Latest / Boundary Corner Podcast / Crootin' Update

Transcript

Crootin' Update · Boundary Corner Podcast

• 0:45
  Welcome back to the boundary Corner podcast do it.
• 0:51
  Okay do it. Pull the trigger, man, pulling
• 0:54
  the trigger. How you doing tonight?
• 0:58
  What's going on guys? Guys, this week will welcome in
• 1:01
  from 24/7 matej. Systematic, how are you doing
• 1:04
  this evening, buddy? I'm doing great, I'm happy to be
• 1:07
  back on with you guys. It's been a minute.
• 1:09
  But ready to chop it up? Oh yeah.
• 1:11
  It's been. It's been a few months.
• 1:13
  Last time you were with us, the Hokies had no commits.
• 1:16
  You saying they were one on the way it took about three weeks
• 1:19
  later, but we got so much to go over tonight.
• 1:24
  We got a ton of questions from at a But we're going to start
• 1:27
  with just some hokey headlines this week and let's talk about
• 1:30
  this matej Ryan, both of you guys, let's talk about this.
• 1:33
  Colbeck is returning back to the football team.
• 1:37
  Anybody shocked by this I mean personally, yes, but considering
• 1:43
  he's been on the track team. Pretty much his entire career.
• 1:47
  I know that, you know, upon his commitment coming from around
• 1:50
  the corner. A lot of people were very
• 1:53
  excited, he's you know, 61 185 Speedster.
• 1:57
  I mean, absolute burner. And everyone was saying, it
• 2:01
  doesn't matter if he can catch, doesn't matter.
• 2:03
  You know, what type of alignment in the backfield, put them on
• 2:07
  special teams, put them on punt, return, kick return, Turn let
• 2:10
  him go to work and you know it seems like maybe that's a start
• 2:14
  for him, see how it works. If you have the room might as
• 2:18
  well, add some one, another weapon to your roster that could
• 2:22
  potentially, you know, help out the Hokies on special teams but
• 2:26
  it definitely is strange after how long the absence has been
• 2:31
  since he was kind of contemplating okay, am I going
• 2:33
  to do football and track or am I doing one or the other?
• 2:37
  So it's definitely a shocker I didn't expect to hear his name
• 2:41
  back on the team, but definitely the coaching staff, see
• 2:45
  something that they can utilize him.
• 2:48
  Yeah. It looks like, I mean, you know,
• 2:49
  he's accomplished a lot in track since he's been with the Hokies.
• 2:55
  You know, 10 11, 100 meter, is nothing to nothing to sneeze at.
• 3:02
  Well, Brian, we me and Brian talked about it.
• 3:04
  You know what? 10 11 translate to 240, Y'all
• 3:08
  know the four three seven four two four two ish is that it is
• 3:15
  that accounting for the fact that 100 meters, you're more
• 3:17
  fatigued than running the 40s. It's true.
• 3:19
  It's also technically it could be faster than afford to what I
• 3:25
  solve that we were talking about earlier.
• 3:28
  I had a build a site and I put it in and it was like four to
• 3:31
  them. Like I would, I would say, you
• 3:33
  know, 40 maybe he's a for, he's definitely a guy.
• 3:38
  Even blink at that. Yeah, but go ahead.
• 3:40
  My apologies. I had no, you're good now.
• 3:42
  You're good. Yeah, just getting cold back
• 3:45
  back. I think that, you know, but they
• 3:47
  said it definitely kick returns, you know, you got a guy with
• 3:51
  that type of speed, you know, has a history with as a running
• 3:55
  back so you know, that he's got decent Vision in the open field.
• 3:59
  So I think that's going to be where you going to see him at
• 4:02
  the gate, whether whether it gets back there and punch I
• 4:04
  think is going to depend on how well his hands are because you
• 4:07
  don't want me. Bonds.
• 4:08
  That's essentially giving the other team, an extra possession,
• 4:13
  but I could definitely see him on kick return and maybe doing
• 4:16
  some stuff with with out of the back field or from the wing on
• 4:20
  offense, either getting the ball to him in space, passing it or,
• 4:25
  you know, handoffs out of the backfield.
• 4:27
  So get, you can never really argue with getting more speed on
• 4:31
  your team Absol. Absolutely not.
• 4:34
  You can't argue with that. You can't argue with the speed
• 4:36
  but if Thing else you mentioned it on kick returns.
• 4:39
  If you can remember, guys last year Malachi Thomas and chance
• 4:42
  black. We're doing some kick return
• 4:44
  Beauty. If nothing else.
• 4:46
  It helps your depth overall because if he's back there it's
• 4:49
  like he's your primary got you don't have to worry about
• 4:52
  throwing the Duane Lofton or somebody from the wide receiver
• 4:55
  core or a running back or defensive back.
• 4:57
  So you're saving them those snaps and I know it's it's on,
• 5:00
  we know most time four to six times a game, but that's where
• 5:03
  the weird injuries happened. That's where the Little Nick's
• 5:05
  happen where a guy gets nicked and he can Play the series of
• 5:09
  vast importance on the field. So if for nothing else, like you
• 5:13
  said, put him back there, on kick return, at least make teens
• 5:17
  respect that you have somebody that fast and if he can pump the
• 5:21
  ball you know, give him a chance.
• 5:24
  Now I wouldn't say it in a tight game like no, but, you know,
• 5:28
  hopefully some of these early games are merely ODU and
• 5:31
  Walford, the Hokies can go run up a big lead early and it's
• 5:35
  like, here's your opportunity. Go out.
• 5:38
  Out there we're up 35 to 10, it's middle of the fourth
• 5:42
  quarter, the games put away? Yep.
• 5:45
  You that because you cannot teach speed and he's got that
• 5:50
  in. He's got that he's got that at
• 5:53
  levels where he could potentially make the Olympic
• 5:56
  team because running that low that 10, one that will get you
• 5:59
  on a that could get you on a relay team if you just trim that
• 6:03
  down to like a 10.8 or some 10 .08 or something like that.
• 6:09
  Yeah I think you know we talked about that as well.
• 6:13
  Do we think that this is going to cut into snaps from some of
• 6:16
  the other guys in that bag feel particularly chance black.
• 6:20
  That's the question they can is if they're getting back involved
• 6:23
  in the offense has it's going to be something that's designed
• 6:25
  specifically for him or very limited playset.
• 6:28
  Or is this going to be something where some of the opportunities
• 6:31
  chance may have had out of the backfield are going to get
• 6:35
  thrown Kolb X Direction. Yeah, I think it's definitely
• 6:39
  something where maybe they Envision a limited role for him.
• 6:43
  And you have to imagine to like, you're saying, if he's a guy
• 6:46
  that could potentially, you know, be in the Olympics or, you
• 6:49
  know, even being qualifiers or what not, you know, he's not
• 6:52
  going to take this risk for, you know, pretty much no
• 6:56
  opportunity. I think there's a Clear Vision
• 6:58
  in mind for him. I think, you know, everyone has
• 7:01
  a fresh start with new coaching staff, but I think they pulled
• 7:04
  him in a little late or Or he came to them.
• 7:08
  Approach them essentially saying, you know what, I think I
• 7:12
  can I could be of service. I don't think he'll be, you
• 7:16
  know, a top for back in the rotation.
• 7:18
  By any means, I think Chance black has really risen up with
• 7:22
  this new coaching staff and I think cold back will definitely
• 7:25
  have a defined role. They won't throw too much Adam.
• 7:28
  I've heard he's been, you know, he's been working extra in the
• 7:31
  weight room, to kind of keep up with some of the other guys, but
• 7:36
  I don't Envision this Being okay, you're going to be on kick
• 7:39
  returns or pushing other guys for that opportunity to be, you
• 7:43
  know, a kick returner and then mix in.
• 7:47
  You know, we're going to put you on the offense.
• 7:48
  We're going to put you out of wide receiver.
• 7:50
  I think that would be way too much for him.
• 7:51
  Yeah. Yeah.
• 7:51
  In the only way you put them at wide, receiver is just go run
• 7:55
  vertical and even if they don't go with you that's fine.
• 7:58
  Maybe we take a shot. The one last piece I'll say is
• 8:01
  this, he has two years of Eligibility left, thanks to:.
• 8:05
  So, and again, if he approached them or are they approached him
• 8:09
  whichever way it worked. Clearly, like you said, mattei,
• 8:13
  you coaching staffs different things happen.
• 8:16
  So let's hope it's all for the best for the Hokies.
• 8:19
  All right, something that is not, that's the best.
• 8:22
  For the Hokies. We've been talking about the guy
• 8:24
  since he committed few months ago for Darius pain, the reports
• 8:28
  out that he has torn his Achilles Mateo.
• 8:32
  Have you heard even more All about this or is the word on the
• 8:36
  street, it is what it is and it is what it is.
• 8:40
  At this point. I can't confirm whether it's you
• 8:44
  know, fully torn, partially torn.
• 8:47
  You know, it seems to be the word as well.
• 8:50
  You know, he's likely out for the season but it's not
• 8:53
  definitive. I personally think he's done for
• 8:56
  this year. Don't hold your breath to see
• 8:59
  him. You know late in the season.
• 9:00
  Again we're talking about a guy that's coming into a new
• 9:03
  situation, you In staff, you know over the course of the
• 9:06
  Season guys are going to develop guys are going to be in the
• 9:09
  rotation be counted on and you know, it's extremely tough.
• 9:12
  Not only does he have to return from Achilles to a point where
• 9:16
  he can practice but then to get up to game speed later in the
• 9:20
  season? You know, that's really tough.
• 9:23
  So obviously a huge blow. You don't pick up a guy like
• 9:27
  this just to have him ride the pine.
• 9:29
  He was a guy that was going to come in and make a big impact.
• 9:32
  You know. I think he wanted a bigger.
• 9:34
  Opportunity, the coaching staff is willing to give him that and
• 9:38
  it's just you know one of those unfortunate things that I feel
• 9:40
  like happens every offseason there's always one guy that
• 9:43
  bites the dust and it's just really It's upsetting to know a
• 9:49
  guy with a lot of potential could have made a big sizable
• 9:52
  impact for the team. And you know instead he's going
• 9:54
  to be sidelined. Yeah, I think that's the big
• 9:58
  thing is that you know, there was potential there.
• 10:00
  It's at a position where we're already very thin heading into
• 10:04
  The season really across the defensive line, but particularly
• 10:07
  defensive end, I think we got some some young guys that could
• 10:11
  potentially Make some noise. But we don't have a whole lot in
• 10:14
  terms of proven Talent there, especially getting into the 3D
• 10:19
  that we probably are going to need this season.
• 10:22
  So it losing a guy like him, definitely hurts on the top end
• 10:25
  and hurts from a deaf person perspective.
• 10:27
  So it's a tough loss and you know, we'll see how, how we can
• 10:32
  we can manage that going into the season.
• 10:34
  Mmm. Yeah, anywhere puts probably the
• 10:37
  most stress on. It's going to be guys from like
• 10:39
  the 21 class, like the stretch, Carol who have been developing
• 10:44
  and getting their into their Collegiate bodies.
• 10:47
  They're going to have to probably develop faster.
• 10:50
  They're probably going to get more reps this year than than
• 10:53
  probably Brent pride and JC price want to give them and
• 10:56
  Coach more want to give them. And that's where it stinks.
• 10:59
  It's probably a guy, you know, talk about carrying moist and
• 11:01
  from last year, or Burgos, is it one of those things where if If
• 11:05
  they show out on special teams. In some way, shape or form where
• 11:10
  it's like, they're good contributor here we're going to
• 11:14
  have to use them on the line and that's where it stinks long term
• 11:17
  because there could be a guy who at their fourth year
• 11:21
  developments a lot better than their third.
• 11:23
  But they were pushed that extra year, and you lose that year of
• 11:26
  Eligibility because they are valuable to you on special teams
• 11:30
  and they can learn the role. So, that's where it stinks
• 11:33
  because I know, Brian, we mentioned him.
• 11:35
  You know, definitely was going to be in off the edge guy.
• 11:38
  You know, no could not say if he was going to be able to play a
• 11:42
  consistent 43 end, especially on rundowns.
