Press Conference (Jeremiah Smith) Elite Edition September 2

0:00Before we got on the field, I mean Coach Day called it. He was like, we go call his play and you got to go get it. So already little balls coming at me. I just had to go and make a play. Over here to left bill, Rebinoids. Jeremiah, when you see man coverage, especially on a deep ball, what goes through your mind? I mean, Coach Hartlan always plays. You got to win first, man or man. So that's what I'm told you to do. And that's what I'm going to do with all of his manners. And I just got to go out there and win and catch the ball. Tim, I think, yeah. Jeremiah, I think 9 Kitches tonight was tied to your career. Hi. Yeah. Were you aware of that? But what does that mean to you if at all? Don't mean nothing to me. You just got to continue to go out there and play football as well. All right, last question for Jeremiah Dan Hope. Jeremiah, you had said last week that you were excited to see what Bo Jackson was doing. Let's do it. See him go out, have a game he did tonight. I mean, how much of that excited you? Yeah, I mean, I've been saying it like I said. I mean, Bo Jackson is that guy. And you go see more that throughout the rest of the season. Great. Jeremiah, thank you very much. I mean, to truly plan as much. So I just wanted to get more experience under my belt.

1:02So I can bring younger guys with me because I've been through a lot of it. One of those younger guys we're seeing out here. It's the first time I scored all of your last years. What have you seen from Will? Because I kind of go like, I should have real forgot about him because he was hurt. Now he's running almost a second man out of the eye. And tied. What have you seen in the memories of Williams? Will is a workhorse. He's going to stay quiet. He's going to work hard. And that's all I love about him. He focuses. He don't really talk much. He's going to get the job done. Do a job right. It rarely has any mistakes. What would be a successful season? A national championship? A ring. When all the games we don't want to lose anything, we got a mindset that we can't be beat. We just got to go show it. That mindset, different. Seems like you guys expect a national championship every year. This year, even more so. Because it all come back for this. That's all decided like an opposite. Does that feel the difference? Or is there not really any difference? It's just the same work. It's definitely a difference. Everyone working harder.

2:03We noticed our last run. Most of us don't have any years after this. So we got to go bigger, go home, and we're not trying to go home. It's going to be a finish big. We know what you guys think of Michigan. But when you look at what they did, they won the national championship. And you guys took them down to the final minute, right? You know what I mean? I mean, you were right there. Something goes a little different. You guys could have won that game against them. Does that tell you anything about like that, hey, you guys want to win a national championship? But you played to the 59th minute with the team that won the national championship last year, like you're that close. So I'm saying, we just work harder. That's kind of a coach makes a saying, you know, nobody cares, just work harder. Like those, you know, when we played Georgia, it's the same thing. Last play, you know, they went on the win in 90. So we just got to get over that hump at the end of the season. I think we'll be fine. How frustrating is that? You're that close against the last two national titles. Of course, as you know, it's frustrating, but you can't change the outcome. You can't really dwell on it.

3:06You just got to, you know, come back and work harder. Do things better than you did last year and hopefully the outcome will change. Is that as you get older, you kind of learn. I thought I was working hard and then you always find out there's a little more you could have been doing? But definitely, I mean, that's how that's what growing up is basically in college. I thought, French, me, I was working as hard as I could, but now I look back at it. I really wasn't working hard at all compared to what I'm doing now. So just to learn anything. But for stamina, it's a 16. And the answer to like, what do you need it to be to be your best? Uh, 80, 85. I mean, I can, it's all on me. I just, I think it's a little higher. I was just trying to be funny. But I mean, it's all on me. I just got to run harder. Get in shape. It's time to add to you young. It's been a thing. Yeah. The idea of a potential is 16 and 17 and 17. Yeah. I mean, I've got that idea. There's a making. You know, it's about, can you last that long? You're really worried. I think I'm going to kill that up there.

4:06I think we, I definitely can last. I was just, you know, we got to get the young guys to come along with us. We can't play 50 snaps of game. That's just too much on our bodies. Uh, just everybody. Like online, we got to get those younger guys to play, you know, get that pieces on the D line and the online and everywhere else. So we can last that long. Speaking of that, I'm not going to snap. Did you like playing that movie snap to me last year? I don't know if any of us were really expected to play that movie. Ah, yeah, I did. Unless we were like winning by like a lot. I thought like there are no moments you know, I can go sit down or something. But we're playing them big games like, you know, Notre Dame too, or North, those kind of games. Of course, I want to be because I know I can contribute. And I won't want to put that on anyone else when I know I can get the job done. What stands out about Kevin McDonald is he got a few guys in a second. Oh, yeah, definitely. K-Mac is a K-Mac animal. Y'all, you haven't really seen it yet, but in practice, he shows all the time. He's just, he's grown right now. He has to work, I think. He just has to get, you know, in the playbook and things like that.

5:08You guys are about the exact same size. Listen, you're both listening to 6th or you're 327. He's 326. Yeah, he's a real guy. I kind of look at him like my junior, but you know, K-Mac, he's going to be a great player. He's got to develop more and get into playbook. So really a lot on you, older guys, there's that large group of young guys. And then there's these seniors in the back. Is that part of your task for this year to bring those guys along as well? Yeah, definitely. We got to be leaders. Like I say, we got to have them play this year. We can't just play all the snaps. They got to get in there and get some work. And we got to get them right during the off season. So they can play. And I just play, they want to like contribute, like make plays, tackle, sex. It stays out of our hands, right? It seems like these guys get bigger. Each one of the freshmen class is a bigger, bigger. And those guys kind of, there's going to kind of why you want to solve the first. Yeah, they definitely need some big dudes. And they all work hard. I've only seen much of some of the day too when I'm passing on. But throughout the workouts, they've been working hard, you know, they're determined. I can say that.

6:09It looks like they're ready to work at me. I think that's important, though. It feels like there's a lot of great defense. You have big athletic defensive tactics. You can eat up space, but also move, you know, right? That is that. Is that an inquire that maybe through great defense to have guys like you that have some ball, but also a great team? I think that is definitely. I think if you look at the last couple of national championship winners, like team of Northe, you know, they got two good, uh, detaco, two athletic detacles. Look at Georgia, two athletic detacles. So I think that's definitely neat if you want to go on that big run and beat those big teams. If you think about that, they're going to find by the defense attack. It's like, what's Georgia? Jordan Davis and Daniel Carter. Let's miss you again. Chris Jenkins. Couple more questions. You might as well find out how, I mean, you understand it because you play it, but I feel like some time I don't know. Are people realizing how important defense tackles are a little bit more than they used

7:10to? I think so. I think they're starting to develop to develop more and more of these like freakiest detacles. Yeah. Like in the combine, just now, you see in like those guys, they're moving four to four, seven, eight, and things like that. So we'll see. And when you think about those freakish attack attacks, how do you think you fit into that mold of that kind of player? You watch that and say, yeah, that's me. Yeah, definitely. I'm top notch when it comes to detacles, but I don't want to, you know, get a big head, but you know, watch it come on. I watch it do the drills. I have tape here. You're like, you're looking like my film. So I think I'm up there all the time. Do you become like an artist who comes into bad young classes? I think your legs can't be things. I mean, you're going to spring practice. You're not doing as much a weapon or the weapon. How do you work on that? Do you have like a goal? I don't remember how many times I've been doing this. I don't remember how many you had lied to you. You have a goal in mind. How many do you want to have? I mean, as many as I can have, I think I have more than that, but I think they've counseling. I think they've counseling some of them.

8:11And it's some of them where I just missed it. So, but I think we work on drills matching the hand. I think that's, uh, goes big. And, uh, what we do is a D line, you know, just affecting the quarter of that is anywhere you can. It's just great for the defense. You know, just that little thing you cover in his eye, you know, he might throw it. A little bit to the left to our player. So, it's something that you really, really have to work on. You're trying to do that. What you do in the past is, it's a theory that's one of the things that you've maybe worked on the most. You have to continue your time here because there are a few guys that I've seen. Like, oh, that past, you've got to do that. We don't have to ask for this. We're kind of, kind of, kind of expected for the physical. I think I just have like a, like, an eye for the ball kind of. I kind of just look at the quarterback and just, I see him like load up. I just try to get in his ways. And sometimes he just throws it to me. I don't know. I'm here at T-D-O-I-State quarterbacks. Get in your bag down passes. I mean, they get frustrated by, you know, we're a team, you know. We're just getting better. Yeah. Watch a lot of different backs, man. They just learn to grow for them. You got to pick your top three backs.

9:12You got to go right now. One, two, three. I don't really have a top three, but I'll give you one. I would say, say, quon, Gibbs, and... I like McCaffrey. Although he was injured this year, I like McCaffrey. Who's the best back in this drive? Best back in this drive. I lead out of the yard. That's y'all decision. Playing well with Howard. What I'm going to remember most. We're a Howard, man. He's just such a great leader, man. It's just like in moments where, you know, usually a lot of players they fold, man. He was just always calm and relaxed, man. And he just the leader that he was, man. That's one thing I'm going to remember about him. Yeah. Yeah. He's going to be really good, man. He's on Coach Lock. I think he got the transfer in as well from West Virginia. Just that one, two punch with them both as well.

10:13They're going to be really good backs. And so James people's, man, he's smart. The way that he goes about his business, man, he's mature. And so, man, he's growing, you know, just as a person and as a player. And so, man, yeah, definitely Ohio State, you know, that running back room is in great hands. I was right there, like that looking at the UFC spot and full of his confidence and personality. And I'm sure he'll keep that up until they can see me. Yeah. Coach, Coach Hartline, man. He's full of energy, man. And he's creative as well, you know. I'm just learning from him as well, you know. I'm trying to run more outside the backfield. It was being able to learn from Coach Hartline. And so he's definitely creative at what he does. And he brings a lot of energy to the team as well. And so I think they'll do really good. So, what's your intensity, man? Just intensity, man. And intensity of the playoffs, every game, man, is like the intensity got, you know, higher and higher. And so, you know, being able, I know in the lead, it's the same thing. Even if it's not the playoffs, just every game and the intensity, it keeps getting higher and higher.

11:15And so, yeah, you just, I know you got to bring it, you know, each and every day and come in and work. You just like Ohio State, you know, I definitely feel like Ohio State. They definitely do a good job of preparing us for that. You know, I just remember even before going through this process, I'll talk to a lot of players before that. And they told me a lot of just about how much Ohio State prepared them, you know, for the NFL. And so, yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I know I took a couple days off after the national championship. And then, shoot, right after that, I'm writing sample Florida and I'm writing to it. And so, yeah, I think while I trained, I trained at your birth performance. I think it's called the House of Athlete or the Compound now. They did a good job, man. They're just bringing us in and the way they went about training us, man. They did a really good job. The Bucking Nears. No, I haven't. Temple, temple nice. It's a nice city, man.

12:16Really nice. 40 to broad and avert. You've been on the races, it's an awesome locker. Do you speak to your mentality of when you've got a linebacker or the gap? You're getting ready to swear a lot of things. Yeah. Yeah. No, man. It's really all about technique. And then, it's about mindset as well. And so, I say, you know, it's for the love of my brother. It's for the love of Will Howard. It's for the love of the receiver. It's who I got on the perimeter. Just making sure, you know, first of all, my quarterback doesn't get sacked. And I told Will, I think it was before the first game. I was like, I got your brother. It's, I said, man, I'm not going to let you get hit, you know. And so, I don't know if I gave up a sack. I'm not sure that. But I know if I did, I haven't given up too many. And so, man, it's for the love of my brother, it's no man. Making sure that the ball get in their hands, you know, the guys on the outside and making sure they get fed. I think so. You had to hit the practice field later today. What is something you'd be working on right now when you need to.

13:17In my game, you can't really work on this, you know, in all season. I feel like it's more so, you know, you got to put the pads on. You got to go through some inside run, you know, maybe. It's really just continuing to run through tackles. And so, that's, I feel like that's one of the areas in my game. You know, I want to continue to get better at it. I feel like I did a good job of that my senior year. And so, I just want to continue to build on that. So, you get to play for the season? Yes, I did. Yes, I did. So, people say you look like a lot of people are out there, you get back in person. I think that would be a lot better. I did meet with New Orleans as well. I never got that comparison, actually. I know I haven't come here. Sure, yeah, man, I haven't come here. Great, great back, man. Just what he does and those 101 matchups, he's dangerous, man. And he's so smooth. I'm not going to lie, he's smooth. So, I mentioned playing with my teammates. Yeah. Yeah. Inside zone from stack, being able to hit that thing downhill.

14:17And I'll say the next one is probably just an option out of the backfield. You know, and man coverage, you're getting on that linebacker. And so. Yeah, I say the man, the biggest thing is the way that he carries himself, man, and the way that man, he approaches the game. He comes in with the mindset, you know, he's going to work every single week. You know, every practice, you know, he's working hard, you know, even shoot him. I don't know, every good, I think he had a, every game was a good game for him, man. And so. But, you know, I think that's the way that he's doing it. And he's going to be a good player, man. He's going to be a good player, man. He's going to be a good player, man. He's going to be a good player, man. Shoot him. I don't know. Every good, I think he had a, every game was a good game for him, man. And so. But still, man, he always has the mentality to mindset that, you know, he's going to come in each and every day. He's going to continue to work and get better, man. And so he's definitely, man, he's going to be a special player, man. He really is. I think you look like a lot of people in your life. I think you're going to be a lot of people. I'm starting to get to know some victories.

15:17I think it's a match that's in there. A lot of ups and downs, man. It's just how you respond to adversity. And I feel like that's something that God has definitely helped me to do better. It's just, I'm not going to have something to lean on now. You know, I remember before I met him, you know, going through those adversity, I had nothing to run to. You know, you can run to people, but they still can't, it's not too much. They can't truly help you. You know, I feel like, you know, I feel like the only person that can truly help you is your relationship with Jesus Christ. And so being able to lean on him, you know, he gives you, in those moments, where it's tough, you know, where it's slow. And when you're behind the scenes and you're going through things that people don't know about, he gives you that peace and comfort. You know, even in those moments, man, we're so hard that you can't explain. It's like, man, I'm going through this, but like, how am I still filled with this internal joy? You know, how do I have so much peace in this situation? And so that's something that only Jesus Christ can give you. And so... The back of the firm, Peterson Power and Judgment Experience, which aspect can be to those other individuals that you want to follow and from being around power and...

16:23Um, man, those guys have such a great mentality, man. I just really love their mentality, especially Q as well. You know, I talked about Will Howard, his leadership, but Quincham mentality, man. That boy just, yeah, that boy just gifted. You know, you see, you know, sometimes he put in a situation where he looked like, you know, he should have a negative five yards. And then as soon as you know it, you know, he, that running through somebody, stiff arm, and somebody, and shoot, that's a game of 10. And so... You some of the things that he does, he just realizes two different guys. Yeah. Um, shoot, I think... Yeah, man, I think it's just like, he's just gifted, man, to be honest. He's just gifted. You know, he's a big back, you know, he's strong. And so, you know, he's able to do those things. And so, yeah, man, it's definitely, you know, I look at his game, and I want to, you know, at the same time, I want to learn from Quincham. You know, I want to look at his game and it's like, man, where can I get better at as well? You know, that's the type of player I am. I'm always looking to get better, man. I'm always looking to grow as a player.

17:23What are your last words of the three of them? Jule and San. Oh, yeah, he's going to be a great, but he's going to be a great quarterback, man. He's so, so accurate. And so, he's definitely, man, I know Coach Dez is definitely going to get him right. Just, you know, container grow as a leader, container grow as a player. And so, he's going to be really good for a high state. I know just the quarterback position. I feel like, you know, the quarterbacks in the past, they've definitely been vocal. And so, I feel like that's something that they're definitely going to ask of Jule and San as well. It's to be that vocal leader and lead the offense and lead the team. Thanks, guys. Thanks, guys. Sure, man, he has, he has a bill like JK Dobbins. And I kind of see them, you know, similar, similarities in their game as well. And I know JK Dobbins, he was a great running back. I feel like he's not talked about his know. A lot, but man, his career here, you watch his highlights is great. I remember before I recruit, before I committed here, I remember watching JK Dobbins highlights.

18:25Every, every one of his years here, like four or five times. And so, man, he was such a great back. And I feel like, you know, when I see JK Dobbins, when I see James people, I see similarities to both of their games. I feel like they play the same. Appreciate you all. Yeah, I'll be going. Thank you.

19:25Thank you. Thank you.

20:25Thank you. I think I got a lot bigger. I'm like 240. I'm like 240, 4 right now. Last year, I played it like 236, 237. What does it feel like at 244? I feel like almost a different machine out there. Yeah, what does it feel like to be running around out there like you are with more, more bad? I just feel like I'm like, like, like more downhill, like stronger. Like I'm taking all the blood to better. Yeah.

21:25Maybe that's not the correct term. But to think you're going to be playing much more than you did even last year. And you played quite a bit last year and stuff. What do you have to get straight in your head about being on the field that much more? Is it going to get ready to just play 30 more snaps? But are you, how would you describe how much you're looking forward to it from an 8-stand point? Yeah, I'm looking forward to it. I'm ready for it. The Texas opener is a rematch. But it's not really two different teams compared to the last time you all played and stuff. How has that enhanced this camp for you and this team getting ready for the, where an opener of that magnitude? Yeah, with an opener like that, we've been emphasizing it a lot. We know we got coming, so we know we got to do, we've been preparing for it. How are you? I think Riley ready to play right now. He advanced freshman, like he ended up here in the book. He studied in like he advanced and his measurements was crazy. Like he saw it like a saw line to him. Or like you said you're ready.

22:26You know you're ready. What was that process like during last season? Could you feel yourself becoming more and more ready for whatever the team needed for you? Yeah, because that's pretty much what my role was, just whenever I was needed, I had to step up. So I feel like that's what built me into me being able to say I'm ready for this year. When you say ready, is it more a physical thing? Is it a mental thing? When I say ready, I think it's pretty much like everything physically, mentally, mostly. I think I'm there. A different is that feeling this year than last year? That's the most possible thing I've ever had. Oh, ask that one more time. How different is that response to the 50s that you just mentioned? Oh, that was last year. You knew you were a home player. I feel like it's a way bigger responsibility with me having to step up this year. But I kind of go about it the same way. Like last year I was intentional with everything I did. I feel like this year it's going to be the same thing. It's probably a little bit more.

23:26Is somebody who's somewhere in the neighborhood? It won't work? How's everybody working? I say... Scrabbing. When you think of me, you would think of like a bully, like a silver bullet. I don't really have a bullet. I'm always on the ball. That's how I like to play and think. No, I ain't got to be my nickname, but... Oh, yeah, yeah. Yeah, that's it. How does that fit you? And what are you enjoying about it, bullying and that kind of stuff? I think it fit me because... I don't know, I just like the defense. I feel like we got... Like you said, we got a lot of freedom and we're moving around a lot of the terms. It's like, you know, I don't know. I don't really not answer that. That's okay. You can go on your instincts a little bit more, maybe.

24:28And it's not so thinking of too much. I don't even know if I say that because there's a lot of thinking going on, but it's like... I just like the defense. I like how the pressure defense. I like what you got going on. What was it, sad when CJ left the ring? Yeah. Uh... No, I wanted to say that. I was kind of like happy for him. No, miss him. That's what you want. No. No. All right. No, that's my dog. I'm going to say it. Kind of missing a little bit, but I'm happy for him, though. Don't think... Go ahead, one last question. Coach Daze talked a lot about the guys who played some last year, but maybe weren't the starters and the hunger for that wasn't maybe your national championship you guys will win your own. How much do you feel that is a guy who certainly contributed last year, but will be in this bigger role and along with some of your classmates? Yeah, I do feel like... Yeah, I do feel like I did win a Natty last year, but like you said, my role wasn't same as how it's going to be this year. I definitely want to go get another one experienced that like feeling we need to be on

25:29the field, a lot more place. Great. Oh, Bill, thank you very much. Thanks, I'm so glad. I'm so glad. Do you have set up more coaching in the car now on the stand a little bit more than he's probably comfortable doing? Was it easier to get out of your comfort zone and see that other guys were willing to take that step as well? Yeah. Like guys like Carnão, stepping off, it just makes me want to step up even more. I just leave the line and also leave the offense and then leave the team. So it's possible, what is the battle been like with the attackers? And obviously it could be four deep and then you obviously even go up and get in there different to reality. Just what's happened, Mike? Yeah, so every day we're just working. We're always, Indio always pushing each other, coaches are always pushing each other and it's everything in the field. No, medium. Would you have guessed if this time a year ago that you could be practicing to potentially be the starting left tackle right now? No, not even any tag or doubt, be at guard, but just going out and trying to be the best player I can be. How has that experience been playing guard? How do you feel like that's translated now to being able to be a tackle?

26:31Well, I don't have, you can translate the physicality from the guard and always having that the year three or two line up across from you. But that tag was a lot more space and I guess having some good feet and coaches keep coaching me up. So, like that. Do you want to look out for a little more? On high school, but to a blot, not really. Do you have a position you feel most comfortable right now or is it just cool? Whatever they have, I mean that's what I feel most comfortable. Have you enjoyed things? Yes, fun. Yeah. Do you prefer a laughter right now? Oh, it's whatever they have here. What would you say is that for people who have never done it? What is the adjustment when you move from guard to tackle? What are you working on? What's the difference in this? The biggest thing is the space. You have to know, it comes natural in me. I guess playing basketball in high school helps a lot. Having some good feet, quick feet, and that helps to just being coachable is a place of big factor too.

27:36And just always come to come ready to learn and ready to be. What did last year's camp do for your confidence being playing everywhere and succeeding? Oh yeah, last year's camp mean I pretty much got thrown into the fire with Donnie having his leg. And I just got thrown in and I had to produce, or if I couldn't produce and we're not going to be one long way. And then as a defense, just carry three minutes in and when you knew you could play, what are you seeing from your opponent? What areas of the game do you need to go? Yeah, so he's going to be a good player. He just got to keep building, keep you in the develop. It's a freshman off the line and they're going out to get developed. But he's doing really good. Have you been able to talk to him about the strength of you going? Yeah, every time he, and then the I'm always there coaching him, we need everyone. It happened to play that early in the season, maybe do more for your development than maybe anything else.

28:39Just because you're talking like you had to have that mindset of, I have to do this or else we're probably not going to win. Yeah, I was pushed camp last year and then I just had to have a mindset. So you're going to make your last year Donnie made his first study tackle at the time of the card. It seems like your potential when you first started attacking against one of the teams is defensively. What you're looking for is an opportunity to prove yourself right away. It would be a good tackle if I was welcome against this really good defense. Yeah, it's going to be a great matchup for us up front and just trying to prove and show like, like, prove to what I've been working on and just trying to just be the best player. How much do you guys like Gagnata, Peyton, CJ, like I'm going to say, prepare you for defensive line like that? Yeah, so each of those guys are very different, defensively they bring up different style and then just going against that every single day. I think I'll be ready. Austin, you talked a little further. What have you seen from Jay and Jay and Mom?

29:39Like the other two freshman teams, that's a question. Yeah. What is kind of high guy on those? Yeah, they're doing good for young guys. They just keep coming to keep them every day, keep competing, keep working, keep working hard and they'll be really good. What was the cross-slaught? The first question, really got you moving to left tackle a lot of this camp like Howard. How was it first discussed? How did it first happen to you? Is the prize by it? Are you expecting it just so interesting to do how it's happened? I wouldn't say it was a prize because like last year I was playing left and right, so it came natural for me to play both sides. But I mean, we were just trying to find like, like I said earlier, like a prime in position, and second in position, every guy had to play both positions. Last year we had like 10 different rotations, whatever that was. But we had everyone was rotating. What do you feel like you have the most to go on that trip that's in the left tackle? I just definitely work my sets and everything. I mean, as a guard, your sets are glad they're going to tackle.

30:41And I just get to keep working and keeping that tackle. Did you ever take your place on it? Oh, day. You did some left tackle in the spring early, right? Yeah. So this isn't completely. No. Does it feel as left, tag on out of your primary position? I want to say no. I mean, I mean, if I have to go right tomorrow, if I will, probably I don't know. So this is, I guess, tackled right now. Do you think people are making too big a deal about it? Did you know about it? Did you just plan whatever it's about to fit together? You know, left tackle. So sort of got some some kind of an aura too. No, Coach Bowen still trying to finalize our five up front. And then every day could be some guys rotating. And so yeah. I was your history. Last question. Allowed you to just be this cool. Because you've never really had one specific problem.

31:41It just starts like who I am as an individual, like how I grew up. I just always came to work. Always working hard. And like as I grew up and I was like, I played in every position, just as I center. And then back coming here was just felt natural for me to go home, play it right. And then next play go left. And then if I had it, I could step out. Thanks. Thanks, Austin. So you didn't play center in high school. What you can do it in a day. Problem. He would plan as much. So I just wanted to get like more experience under my belt. So I can bring younger guys with me because I've been going a lot. One of those younger guys we're seeing right here. It's the first time I scored all those last years. What have you seen from Will? Because I should have real forgot about him because he was hurt. Now how he's running, you know, almost a second man off behind you and Ty. What have you seen in the middle of the games? Will is a workhorse. He goes stay quiet. He goes work hard. And that's all I love about him. He focuses. He don't really talk much.

32:41He's going to get the job done. Do a job right. He rarely has any mistakes. What would be a successful season? A national championship? I ring. When all the games we don't want to lose anything. We got a mindset that we can't be beat. And we just got to go show it. That mindset different. Seems like you guys expect a national championship every year. This year even more so. You guys have all come back for this. You guys have all decided like enough is enough. Because that is, you can feel the difference. Or is there not really any difference? It's just the same work. It's definitely a difference. Everyone working harder. We noticed our last run. Most of us don't have any years after this. So we got to go bigger going home and we're not trying to go home. Finish big. We know what you guys think of Michigan. But when you look at what they did, they won the national championship. And you guys took them down to the final minute. Right? You know what I mean? You were right there. Something goes a little different. You guys could have won that game against them.

33:41Does that tell you anything about like that? Hey, you guys want to win a national championship. But you played to the 59th minute with the team that won the national championship last year. Like you're that close. So I'm saying we just work harder. That's kind of a coach makes a saying. Nobody cares. Just work harder. Like those won't play Georgia. Same thing. Last play. You know, they went on the winning at E. So we just got to get over that hump at the end of the season. I think we'll be fine. How frustrating is that? You're that close against the last two national titles. Of course it's frustrating. But you can't change the outcome. You can't really dwell on it. You just got to come back and work harder. Do things better than you did last year. And hopefully the outcome will change. Is that as you get older, you kind of learn. I thought I was working hard and then you always find out there's a little more that you could have been doing? Yeah, definitely. I mean, that's how that's what growing up is basically in college. I thought freshman year I was working. It's hard as I could, but now I look back at it. I really wasn't working hard at all. Compared to what I'm doing now.

34:43So just to learn anything. If the stamina is a 16, then the answer to like, what do you need it to be to be your best? Uh, it is a 75. 80, 85. I mean, I can, it's all on me. I just, I think it's a little higher. I was just trying to be funny. But I mean, it's all on me. I just got to run harder. Get the shape. It's kind of the idea of a potential to succeed in a 70 year. How do you decide about that idea? Does it make you nervous about, can you last that long? Do you have worries? I think I'm going to kill that. I think we, I definitely can last. I was just, you know, we got to get the young guys to come along with us. We can't play 50 snaps a game. That's just too much on our bodies. Just everybody's like, online, D line. We got to get those younger guys to play, you know, get that pieces on the D line and the online and everywhere else. So we can last that long. Speaking of that, I'm not going to snap. Did you like playing that new snap again last year?

35:44Because I don't know. I don't know if any of us were really expected to be playing that next time. Oh, yeah, I did. Unless we were like winning by like a lot. I thought like, there are no mom's you know, I can go sit down or something. But we're playing them big games like, you know, Notre Dame, too, or those kind of games. Of course, I want to be in because I know I can contribute. And I won't want to put that on anyone else when I know I can get the job done. What stands out about Kevin McDonald? Is he got the game? I mean, you guys have a little second here. Oh, yeah, definitely. He came back as a, came back to Animal Yard. You haven't really seen it yet, but in practice, he shows all the time. He's just, he's growing right now. He has to work ethic. He just has to get, you know, in the playbook and things like that. You guys are about the exact same size. Listen, you're both listening to 6th grade. You're 327, he's 326. Yeah, he's very honest. I kind of look at him like my junior, but you know, he's going to be a great player. He's got to develop more and getting the playbook. So really a lot on you older guys. There's that large group of young guys and then there's the seniors in the back. Is that part of your task for this year to bring those guys along as well?

36:44Yeah, definitely. We got to be leaders. Like I say, we got to have them play this year. We can't just play all the snaps. They got to get in there and get some work. And we got to get them right during the all season. So they can play and not just play. They want to like contribute like make plays tackles sex. It seems like these guys get big. Each one of the freshmen class is bigger and bigger. And those guys kind of, those are going to kind of while you're in the cell. Yeah, they're definitely some big dudes. And they all work hard. I've only seen much of some day too when I'm passing on. But throughout the workouts, they've been working hard. You know, they're just like, you know, they're just like, you know, they're just like, you know, they're just like, you know, they're just like, you know, they're just like, you know, they're just like, you know, they're just like, you know, they're determined to actually. And it looks like they're ready to work with me. How important this notes feels like. There's a lot of great defense. It's that you have big athletic defense attack which you can eat up space. But also move, you know, right? That is that. Is that an inquire that maybe for a great defense to have guys like you that have some fault? But also a great thing.

37:45I think that is definitely, I think if you look at the last couple of national championship winners, like team of North, they didn't know they got two good, uh, detacled, two athletic detacles. Look at Georgia, two athletic detacles. I think that's definitely neat if you want to go on that big run and beat those big teams. If you think about that, they're not defined by the defense attack. It's like, what's Georgia, Jordan Davis and DL Carter? What's Michigan? It's Chris Jenkins. Tell me more questions. You know, it is funny, like how, I mean, you understand it, which you play at. But I feel like some time that I don't know, are people realizing how important defense tackles are? A little bit more than they used to? I think so. I think there's darned to develop more and more of these like freakish detacles. Yeah. Like in the combine, just now, you see in like those guys, they're moving four to four, seven, eights and things like that. So we'll see. And when you think about this freakish attack, how do you think you fit into that mold of that kind of player? You watch that and say, yeah, that's me.

38:45Yeah, definitely. I think I'm top notch when it comes to detacles, but I don't want to, you know, get a big head, but you know, watch the calm on. I watch the dude do the drills. I have tape here, you're like, you're looking at my film. So I think I'm up there with all those guys. Do you become like an artist or a person who baddy up passes the figure away, he's having your claims? I mean, you're going, you're not doing as much a weapon on a weapon. That's gross. How do you work on that? Do you have like a gold one, Martin? I don't remember how many that last year, but you have a gold one last 35. How many do you want to have? I mean, as many as I can have, I think I have more than that, but I think they're counting. I think they're counting some of them. And it's some of them where I like just listed. So, but I think we work on drills matching the hand. I think that's, uh, goes big. Uh, what we do is a D line, you know, just affecting the quarterback is anywhere you can. It's just great for the defense. You know, just that little thing you cover in his eye, you know, he might throw it. A little bit to the left to our player. So, so it's something that you really, really have to work on.

