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Raising the Bar · Boundary Corner Podcast

• 0:45
  And welcome back to the boundary Corner podcast, along with my
• 0:49
  partners, bronzy glow and Jonathan tally.
• 0:52
  I am Curtis Wilson and this episode is brought to you by dr.
• 0:56
  Lord, Jeremy counts at Mean Street.
• 0:58
  Pharmacy, in Blacksburg, if you love this podcast, I hope you've
• 1:01
  the town of Blacksburg, make sure you are supporting Mean
• 1:04
  Street. Pharmacy.
• 1:05
  When you make your way to town, whether you need prescriptions,
• 1:09
  the Tupa toothpaste or just want to stop and say, hello, let
• 1:11
  Jeremy and his team take care of you.
• 1:13
  The money you spend at Main Street, Pharmacy.
• 1:15
  Goes towards the things. You support the next time,
• 1:18
  you're in Blacksburg head on down to Main Street Pharmacy, at
• 1:20
  301 South Main Street fellas. It's been a little bit of while,
• 1:25
  but a lot of stuff has happened how we feeling tonight.
• 1:29
  Feeling good man. Feeling good.
• 1:31
  Got a new job getting off earlier kids and wife got me
• 1:35
  doing more stuff around the house.
• 1:37
  There you go, still feeling good man but you don't work yet.
• 1:40
  The honey do list growing feeling good man, I love her.
• 1:43
  First of all huge, congrats to that on tally man.
• 1:45
  You better tell them the so long about looking for something that
• 1:48
  fits like your life with your son and your kids.
• 1:51
  When you tell us about this man, you told us like some of the
• 1:53
  benefits. It it's great because you know,
• 1:57
  we all know how it is man. And It's lovely that you have
• 2:01
  that opportunity. It's also lovely for us because
• 2:04
  we're going to talk more the podcast.
• 2:14
  But tonight, you know y'all it's going to be a lot of fun, right.
• 2:18
  We've had this man on multiple times and for the last 11 days,
• 2:24
  David Cunningham has been living out of a suitcase between
• 2:27
  Seattle back. The Dulles and then instead of
• 2:31
  driving back to Blacksburg, he stays in Dulles and flies back
• 2:34
  to Dallas. Bring him on because the
• 2:36
  question, the first question I have for David as you pull him
• 2:39
  on here, when did you actually get back to Blacksburg?
• 2:43
  Because you told us, you left the Thursday before the sweet
• 2:46
  16? When did you actually get back
• 2:49
  in Blacksburg this week? First of all, I appreciate you
• 2:52
  guys having me on. I got back Sunday at 4:00, so I
• 2:57
  was gone for 11 12 days. So I mean, amen, that's they
• 3:04
  went to the final four. It was, it was a treat to cover
• 3:07
  the sweet 16 and the elite eight in Seattle and then to get to
• 3:11
  cover for Virginia Tech in the final four.
• 3:14
  And in Dallas that was really, really special.
• 3:15
  And, you know, they play good basketball, they play good
• 3:19
  basketball when they played in this in the Blacksburg
• 3:21
  sub-regional when they were one seed.
• 3:23
  So it played good basketball, your 31 and 5?
• 3:27
  Went to the final four, for the first time in program history.
• 3:29
  Nothing to be ashamed of it. All I would say probably the
• 3:33
  second greatest 14th export season ever, so it pretty
• 3:39
  impressive all around and it was it was a treat to be part of it
• 3:42
  just so happened that it took a whole lot of travel on my part,
• 3:45
  but Coast-to-Coast Cunningham. Yeah, let's talk about it first.
• 3:52
  Let's talk about the sweet. 16 up in Seattle, man.
• 3:55
  And it was, it was, you know, for for pretty formidable, foes
• 3:58
  there too. Nasir who the program is seen
• 4:00
  earlier beat in Knoxville and across.
• 4:02
  It wasn't gonna be Ohio state with that.
• 4:04
  Unbelievable press and defense, they have or the Juggernaut,
• 4:07
  that always is Yukon. So, just take about that those
• 4:11
  first couple games AV attendance with the fans and just the way
• 4:15
  the team played in those two games, how impressed where you
• 4:17
  to see they hadn't been there before.
• 4:20
  And it didn't look like that. Yeah, well, I think one of the
• 4:24
  things, first of all, you mentioned the fans, I thought it
• 4:28
  was a good showing. A lot of a lot of Virginia Tech
• 4:31
  fans, you know, and I was talking to some people including
• 4:35
  very some wind assure. You guys know he flew up from
• 4:37
  from from La. He flipped to Seattle to come.
• 4:41
  Watch. Virginia Tech play.
• 4:43
  There's a good crowd from Virginia Tech fans but there was
• 4:45
  also a good crowd just from everybody else.
• 4:48
  In Seattle, the locals, it's a great woman sports city,
• 4:51
  obviously, they had the Seattle Storm there, it's great, local
• 4:54
  sports city period but they especially love their women's
• 4:56
  sports, you know, a Subaru who was in attendance, I thought it
• 4:59
  was really cool. I mean, there was essentially
• 5:02
  sold out arena for every single game that was played there,
• 5:05
  except for the tech game on Monday night against Ohio,
• 5:08
  State. Not, that was a little bit tough
• 5:10
  because Monday night, all the people that were covering Ohio
• 5:14
  State, Fair of Virginia, or I guess all people are recovering,
• 5:17
  Iowa, and Louisville, and ever be on the other side of the
• 5:19
  regional, along with UConn Tennessee had already left.
• 5:21
  There will be two teams there, so, but it was really cool
• 5:24
  atmosphere. The Arena's phenomenal, As far
• 5:30
  as the games are concerned, you know Virginia Tech.
• 5:32
  I've never been on that stage before but they never thought
• 5:35
  twice about it. The moment was never too big for
• 5:37
  them. They played really well against
• 5:39
  Tennessee, you know, I think in both games against Tennessee,
• 5:44
  against Ohio State there were moments where things could go on
• 5:47
  South and they buckled down and kind of stuck together.
• 5:51
  And that's what they've done all season and they fought through
• 5:54
  it and against Tennessee, you know, that was when the
• 5:58
  volunteers cut to Lon. One late in the second half and
• 6:01
  they kind of turned things around then scored a couple of
• 6:04
  big baskets lockdown on defense and wrote out the wind first
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  Elite eight appearance in program history and they play
• 6:11
  press happy, Ohio State and income, pretty much completely
• 6:13
  dominated that game. You know, Ohio, State LED for
• 6:18
  some moments here there. But never felt like Virginia
• 6:21
  said, wasn't in control of either game.
• 6:23
  Really maybe a little bit when Tennessee had some momentum but
• 6:27
  you win two games and get The final floor so special.
• 6:32
  And again it was, it was a really cool moment and a lot of
• 6:34
  the families were there for the Virginia Tech players and I was
• 6:37
  cool and kind of tech fans there just to see that happen.
• 6:42
  They put they played really good basketball, and I don't think
• 6:44
  they never doubted their ability to get there.
• 6:47
  So many other people did. And I think, I think that kind
• 6:50
  of made it even more special. The fact that they were the
• 6:52
  ones, he, they always knew they had the ability to get there and
• 6:56
  Some people looked at him and said, you know, they're not
• 6:59
  historically a women's basketball school and they just
• 7:03
  said we don't care and they went on to the final four and I think
• 7:05
  that was a pretty unique part of it.
• 7:08
  Yeah. The movement never seemed too
• 7:09
  big for their. Definitely seemed like they were
• 7:11
  playing for each other and kind of playing within the framework.
• 7:14
  That can he broke sit laid out for each each opponent there and
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  I think the fact that the moment never got too big for them and
• 7:21
  that they stuck together and kind of trusted that process
• 7:23
  definitely help them out. Out and it's incredible.
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  When you look at how the, you know, the the matchups played
• 7:33
  out there and they you had Tennessee, which you know, a lot
• 7:37
  of history. And then you looking at, okay,
• 7:40
  either hiyo State, you know, they've got some horses and you
• 7:42
  also have, you know, you come on that side of the bracket with
• 7:46
  their history and it's just, it's incredible.
• 7:48
  The eyes that got put on Virginia Tech, women's
• 7:51
  basketball, that have really been there before.
• 7:54
  If y'all seen the eating with Monday night did but the late
• 7:58
  does a late game slot, 2.78 million That's insane, that's
• 8:03
  higher than some of the football games this year.
• 8:06
  And I know the product will get to that later in the product
• 8:09
  everything. And then, you know, we talked
• 8:12
  about down Friday night. I mean, I said and watched it
• 8:14
  here. I'm here in the man cave would
• 8:16
  get the big TV and the kids want to watch a movie and that's
• 8:19
  fine. I got watching the game.
• 8:21
  Either rating was almost 4 million people like Brian said
• 8:23
  it sighs, right. How do you keep bringing more
• 8:26
  people to the program? How do you keep bringing more
• 8:28
  money? Go to the national championship
• 8:30
  in wrestling? Go to the final four in
• 8:33
  basketball and Friday night, you know, against LSU.
• 8:37
  I mean, it hurt, I mean, anybody who's a fan of the team, know it
• 8:41
  hurt. But watching that game, I mean,
• 8:43
  the physicality at which LSU played in, which the refs, let
• 8:47
  them play. And I will say, let them because
• 8:49
  there were quite a few, in my opinion, maybe I'm Homer, there
• 8:53
  were quite a few times where it was Dammit fouls, that weren't
• 8:56
  called and I think tally, Brian, y'all both can same day that as
• 9:00
  well. Everybody's playing, if you if
• 9:02
  you're playing a physical team and they're not getting called
• 9:04
  fouls, it's immediately in their favor of.
• 9:07
  However, the game Flow goes even if yes, we did have a lead going
• 9:12
  to the fourth, but I'll throw this in there real quick just
• 9:15
  thinking about some of the, some of the AFC Championship games of
• 9:20
  yesteryear where the Colts are playing the Patriots, and
• 9:25
  they're just LED them Corners bug the receivers, and it kind
• 9:28
  of reminded me of that. Because the Colts in that time
• 9:31
  frame, were very much, a finesse type offense in the Patriots
• 9:34
  were very much a we're going to get in your face.
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  We're going to push you around. We're gonna whatever the rest
• 9:39
  will let us get away with. We're going to do and it kind of
• 9:42
  felt like that that type of mirror.
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  They're looking at the physicality that LSU brought to
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  the table and I mean no fault of them.
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  I mean, if they're going to let you play that way and you've got
• 9:52
  the ability to go for it. Yeah, man.
• 9:54
  It mean Besides everything that we're talking about, we got to
• 9:58
  give a got to give a shout out to Kenny Brooks.
• 10:01
  And, and the girls man because I see me know, all of us on
• 10:05
  Twitter, we see that we see the hashtags, and the means, and all
• 10:10
  types of stuff conference candy. And, you know, it seems like
• 10:14
  through the whole season. Everybody was waiting on them to
• 10:17
  falter waiting on him. No, you don't make a mistake and
• 10:20
  they didn't, you know, they ate the whole season.
• 10:22
  They were solid basketball. Team, a really good basketball.
• 10:25
  All team, you know, to go win the conference to go and get a
• 10:29
  number one seed to get to the final four.
• 10:32
  It's just like, like David said, that the moment was never too
• 10:35
  big, you know? And when you get into a game
• 10:37
  like that, you know, I'm kind of on the other side of it, I love
• 10:42
  to see if I'm a watch women's sports man, like women's
• 10:45
  basketball. I love to see them.
• 10:47
  Let them be physical. You know I'm saying because
• 10:49
  they're athletes, you know, people think also warming,
• 10:52
  they're not supposed to do this or not supposed to react this
• 10:55
  way. Way we've seen all the hoopla in
• 10:57
  the news. Like just let them their
• 10:58
  athletes and we're watching them play, let them play.
• 11:01
  If a man did it, you would have nothing to say about it.
• 11:03
  It's let them play, you know, so if that's what we're doing, let
• 11:06
  him play. So I think again, the moment
• 11:09
  wasn't too big. Virginia Tech was definitely,
• 11:11
  right? What they needed to be.
• 11:13
  We let one slip away in my opinion, but no fault to the
• 11:17
  coaching staff and the girls man that played a young ladies, they
• 11:20
  play they played a great game, a great tournament, and I was I
• 11:23
  was proud to watch him play. They let me ask you this.
• 11:27
  This was your first final four coverage.
• 11:30
  Give me the field because that Arena looked jam-packed.
• 11:32
  It looked loud. Not only from the LSU side but
• 11:35
  from the text as well. What was it like your their
• 11:37
  courts? I'm assuming Courtside?
• 11:40
  Okay, Courtside I know sometimes they pick y'all up an awkward
• 11:43
  spot. So yeah, no, I mean it was just
• 11:51
  cool environment man. You mentioned the just I
• 11:55
  Eyeballs. I mean, they were almost 10
• 11:57
  million people that watch the championship game between LSU
• 12:00
  and Iowa. That's how you continue to grow
• 12:02
  the game, you know, even when for those people who don't like
• 12:08
  Angel Reese Angel, Reese FaceTiming, Lil Wayne after LSU
• 12:12
  wins stuff like that is how you grow the game, right?
• 12:15
  Kam Chancellor and Brandon Flowers, showing up to watch 14
• 12:18
  Tech, like that's how you continue to grow the game.
• 12:21
  And yeah, I thought the arena was The re in Dallas is really
• 12:26
  cool Mavericks and Stars Arena, really really great crowd.
• 12:30
  And again, Virginia Tech was 10 minutes away from getting the
• 12:34
  national championship game, and I think it got to a point where
• 12:37
  LSU was just better. But, you know, I think you
• 12:42
  mentioned a tally multiple times this year in the past where
• 12:47
  where I don't think Kenny Brooks in the team would have gone to
• 12:51
  that next step. And they never really wavered.
• 12:54
  They never really Blinked. So many people were like, oh,
• 12:58
  Virginia Tech's gonna gonna lose here, okay. 46 not lose here.
• 13:02
  Well, they went out and won the ACC Championship anywhere number
• 13:04
  one, see, they want 15 straight games and then play the team
• 13:07
  that ended up winning the national championship.
• 13:10
  So there's only so much you can do there, and they played some
• 13:14
  really good basketball along the way they were fun to watch.
• 13:17
  And, you know, now you recruit, you know, obviously, Elizabeth
• 13:21
  Killian Georgia hamor and Kayla came here.
• 13:23
  I'll come back. That's to all Americans.
• 13:25
  Starters to attend that we just went to the final four at the
• 13:28
  solid core to recruit to and you're recruiting you're
• 13:31
  pitching them on. Hey, we just went to a final
• 13:34
  four. You know who wants to, who wants
• 13:35
  to go try to win a state championship again and you know
• 13:39
  we have the final four experience and again really
• 13:43
  historical year, honestly kind of amazing.
• 13:46
  I don't know if it's really set in for a lot of people, just how
• 13:49
  just how amazing that season was, it's hard to get to the
• 13:52
  Sweet 16, let alone the final four and And you know, the
• 13:56
  Hokies beat some really good teams to get there and we
• 14:00
  accomplished a lot of really cool things along the way.
• 14:05
  Yeah, absolutely. And like you said, the news of
• 14:08
  King and kitley in a more having in Georgia, having one more
• 14:11
  season. It's you go out there and you
• 14:13
  get that core. And what are we looking for?
• 14:16
  I mean, I know we're a finesse team David but is it looking for
• 14:19
  a couple physical bodies that, you know, next year, you play
• 14:23
  LSU is, you've got the, you got the two Shooters, you've got
• 14:25
  your inside present? Is it looking for someone who
• 14:28
  can be a little more physical? Do you think that's what Kenny's
• 14:31
  going to go with? Or you think he's going to try
• 14:32
  to find what's been working? To get him to 31 and 5 this
• 14:36
  year, which is just, you know, tell us, tell us all, we're
• 14:40
  running 28 plus games. The next five years, women's
• 14:43
  basketball, women's basketball will start paying for itself.
• 14:47
  Yeah, I think it's interesting. I think.
• 14:50
  Okay, he's done a good job. I mean, first of all I don't
• 14:53
  know if you guys know this but but they've got four top 100
• 14:56
  recruits coming in. They've got they've got a
• 14:59
  recruiting class coming in but Kenny's done.
• 15:03
  A good job with the portal in the past.
• 15:04
  Anyway, came on a trailer and Taylor sold to players who had
• 15:07
  big roles for Tech this year. Came in and transfer portal this
• 15:09
  year. And last year, the Asia Greg who
• 15:12
  was text essentially six starter she came in, she went to Juco
• 15:18
  route, after transferring from Georgia Tech, but, but Kenny
• 15:21
  Brooks is always found success in Transport.
• 15:23
  Oh, I'm not worried. I think the biggest thing was
• 15:27
  but when you looked at Kenny Brooks and his tenure at
• 15:30
  Virginia Tech from 1000 full perspective, if you want to say,
• 15:33
  I think the biggest thing was always 1010 the product on the
• 15:36
  floor, be better. You knew he was going to get
• 15:39
  talented, he's always had really good talent.
• 15:41
  Even when Tech even his first couple years and Tuck wasn't
• 15:44
  making NCAA tournament. He's had good talented teams.
• 15:48
  Now, the good talented teams are coinciding with win, so they're
• 15:51
  putting out wins on the core. They're getting to that next
• 15:56
  level. You've got You gotta keep going
• 15:58
  doing what works and made again, they were 10 minutes from a
• 16:01
  national championship, right? Like, you know, and you can talk
• 16:06
  about them, heading Inland physicality, but they handle
• 16:09
  Tennessee's and the handle bit, you know, they handle Dukes to
• 16:12
  handle multiple other teams throughout the season eight or
• 16:14
  31 and 5 and I think LSU was kind of just a team of Destiny.
