Latest / The Auburn Undercover Podcast / Auburn HC Alex Golesh - 2026 Spring Practice, Day 12

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Auburn HC Alex Golesh - 2026 Spring Practice, Day 12 · The Auburn Undercover Podcast

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  appreciate y'all being here. Um, just
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  got done with, uh, with a situational
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  scrimmage. First, uh, Coach Mzan came
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  out. That was his first one of spring.
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  I've been trying to get him here. Um,
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  he's he's moving back and will be a huge
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  resource for me and super grateful for
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  him and and Christie and the support
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  that they've shown myself and and Lex
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  and which has been awesome. So, super
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  grateful to have a wealth of knowledge
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  here and and a guy that cares about
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  Auburn so dearly. um scrimmage,
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  situational scrimmage, we went right at
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  100 plays. Um so really again for the
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  ones the twos kind of a half of football
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  um worked started out with a coming out
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  drill. Um so the ability to to to get a
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  stop and drive the field which was which
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  was a really good work for us. um work
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  some second and long situations into
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  third downs playing them out and then um
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  and then uh put some special team stuff
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  in the middle, some competition stuff in
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  there and then worked uh some third
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  downs and then worked some red zone
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  worked uh the Iron Bowl period was an
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  end game situation. So a lot of really
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  good situational football. Um, I think
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  that's kind of our next step. Um, as a
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  team is not just how do we play, the
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  intent which we play with, certainly the
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  mentality which we play with, but man,
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  now situational football. I think when
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  you get to situational football, we talk
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  about winning in the margins so much.
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  That's where you see a young team show
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  up is is guys just not super aware of
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  the sticks, not super aware of the
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  clock, not super aware of of what the
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  other side of the ball is is going to do
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  in certain situations. There's so much
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  teaching going on right now and and for
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  us the challenge today was now there is
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  something to look forward to. You got
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  you got a spring game Saturday for half
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  this team including the coaches. It's
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  the first time in the stadium in front
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  of people. There's something to look
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  forward to. The challenge, man, can we
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  come out today and work like you need to
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  work? Can we come out Thursday, work
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  like you need to work? And I thought
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  today for the first half of this thing,
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  I thought the energy level wasn't where
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  you wanted it to be. And that's what I
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  told these guys after, man, like you get
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  an opportunity inside of Jordan hair. I
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  don't care who's in there. The energy
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  level is got to be at an elite level.
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  And I thought it it was just okay. I
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  think these guys are still feeling each
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  other out. Uh feeling this whole thing
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  out. And I want us to get past that
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  feeling each other out point. Um so
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  negative there. Um I thought I thought
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  offensively took a huge step today. I
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  thought defensively there was some good,
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  there was also some bad. Um we we held
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  some guys out that are kind of starting
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  to get dinged up a little bit. Um but
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  for the most part I thought they
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  competed and I thought that that we were
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  efficient on both sides of the ball. Um
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  but I just I did not love our energy
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  today which was the challenge going into
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  today. So in that respect I thought we
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  failed. Um but in a lot of ways I
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  thought we got better today. So, um I
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  think when you're in the spring and
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  there's really you're not preparing for
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  a game, I think the more you can coach,
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  just demeanor, mindset, intent, um at
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  the end of the day, what I told these
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  guys when I brought them up was, man,
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  like the mindset when you walk into the
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  stadium is it's it's one way in, one way
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  out. Like we we got to get to a point
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  where we'll line up and play anybody
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  anywhere, anytime. And that's a mindset
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  that you when you come to Auburn that
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  you expect to have. We're getting there.
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  We're not there yet. Um, but gosh darn
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  it, we're going to get there. So, um,
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  I'll open it up to questions.
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  >> Go. Justin, Brian, Bill, Ferg, last
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  talked about some of the younger
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  receivers catching your eye, whether it
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  was Spencer offense take a step forward
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  today, how did some of the younger
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  receivers that you're watching for
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  developmental wise, how did they do
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  today?
