Press Conference (Lo Styles) Elite Edition September 2

0:00What is it about this that makes it the most fun you've ever had? I really like how this team they put Jesus in the center. I really appreciate that. I'm trying to grow in that space as well with myself. And I feel like they're helping me grow there. Really the culture here. They're trying to push me to be the best self every single day. I'm trying to push them. So when you have that everyone trying to be their best self every day. Coach, they said that you've earned the right to play as defense. First of all, did you hear that comment yesterday? I did not hear that comment. But yeah, I mean, we take special team serious around here. We saw it. We show guys all the time. Chris Alaves, a big one that they share all the time. We're spanking plays early on as a freshman, Marvon, such teams as a freshman. And in a way, I'm still kind of that young. I'm proving myself. I'm proving myself every single day. So I'm trying to make plays there. And then that's going to translate the defense as well. I think you've played the most special team snaps of anybody so far. Do you take ownership of that that you have to be a leader of that unit? I just take pride when I step on the field every snap. I just want to be a leader in that space because I'm starting with all four special teams. So I'm going to contribute in every single way there. Well, actually, I think every guy has to take pride in that.

1:03How do you see what you're doing on special teams that translates when you get out there at NECA? I mean, I would just kind of say like that relentless effort, special teams. It's a longer play. So you go on deep until only four to six seconds. So being able to have relentless effort on special teams, it translates when you go on defense. I'm going to play with the players. It feels good to be out there with my brother. I know we got a couple of snaps together. So being on the field with him, I know my mom and then I'm trying to get the little pictures and they see us on the field together, but it's been great. What do you think of the way that he's played so far, a linebacker? I think he's playing decent so far, but he has to keep you in continuing to improve. He's doing his job, but I want him to take it to the next level and be really be that best lineback in the country. How much do you guys do that with each other? Kind of critique each other's games. I kind of ask him a lot more questions because he's in the interior. So with the nickel and stuff, I have to be in the run pits. So I'm still understanding that with some of our new calls and stuff like that. But I really learned a lot from him, but his big mentors were really my dad. I know his teaching a lot about the game. Do you still power lower it over the moon if it was drier?

2:04Oh, yeah, definitely. Definitely. And the switch from the sea river for the back. Obviously was your choice. Was it a difficult position for you to make? I mean, it wasn't really difficult. When I was at an inner day, I started the transition there. So once I got into it, I was like, I'm about to excel at this position. And I really just took it on. I took it face on and I'm just trying to sell be the best me there. And you've got two very experienced guys that have used the best place. What's the mindset of the obviously better than the last time you had the new? Yeah. I mean, as a man, as a football player, I just hold myself to a certain standard. Where I'm starting, where I'm the backup, whatever it is, I just hold myself to a certain standard. So the way I practice, the way I show up every single day is going to be the same. Whether I'm starting or I'm not. And then, so you get used to playing in college football, playing off things. How long do you take you to get to the side of defense? I mean, it didn't take too long. I mean, you saw, once I get on defense, I was ready to go for my face on. I was ready to go hit. I think that's just a mindset.

3:05My dad, my brother, I grew up in kind of a defensive or two family. So I knew when it was my time to go to the tagline, I got to go for my face on it. What is that face? What do you mean? No slowing down, no hesitation. Straight through contact. Would you give it to your mom? Everybody knows my personality. Yeah. My mom, I think my mom has personality, like just connecting well with people. You see that with her job, you see that with all, she makes friends everywhere we go. Go to the grocery store, go anywhere she's talking to somebody. So I think coming to a new place, I was able to transition one, connect with the guys in my room, connect with my team. Really come part of this culture. Can you explain how to feel like the stadium, the big hit on kickoff? Or hopefully, whatever. Yeah. What is it? What is it? It's in station. It feels like I did my job from being honest. Yeah, I'm just trying to do it every time I get a chance to go do my job. You guys have four guys on your defense who are all from the drinks and what kind of pride do you have to take in that? We take a lot of pride in that. Growing up, we grew up together. We were playing sports since we were young.

4:05So we know that competitive competitive spirit we grew up with and we were in so with our our bads and the coaches around us. So we're speaking that train's out here as well. Thank you very much. Thank you. Thank you. I have a little bit middle school or a little bit in Peeley football, but high school is big, college is big. My head coach, Jack Rose, I could not get to practice. A lot of times my parents were working early every day. So I had to run to his house every morning to catch a ride. It was probably a mile or so. So I'd run, I'd run there. He'd be waiting for me. He would take me to the practice, figure a way to get home. That was kind of my process. And then my high school track coach, my hurdle coach, still now a really good friend of mine. The impact they had on me as a young man was huge. That's well documented in my mind. Then being at Ohio State, Darryl Hazel was our receiver coach. He was steady and he was concrete and he was here the whole time. And they had a massive impact on me.

5:06Frankly, at the end of the day, my life goal and my journey is because of those impact in the earlier of my life. And now I'm just trying to kind of push it forward. But yeah, between my head coach and high school, my receiver, my hurdle coach and high school one that my receiver coach, I know how I've stayed, they changed my life. Honestly, I think for me it's cool, right? So my dad is coach here at Iowa State. Like Eric Koch said with the Bears as well. But relatively speaking, what I think is cool is the story's here, right? I mean, what's so impactful with, you know, coach here and other stories is the fact that it may not be the guy that gave me the best ex-in-os way to run around. Or the way to throw a ball or the way to free the coverage. It's somebody that picked you up when I was running over to your house to make it to practice on time. And I think that's the way that built the confidence in you because they saw that you were that good or that you could do that thing, right? And in all of us, we're all human, right? At the end of the day, right? So the best coach for me, obviously, yes at it, at a certain level wasn't my dad. But it was also those ones that pushed me to stretch my confidence, to be uncomfortable.

6:10That happened here at Iowa State with Coach Strait and that happened with Coach Smith. And even past that, right? I mean, I can tell you, I killed here once I got to the then Washington Redskins and now commanders. It's just that level of swag and some of these guys can just make you feel so confident and do it so easily. But really, it's just that working on you as a human being, right? And that's what's most important, at least in me, as I look at coaching him and what's been most impactful to me. The coaches impacted me heavily here. They've been here for me through my ups and downs. They've watched me grow. This is my freshman year of college. Not only in coach Harvard, because he's been an important person to me. In fact, in my life, heavily, he's taught me how to be a better man, which is very important. Because not only football is not all my life, I have the world world about their experience. He taught me how to be a better man and how I go about that every day. Alright, let's sort of the next question in reverse order starting with you, Carmell. How in his football affected your life? Football means a lot to me. Football has given me my platform. Football has given me the way to go express other things of that nature.

7:11It's given me my platform to reach other people, even the other people. For me, I work as an entrepreneur. Generally speaking, it's the passion to wake up every day knowing that you have to have a slight bit of productive paranoia. That somebody may be doing something better than you. For me, whether it's writing code, whether it's figuring out a way to look at a deal a different way, I know that what football did for me was to be able to push the edge. I always think about something that I could be doing differently or better because of what started right here in this building. It was crappier turf or there was a ripple over there in the corner that we always had to run away from. But at the end of the day, that's what's really helped. It's a loaded question. When you sit and really think about it, at least my perspective, not a little older, I think it's who I am, frankly. I think that it is a platform. There was a time in my life where I did it at a high level because I hated to lose and I was very competitive and I wanted to win.

8:15That was really a big part of it. Then I got kind of cynical to the sport. I hated losing. I hated being around guys that didn't think the same way I did at certain levels. So I got kind of cynical with it and I tried to get away from it. Then when I kind of put my guard back down and realized it's a blessing to be able to football player. Instead of being like a dumb job, you know, it's easy to be labeled at some point. I really owned it. I was like, no, football is who I am. I'm proud of what it represents. I'm proud of the teamwork. I'm proud of the trials and tribulations. It's awesome. I am proud to be a football coach and try to impact others. It's so quick to be a negative connotation to it all. There was a time where I had that. But to see what it has provided, the platform for me to chase my dreams, provided me my personal growth, exposed me to individuals. I never went on to meet. I got to meet a travel places. I never thought I could travel to and take care of my family and away.

9:16I never thought I could. I mean, I'm so thankful for the opportunity to be associated with the sport. Then I just want others to feel the same gratification and excellence that I was blessed to witness. What football means to me, frankly, it means everything from a platform perspective. I think that's so good. I relate to it on so many levels. I've learned so much about life in general. It teaches you lessons. The things that you go through on the field, the things that you do in the off season with your teammates, with your brothers. Those are the things that you can take and put into your real life and learn how to push through adversity. You may years down the line have a bad day at work and you learned during matrioles the six in the morning, how to push through hard times. These things that I've learned in football have grown me up and turned me into a man way sooner than I would have if I didn't have football.

10:16The things that I've learned through this sport and through the people that have had an impact on me because of football. I just feel so much more prepared to go tackle what's next in life. I'm so blessed and fortunate, like Coach Hart said, to be a football player and to be labeled a football player. It's not who I am. It's what I do, but at the end of the day, it is done so much for me. I'm just thankful for the opportunity to have played football. I think it's going to continue to bless me for years and years to come. It's an honor. It's an unbelievable game. I think it's the most pure team sport. There's no sport like it. There's no sport that brings people together like football. I'm a gentleman a little bit on a later note. What is the funniest or craziest moment that you have had in football and will go well and go on down the line? Oh man. Funniest or craziest moment? Cameras are on. Cameras are on. Shoot, man. Yeah. I'm in a lot more recent memory than I was.

11:26Yeah, I mean, in the building out of the building. I know. Whatever you feel like you want to reveal. Yeah. You want to come back to it later. You want to think about it and come back to it later? We'll go. I mean, shoot. I'll just, I guess I'll go surface level here. Pretty easy. I guess last year, throughout the whole playoff run, there are some unbelievable memories. Some of my favorites, I would say one of my favorites was definitely the Jack Sawyer strip sack versus Texas man and going up to him afterwards. Punching his chest and I think I said some like expletives and gotten his grill. The funny thing is that if you ask him about it, he has no idea what I said to this day. He just saw that my mouth was moving and I was fired up. So that was like one of the craziest I've ever been going in my life. You know, I think I don't know what I was saying when he was running down the sideline, but I was losing my mind. So I guess that's that's mine.

12:30I don't know, man. I mean, I feel like all of these crazy moments come with like, hey, I was talking to you and you don't remember that? Like it's all over ESPN and then you're like, hey, we read your lips and then, you know, did you say the right thing? Football field. What are you talking about? But I mean, it's similarly speaking, right? There was so much adversity that we had in our season in 2014 going into the next national championship. And then once we did it, right, there were, you know, hey, are we beating the best defense in the country by 50 some odd points, right? In the third quarter. So I mean, I feel like there's a lot of kind of like, you know, hitting giggle kind of stuff that we had really. But for us, it's just more about those moments, right? Like the ability to come over adversity and say, you know what? These are my brothers and there's no human on this earth that's going to take me away from my goal or my job. And that's to make sure that, you know, I block or capture whatever for for the next guy. So it's the fun memories. I can't put one out for you, but you know, it's it's always a good right.

13:33Yeah, I would say there's a combination that there's magical memory. One that echoes with me for that entire year, frankly, sorry CT was his the game he had in Chicago. That's always sat with me. And I don't know why certain things linger with people, but that one always sat with me for him to go home and do what he did in that environment was special for me. The second one also involved will you know, sometimes we do some game planning and will love to come in and like game plan with us. Sorry, and you know, you know, and so we're just trying to pick his brain about what he likes. You know, I was like, you know, what do you like here? Like if you could pick anyone, I think we're getting ready to go to Oregon and go to the Rose Bowl. And he's like, you know, me, I just like a good pipe, a good pipe call. He said, you like what? He wrote with it. You know, he's like, yeah, man, just just call pipe. I'm like, okay, we got it. All right. So long story short, then we kind of get to the week and come to find out, you know, we got a tempo call.

14:33We call pipe just for Will. And he scored down the middle of field with a Mika Buka at the Rose Bowl for a touchdown. So he likes a good pipe call. And that was his favorite. Plipes a damn good play. Carnell, I'll say the craziest moment. Definitely the Northwestern game back home. They were scored two touchdowns. Thanks to Will, that game. Being back home since my freshman year, playing in front of a family. I probably have 40 members there. So that was another, that was a crazy moment. They also just a nadi experience. That was like crazy. I believe that's like a once in a lifetime opportunity and not like all the things that we've done to get there and all the preparation we put in there, like it's still crazy to the day. All right. Some individual questions for each of you coach hard. Long go greatest play you ever made. The completion, whatever completion it was. The one that echoes though in my brain is probably an opportunity to go to Arizona and Ryan

15:35Tannahill was a was a rookie at the time and I had a chance to break the all time receiving record in yards per game for the Dolphins. Went for like 253 and I don't know, 13 catches, something like that. But there was the last one I remember because they were undefeated. They were six in L, I believe him. And we ended up not pulling out the game. So that's really what still sits with me to this point. But we had an exit call, which was two guys that basically crossed the middle of the field. We caught it on like the 20 yard line. So just two guys sprinting across the field and the foot race. I caught one over my left shoulder and got down the sideline. And there was another dude chasing me. I forget who it was. But I dove from like the five to score and I scored. I remember hitting my back and thinking like, shit, I can't breathe. But like I didn't want to show it. I wanted to have tough. So I got up. And I like, you know, had to cool. And then I'm walking back to the side like, oh, shit, I can't breathe. And, but yeah, that's probably the one that kind of echoes in my mind through those years.

16:36All right, Evan Spencer. One of the most memorable plays in recent years in all his state history was a touchdown pass that Evan Spencer threw right before halftime to Michael Thomas in the semifinals against Alabama. A lot of people may not realize and Evan correct me if I'm wrong. I think you hit that same play called against Michigan State, but it didn't happen. But of course, if you were talking about what what you thought when they called that play for you to throw the ball. Well, the eternal coaches get the first time decided not to throw it. That was too risky. Right. We went to conservative route 11 yards. First down. Let's keep it moving. And then I got so much. I was a HIT from the entire receiver or math. There's no but I mean, you're going to have 20 people on you. I'm thrown into you next time. But honestly, that play obviously defined my career. I wish that there were some more moments like that. But ultimately, I think there were other moments in that game that I, that I hold value in the most right block. The block was one, but more that onside recovery was one of the most specific ones. That was a perfect kick. And at the end of the day, right, those are the moments where it's like, hey, it's it's mono, it's me versus you.

17:47I don't care what a 40 is. I don't care what a vertical is. It's how bad do you want it? Right. And I think that's a theme that we'll probably talk about. And hopefully you guys can take back with your kids as well. It's how bad do you want this? Right. I mean, I talked earlier about a productive paranoia. It was I I can catch more balls in the day because I feel like you're trying to outnumber me. Right. So like it's similarly speaking here. Right. So once I get back to that onside kick and then the kicker puts it on the opposite hash. And it's coming to me. And it's like, hey, I'm here for a reason. Right. Now it's time for me to do my job. Right. So for me, that was one of the most fulfilling because it had to come down to that. You know, my teammates were relying on me. Everybody was relying on me. And at the end of the day, it was a team based goal. I didn't do it to catch a touchdown. I didn't do it to do anything else, but to secure the wing for my brothers because we had to grind and already get there. So that's what's one of the most the thing that's most filling me. Carnell, you talked a little bit about the national championship. But if you would talk about what it was like when you guys came out onto the field at home against Tennessee.

18:49You saw a little bit of that orange, but you saw a lot of Starlet Gray and what it was like to play in the first ever home game in December. Ohio State. That game was very exciting. That was like probably our first night game home game in the shoe. So we knew they could up something as far as the environment there. We were just ready to play. We were ready to go prove ourselves. All the preparation we put in, we just came off the loss. We were just ready to go let it rip. And then the guys we went out there high energy, went up quick. They had these shirts off, but like last week we're going to stay warm during their pre-games. I'm going to wear my layers. Now we'll give you the one on receiver sitting up here. But if remember from looking over your bio and getting ready for the season, you do have a career touchdown reception. Tell us about that. I do. It was my first, the first game my senior year last year, 2023 at Kansas State.

19:49I actually had a passing receiving and rushing touchdown that game was against Southeast Missouri. So it wasn't a huge game, but I guess triple threat right there. But it was like a, you know, I gave the ball like an outside zone action and threw it back to me. It was like a screen. And I ran it like five or two. I stayed up this time. It wasn't that long. So I kept my feet, but that was fun doing that. That was the only time I did that. Oh, good. Lastly, for each of you and Will will start with you and go down the line. What do you wish that your high school coach had demanded from you to help you get ready for the next level? That's a, that's a really good, really good question. Man, I think, you know, all I wish I would have been told when I was, when I was in high school, is that, man, like you never know what's going to happen. And you may have a plan, especially, you know, if you're going on to the next level or even in high school, you may have a plan for what's going to happen.

20:56But it's about how you're able to adapt and adjust and take coaching and take criticism that can make you great and that can take you to new levels. And if someone wanted to told me that, you know, as much as I wish I maybe would have listened to that, I don't know if, you know, 16-year-old me would have really understood that. But, you know, if there's, if there's some way that you can make these kids understand, like, man, you never know what's going to happen, but you just, just work hard, have fun believing yourself. At the end of the day, everything's going to work out and like, just trust in your work and trust in yourself. And, you know, I think I'm a believer in positive reinforcement, man, and pump these kids up. Yeah, you may have to get on them, but pump them up, man, at the end of the day, like, make sure that they still love the game, because I saw that in my high school. You know, I had a coach that was hard on guys, and some guys just didn't understand that. You know, but there were other guys there to help pick them up. And I thought my coach had a really good job of establishing a staff that was, you know, guys of different, you know, backgrounds that could, you know, get along with different groups of players and coach from different perspectives.

22:07And I think, you know, I had a really good experience with my high school, and, you know, I'm really thankful for the coaches that I had, but, man, just the more that you can reinforce, have fun, be flexible. And don't take yourself too seriously, man, this is a game at the end of the day, and you got to have fun playing it, you know, if you want to have any success. Yeah, I think, through my experience, I, I, I've changed positions. I was a receiver. Well, first of all, I ran track as a freshman. I was pretty good as a freshman. By the time I got to the freshman football, though, or that sophomore year, I didn't play. It wasn't ready to play. I was a sophomore. And so I had a decent head on my shoulders. My parents were crazy pushing me. He has to play. I didn't earn it yet. So that was fine. My junior year, I started to play where I was the quarterback, though. We didn't have another guy at that time. The quarterback, I was playing quarterback. My brother and I've coming up and taking my job as a freshman, to be the quarterback.

23:07I moved to my general spot as a, as a receiver. And then my first game in my senior year, I broke my legs. So I lost my senior year. I stayed motivated when I run track that spring. So, and I had a lot of people around me motivated me to do so. And that was very beneficial for me. But I think when I look back, there wasn't a whole lot of motivation needed, I think for myself. I think that the one thing I wish they would have pulled out of me more was probably more leadership. We had a good group of guys in our school at the time that naturally wanted the best version of themselves. They didn't need a lot of motivation. But I would have liked my coach to pull me aside and demand more leadership out of me with my peers. I think I probably did a decent job, so they kind of left me alone, but I know I had more in the tank. And I wish they would have seen that, challenged me on that, and then tried to quantify that, whether I was doing a good job, or not doing a good job, give me a responsibility of a guy that really needed it. Not another guy that was in a good spot.

24:08But a guy that really needed some leadership, maybe, I don't know, like, file this home, or some kind of situation I could have helped. And I just didn't have that perspective of where I was to try to do that. I was great with everybody. I was friends with everybody, but I think I probably had more gas in the tank from a leadership perspective. I wish my coaches would have pushed me to do that. That's probably the one area that I kind of regret. No, that's great. I mean, it's a perfect thing. Leadership takes every team to success, and without it, you don't win. At the end of the day, for me, is I think back about what I wish the coach would have prepared me a little bit more for coming out of high school. It's just the focus on the relatability of the small things, right? I mean, making it to training table five minutes early. I mean, yes, everybody makes it on time, right? But are you the first guy in training team going to your tutor? Sure, you may not need a tutor, but are you the first one asking questions? Why is this important? Well, working a muscle also means working the discipline muscle too. Are you disciplined enough to run around when you're tired and you can't think?

25:10Are you disciplined enough to know exactly that that's the coverage, even though they're tilting a new way, this guy's looking at me a very specific way. Every time I see him on film, he does this, and it's always covered too. You have to train your discipline muscle. And I think for me, that was something I really had to work hard on, right? I mean, everybody that steps foot in this room or room similar to it, are the best at their position in their area, period. That's the only reason you get here. So once you get here, the ability, your ability to go do those things is not what's going to make you great. Your ability to push the edge, your ability to try to catch a thousand more balls than anybody else on your team, your ability to go a perfect rate at attendance at tutoring or training table or mentoring or what have you. Those are the things that apply. Yes, that means you may go for a million touchdowns. But guess what? You're going to be an awesome person when it comes to being a husband. You're going to be an awesome person in the boardroom or at some company or what have you. Training that muscle I think was one thing that I learned, but definitely could have been more refined coming out of high school for sure.

26:15For me, it's the next play mentality. I mean, I feel like a lot of us get too caught up in the moment that was going on. We made a job of what like receivers and stuff. But it's like the next play that matters. You can't let the last player to bend you from going to make the next play. Life goes on, life moves on. So you can't let the past prevent you from going to succeed in the future. And then something that's always stuck to me is not even coach our preachers. And now I'm being uncommon amongst the comment. I mean, like we're all at least receivers out of our house. But it's like the little thing like Spencer said, what separates us from each other. Like we all have the great playmaking ability. But it's like you have to be consistent in the room to stand out from each other. So that's those are the things that stuck with me. Gentlemen, thanks for sharing continued success and everything you do. Thank you. Thank you. Go, bro. He operates beyond his years. But the techniques and the fundamentals, he's chasing a lot of the guys. I mean, you get to a certain point where you're doing a really good job.

27:15You're chasing that 1%, you're chasing that finite growth. It's not always seen on film. The individual may feel it, whether it be your base or your technique and the consistency of which you do those things. That's what he's chasing. I think he's chasing football IQ, learning more about the game, defensive structure, anticipation, more than a reactionary. But there's always ways to grow. I mean, if you try to mark the goals of these young men and where they currently are, they're obviously not where they want to be. So whatever that gap needs to get filled, that's what he's chasing. So I'm sure he has some of the highest goals and he's not that right now. So he is chasing that gap, minimizing that gap and he's doing a good job being hard on himself. Right. You go down step to them now for a couple of weeks. What if your impressions of Tyler Bowen as a pro there and how he's handled himself on that very good trip? Yeah, I mean, I think he's a great dude, man. Like he's, I enjoy talking with him. I like being around him.