39:46You know, that's one of the things that you maybe worked on the most. You can bring your time here because there are a few guys that I've seen. Like, oh, that past few days. We don't have to ask this trial. We're kind of kind of expected. I think I just have like a, like, a eye for the ball kind of. I kind of just look at the quarterback and just, I see him, I load up. I just try to get in his way. And sometimes he's those who take me. I don't know. I'm your opponent. You have to be a high state quarterback next to him. You're a bad dumb pass. I mean, they get frustrated by, you know, we're a team, you know, we're just getting better. Yeah. I should lot of, a lot of different backs, man. They just learn to grow for them. You got to pick your top three backs. You got to go right now. One, two, three. Uh, I don't really have a top three, but I'll give you, I'll give you one. I would say, say, Juan Gibbs and I like McCaffrey auto. He was injured this year. I like McCaffrey. Who's the best back in this drive?

40:48Best back in this drive. I lead out of the yard. That's y'all, that's y'all decision. Playing with Will Howard. When I'm going to remember most. Uh, we're a Howard man. He's just such a great lead, such a great leader, man. It's just like in moments where, you know, usually a lot of players they fold, man. He was just always calm and relaxed, man. And he just the leader that he was, man. That's one thing I'm going to remember about him. Yeah, he's, he's going to be really good, man. He's on Coach Lock. I think he got the transfer in as well from West Virginia. Just that one, two punch with them both as well. They're going to be really good backs. And so James people's man. He's smart. The way that he goes about his business, man. He's mature. And so man, he's growing, you know, just as a person in as a player. And so man, yeah, definitely Ohio State, you know, that running back room is in great hands. Yeah. Coach, Coach Hartline, man. He's full of energy, man. And he's creative as well. You know, I'm just learning from him as well.

41:48You know, I'm trying to run more outside the backfield. It was being able to learn from Coach Hartline. And so, I'm going to be able to learn from him. I'm going to be able to learn from him. And so, he's definitely creative at what he does. And he brings a lot of energy to the team as well. And so, I think that would do really good. Just the intensity, man. And the intensity of the playoffs. Every game, man. It's like the intensity got higher and higher. And so, you know, being able, I know in the lead, it's the same thing. Even if it's not the playoffs, just every game. And so, you know, I think that's the way I'm going to play. I think that's the way I'm going to play. You know, being able, I know in the lead, it's the same thing. Even if it's not the playoffs, just every game and intensity it keeps getting higher and higher. And so, yeah, you just, I know you got to bring it. You know, each and every day and come in and work. Just like Ohio State. You know, I definitely feel like Ohio State. They definitely do a good job of preparing us for that. You know, I just remember even before going through this process, I'll talk to a lot of players before that. And they told me a lot of just about how much Ohio State prepared them. You know, for the NFL.

42:48And so, yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I know I took a couple of days off after the National Championship. And then, shoot, right after that, I'm writing sample Florida. And I'm right to it. And so, yeah, I think while I trained, I trained that, your performance, I think it's called the House of Athlete or the Compound now. They did a good job, man. They're just bringing us in. And the way they went about training us, man, they did a really good job. I mean, that was a good idea. The Bucking Nears. No, I haven't. We think it's a city champion. It's a champion. Temple, a champion. Nice. It's a nice city, man. Really nice. The 40 to broad and avert. You've been on the races. It's an awesome locker. It means you're a mentality of like when you've got a linebacker. So, you're the jazz. You're the figure that you and you're in training is more of a locker. Yeah. Nah, man.

43:48It's really all about technique. And then it's about mindset as well. And so, I say, you know, it's for the love of my brother. It's for the love of Wil Howard. It's for the love of the receivers who I got on the perimeter. Just making sure, you know, first of all, my quarterback doesn't get sacked. And I told Wil I think it was before the first game. I was like, I got your brother. It's, I said, man, I'm not going to let you get hit. You know, and so, I don't know if I gave up a sack. I'm not sure that. But I know if I did, I haven't given up too many. And so, man, it's for the love of my brother's, though, man, making sure the ball get in their hands, you know, the guys on the outside and making sure they get fed. You know, you had to hit the practice field later today. What is something you've been working on right now? In my game. You can't really work on this, you know, in all season, I feel like. It's more so, you know, you got to put the pads on. You got to go through some inside run, you know, maybe. It's really just continuing to run through tackles. And so, that's, I feel like that's one of the areas in my game. You know, I want to continue to get better at it.

44:48I feel like I did a good job of that in my senior year. And so, I just want to continue to build on that. So, you know what I was saying? Yes, I did. Yes, I did. So, people, you look like, now that you are out there, you get back in person and you've been mad with him for a while. I did meet with New Orleans as well. I never got that comparison. Actually, I know I have a Camera shoe. Yeah, man, I have a Camera. Great, great back, man. Just what he does and those 101 matchups, he's dangerous, man. And he's so smooth. He's so smooth as well. I'm not going to lie. He's smooth. So, eventually, you're going to be able to get done there. You're going to be able to get the same position. You're going to be able to see it for the first time. Yeah. Inside zone from stack, being able to hit that thing downhill. And I'll say the next one is probably just an option out of the backfield. And man coverage, you're getting on that linebacker. And so.

45:54Yeah, I say to man, the biggest thing is the way that he carries himself, man. And the way that, man, he approaches the game. He comes in with the mindset, he's going to work every single week. Every practice, he's working hard. Even shoot, I don't know. Every game was a good game for him, man. But still, man, he always has the mentality to mindset that he's going to come in each and every day. He's going to continue to work and get better, man. And so he's definitely, man, he's going to be a special player, man. He really is. I think I'm going to look like a star kid, you know, some victories. I think it's a match that's in there. When he looked back on it, what do you stand out of? Man, a lot of ups and downs, man. It's just how you respond to adversity. And I feel like that's something that God has definitely helped me to do better. It's just, I'm not having something to lean on now. You know, I remember before I met him, you know, going through those adversity. I had nothing to run to. You know, you can run to people, but they still can't. It's not too much. They can't truly help you. You know, I feel like, you know, I feel like the only person that can truly help you is your relationship with Jesus Christ.

46:56And so being able to lean on him, you know, he gives you, in those moments where it's tough, you know, where it's slow. And when you're behind the scenes and you're going through things that people don't know about, he gives you that peace and comfort. You know, even in those moments, man, where it's so hard that you can't explain. It's like, man, I'm going through this, but like, how am I still filled with this internal joy? You know, how do I have so much peace in this situation? And so that's something that only Jesus Christ can give you. And so, you know, the back of the firm, Peterson Howard and Judd Johnson, experience, which aspect could be to those other individuals that you run to? And from being around Howard and... Um, man, those guys have such a great mentality, man. I just really love their mentality, especially Q as well. You know, I talked about Will Howard, his leadership, but Quincham and TalliD, man. That boy just, yeah, that boy just gifted, you know. You see, you know, sometimes he put in a situation where he looked like, you know, he should have a negative five yards.

48:00And as soon as you know it, you know, he, the running through somebody, stiff arm, and somebody, and she would just gain a 10. And so... You some of the things that he does, he just realizes that he's different than God. Um, shoot, I think... Yeah, man, I think it just like... He's just gifted, man, too, beyond. And he's just gifted, you know, he's a big back, you know, he's strong, and so, you know, he's able to do those things. Yeah, man, it's definitely... You know, I look at his game, and I want to, you know, at the same time, I want to learn from Quincham. You know, I want to look at his game and it's like, man, where can I get better at as well? You know, that's the type of player I am. I'm always looking to get better, man. I'm always looking to grow as a player. What's your last experience in the game? Julian Sand. Oh yeah, he's going to be a great, but... He's going to be a great quarterback, man. He's so, so accurate. And so, um, he's definitely, man, I know Coach Dez is definitely going to get him right. Just, you know, um, container grow as a leader, container grow as a player. And so, he's going to be really good for high state. Thanks, Oscar. I was just... Uh, he's there. I know just the quarterback position.

49:00Um, I feel like, you know, the quarterbacks in the past, they've, they've definitely been vocal. And so, I feel like that's something that they're definitely going to, um, ask Julian Sand as well. It's to be that vocal leader and lead, um, and lead the offense and lead the team. Thanks, guys. Thanks, guys. Thank you. Shoot, man. He has, he has a build like JK Dobbins. And, um, I kind of see them, you know, similar, similar to his inner game as well. And I know JK Dobbins, he was a great running back. I feel like he's not talked about his, not a lot, but man, his career here, you watch his highlights is great. I remember, um, before I recruit, before I committed here, I remember watching JK Dobbins highlights like every, every, um, one of his years here, like four or five times. And so, man, he was such a great back. And, um, I feel like, you know, um, when I see JK Dobbins, when I see, um, James people, I see similarities to both of their games. I feel like they play the same. I appreciate you all. Yeah, I'll be going. This.

50:26This. This.

51:57This. All I got coming in last year, I knew it was all just tacky everyday, really the same way. It's taken a very rare. Physically, how different are you? Weight wise, body wise, all that. From the year. Um, I think I got a lot bigger. I'm like 240. Yeah, I'm like 244 right now. Last year, I played it like 236 to 37. So, yeah, what does it feel like 244? Or maybe I'll be able to feel like almost a different machine out there. What does it feel like to be running around out there like you are, but with more, uh, more bad. I just feel like I'm like, like, like more downhill, like stronger. Like I'm taking all blocks better. It's a big. No. Is it daunting? Uh, maybe that's not the correct term, but to think you're going to be playing much more than you did even last year. And you played quite a bit last year and stuff. What do you have to get straight in your head about being on the field that much more? You've got to get ready to just play 30 more snaps. So, uh,

52:57but are you, are you, how would you describe how much you're looking forward to it from an 8th? Yeah, I'm looking forward to it. I'm ready for it. My, I'm ready for it. The text is open. It's a rematch. So it's, but it's not really two different teams compared to the last time you all played and stuff. How has that enhanced this camp for you and this team getting ready for the, we're an opener of that magnitude? Yeah, with an opener like that, we've been, um, with the emphasizing in the line. We know we got coming. So we know we got to do, we're prepared for it. Already just probably. I think Riley ready to play right now. He, he advanced freshman like he ended here in the book. He stood in like he advanced and his measurements crazy like he saw like the saw line to him. Or like you said, you're ready. You know, you're ready. What was that process like during last season? Could you feel yourself becoming more and more ready? The team needed to. Yeah, because that's pretty much what my role was, which is whenever I was needed, I had to step up. So I feel like that's what built me into me being able to say I'm ready for this year.

53:59When you say ready, is it more a physical thing? Is it a mental thing? When I say ready, I think it's pretty much like everything physically, mentally, most of me. I think I'm there. A different is that he wanted to do your band last year. I asked him one more time. How different is that with cross-billed? That's just the emotional story. Paul Vass, if you want to ask you, you knew you were a home player. I feel like it's a way bigger responsibility with me having to step up this year. But I kind of go about it the same way. Like last year, I was attention over everything I did. I feel like this year is going to be the same thing. It's probably a little bit more. Somebody who's some reason to say something. It won't work? It won't work if you want. I say, describe my game. I say, when you think of me, you would think of like a bullet, like a silver bullet.

55:02I don't really know bullet. I'm always on the ball. That's how I like to play and think. I mean, I think that's the thing. I think that's what I want to body that. No, I ain't got to be my nickname, but I'm not saying that the nickname could be, that's what I want to. Oh yeah, that's the thing. You want to body that. Yeah, that's it. A couple of more questions about Patricia's style and how it's free. How does that fit? And what do you think? The unique part about our offense is I don't think necessarily you played the X or the Z because the pit on the formation of the hash, you can be the opposite. You can be the X, but then you're to the field now you're the Z. So you got to really learn the entire concept and know where you're out in the field, which I think makes everybody smarter players because you don't pigeonhole yourself, I just play X. I only know this position. You get in two minutes, you're the Z. Now you got to know what to do. You may have the clear out route or you may have the backside dig. You got to know what you're doing. So I think he doesn't just say like we're going to do this offense. He's really trying to create an offense that hits our personnel really well. That feel boundary thing.

56:03That's a thing in college, but it seems like it's more to clip. Is that something you're used to seeing in other offenses? Yeah, definitely. I think if I'm on the left hash, like technically I'm the X, you know, I'm in the boundary, but if we're on the right hash, I'm still on the left side. I'm really the Z in the concept because I'm to the field, I'm to the strength of the tie-down. So I've been in offenses like it's similar like that before. And I just think he, one thing I think that's really stood out as the compliments of our routes that we have so far. I feel like we have a chance to really run similar stems, but there's different routes off those stems and things like that, which I think for receiver like myself who, you get a really good look at DBs and they study your film, they study your splits, like having routes that look the same, but break off a different, different angles is extremely important because it feels like you have some versatility in your bag to go out with versus like, you got this hitch again, you're back side, that's all you got.

57:04You know what I mean? So he's just been a really good person to work with and he's been really communicative with the leaders and how we want this offense to look like and some of the ideas that we may have as well. So it's been a really cool transition. You talk about the transitions, your third offense in three years, probably your fourth and sixth years. How do you not kind of build up some barriers? Yeah, man, I got to do this again. I think human nature is always a factor in whatever you do in life, but I think I try to make a conscious choice of coming in with a new year mentality each and every year. It's easy because we've had so many changes and it's been great working with Marcus and Jaden and Jeff and Sam, all of everybody. Like it's been great working with all the quarterbacks and I just have a mentality of not really being complacent. Like I try to really focus on the things that I can come back better at this year and I've been working my butt off to do that.

58:09So I think the easy thing and when I was younger, you're like, dang, you just want that consistency. You know what I mean? You want that something you could depend on, but life isn't always like that. So I've been reinvigorated because of just the energy that DQ brings into our building each and every day and the coaches as well. It's fun competing, you know what I mean? And sometimes I could get lost in the grind, but I think the reason why you make it here at this level is because you fall in love with the competition of it. And I think the competition brings the success because that is really where you, the iron truly sharpens iron. So you know other guys are going to make plays, but when you get excited to go in there and know that the next day we're going to go right back after the defense. So for myself, I'm just looking forward to continue to grow with the quarterbacks that we have. I'm in year six now, which is extreme blessing and leader, one of the leaders in our room.

59:11And I just try to take the bull by the horns with that. And so that's really been my focus and you know I'm excited for another year. To us, it's looked like you're being more vocal on the sideline. Yeah. Help young guys. Definitely. Something you decided this offseason or? Well, I think that's been a part of my maturation process as a leader. I've always seen myself as somebody that was a leader by example. But from coaches and other teammates I've had over the years, guys like to hear what I have to say for whatever reason sometimes. You know, and I think the biggest thing where I've tried to figure out where I fit in with my vocal leadership is I never wanted to be like a dictator. You know what I mean? I never wanted to tell guys what to do or be a yellow or things like that. Like when I say something, I wanted to have power. I wanted to have meaning. And I hope you know the guys would feel the same way if they were to ask them that question. Because I want to see all these guys win, man. Like it's hard to make it in this league and stay in a career. And so anyway, I could help the receivers, the DBs.

1:00:11I'm talking to some alignment. Johnny, who's rehabbing his foot. You know what I mean? Like everybody has a role and everybody has a different story and path. And so if I could share what I've been through my testimony to help them or do things that kind of slow down the process, I'm going to try to do that because we need everybody from the rookies to the 10 year vets to make this thing work. So more so I try to speak to what I know. And really those honest conversations that I try to have with guys, what they know I'm coming from a good place. I think I'm not the type of guy where I'm just going to talk at them. Like if they see something like I could take a coaching point from Luke McCaffrey. I could take a coaching point from Deami from Jahan from Marcus from anybody. You know, like I think that's what makes you a great player when you can really be coachable from anybody and not take it from a personal standpoint. Hi. How are you doing? Good. Going back to what you were saying about Cliff and Vince, how is he as a teacher in teaching all this?

1:01:14Yeah, I mean, I think he does a really great job of making things simple, first and foremost. He doesn't overcoach. And I think that's the trust that he has in our group and his coaches, our position coaches to fill in the details. So we'll have an install meeting and it'll be a good amount of time. But then our position coaches will have time and we'll make it specific to that position. And so then we'll come in and have a walkthrough. And then after that, we'll have another walkthrough. And so I don't think there's been a time where I've come out here and I'm kind of worried about what I got. You know what I mean? And when you get into certain offices, there could be so many details where you could be overwhelmed. And I think then it forces, it kind of separates guys in a sense that like one guy may study more than another guy. But when you have these, these sessions that we have where we're having an installs in the morning, we're having two walkthroughs. And then we're coming on the field and doing it. Like I think you notice a lot of guys are playing a lot faster and more confident because he's keeping it simple. But also he's very particular in what he's expecting.

1:02:16But it's not a lot. So there's not a pressure of to get it right. But at the same time, you know it's expected of you and you know you're going to have the tools given to you to be successful out there on the field. And this offseason, just the totality of change from front office players coaches, the turf field. What does that been like for you just to see what's going on? It's been fun. You know, I think from Mr. Harris and the entire ownership group down to Adam Peters, down to DQ, down to Jada, who he drafted and bringing in Marcus and Jeff and all those guys. And down to leaders, we have on our team. I think it was extremely specific on the way they tried to build this thing going into this year. First of having the right people, bringing in leaders, bringing in guys who love to compete. The first thing that DQ said when he came here was, and his first meeting, like, if you love to compete, this is going to be the place for you. And I love it. You know what I mean? I love bags and going at it with the DBS every day. Like the little mundane stuff can seem a little boring.

1:03:16But I think that was where you make the gains during the offseason, where you're really focused on. Hey, I'm going to give all I got for this day, and I'm going to get better. And then I'm going to learn from the film and come back tomorrow and ready to do it again. And he also understands the benefits of having breaks. He's given us breaks. We've had weeks off here and there that we can compose ourselves. But then come back and give it all we got. You know what I mean? And when you got a coach that understands the physicality of an entire season, where you guys do need breaks by the same time we're going to get after it. It makes it fun as a leader because you can take that to your room and be like, yo, we got these, we got this week. You know what I mean? That's extremely important. But you know we have this little break coming up, where you're going to get your your money, your body, your soul right. So coming into this season, I'm really optimistic of what we can be this year. And I think it started with the foundation that the ownership group and the entire staff has built. And now it's on myself as a leader to continue to hone that in into the locker room.

1:04:17But I think it's great because we have so many great leaders from all across the league who have won and we got Bobby Wagner in there. You know what I mean? I asked a Hall of Famers. So like, you know, being able to have kind of guys like that that you can lean on that can sometimes take over that leadership role where it doesn't fall on one person. I think it's extremely refreshing and knowing that everybody's on the same page and the message is the same allows you to go out there with confidence and always expect to know you. Terry, you seem to spend many of your off seasons learning about things beyond football, hobbies, what have you. Did you do anything this off season so far? It's a hobby to increase your knowledge of this the world around you. Let's see the question. Play a lot of golf. That day just keeps my competitive juices flowing. Planing the wedding. That's going well. And I just been grinding like honestly, you know what I mean? I've been hungry this off season.

1:05:17Like I started working out, you know, pretty early and you start to see guys like coming back and it's just fun to like to be here and competing and feeling like everybody's on the same page. You know what I mean? And so for me, I'm a grind every off season, but just this one just feels like it's the start of something new and special. And the foundation of his extremely important and to be a part of that to have a hand in that, you know, it's an honor, you know, and I put a lot of expectation on myself to come out here and be the guy that I know I'm capable of and also like taking the next step and being somebody that our quarterbacks that can trust and believe in. So this off season was pretty simple for me. It was just really about, you know, working and grinding and getting better. He talked about Jayden before. And so far, I know we haven't seen everything. But in terms of his arm strength, the throws, he's making anything surprising so far about the types of his ability in that regard.

1:06:19Definitely. I think after the second or third cross or that, he threw, I started telling receivers like, hey, you gotta get your head around. I mean, because again, each quarterback throws the ball differently and sees the field differently. So sometimes on crossers, a lot of quarterbacks may like to see you cross the ball and get into that open zone over there. If it's man flattened off, they like to see you get open where him. He has a really good anticipation over the middle of the field where he can make those throws and give you a chance to catch and run. And he's really accountable too. Like we had to play today where he felt like he missed me and, you know, it's not a big deal at all. You know, I mean him and I could talk to those things and there's been a play that I've talked to him about. I could do a better job. But again, like that open that open form of communication from a rookie, I think is very rare. And I think it speaks to the confidence he knows who he is, but he's also not afraid to say when he's wrong. And he knows he needs room to improve. But his touch on the deep balls is amazing. You know, I love getting extra reps with practice after practice with him. We're just catching the top end of a deep ball.

1:07:20As big for me, you know, I mean, I get to track the ball over my shoulder and as big for him to be able to get used to dropping the ball in the bucket. But he just naturally has an ability to throw the ball. He sees the windows really well. And now he's just, you know, continue to get adjusted to the speed in the past rush. I think he's these reps that he's getting are unbelievable during 11 on 11 because he's getting the field pain and Allen and DA and Cleveland Farrow. Like we got some dogs up there who are going to come after him. You know what I mean? And we got some great guys up front who are going to protect them. And so these reps I feel like are even better than just seven on seven. And seven on seven I think he could do in the sleep to be fair. Like he throws the ball really well. But when you get this 11 on 11, two minute drill, you're putting them in game like situations. And I'm looking them in his eye. I'm like, we play a real ball now. Like we we we playing. You know what I mean? And you just see no no anxiousness in his game and his demeanor, which is extremely exciting. And then, you know, he's extremely lighthearted and he's always smiling. So he's joking with lime and D line. He's just cool with everybody. And like I said, like for a rookie quarterback to come in like that where guys are gravitating to him.

1:08:23And he's not afraid to be who he is. That's dope. I think he has a bright future for himself. The tough losses, the tough seasons can weigh on a player. Sure. You're entering the prime of your career. J.A. kind of mentioned it last year. All he cares about is winning. He wants to win now. Is there a sense of urgency? You obviously always want to win. Yeah. Knowing that, you know, you're getting to the prime of your career. Like you want to win now. Yeah, I think that's a fair question. I think, you know, you start to evaluate when you I'm in year six and you know how fast it goes. And I try not to put the cart before the horse. We're looking too far ahead by the same time. You do want to win. You want to be a part of a winning culture and have a chance to win the Super Bowl and the playoffs and all those things. That's why we do this personally. And I'm just excited with being a part of an organization in an environment where now like everybody's on the same page in the in the in the message is uniform. And it speaks from the top down.

1:09:24And it reflects the guys that they're bringing in. You know, all the guys that they brought in are guys who are hungry who are competitors who not only fighting for spots, but we're going to help us win games. And when you're around environment like that, like that that makes you excited makes you hopeful. And you know, you don't know how it's going to turn out until we start playing games. But the foundation is extremely important. And I think this off season we've really done a great job of building that they have. And then when a coach Quinn guy here building with this team. So I feel like we're going to be going into this off season really knowing what we all got to do individually to become ready for camp. But the message is clear to come back to camp ready to compete and and be ready to win. Appreciate you guys. Yeah, one of the funniest guys on the team right here.

1:10:25Get there long. You just keep your head down. Keep working. Keep grinding. Eventually you won't get to that point. How important is coach make you like. Coach make is close me is a great guy. Man, I haven't really had no strength. I was like coach make you know, he really going to push you to your limit. He's going to really challenge you and he knows it's hard. It's hard to be a book out here. But along with you just keep going keep fighting. You know, saying everything's going to work out. So just don't get discouraged of things not going your way. You know, you just got to fight through it and just got to keep your head down. Keep grinding. With tightly caught to the end of the call. There's 40 or 50 snaps available. Does that change your mindset in the off season? I mean, no, because we've been practicing like that since the spring. Like we already knew we lost a great front for guys. You know, saying, you know, we had to pick up to where they left off. You know, with the national championship and all that. So just understanding and learning from them and getting with our coaches and to actually be able to like, okay, we see how they did it. Maybe we could do it our way, but just a way that benefits us as a unit. Well, and you guys lost a lot of players last year. It's not just the defensive line. I mean, obviously that's the position you play.

1:11:26But it seems like all off season it's been the pressure is under defensive line. This team will go as far as you guys taking. Do you want that pressure? Do you like that pressure? Or do you wish you could sort of fly the road? See, it's a thing we got around here is like pressure is a privilege. You know, if you don't got pressure, then you really want to say, you're not doing anything. So we're arguing it right now because after we lost a front for weeks, like, okay. We lost all these great guys to lead. It's the next man's up. That's our motto. So now we've just been working hard, head down, grinding, trying to get better at the little things that we've got to work on to be able to play in the big stage. So you're three years into football only with your athletic career at all. How different do you feel when it comes to understanding the big picture of life as a defensive line? I know. At the beginning, it was hard, you know, transition from two sports to playing on one. But actually understanding like, okay, I'm here now. What do I got to do? How can I help my teammates out? And how can I help this program out? It's a definitely a mental thing. So you just got a maintain. Keep your head down. Keep grinding. Keep your head down.

1:12:26Keep your head down. Keep your head down. Keep your head down. In the mid-term you're trying to get a little bit better. Just like that. I'm trying to get a little bit better at the end of the season. I'm trying to get a little bit better at the end of the season. I'm trying to get a little bit better at the end of the season. Be ready to learn how to play with the coaches and watching film, learning from the old regardless of how I figured I'd just started watching Todd Leakin. How they handled certain situations and how they go about things. And just adding onto that with my daily life. The average high school athlete like someone like yourself who's good enough to play at SEC baseball, picked out a football at SEC football. Is that a just-compaired when things get difficult and can be hard to overcome for people anybody that you specifically lean on around here to get you through those tougher times? Yeah, I would say all the coaches that mostly close men, close KP and close J, you know what I'm saying? But most importantly, my family, you know, my family, my support since I was a kid. So just getting with them to tell them my problems and what things I have to do really helped me understanding. Like they always tell me, just got stay focused, got to keep working, got to keep grinding. And especially with the model here, you know what I'm saying, with tough love, discipline, and you know, you just got to keep fighting, you know what I'm saying? Because like I said before, everything's not going to go your way. When you first come here, everything's not going to be how you thought. And how you adjust to the situation is just how you're going to build in real life.

1:13:31So how are you different? You're three since that transition then when you were getting through to Ohio, so you first year here? I would say I learn more about the game throughout watching other people play it. And especially with the coaches, you know, getting with Coach Jay, Todd Lee can tie it when they was here. Seeing how they handle certain situations or how they handle like watching film or watching their opponents to try to figure out certain tips and keys that they can use in the game to be done in the minute. Who have you looked to and really taken away from how they handled things? Who have been some of your teammates that you've looked at in the situation? Are you talking about currently or it could be current? It could be past. Well, I'm going to start with the past. Pass was Todd Lee, Todd Williams, Todd Hamilton and JT, you know, just watching. But mostly, Todd Lee, just watching how far he came along from when he first got here until where he was at now, just watching him understand more about the game

1:14:31and how he handled certain situations. Like I said, and currently I just watch you know, can you out of Jackson? You know, when he first got here, he really, he didn't know too much about the game. But as he got with JT and Jack and watching him grow, it was just amazing experience. So just learning from different guys, it don't matter the age group, it don't matter if you've been here three years if you just got here because everybody's playing their own unique thing. So just taking bits and pieces from everybody that's been around him, just putting them in my life. What do you feel is your unique thing or that unique trait that you bring to the D-Live? Just, um, talking about something. Just, uh, obviously more of the mental aspect, because like I said, when I first got here, it wasn't anything that I thought it would be, you know, saying we had a fight, had challenges in my life that I had to overcome and learn. So just watching how other people did it and putting in my day of life and just understanding that I just got to keep grinding, keep putting my head down, just keep working, and trusting to the process, so everything will work out fine. I think that getting free to four at that to the game can help you as a D-Live

1:15:36and take advantage of the time that you're out there. I mean, yeah, you always want to minimize the opportunities you have, you know, take advantage of every little opportunity that you get, you know, saying that each opportunity is a chance to get better in life. So that's how I look at it. So it don't matter if you get one of bad two of bads. As long as you do everything you can in that one and two of bads, then the progress you're going to keep getting more. That's how I look at it. All right, what excited about this year? I love it. Great answers. Great answer. What are what excites you most about this year? Just seeing how this team won't be, you know, everybody, like you said, we had a great team last year, you know, this new year, we got everybody coming back in and young and first. So just seeing how everybody was working and all of a sudden, and how everybody was working in camp, just excited to see how we're going to be in the big stage. I'm a crease because he's doing all the little things and he could say he's had a outstanding spring so far. And Davidson, what do you think he wants to get out of this year? You understand? I mean, he's back. What have y'all talked about about where he can make steps or what are you going to cut?

1:16:36It's proof that top of the route, proof on the off coverage. Some things that work on to make him the player he want to be next year this time. So he got to work on all this stuff now and he's done a better job in those things. So it's always the little details of things that you want to work on. He's tall. Yeah, I mean, so we got to make sure he's seeking to see if it's going to top it around. Being able to transition out of the brakes because his body structure is a little different, something of the guys. So we work on those things now so that it becomes his foundation and it becomes part of his habits. So when we get into the season, they are part of his makeup. You got young guys that are talented but have not played yet. How do you talk to them about kind of competing with the Lex Crop of young talented guys coming in? There's musical chairs. No one cares that you're young. They've grown the ball over there when they gave time. So you got to grow up fast and the competition is real. So we preach the competition. We don't shy away from it and you got to pick it up and go.

1:17:39Whether you're a third year guy or whether you're incoming. So we let those guys compete and go against each other. They'll go get someone on the freshman but you'll go get someone to dance. That's part of it because if you actually get in the game, no one really cares that you're a freshman. So we have to try to create that environment and practice what we do because we go against the best receiver group in the country that helps us grow and learn in that area. So we get a chance to get a real good evaluation of the competition or does the guys who go against it? Now, it was obviously this year last year that the play has blackstriped off the other day. What improvements has he made to lead to? Since the artist and he's doing well on the special teams. I mean, you got to start creating roles. So he did well on the special team. He started an emphasis on urgency. He's applying the game a little better. So that creates an opportunity. So continuing to do those little things and show the effort and urgency to create the opening of opportunities for you. How the roster is going to be smaller than our five?

1:18:40Or from priority for your guy who's secondary together? The double bump was bought from my three main earlier. I don't know questions. So we each other to keep position flexed. Anyway, so you know, we always move guys around. If you notice, you know, even in the, I'm going in the past. But you know, guys like Joanne Hancock, he played corner, he played nipple, he played safety in some situations. I mean, you got to have those guys that can move around a little bit. And you got to have a few guys that can do that just so. And I was just cut down short, but just have the baby move the parts down to get your matchup that you won't start getting into the season. And I've got what stands out about Aaron Scott and what do you expect this role to be this year? I don't know his role to be, but he's been doing well this spring. So he's been competing. He's been applying the game as functional intelligence has been up. He has a passion for it. He plays with great effort and things are coming along for it. And he's playing with confidence. So all those things be able and then can we sustain it? Can we keep going and the roles take care of himself when we get closer to game time? It's real early on that part.

1:19:41Now, because they've got a few weeks of spring ball, they'll be staying up. They'll be trying to keep them. They've been saying cheers. They've been saying cheers. Yeah. What's been your take on him? He's doing a solid job. But he's learning and he's growing. And like I said, I like this and stuff when he's doing over long period of time. But he's doing well. He's picking stuff up. He's making some plays. But he's still having stuff to learn. Because you know, it is a lot of different stuff. Love moving parts, man. So, but he's doing well. We pleased with his progression so far. And we just have to keep seeing it going with all these guys. And see how it is you go when we finish spring ball. And then we'll start moving it in the camp. It's all this stuff still applicable with all the situations and things that we go through. And I'm curious. What is the most difficult thing for a young guy to pick up one? To be able to, the speed of the game with the different formations, the situation, the football, and being able to apply it. Because it's faster. It's a lot of moving parts. And there's a lot of different personnel groupings. And there's a lot of different characters. So you have to be able to apply all those moving parts.