• 11:45
  But we knew third down third and five or more.
• 11:49
  He's going to be probably out there.
• 11:51
  Could there be some packages where he played the three
• 11:53
  technique, you know, attacking go smaller.
• 11:56
  That's where it sucks and it's kind of wiped away.
• 12:00
  So you know, Beck's back good for special teams.
• 12:05
  May be good for an offensive Gadget here there.
• 12:07
  But then Somewhere where it really hurts with pain going
• 12:11
  down. You know, it's like where we
• 12:14
  didn't need it for. We didn't need somebody to go
• 12:17
  there. All right, guys.
• 12:21
  First of all, I'll tell you up in Northern Virginia, right?
• 12:25
  Yeah, currently in d.c. Okay.
• 12:28
  Last time we spoke Northern Virginia.
• 12:30
  Okay. Did you get to go to the
• 12:32
  tailgate event with coach Brian up?
• 12:35
  There did not unfortunately, I was out of town.
• 12:38
  Okay. Well, first of all next year,
• 12:40
  when it happens, which I think they're going to continue those
• 12:42
  based on our event go, go, the guys, amazing and even showed
• 12:47
  more out on acc me. Tia days.
• 12:50
  If you guys haven't went back and watched this was after I
• 12:52
  posted last week, his time with the ACC Network and it's time on
• 12:57
  the podium. Again, things that we saw in
• 12:59
  person enrichment here just showed out but I tell you
• 13:03
  something that really stuck out to me is he is it seems like
• 13:07
  he's just going to be one of those coaches.
• 13:08
  It's going to be honest because there's no need to hide
• 13:11
  anything. Right.
• 13:13
  We're in a day and age where everything is getting found out
• 13:15
  somewhere the other you really can't hide anything anymore.
• 13:19
  And when he was talking talking to Mark Packer Eddie, Royal I
• 13:24
  think the hose Kelty Riggs, talked about one thing he was
• 13:27
  really doing with this team, was evaluating the weaknesses and
• 13:31
  trying to make the guys embrace it, and trying to figure out how
• 13:34
  to improve. And what I hear coach say that
• 13:39
  it tells me He he understands that what's good is good, but if
• 13:46
  you can prove on your weaknesses, you're not going to
• 13:49
  be around the coaching game alone.
• 13:53
  Yeah, I think that was my big takeaway to when he's looking at
• 13:56
  it. He's looking at it from a
• 13:58
  perspective of what's good is going to be good.
• 14:01
  We can we can polish that we can get that better.
• 14:04
  But unless we embrace our flaws and try to build those up or
• 14:09
  hide those as best we can with within our preparation and all
• 14:14
  that stuff, then, you know, a lot of that's not going to
• 14:16
  matter. He understands.
• 14:19
  The weaknesses of the roster of where it is now and he's been,
• 14:27
  he stated it multiple times. You know, we got some good
• 14:30
  players but we need a lot more of them.
• 14:32
  We don't have we don't have enough good players at enough
• 14:35
  positions, right now. That's very evident I think on
• 14:40
  the defensive line we just talked about I think that's
• 14:42
  evident on the offensive line from a deaf perspective.
• 14:46
  I think that's evident on at the wide receiver position Position,
• 14:50
  from an experience perspective. We've got, you know, really one
• 14:55
  guy that why receive a room that has significant experience and
• 14:58
  he's a former walk-on and we got a bunch of young guys behind
• 15:03
  him. Well, to you too.
• 15:05
  Well, discount, Jane Blues playing time at Temple, true.
• 15:08
  Very true. But he still, he still new to
• 15:11
  power the football. He's due to the Hokies.
• 15:14
  Yeah. And then like I said, the
• 15:18
  offensive line, obviously, that's a depth concern.
• 15:20
  We've got, you know, I think five, Guys, we feel good to okay
• 15:24
  about we got maybe one that we feel could do in a pinch and
• 15:29
  then we've got a bunch of big question marks after that.
• 15:34
  So we've got to embrace that. We got to understand where
• 15:37
  there's limitations are and then we got to try to mitigate that
• 15:39
  as best as possible. Yeah and I think too you know
• 15:44
  Brent Pride just being open and honest about everything he has a
• 15:48
  bit of a grace period you know he's coming in for a reason that
• 15:51
  you know you come in you kind of show your character show your
• 15:55
  personality. And you know, I'm really
• 15:59
  appreciative that you know, after covering Justin Fuente and
• 16:03
  I'm not going to kick him while he's down, but I think there is
• 16:07
  a method to protecting your guys and sometimes that's necessary.
• 16:12
  But when you're a first-year head coach and you need a win, a
• 16:15
  fan base, you need to pull back the curtains and let everyone
• 16:18
  in. And I think he understands that
• 16:21
  he wants to build momentum with the program.
• 16:24
  He's showing an every press appearance and you know in part
• 16:29
  of doing that, you know you're going to have to be honest about
• 16:33
  some of the situation. So kudos to him for doing that,
• 16:36
  I think it's really refreshing and, you know, it doesn't say a
• 16:41
  whole lot about About you know what?
• 16:42
  The on-field results will be but knowing you have a guy like
• 16:46
  that. I think there's a lot of people
• 16:47
  not locker room that say you know what like that's a guy we
• 16:50
  want to fight for and for much different methods than you know
• 16:54
  Fuente. But still nonetheless want to
• 16:57
  fight for him. Absolutely.
• 16:59
  And we talked about the openness and we talked about how he's
• 17:02
  been so free and talking about and you talked about it, we
• 17:04
  talked about evaluating weaknesses and being open moving
• 17:08
  guys, not hesitant and then coming straight out and saying
• 17:11
  we Gionta Jenkins. We move Jr.
• 17:13
  Walker, we've slid this person over to Mike.
• 17:16
  We're trying this person back. We moved to Mark honor to
• 17:19
  safety. It wasn't like it's hidden.
• 17:22
  Like people are going to eventually find out where these
• 17:25
  guys are playing. Anyway, it best, it's a
• 17:28
  one-week, it's one week. It's one week where nobody knows
• 17:32
  what you're doing. We do have to wait till that
• 17:36
  like glimpse of an open practice before we figured out someone
• 17:38
  switched positions. Exactly.
• 17:40
  Exactly. The other parts that he's been
• 17:43
  talking about is we talk about evaluating those weaknesses, you
• 17:46
  talked about when he gets into Camp, you know, who they are,
• 17:49
  who we are, as a team, we're good enough, where we need to
• 17:52
  get better in any kind of talked about that.
• 17:56
  Probably he said, within a within the first few weeks,
• 17:59
  he'll know. And when you think that the
• 18:03
  first few weeks, it's well that next week is, when you're
• 18:07
  probably going to start your game planning.
• 18:10
  So Brian, what do you think about that?
• 18:14
  Do you think he's putting a lot of?
• 18:18
  Is he the think that? I mean, I feel like that's a
• 18:21
  long time to wait to say that or is it one of those things where
• 18:25
  these guys have been in summer there might be somebody coming
• 18:27
  out of some of the just shocks us and I can't say this is what
• 18:31
  we are before. I see these guys again.
• 18:34
  So I look at it this way, there's levels to it, right?
• 18:37
  So especially when you're installing new offense nude,
• 18:40
  Defense. When you have like a spring
• 18:42
  session, you have a winter session, you have a spring
• 18:45
  spring practice, you get to evaluate but you're evaluating a
• 18:48
  very base level of the offense defense.
• 18:50
  They have, they haven't gone through a full installation at
• 18:53
  this point. So you might have some kids that
• 18:56
  jump up to the top real quick with those base packages.
• 19:00
  But struggle a little bit picking up the, the finer
• 19:02
  concept as you get deeper into the Playbook, whereas others
• 19:06
  might have been a little bit of a slower mover, but, you know,
• 19:09
  now that they've got The basics down.
• 19:11
  All this other stuff is coming pretty easy for them and there's
• 19:14
  and they're showing that when they get on the field.
• 19:16
  So you don't want to kind of lock in and just trust what you
• 19:20
  saw in the spring because, you know, there's been a period
• 19:23
  since then with installation. There's been some, our workouts
• 19:27
  there, other things that could accelerate the growth of some of
• 19:30
  these players. So you want to take a week or
• 19:33
  two maybe up to three to evaluate those, especially once
• 19:36
  you get into kind of the full, the full padded practices and
• 19:38
  where you're getting a little bit of Imogen.
• 19:45
  Now, the other things that have been pretty cool to see in and I
• 19:50
  think we felt like we saw this partially with a Valencia early
• 19:53
  but then it kind of went away. Was he mentions button?
• 19:57
  Frank being in the building a few days a week and the one
• 20:00
  thing he said that just it didn't shock me but I loved
• 20:04
  hearing it. It's like Chris more if you need
• 20:06
  to go pick bugs brain. I mean, that's awesome to hear.
• 20:11
  Just straight up. Now 1000%, I think, you know,
• 20:18
  it's funny how much but is still involved with the program, it's
• 20:21
  like, he's pretty much, you know, he wants to be the
• 20:25
  defensive coordinator even with Justin Hamilton, you know, the
• 20:28
  amount that he mentored him, and now with Chris Marv, you know,
• 20:32
  picking each other's brains, you know, it's only positive, is
• 20:36
  there, and it's a guy that loves it.
• 20:39
  So, much, loves Virginia Tech, more than anything.
• 20:42
  And I think the one thing, Whenever you hire a coach and I
• 20:46
  know a lot of people looked at bream pride and they say okay
• 20:48
  you know, he's a ga for, you know, a little bit.
• 20:50
  How much does he get? Virginia Tech but I think he's
• 20:54
  showing, you know, as much as he wants to move forward and create
• 20:58
  this new culture and create this new Legacy.
• 21:00
  You know, you have to honor the grates before you and he's
• 21:04
  making them a priority and, you know, I think it can only help
• 21:08
  and like you said, that's an awesome line.
• 21:11
  I didn't hear that. But to hear that, You know,
• 21:14
  collaborating the more help that you know the better that type of
• 21:19
  stuff helps with by in, right. So you got Marv who is a
• 21:22
  first-time coordinator stepping into this role?
• 21:26
  Obviously he's getting mentored under pry.
• 21:29
  Probably coming from that DC role before he's at Virginia
• 21:32
  Tech, but picking a legend like Bud Foster's.
• 21:36
  Brain is only going to help the tools in your toolbox,
• 21:39
  especially as a new coordinator, so that's encouraging and it's
• 21:43
  encouraging that he He's encouraging his staff to embrace
• 21:48
  the legacy of Virginia Tech and I feel like that's a, that's a
• 21:55
  contrast from what we I think seen recently.
• 21:57
  So it's really good to feel like we're really embracing that
• 22:01
  Legacy. But also, you know, forging are
• 22:03
  forging A New Path in a different way in a way that is
• 22:07
  more modern to the ins and outs of how program is put together.
• 22:14
  Whether that's Rome support staff analyst, you know, the
• 22:17
  whole shebang off the field but we're still leaning on the
• 22:21
  Legacy that helped create what Blacksburg is known for 100%
• 22:27
  also just jump in quickly. I mean, you don't want to pick
• 22:31
  Frank Beamer spraying about like ni L right but you know, base
• 22:36
  defense has and certain schemes, like they're going to stay the
• 22:40
  same throughout time like it's a lot of people incorporate these
• 22:43
  things, even Today, so, you know, kind of brushing up on
• 22:47
  that. I'm sure Marv hasn't figured
• 22:49
  out, you know, prai is definitely, you know, in his ear
• 22:53
  all the time about, you know, what he wants to run and and
• 22:56
  kind of fostering that defense. But, you know, to have pride
• 22:59
  that has done it at a high level recently.
• 23:02
  And also Bud, Foster has done it for decades, you know, that's
• 23:06
  for first-year coordinator. I mean, those are the best
• 23:09
  mentors you could possibly get. So by all accounts, more of his
• 23:14
  ass. Engine terms of picking up
• 23:16
  Concepts and being able to translate that on the field.