28:20Very smart from a football standpoint. I love the way he views things. I love mechanically how he tries to help these guys execute plays based on body mechanics and leverages and strike points. I just like his view on things. So I enjoy that. But as you're talking football and doing that, I mean, I enjoy talking to him and being around as a person too. So his ability to connect with guys doesn't shock me. I mean, I connect with him. But I've been very impressed with the amount of young men that have visited and been on campus. And I just think he's putting a lot of time into it, a lot of effort. And it's definitely showing. He's doing one heck of a job and and we're just trying to help him out as we as we can. Ryan was mentioning the idea of increasing Jeremiah's route tree. Something you guys have been working on.

29:20Where was it last year in work? Can I guess grow or can you expand on that? Yeah, I mean, just, you know, asking JJ to do everything, you know, I mean, you don't ever want to put him in a box. You don't want to put carnell in a box. You want to put anybody in the box. So to make sure he's fully equipped with every tool necessary to do anything that's required of a receiver at the college level or the NFL level. We take a lot of pride in developing that route tree technique, but it's really, you know, the play with the mind of, you know, routes based on coverage and all those things. So, but yeah, just trying to find ways to challenge them and that's been one of the ways he's done that. When you guys were talking as an offensive staff about the possibility of having a quarterbacks go live, were you surprised that it came up? Were you surprised that you guys wound up doing it? What were the deliberations? I'm surprised it's even a conversation. Like, it should always be live. I'll tell you. I'll tell you. I'll tell you, but football. So obviously there's a proximity to the season, which is a little reckless, I understand that.

30:28But in spring, when you're competing for jobs, I mean, if I'm a quarterback, I'm asking to be live so I can show him how I'm different than, you know, anyone that can't be live. You know what I mean? You're always trying to find an edge. And if you're never fully live, I don't think you fully give guys opportunity to be who they want to be or who they can be. So, that being said, you know, I will cast my vote, but that will not be my final decision on that, but I will cast my vote. The guys have handled it well. It was good for all parties involved and more we can do that better, but ensure that is coming to a close here very quickly. That would be 24th of... Right. Jeremiah off the field, we saw after practice on this Saturday, the mob that came to autograph some things. When you're working with him on all these things you're talking about, but also dealing with the life of being one of the biggest names in college football, how do you help mentor him in that past?

31:28Yeah, I mean, it's a blessing to be able to be in a position where you know can provide insight or I wouldn't say recommendations, but just give perspective. How he chooses to receive the first perspective or not one or not, I mean, he always does, but which is fine. But to be in that position is really humbling. That being said, he does a really good job on his own. He doesn't need to check down too much. He's really done a great job. Again, the way he was raised in his morals and humble would always sign and taking pictures. I'm always trying to be the bad guy for him because he's not going to be and just says again more about his character. But he's not the only guy. Any guy would kind of do that. We have a group full of awesome young guys, but Jeremiah has done a great job with it. He's on it and it's definitely growing at an exponential rate to say the least. But I think he's built for it. He's been handled at a high level, but those around them were trying to help not a little bit.

32:30What made Quincy the first freshman to lose his black straight? Yeah, I mean, that's a good question. I think that, you know, frankly, you know, I don't, I'm not really fully involved with that. So I can be, but I wasn't. You know, I think that people on the outside, whether it be defense or even coach day or anybody brought it to my attention. You know, we're kind of just going about practice and that's our expectation to make plays, not make mistakes. And he was starting to make a lot of plays consistently. I think the consistent level that he's been as a person, being on time and doing his job description on each play and the ball is going your way or making some big plays. And, you know, it starts, it starts being seen by your peers and your peers start asking for it. They start barking, getting a stripe off all those kind of things. That's the ultimate sign of respect, I think, when your peers, you know, go to your bat and he's not going for his bat. No one knows.

33:34People are bringing it to your position coach. I think it speaks volumes of the general respect that you're earning through the process. So I think something like that happened and, you know, as well as they're based on his peers and the other coaches. Ryan Day was talking about how impressed he's been this spring with Austin's serval. All that he's been able to do and Tyler Bohn was talking last week about the importance of the cross-training and all that that goes into that. How much have you seen Austin benefit from this spring and everywhere that he's been and how big of a piece you think he's going to be regardless of where he fits on this offensive line? Yeah, I think Austin's been awesome. I mean, he literally, you know, what would save say, he played every split, every position, we just move around, you know, and he handles it and you know, he's one of those guys. I feel like he watched film over and over again day after day. His name never really gets brought up, you know, in a good way. Like you on the old line, your name gets brought up when. Usually not going as well, you know, I mean, they're literally at the point of attack on every single play. So there's nowhere to hide.

34:35And so, but Austin, when his name is brought up, it's like, man, that was a good job. Right? Good job. Pass off that combo. Whatever. It's always positive and been really impressed with him. He started in the winter to a great job through the winter again, continuing to build a respect for his peers. And then he's going to good job. Really good job. Just being very consistent through spring. I left you up, you know, press. Brian, since you've been working more with the whole offense, when comes to quarterback play, what has grown in your, I don't know, appreciation in that position and what those guys have to do and go through? What do you think more about those guys versus maybe what you thought before is just a wide receiver guy? Yeah, I mean, I mean, there's no just a wide receiver guy. Do you want to see a guy? You won't be a very later on. It's all about, it's all about quarterback play, you know, so I think in that same world, though, to the point is that, you know, in order to be a great receiver or a great receiver, or, you know, receiver guy, whatever you want to call it, there's only one page is the core backstage page.

35:37So everything is based off them. They're, whether they be their progression, they're timing the stresses they have is what we're trying to minimize. So if you don't fully understand the quarterback play, it's hard to, you know, maximize receiver play, I think, you know, that being said, yeah, I mean, I'm still always learning, you know, I think that I can't say anything's jumped out massively right now. But I would say that, you know, I guess I would say the preparation level, I mean, the what is required to execute and play at a high level. It's just not capable in the a lot of time, right? I mean, there's only so much time where I'll be with players. If you're not willing to spend, you know, your own time, getting prepared for practice to be to maximize one's ability. There's a good chance you're not going to maximize your ability. So, you know, other positions, I mean, align same thing, I mean, receiver play sometimes can, you know, get away from it. We do a great job studying and being in the room extra for sure.

36:38But the requirement of a quarterback to know the fixed protections, the BR run game coordinator based on the calls, you know, to get us in different checks. I mean, there's so much thing you know. And frankly, you know, the, you know, the online is good as the quarterback. The receivers, the line is good as the quarterback. They're often as good as the quarterback. And it's our responsibility to put guys in position to maximize with our capable of maximizing. But their inability to notice that they can just spend extra time outside the a lot of time. I think it's critical. And the amount that it takes, I guess that was maybe a little naive to, but the guys are doing a great job doing it. Just a couple more coaches got a meeting. Rob, all right. Come this fashion. Brian, you know, you guys reach the mount top. You got a banner out there national champs. I think you keep these guys grounded. Being in the moment, looking ahead. Not back. Are you tougher on them? Because no, I think that I mean, I think we have a lot of guys. You know what? I think it's understanding that we were trying to build the map to get to where you wanted to get to. But now that we have the map doesn't mean we've traveled the path. So like we know what it looks like. The guys that are here know what it's supposed to look like. The guys before us, sitting unbelievable example how to get to where you want to get to.

37:58So the focus is on trying to replicate what they just did and how they operated. Can't say we've done that right now. So it's very easy to stay motivating because they already know it's not good enough. Frankly, and so the last thing they want to do is put in a ton of effort and then not reach their goals. So motivation. I don't think it's needed. I think there is a catching up of those maybe aren't quite sure what it takes. But overall, motivation is not what we've needed. A clarity of message is definitely what we've been focused on. And I think the message is being received. So not concerned about motivation and the looking back, if you will. I think everyone's pretty pretty focused on being forward and knowing we haven't accomplished anything. Who would you say is the leader of your wide receiver right now? I would say carnal tape. Brennan in this. Probably done the most most outspoken, you know, in the room. Yeah, I would say they're doing a good job. Those are probably the two guys that would jump out my room.

39:05I mean, Brennan, he's been vocal. Obviously carnal taking on that role. More and being more vocal. He's a good football player. Obviously, he's the only other but that process for him and becoming a more vocal leader took for you to say that on him. What's the question? Carnal, what do you see like the growth part of it? Yeah, I mean, he's I think he's pulled guys aside, you know, have one-on-one conversations with him. He's locked in. And, you know, just I think he saw the impact that a mecha made and the role he played and to think that we're going to lose that and then be a better group. Part doesn't mathematically make sense to him. So someone's got to step up in that role and one, I don't want to respect them too. He knows he's capable of it. And it's just the desire and the appreciation, I think, to be at the table now, the older head. And and appreciate the way I met him probably went about his business. And so he probably valued that, appreciated that. And he's just being assured we still have that. Final question. Bill, we're better than this. Could you assess the running back room? I think it's pretty much assumed both as running back to CJ and James. I think that tandem system is probably the way that it go again.

40:15How do you think it's working? And you see the word maybe fourth guys up in there. I think that, you know, college football, NFL football, any football really you got to have depth in the running back room. I think that. It's very apparent in the NFL. It's usually a two back system, you know, very very rarely is it one guy. But in college, I think we saw the benefit of that last year. The ability to complement each other is really important. The ability for us to identify what they do great and put them in good positions to be what they are. What they're best at, I should say, is really important as a coaching staff. I've been very impressed with even the younger guys Sam and and bow and the way they've come along. Consistencies, so what you're chasing right you're always able to that's why you're here. But how often you do it ultimately dictates how much you play. So, but overall I think locksmen on them, they understand the standard and in pass pro and not being a guy we got to sell out because you can't pass protect. So we were blessed, what especially with tray last year and in quenchon. So, but no, these guys have done a good job. They're competing. They've been very coachable.

41:24It's shown a plot on film. But yeah, I mean it's always hard on backs. Every opportunity you get to go live and and break tackles really keeps you the most feedback on what these guys are capable of. If you're just playing tag out there, you never get any art. At least you shouldn't. But the running backs, you know, on contact date, they've done a good job. James has done a really good job growing. Really excited about him. Everyone's really excited about him and CJ. So, you know, I think ultimately how group the how will all go with the group be is probably based on, you know, the top, the bottom rising. Right. We never have some guys at the top, but you know, where's the floor. And so I think bow and Sam has done a really good job. And many more guys to get healthy. More guys on campus, but very encouraged. Thank you very much. Thank you.

42:45The way we wanted to go, but the lower mix, the staying to continue to trust each other and trust in them. And the coaches we have built here. Did you feel it different? Yeah, we were just, yeah, we were just very three weeks prepared. Sometimes we get tired. Sometimes we get tired. Sometimes we don't want to answer my old question. So they were able to do that. We were able to talk with somebody and just get out the case. And today, man, we're just to at least off my dog. Was there a problem not there? Well, God, I mean, one out of the time. Did you feel it? Once you were in the troll. What was it? I mean, we're playing on the top. But we have just like 10 to see the last game. I think it was Vanderbilt. Vanderbilt went on to 17. And they came back and went. So we understood that, you know, the teams are going to back their own bits of the team. You know, for all of us. Yeah.

43:46We're going to be able to try to get more time. We're going to be able to do that. We're going to be able to do that. Yeah. The project goes on just to me. It's being created for our DB stuff. To attack you. It's different. I mean, it was a great project. It gives you different looks. I think we saw that today. It's a different one. The offense starts the way. You guys. What's your offense started the way? Oh, I mean, we just speed off. They started it. We were already high. We kept the same the way they went down the score. We just ripped everything up by tariff. So things that you guys might have seen. Something as well. I mean, they're great teams. I know it's a basic last game. I know they elevated. So I always have a time of the pair. Time to get our bodies right. It's just a two to just go blessing.

44:46Are we looking forward to that rematch? Yeah, we definitely. I mean, there's a lot behind this. Playing them twice in one of my first mules. I heard of this year. So, you know, we're very motivated. I understand that there's going to be a hard-parking, a 4-4 game. We're going to get ourselves ready. And you are going to be ready. JT, I know you and Jack. I'm just a close relationship. How special is it when you both play at the level that you did tonight? I mean, a match. You know, a match. Previous games, I always match that. And whenever he makes a play, I want to make a play. And he provides for us. But to say to him, man, it makes me happy. I'm blessed to play alongside him. And I can't be thankful enough to have him. And I can't want to be alongside of me. As well as everybody else on the part. Do you feel like I was the best game you two had collectively? I think it's up there. It's up there. I'm going to take turns and look like I got a second out of sack. He got one I got one. So, I mean, we're just videoing to share this. So, are we always reading the heavy games like that?

45:47We've got continuous take assisted. Put another game together. 15 hell for once. And you guys, again, on two. A lot of sorry. Three now. And then comments for three to one. So, I think it's a common promise. Yeah, so I think that was just the very main part we had. It went off as I tend to see. It's very close to moments. SEC play of the year. We had to go back. You know, then we were like, sorry. Can you please just make sure it's yours? Sorry. We got to go back. I'll try that. I'm talking. Jerry's the over name. I've heard Jerry Yardman. But, yeah, so they have a lot of weapons. No, we had to understand that. So, we had to play Gaps out. They just continued to attack every time. And they got to go ahead and finish up with Jack. I have really, really good agents. And, you know, the people across the team, they like them. And they're just, the process went really smooth. And I feel like I didn't need to take it any further than what it was. Because I love this program.

46:48I love this team. I love the organization. And, yeah, I just thought I didn't need to go any further. And signing it there in the hotel. I just all worked out as well as it could. And then I'm still pissed off about the game. So. It's not the ultimate weapon you're after the child. So, playing the game with that, you know, you just put your head down. Like, you just can't wait to sign on the work. What are your conditions? Traffic issues really never left the room. Yeah. You know, I was a tough process with the draft process and everything like that. And I'm sure without that medical flag, I probably wouldn't have been a little bit higher. But, I mean, honestly, it all worked out the way I was supposed to. I couldn't have asked for a better opportunity than to come here. And to get that call from George. It was just awesome. And, you know, even looking back at that, it all worked out the way I was supposed to. So, really not upset or mad about it. But, just know that it's time to get back to work.

47:48I'm sorry. What you kind of call it up on what you said to me about thinking about stuff. How much does it mean that this team believes in versus the alarm and so on? How the word is that kind of stack up? And this organization has that belief in you. Man, so much. So, I feel like that just gives me, you know, just humbles me to know that my work that I have to push forward is, that's to be better. And I know I can be better and play better. And I just try to, where my mindset is. It's just like, how can I even exceed this? How can I show my appreciation out there on that field? And, you know, the fact that they believe in me and my teammates just makes sure I don't want everyone to let them down. And I know that with moving forward and stuff that I definitely won't, I definitely won't want what. Just going to keep working and keep going, just happy that they believe in me. How exciting is it your lock down now for your attention?

48:49But you look at this young defense and a lot of these guys can be long for the ride as you kind of move forward with this solid game. Yeah, we've got a lot of young talented guys on this defense. And I think we're only going to get better, you know, even just moving forward. The way we've been able to accomplish things this year. And I feel like we still haven't played our best defense, you know, as a unit, as a whole. I mean, people have individual stuff, but I feel like just together we can grow and get even better. And I feel like that just comes with just more time. And I feel like you say we have a lot of young guys and I'm just excited to be a part of it. And definitely going to do all that I can to lead and help us get to wherever we need to go. You know, you've just a part of the procedure. It's not before the draft. Yes. Have you had a chance to reflect on how you have overcome it? You told yourself back then that you can stand up here and it's ready to believe that we're calling you. I don't know, honestly.

49:50I always believed in myself and, you know, my family helped me with that so much. Just always believing in me, always telling me what I'm capable of and helping me along. And I mean, like shout out to my mom for everything that she's done for me and getting me to this point. Yeah, I mean, I don't reflect too much. I only like to move forward because I feel like this is just like a starting point for me. I know I'm going to grow for this, but I mean, all to that credit, I reflect with my mom and I'm sure she'll help me out with that. What could have looked like mom in the same life? What are the next steps that you wanted to take into your self? Yeah. Probo for one, being an all pro outside linebacker, being dominant. And, you know, really holding myself up to the standard that was set here. I feel like with Vaan and the Marcus Ware and even Chubb and, you know, just want to keep going and keep working.

50:54And, yeah, I just, I have this new motivation, you know, to keep going now. So, just really excited. I think it works. I think it works. You get caught by the rain. How important is it to get by the shelter? You get punched in the end of the face. And try not to hit your head. Yeah. I just want to do that. Make sure it's very easy. Yeah, it's just getting back to work. Knowing that the things that we've done have been good enough to this point. It's just cleaning up the little small things. You know, this was going to happen as league. You're going to get punched in your mouth every now and then. But, it's how you respond to it. And I feel like our team has definitely a good mindset to show that our response will be strong and solid. Yeah, I got full confidence moving forward. And, I think it's one of the things I was able to do the most unique quarterback in the last two weeks in the war. How do they differ probably similar and more than challenges in the same?

51:57Well, both two top quarterbacks in our league. Obviously, both MVP, Caliber, guys. We all know how decorated Patrick Mahomes is. And, it's just a phenomenal competitor. You know, probably the best competitor in this league. And, you know, that means every time we face against them, we'll go get some more Sunday. You have to have your best because, you know, you're going to get that from him. And, I know it would be ready to answer that. Good, thank you. Why? I was going to ask you, you have to contract and then also to trade with Aaron. How do you want to say your opinion on how long you should have pushed each other down the line? Yeah. Barren's been my guy for, my teammate for eight years, you know. For past this, you know, and even our time in the league. And, I was really hurt and really sad to see him go. But, I know it's a good opportunity for him.

52:58And, I know he'll take full advantage of it. We all know how talented Barren is. Fantastic football player. Fantastic dude, man. That's my brother. And, you know, I wish him all the best. I talked to him before he went. And, I know he's going to go there and ball. So, I'm just excited to see what he does. I think he knows how it ties in and he's been around with some really good coaches. So, I think it'll be pretty seamless and I think will be far out of all cylinders. You're a three-month-regroup from the Super Bowl now. So, how would you, I guess, digested it and I guess physically everything that they go? Yeah, I feel really good. And, one of my better off-seasons of just kind of, there's a long year. So, I took it nice and slow to get back into it. Not as young as I once was. I'm taking a little look, a little slower. But, everything's great. I'm feeling as good as that felt.

53:59I'm excited to actually get some practice in. Last year was kind of tough getting thrown in. Week one after a walkthrough. So, that was another reason I'm excited to be here. Just to get practice thing a little bit. In-season practices, one thing, but actually being able to work your stuff and not have a game coming up is good. With the Super Bowl, unfortunately, I know it bounced back from tough losses. So, it was rough for a little bit, but now it's just annoying when people bring it up. Since the end of last season, you've seen a rock on TV commercials. And, on the stage with Clube Cooms and thrown up the first pitch in a giant scheme. But, he seems like a guy that's totally unaffected by celebrity, which he has now. But, what have you noticed in his leadership style in the way he carries himself? Any difference at all? I think he's definitely getting a little more vocal within the building. And, yeah, I mean, I don't think he's ever going to change.

55:03I don't think he's somebody that's going to change even when he gets paid next year. So, he's a man of faith and kind of reminds me of Scotty Shepler. But, except for... Just Super Humble and a really good kid. And, yeah, he's definitely famous. He's famous. Do you know Shepler? I don't. Just from watching. You had to use Armsted to get released. Obviously, he meant so much to the defense line into the team. Let me call on John. We're pretty open. If they were willing to talk about trading, Divo, or are you a draft? Does that just another... What's that feel like in a locker when those sort of jolt happen? I didn't even know that happened. I know I wasn't here. But, you're talking about this off-season? Yeah, we're obviously willing to alarm the air conditioning release.

56:04Oh, oh. So, that's certainly one thing. Yeah, it's a tough business for sure. You have to have thick skin and... I haven't gone through that. But, I think you just have to understand that it is a business and the team is going to try and get as good as it possibly can with her. And you have to look up for yourself. That's why you go through holdouts and do certain things that seem selfish in the moment. But, it is what it is. And when everything's settled, we're going to come together as a team and try and go get one. What's the overall feeling around the group right now? Like, how much does it feel like the excitement of the ramp up to the season, even though it's early? It feels good. It's been a couple days for me. So, I like all the new guys. I'm getting to know everybody. But, I think the past is in the past and we're ready to go. Can you talk to B.A. I can talk to B.A. at all about handling the business part of this. Let me chat a little bit, but not too much about the details.

57:08I just told him to keep his head up and try and stay positive, Virgil. Well, we're here at the first impression when you... I mean, the first impression is that the team is going to be in that area of auditors' first step. It'll be fun. Yeah, it's going to be... can we do one? Yeah, you can see it. Kind of alluded to this. For the fact that last year, we had a holdout to say that the fact that you drew somewhat early in the season, if you hadn't had that experience, would you be there? I mean, was that part of the motivation for being here earlier? Was it the opposite of what my journey was? No, I don't think that's one of the reasons, but I just talked to Kyle and he kind of asked me. He kind of stated how he felt about why it would be good for me to be here and asked if I agreed and I 100% did agree. So it's not like I'm missing too much. I think out here it's a little less workload than I'm doing back home.

58:11So it's kind of a good active recovery thing for me and I'm getting football stuff, football work in specifically so that's good. I'm not compromising my training at all and get to meet all the guys. How did Joey get to meet? He's got to run down. Oh no, he's there. He's got a new regime over there. Did you quit? I actually thought I was coming next week until recently so I was going to have one more week at home but we're both in California. So I want to say, anything you'd like to share about Conno's reasons? The reasons that you agreed with would be here? Yeah, just the things I already stated just getting around the guys and just getting the football stuff homeed in a little bit before Camp Stutz.

59:11You've been afraid to speak out on player safety issues and things like that. That was the playing service and things like that. 18 game schedule has been kind of disgusted in here recently. What is your kind of take on that possibility? I don't know how many games I could just keep adding. Yeah, I don't know why one morning is to be added but... It's not my job. It's a place to say you'd be against it. I think 16, 4, 4, 4, 4 were the good bull setup but... So good. I'll put it. Yeah, but then we got a short enough season program a little bit. Boys, how much power supply for this year?