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  >> Yeah, Justin, you know, the one guy that
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  stood out today was Brian Williams. Uh,
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  and you talk about a guy that that I
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  mean Cody Burns is as excited about
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  Brian as anybody and we kind of keep
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  going back and forth and like man like
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  he has these freshman moments and it's
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  when it gets hard and he gets punched in
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  the face and he's got to snap out of it.
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  Um, and Cody keeps challenging him and
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  challenging them and challenging and
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  Cody has a really unique way of uh
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  building guys up and and making them
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  really confident. That's that's Cody
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  does that for me. Um, and today I
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  thought Brian took a step. He's had some
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  highs, he's had some really bad lows,
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  but they've all been mental in terms of
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  the lows, like tired, beat up. How do
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  you respond, man? And and he's trying to
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  get him to go from from a senior at TFA
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  to a guy in this league. And today, I
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  thought he took a step. Um, and there's
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  there's nothing worse than a guy that
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  that has moments but is inconsistent.
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  And that's what Brian's been. And I
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  thought today he was really consistent.
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  Went up, got the ball, made some plays,
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  uh played physical on the perimeter. Uh
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  Deshawn Spencer is another one that
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  these the first couple of weeks I think
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  he was trying to figure life out. The
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  last week and a half he's been a guy
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  that looks like he could have a chance
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  to help us right away. Um and I I
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  brought up Deshawn um last time. I mean,
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  when you come from a program like he
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  does and he's played so much highle
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  football now, it's just learning the
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  system, understanding the physicality of
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  it, and there's nothing like going out
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  here and getting tackled and
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  understanding like, all right, I got
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  tackled by Eric Wyers. I'm I'm alive,
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  still in one piece. All right, I can do
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  this. Uh, but you need those moments to
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  to get gain real confidence. And I would
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  say those two guys have impressed. Um,
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  I probably would leave it there. Um, I
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  thought today it was great. Chaz Nimrods
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  missed a couple days. Um, and today he
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  came back and and I thought he was
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  really impressive. He's not a young guy
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  by any means, but but he was impressive.
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  Keshan Singleton continues to be really
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  really consistent. Uh, Jeremiah Koger,
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  kind of like Brian Williams has had some
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  highs, some lows. He's a young guy. We
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  forget he's young. Uh, cuz he played so
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  much football, but he's got to take a
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  step and we need him to take a step
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  really quickly. Um, and he's had some
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  highs and some lows. I thought today he
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  he executed at a good clip. So, uh, we
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  need those young we like we're young and
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  you feel sometimes like you don't have
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  enough depth there. We have to have
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  those young guys step up for us to have
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  a chance.
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  >> Right.
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  >> Alex, you said the offense took a big
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  step today. What was it about the
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  offense that you felt like they
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  >> Yeah, you know, there's there's um when
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  you do what we do offensively, there's
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  always this aha moment. Um this is this
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  is my fourth time doing this in this
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  system. Um and there's always this aha
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  moment of like man like when you
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  consistently move the chains the tempo
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  catches up to the defense like like
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  there's this moment of all right this
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  guy's tired and I am going to go
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  physically either road rate him or run
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  by him or whatever the the play call is.
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  I thought there were times today where
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  the offensive line, the skilled guys
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  felt that like we were efficient on
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  early downs and were able to go move it.
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  Um you you stay out of third and long,
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  you have a chance and early on in the
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  scrimmage we did and then I thought the
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  defense bounced right back. There was
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  there was uh we went into a second and
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  long situation and and the defense four
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  in a row got stops. And again, because
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  you're not getting the drive started,
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  that's where you kind of feel a halt to
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  it. Uh, but there was enough really cool
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  moments offensively of like these aha
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  moments today and and I've had it where
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  it's happened in the spring. I've had it
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  where it's happened in fall camp. I've
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  had it where it's happened week five of
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  the season where it's like, all right,
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  like if if we pick this up on first down
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  and get to second and short and move the
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  chains, now there's a rhythm to it. Uh,
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  today was the first time I feel like
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  they felt that. And it's hard to get
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  that in practice because you're you're
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  going in and out, in and out where in a
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  scrimmage setting, you're staying on the
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  field and you can get that aha moment. I
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  I thought they they felt that today
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  really the first drive.