• 23:19
  So anything that he's getting from from from bud and Frank is
• 23:27
  obviously going to be a good thing and yeah, I know we talked
• 23:29
  about Marv there but I know Holtzman picking Frank's brain
• 23:32
  as well on the specials team side of things.
• 23:36
  And, you know, we know that that's two whole is you've got a
• 23:40
  very knowledgeable on special teams front but there's a It's
• 23:44
  called Beamer ball. A precedent was set a long time
• 23:48
  ago in the things Frank did completely change the special
• 23:50
  Team game to where you know it was specifically plan for when
• 23:55
  we play Virginia Tech and those things that went through college
• 23:58
  football of how to make sure you don't get your pumps W, how you
• 24:02
  set up kick returns and punt returns because of Frank.
• 24:05
  But what I really love about hearing this also is Brent.
• 24:08
  Pry isn't a control freak? Hey, Chris go talk to her.
• 24:12
  Hey, Steve go talk to Frank guys pick these guys brains because
• 24:16
  he's a head coach now and if you're a control freak and
• 24:19
  you're not letting these guys step out and speak to people in
• 24:22
  the building that could potentially help.
• 24:25
  You're basically running yourself ragged as a first-time
• 24:28
  head coach. So I love hearing that.
• 24:30
  Now, I want to hit this real quick because mattei this is
• 24:33
  definitely your street right here.
• 24:35
  He talked about the portal and we've been hearing more and more
• 24:38
  about the portal and And, you know, he said it straight up.
• 24:42
  We need dates set dates. That makes sense for our
• 24:47
  rosters. Do you think that's getting
• 24:49
  closer? Now that we have, there's
• 24:52
  essentially, no, you know, now it's wide, open three agencies,
• 24:56
  official in the NCAA because that rule gives can transfer any
• 25:00
  time. Do you think we're going to be
• 25:01
  close to having here, your windows that you can get in the
• 25:04
  portal? I think.
• 25:06
  So. I think everything's being
• 25:07
  expedited. I mean, from from References to
• 25:11
  portals. And I L, I mean, you name it,
• 25:14
  you know, even the college football playoffs, which doesn't
• 25:18
  seem all that long ago is, you know, it seems like light years
• 25:22
  away at this point, just with how much college football in the
• 25:26
  landscape has changed. So, you know, he was talking
• 25:30
  about it, I think it was in his initial press conference, how
• 25:35
  they're getting someone to monitor the portal at all times.
• 25:40
  As a full-time job. So definitely taking the
• 25:44
  significance of it and, you know, again, I mentioned it
• 25:48
  before. He's a clean slate, he's a fresh
• 25:50
  start, he's got a little bit of a grace period, but he's a guy
• 25:55
  that's going to want to build up this roster and you know,
• 25:59
  typically it's always been okay. We're going to we're going to
• 26:02
  build it through the recruiting ranks but you don't have to do
• 26:05
  that anymore and I think he understands that it's an
• 26:07
  ever-changing landscape, you know, the to court.
• 26:10
  Our backs for next year, both came out of the portal, you
• 26:14
  know, to bolster that position and you know, I think they'll
• 26:18
  continue to look at the portal even, you know, as it leads up
• 26:22
  into fall camp and and see if they can add any more people.
• 26:26
  I think they're always going to monitor it.
• 26:28
  And but definitely, there's going to need to be some dates
• 26:32
  because I can totally Envision a scenario where there's one guy,
• 26:36
  the transfer somewhere, all of a sudden, you know, what I lost is
• 26:39
  competition. A can transfer again.
• 26:41
  So, you know, they definitely need to to kind of, you know,
• 26:46
  fix it up a little bit, put some precedent in there, and put some
• 26:50
  dates. So, you know, all the coaches
• 26:52
  have an equal chance to kind of navigate that.
• 26:56
  You think those dates are going to be sometime like, December
• 26:59
  through early January and then like late April through mid-may,
• 27:04
  I would imagine there would be like a dead period for it.
• 27:06
  And I think it would coincide with kind of the early Signing
• 27:10
  Day. A one maybe ends, you know,
• 27:12
  right after the the you know, previous official Signing Day
• 27:17
  and then definitely as Camp, you know, spring gets rolling
• 27:22
  around. There's going to be guys.
• 27:23
  I mean we we saw with Virginia Tech this, this past spring, you
• 27:28
  know, Bunch you guys leave for New Opportunities.
• 27:32
  So I don't think it's going to change too much in terms of what
• 27:36
  we've come to expect. You know, when most of the guys
• 27:39
  are entering The transfer portal, I think just mandating
• 27:43
  you know a specific timeline having a little bit of a dead
• 27:46
  period would definitely help you but you don't see things like
• 27:50
  today. What those are can for Star
• 27:52
  Quarterback. From Kentucky that went in the
• 27:54
  portal to day like literally a week from probably when their
• 27:57
  Camp opens, I am getting out of here because that's the things
• 28:01
  that can mess up because you're talking about the developmental
• 28:04
  part of the program and I know Brent said it, you said it
• 28:07
  pretty good, they won't kids to find the program that fits them.
• 28:10
  So, you have to embrace the portal in that way, but then he
• 28:13
  said, but we have to be able to manage our roster.
• 28:15
  We can't be sitting here talking about.
• 28:17
  Hey, he's probably going to be our third string, our Scout
• 28:19
  quarterback. Oh, he's out now.
• 28:22
  Okay, well now we have to completely change what we're
• 28:26
  going to do for our scout team because you know, he was a big
• 28:29
  army guy. We wanted him out there to be
• 28:32
  able to throw downfield, to, really help us.
• 28:35
  So I get it in all sense of the portal and They want it that way
• 28:41
  and let the kids go wherever they want.
• 28:43
  As long as they can academically, Do It.
• 28:46
  Go final. Your best place to where you
• 28:48
  think you can, you know, play collegiate ball, potentially,
• 28:51
  get your chance to go to the next level 100% on all of that.
• 28:56
  Yeah, and I mean, we've talked about a lot on here.
• 28:58
  I'm all for like player movement, I'm all for.
• 29:04
  In il to a point in terms of how students can make money off
• 29:09
  their name in July this, you know, and things like that.
• 29:11
  So, we talked about those things here a lot, and, and I'm very
• 29:16
  supportive of that, but we just need to make sure that we're
• 29:19
  doing in a framework that works for everybody.
• 29:23
  And I think that this, this is kind of the, I think the big
• 29:25
  thing that needs to happen on the transfer portal front.
• 29:28
  So that coaches and programs can better manage their roster and
• 29:33
  know what, To expect when they're heading into spring,
• 29:36
  practice and know what to expect with their heading into summer
• 29:38
  workouts. In Fall camp. 100%.
• 29:43
  All right, sort of the last couple pieces here, common, a
• 29:45
  blend them together. Brent talked about his team
• 29:48
  leaders, you know, trust in him right out of the gate and that
• 29:52
  helped him move quickly, which is awesome.
• 29:54
  And I'm sure, it's probably those three guys who were down
• 29:56
  in. Charlotte Dax Silas and Caleb
• 30:00
  definitely being probably the lead on that.
• 30:02
  But also, when he talked to Eddie Royal and he looked at
• 30:06
  Eddie and he said this program is more yours than mine, And he
• 30:12
  and you could kind of see a little emotion in both of their
• 30:15
  eyes and it's something about him that he talks about and
• 30:20
  we've seen it more and more. He has a passion for this place
• 30:23
  and that goes a long long ways and you know again with that
• 30:29
  statement to Eddie it's just like it's that thing that we
• 30:32
  keep seeing more and more. That it is probably why we three
• 30:36
  sit here and people are, you know, watching the stream
• 30:39
  tonight is probably why we want them to succeed.
• 30:41
  Because the maroon. And the orange, run in his
• 30:47
  blood. Yeah, me, it seems like he knows
• 30:52
  what it's all about. I mean, the the whole he just
• 30:55
  gets it. I mean and I know it said a lot
• 30:58
  but I say it a lot, it's true. I mean, and I think the fact
• 31:05
  that he's coming on the heels of someone and I don't think got
• 31:08
  it. Yep.
• 31:10
  You know, the contrast I think his what standing out as well.
• 31:15
  You know, I think there are certain things that Justin
• 31:18
  Fuente did appreciate about Virginia Tech, but I don't think
• 31:20
  he ever fully embraced the culture that was created at
• 31:24
  Virginia Tech and I think that's that's where prize died.
• 31:30
  Diving in feet first and really you know understanding and
• 31:37
  showing that he appreciates and knows what makes Virginia Tech
• 31:41
  special and he's going to try his best to get the program back
• 31:43
  to where it was. So that feel special for those
• 31:46
  fans? Yeah and I think there's a
• 31:49
  there's a difference between trying and being, you know,
• 31:52
  trying and being genuine because you know, even with Fuente we
• 31:56
  saw okay. We're going to honor Frank
• 31:58
  Beamer's, 25 every single Give it out to someone, you know,
• 32:03
  we're going to you know, put lunch pail on everything, we're
• 32:08
  going to, you know, VT is home but at the end of the day it
• 32:13
  just it some of it didn't seem genuine.
• 32:16
  Some of it seemed a little Force to try to you know, tie together
• 32:20
  you know Frank Beamer and his era and it just seems with Brent
• 32:25
  pry. Like everything is so genuine
• 32:26
  like everything he wants to be doing and You know, he's not
• 32:32
  just saying the things to say them.
• 32:34
  I think he believes that, he's really embracing the
• 32:37
  opportunity, because he genuinely loves the place, it
• 32:40
  gave him, one of his, you know, it gave him his start to a long
• 32:44
  coaching career and I think he's coming back as a first-time head
• 32:48
  coach and saying, you know, I love this place and I want to,
• 32:51
  you know, cherish all these important things and do my
• 32:55
  research and become the best, you know, possible fit for this.
• 33:00
  Graham. Absolutely.
• 33:03
  Alright, so we've had the appetizer.
• 33:08
  Now it's time for the main course.
• 33:09
  This is what he's here for but before we get to that Y'all,
• 33:15
  Brent proper little balls move at the media day and in was it
• 33:20
  planned? Maybe maybe not.
• 33:22
  Maybe he asks for to 45 for a certain reasonably to 15, but
• 33:29
  when one of the support staff there and he pulls out his
• 33:33
  phone, the Hokies just got better.
• 33:35
  Got another commit plays is falling down.
• 33:37
  Oh my God. And that commitment was a guy
• 33:40
  right here in the r-va highest-rated.
• 33:43
  Virginia Prospect so far camera and filming from Trinity.
• 33:47
  Episcopal another private school pick up where for years Virginia
• 33:52
  Tech has struggled to in one week.
• 33:55
  After Christian Williams, you know, Fleming's of cornerback
• 33:59
  6-foot 185 lat. A lot of interest from a lot of
• 34:03
  different schools Tech in Minnesota had some looks at from
• 34:07
  some SEC schools, as well as some big 10 schools.
• 34:11
  So Brian, Kick. The mattei first here, mattei
• 34:16
  from what you've heard about him and maybe had a chance to speak
• 34:20
  with him. What do you think about this
• 34:21
  young man? Yeah.
• 34:23
  First, and first and foremost, I want to start by just sharing a
• 34:27
  little funny story, but we were expecting Camp to commit the
• 34:31
  same day. I was covering the press
• 34:34
  conference and Evan. Walk-ins who's also on 24/7 was
• 34:39
  going to cover the commitment that he was just going to
• 34:42
  announce on social media. Yeah, it was around like 12:30
• 34:48
  that we were expecting it and it kept getting pushed and pushed
• 34:52
  but not not in the way that it was like, okay, it's something
• 34:56
  else going on here. But then, you know, I'm waiting
• 35:01
  for 2:15 for Brent, Pride to go to the podium and Evans, texting
• 35:06
  me on the side and he's like, yeah, I think it's going to be
• 35:08
  215. I'm like, so you're telling me
• 35:11
  this is about to happen, while Brent prize, The podium like
• 35:14
  something's going to happen and it did.
• 35:16
  So, in that moment happened, I was still genuinely surprised,
• 35:20
  you know, to, to see him react that way.