1:00:11He's there, respect your head and the cord and up room. He's just known not even in the receiver room but as a whole team as like our energy guide. Like when days are down or slow or whatever, he's going to bring your energy and there's a club in there, hyping everybody up. Whether he's like impacting on the food or not, he's just known for that. What's your 5th and 5th? I don't know, I just kind of like it. I kind of wore the word when I got when I was in high school. But I mean, it was open when I got here so I was like, of course I'm going to take it. I know it's a big plus that's what I get to number so I was like, you have to take it. So you've heard the care and stuff? Yeah, I've seen a lot. Foodie, you like that or you just like on my own guy? I mean, it's cool. I mean, I understand how good he was and how much legacy you left here but I did it there. I was going to be my own person and I had to live with anybody else in the same suit. But I understand how much of a legacy you left in the other time. You talked about where you from since you arrived last summer. How much of a shock was it? It was gone. I mean, it was a pretty big shock. Just the adjustment from high school to college, especially that with that 6 months ago, that 6 month window I really had been out all season just working out.

1:01:14But just coming here, adjusting to college, speed, different things, it was a pretty big shock. Is it feel crazy to think you have me to take care of it? Yeah, I think about that all the time. I'm like, if I were to got here last year, when all of them admitted in real estate and release came, I probably would just not be in season. So it is pretty personal to think about. The coach aren't always telling me, you do have a lot of cash enough to do. But I told him, as we were out in the winter, I understand what he meant by that. When you look at last season, what did you take away from back year? I'm saying maybe not giving up in the field as much as you wanted, but I imagine there was not a growth. Things like that. What is your take away from pressure? Just understanding how the games go, how the college players, the tempo, how fast it is. I'm running from a Mecca. I felt like a Mecca was a pretty solid pro, even when he was here last year. And I lied a lot from him. Like I said, understanding just the playbook more, just the tempo, runner, offense, and even like that, a salary. What's your relationship about with your mom? We're pretty close.

1:02:15I said we're both neither of us are too out, pretty outspoken, but I mean, we're pretty cool. I'm tight with all guys. It's just interesting. You got here early in such a big impact, you're developing, you're going to have it back together. I guess class, it's like a little bit different. Come together. Yeah, it will feel good. Like you said, I think I heard last year had a amazing impact, as a fresh one. Yeah, I mean, it would feel pretty good, just both of us in the same class that had been to Sam kind of impact. It's been like watching Brighton Hardline, and stepping into his role. What do you think about his offense? I like it. I feel like he's more aggressive, but I like it. He still does a great job coaching himself, even though he doesn't maybe have as much time. But I feel like he still does a great job with us, understanding he has to do with us and the whole offense, adhering to them. He talked about other guys, guys like that, how much of an impact do you, other coaches make? Helping to keep track of the receiver and the scanners. I needed some of the older guys, it's going to be a part of the cool one.

1:03:15Yeah, I feel like Coach Jordan, man, the older guys, the veteran in our room, will be a good job of stepping up when Coach Hard is not available. I feel like Coach Jordan did a great job. People who have my first back or last year just had their extra meetings with him. Outside of our already meetings, having extra meetings with him, just learning more, just taking away from him. I feel like he's been doing a great job since I got here. What do you think of the fresh one that I've come here? I think they're solid up. I'm not receiving them with the scanners. Yeah, I think they're solid. I like all of them. I feel like they all can grow definitely. And they all, I know what they're feeling because of how I just got here last summer, but I feel like they're all doing a great job. Do you have to remind some of those guys, just because we've been here a longer, just because we've worked too much further ahead than you guys? Well, yeah, kind of. But I'm not really considering myself like a young guy anymore. Since I've been here throughout the summer and the season, I kind of just trying to prepare myself to be a bit almost. We're not really a younger guy, but I do try to be like a better and type of person to the young guys.

1:04:16When did that start? When did you stop feeling like you've been here? I'd say really just, just the upcoming of the spring and the winter, I feel like I learned a lot as being in season. Last year with the team. And I would have a big role and just take a bigger step with the team and also, so I don't want to just get set myself up like this anymore. Saturday's practice seems like the competition between the receivers and the foreigners is so kind of seeing how talented those sides are. What have you thought of that cornerback room and the way that they battle against you guys to try to do this? Yeah, yeah. It's always like that. The IAid is there. I mean, it's their local. I mean, I was like that. Even when people aren't here to see, we go back and forth at almost every day in the package. It's not new to us. It's just a standard of the IAid for some sense. That's it. We're the best basketball players. I'd probably say I'd just be here to take me. They both get out there. Do you feel like the return game is a place you need to make them back this year?

1:05:18Yeah, I do feel that way. I have did a little bit of a return with some of our returners throughout the spring. I feel like I could have attacked it. How much is it you forward to being in the shoot? Saturday being part of the offense? Really for the first time as a partner? Yeah, I'm excited. Just to actually get the step foot and actually get rolling in the suit. It'll be a great feeling. I'm pretty excited for it. What did he do? He showed up early. He stayed late. He did his job as hard as he could possibly do it. Discipline, routine, consistency, all those things. Nothing extra ordinary just doing great at the things that we ask you direction. How do you feel like you get down what Jaylen does well and what we can do as well? A great once in a while, guys. Yeah, that's a great question. Guys have strengths, guys have things that weaknesses or things that they need to get better at. So we have meetings leading up for spring ball. What we say? Hey, here's your individual plan to get better. And something that I think that Matt brings to the table. Matt Patricia brings to the table is, you know, throughout his career. He has highlighted what guys do really, really well just comatically.

1:06:19So we're able to put guys into different packages and get them on the field to be able to do what they do. But you know, we're excited about those guys. That's our job to, you know, those guys earn the right to be on the field, which I expect them to do. That's our job to make ways for them to be out there. With Jordan playing a lot of safety last year, did that kind of create a blueprint for you guys and how you can do more pre-safety stuff? Yeah, Jordan was great from a flexibility standpoint. So we were able to go from kind of traditional nickel type looks to three high safety looks and a lot to put Caleb in different spots. So that was critical for us, especially down the stretch. We saw him play off for a number of weeks of, they didn't really know exactly how it was going to be deployed. So that flexibility is critically important to us. Flexibility going forward is going to be great. And Kudos are towards taking that step to start against Nebraska high safety. You know, the different things that he was able to do last year was huge is going to help him in the NFL. And then yeah, get me looking okay, who are the pieces that we have? How do we highlight those and how do we deploy them? But if flexibility will always be important. So ideally one guy would be that Jordan would play both that and they will have the safety.

1:07:22I think it always helps anytime that whoever you are, whatever position they can do multiple things. If you're a linebacker and you can rush off the edge, you're a corner and you can bump to the inside and play slot corner and play high safety. So I think those flexibility things are critical more than just like pinpointing a just that position has to be able to function that way. But the flexibility across positions as a defensive back as part of coach Walton, you know, you know, tip of my philosophy is the defensive backs. They're not just a corner or just a nickel or just a safety. Let's meet together. Let's train together to be able to groom these guys to be flexible in and out of packages. And that helps your depth too. Right? So it may not be like who's the next best defensive back of the game? Well, it may not just be the guy replacing a guy that got injured in that position. You may have to move pieces around and that flexibility, you know, helps us for sure. And that's what makes it a good match. And it's a good match for the defensive back of the game. For the defensive back of the game. For the defensive back of the game. For the defensive back of the game. Competition. I want to see incredible competitiveness every single day. Right? So I want to see consistency from the guys.

1:08:23I want to see, you know, it's one of our guys to be consistently on the rise. Right? It's not okay to like two days better than you're taking a step back. And then every day we need to consistently on the rise. So like those habits, your consistency and then your competitive mentality. That's what I want to see. We'll coach them again with the right spot. I don't worry about that. But I want to see that competitive mentality at home. And that's what I've seen from the what a workout so far. I mean, this morning it was it was a real one in here. And that's, you know, what coach Mick has developed with coach day breaches. We'll be preaching defense too. I mean, that competitive mentality. I want to see for those guys. I mean, it's good to do my job. I'm going to be able to do what about those two. Do you want to see what I think is the best? Yeah, I think consistency for any young player is the biggest thing. Right? You see flashes of talent. But you want to be able to do that over and over and over and over again. I'm not saying that they have not been in that way. I'm actually really pleased with where those guys are right now. But that's going to be the biggest thing is, you know, like when you're playing in situational type of player.

1:09:23You know, situational type things or packaging things like that. It's different than maybe you're out there for 60 snaps in a game. Right? That's a different type of feeling. Right? So the consistency of performance is important in those because you're putting a lot of different adverse situations. Right? So that will be the biggest thing is responding to those pressure situations and being consistent in performance. You're playing in the middle of those two who better see more than they can roll. They talk about those things. Yeah, our job is to put the best football players on the field. So we, you know, Latins roll was Latins roll because that's what they did. K-Limbs were always killed because that's what Caleb did. All right, so then you say, okay, we have some sort of coming back. We have a lot of new pieces, right? So we said, okay, what do these guys do holistically well? And then let's highlight those things that put them in position to be successful. That's all our job as coaches, right? So put the guys in position to be successful. And that we spent a lot of times in defense of staff talking about that personnel conversations. And that's our job as spring is to make sure that we're getting those pieces right? We had the slot Jordan had such a great year.

1:10:23You guys last year who are some candidates to kind of replace them now? You called the nickel, you called the slot. Yeah, nickels what we've called. Yeah, Lorenzo Stiles has done a bunch of awesome things at that position. When you look at the germane Matthews and what he's been able to do playing on the outside, but also the toughness he brings in the slot from that position. So there's a number of guys that have those traits and it's a unique guy to be able to do that. Because you're not just a corner, you're not just a safety. You're fighting a linebacker sometimes too. So that interchangeable piece has been really important. Jordan did an awesome job of that. And then we were able to even grow the packaging last year because of the things that he was able to do. Coach, they said about you at the National Championship celebration. Sure, things he's told you privately. For him to say that at the championship, it's the same you're one of the rising stars in the industry. One of the brightest young minds that I had me make you feel really good. Just your take away from that. I know you're a humble guy. So I'm going to ask you about that. No, no, you're going to ask anything. I think at any time that you get recognized for your hard work and your contributions also. I appreciate Coach Day saying it.

1:11:23I've got an awesome relationship with Coach Day. I think the world of him. Yeah, I try to just be up behind the scenes operator. I don't mind the spotlight, but I try to just be behind the scenes operator and put the guys in position to be able to shine. But I appreciate of him and look forward to keeping contributing. And what are your thoughts so far on Coach Petrusha? We got chance of me him for the first time very. Engaging personality. Just when you're fighting obviously very decorated. Just what your thoughts on Coach Petrusha? Yeah, first up in the competition walks in the room. I mean, speaks for itself, right? So, but first up like a great, great guy. A great guy. Like just humble, gracious. You know, I've been very impressed with the person. And I had no previous relationship with Manol. So it was awesome to be able to build that relationship over the last couple of weeks. The football intelligence is incredible. The IQ period is incredible. This is a very, very, very smart guy. What he's been able to do with defenses and the wealth of knowledge and experience that he brings. He's like, he's operated as a GM and offense coordinator, defense coordinator, head coach. I mean, it's pretty amazing when you start talking about the things that he's been able to do throughout his career. So I have a ton of respect anyway, surface level.

1:12:25But then to be able to know the man. I can't say enough positive things, but he's going to be an awesome, awesome, awesome partner. I'm over him. Last night for me, what do you think of the Bible? Yeah. Has he shown you the Bible? He said he has it here. Oh, it's huge. It stacked up. It stacked up. You know, I've studied those New England teams for, you know, from afar for many years. Actually, I've used some of the things that they've done with their safeties and teach tapes throughout the years. So I, especially when I was a younger coach on the profession I used, and if all examples to teach guys earlier on my time at Duke, and I still carry those two with teach tapes and things like that. So I've studied that defense, you know, from afar. Obviously, but I don't even know that. And then you have him to be able to be here and then take you through, okay, the history of why I got to that. His background with, you know, Bill Bollachek and all those things is pretty awesome. But yeah, I mean, yeah, the amount of detail is amazing. Like it's not a fluke why they've had the success. You know, when you say, okay, let's talk about a coverage.

1:13:25The amount of detail and the coverage where you take all this high level information, you boil it down to very simple so the player can go play functionally. Like that's, it's a true talent that he has. The freshman that you have here, what do you think of your thoughts about it so far? Before you've been to field, what kind of things do you look for for your first break back to start the college? You know, in the skid environment? Yeah, it's a great question. You know, so we have the Fahin Cody into Shoddy right now. They've all been awesome. Like first off, who they are as people has been fantastic. Like those guys show up early for everything. They're on point, body weights, you know, every little marker that we look for, academically, how they're performing, all that has been great. You know, Fahin came in with a ready-made college body, you know, documented through recruiting. We're excited about him. He's learning the ways to be a Buckeye, what it means to be a Buckeye, you know, and he's been found the other guys and has been awesome. Cody's been great. Cody's a worker.

1:14:26Cody's a worker. He's been fantastic to have every single day. He's made big time improvements really excited about, you know, him as well. And then, to Sean, it's coming off that injury that he had, you know, his high school season and he's been great as well. And he's been really diligent. Like all the hydrogen workers bought in, you know, they're hungry and they want to get better. You know, so we're excited about all those guys. Is the Sean going to be able to practice and spring practices? He'll be limited some in spring ball. So he'll be small with him, but he's progressing very well. Very well. With Fahin, obviously, you know, he comes from a college-ready body. He's really good for his own. Oh, yeah. What stood out about him? What do you guys think of him? Yeah, he brings a physicality to his game. You know, you've been able to see him roll down the box, blitz, do some of the things that we've been able to do with safety, but bring a physicality and mentality with him, you know. And then obviously when you get here, then it's a totally different level, right? So everybody's as good as you, you know. And I think very highly of him and have high expectations for him. When it comes to Caleb now, I'm curious.

1:15:28He's obviously on top of his own, right? How does that allow you to feel like you're experimenting with some of the things you can do? It feels like he could succeed in a lot of different positions and feel how much does that allow you to say, okay, we can do this, we can do that and move some things around you by the other way. Yeah, it definitely allows you to, and as a coach, you would say, you have to be able to do that, right? So you've got essentially a very, very unique chess piece that can, like how many guys can really play the deep part of the shallow part of the blitz? You know, do the different things that we ask him to do at that level, right? Guys can move around and do it, but very few can do it to that level where he's elite at all of it. So it's keeping it simple enough to be able to go be functional with him and the pieces that are around him, but that's a huge part of, you know, you see our successes past year. A lot of that was putting Caleb in position to be successful. You know, that's, especially like as we, you know, say from the half point of the season towards the end, that was critical for us. So, yeah, I think it's a responsibility as a coach, we haven't got like this, to make sure you're putting him in position.

1:16:29Elite played a good bit as a freshman last year, and obviously, room state healthier a little bit too, but didn't get as much action, but still, you know, was the first guy off the bench. What have you seen from him? Where is he at? He's developing. I've seen a big jump in Elite. You're going to see a different kind of guy when he takes the field to spring. So he, uh, the mental, it's all mentality. It's all mentality. Physically, that's why you saw, you know, the flash, I think, as a true freshman. And, um, he's always had that piece right there, but the mentality, the toughness, the grit that he has. I mean, that showed a big time right now. So I got big expectations for him. What does this spring look like for, for Caleb? Brian's talked about some of the guys who played a lot last year, made me a little skilled. He's been back, but he's defense and obviously, second year in the system. What, what, what is his next thing with like, for him? Yeah, I think leadership is the biggest thing right now. I mean, so when, um, he's always been a leader, um, but he's got even a bigger leadership role because you had a bunch of guys that had played a lot of snaps here at Austin, right?

1:17:31Where you don't have as many guys playing snaps. So I think, you know, this, this offseason, he's been fantastic and transitioning that way, we work to the field now from a leadership standpoint. It's going to be critical for him. So, um, yeah, we'll be smart with, like Coach, they said, we'll be smart with how we manage reps and, you know, springs at time to build fundamentals, to build schematics, but really to also find out what guys can do. You know, and we know some of what he can do and I like what we all do, right? So again, continue to get him better, but allow him to be able to influence the other guys to be able to. Are the, I can make a little more, you know, the nickel spot, um, who are some of the guys who were sort of like, we're happy that spot. Yeah, um, the Renzo styles, remained math years and we've got some guys that, you know, have experience in there and, um, yeah, we've got some good candidates to be able to go into that spot. Yeah, those are close because they could be able to see operating in there. Thanks guys. Appreciate you, Matt. What, uh, they definitely study receivers are studying you. I wish you studied corners.

1:18:31Yeah, early in the week, uh, trying to learn to press techniques. Um, like Jaden Johnson, they really played the field that much sauce. I'm just blazing one side. So every corner is different. Jaden kind of played everywhere. So you gotta just get tendencies from each player and then figure out ways how you can tap, what's happened? See how much do you adjust your game week to week just based on who might be checking here? I mean, yeah, everybody's technique is different. Um, I still try to play my game. I've been in the day that they, they've, they've covered me, they've been guarding me and, um, kind of reacting me. So, um, I try to adjust too much, which is to be prepared for anything that they made the right. How comforting is it to know that you guys can beat teams in different ways, like two weeks ago with the past. Yeah, it's a week with clearly around the game. It's got to be a good thing to know that you guys can kind of do what you need to do. Definitely. That's the sign of a great offense. Um, the teams, like you said, they want to pick it up and run. I'm on my media and sometimes you've got to pass the ball. And, you know, receivers have kind of make plays with the outside and hope in the game. You have a situation in the last week where they kind of play a lot of cover-to-a-lot of show defense. And kind of forcing you around the ball.

1:19:32And we ran it for about two hundred yards. So I think the great offense is going to do both. And, um, I think that's definitely really good for us. What did, like, when you see your young defensive line and your running backs kind of impose their will and impose the defensive. Really break their spirit on it. Yeah, I mean, you kind of get a sense, like some teams that they don't want to play no more. And it kind of just break down. I think it's one thing we pass the ball and, you know, all over the place to, uh, on a defense. When we actually run the ball and every single play, it gets exhausting. So, um, I'm sure it just breaks me down. Do you... How many people are kind of the... how many people are up to the balance? One hundred and eleven. One week, twenty-one, eleven. How many people are up to the balance? Yeah, I mean, it's tough. It's definitely tough. Um, you kind of want to have, you know, one of those games every game, but that's kind of not the reality of NFL. Like you said, in some games, you might as well run the ball for twenty yards and, uh, kind of adjusted with the defense. It's kind of giving you. And, uh, at the end of the day, the win is the most important. Um, with the ups and downs, kind of just have to, you know, stick to your process weekend and week out. Uh, the result is going to be with the results going to be, but, uh, along your processes, uh, consistent, up the week, that's a great.

1:20:36This is a tight end play, been like an eye opener for you, like, to see the things that Trey McBride does in the past one game, and he's hurtling guys out there, like, nice. Yeah, I mean, he's amazing, man. Trey is just super talented, uh, has really great ball skills. Probably best days, like you said, with the ball on his hand, he can... He's given the jet seat on the goal line, like, I'm not mean Trey has been doing that, so he's just really a special talent, uh, a great addition to this offense, and... Just everything that we can do with him makes us feel very dangerous. How do you rate your goals and catch up? All right, I mean, I was probably one of the best catches I've definitely seen. I'm seeing him make plenty of catches, that's probably the best one I've seen to make up. I mean, I'm just trying to get a catch at this point, you know? I mean, I think definitely, I would, the stat sheet kind of says one thing. Um, then just based on how the people are playing, you got us. And as a whole, but you just kind of get better each year, week. Um, to take advantage of the opportunity to share a given, to make it easier with it to win.

1:21:39Yeah, definitely, definitely. When it's win, everything's good. Well, the coverage has changed over the course of the game against you, or what you see early in the games. That pretty much what you're going to get the rest of the game. I don't know, I'm not the defense of coach. I'm sure they have their game plans. Like, okay, early on in the game, we're going to try to take away this, and if the team is to work, we'll stick with it. If it doesn't, it may adjust, we may not, but I'm not very sure with their thought process going into the games. Um, we just kind of see what they do. And like he said, we can do both people, wonderful or passable. I think that makes it very dangerous. A greedy player, man. I'm a legend. Nathan, I'm sure you were asked this about a zillion times. I'm asking you to zillion one. Just you personally. Does it feel like this, everything is kind of, I mean, this is just obviously the ultimate payoff and reward. But just for you personally going through some of the trials and tribulations you have here at Ohio State, what does this mean for you? I mean, without sounding too stupid by asking that kind of question. It means everything to me. I'm just so thankful. And God gave me an opportunity after facing so much adversity to put me in this situation to be with my brothers, my team, my family members.

1:22:45And God there and just played this game. I never take any game every meeting, every practice for granted. I never take any for granted. I'm just so thankful. Did you ever get to a point where you just thought, I don't know if I can keep doing this or did that ever cross your mind? Never did. Never. I love football. I love football, man. Yeah, I love football. I thank God that he allows me to play this game every day. And yeah, I love football. What was it like after the game and you know, there was talk that you guys all had a meeting. Things got supposedly heated. Is there any truth to that? As far as like the players and the coaches, you guys talk with Ryan Day and just, I mean, just kind of had a hashing out like, hey, let's come, let's come full circle on this whole thing. And this and what happens behind closed doors, stays behind closed doors, but whatever happened to help us with a national championship. So I want to change up to. Well, and there you go, right? So I mean, would you say in a stupid way, not that you guys obviously wanted to lose the game. But if you hadn't, do you think you would be sitting here where you're at?

1:23:50I don't know. I don't think about what is I think about that work. How would I ring? I feel in my hand. It's a national team. Like in our whole life, and I've seen them being those leadership roles prior to this. I mean, he was stepping into it already last year, but we got eight guys in the defense leaves. And now he has to really just elevate that. Yeah, and I really I've been seeing him. I knew he was going to mow in this for a while now. So what makes sense? I think he just knows how to talk to different players. Different players require different approaches. Some players you can you can rip them a little bit. Some guys you might need to pull them to the side. Some guys might need like they have some off the field things that like he just can give some insights. It just depends on the guy. Just being able to relate to each individual player and see the most person connect. I hope that helps build trust with the mesolid. I was watching an interview with Nathan Ransom recently. He called you the most confident guy in the world. Yeah. What do you think he meant by that? When I came here, I was seven on the depth or like I was I was nowhere where I knew to be at, but I always knew like you got to have that confidence to be able to play DB here at a high level.