1:20:41And sometimes it takes you guys a while to do that. They doing a good job of it. We keep pushing them. And we look forward to the progression on it. So we try to push them as hard as we can now in the room. So when we get close to the training camp and see that they're in the better shape, we'll put the hammer next time. Can you tell me how you're looking? Can you always see places like the football guys that are doing the training? What is he showing you? That you're looking at? Okay, that's what I'm saying. He's doing well. In the same thing, he said we play him outside. So when we're inside Nick, we kind of been moving them around doing things. Again, we just trying to see any mail, but ask him help them. But again, we only can know that if we put them in the spot to see if they can do it. So we just move guys around, see what they can do. It also helps with football like you. The more positions you play, the more you have to learn it. So that helps you mature overall football knowledge. So let's see if you put this thing together, doing that. How's this coming together? How much have you put in right now? And I mean, are you guys like kids in a candy store and you look at some of the talent you're going to put pieces you're going to have?

1:21:46Yeah, we got a lot of pieces and we're excited about it, but we still taking it slow. Because we are young and we still a young team. So we just starting to slowly move guys around and see what they can handle. We'll see their football IQ, but we do have a great group of guys. They're very competitive. They're growing. They have talent. So we just have to experiment and see what guys can do. So we'll know the best spots to put guys in. How are you guys? Nice to meet you too. Oh, great. I'm in the other four-wild. You know what I mean? So I've been, you know, knowing that for a minute and, you know, the camaraderie, the chemistry and all that works great. And that's the thing about my staff on these side. We have great chemistry over there. So to be able to blend in the back end, stuff we're doing up front, we try to make sure we get the right personnel groups on the field, see what guys know, and we got a great group of kids. So those guys doing all that stuff, make it fun, and it gives us a lot of flexibility and move guys around in different pieces.

1:22:47It's too many. Too many. I feel like it's this playing ball, you know, just different plays, different routes, you know, the linebacker or corner outside, you know, just different stuff, you know, just, I feel like we all just learning from each other, talking. You know, he asking, knows we asking, and, you know, just, we all just lean on each other, and I feel like that's what you need, you know, as a team, you know, if you want to go the way you want to go. You know, you spend a lot of your work in that area. You have to be out there for the other. I feel like for us, man, this is going on and do what we've been doing. You know, play the game, you're playing our whole life, you know, you know, it's, you know, it's like I was taking first, but I feel like first, you know, you got to block out the noise, you know, remember the mystery, and about go, take one day at a time, and, you know, just be out there, you know, I feel like you can't jump at the end of the season, really, you know, you got to see about tomorrow, the after that, after that, so I feel like first, man, just keep stacking, keep building, the way it's falling apart. Do you feel like this is something that you got even better at since last year when you had your best season?

1:23:47Yeah, I feel like for me, man, just continue to work on my, my explosiveness, being flexible, you know, being a fluid, I'm a big body, you know, I'm six four, you know, so it's tall, you know, I'm a big friend, so I feel like for me, man, just being the band, dropping away, you know, just going up and high point to fall. So I feel like for me, man, it's all the way, just working on my crap, you never get comfortable, you know, you can't get the place with me, man, I feel like that's where you lose the vision, you know, I feel like for me, man, just continue to stack, brick by brick, man, and reach my goal. You were pretty open for the last year about how different this season. Yeah, I feel like you were building the fact that you're providing for a final comment. Great, then after the last couple of years, how different, kind of space that I give you from this year's band, and it's a different mental point? Yeah, I feel like it's the same mindset, same energy, same goal, you know, last year was good, but wasn't good enough, you know, we didn't reach with that goal, we wanted to, you know, made it first round playoffs, going lost, then that was it, so I feel like this year came, had that same feeling,

1:24:48you know, it was like the wind, keep going, so we feel like we want to keep that feeling, keep the energy going, man, I feel like for us, it's just, like I said, just one game at a time, and have fun, be there for each other, enjoy the moment. I think every time you were seeing a top-notch score, I was before a moment of the goal, but you're only going to go inside, where do you see the potential content you were discussing? From that? Man, just seeing him on doubt, man, you know, just from his past, he's been dealing with a lot, you know, just seeing him, you know, coming in every day, you know, working with himself, working with his body, you know, things he's been like, improve on, man, and it's showing on the field, you know, it is his work, he's been putting it in off season, it's showing, you know, I feel like for him, man, just everybody, just keep going, head down, you feel like, just continuing to improve, we just want to be seeing every day, man, but on him, it's impressive for me, just seeing his work at the man, to see him, just keep shining, and progression the way he is, man, this is amazing, you know, so for him, it's God's will, man. As a big body, why did you see where he has gotten the best of his field of Andre Johnson?

1:25:50What are your feelings about going to the hands of the plane there? Man, try to do a special, it's the reason why he's there, you know, it's the reason why we're going to see him being the hall of fame, man, he's a legend, you know, so I watch a lot of big-body receivers, him, Julio, Larifice, Jair, Mike Thomas, you know, there's a lot of guys like that, I feel like, that I got the same body as me, you know, I watch how they release, I watch how they, you know, they come like the brakes, things like that, they're being smooth, they're getting a little bit of sand, I feel like that's what, J.D., his career here, man, it's going up, whatever ball in the air is coming his way, it's his, so I feel like some of us said, that's what I'm chasing, you know, trying to be like him, so, they're doing it, he deserves it, for sure. Thank you, you know, I'm going to have the extension in the backhand, I'll go ahead and allow you to evacuate to the right, so, how much of us have you come in as to see, and all that that has already been done, and now you can just really go out and go, yeah, it's a blessing, you know, you know, a lot of people don't get that second chance, get that second contract, but for them to believe in me, and put their trust in me for the con,

1:26:50you know, you're early, you know, it means a lot, you know, it means they trust me, and so I feel like, I'm not here, I feel like, I'm not here, how you got to put the work in, you know, they put all the chips in, so I feel like, you need, I just got to, continue to show them, you know, continue to prove myself, and then continue to have fun, I feel like, just can't get comfortable, you know, it's there, but I feel like, it's much more to improve on, always more improvement on my game, you know, so, like, I'm not there yet, you know, I feel like I'm always, you know, it's gonna get better, it's gonna find what I need for my body, and just, to make plays for the team, you know, so, this year, man, I feel like, it's gonna be fun for everybody, you know, everybody's just a process, dial, then, be relentless, man, and beat us with each other, kind of by stop there. It's more of a motivation also. You sign a new deal and get the next thing, you know, everybody else's sign a deal, and they get more and more and more of them. Is that what I'm so motivated to get the next contract? Yeah, yeah, yeah, I'm what's definitely, man, I feel like it's just, it's a lot more on the table, you know, I feel like it was just, it's just a start for me, so I feel like, you got to build on it,

1:27:50you know, just continue to go, you know, continue to try to prove everybody right, you know, and just fall out, man, I feel like it's, I feel like I, you know, just keep them myself, so, appreciate it, guys. I don't know if I'm going to see it. Just, okay. Okay. Well, some of us talked to you, you were talking to the Houston about storm preparation. You feel like you were prepared for the storm, so we got it, and what you want to say to the Houston about the storm, so you got it. Yeah, I wasn't here, so I was back in Georgia, thank God.

1:28:52And I came back in the tree, feeling my backyard, and my power was off, but I hope everybody was safe, and next time we have one, everybody continue to prepare the right way. So yeah. Put off the monster, you lost the monster, you put off the monster, you put off the monster. Yeah, I'm like, I think last year, I was like 248, and about time we got to like the Ravens game, I was just like, I just can't last, I feel like I was getting tossed around, so I kind of boked up a little, I was all seeing it, trying to keep my speed, what I did, keep my speed. So I'm like two, three now, I feel good, some people still say I don't even look big, so I appreciate you for that. I think for sure, and in terms of having more of a pass-ers plan, and things that you have at your disposal, where do you feel like you're better specifically? Where do you feel like you're better specifically, in terms of finishing and having a pass-ers plan just to record rock? Yeah, for me, I feel like that's the area I'm still working on right now, and me and Coach Berkowitz are actually just talking,

1:29:52and I think that's one thing that I'm continuing to keep getting better at. It's just working on my finish and working on my extension at the top of my rush, and turning that corner. That's something this whole offseason I've been working on, and I'm excited to just keep seeing the progress, and just keep building that 1% each day. What's different about you and Richie? You're not everything, you're coming into all the offseason. What's different for you and how do you do it? Yeah, I feel like my focus, my focus is just less on what everybody has to say, and more on God. I think my biggest thing is knowing that, like I always tell you, my approval comes from him, and I'm saying, and ultimately, everything that I achieve in his lifetime, I'll put in him first for it, because he's the reason why I'm here, and I think that's the difference. This year, man, I'm like, God, whether it's a good game, bad game, anything, you're going to get the praise and glory for it. I'm going to let you use me, however you want to use me, each game, and I just want to be a servant, be a leader, and be a blessing to my teammates to help them out at any type of way. So that's my whole thing coming to this year, man, it's like, God, everyone who used me, I just want to be a blessing to this team. Yeah, I think it's just a maturity, man,

1:30:55and just diving deeper into the world, and spending this off-season, you know, more in church, and more in the Bible, and learning myself more, and just seeing, like, how the outside world is, and learning, like, bro, like, and once you get to that spiritual level, I think it's like, bro, like, God is, for your ultimate goal, like, He's the one who wakes you up in the morning? Like, some person that somebody's based me don't wake you up into the morning, like, they don't, their噴 and their matter so my thing's like, I want to put all my focus there and then, God hundreds of threats. What do you最 part of what you call to say that, if someone wants to motivate you to tell you something like, if they can't, to be able to tell you something that you can't do and that you'll go out there. And you'll get it done. And I also told me that even during this spring break some of my kids would call them and say, what are you doing? Can you come work through 101 years? How do you keep that type of motivation going into here too? For me I always feel like it's somebody trying to take my position.

1:31:55And it's somebody always behind me, as just like trying to come get what I want. So like always want to stay on edge, always want to stay in front, always want to stay up to date with like whatever I got going on. And that was my whole mindset and that's my mindset now. It's like how can I continue to get better? What am I doing to set myself apart from the rest of the competition? And that's just been my mindset the whole time. I think I was talking a lot about confidence. I'm here under the self. Is that part of your game that you're more confident in than shooting and maybe doing it? Yeah, I would just say within the system, man. Like, not reading, not thinking and just going and just being free and just playing my free is. And I think this OTA and going into this training camp, I kind of feel that like I'm more free. I know the system. I know what I can't do. I know what I can't do. But I know I can be myself within the system. How important are you to make this happen? Yeah, it was really important. And Georgia, like it's not that many camps down in the South. It's always going up north. I know when I was younger, going to Georgia for 100, an hour away, $45 camp.

1:32:59And I was like, man, like I want to go back to my community where it all started. Having free camp for those kids because they deserve it, man. It's a lot of talent down there. And I just want to show them that anything is possible. And the biggest goal is just always giving back to your community and helping the younger generation. What have you been learning from D'Neal Hunter and what's the relationship like? Did you start it? Yeah, man. I've been learning a lot from him. He's been great. I commend him a lot just by the way he works with his hands. He does a really good job. And that's everything that he tries to do for us. We do a lot of hand work. A lot of karate a little bit. But he's so good with his hands. And he's been teaching me that a lot. I would be able to act as he is. You guys have to act as he is. My husband is good as he is, man. Multiple tapes. Multiple tapes. We was different from my 10 a.m. and 9 p.m. man. Now I'm just saying seven. Like, like, like, like, overcar. Yeah, like, overcar. Well, you meant I know in part of your family, you always talk about your sister. You know, you're here. I know you're in what system is really critical on your play and everything.

1:34:02And you talked about how you ended the season, how you got tossed around. But she reached you right at the end of the year. Now, they cut me some slack because they know I was hurt towards the end. Yeah. So they cut me a little bit slack. But believe they've been on me this off season. They've been on me. I had to wake up early every morning just to get away from them, man. They're like, when you're going to go workout? When you're going to go do this? And I said, can I just do my schedule? Can I have my schedule? But I love my family to death. And that's why I appreciate them so much because not only do I push myself, but they push me as well. Yeah. Yeah. I would just say the bonding and keep coming together, man. I think we are further ahead of that than we were last year. Like, even with all the new additions, it just feels like we've been together for a while now. And it just shows like, there's a lot of guys that we have in this building. Yeah, man. I think my biggest thing, I just want to get bigger, stronger, faster.

1:35:02And I think those are the areas that I really improved on and have more mobility and flexibility to be able to get in some of the positions that have been a little better, to get our blocks a little better, and to use my hands a little better. So those are all the areas that I feel like I've been taking the necessary steps to continue to keep going. And then you are on the field. What do you do often to have a better presence in the lot more? Yeah, man. A lot of self-evaluation and just building my confidence and not being scared to say stuff sometimes and being more calm and being able to talk and stuff like that. And being able to let my passion come out, but real back on my passion a little bit. And just be more relaxed and calm about it. How do you think you got the handling of outside management? Yeah, coach it on the head yesterday, man. And I don't know just from the players, man. The expectation of all of these expectations, like nobody on the outside is going to have a bigger expectation than the inside of the building.

1:36:06And right now our expectation is just building that building, building a tall building, man. But it starts with the foundation of coming out here, getting 1% better. Everybody keeping their head down and just working. Thank you. I got you. What's the progress you know you've made over the last week and have two weeks? Just, you know, getting, I feel like I'm starting to play a little faster. I'm starting to just understand just the defense more. I feel like it's been good. Where are you wrapping up primarily between No Star and Interact? Right now primarily No Star. What fits you about that? I say I'm very, I'm better working vertical than I am. More horizontal, I feel like I have a better get off. And that's where I shine. I can, you know, knock the center back. Josh Patea said you're slippery. What do you think you mean? Just, I feel like kind of like what Elijah said, I can knock people back at the same time.

1:37:12Like, stunts called I can be able to try to slip through the line. That's a problem. That's a good thing. Yeah, it's definitely a compliment for Josh. Yeah. I appreciate that from him. You're getting slippery. Yeah, he was very slippery. Hey, if you watch video, much video, yeah, where do you see y'all? Like, what did you inherit, I guess. I would say just like what I was just saying, I think my get off is the biggest thing I've been hearing. Just being able to just get off the ball and just knock a dude back. I feel like that is where he shined and that's where I was shining soon. He had a desire. He finished every point. How are you then? You take that from him too. Go to the whistle. Got to, yeah, I got to have a great mother, you know. Following this concept, you're so close to being able to fill up this team and get on the wheel. Trying to find your own legacy of life. Is that awesome? You've been thinking about that a lot to have close to you. You've already been able to start to make your own legacy. Yeah, for sure. You know, I want to, I kind of want to, like what you said, I want to build my own legacy, but I don't want to just credit his own legacy.

1:38:16No, it's a smith name. Yeah. Well, the version of you that played at Double Cop versus the version you are right now. I'd say pretty different. I mean, I was playing Endham at Double Clothman and now I'm smacking the middle of the line. So, it's like I've gotten a lot stronger, a lot bigger and I'm a lot smarter in the middle of football. When you go back to you to top, you know, when you think about me, a hook, I, you probably have very grand visions of what that's going to look like. But when you give me, there's so much work to do. Can you explain that process of how dedicated you really have to be to make that physical transition, to really be able to play with? Yeah, for sure. I feel like, I mean, I mean, it's like a, in high school, it's like a dreamy like work towards it. And then when you actually get here, it's almost like a little like smack in the face, like, like, oh shit, like we're here to work, you know, send it away. You know, I got to give all my props to Coach Mick, like he was able to transform my body and that why I'm today and all the strength steps.

1:39:17So I feel like I can't take all the credit as mostly just like them just, and I'm just, I just follow what they tell me to do. And it's in the eye of now. So it seems like training part is important, but it's not the whole thing. They're getting bigger and stronger. It's like the culture part. Yeah. How much of an effect reduce that in a part of your chain? It's, it's also, it's a lot. I mean, it's, I feel like you can't be able to transform your body like I, like I have with like people here come and do that without having that mentality part with it. It's like we, we always talk about competitions here and our, our culture is fight. So we're always here to compete. I feel like that is just, that's what gets you in this mindset. When you talk about that transformation, can you just give us a little sense maybe with numbers or body fat or like what do you do with the weight group, how big is that transformation definitely? I don't have really specific numbers, but I just like, it's more just like I can just, I feel like feeling when I'm playing like I remember how I felt the play when I just got here and now I know how, how it feels to play like, like, like just today, like it feels physically different on my body.

1:40:32It's like, it's, it's, I'm getting used to it. That makes sense. You guys, I can't imagine feeling like that. Kadea also said about you that you are just a completely different guy from last year. We're here to work this year. Let's get it done. So you're here? Do you feel like you weren't at that place mentally? I think I was, but I think I had some, I would say like, kind of like confidence issues, like I was just, but, you know, I mean, I work past it and I know, I know who I am and I know I can be here. So you have confidence issues, how do you get through it? Is it yourself, is it teammates, is there someone in your family that makes you believe that you can do it? I know I can do it. It's not like that's, those are, those are all, it's on the past now. Did the past of play time in the very obvious opportunity? You guys had to step up and be able to be on the business.

1:41:32That helped you kind of get over that confidence issue there because it's now an ever since your opportunity. So kind of is just like, just, I mean, it's just, just being here, like I feel like being here every day, working with the guys every day, just like, you know, you become this person that you might not have like, you might not have felt like you were before that, but like coming here, working every day, stacking these days, like, you know, I just feel like I realized who I am and I know what I can do now. Well, I want to be honest with you, I'm not sure what's wrong, but are you, as this is said, you've had to like convince yourself that you actually belong here and you've been, I knew I could play here. I mean, it's just, it was like the, like, I just, I don't know how to explain it. I just, like, I've always known I could play here. It's just, I'm just, like, let's go.

1:42:38Like, I'm ready, like, I'm ready to attack. What are the guys that helped you to figure that out? For sure, I think KJ was a big influence, Ty Hamilton, Ty League, they all, they all helped me a bunch last year, kind of just pushing through, you know. Alright, well. Yeah, we're super excited. I think that, you know, I played in the Rose Bowl my freshman year. It's an amazing venue. It's so beautiful. They do a great job, hosting for the players and coaches and families. So it really doesn't get much better than this and having a chance to, you know, redeem ourselves from what happened earlier in the season is something we don't take lightly. So we're very thankful. Austin Ward, the podcast, what if I told you that Germany's been for some good freshman year last year? I did hear that. Yeah, that's a little, I don't even know who won it. Who won it? Oh, it's, it also has that exact same thing. Yeah, I mean, I don't know. That's a, you know, we know what we got here on our side. We're not too worried about, you know, awards and stuff like that.

1:43:44So I know JJ, the type of kid he is, that's only going to motivate him more. So it's fuel to the fire, which I think is good for us having into this week. What was the, what was the first moment that you saw him and tell us this could be something? I would say probably just his mindset, not even obviously he's a, you know, he's a, he's a freak when it comes to, you know, his, his body and stuff like that. Just his physical nature, but I think just as mindset the way he approached the weight room, it didn't really seem like a way of freshman would and he was our only freshman ever to receive, you know, iron buck, I reward, which, you know, something I was pushing towards my, my entire time being here. But, you know, it takes another level of duty to be able to receive that reward, especially as a freshman. So, you know, that's kind of when I knew. Steve, it means more on that when you and Mara first got here here in Chris, we're out of it about the way that you guys even as freshmen were pushing to guys who were about to be first round draft picks. And then Mara kind of said the same thing about Carnail and Brandon last year.

1:44:47How did JJ push you guys when he first got here as the young guy and now you guys are the older guys? Yeah, I would say it's very similar. It's kind of the same exact thing. And, you know, I don't know what it is about the culture and zone stakes, but we keep bringing in these type of people year in and year out. That's what makes our room so great. But I think that something that JJ was able to push me in was just, you know, he was able to push me in my leadership. I needed to grow in that aspect, but he also was able to challenge me when it came to the weight room and on the field. Because we're always, are always paired together when it came to summer and when our workouts were always lifting together. You know, I get a couple wins. He get a couple wins. So, um, it's really that next level step of competitiveness that I needed and that edge that I needed. That word before you guys came into the Tennessee game with a lot of outside motivation with Michigan loss and kind of the three weeks of talk. I know obviously there's still that motivation to go on and win a national championship. But how do you keep that kind of edge to a better term mentally after some of that stuff is kind of gone away?

1:45:54I would say kind of you lose your edge. I wouldn't really call you a true competitor. I think that, you know, the way with the college football playoffs is structured the intensity cranks every single week. So, um, if you're not more intense than you were the last week, then then something's wrong with you. I think that, you know, Tennessee was a great win, great for our momentum. But we have our full focus on Oregon, not worrying about anything in the past, nothing in the future, our full focus is towards this game. And then, you know, we win this one, we go on to the next one, our full focus is going to be on that one. So it's just you keep moving down a ladder like this. Step on Christy, please let me talk about it. Michael, there's been a lot of change in college football in the playoffs. I think of that nature. But, you know, the way in some of your team into coaches talking about the Rose Bowl seems like that's one game that's really, you know, maintaining a lot of that tradition. You play the net, you know, what it's about. Could you explain it to, you know, obviously we've never had a chance to play that why the Rose Bowl has maintained, you know, that level of respect from the players in coaches. Yeah, I think, I don't know, they're just something about it, something in the air down there in the past of Dana. It's just a beautiful venue, especially that time of the year. Like you said, the tradition is held year in and year out.

1:46:59And it's kind of the game you dream of playing in when you're a little kid, you know, playing back yard football with your friends. The Rose Bowl is always one that tends to come up. So just having a chance of playing it is definitely very surreal. And this is going to be my second time. So I'm going to do my best to take it all in while also being fully focused on Oregon. And let me worry, Matt, we will study still has 90 minutes about that first game in Oregon. Just what kind of drive you seem to him this week wanting to get back to this one? Yeah, Will is a, he's a laser focused person. He goes about his business. He's very loose and he's very calm and he's able to rally the team. But you can see it in his eyes that this game means everything to him. So every single practice, every single huddle, making sure we're sharp, making sure we have a better practice than we had last. Then yesterday, a better practice in Oregon is having so his full focus is on being this team. And, you know, obviously it's hard not to think about the stuff of the past, but I know he's laser focused on what we got coming up. Tony, you heard me.

1:47:59I have. When you're a kid playing back here, I was never really a buck I fan until, you know, I really committed here and I saw what it was all about. I was actually an Oregon fan growing up, especially on the Pacific Northwest. You know, my grandpa went to UW and stuff like that. So I like the Huskies too. But there was a legendary football player named foe to Liatto from my high school and he went to Oregon. And a couple of y'all probably know that story from a couple of years back, but he tragically died in the car accident. And, you know, he was, he was someone I looked up to in high school. You know, I was relatively close with him, even though he was a bit older than me in age, but I'm just seeing what he did at my high school and then going on to play big time football, Oregon. That was a school that I really dreamed of going to. He's actually another Jeremiah question. Is there one moment, one play, one something that made you visco. Oh, man, I've never seen before. That's just incredible.

1:49:04Yeah, I'll say it's happened multiple times. There's not really one. I can pinpoint, but the more he does it, the more I tend to react less. So I would say probably my earliest memories of it were in spring ball, kind of getting the first glimpse of him when he's making all these ridiculous catches and he still does it time and time again, even now, but it's just more common now for me. The land. But you had, I think, was 12 touches in the first game against Oregon, Henry, such as two carries. Is there something about this matchup that favors you? And now that you have word that productive the first time you played this team, what kind of attention? Yeah, I mean, we're not entirely sure what their game plan is going to be, but we're paired for everything. You know, I'm not going to get too much into scheme and stuff like that, but we know that if the ball comes our way, we've got to make those plays. So whether I have 10 receptions again coming up this game where I have zero or one, we're just looking to get this win on the road, because it's really a road game for us, you know, flying across two times on.

1:50:05So I think that, you know, it's going to be a great matchup, whether they tend to focus on me more or not. It doesn't really matter to me because I know our team has a great plan regardless. That time for a couple more questions, Spencer, over a letterman role. You guys ever surprised when the game and you look at it, especially in front of the other team? You can kind of feel it throughout the game, I would say. You know, he's a true competitor. He wants to get involved, but at the same time he's super selfless. He's really humble. So he's going to do whatever it takes for the team to get a win, but it's the competitive nature and that wants to contribute as much as he can. So, you know, I try to be in his ear to tell him to be level head and stuff like that, not that I need to. He's a very level headed and selfless guy like I'm saying. But, you know, sometimes that's just how the game goes. You know, I had a game this year where I only had one catch, but you know, we ended up winning by lot. I think that, you know, it's hard or it's easy to be focused on the personal attributes that you could have game in and game out. But no one's really going to remember those if we're holding up the trophy at the end of the year.

1:51:06He could be a number one. He could be a number one. I think 95% of the balls were right now, but he's like, you know, the three. You see his work as like all of those things that he does, and that makes it play. You guys ever from the height of the leg, yeah, this guy could absolutely be a number one from the low scotch. I would disagree with you. I think that he is a number one. I think that we don't have a number three receiver. I think we have three number one receivers out there. So whatever the defense, you know, if they want to put their attention on one guy or a couple of us, they're not really doing themselves any favor because we're going to have a favor. We'll match up on the other side of the ball. So that's never how we view ourselves. We know we're alpha dogs out there every single one of us knows we have the capabilities to be a number one receiver. And we are number one receivers. And final question. Steve, how long has 24 hours? Yeah, and then at the end of that game, you made one of the clutch plays that passed down the sideline. At any time when you make that play, you think, and did you ever, your mind that we're going to win this game after we were now close to field goal range. I mean, did that play in your mind? Say, my goodness, we've got a chance to get out of here with the win.

1:52:09Yeah, I definitely knew where I caught the ball and I knew we were, you know, close to being a field goal range. So, you know, there was a sense of, you know, I knew I knew it was a big play that I made. But in those moments, you have to finish out the game no matter what you can't get a big head. You can't get complacent. You have to finish the game until the clock hits zero. So that's something we've been working on. You know, we work on two minute every single Wednesday. Every single Wednesday practice. So today we'll work on our two minute and we don't even call it two minute. We call it clutch because in those time in those games and those big moments, someone has to make a clutch play. So we're focusing on that every single game, knowing that we're going to have to make one of those plays coming down the stretch here. What would it mean if you're able to finish this one off and get to the final four of this playoff? Just what in your mind? Just, would this be, you know, just the ultimate, I suppose, to be a team that's already beaten earlier this year? No, I think the ultimate would be winning the national championship. So, you know, we're focused on this. This just happens to be the next team in the way. We're not focused on where we played them earlier this year, whether they got the win over us.

1:53:12They're just a nameless, faceless opponent. So we're going out there fully prepared, not worried about what's happening in the past. You know, we played them before. We felt them out. So it's all about who got better from that point in time until now. Thank you. Thank you. You know, evaluate and grow a new group of guys. I think in spring. I think our opinion is, you know, by fall, everything the team, the team, the team, the team, it's what it's all about. But in order to add to a team, in order to add to a collective, you got to focus on the individual individual must improve. So the collective can improve. And so building the base, I think, schematically and fundamentally culturally is what we're attacking as we head into spring. How much is Brandon looking forward to a different spring, a different opportunity? I know it wasn't fun for him having to take a little bit of a backseat to him. Where do you see him? The fire. Right now. He gets right for this one. Yeah, I think when you come out of a season, you get out of January and kind of take a breath. Then when you get back in the winter, it's the first opportunity to reestablish the new role that I want to have.

1:54:21I mean, across the board, there's not one guy that doesn't want to improve roles. So they're all attacking it that way. I think Brandon's one of them, but he's one of of 50. And I think that it's our job to provide opportunities to grow, to separate themselves, to see peer-to-peer evals, to allow these guys to check, you know, a chase a role. And at least through through winter, they've gotten that started to continue that through spring. And I think Brandon's, you know, fits in line with that. I think Brandon did a great job looking back of finding his role last year and excelling at it. We know we talk a lot about if you want to be a starter, you have to be a starter before you the starter. And if you're not, they're never going to be the starter. So I think he embodied that, you know, he gave himself an opportunity to get into spring and get into us. He's made into winter, continue who he is, continue to build, you know, his base, build his leadership. And then now he's got to get that in spring.

1:55:21So all the great things you do prior doesn't mean anything. If you don't go out there and do it in spring. So, you know, that's the harsh reality of the sport. You know, what have you done lately? And I think all these guys are are chewing at the bit to get back on the field. And you everybody brings their own experience. Ryan was quarterback, you were a receiver, and then to become a play parlor, I obviously have an understanding of the whole offense. But what was the process like for you up protections and the run game and quarterback play and just continuing to grow with your knowledge of that part of the game as you prepared for this position? Yeah, I mean, I think you're always growing. I think that you still have a specialty here. You still have an expertise in one area. It is seen you have an expertise in all of it. That's just not true. But in my opinion, I've seen multiple coordinators and I know that as a fact. So, you know, for me, I think it's just you have an opportunity to be with the best staff in America every single day with the best coach in America.

1:56:26So just stay off your phone and pay attention and take notes and actually maximize your time. It's amazing the amount of people that don't do that. So every time in a meeting, I just try to make sure I'm getting a nugget or I'm getting information or when things are said, do I truly understand it? And I really, guys, will tell you, I don't care. I'll ask the question. I think I'm I look dumb, but I don't care because I want to know the information. So I think that approach, I think a lot of guys have that approach. That approach allows you to just build, you know, over time. And then that'll continue to build from now to game one and then build to the season. So the opportunity to grow is literally daily. So I just try to make sure I'm finding those opportunities. I'm aware of those opportunities when they're writing my face. I think you're going to do a role in the offensive media room. How important is that? Yeah, Coach Jordan's always been a huge part of other receiver room. I think that yeah, he's just understanding that my pull away is real that can happen.

1:57:29So he's going to be on his toes and being ready that we're ready to not skip a beat. Right. So information wise, communication wise, he's got to be locked in on that and just time to assume that, you know, coach hard's got it. He never really has. I expect him to continue to do that. And he's been a big part of everything we've done. Is that almost like taken from what Ryan did last year, where he shipped away from play calling and handed that somebody else and she'd think away from being a quarterbacks coach, where like, you have somebody to trust and how long did they take you maybe to develop that trust and that relationship with them and to where like, you know that, hey, if I pulled away for a second, I'm like, Devon's got this. I don't have to worry about like what my room is. I think it's more important that I do a great job being organized. So I'm never pulled away. I will be in that receiver room and they will be coached at the very highest level. So I think there's ways to eliminate being pulled away by being organized on top of things, having the right work and working right help before that receiver meeting ever happened. Is that important for you? That's the question you've got to emphasize. Nothing's going to change in terms of your. There's no, nothing's going to change in my involvement in the receiver room.

1:58:35Ryan, for my land to be going through a full spring, fall off scene for the first time, what do you look at everything? It's areas he can throw to push for playing time is here. Yeah, I mean, my land is just doing a great job. He's growing an exponential rate, getting stronger, getting bigger. He's got way added. I would tell you, I always explain to him, you don't realize how much you miss when you come in June versus the mid year. It's massively different. Not saying you can't overcome it some do at the end of the season, some have. But I think that's probably reliant on the room. Chris had an opportunity to lay a lot of it in the season to kind of make an impact. But it's very rare. So, and now, you know, he's going through the winner workout is growth is everything he's done. He's like, Hey, Coach, I know what you're talking about now and when you miss that, that section of winner workout. So that being said, it makes you laugh, but he's doing a great job. I have expectations for him through through spring. And I don't see that changing.