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  >> Bill here,
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  >> you mentioned the offensive line.
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  Obviously, you don't have Stanton out
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  there full go, but I mean, how are you
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  feeling about that? And and is there a
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  group uh that that you really coming to
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  the end of the spring you really feel
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  good about and another one that maybe,
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  you know, needs more work?
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  Yeah. Um, you know, uh, Stanton not out
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  there today. Wilson Zer, um, has got a
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  little bum ankle deal, so he wasn't out
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  there today, which which I thought, um,
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  thought Tai Buster got more reps or Kobe
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  Ward got more reps. Like those guys need
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  them. Um, and they've kind of answered
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  the bell here this last week and a half,
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  which has been really impressive to see.
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  Again, kind of like the wide out group,
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  we need these young guys to get really
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  old really fast. And the easy copout
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  answers to say, "Well, we're young." You
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  know who doesn't care we're young is
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  anybody. Like, nobody cares. Um, Baylor
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  week one ain't going to care how old we
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  are. So, um, they got to grow up and we
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  got the perfect guy and it's Coach
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  Hoodie is the perfect guy cuz he gives
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  zero craps about how young they are and
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  they all get get their fair fair share
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  of of buttuins and and they're starting
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  to respond, which is good. Um, [snorts]
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  man, you know, I' I've been I've been
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  impressed with Byum. Um, his poise, his
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  like this is his wheelhouse is being out
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  here and everybody off the field and he
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  can just go make plays and be him. Um,
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  group that needs work. I continue to to
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  harp on this whole line piece. They've
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  had really high moments and and then
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  when it's bad, it's bad. Um, you know,
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  the interior of that Dline is is a
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  straight pain in the butt. These edge
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  guys, I I think Jared Smith has taken a
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  huge step. I hope I don't regret saying
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  that. Um, Wulmarmac is is playing high
• 9:33
  high level football. I've been impressed
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  with that group. Uh, Joe is is really
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  taken a huge step there. We had CK
• 9:40
  Murray hadn't gone yet. Full go. Um, but
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  I'm excited to see him. I I [snorts]
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  like our linebacker group a lot. Like
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  those guys, they are violent. They are
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  physical. They make plays. they make it
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  go. Like Elijah Melendez has been as
• 9:52
  consistent as anybody on our football
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  team like day in day out. Um he's been
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  really really impressive like mentality
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  mindset challenged him to lead. He's
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  trying. He's growing into that. I need
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  him to do it now. Um you [snorts] know
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  that that safety group u is is youthful
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  at times like we held we held Caleb
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  today, held SL held Sly today just end
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  of the spring here. beat up a little bit
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  and not taking any chances. We still
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  don't have Champ back. Uh so like you
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  got to see a ton of Eric Wyinners and
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  and New Boy and those guys, they bring
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  really cool energy to it. Um you know,
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  our corner group, we we need them to
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  take another step. We held Ray Sean
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  today, so you got to see you got to see
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  um [snorts] um Shamar step up a little
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  bit. You got to see uh Gavin Jenkins
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  step up a little bit. Um, but man, to
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  tell you anybody's arrived just yet, uh,
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  would be really hard. But I thought for
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  practice 13 or whatever is 12 today, I
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  thought a bunch of guys, young guys,
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  took steps.
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  >> You got a bunch of options, running back
• 11:00
  guys with a lot of experience. How have
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  you seen them develop
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  a lot of options?
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  >> Yeah. Um, man, those guys, they they're
• 11:13
  all so different and that's the part
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  that I think I would tell you we're
• 11:16
  still trying to figure out. Um, they've
• 11:18
  done a really good job from a ball
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  security standpoint. Um,
• 11:23
  you know, Jeremiah continues to be
• 11:26
  steady. His pass pro stuff is the part
• 11:29
  that I think Larry is is hitting on so
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  hard. Uh, he's got to take a step there.