1:24:55And I think it's just I think it's just going to show. I'm excited to go out here and ball this year. So you got to be a little delusional. Coming into such a competitive place. I came here playing receiver. And I think I just want to I want to show my boy lay that really well. I wasn't delusional. So I'm going to put all together this year, but I always just been a guy who's still talking trash. Still even when I might not have it all together yet. Just still trying to get better every day. As you worked your way up the depth chart, you were doing a lot on special teams. Yeah. The coaches have been making that a priority with lots of younger guys. What would your message be to some of those younger guys that are trying to find their way out on some teams? Yeah, on special teams, like it's not it's not a free play like that down. It's critical. When it like has a direct effect on winning and losing games. You see if we miss field goals or if we are our punt games, not right. We're not hitting 40 plus yards things like that has direct correlation on winning and losing football games. And really at the next level, I have some guys who've been there and like we have a week like Nate Ebner. He played 10 years and he was a special teams guy.

1:25:55So just especially for me being a guy in my role in my situation, special teams is the most important. And I want it to be a tool to keep me in that NFL for a while. And I think the other guy should look at it as a tool to do the same thing at least and even get an opportunity to get on field. Give up to still do or be a part of the kick return unit as they're returning. Yeah, I'm trying to get back there and return some kicks for sure. But that's also me, the trust back there for allowing me doing it. I want to be on all four units. I know like playing nickel at the next level. You see guys you got to be on special teams. And I hold a certain stand while I go play. So just being a set there will be this critical stuff in the team in the shirt. How much more comfortable do you feel now? I mean, I've been getting comfortable. I feel comfortable playing for a while now. I'm being honest with you guys and trying to be who are good football players. But to me, it wasn't really really about that. It's continuing to get on the rise and feel like my skillsets are getting better. My games getting better. And as long as I'm playing football, I still want to keep getting better. Give me your impressions of your main message. Jermaine's a ball player.

1:26:56He's an energy giver. He's one of those guys who gets the team excited. He's talking a lot of trash. You know, he has to go sell these and everything like that. But I think he's starting to really, I've been with him since he first came in. So I've been seeing him mature, growing to more of a leadership role. And really just he's continuing. He's a guy on the rise to getting better every single day. He's a talented football player. He's a talented football player. Yeah, I think you have the chance to have a great year this year. Where's your really late, I think we think it's spring. The first time this spring is culture. I want to give a shout to my guy Malik Hartford. But it's I don't really think it was just a spring like in the offseason. He was going real hard. We have this thing we've read our champion and he holds himself to a high standard. And he did that. And then it's just translating the field. That's who I've been watching a lot of my film with. I've been seeing him apply to the field and getting better every day. You see a late the grants of leave. We go to step into that spot here in May to me.

1:27:56That's the evolution of football. I'm going to say this is a high of a state too. I mean, I know that's a great player. Don't get me wrong, but they're kicking the ball off in a high of state. And they're sandwiched the standards. So we got to have players make plays. Who do you like? It's making you know, people back whatever who's making some strides in that group. I was a lot of art. I was a lot of art. I was doing the competition. But how would you describe it? Yeah, I mean, we have a lot of guys. We're position flexibilities a big thing here. So we put a bunch of different guys in that position. So I think Bryce West has been playing well. And I think Miles is coming along too. But I think the biggest thing for all of us is just really getting them to understand the defense, getting them to know what they're doing. And they all have the skill set. So really, as that mental part develops, the physical is already there. So just put it all together. And they have the chance to be really good players here. When you got like a diva Sanchez, Walter, a five star, one of the top players in the country. Is there an initiation process with players anymore? I could be a smart up-mark, but I was thinking about that.

1:28:58I was thinking about that. I knew that. But is there, do these people see a guy that grew up in front of your eyes? Yeah, I mean, the stars are like, yeah, like, am I so like the skills that you have or like the God given abilities? Well, I want to say about Devon, who's the type of person he is. He's a real good guy. I think his ego is not crazy. He's like, he's a real, a little humble guy. And then he's trying to get better every single day. The stars and all that really don't matter. There's not really an initiation process. If you come here, you're freshmen. You got your black stripe on, you got to earn your way. And I think that's getting your teammates trust and getting the trust in your coaches. How do you see him just like, in terms of like competitiveness, like, equating himself so hard in his first spring? Oh, yeah, he's competitive. But if I'm being honest, I don't really want to. I mean, he has the hype. He's a five star and all that. But like, Ohio State, like, the standard to standard. So like, everyone in our room is held to the standard. And I think he's getting there, meeting that standard. Like, he's getting better every single day.

1:29:58He has to continually get better. But the traits that you want and the thing about effort going hard, being a competitor, all those things that are not the technique, not the football part, he has that there. And I think when everything else comes along, it's a big, great player as well. How is that standard helped you personally going into your third year now? Kind of your development over the last couple of years. I mean, yeah, I was challenged. I mean, it's either you, the sink or swim. I had guys in front of me. I had to make a choice. Like, don't want to continue to get better every single day or just be complacent. I could just sit in the air and be like, okay, like, this is just my situation or try to find a way. So, I mean, that's it. I made a way on the field. That was my goal. I had to go hard. I had to do certain things. I had to go on special teams. And those things I weren't doing before, necessarily, in my freshman year playing on those special teams. I don't know, trying to learn Nickelback. I came here to play corner. I'm out here playing Nickelback. So, it's sink or swim. So, I think I did that. And now it's the time just to take it to another level and continue to get better. You mentioned the first question earlier. It said, you have to be a little bit delusional. Did it, is it important to have that confidence,

1:30:58even before maybe you have everything figured out, had an invitation or a gratitude? I mean, clearly, I mean, I would never play it if I didn't. I came here to play corner. We have a bunch of guys here at corner. Now I'm trying to get that Nickel. We have a dude starting at Nickel. I want to play. I have to get it on the third down package. I have to go do this on special teams. I haven't done something on special teams. So, like, yeah, you got to be a little delusional. You got to be a little delusional. All right, we're in. So, thank you. Thanks for having me. You know, it's pretty good. One of those, like the draft process and all of season, I've got a lot of people with outside the building. I've got a lot of people with outside the building too. I'm ready to get it right now. A lot of people with a building, we have a right time. We did a good, good, good, motivated event. You followed it, like, if you didn't get to do it. I don't, I've re-entered a little bit, but also sent out, like, they not here. Of course, but I don't worry, they care what they say. I know what I can do. It seemed like what I can do. So, they trust in me right now. And I'm going to live in where I'm going. How hard or how easy is that to compartmentalize that?

1:31:59Use that as fuel going forward rather than kind of marinating it. I just keep recedes. Everybody knows that one person. I really care for him, but also that's all beautiful. I live outside of this, but I keep doing it. I keep doing better. Keep doing it as nice as I can do. There, you've been outspoken about your support of Zameer. And obviously, it's just a chance now to be the dog. What is it about him that you bought in so early? The reason why I bought him so early is because I was at a house. They always taught us, and I told him, I took it. And every single guy here, I'm always going to get it. And I take a leak. And I always want to prove it wrong. Now I've been through it. People are wrong. All my life, I want to keep doing that. I guess, for this, like, you confident and like, set you, you know, community here. And you have 90 different, 90 different strong. My first year and my second year. Now I'm like, now I'm a guy.

1:32:59I know I can play. I know I can go into one of the best special nights. Anybody else that we point play this year. And I know what to do. So all I do now is actually meet my potential. And help everybody else out in the team as well. You've practiced a lot against Malcolm. And he's really come into his own. What is it about Malcolm that's helped him make that next step there? Malcolm, he's quiet. He doesn't really say too much. He comes and work every day. Do what he does. And he works hard. He doesn't put twice of anything. Yeah, he'll get mad over a couple of reps of all. So at the same time, I'm like, he has an entire open up. He's, he don't really care what you're all thinking. Or anybody else thinks you're up. So it's like, all right, just keep going. That's how everybody has something. How about Ty-Rays? Together at the same time. So he doesn't say the same. I said, well, I'm going to go with him. I'm going to go with him. No, he, he, he's definitely great. He, he's definitely grown a lot from this like, first year here to now. Like, he is. He's saying this name. But he's grown up a lot.

1:34:00I'm going to tell you guys a reimagining the offensive line a little bit. You out there, right side. You have, uh, uh, arm there next to you on the other side too. And then drafting the guys on the line. How exciting is that to be part of something that's, that's kind of being, having that trust, but also being reinvented a little bit? I was very, you know, but me and Dylan know that they're going to keep replacing us. Of course, but all the same time we had a keep on, you know, became extremely big. But what they did, all we had to do was stand by what we came to do. It was better. And for it's a little, sorry, don't put a lot on the left side. We're going to go for a little bit more. How, how long have you got to work together? Working pretty well, you know, yesterday for us. We had like a, uh, a little rookie moment a little bit, but, um, you know, me and him has been great friends, you know, I train like my brother. And I always will, you know, we talk every day about it. How can we get better? How can we help each other on the right side so we can eventually make a connection? You guys play like writing in, do you think of that? What do you think about the NSL playing?

1:35:00Like, Wednesday? Christmas, all that. Hey, guys, you guys kind of, you guys, you guys first, or care about that. It's time to go play. You guys, good? Thank you. You know, how they use the map Purdue, he, he showed some things on, I'm film that might compliment what we already have in the room. And, uh, really make us a, you know, a pretty whole unit. Is that his skills or receiver? Yeah, route running was, was certainly one of them. And I think, you know, he's got a lot of skills and a perimeter blocking. And, you know, in line, he's pretty good. But, yeah, definitely as a receiver, um, he's, uh, he's pretty polished. Do you have, what do you think, maybe, like, during a wise, he's sort of a big, sort of, you think, you're good for a router? Yeah, I don't know. I mean, probably he had good coaches. And obviously he's naturally, you know, a gifted athlete. He played a couple different sports in high school. Has a good feel for space and, uh, super athletic. But he's, he's really impressed me with how, you know, how dedicated he is. And he's always in my office, he was trying to get better. When you have the receivers you guys have, how do you get the guy like him, involved in the passing game as well? We saw, Kate and G do it to some level, but he's a guy who prods 50-some passes.

1:36:04Yeah, no, I think, I think it, I think it makes it easier. Right, you know, I, I show these recruits all the time. It, because everyone says, well, how is he just a receiver school? It's like, Marvin Harrison was the best receiver in the country, you know, and, you know, who number two is in targets and receptions and receiving hours. It was Kate, because, you know, you can go to the other schools and they don't have the receivers we do, and you're going to get double there again. Good luck. I don't know many, you know, great plays if you're going to get bracketed. Um, but no, you have the receivers at Coach Hartline, you know, keep spraying in here, we're going to have single coverage. And if my tight ends can't beat single coverage, and, you know, we're going to have issues. You know, I've got another tight end we can. Like, we've got a lot of tight ends who are, uh, pretty good receivers. Um, excited to see him. And you mentioned the inline blocking. Yeah. I think if you take PFF grades, you will want that. They're not as high as other guys. How have you, for max, okay? Yeah, just how, how, how do you see that part of his game? Because I think that's been the knocker people have talked about. Yeah, I'm not sure. I mean, he checked that box when I watched the film. I'm not sure what the nice folks at PFF are watching, but, uh, Will Kazmerik didn't have many offers coming out.

1:37:06I'm the best blocking tight end in the country. So, I don't know what his grade is. Listen, talk about it. The combine. He said that after the Purdue game, he came to you and said, Hey, this guy is a supporter of the game. What, what do you do? Yeah, yeah, late in, late in trying to take all the credit. Caleb Downs is also, you know, kind of sure for me. I, I always have dinner with those two guys at DB's, really the safeties on Friday nights. And I always, every week, just asking about the opposing tight ends. And they were super high on, uh, max, Purdue week. And so when he went to the portal, uh, late in the Caleb, like, see, oh, that's a guy. So how's that? Well, I'm watching. Obviously, you have to do your own evaluation. And I'm just having obviously, how much do you value that up? And do you hear that from guys who actually have to go on the trip? No, hugely. Usually. And like, at this back to back years, really, because you had, I mean, I would have watched max anyway. I'm not even playing too much play that year. But like, like the year before it was the same way it was told me about Will Kazmerik. So, um, no, if a guy knows our culture, and it says, Coach, he fits your room. I gotta give Sam all the credit for finding the cas. Is this the deepest tight end room that you have here?

1:38:07Yeah, it's gotta be. Just because, again, Dan, how many guys played in the Nadi? Then we had five or four or five tight ends. We had all six play in the playoffs. And four of those six are back. So yeah, I mean, we've got tons of guys in that room that have started college football games. And not just against the school down the street. Like big time moments and big time games. So yeah, we're super deep. How valuable is that to know that you have, you know, four guys that have all played a lot of football. And you're tight end room. Usually, and I think the best part, Dan, is like, now I can challenge him even more. Like, we're past the stage of, okay, here's what it's gonna be like on Saturday. They've almost all the guys in that room have done it. You know, so now I can challenge him even more to go, you know, go be the best tight end room in the country. We're at a higher state. Like, if you're not up to that challenge, then go somewhere else. For guys like Bennett and Jalani, what did they have to do to earn even more life time this year? Yeah, I think everyone's different, right? Bennett's different than Jalani. But for those guys, I mean, consistently, I said it, you know, last week, like, which hard is gonna put the best 11 on the field. It doesn't matter if they're all running back to receivers or tight ends. So like, every day I tell them, every day you're competing against the other tight ends in the room.

1:39:10But we're competing against receivers and they're running back to, when we put two or three or four tight ends on the field, if that package is better than none, we're gonna live in that. So, every day's a challenge. Really? It's a huge thing. You got it right? How much did the real victory pack do last week? Yeah, a lot. A lot. I was obviously all injured. I'm unfortunate, but he put in so much work. I was excited to see him have a full season. So that was cut short. But again, on the flip side, it challenged him to be more of a leader and to learn the offense, maybe, you know, taking a step back and help mentor a guy like Jalani. And I think there was a huge opportunity for a guy like Bennett and Jalani. Like, we watched it this morning in my meeting when we went down. We went tempo in the next play, G block the C gap. Then we hit Quint Shawn, and the next play we were like 14 personnel with 13. And it was three tight ends, we had never done that. And we're on the road at Oregon, and we punched it in and scored. It's just a great story to tell the guys. Like, when Kate went down against Georgia, we played the game with Ms. Rossi. It's like, all the guys gotta be ready.

1:40:10I don't know when your numbers are gonna be called. So, I know it was unfortunate, but such a good learning opportunity. What are you? Today is not about Jalani needing to be more consistent. Is that some of your seeing more of a potential offense? Yeah. I mean, he's off the charge of the night and day, more mature, been really impressed with just his work ethic. He's in here every night getting extra work in. I'm challenged to learn every position I'm off. And don't just be a Y, be a Y, be an H, know what the C's got. And then also be a leader. He's not a young guy anymore. So, like, he's coaching Nathan, but blocking those guys in Max. You know, even harder, he was yelling at Max Claire, you know, not yelling at. He was encouraging him to finish. Like, hey, you're obviously tight-end. Like, we're gonna be going harder than everyone on the field. And I was like, you're getting it. That's awesome. He's been a leader. So, super impressive. For you. I know you're wanting to defer to your guys and credit them. But you are kind of a staple of one part of the purpose of coaching you do. You've built your way up through this program now. Get the title this off season. What's it been like to watch your journey here and kind of see where you are now?

1:41:12Yeah, and I appreciate that. You know, I'm not gonna take the bait there. That's total rap poison. But no, I think every off season out of high state, we had such good players and we went to champion chips. Everyone around here is going to get opportunities to go somewhere. And that's a credit to those guys. It also like shows all the trust that Coach Day and Coach LaHap are me. And I've been, those guys have been my boss for the last nine years. Whether Coach Day or Coach Hard. So like, nothing's changed but a title. And just, you know, super blessed to be here with those two guys. And I love those guys. Keenan, you spent a lot of time talking about the message with your guys about being overlooked. You know, it's a good thing that we're looking for a list based on the group or the rankings and all that. This group is now veteran. Oh, yeah. One of the most productive titles in the country joined the room. Do you have to change? I know it's still going to be hardest working. No, no. Well, you're not going to take that away. Is it a different message now? Different mentality? It is. What is it? It is. Yeah, Austin, you hit the nail on the head. Like, we're not changing our DNA. You cut open a high state title and easy to be a bad dude. It was really freaking hard and it's just gritty. It's all good out.

1:42:12But I'm not saying that we're going to be overlooked this year. At all, it's a 180. I told the guys, we should set the tone for the offense, for the team. You know, nationally, like with toughness and effort and all that, but production. And we should be a driving force. Like, I challenge them all the time. Someone comes to practice. You want to see what the Ohio State Buck guy fight, culture is a brother. Just go watch the Titans. Don't watch it. Like, that's who the Buck guys are. So I challenge them. You know, lead from the front now. We don't need to be, you know, the least kind of the sleeper unit. No, no, like set the tone. Did Max play the track quickly? I mean, you mentioned Will trying to lead and the courage to practice. He's been here two months now. Is he putting that in my mind? No, he feels right in. And that's all thanks to some things today. I'm like, all right. Yeah, no, he's going to be in a high state tight end. Yeah, no, I'm super proud of him. And the whole unit. Sorry, did I miss anybody else? Good. Thank you guys. Thanks. Thank you. It's getting the most themselves in Rockville being here last year. Yeah, I feel like, uh, Seth, he's definitely made a big impact. How I play the game now, I feel like I look at the, I look at like first and second down different

1:43:16because I feel like he's gave me a lot of information on how he sees the defenses, how they move and stuff like that. So I feel like Seth has become like a really good factor in my game and how I improved. For a guy like that to come in from Alabama, and maybe it's a great thing to be able to do. It's a fit in like that. What it is, what inside you get into like what it means to be able to do. Yeah. I feel like, you know, Seth, when Seth came in, I knew Seth was a really good player at BAMMA. He's played in those big games. So, you know, just learning on everything he's done and how he like takes the next step. And how he gives his speeches is something I took note of. Josh, you guys obviously have quite a turning, you please bear them into your line. You, Carson, you take a pause. And how have you seen just the chemistry of you guys growing up the last couple of years? Yeah, I feel like everything is just like binding together. I feel like we're all just playing really good next to each other. And everything's been going really well. Do you feel just, you know, physically stronger when you're messing up? Because you're in here, you're like, like, the versus last one?

1:44:18Definitely. I feel like it's a really big thing. Really, it's something I've noticed over the years is that I've improved on. It's definitely my strength and coach makes definitely got us going. How do you notice it just in the beginning? I feel like just over like these past summer just getting stronger as I can. And then like you just see it over and over and over. You like can stay in those reps. Those big time reps, you can just like stay in. You're just kind of learning things that they've taken notes and things like that. How does that manifest itself in the market before? Yeah, I feel like Seth, you know, what he's done, how he controls the offense, he makes the ID, gets everything going, make sure it gets off and set. I feel like it's something I took note of. What's the like going back home after with the national championship? You know, it was, it felt surreal. I mean, it's something I like, you dream of as a kid, you know, as a kid, you grow from Ohio. You always dream about playing for Ohio State. You know, it's just great that I'm able to be here and play in a national championship. It's like wrestling experience still helps you as you're changing the body.

1:45:20Oh, yeah, I feel like definitely. If my mentality still is something like wrestling has definitely developed my mentality and my natural, like I go out there and I try and like basically just choice all every time. Anyone I go against, I feel like I'm trying to show him. What's going on here in person though? Oh, yeah, Coach Bill on his death, a great person. He definitely gets his going. It's a really good, obviously, I'm coach. I'm going to get the odds, they aren't strong on the 20s. The bond parents strong on the gold line. Thank you, Josh. I thought we were going to get a good one. Good. Thanks, Chris. Yeah, yeah. I'm sure as a unit, then I've ever seen before. I mean, I've been here for five years and I've been on a lot of offensive lines. I think this is the closest one we've had by far. And it just, just because I think of the adversity that we've overcome to get to this point. And like Coach, they said, there's a story still to be written. That's what I'm trying to do. It's impressed me a lot.

1:46:20He's a really good football player, as you can tell. It's going to boost him in the NFL when he gets there. And it's crazy to see how valuable he is to this team. Josh, do you ever have to see the top of the season and the 15th round? I'd say it feels like a dream. But at the same time, I think you just take it day by day. You can't look forward to the game. You have to have a good Tuesday practice, have a good Wednesday practice, have a good Thursday practice. And just make sure that those days are complete to where you can build up to that game and see how you're going to do in the game. What are the points in the season this far and what are the things you've worked on in practice? I think it's more just mental. Just seeing what the defense is, what their scheme is.

1:47:20And then also just making sure that you have the right technique for those defenders and stuff like that. Josh, don't talk to Josh. We've been going to have to rally. Just talking about that. All you've got to do is hit the football match. It has been a grind. And then I mean, just playing. Yeah, you'd say everything. I mean, we hit on a daily basis all the time. So you could have knee pain, ankle pain. You could have headaches. You have shoulder pains. You have hands, wrists, thumb, anything. But I think it just shows that we're willing to do whatever to play. What's driving? One-n-ass championship. One-n-ass championship. That's what's driving me more than ever. It's a memory that'll last a lifetime if you go and do it. You're trying to alter the path of fear of the tears of portal and English players and more pitches.

1:48:23You're one game, one game, one game. How to send your pitches to the team. I think it's paid off. Playing for a national championship. If you were to tell me that when I was 10 years old, being a starting right tackle to how state, I would say some cuss words at you and tell you to go away. Not that much, but yeah, it's Indiana. So yeah. How much can you do with the setting set? I don't know. I guess you could say I'm going to. I don't look at myself more than I'm just looking inside that huddle during the offense when we're calling a play. I'm like, I got to do it for these guys. Put so much in for them. Being in Indiana got one in the other day in the game. Yeah. No, another name didn't recruit me when I was going out through high school.

1:49:25But I don't have any ill will against that. They didn't think I was a good enough football player so. Didn't the day. No, I don't think that's any motivation. I don't look at it like that. Maybe that they recruited different guys in classes, but I don't look at it as any ill will. I think single person who I talked to this morning was like, oh my gosh, which is the client. You know, I would cost it. How in the world are you guys fighting the mental strength to rest and recover over and over again? Like what in this week then, like, one day, two days? Yeah, I think it's good. I think it's just shows that it's like an NFL style season. I mean, it's crazy to think what we were in week was at 16 or 17. And it's just per I think it prepares you for the next level more than ever because it's based. I wouldn't say it's NFL, but the playoffs and all that stuff, it's kind of coming together as the NFL.

1:50:29Sleep. Sleep going in the train room, spend hours in there. Then go in the film room with an ice pack on or a stem or something like that and start watching film. I think it's like a 24-7 thing that you always got to keep your body right to make sure that you're ready to perform at the level you want to perform at. Yes, John. It was really good step for bottom point where this often went to the level of coming back or re-tested, figured out another way. Explain that they do it. Where y'all come from that home? That day was an oh shit for me. It was just to see where he went from the winter time to being the guy who wouldn't talk anything and being all American, really. It was a dark point in this season for us as a line, but I had confidence in Carson right away.