1:59:35The opposite of that, the opposite of the average is younger than it's been past years. I think it's a makeup book that you don't have somebody to use. What's the average average like 30 is the average age? Is that include supports that? What's it? What's it been the past? No kidding. Yeah, Dan Laning's a head coach in Oregon. I was his average. I'm asking. I don't I'm 38. Can you Dylan Campbell's 30s? So I don't know. I gave zero thought to that. I think that, you know, I think your ability to kept with players is important. You probably see a little bit that happening in the NFL as well. I really give him zero thought for that. I don't want to just ran along that. Yeah, I just didn't know if it was the size of the major. No, no thought to it. What's the next step for him? Because we've heard him talk to him about like, he's a mystery consistency catching a lot of things.

2:00:39He seems to generate a little bit of buzz, but has limited role. Like now he's got an opportunity. What's the next step for him to get that out of here? Take the next step and be a be everything he's capable of being, right? I mean, I think the guys that. You know, we're out there are. No, very consistent in all job phases. You know, like again, I think he wants to be a full rounded receiver. You know that. I think he loves playing in the slot. The great job there. I asked him to come out to the outside a little bit. Did a good job out there. I think his natural positions is in the slot doing a great job there. But it's just another opportunity to establish himself based on his peers, right? I mean, it's kind of like the draft and trying to explain sometimes these guys like. You come to Ohio State to compete with the best. It'd be alongside the best. It's always pure to peer evals. Like that's how it works. Like the draft embodies that. Like if it's easier to go play somewhere else than that's fine. That's what we're kind of looking for. I'm not saying that's pricing. I'm just saying it's a very competitive room. And you chose that because of this room.

2:01:40Now you got to beat your peer to play more and do more and all that stuff. So, you know, I think that you got continue to build worries at. And the guys that seem to be, you know, starters in our room, you know, really I think over the last eight years have been NFL quality guys. So if you're and it become a star in the Ohio State, it's a good chance. You're probably NFL caliber receiver. I mean, again, just go off the numbers. So you're chasing that can't get discouraged or maybe not being, you know, not doing what you think you should have done. And that goes for everybody. It's not just Bryson, but all these guys are chasing that as I rambled about Bryson. But, you know, I think that it's not just him. It's at BI. It's car now with everybody wants. It's chasing a higher level of play. And this spring is another step forward to do that. What you're in for a freshman. You go like, you're on your multiple plate orders. Like how much in your estimation is that a gift? How much of it is learned? Where do you stand on that?

2:02:40Oh, never gave it a lot of thought to it. I've never, I've never called a play in a game. So for me to have an opinion, I think that'd be a little brash. I would say that like anything, it's probably a skill that you can improve on and do better at and do good and do worse at. I think being surrounded with guys and seeing how they do it has been a blessing. And it's very clear. There's more than one way to do things. So being aware of that. I've noticed that. What's your impression of the three freshmen and how they maybe transition to your family? Yeah, all four freshmen. I'm like very encouraged and pressed with. They carry themselves the right way. Like we have hoped. They worked their tails off. If all improved, I would say that. Whether I mold with the right fit, they belong in the room. And now they have to just improve. Now they're competing both, you know, first individually between each other. And then, you know, as we get into spring, they'll start competing against each other. But the rest of the guys want to mean by that. So, but as a group, the freshman group, very impressed and they're off to the right start.

2:03:44Coach Arland, thank you for picking back off each other. And it's like no one is hired in the room that goes a lot. So that kind of allows the room to stay balanced. Do you feel like you're more comfortable now than you were in the spring? It's like being at leaders. Definitely. And the spring, I was, I definitely would have them times where I was like, man, my, like in the right spot or my center right thing. But now it's just like, okay, I know what I'm here for and I know the player that I need to be to help this team out. And I'm just saying, James is over there talking about the two or the Sonic game. Yeah, French like that. Man, you know, we just, we go run hard. We go, we go, we go definitely, um, B physical and we go run fast. That's just our motto. We go run hard, B fans and B physical. He said he's Sonic. Do you agree to do the whole thing? Yeah, I definitely know. I'm more, I'm more, I'm more of the. How should I say? I gotta, I gotta do the dirty work. I'm cool. I'm cool. I'm cool. I'm definitely cool doing the dirty work. I like to see James, you know, uh, as Sonic, you know, the, he's the more of the personality guy and I'm cool with being the, you know, the back hop pickup. Yeah, I'll take it like that. Yeah, I'll take that.

2:04:45Who's losing the black stripe? You feel like you're, you know, officially a black eye ticket to a way to talk with them. Uh, man, losing that black stripe, uh, it was definitely, uh, especially day I was kind, I was so happy to finally get it, took it off that I was surprised that it got taken off. I was like, they say CJ, that was something like, they call CJ hit thing. They call me like, I was just grateful, you know, just, uh, them allowing me into the family because, you know, it's definitely a loan and hard journey, but it's fair. Coach, today's talked about despite coming off a national championship, but still hungry team. There are a lot of guys who were part of the team last year, but maybe didn't contribute as much as they wanted. Then there's a guy like you who's coming in and kind of adding to that. How hungry do you feel like this group is despite being sort of a defender? Uh, each and every day we always talk about like we read a book called chop wood care, what, how can we stick to the little things and just be persistent while we're, um, faced with adversity, you know, not getting so big headed, not getting so low, just trying to stand at middle range of, I know what I need to focus on and each day to rent us do. Meaning like, each and every day we have to go and put in some type of work to get what we want out of life.

2:05:47How much was that, that current, what's Virginia, the highest day as far as the opportunity come play for? When I transferred, it was doing a rough time. It wasn't as how people seemed. It wasn't, it wasn't like that. I came here mostly because of the family hood and the type of coach I knew I was going to get the first thing Coach Lot told me was everything I'm going to get here. I'm going to have to earn it. So that was like one of the main factors. Like he told me he was going to challenge me. He's going to bring a different personality and a different end what I mean, what time like I need that challenge is important to be challenged. When when do you guys read the book, uh, chop foot care water? Uh, each day, um, during the summer, uh, Coach Mick, uh, have us, uh, like read a chapter and we'll come in. Uh, we'll talk about it. It'll be it'll be all around the building everybody in the building to read it. And then, um, like we'll just consistently like, uh, pull phrases, paragraphs, even now in camp, we still talk about the book, even though we are in the red to books. So it's like something that we continually like just keep reiterating and keep repeating throughout the program. Coach, coach, coach Mick, coach Mick was the one who was leading us.

2:06:48Uh, uh, uh, uh, there's someone, someone air like coach Mick, coach day air by it was kind of leading, but like he would tell us, okay, this day we read in chapter one, we'll just keep going along, along, along throughout the book until we finish the book. What was your favorite part? The favorite, my favorite part of the book. My favorite part of the book is when John Akira, he told, uh, Akira told John that in order to be a samurai is going to take you 10 years. But in John mind, he's like, but what if I work twice as hard each day, I can skip it to five, I skip it to seven. And each day he was saying like, um, it's going to take you longer to continually become a samurai. If you think that way, it's each and every day you have to be consistent with the little things. And in that 10 years span, you would become a samurai trying to skip around and create loops and, uh, gaps and stuff like that. You won't be able to become a samurai. The important part is being consistent each and every day with a chopper with a care of water throughout those first few years. And then by your 10th year, you'll be like, man, I'm a samurai. Just like now, like I finally got my black straight puff. When I came in spring, I was like, man, I can't wait to get my black straight puff.

2:07:48But throughout that book, it helped me realize like, I'm thinking about the wrong way. I just need to be consistent on working on the things that I'm not good at right now. And continually work on that. And eventually, I get my black straight puff. That last question. Students learn how to subit other day that's a church day for the mind. You guys have to get your mind through everything. The sexist game's going to be like everything surrounding it all the high and ball of package room and things like that. How often do you get college trying to stay about what that's going to be like to be in that stadium in that match up in that situation? Everything you came here for. Each and every day, you got to think like that. Each and every day we play in Texas. Like today, we had an opportunity to play in Texas. And did we win or did we lose? That's the important part. Did we get better or did we get worse? And, you know, I definitely think we got better today. You know, we always push in each other. We always push in each and every day. We treat it like the game is today. Not the game is whichever day. I don't remember, but the game is today. It's their essence. Thank you. Thank you. I see you. No, I didn't. Right. But I don't really pay attention to the big name. Compare myself to those people. I'm my own person.

2:08:48I've got my own way. You might have similarities. But like I said, I'm not. I should have said go up in the saxophone. You've got a different opportunity to do that. Is that what you're going to go for it? Yeah, 100%. But whatever, like I said, whatever. Push J and coach, especially if you can do us one more time. What was the first thing that you get to get ready to move up top? I had to go all the way. I was two thirty five last year. Now I'm forty two forty five. You know, it's different from when you're blissing off-balling, being on the edge and consistently hitting somebody with 300 plus balance. Every single play. How do you do it? Coach Mick. Wherever he had planned for me, I was making struggles in his year. Coach K.P. K.L.A. I always ask the questions. I always ask him how much food do I need? Like what else do I need to paddle this plate? At what time do I need to eat things like that? Just constantly ask questions to help me become the best me. What sets Coach Mick? What sets K.L.A. The entire nutrition department at Barham? I feel like they care. They really, they'll send you down one on one.

2:09:49They'll be hard on you, but you know I'm out of love. Coach, they always talk about it. It's right here. It's tough love. You know. So as long as you put your part in, they'll definitely put their part in. We work all out. You work all out. Putting on the wings. You see what we get to the same night. But you still want to stay away. You still want to stay away from the station. How do you feel? I'm okay. I'm a focus is my speed and my get off. I feel like with me working with Coach Jay. It's a lot of get off. A lot of making sure I'm still using my speed and things like that. So just helping him helping me. Just making sure that's still the asset of mine. Not making sure I'm losing that. What seems like so often after practice. You're working with Coach Jay. What is it about him that allows you to kind of grow? And what do you like most about him? He's been around a lot of people. You know, I worked with some few guys that East Coast in the past. And you know, I like the pickage brain and things that I like.

2:10:49Things that he sees and things that he can't help me on the edge. You know, he cares as well. You know, he wants to make sure that everybody's successful. Obviously, you're on this team. I hope you're going to make it to the NFL. So he's like I said, he's been there. So I think you're going to be okay. Just you have you kind of move it. Just being a straight up. You're coming up here in the past. You're dropping coverage or doing kind of different things. And wherever Coach Patricia has me do, I'm going to line up and do it. What did you learn about yourself in the transition to a new position? A couple more questions. Um, I mean, I love it. I feel like it's more fun rushing the past year, but also at the same point in time. It's still a learning process. No, I know I don't have everything figured out. It's far more constantly asking questions to you. Can you add a curry coach Jay and Coach Patricia, you know, just because I'm. I want to be the best me. I can be and fulfill my potential to the best I can be. So yeah, what are some of those areas that you're looking for?

2:11:49Still so you can. I keep that stuff to myself. I really put those on. What my learning process is is like not getting smuggled. You know, I mean, is it anticipation to go with that drive? Yeah, you know, can you explain some of that stuff? Yeah, so like, um, No, don't have something in your head. If you didn't go that way, you're still in touch. Yeah. Um, really it's just. I'm just looking at the flow picture and making sure I'm just looking at it. What's in front of me to attack or go running back to tidying with the quarter best looking at things like that. Yeah, who did that best last year on this team? What do you mean? Saw that picture like. Like your talk. JTK see that. A full picture in his head. A lot of times. I'm just. But I mean, we just jumped out at you. Like, well, I'm just going to be. I'm just going to be. I'm just going to be. I'm just going to be. I'm just going to be. I'm just going to be. I'm just going to be. I'm just going to be. I'm just going to be. I'm just going to be. I'm just going to be. I'm just going to be. I'm just going to be. I'm just going to be. You. I want to get to that level. Reflect. Oh, Caleb. Caleb 100% you know,

2:12:49up. I feel like just being on the field. Caleb. Caleb we call out the whole play before happens. I even if you watch film in the. Watching film now. Can you look at his pointing out where the balls going before. To even. To even. Like, hill pointing. You know, He was just getting the balls with the job. The office knows. 100% and they try to flip it and then he'll know that he's flipped. I mean, it's taken a while to end up there, you know, for a full time. How settled was that make you? How confident is that make you that make you want to come to yours? Um, I thought I was all part of the process. Obviously it's a different process now being at the end. And my goal now is to continue to keep my faith and trust in God. And trust the process with Coach Jake, because I'm fat guy. I know what I can do on the edge. They know what I can do on the edge, but it's just to make that. Make sure I continue to fill my potential. I have a question from an unnamed source. It's very exciting.

2:13:49Apparently you have somebody connected to me. How do you feel about different from what's at your home? Yeah, my speed. I definitely feel quicker and more explosive. Just, you know, getting out the ball and, you know, just continually working on my short area of burst as flinkly as possible. So do you want me to take this room? Oh, you guys got that one. You know, what I thought about the room is that we don't always be a brotherhood and always be at one. And all the time. What's been your experience so far here and versus the expectation? Obviously coming in, there's an opportunity to play earlier. A lot of opportunity to play a lot. But how have you seen this place change you and has it been in what you expected? Uh, been off the charts. Like, just, you know, they developed me like some day one. Like, just, they are stepped on campus. We, uh, you know, work out. We talked about my even habits, uh, where I need to get to my body weight. Um, what I need to improve on till, you know, development to, uh, NFL running back and have an opportunity to, you know, to get to that level. Um, and just then invested into me as much as possible. Like, they and they are, they invest a lot.

2:14:50You know, does it surprise you? I mean, West Virginia is a powerful school very, very different. Do you see the difference quickly when you're getting to a place like last day? Uh, definitely the resources around Ohio State, you know, it's definitely, uh, you know, have a. We have a larger, uh, uh, friendly resources around here. So that's definitely one of the biggest things that I could say that's different than, you know, my food was university. CJ, when you were back in the summer before you even started talking to us, they would think you want to go and get rid of the risk of very good approaches. Change is that primarily the way it is. It was a line to, you know, you have to think about your family, um, you and like, what do you want to get out of this? This is my last opportunity, you know, guarantee I'm a chance to place football because the next level is not promise you have to, as you say, earn that. So I just, you know, I'm just to get a chance of myself, you know, you got better and better all the time. You've got a very previous relationship with the clock. Not at all. What, what kind of sit out from your first question? He said he's going to challenge me and help me develop into a great man and a player.

2:15:52He didn't talk too much about football. He talked more of these personal life things. Did it, was it helped to have seen, like when Sean come in last year as a transfer? I just went back right away like this. Is that something you would tell it all? Definitely. You know, I watch a Q game, you know, to see that Ole Miss when I kind of jumped on the scene to the West Virginia. So I definitely like, analyze the game a lot. And you know, him just being with us while I can see it. I would say a big difference, but you can see the little intangibles that he added onto him to help his game, you know, develop in that way. Now I have an opportunity to be a hijacked pick. The clock says it's about 230 miles up. It's a 238. He says he likes you. 230, why is that? 226 actually. Why did you want to use it? Why did he want to use it? He wanted me to be more explosive and have a more short area burst. That's something that I like in my game. And he can tell me to work on that game there. What's my first lock? Like how is it now? That's amazing. He's going to coach you hard, but he loves it. And he does it because he loves you.

2:16:54He loves all of it. Like he goes coach you hard, he goes push you, and he goes to the counter, but he does that because he loves us. What are your influences overall and how have you been activating into the program? Amazing. I got one of my great friends right here. You know, that's big growth. You know, take me under his wing, tell me things to do with what I can do. Because he was transferred just like me too. He was like, you don't do that. We don't do that here. Do this. So you know, the family, you know, that I got other guys on team who I pre-souped against, like Jeremiah Smith, Brandon, and his Kiyada. So I kind of was like familiar with like a couple of thousand team and they kind of bunny me along as I was transitioned to the program. He's called, we're going through a little things. He did to get the 226. Did you realize that you were kind of when some of the changes that you made did get to the last time? Yeah, less. The dietitian helped me schedule our meal plan. The times I need to eat what I need to eat, what I need to stay away from. The time I need to go to bed and stay on a team.

2:17:55That allows me to, you know, to take me down as quickly and as... How should I say this? As quickly and as the right way of possibly that is, is like to swim it down and make it, like, you know, still work for me as so I can be a effective runner-backs. It's changing your diet like different foods. Was there a moment when you were like, there was my mother, and you kind of told her to do this kind of thing. Is there a moment when you got to work at the club? Yeah, James Hick was, you know, he's great competitor. When I first got here in the winter, he pushed me down the day out. I still remember this. We was doing sleds and, you know, we just kicked him my butt down the day out. But, you know, that has helped me, you know, improve my game and step up as a player. I need to be. Did you, last question, what was it today? Did you, maybe, this morning, this afternoon, the time was on. You know, just the style of the offense, you know, we had more balance, you know, we, more like the NFL, say, as you would say. We utilized our players effectively and these into the best of their abilities. I was looking at some of the risks that I was going to get.

2:18:56Around the next seven or eight minute boxes in the pop, you were more, I don't know, a few of your club members. I don't know anything about winning the total offense after that, like, maybe, you know, have deepest, it's all in the city. I don't know, I didn't even consider you. One of the higher players in the winter, it's like, season seven and time. I didn't, I was pretty, thank you for telling me that. They're executing on all levels. They can link as a drug and literally, they don't have both of the boys. Yeah, I think you're not the best chance to win. What's special about both of them? I think what Julian Man is just the arm talent to make anything on the field. It's very, very common diverse in the pocket. I think what we can, man, is just, you know, just fulfilling you getting in the 100th and the confidence you have in them and that, you know, just that feeling of just to enough. It's not that. I'm not sure how they, like, will was very different in the way that you've played really. Even compared to the guys that were here at your point.

2:19:58As you get older, how much does hevership in the, in the puddle, how much does hevership in the locker room start to weigh different than that other stuff? Well, I think that the quarterback position is the man's everything, but just in general, I mean, I think it's everything. I think everything got the field translate to on the field. So I mean, how you do something on the field, how you going to do it off as well. So I mean, it's hand in hand. And I think we got the guys to do that. I don't think it's so different. I don't think that we're taking the job or a step back. I think we got the guys to do it on both 12th and end of the field. Brian, do you think the patient you've waited for your turn? How excited are you with this season to have this impact, like, your very bad stuff, the tough, dull impact decision? I'm super excited. I've got to play the game. I've got to win. I've got to compete. I feel like I'm really, really good again. Like I said, I really, really good. I'm not going to show it with a bench or see what it's like for the Americans. You guys have had great breaks. Do you think the unnoticed effort for people not to say this is a thing to watch this year's world?

2:20:59It's the best of best. Like, people know the top two are great guys, but they said deep work. Yeah. Yeah, I think, like you said, it's a deep room. We help each other. We're deep in every position. And I think that just goes to show like, when you come here, you come and play at a league level. And that's on our factories. That's a run game. That's catching the ball. That's knowing something for your teammate, understanding the concepts of the offense. It's just what we got there. We know about that. With disrespect to Ackeren, but how much more urgency is there in camp to be ready for week one, considering the opponent that you're playing Texas this year? No, absolutely. Definitely. It's definitely how to man. No, we got Texas week one. We had a battle with them last year in the CFP. They've got much got a good understanding of what they do. They probably got to get it in the center where we do it. But at the end of the day, it's going to be a spot to ball. You've got to play it. And I think that that's what that's going to be true. That's the taste of that. You just spot in the ball. Execute them better than them and play harder than them being the hardest to catch in America. Can you, I expect that to develop more and more into a leadership role, which we already feel.

2:22:02And, you know, be a mainstay and bring along that O-line group. Which we're excited about. So our Austin's a big club that. Brian, I think it was around the summer last year where people were talking about branding. Being of such a big leader behind the scenes. And I know he didn't play maybe starter snatch last year. How important was he to just what you wanted that room, the chemistry to be and how much brother you see from that? Yeah, brain, brain's always been a big part of our senior wise, culturally. He drives it. He helps run it. Cornell was taking a big role in that as well this year. Frankly, all those guys are stepping up. Cornell, JJ, David Adolf. These guys were all have made progression. But from a leadership standpoint, those guys are really trying to take over with B.I. B.I. They're at the forefront of that. So I expect that. And that's good. He holds himself to a high standard, but one of them is so bringing more and more guys at all. And that's the best thing that Jeremiah does.

2:23:02And plays the raps. Or he doesn't have a lot of those. You know, I think that best thing Jeremiah does is just he just always wants to learn. So, you know, as a coach, you can't, you can't, you know, baby him. You can't like put him on a pedestal. He does not want that. So he being held accountable. There have been opportunities that he finished more without the ball on your hands, turned off the field. I identify it. He applies it. Like, so I'm not going to say there's one individual thing in the ball's time as hands. I think just overall for him. He's always trying to learn. He's always trying to contribute whether he's a, you know, he knows a decoyish mentality or a block of mentality. This is a big guy or whatever that role is. He just loves learning the why. And then I'm then applying it in that role in that. And we're trying to hurt most last week, which they talked about. Maybe take it the biggest stride. It's not about any one in terms of leadership. Did you guys have the push metal?

2:24:03Was that all kind of him naturally kind of stepping into that role? No, it's more him for sure. There's probably a conversation that was had, obviously, that, you know, we know you're capable of this. Why not be this guy? Whatever those conversations are between myself. It's a coach making, coach day. But, you know, ultimately, you know, players apply. Players choose to do things. We can recommend and suggest all we want. But ultimately, players are responsible for making plays and making changes. So, yeah, I would agree with coach. He strides in love for, he's the right kind of guy for it. He's the right kind of well. There won't be as kind of guy. A lot of guys have a lot of respect for him. So doing a great job. After we love it, then there's conversations that had where we're seen. And then a lot of sees really taking the, taking the reins of it and ran with it. All right. Go ahead. Talk to the floor about what it takes, more kind of a second group to get us feel the terms replacing those guys.

2:25:04Are you seeing that maybe more of an opportunity to have some rotation this year, given what you've gotten in terms of experience and whatnot behind? You're going to pick the first three or four. Yeah, there's always a chance. I mean, there's so many reps being had in practice. And you're either playing at the level of the guys that are starting or you're not. Ultimately, that's what it comes down to. So if you can match the execution level and or a bet or whatever, ultimately the film tells you who should be on the field on Saturdays. And at what point in the game, you know, and whether it be situationally or not. And guys maximizing his rep opportunities, ultimately dictates how that works. Right. So we got lots of reps, really inspiring. And we got two fields going. We got tons of reps happening. And more times than not, it kind of shows itself. But yeah, I do that frankly every year.

2:26:04It's the same opportunity, but those guys just have to do it. And you know, you love defining roles, but guys define roles. And they earn ways. And if you keep it that way, ultimately the respect in your room and in the position room on your team, should stay true. And so a lot of competition right now, a lot of good stuff happening. We're just trying to see who does it more consistently over time. Every time that we've talked about, it seems like it's been a while. Yeah, the catch up. A lot of you roll really. Like, it's like a past for that with family. It's the spring. Yeah, I think him going through his first spring really helped him first winner really helped him. Being grounded for his first for a summer, you know, instead of like showing up and having acclimations for a month before you actually get into it. I mean, all of those things. You know, almost makes you feel like you're in your third year.

2:27:05Like for Jeremiah, or these young guys that came in this year to come in January. But at the time you get to your second year, you're almost like it's your third year because you've worked with Coach Mac, you've had a spring, you've had a summer, you've had a fall camp, you've had a fall season. And you're like, gosh, it's only a second year. I always say when you come in June, it's still all new until you get back to June. And so that's what my own experience, my own now, I mean, he fully understands. I mean, there you don't understand it. I'm good, I'm good, I'm good. I'm not going to lose it. So, but yes, I mean, it's your question long windedly. It's so that, um, Melan's in a really good spot. And he's put himself in a position to compete for getting on the field. Whether it be offensively or special teams, I expect him to earn roles in special teams, even before you even get on offense. That's how we're built here, right? Defensively and offensively. You can't get on special teams. I mean, how do you expect to play off of the defense? So, you know, the guys on special teams are the best football players, period.

2:28:08So, those guys, I like to see Melan in that light, but obviously he had a great spring. He's growing and I want to see him keep building on what he's doing. You know, we don't want to have stuff back. I know he's not going to understand the progression he's on is really good. What kind of asset has Tyler been playing last couple of times? Yeah, I love really enjoyed getting to know Tyler. I think really how they have his football IQ and his personality and how he commands with his room and his guys and how he goes relationships. The overall having Tyler and the building is a great honor and great situation. What is that? I mean, I can't say that anything like it's only day two. So, like, we're going to see about the body of work. These guys have been a pretty good job of making the plays they're supposed to make. And then we'll go from there.

2:29:08So, the day one day to install. We're looking at the body of work for guys to separate themselves, not just today or day. When we're in quarterbacks, they'll just kind of in general, like in a trillion. What are you looking to see first day, second day, third day? Consistency. What you do most often is exactly who you are. So, when you consistently make the play, consistently communicate, consistently laugh, because you have energy consistently to play well, whatever that is. The consistency level of anybody, ultimately dictates your identity. So, we're chasing that too early right now to speak past that. But like, when he built. I talked yesterday about how important the cadence is with the quarterbacks, what he's looking for there. Have you seen both those guys deliver what you're looking for? Yeah, they're going to go job their own with it and they understand to what. David, eight off on the course. Working out there and watching. You have a time. You have to think that does that. And how that time. Yeah, I think anytime you can work together.

2:30:14Guys are going to feel for each other. Not only just, oh, he throws the ball like this. More about the camaraderie. He has my back. More than anything. You can't. You can't challenge a way of shipping. You don't have a relationship. So, you can't challenge a guy. You can't be out of guy. You can't get, you know, push a guy unless the relationship is built first. So, the faster you get the relationship built, the quicker you can get to uncomfortable conversations. And ultimately you grow. So, building the foundation is still number one. And those guys doing that in their own is a good sign. And you're in a good space. You're able to kind of get away. Obviously, you work here the most. You're able to get away. Kind of being together. And kind of push each other in that sense. How much does that. That's a lot of different. I mean, I don't know how much you're pushing each other when you're on your own. I mean, I don't. I mean, I'm not. When they're on their own, they're going to do it on their own time. And so it feels a little more ownership, I think, at times. And you do stuff like that. But again, ultimately, it's just the bond going.

2:31:17That's what you're doing. What's up? What's new? It wasn't there in January. But it's August now. It's August now. Oh, yeah, it's all personal. Oh, my God. That's it. I guess. Yeah. You talk a little bit about the basketball. Yeah. Like that seems like a bit of school offseason. Like, what can you learn about it? Oh, it was awesome. Like, we're playing full basketball. And we're literally trying to drown each other to win. I didn't care. Right? I mean, there was no files. We just want to know who could execute the plays. The coaches included. And one thing when I say like nothing was all flim and so was nothing. So one, the guys kind of who show up. The guys that compete. The guys. Oh, that's right. I'm poor son. He gets a value of everything he does.

2:32:17It doesn't matter. You know, every coach is probably that way. Anytime you're around, people manage this. It's a human nature if you're wired that right. But it was a lot of fun. Who's the best? Who's the best player? The guys in the heart. Who's the best player? The whole basketball. I mean, it's not real basketball. Yeah, but like, the athleticism drives. Yeah, I know. I could like. I think of our group. There was a three something that was pretty good. It went all a little longer. But then me, JJ, who else beat him? No, I do not. We lost the first one. Who I forget. But it was it was car now. It was B.I. And it was Lincoln. Those three we could not. They went for a run. Good seven rate. Hello. We've got some bad turnovers in our first game. We were identifying. So it's up this competition. God, chance to plan again. But there was like the eighth game. And we dominated. We've heard a lot about Lincoln's athleticism. Like, how much does it show up in everything?

2:33:17It seems like the scene does involve baseball. Cool basketball. Like, do you see it everywhere? It is a competitive. You know, I think that's the biggest thing that comes off on Lank. And it's enjoyable to have sports with him. It is on your side. I learned a lot. A lot of little things matter. All the techniques. We just try to take it all this time. Is it? Okay. You expected when you signed on here. Obviously, it's pretty intense guys. It's kind of what you've learned. And then you have to do it. Are you sure? Are you coming in? Everybody has a chance. High interviews. Have you ever had a coach as intense as much as welcome? Are you at my high school coach? High school coach is a pretty intense team. So you have to describe yourself as you come back. I'm going to say that. I'm going to say that. I'm going to say that. I'm going to say that. I'm going to say that. I'm going to say that. I'm going to say that.

2:34:17Yeah, I can just describe yourself as you come back. I can just say that. I'm going to say that. I can just describe yourself as you come back. Oh, I say that. I'm pretty very versatile. I'm a cash hunter. I'm fast. I'm pretty very, very useful. Pretty. But what is it we've just finished? They try to put us all in a given place too right now. Yeah, I'm just working the time. It's a game. What could you do for all of the other? Uh, of course. Of course, all of the guys, everybody ought to captains, everybody trying to just get it out of young guys straight and make sure it's everything. Would you watch something? Yeah. I would just like to to say, I mean I guess you just got a learn everything slowly of course is a lot to learn. I got a lot of hope. You guys had a very unique experience on the old

2:35:20early and early release you got a chance to go to semi-final. Some of you went to the Rose Bowl, get some of the Cotton Bowl national championship game. What was that like? How much did you think that helped you? That was incredible. Just see how other leaders led in that position and just seeing what they did and how they prepared. That's not helping a lot with everybody. What was the highlight of that time? Other than winning the national championship itself? Was there something that stands out to you? Just being able to travel and get to meet everybody, meet all the players, everybody at one in that early and early. I was really just living on my own. I got to be independent. That's pretty much it though. I mean of course it was hard to miss my senior year. Last year kind of with some of his friends.

2:36:31What did you do to me? I think you did my stand right. It was an interview really good. Sorry to ask you, but how did you get your shirt in the Commonwealth? I was a baby, my dad, my dad and my master's in the Commonwealth. Like once I was born. Why did they pick that? My dad looked up to me and I'm a junior so I'm just working again. I think you should be your first name in the heart. Okay so you could wear eight too. You got two choices. The way you train, the way you, the edge to you, it's all that. So he's the first one that's ever earned that and you know, the company with that. Right. Another guy that's really stood out. All camp practices being watched.

2:37:33How do you see his skill set factoring in on the outside? What do you see as him providing? Yeah I mean I could play we can play car now anywhere. I think his ability to learn an offense and be the, you know, the intricate details, throw them in positions, make a mistake, who never make that mistake again. So there's a good job of learning from others. I think he's, you know, the run's really well. Very, very clean from mechanics and footwork standpoint and probably some of the toughest hands, you know, on the team. Catching the ball in traffic. So it doesn't matter really where you put Cornell. He's going to take care of his job and be a competitive advantage. Chris or Brandon Lashy, guys who maybe don't get him in January and rolling in the summertime. What do you see in those guys in terms of how quickly they were able to pick things up and what you saw then they were starting to really get it. That maybe can tell you about what to expect from him. Yeah. Yeah. My one came in as a, as in the June.