• 35:23
  I didn't know if he was just going to go through it.
• 35:25
  Put on his, you know, professional poker face and just
• 35:29
  talk about Virginia Tech but you know, he sees the moment, the
• 35:32
  opportunity and, you know, it made cam very happy that that,
• 35:36
  you know, that's the reaction from your head coach.
• 35:39
  But for him, as a player, I mean, he's an absolute stud and
• 35:44
  I'll just say that, you know, he was silently committed to
• 35:47
  Minnesota and a lot of people below Minnesota, but PJ Flack,
• 35:52
  you know, when he, when he gets you there and you know, you're
• 35:56
  on an official visit and he's showing his personality.
• 35:59
  You know, he's up there with bream pride in terms of
• 36:01
  enthusiasm, trying to create a family atmosphere but Fleming
• 36:06
  really, you know, had his pick of the litter UNC was filling up
• 36:10
  so between back and forth with them.
• 36:14
  He found. Okay well you know all these
• 36:16
  great things I can find at Minnesota at North Carolina, I
• 36:20
  can find them at Virginia Tech as well and you know the
• 36:23
  opportunity to be coached by Derrick Jones was big on him and
• 36:28
  just the overall, you know, vibe from the coaching staff, really
• 36:32
  convinced him and as well as seeing, you know, 15 other guys
• 36:36
  in the boat with him, knowing who's going to be playing with
• 36:39
  was was huge. He's a great caliber player.
• 36:43
  Where he deserves to be ranked very high up.
• 36:46
  I think he's a top 20 Prospect right now in Virginia.
• 36:50
  I would not be surprised to see him pushing 10, he's that type
• 36:53
  of player. He's a lockdown corner and I
• 36:57
  think, you know, he's a really good fit for this Virginia Tech
• 37:00
  defense. He's not just, you know, your
• 37:02
  typical cover Corner, going to blanket, the wide receiver.
• 37:05
  He has a little bit of physicality in his game as well.
• 37:08
  He's taller and he'll physically mature as well in the weight
• 37:11
  room. So, all around.
• 37:13
  Really great fit heck of a competitor and, you know, I
• 37:17
  think he makes his class A lot better.
• 37:21
  Brawn, what did you under, you looked a little bit of the tape?
• 37:24
  What else are you seeing from that?
• 37:25
  Yeah, and mattei said, it's a big thing that stands out from a
• 37:28
  cornerback perspective is the physicality.
• 37:30
  He plays physical. He doesn't mind getting in there
• 37:33
  and hitting you, see you? See a lot of highlights of him
• 37:36
  getting getting interception, but you also see a lot of
• 37:38
  highlights of him, you know, making plays in the running game
• 37:43
  out there on screens, knocking the ball loose, you know,
• 37:48
  forcing some fumbles, so he's not afraid.
• 37:50
  Afraid to bring the lik when he needs to.
• 37:53
  Would you like to see with the corner?
• 37:54
  Especially guys that, you know, potentially can can play on that
• 37:57
  boundary side and need to be balanced with the with the
• 38:01
  shutdown capabilities with also against the run.
• 38:03
  So we'll see if he develops into that type of quarterback, but I
• 38:06
  feel like a really good pick up by the Hokies here.
• 38:10
  Yes, sir. So, you know big pickup RV, a
• 38:15
  kid, the fifth and again fontelle Minds doing a great
• 38:18
  job. I think that that matej might be
• 38:20
  talking about him a little bit later, but before we get into
• 38:23
  more recruiting questions, we are going to take a quick pause
• 38:26
  for a message from our digital Partners tonight.
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  You take a quick break, we'd like to tell you about getting
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• 38:50
  Now back to the episode, everybody fired up, let's go
• 38:55
  Wing. You that April to July was going
• 38:57
  to be a really important. Time for this class and that
• 39:01
  said, did you think that there would be?
• 39:06
  Let me just count it here. 17 kids committed before they got
• 39:12
  to Camp. I did not.
• 39:15
  And to be honest with you, you know, a lot of these commitments
• 39:20
  were pretty straightforward. The Narrative was set, you know
• 39:25
  getting guys especially around July 4th weekend in a row that
• 39:29
  was all planned. You know, the communication has
• 39:32
  been great but to get the actual results and all these guys in
• 39:37
  the boat, Not just silently committed, guys.
• 39:41
  I mean, how many times have we been talking about that, you
• 39:44
  know, in previous years, silent silent, you know, I would be
• 39:50
  assuring people. Hey look, I know it says, 6
• 39:53
  commenced, but there's really 10.
• 39:55
  This is, you know, this is legitimate.
• 39:57
  So I think cam Fleming, you know, we were just kind of
• 40:02
  talking about them but Minnesota was a huge player and didn't
• 40:07
  know if he would end up. Coming to Virginia Tech.
• 40:10
  Christian Williams was another guy that, you know, things
• 40:14
  really started to heat up in the past few months and to get them
• 40:19
  in early was a huge priority. And then a guy like Thomas
• 40:23
  Williams, who I personally thought was going to South
• 40:26
  Carolina, Shane Beamer Dorian Gray, you know, those were, you
• 40:32
  know, big advantages for the Gamecocks and yet he says, you
• 40:36
  know what, I think I'm going to leave.
• 40:38
  The in-state program and go to Virginia Tech that was a big one
• 40:42
  so, you know, I could, I could go up and down the list, but at
• 40:47
  least of recent memory, those are three guys that I was not
• 40:51
  expecting to be in the boat right now.
• 40:53
  So, to have 17 right now, and again, I would have to
• 40:57
  cross-reference with previous classes but, you know, to get
• 41:01
  that amount of people in huge and and not only that.
• 41:05
  But now you're at the point where you have the foundation
• 41:08
  Action and more, you have the guys that know who they're going
• 41:12
  to be playing with. They establish relationships
• 41:15
  with their positional coaches. And, you know, all in all, all
• 41:21
  the guys are very excited and, you know, it's still early in
• 41:24
  the cycle. And I think, you know, there's
• 41:25
  often hesitancy to get a lot of these guys because maybe they'll
• 41:30
  be poached later on. But right now, it seems like
• 41:33
  everyone is super solid. Everyone really wants to be a
• 41:37
  hokey and I think that's a Difference right now.
• 41:40
  Yeah, we're definitely seen a lot of enthusiasm from a lot of
• 41:42
  these. These recruits I know Dante love
• 41:45
  it's been really heavy on Twitter with recruiting and
• 41:50
  talking to other players in this class.
• 41:52
  So that's been big I think you know we have talked back in
• 41:55
  March that you said the staff is really put an emphasis on
• 41:59
  Virginia and that you thought that, you know, they wanted to
• 42:01
  have a Virginia kid out, the gate with his class and you know
• 42:05
  we didn't end up getting that. But we do have nine Virginia.
• 42:08
  You kids in the boat at this point, which of these nine do
• 42:13
  you think could have the most impact early on in their career?
• 42:18
  That's a really good question. You know, recency bias.
• 42:23
  I think Christian Williams is a guy that I know.
• 42:26
  We at 24/7 have them, the highest rated of the Virginia
• 42:30
  prospects, the composite has in my thing slightly lower than
• 42:34
  Fleming, but he just, I mean, he could play on both.
• 42:38
  Sides of the ball to be quite honest with you.
• 42:41
  I think he's been recruited as a wide receiver and I think he can
• 42:45
  make a heck of a wide receiver, but I mean, there are people
• 42:49
  saying that this guy has Pro potential as a safety, if he can
• 42:52
  really grow into his body at 63 and well over 200 pounds, really
• 42:57
  physical guy, I think he's a guy that, you know, he's going to
• 43:01
  get in the weight room. He's going to be in the
• 43:04
  Collegiate program where he can bulk up a little bit and I think
• 43:07
  it's going to be Be undeniable to move him to the secondary
• 43:12
  kind of like Devon Diablo. He reminds me a lot of him and I
• 43:17
  think you know, having those wide receiver skill set and the
• 43:20
  mentality while moving over. If he does end up moving over
• 43:25
  that is could really benefit him and I think you know he has all
• 43:29
  the tools and I think this is the perfect type of staff to
• 43:33
  kind of really develop him. So I definitely think he's
• 43:37
  someone that is going to Manifold early.
• 43:40
  I can see him playing as soon as next year and then, you know,
• 43:44
  maybe a guy like to vorian Copeland.
• 43:47
  He's a bit lanky right now, he's a bit undersized.
• 43:50
  He's very long 64, 190, but he's someone that I think, you know,
• 43:55
  again, same type of thing. If you if you give them the
• 43:58
  right nutrition, if you give him, you know, all the benefits
• 44:01
  of being in the Collegiate program.
• 44:03
  He's someone that can, you know, do a lot of things, right.
• 44:06
  He can cover you can Rush. Shhhh you know most likely going
• 44:10
  to be kind of like a outside linebacker but you know they
• 44:15
  want them in kind of that Tremaine Edmunds mold.
• 44:18
  And I think you could fit that a lot of people didn't see
• 44:21
  Tremaine Edmonds playing early on and all of a sudden he became
• 44:25
  a monster and I'm not just saying his freshman year, but as
• 44:29
  time went on, you know, he really really became a monster
• 44:32
  and, you know, I think to vorian Copeland has shades of that.
• 44:35
  I'm not saying he's, you know, Tremaine Edmunds.
• 44:38
  Version 2 but I think there are a lot of similarities.
• 44:42
  So those are two guys right now that I'm looking at and I can
• 44:45
  see them finding a way to contribute early if not have
• 44:49
  sizable roles. Yep, you mentioned, Copeland,
• 44:52
  and you mentioned Williams in 24/7 is significantly higher on.
• 44:57
  Both of those guys. In the rest they have William.
• 44:59
  You guys have Williams at 14 or composite hasn't 28 Copeland, is
• 45:04
  it 30 composite? You guys have him at 19 so you
• 45:07
  guys are definitely significantly higher on both of
• 45:09
  those guys. And again we do feel like you
• 45:12
  guys are the best out there and you mentioned both of those
• 45:16
  Williams is here in the RV. A Copeland is down Appomattox
• 45:20
  counting the central parts or the rural part of the state.
• 45:23
  You got the kid up from Battlefield.
• 45:26
  So now I have to ask you this, when are you anticipating the
• 45:30
  first 757 commitment coming? And do you think that has been
• 45:36
  the toughest area of the rebuild for this?
• 45:38
  So for 1000%, I think it's been way harder than it should be.
• 45:47
  I don't know if I can give you you know a timeline in terms of
• 45:51
  when I expect that to happen but it's been interesting and I'll
• 45:55
  say this too that the 757 has been going through so many
• 46:01
  different types of like cultural changes in terms of colleges
• 46:06
  coming in building relationships, Oops.
• 46:08
  You know, whether it's the Penn State's the Michigan's Florida
• 46:12
  State's coming in there, you know, it seems like everyone has
• 46:15
  had their turn. And Virginia Tech has been on
• 46:17
  the outside looking in and especially for this cycle, those
• 46:21
  relationships were built years ago.
• 46:24
  So, a lot of the top talent for this cycle has already been
• 46:27
  predetermined has already said, you know what, we like the
• 46:31
  steam, we like Penn State, we like Florida State.
• 46:35
  And I think right now, when you look at the 757, it's not as
• 46:37
  deep as other Years for the cycle.
• 46:41
  That, you know, there is some top end Talent there.
• 46:43
  But overall, I would say that, you know, maybe it's later in
• 46:48
  the cycle. Maybe there's a spot that opens
• 46:50
  up. Maybe there's, you know, someone
• 46:53
  that they look at and say, you know what, he's been playing
• 46:56
  really well this year, we didn't see it coming.
• 46:59
  He's someone, we would like to have.
• 47:00
  But as of right now, you know, I don't have a name in mind for
• 47:03
  some, the guy that could be the first, but I think we'll start
• 47:07
  to see those. Those dividends paid off, you
• 47:10
  know, next year, the year after I think there's going to be a
• 47:13
  lot more. I mean, Virginia Tech can't just
• 47:15
  rely Off Richmond, right? So there's going to be a time
• 47:18
  where you need the 75 and that will happen.