1:51:30I mean, he played 12 games and he did find, I thought he did find those 12 games, so I had complete nutter confidence in Carson. Did he see more of those, well, knocked down, it was a grip, he played almost two, but then had to come three, I mean, it's like anything. Yeah, I think it just shows that sinners, guards, they just need time. I mean, you're not going to do amazing your first season, unless you're, I don't know, Michael Jordan or something like that. I don't know, but it shows that it's just a development and I mean are like our slogan is developed here. I mean, just to see him come from last season to this season, it's completely different. I was not just going to fight to develop a lot of things, but I don't know if there's other things I don't want to do. Yeah, I coached Fry's a great offense line coach. He knows what technique to use on every single play. He busses asks for us, even though people give him hate all the time, I don't understand, I don't see why.

1:52:36He's a great human being. He just wants the best for us and I think that's what you see at him every single day is he's trying to push us to be the best for ourselves. Do you think the job looks awesome, Tech, or not, that's a low-pitched or a low-pitched? Yeah, I think they've done an unbelievable job. And it just shows the selflessness of all three of those guys because Tech was starting for the season, awesome was the left guard and then Luke jumps in there. Those guys haven't complained one bit of, oh, I want to get more playing time or something like that. They've been selfless and it's amazing to see. I've been a lot more confident with Jack and said that Jack saw your call game and recruited and tried to get some of these guys. What do you remember about Jack's goal and trying to get everyone to come back and do this one more time? Yeah, I knew I was coming back so there was no recruiting for me. I was kind of on the outside of that because it was only my first year of playing or first year starting. But I just remember just the fire and Jack's eyes you see because Ohio native Ohio State guy, literally the buck guy I call him.

1:53:44And it's just the fire and his eyes of hey, we can do this. We can go to a national championship and play for it. We just have to have everybody come back and it was awesome to see. I was walking over right as you said, five interceptors up for you. Is that important emphasis for you guys? It's your might as well be more aggressive, maybe more turnovers, more big time plays than you guys in a year ago. Is that how this defense can get better for more? Yeah, we're going to make some big time plays this year. We didn't really have too many last year. We need some more turnover. That's really the point of emphasis, whether that's getting punchouts on the ball or making intercept. Is that a mentality thing or is that something that you guys have to just be aware of on each and every play? You maybe give me more aggressive jumping around because of how much talent you guys have on you. How does that kind of play itself on a movie? We go out there with the most uproar confidence in the world. So it's how we make the play. I feel like we have to ask about Jeremiah. What have you noticed for Jeremiah and what's been watching him go against his kind of stuff?

1:54:48Yeah, he's just competing. But off right now, just a super competitor, like Ultimate competitor, quiet with the two. That's what makes it nice. He's quiet with the two, but everyone knows what type of time he's on. He's just really good. A lot of players are talking about me. Pretty quickly, you can tell that this guy was real. What did you kind of have that moment that you could tell that Jeremiah was maybe ready to play right away? I knew when his first time he'd caught a ball, two faye balls in his own. I just kind of knew he was the first one. Do you guys, you, Benzel, you got here. There was this expectation about me, right? What had happened a couple years before that? It seemed like the standard had slipped a little bit. And then, 2020, what happened? 22 happened? You know, now it looks like he's back to the game. It feels like he's back to the game. What does it mean to the back?

1:55:51It means everything that has backed us, means everything to the school. The people that came before us, Coach Walt. I mean, we literally had talks, like, I remember in 2022 season, we're going to bring this thing back. We talked about it so many times. The revival of BIA, we've really talked about this before. It happened last year. So, we just, seeing it happen in fruition is crazy. But we kind of knew it was going to come back to the standard and what those guys left behind. Is it making things easier for you guys to go come back to that year? Yeah, try now, like, actually talk to you. Yeah, first of all, you got to respect a little bit. And we can walk around here with some respect. But we still have to go out next year, prove, or this year, prove that we are the best. And that's where we're up to the challenge for a certain amount. Jordan, you have more guys that share more coaches who can help out. Like, someone analyst, like, do her. How do they help you?

1:56:52Oh, yeah. First of all, because, do our, the thing he's doing, the office is a remarkable job. We're just recruiting those guys. He's always with us. And they're 5 a.m. And, uh, same with Coach Mike Hunter. He's in there 5 a.m. And it's Mike Hunter. He got a, uh, I was with just the feedback round in the NFL. So, he's given us tips because he played Nippon with League. And so, now he's talking to me what he's learning and making me a whole better player. Like, in, like, at the 5 a.m. server during practice, is there anything at all around him? Yeah. Just going to get to the good. Thank you all. Thank you. He's definitely incredibly beneficial. What do you, like, fully, fully recovered? I know, in the last season, you might have been able to play in the game. Yeah, no, I was not ready to go last year. No. Um, tried practicing, tried coming back. And, uh, it was, it was not good. Um, but, yeah, it was, uh, unfortunately, the year wasn't going great. And it just was unnecessary risk for, I mean, my foot could have had some real, real issues

1:57:57if I came back too early. Um, so yeah, it's been, it's been, it's been a great offseason. My foot's feeling great. Toes good, hamstrings good. I mean, there was a list of things last year in my hand. Um, so all those things are good. I got surgery on my finger, so that's feeling good. Um, yeah, it's nice to be feeling better going into year nine than you have since maybe, uh, five, six years ago. Which, I've said, I've said I've been feeling great the last couple of years. I'm telling you, it's a real deal this time. But, uh, obviously anything can happen, but I just feel, um, it's fun feeling really confident in your body and being able to perform. So I could just go out during practice and, you know, go balls to the wall and do everything that I feel like I need to to be able to prepare. Um, it's fun. My brother and whoever I trained with, my, my trainer taught back home. I think they'd be really proud of how I've been working this offseason and, um, it's just exciting.

1:59:02The point was, the end result, the green Bay game, you kind of, you know, see it, you, I'm just pointing for it. Yeah, there's a bit of a build up a little bit of an overreaction, but, you know, it's just tough. Sometimes, sometimes like that. And I just felt, felt really, uh, defeated coming back at a broken hand. Like, oh, yeah, I get to play boom for a series of flip-ops that I'd have to get surgery and all these thoughts flooded through my head. I broke down a bit and yeah, it just hurts, you know, you're losing, you're getting injured. I felt like you prepared really well in the offseason and then the year before you had growing surgery. So, you know, a lot of things build up. Um, yeah, you don't get a break if you're injured, everybody wants to go on. Fans are very nice, but, um, no, I just, I'm grateful that I feel this way. I'm still, still a nice, you ripe 28. So, not too old yet, but, um, yeah, I'm just excited.

2:00:06I can't remember what the original question was at this point. You guys could do this, you guys could do this. You can get something about my body. You were just, that close you and Giff were, how frustrating was it that you couldn't, you know, sooner or for one of those last three games? It was frustrating, but I mean, Giff was, had my back the whole way. Um, I think for Giff, for any, but for, for the whole team, just to show what it means to me, it would have been important for me to be out there, but I literally could have, and I tried to practice injured my foot worse. The very first play I was in on practice, so no chance that was happening unless I wanted to throw my next season away as well. No, I'm just, I'm proud of him for what he did with the team, how he handled it. And I need to call him back, actually, sorry, Giff. Yeah, I'm happy he gets to stay close by with the, with the Rams and, uh, just proud of all we accomplished here together over the years and, and we'll be close for the rest of the lives.

2:01:14What was the, the footage? Yeah, it was the sky. That's like a foot space. Yeah, I, I, I sprained one area of my foot, then when I tried to return, I sprained another area was able to avoid getting surgery, which is kind of the main goal. Um, but yeah, it was, it was tough. So, uh, when it comes to the addition of, but debris, what have you felt like he's kind of brought to the room and could bring on the field? Yeah, it's, when I heard we got my brother's, some, I don't know, maybe my brother told me I'm like, really? We just kept blood like, let's know, let's know small pickup. He's, uh, seriously elite past rusher, um, has had some trouble with injuries as well. So I understand how that is, but not only him as a player, but as a personality, I heard, Colliel just saying he's, he's a fun guy. He's a funny guy and, and to have that in the room, another vet. Um, is always a great addition, but I'm just excited to have him and Tully and to be able to rotate like that and not drop off at all when we come off the field is, is huge.

2:02:18And now, Tully's going into a second here, just what do you, what do you, what are the, what are some of the maturity, maturity areas you've seen from him? I'm going to say not much and that's a compliment because he was already mature in those areas. I mean, he's on it. Everything playbook wise, always doing his job, working hard, just refining his technique and past rush. I mean, we don't have pads on right now. So the real work will begin, you know, in six weeks now. But yeah, I love Tully. I've loved him since the first day. He's, he's walked in the facility and I know he's just going to continue to get better. Would you think of the addition of Joel? Yeah, yeah, I'm going to need to beat him up a little bit in camp. So he's, so he's ready. But no, I, I think anything to protect our number 10 is, is a good, good investment. So he seems like a real solid dude, haven't talked to him too much. Great build seems like he has good hands, good feet strong.

2:03:24We'll see, we'll see in a few weeks when I lay a helmet in his chin how he holds up, but I'll, I'll take it easy on him. There's a shot. There's a shot. Reshans Abyss. Did you know Coach Armand before he came here? And if he did just what were those first couple conversations like that? Yeah, probably of cross pass with him, maybe, maybe not actually. I think what was it is first year when I was a junior? So we kicked his ass as usual. Did it have a state? No, no, they just want a championship side. Say they probably have the bragging rights right now. I'm like the guy talking about his old high school. Oh, I remember. We used to kick. No, no. Yeah, no, the rivalries dad. I was just saying this morning, you know, nine years and kind of forget about that. I'm not a great alumni, sorry.

2:04:24Sorry, Coach, but no, it's great. That's what's great about the NFL is you just have guys from all backgrounds. You can hate their guts one one year and then you come on the same team and your brothers and you're all working towards one goal together. So our first talk together was great. I just sat down with them when I opened his office and chopped it up about life mainly. And his opportunity here and how much it means to him and. Yeah, I think he's a special guy. I think he's the way he conducts. He's an interesting cat for sure and I'm still still feeling him out. But one thing you can't deny is that he loves football and his main goal is to win football game. So that's what we need. You see him working out with you guys and pushing his lives and doing all this stuff just how interesting is that to see him so interactive. Yeah, I mean, he was a great player himself. And I think he's always been, you know, built like that lack of a better term. But yeah, he's he's part of the guys, you know, he's not this guy outside looking in.

2:05:29And he really, I mean, he voiced that to me is that his favorite part of all of it is being with the guys and the connections he makes. So yeah, to see a guy like that come in and brace it all and kind of be part of it himself is important. Your initial practice of coaching during the defensive scheme. Yeah, it's funny to go from old gift, old gift to this little young guy who's my age. I wouldn't want to get thrown into a room with me and Khalil, though, his age, but no, he's been great. I love messing with him a little bit. We little sarcasm back and forth. But no, he's great. He's very talk very fast. And I don't, as you know, sometimes I get to be like, slow down coach, come on. But no, he's great. I'm excited, you know, to get closer as the years go as the year goes on.

2:06:29And I think he has he has a lot of passion for the position and all he wants to do is learn and help us to improve. So I'm excited about him and I mean, I do miss gift. Obviously it was a long time with him, but I am excited to have a new face and kind of have that chance. I worked much with with Jesse's dad since I know you coach linebackers in Michigan. Wait, did you ask about Jesse? Yes, about Dylan. Okay, you asked about Jesse. Oh my god, I was talking about freaking Dylan the whole time. You guys are so confused. No, sorry, I thought I was I thought you mentioned coach Roni. No, no, coach Minter has been great as well. Yeah, both been great. Sorry, run that back. No, he's been good. Yeah, very knowledgeable guy. Same thing. I'm excited to get to know more as the year goes on. Have you worked if you work much during the last week? Yeah, no, I have not. I don't know if I've said one word to him, but more words to come down the road.

2:07:43Like you said, you've been years since 2016 just what are some of this stuff? What's the name? Just went on a ramble about the wrong guy for 15 minutes. You're welcome. What? It's a rough idea. Yeah, look the heck. That's literally not the person. I'll wear that one. Yeah, figured out. What's something that you you worked on during the off season, something to improve your game or is your. Usually my answer is pretty consistent that I just continue to try to prepare myself physically. Whether it's my sprint work or agility work in my lifting. But yeah, just to get everything feeling great, I let out with those injuries. So I had to kind of ramp it up with my finger and foot and all those things. But now I'm full.

2:08:43Full speed out there and I'm just going to continue to do what I know will prepare me for the season. And I know I'm going to get plenty of technique work and position work when I'm out here. So for now, I'm going to spend these five weeks really getting preparing my body. Those workouts competitive again. Another year of competitive events with you and Nate working on all that stuff? Yeah, yeah. It's usually too hot out there for much competition. We're just trying to survive. But yeah, it's always it's a silent competition between between each other. I'd be like peaking. I was like, what was his time? No, yeah, it's always you can never have an off day when when you're out there and he's he's warming up like a beat like a freaking robot every day out there. So there's no off days. Have you you and him talked about? I mean, I mean, this also you were having a contract and you guys at the top of the off anyway.

2:09:45Yeah, I mean, it's it's a conversation. Not a not really a serious conversation, but something that's come up before. But yeah, I mean, it would be cool. It would be cool at some point. I I always thought of myself being somebody that will play here and retire here, which I think not many people do on one team. And I think would be a cool thing to accomplish, but you never know. I'm not worried about this year first. You guys are just kind of working on food story. So you guys have like the lowest or second most food cafeteria and then a health. Yeah, he's a very last year. I'm going to the facility like if you talk a lot about food and how eating sometimes is the fun. You have to be looking forward to the food upgrades and all of you thought about it at all. Yeah, no, it's Wolfgang Puck or whatever is the is the word. Yeah, it's great. I've been working with my chef for seven years now, so she's been great.

2:10:47So I've never really had to worry about that too much. But yeah, my weights good. I've been eating a lot. So season. So that's good. But yeah, I'm excited to maybe be able to. Sorry, Christina, but maybe I won't need a chef next year. I'll have my I'll have my I'll have my Wolfgang Puck food and that'll be good. So yeah, I'm excited about the move, found a new spot, excited to kind of learn the area and all that. Even though I won't ever leave my house. It's a really not the lack of the facility just a dish of chef was good. Oh, you all eat here sometimes. You know, it's may not be the best set up, but they'll prepare you food that's plenty good. I'm a man here, a character. Shout out. No, they work harder than literally anybody in the entire facility. So they may not have the best means back there, but they they freaking work the butts off and that surveys.

2:11:50Not cool, man. Unfair. You started at Charger Park and you know, now here in the office complex, the last six, seven years old. Yeah, what do you think it'll be like moving into this break, you know, teaming. Oh, it's great. I just drove by there the other day. Harbott said, what did he say in the meeting is like, yeah, he's like, this place is beautiful. It might not help, but it certainly won't hurt. So we're going to have everything we need there. It's going to be fun getting lost on my way to meetings again, having to learn my way around. But yeah, I'm excited. Got got the house figured out. Move is going to be fun. Never is, but it'll be cool once we're all settled in. Two, especially during training camp that, you know, you can just walk from the locker room to the field instead of busing. Yeah, two miles. Yeah. Well, we were doing that last year, I believe, out here.

2:12:55Or no, we were at Jack Hamill, God. But yeah, I haven't seen the place. I hear the fields are unbelievable. Yeah, it's always, always nice to have everything in one, in one area. But Jack Hamill's done me well over the years. You want to have a tour with Michael here and you go with looking where you're going to be. And you go down by the other way. You want to have a ride with him? Yeah. Yes. If I could, I'd wish I could still have a plane. With a million different places in the skins. That's fun for you. It's not about me. It's about players and it's about working on the situation. What you're working on is getting a 4-and-1, and we're going to have a longer ride. It went like Gabriel, comparing to the first game, when you had a flight.

2:13:55You just, in the city, we've got a lot of longer flight. And yet, you have to change the picture of Frank Smith. You know, if you're five grads from America, you know, you're going to have a lot of different things going on. You're still walking forward. I feel like there's been a lot of people in America. You think they're high-speed. You know, we know high-speed things. Yeah. You know, we're just going to speed up. Sometimes, it's a heavy weight. I like the sound of it. Yeah. It's still a different kind of thing. It's a very special one. It's really important to have a good one. We'll get about the extra. I'm going to have to do a lot of time.

2:14:57I'm going to have to tell you that you have to do it. Yeah. You have to do it. That's what I'm going to do. I'm only going to have to do it. I'm going to have to do it. Now we're down. We're probably there. We've got to get to the end of the game. Frank, hold on. Yeah. I'll look like you. I don't take a lot of it. I don't play much. You try to keep your silence. And I'm going to have to say something. I'm going to have to stick it to play. Put the play in the middle. That's my job. I'm like a metal man. I have to make sure that you guys are ready. I'm preparing for the game. I'm going to rest my team. I'll gather the actual number of teams. Now I'm trying to touch you. You can put up the radar roundup. If you guys don't shoot so much, you'll be the winner.

2:16:00And we can have freeing. I don't have a competitive greet on my path. I used to be making freeing out. I particularly like that. I'm going to have fun. Yeah, we're going to have fun. You can meet time. I want to play. I want to play. I want to play during the whole year. My fun comes when you just come to see me. You don't like the parents, you know, you don't like the ones. And when the kids start to enjoy, I don't know what to do. I want to be able to fly back to Thailand. I'm kind of sitting back and watching. I'm going to play for a year.

2:17:00I'm going to play for the second half of the year. I'm going to play for the second half of the year. Respect to the fact that I'm not sure if you know what the situation is. I think we are all friends. It's been fun. We're going to take control of the game for a year. I have to try to manage the situation. That's all you have to do. You don't want to be like that. Just because I want to show my creative side. I'm going to do that. Let's show him the last round. He showed me that. He would say yes, I was like this. Alright.

2:18:00When it comes to hearing, me and the Gibson Man behind the scenes. I was like what turned out to be, and he showed me what, what, someone. What, what do you heard? championship actually and then yeah so until last year and the first season that year. I mean you always want to keep it higher and further and the best location you can so yeah just like any other punter higher further. Yeah for sure I mean we've got coach making all the guys in the weight room it's impossible to get stronger and better so yeah I'm looking forward to seeing what I can do this season. Yeah he's doing really well as well. He's a great punter. So I'm having him around. Good to have another train. Yeah there's a lot of conversations that we have that a lot of guys are like I just don't know what's happening right now which is pretty funny and good to talk to you about the Australian sports too so yeah it's a good fella. Yes. Yeah obviously it looks

2:19:08easier than it probably is. It's a lot of pressure and the difference between a good hold and a bad hold is one inch and then you know turning the laces hopefully I don't do that too much. John's pretty good with these laces so just about finding the spot and getting a tilt right so I mean I'd like to do a pretty good job but you can do it us Jayden but yeah it's sort of a very refined skill once you get good at not too bad. The states have maybe just started two years. There's a lot of cold for a different style of sports but we're very exposed in Australia to American culture so sort of you were to expect a little bit we get all your TV shows we were sport you know sports as there are ESPNs over there so it wasn't too bad and I've been lucky that I should travel over America before I moved here so sort of knew what to expect. What are some of the bigger cultural areas here? Just the way people speak to each other like joking around with each other showing here that can be pretty dry sometimes and even though I go home and see my mate so I'll say something that sort of doesn't seem like a joke but it is so

2:20:12you're going to get used to that a little bit. Yeah it's the biggest ones I suppose. A little bit more sarcasm in Australia saying? Yeah a little bit more sarcasm and the way we speak to each other is like the words we use for different things. I mean I was just an example last time like I was talking about gardening with Ronald Mates and we were talking about using a whipers in the bath which is a weed whacker and like just little things like that and you guys have no idea what I'm saying. Yeah yeah yeah yeah exactly. This is like a bunch of little words I'd say that I think in all of it but I don't realise that he's actually Australian I have to go back on it Yeah the guys are starting to learn that. I hear that. One of the big things we it's selective for the one so you can't just sort of walk in you have to try out but most of the guys go out playing Australian football which the primary way to pass the ball is by punching it essentially. It's a little bit different but then we have a whole bunch of coaches that actually played

2:21:15a high football and the Nathan Chapman played a few games at Greenbad so he knows what to expect he knows how to kick on he still goes out and boots on his old age 45s. No he so yeah and then they sort of they teach exactly what to expect that they don't give you any false hope really they say you're going to go there this exactly what it's going to be like. So it's sort of like a one two three year simulation of what it's going to be like over here. So guys are ready to go and they come. Two culture. It depends depends how good you are how a lot of it's your mindset as well. So it's very it's you know it's a unique off season we might get two weeks two weeks break and then we're into winter and then spring and then summer and then fall in the season so yeah. Two culture questions one have you ever had a veg and Mike sandwich? Yeah and two I heard no real Australian with drink faster spirit. I've had my first foster in Nashville about two months ago and it's it's all right. I won't be rushing back to it but it's it's easy.

2:22:15And and and graduate. I love that you might it's awesome. Yeah I I miss it a lot. I actually brought it over to Jarlos from Los Angeles in Australia. So yeah I love my veg and my sandwiches. Have you tried to share it with anybody I've been there? I've tried yeah I mean it doesn't mind it. I tried it with one of our kids Casey Magger who's pretty upset when he tasted it. Do you get some pretty good reactions out of the guys but yeah if you you know four to one ratio with butter on some toast it's pretty nice. What's the biggest similarity to that story? To be honest the foods the food seem like I mean we we're very multi-cultural country. It's America. I suppose we probably have more Asian influence whereas America has more retaining influence. That's probably the biggest food difference but I mean we have a whole bunch of Italian. We're from in Melbourne has one of the biggest Greek populations outside of Greece. I think it's the biggest outside of Greece. Yeah I mean you could go. You could go either. You'd be in the city city or hot. Do you have to watch everywhere you step? No it's not that guy. Just every now and then you sort of look up and it might be a spot and there was something but...

2:23:18Do you like the size of your pet? Sometimes I mean there's a lot of daddy long legs you know these little ones with big legs but like you'll all be in six so they're not sat around in corners. But it's not too bad. Jarl you got class thank you very much. Thank you Jarlos. You saved 10 plays a game you saved 150 plays you know which is a lot of play so I know everything was set up by him from the jump for the long season. Then that was fine. Yes yes yes yes. Thank you. We're here now. A little bit different. I'm a game player. They like to get the world. Is it different? Yeah that's different you know I mean you look at the last three games that we faced.

