the transfer portal. Well, that's all great. He might not be worth that much money, but Matt: Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. RAC Chandler: He also has to have time to get in that starting role that he's never been in. RY4N: Yeah, I think so too a lot of time. ⁓ It seems almost like you have immediate access to all these people because there's so many people in the transfer portal. But like big schools like LSU in the past, it's like there was only a few schools that were the big school in their state that really had access to all these people and everyone wanted to go there for appeal. And then now it's like ⁓ actually has access to these guys. They're going to where the money is. And it's really just spreading out the talent pool. instead of you going to the big Swake LSU. Y'all really did have access to everybody before. Ohio State had access to everybody before. But yeah. RAC Chandler: Especially out of high school. Yeah. I mean, that makes a huge difference because now you get a guy that's like Cade McDonald was a Georgia guy. He lived like an hour away from Athens and Georgia was like in his backyard. He grew up, think, a Georgia fan in Ohio state. I mean, they paid him what he wanted and got him in there. So, mean, that's a guy that went across country that should have been a Georgia lock because he was right next door. I mean, it just, the talent's going to be. super spread at a high school and the recruiting is going to come down to that last day, whatever signing day happens. You're to get those day flips where people aren't like, how in the world did that school get involved? It just takes last minute phone calls. RY4N: Yeah, no. Yeah, and all this talent's going everywhere. Quincy and Mylan last year didn't play, so they went to Notre Dame. And then you have Deuce Knight, who he just didn't play. just goes, like all these really, really good guys, instead of just going with one school stick, they're just gonna go to the next level down to play immediately and get a million dollars. I think that brings up to the thing we were talking about with the gym the other day, that there's coaches that know how to transfer. ⁓ RAC Aaron: Yeah. RAC Chandler: Mm-hmm. RY4N: and win now and then there's the difference between like the people that know how to develop. I think a good thing for you, I think that Lane is one of the guys that he like has developed but I think he is one of the people that can go in the transfer portal and win. Like last year they only had two returners on their whole lineup. So I think that's an upside for y'all. But yeah, it's just a total different game now. Matt: It is, but Louisiana has so much talent. I think, I think one thing, probably the hurtful thing for LSU this year was Frank Wilson going to Ole Miss. Frank Wilson was LSU's halfback coach. They of just did like a little switcheroon-y. But ⁓ one that I found out when all this stuff is going on, when they got Lane and I really wanted Frank to stay, because you know, Frank with ⁓ Harlem seeing him with these running backs, he is like, RY4N: Mm-hmm. RAC Aaron: an insane amount. RAC Chandler: Yep. RY4N: Mm-hmm. Matt: He's a player's coach. I didn't know that before he went to LSU, he was actually a head coach in the New Orleans area. And I found out that he has all these ties to New Orleans and in Louisiana that it had that extra added bonus in for recruiting and having that go. think that hurts so bad. portal is awesome, but ⁓ think recruiting ⁓ still so important, which ⁓ RY4N: It's unfortunate. Mm-hmm. Matt: I don't think it's overlooked now, the CENIL and trans supporters here. RAC Chandler: Yeah. And I think it- RY4N: Mm-hmm. RAC Aaron: I think in the media, we overlook it, like as, as we hear a lot of discussions, but I think programs, good programs are still going to games. think they're still checking out high school level athletes outside four star and five star. think you're still scouting, but your local talent is your easiest to track and being able to see who's really good or who's having a good statistical season. Is a big difference. when we talk about transfer portal, we can just grab any player and throw them into a system. But how many players a year ⁓ ⁓ at that level that they can go into any system and turn it into a playoff caliber team? We talked earlier about Joe Burrows. He is one of those guys. But how many times do we see somebody of that level show to a place and then ⁓ dominate? that that's really what happened is LSU was firing on so many cylinders, but Joe Burrow, I think you put them on just about any offense and he's putting up numbers. It just so happened that it clicked altogether there and it, got him all the way. Matt: Yeah, yeah, they saw it in 2018 his first year, like when he got down to Baton Rouge and Louisiana, just he is connecting with the culture and he is becoming a Louisiana native. It's like the day that he gets down there is posted an Instagram photo saying I saw a crocodile for the first time. And it's like, all right, this is