2:38:33And, but man, he's really done a good job of learning the offense, learning what I want, you know, what we want. I would say that he's a lot of pride in his work. He does not like having MAs almost to the point where he tries to adjust the fact that he's not having MAs. He's actually a point where he tries to justify himself and why he did things like violent. You know, he's a deep breath, but I appreciate that edge. I really do. You know, he's jumping in and trying to take reps. He's really doing a good job. You know, and I think right now he's just chasing building a body of work to justify where he's at. That's the hardest part about coming to June. What body of work did you really develop, and how do you do that when you're putting too much to your pure point? He's just behind because he wasn't here. But also this is like a hard room to play catch up and just giving up a competitive. It is how you walk him through that coach and through that making sure he's running his own race and not worried about.

2:39:39I'd say probably every snap you take is worth three. If you do something great, it's worth three. If you do something bad, it's worth three. Not one minus is three minuses. So I'm not saying that's perfect, but that's probably a decent way to look at it. And again, at the end of the day, you're a pure snow. Your teammates know. And frankly, I just asked them. He's chasing their group. That's why he's here. That's why they're all here. It's to be in this kind of room and hold themselves to high expectations. But the expectation of receiving what I want, that can't be an expectation. And so that's every athlete's challenge. But the work being put in is good. We're just working on stacking days right now. What do you see from Brandon? From Brandon to tight ends. But I'm saying one more time. Mayor Wooden signed as a tight end. It's working with your group now. It's a wider seeer. What do you see from him? What do you like about him? Well, I think that. It's more, you know, it doesn't matter if it's him or anybody.

2:40:41I mean, we're all trying to learn football at a high level. You're competing with your peers to stand out that I learn things quicker or I, you know, I make more plays. Whether those are your trying, you're always competing with your peers initially. And then obviously the whole room and then nationally you get the idea. Right. You know, what's competing with all the other guys, the mayor, you know, Dorian and Milen and, you know, so JJ everything he's got to have start. You know, I think that. He's got strong hands, the bigger body guy. He's got to make sure he's not, you know, getting a tight end body, right? He's a skilled athlete. He's definitely, you know, got some skills. He's working on his footwork and his mechanics. And a lot of boxes he's working to check. And again, I think he's been doing that and attacking that with purpose each day, you know, so. But see you flash here and there. We're just looking for consistency, right? And that's just, all these guys and he kind of fixed that board. Brian, when you, this spring in a branded age is still a lot this time.

2:41:43But what did you see from him that still stood out to make just think he can be a legit contributor for the same as you. Yeah, I mean, we made the decision to get him healthy with his foot this past spring. So he missed a lot of spring. But I would say the way he carried himself in the way he was a leader. And then I would say once he was back, you know, Coach Mink, there's a lot of things to great guys and give feedback and hope guys can kind of. So he was a guy that, you know, impressed his teammates to the summer. He was a guy that was all gold. He was a guy that the leaders wanted to vote him on the leadership council. So he earned all that without even playing football. So how do you stand out? It was everything of the non talent issues, everything off the field. He stood out in and he's got to continue bringing that day in and out. But that was probably what he did to the summer to, you know, get back on track and stay on track. They have a day of typically raved about what you bring to the table in the meetings, etc.

2:42:45But work those meetings like we did when you guys are confabin with us. Looks like a pretty nice collection of talent. Which way to go, etc. How did you get it flowing? I would say it's a combination of getting skill, you know, getting scheme installed, right? Not trying to scheme against your defense, but getting the install, the foundation built for the offense to build on top of, right? You want you to get to the season and things you want to do. You don't want to be the first time they heard it. And so it's a combination of scheme, you know, against your defense first. You know, so what I could be, we're having a lot of competition, right? And on a call it periods. So you want to have plays that work, versus defense, but you also want to build a great foundation on the install to where, you know, to let it grow from there in a week one, week two, week three. So it's a fine line. Now, as athletes, we're trying to build their foundation skill wise, right? I mean, the skills they will need to execute the plays, whether it be leverage based, whether it be mechanic based, you know, there's always a fine line of dabling in both.

2:43:51That's what I want to say, because you were a player at the highest level. Is there only so much you can put in a player's head? You understand what I'm saying? I think that, you know, I think that you have to challenge that. I think you have to try to push that bar and make it really hard and in camp season and spring season to elevate that uncomfortable level to make sure the capacity level continues to grow. But I think you're very mindful of that in the fall of making sure it all makes sense. And then we always say, you know, drop in the bucket seems insignificant. But you get enough drops. That bucket's going to overfill. So you don't want to take those for granted. But I would say this time of year, whether it be physically or mentally, you're always trying to raise the bar and push that uncomfortable level so they can grow. Thank you. I can get one more. What's the easiest thing for refreshments to pick up one when it gets here with the hardest thing to develop as a wide receiver? I think it's, I don't think it's just receiver.

2:44:56I think it's, you know, you know, probably receiver. I would say there is the detail in which we operate and the amount of things that go into a simple line on a paper, you know, it was me that joke. You thought it was just running a call round, huh? Yeah. That's probably part of it. And then based on the program they've come from, how they were raised, all those things. Again, we're trying to bring in the right type of guys. But most of these guys think they're working hard at the high school level. They have no idea until they get here. So the amount of strain and recovery, I would say the lifestyle of being a lead athlete. It's just something that's really, really hard to learn. So that off the field, that. And then the amount of detail that goes into the simplest play on paper are both my little two arms. Thanks, Brian. Thanks Brian. Thanks Brian. Is he like, does he like all you guys in the room?

2:45:59I mean, I'm not sure if it's probably something you got to ask him. But you know, Jeremiah has played with a lot of great guys throughout his career. He's seen a lot of talent you can see in the world. But I don't know if he's ever in all, but I mean. Oh, and I, oh, yeah. I mean, I'm not surprised at anything he does now. Like I've seen him since I was nine years old. So anything he does, anyone hand catch, I've seen, I'm not surprised at anything he does. When he was nine, do you know this is not a, this is something special we've met. Maybe the nine? Oh, yeah. I mean, coaches were coming up to us complaining that we were going to be in the middle of the night. That's complaining that we were nine years old. Like, can we get their IDs and stuff like that? So I mean, I mean, there's definitely some footage that we got to go find. But the place we used to make when we were younger and just to see where he is now is amazing. It seems very unaffected by all of the starter. Yeah. How does that happen? I think how he was raised. He's very level-headed. He knows his goals and what he wants to get done in life.

2:47:01And this is just one step of the way for him. Can I throw a back to Texas for a couple of questions on Zoom, Scotty? Yes, sir. We're going to start with Defond from Cleveland.com. Go ahead. Brandon, I want to go back to what you were talking about with Coach Day earlier. You know, whenever he talks about this team's success, he says, all the credit goes through players. It seems like the players think that he deserves some of the credit. How big, how influential has he been during the turnaround you guys have had these last few weeks? He's been a huge man. Coming here after that team of North-Wars, he knows heart breaking, of course. But we came in here. We had a leadership meeting. And he was in here. I mean, and then we had a team meeting after that. Hearing the stuff he had to say. And we had to say, going back and forth, we knew we would have his back no matter what. I mean, there's a lot of stuff said about him and his family and stuff like that. But hey, here we're brotherhood and we're family. And we go stand by him no matter what.

2:48:04Our next question is going to come from Dan. Hope Dan go ahead. Brandon, I mean, I'm sure you came in here to Ohio State thinking you'd probably be starting here in your second year. But it seems like you really embraced the growth process. Just what's kind of that process that like for you have kind of embracing your role this season and continuing to develop? Yeah. In life, things doesn't go the way you exactly planted too. And that just happened, you know, things happened to Mecca last year that allowed him to come back. And that allowed me to learn more. And that's just how I see it. It makes me a better football player for the future. So yeah, I mean, yeah, let's see it. Three more on Zoom. Next one's going to come from Stefan. Means. Go ahead. Steven, but. I'm sorry. Yeah, you're good. Brandon, there are a lot of clips of you this year where you're super, super excited after a block.

2:49:09And kind of showing your emotion there. What about blocking? Do you love so much as a receiver? I mean, just being able to hit another guy with all my power is hard as I can without any consequences. Except if you accept a few hold, of course, but yeah, just bringing that power. I mean, I heard some of the defensive guys telling me yesterday they were like, bro, I hate to go against you. So knowing that from the defensive guys. So I know what the other defensive guys are thinking like, just keep bringing it to them. They're not going to like it for four quarters. That's my mindset. Next question's going to come from Danny Davis. Danny, go ahead. Brandon, what are your impressions of these Texas defensive backs and this kind of we've seen from them on on film so far? Yeah, the last couple days we watched them. They're fast team. They don't give up many big plays down field. They're aggressive, but I actually know some of the DB's they have at corner there.

2:50:11I play with them. Well, I played with Malik Muhammad at SFE. So I might know him a little bit and we have been watching them. They're fast team. They're physical. They're disciplined. But we just got to get the job done. Give any Malik stories or any any. What is that? Give any Malik stories or anything you remember about playing with them. Yeah, but I'm not going to say them here. Yeah, what's this keep that? Our final question's going to come from Kurt Boles. Kurt, go ahead. Hey, Brandon. One of the issues Texas has had the second half of the year is finishing. And what if you can speak to, and they had a trouble obviously in the peach bowl, you know, blue with 16 point leak. And you talk about finishing and having a killer instinct and you guys obviously seem to have that now. Yeah, I think that started started in offseason training at Fall camp.

2:51:11We always say go plus two. If you're doing a 10 yard pro shuttle, you have to go plus two throughout the line. And that's just finishing as well. And then fall camp. We had these long two and a half hour practices or whatnot. And then we came out and we had to do these finishers. We called them ask for games late in the year like this. And we, I think Coach Day has a great, did a great job preparing all of us for these moments. And yeah, we just were ready to go. We have time for just a couple more questions in clumpets so we can wrap up with our other two guys. Bill Landis, Kings of the North. Brandon, try to be on the second touchdown around. It seemed like you took two players out of the play first with your release and then with the guy you actually blocked. Is that, is that how it's designed? Or was it just, was it lucky to the guy that decided to take off inside of the release? It's actually designed for me to block the safety and lead the corner one on one with the running back. But I was surprised that the corner actually came in so far in my release.

2:52:12I think he thought it was a pass. But I think he was the edge of the defense if you go watch that play. But I don't know, I don't really know why he came in so far. But it helped out for us and I made my block interior score. Is there any lesson there for like, even a young receiver watching that, that even if you know him a play, you're not getting the ball. You're intended to block, but you, you release has to be the all-point like as if you're going to go catch a pass. Yeah, definitely. Every little detail matters and then type of plays. We were in a red zone there so we say every yard matters to two yards. So the block I made is just a testament to Kyle. Coach Hardline, prep me throughout the week to make that block. And final question, join confidence, Columbus Dispatch. And it will and this has been one of the ball to equal lately. And some of the special way you guys have opened games, what do you think is this quick for you guys and for him and watching those plays? A lot more confidence. I say throughout the year, we were always there as offense.

2:53:14We had, we didn't quite know our identity and now slowly but surely I think we found that and we're going to keep on rolling. And he's made some great throws and yeah. I'm sorry, Brandon, I do have one more steep. How many more seconds for it? Brandon, there have been opportunities for you to play a huge role on offense and you know the number of plays you play in game can differ from one week to the next. But the opportunity is coming sooner rather than later for you to be in every down player. Just one of the things you need to do in your game to take it from where it is now to be in every down guy. I think there's a lot of things I could recall in my game. I would say continuing to be football smart, my IQ, just knowing what the defense is going to do before they do it. My routes always can get better. My hands always can get better staying in the jugging machine. Work ethic, keep on top of it. Don't get satisfied with anything I do. And don't get too big, don't get too low, don't get too high, don't get too low. That's what they say.

2:54:19The people follow, it seems like. In your mind, even the second you're guy that you're kind of working toward being kind of a leadership type guy. To have guys that will take that role. It's a great feeling, of course. No guys are watching what you do and listening to what you do. I just feel like we do that with a lot of players here and not just myself, but the leadership we have on those teams is like no other. That's why we got so far, I think. Brandon, thank you very much. Being over here, just what do you how did all you feel, call of that kind of helped mold you interview our now? Definitely, definitely, maybe like tough and not afraid of new change. And you said, well, you just adapt to my environment. What was it like for you coming in here as a freshman and getting the SEVAS team go win an after all championship those first few weeks here? Definitely was a high motivated, you know. Being a freshman, it wasn't really my team though, so I didn't really get it.

2:55:19So that makes like push me like that once, when it's my turn. I got put in the word, I want to be the same position, but with a ring on my finger. What did you learn from those guys just about what you need to do to have a chance to go accomplish what they did? So you've got to don't let the past like affect you like and just, yeah, I remember, you got to be relentless, you got to put it in the word. It's not easy at all by any means, it's got to be hard, but you have to do everything you do. What do you do as like the best attributes of your game that you're going to bring to this team? I would just say my size, my speed, I can take the top off the defense and I can play tough and physical. It's about that. It's the last year, and like, when we think back to the overwork that last year, I don't know what that was going to be. What has the last kind of year been like for you? It was kind of gone from the players, it was kind of going from the process to the next time I was there. So I was like, I can transition into a seeder. So how has this last year come to terms with you?

2:56:20I was definitely changing my mind because I was always on my sophomore year, I was hurt and I got hurt during track. So I was able to, like, I was a highly inferior athlete. And this time last year, when my recruiter really picked up, and it's been crazy, like, must have another, like, he was just leaving me in my corner, my coach was everything. I just give it a motivation to go. What is your relationship with Leipzig and the team? What is your relationship with Leipzig and the team? What is your relationship with Leipzig and the team? Oh, yeah. That's a big good. Before I even got a hostage offered, and before I even knew who he was, exactly. I actually threw it with him a couple of times in the Bella Box. So, I tried to say, yeah, I was working with, I knew his head coach, and he invited me to come and run routes. I actually ran routes for a table in the fight. If we was exactly, and it like, we first came to meet.

2:57:21We had a lot more up. We got together, I was the first with class, and he's growing, he's working on anything. He's definitely got nice on. This cornerback of the year is having a great time. How has that kind of helped you a lot in your impression? The quarterback? The quarterback. Yeah, yeah. Yeah, they've definitely talented it. You say, as I always say, I just love being on it. And they make it hard for you. When you play this high level competition practice, you go on a game, do like twice as easy as you do the practice. And he's really good at skills on stuff. Is there a moment of question? I think it's kind of like a moment first. Oh wow, these guys are really good at this. Yeah, just like, I just first, like, high schooler, I would just take some reps and see if we're just good. Yeah, I just had speed, and we catch the abilities, like face separation.

2:58:23And I come to college, and go, everybody's fast, everybody's big. So you have fun, new ways to get open. It's really good for yourself to hire your IQ. They get in the ball back coming out, but we was excited because we knew the job wasn't doing it. Bill Rebellion, Columbus, this way. You were a five star guy, and that kind of, all these guys in the room almost were five star guys. And then there's Jeremiah. Is he like, does he like all you guys in the room? I mean, I'm not sure if it's probably something you got to ask him, but Jeremiah has played with a lot of great guys throughout his career. He's seen all the talent you can see in the world, but I don't know if he's ever in all, but I mean... Oh, and I, oh, yeah. I mean, I'm not surprised at anything he does now. Like, I've seen him since we were nine years old, so anything he does, anyone hand catch, I've seen... I'm not surprised at anything he does.

2:59:24When he was nine, did you know this is something special we even met, any of the nine? I mean, coaches were coming up to us complaining that we were nine years old. Like, can we get their IDs and stuff like that? So, I mean, there's definitely some footage that we got to go find, but the place we used to make when we were younger is just to see where he is now. It seems very unaffected by all of the starter. How did that happen? I think how he was raised. He's very level-headed. He knows his goals and what he wants to get done in life. And this is just one step away from him. Can I throw a back to Texas for a couple of questions on Zoom, Scotty? Yes, sir. We're going to start with Defon from Cleanand.com. Go ahead. Brandon, I want to go back to what you were talking about with Coach Day earlier. Whenever he talks about this team's success, he says all the credit goes through players. It seems like the players think that he deserves some of the credit.

3:00:27How big? How influential has he been during the turnaround you guys have had these last few weeks? He's been a huge man. Coming here after that team of Northwest, you know, heartbreaking, of course. But we came in here. We had a leadership meeting. He was in here. And then we had a team meeting after that. Hearing the stuff he had to say. And we had to say going back and forth. We just, we knew we would have his back no matter what. I mean, there's a lot of stuff said about him and his family and stuff like that. But here we're a brotherhood and we're a family. And we just, we go stand by him no matter what. Our next question is going to come from Dan. Hope Dan, go ahead. Brandon, I mean, I'm sure you came in here to Ohio State thinking you'd probably be starting here in your second year. But it seems like you really embraced the growth process. Just what's kind of that process that like for you have kind of embracing your role this season and continuing to develop? Yeah. In life, things doesn't go the way you exactly planted to. And that just did happen.

3:01:28You know, things happened to Mecca last year that allowed him to come back. And that allowed me to learn more. And that's just how I see it makes me a better football player for the future. So yeah, I mean, yeah, that's it. Three more on zoom. Next one's going to come from Stefan. Means. Go ahead. Stephen, but. I'm sorry. Yeah, you're good. Brandon, there are a lot of clips of you this year where you're super, super excited after a block. And kind of showing your emotion there. What about blocking do you love so much as a receiver? Just being able to hit another guy with all my power. It's hard as I can without any consequences. Except if you accept the few hold, of course, but yeah, just bringing that power. I mean, I heard some of the defensive guys telling me yesterday they were like, bro, I hate to go against you.

3:02:31So knowing that from the defensive guys. So I know what the other defensive guys are thinking like just keep bringing it to them. They're not going to like it for four quarters. That's my mindset. Next question is going to come from Danny Davis. Danny, go ahead. Brandon, what are your impressions of these Texas defensive backs? And this kind of we've seen from them on on film so far? Yeah, the last couple days we watched them. They're fast team. They don't give up many big plays down field. They're aggressive, but I actually know some of the DBs they have at corner there. I play with them. Oh, well, I played with Mollick Muhammad at SFE. So I might know him a little bit. And we have a watching them. They're fast team. They're physical. They're disciplined. But we just got to get the job done. Give any Malik stories or any any. You remember about playing with them?

3:03:31Yeah, but I'm not going to say them here. Yeah, what's this keep that? Our final question is going to come from Kurt Bulls. Kurt, go ahead. Hey, Brandon. One of the issues Texas has had the second half of the year is it's finishing. And what if you can speak to, and they had a trouble obviously in the peach bowl, you know, blue of 16 point league. And you talk about finishing and having a killer instinct. And you guys obviously seem to have that now. Yeah, I think that started in offseason training at Fall camp. We always say go plus two. If you're doing a 10 yard pro shuttle to a, you have to go plus two throughout the line. And that's just finishing up as well. And then fall camp, we had these long two and a half hour practices or whatnot. And then we came out and we had to do these finishers. We called them ask for games late in the year like this. And we, I think Coach Day has a great, did a great job preparing all of us for these moments.

3:04:34And yeah, we just were ready to go. We have time for just a couple more questions and clumpets so we can wrap up with our other two guys. Bill Landis, Kings of the North. Brandon, try to be on the second touchdown around. It seemed like you took two players out of the play first with your release and then with the guy you actually blocked. Was that, was that how it's designed? There was just, was it lucky that the guy decided to take off inside of the release? It's actually designed for me to block the safety and lead the corner one on one with the running back. But I was surprised that the corner actually came in so far in my release. I think he thought it was a pass. But I think he was the edge of the defense. If you go watch that play, but I don't know, I don't really know why he came in so far. But it helped out for us and I made my block and turned it off score. Is there any lesson there for like, and even a young receiver watching that, that even if you know in the play, you're not getting the ball, you're, you're intended to block. But you, you release has to be, at all point, like as if you're going to go pitch pass.

3:05:35Yeah, definitely. Every little detail matters and then type of plays. We were in a red zone there. We say every yard matters, it's two yards. So the block I made is just a testament to Kyle. Coach Hardline threatened me throughout the week to make that block. And final question. Joy Conference, Columbus Dispatch. Brandon Will, and then there's been some of the ball deep well lately, some of, especially the way you guys have opened games. What do you think is his cook for you guys and for him and watching those plays? A lot more confidence. I say throughout the year, we were always there as offense. We had, we didn't quite know our identity. And now slowly but surely, I think we found that and we're going to keep on rolling. And he's made some great throws and yeah. I'm sorry, Brandon, I do have one more steep. That way you do the 24-7 sport. You have created different opportunities for you to play a huge role on offense. And the number of plays you play in game can differ from one week to the next.

3:06:37But the opportunity is coming sooner rather than later for you to be an every down player. Just what are the things you need to do in your game to take it from where it is now to be an every down guy? I think there's a lot of things I could work on in my game. I would say continuing to be football smart by IQ. Just knowing what the defense is going to do before they do it. I think about routes, always can get better. My hands always can get better staying on the jugging machine. Work ethic, keep on top of it. Don't get satisfied with anything I do. And don't get too big, don't get too low. Don't get too high, don't get too low as what they say. You feel like a guy that the people follow, it seems like. In your mind, even the second year guy that you're kind of working toward being kind of a leadership type guy. I got to have guys that will take that role. Yeah, it's a great feeling, of course. No guys are watching what you do and listening to what you do.

3:07:37But I just feel like we do that with a lot of players here and not just myself. But the leadership we have on this team is like no other. And that's why we got so far, I think. Brandon, thank you very much. Another thing of the toughest guys on the team when they get the touch. Yeah, we talk about it all the time. So if we want to show where the toughest guys on the team, you know, we can do that by showing where the hardest working guys on the team. We can show that we are the mentally toughest guys on the team. We can make sure that we don't ever get too high or too low. And we, you know, play with passion and emotion without letting that emotion and passion play with us and affect us. And, you know, we talk a lot in the quarterback room about moving on to the next most important thing. So if I have, you know, a play where, you know, maybe I made the wrong read or screwed something up, you know, I've got, you know, about half a second, right, to kind of be bummed out about it. But I've got to learn from it. I've got to move on to the next most important thing because so many guys let that first play affect the next play. So we're really working to continue to grow from that.

3:08:39But as far as, you know, showing that we're tough, I even tell our guys that, hey, if I'm, I don't know, Austin Sarabot, and I'm watching film and I see in the back of that film that Julian is up or Tavian is up, but Lincoln and the opposite of Julian and Tavian are standing in the back doing a mental rep. Like that gives me confidence if I'm Austin that those guys one understand what they're doing and two are committed to get better. Right. And are going to be in position to be tough when we need them to be tough. So like little things like that are something that we're constantly working on to show that we're being in that position. What have you seen from Lincoln in your first year of working with him to help with what he's been able to do? Yeah, you know, I've definitely seen a lot of growth from getting in here in June last year. And to what we're seeing right now, you know, it's just a full year of understanding the offense, a full year of getting a feel for what we're trying to do and what we're trying to accomplish. And you know, just the, this, my new details about where my eyes need to be, how I can tie my feet in with my eyes, how I can make sure that, you know,

3:09:42I'm not just throwing the ball to the right receiver because that's what my redicateds, but I'm also throwing it at the right time. And I'm, you know, I have accuracy within that accuracy that I just displayed by putting it on the right shoulder, right? Or the right, you know, to offset our receiver and throw them away from a defender or whatever that may look like. So that's, that's what I'm excited because you're starting to see more and more of that from Lincoln as we've getting into the, you know, two practices. And we've only had two practices, but, you know, just that growth that I don't think is a growth that happened over two practices growth that happened from the time we got here and I got here in June through right now. And that's a success. He said now, three quarter-right coaches in three years, three, like all there's in three years, can that be like an advantage for him, like understanding different concepts, different reads, having to see things through different lenses because he's had so many different voices in his head. How do you kind of give that? Yeah, I mean, he's had, he's had different quarterback coaches, but the reality is it's been the same tasking. It's been the same system.

3:10:45So it's not like we changed the way we read a play based on who the quarterback coach was before. We made mistakes, it's like tweaks, right, or adjustments, or, you know, had a new concept in or two. But I think what Lincoln can get from having those three different quarterback coaches is maybe just three different slightly different perspectives where the message is still the same. So maybe it's just a slightly different delivery of the same message. And I think that can definitely be a advantage because he still knows, you know, on this concept, this is where my read is, but maybe he heard it a different way over the last three years. And I guess could be a advantage. If you are he's quarterbacks and they're supposed to be the toughest guy, the first guy to do the last guy to leave, but they're all trying to do that. How do you then separate yourself as one of those guys given they're all trying to strive to do the same things, but stay spiritual? Yeah, you know, I think the ultimately right is can I sustain it? Can I be the guy that does it the most consistently?

3:11:48I think every single one of them, I know every single one of them saw that quote by Coach Day, which you know, it's pretty awesome. It's so real. It's who we have to be. We've got to be the toughest guys in the building. We've got to be the hardest working guys in the building. So it's easy to go ahead and, you know, do that and be that guy. You know, the next day after seeing that quote, can I continue to be that guy when we're in practice 11 of spring ball or we're in summer and we're going through workouts with Coach Mac. And it's June 17th, you know, can I be that guy with that consistency all the way up through fall camp? It ended to moving on into next year. And I think that, you know, anyone can do something just once, you know. But can I be the guy that can do a consistency and if you look at anyone that's done anything great, it's been because of their consistency. What do you think being all the traits? Where does can't we be recorded back at Ohio State for the kind of magnitude? Is the able to handle that position? What is that fit into your evaluation?

3:12:50Yeah, I think, you know, all these guys were a lot of that was done in the recruitment process. I'm confident all three of them can be the guy I don't want to say. I think that, you know, those guys already kind of check that box. So, you know, now it's just a matter of who goes out as a job. And again, we are so far away from that point, but, you know, when we're recruiting a guy, we try to figure all that stuff out. We're gathering as much data as we possibly can to learn about the person and to understand their mental makeup and to make sure that they're fit. It's pretty cool up in the quarterback room. We've got pictures of all the, you know, greater Ohio State quarterbacks up on the wall. You go through and take a look at those guys. It's just pretty neat, but above all, you can talk about some of the different guys' mental makeup and what made them different. And so, how do we find those guys and bring them in and recruiting? And so, we get to the point like we are now where you feel really confident about all three of those guys that they are mentally tough enough and can be at that point that they can't be that guy. What do you think they learned the most from Will and the job he did last year overall?

3:13:50Can you be that close to that? Yeah, I mean, where do I start? You know, Will, when it came to intangibles was, you know, I haven't been, I can't say I've been doing this for 35 years or anything crazy like that, but was by far the best I've ever seen to. And just as far as what he did the best, you know, I think it just having a such a complete understanding of the offense, you know, from the run game to the past game to the protections, just understanding, you know, the ins and outs and the little details and everybody's job and where, you know, certain concepts or protections or playstyles were weak and how to adjust them if we were going to see something that made us weak there. And having that total command because I think, you know, a big part of trust is showing that, you know, I'm competent and I understand. And so, Will built that trust in his teammates by showing that, you know, he was extremely competent, you know, that he understood everything and all the ins and outs and he could tell everybody on the field what to do.

3:14:57And from there, then he built it, you know, grabbed on and grabbed the trust of all of his teammates and then he could start to lead. So, you know, the biggest thing, it's tough to say, but I think that everything that he did was kind of built off this total understanding of what we were trying to do offensively. Billy, thank you very much. Thanks guys. Appreciate it. Thank you. I'm just everything. Make sure I keep all the details lost to career. What it looks like to tell you that he likes it actually is a part of his world of tackles, your speed, what does he like to do? I think they do like my life on the backfield and maybe like that. What's kind of your main, I mean, obviously as an in-state kid committed to this class, what's your pitch now to other recruits? And be like, this is why you should join Ohio State 2020 Grand Files. It's a real family atmosphere. Yeah, everybody get along, everybody talk to you to everybody. What did you say? What did you get in the culture of your car? It's a car, it's a car. It's a car. It's running back or a question. It's an affection car.

3:15:57Please bring it to a car. I've always looked up to a blue jacket watching this film. Do you, that's funny. Do you think that your voice down in Marihaz for this perspective is just the way that he is? I think that's what he wants to do. You have to get down, big speed and a car. Yeah, I get it. Who are the main guys that you're talking to right now to join this film? I'm going to talk to everybody in the district room and that auto community. Any guys that you want to join the class, anybody at the top here? No, I'm sorry if you already got asked this, but coming up here as a recruit, as a committee member here, what did you want to show today? What did you want to get out of this experience? It wasn't up in the show. I just wanted to get some work in with him a lot. How did you feel like that went? Obviously he's still relatively new here, but he seems to bring a little bit of a different energy than some of these camps in the past. I feel like it went good.

3:16:57Do you sense that energy? I mean, when you're out with him, he's different than other guys, right? I mean, how would you explain his coaching and some of the other running back coach you may have worked with in the past? It just intense. It's intense. Go, go, go. Did you talk to Coach Lachon when he met with Erdogan? I did. So when did he get, or he can get him out of there? Like roughly. Around like a half of season, like not so far out to see. I mean, was he kind of the same guy that he is now? So just in the new uniform basically? Yeah. Then you guys obviously added Isaiah to the class and there's no secret they would like to add another one. What are your thoughts on being in a class with three different running backs like that? I have no problem being in the class with another one. What do you like about Isaiah? I don't know Isaiah. You know Isaiah, do you know about him? Did you just damn down the first time? No, I don't. When you committed, you were some of the guys that recently prepared for the game, particularly about the half of the game.

3:17:58Not really a couple of linebackers taking our best job. You might have to learn in just a... What does Peyton bring to the defense? Peyton is a great down heel like bumping type of linebacker. Peyton goes talk with somebody and he's like a secure top. That's what type of principle Peyton is. Have you talked to him about that third linebacker role that you had last year and what to expect? Have you really talked to him about it? We all have a plan. We all have a plan. How different is this fall plan knowing the spot that you're going to be in as opposed to a year ago when you have a coaching assignment? What I'm going to say is too much different. I know the role I got coming in last year. I knew the role so I just tacked Eric Daye really the same way. Physically. Physically, how different are you? What's the weight-wise body-wise on that from the year ago? I think I got a lot bigger. I'm like 240.

3:18:58I'm like 240-44 right now. Last year I played it like 236-37. What does it feel like at 244 or a belt? You feel like an almost different machine out there. What does it feel like to be running around out there like you are with more back? I just feel like I'm like like more down heel, stronger. I'm taking all the bloods better. It's a big knee. Maybe that's not the correct term. But to think you're going to be playing much more than you did last year. You played quite a bit last year instead. What do you have to get straight in your head about being on the field that much more? I just got to get ready to just play 30 more snaps. How would you describe how much you're looking forward to it from an age standpoint? I'm looking forward to it. I'm ready for it. My play. The Texas Opener is a rematch. It's not really two different teams. Compared to the ones that I'm going to play. How has that enhanced this camp for you and this team getting ready for an opener for that magnitude?

3:20:02Yeah, with an opener like that. We've been emphasizing it a lot. We know we got coming. So we know we got to do it. We're preparing for it. I already did probably with today. I think Riley ready to play right now. He advanced freshman. He ended up here in the book. He studied in like he advanced and his measurements was crazy. He saw it on the side line too. You said you're ready. What was that process like during last season? Could you feel yourself becoming more and more ready for whatever the team needed from you? Yeah, because that's pretty much what my role was. Just whenever I was needed I had to step up. I feel like that's what built me into me being able to say I'm ready for this year. Can you say ready? Is it more a physical thing? Is it a mental thing? When I say ready I think it's pretty much like everything physically, mentally, mostly. I think I'm there. A different is that feeling this year of Van Lassinger. That's possible. Well, asked a one more time. How different is that responsibility?