• 16:17
  A little bit. Right?
• 16:19
  You know, I'll see you Hadn't hit any three-point shots,
• 16:23
  really all tournament and then come out and shoot the lights
• 16:26
  out on son in the championship game, right?
• 16:27
  That's just kind of way basketball work so they're going
• 16:30
  to stick their guns and I'm sure they'll pick up they'll pick up
• 16:34
  some really good additions as Kenny and his staff have done in
• 16:38
  years previous. But yeah, I mean, they're in a
• 16:41
  really good spot man. You were going to have a team
• 16:43
  that just went to the final four.
• 16:45
  Nobody else in Blacksburg can say that.
• 16:47
  Nobody else in the ACC are very few teams in the ACC, okay?
• 16:51
  In say that. So you got a log up on everybody
• 16:54
  and they were already really good in terms of recruiting the
• 16:56
  portal in mining, the portal, trying to really good players
• 16:59
  that fit their system. I think they'll continue to do
• 17:02
  so yeah, pretty easy. So to say hey we just went to a
• 17:05
  final four. Come join us and see if we can
• 17:06
  run it back. Yeah.
• 17:10
  Definitely. Let's talk about men's suits a
• 17:12
  little bit as we kind of move forward here into into.
• 17:14
  The next topic will lead a little bit here with the with
• 17:17
  the Mike Jones departure, you know, how is, how is that going
• 17:23
  to hurt Virginia Tech as we kind of move into your further into
• 17:26
  the offseason? And is there any any sort of
• 17:30
  rumor about who that next guy up is going to be to kind of fill
• 17:33
  that role? Yeah, well I think it's
• 17:36
  interesting. So for those of you didn't see
• 17:38
  my job, Owns a set of accepted a job at Maryland.
• 17:41
  He was at the math of 4 for 19 years.
• 17:44
  That's kind of his home. That's his background.
• 17:46
  That's his backyard. I'm not surprised at all.
• 17:49
  I think everybody involved with Virginia Tech around the
• 17:53
  program. Everybody kind of knew Mike
• 17:55
  Jones is going to move on eventually where.
• 17:57
  And when just kind of had to be figured out, I'm surprised that
• 18:02
  he didn't stay longer, but when when a spot comes open at the
• 18:07
  school, you know, at the At the school year used to being
• 18:10
  around, you know, again he was at the Matha and Maryland right
• 18:15
  there next to College Park. I'm not surprised at all.
• 18:19
  You know, somebody told me the other day, they called it a
• 18:21
  waste of time, and I don't know if it wasn't necessarily a waste
• 18:23
  of time. Now, what I will say is this,
• 18:26
  Darren Buchanan, one of his two big recruits, he got in already
• 18:30
  entered the transfer portal. He was the Washington d.c.
• 18:34
  Metro player of the year last year.
• 18:37
  Obviously everybody knows Rodney rice.
• 18:39
  From what I've heard Rodney rice is kind of told Mike young in
• 18:42
  the staff that he's planning on saying, but if my Rodney was to
• 18:45
  leave, okay, well then those are the two main guys Mike Jones
• 18:49
  brought into the program. I think, at that point you kind
• 18:53
  of look at it and throw your hands up and go, there was no
• 18:56
  net gain, there was no net loss, kind of just was a waste a
• 19:00
  little bit of waste of time but like nothing happened.
• 19:02
  UND. But my Jones was a great guy and
• 19:05
  you know, I think there's probably some things that go on
• 19:07
  behind the scenes and Player Development stuff that we don't
• 19:10
  necessarily know about, but I'm happy for him and I think again
• 19:15
  I think this higher is going to be really interesting.
• 19:18
  I'm not sure. Who am I going to go after?
• 19:22
  I've seen some names thrown around on, on message boards and
• 19:25
  on Twitter and stuff, I'm not sure if there's anybody
• 19:27
  specific, but I but I do think it's interesting that You know,
• 19:32
  you got Kevin goner, you got Christian Webster, two guys who
• 19:35
  have you've been very familiar with for four or five years now?
• 19:40
  Kill Kevin guilting her for longer.
• 19:44
  Can you get somebody that brings?
• 19:45
  Something different to the equation?
• 19:47
  I think that's kind of interesting piece Chester
• 19:49
  Frazier was the guy who was here before Mike Jones.
• 19:53
  I thought he did a really good job of providing a very good
• 19:55
  defensive aspect curious to see if if Mi kyung could get
• 19:59
  somebody that can kind of bring a different perspective.
• 20:02
  It's kind of like Frasier did to this team but you also got to
• 20:07
  bring in somebody that's really good.
• 20:08
  Recruiter again, I don't know how much it will route, you
• 20:12
  know, this move really affects the roster and really affects
• 20:15
  what Virginia Tech was going to do over the summer AJ.
• 20:19
  Swinton is a twin 24 kid, who would who had connection to Mike
• 20:23
  Jones, he had played at the math and the past and I think, you
• 20:25
  know, we're still too far out for him to figure out whether or
• 20:30
  not he's coming or not. And again, a high school recruit
• 20:35
  not coming after a coaching. Change is not surprising to
• 20:38
  anybody so but I but I think text tone in a good spot.
• 20:42
  Now I'm curious to see where my down goes from here and how he
• 20:47
  kind of if he can kind of get somebody that kind of bolsters
• 20:50
  the staff in a different way. Phil's maybe a whole or to that
• 20:55
  Tech didn't necessarily have covered previously if that makes
• 20:58
  sense. Yeah, that does make a lot of
• 21:01
  sense. Because like you said, Buchanan
• 21:05
  and rice and if you only lose one of the two, it's a net gain.
• 21:09
  And I like what you said Dave, it's a, it's a, it's a net
• 21:12
  neutral, maybe it's a waste of time, but anytime you get
• 21:15
  someone from that program to come at, least it shows and this
• 21:20
  is just me, maybe, it's me being half full, I'm an optimist.
• 21:24
  It shows that Michael is going to be able to get guys that can
• 21:27
  recruit down the Blacksburg and help them out because if you
• 21:30
  pull Mike Jones from there, When you know that there have been
• 21:34
  probably other programs to offer them, it shows you he probably
• 21:36
  can land a suitable replacement form.
• 21:40
  Now I'm going to flip it over here since all this has been
• 21:43
  going on, there's then to transfer portal guys, which I
• 21:46
  assume probably already knew. Mike Jones was going to be out
• 21:49
  before they even came to Tech first McHale long, the ODU
• 21:53
  transfer last year, you know, averaging roughly ten points, a
• 21:59
  game eight rebounds long lanky to Thunder seems like that was
• 22:03
  something. I know we on this podcast
• 22:05
  mentioned a couple times. That might have been missing
• 22:08
  from the team this year. Originally, you know, was a
• 22:12
  Virginia kid top-10 recruit back in 2019 out of Massanutten.
• 22:19
  David. Just if you've got a chance to
• 22:21
  look anything on long that you like so far, I like his ability
• 22:27
  to rebound. I think that's I think that's
• 22:29
  big. I mean look true he he led the
• 22:34
  he led to a Conference USA I believe in double-doubles this
• 22:38
  year, I mean he's a he's a good Prospect.
• 22:40
  I'm curious. I'm curious to see and again we
• 22:43
  can spend time talking about him and Tyler nickel, obviously the
• 22:45
  other another transfer, North Carolina transfer, I think I
• 22:50
  think a lot of Virginia Tech success hinges on whether
• 22:53
  Grandpa's only 100 or come back. I'll just put that.
• 22:55
  At out there and I think everybody understands that but I
• 22:58
  think long has a solid addition, he gets to the rim, he hits and
• 23:03
  he gets fouled, he shoots a lot of free throws, I think he'll be
• 23:06
  a solid addition in terms of he can kind of help stretch the
• 23:08
  floor and drive it and he's a good Defender who can rebound.
• 23:12
  I think it can kind of do it all.
• 23:16
  Maybe a little bit more accustomed to playing on the
• 23:18
  outside. The Justin mutts was but I think
• 23:22
  he's a solid addition. The particular kind of filling
• 23:26
  that role for oh go ahead tally. I'll let you know.
• 23:28
  No I was just gonna say, you know kind of what Cunningham was
• 23:32
  saying getting to the getting to the goal and shooting free
• 23:36
  throws like watching Virginia Tech a lot of times for me it's
• 23:40
  just you just want somebody to just have some a little um you
• 23:45
  know love just a months and what he brings to the table but he
• 23:49
  just for big man. First of all, he's not really a
• 23:53
  big man being sick. 768, you know, it's tough to go up
• 23:58
  against them trees and just not getting to the free-throw line
• 24:02
  enough, man. And that's what we mentioned.
• 24:04
  We playing games and people get physical with us because we are
• 24:07
  such a finesse thing. You know you got mazzilli
• 24:10
  shooting threes which he's great at doing but you got to have
• 24:12
  somebody that does the Dirty Work.
• 24:14
  You got to have somebody that's in there getting rebounds and
• 24:16
  can hit those free throws for you.
• 24:19
  Not just getting rebounds and look at the outlet to go back up
• 24:22
  with him. So you know I think that's a A
• 24:24
  good pickup and I think we need, you know, a couple of more, you
• 24:30
  know, three and D Defenders as well.
• 24:32
  That's why, I guess Couture is a is a big thing.
• 24:35
  Whether he's coming back at night because more, of course,
• 24:38
  he can shoot, everybody knows that.
• 24:40
  But I don't think people give him enough credit for his
• 24:42
  defense, you know, when he went down the defensive aspect of
• 24:45
  the, of the team was much different.
• 24:47
  So, Similar to what, what, what, what David is saying, man?
• 24:52
  Just this higher, I hope did he bring somebody in?
• 24:55
  Because I've been very almost like critical, but I just been
• 24:58
  skeptical because I like to argue with people just about
• 25:01
  basketball, but, you know, I hope he brings something in just
• 25:05
  that defensive aspect to just wrap it up a little bit.
• 25:08
  So I got off course a little bit but when he said that, that kind
• 25:11
  of touched a little bit of what I was thinking.
• 25:14
  Yeah, and I can do a little bit of that.
• 25:18
  What do you like about? Tell him Nicol David it's tough
• 25:23
  because he's so young right. I think I mean he's you know,
• 25:27
  he's only played his freshman kind of a similar situation,
• 25:30
  John Camden, although he played all the more.
• 25:32
  I think he's kind of a more advanced John.
• 25:34
  Can't if I think he's a guy who can stretch the floor a little
• 25:36
  bit, he can shoot the three ball.
• 25:39
  He's a saw a reminder, he's a good scorer.
• 25:42
  My biggest thing is going to play defense, I think so far.
• 25:45
  You know, he showed a little bit at Creek Carolina that he could
• 25:47
  play solid defense. Since I think he's going to be
• 25:50
  good role player, I wouldn't expect them to come in and start
• 25:52
  but I think he's gonna be a big help.
• 25:55
  I think text, I don't want to say problem but I think the
• 26:00
  question you run into it. If you're Virginia Tech is if
• 26:04
  under to torque doesn't come back, you don't have any guys
• 26:06
  with experience and Makai. Wong has experienced, but you'd
• 26:10
  essentially playing Sean Padula. You hope Rodney rice, your plan.
• 26:18
  MJ columns are taught Nicole, you're probably playing with
• 26:21
  Kyle long and if you don't get Grandpa silly back, you know
• 26:25
  you're playing when kid, right? So I think a lot of it hinges on
• 26:29
  whether Couture bacilli, come back.
• 26:31
  But I think there's a lot of positives.
• 26:33
  I think this is a group that could have been better
• 26:36
  defensively a lot last year and I think long and nickel or two
• 26:40
  solid defensive pieces scoring the ball is not really ever
• 26:44
  going to be the issue for Virginia Tech.
• 26:45
  Mike, youngmee's, you know, it's not like texting to always be.
• 26:49
  A tan offensively but Patek is go.
• 26:52
  Usually better better than most. I'm curious to see how those
• 26:57
  guys gel defensively and it because I think I think Tech
• 27:01
  needs a bigger better paint presence.
• 27:03
  I think of Lynn Kate continues to take steps that would be good
• 27:07
  but but I think there are a lot of just questions.
• 27:10
  I have about Tex ability to play defense and guard some of the
• 27:14
  more athletic teams in the ACC like a Miami for example, but I
• 27:18
  think Tyler you mentioned it. Arcturus defense is probably the
• 27:21
  biggest reason why he so effective.
• 27:25
  His defense was really good, mutts played good defense for
• 27:27
  the most part. So, I'm curious to see if a guy
• 27:31
  like Sean, Padula can take that next step defensively.
• 27:34
  I'm curious. If if nickel and and Collins and
• 27:38
  rice long can all slot in and ever and this can be a better
• 27:43
  defensive team for Virginia Tech because I think there were times
• 27:47
  last year where the offense was fun.
• 27:49
  Following and then on the defensive end there was kind of
• 27:52
  just a low and they couldn't get any stops.
• 27:55
  I think we saw a little bit towards the end of the year so
• 27:57
  I'm curious but I think I think Dex in a good spot, I think a
• 28:00
  lot of it again, hinges on the bazillion guitar and whether or
• 28:03
  not they come back. Yeah.
• 28:05
  Kind of my big observation was always looking at the defense.
• 28:09
  How can that get better? And then looking offensively?
• 28:13
  How can we get guys that can generate some offense, when
• 28:18
  those shots aren't always falling, right?
• 28:20
  Because we had some of those spells where the shots weren't
• 28:23
  falling. How can we still generate
• 28:24
  offense during those there's period.
• 28:26
  So you don't let the team's going some of those longer runs
• 28:29
  that we saw two kind of claw back in the game that we thought
• 28:32
  we had in hand a little bit there.
• 28:34
  It's to what Shelton said a couple about a month ago on this
• 28:37
  program. When he talked about there are
• 28:39
  times in Mike's offense that ball gets stuck.
• 28:43
  When we see the ball getting stuck right.
• 28:44
  Is when we see the other team, had bigger islands.
• 28:47
  I think what we all fought with Rodney rice was.
• 28:49
  He's the guy that can break that mold Rodney rice has the
• 28:52
  capability and you saw a state, why was he rated so high?
• 28:55
  He has that ability to take it off the dribble, right?
• 28:58
  He's athletic. He's a really good guard nickel
• 29:01
  similar that you look where Nick was right to as a top hundred
• 29:04
  player, he was pretty much borderline for or four star
• 29:07
  everywhere, top three player in the state of Virginia.
• 29:10
  Now, does he have that type of game?
• 29:11
  No, but usually, when you You see guys rated that high,
• 29:15
  there's a few more elements to their game than just shooting or
• 29:17
  just, you know, being a good rebounder.
• 29:19
  So I think the two pickups are good but you know, David you
• 29:24
  made the perfect point. It's hundred Grant if Hunter.
• 29:26
  And Grant come back with the additions, they've made a the
• 29:30
  team better be better, better be better or tally will start.
• 29:34
  Well, you say Hallie want to shed next door, sighs criticize
• 29:39
  criticize, let slip it off, and let's go.
• 29:43
  We're not even to the practice yet, because between the last
• 29:48
  time we came, we got commits. We got commits all over the
• 29:52
  place and whoo-hoo. The first one, we got our first
• 29:57
  commit for the 2024 cycle Davy Belfort.
• 30:02
  Out of Fort Lauderdale Florida, Western High School if you don't
• 30:06
  know, Dad's Vitor Belfort dad was a stud in the UFC back in
• 30:11
  the early 2000s and still a stud now knocking people out in
• 30:14
  these. Some sort of boxing, I saw that
• 30:16
  pop up the other day on my Twitter feed is pops knocking
• 30:18
  somebody out three star, you know, pretty good offer list
• 30:23
  here Brian. I'll flip to you on the IV.
• 30:26
  I know you had a chance to look at the highlights.
• 30:28
  You know, smaller guy 510. 185, what do you like about him?
• 30:31
  Do you know in what do you hope will write about?
• 30:35
  I mean, pretty polished quarterback, kind of out the
• 30:37
  gate. I think that's the big thing
• 30:39
  that you see with him, you know, the question is going to be
• 30:42
  frame wise size-wise, can can he hold up in an offense?
• 30:47
  It's going to have a little bit of that.
• 30:48
  RPO, little bit of run, run action for the quarterback and
• 30:53
  the ability to throw on the run and things like that.
• 30:56
  But everything I'm seeing right now, I mean, he's got the
• 30:59
  ability to get that done. I like the, I like the ad, you
• 31:04
  know, we can have a debate about whether we should be taking
• 31:08
  another quarterback, that is about 10, 15 minutes down the
• 31:12
  road from me, as well in this class.
• 31:15
  And if we can push hard enough to get both of them, but I like,
• 31:18
  I like this as a Kickstart to the 2024 class.
• 31:24
  Yeah, I like it. I like it.
• 31:25
  I mean, definitely was happy that the that it that it we
• 31:28
  finally got started. I kind of look at him, I don't
• 31:31
  know. Look, the a little bit of him
• 31:33
  and kind of reminds me of a more polished Burmeister just with
• 31:38
  the athletic ability, athletic ability that he has, you know,
• 31:43
  it looks scared. You know, on film, of course,
• 31:46
  taking some hits, still delivering the ball, able to
• 31:48
  move a little bit. So, I mean, if you're going to
• 31:51
  start off with a quarterback, I don't see a problem with it.
• 31:55
  Now I will say since you brought it up I won't go too deep into
• 31:58
  it because we're talking about people, we do have but there's
• 32:01
  been so many arguments about why we're looking at this
• 32:04
  quarterback. A wiring looking at this
• 32:05
  quarterback away. We doing this.