2:24:23Really the offenses were different to what Notre Dame does well so we have to make that adjustment because they'll be they'll be hard to handle. Right so coach we're just talking with JTT how disciplines and the Ed frustrations have to be going to Prylon that it is somebody to expect the most third down in the country. You want to be aggressive but they have to make sure that they keep them in the pocket as well. Yeah I mean you say you know past rush lanes or everything and you know caging him because he he is exceptional at making those plays. But you know you also can't execute a past past rush unless you execute a past rush move you know so it's like you can't get a hit unless you swing the bat. So it's really going to be a constant balance and knowing that he can make those plays everybody has to be aware of it.

2:25:25Alright thanks coach. Well we always talk about limiting explosive plays you know guys know that they know that. We talk about you know all the standard things that defenses do but I think I think the expectation is important you know that from the jump you know I talked to them about chasing perfection even though it's not possible you know that we have the talent to do that and we have to expect that from ourselves that we're going to be as close as we can.

2:26:25Yeah and I think you have veterans and guys who've been in the system and we spend a lot of time together and we have a lot of time together. And you know they start to understand how I think which is really important you know when you know what the guy the guy who's calling the defense is why he's calling it and how it works and you know because every call has strengths but every call every defense has weaknesses. So they just start to understand that the longer we're longer we're around each other.

2:27:38Yeah I mean you you can tweak things week to week in the game plan and they pick it up seamlessly you know where at other times you have to be careful but when you have a veteran group that understands the system it works well. Yeah that's been a constant pursuit of perfection you know I want and up to me to put them in the right call get them in the right places and when they make good plays it's on them you know and they know when they if something goes wrong it's on me so I think it's that continually.

2:28:38You know investing in them and trusting trusting them and let them go play. I grew up on the on the mean streets of North Philly that's why I can't. Yeah it was raised by a Philly cop so yeah you know there's an intensity that goes about that. You know you spend time around them and you know it's my job to be hard hard on them in practice you know to be detailed and on top of my game and have all the answers and drive them and motivate them you know because on game day that's not the time that's the time for them to play. But that's my job during the week my my job during the week is to be the bad cop and let all the other guys be the good cop thank you.

2:29:46I mean that's a ton of additional pressure yeah I mean that's a that's a guy who can beat you with his feet or his arm and that changes everything about the game I mean it's it's a big deal. You know Riley he he's really established his own mark in his own place because of his not his athletic skill but his toughness I mean he's really really a tough minded person and player. Yeah I think it did I think it really did you know the sooner you can get back to playing the sooner you know you can write a new script you know so I think that was that was a good thing for us.

2:30:53Definitely there was a feel bad for a little bit and then we got to get back to work. You know and anytime you can get back to work it helps you get over those things. You know you're expected to win every game but if it does happen that's the job as coaches is we we have to find a way to get some benefit out of it you know and I feel like we did I feel like we did that.

2:32:22I like the adjuster that's why I named him the adjuster because he adjusts yes. Yeah I think it allows all the things you talked about in terms of the skies it gives coverage relief. I think he sees things you know even better from that position you know and so the results speak for themselves too that's all theory until you get out there and do it.

2:33:29I think from the time we recruited him to you know yeah I always knew that he could do that and it was just a matter of getting to it as the best thing for the entire defense. I mean we put a lot of time into it and you know thought we put our best foot forward but that's why you don't overreact in those situations that you know give him his respect for his decision and his family and say hey if you ever need us we're here because those things come around. Absolutely absolutely yeah we're you know still using a lot of Oklahoma State film when we were trying to recruit him and another year gave us the opportunity to put more stuff on tape to show him.

2:34:57Yeah he's a very serious student you know so it's almost like if he sees something when you're teaching he's not going to say it right then you know he's one of those guys that will come to you after class and you know like a and then bring it up you know but he he's very serious about the flow of teaching and and you know not interrupting but he picks up on it he picks up on everything you have to be on your toes. Yeah I think what you said was Coach Day and Chip did was we experienced the benefits of that right because of less plays you know and shortening game but defensively you also said it you really don't have a choice in the matter you know you get it's whatever the other team throws at you you got to react to it.

2:36:23Yeah are there other ways that you can encourage in your life you can even better be different from the recovery or free. No not me I mean we have that's Coach Day sets up the entire program to have all the nutrition people and the and the sports science and all that to do that. I don't treat it any differently our job is defensive got one job stop him and set and then do it again the next series. Yeah I mean there's luck involved there's preparation there's strength staff nutrition sports science all that is a big deal that's why we have great people who do it and then you got to be fortunate.

2:37:37Yeah I think it really started at Duke be honest with you and it evolved and you know where Duke and you got great kids and maybe you're not quite as talented as your opponent sometimes you got to find ways to win you know so it allows you to be more creative and then get to Oklahoma state and what you do at Duke doesn't work because the big 12 is different you know or was it the time right I mean trying to score every play so then you have to adapt to that and then you get to a state and you know you have the best players in the country and that's an that's an adaption too right because you know things that maybe you had to do in the past you don't have to do anymore so you look for different ways to get an edge. You know you have to be consistent with the production what's the common denominator there other than obviously yourself.

2:38:42Yeah. Work, work and good kids you know put in the work have the answers and then have good kids who want to be coached and listen you know it's really a big deal. Work, same answer it's work right I mean it's just you you're working but you have to study yourself. I think it's a big deal you have to take accountability when something doesn't work you know you got to study all the ways that teams have beat you and have answers but really it's just a lot of study a lot of time alone a lot of work.

2:39:56I really try to take myself out of the equation my job is to put the players in the right position to win and be successful and to serve the head coach so yeah I mean I would be thrilled for our players and for our head coach and realizing that a house states a tough place and and you're right we we have had our ups and downs so I would be thrilled for them to be able to come out on top. Well this year just discuss expectations of the world this year. Just to help the team anyway that I can just like last year whenever I came in trying to help the team so this year I'll be out there way more so just just being ready for what comes just being prepared that's all. I just want to know my technique and I just the fundamentals of the games going back to square one making sure my foundations right so when we get to August and to kept it's time to go there and so I want to get my foundation right my technique right and we also got a new defense so learning the scheme and getting the scheme down as well.

2:41:07I was going to say what do you like about this new defense so to speak. I really like this game. I just really can't get into too much but I really like I really like Patricia and I just engage with the guys and just this is impact on us. I appreciate it. I see like that. I don't matter to me. I just want to be on the field wherever I'm at I'm going to just give them all. How does that old though maybe kind of accentuate what you do as a player. It's just give me a chance to be closer to the ball. I get to just two more. She showed that I can do more of them. It's being outside. I could be inside as well. So it's just being closer to the ball and showing that through different things. Let's see if we can hear him for about this in a year or 15 years. It's really coming on. It's coming into getting better. It's technically getting better. You just getting better every day. All the young guys. I think they're all just they all coming around. For all the sudden I've received a lot of talent. It's definitely. I think we have a lot of times we're going back in the country. I thought we was the last year as well.

2:42:08So I think it really just nothing changes. We be out here for a reason. So I think whoever's in the room. We just got to keep up keep that stand. What was the most powerful part? The Texas game was a good game. I like that. We put that game out. Obviously the national champion. You just win. The clock hit triple zero. You just feel like a champion. So I had a national championship. But the Texas game is probably my favorite game. I just that experience that I run. It feels like my junior high school. Where my senior high school. You want me to stay champion to my junior year. And I just I just remember to fill them just one. It's so bad again. We ended up coming up short. So I think you just stand on the guys and just stand on myself to do everything we can. And just go back to back. It's going to be very hard. And we know that. So I think you just got to support. What is it all about? The champion. Obviously climbing up. Yeah. Just the bulls iron back. I didn't really do much. You got to go be us. We the buck.

2:43:08I swear. I think we'll we go out there and be us. There's just really won't be any problems. There was some talk from the leaders about taking down the couple of banners and not wanting this year's team to think that their champion is kind of building back up in there. Why is it important to do that kind of not allow last year to a competition? Because most of the champion winning things like the freshman class that it wasn't on the team last year. They don't have a national championship. And most of the guys are like I wasn't a starter last year. So I want to start. I want to I want to be a big regional while we winning that championship. So I think most of the guys that we have on the team this year is really what some check means. You didn't too much do anything. It's most of the centers that gone. So I think it's just on our own. That's you want something for our own. Which receiver or receivers are we not talking about enough that you're out there covering? Who should we be talking about more and why? I like. I like carnival tape. I like. Yeah, I've been saying a lot of minor ground. I like minor ground a lot. What's that? You just move. Just very smooth. It's a good play.

2:44:08It's a great thing. I know. It seems like every time we're out here, you're one of the guys. You're always celebrating plays. You're always bringing a lot of energy. Like how much do you do better than the part of who you are just bringing in energy? I think I just I think a lot of guys can feed off of my energy. So I just try to give my zone. I can just encourage out of the other guys and encourage even some of the older guys that's here. And probably doesn't have as much experience on the field. So I think it's just giving people confidence. I think confidence is the most important thing about this game. It's confidence is where it needs to be and you feel confident to do your job. It's going to do we can go with it. That's the one you got kind of grown up there to a fire as a freshman in some great moments. What do you think is it pairs you to be ready to play as such a freshman? It builds. I think just taking every day. Coach is just telling me just always stay ready. I think just taking every day. It's just like that you're going to be out there and just prepared that you never know when that play is going to come. And you know, like Texas game I played the whole second half. You got to be ready for that. If you just sit in the center of the side of the club that you're not going to play and think that I'm not going to get in this and that.

2:45:12You get tough for your end end. That's when you just your mind start playing tricks. So I think just being prepared and standing ready at all times. Do you think about it? Yeah, but last question is. I think having this is how it handled and really as a freshman. I think he looks better than me and I came in and experienced so I think that was going to be a very good football player here. I just as they just come on with the little things but that was going to be a great football player. I just did. I think I was a little more raw as a prospect. He's coming out. I think he's more put together. He's a big refrain. You know, I think he just he has a little bit like I don't know how it's playing. But he just I like it. I feel pretty confident. I feel like coach hard as a lot of trust in me since I've been here. Like you said patience time. I feel like we'll see what that can do to come up to season. I feel like confidence for me. I feel like has built up more way more than what I had.

2:46:13I've been here since I've been here. I don't know what's going to happen. I just imagine what's going to happen. I just consistently consistently making plays down the field. Taking the time of the defense. So it was starting out with the fastest way of the play. I put hard lines. You know, putting on those mistakes. You feel like you were the first to do the last few years. You know, the cut down mistakes. Yeah, I feel like the playbook and the mistakes I've cut down obviously for me. I've been here a lot of times. Most of the guys in my been here as long as mek four years. So I feel like the mistakes aren't really. When you did have your mistakes, how did you learn from them? I think the process that I don't know. Just meetings every day with Coach Hart going through the playbook over and over. And just working through that to not make those mistakes. Jay, what are your questions to know? Well, don't worry about it. It seems like it's getting a little bit more comfortable.

2:47:15You know, all the quarterbacks together will. All the colorbacks I haven't really seen. No difference. I like them all. I'm a devil for you since you've been in so far. Devin, like I said, all the quarterbacks I feel like they're all good. I go with all the quarterbacks every day throwing. So they're all pretty good in my eyes. Was it like that the other guy that got on the couch the other day? He was the one who was the last. Yeah, he was the last. Nice. No more things. Yeah. There's been an uptake in intensively in practice. You know, the event's out in July. I'm not going to join in. How do you feel about that? You know, they lower the ball. Experience of practice. You know, for you. How do you feel about that? The competitive is in practice with the DBs and receivers. I've been very high since I've been here at least. It's a lot of good on good work, which is going to get us receivers and DBs to be better than the season.

2:48:16What do you think suggests trashed off-range? Probably planned. Very nice. Yeah. IGB, IGB, Dermain, Denzel, and those two-sensame. That's surprising for Dermain to be the trashed off-range. No, it's just certain guys. It's just who they are. Those three, Denzel, IGB, Dermain, really have the trash talking. It's just good. I like it. Yeah. All right. Appreciate it. I love it. That means they don't know what's coming out of the next. We got 12 personnel. We got 11 personnel. You get the two of us and the world. You've got to start it off. What have you made of the quarterbacks of the three of them? Not too much. I feel like everybody's making their throws, making their passes, and everybody's making their corrections.

2:49:17When did you take away the last season? I certainly didn't expect it. I'm ready to go ahead. Tell you the game. When did you take away the last season? I think I've taken the ball and taken it for the ball. When the next game, that was it. When the next game, go out there on Saturday, beat the man in front of you, and then came out with a national championship on a bench. Spring balls about improvement. I said I'd need to win you when you're working on this. I'm trying to get my game as well as I'm playing spirit. I'm trying to come up and fill it on. We hear about it. We hear the key roles. Not just for the green balls, but for the yellow team. You can step up who has started to step up and your eyes for the place. We're going to go to the red team. I feel like we've had leaders from last year that came back. I feel like we got new guys that stepped up into their roles, and their roles and around the team. That becoming leaders. Being a leader, you all always have to be vocal. You can have the same examples on the field. Or you can be vocal. Do both. It's not you. I have three yesterdays. What is it like to have the same guy need more than the last couple of years?

2:50:17You'll be back. I got three last time. I was happy for Gia. I see him out here, grind, and I see him last year, grind, and getting an extra work. He's ball is ball. We come out here and play ball. He's out here doing a pro day yesterday. I just see him ready to go make some real money. What place do you feel like you're a different player now going into this year? Maybe you were last year. I feel like every year I've just improved on my overall game. Blocking and catching consists of wires. People used that word, but I feel like I'm just overall better. I came here ready to go. How much does it push you when you're in a room with guys like Max and Will and Bennett that you know you've got to be on your game if you're going to get on the field? Man, I feel like Arya is sharp, but Arya are on every day. You come in and work, and they go push me every day to work. It's just like I'm a doodle. You probably didn't ask this before, but it's now a crowded room. You got Max first or what's the grade you're going to get in a box? I love more, honestly. Max, Claire, Max LeBron, both of them. I love them.

2:51:18What's your flashed any time here? Is this the year worth it all coming together? I feel like Arya was my year, but hey, you're going to see this year. I'm going to come out here and put on a show for the Bug Eye Nation. I feel like everybody on the field is ready to put on a show. We're going to go back and back. You got to play quite a bit though last year, Tulane. What did you pick up from all of that, especially in a championship run? They were counting on you. Honestly, just be ready at any time. Honestly, you can be thrown in at any time. Just like I was. I probably had some rest while I was just thrown in. You got to get it done. If you don't get it done, they're going to find somebody who has to do it. I think we asked you this every time we get it done. It's a lot of time to say, we're going to definitely see what you've progressed. As a tight-end, all of that needs. Honestly, I'm not even a year old. I'm not even over the spray in some of this. I feel like I've told them I've got a lot of my body. I got stronger in the weight room.

2:52:18I've also got a little bit faster so I can get in and out of the brakes a little bit. And just the mind's quite hard at the game. The middle part of the game, if you got an even better end than me, how would you describe that? I'd say it again. The mind part of the game, you know that? Well, I feel like it's a lot more fair. I say the tight ends, we come in here. Five o'clock every other day, we do a walkthrough, more fair. We're just more students at a game now. We're like that. Thanks, man. You got a lot of wishes for you. You've been wobbling for like five times. What do you remember about that? I feel like it was just an exciting play. I was the last read on it. I don't go out and I can't down with the cast, so I'm going to get the first down. You really feel like a lot of fun. High school a little bit when he was there at a Virginia Tech. And when he first came in, I remember going out spring workouts and he kind of just gave the bow. He's a great dude. He really wanted to build connections with us.

2:53:20So it's been amazing. What's been the biggest adjustment you've had to make since coming in on that stage? The biggest adjustment I would have to say is just really buying in to the culture. Because we're a big culture program. We keep the culture. It no matter what's going on, we are going to be the same way. So just kind of buying in and stuff like that. You got to go to a couple of those bowl games and kind of see what that experience was like. What did that kind of do for you to help prepare you to do it yourself? It was crazy. It was crazy because there's my first time actually watching games from the field. So I actually got to see steps. I got to see play called and I got to see coach Fry. I see coach knows guys up on the sideline and actually figure out the talk that he's talking. For freshmen offensive lineman, patience is required. It's a development. As a guy who comes from high school where you're playing a lot, how do you kind of reset coming in as an offensive lineman? Knowing it may be a year or two before you start to get real fun.

2:54:21You know, you kind of just want to learn from those guys that have been here because of like you said, it's kind of tough coming in and being a young guy and then going against different fronts you might never seen before and talking different knowledge that you might not have talked before. But for me, it's been kind of a learning process, but I'm picking up on it. I get very great coaching every day and the older guys do a great job of communicating. So it's kind of been really easy. Nine different guys started last year. Like what does that mean for this room in terms of you guys doing that to be prepared for any? So how do you prepare for that? Just coming every day ready to work and coming with that mindset that we all need each other. It's not just one guy there's one guy that knows it's five guys out there and those five guys that are going to be out there they got to be able to trust their brother and the guys that are on the side, we got to be out there churning on our brothers. And when our names are called or whatever names call you got to be, but a step up.

2:55:23Or just that early on, like right now for you trying to still your teammates can trust you. Just coming every day with the mindset that I'm here to work. Like I come in the building, I come in the wood and they know that I'm here to work. They know that I'm not here to play around. They know that I'm coming in the meeting asking questions. Trying to figure out what's going on picking the older guys, bringing stand out the practice, either in getting extra work. You talked about this kind of scene improvement already. Where have you seen that the most in your games? I want to say knowing the game of football. That was the biggest improvement for me because coming out of high school is kind of a lot more simpler. Coming to school plays like a higher state, you got to know the start. And coach gives us a good look. I'm talking about Cusper, the defensive quarter, he gives great looks, different looks. Is that through film work that you start to see that the most?

2:56:23Kind of the knowledge of the game, not necessarily the whole field. Yeah, I want to say to film them and on the field because you can work on it in the field. You can work it on your board, but you can't take it to the field, but none of that really matters. Thank you. Our cake would have four coaches in the room with us, so that's stuff we don't agree. Have you been strictly at center? Are you playing some guard? Play a left guard right now. Do you feel like there's a shift to center potentially down the road? I don't know. I don't know. I don't know yet. I mean, just left guard, that's what I've been taking the reps there right now. That's just how it's going to go. As a freshman off-ones alignment because it's Asia, this is pretty important, just because the development is a part of that position. How do you, as a guy who was playing on high school, how do you develop that patient's knowing? It might be a year or two before you're out of use. I take it as like, you know, you just got to keep just stacking days. Like, you can't get down on yourself if you're not playing.

2:57:23Like, you just got to keep developing. And like, the guys we have in our room are awesome. Like, all the, you know, uppercise, my glue, Josh, Austin, Austin, Carson, Taggart, all those guys, like, they're great dudes. So it's really awesome being able to learn from them, like, watch them, get mental reps at them every day, see what they're doing, and then just take that back and just use what they use. So I mean, it's definitely just like, keep stacking days, just keep working, don't really pay attention about that. Just work. It's really fun. The interior, the offensive line up, you see how you guys played a lot of football. He's a lot of important football. Who would you kind of lead on to your first day of life? To try and learn very steady, how long to hold this. Definitely, I'd say Luke Montgomery, that's a guy, like, I just, every practice, I'm just, when I'm not here, I'm just watching him take his reps, like, see what he's doing. He has like a two-eye or a three-and-foot, in front of him, like, what footwork he takes, where he puts his hands, his head, just so I'd definitely say Luke is a guy that I never watched,

2:58:23close just trying to, I see what he does. Is that one of the biggest transitions to make even the jump from Nice World College on the offensive line, just the small thing, the steps and the hand placement. Yeah, that's definitely a huge thing when I first got here was, there's different forward, pretty much every block you gotta take. I think it's the most detailed position on the field. We just need, everything needs to kind of be perfect and block, that's what you're gonna do. I tell you, taking steps and placement of it. How do you feel about it? Oh, it's good. Yeah. I'd say it's good. I mentioned that to Lars, is that a position you see yourself sticking with or is that just kind of where it's worth starting with? I mean, I could see myself sticking out of the board, but I mean, I could play pretty much anywhere, like, obviously, in the interior. But, yeah, but right now it's just been with guards. So, I'm just wondering, I'm just wondering, how do you feel about that? You've been in that stuff, huh?

2:59:24Jake, you had the opportunity to watch those ball games first and kind of get that experience on what it's like to be part of a championship roster. What was kind of the biggest thing you took away from that whole couple of weeks experience? Yeah, I would say definitely watching all those ball games and the National Team Egypt just watching the Cowder Guys and carrying themselves, like, how they, like, the preparation it took to get ready for that. Just how they go about their days, like, what they're doing, when they're out here practicing, how they practice. So, it was pretty much just, like, kind of just feeding off the moment with their doing kind of, kind of, kind of, kind of glens to see, like, what it takes to kind of get to a stage like that, just kind of acting stuff. That's worth it, Jake. Thank you very much. It's good. So, I haven't been on the field as much as I should. That's true. That is true. But, it's not like I'm having these little, little, stinky injuries and sitting out. It's something I can't control literally. So, that's why I'm not bothered by it, like, yeah, I am injury-poin. You can say that, you know, but I do think that the chargers are getting a guy

3:00:25that's going to be healthy from now on, you know, God will it, and it's going to be great. And I do think that it's going to be a great however many years here. When you've been on the field, you've been highly productive. Yeah. High-pointing hours of very average for your career. Like, knowing that when you're out there, you're very productive. How much confidence does that give you that really all you need is an opportunity? All the confidence in the world, you know, the way I work. I wouldn't say just from the numbers, but just the way I work, my work ethic, you know, and my relationship with Jesus is like, I have the most confidence when I step out there. Because I do know, like, if he grants me the health, it's over with. I don't think I'll be, you know, I think it'll be a great year, or whatever, a couple of years, however many years he grants me great health, you know, and I think just the work ethic, my prayer, and all that stuff, that's what helps me have that confidence. What the numbers will be there, and they might be higher after this year, you know,

3:01:27and it's crazy to think about it because I had six-point yards per carry, you know, so we'll see. Is it for the running behind this line that they put together? Oh, yeah. Yeah, yeah, I play with Bradley. I play with him, you know, I know Slater, I know all the guys, you know, and I'm excited, I think, like I said earlier, it's a talented group. You know, we just got put together, win some games, because that's what I came through for. Just an old part of the year, or... I wouldn't say a part of the recruitment, but like whenever I decided I was going to sign, it was great to have him in the room. Yeah, we're great. We have a great relationship. That's like my brother, so... I think it complements each other very well. You know, he can do a lot of stuff too. You know, a lot of people think he's just power, power, power, but I think he has some other parts of the game too, which it'll be great, because I feel like I can do everything, and when one's to get tired, we can roll it in, we keep rolling, win some games.