• 47:22
  I just think, you know, especially this cycle, those
• 47:26
  relationships were already built those players already knew where
• 47:29
  they were going to go and Virginia Tech isn't just going
• 47:31
  to grab someone to say, you know what, we fulfilled, our promise
• 47:34
  to this region. We're building that
• 47:37
  relationship. I think they're going to you
• 47:39
  know continue to evaluate and if there's someone there they'll
• 47:42
  definitely try. But you know as of right now I
• 47:45
  think we're seeing they're building those relationships and
• 47:49
  much easier places right now. Yeah.
• 47:52
  Looking at the talent this year you kind of mentioned it a
• 47:54
  little bit with the 75. A lot of the recruits for this
• 47:57
  cycle or either kind of in that upper part of the top 10 in the
• 48:02
  state rankings or kind of 25-ish or lower.
• 48:06
  There's not a lot of that kind of meat potatoes.
• 48:08
  Of the Class Type players, right?
• 48:10
  This cycle which probably is what's hurting us most in that
• 48:14
  area as we try to rebuild those those relationships because you
• 48:19
  know we did burn some bridges down there and I think more so
• 48:24
  than any other area in the state they took it personal and then
• 48:30
  in a lot of cases, they should have.
• 48:32
  So, you know, if we Justified so we definitely got to get back
• 48:37
  with that with that. Relationship, and I think we've
• 48:40
  done a good job so far, but that was one area where it wasn't
• 48:44
  going to be repaired overnight. It wasn't a show up show out and
• 48:49
  all of a sudden, all those all is well all is forgotten 757.
• 48:54
  Definitely makes you earn it. And I think we're at that point,
• 48:58
  but I think we're doing a good job of getting back.
• 49:01
  There's but I don't think the results are going to necessarily
• 49:03
  show up this cycle. We will probably at least
• 49:07
  waiting for 2024. Before we start seeing some real
• 49:09
  head with their, well, they definitely make you earn it in.
• 49:12
  Like with the r-va. The top dog is Lauren Johnson,
• 49:16
  Warren Johnson is a tech Alum, Warren Johnson played under
• 49:20
  Brent pry, who of his teammates are on the coaching staff.
• 49:24
  Now that's a lot easier to get in the end roads.
• 49:26
  Then down in the 75, where right now there is no notable hokey
• 49:31
  alumni coaching down there. So you know that the closest
• 49:36
  relationship is Chris Scott, whose son.
• 49:38
  The Multan exactly a couple years at Virginia Tech.
• 49:42
  So, yeah, that's probably the strongest established
• 49:46
  relationship. And then obviously, you know,
• 49:48
  there was out the gate a little bit communication with, with the
• 49:54
  Smith sat down there. So that I think that probably
• 49:57
  slowed that down just a little bit as well.
• 49:59
  So, you know, we'll see how it moves forward.
• 50:02
  But let's move on to this, you know, in terms of the Virginia
• 50:06
  top 15 players there still For that don't have any solid
• 50:11
  commitments out there. At this point can be on Keys
• 50:16
  Hellcat mellow Taylor, Jordan bass.
• 50:18
  And Elijah Hughes a couple of those guys look like they're
• 50:22
  going to be committing soon. How do you feel?
• 50:25
  The Hokies sit with them as we head into the beginning of fall
• 50:28
  Camp? I think.
• 50:30
  Kavion Keys was a guy that in the beginning of the cycle,
• 50:35
  seemed very receptive to a new staff.
• 50:39
  Listening to Brent, pry, listening to, you know, a lot of
• 50:43
  the guys on the coaching staff, but I think as time has gone on
• 50:47
  and his status is kind of elevated in terms of programs
• 50:51
  pursuing him. He seems like someone that, you
• 50:56
  know, I think I believe his finalists are like Florida,
• 51:01
  Virginia Penn State is in there and, you know, I would, I would
• 51:07
  be shocked if he didn't pick. Florida or Penn State at this
• 51:10
  point. I think, you know, Virginia is
• 51:12
  really, really, really fighting to stay in it with him.
• 51:16
  But at this point I think he's Florida bound.
• 51:20
  I think, you know, they had a shot and you know, not every
• 51:23
  commit or sorry. Not every Prospect is gonna, you
• 51:28
  know, see the vision and say, you know what, that's, that's
• 51:32
  where I want to be. He's someone that desperately
• 51:35
  wants to play Early, you know, wants You know, kind of that
• 51:39
  feature linebacker and you know that may not be the best fit at
• 51:44
  Virginia Tech with Virginia Tech love to have them thousand
• 51:47
  percent. But sometimes, you know, things
• 51:51
  don't always, you know, you don't always see eye to eye and
• 51:55
  I think that was kind of the case there where he was feeling
• 51:58
  at Virginia Tech But ultimately kind of cooled.
• 52:02
  Taylor's interesting to you know Virginia Tech was in there.
• 52:08
  He's another guy Speedster, but it looks like he's going to go
• 52:13
  to South Carolina. We have really good colleagues
• 52:16
  over there, and they have a ton of great until he seems to be
• 52:19
  talking to talking up, a storm with them all the time.
• 52:23
  So I think, you know, that's that's one.
• 52:25
  Where okay, you know, Thomas Williams, went Virginia Tech's
• 52:29
  way. Mellow Taylor's seems to be
• 52:32
  going South Carolina's way. Jordan bass is interesting.
• 52:38
  Right now I think it's pit favored you know I would say a
• 52:44
  couple weeks ago I'd say it was 50/50 right now I think it's
• 52:47
  about 60 40 in terms of Pittsburgh I'm not saying it's a
• 52:51
  done deal. I still think there's there's an
• 52:55
  opportunity there but it does seem at this moment that he's
• 52:58
  favoring pit just from everything I've gathered and
• 53:02
  then Elijah Hughes he's probably the most likely of these names
• 53:08
  too. I end up committing to Virginia
• 53:09
  Tech and even then it's still a battle, he's going to be on
• 53:13
  campus this weekend, I believe which is huge.
• 53:17
  And, you know, he has other stiff competition right now is
• 53:22
  from Stanford, you know, very bright.
• 53:25
  Kid, Stanford is kind of that dream offer for him.
• 53:30
  I think we might have said the same thing about Dax hollifield
• 53:33
  back in the day. Yep.
• 53:35
  You know, when you got that Stanford offer and you know how
• 53:37
  to check Now it's tough to turn them down and I think he's going
• 53:42
  through that same battle right now.
• 53:44
  I'm sure they'll have decks right next to him or eating at
• 53:48
  his table, this weekend, telling him, you know what, I had stand
• 53:52
  for two, but Virginia Tech was a place to be.
• 53:54
  So I think, you know, I'm more favorable on Elijah, he's here.
• 54:01
  But I think the other three are, you know, with the exception of
• 54:05
  bass, I think they're, you know, keys and tail.
• 54:08
  Juror heading out of c and then bass Pittsburgh, or Virginia
• 54:13
  Tech for right now. So let's ask this kind of
• 54:19
  piggybacking on this a little bit.
• 54:22
  You know, when we look at some of the defensive line prospects
• 54:27
  that we've been approaching, we haven't had a whole lot of hits
• 54:31
  this cycle is that getting discouraging on your part or do
• 54:36
  you think this is more just part of a Growing process with this
• 54:41
  new staff as we kind of get some of these relationships
• 54:45
  re-established. Yeah, I definitely think that
• 54:48
  you know, some of the frustrations have been
• 54:51
  concentrated at that position, you know, trying to get those
• 54:56
  guys in and hey you're not going to win every battle but it is
• 55:00
  tough when you're facing an uphill battle, that every
• 55:03
  Prospect that's on your board is you know, highly sought-after.
• 55:07
  I think that highly A sought-after.
• 55:09
  I think that's a testament to the guys, they're recruiting but
• 55:13
  you have to start to win those battles.
• 55:14
  And again we're you know, we can we can talk in circles here and
• 55:19
  say, you know, they have to build those relationships.
• 55:21
  But that's kind of what's going on right now and I think you
• 55:25
  know, they're doing a good job of pitching but there are other
• 55:27
  schools to with you know, multiple years of experience,
• 55:31
  talking to the same guys and those relationships are
• 55:34
  well-defined and sometimes it's not just Enough to say, okay,
• 55:39
  where the NCAA program, especially with the guy like
• 55:43
  bass, you know, but we'll see. I still think there's a chance.
• 55:46
  They're cautiously optimistic, I think is the right way to put
• 55:50
  it. So, we'll see.
• 55:52
  Let me ask about the best thing because he's already took his
• 55:55
  official bit. How big is it that he hasn't
• 55:59
  taken the official yet to Tech? Is that one of those things
• 56:02
  where, if they feel like they're losing, they try to push an
• 56:05
  official to like BC. Night game early in the season,
• 56:11
  the place is going to be unbelievably electric.
• 56:14
  Is that potentially like what they're waiting on to say?
• 56:17
  We won't you an official for a game, we don't want you to
• 56:19
  official in the middle of summer official on a game weekend,
• 56:23
  we're obviously, the goal should be wherever pits playing.
• 56:29
  Put up that scene and then let him walk in that stadium and
• 56:32
  say, you know, playing front of that, are you want to play in
• 56:34
  front of that? Yeah, that would definitely
• 56:36
  help. I think the thing with him right
• 56:37
  now, It's he's still contemplating, I'll have to
• 56:43
  double check but I believe he wanted to make a decision in
• 56:46
  September. I don't know if he put out
• 56:48
  anything official yet but I think Pittsburgh is trying to
• 56:52
  get them. Get the idea that hey, come
• 56:56
  commit, you can focus on your season.
• 56:59
  You could be with us, your SWAT secure here where I think
• 57:03
  Virginia Tech still needs a little bit of time to work on
• 57:05
  him and they're saying look September's fine.
• 57:08
  Like you can, you can play your season, you can come to a couple
• 57:11
  games, check out what we have. We have 17, guys, in here, that
• 57:15
  would love to meet you. So, you know, he's in contact
• 57:18
  with some of them but I think it's kind of a push and pull
• 57:22
  right now. And that's a big thing in his
• 57:25
  recruitment right now. All right?
• 57:27
  Let me ask this based on your interactions based on
• 57:31
  conversations, you've had, not only, you know, with with
• 57:35
  players. But with other colleagues Coach
• 57:38
  new to this staff has jumped out to you and other people the most
• 57:42
  on the trail. I would definitely say fontelle.
• 57:45
  Mine's just because I mean, obviously it's easy to point at
• 57:49
  him and say, look at, you know, what he's done with Richmond,
• 57:52
  especially as of late, but he's someone that I think, you know,
• 57:58
  if I'm remembering correctly, he was the last name added to the
• 58:01
  staff. You know, he was he was a guy
• 58:05
  that, you know, maybe they won't say It publicly but you know
• 58:09
  wasn't first considered you know had to kind of get his shot and
• 58:16
  I think that's kind of defined him you know that Underdog
• 58:19
  mentality you know not necessarily being the best at
• 58:25
  what he did when he was a player but making it work at every
• 58:29
  stop. He's been at you know,
• 58:31
  Relentless worker. He's a guy that builds
• 58:33
  relationships super easily and I think Just a, you know, we knew
• 58:40
  he was going to be a good recruiter, but to get the early
• 58:43
  dividends, and then build out from there.
• 58:46
  I think that's what's been so impressive.
• 58:48
  But, you know, I think we'll see a lot more Richmond in future
• 58:52
  years and just what he's done so far as a recruiter has been, you
• 58:56
  know, exceptional to this class, you know, it's contributions.
• 59:00
  He's, you know, I would have to check the the recruiter ratings
• 59:03
  but he's definitely number one right now for Virginia Tech in
• 59:06
  terms of, you know, the Guys that he was assigned to the guys
• 59:11
  he's you know, taken under his wing and said, we want you, here
• 59:15
  he is. The highest hit rate and you
• 59:17
  know, he has, you know, the most success right now.
• 59:20
  So he's definitely standing out to me.