our quarterback. Let's go. And then. RY4N: hehe RAC Chandler: He had to get out of the coldness of Columbus, It's too cold up there. RAC Aaron: Yeah. Matt: think that's one reason why I love him so much. It's his story. Like he's Mr. Ohio football. He walks on at Ohio State and he sits behind just amazing talent at Ohio State. But then he goes down to LSU and you historically is not the greatest. Does not produce the greatest quarterbacks of all time, let's be honest. And he goes down there and just becomes the guy. That is just a college football story that I love. fan or not. RAC Aaron: I yeah. Yeah. I think, ⁓ there's some interviews post coaching career with edo talking about the recruiting process for Joe burrow. ⁓ they're great. If you haven't seen them, check them out. ⁓ can't remember off the name of my head or off the top of my head, what the name of the show was that he went on, but it's a great interview. RAC Chandler: Well, I think player development is going to get swept under the rug. And I think it's never going to not be a center point of what needs to happen, but it won't always be a highlight because these guys that are coming out of the transfer portal, need to get developed. They're coming out of high school. They sit a year, they transfer. They haven't taken game experience snaps and you can't replace that. Like in game snaps is your best form of experience. So now you're going and transferring to the school and you're honestly paying for upside. Like you're paying for what you think this guy can get to. But the problem is now you're paying so much money that when this guy comes in, you're paying him a true starting role that's going to come in and make huge leaps and bounds of differences for your program. Whereas he might actually fundamentally need more years of experience that he has not gotten still because he hasn't been a starter until now. So. that player development is still going to be a huge factor. just not going to be a focal point of what people look at. Because a freshman guy coming in is always going to be better his senior year. And that's never going to change. RAC Aaron: I mean, your strength and conditioning, nutrition, getting them built up. That's, that's what builds a team. And that's never going to go away. We will see things one offs of just sparks go in taking somebody all the way or far down the playoff route, it's not going to replace ⁓ school that has a program that is consistently churning out great players on both sides of the ball. RAC Chandler: And I think the money getting so high is what people are, they're expecting people just to be like, okay, we're paying this guy a million dollars. He's going to come in and be a thousand yard receiver immediately. And it's sometimes it will work out sometimes it won't, but I mean, if he hasn't had time to really get accustomed to collegiate football and have those game experience snaps, then ⁓ might not work out. Matt: Mm-hmm. RAC Chandler: So to tie a bow on your spring synopsis, what do you ⁓ that the record will be this year? What is your prediction that they will get this year? What does your successful season look like? Matt: I think they're gonna get seven fives. RAC Chandler: Okay. Matt: I think they're four, six and six. And I think their ceiling's gonna be 10 and two. I think anywhere in between, hopefully they don't get worse than six and six or seven and five. But I mean, I think they have the potential of ⁓ Ole at Ole Miss. I think they have the potential of beating Tennessee at Tennessee. I think they could beat Alabama and Texas. Like their roster's there. They have the talent to beat anyone. We'll just see if the consistency can stay there. if they can stay healthy and if the offense hold its end ⁓ ⁓ team and not have defense carry everyone. So my final projections, I think they go seven and five this year. RAC Chandler: I think all of us have them going better than that. So hopefully you're pleasantly surprised. RAC Aaron: Well, no matter what happens, we're all going to be excited to check out how LSU does this season. See if it lives up to the hype, lives up to the seven and five prediction or even better. We'll see. But this week, that's all we got here at Rack. So thank you as always for tuning in and listening. If you can, please leave us a review on whatever streaming platform that you're listening to us on. You can find all the links to our socials. in the link tree in the description of the episode. For all of you that have joined over on those, thank you. For all of you that are going to, thank you as well. And thank you, Matt, for joining us for this LSU breakdown. It's been great. We can't wait to have you on to talk about Ole Miss and LSU a little bit later here in the season. But. Matt: Thank you for having me. a pleasure, fellas. RAC Aaron: Next week, we're going to be breaking down Georgia Tech season this year with a former Georgia Tech player. We'll have Will joining us. So we're all looking forward to some of that insight. then, we'll catch you next time.