3:02:30When you, the two of you, keep going, how do you think this is going to look, or what will be that partnership that is back there? I know. That's a hard question. How do I think it'll look beautiful? You know, a lot of people call this a passive league, but I think you got to run the ball to win a Super Bowl. You know, if you look at the teams who win the Super Bowl, they can run the ball, they can control the clock. And so if we're both good, it'll look great. Beautiful. How do you describe the requirement of offense? I would describe it as, you know, a great offense. I think he gives a quarter... he's going to give the quarterback a lot of options. He's going to give the running back a lot of options. He's going to give the receiver a lot of options, you know, and I think it's going to be great. His offense is going to be amazing. One thing we talked to him about, you know, is like, why are you going to build something good for Russian offenses throughout your career? Which everywhere you've been. And you said that one part of it is just, you got to call the plates.

3:03:32You got to call the run the plates. As we're running back, you know, how much confidence, how much you've saved in this game, you know, you have a play collar that's going to stick with it and allow you and the offense blind to get to a rhythm of the rope. It gives me a lot of excitement. You know, it's going to be, like I said, it's spawned and played as offense. You know, and I think he does have some good things in the past game too. But like you said, he sticks with the run and that's that's the identity. You want to offensive has an identity, right? You don't want to be looking everywhere else to find your identity. You want to have it. And so I think his offense has that. And the guy he builds and puts in there, it complements that identity. So I think it's going to be great. You've been here 100% now. So you mean full go for training? I'm not sure. Look, I ain't going to answer any of the four if it's up to me. Yes. Look, because I had this problem like two years, three years ago. I'm thinking I'm full go. I think I'm ready to go. And then next year you know I'm on PUP.

3:04:32Like, hey, look, some stuff above my prey, pay gray. So, but I don't know. I think I'm ready to start, you know, at the beginning training camp. But that's not up to me as I've learned. I wouldn't say that. I think I've been in some great organizations and I think this organization is a great organization. And the training staff is great. And so they just want what's best for me, you know. And they're taking care of me, which that's what you want in an organization. And so that's where that comes from, which I appreciate it. Like I really appreciate that. You know, because I'm a type of guy like I work really hard. So maybe sometime I'm blind to, you know, the danger of something, you know. So I appreciate it. But like I said, if it's up to me, yeah, I'm out there. But never know. Well, any frustration for you during the heading into the agency, you know, dealing with rehab and not, you know, having a full season of tape or production to go out there.

3:05:36Is there any part of that where you're like, I wish I had hit the open market with a different situation. Yeah. I like it. I like how would I say this? I like it the hard way. But not, you know, I like it the hard way. I like it. I like trial and tribulations. So, I mean, the dice that I was given to roll was I was coming off a third Achilles. And that was that was the Lord's plan. So it was beauty in that. Like I was comfortable. I was caught like there was multiple teams, you know, I wasn't, it wasn't like I didn't have any other team. But I was comfortable in sitting back and just enjoying the process, letting myself get fully healed. So whenever that team whoever I would sign with who now is the Chargers is going to get the best me, you know, and I think people all around the league know that like, okay, this guy, okay.

3:06:40It's a high risk, high reward type thing, right? Not even a high risk of low risk because you, it's a business, right? So I got hurt last year. So not as much money and he's be throwing that. But I think everyone around the league knows that whenever I am on the field, the numbers don't lie. And so they know that and a lot of teams will be like, alright, here, you can, we give you this, but we want you to be healthy. So when I'm healthy, it's going to be great. The chance that I've been giving here, I'm so grateful and I know that's going to be, they won't be, they won't regret it. Are you the type of person that likes to throw people wrong? Like you've done a couple things like the high risk, high reward, injury, chrome, you know, like are you the type of person that really tries to throw people wrong? No. I hear it. I see it. It's pretty cool. Like you'll never see me unless I'm just like in a bad mood. You'll never see me like, oh, like if I have a great game or a great year, like I have this wonderful year, I ain't going to go back and, you know,

3:07:43like, yeah, yeah, what happened? No, because I don't care. You're eventually see, like I'm like, I'm a guy that's really good. So I ain't worry about that, but I'm proving myself right that I am one of the best in the league. Right? So forget all the naysayers and people will talk about me being injury prone because whenever I have this great year, it's going to be forgotten. You know? Why give that energy? You're talking just into the all our ground chances. Yeah. Yeah. I was, you know, we just with him, you know, he's a great guy. I mean, he was in my class. I remember seeing him. We were at an award show because I was a dope walker, a finalist. And I'm like, I've seen him play, but I didn't know he was that tall. Like I didn't know he was like six, eight. So when I first saw him, this was years ago in college. And I'm like, damn, this is pretty tall. Like, it's cool though. Like I never really got to, I ain't going to lie. I thought it was going to be kind of, you know, nerdy.

3:08:43Where he's cool, dude, really bad. No, we'll face to him. And in that edge, it's kind of, it's not like scary, but it's kind of scary. You know? Is that something that you're getting better because of? Yeah, yeah, 100%. I think that's my, my sense, I think to acclimate to those kind of speed, speed rusher type guys as it improved. And then, you know, you got KJ, which is more of a, you know, prototypical edge guy instead of like a speed guy. And so I mean, it's just, I'm getting a big mix of a lot of different guys. And I think it's helping me. It's easy. Luke was talking about how three or four of it's about to just happen. Absolutely, guys. I think it's just about how much is that. It's still a lot of about it. I mean, it's really good. And then you, you know, like coach Johnson, like they're all, they all know these different things about you. Like coach Johnson has talked to me about my hands, coach Davies, talked to me about my sick, coach Johnson's talked to me about like my pad.

3:09:44It's like when you, like, especially when it's just you going, you've got four different guys. See so many different things and then you just get all this information back to them. You can just tweak different things to try and get better. So I mean, they helped out a lot of my, but you're like top level. You've got to sit and play some bright masters. Like these people, what's your kind of couple of two spots? I mean, I feel, I feel comfortable in both. I mean, I don't really think I have like a perfect, his side. I'm just really trying to do whatever I can to get out of the field. It's making sense. There's obviously spots open. I'm going to attack one off of the line this year. How are you approaching that competition? That's awesome. No, like I'm just trying to get better every single day. I think that in terms of, you know, roster depth, I think I'll save that for later, you know, right now. Spring's the time of development. I'm just trying to develop. What are, what areas are you working to develop right now? Really it's my hands. I like to lean a lot in my sets. You know, that gets me beat a lot.

3:10:45I don't strike as fast as I should. So I'm really working on my hands right now. You've got to see my steer. It's an iron fuck out this hot season. What does it mean to help him to line the offensive of the wall? How much of you can see that throw it in the middle of the lead? Just take it on a 22-25. I think all the stuff I've got, you can look at him. And you're like, I need to beat him. You know, he's, he's an outspoken leader. But I mean, even when he's not leading, hopefully, you can just, he's leading by his hand. He's like, my sex. Like he's just, you look at him. I feel like he boosts everyone thinking that I need to be to that stand. How much is that motivate other guys? I think it really, especially, I don't know, I think they're getting interviewed down there, especially like you run the guys. I mean, he's not like a screaming. Like, he's like, walk up, lean in. Like, he just, I mean, I think he just, like,

3:11:47kind of elevates our own weight. I mean, that makes sense. Alrighty. You know, it's gonna take time, but just continue to put the work in. You'll look back, you look up one day, and you'll be a lot farther along than when you started. How have you seen Jolani to go up on his roots? Yeah, Jolani is, he continues to grow and to grow and to grow. Like I mentioned, again, Jolani was another guy that, not only tight end position, but tight end or Ohio State. I mean, playing at Ohio State in general, I mean, that's a, you know, it's a high standard, but then to play the position of tight end, it's not easy. So I've seen Jolani take big strides on and off the field. I think, same with him. I think he's gonna have to continue just to put those days in, back to back to back, and same for him. He'll be able to look up one day and be excited for where he's at. He's very talented. He's very gifted. God has given him a lot of great abilities. And I think it's just his job to put him to the work, put him to the work, and he'll look up one day, and he'll be excited about where he's at. Yes, yes, I was really from over camp.

3:12:50How much are you trying to push him along? Well, yeah, I think when his freshman year, I was doing that a whole lot more. His freshman year, I feel like every two seconds, every time I turn around, I'm trying to correct him and get him an alignment. But I mean, man, he's taking steps. He's taking steps in the right direction, and I'm proud to see his growth. Did you rule with him both years? Yes, his freshman year, too. No, he didn't drive me nuts, but... Did you drive him nuts? Nope. That's my guy. He's a power, he's a lot of experience, starting to tie down his dreams of Kansas State. When you're out there, do you feel that he's seasoning on the field and running with me for the storm of the football? He notices where you're at all times. Yeah, I mean, not particularly. I feel like I trust that he's going to do his job. I feel like he knows his reads, that he's going to go through his reads, and he's going to get the ball, to who he's supposed to get it to, predicated on the play, and the coverage that we're going against. And he's done amazing things in the field this entire... He's going to have to spring, he had a great summer,

3:13:51and then to see the kind of player that he's really growing into, even this camp has been great. And so I have to just trust and faith that he's going to put the ball exactly where it needs to be. All it's my job just to go finish the play. Did you go back and look to see how much... Like, when Will Howard transferred over, did you go watch the Czechomodic Kansas State so much he did there at the time? No, I haven't. It was Bensonant, right? Yeah, no, I haven't really checked it out. I know he was a great player. I know he's somewhere in the NFL right now. But, no, I'm focused right here. Building camaraderie with him right here, and putting it up, putting good things on tape. Will, first walked in, do you think he was a new tight end transfer? Yeah, he was big. I think he's lost like 20 pounds since he's been here. That dude, it's a big boy. What is his presence? I think I should show up out there. Yeah, he does a great job, man. I think that's... He's growing to be one of my great buddies, Subjoronny. He's growing to be one of my really, really good buddies. I'd say one thing with him, he does a really, really good job of, you know, the ability to turn it off and turn it back on. I think when we're off the field or having fun, you know, he's one of my closest friends.

3:14:51But then when we're on the field, he's locked in and he's, he's ready to roll and he's able to take the lead of offense. If you could tell his line, Thermon, one thing, and we'll get him on the field more often this year, what would it be? I don't know, where do I start? Let's see. I don't just keep doing what you're doing, you're doing good things, man. Yeah, what is showing out about him? I guess in this camp. Yeah, I mean, I kind of... I was sitting right there, but... Yeah, no, I was kind of like I kind of mentioned earlier. I'd say, you know, like I mentioned, God has given him, you know, so many great abilities. I'd say ultimately the ball is in his court to take full advantage of that and ultimately bring the best out of himself. I think that's one of our missions as a culture is to fight to be the best versions of ourself. So I think if he continues to do that, he's going to be excited about where he's at. What do you like about this run game? Everything. I like the mindset behind it. Maybe not as much, you know, X's and O's is great, but I love the mindset that we have about our intentions running the ball. We're not just running the ball. To be flashy, but we want to be downhill. We want to have smash, play smash, football. And just impose our will on teams. That's kind of our mindset going into playing games.

3:15:52That's our mindset going into practice. And ultimately we believe practicing that way is the how we're going to do it on the field. What's it like trying to do that against this defense? Oh, they bring it. The defense brings it every single day. It's a constant ironing, sharpening iron. Another matter who's in, ones, twos, guys are good. We guys are flying around, they're playing fast, they're playing violent. But we're often going to bring it. Did Chip Kelly, how did it become obvious to you that there was going to be a little bit of a new approach to the running game? Mindset, whatever you want to call it. Was it a big meeting or was it just y'all got out there in practice and hey, things are different? You know what I mean? How did it show up, I guess? No, I mean, I wouldn't say there was any catastrophic event. I think there's a mindset shift. Like we want to run the ball. We want to be the most physical, fast team in America. Running the football is, you know, it's pretty universal wherever you go. Every team is in a run counter. Everyone's going to run zone. Everyone's going to have, you know, it is what it is. It's the mindset going into it. How efficient are we going to do what we do?

3:16:53And I feel like I'm very excited about, you know, the mindset that we have going in and running the ball. That we want to be tough, we want to be physical, and we want to impose our wills on the team that we play. You know, well, I don't know where the Jeff Speed of you guys are. I did not know that. You had to talk about that. I'm not going to ask him about that. I had no idea later that that's hilarious. He is fast for a big guy. He is. Yeah, he moves very well. You're sitting here, what, blessed two weeks away from the start of what your last season ranked. Yeah. Do you feel like this is the year, I mean, where you contribute even more? I mean, just what's your mindset? Yeah, I'd say my mindset is to ultimately be the best, the absolute best teammate in version of myself that I could possibly be this year. I think if I put in my due diligence of studying film, practicing hard, and laying everything out there, I have faith in the Lord that he's going to take care of everything else. I don't feel pressure of numbers or stats or things I need to put on tape.

3:17:56I just know that my absolute best, my greatest effort will be enough. And whatever happens from there, it's working for my good. I don't know if faith is driven you a lot in your game in a general. How does that really help connect the team off-bentally, defensively, and come together for your final season? Yeah. I would say I've seen the Lord working a lot of ways on this team and just bringing guys closer. And it's good to have that common ground with different guys on the team. When things may be rocky on the field, or things may be rocky in the classroom, or in the film room, whatever it may be, to have that common ground that we understand that the Lord is working the things that we're going through for our good, and that we can just continue to keep our eyes on him in the midst of rocky times where we're in the valleys all around the mountain top that we just keep our face strong. Nice and fresh. Good? All right. Gee, thank you. Thank you. Thank you, Gee. You're welcome, Christmas. Okay. What do I do? How you doing? Good. I just got off the other end of the game.

3:18:56It's a good idea. Okay. Thanks a lot. It's a childy way going up here. You got your line, you're throwing at the goal line. Oh my god. It was good, buddy. We're trying to just slow down. Eric, that's your favorite piece. Could I hold it for you? You're good? What do I want to do? I'm just going to get it right. I'm going to make sure I can hear you. You're going through the torture. Let's make sure that we can carry it. Okay. How many are you excited for for this season? You got walled last year under your belt. You know how things kind of go now. You feel so much more comfortable now in spring wall. Yeah, yeah. I think going through a whole year, obviously. Going as long as we did. Having a year under my belt. Just knowing how everything runs in the building. Knowing how practice runs. The speed of the game. I think that's all really. You know, developed me into another player. You know, just knowing how to handle everything. But it's really good. But I think we're working with that Patricia. It's pretty good. He's a real guy.

3:19:57A real good coach. I've been really excited to learn from him. You know, because we're getting a little bit. You know, he's a good job of, you know, kind of just, you know, taking a little bit out of his high as we go. Because you know, he's, you know, everything's new. And we're all learning. So it's been really good. How much were you talking to Kane as you got here? And kind of going through that first year? Obviously he's doing his own thing. But just what this is all about. Yeah. I think having him go through the whole process has been a big thing. You know, kind of having, you know, him in my corner. Just to, you know, talk to him or call him. You know, whenever I need, you know, we still talk a lot. And I asked him questions whenever. You know, so, you know, I first got here. He was still here, you know, training everything. He had a fail. So, you know, it's been, you know, like I have him whenever. So it's been a good. What's it like watching me and now in the NFL with the Texans? You guys not seeing him know pretty well doing, and living out his dreams.

3:20:58Yeah, no, it's going to come. And super happy for him. You know, he's a down there in Houston, you know, you know, CJ and everything, I think he, you know, he really likes it. So, you know, I'm excited to see what he knows this next time here. You know, just how different your team, your own different purpose. You know, you get a college student, you get a couple of, and that and all of a sudden, just how different you feel. And I'm just, just, just, from everything to go. You know, this is the same. Yeah, I think you kind of realized that, you know, this is, you know, this is your life, you know, you got to, you know, come in here, go play single-highest day, like playing with the best every single day. You know, you got the time in, you know, you got to, you know, make sacrifices, you know, to, you know, what you want to get out of it in the end. You know, along with like, you know, school and just, you know, live on your own, you know, it's, it's good for you to do a lot. And, you know, as you get, it just makes you better overall. You graduate from here, what you do, you know, you have got like, Riley, he's the interview, and you look up to, you know, guys, you know, you know, I'm just going to pick that role now. But, you have got to, you know, what kind of leaders and toys that we have to offer to you, you know, the agency, you know, or those guys on the, you know, you know.

3:21:58Yeah, I mean, just kind of, you know, just shown the way around this building, you know, just, you know, how, how we do it here at the high-stay, how we operate, you know, they, you know, I think all three young guys coming in have done a great job, you know, they've, you know, great work ethic, you know, I think, you know, for me, you know, the offseason, it was more like, you know, like, you know, like, you know, example, kind of thing, and spring a little bit of, you know, vocal leadership in there as well. But, you know, just kind of, you know, just working with them and, you know, kind of showing them how, you know, build a guy's, and how we do things in the room, is, you know, definitely carried on to that. Being a part of that championship round last year, I guess, what did you learn from that one thing went on? You guys went on, I guess. What do you learn about it? What do you think? This is just a problem. I would just say, you know, staying together, you know, our biggest thing was each week was just trying to keep, keep that group together each week. You know, I think last year we had such a strong bond together. You know, with all the guys, I think that was really the motivation, you know,

3:23:00just staying together and, like, like, a band of brothers. James has popped down the pass. I think you have been deciding in our battle, you know, kind of made that 2G, but James has popped the pass on the map. You're playing well, you're making plays, consistently, practice. You're going to find playing well. You're going to be saying, you're going to be doing a hard press, you're going to set that approach, you know, you're not going to launch those guys in front of you, you're making a play, you're going to be able to do a mid-jiffy, and a lot of two-sleeves. Yeah, I mean, I think, you know, just starts with, you know, coming out to practice every day, you being able to put your head down, just, you know, making sure you're going hard every school play, you know, what you're doing, you know, so you can build that trust. But I think, you know, just having the guys around, you know, like, sunny, hard-vail, pay-in, you know, you know, you know, you know, been in there, you know, playing in games, and everything like that, you know, to lean on and ask some questions and stuff. So, are you ready? Where you said that was like, what was the problem? I'm like 227. What's the problem with Wording Paul? How do you solve it? It's still 225 right now, but I think it will bump up to like, 238, so I'm getting a little more.

3:24:00I'm getting a little more. Greatness, Rachel. I'm sure that, do you feel a sense of urgency to be part of that 2D to provide depth or maybe more than that this season, how do you go into your 2D? Yeah, I mean, I think, all right now, I'm kind of focused on just getting better someday. I think it's kind of what it springs for is, you know, individually just, you know, continue to perfect your craft every single day before that's a technique or, you know, scheme or whatever. But, yeah, I mean, I think that's, you know, definitely, you know, some of my hands, obviously, you know, can your play. So, I think that's definitely, it's not one big thing. The players are going to come and now we've got to trust that and they'll be there for us for sure. Coach Sins has been here for high sand loads over the many, many years. He's been with this program now. What sort of his message to your group right now or when you're turning to him, what is he saying as far as how to get through this? Yeah, so I think it's just really just coming and attacking every day as you would regardless and, you know, staying, staying even, even through hardship and attacking

3:25:06it the same way every day. That's really all you can do and you just get a little better every day and see where it takes you. Based on the way things are already we're setting up, but then also the way Jason Simmons was calling the game on Saturday, it seemed like tight ends are going to be a big part of this as you guys are trying to pull out and what role do you think you guys are going to have in trying to get this offense? Yeah, I think we, I think the role is always try to help the offense move the ball and whether they were called upon to do that. In the past game or the run game, we just got to step up and do our job at a high level and whatever you asked from us, we just got to do it at a high level and let the offense go. You're some of the leaders on the offense. Some of the leaders, I would say Gus is a big leader. He's been doing it for a while and someone that everyone trust is going to do his job at a high level and I think we have Hudson's a good leader too as well. Obviously he's a quarterback so he takes on that leadership role and I think we just have a good amount of leaders

3:26:10throughout the offense. You were told George might be fairly close to getting back what would mean to get him back in the mix with the tight ends. Yeah, it'd be great. I mean George is a great athlete so having him out there can only help. You know, we're really excited about him and what he can do on the field so it'd be great. Actually, I was kind of afraid of whether I'll find out another school but I mean here like the guys were really close knit or off pushing each other and trying to be the best. What stood out about this interview on the top of the line? Really just like how the knowledge up they have, they're really good into helping me understand the system and they're really good at points and everything. They're really good communities which is something that I have and it's how they need to be able to do it. To be the case is really important. It really is. How would you say to have that chemistry and how that can be good? The connection with chemistry is incredibly important because I mean these are people who are playing with it.

3:27:11They work in college with them. You're going to see them every day so we have to at least get along with them understand where their mind is especially in a game. You played both, right? Where do you do it? What do you do most of the time? Left hand. You had one year there at Ryzen and that time? How did you find that chance? I mean I saw a play right and then by my junior at the moment, as far as senior you're like moving to left and I mean this was a pretty serious process. The coach is a rice coach. They have a really great and a helping position. I don't even know if it's going to be good with these challenges. There was some driving unless that was surprising to you to come for us on a complete set on the top. You shot it, you took it up, you took it up, you took it up, you took it up, you took it up, you took it up. Did you consider turning pro? Yeah I mean I was on my mind back at the same time. I also realized I wanted to take a tease of the Dolphin. I think it's pretty great which is why I wanted to find a good school where I can have a good o-line coach

3:28:11and help them answer me. I mean the coach won't visit. I've always known so it's all getting better and improving things that were big discrepancies in my game. Definitely, obviously we do some job in Jackson and Josh Hart. A lot of guys back in the national championship took different U-N, no Daniels and just really about the depth of the O-line. I mean it's an amazing thing. We're all pushing to be great. It's competitive which is I mean that's the best place to get better. Did you seek out Ohio State or they seek you out or was it kind of a choice? No, I was definitely seeking out a Ohio State. You did? Yeah and how did you know you had a shot that even come here? You know what I mean Ethan? How does that work in the portal? Honestly I really didn't know. It was just kind of a whole thing. I mean I put a lot of prayer to it to talk with my family and talk to my agent and my old O-line coaches at the RISM. They'd really help me through the process. Without them I don't know whether I'll be here right now. But by the grace of God I ended up here.