3:21:03That you should just be emotional. Call that. Anyone last year? Who knew you were a home player? I feel like it's a way bigger. It's a way bigger responsibility with me having to step up this year. But I kind of go about it the same way. Like Lassinger, I was intentional with everything I did. I feel like this year is going to be the same thing. It's probably a little bit more. Somebody who's somewhere in here. And what word? How's everybody working? I say. Scrabbing. When you think of me, you would think of like a bullet, like a silver bullet. I don't really know bullet. I'm always on the ball. That's how I like to play and think. No, I ain't got to be my nickname, but. I'm saying that the thing can be that something. Oh, yeah, yeah. Yeah. Yeah, that's it. I've got a more professional style and how it's free.

3:22:04How does that fit the dude? And what are you going to enjoy about playing in that kind of style? I think it fit me because. I don't know, I just like the defense. I feel like we got, like you said, we got a lot of freedom and we moving around a lot. A lot of the terms is like, you know, I don't know. I don't really not answer that. That's okay. Does it kind of get so go on your instincts a little bit more, baby? And it's not so thinking of too much. I don't even know if I say that because there's a lot of thinking going on, but it's like. I just like it's deep. I like how it's pretty deep. I like what you got going on. What was it sad when CJ left the ring? No, I wanted to say that. I was kind of like happy fun. Yeah, that's what you want. No. No. No. That's my dog. So yeah, kind of missing a little bit, but yeah, I'm happy fun though. Well, they'll thank you. Go ahead one last question. Coach Daze talked a lot about the guys who played some last year, but maybe weren't the starters and the hunger for.

3:23:04That wasn't maybe your national championship you guys will win your own. Yeah. How much do you feel that is guy who certainly contributed last year, but will be in this bigger role and along the summer year, your classmate? Yeah, I do feel like. Yeah, I do feel like I did win a national, but like you said, my role wasn't same as how it's going to be this year. So yeah, I definitely want to go get another one experienced that like feeling with me be on the field. A lot more place. That's it. Great. To go on with Sean and the first of them, how much pressure is it must be fans to perform to the higher level of respect and to the next one? Right. I would say that last year was, you know, we excelled in certain things, but we're also trying to get back to where we were in the past. So we got some great additions and we're excited for that. Ultimately, it's to use some of these guys to be the number one defense in the league and that's always going to be the goal. So whatever we can do to utilize all the different talent that we have on this team to be the best and play as a team and to build the best chemistry that we got, that's what we're going to do.

3:24:12What's the answer out about this offense? Just early, just early in the game. What's the answer out there? Yeah, we're not used to going against the normal offense I have been the past three years. So it's been a lot more moving pieces. Definitely have to use your eyes pretty well because if not, then somebody's going to be open. But I like what they're doing. I'm very excited for it. I just know it's making our defense a little bit better because we're having to do different things, not just the normal offense we've been used to. I was going to say just because every other team has some variations that they're running this year, does that kind of give you that kind of benefit because you've seen that more than the rest of the week. I would say so. I mean, as the league has changed over time, I think they revert to certain offenses that do well in certain systems. I would say we're taking maybe a little bit pieces from other offense that we see to do well. So I like what we're doing. I mean, I don't know as much as some of these quarterbacks that we have on the team, some of the offensive players, but I just know it's tough to go against.

3:25:19Hello, set number last year, but still one of the top teams scored in the defense. What do you guys really need to do to finish after the quarterback? Yeah, I would just say place heavy emphasis in practice. It's always going to start in practice with getting after the quarterback, not touching him in practice, but making some good moves. And I would just say rush, rush more. I mean, there's so much that goes into it and it goes with the coverage. Everybody works together. I would say that we had, we had great numbers, but we do, we are trying to get that number up, but the ultimate goal is always going to be the ball. Getting the ball taken away, getting off the field. We're putting our offense out there on the field and we're staying off. That means that we're doing a good job. I think you're already asked about it from a competition standpoint, but from a collective standpoint, having new wins tomorrow, we're going to go in the field. What kind of a trio can do for a defense? When this guy's a limit with this group, I do believe we have one of the most talented linebacker core groups in the league.

3:26:21So just excited what we're going to be able to do out there on the field. I think we all compliment each other super well, bigger guys that are explosive. So I'm excited for it. I'm OGs recently, but yeah, it's there. I think you see from sunny this off season, moving into. He's really stepped up as our like later of the defense. I mean, he's, you know, being in his room. I really get to see how he operates every day. Like he doesn't take a single rep off. He's not just like the most vocal leader, but he's also like he leads by example. Like he is one of the biggest, fastest, strongest dudes we have, but he's also the hardest working dude we have. Like he's he's never skipping out on recovery, you know, watching film. Literally everything he's, you know, he represents what a buck I feel ball player should be in. Just learning from him every day. I just it's helped me in time. With the pressure you're not in my middle.

3:27:22Just every day. I mean, he's pretty, he's pretty athletic. He knows what he's doing to. He's he's a savvy football player. And so it's good having him in the locker right next to me and us just talking ball every day. You know, how he could have done this better and I could have done this better. It's just making each other better and we're we're having fun out there and flying around. I mean, it's awesome having him because like he really does understand it. I would say he understands it more than most guys. He was a captain in all American here. You know, like the stuff he's doing today, like every day he'll show some sort of, you know, every single week we're going through camp every day. He's going, he's posting a picture of every all American linebacker we've had. And we got to learn about him, like not just the brotherhood we have here, but the past brotherhood.

3:28:23So we learn new new all American linebacker every week. And we got to learn what he did for the bug eyes and what he didn't believe and stuff like that. So I think it's helped a lot and then you know, he's having the young guys learn the fight song and pop quiz and stuff. So it's great. We're having a lot of fun. We have a lot of fun. You go actually to get acclimated to the standard of the obviously. It helps a ton because heat, I mean, like when you walk in the linebacker room, you just, like when I walked in, I was like, man, this brotherhood is real. And I have older guys helping me when I got here because we had a pretty old team last year and they brought me in and I came in on a food. And I didn't know how I was going to go and they were all cheering me on even though I was hurting the weight room on getting cheered on and competitions and stuff like that. And guys, they know your name. It's helped a lot. And so I think this past year has really helped me bring in the young guys and help with them and stuff like that.

3:29:27We're super tight as a linebacker unit. So it's been great. Who's this week's All-American? This week's All-American. We had today was a pepper Johnson. So number 98, he's a baller. So we've had one every day. We've had different guys. So we had Spielman yesterday. So it's just someone new every day and it's fun. Did you get here? They've learned a lot of stories about them, which is some fun stories. He hasn't posted his yet. Eventually, I thank you, Will. You guys can't like this. You guys can't resonate with me. I think all of them, they're just so many that have come through here. And I think it helps. There's a standard like you can play linebacker here. The goal should be the best linebacker unit in the country across the board and have the best linebackers. And so I think that's really a standard for us. Wait, does it matter to you? Going out of our way.

3:30:27You're getting instruction from a guy. You've been there done that. I mean, at the highest level, how much does it enhance what he's telling you? Yeah, 100%. I mean, it validates a lot of stuff he says. And I think that's one of the main reasons I liked him so much is that he's not only our personal relationship is great, but like he knows everything about the game. And I'm learning so much every single day. And like you can't you can't find the coach. He doesn't know more about linebacker than he does. And he's been through every situation. And he knows when the offense does this play, what's what's what's hard for the linebacker on that play and he understands it, you know, finds ways to help us, you know, get through those plays and stuff like that. And then a lot. I was I feel like it was one of my biggest accomplishments in my life. I took now. Obviously, I think the goal one day to be a captain here, but feel like they'll be in an iron buck. And then the big big ass season or get bigger and stronger. I think you just meant a lot because our teammates vote on it too.

3:31:29And so just knowing that like every day when we do those one on one competitions and leading guys, people are noticing that I was given everything I had. So it didn't mean a lot to have coach make and all been choose made it in iron buck. When the kind of this off season that you started, you kind of visualized some goals that you had and was that one of them? Yeah, I mean, I think right right off the bat, right when the last season ended, you know, my goal was to be a starter iron buck. I'm just taking steps every day and we read a book, chop with care water and it's a lot about living in the present. And so I think that's helped, helped all of us a ton is like, what can we do today to be a very best. And so I think that's, that's what's helped me a lot. I mean, I still don't want really those. So I mean, so I put it down for you. Are you just being you the last question you did that mean you're the main group? Or you can't work just being you set your work ethic anyway? Yeah, I mean, my parents have been still a strong work ethic at me and you know, not backing down for many situations and stuff like that. And so I think just going in, you know, leading and giving everything I got every day is just how it happened in the world.

3:32:35Great. Thank you very much. And I mean, we're just all excited to go out there and get here. Okay, well anyway, the fact that the way that this defense has additions on every level, we talk about chasing other people to climb and other trampoline there, you guys have willing to second level in the third level, who they go on with Sean and the rest of them. How much pressure is on this defense to perform to the higher level of expectation last time? Right, I would say that last year was, you know, we excelled in certain things, but we were also trying to get back to where we were in the past. So we got some great additions and we're excited for that. Ultimately it's to use some of these guys to be the number one defense in the league and that's always going to be the goal. So whatever we can do to utilize all the different talent that we have on this team to be the best and play as a team and to build the best chemistry that we got, that's what we're going to do.

3:33:38It stands out about just offense. Just early in the game, it stands out about offense. Yeah, we're not used to going against the normal offense I have been the past three years. So it's been a lot more moving pieces. Definitely have to use your eyes pretty well because if not, then somebody's going to be open. But I like what they're doing. I'm very excited for it. I just know it's making our defense a little bit better because we're having to do different things, not just the normal offense we've been used to. That was going to say just because every other team has some variations that they were going to miss. Does that kind of keep it out kind of in the future because you've seen that more than the rest of it? I would say so. I mean, as the league has changed over time, I think they revert to certain offenses that do well in certain systems. And I would say we're taking maybe a little bit pieces from other offense that we see to do well. So I like what we're doing. I mean, I don't know as much as some of these quarterbacks that we have on the team, some of the offensive players, but I just know it's tough to go against.

3:34:45Hello, sack number last year, but still one of the top teams scoring defense. What do you guys really need to finish after the quarterback? Yeah, I would just say place heavy emphasis in practice. It's always going to start in practice with getting after the quarterback, not touching him in practice, but making some good moves. And I would just say rush, rush more. I mean, there's so much that goes into it and goes with the coverage. Everybody works together. I would say that we had, we had great numbers, but we do, we are trying to get that number up, but the ultimate goal is always going to be the ball. Getting the ball taken away, getting off the field, we're putting our offense out there on the field and we're staying off. That means that we're doing a good job. And you already asked about it from a competition standpoint, but from a collective standpoint, having new wins and we're going to go in the field. What kind of a cheerio can that do for a defense? In this guy's limit with this group, I do believe we have one of the most talented linebacker core groups in the league.

3:35:46So just excited what we're going to be able to do out there on the field. I think we all compliment each other super well. Bigger guys that are explosive, so I'm excited for it. It's really just our family versus their family and we just got a person here and we got to win the games and give back to the net. The start line was saying that Carmellan ran in the really good leaders and we're going so far. For sure. What if they both didn't lead us for you? They've been leaders just in multiple ways, whether our column, we're in their in the film room together on the jugs. I'm asking them about this route. How I could run it better. I'm asking them how I run this route on this play just many different things. I feel like those guys, they're like big brothers and all that does help me. A valuable is that to have guys that are playing like football but also a bit of college for a while. So we're really good at asking for various things about college life. It's a real valuable for sure because they're first round pit guys.

3:36:46So I feel like just being in a room with those guys and if you're able to thrive with those guys, you know, some's going good for you. What have you kind of known about him and learned about him? I always had a good relationship with Tavian. He recruited me hard to come here. So I feel like we always talked and he came here and he's been doing this thing that I've been doing their thing. And Julian's saying he's another Cali Kinssen. I had a little relationship with him too. So good to see Julian, Lincoln and Tavian all doing real good. What is that next step for you to play in terms of evolution of your game? What do you want to get better at? It's pretty easy. I just really just everything. I feel like you can never be too perfect and I feel like you just got to keep doing your job. So I say maybe just just showing up more and just doing my job to the team. Going against these cornerries and these DBs. How does that kind of lead you better? High school. In high school, I had a five star corner DJ DJ on Lee. He's an Alabama.

3:37:48So I always had good work with corner. So I feel like it's just a lot. I'm going against a lot of good guys now. Instead of just being one on one that practice with DJ. So it's real good for sure. Does it take more courage to play this lot? Should I get pleased? Does it take more courage to play this lot? What do you mean by that? Because there's more stuff. But they think there's bigger injuries inside. You have to have a thing. You've got to be aware of it. It's a thing for courage to do that. I guess you could say that. I feel like I just always play slot enough. I feel like that's what I've been better at. So I feel like I feel like it's just what I have to do to be on this. No matter who's in front of me. How big he is. How strong he is. I feel like if I got in the assignment, I got to do it. I'm looking around. I remember my first day. I'm looking around. I'm looking at July. Crazy. And then I see Jeremiah crazy. I'm just looking around everybody. KJ. Ken Craig getting off the bar. I'm okay.

3:38:48Like this is the real deal. For sure. How do you take that only fat moment and then go from it? Um. I really just take that and I just, uh, I just think of the challenge. Okay. Like they got all these attributes. They got all these things. But can they get past me? Uh, can they beat me though? So every day just working on that. Just getting better and better. Have you been using the strong legs, Jimmy, strong straps? Uh, yeah. That's my dog. You know, we came in together and just like talking to each other about the process, especially when I was a coach, I left and I was like, you know, what are you going to do with me? And then we just stuck through it and then, uh, me and him now. I just talked to him every day. That's my bully and working on different things. Because he's at the left. I'm at the right scene. Things with different point of view. So it's been great. How's the transition going for you? I was going to be amazing. I feel every day get better and better. Going against the best every day. So you have to be on your A K and, uh, going to do like CJ.

3:39:49That's my boy. Just getting better and better and transition just not an hour. Half a week away from home. So this has been pretty good. You started for getting flat experience. So those, those, what are you kind of tricky to get within the number of those? I think like for my role, I think I did just enough. Um, when I was a person, I am now. If I was a person, I feel like I would have done lay better. But just going into that role, um, helping that's helping Minnesota. Do we got to do? And I feel like I did just enough. But there's always, I've always do. There's always room for improvement. Where did you see this? What's specifically? Pass, pro and my first steps. Working on those things. I had to lift out the power. I just, I was all over the place. And just every, I feel like every game I was understanding, um, how the game worked. And, um, how to, um, attack, how to be passive, how to work together. As an online unit, not just me, but myself.

3:40:49You mentioned the first step. What, what about that first step? Um, really just, uh, make sure I'm not going to be a person. Um, really just, uh, make sure I feel powerful out of my stance. That was the one big thing I had to work on. And especially at my last school working on my stance with my, uh, make sure I can push off and, like, gain ground. And I felt like sometimes I wasn't doing, uh, even mentioned, but he had to lose 30 pounds when he got here. Did you have to change from your body at all? Uh, definitely. Um, I was three, 20 coming in and I've known, I played at three, 20. I feel great. And then, uh, they told me they wanted me to go down to three, 15. And I was like, nah, I want to do that. I got three, 15. I started running. I started, they started putting me on the meal plan. They started doing all this. I'm like, oh, how do I see the vision? Yeah. I was like, yeah, um, I definitely chose for my body. My arm is steadily getting bigger. Uh, weight room. Um, it's been amazing. I'm growing every day. It's hard every day, but I love it though. Like, I'm getting work after practice. I have to do weight room.

3:41:49I'm like, cooked, but I can see the results and, uh, seeing the gains. What is it like, uh, you leave a place, you know, you're probably breaking some people's hearts back there. Describe what it's like to make a move like this. You know, I mean, uh, and basically missed a college career. Um, what were you seeking out more of these things out? Uh, it was definitely a big move. What was I seeking just, um, just a development with, um, no, and I can, I wanted to go and get some of the best dudes every day and coming here, I'll be able to do that. Um, um, just a training program in the culture here. And, um, it's summer. Minnesota. So it was definitely, um, like a easy merge. You had said, you were, of course, you hadn't really thought about Ohio State being an option. When the hotel house is quickly, sort of the merge. What do you remember about just some of the ever-prevent of you? Um, I remember coach Fry call me when I hit the portal. Um, he was one of the, uh, a couple of first people to hit me up. Um, I was gonna, I was gonna go home anyways, because I was gonna go to my mom house.

3:42:53Because I fasted. Um, when I hit the portal and make sure I made my right decision. And I was gonna go home with my family and just talk about it. And my cousin and I, they were like, uh, you're already an hour and a half away. So you might as well just see the stuff up there. They want to, they, they shown interest and I was like, you know, I was with. You mentioned the transition from Fry to Tyler Bowen. Just wasn't been like playing for both of them. So fun. Um, I don't really know too much about coach Fry, you know, just a little bit. But what I was in here, I definitely saw like, uh, dudes definitely develop. Like I can see it on tape. Not necessarily like really see that practice, but with coach Bowen, um, every day. Just improving and he's just always telling me things. I don't even notice that I'm, and I need to work on, especially with coach Johnson and coach Dickey. I have no story in the room. It's probably the best thing ever for you. I guess I'm great additions and we're excited for that. Ultimately it's to use some of these guys to, uh, be the number one defense, um, in the league.

3:43:53And that's always going to be the goal. So whatever we can do to utilize all the different talent that we have on this team to, to be the best and play as a team and, um, to build the best chemistry that we got. That's what we're going to do. We have to stand down about this offense. Just see just early, just early in the game. Yeah, we're not used to going against the normal offense I have been the past three years. So it's been a lot more moving, moving pieces. Definitely have to use your eyes pretty well because if not, then somebody's going to be open. But I like what they're doing. I'm very excited for it. I just know it's making our defense a little bit better because we're having to do different things. Not just the normal offense we've been used to. I was going to say just because every other team has some variations that they were going to miss. Does that kind of do you think that kind of benefit you because you're seeing that more than for us? I would say so. I mean, as the, the league has changed over time, I think they revert to certain offenses that do well in certain systems.

3:44:57And I would say we're taking maybe a little bit pieces from other offense that we, we see to do well. So I like what we're doing. I mean, I don't know as much as some of these quarterbacks that we have on the team, some of the offensive players, but I just know it's tough to go against. Hello, Seth, number last year, but still one of the top teams scoring the defense. What do you guys really need to do to finish getting the after the quarterback? Yeah, I would just say place heavy emphasis in practice. It's always going to start in practice with getting after the quarterback, not touching him in practice, but, you know, making some good moves. And I would just say rush, rush more. I mean, there's so much that goes into it and it goes with the coverage. Everybody works together. I would say that we had, we had great numbers, but we do, we are trying to get that number up. But the ultimate goal is always going to be the ball, getting the ball taken away, getting off the field. We're putting our offense out there on the field and we're staying off.

3:45:57That means that we're doing a good job. Everybody has to fight if we're in my competition stand point. But from my collective stand point, having you wins a margin, we're going to feel what kind of a trio can do for a defense. In this guy's limit with this group, I do believe we have one of the most talented linebacker core groups in the league. So just excited what we're going to be able to do out there on the field. I think we all compliment each other super well, bigger guys that are explosive. So I'm excited for it. Bard is, was going to be up in the air. So I think for me, just starting out, I took it something that was kind of important to me that whoever was, everyone competing for that spot, I wanted to create a bond with them. Because I feel like a tackle guard bond is important in terms of communication, understanding. Because again, a left tackle is only as good as guard is and vice versa. You know what I mean? So I feel like I've done a good enough job so far of starting to develop that relationship with each potential guy.

3:46:57So that way as we, as spot, as a spot is getting, you know, as people start to compete for that spot, again, I feel like I should be able to pop in with whoever, and we should continue to keep the standard of the standard if that makes sense. That's my mindset. First, there's a guy competing for a spot and I've never spent any time with him just one on one during the summer just taking reps before camp. Hey, what's coming to facility? What's your XYZ? Let's talk about this tape XYZ. Then they come in and then now there's no kind of flow. So now I'm not really seeing how we're going to fit together, but I want to fit with as many people at left guard as possible that way when the decision has been made. There's no new startup process. I got to start over my process with this guy. It's kind of already been flown. That makes sense. What tackle is a position that draws a lot of focus? Are you facing more pressure than the position on the line? In European, what is the problem mindset to succeed at that position?

3:47:58I think that the mindset for me, as always, has been that when I win my, a one-on-one, the ball goes down the field. You know what I mean? So, and I think that's what I'm most excited about just being a left tackle is that, especially with the protections that are a little bit of longer plays where the left tackle tends to be a one-on-one or my, the plays I tend to love the most because kind of halfway through the play, we're locking them up and you just know that he can't go anywhere. You start to smile a little bit, you're like, oh, dude, ball's gone. You know what I mean? Like, ball's gone and it's going to be a touchdown. It's going to be a huge gain. So I think for me, that's kind of the mindset you kind of have to have with the left tackle spots. As soon as I win, like, my rep, we're going down the field. So that's just a mindset I have in terms of how well I have to prepare. How do you go on the mindset and where the people able to get there? Honestly, I'll say that mindset kind of came from college.

3:48:59Again, obviously I played with a lot of great guys in college. You know, I'm glad we have all of those guys here. You know what I mean? To throw the ball to as well, just because against one of those things, like with CJ, you just, again, a left tackle, my mindset was just, well, as CJ just do his thing. And that's my thing. I want Kyle to be able to do his thing. So I'm worried about whoever's over here, just do your thing. That's why you're here and just throw it to Marvin. And, you know, it will be good. You know what I mean? So that's something excited about. And I think all that starts because of what we do on the line. So, and I think just not just myself, but the entire room takes pride in. Hey, like when we do our job up front, that's where everything else goes. So let these guys we have with the ball in their hands do all that magic. We just got to do our job just to entertain them when you're one on one, you know. You know, just playing that, that's fine. It means something special just because of the history of that position. And, you know, just of all the greats that have played left tackle.

3:49:59I mean, do you ever think about just the past and the, you know, the people, the players before you who were in that spot and did great things? Yeah, I mean, again, I feel like just from, just as a young guy in a game, I, of course, try to, I like to watch the, the greats of the game. I like to watch guys like, a weight worth, of course, you know, a willy Anderson, you know, he played on the right side, but again, I think continuing to watch the greats that played the game. Just can take the dominate for those guys from me to be able to talk to them again to be able to learn from their story and their journey and how they developed. Of course, I understand I want to create a, I want my game to be able to be like theirs in a way to where it's talked about in a way of like, that's a guy you need to watch, just to watch with, you know, the fight that you played with, the finish that you played with, and the technique you played with, because those guys played almost 20 years. You know what I mean? So, and again, I think that's something when you watch the guys, though, the legendary guys come before, yeah, you know, they're strong and they're tough guys, but, you know, I don't know, but when you're like 36, 37 years old, you probably not that strong.

3:51:10Not as strong as you used to, but that technique and just the skill set, that's something that I admire. You mentioned earlier about the guys going out to UCLA and kind of getting out of the heat. I'm curious, when you're working out here, do you do anything outside or do you avoid it altogether right now? I don't know, I'm always outside. I'm always outside. I don't mind the heat. I love the heat. And honestly, for me, it helps. I'm off like 320, so I kind of warm up quickly. So it's kind of nice for my warm up. I don't have to be doing like 30 minute warm up. You know, you kind of just be outside long enough, collect this. And your joints are on go. So I actually, I like it a lot. Going back to the players that have been in the league for a while, Calvin Beachham is one of those guys that's been in the league for a decade plus. What have you been able to learn from him? I think, again, just learning how to be a pro in terms of certain things. For example, I'm a guy that when I like to train by myself, I just take a thousand reps of a set, a thousand reps of a reach block.

3:52:14I'm a rep, rep, rep, rep, rep. And Tyfig, I've done a hundred times and I wrote perfect. And some of that beach is like talking about in terms of being a pro. And I thought to me, that's me being a pro, a young guy. I pick up a lot of reps in my body. So I'm going to take a lot of reps and preparation. But Beach is a guy where it's like, it's not about necessarily the quantity in terms of it's really through the quality. But even more so, you know, you're off season, you don't got to be doing something like this every single day. But when you do it like from your first rep, even your first rep is not like here. I'm taking this rep. Oh, it wasn't good. It's going to be better in the second one like each rep, even when you're by yourself is just kind of, I guess a mindset, I just give yourself 15 reps instead of doing 60 reps. And I sounds like a huge difference, but then you out of mind taking 60 reps from by myself. And there's nobody that's waiting around on me and I'm by myself. I can take my time and I'll do that, but just being like, I'm going to do 15 perfect reps. And I'm just going to slow down and take all my time.

3:53:15Stuff like that. That way your body, that way you're not, you're not, you're not doing too much before camp, you know. Many of the guys that left guard in the mix were here last year, except for ever. How does that relationship develop throughout the next season? So honestly, I like that, that's my guy. We like to compete. We've been competing in the weight room since day one in terms of just like what we consider like athletic competitions. So like even in the weight room, I'm at the very end of the week when we're done lifting. I'll talk to Evan, I'll be at an hour stand. I will just do some sort of competition, whether it's grip or whether it's jump or where it's pull ups or something. And I don't let him leave until I beat him in all these two things. So if we do, if we do a jump thing and like I always thought was the best kind of, I had the most height when I jumped out of a line, I could dominate anybody and that, but he beat me in that. Surprising, I was alright, no, we're hopping on the bike. And then we did this bike thing, I beat him on a bike, and now we're on pull ups.

3:54:16So I beat him on a personal kid, now we can leave. But we just have that, and we're just always just competing. And then again, obviously he wasn't on the team with us last year. I think what he brings at the table with being a vet is that he's like a plug and play guy. He's been in those scenarios before. He's played with guys like Penae when he was with Detroit. So obviously he's just being able to talk to him and how this is how it was when I was setting with Penae. This is how it was. I was saying to see all these are the different things that I can do that made some things like in your game how you set. And I'll talk to him about what I like to do in certain scenarios and how his set can sort of match that. Does that make sense? So I think he adds a lot. What's the longest you've stayed after until you beat him? To the point where a strength coach is like, you guys got to go. You guys should go.

3:55:16We're not trying to break any rules around here. But it's just me and him just going, and he loves it. So even I started to do that. We started to get other guys in the O line that tried to hop in on our competition for fun. But only matters what be Evan. It's just I'm just beating you. So it was fun. I couldn't pass up an opportunity to try and bump that up and go somewhere up to you. I did.

3:56:16I was really just watching it because I mean we played the very lost on this past year on a proper new build. I was watching the game with more of a span. But yeah, I mean the things that Coach Day does in his offense. I feel like really fit my type of build. Where I was coming from in case day it was a very heavy offense. Especially for that one heavy. Which I was very happy to do and I'm doing it all. I'm excited here to where I feel like it's more of a, you know, where I can be that pocket batter and also use my legs when I need to. But you know, I feel like my strength. But I also feel like I can do really good things. Obviously being in quarterback you need to make those players. How much do you afford to do?

3:57:22Oh, it had a huge impact on it. I love my guys at K-State and I have nothing bad to say about them. I mean the talent here is unbelievable. Just being around the guys. And the thing that impressed me the most about especially the receiver room is how driven, how much they want to work. I don't have to go out there and beg these guys to go catch. I'm sure already out here catching on the jugs when I come out the throw. They're incredibly hard working just all across the room. We got views like carnell and Brandon Ernest and obviously Mecca and all those guys. I mean, that's just the, that's just the tip of the ice. There's so much talent in that room and being able to throw to guys like that makes my job a lot easier. Berk the breader. Dude, he's a dude man. I haven't gotten to talk to him that much yet. Just because we've been in different groups, lifting and stuff. But man, he's a specimen.

3:58:22I mean, that dude is a freak show when he comes to physical. I mean, he is, I'm excited to see him on the field. I feel like the resounding thing that I heard from these NFL guys. And from people around the league was needy-claimable. And we need to see more high level players. And I feel like, you know, I played a lot of football in my time at K-State. But, you know, I only had one year where I was really the true starter. And where I played, you know, the whole year. The most part I was a backup filling in. And I felt like, you know, there's a bunch of statistics and things that they look at. You know, I was on the very lowest end of like, you know, the amount of yards that you're supposed to throw for. You know, you look at the success stories versus the failure stories.

3:59:23And there was just so many signs of a point in becoming back. And really in my heart, and that was at the end of the day. I mean, it was up to me as my gut. And I felt like I just wasn't ready to leave college yet. I was a little more, I wanted to go to a competition home. I was just reading and kind of making a lot of things. I was walking and 15 minutes to like, stop and get out of the big film first. Absolutely. And I mean, the biggest thing was I felt like I could come compete here to win the national championship. And that above anything else was one of the most important things. I felt like I just had more I want to go to college when I wasn't feeling yet. And that was, I think, what really drew me here. Obviously, you know, getting to the next level and playing in an offense like this. I think it's really going to prepare me for that next level and give me the best shot. And that's all I just really took her on the cake for me. I think you're not going to do that. I think you're having that. I think we have an athlete who is going to play the best in the game.

4:00:27I think we'll be playing the next level. Yeah, I mean, we definitely talked about it. You know, we're all here to compete and we're all here to, you know, help the fuck out of me. That's all we're here for. And that was, you know, that was made evident when I came on my visit. And, you know, the thing that I'm the most fired up about is how good the dudes in the room are. And how good they've been to me. You know, I think they could have no believe me. I've been in a situation where we brought in an older trans to get. So they could have been, you know, mad and not helped me and helped me out. But I mean, Devon and Lincoln, the guys that have been around, they've really helped us a lot, especially us three new guys. And, you know, I know I'm older and I've done things. But still just learning a new system, learning, you know, how we do things, and how we go about our busy day. Just everything's a little different. So I'm so thankful for those guys. I mean, they've helped me so much.

4:01:27Just getting accustomed to, you know, being in this building. Really good dude. Really good dudes. Really good kids. And really talented too. I mean, they can both spin the ball really well. You know, they're young and they, you know, they know they got a lot to learn and so do I. You know, I'm right there. You know, I think we're all trying to learn this together, even, you know, to talk to everyone a little bit and we're hitting the ground running. But, you know, it's exciting. Those two guys are especially in the care of the one extra. Have you ever had the right kids? Did you see what the public responsibility was going on? They had so much good fun going on. It's hard to say. I would probably say the draft would have been my, you know, I was talking to some other schools, you know, Miami and USC were in there in the mix. But it was really, I would say here in the draft at the end of it. You know, there was a lot of different things going into it and it was a long hard process.

4:02:32But yeah, I would say, I mean, that was probably the most like, when you first thought you spoke to about the way you were acting in the past. I mean, I didn't think it was going to be a good thing. How did the competition fall? I mean, nothing, nothing crazy. You know, it was just... Oh, thank you. Appreciate it. Not a spider fan. Who really? Yeah, I appreciate it. Yeah, there you go, a little sidetrack. But, no, I, what was the question again? I'm sorry. Spider controversy. What the... How did the competition fall? Yeah, no, it was... I mean, it wasn't really anything crazy, I would say. You know, I just, you know, nothing really changed. It was really kind of, you know, they were kind of holding me off a little bit. So, after that game, just been fairness.