• 59:23
  I knew he was going to be energetic and all that, but you
• 59:26
  never know how that's going to pay off and it certainly has so
• 59:29
  far. Yeah, we knew he had the
• 59:31
  relationships, we just didn't know how quickly that would
• 59:34
  scale up right, right? Making the jump to power 5.
• 59:38
  In recruiting at that level and it's obviously translated pretty
• 59:42
  quickly, so it's good to see that.
• 59:46
  Yeah, I think, you know, as you said he's done well, whether
• 59:48
  he's primary or secondary on lot of the guys, he was working
• 59:51
  with. So the hit rate is pretty
• 59:54
  impressive, and hopefully we'll see some more dividends pay off
• 59:58
  as we continue through this class.
• 1:00:02
  Let's let's let's take it in this direction.
• 1:00:04
  Now though, in terms of just big picture, the Hokies are
• 1:00:09
  currently sitting 35 in the composite rankings. 32 according
• 1:00:14
  to the 24/7 ranking, is this ahead of kind of where you
• 1:00:18
  thought this class was going to be at this point.
• 1:00:22
  Or are you surprised with where the Hokies are?
• 1:00:26
  I'll definitely say. I'm surprised.
• 1:00:28
  I think, you know, when we first spoke, I was expecting them to
• 1:00:33
  kind of move up. I think it's difficult to kind
• 1:00:36
  of take this class and compare it to previous ones.
• 1:00:39
  Just because with NI L like you have Louisville, that's
• 1:00:42
  skyrocketing up the recruiting rankings.
• 1:00:44
  Texas Tech, you know, a lot of these universities with big-time
• 1:00:49
  donors or opportunities are convincing guys to go to their
• 1:00:52
  schools and it's kind of messing up the flow.
• 1:00:54
  You're still going to have your top dogs.
• 1:00:56
  You're still going to have those schools that you see, you know,
• 1:01:00
  in the top. The kind of lockdown the spot.
• 1:01:03
  But to have Virginia Tech right on the cusp pushing it and not
• 1:01:08
  to mention that, you know, I do think there are some players in
• 1:01:11
  this class that once the season rolls around, we'll be
• 1:01:15
  re-evaluated bumped up could potentially, you know, further
• 1:01:19
  put them up the rankings. I think it's been impressive.
• 1:01:22
  So far has been, you know, a high volume of commitments but I
• 1:01:29
  think they've gotten a lot of quality.
• 1:01:31
  Tea and some other guys that could bump up but to see them at
• 1:01:34
  35. You know, that's where I was
• 1:01:37
  expecting them to end the year. They're going to have to put in
• 1:01:39
  some work to round out the rest of the class and, you know,
• 1:01:43
  throughout the season to hold on to these guys but I think for a
• 1:01:47
  first year head coach to have a top 25 or sorry top. 35 class is
• 1:01:53
  a success, a major success. I thought they were going to be
• 1:01:57
  in the top 50. Some we're heading into Burr and
• 1:02:01
  you know they're already, you know blazing by that.
• 1:02:05
  So yeah, definitely surprised me that it's a hap.
• 1:02:10
  It's a very happy surprise for most of the hockey fans out here
• 1:02:13
  that from the end of the last like where they held onto a good
• 1:02:16
  recruiting class roughly about the same spot that's where they
• 1:02:19
  are. Roughly halfway through this
• 1:02:21
  cycle and you know, we look around and we see the non from
• 1:02:28
  Virginia but the other thing that's kind of been Impressive
• 1:02:31
  and it's been a process statement.
• 1:02:33
  Footprint footprint footprint, you have a recruit from Georgia,
• 1:02:38
  recruit from Indiana? There's your outer reaches of
• 1:02:40
  the six hours. Maryland, North Carolina,
• 1:02:44
  Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee.
• 1:02:45
  Virginia literally, they have hit every state in the
• 1:02:50
  footprint. Every state in the footprint.
• 1:02:54
  Now, I'll ask this, you know, you can see the commits there.
• 1:02:59
  Where do you think we're going to have the most success to
• 1:03:02
  close out this cycle? What state do you think they're
• 1:03:05
  going to get in in pop off? Maybe someone that's a little
• 1:03:08
  under the radar or maybe someone who sees an opportunity next
• 1:03:12
  year to say hi three started saying, hey, I could probably
• 1:03:15
  start next year with this staff. Yeah I think I think we I was
• 1:03:21
  expecting a little bit more out of Maryland with the Tyler Bowen
• 1:03:26
  connections there but I think Maryland and North Carolina are
• 1:03:31
  the two states to watch in terms of specific names.
• 1:03:36
  I don't have many, but I will say that, you know, they have
• 1:03:40
  been put, you know, putting a lot of their efforts in North
• 1:03:46
  Carolina recently. Kind of looking around there.
• 1:03:49
  So have a lot of feedback of new offers coming out like pretty
• 1:03:54
  much every day about North Carolina kids so I'm expecting
• 1:03:58
  something to happen. Open there.
• 1:03:59
  I think there's you know there's a there's a reason behind that
• 1:04:05
  and that's for the cycle as well.
• 1:04:08
  So I'm keeping my eye on North Carolina.
• 1:04:13
  All right. Now, I'm immediately going to
• 1:04:15
  the 24/7 North Carolina offer page for Virginia Tech is one
• 1:04:22
  while we're at that. I know.
• 1:04:24
  So, let's ask about Tennessee, real quick.
• 1:04:27
  Because we saw Chris Parson, D commits from Florida State.
• 1:04:31
  And, you know, I think at the gate, we thought, okay, well
• 1:04:34
  this, you know, there's probably already a landing spot in play
• 1:04:38
  but we haven't seen Any movement there we've seen a few tweets
• 1:04:44
  come from him. You know, Virginia Tech related
• 1:04:47
  he did get the the re offer right there after the be
• 1:04:51
  committed or just before the be commitment.
• 1:04:52
  I think if I remember correctly, you know what's the story on him
• 1:04:57
  at this point? Yeah, I mean definitely a ton of
• 1:05:01
  Interest. I think Virginia Tech is
• 1:05:03
  monitoring but I think, you know, there are some prospects
• 1:05:08
  that, you know, know they can get a lot of attention and And I
• 1:05:12
  think they kind of use that to their advantage.
• 1:05:15
  So I don't think there's anything that is quite
• 1:05:18
  materialize their that I know of at least but definitely, you
• 1:05:23
  know, I think, you know, Virginia Tech would love to have
• 1:05:27
  him. I mean, he's, he's a stud,
• 1:05:28
  right? So we'll see.
• 1:05:31
  But you know, as of right now I don't think there's there's
• 1:05:34
  anything really to solid there. Gotcha.
• 1:05:37
  So probably a Mississippi State lien then yeah.
• 1:05:41
  Good deal sec. What can you do?
• 1:05:46
  What can you do? All right, so I'll pivot it this
• 1:05:50
  way. Let's talk about class sizes
• 1:05:54
  real quick. The NCAA isn't capping.
• 1:05:57
  The recruiting size for the class for the next two years.
• 1:06:02
  Do you see the Hokies taking over 25 scholarship players?
• 1:06:05
  The next couple Cycles as they try to rebuild this roster?
• 1:06:09
  Yes, the the simple answer is yes.
• 1:06:12
  And I think, you know, we talked about that openness at the
• 1:06:16
  beginning of the show. The outward facing openness
• 1:06:19
  about the weaknesses that is evident within, you know, those
• 1:06:26
  rocks are conversations. You know, there are some guys on
• 1:06:30
  the roster that are pushing for spots and, you know, they will
• 1:06:33
  be given ample opportunities. But at the same time in order to
• 1:06:37
  build if you have the ability to take more and and to, you know,
• 1:06:42
  prize a guy that can handle those conversations and say, you
• 1:06:46
  know, we've loved what you've given us.
• 1:06:48
  Maybe we're not for you. You know, he's definitely going
• 1:06:52
  to try to take as much as possible and I think you know to
• 1:06:55
  that point I think that's why I'm a little surprised to see 17
• 1:06:59
  so quickly because we're going to start to, you know, we're
• 1:07:03
  already approaching 20 pretty soon.
• 1:07:05
  It's gonna, you know, start creeping towards that 25 and
• 1:07:08
  then, you know, adding a couple names at the end of the cycle,
• 1:07:11
  there's always stuff that happens always, you know, a cut,
• 1:07:14
  we saw last cycle, you know, for guys from Virginia that Chose
• 1:07:18
  the Hokies in the last two weeks.
• 1:07:20
  So there's always opportunities there and, you know, I think the
• 1:07:25
  coaching staff realizes they need to get a lot of talent in
• 1:07:28
  there and they want to get some of their guys.
• 1:07:30
  And the best way to do it is obviously through the recruiting
• 1:07:33
  rankings building those relationships, bringing them in
• 1:07:36
  developing, but transfer portal works as well.
• 1:07:39
  So they're going to bring an influx of talent for the next
• 1:07:42
  few years. I can only imagine, and really
• 1:07:45
  reshape this and expedite that process.
• 1:07:49
  That sounds exactly like I thought was because there's only
• 1:07:53
  so many guys in the next two seasons because of covid that
• 1:07:57
  are gone that you're going to push your guys in to your poor.
• 1:08:00
  You won't your guys in as you do this rebuilding process.
• 1:08:03
  And so why not load up and get close to 30?
• 1:08:07
  Maybe even over that number. But let me pivoted.
• 1:08:10
  This next 2023, it was something that excited the fanbase in some
• 1:08:16
  ways. In some ways, it piss people off
• 1:08:18
  with the loss of Of Miami as the common opponent every year.
• 1:08:22
  But how do you think a division has ACC is going to, or do you
• 1:08:26
  think a division has a see? He's going to have a positive
• 1:08:28
  impact on recruiting for the Hokies and when I say that my
• 1:08:33
  thought is we lost. Miami.
• 1:08:34
  That sucks. But we're going to play Florida
• 1:08:38
  State, Clemson or Miami, every year, every year, and there's
• 1:08:45
  many years we play both. So, how big is that?
• 1:08:48
  That you Where we feel, we are one of the top brands in the AC.
• 1:08:53
  He playing the other top brands and how is that going to be
• 1:08:56
  rooting? I definitely think it's
• 1:08:58
  important. You know, I think when they did
• 1:08:59
  the structure, it was definitely, you know, for the
• 1:09:01
  fans to kind of, to get the opportunities to see some of the
• 1:09:05
  schools that, you know, they haven't really been able to see
• 1:09:09
  at home or away, but for recruits to being able to play
• 1:09:13
  against Clemson, being able to play against Florida State, you
• 1:09:17
  know, we'll see where all this realignment.
• 1:09:19
  Tough goes. But you know, there's if you're
• 1:09:23
  playing the top people, I mean you're probably not pitching
• 1:09:25
  about playing Boston College or you know, your dukes but to play
• 1:09:31
  some of the better competition in the league and be able to
• 1:09:35
  Showcase, you know, hey, we're Virginia Tech.
• 1:09:38
  This is what we are in the ACC, you know, there's a way to sell
• 1:09:42
  that and I think, you know, that's very important and I
• 1:09:44
  think that they'll make a lot of recruits excited.
• 1:09:47
  I mean, I was down there when Virginia Echoes playing Florida
• 1:09:50
  State in that atmosphere was great, you know?
• 1:09:52
  And I haven't really gone. The similar vibe from a lot of
• 1:09:55
  the ACC schools that I went to. So being able to be in those
• 1:10:00
  Marquee type games, I think is super important and I think
• 1:10:04
  every recruit just wants to see that.
• 1:10:05
  You know, we were the team that brought down this floor State.
• 1:10:09
  We were the team that beat Clemson at you know, their
• 1:10:12
  house, you know, even if those things don't happen, you know,
• 1:10:15
  that's the recruiting tagline right there.
• 1:10:18
  Yeah. And To speak to another Point,
• 1:10:21
  Clemson aside. There's not a lot of, you know,
• 1:10:26
  upper third ACC teams that have good game day atmospheres.
• 1:10:31
  Right? I mean, you know, UNC has been
• 1:10:34
  recruiting well but they don't have a great game day.