• 32:08
  I'm a Virginia Tech fan and have been for a long time.
• 32:11
  I don't think it's in, Virginia Tech's.
• 32:13
  Best interest to wait on anybody to commit.
• 32:16
  If you can get somebody, you need to get them because we've
• 32:20
  been burned. So many times thinking all we
• 32:22
  have this person, or this person is in silent commit, and then
• 32:25
  they go elsewhere. So, if these quarterbacks that's
• 32:28
  right down the road or whatever, the case may be, may be coming.
• 32:33
  I still want them, but I don't think you can, we're not in a
• 32:36
  position to wait like we got to get We Got Talent is wanting to
• 32:39
  come. We got to let the Talent come
• 32:41
  in. Hey, what's your thoughts about?
• 32:43
  What's your thoughts on Davi? Honestly, I've been so busy and
• 32:48
  him and dandy the other commits. I've been so busy covering
• 32:51
  women's basketball and doing all Spring football stuff as they
• 32:54
  haven't, had chance to dive deep into him.
• 32:56
  But I do think he's a, he's a good committee at a lot of good
• 32:59
  offers. Honestly, there's plenty of
• 33:04
  quarterback controversy on this current team.
• 33:07
  I don't think the worry about, so, yo,
• 33:25
  But he's a guy who could turn out really really well
• 33:35
  absolutely North Carolina's. Top 25 players in the state of
• 33:43
  North Carolina. We had already mentioned him
• 33:45
  back a few weeks ago. Matej in tally.
• 33:48
  Six-foot-four 215 pounds. Callie been saying we getting
• 33:52
  bigger and bigger, we're getting busy.
• 33:56
  Only a few offers here, but also mount airy's, a smaller school,
• 33:59
  you're talking about on the western side of the state but
• 34:04
  you know we talked Brian me and you were talking to Ravi about
• 34:08
  him just a few weeks ago and he says he reminded him of house
• 34:13
  gains, I know house Has career-tech been you know Flores
• 34:19
  like we all hoped it would and hope he's doing okay.
• 34:22
  Now I hadn't seen him on the timeline in a while but coming
• 34:26
  out house games. Had a lot of offers a lot of
• 34:27
  interests. Brian, did you pop quick pop
• 34:32
  quiz pop quick? He did, you know what are you
• 34:36
  looking at? I mean, he's got a good frame.
• 34:38
  I'd like to obviously see him put on a little bit more weight
• 34:42
  before he's ready for prime time but you know, I like having a
• 34:45
  guy. By 64, frame plays, a little bit
• 34:49
  bigger than his weight just looking at the tape.
• 34:52
  So that that's a good sign, you know, like most high school Edge
• 34:58
  rushers. He doesn't quite been the way
• 35:00
  you want him to yet. But I mean, that's something
• 35:02
  that's very coachable. So, I like the pickup and I
• 35:05
  think it's something that you can kind of build off of your
• 35:08
  definitely kind of an under-the-radar type Talent you
• 35:11
  know, similar to, we saw, you know, a couple guys that were in
• 35:14
  the previous class as well. Hungry.
• 35:18
  I'm all right with. It ain't what buggy?
• 35:20
  And I watch a whole bunch of tape on him.
• 35:21
  I just seen the size and I'm like, no 511.
• 35:26
  Well, 511 defensive and I'm all right with it.
• 35:30
  The best part about Talia. And, you know, the funny part
• 35:33
  y'all is, if you all who are here a few weeks ago, watch him
• 35:37
  until you know, David, you know, you have some relationships.
• 35:39
  Mattei there for taming, we talked about Florida, check made
• 35:43
  me happy because I'm worried about like listen Florida's a
• 35:46
  talent, Rich State, go get somebody down there, we did
• 35:49
  that, but they said, watch North Carolina this year.
• 35:53
  S commits from North Carolina and then It was talking about
• 35:57
  how we sit better with a lot of the top recruits in Virginia in
• 36:00
  sure as hell, right out the gate.
• 36:02
  We get our highest recruited, you know, 24/7 player from
• 36:06
  Virginia. Since this coaching staff took
• 36:09
  over full cycle, Josh Clark about of Alexandria, the 13th,
• 36:15
  ranked player in the state that's automatically up for from
• 36:17
  Caleb Woodson who was 17 last year, six 170 pounds recruited
• 36:24
  by Derrick Jones and Pearson Prelude.
• 36:26
  Wonder where he's going to play y'all.
• 36:29
  Yeah, well, if you watch this tape, you'll be able to see it
• 36:32
  too. I mean, first couple of plays on
• 36:35
  his tape man. He's affluent Runner, he's
• 36:38
  picking balls off, he's taking them to the house, good Vision,
• 36:41
  once he gets the ball, once he picks the ball off for me, and
• 36:44
  of course, High School is much different in college, but that's
• 36:48
  why you go recruit you recruit for the athletic ability and
• 36:52
  that's what a, you get them in there and Coach him up.
• 36:55
  So, Far as size goes, I think he had, you know, is already 61 170
• 37:01
  easily easily put a little weight on in the college ranks.
• 37:05
  And like I said, just watching the first couple of Clips on his
• 37:09
  tape, man. I was impressed, he's a great,
• 37:12
  he's great with the ball in his hands once he gets it.
• 37:14
  So I think it's a good pick up, really the pickup.
• 37:17
  I was impressed with that. Pick up even more so than the
• 37:21
  Dhabi pick up. I was impressed with the clock,
• 37:23
  pick up. Yeah I think he's probably going
• 37:26
  to have be one of those guys that's position.
• 37:29
  Fluid his first year on campus, probably throwing out their
• 37:32
  corner, see what he can do, probably going to end up as a
• 37:35
  safety kind of a fluid rangy safety.
• 37:37
  That can be a ball hog, but I like the pick.
• 37:40
  A big-time big-time pick up for the Hokies in my opinion.
• 37:44
  David. We know you've been traveling
• 37:45
  anything on him. Anything you heard.
• 37:48
  Yeah. But I tell you what they can
• 37:51
  produce new tech continues to pick up big kids in the
• 37:53
  Commonwealth. I think that's I think That's
• 37:55
  the big thing, right? Grand prize made an emphasis and
• 37:59
  Derrick Jones is a sin. Pray Lord, are solid recruiters,
• 38:04
  you know, I think again, I think this is a pretty solid
• 38:06
  recruiting stuff. I think like they've continued
• 38:09
  to put good pieces together. I don't think the questions are
• 38:12
  really in recruiting part anymore.
• 38:15
  I think the questions are on the football field.
• 38:17
  I think that's bottom line, but I do think Clark is a big
• 38:19
  pickup, you know, Tech is continuing to make up ground.
• 38:25
  And make progress in terms of picking up higher rated kids in
• 38:29
  the Commonwealth did well in Richmond, especially in last
• 38:35
  year's class, can you continue to make progress?
• 38:37
  And if you do and, and you go out and put out a good product
• 38:42
  on Saturdays? You'll be all right, but I think
• 38:45
  the product on Saturdays part, you know, I'm sure which we're
• 38:48
  going to talk about in the sack, you know, I think that's where
• 38:51
  it all comes down, because if you're not winning football
• 38:53
  games that really matter how well, your And in the piggyback
• 38:57
  off what DC is saying, also kind of goes back to the basketball
• 39:01
  situation as well, because you got Tyler nickel that is of
• 39:05
  Virginia. He is, you know, was the best
• 39:10
  player in Virginia. When he, when he graduated
• 39:14
  ourselves. All-time leading scorer.
• 39:16
  You've got, you know, same as like Mac McDonald, right?
• 39:18
  So Virginia people, they pay attention to each other which
• 39:22
  most people do. My son plays tribal baseball.
• 39:25
  He's in seventh grade we hear about a kid that made the ninth
• 39:28
  grade team. He's playing right over at our
• 39:30
  high school. We go watch and play, we don't
• 39:33
  know him, we just go watch him play.
• 39:35
  He's a seventh grade and it's already throwing 85.
• 39:38
  Yeah, let's go, let's go watch his kid play to see, he's
• 39:42
  pitching them. Nice great thing.
• 39:43
  So I say that to say when you get these when you when you get,
• 39:47
  you know, a Tyler nickel to come in and then you start producing
• 39:51
  with somebody like that or you get one of these kids from Don't
• 39:55
  you just pick one from last year?
• 39:57
  Yeah, Raylan princess. Oh Caleb, listen, one of these
• 40:00
  kids goes out and makes a name for himself.
• 40:03
  A lot of times. Again, these kids are the best
• 40:05
  kid that the people around him have seen.
• 40:08
  But traditionally in the past five years we haven't had big
• 40:13
  name. Virginia kids doing much you
• 40:16
  know you got. You got to get your money
• 40:19
  instead just signed a Killer Contract but I mean that was a
• 40:23
  that was a while ago we need to see Somebody at Virginia Tech
• 40:26
  that produces and gets these other recruits excited.
• 40:30
  May. I just play, I just played
• 40:32
  against him, I just played against him last year and he's
• 40:35
  already dead doing this. That's what's going to take that
• 40:38
  the staff and the school to the next level and I will not sir.
• 40:41
  I keep telling people is not, it is recruiting, it is the staff
• 40:45
  but the staff doing everything they can do.
• 40:47
  In my opinion, they're going to the places, they're out in the
• 40:50
  highways and hedges. It comes down to somebody
• 40:54
  producing them. And it's their job to put them
• 40:57
  in that position. So we got to go out and make
• 41:00
  something happen. It's on the field this year DC,
• 41:02
  you said it just a few minutes ago.
• 41:04
  This is a good recruiting staff and tally to your points.
• 41:06
  Been five years. Tim settle in The Osmond
• 41:08
  Brothers, were the last time I was Virginia products who went
• 41:11
  drafted high, and now they've been in the league over a half,
• 41:14
  decade that hole while, but to your point on the field is where
• 41:18
  it's got to happen. We can recruit great all day,
• 41:19
  but then they got to start winning and I love what they did
• 41:22
  with bringing in Brent, Davis. I mean David, you saw I'm out
• 41:25
  there a little bit earlier before anybody knew, you know,
• 41:29
  offensive line. Coach was at army, always a big
• 41:32
  Russian attaché, you know, you have you had any interactions
• 41:36
  with them or just seeing them on the field.
• 41:38
  I mean, I'm assuming him and, you know, he's out there a
• 41:41
  because you're just bringing in a brand new offensive line,
• 41:44
  coach is going to be full-time on staff just to help him move
• 41:47
  along, but what's just your thoughts on rent?
• 41:51
  Davis out the gate? Well, I tell you.
• 41:55
  Sir works a lot with the office for line.
• 41:59
  I mean, he's trying to fix this rushing attack which you know,
• 42:04
  there's so much talked last year about, okay, they wanted to do
• 42:08
  this thing in the games. They wanted to be this type of
• 42:11
  team but didn't really have the Personnel, do it and there were
• 42:14
  these injuries Bawa. Now they're trying to
• 42:16
  reconfigure it. I think they've got the
• 42:19
  Personnel to be a type of a better rushing team this year.
• 42:26
  I think having Brian Davis coming in and helps you
• 42:28
  incorporate helps, you be more creative and more clever
• 42:31
  incorporating different. Different type of Russian style.
• 42:35
  I think into your tack, these look pretty good.
• 42:39
  I mean, obviously we won't know much until they actually take
• 42:43
  the field, but but I do think it's a big addition in and, you
• 42:47
  know, for anybody who was questioning whether or not, you
• 42:50
  know, What tech was trying to do?
• 42:53
  Well, they hire Brent Davis, and they're like, we're trying to
• 42:56
  figure out a Russian game and we're hiring him to come help
• 42:59
  us. Figure it out and clean
• 43:01
  everything up. And I think a lot of that has to
• 43:04
  do with what happens up front. But I think Crook and Brooks
• 43:08
  which I know you guys have, you know, as topics later.
• 43:12
  I think you know those three editions Davis helping out those
• 43:16
  two guys, I think if they all gel properly, it can get the
• 43:20
  Personnel to Properly will see some success in the running game
• 43:25
  yet. It's really hard to do a whole
• 43:26
  lot without a good running game like and we talked about it, you
• 43:30
  know, last year and I know we're switching schemes.
• 43:32
  But even in, you know, if we go have your RPO this year than we
• 43:36
  saw last year, you're still going to need to establish a
• 43:39
  good running game for that to have any sort of success because
• 43:41
  the threat of the rush has to be there for everything else to
• 43:45
  work. So getting that figured out is
• 43:49
  definitely Point number. One for us, having successful
• 43:52
  the offense this year, because we actually do have the skill
• 43:56
  players outside this year to make defenses pay, but it's only
• 44:02
  going to work. If we can Rush the ball at least
• 44:04
  effectively, if not very well. All right, very well, we got
• 44:11
  here, Douglas 45 minutes. A day that we message of what?
• 44:14
  Two months ago. We're going to talk Spring ball
• 44:16
  David, I'm sure David listen here.
• 44:21
  Now we're 45 minutes in and we're just getting the spring
• 44:23
  Ball but I don't think we trade the world for it because I think
• 44:26
  what happens with the ladies. Having all these recruits come
• 44:29
  in. It's wonderful but let's set it
• 44:31
  up. We're going to start with one
• 44:33
  subject before we go to break and it's the quarterback room.
• 44:37
  You have a question that you want to ask mr.
• 44:39
  Cunningham. Yes.
• 44:41
  I mean, we got these, we got this big transfer portal ad with
• 44:47
  Karen Jones coming in kind of a two-horse race in the, in the
• 44:52
  offseason with, with Grant Wells.
• 44:55
  There. What have you seen, what have
• 44:57
  you heard thus far as to the competition?
• 44:59
  And will this be something that we think kind of carries into
• 45:03
  the fall? Yes, it is going.
• 45:07
  Going to carry into the fall. I mean this is going to be like
• 45:09
  a like I know quarterback decisions are usually made,
• 45:12
  probably later, unless you got an incumbent, this is going to
• 45:16
  be one that drags on. And it's not because either guys
• 45:21
  are not talented but it's because text still trying to
• 45:25
  figure out how the offense gels together Tech, you'll still
• 45:28
  trying to put pieces together, right?
• 45:32
  Grant Wells has experienced Tyron.
• 45:34
  Drones does not. That does not mean Chiron.
• 45:36
  Drones is Talented. But right now, he's still trying
• 45:40
  to think figure things out. He has not had any time in this
• 45:43
  offense before. This Grant Wells had all last
• 45:48
  year to learn the offense, and he played in that, right?
• 45:52
  You know, whether or not he played well, good or bad, he
• 45:57
  played in the offense, that's more experienced than drones
• 46:00
  has. This is a, I mean, I think it's
• 46:03
  pretty even right now. I would say Wells probably has a
• 46:06
  little bit of a Tej simply because he's got more experience
• 46:09
  and because he's been in that situation before and because he
• 46:11
  knows what exactly the coaches are expecting of him.
• 46:15
  But I don't think that counts, drones out at all and I think,
• 46:18
  two drones, I think it'd be unfair to say drones is, is pro
• 46:25
  is like even with Wells simply because he does not have that
• 46:29
  experience, right? This is his first semester on
• 46:31
  campus. As a college student, he's got
• 46:33
  so many other things he's dealing with.
• 46:37
  He's learning the offense, he's learning his teammates.
• 46:40
  I mean again remember like I know a lot of the receivers are
• 46:44
  kind of new faces but he's never throwing passes that happen.
• 46:48
  You know any of these guys. Well just turn passes to a
• 46:51
  handful, I think I think the competition will oh, really heat
• 46:56
  up over the summer. And once we get into July and
• 46:59
  August and I think it's going to be legit, I think it's going to
• 47:02
  be a two-horse race and, you know, I think it's way too early
• 47:06
  to tell but But I think I think they both have their skill sets
• 47:09
  and I think a lot of Brent Davis coming and the new offensive
• 47:14
  line I think all the pieces around them are improving right.
• 47:18
  People can look at Wells last year and say well it was not a
• 47:20
  good quarterback. Well, Virginia Tech was not a
• 47:23
  good offense knows, no wine Keshawn King Malachi Thomas was
• 47:30
  okay when he was healthy, but he was barely healthy, right?
• 47:33
  The tight end room was okay, but the only way, Wide receiver who
• 47:37
  could get separations. Caleb Smith.
• 47:40
  That's not a lot to work with, right.
• 47:42
  I think if the other pieces continue to improve Grant Wells
• 47:47
  or tiring drones, whoever is the starting quarterback is going to
• 47:50
  be in a better position, right? And I think this is a good
• 47:54
  opportunity for Tyler. Bowing to experiment a little
• 47:57
  bit and figure out what works and what doesn't so it's going
• 48:00
  to be something that progresses on through August and go.
• 48:10
  Now, don't worry. Is uncle's or something on
• 48:36
  Twitter? I don't know.
• 48:37
  He was on my head. You paid, and you got an agenda
• 48:40
  against him. And I'm like, I just said he
• 48:43
  wasn't good last year, that's it.
• 48:45
  I understand that the offense was not objectively, I don't
• 48:49
  think he was very good. This is kind of going to lead
• 49:10
  into the next Point as well. When you do have what we had,
• 49:15
  which was a shit show last year, a quarterback that can make
• 49:21
  plays with his legs, as well as his arm.
• 49:23
  They keep talking about triple threat.
• 49:26
  I've never seen a quarterback, make a play with his head for
• 49:28
  real to see this handles on. I mean his legs or Farm but I
• 49:31
  get what they're saying. I feel like if we had somebody
• 49:35
  in place that could do that, and I'm not saying it's drones.
• 49:38
  I'm just saying, I feel like if we had somebody that could do
• 49:40
  that, It just we would have lost a couple of games, not because
• 49:46
  the team was so good at a team of so bad.
