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Auburn RB Coach Larry Porter - Post-Transfer Portal · The Auburn Undercover Podcast

• 0:01
  Barry, what's uh what's the transition
• 0:02
  been like coming back to Auburn?
• 0:06
  >> Well, it's it's been smoother than other
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  places I've been simply because there's
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  been some familiarity with uh with
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  Auburn, but um for the most part,
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  everybody's been very welcoming and um
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  everything's going, excuse me,
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  everything's going well.
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  >> What kind of went into the decision to
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  come back and to join Galich's staff?
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  Well, I think I've mentioned this
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  before, but the decision was already
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  made a long time ago. It was just it was
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  just all about, you know, an opportunity
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  being presented.
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  >> Yeah. I mean, again, I've uh already
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  always been very fond of Auburn and um
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  I'm happy about being back. Very
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  excited.
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  >> Having a guy like Jeremiah Cob return,
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  you know, especially with all the guys
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  you guys brought in at running back, how
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  good of a leader, you know, you want him
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  to be this year? Well, honestly, I just
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  want Jeremiah to be himself. And um if
• 1:00
  he can do that, you know, and continue
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  to to get better um as a player, I think
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  that's all we can ask for.
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  >> What are some of the things about
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  Jeremiah that makes him so good in your
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  thousand yard rush in the SEC last year?
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  >> Again, you know, the biggest thing I've
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  seen just going back and watching film
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  is just growth, right? And I, you know,
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  just talking to not just Jeremiah, but
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  other people that's been involved with
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  the program, you know, that's attributed
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  to all his hard work, but but overall, I
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  think um he's very motivated to be the
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  best version of himself. And you can see
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  that, you know, each and every day, you
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  know, just in the way that he goes about
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  his work.
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  >> Kind of that tempo style offense you
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  guys run, you know, how are you guys
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  going to like balance the reps, you
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  know, a lot of running backs you do have
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  this year?
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  >> Well, I think they dictate that. We
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  don't, you know, obviously we're putting
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  in a new system. So, my job is to be
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  very open-minded. Um, meet every
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  individual where they are and find ways
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  to elevate them into becoming the best
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  version of themselves.
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  >> Larry, when you're out recruiting, what
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  do you look for in a running back, both
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  on the field and off the field?
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  >> Well, for me,
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  you know, what makes you you? What makes
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  you special? what elite traits do you
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  have that truly that we can add to our
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  room to help elevate our room and also
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  elevate the productivity of our offense?
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  And so I start there, you know, um so
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  the skill set and then obviously
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  um the character piece is big, but but
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  at the end of the day um you know, we're
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  trying to find guys that are truly elite
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  at what they do, right? And and again,
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  that comes in a lot of different ways,
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  and I don't like to box that. You know,
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  I want every individual to be the best
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  version of themselves, but also be in
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  position to help us grow.
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  >> How would you describe yourself as a
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  recruiter?
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  >> Well, the more things change, the more
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  things stay the same, right? I know we
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  have the the portal, we have revenue
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  sharing, we have NIL, but I think
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  everything starts with relationships and
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  that's where it all begins and and
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  that's where I try to make sure that um
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  I have a real foundation with in terms
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  of just not just with the kid but with
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  the family as well. And then from there
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  it's about because it goes both ways,
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  right?
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  um just as much as we want them, we have
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  to make sure that they want to be here.
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  So I think honesty and and and building
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  trust with the family and the prospect
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  is very very critical. So relationship
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  building trust and then
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  truly
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  whatever I say to them make sure that
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  once they come on campus that they
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  experience that and I think with that um
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  it allows their trust to grow, their
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  belief to grow and then they start to
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  visualize themselves being a part of the
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  program and I think it kind of goes from
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  there. For you, the portal is kind of a
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  I mean, for everyone, it's a stressful
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  time, but you go out and just kind of
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  pick up a bunch of guys. What was that
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  like for you having Jeremiah, but going
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  to add Bryce, adding Tay, adding Nikai,
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  having got four different guys that were
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  starting running backs last year,
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  >> right? Well, I don't think there'll ever
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  be a time really at any position in this
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  program where we're not trying to
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  upgrade the skill set within the
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  program, within our room. And so this
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  was no exception, right? And we were
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  looking for guys who had experience that
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  can bring some real value to the room.
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  And so as we were watching film and
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  evaluating different prospects, that was
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  one of the things that were high on the
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  list.