4:03:33You know, I was, I was patient and waited my time and, you know, it all worked out. Did Coach Day look like I know he was going to make the play? It's hard to tell. I don't really know. It was a whirlwind of a process. You know, I started hearing initially they might be interested, but I hadn't really heard anything directly. You know, really getting in like, I really started to feel that interest. Did Coach Day let you know there's a change coming? Did Coach Day let you know there's a change coming? Yeah, I kind of figured that. I didn't know for sure, but he kind of hinted at it. And, you know, his point was, you know, it's in the best interest to him and the team. I was all in. I completely understood, you know, the decision and why he did it. What was the difference to about your team considering other teams' career in Coach Day?

4:04:35Yeah, I mean, there were a lot of things that were said. You know, a lot of things that were attractive to me about this offense and about what he kind of thought about my name and how he thought he could elevate me to where I wanted to be. And, you know, I feel like one of the biggest things was how Coach Day will be offensive. And, you know, a lot of these other schools that I was looking at, you know, maybe these aerate-type schools. You know, they got great offenses and you know, I can put up a lot of numbers, but I don't know how much that was developed. You know, playing in a system that Coach O'Brien was just a musician who couldn't make it out of that. How much better can you prepare for the NFL than with somebody who's coached at a head coach level and an important head level at the NFL? You know, it's just all the things pointed to him.

4:05:58I know I took a couple days off after the National Championship and then shoot right after that. I'm writing sample Florida and I'm right to it. And so, yeah, I think while I trained, I trained at Yo-Murth Performance. I think it's called the House of Athlete or the Compound now. They did a good job, man. They're just bringing us in and the way they went about training us, man. They did a really good job. The Bucking Nears, no, I haven't. Temple, a temple, nice. It's a nice city, man. Really nice. The 40 to broad and the vert. I'm really pleased to see you. It's an awesome offer. You need to meet your mentality of when you've got a linebacker. You're getting better and better. Yeah. Yeah. No, man.

4:06:59It's really all about technique and then it's all about mindset as well. And so, I say, you know, it's for the love of my brother. It's for the love of Will Howard. It's for the love of the receiver. And I tell Will, I think it was before the first game. I was like, I got your brother. It's, I said, man, I'm not going to let you get hit. You know, and so, I don't know if I gave up a sack. I'm not sure that. But I know if I did, I haven't given up too many. And so, man, it's for the love of my brother's, though, man. Making sure the ball get in their hands, you know, the guys on the outside and making sure they get fed. You had to hit the practice field later today. What is something you've been working on right now? In my game. You can't really work on this, you know, in all season, I feel like it's more so. You know, you got to put the pads on. You got to go through some inside run, you know, maybe. It's really just continuing to run through tackles. And so, that's, I feel like that's one of the areas in my game. You know, I want to continue to get better. I feel like I did a good job of that in my senior year. And so, I just want to continue to build on that.

4:07:59So, you know what I was saying? Yes, I did. Yes, I did. I did me with New Orleans as well. I never got that comparison. Actually, I know I have a Camera. Sure, yeah, man, I have a Camera great, great back, man. Just what he does and knows one-on-one matchups, he's dangerous, man. And he's so smooth. He's so smooth as well. I'm not going to lie. He's smooth. Yeah. I'm not saying that's the thing that I'm saying. Inside zone from stack being able to hit that thing downhill. And I say the next one is probably. Just an option route out of the backfield, you know, and man and man coverage. You're getting on that line backer and so. Yeah, I say the man the biggest thing is the way that he carries himself man and the way that man. He approaches the game. He comes in with the mindset, you know, he's going to work every single week.

4:09:00You know every practice, you know, he's working hard, you know, even shoot. I don't know every good. I think he had every game was a good game for him, man. And so but still man, he always. Has the mentality to mindset that, you know, he's going to come in each and every day. He's going to continue to work and get better, man. And so he's definitely man. He's going to be a special player, man. He really is. Man, a lot of ups and downs, man. It's just how you respond to adversity and I feel like that's something that God has definitely helped me to do better. I have something to lean on now. You know, I remember before I met him, you know, going through those adversity, I had nothing to run to. You know, you can run to people but they still can't. It's not too much, they can't truly help you. You know, I feel like, you know, I feel like the only person that can truly help you is your relationship with Jesus Christ.

4:10:03And so being able to lean on him, you know, he gives you, you know, his moments where it's tough, you know, where it's low. And when you're behind the scenes and you're going through things that people don't know about, he gives you that peace and comfort. You know, even in those moments, man, where it's so hard that you can't explain. It's like, man, I'm going through this but like, how am I still filled with this internal joy? You know, how do I have so much peace in this situation? And so that's something that only Jesus Christ can give you. And so... The back of the front of Peterson Power and Judgement is being brought back to us. Which aspect do you do those other individuals that you want to follow and from being around the power and the power? Um, man, those guys have such a great mentality, man. Am I just really loved their mentality? Especially Q as well, you know, I talked about Will Howard, his leadership, but Quincham mentality, man. That boy just, yeah, that boy just gifted, you know. You see, you know, sometimes he put in a situation where he looked like, you know, he should have a negative five yards.

4:11:06And then as soon as you know it, you know, he, the running through somebody, still forming somebody and shoot, it's a game to 10. It's a... It's like, do some of the things that he does, he just realizes it's too different than God's. Shoot, I think... Yeah, man, I think it's just like, he's just gifted, man, too, beyond it. He's just gifted, you know, he's a big back, you know, he's strong and so, you know, he's able to do those things. So, yeah, man, it's definitely, you know, I look at his game and I want to, you know, at the same time, I want to learn from Quincham. You know, I want to look at his game and it's like, man, where can I get better at as well? You know, that's the type of player I am. I'm always looking to get better, man. I'm always looking to grow as a player. Julian San. Oh, yeah, he's going to be a great, but he's going to be a great quarterback, man. So, so accurate and so, he's definitely, man, I know Coach Dez is definitely going to get him right. Just, you know, continuing to grow as a leader, continuing to grow as a player. And so, he's going to be really good for a high state. I know just the quarterback position.

4:12:07I feel like, you know, the quarterbacks in the past, they've definitely been vocal. And so, I feel like that's something that they're definitely going to ask Julian San as well. It's to be that vocal leader and lead the offense and lead the team. Thanks, Julian. Thanks, Julian. Shoot, man. He has a bill like JK Dobbins. And I kind of see them, you know, similar, similarities in their game as well. And I know JK Dobbins, he was a great running back. I feel like he's not talked about his none. A lot, but man, his career here, you watch his highlights is great. I remember before I recruit, before I committed here, I remember watching JK Dobbins highlights like every, every one of his years here, like, four or five times. And so, man, he was such a great back. And I feel like, you know, when I see JK Dobbins, when I see James people, I see similarities to both of their games. I feel like they play the same. And so, appreciate you all. Yeah, I'll be going.

4:13:18Thank you. Thank you.

4:14:18Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. You, so being able to go out there and just present my best self here, and man, it makes me better person. I have talked to the Chiefs. It was a great conversation. I mean, these guys, I mean, they have a lot of good, de-line talent there.

4:15:20So, having guys there, I mean, they feel like I could fit in very well. I mean, people have guys who pull me in, who really help me out, and allow me to really get in their fist system and fit in there, and be a good player there. Yeah, you talk to them about the watch, Cam, hey, we're on the left. You talk to them about the watch, Cam, hey, we're on the left. You talk to them about the watch, Cam, hey, we're on the left. Oh, yeah, Chris Jones, I mean, that guy's amazing. Be able to explode the way he did in the past few years, man. He's great. I mean, that guy is practically unblockable. So, man, watch him a little bit. I mean, the way he uses his hand, I mean, he doesn't allow people to touch him. So, I always your favorite game or memory involvement in this past season? Definitely win the National Championship. I mean, there's no better feeling than that to be able to go out there. I mean, with a whole bunch of guys you grew up with for the past five years, I mean, see us really pull through out there, hitting a couple of bumps in the road and be able to really exert ourselves and really make it all the way to the National Championship. I mean, it's not just one at all, man. It's a great feeling. Do you like the sun in you? What's it feel like? Oh, yeah, since being off the team now, definitely sunken now that we really won the National Championship. It's going to sink any more. We'll be able to see the rings that we got. We'll get here in probably the next month, so yeah.

4:16:22What's it like seeing Jason and Jack get so close? Like they have to see them here. What's the next thing? What does that mean? I mean, it's nice. I mean, especially they mean to have the entire defense line here at the combo. I mean, it's amazing. I mean, it's not too many times you get not too many teams to be able to have that. I mean, it just shows the elite level that we have and that they have been at Ohio State. It just shows how great we are and how great we can be. It felt like a whirlwind going from the plate of championship game of up to now. You're here. Yeah, I mean, it feels like I'm kind of still playing for a Ohio State, but it's like I'm not playing anymore. So it's kind of weird trying to get to Justin point down, stepping into a new chapter of my life. So just being relaxed, calm, and being just walking there with being myself. Are you planning to work out tomorrow? Oh, yeah. I'll be doing the drills. That's about it. How much time have you had? How much time have you taken off yourself? We had a week, a week after the game, and then after that, I flew straight to California when we're on the train. You mentioned that it feels like you've been playing for the last day. When you've been there for five years, like how hard is it to like pull away from that and not be apart?

4:17:25Yeah, it was definitely hard. The first couple of weeks, I mean, trying to... It was definitely a slower pace. I mean, being in a Ohio State, everything was up temple, upbeat, everything was hard work. I mean, you're doing group activities all the time. It's hard to be able to adjust to be more of a calm setting. I mean, you're doing a lot of things on your own when you get in a NFL. It's not you're not guided anywhere. So you got to be able to adjust to that. That's probably the biggest thing. How old do you feel like that here? You feel a nice level. How long time have you been in a NFL? I'd like to say that Ohio State is the best of preparing. I mean, you can see player after player going to the NFL. I mean, just being one of the best players because it's the way Ohio State and the system that they had. I mean, they did things in an excellent way to prepare you for the league. And this is... it's why I'm grateful to be able to go to that school. I think I thought about it. I'm going to line up next time I'm on field for all of the other teams that's blind. I'm talking about next season. You've been in part of the year of your journey. Yeah, it's kind of sad. Obviously, I wish we could have even just one of them be with me and make it even a better experience being there. I mean, a lot of questions they like to ask is like, who would you bring with you?

4:18:26I mean, of course, is here any one of my deal I'm in, bringing those guys with me. So, this is definitely going to be different. But, I mean, there's a lot of great talent on these teams, a lot of great deal I'm in there. So, I love to learn from other people, learn from them and be able to grow from them. Do you and Jack know, on Sorrento and Sunny, they have to carry the picker in the tour hunt? Oh, yeah, of course. I mean, I like to say all the time, man. The Columbus being brings to Ohio State, man, it's the best player. So, being there and being still representing the picker in the mean, you got a lot of good guys. Still in picker and that's still in high school. We get to get there, so them representing this. It's great. What do you was talking about, the Sunny being a potential team of Waco and the Tampa and the Tampa and the Tampa and the Tampa team? Where have you seen Sunny kind of grow as a leader and what do you think about the new world that you're getting as a leader? Oh, yeah, I think that just the leadership off the field made it so much better. I mean, from a guy who started off as a safety, moving the linebacker, I mean, it was a natural adjustment for him. I mean, he made no complaints to none of that. I mean, he just came in and worked and it kind of like me. We just worked as hard as he could every single day, just learn to playbook. You can see the leadership on the field when he's out there calling the plays with confidence

4:19:27and being out there supporting his team, man. His team rallied behind him. You see him for the best form. It's interesting. I mean, I have no comments on it. I want nothing but the best form, but being at the Penn State. It's not for the best form. What do you see emerging as a leader on that team that's in line for the last day? Keao Jackson, I feel like this role, man, I've talked to him. He definitely wants to step up. You stepping up this year. I mean, he's played a good amount of time last year. I feel like him being able to go out there and really step up and be a leader for the team. That's something you can do, especially with the talent that you ask. What are you up to, Sherry? What do you got pads on, stuff like that, being a special interior guy. You really don't get to see me run. So being able to go out there and really run and be able to see my movement, be able to see my men and my ability to move around, definitely surprising a couple coaches. Who is the most pivotal moment that you see some pre-guests? As hard as it is to say being a loose team up north, I mean, that was kind of like the pivotal role that really hit the whole team in the face.

4:20:27And allowed us to really kick the fire underneath as I'm able to play with our best abilities that we knew we had since the beginning of the season. And much of it hurts to lose. I mean, it kind of set the tone for the rest of the team and you see how we dominate the teams in the playoffs. So people talked about that meeting. Did your opinion of Friday change or how did it change after that meeting knowing that he's the coach sitting there taking the run? The feedback. Yeah, I mean, I didn't change at all. That's how it should be. I mean, being a coach there, I mean, he's up front and he's going to tell you everything. He takes criticism and asks for something that being a man to be able to drop your ego and take criticism. I mean, that makes him even a better coach. And I mean, not a lot of coaches can do that. So it makes him even better that he's here for his team. He's not just trying to be the head coach. He wants to be for his team. So I appreciate him for that. So you want to have your team to show you what you're going to do in the comments of this year? How much does that snow bomb you? Is that the amount of food for the one? Of course. I mean, yeah. I mean, the whole goal going to a house that you want to be the team of North. Especially with my brother, he's never lost to him.

4:21:28So it's kind of like a brag of rights at the dinner table. But I mean, every day we won a national championship. So that's something I get to carry on for our small life. You mentioned being able to surprise and be able to feel like you're a little bit overlooked just because of how much talent you had around your estate. Oh, we had a lot of good guys. I mean, that's what comes to being on a holiday. And you got talent everywhere. So I mean, just being able to just be myself and just be able to show people who I am. And that's why I'm here for it. So I'm just going to do everything impossible to be able to prove who the people that support me right. Where do you see or something? Are you going to stick it? No, it's going to be what it would be. Three tech like, what do you think you put back? I want to be versatile. I want to be like, I can play a little bit of three tech play nose guard anywhere on the inside. I feel like I'm playing maybe even a little outside with notes. So just being a big versatile feel like a planner on how estate. We were allowed to move around a little bit and allowed me to show my talent. So being able to be versatile and play anywhere allows me to be a better player in the league. What do people going to see for him this year?

4:22:29They're going to see it more developed player. I mean, I feel like this year is kind of the set and stone of him being. You know, to take over the role of being a defense in out of a holiday. So I feel like he has all the talents, all the skillset to be able to go out there and be one of the best deans to come out of a holiday. So it's up to him to be just honing on a leadership and be able to be the best player you can and lead others to be just like him. What do you feel like you're the best match for you? You're going to run for a little bit of time. Obviously, just being able to shut down the run. I mean, I feel like I pride myself in my run game and not being blocked by a single person. So I'll just be able to go in there and be able to be a elite run stopper. But also be able to go on on third down as well and be able to show my past rush. I mean, go out there and do the best I can. So I didn't really get to do what I always say. How much do you feel like you've ruined some past rusher? I don't know how state and where do you feel like you've been so grown. Oh, yeah. I mean, I feel like power is always my go to a past rusher. And I feel like it worked. I mean, we didn't really get to rush as much of the house state. But at times I did get to rush to show the power and my skill set, allowing the move guys out the way and makes action in some good.

4:23:29I mean, I feel like obviously you always need something to work on a past rusher. There's different moves that come off of it like finesse moves, any type of chops and stuff like that. Just to work on those and finishing sacks or something like a work on. What do you think of the biggest lessons you'll take from Larry Johnson? What do you think of him? Honestly, just focus on little things. I mean, technique is critical when it comes to defeating a block or getting blocked. So I mean, just honing on those small techniques, always making sure that I'm critiquing myself in the best way possible and not getting complacent. I don't think we got to do it the other way to get your guys out. We got guys like Andrew Gennery, Jason Moore, Ty Worm alone. I mean, the younger freshmen in there, I feel like everybody can step up. I mean, those guys that have played a little bit last year, I feel like having every position vacant, I mean, that allows for competition. So being able to, for those guys to step up and really prove themselves that they can play at a lead level is going to be something I'm looking forward to see. I want for you to leave that room in a way that they are prepared to step up. It's super important. I mean, I feel like that was our whole goal as leaders to be able to just elevate the younger guys and allow them.

4:24:31So when we leave that, they can carry the torch. That's what we're like to say. So everybody moves up from back seats to the front seats. So I feel like we're giving the possibility to be able to move up to the front seats and be ready for every challenge that's thrown at them. I think JT said there would be another 15 buck guys here next year. Yeah. You're prediction on a number? I have no idea. I mean, I think there would be a lot of guys. I mean, we like a lot of good talent, a lot of young guys. I mean, who knows? What do you think it would mean for, you know, this group of guys that's here to tie or break the record of, if a one sport didn't draft it in a drum? Yeah. Yeah. It would mean a lot, honestly. I mean, these guys work hard, I mean, being in a hallstead, you got a lot of great guys there. I mean, guys we showed and our film shows, man, I mean, this is probably one of the more complete teams that we had in college football. So I feel like the Scouts understand, I mean, coaches understand that, how good are guys we have? And then, not only do we have good on the field, man, a great character, guys, man. So yeah.

4:25:32How good is South Carolina? Oh, he was great, man. I mean, being able to come from Bama and build a jump on a hallstead, you feel like you played on for him the whole time. I mean, this guy was a great guy, not only off the field, but on the field as well. He was very technical-sounding, man. He had a great technique, he was hard to get around him in practice. So, I mean, definitely showed in games, so he's a great guy. I appreciate him. You've got to rest guys here with the longer season potentially. Yeah, we play it by here. I mean, we see how goals by time we get in the camp, but obviously he's earning his stripes. So, you know what I mean, when you earn your stripes, you know, a large opportunity to create an opportunity for you. You know what I mean? We have to see how it goes with all that other stuff. You know, once we get closer to the season, and we're getting the game plan stuff, but he's doing a great job and he's taking a great step forward. Tim, where's the way that you've been building the room? The way you've kind of just established your room now, it seems like it's been like the centerpieces, modern relationships, and kind of building bonds. I'm curious, is that something that you came in with the, like a couple years ago, with the intention of doing it, or is it something that you're like, that's kind of been cultivated over the course of your time as a position of your guy.

4:26:40No, it's been there for a while. I've been doing that for a long time. It's all about relationship. If you develop real relationship and you're authentic in your communication, and you have honest feedback, and you have direct teaching, the guys that have value and character and they appreciate that stuff, they're embrace that. But they have to know you care and you have to know that it's real, and they have to know that you're really concerned about where it being as a young man, and when you get close to him, it's been a lot of time with him off the field. You could coach him hard, and you can say truthful things to him, and then they'll embrace it, and you have real conversation, because you know, the only goal is to help them get better as a young man. As you see, computers go, and then those are told that the receiver room is so far ahead of the border, is it a kind of skewed that evaluation sometimes. How's that dynamic change in these two years as it's a scoop shot and older, and you've been better even more counting? Yeah, it's done balanced up a little bit now. That goes with great competition. We go against the best receivers in college football, so that helps escalate your growth process, because if you don't figure it out real fast, you're getting embarrassed.

4:27:43So that competition, but what happened with that, I guys start competing, I guys start growing, I guys got better, and now it's even up a little bit, so where you get really good work at practice today. So as competitive, it's fun. Those guys both on both sides of all care about each other, so it's great competition, and they all are real close. So that's stuff that gets us better, that will prepare for Saturday. I asked Denzel, that same idea, and the first day of practice, actually the receivers kind of got them, because I didn't get a good wake-up call maybe for this competition. No, it's just competitive, man. They got the best group in the country, that you're going against every day, so you have to bring it every day. So we got a great quarterback room, we got a great receiver room, the running backs are really good, so when you're out there going against them, it's deep. So you have to be ready for it, and obviously, we see a lot of good stuff with Stay in Coach Kelly doing over there, so it prepares you a lot, and it helps us grow. So why are you playing in a kind of an associative for three and three?

4:28:45Is that? It's the one that you're recruiting, or a wide receiver room kind of, like a part of your recruiting, these are the guys you get to play against. Yeah, all of that, because that's where you get better, our shop is our, so you know, you get to see that every day of practice that helps you grow. So it's no better thing to go against every day than to see that on a daily basis. I'm also near room massage, Jordan, looking at to play that like this one. We just moving a lot of guys around. If you watch our practice, we have a lot of guys in there right now. You know, we probably have four different guys in there, obviously the Renzos in there, Jameen is in there, Caleb. Miles, we have four or five guys moving around. Right now, we just try things out in spring ball, see what it fit, you know, see what things work together, so. It's gonna probably be some more guys in there, you know, we move it around to try to just get the right fit throughout the N and C. How it goes by time we get ready to start the season. He can run any strong, you know what I mean? He's fast, very serious about his business. He's big, it's 200 pounds, he can run, he's strong, he's conscientious. You know what I mean? He's starting to grow and he's starting to get better with it.

4:29:46You know what I mean? So we look for big things for him in spring. What do you want to see from here? Keep competing, you know what I mean? He's made the transition competing today. You know what I mean? Start going in, that transition is all just like how I'm in Jameen last year. You throw him in the fire, you let him go, you compete, you go by time we get out of the end of training camp, you better figure it out. Yeah, I want to, but now you just throw it all at him, compete, continue to grow, continue to learn. He has the skill set, he has to let, now you just got to put it all together and it takes time to do that. And hopefully you see that by the time we get in the training camp. It seems like a midway through spring and kind of click for juvenile last year and you start to see and perform a little better in practice. Is that like a benchmark for where you want parents to be by the middle of spring? Does he have to be in a certain point where you want it to start clicking? Yeah, by the time you start getting about two weeks from now, that last week, you know, because it takes time because there's a lot of stuff going on. By the time you get into that last week of spring ball, you'll start seeing the things that you look for show up. And then you know you get another evaluation again when you get into training camp. See if this stuff carried on to make sure we go up for starting in September.

4:30:49What's your assessment of growth that you've made now that he's kind of got his few under one defense? What do you like about him and that next one? He's very conscientious, he's smart, he can run, he's tough, he's made the adjustment because he's out of Europe on his belt. So now you can see he's not making a lot of mistakes, he competes, he's real conscientious and he has a physical presence. So the growth has been really good and we look to continue that throughout spring. Coach, thank you very much. I can ask one more, all the guys have to come back like Denzel's a great example. That surprised you as you reflect on all these guys that came back late from the rounds and they could have turned pro. No, the culture here is real. Coach, they does a great job of building the culture. Our room is close knit, the guys on defense are real close. Those guys want to come back, they have an agenda. We want to come back, they want to come back and walk away with something. So it didn't shock me, but it's a good environment for them too. That's when you see those guys come back, that's the testimony to the culture that's set here, their brotherhood, the environment.

4:31:51And of course, they run the program for those dudes to want to come back because we go at it, it's hard, it's not easy. It's not easy, but what we do. So the fact they come back and do that is the testament to how he runs the program. Thank you very much. What were the conversations that led you making that transition that goes into making that transition? There was already a little talk about playing some linebacker. I was already like, wasn't really learning it, I know it was teaching me, but I was getting the low linebacker a little bit. Just because I knew I probably would play linebacker at some point. So then like, obviously when Downs came here, it's like, where can I help the defense the most? And we're trying to get our best level on the field, we're going to help the defense the most. So that's what kind of conversation was. And yeah, I just want to do whatever I can, whatever the defense needs me, wherever I can impact the most, that's kind of the conversation. What's even the most difficult thing about making that transition to make that transition? It's less time in space.

4:32:51So less waste of movement. When you play that safe, you can kind of a little more waste move with your feet. You can take longer strides, you know, linebacks with everything short, choppy, heat-stained power, keeping your pace. So I mean, that's just something like every linebacker has to work on honestly with you. That's kind of been a big thing, but there's a lot of things to work on obviously. Why is it that you and the staff decided that my bad guys were having that happen? I think my capability, what I'm capable of, and then like the personnel we have, like I said, trying to get the best level on the field, whatever that may be. So you're still trying to figure that out. Just the kind of conversation was about, may have been hard for you to keep your weight down the stage. Do you look bigger? How much have you changed physically? Are you allowed to just like finally eat now? I mean, last year I was eating regular like, I was like 2.30 to 2.35 the whole year last year. I don't know if people thought I was 2.25, but I was like 2.35 sometimes last year. It's not really like anything changed.

4:33:53Obviously I'm a gradually getting some more weight, I'm listening heavier weight. It was different training to be a DB than training to be a linebacker. So you're going to gradually get a little bigger. Are you embracing that different kind of training? Yeah, I love it. I love it to be with the linebackers. I think with the DBs, sometimes especially in the weight room, I was expected to win. So like when I won, I was like, oh, it's anyone. But that was the linebacker. It's more of a composition. You know what I'm saying? Not any hits of the DBs. I'm 2.30 going against someone who's 2.05. You know what I'm saying? I'm expecting to win. So I love the competition aspect of it. Yeah, Cody said you came in and said, well, he's already bigger than most of the linebackers. You see the three-point wheel and sand and power of the position. I've been working on both, yes. Is there any, like, fundamental difference between the two in terms of up-sales and what? Um, I mean, obviously the sand, more outside the box, outside my backer overhang. You can be walked up on the edge on the tight end, wheels more inside the box.

4:34:55I think the biggest difference from Sam and Will, Sam, you just got to be more outside sometimes during the slot with two. You know, but I think it's similar concept because you can do the same thing in the boundary. It's almost more like the sand, just in the field, and wheels at the boundary. So I think it's pretty similar, honestly. The only difference is that Sam, last year, I never really was an interior run fitter, like in the A gap, you know, going A to B or whatever that, whatever that might be. So that's a little different. But I mean, I think I got some of that experience at safety just from a few yards back. So like I said, the only difference really is now just suggesting the less time that's been. Yeah, Coach, you know what I said? You've come in from where you, like, you're coming from. You have a better perspective of what's going on. Because you played safe in the early game. I feel like I have a great understanding of the defense. I think that safety, I kind of already knew what the linebacks are doing. So now what I'm really starting to learn is like exactly like every little detail what the D lines doing. That's not really what I didn't know every little aspect of it. I think I'm starting to learn that now because obviously lineback, you've got to be knowing that more.

4:35:55So I think when it's also, I think I have a really, really good understanding of defense and knowing exactly what everyone's doing. I think you feel like you're warm enough there more in the mix of the defense too. And lineback here, it sounds sunny because you can be dropping one minute pass rushes that you're mean. I think you can get some of that anyway. Yeah, I actually said that. I think you can say being out lineback here in the play, you're almost in every play. Yeah. Obviously the play can run away from you. But you know, safety sometimes you're just back there playing every guest. You take two back battles and it's a tackle. So I think yeah, lineback here, you're in the play more. More chance, more opportunities to make tackles. And you feel comfortable there. I mean, what does it, you know, obviously you're then staying out lineback here. Yeah, I feel super comfortable with it. Like I said, I think it's just going to be adjustment. You know, obviously it's different playing from a five than it was from playing from like 10 last year. So I think it's an adjustment, but I'm super comfortable with it. So any of you top here, Daddy, can you any advice on the new position? Oh, yeah, we watch table all the time. Watch practice. You know, he was a high level linebacker and I'm just getting started with this. He gets a little shit with little footwork and stuff like that.

4:36:57It's good. I get good teaching him, you know, obviously coach Lord Knight is great player, great teacher for him coach knows those are super smart football minds. I'm getting great teaching all around. You're a live background. Everything happens quicker for you. How much did the experience playing some of that sand? I've got faster helping with this. Um, I think it helped a little bit. It's been like in terms of physicality being in the box down down on the line. But I do think the run fit as a will and a sand can be a little different. Like in terms of like I said, like being an interior fitter, like your 30 backer, when A you get pools, now you're going to go spill it, so things like that. But I think I'm adjusting well. I think I'm picking up on stuff pretty fast. You know, this is still going to be a lot of stuff to work on though. Do you feel more pressure talking to the media with your brother sitting right there? Not at all. What do you think has been the biggest change from my back or taking time back? Um, I think the biggest change will probably be that 10 to 5.

4:38:03Because it's a big adjustment because everything's happening faster and you got to react faster. And like I said, the waist and movements, I think footwork is huge. I think when you see the great linebackers, seems to play happens are going. They're not taking any waist steps or not fall stepping, things like that. So I think waist and movement and being able to see what's happening right. It's been the big spin fitter being on the same team with your brother. Um, I mean, you know you got someone out there that's, it's more than a team. You know, we call each other brothers, but you know, blood's a little thicker. So that's always pretty cool. You know, it's always, it's never 101. Yeah, but when he tells you something, he doesn't observe what you, you know, it's coming from. Yeah, I think when you're blood like that, I think he's not scared to tell me the truth. You know, you know, obviously guys here, we have tough love, but I think it's always going to be a little different when it's your brother. Because he going to keep it 100% blood exactly what you need to hear. Now what you want to hear what's your advice on playing nickel? Oh, for him. I mean, he just so I've let it. He got used to keep trusting his instincts.

4:39:06I think he's going to be great. I think what's huge for him is like I said, the athletic ability speed. You know, he bliss off the edge. He's he's he's he's bliss and super fast. And he's just great in coverage too. So I think something really good. I think we'll do a lot of different things. Kind of like you see a handcock. Obviously, a little different body than a handcock, but I think it's going to be really good. I want to step on that field. He's needs these needs this time. Thank you. Great. Temporary injury here that you know, we're hopefully getting them back here soon. Yeah, I know progress being made and you know, the biggest thing you try to figure out is when when guys make mistakes, do they learn from the mistake and move on from it? He's done that. He's I saw him flash today in special teams. So so that's good. That's positive. But but yeah, I think the more guys are thrown into the fire, you kind of find out how they respond. And and you know, a lot of the installs kind of in now. I think we'll still continue to install some things and look at some different schemes on both sides of the ball.

4:40:07But the next two weeks, it really an opportunity for guys to go compete and he's going to be one of them because we're trying to build three deep at each position based on. You know, the way next year is going to be with the playoffs and everything like that. We know we're going to we used to say a pair of spare. Now we need three at each position. So need to build depth at all positions. And so he'll he'll be somebody that'll be in the mix. Cameraman team. Rob. Yeah, they were in the backfield of bunch, especially like you said in the coming out period. You know, first time doing coming out a little. You know, too loose on offense. You know, we got to tighten that up. But you can see the quickness with some of those interior guys and you know, you see cadenine. You see some of the movement that's going on in there. I think Jason Moore. I think Larry talked about that he's flashed and showing that he can do it. So, you know, and then also, you know, on the edge, you see Mitchell Melton getting the backfield as a rush. You got a couple of sacks, I think today.

4:41:08So, you know, same thing. We're looking for, you know, three, three guys at each position because all those guys are going to play. And we're going to roll this year because we know it's going to be a long season. You know, you've never been away from that. Yes, yeah. I think anytime you have somebody who's as talented as both of those guys are, you know, you get excited about them, certainly in the recruiting process. But then when you have guys who have discipline and then skill like they do, that's when you have a chance to have a great player. I think both of them have discipline in their life. I think both of them have built up a skill package. Kaila already has a year of College of Bonner is belt at a high level. So, you know, he's further along that way. But Jeremiah has really stepped in. You know, he got his black, black stripe off real quick. He's got a great approach. And, you know, I'm going to be careful what I say.