• 11:34
  He's taken a step. He's got to take
• 11:36
  another step. Um, you know, Bryson
• 11:38
  Washington, we've only had back really
• 11:40
  full full go here for three days. Uh, he
• 11:43
  did some good things today. You could
• 11:44
  tell he's still getting his legs under
• 11:46
  him. He's got to play with better pad
• 11:47
  level. Um, Nikai Davenport did some
• 11:50
  decent things today. He's got to take a
• 11:52
  step. Um, Omar continues to be maybe as
• 11:56
  good of a pass pro guy as we've got, but
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  he's got to take a step in terms of
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  being able to to run consistently the
• 12:02
  way we need him to. Um, Tay Meadows has
• 12:05
  a really cool skill set. He's got
• 12:07
  incredible vision. Those guys are
• 12:09
  continuing to fight like and that's
• 12:10
  what's so awesome in that room is
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  there's so much competition. We'll get
• 12:14
  it to where it's it's, you know, you
• 12:17
  really need three and a half guys going
• 12:20
  into the season and those guys are going
• 12:22
  to continue to fight. Um, some highs,
• 12:24
  some lows. I I I think that group has
• 12:27
  shown some some positives. they got to
• 12:30
  go take another step. And and uh and
• 12:32
  that's in everything, pass protection,
• 12:35
  but being able to consistently gain
• 12:37
  extra yards. I thought today for the
• 12:39
  first time, probably because we're
• 12:41
  tackling and it's real, you got to see
• 12:44
  like a really good version of of Omar.
• 12:47
  You got to see a really good version of
• 12:48
  Jeremiah. Uh again, when you get into a
• 12:51
  scrimmage setting now, we instead of
• 12:53
  going four, five, six plays in a row, it
• 12:55
  was really good to see Jeremiah play 10
• 12:57
  of a drive like like bow up and go. I
• 13:00
  don't know if anybody heard me in here,
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  but I I may have said that a couple
• 13:03
  times, like bow up, nobody cares. You
• 13:05
  got to go. Um so Jeremiah, the the
• 13:08
  challenge for him has been to step up as
• 13:10
  a leader offensively. Uh he's had
• 13:13
  moments. when he gets tired and and
• 13:15
  things ain't going real good, he's still
• 13:17
  trying to find that voice a little bit.
• 13:20
  And um I would tell you that as a as a
• 13:22
  team that that's that's what if we're
• 13:24
  missing anything, it's that like we
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  don't have enough true leadership in
• 13:29
  there. And and guys are trying to find
• 13:32
  their way. I'm trying to encourage it.
• 13:34
  Um for us to take another step, that's
• 13:37
  what's got to happen. And we're not
• 13:38
  there yet. And we will. like we're we're
• 13:41
  going to find guys in this group that
• 13:42
  that feel confident enough to go lead.
• 13:45
  Um because as long as it's coach driven,
• 13:47
  we're going to hit a wall here at some
• 13:48
  point. Um but we need them to for us to
• 13:51
  go to where we got to go because we we
• 13:53
  will win and it's just a matter of these
• 13:56
  guys figuring out that it's on them to
• 13:57
  go win.
• 13:59
  >> Peter, Dan, Nathan,
• 14:01
  >> we decided on a format for a day,
• 14:02
  Saturday, and what exactly that going to
• 14:04
  look like.
• 14:04
  >> Yeah. Are we allowed to?
• 14:06
  >> Yeah, you can.
• 14:07
  >> Okay. Uh, it's going to be offense
• 14:09
  versus defense. Um, I just we've got
• 14:13
  some guys beat up and to split the team
• 14:14
  in two, I don't know if that'll do what
• 14:17
  we need to get done, which is honestly
• 14:19
  another practice uh in terms of um in
• 14:23
  terms of just playing football. Uh, to
• 14:25
  split it up would probably be a little
• 14:27
  bit more fun for these guys in the sense
• 14:28
  of like teams and all that, but we need
• 14:31
  another day of of offense versus
• 14:33
  defense. Um, really the whole everybody
• 14:36
  needs it. the coaches needed as well.