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  >> We talked to coach Nolas recently and he
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  said that this offense is going to run
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  the heck out of the ball. Um, is that
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  with that in mind, was that part of the
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  reason why you had to go out into the
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  portal and pick up so many guys as well?
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  You say you can, you know, have that
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  balance in offense.
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  >> Well, um, I'm trying to refrain from
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  talking about numbers, but when I got
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  here and the dust settle, it was three
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  guys left in the room, which was Cobb,
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  Omar, and Alvin. And so, we had to, no
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  matter what, add to the room. So, that's
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  exactly what we did. We were just
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  fortunate enough um as we got into the
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  portal to find guys to kind of fit the
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  profile that we were looking for. So
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  when you can get experience
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  but also production, right, and then
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  some talent to go with that, um it makes
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  for a pretty good day.
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  >> When the offense has a quarterback like
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  Byron Brown who can also run, you know,
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  how much do you think that could help
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  the running backs? again what a defense
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  can't just hone in on the running backs.
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  They got to keep an eye on the
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  quarterback potentially running the ball
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  too.
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  >> Oh, absolutely. I I think it all goes
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  together, right? When you look at
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  offense in general in terms of the way
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  that we operate, spacing, um tempo, I
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  think that's one dimension. Then you add
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  a quarterback that can truly run the
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  ball. That's another dimension. And then
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  you add a group of guys that are
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  productive in in in the running back
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  room. That's something else that you
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  add. And then that's not to even talk
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  about the skill set that we have in the
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  wide receiver and tight end room. So I
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  think it all goes together, but but I
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  think we'll build something um that as
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  we go forward that people will will
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  appreciate and enjoy.
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  >> With Bryson specifically, what did you
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  see in his skill set that made him such
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  an attractive target to add to the role?
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  Well, outside of being productive, you
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  know, he's more of a downhill guy. He's
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  an experienced guy, and the offense that
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  they ran um at his former school is
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  somewhat similar to what we do here. So,
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  it's not just the experience, just the
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  famili familiarity with what we do
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  schematically as well.
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  >> Talked earlier about coming back to
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  Auburn. What all What all has been
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  different? What all has been new to you
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  coming back here?
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  >> I don't see it any different. um mainly
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  because you come to Auburn for one
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  reason and that's to play for a national
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  championship. That's the standard.
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  That's the expectation. And so what it
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  does is it just continues to force you
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  to have urgency to get it right a lot
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  sooner than later to put yourself in
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  position to meet the expectation of the
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  fan base and the community who's been
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  very supportive.
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  those young guys, Omar and Alvin.
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  >> What have you kind of seen just from
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  looking at what they did last year in
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  practice stuff and then just getting to
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  know them a little bit as well?
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  >> So, I hadn't seen a whole lot of them
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  cuz we've been back on we've been out on
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  the road. Um, but in terms of just their
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  mindset, you know, I think they both had
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  different experiences this year. Omar
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  got to play just a little bit, but it
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  was enough to motivate him and for him
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  to want to be better, to put himself in
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  position um for us to count on him. On
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  the other hand, you know, Alvin, not as
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  much in terms of playing. So, he's super
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  motivated as well just to grow and also
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  earn the trust of of of the coaches so
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  he can earn playing time as well.
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  >> Those other guys you brought in, Aai and
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  Tay, how would you kind of describe them
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  and how they can help you as well?
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  Well, Nikai obviously very familiar with
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  the system. Um, have some comfort there.
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  So, that in itself is a huge benefit to
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  the room um to what we're trying to do
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  offensively in terms of just installing
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  and and then, you know, and he's had
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  enough productivity. He's proven
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  himself.
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  I think this is a great opportunity for
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  him to be on this stage to show that
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  he's just as capable of doing it on his
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  level. So, um, and then you look at Tay
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  likewise, right? Um, a guy who had some
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  success who wants a different stage and
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  you know, he's been granted that
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  opportunity. Now, it's about working.
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  But I I will say this again, right? Um,
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  I think they're all are working
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  extremely hard.
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  uh one to learn the system, two as they
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  learn the system to build trust with us
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  as coaches and then as we get into
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  spring ball to position themselves to
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  earn playing time and and I do like the
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  attitude and the spirit of the room from
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  that regard. I think that's that's been
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  pretty cool. And then I like the fact
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  that they they like each other, you
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  know, they uh the spirit in the room is
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  is is is healthy. Um and and and that's
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  that's been good. But you know, when the
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  rubber meets the road, they dictate who
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  plays um 100%, you know, by what they
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  put on film. And I want them to feel
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  that it's truly a great situation in
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  terms of them having a fire a fair
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  opportunity to prove that they're worthy
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  of being out there on the field. So, um,
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  the skill set as it their skill set as
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  this start to unfold in terms of who's
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  being productive and and and and putting
• 10:23
  themselves in position to to play. Um,
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  you know, we we will kind of sort
• 10:28
  through that and figure out what helps
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  us where, how, and when and then use it
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  accordingly.