4:42:11But he's been certainly a pleasure to watch and we're all very excited about his future. If he continues on the path that he's on, he'd have a, he's going to play a lot of football and certainly would have a chance to start as well. Yeah, I think you're seeing CJ play fast. You know, he really likes, uh, blitzing, you can tell he's quick in there. He's doing a nice job timing up the blitzes and another year under his belt of experience, being in a room with Tommy Dijk and Burke, seal chambers, watching how they did it. Now he's doing it. But I think you're seeing the speed and the athleticism and the length between Cody, you know, Arvel, Sonny, CJ. You know, those guys are athletic, you know, gave powers. You know, all these guys are, are guys who, they can blitz, they can cover, they can, you know, check defenses.

4:43:16They think they're doing a good job with that. James and Jim have both done a really good job of training them that way. So excited about that group, you know, in their versatility. They're not where they need to be yet. You know, I'm glad we're not playing. I'm glad it was Will Howard and stuff about it. You know, it's kind of a buildup. You know, you kind of watch them and watch their practice and then you see, you know, this program, these days, and start to get into the heart of spring practice and you know, kind of earn in there. They're straight. So we do it that way. And both of them guys deserve to get the best out of them. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I think the next level runner, I think the team need him to play for this year.

4:44:17Same conversation, we had with the other position. He's very quick in short areas. I think he does a nice job in the spot in particular. I think he's a mismatch for a lot of guys in there because of his quickness. He's a very good row runner for the quarterback. He's that excellent body language. Understands, states really well. And I'll break the foot area very well. So the challenge for him is to be stronger and play on contact. But if you could do that, the buildup is a good way to do it. Yeah. Well, I think all the runners have actually run hard just to end the season. You've seen some of the little bit of the different schemes that we're doing. Not that they're not that good. So it's a little bit different. They're thinking that after they've got a great job with the leadership. It's just kind of a really good job coming down. They're really good. They're really good. They're coming down.

4:45:17They're really good. I think it's a good job. But it's great to see both games and say and coming in and thrash them and picking up foot. You can see both of that. I'm not excited about all of them. And I think it's a good deal. I'd like to think of the best way to do it. I think it's a good job. I'm not a good guy. He's been very, very good. I think it's a good fight for us. You get a scary job. You see that. You've done a very good job. He's a very, very disciplined approach. He's a guy that, you know, can really bring value for it. He has a really good approach.

4:46:22He did this and brought this. I think that he's going down for him. He does a really good job in the market that happens for you. I felt like to see this around. I was great to see him. I think he's a kind of a good guy. He's a kind of a good guy. I see all of them. I definitely know what he's got about it. He's got a good way about having 40 back there. then or too late so that's the question. Yeah, I just I want to make sure we have a good conversation. Just want to make sure we get the right person in place and

4:47:25definitely taking you know conversation you know it feedback from from you know a lot of people in the program to make sure we have the right guy because you're right like right now there isn't you know like have to get it done right now because of recruiting. I feel like you know we should have somebody in place here by next week. Well he's finally healthy and he's actually you know putting stack and practices together so I think that's probably the biggest thing because I don't think you know he's been able to really show what he can do because he's had some you know injuries here and there and you know he put on a lot of strength and a lot of weight early on and then had a few issues but now he's healthy so at least we're seeing seeing him out there learning and growing and making some plays so you know I think we're kind of halfway through and figure out how we

4:48:25graded out today but at least we're making progress because he's getting on the field and he's getting those reps under his belt. All right guys thanks. Friends does and having a plan right what if what if it's not the look that I thought it was going to be now what where do my where do my eyes need to be and how does that affect my decision but constantly playing those games both on the field but also I think it's just as important to play that in your head you know we talk to those guys all the time that we're laying around a bed and maybe watching some film and you know looking at a clip and okay what would I do here on this play what would I do here on this play and constantly challenging your mind to play with an imagination even when we're not out there on the field doing it is an opportunity to grow is an opportunity to get better and and maybe somehow mentally I can put myself in that position so if I do get a look that hadn't shown up on tape all year long but they give us a different look on defense than maybe they've shown I'm ready for that moment. What's that? Well number one you know you use an ironbucker so which is

4:49:30pretty incredible obviously we know that's a big deal around here and his work in the way room is tremendous so as an athlete we've definitely seen that and then you know I'll talk to that we've seen him grow as a leader he's more vocal his presence has felt I think he's playing with with it a little bit of an edge to him which is good to see I think you have to play that position with a little bit of an edge without you know ever getting too high or too low and that's contagious so we're seeing that right now from Lincoln and then you know as far as mechanically it goes you know we're definitely seeing Lincoln get the ball out quick I think he's accurate you know I think that his base has improved there's been you know a couple of things that in the spring he was working on with his footwork and we see some drastic improvements that way. Specifically you know that he's at the Black Jersey a lot of things that looks like this taken away by well in play day and things like that how do you see as an athlete in that regard while also not being able to see it as much on the practice field since he's not alive. Yeah I mean you know you definitely can't see it to the

4:50:34fore extent as though you go live but we still see it you know we still see it you know there's times when he's extending plays or stepping up through the pocket and and taking off and going and and you know there's no question Lincoln's a great athlete and and that's got to be something that he plays through his strengths you know that's got to be something that his game has in it which which he's shown to do a great job of you know he's been a couple plays throughout spring where he's extended the point and kept his eyes on field and made some great throws so you know that's although we can't see that quite as well because we're not going live there's still definitely a feeling for that. You can't ignore that when it says in regard and kind of sure there are things that do it in and does really well how do you make sure that those guys are trying to win the competition on what they do well but also making them get out of their comfort zone so they're being thrust into positions that maybe they're not super comfortable with to show you guys what they can't do yeah I mean you know as we as we script practice and we go through it we try to be extremely detailed in the in the different reps that everyone's getting and it's not like you know we would ever script a certain play on purpose because it fits someone's strengths better you know we want

4:51:38them to run the offense you know the offense is always going to adjust to the skill set of the players that are in the entire offense but at the end of the day you know the offense is going to be the offense so from a decision-making perspective from a thorough perspective those guys are going out there and getting those reps and competing in it. So I assume you just want to train a camp you're not really taking it in terms of who's ahead at what point do you need to start taking that way or you just right now just to develop and you'll get there on. Yeah right now we're just we're just taking a day by day and really period by period on the field meeting by meeting on the field you know and you know the one thing that's pretty cool is those guys are very competitive and they push each other hard and they're you know they're ultimately really good for each other because they both make each other uncomfortable because you know they're both very good players you know and and Tavians right there with them included in that mix and and above all that they're still friends you know I think it's pretty cool right now it's just you know you walk into

4:52:39that quarterback room and you've got a bunch of really really good guys that all get a long while and and you know we're willing to help each other out and give each other pointers and tips that they see something and you know it's it's it's an enjoyable environment to be around every day but but ultimately those guys are competing you know they're going out there and they're trying to win the job and I think they realize that every moment is important and and every period is important and they're going out there trying to get done. When you talk about a quarter back in the ball out quicker how much of that is no efficiency of mechanics and how much of that is mental like how how quickly they see something to take the ball out faster. I definitely a combination of both you know I think when when you look at a concept you know how quick can I process the information I'm getting from the defense and the way that I can process that information quickly is where my eyes are my eyes in the right spot if I'm looking at the right thing and I can anticipate what that defender is going to do and make a decision and get the

4:53:40ball out right that's that's a major major factor in it and then there's also a piece of it right that comes down to the mechanics as well but I think more than anything you know it's it's about making sure my eyes are in the right spot making sure that I'm trusting what my read is and making sure that I'm getting the ball out and making a great decision with the football. Coach Vassal, thank you very much. Thanks guys. Yeah, it's not too hard for me to put it behind me. Stuff happening in life, stuff happening in a game that may not go our way but just by responding and coming out here and having fun. Coach Vassal, when you see older players you know for previous generations in the game that you've had concussions and some of the struggles they're having in their older life. Right. What are these specialists telling you to alleviate any concerns that you may have? About the potential of having to deal with those same problems. Those former. Right. So currently giving them. Yeah, that's a great question. I mean a lot of the information and a lot of things before like during the time of those

4:54:41older players are a lot different than the knowledge and information that we have now and I mean we're able to treat concussions and also back then is like if you got a concussion they were sending you right back into the game so now it's a lot different. We got a protocol and it gives your brain time to heal and everything so I think things are setting plays now where it's a lot better than before and that time where we're making problems later on so that's why I'm not really too concerned about it. Is the new helmet recommended to you? Say it again. So the new helmet recommended by the trainer or Michael's dad? Oh no I just wanted to get into a new helmet. I mean people have a refer to they also don't know our team meeting has said how there's a number of helmets are better than other helmets right now so I just want to check those out and see what they are. Is this how you're not questioning any more severe than the others you had? No that's one of the other things I mean I'm not going to give a whole seminar on concussions over here but no it's not necessarily more severe. Each concussion like just what I learned each concussion is its own specific concussion and you gotta give that time to heal and then once that's healed and ready to go once you get

4:55:45back out here you're good so it's not like concussions are building on top of each other like you give it time to heal but I think like before what guys were getting trouble with a long time goes like they get a concussion not fully healed then they'd go right back out there and playing. Then's a little captain see a side or maybe part of it. Can you just reflect on how you've grown since showing up here at Fairly 21? Is it a player of person driving? Yeah I've been here for a little while now I've been enjoying every second of it. I always came in trying to be a captain and trying to lead these guys as best as I can and I definitely feel that I've grown vocally and just trying to help build the team up and build myself up so I'm just trying to do anything I can to help this team. How about in a concussion situation like this you're so close to reminding your brother do you have to sort of involve the family's decision? Yeah definitely they came down with me so when I was I had like when the team was here doing meetings I was driving up to a Pittsburgh meeting with the concussion specialist and everything and they were with me and just easing their mind that that's the biggest thing

4:56:45easing their mind they're all they're worried and everything but they'll be okay. We saw the play with a larger one and we're going to be proud of it. Say it again. We saw the play at practice. Yeah. Did you think it'd be up for two weeks after that? I mean I was good pretty much it was that day that I was kind of had a headache and everything but I was pretty much good after that but it was just about going through the protocol and I mean there was no rush back we weren't playing regular season games so I mean I was just really getting the time to heal it wasn't any rush. You both are already in the cap and still had a helmet to helmet just from your perspective and have to be an expert but are those doing what they're intended to do? You know you gotta take learning it when he got to you know I'm saying like guys are still getting concussions and getting him wearing. Yeah it's definitely still a physical sport so I mean concussion and I happen to regardless I know if you were in a guardian cap or not. I think it could be looked at too I know and just talked about on the guardian cap I don't think

4:57:48in the back that is much padding is I would like but I feel it could be looked at but I think you get a concussion whether you were in a guardian cap or not so I mean stuff happens this is a physical game. Sorry would you just clarify this you said you're going to get any helmet? Also wear the guardian cap during the game? No I'm not going to. Do you feel that about this game helmet that you've been using? Yeah. Yeah. What's your name, name and the brand of helmet? Like any details you have? Oh I'm not sure the brand name yet I have to get it from those guys inside but you guys would definitely be seeing this soon though. And how do you feel about not playing in a precinct game? You have to say you're a career where it's not a big deal. Oh I want to say it's not a big deal but I don't feel any pressure any like oh I just needed to play in a precinct game. I feel that's a great opportunity for the younger guys to get out there and showcase what they're able to do. Well I still been practicing and playing and working out and getting ready for the season so I mean I know the game I'm looking forward to that first game and I'm not really concerned

4:58:48about not being able to get a snap of the precinct. Would you think about MJ did feeling that he particularly during the joint practice against Jefferson? Yeah MJ is the number one corner. I mean you guys see it he's going to be big for this year and I think that's what's special about this team. We got three number one corners myself MJ and Greg. I thought we all number one's and we able to do different things out there on the field and uh there one guy's out another guy can step in and not lose track or not lose pace on what we got going on. That's what we're doing. MJ obviously has a few more rows as a leader. And he's going to be a three and he's trying to pick on this one as a guy that's bringing energy and also trying to bring it along. Yeah definitely like you said bring it in that's exactly bringing energy bringing guys along. MJ is real vocal out there and he competes as he's in competitor out there and just working hard and trying to be the best. He got the mindset of wanting to be the best and he is. So we just go out there and compete with one another. We're happy to see CD Lam get his contract signed and be ready to go out there and play this game so you can face the bad guy.

4:59:49No I'm definitely a happy phone. That's life changing. A contract and everything for him and his family. So definitely happy for him and looking forward to having that match up in the game. I always love going against the number one guys and best guys on that team. So I'll be looking forward to it. It tends to I wake up more to history. This concussion was what we're talking about. I think when you suffer the latest one, people who cover the team and then fans are wondering how loud and discussion you know could you contemplate retiring? For that ever go through your mind or do you immediately know that you're going to come back? Yeah like I said this is a game I love man. I love playing this game. Being with the guys out here. I really don't see myself doing too much other stuff. So unless I'm just really physically unable to play this game, I don't see myself stepping away from football no time soon. So like I said before, I can't take it easy on these receivers out here. Me being out here, I got to give them a good look and just go out there and play.

5:00:49But I'll answer your question now. I haven't seen myself walking away though. Are you actually out of protocol now? Yes. Yeah. Hey, then so Greg called Miles Harden the Steel and Drafts. What are you seeing? Say it again. Sorry, Greg called Miles Harden the Steel and the Drafts. When have you seen him and what kind of excise you by hand? Yeah Miles, he's been balling. He's been showing out, making plays against the Vikings and just making plays out here. So it was big for him to make the team. I was happy for him. We all congratulate him and he's going to be a big piece on our team. Like coming going forward. And so often though, you mentioned making the receivers better. How do you meet? Jamari talked about how you've helped him as a rookie. What have you seen out of him in his development? Yeah, he's been looking good since he came in. I think he's been getting better and better. He's night and day from once. He came in to where he's at now, I believe. I think that's just his competitive nature and what he's been doing out there in practice. And us going against one another out there. He's been good and he's going to be a big piece as well. That's our offense. So what do you get for receivers?

5:01:50How can you help a receiver? Yeah, I mean, it's a constant communication. If I were to win on a red, they may come and ask me what it is that you've seen on that play that you're able to get in position. And I'll tell them that. I may ask them a question. So it's just that constant communication on how we can get each other better. Thank you guys. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Glad to be back. I

5:02:51What have you seen the growth of the young mourners? Obviously we saw that it's not a chair mile last year. They're your main sorry, but Calvin and some of the errands and the young guys. How have you seen them come along? And Scott has gotten completely better from his brain. Got completely better. Is that just time in the program? I'm just getting used to the speed of college Shippup, I would say. What about Calvin? He was obviously here last year. Calvin has gotten a lot better. I would say that he's gotten a lot smarter. And then he also write GB. Look, he's got Calvin's intelligence, you know, where he's grown. Where specifically is it? The film room? Is it picking up the playbook? Where have you seen that? The rain of a crab? I would say Calvin has gotten smarter just like his game knowledge. Like expecting like a different kind of routes and stuff like that. What did everything start to click for him last year? Was it in the sauce? When did you feel discomfort when he was doing that?

5:03:51I would say in the spring I started to get a lot more comfortable in our decent. We said you break up the past yesterday with the spare mile name. I'm sorry if you asked, but it's earlier. But what is like going up against him? Do you think you enjoy it? Yeah, I love it. He's tough. I like going against him a lot. He's really good. What have you improved in your game just from that, for example? Those 101 matchups this preseason or whatever. You know how belly-hoo this game is. So, Jeremiah, he forces me to pay the back of the game. If you don't pay the back against him, he'll go get it. Yeah. And you, Dave, send it. How would you describe this defense now compared to this time a year ago from this standpoint of a confidence factor? You don't mean that you guys feel on the field? How would you describe it? It's different about it, I guess. I feel like everybody has a lot more smartness there. Everybody's like, I would just say, just smart. Yeah, when you look up and lay some of the sides to come back and Caleb down, transfer it in.

5:04:58What did you feel about that? Did it just grow stronger in that one week span, two weeks span? You're still on up saying? I feel like those guys have played the level those guys have played in. Yeah, I would say that. A down's coming and then, what may say, he was coming back, ZZ, he was coming back, it's just so light. We'll be happy to be the native. Thanks, Fred. Of course. Variance versus mobile quarterbacks helps us obviously. You know, just help us home and learn from our, where we have, how to go through the hole and how to scrambles, where we can learn from those scrambles. We go from that game and the past game we played against Oregon, just learning, learning the quarterbacks tendencies. And when they like to run, where they like to run, everybody helps us out, really closing the cage and cajun pocket ball. Is there a fine line between being aggressive but also being wary, this guy can slip away, you know, slip away, you're saying what I'm saying, timing? Yeah. You can't just go right at him and go ahead, I'm sorry. Yeah, he's definitely a quarterback and then gets out of the pocket. So I mean, he's definitely a threat and he's a main guy in offense, he runs the show.

5:06:00So I mean, be able to stop him and contain him, really slows the offense down. And the cage and pocket and be able to slow him down and make him make more decisions on the run and moving around. And he helps us. Go ahead, just add one more, him, I'm sorry. Well, no, I didn't want to ask about their center. Their center, what I impressed with you with him was time you guys played. He seemed to have a pretty good game, you know, and he's kind of a, kind of, you know, actually a kind of tough guy to move out of there and stuff he looks like. I mean, what's your impression of him? Well, he's definitely one of the better centers in the conference I mean, he's a really good guy. I mean, being there and there be the size and being able to move the way he can is really hard to get around him at times. But he's definitely having a game plan and working against and working to tend to see that he has a good work against that. It really helps us, helps me. Yeah. Fifth throw of middle, Stephen Leonard, college football, college. Yeah, kind of piggybacking on that. How much of it was there offensive line being a strength that our team versus Dylan Gabriel being able to escape and the lack of pressures that we had on him? Are defense?

5:07:00Oh, yeah. I mean, when you got a good offensive line, it makes it even better for a quarterback, you know, being able to roll out, you know, that your line was going to help you protect you when you're in the pocket. So, I mean, it makes it easier for throws and it makes it harder for us, honestly, for having a good offensive line. So, I mean, like I said before, just being able to attack the offensive line, attack the weaknesses and be able to go after it and make it harder for the quarterback. And he's harder for them or rural. Or for a right Andrew Gillick, please even drop. What's the challenge similar to Tim's question and you know, when you play a team like this that runs the level of RPOs that they do that wants to do? How do you stay true and be aggressive and force the issue where, you know, Dylan Gabriel is really going to make it up for you. Oh, yeah. Like I said, just putting pressure on him. I mean, do you be able to get it, get back there? I mean, we got a lot of different plays that can help us get back to our passer in playing and playing to their tendencies. A lot of times they have the RPO, the RPO helps them out. It means you get the ball out fast. I mean, I mean, things like Jackson running and JTB on it. Get their hands up. Knock the ball down. Crazy stream. I'm out of pressure for the quarterback when you got hands in your face all times. And final questions. Bill Rebeno, what's the challenge for you guys?

5:08:03I think he's definitely one of the better running backs in the conference of well. I mean, just how hard he runs is it's hard to bring him down at times. So I mean, as a front pro, we probably stopping him running. That's the first thing we're going to do as we go on the game. I mean, past rushing is good and all, but we can't stop the running. They're going to run the ball there and throw all the time. So all the time we have to figure out how we're going to stop him. We're going to run the ball and then we're going to take him down. So I mean, it's our job as a front pro to go on there and stop the run. We're going to make him one dimensional as we go out there. So I mean, we get out there every time every mindset we go out there. We're not going to allow him to get in the yards, allow him to get going. We're going to stop him. We're going to make him throw the ball. When I, uh, JT was up here asked him about how to compare contrast him and Jack is, it's personalities. What's your take on that? How different are they as just personalities? I definitely think Jack is more outgoing. I mean, the guy he needs, like the light that shines around me and everybody goes around him

5:09:04and everybody loves him. He's an outgoing guy. They're going to come to you and shake your hand any time of day. And then JT is more of the blue guy. I mean, a lot of guys gravitate to him. I mean, he just has a bright smile on him all the time. He's just a great guy that people like to be around. I mean, they're two good people. So it's hard to tell. And Ty, I do that one more question for you. Tony Irvin, like I have. You guys obviously have faced tough, but you didn't last week. What's the key for you as a defensive one facing tempo? Oh, yeah. I mean, we've been going through all week in the past two weeks. It's just getting set. I mean, that's the first thing you do. If you're not set, it means it makes it harder to do your job. So let's be able to get on the ball, get set before they're lined up and set the ball is one and more important thing. So when we're set, we're able to do our jobs at efficiency. Before they can do theirs. How do you call it? It can be difficult at times. You know, you gotta look to the signline first. You gotta get the call. I mean, the call has to be set down first. So it can't be difficult at times. But that's definitely what we've been working on the past few weeks to just get the call, get the call early, get set. So we can go and be play faster. You've changed the play to one side of the field. And now it looks lined up.

5:10:06They're going to be added to the other side. So like you've got to just run the signline side, like just to get the line. Oh, yeah. I mean, I have been a lot last game, you know, it's hard. It's definitely tough. I mean, that's what we work on and practice. Just moving fast that we can, we simulate in these things. We can get into the game. It's a lot easier. So we move it around side to side, run around, do an extra conditioning just for moments like this. Time. Thank you very much. All right. Thank you. Thanks. Thanks, Ty. I think you know you're not going to get hit, but more preseason and first couple games on the side to see see what that looks like. I think of the sheets. Extension. I'm excited, man. Like I said, from jump. He's a special, special player. You don't really get that so many players like him that's so quick, so fast, at least speed and anchor on routes too. I'm excited to see what he does in the future, but I feel like that's the least they can do for him this year. How do you think he would get in the combo with one another? It's just speed, man. Speed. You can't teach speed at all. Just having us on opposite sides, even to play on both sides.

5:11:08Just speed down a field. You can run 15, 20 yard end breakers out breakers. And like I said, you can have to play two safes most of the time, or you can run the ball. You can get underneath routes. It's going to be a great compliment to the offense, so I'm excited. Chris, you said you hope this new offensive puts playmakers in position to make plays. What about you specifically? What looks in the area where you think you'll have more opportunity than this you think? It's a lot of areas that you can see to look at, to improve my game, but yards out the cases are one I'm looking forward to. Just more opportunities with that, more space. Just to showcase my speed and my ability with the ball. I'm excited to do that this year. I'm not really showcased the first two years, so I'm excited to be with you. It's something that quick game element, I've been just getting the ball in your hands. Quick game, play action, more over the middle routes.

5:12:08It's a lot of different things that you can say that this guy's going to help that, but like I said, I'm excited. How would you describe the chemistry between you and Gary? We're getting way better, man. I mean, it was our first year last year, so it was kind of up and down, but that's what it comes with the game of football. We worked a lot this off season, OTA's was really good, and we got off to a good start these first two days of game, getting extra working. But that's going to come with time, so I'm not worried about that at all. We both competitors, we both want to be the best, so we got to do something to be good. Where do you kind of notice that difference? Just like feel on route? What do you kind of notice now that it's year two that gets more natural? What do you mean? It's like, are you when you're just not sure what you're going to notice? It's just like, it's more than that, man. It's NFL, everybody's good, so we just got to know what each other is thinking, pre-snap, post-snap, cover-gays, where the ball's going to go. Just read, what read I am in the end of progression, everything goes along with that.

5:13:12I just being on the same page, being, like I said, chemistry is built with time, so just little stuff like that that turns into big things is going to be huge. You caught one from Spencer Rattler today too, what do you heard early impressions from him? It's real talented, that's the first thing I've seen from him. His arm title is all the charts, he's a real natural feel out there. He's going to be real good, I want to see him in action, but from my first impression, he's going to be a real good player. It's going back to the machine that you talked about all the different stuff he's been doing. You think there's still a lot more there for him? Oh yeah, he hasn't really, I think this is the first year of being receiver two or really receiver. In my opinion, we're both receiver one, so I just be able to move around, run real routes, feel like it's going to be a huge advantage for his saying. It's a special player and I can't wait to see him ball, I can't wait to see him get more opportunities.

5:14:12You can see what he can do. By run real routes, you can get opportunities to run. Yeah, just getting more, he hadn't really played too many plays in the first few years, he kind of just get thrown in there when he's getting the ball or he's a decoy or something like that. He's actually being involved in the offense, always being in, even on run plays, I feel like he's going to be a huge advantage for him to get a feel for the game and be more natural. How far does it for a receiver like that to shed kind of a, you know, think of him as a deep threat label and then so people just think of him as a deep threat, but how hard is it to kind of shed that label or that perception right? I mean, that's what life everybody is trying to label somebody as one thing or two things, but I feel like you can showcase, I mean, that's not really who you are, you know what I'm saying. As it gets more opportunities as you can see, you can see you can do more and more, that's what anybody on the team. I mean, side it like I said, for his huge opportunity is going to get this year and this guy is going to be a big one for the Saints.

5:15:18Does this scheme ask for more blocking from the receivers as everyone responsibility? Oh yeah, for so. I mean, that's what I told you to, we both have to block and I know we're not the biggest guys or the strongest, but like I said, we want to be on the field, we got to be on the field for the play action plays, all those things. So we both got to go block D line, the block linebackers, but that's what come with football. So we both got to take that next step in our game. Is that somewhere there's like a payoff, but you can either you play from play action next time. Yeah, it's going to be a huge payoff. Like I said, most of our office is based on play action, all the inbreakers, all the yards at the casual play. So we got to go in there block and like I said, take that next step and be able to be grateful for our team. Like you can here? Oh yeah, so. I feel the weather out here, man, that's what I'm used to not using the war and is out there trying to catch my breath, but it's a great opportunity for us. You get a chance to see family and friends and also support from there.

5:16:21Not yet, but they don't come either soon. Appreciate you all. Thank you very much. I think the whole field of all these in the, well, he's in the pocket are two big things in terms of his accuracy. So this is kind of charted waters with the new playoffs system and everything from an offensive standpoint. How much of the offense is in and are you holding things back because there's some pooch. I mean, how do you manage all that? Yeah, I don't think we hold anything back. I think our offense is always game plan specific in terms of who we're playing. And how do we attack what they do? Each different, each defense you face is somewhat unique. You know, and so you can say, hey, this team's a little bit like this team, but not totally like that team. So I think it's, it's not, hey, this is a really good play. Let's not run it because we're going to need it down the road. It's, you know, you have to win every game. And I don't think you can take that approach of let's save this for another game because you don't know how, how games are going to express themselves during the course of the game itself.

5:17:25So everything we do is just game plan specific, specific, especially now that we've gotten into conference play. Yeah, I mean, we could add stuff that I think we may have done in the spring, but we haven't used yet just because we haven't faced that defense yet. I think we're over a lot of involved. Chip, in 2022, your UCLA offensive line was a semi-finals for the Joe War award. Today, just offensive lines, maybe semi-finals for that. Do you see similarities from the way that that unit was playing and the way that Justin has your guys playing right now? Um, can I make me think back? I think they're different. I don't really upset it before. I'm not into comparing one group to another group. I didn't know that that's pretty cool for those guys. That's a prestigious award. You know, those guys usually go unnoticed. You know, that's the nature of the position if you're an offensive lineman. They, you know, they're either close or too valuable hardware. They don't really get a lot of attention. They're not, they're not the guys that are out in the limelight, let's some of these other guys, but they work their tails off.

5:18:25You know, I think that's the, the gist of any team that's going to be a really good football team has to be strong on both lines. And that's the fact that they've been recognized for that. That's something that's, that's pretty cool. But now we got to live up, we got to live up to that standard every day. So. You guys know, I started those awards as coaches, but to see the way that those guys have responded since losing Josh, as a player and the leader of the office. How do you, um, did I wait at that? What do you think of the even way that's playing without you? I've been really impressed. And I think really Donnie and Seth have really stepped up in, in, in that leadership part. You know, and I think the two of those guys have really kind of led from the front to tough, hard-knosed physical players. Obviously, Donnie being selfish and moving from left card to left tackle was a really big deal for us. And he continues to work in his craft every day because, you know, I think everybody just thinks, oh, line, but you know, all, all five of those positions are really different. And it's not easy to go from one position to another position. And the fact that Donnie's done that has been great. And I think Seth really, because he calls all of our, um, identifications and, and directs what our blocking schemes will be.

5:19:29You know, it was really kind of fell into that leadership role force. And I think our guys are rallying behind those two. All right, Dave Holmes. Um, you, that's why I, Ryan talked a little bit about his upbringing at Fenway Park in historic baseball. And he's wanting to get your thoughts on playing a game in Wrigley. Yeah, I think it's cool. You know, I, I've not seen, I've seen just highlights of a football game in there. And I've been to a game at Wrigley when I was out recruiting once, but, um, the fact that you can play in settings like that is, is pretty cool. And I think it makes it unique. You know, obviously, um, they're refurbishing their stadium. So, you know, they got to be on the, they got to either build the one that they did on campus or go to Wrigley. So the fact that we get to be the one team that plays in Wrigley, I think it'd be pretty cool. And I think our players won't do that. Awesome. More on the podcast. I know every, every game plan every week is, is different contingent on the opponent, but it's felt like the last couple of game plans and lean a little bit more on Will's over Russian threat. What's, what's motivating that decision? The defense is that the people deploy, you know, sometimes they, they always have an extra guy in the box. And if you run the quarterback, then that even numbers back out is really, it's as simple as that.

5:20:30You know, some teams don't do that. And other teams do do that. So, you know, it's, it's just sometimes when you get, especially, um, when you get in a conference play, I think there's a lot of people in this league didn't know how to stop the run. So, you know, you got to be able to have a mobile quarterback and it helps. It will has that mobility. The land is king of the North. Do you, do you ever integrate off the plate or change something up kind of just for the sake of doing it to break a tendency or something different on stone? Where is it always opponent specific? No, it's always opponent specific, but you still self-scout yourself and what are we doing out of this formation and what is our run pass ratio and even within that within out of this formation all runs are this, you know. And then that's always the, the fine line. Well, we should do something different. Well, what we're doing is working. Why would we do something different? You know, so you kind of play that game and go back and forth with it, but we're constantly working on self-scout of ourselves and tendencies that we're trying to, um, just understand, but some tendencies are good tendencies.

5:21:30You know, you could be, hey, you're 90% run out of this formation. You're also 90% success out of this formation. So, you know, do you not call that ever again because you think that they think that you think this, you know, you can get into that real dilemma of just, you know, it's still about executing and still about lighting up and playing. So, um, but we do spend a lot of time on that. That's part of what our weekly game plan meetings are about. Any more emphasis on that in a college football season that can now be 17, 18 games where you want to make sure you're, you're sprinkling in different things so that if you could game 17 and a team has a pretty expensive book on you guys, then why is that they can't, you know, key in on something you've done all year, you want to make sure you have those changes. Yeah, there has to be some of those, but again, I think you can drive yourself crazy. Well, we put this on tape and they think that we can do this because they know that we can do that. They can't do that. And we do that. And I didn't make any sense what I just said. And that's what's going on in your head when you're starting to think about all that stuff too. So it's, it's that process. You know, I still think you have to part of being really good at it is, is what are we good at?

5:22:33And how do we continue to be good at it so that everybody in the stadium doesn't know, hey, they're running the ball over the right side on this play because that's what they always do. You know, I think you're still trying to mass some of those things, but you still have to play to your strengths. Can you give me a few questions about what's running? I think you're going to be a classic or a couple of skills you mentioned. You don't have to do anything else to talk about it to be power all the time. But how do you, how have you seen Will's progression in understanding or reading what he does his want? I'm going to do an announcement heading off to Q or Drey, pulling or is that more from you guys sounding as much?