• 1:10:35
  Atmosphere pit has zero atmosphere but uh, it's not not
• 1:10:40
  a great atmosphere. I mean, all these schools that
• 1:10:43
  have had some success of late. I mean, probably NC State is
• 1:10:47
  probably, you know, above Average.
• 1:10:50
  And I mean, they're finally going to have a I think put
• 1:10:53
  together a Good Year and be kind of in that your top two or three
• 1:10:56
  in the conference this year. But you know, Clemson's real in
• 1:11:00
  really the only team that's been consistently at the top of the
• 1:11:03
  league, that does have that game day atmosphere.
• 1:11:05
  That gets you excited for those Road games.
• 1:11:07
  So, it'll be nice to have some more consistency with that.
• 1:11:11
  Getting to play Florida State more often, even Louisville has
• 1:11:14
  a better atmospheric science. Yeah, most of these other
• 1:11:18
  schools that we just mentioned so So it'll be nice having some
• 1:11:21
  more consistency there. The other piece about recruiting
• 1:11:28
  footprint, hot on one thing but I know you're going to leave you
• 1:11:30
  out there, but a lot of people were pissed about Wake Forest.
• 1:11:34
  A lot of people are pissed about that, I actually liked it
• 1:11:37
  because one reason, why? And you can attest to this from
• 1:11:40
  being a 24/7, for four years that area of the Triad in the
• 1:11:45
  general state of North Carolina has been really good to Virginia
• 1:11:49
  Tech in the past couple decades. So yes, we're mad.
• 1:11:53
  We don't get my anymore. It's Because we play them
• 1:11:57
  roughly for almost 30 years consecutively.
• 1:12:00
  But now you're going to get a game in your backyard where you
• 1:12:03
  can tell. Think about it.
• 1:12:04
  Trey Turner Hendon hooker. Hey guys, we're playing just
• 1:12:09
  down the road every other year. So your family can only come to
• 1:12:13
  all the games in Blacksburg. They're going to have one right
• 1:12:16
  at the back door. And I like that, they kept us at
• 1:12:20
  least one North Carolina team on there.
• 1:12:23
  You know, maybe we can add some teams and realignment and we can
• 1:12:27
  get into for they can have them. Well, heard it.
• 1:12:31
  Curtis Curtis you pitching. Ron.
• 1:12:37
  Brian you want out? We lost you man.
• 1:12:44
  Nothing All right. Well, hang on.
• 1:12:51
  I'll hear you. But we good here.
• 1:12:54
  We're doing it live here. All right.
• 1:12:56
  Sorry guys. Sorry, let's Grant to it looks.
• 1:12:59
  So like, it was so good. Now was saying you, you pitched
• 1:13:04
  it perfectly to me, then my mic fucked me up speaking of
• 1:13:12
  realignment. Yeah.
• 1:13:17
  We pulled it off, a brought it back.
• 1:13:20
  He said, the big topic of the sports conference realignment.
• 1:13:23
  It was the talk of ACC media days.
• 1:13:26
  It's been the talk of big. The Big Ten media days.
• 1:13:31
  What scenarios do you see as the most important as the Hokies try
• 1:13:36
  to keep themselves in the so-called tier one of college
• 1:13:40
  football? Yeah, I mean this stuff is like
• 1:13:44
  so fascinating, I feel like I go down the wormhole.
• 1:13:47
  Every single day, like, looking in the conspiracy theories and
• 1:13:51
  you know how to get out of, you know, contracts and whatnot.
• 1:13:54
  But I think that's a big thing with the ACC right now.
• 1:13:57
  They're kind of lame Ducks, right now.
• 1:13:59
  You know, they have the grant of rights and I feel, I think
• 1:14:05
  everyone's waiting for someone to kind of push back on that.
• 1:14:10
  See if they can get away with it and if one Domino Falls the
• 1:14:13
  rest. Well, and I think, you know, as
• 1:14:16
  Virginia Tech goes It's tough to see where they would go because
• 1:14:22
  I get it. A lot of fans I would say the
• 1:14:24
  majority of fans would want to see, you know, if it were a
• 1:14:28
  possibility, Virginia Tech in the SEC, but I think there was a
• 1:14:32
  time period that, you know, the schedule was carefully.
• 1:14:37
  Crafted that there's a reason there is a Wisconsin and
• 1:14:40
  Michigan, a Penn State, a Rutgers, you name it big ten
• 1:14:45
  schools, coming to Blacksburg, Virginia.
• 1:14:48
  Enya Tech going a big ten schools, creating these kind of
• 1:14:51
  mini series. I think, you know the plan for
• 1:14:55
  Virginia Tech was to get to the Big Ten level eventually you
• 1:15:00
  know, way before all this conference realignment stuff.
• 1:15:04
  And I still, you know, that's that's where I see Virginia Tech
• 1:15:07
  long-term kind of in that category, maybe not an SEC, Tier
• 1:15:12
  1 or tier 2, Big 10, or 1, a 1 B whatever.
• 1:15:18
  But I think you know someone if it's a Clemson floor state is
• 1:15:24
  may try something. I think things are settling down
• 1:15:27
  right now just with lack of movement.
• 1:15:29
  I think the teams that were going to leave left and now
• 1:15:33
  everyone else is kind of like waiting to see what the next
• 1:15:36
  move is. But yeah, I'm super fascinated
• 1:15:41
  to see what happens. But, you know, if the top dogs
• 1:15:44
  that we mentioned, leave the ACC I don't I think Virginia Tech
• 1:15:48
  will have some ways to figure it out and, you know, I think
• 1:15:52
  they'll be a commodity that can be in either conference to be
• 1:15:57
  quite honest. You know, they're not a program
• 1:16:00
  that's going to, you know, be at the top of either list.
• 1:16:03
  But you know, they're going to bring a reliable and steady
• 1:16:07
  presence. And I think that's very
• 1:16:09
  important and I think, you know, the Big Ten especially they seem
• 1:16:12
  like the ones that are looking at a bit more.
• 1:16:15
  So Yeah, we'll see what happens. But yeah I think the Big 10 is
• 1:16:22
  kind of where I'm leaning right now.
• 1:16:23
  Yeah, the big piece with the grant of rights is in the way
• 1:16:27
  that they can get out of the easiest is if 18s vote To
• 1:16:32
  dissolve it and you sit here in, are there, eight teams in the
• 1:16:36
  ACC that could get offers from the Big Ten and or the SEC and
• 1:16:44
  you sit here and you, you know, Clemson, yeah, you do.
• 1:16:49
  I don't think the SEC would blink at Clemson.
• 1:16:51
  I don't think they blink it. Florida State, I think Florida
• 1:16:54
  would Raise Hell about Miami. They would not play them in the
• 1:16:58
  90s Fourier would not play them. He was a chicken.
• 1:17:01
  Ian is what you can say. He was a chicken in the 90s
• 1:17:04
  because you wouldn't did not want his Gators to go down to
• 1:17:07
  the Orange Bowl and then you get an ass like Virginia Tech.
• 1:17:11
  Like you said, not the biggest but steady fan base, big markets
• 1:17:16
  in d.c. good markets all over the state of Virginia Which
• 1:17:21
  neither SEC or Big Ten. Have a big presence in Western
• 1:17:28
  Carolina as well. They yeah Southern.
• 1:17:30
  Yep. Carolina.
• 1:17:31
  You got a part down? There are there.
• 1:17:34
  But are there five? Four more teams.
• 1:17:38
  Do you want Duke football? Because this is about football.
• 1:17:40
  This is not about the ball. And when you look at the value
• 1:17:43
  of Duke basketball, there are some mediocre football programs
• 1:17:48
  that out, do Duke basketball. So, Duke basketballs value.
• 1:17:53
  Is it? So it's high for what it is.
• 1:17:55
  It's just it doesn't compete with football rivalry football.
• 1:17:59
  So if there's enough teams here there, you know, speaking of
• 1:18:03
  that, you've obviously you've said it you were watching ACC
• 1:18:06
  media days. Do you think is there do you
• 1:18:10
  think 10 years from now 15 years from now?
• 1:18:13
  ACC still at Tier 1 conference? I don't think so.
• 1:18:17
  I think it's been pretty clear recently that right.
• 1:18:22
  I mean, they're either three or four, but, you know, with how
• 1:18:27
  you know, TV revenue is being spread with with how much
• 1:18:32
  interest there is. And, you know, even these again,
• 1:18:36
  conspiracies, well, Virginia Tech.
• 1:18:38
  Leave not will someone join the ACC, will we get someone else,
• 1:18:42
  you know, I think that kind of speaks to the state of the ACC
• 1:18:46
  right now. And not only that, but just to
• 1:18:49
  see, you know, the And saying, you know, we will be strong
• 1:18:54
  together. Everyone staying, you know, it's
• 1:18:57
  kind of like, hold it grasping on, you know.
• 1:19:01
  And and so, yeah, I think I think the ACC is number three
• 1:19:06
  right now, just because the Pac-12 you can get some of those
• 1:19:10
  guys out of there and you can kind of move it around and kind
• 1:19:14
  of, you know, absorb some of those teams that are in there.
• 1:19:16
  If you know the continue to do some more realignment, the Big
• 1:19:21
  12 lost Our top dogs. Exactly.
• 1:19:24
  So you're right there three right now.
• 1:19:29
  So the distant third, just a video but we do not see a sense
• 1:19:38
  of urgency because I think us as Virginia Tech fans and ACC fans.
• 1:19:44
  I would be calling Oregon and Washington and Utah and Stanford
• 1:19:49
  insane. Listen, you guys add a lot of
• 1:19:53
  value to our conference. Probably, an extra, what 15?
• 1:19:57
  Maybe 20 million a year per school?
• 1:20:00
  Because of the markets, they're in, and you're not seeing that
• 1:20:04
  or we don't feel like we're seeing that, because it could
• 1:20:06
  there be back room deals happening?
• 1:20:08
  Absolutely. Well, I mean the last the last
• 1:20:11
  couple times something that's happened.
• 1:20:13
  It came out of nowhere. So the discussions are
• 1:20:16
  definitely happening. Just are they happening with
• 1:20:18
  enough urgency? And Pushing Us in the direction
• 1:20:23
  where the ACC has has a life, is the question.
• 1:20:27
  You know, you we know discussions are happening.
• 1:20:32
  The question is, is it the right type of discussions?
• 1:20:34
  And, you know, we watch Jim Phillips press conference and
• 1:20:39
  that did not, you know, regardless of what's being said
• 1:20:43
  behind the doors. What was said out in public, did
• 1:20:47
  not Inspire confidence in people, that are hoping that the
• 1:20:51
  CeCe is in it for the Long Haul. Yeah, I mean it's a tough
• 1:20:58
  situation. Just feels like I do think those
• 1:21:02
  conversations are happening. And I think if there is someone
• 1:21:05
  to lead Virginia Tech in the right direction, it is wet
• 1:21:09
  Babcock. And I think he's very aware of
• 1:21:11
  what's going on right now but the good there's good and bad
• 1:21:15
  news. The bad news is that Virginia
• 1:21:17
  Tech is kind of you know like we mentioned a couple steps down
• 1:21:22
  from those guys that are really moving the needle.
• 1:21:25
  I know that but the good news that comes with that is that,
• 1:21:28
  you know, they don't have to make the first move.
• 1:21:30
  Virginia Tech doesn't have to go out there and say you know what
• 1:21:33
  were the first to leave the ACC we're going to deal with the
• 1:21:36
  repercussions they can kind of follow suit and they will you
• 1:21:40
  know be a Suitor no matter what like just looking at you know
• 1:21:44
  the rest of you know everything else outside the Big Ten and the
• 1:21:49
  SEC currently and you know Virginia Tech is up there in
• 1:21:53
  that Tier 1 of next. Schools that you would love to
• 1:21:56
  have in your conference. So, you know, it's not the best
• 1:21:59
  position to be in being in the ACC but it's certainly not the
• 1:22:04
  worst. And you know I have confidence
• 1:22:06
  that this will all be sorted out and you know, I don't think as
• 1:22:11
  much as we've seen an acceleration on this recently
• 1:22:15
  you know I think it will slow down a little bit but certainly
• 1:22:19
  these conversations will be happening every single year.