• 49:48
  I just think we just didn't make one or two plays that we could
• 49:51
  have made at that position to propel us to a win.
• 49:56
  And again, takes us to our next point because I'm a big drawings
• 50:00
  guy. Just watching them watching what
• 50:02
  he is and how he plays, you've seen them a little bit more than
• 50:05
  we have. What?
• 50:06
  Have you seen anything from him and practice just kind of made
• 50:10
  you go like, damn, we didn't have that last year.
• 50:14
  Well, I think, is that flight us'?
• 50:15
  And I think that's important right now.
• 50:17
  That Wells is not athletic, but I think welds, I think I didn't
• 50:20
  drones as a guy who's built more for that.
• 50:23
  The exact reason why you hired Brent Davis, is an offensive
• 50:26
  consultant, because you want to run the football and use the
• 50:29
  quarterback. I think, I think that could be
• 50:33
  if it does end up being drones, I think that's something he
• 50:35
  could provide, right, you can provide a little bit more that
• 50:38
  quarterback running game. I think his athletic Is, um, is
• 50:41
  is, is something that stands out to me.
• 50:43
  That doesn't necessarily, you know, I think some of the, some
• 50:46
  of the younger guys vote. Taj Bolick, an indictment feral
• 50:50
  or also athletic pop Watson. I don't really see much of him.
• 50:55
  I think some of those younger guys are also athletic but they
• 50:58
  don't necessarily have the, the composure in the Poise that
• 51:02
  drones does right or that Wells does.
• 51:06
  So I think his athleticism, if anything is going to make him
• 51:10
  stand, Doubt. But I also think we'll see more.
• 51:13
  We'll see more of that, as he gets more integrated to the
• 51:17
  offense and as it becomes less of, hey, let's learn the
• 51:21
  techniques and fundamentals of how we want to do things and
• 51:23
  more of hey, lets, you know, once we get to the fall right,
• 51:28
  it's going to be okay. Who's the better quarterback?
• 51:30
  Now, it's more of. Do you understand what we are
• 51:34
  trying to systematically install?
• 51:36
  Do you understand what we are trying to run?
• 51:38
  But I think his athleticism could potentially provide.
• 51:41
  A different Dynamic for Virginia Tech this here?
• 51:44
  Yeah, I mean, just looking at him.
• 51:45
  I mean athleticism combined with a little more physicality than
• 51:50
  Wells would bring to the table, right?
• 51:52
  Because he's not just athletic, but he's athletic and strong and
• 51:56
  I think those two combined. Well, to if you want to use your
• 52:01
  quarterback as a rushing option and Implement again more RPO
• 52:07
  were you can have that quarterback as a legit rushing
• 52:10
  threat on. On every play and that's going
• 52:13
  to put that defense in lot more conflict.
• 52:15
  It's going to put them in the bonds.
• 52:17
  You just going to put them having to make decisions every
• 52:19
  single time. He sticks it in Teutons or
• 52:22
  Thomas's gut. If you crash and he pulls,
• 52:26
  you're giving up a big-ass play. We saw, we saw that in some of
• 52:29
  the tape, with West Virginia, some of this High School film,
• 52:31
  he's athletic. By the way.
• 52:33
  David Thomas, Train agrees with you.
• 52:34
  He probably doesn't know everybody's name yet.
• 52:36
  Yeah, yeah, that's really important with that.
• 52:39
  Yeah. I mean that's a big thing,
• 52:40
  right? You got it.
• 52:41
  And it's not just not just him. It's all the young guys.
• 52:44
  Like I know we're going to get down and talk to wide receivers
• 52:46
  later. I guess not the young guys in
• 52:47
  sewing, but the new guys, right? We're going to get down and talk
• 52:49
  to wide receivers later like like Ali Jennings and Daquan
• 52:54
  Felton and Jalen Lane to die soon.
• 52:59
  As I assume they know the quarterback Same by now, but
• 53:01
  like getting into getting into a rhythm probably takes a little
• 53:06
  bit of time and learning what they want to do.
• 53:09
  So I'm curious. Yes.
• 53:11
  I mean everybody's gonna have their eyes on.
• 53:12
  Drones come, come the fall. I'm really curious to see what
• 53:16
  the biggest changes are in his development over the summer,
• 53:19
  right. His in terms of his work ethic
• 53:22
  and how he gets into the gym and and stays working on his craft
• 53:27
  because he's, I think he's got a real legit chance if he
• 53:29
  continues to work at it. Well, just kind of has a little
• 53:32
  bit of experience on I got. Yeah, it's true.
• 53:35
  So we'll, we'll see that as time progresses.
• 53:37
  We'll see it as is Brian. Toal said a few weeks ago, The
• 53:41
  real competition starts at the spring game.
• 53:43
  It's not right now. Now let me ask this because you
• 53:46
  mentioned a little bit earlier, all the young guys in there are
• 53:49
  boatload, I'm here because I'm staring at for as I look at the
• 53:51
  roster, do you feel like before the end of spring?
• 53:55
  Or after spring, we're going to see position changes or
• 53:58
  potentially portal from any of those guys.
• 54:02
  It's kind of Tristan's. Got to come from somewhere,
• 54:05
  Virginia Tech's at 90 scholarships right now.
• 54:07
  You got to be down 85. Address is going to come from
• 54:10
  somewhere and you don't need six quarterbacks on the roster.
• 54:15
  That's just plain and simple. I mean II hate to like Point
• 54:21
  mate, you know, like name names but but I think I think a lot of
• 54:28
  it, you know, I wouldn't expect Grant Wells or Chiron drones and
• 54:31
  transfer out and I wouldn't expect pop Watson or Dylan wit
• 54:37
  key to the two other newcomers to transfer out.
• 54:40
  I think it comes down to the two guys in the middle and that's
• 54:42
  Devon Farrell anti-bullying. And I think at this point, a lot
• 54:45
  of it is, can you play a different position, right?
• 54:49
  What is your position, versatility?
• 54:51
  And some of those guys might have position versus to it.
• 54:54
  The other thing is, those guys want to play too, it's not like
• 54:58
  quarterbacks one position. I think one of a few positions
• 55:01
  where it's like, if you're not playing, you don't get
• 55:04
  experience, right? If you're not a starter, I
• 55:07
  should say. You know, if you are, if you're
• 55:12
  the third string or fourth-string quarterback,
• 55:15
  you're still going to get a lot of reps, right?
• 55:17
  If you're the third string quarterback, you're not touching
• 55:19
  a field. So so I think it comes down to
• 55:22
  kind of what those guys want to do.
• 55:23
  What they mentally. How are they do?
• 55:26
  They do they enjoy being at Virginia Tech?
• 55:28
  Do I want to go somewhere where the grass might be greener,
• 55:31
  where they can probably play a little more?
• 55:35
  I think that comes down to a but I think I would expect to see a
• 55:38
  little bit of attrition office and that room but I mean a lot
• 55:40
  of the rooms where you've got your way over the limit or
• 55:45
  probably where you would like to be simply because you're trying
• 55:48
  to rebuild this roster, it's all understandable right now, good
• 55:53
  deal man. And yeah it's got to be
• 55:54
  attrition somewhere. I know we'll talk about
• 55:56
  attrition in another room and a little bit of time here but we
• 56:01
  are 57 minutes in. We need to pay some bills before
• 56:04
  we go to even more spring practice takes from David.
• 56:09
  Pam from Tech sideline. We are going to take a quick
• 56:12
  pause for a message from our digital partners because we take
• 56:15
  a quick break. We'd like to tell you about
• 56:17
  getting your free website report from our digital partner,
• 56:20
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• 56:30
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• 56:34
  Dash report. Now back to the episode All
• 56:38
  right, we got an interesting question in the chat here from
• 56:41
  Jerry, and I will just throw it in before we get into the
• 56:44
  offensive line, because this is an offensive line podcast and it
• 56:48
  says, speaking of coaching or PT fans, okay?
• 56:50
  With the toxic coach, or a wholesome, coach referring back
• 56:54
  to my Twitter question today. I didn't see the Twitter
• 56:57
  question, so I can't comment too much.
• 57:02
  David's laughing, Brian smirking tallies looking down, trying to
• 57:05
  find a tweet. I'm trying to find a tweet.
• 57:08
  I want to tell you what, I'm you clearly know about it.
• 57:11
  I think if you're winning doesn't matter.
• 57:16
  No fuck no, not really. If you're getting to where it
• 57:21
  needs to be no matter. The does that matter, winning
• 57:26
  cures, everything winning, cures everything, the old staff, David
• 57:29
  you're getting so much more access to practice now but at
• 57:32
  Virginia Tech had gone ten, eleven nine ten eleven during
• 57:36
  that tenure. You wouldn't care.
• 57:40
  Hey, you're an Alum beer writer because of hell of a lot more
• 57:42
  fun to write about a team, that's winning the team that's
• 57:45
  losing. We're fans.
• 57:48
  Oh, he doesn't open practice, I don't care.
• 57:50
  We won 11 games last year. You're actually give a shit
• 57:53
  about that. Winning cures, all sins band if
• 57:58
  you're winning it, nobody cares, but, you know, it's always good
• 58:03
  to be, you know, a little bit. People want coach has to be
• 58:06
  specially, Virginia Tech fans. They won't coach has to be
• 58:08
  frank. Beamer, you are never going to
• 58:10
  get a Frank Beamer. Again, you're never going to get
• 58:13
  somebody like that. You know.
• 58:15
  Again I love the white, I love those guys when they come on and
• 58:18
  talk about that culture and stuff.
• 58:19
  But nobody is going to empower in embody, what Frank was in
• 58:24
  that area? Again, even if you're doing the
• 58:27
  best you can and you're doing a good job, he's just different.
• 58:30
  That's why he would. That's why he's a Legend.
• 58:32
  So wholesome just you know touching on that.
• 58:37
  Do you know it's great to have a wholesome coach like that but
• 58:40
  Frank got it done on the field as well so you just can't you,
• 58:46
  you got to win, you know, ladies and gentlemen, that's your
• 58:52
  answer. We love you so much.
• 59:07
  Puppies either this time. No sir.
• 59:13
  Nothing with him. He's a licensed pharmacist and
• 59:16
  all of it. No thanks.
• 59:39
  Yeah I think he's he's fitting right in now.
• 59:42
  He's a guy that's got West Virginia Roots, you know D3
• 59:47
  Roots kind of same Roots it from prai has those East Stroudsburg,
• 59:51
  PA Roots, sort of that same conference that same division.
• 59:56
  Again those those what some of those West Virginia schools, a
• 59:59
  tiny schools and he's fitting right?
• 1:00:01
  In again, we talk about people who are still trying to learn,
• 1:00:06
  learn other people's names. My I guess is he's still trying
• 1:00:08
  to learn as Personnel because he's on, he's barely been on the
• 1:00:11
  job, but I do think he's somebody that the past, in the
• 1:00:15
  past, she's done more with less, and from everything I've noticed
• 1:00:19
  so far. He's done a really good job in
• 1:00:20
  terms of fitting in. I thought it was evident when
• 1:00:24
  Tyler Baldwin believe most to hold mention that, you know, he
• 1:00:31
  and Elijah Brooks had come in immediately, and they'd barely,
• 1:00:36
  they'd barely been in the same coaching Circles at some of
• 1:00:39
  those guys before and everybody just came in and got to work on
• 1:00:43
  their first day. And they basically spend entire
• 1:00:45
  day together in the office and everybody was yelling together
• 1:00:47
  and it was fine. It was like they had known each
• 1:00:49
  other for for a while. So it sounds like Crook and
• 1:00:53
  Brooks. Are both fitting in really
• 1:00:54
  nicely. I love hearing that.
• 1:00:58
  And, you know, we had talked about crook last time we were on
• 1:01:02
  here talked about how we like the fit, how we liked that.
• 1:01:06
  He seems like a guy that Easy. He is the embodiment of what an
• 1:01:11
  offensive line coach when you think of an offensive line
• 1:01:14
  coach. So the fact that he's got in
• 1:01:16
  there, hit the ground running, I like that.
• 1:01:18
  Let's let's pivot to more of a depth chart here it for what
• 1:01:22
  it's worth at this point from the offensive line standpoint.
• 1:01:26
  I was very adamant that when you look at the center position that
• 1:01:33
  was the one I was most worried about.
• 1:01:35
  I know we had some some depth concerns that tackle, but when I
• 1:01:40
  was looking at Center I was like, all right.
• 1:01:41
  That's going to be problematic heading into the season
• 1:01:43
  obviously came or sliding over has helped alleviate some of
• 1:01:47
  that. But who were the guys that are
• 1:01:49
  getting the majority of reps there at Center?
• 1:01:51
  And give me at least, you know, at least two maybe three, yeah,
• 1:01:56
  Katie Maurice, the guy at Center, Jack hollifield is the
• 1:01:59
  era behind him, I think. It to put a plain and simple.
• 1:02:04
  I think more taking that position.
• 1:02:05
  Pretty well. That was some Joe Rudolph.
• 1:02:07
  I'd suggest to him before he left from everything.
• 1:02:12
  I can tell, you know, Brent pry. And the end and I don't we, you
• 1:02:15
  know, I wasn't there when Ron crook spoke to the media but
• 1:02:19
  sounds like everybody finds that to be a natural fit for Kayden.
• 1:02:22
  So so him and hollifield or the two guys there right now.
• 1:02:29
  Well, that makes me feel good because we know Jack was brought
• 1:02:31
  in to be the center and, you know, we had a conversation with
• 1:02:35
  Kate and a few months ago and he and he, we didn't know, I didn't
• 1:02:39
  know. Callie didn't know Brandon, no.
• 1:02:41
  But when he told us like that, oh yeah, been snapping.
• 1:02:43
  Learn how to play center like what?
• 1:02:46
  Like, you've been like a really good Right Guard since Jump
• 1:02:50
  Street and I know Brian. You've been mentioned it to
• 1:02:53
  like, you know what, he is a really good Right Guard and if
• 1:02:56
  he can get the snap down and get the calls out.
• 1:02:58
  Out, you're talking about taking you're talking about taking a
• 1:03:02
  guy who could play it, an all-conference level guard, and
• 1:03:05
  put him there to run your offense and somebody you trust
• 1:03:08
  and note. It also gives more of the guy
• 1:03:12
  you actually have more depth on that in that guard slot.
• 1:03:15
  So it gives you a little bit more flexibility of how you're
• 1:03:18
  going to mix and match the rest of the line to get that best
• 1:03:21
  five out there. When I say best, I've done
• 1:03:23
  necessarily best five players but the five players that play
• 1:03:27
  the best together. It gives you a lot more
• 1:03:29
  flexibility there and let's talk about that.
• 1:03:32
  A little where some of the other Titus position battles taking
• 1:03:35
  place across the line, is it kind of that the Tackle Spot is
• 1:03:40
  that, that that Right Guard spot?
• 1:03:43
  What are we looking at so far as terms of tight battles for the
• 1:03:46
  the starters? Yeah, I think Bob Shake Jesse
• 1:03:50
  handsome their right to artist. Probably the the one big
• 1:03:54
  interesting thing to me. I think it I think the other
• 1:03:58
  thing is it a little bit too. Too early to tell, right?
• 1:03:59
  It'd be one thing. If, if it was an offensive line
• 1:04:03
  coach that I've been here for a while, Ron Cook still trying to
• 1:04:06
  figure out who all work together again.
• 1:04:08
  He's probably still trying to figure out guys names, right?
• 1:04:11
  Remember the guys names, I think I think Hanson and Schick at,
• 1:04:17
  Right? Guard is what I would keep an
• 1:04:19
  eye on in to see how that plays out.
• 1:04:21
  But I also think it's interesting league is the first
• 1:04:25
  semester for a lot of a lot of these, some of these young early
• 1:04:28
  enrollees. You know, we've been seeing a
• 1:04:30
  lot of Lathe, Hannah guys like that.
• 1:04:33
  Once they start to get more reps under their belt.
• 1:04:35
  How do they kind of fit in? I, I think we'll know more.
• 1:04:42
  We're going to see a little more maybe in the spring game and
• 1:04:45
  then, you know, once fall Camp rolls around, we'll get to see a
• 1:04:48
  whole lot more, as far as that is concerned, but but right now,
• 1:04:51
  it's Stuff. There is not a lot of, they're
• 1:04:55
  rotating a lot of the different guys, right?
• 1:04:57
  It's not necessarily the same. Same line of all the time.
• 1:05:00
  They're moving guys around and trying different things.
• 1:05:04
  So, it's kind of tough to answer, but I do think that, you
• 1:05:07
  know, couple weeks ago, Hanson was kind of the guy, Right
• 1:05:10
  Guard? Not shift playing a little more
• 1:05:11
  there with the starters and curious, to see how that plays
• 1:05:14
  out. Yeah, I guess, kind of rolling
• 1:05:17
  into the next point that we have.
• 1:05:20
  When you talk about the, a lot of a rotating, That they're
• 1:05:22
  doing and you're seeing we know that that group is young as far
• 1:05:27
  as the offensive line goes, but are we seeing, or are you seeing
• 1:05:32
  some more reliability in the numbers?
• 1:05:34
  Maybe, you know, hey, if we if this guy goes down the guy
• 1:05:37
  behind him, is ready to go, a little bit more than we've seen
• 1:05:40
  last year. Yeah, I think so.
• 1:05:43
  I think a guy like Brody Meadows for example, that's just one
• 1:05:47
  example. I think he's got a little bit.
• 1:05:48
  He's got more experience under his belt.
• 1:05:51
  I think the depth is there a little bit more.