• 14:39
  Um, so we're gonna we're going to go
• 14:40
  offense versus defense. We got a cool
• 14:42
  scoring format. Um, offense will get
• 14:44
  points for touchdowns, field goals,
• 14:47
  first downs, explosive plays. Defense
• 14:51
  will get uh points for tackles for
• 14:53
  losses, three and outs, turnovers,
• 14:56
  um,
• 14:58
  sacks, uh, so explosive plays on both
• 15:01
  sides, and then and then stops. Um, so
• 15:05
  cool format. I think it'll be fun.
• 15:07
  Offense will be in blue, defense will be
• 15:09
  in white, and that's how we'll play it
• 15:11
  out. Um, quarterback will be will not be
• 15:14
  live. Um, but it'll be fun. We'll play
• 15:17
  we'll play four 15minute quarters. We'll
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  uh uh running clock. We'll stop it for
• 15:23
  injuries, stop it for the two-minute
• 15:24
  warnings. Uh, so we'll play it like a
• 15:26
  real game. We need it. Our team needs
• 15:28
  it. Our coaches need it. We all kind of
• 15:30
  need it. But it'll be uber competitive.
• 15:31
  We got to find a find a an award for the
• 15:35
  winner. Um, I'll you know what? Probably
• 15:37
  just be Taylor Bryant. Take him out to
• 15:39
  dinner with the winning side of the
• 15:40
  ball. You guys, we got SEC SID money.
• 15:43
  We'll take it, you know.
• 15:45
  >> Uh, but that'll be I think I hit
• 15:47
  everything there. Um,
• 15:50
  >> 20-minute halftime.
• 15:51
  >> And a 20-minute halftime.
• 15:54
  Looking for a sponsor. We need a sponsor
• 15:55
  for that.
• 15:56
  >> We actually have a sponsor for
• 15:57
  >> We got one. Awesome. Good.
• 15:59
  >> You mentioned Byron's poise. How has he
• 16:02
  handled the the adjustment from last
• 16:05
  season and this season so far? And where
• 16:07
  can his game still improve in your mind?
• 16:10
  >> Yeah, you know, Byum um his comfort zone
• 16:13
  is is being in the building. His comfort
• 16:15
  zone is being in the film room and and
• 16:19
  just learning and learning and learning
• 16:21
  and learning and um where where I
• 16:24
  thought through the winter he took a big
• 16:25
  step as a leader um in terms of he was
• 16:28
  around everybody. He tried to make a
• 16:30
  huge effort from a connection piece. Um,
• 16:33
  and I think he's trying to do that here
• 16:36
  as well. I think that'll be his his
• 16:38
  biggest step. You know, Byum, I was just
• 16:40
  talking to coach Malzan after practice
• 16:42
  like like his his um best stuff is when
• 16:48
  he's not in an orange jersey and he can
• 16:50
  go and and make things happen. Um, and
• 16:53
  and you just don't see that until you
• 16:55
  actually go play. And that's where his
• 16:57
  his comfort zone is. That's where his
• 16:59
  energy comes from is creating with his
• 17:01
  feet. Um I I think where it it's just
• 17:04
  slowed down for him where you're able to
• 17:06
  add things like like what this this
• 17:08
  offense looks like right now is is
• 17:12
  drastically different than what it
• 17:13
  looked like last year in the sense that
• 17:15
  we've been able to take we've gone from
• 17:18
  300 level to 400 level and even 500
• 17:21
  level. The situational awareness is just
• 17:23
  through the roof right now. Um, and he's
• 17:26
  just he's learning and playing and
• 17:29
  seeing it on a different level, it's
• 17:30
  really slow to him. Like that's when you
• 17:33
  see a quarterback where it slows down
• 17:35
  for him, especially when you're playing
• 17:36
  against this defense, which I know I
• 17:38
  said it before, like every imaginable
• 17:41
  check and like check with me, hard
• 17:44
  counts, cadances,
• 17:47
  um, all every single check is in right
• 17:50
  now. Like I've never been in spring ball
• 17:52
  practice 12 and every single mechanic
• 17:55