• 1:22:23
  I mean I don't see the ACC You know, for another 10-15 years
• 1:22:29
  being what it is. Now I think there's going to be
• 1:22:31
  a lot of changes and you know, I'm somewhat excited to see them
• 1:22:34
  but also somewhat a little nervous about them.
• 1:22:36
  So we'll see, let me ask you this because this has been my
• 1:22:41
  concern. I'm not as concerned if like two
• 1:22:45
  weeks from now everything starts to blow up because I feel like
• 1:22:50
  we would be somewhat High On That pecking order.
• 1:22:53
  We're not going to be first here.
• 1:22:54
  We might Maybe at the bottom, bottom to middle of the second
• 1:22:57
  tier of those programs that we get picked up.
• 1:23:00
  I think if you're saying realignment is going to result
• 1:23:04
  with, you know, between 40 and 48 teams, I think we're kind of
• 1:23:08
  right on that, that cusp of making the cut.
• 1:23:12
  But my concern is that, with the Pac-12 being extremely
• 1:23:17
  vulnerable and the Big 12 having been in almost a state of
• 1:23:21
  constant flux for the last decade.
• 1:23:25
  Decade does the Big Ten, and the SEC start scooping up.
• 1:23:31
  These other Big 10, Big, 12, and PAC, 12 teams, and then all of a
• 1:23:38
  sudden, Yeah, they're holding paddle their expansion for a
• 1:23:42
  wild once it's the acc's turn and whether it's great of rights
• 1:23:46
  that the is that firewall or these, or any other reason does
• 1:23:51
  the ACC kind of look like the leftovers in.
• 1:23:54
  They only end up getting, you know, the big boys and kind of
• 1:23:58
  leaving the those second-tier programs in the dust.
• 1:24:02
  That's my concern, depending on, you know, where they go, numbers
• 1:24:05
  wise. And What markets, they scooped
• 1:24:08
  up and whether those Markets are in terms of comparable with what
• 1:24:13
  the Virginia markets in the North Carolina markets can
• 1:24:15
  offer. I think that's the worry piece,
• 1:24:22
  I think the, but I also think, I don't think the Big Ten and I'm
• 1:24:27
  going to just start going through the school.
• 1:24:29
  And I thought about talked about this after it, I'll do right
• 1:24:31
  here. I don't think the Big Ten or the
• 1:24:33
  SEC are going to go after Kansas or Kansas State, or Arizona or
• 1:24:42
  Cal, or Oregon State or Wazoo? I don't think they're going to
• 1:24:47
  go after Iowa State. There are so many teams that
• 1:24:53
  They're there. They don't have a brand.
• 1:24:56
  Or they don't have a branded football per say and they don't
• 1:24:59
  have a gigantic Market in and why say you can say, well, what
• 1:25:04
  about Baylor, what about Oklahoma state?
• 1:25:06
  They're really good. The state of Oklahoma is locked.
• 1:25:11
  The state of Oklahoma is locked with Oklahoma, going to the SEC
• 1:25:15
  Oklahoma state is probably about where we are, maybe a little bit
• 1:25:20
  lower. So that's where you have to
• 1:25:22
  start doing. You have to start saying, who's
• 1:25:24
  above you, who's below you? And I think what goes even more
• 1:25:30
  important. This kind of last question as we
• 1:25:32
  wrap it up here. How important is to stay a tier
• 1:25:36
  1 program for Virginia Tech's ability to recruit Talent from
• 1:25:41
  anywhere? I think it definitely is
• 1:25:45
  important but in the sense of recruiting and and making things
• 1:25:50
  work, I you know, at least for the time being like, these
• 1:25:54
  aren't super big conversations right now.
• 1:25:59
  In terms of what recruits are being told, like realignment is
• 1:26:03
  often not coming up and if it does come up, you know, it's the
• 1:26:08
  promise of Virginia Tech will be fine and will, you know, be
• 1:26:12
  playing Stiff competition week in and week out, I don't expect
• 1:26:16
  a scenario where, you know, it's Appalachian State Duke, you
• 1:26:21
  know, Boston College as the leftovers, right?
• 1:26:24
  Virginia Tech, we'll figure it out.
• 1:26:25
  But, you know, to that point I think being in the conversations
• 1:26:30
  with those big teams is definitely important.
• 1:26:34
  And, you know, they want to recruit guys that want to
• 1:26:38
  represent, Virginia, first and foremost, but when they're
• 1:26:41
  getting other guys out of state, You know, they want them to also
• 1:26:46
  be in that big game atmosphere, so I think it's important to be
• 1:26:50
  a tier 1, but I think, you know, it's the recruiting world will
• 1:26:54
  make it work, no matter what. Definitely don't Envision a
• 1:26:58
  scenario where, you know, the recruiting pitches anything
• 1:27:02
  about being a tear to school, you know?
• 1:27:04
  So did the comments from? I know.
• 1:27:10
  Kevin Warren was talking a lot about The, you know, we're
• 1:27:15
  pushing forward. We're adapting, we're moving.
• 1:27:18
  I feel like that in contrast with what Jim Phillips was
• 1:27:20
  saying, kind of stood out to me, which has to be a little
• 1:27:24
  concerned about. Will there be more continued
• 1:27:27
  fleecing of the Pac-12? Or does the Big Ten already have
• 1:27:31
  their sights set on an ACC school?
• 1:27:34
  Yeah, I mean, one school, we kind of left out on this.
• 1:27:38
  Which personally I think is kind of the bottleneck is no.
• 1:27:42
  Dane, what happens with Notre Dame?
• 1:27:44
  Are they going to join the Big Ten?
• 1:27:46
  Are they going to go to the SEC? You know, I think once they if
• 1:27:50
  they decide, you know, we no longer want to be an independent
• 1:27:53
  and, you know, all of a sudden, you know, let's just, you know,
• 1:27:57
  say that they go to the Big Ten does the SEC then say, okay.
• 1:28:01
  We want to grab a couple more schools to bolster our Network.
• 1:28:05
  I think that's where it really gets started.
• 1:28:09
  And that's, that's going to be the position where, okay.
• 1:28:12
  So, how do you get out of this grant of rights?
• 1:28:14
  How do you possibly leave this conference and become a free
• 1:28:18
  agent? You know, it's like the transfer
• 1:28:19
  portal just for for college institutions, but the deals that
• 1:28:25
  that you're hearing, that the Irish are going to get because
• 1:28:28
  they're about to go re-up in the new TV negotiations.
• 1:28:31
  If they keep the agreement with the ACC, which is going to be
• 1:28:34
  about 12 to 15 million a year, they're talking about them,
• 1:28:37
  getting 75 to 90 million dollars, they're going to be in
• 1:28:41
  the SEC and big tent here so they could look at them and say
• 1:28:45
  who cares? CBS is going to give us 80
• 1:28:47
  million. We're going to keep our
• 1:28:49
  partnership with the ACC, we're going to be where you guys are
• 1:28:52
  plus. We're Notre Dame.
• 1:28:53
  Plus our sales of online merchandise is going to be
• 1:28:57
  higher than just about anyone in the country.
• 1:28:59
  So that five million dollar Gap, we can make up, maybe they,
• 1:29:02
  maybe this is the best thing that ever happened to Notre.
• 1:29:05
  Dame staying independent, is these outrageous TV contracts,
• 1:29:09
  where they might, Maybe I'm dumb to say this, they might get a
• 1:29:13
  10-year billion dollar deal just for them and I don't think any
• 1:29:18
  of us would be surprised. Yeah, that's that's my thing.
• 1:29:24
  And like potato said, I think that's the Domino waiting to
• 1:29:27
  fall. What does Notre Dame?
• 1:29:29
  Do I think a lot of especially ACC schools, I think are trying
• 1:29:35
  to see if they can somehow lure Notre Dame into the ACC.
• 1:29:40
  I feel like that's the acc's last best card to play is
• 1:29:45
  somehow convincing Notre Dame to join the ACC.
• 1:29:48
  I do not see it happening but I feel like that's the that's the
• 1:29:51
  hope that a lot of DieHard ACC fans are holding onto because if
• 1:29:56
  you can get Notre Dame that will not only help your own media
• 1:30:00
  deal but it'll give you some additional markets to play with
• 1:30:06
  on the football side. There's just so much that
• 1:30:10
  getting them even just on a Prestige side of the
• 1:30:14
  conversation that that Notre Dame would bring to the table
• 1:30:17
  from a football perspective but I just don't see it happening.
• 1:30:21
  I think geographically. I know that doesn't matter
• 1:30:24
  anymore but Notre Dame's have better fit, the Big Ten,
• 1:30:26
  geographically, they don't matter anymore, it doesn't
• 1:30:30
  matter. I'm not saying those but just
• 1:30:32
  wasn't a decade ago. Again, it doesn't anymore but I
• 1:30:36
  think that's still for so long. They did have a, you know,
• 1:30:42
  robbery games with a lot of the Big Ten Schools.
• 1:30:44
  They're obviously that shifted with the with the deal with the
• 1:30:47
  ACC. But you know I just I don't see.
• 1:30:52
  see, Notre Dame committing to the ACC mainly because The acc's
• 1:30:59
  media deal pales in comparison to the big tent.
• 1:31:02
  If they're, if they're taking a chance on the conference,
• 1:31:06
  they're going to take one where their payout is better.
• 1:31:09
  Yeah, percent ultimate a man. It's been awesome.
• 1:31:13
  Having you here, it does not feel like we've been talking for
• 1:31:15
  90 minutes, guys, but we have been talking for over 90 minutes
• 1:31:19
  now. Matej, give them where you're
• 1:31:22
  at, where they can catch you. Yeah, come to VT scoop.
• 1:31:26
  Check us out. We are rolling back into Seasons
• 1:31:29
  a little over a month away. So tons of content coming out.
• 1:31:34
  You can find me at Mateo am a t. EJ s 24/7 on Twitter.
• 1:31:40
  Last time I was on here guys I promise to Commitment coming in
• 1:31:44
  the next week turned out that it took about two weeks after that.
• 1:31:48
  So not no promises. This is all right.
• 1:31:51
  We do have a hokie Fest on Friday.
• 1:31:55
  Some guys Elijah Hughes will be down there, a bunch of Aunt,
• 1:31:59
  Regina Tech. Commits will see if something
• 1:32:01
  comes out of that again. No promises.
• 1:32:03
  But could be some news coming up and if you want to find out all
• 1:32:08
  the latest on that and just you know, the behind-the-scenes kind
• 1:32:13
  of what's going on, come to V2 scoop and check it out.
• 1:32:17
  Definitely check them out. On VT, scoop, Braun, anything
• 1:32:21
  breaking as far as other things? I think we're clear, man, we're
• 1:32:25
  ready to sign it off, man. All right, well that wraps up
• 1:32:28
  this episode Sort of the boundary Corner podcast with our
• 1:32:31
  guest metathesis on Curtis Wilson.
• 1:32:33
  I'm Brian Sigler. Visit our website.
• 1:32:36
  Boundary corner bt.com/community all of our episodes while you're
• 1:32:39
  there. Don't forget to follow us on
• 1:32:41
  Twitter. Facebook, Instagram, subscribe
• 1:32:44
  to our YouTube channel, and your favorite podcast Source,
• 1:32:47
  including Spotify, Amazon and apple Cod cast is always we let
• 1:32:51
  our buddy Jason long, he plays assume he plays this out.
• 1:32:54
  Check him this Saturday at the Grand and Village Farmers Market
• 1:32:58
  down. In Roanoke, and he's got two
• 1:33:00
  events. The next weekend, August 5th,
• 1:33:03
  he's going to be a big league Brewing.
• 1:33:04
  Big Lick Brewing Company, down in Roanoke, with his old
• 1:33:08
  bandmate Weiland Hatchet. They play some damn good music.
• 1:33:11
  If you're down there, and then he's going to be an outer space,
• 1:33:14
  August 6 down in Floyd County. We thank you, as always for
• 1:33:19
  listening and let's go okay's.