• 1:05:54
  I'm curious to see what happens in once the guys have a fun
• 1:05:59
  summer and to kind of figure out what crook wants to do.
• 1:06:04
  As, you know, maybe he wants to do something different
• 1:06:06
  completely different than what jogger, dope, right curious to
• 1:06:09
  see how that kind of But I do think I do feel a bit more
• 1:06:14
  comfortable with the offensive line that I think there's more
• 1:06:17
  Talent there to be honest. I think the kind of bolster that
• 1:06:21
  a little bit. There's a lot of young Raw
• 1:06:24
  Talent, that's the thing and how quickly those guys can develop,
• 1:06:28
  I'm not sure. But I do think, I feel a little
• 1:06:29
  bit better about the time. I think something else to notice
• 1:06:33
  for some of these guys, this is their third offensive line coach
• 1:06:36
  in three years, so that's a whole lot of change.
• 1:06:43
  Cheers to see it. How if at all that affects
• 1:06:45
  anybody. But, but yes, the answer your
• 1:06:48
  question. I feel better about about it.
• 1:06:50
  I'm curious to see if those young guys can continue to
• 1:06:53
  develop over the next couple months.
• 1:06:54
  So where we get to the fall where where when we talked to
• 1:06:57
  Ron Kirk again Ron crook sitting there going yeah I like how this
• 1:07:00
  guy's improved and come along. I got he got I thought he got a
• 1:07:04
  better grasp of stuff as the spring ended stuff like that.
• 1:07:07
  I think right now. Crook is kind of just messing
• 1:07:11
  around and trying to figure out, you know, who's comfortable
• 1:07:14
  where? Yeah, he said that and when he
• 1:07:17
  was interviewed after practice one day, and I know you were
• 1:07:20
  out, but you guys have had any better luck.
• 1:07:23
  First of all, love that you guys have added Andy loved it, but he
• 1:07:27
  talked about, he's like it's fondant who gels.
• 1:07:30
  It wasn't just saying I'm trying to find the best five offensive
• 1:07:33
  lineman for Brian. Who played it in tally who
• 1:07:37
  played right on the outside. He That magic work.
• 1:07:40
  I'm not I'm looking for the five that gel who and I put together
• 1:07:44
  it just it flows the push you know the punch to the right.
• 1:07:49
  He's right on the next level when you hear it wrong crook say
• 1:07:51
  that it was like, okay he's going to be mixing it up but you
• 1:07:55
  know most 01 coaches will do that.
• 1:07:58
  Now you mentioned the youth. We got to thank you mentioned
• 1:08:01
  Brody Meadows. Brody Meadows is only been here.
• 1:08:02
  One year. You know you've got like Lance
• 1:08:05
  Williams and chaplain in hundred McLean so many guys.
• 1:08:09
  Guys, coming in their babies basically and Meadows was
• 1:08:15
  working a lot at guard last year and now he's working mostly
• 1:08:17
  tackle. It seems.
• 1:08:18
  So that's a that's a little switch that I think you know,
• 1:08:21
  could be an answer to some of our tackle depth concerns that
• 1:08:26
  we were feeling like coming into this spring practice so far.
• 1:08:31
  And you want to know what? I'll say this aloud.
• 1:08:32
  David you can agree or disagree with me.
• 1:08:35
  I don't think we're going to be worried about guys portly.
• 1:08:37
  Now, the offensive line room. Oh man.
• 1:08:51
  I mean, you also got it. Well, I wouldn't.
• 1:08:53
  I would say now. No.
• 1:08:54
  I mean, I think, I think this is kind of a breath of fresh air
• 1:08:57
  with the new offensive line, coach right now.
• 1:09:00
  Nobody's going to be portaling out, but, but there are, you
• 1:09:06
  know, come depending on what happens after next season.
• 1:09:10
  I mean, I think they're like, like, I guess you met you meant
• 1:09:14
  like right now. Right now I would not expect
• 1:09:16
  anything simply because it, yeah.
• 1:09:20
  Yeah. Well and again so I you know,
• 1:09:24
  Force for a lot of the guys would be Year to in the program,
• 1:09:27
  right there, s different offensive line coach and if some
• 1:09:32
  of them still are not playing they're going to want to go
• 1:09:35
  somewhere and play naturally right now.
• 1:09:39
  No, I think I think this is a good opportunity for crook the
• 1:09:42
  kind of refigure things and and figure out.
• 1:09:45
  Okay maybe maybe Joe Rudolph had this guy playing at this
• 1:09:48
  position but he's more comfortable here.
• 1:09:50
  R-right, Brian and tally. You guys, you guys have played
• 1:09:54
  the position, you know how interchangeable some of that
• 1:09:56
  stuff could be at time. So I'm curious to see how kind
• 1:09:59
  of Court kind of figures things out and messes with in tries to
• 1:10:03
  come up with the best possible combination.
• 1:10:06
  Yeah, I mean there were times like we're we would have
• 1:10:08
  different offensive, Iver tations depending on the type of
• 1:10:11
  opponent we were playing. So I mean it's definitely a
• 1:10:13
  fluid situation especially this point of the offseason were
• 1:10:18
  crooked still trying to figure out.
• 1:10:20
  He has and guys are other than, you know, a couple and trench
• 1:10:26
  starters are still fairly green heading into this year even
• 1:10:31
  though some of them have experienced.
• 1:10:32
  So you know, outside of, you know, more in Clements, there's
• 1:10:36
  not a ton of full season experience that are that are
• 1:10:40
  coming in here. So it's going to be interesting
• 1:10:42
  to see. you know how how the line gels and, you know, if
• 1:10:47
  there's any more shuffling both at the veteran position and some
• 1:10:52
  of the young guys that are kind of fitting into, where we can
• 1:10:54
  have that, you know, 88 man rotation that you can kind of
• 1:10:58
  feel comfortable with Definitely, definitely.
• 1:11:01
  We've talked about a little bit about the office of line and
• 1:11:05
  fluid situations, which come to takes us to, you know, some
• 1:11:08
  other fluid situations which is the running back room.
• 1:11:12
  I mean, we've had a lot of running backs come through here
• 1:11:15
  and had a lot of running backs in that room.
• 1:11:17
  One of my guys Alabama boy Kenji, transfer it out.
• 1:11:21
  He's no longer with the team or an angle, say transferred out
• 1:11:24
  he's no longer with the team, don't know where he's going or
• 1:11:27
  if he's transferred yet. But he's no longer with the team
• 1:11:32
  you've been watching them a little bit, has there been any
• 1:11:35
  of those younger guys that has kind of impressed you from
• 1:11:39
  watching spring practice so far? Well, I tell you what I mean, I
• 1:11:44
  think Bryce to can chance black or both.
• 1:11:46
  I think they're both coming along strong.
• 1:11:48
  I think that whole room is is coming along better.
• 1:11:52
  I'm curious to see what happens when we get into a game
• 1:11:54
  situation. But, but from what I can tell in
• 1:11:56
  practice that whole rooms coming along, I think the overall
• 1:11:59
  competition, Petition in that room is better.
• 1:12:01
  And and guess what prime mentioned Jeremiah Coney by
• 1:12:05
  name. Obviously, he's an early
• 1:12:07
  enrollee kid I wouldn't, I don't know, I wouldn't expect him to
• 1:12:10
  contribute right now, but I do think I overall talent in that
• 1:12:15
  room is better and I think a lot of the young guys, I think I
• 1:12:19
  think Tony has some. I think Tony has some promise, I
• 1:12:25
  think I think Duke and chance black kind of be solid options.
• 1:12:29
  I think. It also runs through toot and
• 1:12:31
  Thomas I think that's probably the logical guess but I do think
• 1:12:37
  there's a there's a bit more depth there in the younger part
• 1:12:40
  of that room. And I think there are a lot of
• 1:12:43
  guys that kind of Might take advantage of that opportunity.
• 1:12:47
  Should it come their way? Definitely definitely.
• 1:12:50
  I like you said, kind of tooting Thomas is what most people's
• 1:12:54
  thinking, and kind of knowing, and looking at Thomas, has a
• 1:12:57
  much different when he's in the game, where much different team,
• 1:13:02
  you know, no matter how bad or good, we were how bad a good to
• 1:13:05
  line was. He's just, he runs different.
• 1:13:07
  It's not very big, but when he's in the game, he runs he wants
• 1:13:10
  different. But if you're in that room, you
• 1:13:13
  got to understand. I mean, he has been Injured a
• 1:13:16
  lot. He had been on the field a lot
• 1:13:18
  so a lot of those young guys have to be taken, you know those
• 1:13:22
  reps thinking I could be next man.
• 1:13:23
  Up at any time, you know, they're going, maybe wanting to
• 1:13:26
  but it's the game of football, somebody can twist her ankle and
• 1:13:30
  I need to go in and get a couple of reps.
• 1:13:31
  All it takes is one play to solidify yourself as getting
• 1:13:35
  some playing time. So I'm hoping it, you know where
• 1:13:38
  we are. We are 3 and 18 last year.
• 1:13:41
  These guys are looking at it saying, hey I got a I got a Hard
• 1:13:46
  every rep to earn my playing time because it's there.
• 1:13:50
  Then I feel like we got a pretty decent for main group.
• 1:13:54
  Now with tuned coming in and obviously Bryce Duke had some
• 1:13:57
  burn last year, we saw chance black, get some burn last year.
• 1:14:00
  So we got white guys that you know have shown some flashes
• 1:14:04
  here. They're obviously behind tuning
• 1:14:07
  and Thomas but again, Thomas staying healthy is going to be
• 1:14:10
  important. Just from a deaf perspective
• 1:14:13
  because I think you know you do you got tools That black and
• 1:14:17
  embrace dude bring to the table that are a little bit more
• 1:14:19
  change of pace compared to what? What those two can do.
• 1:14:22
  But yes, speaking of Thomas, I mean he's a guy that always, you
• 1:14:26
  give him the ball, he's going to get you a little something.
• 1:14:28
  It's not it's not that, you know, hit the line fall down
• 1:14:33
  gained a half yard and try again and he's gonna get you a little
• 1:14:36
  bit extra yardage there. So you always appreciate that.
• 1:14:39
  But let's talk about the new coach, Elijah Brooks.
• 1:14:42
  He's got a track record of getting good production from his
• 1:14:44
  position group. And we already talked a little
• 1:14:47
  bit about this which backs are poised to see the biggest
• 1:14:50
  benefit from having Brooks in the room.
• 1:14:55
  It's tough because I think all of them, to be honest, but I
• 1:14:58
  think a lot of the young guys, I mean, I think if you can give
• 1:15:02
  them a better base early where they can get off to the right
• 1:15:05
  foot and I wouldn't expect them to maybe contribute right away,
• 1:15:09
  but I do think if you can start to build that Foundation from
• 1:15:13
  the minute, they step on campus to the point where, you know,
• 1:15:17
  tune and Tom is eventually going to be going.
• 1:15:20
  And it's gonna be up to this kind of core young guys in this
• 1:15:23
  room. Umm, I think they're they've all
• 1:15:25
  got some Talent. I'm curious to see if they can
• 1:15:28
  kind of take those notes and even challenge the guys adopted
• 1:15:31
  and Thomas for those spots. Nice.
• 1:15:36
  Yeah. And that's what you want.
• 1:15:38
  You always want the competition. But, you know, for so long, we
• 1:15:41
  had way too many running backs and now we're getting at that
• 1:15:43
  perfect level of having the right amount, having some
• 1:15:47
  experience, having some youth obviously, potentially more gas,
• 1:15:50
  to come in this recruiting cycle.
• 1:15:52
  And like you said, David Looking at Brooks track record and then
• 1:15:56
  setting a foundation of a few come play.
• 1:15:58
  For me, you will get production. And if you're selling that and
• 1:16:02
  Tune In The Hope is this year, tooting Thomas.
• 1:16:04
  You know, we can only hope go Suggs and Jones.
• 1:16:07
  I mean that would be perfect but, you know, just a good
• 1:16:11
  combination. I want to go to the wideout room
• 1:16:14
  next though, because you said it earlier, and you knew we were
• 1:16:17
  going to get to it. That room was overhauled.
• 1:16:19
  I mean, completely overhauled tons of recruit coming in to
• 1:16:23
  already. On campus.
• 1:16:26
  Which five wide receivers. And I did not do the three where
• 1:16:30
  it would be difficult for you. I did five.
• 1:16:33
  Who are you seeing getting the most run first and then with
• 1:16:36
  those guys? Who are you noticing line up at
• 1:16:39
  The X? The y in the slot?
• 1:16:42
  Well, it's not because wide receivers kind of the one
• 1:16:44
  position that we haven't really gotten a good look at and I hate
• 1:16:47
  to say it. But but that's one of those
• 1:16:50
  things where fonts on mines. I mentioned earlier, Ali
• 1:16:52
  Jennings and Jalen Lane into kornfeld and are still trying to
• 1:16:55
  figure out. Wraps and frontal Minds.
• 1:16:57
  Does this thing where the new guy started the bottom have to
• 1:17:00
  work their way up? I tell you two guys that have
• 1:17:03
  stood out to me or Gosnell and Holloway Tucker hallway and see
• 1:17:05
  you in the snow. I've looked pretty good got snow
• 1:17:08
  especially he's trimmed a lot of weight.
• 1:17:11
  He looks quicker, he looks leaner.
• 1:17:16
  He overall looks better, I think hallways look really good but
• 1:17:21
  besides that, we haven't really gotten to see a lot of a lot of
• 1:17:24
  them that stuff a lot. It just comes against are a lot
• 1:17:27
  of, a lot of their, their reps. You can't really tell much
• 1:17:31
  against are everybody looks good against are?
• 1:17:33
  I'm sure sure all of us would so, I think it's, yeah, but I
• 1:17:44
  feel like some of the new guys I should say, I think Felton, and
• 1:17:53
  Lane, and Jennings wall. Once we see them, maybe in the
• 1:17:57
  spring game, will get a good glimpse of.
• 1:17:59
  Okay? These are the guys who are
• 1:18:01
  really showing out and are really coming along the way.
• 1:18:07
  I think, gosh, now in a hallway or have done, a really good job,
• 1:18:10
  in terms of setting themselves up for Success this year.
• 1:18:14
  And as far as as far as a young guys concerned, I've been
• 1:18:20
  impressed with aiding Green from the few glimpses of got to see
• 1:18:23
  of him. It seems like he's got these
• 1:18:25
  really Quick got some good hands.
• 1:18:28
  There are, I'm trying to remember, I don't remember how
• 1:18:30
  many freshman wide receivers are on campus.
• 1:18:33
  I don't think it can be many, but I do think that, that, that
• 1:18:39
  whole room is has been overhauled.
• 1:18:42
  And there are a lot more talented, guys.
• 1:18:44
  I mean, you just look at the three transfers Jennings Felton,
• 1:18:48
  and, and Lane those three transfers that's more depth than
• 1:18:51
  Virginia Tech really had all last year in the wide receiver.
• 1:18:54
  So I'm curious Ceci, we haven't really got a good chance to see
• 1:18:57
  how those guys fit in with everybody else yet but I think
• 1:19:00
  the spring game will be a really really good opportunity to see.
• 1:19:04
  Okay, here's how this this receiver can get separation
• 1:19:07
  against this guy or oh, hey, this is, this is kind of a
• 1:19:10
  lineup all hanging with main lines up in the slot.
• 1:19:12
  That makes a lot of sense stuff like that.
• 1:19:14
  Well, couple of things that you said that I thought were really,
• 1:19:17
  really interesting because of course, that's why your own BCP
• 1:19:21
  and you're our boy and you giving us some jewels that, I
• 1:19:24
  don't think nobody even knew. New, you said Minds, when he
• 1:19:28
  brings wide receivers in, he likes to let them fight from the
• 1:19:31
  bottom. Hey, why we may be doing that in
• 1:19:34
  the quarterback room? I don't know.
• 1:19:36
  Y'all been going crazy on Twitter, you might be coming in
• 1:19:40
  fighting from the bottom in the quarterback room.
• 1:19:41
  But anyway, that's not what I wanted to Pivot to you.
• 1:19:44
  Also said, 18 greens. Name, we had Mateo on here a
• 1:19:48
  couple of weeks ago and he mentioned that name as well.
• 1:19:52
  So I know you said I think you said you liked his He's got
• 1:19:56
  really good hands. I'll just ask what you see in
• 1:20:00
  him in person. Do you think that he has the
• 1:20:03
  body size to play right now if we needed him to play because I
• 1:20:07
  thought he was a little bit more slender before, I said some
• 1:20:11
  woman, look up his height and weight on the Virginia Tech
• 1:20:14
  depth chart so I so I know for sure what I'm talking about.
• 1:20:21
  Gosh whatnot, but talk about Aiden green, he is 26. 62 170.
• 1:20:29
  He's got the height. I think he's a little.
• 1:20:32
  I'm trying to picture him here. Really good catch the other day.
• 1:20:36
  Now, again, a lot of these caches are coming in Zaire, but
• 1:20:38
  I was impressed with just His body in the way it's set up like
• 1:20:43
  he's put himself in a good position.
• 1:20:46
  I think he's learning. I think if he, if he continues
• 1:20:50
  to get in the weight room over the summer, I think he probably
• 1:20:53
  has a pretty good chance to be in the rotation.
• 1:20:56
  That would be my perspective of it.
• 1:20:59
  Next time we get a chance to talk to fontelle mind.
• 1:21:01
  I think that's one of the guys, I'm curious asking about how
• 1:21:04
  he's coming along because it seems like he's taking some
• 1:21:07
  pretty big strides and, of course, he was a, I don't know.
• 1:21:11
  He was a big-time recruit but he's somebody that that Tech
• 1:21:15
  went to what I believe. Tennessee, right.