  you have is in. And it's in because the
• 17:58
  defense forces that to happen, but he
• 18:00
  can handle it. And when he can handle
• 18:01
  it, now it's it's kind of a crazy deal
• 18:04
  for for Tristan and Lockach and Ree like
• 18:06
  cuz they got to handle it too cuz
• 18:08
  they're playing the same defense. But
• 18:10
  it's slowed down for him. His his last
• 18:12
  step in his progression is truly being
• 18:15
  able to take care of the football in
• 18:18
  every imaginable situation. No, there's
• 18:20
  times where you just got to eat it and
• 18:23
  making sure that you've got the ball
• 18:24
  when you eat it. Uh that that's really
• 18:26
  the last step. Um not pressing when you
• 18:29
  got to make things happen. Again, right
• 18:31
  now he's got to make things happen with
• 18:32
  his arm because he can't really with his
• 18:33
  feet. And and so he's forced some things
• 18:37
  like and the greatest thing about him
• 18:38
  though is he comes over, he's like,
• 18:39
  "Yeah, coach, that was that was as dumb
• 18:41
  as dumb gets." Like keep it moving. Like
• 18:43
  you don't you ain't got to tell me what
• 18:44
  what happened. I know what happened.
• 18:46
  That's the part that makes him really
• 18:47
  unique is and you know he's been with
• 18:50
  the same coaches for this is going on
• 18:52
  year four now when you have that
• 18:54
  relationship where you just like
• 18:56
  literally I could stand back behind him
• 18:58
  like Byron him coach I got it cool
• 19:01
  moving on you know and it's it that part
• 19:03
  is is neat but taking care of the
• 19:05
  football
• 19:06
  >> go Nathan Caleb Faith and then Jeff
• 19:08
  finish
• 19:10
  how long have you had a relationship
• 19:12
  with with coach M and how much are you
• 19:14
  looking forward like you mentioned
• 19:15
  having him around and somebody to talk
• 19:17
  to about this day.
• 19:18
  >> Yeah. Uh you know what um I really met
• 19:21
  him uh when he was at uh UCF and I was
• 19:24
  at USF and you inevitably run into each
• 19:26
  other in recruiting and um and clinics
• 19:29
  and all that. Um USF UCF you're supposed
• 19:33
  to hate each other. So we're like, you
• 19:35
  know, we wouldn't wouldn't talk in
• 19:36
  public or anything. But um but I've
• 19:39
  always respected like you know he's he's
• 19:41
  from from the same place that my wife is
• 19:43
  from. He's
• 19:45
  revered in Northwest Arkansas in a lot
• 19:47
  of ways. And so, uh, for me, just a guy
• 19:50
  that that's done it at a high high
• 19:52
  level. Um, I'm excited. Like, for me, I
• 19:55
  I got no ego in this thing, man. Like,
• 19:56
  if there's somebody that's been there,
• 19:58
  done that, and had success, I I am all
• 20:00
  ears. I just asked him for his notes
• 20:02
  from from the scrimmage. Like, if I got
• 20:04
  a guy living down the street that that
• 20:08
  has time, one, I'm super jealous. Like,
• 20:10
  he's like, "Man, it's going to be
• 20:11
  between the lake and here, coach." you
• 20:12
  know, like like, "Yeah, I I know Gus, I
• 20:17
  eventually I'll get there, too." But,
• 20:19
  um, but he to have a wealth of knowledge
• 20:21
  like that and for him to be willing to
• 20:23
  give of his time. I'm telling you, he
• 20:24
  loves this place. This place, however it
• 20:27
  all shook out, like he he is so grateful
• 20:29
  for what this place meant to him and
• 20:32
  still does. So, I'm going to use every
• 20:34
  resource I possibly can. And I've I've
• 20:36
  reached out to every every single person
• 20:37
  that's coached here that's that's
• 20:39
  willing to willing to help and lend a
• 20:41
  lend an ear if nothing else. But Gustin
• 20:44
  knows more football. He's forgotten more
• 20:46
  football than I know. So I'm going to
• 20:47
  take every bit of it.