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  >> Back to Lamar, he's a guy that
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  reclassified to get a year a year early.
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  What do you think we can grow into? And
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  you know, that little bit of experience
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  he got last year, how big is that for a
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  guy that's still so young?
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  >> Yeah, I think it's the sky's is the
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  limit for Omar simply because one, just
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  his mindset. He's super motivated. He
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  loves football.
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  Um he loves waking up every single day,
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  walking into this building trying to
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  find ways to truly become the best
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  version of himself. And I think um when
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  you find someone like that who's truly
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  motivated, the sky is truly the limit.
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  >> As far as pass protection goes at
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  running back, you know, what does that
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  kind of look like to you as a coach and
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  how do you try to implement that into
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  that round? Is it a feeling that gets
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  overlooked, you know, sometimes for
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  running back?
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  >> Well, first of all, it's my personal
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  belief that
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  everybody is capable of blocking, right?
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  passport protection.
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  It's truly a choice. And so you either
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  choose to do it or choose not to, but I
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  believe everybody can. And I will always
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  approach it that way. It's my job to
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  coach the base fundamentals of it. It's
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  my job to to give them the confidence
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  and the courage to go and and try to be
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  not just good at it, but great at it.
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  but also it's something that we do in
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  this offense
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  >> that's gonna be expected not just to
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  pass pro but be really good at it and so
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  my approach would be no different you
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  know again being able to teach it
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  holding them to a standard but also
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  making sure that I'm giving them the
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  courage and the confidence
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  in this phase of uh you know the runback
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  play to be really really good at it
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  we'll take tremendous pride in doing it
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  >> I know coach goal and his offense say
• 12:25
  like go pretty fast. You know what? As
• 12:28
  far as you know, you said like the
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  running backs themselves will dictate
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  who plays and who doesn't, but you're
• 12:32
  thinking about trying to keep guys fresh
• 12:34
  and and whatnot. You know, what what
• 12:35
  does that rotation kind of look like
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  knowing that, hey, we're going to be
• 12:38
  moving a million miles an hour?
• 12:40
  >> Well, that's a great question because
• 12:41
  your guess is as good as mine right now.
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  You know, obviously we have not gotten
• 12:45
  into to spring ball to give them an
• 12:48
  opportunity um to earn the right to to
• 12:50
  to do that and and define the rotation
• 12:52
  as well. But we are looking forward to
• 12:55
  it. You know, they um and they're
• 12:58
  looking forward to it as well. So, that
• 13:00
  remains to be seen, but very very
• 13:02
  excited about what the future holds in
• 13:04
  that regard.
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  >> Sounds like all these running backs are
• 13:06
  really just excited to play together and
• 13:08
  get onto the field together as a coach.
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  You know, how how excited does that make
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  you know you've got seems like a pretty
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  hungry group of of running backs there?
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  >> It is. But also, you know, you you hear
• 13:20
  this a lot yourself. Harvard is about
• 13:22
  family. And so as we build the makeup of
• 13:25
  that room, the Auburn family, the
• 13:28
  brotherhood is going to be front and
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  center. Um we've had a lot of a lot of
• 13:33
  talented backs um come through the
• 13:36
  Auburn running back room. So there's a
• 13:38
  standard that we got to play to and meet
• 13:40
  um which they've been, you know,
• 13:42
  basically introduced to and told and
• 13:45
  explain to, you know, just the history
• 13:47
  of of what has come before them. Now,
• 13:50
  you know, it's my job as a gatekeeper to
• 13:52
  make sure that, you know, we we live up
• 13:54
  to that standard and put ourselves in
• 13:56
  position to add to that legacy.
• 14:09
  >> I'm good.
• 14:12
  >> Thank y'all.
• 14:13
  >> Hey, buddy. How are we?
• 14:16
  >> Yeah.
• 14:19
  We got one. We got one.
• 14:22
  >> Okay. All right.
• 14:23
  >> Silver Fox.
• 14:24
  >> Yeah.
• 14:25
  >> All right.