• 1:21:17
  Yeah. Knock.
• 1:21:18
  So he's an actual kid, you're going to go to Tennessee to get
• 1:21:20
  him, right? So committed to, he was
• 1:21:22
  committed to, I think Cincinnati.
• 1:21:25
  Yeah, before. So he's impressed me so far.
• 1:21:28
  I think he probably put a little more weight on, but I think his
• 1:21:31
  hands his quickness. I think that's been, that's that
• 1:21:35
  stood out to me. As far as he's been, pretty good
• 1:21:37
  in those areas so far. All right, let me ask about one
• 1:21:40
  more before. For we move on too tight ends.
• 1:21:43
  I'm curious to see what you think is Avion Bradshaw at this
• 1:21:47
  point. In Spring practice.
• 1:21:51
  I think he's put on a little bit more weight, which I think is
• 1:21:53
  good considering he was very, very 150 155 last year, when
• 1:21:58
  they pour it on roster. Yeah, I think I think he's
• 1:22:01
  looked better. I think putting on weight
• 1:22:03
  certainly helped it's tough because Again a lot of the wide
• 1:22:11
  receivers or it's kind of all over the place I think they're
• 1:22:15
  still trying to figure out the rotation.
• 1:22:16
  I think we'll know more when we watch a spring game green just
• 1:22:20
  kind of stood out to me because he's one of those few young guys
• 1:22:23
  that are currently in. That room guys would know
• 1:22:25
  experience really at the college level.
• 1:22:27
  I saw some ketchup ass the other day and I looked up I looked up
• 1:22:30
  my roster and was like Hey That's angry.
• 1:22:31
  Okay, that was dumped Rica catch.
• 1:22:33
  I'm impressed, Turner Bradshaw, I think he's, I think he's been
• 1:22:38
  okay. I think I Continuing to grow.
• 1:22:41
  I think that's important, right? Coaches always say most
• 1:22:44
  important times between your freshman and sophomore years,
• 1:22:46
  that's where you make the biggest growth.
• 1:22:48
  So I'm curious to see if you can continue to get in the way when
• 1:22:50
  we get bigger. But I think he's taken some
• 1:22:52
  strides, you know, I got and I think the wide receiver room is,
• 1:22:58
  I think that, that group there might be an odd, me an hour or
• 1:23:03
  two in terms of, in terms of portaling, we'll see what
• 1:23:06
  happens when The depth chart is set if that's what you want to
• 1:23:11
  call it. Yeah.
• 1:23:13
  After the spring game, I think we might see a guy or to kind of
• 1:23:18
  leave that room because again, there are a whole lot of
• 1:23:21
  scholarship guys in that room but like guys, like Duan Lofton,
• 1:23:28
  a guy who's been around for a while, right?
• 1:23:30
  Christian Moss, two guys and that those are just two
• 1:23:34
  examples. I'm giving you guys are guys who
• 1:23:37
  have been around for a while. Are they?
• 1:23:41
  I don't want to say they haven't stood out but I think God's now
• 1:23:44
  and I'll waive both made but put on a good impression this year.
• 1:23:47
  I'm curious to see if Lofton and Moss if they can continue to
• 1:23:54
  develop or if they're going to get passed over by some of those
• 1:23:57
  younger guys, right. I don't know what fontelle Minds
• 1:24:02
  thinks about those guys right now.
• 1:24:03
  We haven't talked to him in a while but that's definitely the
• 1:24:06
  wide receiver room. Is definitely one of them.
• 1:24:08
  Things. I'm keeping an eye on.
• 1:24:10
  You come the spring game and and once we get into August just to
• 1:24:13
  see how it all shakes out because to be honest, that's one
• 1:24:15
  of the reasons why Tech struggled last year on
• 1:24:17
  offensively, right? It was Caleb Smith and everybody
• 1:24:20
  else and you need more guys to kind of step up and and so far I
• 1:24:24
  like what I've seen from gas now and Holloway, and I know he's
• 1:24:28
  young, but if they didn't bring continued Trend in the right
• 1:24:30
  direction, I think that's good. And then he got that core of
• 1:24:32
  those three transfers that I think can all come in and make a
• 1:24:34
  big impact. Yeah.
• 1:24:36
  And Caleb was definitely more of a straight line guy.
• 1:24:38
  I feel like we didn't have a whole lot of Separation
• 1:24:41
  laterally through that, there's like mid-range routes last year.
• 1:24:45
  Hopefully some of these guys can kind of step into that type of
• 1:24:47
  role. Let's pivot over two tight ends
• 1:24:50
  here based on your observation. So far.
• 1:24:54
  This is a standard question. This is a staying question by
• 1:24:57
  the way from Brian. How many different packages?
• 1:25:01
  Do we have that you've seen so far?
• 1:25:04
  We've got Gallo in right on the field of the same time in other.
• 1:25:08
  Any packages where we're taking? You think we would take right
• 1:25:13
  off the field. Fully I guess right?
• 1:25:17
  And Gallo off the field fully at any point.
• 1:25:22
  I'm trying to think I guess it's more of a spring game question.
• 1:25:25
  We haven't really gotten to see a lot of them run full stuff.
• 1:25:31
  We didn't get to see some blocking stuff.
• 1:25:33
  Okay, must have been two weeks ago when I was here last meeting
• 1:25:36
  with Brian Davis and a lot of it.
• 1:25:39
  There were a couple things with a couple things with gallo and
• 1:25:42
  right working together. There were a couple things with
• 1:25:45
  one tight end here. One tight end there.
• 1:25:47
  I do think it's important to note that right was a little
• 1:25:50
  bit. Nicked up, he's dealing with an
• 1:25:52
  injury over the, he's been dealing with the injury.
• 1:25:54
  He was doing some solo stuff when we watch practice on
• 1:25:57
  Tuesday, so he hasn't been been completely go but we all knew it
• 1:26:01
  wasn't full go Tuesday. I'll think.
• 1:26:03
  Yeah, we honestly don't have a whole lot of the stuff they're
• 1:26:08
  doing, but from what I can tell, the few things I could tell
• 1:26:12
  seems like they're trying to get both of them of all at the same
• 1:26:14
  time. I think it'll kind of be a mix
• 1:26:16
  and match thing I think Gallows probably better blocker, I think
• 1:26:20
  rights Ali. Better receiver.
• 1:26:22
  That's BB my opinion. That's what I'd have to guess.
• 1:26:27
  But I think if you can get both of them on the field the same
• 1:26:29
  time that could be a pretty big weapon.
• 1:26:31
  You guys can use and then speaking of that, you do you
• 1:26:34
  just brought up blocking? Like, besides we know Gallows a
• 1:26:39
  pretty good. Blocker besides Gallo.
• 1:26:41
  Do we have any other titian's? It's been standing out blocking
• 1:26:44
  that you've seen. So I think yeah, I was gonna
• 1:26:50
  say, got Stephen does know. But Benji guys know I've been
• 1:26:54
  impressed with with Benji God's. Now, you know, obviously had a
• 1:26:57
  big injury but I think both in terms of blocking and receiving
• 1:27:01
  he's come up and he's continued to improve which kind of says, a
• 1:27:05
  lot about, you know, mental toughness, another the the way
• 1:27:07
  that he's able to kind of you'll fight through those injuries, I
• 1:27:11
  think he's looked pretty good at blog, nothing rights gotten
• 1:27:14
  better from what I've noticed. East.
• 1:27:18
  Besides that. That's kind of been the top
• 1:27:19
  three guys, right? It's been Gallo, right?
• 1:27:21
  Kind of a 1A 1B and then I think Benji got snails kind of been
• 1:27:28
  that guy right behind them. And I think all three of those
• 1:27:33
  guys are probably guys, that that they feel comfortable with
• 1:27:36
  in terms of blocking. You know what?
• 1:27:39
  I think that's been a big part of it again, I think that's one
• 1:27:44
  of those things will know more with the spring game 1.
• 1:27:47
  See those guys in action in terms of them, getting off the
• 1:27:50
  edge and actually having to put somebody on there.
• 1:27:52
  But right once they have an opportunity to do that, it's a
• 1:27:56
  little bit different when you're when you're blocking the guy
• 1:27:57
  with a big giant pad and practice.
• 1:27:59
  So but I but I liked what I've seen so far.
• 1:28:03
  Yeah absolutely. And I'm going to my buddy right
• 1:28:05
  here talked about Vision, have in the town of town and then she
• 1:28:07
  was illegitimate for star. Yeah.
• 1:28:09
  Before his injuries and everything.
• 1:28:11
  So Benji was recruited by a lot of different schools and with
• 1:28:13
  his size like 65 240, you know, straight out of the gate.
• 1:28:17
  Wait, that doesn't shock me that you say that.
• 1:28:20
  He's that next guy and I think just from a perspective of us as
• 1:28:24
  fans, if you tell me after Gallo graduates this year, it's Benji
• 1:28:28
  Gosnell and Daquan writer 12 tight end room that can be sick.
• 1:28:32
  Sure, because of how damn leg those guys at how nasty they can
• 1:28:36
  be. Yeah.
• 1:28:39
  And I like that because I mean, I always like to see a good
• 1:28:43
  balance of tight end Talent. So you telling me Benji's Too
• 1:28:47
  long. He's going to kind of be your
• 1:28:49
  more balanced guy that can block guy that can be a threat in the
• 1:28:52
  receiving game, Daquan more, the heavy caring and the rescind,
• 1:28:57
  the receiving game by itself and then obviously Galligan kind of
• 1:29:00
  work, they're a little bit more in the end line situation.
• 1:29:03
  So if we can kind of mix and match those and make that work,
• 1:29:06
  I like that. But let's move over to the
• 1:29:08
  defensive line. Looking at the returning
• 1:29:11
  production and depth at defensive end, is it time to
• 1:29:15
  worry about this unit? In 2023, or have you seen guys
• 1:29:19
  kind of take that next step so far?
• 1:29:21
  This offseason I tell you what, that's one of the spots.
• 1:29:25
  I'm worried about the defensive end out mostly because a lot of
• 1:29:29
  it's healing experience guys that they never had to be the
• 1:29:31
  starter, right? I think, Cole Nelson.
• 1:29:35
  CJ McRae, Jordan McDonald. Whichever McDonald twin is.
• 1:29:42
  Jordan sounds right? Yes, Jordan.
• 1:29:46
  I think a lot of those guys have They've got good talent.
• 1:29:49
  I just think a lot of them never had to be that defensive end
• 1:29:51
  before that starter the one that has to the one who has to play
• 1:29:54
  snap efforts not ever snap. That's what I worry about.
• 1:30:00
  I think maybe a little bit I think there could be more depth
• 1:30:06
  there. I think that's one of the big
• 1:30:07
  problems that that you know JC price obviously brought in
• 1:30:11
  multiple guys at tackle in the last class didn't really bring
• 1:30:15
  in any guys in this year's class and thin layer.
• 1:30:20
  The Freshman Ishmael from from Canada.
• 1:30:23
  I believe he does arm in a sling.
• 1:30:25
  The other day of practice. He had he had an injury so
• 1:30:29
  That's a spot where I'm not worried.
• 1:30:32
  I'm a little bit questioning concern, maybe, I think you
• 1:30:37
  could use. I'm curious to see how that
• 1:30:39
  plays out. And if, if those guys had taken
• 1:30:43
  the next step, right? We know how good the taxes are,
• 1:30:47
  we know how experienced they are.
• 1:30:49
  Can call Nelson and CJ, McRae, and Jordan McDonald.
• 1:30:52
  And those guys on the edge, take the next step because if they
• 1:30:54
  can it's going to be a long, she's on the offensive line.
• 1:30:59
  But there's not a whole lot behind them necessarily and I
• 1:31:02
  think that's kind of a problem a little bit.
• 1:31:08
  I will say I mean Keyshawn Burgos I think is it guy who
• 1:31:14
  he's got more reps with the kind?
• 1:31:15
  I think with the twos and I think he could have a solid role
• 1:31:18
  but I did think it was interesting.
• 1:31:20
  The other day Jordan McDonald was taking the two snaps at the
• 1:31:26
  right end and then with the threes he moved over to left and
• 1:31:29
  which kind of tells you that they're really only four or five
• 1:31:35
  guys that they're comfortable with.
• 1:31:39
  Oh. Oh, so and again, but here's the
• 1:31:42
  thing, maybe I mean you know, maybe one of those guys call
• 1:31:45
  Nelson's he immigrated come out and have a fantastic.
• 1:31:47
  You're right. We don't know.
• 1:31:50
  But I think they lack that one. True veteran.
• 1:31:53
  Who's been there before and done it?
• 1:31:56
  I should add that filled area Spain and he's kind of going to
• 1:31:59
  be a hybrid guy a little bit. He's still dealing with an
• 1:32:01
  injury to and then they get, they get James, your net in,
• 1:32:04
  which I think is important, which I think adds a little bit
• 1:32:07
  more depth. But, but Now, there's not really
• 1:32:10
  that experience guy. Yeah, yeah, definitely.
• 1:32:13
  When you look at it, you don't have a guy that you can just
• 1:32:16
  point to and say that guy is going to make you a play when
• 1:32:18
  you need. It is, you know, we saw last
• 1:32:21
  year There Was, You Know, up and down performances even even for
• 1:32:24
  a guy that was experience like Taiwan garbett.
• 1:32:26
  And, you know, I just think that if we can find someone that can
• 1:32:32
  can be that at playmaker, that guy that can get to the
• 1:32:35
  quarterback this year, because that's something.
• 1:32:38
  We've And of really haven't had a little in a couple years now.
• 1:32:40
  So I'd like to see maybe one of those guys come on and be able
• 1:32:47
  to take over that role definitely definitely and I'll
• 1:32:51
  looking at the defensive tackle position.
• 1:32:54
  We know we have a little bit more size and a little bit more,
• 1:32:58
  you know, veteran presence there when you look at you know
• 1:33:01
  Foodland Kendricks and Pollock. Thank God.
• 1:33:03
  They came back but have you seen some You seen anybody pushing to
• 1:33:10
  get into the to deep behind those guys that we kind of know
• 1:33:12
  we're going to see. And again like we talked about,
• 1:33:14
  I think they're sliding the what Spain I think that's lying pain
• 1:33:19
  down inside as well. So we got some things going
• 1:33:23
  there. But have you seen anybody
• 1:33:24
  pushing it to try to get it back to date?
• 1:33:27
  Yeah, well I think now Wilfred Benes was the guy there last
• 1:33:31
  year. I've been impressed with Malachi
• 1:33:34
  Madison and I think he's kind of pushed that envelope.
• 1:33:38
  I think he, I think he could make a really good case to be
• 1:33:42
  that fourth guy, I think Lamar logged under Givens aren't
• 1:33:46
  necessarily that far behind. Now, I'm not saying I'm not
• 1:33:52
  saying, I would expect them to play, but I think hitting those
• 1:33:55
  in the next two guys that are kind of pushing that group.
• 1:33:58
  There's certainly much more depth at tackle, and there is an
• 1:34:01
  end. I'll say that, but I think
• 1:34:03
  Malcolm Madison could be that fourth guy.
• 1:34:05
  I legitimately think that I think he's come a long way.
• 1:34:08
  Way and I JC prices is kind of haven't talked to Jason a while
• 1:34:15
  but but but he's a guy thing to JC's, pretty high on that that
• 1:34:20
  has a lot of potential if he can continue to determine the right
• 1:34:24
  direction and I think he's a guy that can give pain a run for his
• 1:34:29
  money for that fourth spot. Cool.
• 1:34:32
  So I David David's like, tempered my expectations woes.
• 1:34:36
  Yeah, what you did? Which what we said earlier?
• 1:34:38
  Though, it's the Freshman to sophomore years is, where you
• 1:34:41
  will see, guys, take the steps. And when you hear it, when I
• 1:34:44
  hear you say Malachi mask, we saw him last year, he is a big
• 1:34:47
  body guy. We know Lamar law is a big body.
• 1:34:50
  Gang Gunner has the body and Cal he's been preaching all along
• 1:34:53
  with got to get bigger on the trenches.
• 1:34:55
  And when you say, those guys are looking better, I hear that,
• 1:34:58
  that freshman and sophomore things are clicking.
• 1:35:00
  They're pushing more. So I mean, not get, I don't
• 1:35:03
  expect. And by all means, if they start
• 1:35:05
  this year, that's great. But, you know, The point I got
• 1:35:09
  excited about is knowing that when Pollard and when Kendricks
• 1:35:14
  are gone next year, it's not just pflug out there.
• 1:35:17
  You've got some young guy pushing for playing time and
• 1:35:19
  these other two are starting to make that steady rise up.
• 1:35:23
  And I do really worried about the end, like you mention her.
• 1:35:25
  I think we all do, and I think, if you see there's one portal
• 1:35:28
  addition this year after spring, it's got to be Edge without a
• 1:35:33
  doubt. Now, let's flip to the
• 1:35:35
  linebacker in because I think that room Does not need any
• 1:35:39
  portal, guys. I mean, goodness gracious.
• 1:35:40
  Jr. Walker, you know, left the
• 1:35:43
  program, but it's still loaded all over the place, but the big
• 1:35:47
  questions that might, like, who's going to play there?
• 1:35:50
  Is it Tuesday? Oh, is it Keller?
• 1:35:53
  Which of the young guys are making the big push for that
• 1:35:56
  spot? This spring?
• 1:35:59
  Well Jaden McDonald's working here a couple of weeks ago that
• 1:36:01
  was when Tisdale was out, Walker was Stone program.
• 1:36:04
  It's changed a little bit since Jaden color was taking the one.