• 20:51
  >> You mentioned that some guys out this
• 20:53
  week just going into a
• 20:57
  hold out for a day. Man, I I don't
• 21:00
  nobody that I'm specifically planning to
• 21:02
  other than the guys that have really
• 21:03
  been out postsurgery this this spring.
• 21:05
  Um that would be Jonathan Nichols, Champ
• 21:09
  Anthony Stamp Stanton, Ramil. Um
• 21:13
  man, I'm trying to think. Um in terms of
• 21:16
  fully out,
• 21:18
  um CK Murray's not full go yet.
• 21:23
  And then we we had the guys that were
• 21:25
  that were out and it's really like like
• 21:28
  a couple of soft tissue things like
• 21:30
  nothing crazy. Um I I should say
• 21:33
  Christian Neptune um had had surgery
• 21:36
  beginning of the week. Um so he'll miss
• 21:39
  the spring game. He'll be back for fall
• 21:41
  camp which will be great. Uh kind of
• 21:43
  blessing a little bit of the timing so
• 21:45
  he won't won't play. And then we'll
• 21:47
  we'll see here on Thursday and Friday.
• 21:49
  My intent is not to hold anybody out. I
• 21:51
  want to see guys go play. uh our intent
• 21:54
  is not to hold anybody out. So, as long
• 21:55
  as they can go, they'll go. Um as long
• 21:57
  as they're not banged up to the point
• 21:59
  where they can. And I'll be fully honest
• 22:01
  about that going into the games.
• 22:05
  >> What is the expectation that you have of
• 22:07
  the tight ends this year? What's your
• 22:09
  evaluation of them so far?
• 22:11
  >> Yeah. Um you know, it it's been it's
• 22:14
  been really really good to get a healthy
• 22:17
  Jake Johnson the last three weeks,
• 22:19
  really two and a half weeks. He's gotten
• 22:21
  better every day. He's been fun and
• 22:23
  exciting and and uh he's taken giant
• 22:26
  steps. He's got really cool leadership
• 22:28
  ability. I we haven't talked about tight
• 22:30
  ends today. What are we doing? Uh it's
• 22:32
  the most important position on the
• 22:33
  field, right? Um but um but he's taken
• 22:37
  giant steps here these last couple
• 22:38
  weeks. It's been awesome. Um and I I
• 22:41
  love his spirit. He he's got some like
• 22:43
  jerk in him in a good way, like on the
• 22:46
  field, which that I did not know cuz
• 22:47
  when you meet him, he's like the nicest
• 22:49
  kid you'll ever meet. Um, and but he's
• 22:51
  got really good awareness of it's almost
• 22:53
  like he grew up in it. Um, like he's got
• 22:55
  really good awareness of of space and
• 22:58
  blocking schemes and he's played a ton
• 23:00
  of football. Um, he's been awesome. It's
• 23:03
  been great to have him. Um, you know,
• 23:05
  Xavier Newsome is because of some injury
• 23:08
  stuff like Jonathan Eckles being out.
• 23:10
  Um, Xavier Newsome has taken some some
• 23:12
  steps now. He just got his butt ripped
• 23:14
  because bad body language half the day
• 23:16
  today. He was tired and feeling sorry
• 23:18
  for himself. So he if you see him, he's
• 23:20
  he's going to be droopy face, but he's
• 23:22
  got to snap out of it. Like that kid for
• 23:24
  a young man that played at Howard last
• 23:26
  year to come in here and we've put he's
• 23:28
  taken a ton of one reps. Uh I I don't
• 23:30
  know if he's totally ready for that yet,
• 23:32
  but he's had to be and he's stepped up
• 23:34
  in some big moments. He's going to be a
• 23:36
  really good player here. Like like man,
• 23:39
  excited about him. Um Arles Bordingham
• 23:42
  has missed the last couple of weeks with
• 23:44
  a hammy. He practiced today. We kind of
• 23:47
  limited him a little bit, but he showed
• 23:48
  some really positive things.
• 23:51
  DJ Broton, he's gotten a ton of reps
• 23:53
  because of some injury stuff and um and
• 23:57
  he has shown some flashes. He's also
• 23:59
  shown that he's a 17-year-old freshman
• 24:01
  at times. Um but that group I I've said
• 24:04
  it before like that group has got to be
• 24:06
  really good for us. We need to get
• 24:07
  Jonathan Eckles back and really get a
• 24:08
  full rotation in there. But but I'm
• 24:10
  leaving at least today with way happier
• 24:14
  than man when we got here I was like
• 24:17
  like in a bad mental headsp space on
• 24:19
  that deal. But uh I feel a lot better
• 24:21
  and actually feel pretty good.
• 24:23
  >> Last one. Jeff,
• 24:24
  >> how much would a good aday turnout help
• 24:26
  simulate a game day for what you want to
• 24:28
  get accomplished? What do you want to
• 24:29
  see?
• 24:30
  >> Yeah. Uh, man, I
• 24:33
  selfishly even walking in here last
• 24:35
  Thursday night with the lights on, the
• 24:37
  music going, we had a bunch of recruits
• 24:38
  and and a bunch of parents here, like I
• 24:40
  I got goosebumps. Uh, even coming in
• 24:43
  here today and there wasn't as many
• 24:44
  people, but there was recruits. I
• 24:46
  goosebumps. Like, it's awesome for our
• 24:48
  kids to play in in an environment that
• 24:50
  is different. Um, man, [snorts] it would
• 24:54
  be it would be incredible. Um, be
• 24:56
  incredible. One, I think it'll be a fun
• 24:58
  time. Um, they'll get a chance to see a
• 25:01
  continuation of what this defense has
• 25:03
  built here these last couple years. Uh,
• 25:05
  they'll get to see a bunch of kids on
• 25:07
  offense that that that are as excited as
• 25:09
  anybody to play in here for the first
• 25:11
  time. Um, I think one our our players,
• 25:15
  it'll be big for them in an environment
• 25:17
  when where people are around. It'll be
• 25:19
  really the last time they get to do it
• 25:20
  before you do it in real life here in
• 25:22
  Atlanta in a couple months. Uh, so we
• 25:25
  need it like for us to take a step. We
• 25:27
  need that. We need some crowd noise. We
• 25:30
  need distraction. We need things going.
• 25:32
  Uh for us to be able to actually get a
• 25:34
  full live rep at it. Um so if if the
• 25:37
  fans consider them being a part of us
• 25:39
  taking another step, that would be huge.
• 25:41
  But um I think it'll just be a fun day,
• 25:43
  man. It's football in the spring in
• 25:45
  Auburn, Alabama. What the hell else you
• 25:47
  want, you know? Um so I I'm I'd be super
• 25:50
  grateful to pack this thing out and and
• 25:53
  um we'll give him a show. We'll make it
• 25:54
  fun. Maybe even let somebody call a play
• 25:57
  or something.
• 25:57
  >> Me?
• 25:58
  >> Not you, but uh maybe a fan.
• 26:00
  >> Okay,
• 26:01
  >> we'll pick one out.
• 26:02
  >> Guys, I hadn't thought much about it to
• 26:04
  be honest with you. They made me do the
• 26:06
  format thing on Sunday. Like, gosh, I
• 26:08
  just want to see Rory win this thing and
• 26:10
  and we're trying [laughter] to try to
• 26:11
  get a spring game format. So,
• 26:13
  >> all right. Thank you, coach. Guys, thank
• 26:15
  you so much.