• 1:36:08
  Upset that Mike the other day and pride as been impressed with
• 1:36:13
  them. And I think Keller's starting to
• 1:36:16
  actually come a long. I think before, he said so much
• 1:36:19
  potential, right? You've heard everybody Rave
• 1:36:22
  about him time and time again. I think it's gotten to the point
• 1:36:25
  where where he's really starting to show that he knows what he's
• 1:36:29
  doing and he can kind of digest the information and help people
• 1:36:34
  adjust from prai specifically referred to him, instance, and
• 1:36:37
  practice. the other day, where Keller noticed that the
• 1:36:41
  defensive line was was kind of lined up, not incorrectly, so to
• 1:36:46
  speak but they were off a little bit and he noticed that and
• 1:36:49
  correct them and was able to be in his bright spot right price.
• 1:36:53
  I was kind of concerned with him just being able to get down will
• 1:36:56
  and he's gone been able to kind of get that will and Mike a
• 1:36:59
  little bit. So I think I think Taylor might
• 1:37:02
  be the guy at Mike, as far as young guys are concerned,
• 1:37:06
  obviously Tisdale still there and he missed practice the I was
• 1:37:10
  a couple weeks ago and then, of course, I would go on and not
• 1:37:14
  Tisdale's back as I'm back. I think he was at practice last
• 1:37:19
  week is as well, but but I think it kind of could be the color
• 1:37:24
  Tisdale punch at 12 and they say, in no specific order.
• 1:37:29
  But I think Keller is coming along along way which bodes,
• 1:37:32
  well, because they've got they've got a good, a good will.
• 1:37:36
  They've got a Good Sam, right? They got Kelly loss.
• 1:37:40
  And count the drinking. Those are two talented guys.
• 1:37:43
  If you can figure out the Mike, you're in good shape.
• 1:37:47
  Speaking of that. So you know you talked about
• 1:37:49
  loss and you talked about the other positions there, it's Sam
• 1:37:55
  and we'll what is the most intriguing?
• 1:37:58
  Three mankind combo that you've seen at practice so far.
• 1:38:03
  I think it's got to be the Jenkins color Lawson because
• 1:38:07
  those guys fly around the field and they're fun to watch.
• 1:38:11
  I mean, we all saw what Lawson did last year towards the end of
• 1:38:14
  the year, just his Length and his defensive presence but
• 1:38:20
  counted Jenkins. I think hadn't had a really
• 1:38:22
  wants a quiet year maybe. But you kind of had quiet really
• 1:38:25
  good year last year and I think of kellard mediated.
• 1:38:29
  I think those three can be really formidable and that's not
• 1:38:33
  just You know, that's not just this year's this year's group,
• 1:38:38
  but that's a couple of years down the line, right?
• 1:38:44
  I'm trying to think, okay, she can to Jenkins I believe has
• 1:38:47
  maybe one more year. I don't have it up in front of
• 1:38:50
  me, but I do think that Lawson and color are your guys and I
• 1:38:57
  think they kind of fly around the field.
• 1:39:00
  They're, they're very young. They've got the energy.
• 1:39:03
  They've got the ability to kind of cover all this ground that
• 1:39:06
  man Jenkins, I think that's going to be really intriguing.
• 1:39:09
  If it plays out that way, I think that's going to be a real
• 1:39:13
  intriguing Trio. He is a legend.
• 1:39:18
  He is the man and Jenkins is a senior this year, so he was
• 1:39:23
  there during covid. So he came in 2019 2020.
• 1:39:27
  So he has a covid year left. David So Jenkins, technically
• 1:39:31
  has two years left. So I mean skiing more excited,
• 1:39:35
  What You Got Talent? Um, listen to him, talk about
• 1:39:38
  just the people that we have, that could fill in these spots,
• 1:39:43
  has is intriguing and Siding because I just keep hearing
• 1:39:48
  length length length, you know what I'm saying?
• 1:39:50
  You've got people that of course athleticism to you know, Kelly
• 1:39:53
  Lawson is a much different type player than someone like a Dax
• 1:39:57
  hollifield. No disrespect to Dax.
• 1:39:59
  I think Dex did what he was supposed to do really well, but
• 1:40:03
  when you have an athlete that you can put it linebacker you're
• 1:40:07
  able to do some different things and I think that that's going to
• 1:40:10
  be fun to watch another question that I guess I have for you
• 1:40:14
  David. It's just Name one player in
• 1:40:18
  this this linebacker unit that maybe a lot of folks in Virginia
• 1:40:22
  Tech Twitter, Virginia Tech fan base.
• 1:40:26
  Don't know that it's just not on our radar that could crack this
• 1:40:30
  this too deep going into the fall why I think there are a lot
• 1:40:34
  of young guys coming in right over the summer.
• 1:40:38
  You got a Saint Stephen's to whirring Copeland Caleb Woodson
• 1:40:41
  who you guys mentioned earlier. Don't forget about Stone
• 1:40:44
  Schneider the VMI. Into right?
• 1:40:46
  I don't know. I don't know what what his in
• 1:40:48
  the impact is going to be. But I think I think going into
• 1:40:52
  the fall, there's going to be a hole with those four, guys.
• 1:40:55
  I mentioned the linebacker room, it's going to be a pretty deep
• 1:41:00
  room in my opinion. I think there's going to be a
• 1:41:02
  lot of a lot of talent there and here's the other thing, right?
• 1:41:06
  Snyder obviously is an older guy.
• 1:41:11
  Only going to be here for a year Tisdale's.
• 1:41:13
  Not after this year chhanchhan does one more year left Left.
• 1:41:16
  Everybody else is multiple years ago, legibility left.
• 1:41:18
  This is a line back room for the future, right?
• 1:41:22
  I know that didn't exactly into your question, but I think I'm
• 1:41:25
  curious to see how those three freshmen when they get here,
• 1:41:28
  when they get to campus, where do they call you fall in line?
• 1:41:32
  And I think McDonald is another guy.
• 1:41:35
  I'm very curious to watch, you know, it's going to be hard for
• 1:41:39
  him. I think to, to get number one
• 1:41:41
  rep, potentially just because of the other talent in the room,
• 1:41:45
  But I do think, you know, he's come a long way and he and his
• 1:41:49
  brother. Obviously, you know, they're
• 1:41:51
  really hard working, guys, and I think they could both play
• 1:41:54
  potentially big roles. So this is a linebacker.
• 1:41:57
  And I think, for the future for Virginia Tech, he has a
• 1:41:59
  McDonald's seem like they picked up the defense really quick and
• 1:42:02
  that helped them get kind of on that feel pretty quickly.
• 1:42:05
  And obviously, you know, there are other talented guys around
• 1:42:08
  them and some of that starting to kind of rise to the top.
• 1:42:10
  So yeah, that definitely explains that, for sure.
• 1:42:15
  I'm interested to see what what stone can do as well just
• 1:42:20
  because, you know, we know the numbers that he put up
• 1:42:25
  elsewhere, so Ken that translate in if that does translate, does
• 1:42:31
  that and just another layer to that at Mike battle, you know,
• 1:42:37
  once once fall practice starts, everybody who doesn't know a
• 1:42:41
  buddy Robbie that usually on the show with us.
• 1:42:45
  And Is in the comments. He is a, he's one of the coaches
• 1:42:48
  that's that's close to the program, he got some air time
• 1:42:51
  the other day on the on the promo film of the coaches.
• 1:42:55
  So Robbie it was good to see you on that, but he does give us a
• 1:42:57
  lot of insight on what he sees at practices and players that he
• 1:43:01
  see in the that he sees in the area.
• 1:43:04
  So he's not just somebody that's on here bullshit and he knows
• 1:43:08
  his stuff and he's seen a lot of football, but he got two players
• 1:43:11
  with rings. Yeah, yes, that is rings.
• 1:43:14
  But if you look at Robert, Robin looks like a football coach.
• 1:43:16
  I don't know. And dark alley by himself.
• 1:43:20
  But Switching gears a little bit, David talking about one of
• 1:43:24
  our, you know, hopeful Stars Dorian strong.
• 1:43:27
  He was kept out a lot last year due to an injury.
• 1:43:31
  How has he looked coming back from that injury?
• 1:43:34
  He's looked like himself. He's look like he's a more
• 1:43:38
  energized version, man. He until the Dorian.
• 1:43:41
  Dorian is one of my favorite players to cover on this team
• 1:43:44
  simply because he's always got a smile.
• 1:43:45
  I'll on his face. He's always joking around.
• 1:43:47
  Maybe a little bit too much, but he's a very energetic guy,
• 1:43:51
  awesome guy. And we talked to him a couple
• 1:43:54
  weeks ago, and he kind of told us that It was tougher to my
• 1:43:59
  time the end of lean on on some of his family, just mentally.
• 1:44:06
  It was tough, right? He's season.
• 1:44:08
  He essentially knew his season was over, but he didn't think
• 1:44:11
  that first, right? He thought he was going to be
• 1:44:14
  able to come back and play and the doctors told him, he had to
• 1:44:17
  have surgery and he was like, he went from kind of kind of being
• 1:44:20
  like, okay, I can't wait to get back to man.
• 1:44:22
  I'm not gonna be able to get back and he spent a lot of time
• 1:44:24
  watching film on himself of what he could do better and he He
• 1:44:28
  looks like a I don't want to say, he looks like himself but
• 1:44:31
  but he, he looks brand-new. I mean, he is energized.
• 1:44:36
  He's ready to go and he's look really good.
• 1:44:39
  I will say still kind of trying, I think get back to 100%.
• 1:44:43
  Like I think he's, I think he's, I think he's looking pretty well
• 1:44:48
  so far, but I think he's, I wouldn't say 100%.
• 1:44:52
  He's done some one-on-one stuff alone off to the side a couple,
• 1:44:56
  you know, one or two practices that I've seen.
• 1:44:58
  But I think he's come a long way and months or delaying a him and
• 1:45:04
  during strong, the other man and Derek canteen, somebody that the
• 1:45:07
  coaching staff has raved about this year.
• 1:45:10
  That is a really good starting, DV room and I'm really excited
• 1:45:14
  to see what Dorian does think. He's got a little bit of a chip
• 1:45:17
  on his shoulder, right? Yeah, you know, he had a you
• 1:45:20
  gotta have a chip 144 man. Can we kill?
• 1:45:24
  We get him into a single digit. I'll take it.
• 1:45:28
  Number. I'll take 20 1944.
• 1:45:32
  Keep going. And you mentioned David.
• 1:45:58
  Across the board. And guys, you feel comfortable,
• 1:46:00
  probably put in multiple situation but who's becoming 4
• 1:46:04
  and 5, because football is a game of attrition rotation.
• 1:46:07
  I mean, I look at the roster here.
• 1:46:09
  You see Devin Alvarez, the big body.
• 1:46:10
  Got a Florida cam Johnson, got some run last year, who do you
• 1:46:16
  like? Who do you see going in there?
• 1:46:18
  Because obviously during practice, they're rotating them,
• 1:46:20
  who are you seeing more of you know, with the Cheetahs out
• 1:46:23
  there? The the the twos and threes the
• 1:46:28
  other day it's a it's cam Johnson.
• 1:46:34
  Antonio Cotman jr. Who's reported early enrollee?
• 1:46:38
  He, I don't believe he was in practice the other day but he
• 1:46:44
  was a couple weeks ago when I saw him he was rapping with the
• 1:46:46
  twos so and Elijah Howard. I think those are some of the
• 1:46:51
  guys that are coming along in that room.
• 1:46:54
  Room again, I'm curious again. Here's what you got to remember
• 1:46:58
  right there are all even cheetahs.
• 1:47:00
  There are a whole lot of cheetahs coming in over the
• 1:47:02
  summer right around Johnson earlier there are a ton of
• 1:47:06
  freshmen coming. I think I think that room is
• 1:47:09
  only going to get more competitive.
• 1:47:11
  As is your goes on. I agree I agree again going back
• 1:47:17
  to what we're talking about earlier when we talked about
• 1:47:20
  just recruiting and going out and getting people.
• 1:47:26
  This this staff has brought in some people that are when you
• 1:47:28
  talk about a freshmen enrolling early and getting any kind of
• 1:47:34
  run with one's tools, threes, it is tough to come from high
• 1:47:39
  school to college because anybody who's played If you want
• 1:47:44
  from P weed, a middle school to Middle School to high school,
• 1:47:47
  you always run into a speed difference.
• 1:47:50
  The speed of the game is so fast when you go to different levels.
• 1:47:54
  And when you pull in somebody, like a cotton that, you know, a
• 1:47:57
  lot of people said, oh well, he's in, he's not this or he's
• 1:48:00
  that if you look at him, he looks like he can go play his
• 1:48:03
  body, his body, looks like he can go play on the college field
• 1:48:08
  and what what Cunningham is telling us, I mean, he's picking
• 1:48:12
  up the speed of the game. I'm pretty good.
• 1:48:14
  So again, we know it's Spring ball but it's definitely good to
• 1:48:17
  hear. When we have young guys that are
• 1:48:19
  able to step in and make a difference because we need it,
• 1:48:23
  you know, we definitely need that.
• 1:48:26
  Yeah, it definitely seeing that room kind of level up from guys
• 1:48:29
  that were experienced, but maybe not quite as talented as you
• 1:48:34
  like to see. And now you're seeing the level
• 1:48:36
  of play, get ratcheted up a little bit so that's nice to see
• 1:48:39
  you as well. Let's talk about the safety's a
• 1:48:42
  little bit. We got a lot of Auntie at the
• 1:48:44
  starting spot with the Seer peoples and Jalen strowman not a
• 1:48:48
  ton of proven depth behind them though will the two deep
• 1:48:51
  consists of some heretofore run, you underutilized veterans, or
• 1:48:56
  will there be a youth movement in that rotation?
• 1:49:01
  We're talking about safeties. Yeah, behind behind the people
• 1:49:07
  and Jones and most Phillips. I think they're picking up stuff
• 1:49:10
  really quickly. Okay.
• 1:49:13
  Most Phillips, first of all, it's heat-seeking missile, who
• 1:49:20
  was it? Who was it?
• 1:49:21
  That we chatted with the other day, that that admitted that to
• 1:49:24
  us? There was one of the safeties we
• 1:49:27
  chatted with and I wrote it down.
• 1:49:29
  I asked And I was like, is he like a heat-seeking missile out
• 1:49:31
  there? Who's like, oh yeah.
• 1:49:34
  Let me talk to Pearson Prelude. The other day too.
• 1:49:37
  Oh, it's a genuine strowman and strowman was like, yeah.
• 1:49:41
  Yeah. Most of those like heat-seeking
• 1:49:42
  missile. I didn't he and Jalen Jones and
• 1:49:44
  picked up on stuff really, really well.
• 1:49:48
  Two guys who are kind of both knew to that position in terms
• 1:49:51
  of one transfer from moved over from wide receiver.
• 1:49:54
  The other is in his first semester but I think those are
• 1:49:57
  two guys that have a lot of potential.
• 1:49:59
  And like you mentioned tally, they are attuned to the speed of
• 1:50:03
  the game, right? Big picked up an adjusted to the
• 1:50:06
  speed of the game. It's not really that slow for
• 1:50:08
  her. It's not really that fast form,
• 1:50:09
  right? They can keep up and they
• 1:50:11
  understand I'm curious to see how those guys kind of Get
• 1:50:16
  better and improve and become even more of a reliable.
• 1:50:21
  You know, guys that can rely on, when we get closer to 2 August
• 1:50:28
  because I think they both got really good potential.
• 1:50:30
  I think most Phillips. You know, the fact that most
• 1:50:32
  Phillips is already on campus and he's essentially rapping
• 1:50:35
  with the tunes. That's amazing.
• 1:50:37
  Let's go. He and those DBS that those guys
• 1:50:42
  are recruiting. They're they're smart, they're
• 1:50:45
  talented. Did they handle themselves very,
• 1:50:48
  very well. So I think Jones and Philips are
• 1:50:51
  two guys that it would not Shock Me for them to be in the 2D
• 1:50:55
  coming fall. And when you yeah, when you talk
• 1:50:58
  about, you know, these young players and somebody like a most
• 1:51:02
  Phillips and you say, he's a heat-seeking missile for guys
• 1:51:05
  who don't know a lot about football, or don't, you know,
• 1:51:07
  just talk to just tune into Saturday's games, you got to
• 1:51:13
  build dealt, you know, you got to have That I have special
• 1:51:18
  teams players, so who doesn't want to seeks to heat-seeking,
• 1:51:23
  heat-seeking missile, going down on kickoff, team and going and
• 1:51:27
  tracking the ball. So this maybe sometimes you
• 1:51:31
  don't see these guys get a lot of playing time in the one or
• 1:51:35
  two deep, but if they're able to contribute in that special teams
• 1:51:39
  room and keep some of the ones off the field.
• 1:51:41
  So we're not getting hurt on special teams.
• 1:51:44
  That's a big deal. So, That's, that's definitely
• 1:51:46
  good to hear. Yeah, that on Jones to, you
• 1:51:50
  know, we look when I, when I looked at him steadily, you said
• 1:51:53
  I was and they say it, what you've always talked about Jalen
• 1:51:55
  Jones and the way he plays man Jones reminds me of a lot of not
• 1:52:01
  necessarily ability wise but the way he ran with the ball playing
• 1:52:06
  wide receiver Anquan Boldin, he ran physical, he ran hard and I
• 1:52:11
  feel like that's going to translate to special teams like
• 1:52:13
  tally was just talking about and obviously Backing up.
• 1:52:17
  You know, one of those safeties on the other side, where you can
• 1:52:19
  use that physicality in that size to his Advantage.
• 1:52:22
  I think the coaches should have a video segment of divine Diablo
• 1:52:27
  and show Jalen Jones, they were chance.
• 1:52:29
  They get. I said that the same exact
• 1:52:31
  player but maybe kind of the same path.
• 1:52:34
  Hey, he's in the league so you can say whatever you want about
• 1:52:39
  him. I don't think nobody don't say
• 1:52:40
  anything bad but that's who I'd be showing that's why I be
• 1:52:43
  showing Jalen Jones videos up. Yeah, 100% And it's good to hear
• 1:52:49
  that they're out there. And they're pushing our agents,
• 1:52:51
  the speed of the game. You know for Jaylyn that makes
• 1:52:53
  sense right Jalen's plate, Jason's been in jail has been
• 1:52:56
  involved on the field for so long but to hear someone like
• 1:52:59
  most Phillips come in immediately and start you know
• 1:53:04
  picking up and is likely going to be that to deep guy.
• 1:53:08
  It goes to what Thomas is saying here.
• 1:53:10
  You're starting to build rooms where they're so deep where
• 1:53:13
  it's, you know, Phillips, You've got strowman, he's a young guy.
• 1:53:17
  Phillips. And Jones are younger, guys,
• 1:53:19
  where it's going to take awhile. But when you have a while, when
• 1:53:22
  it takes a while, you're developing them, they're ready
• 1:53:25
  to go physically and speed wise when they get there.
• 1:53:28
  Now, you mentioned coaches and we do have some things to ask
• 1:53:31
  you about the coaches. You've had a chance to see Tyler
• 1:53:36
  bonus to hold in their new roles.
• 1:53:39
  I mean, it's to hold, it's not really a new role.
• 1:53:41
  He's coached itins, half his career but Tyler bone.
• 1:53:44
  It's really the first time in that Quarterback room and I know
• 1:53:48
  you're set a distance, but how are they looking for so far?
• 1:53:50
  Let's start with Tyler, because to me, that's 21.
• 1:53:53
  Everybody wants to know about and then they're both fine.
• 1:53:58
  I think, I think Bowen being closer to the quarterback has
• 1:54:02
  been a benefit, right? He's Hands-On with the
• 1:54:05
  quarterbacks all the time and of course that's the battle.
• 1:54:08
  Everybody wants to know more about drones and Wells, right?
• 1:54:11
  He's more Hands-On with those guys than anybody.
• 1:54:16
  From everything I can tell. It's playing out really well.
• 1:54:18
  So far. And you mentioned Holt.
• 1:54:21
  I think hold this hole has been fine.
• 1:54:23
  I think the tight end room is kind of a lot more known than
• 1:54:27
  unknown, right? I'm sure that transition wasn't
• 1:54:30
  too complicated for them and it seems like everything in that
• 1:54:34
  room is going well so far. But, but I think Bowen is the
• 1:54:36
  one that everybody's curious about from everything.
• 1:54:39
  I can tell, he's transition really real well, and everybody
• 1:54:42
  in the room is taken to that transition.
• 1:54:44
  Well, which is very important. Don't ya.
• 1:54:46
  If you've got the buy-in from the players, I think that's the
• 1:54:49
  most important thing because if you don't have that, then you're
• 1:54:52
  kind of fighting a losing battle and it's hard to get back above
• 1:54:55
  water. Let's, let's start with this,
• 1:54:57
  this little more, little more fun.
• 1:54:59
  Question, kind of give you a chance to pull something out of
• 1:55:03
  left field here. Is there any coach who stands
• 1:55:05
  out to you for kind of how they operate during practice or
• 1:55:09
  anything like that? Derrick Jones is awesome, man.
• 1:55:14
  He's he's caught. I mean, he's constantly
• 1:55:17
  challenging these guys. I think it's tough to get some
• 1:55:20
  of the coaches work in certain areas where it's like certain
• 1:55:25
  areas of the field where it's hard to kind of hear everything
• 1:55:27
  you're saying or but but I enjoy listening to Sean Quinn but I
• 1:55:32
  also enjoy listening to Derrick Jones.
• 1:55:34
  Derrick Jones is constantly challenging his guys constantly
• 1:55:37
  challenging these guys to get better and be better.
• 1:55:41
  That's what, that's what you expect from a coach.
• 1:55:44
  I'll say this. I think all the coaches are
• 1:55:45
  great people, and they're great, guys.
• 1:55:50
  And he's done a really good job. Brent, prize done, a really good
• 1:55:54
  job. I should say of hiring good
• 1:55:56
  people and guys who who have good Personalities in her
• 1:56:01
  fitting in. Well, I'm curious to see how the
• 1:56:03
  product of a football field turns out, but I think when you
• 1:56:06
  wander around and practice your listening to all these guys are
• 1:56:09
  fired up there, ready to go? There Jones is.
• 1:56:14
  You could say, in a way, talking some talking, some shit to
• 1:56:20
  exalted wires, right? He's challenging him, right?
• 1:56:23
  He's saying, hey man don't be, don't be dumb, you know?
• 1:56:27
  Like get your act together, right?
• 1:56:30
  And that's how you continue to one build their character but
• 1:56:33
  continue to help them grow as both players and an actual, you
• 1:56:39
  know, humans and, you know, so I've Watching Derrick Jones.
• 1:56:45
  I think he's, I think he's won pretty funny.
• 1:56:47
  And to, he's, he's real right. He's real with his guys.
• 1:56:51
  I think a lot of the other coaches are two.
• 1:56:52
  I think fontelle Minds is, is a great guy.
• 1:56:56
  Yeah, of course, I missed a week or two cover women's basketball,
• 1:57:00
  so I didn't get to be around practice, as much as I would
• 1:57:03
  like. But but I do think for the most
• 1:57:06
  part though, I've enjoyed being around all the staff because
• 1:57:09
  they're nice people and and they really challenge your guys to be
• 1:57:13
  the best. Himself.
• 1:57:15
  Yep. And then I guess you know
• 1:57:17
  talking kind of since you brought up just different
• 1:57:19
  Personnel groups and different cultures and different cultures
• 1:57:23
  in their groups. Talking Personnel.
• 1:57:27
  What groups do you think? Are the most fluid from like
• 1:57:29
  practice to practice in terms of either like starting Personnel
• 1:57:33
  or just personal groupings? Hang its wide receiver.
• 1:57:38
  I mean I told you guys earlier fun time mind yes it's an
• 1:57:41
  action. Imagine right.
• 1:57:46
  I think I think God's now and all the way it but kind of
• 1:57:48
  taking responsibility of they're the guys who are reading the
• 1:57:50
  group but but I think it's kind of mixing and matching with some
• 1:57:55
  of the young guys. I'm curious.
• 1:57:56
  I'm very curious in this spring game when we see some of those
• 1:57:59
  young guys in in that though that uniform for the first time.
• 1:58:03
  How they look right there, can I get set?
• 1:58:06
  Can they get? Separation are playing against
• 1:58:07
  some pretty good DVDs for the most part on the other side.
• 1:58:10
  But I think wide receiver is one of those rooms where there are
• 1:58:13
  so many scholarship, guys. Right.
• 1:58:16
  Trying to to balance all the wraps and figure out what guys
• 1:58:23
  well guys are where each day. I think that's probably the
• 1:58:26
  group that's most fluid understand.
• 1:58:29
  Yeah so you know some people probably going to lose their
• 1:58:31
  minds one way or the other. You know during the spring game
• 1:58:36
  I really did. It's going to be all right.
• 1:58:39
  I'm gonna be Davis. Bodyguard I'm gonna be hanging
• 1:58:43
  out with him. So y'all just let me Y'all got
• 1:58:46
  any questions? I'll come through me and then I
• 1:58:50
  love this but before before I ask my next question, I do need
• 1:58:54
  to make a quick thing here for tally and just just so y'all
• 1:59:00
  know where that game certainly I needed to be I knew it David II
• 1:59:13
  podcast with to Lakers fans here the chaps Um, our text
• 1:59:16
  sometimes, it's his Lakers talk. I'm just look down like lunch,
• 1:59:24
  who have you seen merge into the leadership role that maybe you
• 1:59:28
  weren't expecting this offseason?
• 1:59:32
  I think the big one is Derek canteen.
• 1:59:35
  I think he's coming immediately and taking a leadership role.
• 1:59:38
  He's a guy who was a freshman All-American, pretty much.
• 1:59:41
  It meant Georgia Southern, right?
• 1:59:42
  And then dealt with some injuries and he has a map and
• 1:59:45
  down. He's coming.
• 1:59:46
  First of all, he's a phenomenal. He's phenomenally well spoken,
• 1:59:51
  he's a great guy to be around. We had a chance to speak with
• 1:59:54
  them and he, and he was awesome. He's a guy who the other guys
• 1:59:59
  really looked up to. And for guys, like Dorian strong
• 2:00:02
  and Monsour d'Alene, they've challenged feeling his presence
• 2:00:05
  has challenged them to be better.
• 2:00:07
  I think he's made that whole room a whole lot better.
• 2:00:11
  I think he's the Big Horn, he's come in and, and he's basically
• 2:00:16
  Yeah, he's a transfer gate. He's a new environment, but he's
• 2:00:18
  taking up a leadership role. And he's challenging everybody
• 2:00:20
  to be better versions of himself and that's important.
• 2:00:23
  That's what you need in this program for to get to that next
• 2:00:26
  level. Yeah I think what, you know we
• 2:00:29
  had a whole episode where we talked about you know, who were
• 2:00:32
  the new leaders going to be. So it's nice to kind of get a
• 2:00:36
  leadership role from maybe that guy that you're not expecting.
• 2:00:39
  And I think canteen falls into that category because I don't
• 2:00:42
  think any of us necessarily, you know, drew a circle around
• 2:00:45
  Cantina said he's going to be a guy that's going to really kind
• 2:00:49
  of Drive the DB room or anything like that.
• 2:00:51
  So having a guy like that step up that just makes everybody
• 2:00:54
  else below him stronger. So that's important.
• 2:00:57
  Let's talk about this. Though because you know, we're
• 2:01:00
  looking at Spring practice, we're looking at depth.
• 2:01:02
  You specifically have talked about the wide receiver room.
• 2:01:06
  We're kind of write it. What, about eight scholarships
• 2:01:07
  over the limit right now, what position groups do you think
• 2:01:11
  will have the most portal attrition posts praying in?
• 2:01:16
  Are there any groups where we can afford to add another player
• 2:01:19
  or two if things open up? I think you can always add, add
• 2:01:25
  offensive, lineman or defensive lineman, I think that you can
• 2:01:28
  never go wrong with adding more guys.
• 2:01:32
  I think the linebacker room is fine.
• 2:01:33
  I think the DB room is fine for the most part though.
• 2:01:36
  It wouldn't surprise me. If they met was one guy who left
• 2:01:40
  that room is Captain. They like keeping that room
• 2:01:42
  tight but I think that's a good number.
• 2:01:44
  I think most of the churches on the offensive side of the ball.
• 2:01:48
  Six quarterbacks is too many it's just it just Just plain too
• 2:01:53
  many and wide receiver. You do not need 14, scholarship
• 2:01:58
  wide receivers I'm sorry. That's just the way it goes.
• 2:02:01
  So so you know everywhere else I think is all right.
• 2:02:06
  I think you would you would love to add some offensive linemen
• 2:02:08
  and defensive linemen if you can.
• 2:02:10
  But I think quarterback and wide receiver, really the to where
• 2:02:14
  I'm like, there are too many people in this room are 20 guys
• 2:02:17
  between quarterback and wide receiver.
• 2:02:19
  And there are what? Maybe three four guys on the
• 2:02:21
  field. One time between those two
• 2:02:23
  positions you don't need 20 guys between those two positions.
• 2:02:28
  So I think that's where all the tradition is really going to
• 2:02:32
  come from. I'm breathing.
• 2:02:35
  Yep. And it'll be interesting to see
• 2:02:37
  who goes and who stays as we get in the fall and I think you
• 2:02:41
  know, having you gave it on with us tonight.
• 2:02:44
  You know with all the points you've been making even though
• 2:02:46
  you've been on the road for you know for close to almost two
• 2:02:51
  weeks and still having your Insight man.
• 2:02:53
  You know, we really appreciate it.
• 2:02:55
  We appreciate you joining us again.
• 2:02:57
  You know we're going to probably have you back as we get closer
• 2:03:00
  to the first game of the season. So mark your Derp even though we
• 2:03:05
  know you're going to be in Blacksburg really right there at
• 2:03:08
  it but you know, tally, Brian. Anything else y'all want to add
• 2:03:14
  anything breaking over the last two hours?
• 2:03:18
  My Lakers Spirit. Other than that, I think.
• 2:03:21
  All right, boys, I guess the main thing for Cunningham.
• 2:03:25
  What you got anything planned for the spring game?
• 2:03:28
  Any fun festivities or tailgates?
• 2:03:30
  I need to attend. Working man, I am not tailgating
• 2:03:36
  who you think I am, man. Is actually my sister's birthday
• 2:03:42
  that weekend. She's a junior, at Tech someone
• 2:03:45
  who spend some time with her life to him.
• 2:03:47
  I got some family coming in town.
• 2:03:50
  I guess that's what happens when your brother and sister go to
• 2:03:52
  school here. But so I'm going to, I'm gonna
• 2:03:55
  spend some time with some family and I'll be, I'll be working a
• 2:03:58
  lot, but now I'm excited. I think it'll be a good weekend
• 2:04:02
  especially since I've been gone all All over the place, it'll be
• 2:04:05
  nice to have a lot of people. I don't know if it'd be nice to
• 2:04:07
  have a lot of people in Black formidable, it'll be cool to
• 2:04:09
  see. A lot of people, I'm sure I'll
• 2:04:12
  cross paths with you guys. Assuming you guys are there and
• 2:04:16
  a whole lot of other people. But yeah, I think I think this
• 2:04:20
  is a it's a big weekend, right? Big sport, big other sporting
• 2:04:25
  events at home You've got obviously a 3.2 432.
• 2:04:31
  I'm curious to see how the spring game plays out.
• 2:04:33
  I don't know how much we're actually going to be able to
• 2:04:36
  take away from it. But but I do think this is an
• 2:04:38
  opportunity for a lot of these guys to to Showcase a little
• 2:04:42
  bit. What they have.
• 2:04:43
  I mean, we came away with from this bringing last year and
• 2:04:46
  said, man. Kayla Smith is good.
• 2:04:48
  Well, that was the only while your Subaru could do anything
• 2:04:51
  last year. What we came away from the off
• 2:04:53
  from last year saying, man, this offensive line is a mess.
• 2:04:56
  Now, to be fair, they did split. Up.
• 2:04:59
  But but how does that stuff look?
• 2:05:02
  Right. We're Will Come Away with
• 2:05:04
  probably a couple big takeaways and those will be our talking
• 2:05:07
  points going forward. So hope you guys get a chance to
• 2:05:10
  come in town and do it. I'm sure you guys are and can't
• 2:05:13
  wait to see you all. I'm sure we'll all across past
• 2:05:15
  sometime soon. Absolutely Again, David
• 2:05:20
  Cunningham from Tech sideline. If y'all do not know text cylons
• 2:05:23
  are on a great special right now, 120 for the entire year.
• 2:05:28
  Year of all of their in-depth coverage, David.
• 2:05:32
  You always write great been, you always do what's right by coming
• 2:05:34
  on here. So, thank you for coming.
• 2:05:37
  That does wrap up this episode of The Boundary Corner podcast
• 2:05:40
  brought to you by Main Street. Pharmacy, in Blacksburg Wilson
• 2:05:44
  with our guest, David Cunningham on Curtis Wilson.
• 2:05:47
  I'm Brian Sigler, Jonathan Talent.
• 2:05:50
  This is our website. Boundary corner be t.com to
• 2:05:52
  listen to all of our episodes. Brian.
• 2:05:54
  You're going to need to stand up here in a moment and also visit
• 2:05:57
  our Newly launched, merchandise shop, show that show the logo
• 2:06:02
  sound recorder store. You got to get up and you got to
• 2:06:04
  turn around? I'm sorry, I'm late.
• 2:06:06
  You got to turn around, man. You gotta turn your back so
• 2:06:08
  where you can get. There you go.
• 2:06:11
  Anything? Yeah, for all of the Virginia
• 2:06:14
  Tech fans, if you don't know what that means, you need to
• 2:06:17
  come over here. One night with me tally.
• 2:06:20
  Dave will join you and we will educate on you what we swarm
• 2:06:22
  baby means because if you don't know, you have not been a fan
• 2:06:26
  long enough and we will educate You all right.
• 2:06:29
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  Facebook? Instagram, subscribe on our
• 2:06:33
  YouTube channel where a lot of people were watching tonight.
• 2:06:36
  We really appreciate you guys out there and chatting with us
• 2:06:40
  podcasts or Spotify. Amazon, Apple podcasts, all of
• 2:06:43
  them. As always, we let our buddy.
• 2:06:45
  Jason long players in place out and Brian.
• 2:06:47
  He's got dates. He's got dates.
• 2:06:50
  He's out of. He's out.
• 2:06:51
  He's out of hibernation, he's out, he's out of the dungeon
• 2:06:54
  recording. The new hits, the new hit.
• 2:06:58
  Yes, it will be going to be at the Grand and Village Farmers
• 2:07:01
  Market down in Roanoke, actually, on the spring game,
• 2:07:04
  going to be there from 8:00 to noon.
• 2:07:05
  And then in June, Harmony for hopa, supporting a lymphoma
• 2:07:10
  Research Foundation at mangoes, Bar and Grill.
• 2:07:13
  So, check em out of Jason long music.com where you can link to
• 2:07:17
  all his music Apple by Spotify and home because YouTube and
• 2:07:20
  Facebook pages for two hours and eight minutes and 30 seconds.
• 2:07:25
  We thank you all for listening and as always, let's go.
• 2:07:29
  Okay.