3:29:12Obviously Justin Fry was the coach when you came here. What was that kind of transition like of him leaving in a tie with Owen coming in? I'll say it was pretty seamless. I mean both of them are incredibly good coaches. They both know what they're talking about. They're really tuned into the fine details. So I mean I wasn't worried at all. It wasn't just business as usual. What are the biggest things you like about playing for Coach Bowling so far? He's a really good communicator. We meet a lot and he's really good at putting out the fine details and how you can prove your game. When it comes to different skills and everything, just how to fine-tune it during practicing everything. Would it be just fine to work with time? Well I guess I'm trying to live by being the hardest working person in the field. That's why I want to spend the most time watching films. I think I've been practicing in actual work.

3:30:12I don't know how to edge. I find that's how I would describe myself. What do you try to do? Well I can always be better at a lot of things. But you know just really like for working everything. That's the biggest thing. That's the biggest thing. What Coach Bowling is really helping me. If you'd talk about us dropping that weight, then right now you say that's the right thing. Is that been an adjustment playing that way for you to hit with your opponent? I feel better. You feel better, okay? So you didn't lose any strength at all? Did you know you got to lose better? Yeah, I knew and then you were talking to dieticians and everything. How's your diet change? Well I focus a lot more on getting the right macros into my meals. That was really the biggest thing. I mean the biggest thing about this is diet. It's like a lot more protein that's part of stuff like that.

3:31:13That's your base. Thank you. All right, y'all have a good day. All right, Greshan. Just to pick it back off that, we got to continue to be better. Personally for me, I don't like seeing the amount of yards on the board granted we did win. But I don't want to be the hindsight guy and forget about the run game. It's still an issue for us. It's an issue for me. We got to be better. I don't want to be one of the last teams in the league in a run game. So we're doing a good job. Are my assets right? The coaches are emphasizing it and eventually it's going to get going. Obviously you never want to have a teammate be treated away like your own. I think that's what the coach Jones is coming in. He's highly talented. There's a pretty good run defense kind of linebacker. What does that do for your defensive room? Terrier, my book. But it does it. It does a. I can't really speak on it because I don't really know Jones that well. I don't know his game. I've heard from others that I know that plays for the Rams.

3:32:14I said he was good. But. I mean, as far as that, I don't know. Hopefully this move works out for the betterment. But we'll see how it goes. Feel like a positive thing. Obviously when John Schneider and your coach are working to get. An impact player and a team and NFC is kind of this wide open. It can be viewed as a positive or negative thing. It depends on what. What window you look through. What's that process like for you in terms of having to learn guys and their tenet season communicate with new players that are coming in during the middle of the season? It's a big process. It's definitely not easy to rework your roster in the middle of the season. They're going to do what they're going to do regardless. And obviously I respect that. I'm forward. I believe in their system and what they want to do. But you know, it's an adjustment for all of us to learn a new guy and kind of reestablish a new relationship and reestablish a new voice that you're going to hear making a call in the middle of the field, especially, you know, because he's the quarterback of the defense. So it's just something you got to get just to all of us. Playing in a different way this season. Has that been any sort of an adjustment for you? It has been. Just getting comfortable with my body again and figuring out.

3:33:17You know, my strengths and weaknesses and how to make sure all my all my weaknesses are just completely strengths. So it's been a challenge in that aspect too. And I think I'm doing a good job at it so far. But this past rush is going well. How much of it is guys playing off each other? Like I'm thinking a boy is sack force from was to you collapse the pocket and then he's able to get it. Yeah, you all in a yeah. I would say last game was the probably the best game. Surprisingly, it was all working together as good as we did. I think this past couple games prior before that game has been a lot of us just we just went in and just happened to be like that. I feel like this Atlantic game was a good game of us communicating the past games games, whether it's a game or just going to straight. We're a straight rush and just reading off each other. And we had to get better at that. It's only been a couple games. Well, so I've been seven games. We have a lot more football to play to get better and build our relationship on that aspect. If you dropped in covers as much as you thought you might have. I'm not a good driver. Um, but on par. I've dropped a good amount of time so far this year.

3:34:19I'm talking about doing it now. So she put me on whoever not put me on George Kittle. Have you seen Derek Hall grow in the last. For my season this year, being around him. I mean, he's the same type of player. Honestly, only thing that's been different is mindset and it's applying to the field and he has to continue. You were working for how big you. I was. Jackson had a duck jersey on the week after. Did you have something that you have to do as well? I had to do something that was a little more personal, but not I didn't make that bit. But speaking of that, I don't know why we didn't run the ball in the last exception of the game. So talk to them boys down the Columbus and tell them to run the damn ball next time and just. Trust the kicker. But it's not good. Did you get the penalty, the intentional penalty late in the game? I don't know if that was on purpose. We I think Mike brought that up to me and asked me. Do you think it's on purpose or they did by accident? I don't know, but. I think it was intentional. If it was intentional, it was a very genius move. I didn't I wouldn't expect that.

3:35:19So that was actually, you know, big brain played by him. Did you think there should have been a second life? No. I'm be real. I don't want to be biased. No, we ran out of time. We just my boy, my boy 18 was back there. It's too comfortable. But it's all good. They're going to learn. First game with Ray Robertson Harris. What were your impressions of him? It's like six eight. And it's crazy. He's super, super strong. I've been watching him. I've been seeing his game from afar from a while. I shouldn't have been watching it. I've been seeing I saw him in Chicago. I saw him in Jacksonville. You know, he just watched a lot of football and a lot of tapes. So eventually you just see guys. You pay attention to who they are. So, you know, it's been a unique process of just bringing them in and. He's picked up a defense pretty well. Very powerful guy. Versus was well. I think it's going to add a lot of a lot of good plays to our defense here. So. Do you think the defensive lineman have arms that long? Sure. Can nobody touch your chest? You in the ball game. You don't want big strong lineman grabbing you and trying to rough out you.

3:36:21Because they're already bigger than us in the first place, especially me. They like six, eight, three, thirty. And I'm wherever my weight is. So playing with extensions is very key for you. And I think it's a good thing to be on the. You know, coach Hartline, you know, working both with the wire receivers and, you know, us. And kind of just getting us all together on one page is really the main thing. Have you seen maybe Ryan Deicman a little bit more time on defense? Is it because of all the people on that side and putting a little bit more of the trust in Ryan Hartline? He's kind of been bouncing around, you know, definitely the spring offense and defense. So he's kind of all over the field. Okay. Well, you've seen Austin, he gets our empire in the back of this offseason. He's one of the returning guys, but the big one obviously. Obviously, I'm kind of grow as a leader and is he one of the main voices in that maybe not even just the offensive lineman, but on the offensive hold? Yeah, great leader. Not only by hopefully, but also as an example, he's a guy that, you know, when I maybe not have my best practice that I can go and watch film with him.

3:37:29So he's just great, you know, example for everybody. I talked about how much he meant to him to win the Iron Buck guy as a teammate. What does it mean to see someone win the Iron Buck guy? What does that person kind of represent in the program? Yeah, I mean that he's not only a leader. Not only leader, but also, you know, and on the field, but he's kind of just, you know, getting our group together when maybe, you know, it's a heart practice or hard, you know, lift. So I mean, that's definitely not something small here at Ohio State when the Iron Buck guy and all of us in the world on the team would definitely agree that he's worthy of that Iron Buck guy status and he deserves that. A lot of coaches have talked about versatility and all kinds of things. We're all in every kind of way in the other spring. Yes, just bouncing around, you know, taking reps a little bit everywhere. You know, I think it's, you know, kind of this time of the year is for just getting the feel for the game.

3:38:32You know, just messing in well with wherever you're at on the field. I think it's the main job. We talked to guys this time of year a lot about their first year in the world and everything. Do you think maybe it's going through it looking better? Yeah, so I mean, just having somebody that kind of always, you know, bounce questions to, you know, we were roommates and stuff like that. So just having somebody that you've kind of shared so many experiences with. You really could motivate each other and we really know like you kind of get us going more so than anybody else. Because, you know, we've been playing this to each other for a while now. Have you, let's go to the counter-stripping this largely here for this season? Yeah, I mean, it's just being close, ironing off the field. It's just really not only, you know, being together on the field, but you know, it's always kind of going over some plays in the film room to spread out, you know, a lot of time with each other.

3:39:39Thank you. The opportunity is good and, you know, I'm always going to come out here and compete. Like I said, I'm putting myself at the bottom so I'm working. I'm going to work every day like I'm at the bottom and I got to get to the top. How, what do you feel like it's going to take for you to get from the bottom to the top? You know, just discipline. They're big on discipline here and, you know, competitive acorn. So it's just staying consistent every day, just doing the rights, having little to none, mental errors. That's going to give me a lot of feel. And, you know, I do what I'm supposed to do, that's going to give me a lot of feel. How do you manage those expectations for people to think that you should be playing week one on the season? How do you manage people? You know, I don't really let it get to my head because, you know, like I'm here, you know, I got dudes in the room that are, you know, like I just think they're three or three that started. I mean, I got to name a person all American, you know, he's going to play this year too. So I can't let what people say on the net, you know, get to me because, you know, anybody can say, oh, he's going to play this year. But, you know, I actually got to prove it. So I just got to come out here, you know, work, you know, and that spot.

3:40:41What's your most important career learning so far in your three months here? Um, competing every day. That's the biggest thing. Having to compete, you know, these guys appear to, they take winning and losing to heart. So, you know, my first, my first week up here when we did our competitions, you know, I was winning, then I actually, I got that first loss on my belt. And, you know, it kind of opened my eyes because like these guys take it hard when they lose, they don't like it. So, you know, I kind of got that now where I don't like losing. You had the opportunity to be around the team for that, you know, CFP Ron, what did you learn from just those two weeks seeing this team make that run? You know, being real tight with your brothers, you know, they're real tight. You know, they push each other, you know, it's a real brotherhood. They don't let nobody down. They always got each other back. So, I mean, it's a new team now. So, you know, we got to build that chemistry with each other, you know, just get tight. And I feel like when I was there for that playoff running and I practiced, when they were at the National Championship, you know, I just got to watch, you know, how guys are, you know, real locked in.

3:41:42They're close with each other. They're not letting nobody slack off and, you know, I feel like we had the opportunity to do that with this team now. How did you handle losing? You handle that first loss. That first loss, you know, it kind of got to me. It was the IGB, you know, he, you know, he let me hear. So, after that loss, I was like, nah, I can't let this happen anymore. It's because it's like, now it's not high school where you used 17, 16 years old and if you lose, you lose. Appearance, nah, if you lose, the coaches see that. So, and they go see how you respond to it. So, I feel like I had to, you know, open my eyes, I had to go and lock them like, yeah, I can't let this happen anymore, you know. So, I got to go up and, you know, these guys are counting on me too. So, it's really important that I don't lose. If you had to describe yourself as a competitor, how would you do that? I'm a great competitor, you know, I like winning. Who does I like winning? So, I mean, winning is, it's in my blood. You know, my parents taught me that at a young age, you know, going out there competing for anything that you want. And I feel like if you can go out there competing for it, you know, it's yours. And if you compete for it all the time, who don't take it from you?

3:42:43So, I mean, I'm a good competitor, I'm always going to go out there and try to take what's mine. If it's out there, then anybody can have it. I'm going to be the one to get it. There's some role lockers in your room, obviously. Are you a talker? What's your natural? Yeah, I mean, it could come out on me, you know. But I don't really, I'm really going to my game to talk for this part. But, you know, if it gets there, it gets to that point where, yeah, I can bring it out. Because, you know, regardless, I'm not just going to let nobody just come out here and just, you know, catch balls on me. So, if I'm having a good day when I'm consistently getting TPUs, yeah, I'm going to talk. But, you know, being in that room, you kind of got to talk. You know, the Jermaine, you got IGB, you know, those real talkers in that room. So, it kind of makes you want to bring it out. And, you know, when you bring that out, that just brings energy out of the whole defense. And when you got the whole defense clicking, I mean, you can see what's happening. Is there anyone that's kind of, like, an competition in the atmosphere? It was during the winter. We were doing, you know, just stuff on the field. We were just having the time on the field. Just a lot of competitions. So, I mean, he just kind of, it was a day where, you know, they had us going up against just the freshmen.

3:43:46And then they kind of threw us in there and fired against the other guys. So, we had to, you know, we had to wake up and, you know, we all kind of lost. And then we all kind of, like, we all kind of came to get that professional group, like, what are we going to do about this? Because, you know, they're kind of nice to step up in those roles. Yeah, kind of, you're welcome to call it. Yeah, definitely, definitely, definitely, definitely, my welcome college moment. You know, you know, just, just showing that, you know, it's real now, a metal high-oh-state. I'm not in Houston, Texas, I'm more in my school. Far from my family, you know, I got to wake up, I got to grow, I got to mature fast. And, you know, I just got to get ready for the next level. You've mentioned high school a couple of times. How did, you know, grow it up very in Texas, playing at that level. How do you feel like that helped you prepare for Ohio State? I feel like it prepared good, you know. I feel like I went to a powerhouse in Texas. We obviously ran the Houston area, you know, we've been running the Houston area for a long time now. And I feel like, you know, we're a real college program. We live just like these guys who do the same lifts. You know, the level of ball I play, the highest level of ball in Texas, 6A. You know, we're going against guys like Dunkin' Bill, North Crowley, those top schools, you know,

3:44:47receiving the Coyote more I go against them. I want to get some three times in my career. So, I mean, those that really prepared me for this level, you know, coming in like, okay, this is not where it's a little school where they don't believe that I can come here and make an impact. I came from big schools so they're counting on me to make an impact because, you know, I think, I mean, everybody would say Texas is one of the highest football players in the country, you know, they go as floated in the probably Georgia. So, I mean, they're counting on me to be ready and that level of ball prepared me real, real well. How'd you do against the Coyote? You know, it was when lose, when lose. You know, I went something he lose something. So, I mean, it's just getting better on shot and higher because, you know, he's the top receiver, obviously, in our class. You know, I feel like he's going to have a good impact at the awarding. So, I mean, it's just what's going to happen next. Looking forward to seeing him again? Yeah, definitely, definitely. And you know, I plan on planning against him. We don't want to see him this year, hopefully we see him in the big team championships. So, you know, I want that rematch, man.

3:45:49Whenever you committed super early in the process, six months after that, you shut things down when, quite frankly, someone of your caliber didn't have to do that. You could have, you've seen kids play the game a little bit longer than that, but you chose to not do that. It's kind of a lot getting here. Why? You know, because this is what I felt, this was home. You know, I didn't really feel like, you know, standing Texas was a good thing for me. I didn't feel like that was home for me. Up here, I just thought it was home. You know, because of law and because they, you know, they're making it, you know, making me feel important up here. And then, you know, like you could ask, because how many times I came up here throughout my high school career? I came up here 13 times. So, it got to the point where I was knowing the guys on the team. I had the numbers and stuff like that. When I come up here, you know, I don't got to always build the coaches. I can go chill with something that guys on the team. So, it was just me, you know, knowing what I want to play in my college ball at, you know, knowing where I felt like it was home and they, you know, it was also my parents too, you know, my mom being, you know, feeling safe that, you know, I'm up here, you know, I'm handling the business and not having to worry about me.

3:46:52And she goes to sleep. Right. The potential, the concussion potential, that sort of thing. And just keep playing the way you do. Yeah, I mean, for me, like I said, I've done a lot of research. I went and met with concussion specialists and like I said, they reassured me and gave me the knowledge that I needed. But, I mean, it's not hard at all for me when I got here. I feel I'm a football player. That's what I love doing since I was a little kid. So, I mean, that's the, that's the only thing I want to do on playing my dream. And so, when I get out here, I don't think about, oh, I might get hurt or I might get a concussion. I just got there and main focus is winning and having fun out here. And so, it's not too hard for me to put it behind me. Stuff happening in life, stuff happening in the game that may not go our way. But just by responding and coming out here and having fun. So, when you see older players, you know, for previous generations in the game, that have had concussions and some of the struggles they're having in their older life. 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 experiences.

3:47:57That's a great question. A lot of the information and a lot of things before, like during the time of those older players are a lot different than the knowledge and information. That we have now. We're able to treat concussions. And also, back then, it's 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, we're making problems later on. So, that's why I'm not really too concerned about it. So, how many recommended to you? Say it again. Is there a trainer or Michael's guy? No, I just wanted to get into a new home. I mean, people have a refer to. They also, during our team meeting, has said how there's a number of helmets that are better than other helmets right now. So, I just wanted to check those out and see what they are. Is this concussion any more severe than the others you had? No, and that's one of the other things. I mean, I'm not going to give a whole seminar on concussions over here.

3:48:57But, no, it's not necessarily more severe. It's just a concussion, 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 back 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 before, what guys were getting trouble with the long time ago, is they get a concussion, not fully healed, and they go right back out there and playing. Does a captain see a side or maybe part of it? Can you just reflect on how you've grown since showing up here in fairly 21? Is it a player or person who are you? 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 your mom and your brother? Did you have to sort of involve the family's decision behind that go? Yeah, definitely. They came down with me.

3:49:58So, 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 was the biggest thing. Easing their mind. They were all there worried and everything, but they'll be okay. I think we saw the play with the Elijah Mahler, your head growing. Say it again. We saw the play at practice. Did you think you'd be out for two weeks after that? I mean, I was good. 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. 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 camp and still had a helmet to helmet. From your perspective, it has to be an expert. Are those doing what they're intended to do? You know, you got to take care of it when he got hurt? You know what I'm saying? Like, guys are still getting concussions and getting them wearing.

3:51:01Yeah, it's definitely still a physical sport. So, I mean, concussion happened 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 it on the Guardian cap. I don't think in the back that is as much padding as I would like. I feel it could be looked at. But I think you get a concussion whether you're wearing 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. You also wear the Guardian cap during the game? No, I'm not going to. You feel good about this game helmet that you've been using. Yeah. What's the name of the game and the brand of helmet? Like any details you have? Oh, I'm not sure the brand of name yet. I'll have to get it from those guys inside. But you guys will definitely be seeing this soon though. I didn't got a gist yet. How do you feel about not playing in a preseason game? You have to say as your career where it's going to be real? 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 preseason game. I feel that's a great opportunity for the younger guys to get out there and showcase what they're able to do.

3:52:04But 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. Yeah, I'm not really concerned about not being able to get a snap of the preseason game. We think about MJ did film it, particularly during the joint practice against Jeff or something. Yeah, MJ is the number one corner. I mean, you guys see it. He's going to be big for us 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 ones and we able to do different things out there on the field. And 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 has a few hands and a row as a leader. He's going to hit a year three and he's kind of picking on this world as a guy that's bringing energy and also trying to bring the ball on. Yeah, definitely. Like you said, bring it in. That's exactly. Bring in 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.

3:53:06I'm so 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. I'm definitely happy for him. That's like changing contract and everything for him and his family. So, definitely happy for him. I'm 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 turns out we got more history because concussions that we're talking about. I think when you suffer the latest one. People who cover the team and fans are wondering how loud a discussion could you contemplate and retire? Have you 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. I love playing this game. Being with the guys out here. I really don't see myself doing too much other stuff. Unless I'm just really physically unable to play this game. I don't see myself stepping away from football no time soon. Like I said before, I can't take it easy on these receivers out here.

3:54:08So, me being out here, I got to give them a good look and just go out there and play. But, I'll answer your question now. I haven't seen myself walking away though. Are you actually out of protocol now? Yes. Hey, then, so, Greg Culld Miles, Harden, the Steel and Drafts. What have you seen? Say it again. Sorry, Greg Culld Miles, Harden, the Steel and the Drafts. What have you seen from any other camp? And what kind of exciting about him? Yeah, Miles, he's been ballin'. 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 congratulated him. And he's going to be a big piece on our team, you know, like coming going forward. Dins on off another rookie. You mentioned making the receivers better. How have you made Jamari talk about how you've helped him, you know, 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. So, where he's at now, I believe. I think that's just his competitive nature. And he's been doing out there in practice. And that's going against one another out there.

3:55:08So, he's been good and he's going to be a big piece as well. That's our offense. What's your tip to the last one? What's your tip to you, give receivers? How 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. He's a big player. Thank you, guys. Thank you. Thank you. Glad to see you back. I just... Several coaches, players, the enthusiasm of having you in the Big 12. Two-part question. When you look at what you've done, Jackson State, first year at Colorado. The accomplishments and the eyes and attention that you've brought. Have you taken the moment to sort of sit back and appreciate?

3:56:08I know you've given a lot of love to your players and programs. But have you taken time to appreciate the worth and what you brought, part one, part two? You got one at a time. I'm on 56. You can't do that. One at a time. Give me one at a time, all right? First of all, thank you. Thank you for... Just understanding and recognizing those things. I don't have time to sit back and watch what was done because I'm so busy doing what I do. So I don't have time for, you know, even though my arms could reach that back to the pet myself on the back. I ain't got time for it. You don't like it anyway. Every once in a while I do it because I know y'all ain't gonna do it. So I don't have time for it, but I appreciate it. And I'm thankful of the calling that God has on my life. I really am. Now we go to part two. Part two with what you brought to the programs in the historic Black Colleges and to Colorado. Do you feel an obligation with whom you are to perform at a higher level or coach at higher level?

3:57:10Yeah, like I guess. Yes. I'm judged on a different scale. My wins are totally different than your wins. Your wins, you just judge in football. That's why I have to start out and give you education and academics and so forth. I have to give you those things so you understand. That's a greater scope. I can't win nine games and we are GPA suffers. Our GPA can't be high, but we lose another eight games. We can't not go and grab high school players and you got a bunch of guys in the portal out of the portal that's getting incarcerated. My wins are different. We have to win in every area. That's the way we're judged. I'm cool with that. Because we come a little different. So the expectation is greater. But it's not just football. It's been like, did all my life. I've always had a greater expectation for myself. So the expectation you have for me would never outweigh the expectation I have for myself.

3:58:14Thank you. That's a wonderful question. All right. We'll go to the left side, third row in the middle. Hey, Deon Collins-Willson with the action network. One question. What led you to the hiring of Robert Livingston come from the same thing? Oh my God. They test the opportunity. I mean, we needed the defense coordinator and I'm a pro, man. And that's nothing against the college coaches because we have some phenomenal college coaches, especially in this conference. But I'm a pro. So I like the relationships and the thought process of a pro. And Coach Livingston was recommended to me by a few pros that I'm well familiar with in our trust. My gzimmer being one of them. And his interview process and his consistency and his thought process and his relatability just put place him well above the other applicants. I'm happy I made the decision.

3:59:15And when we look back on it, I'm, first of all, I pray to God that I can keep him because I feel like we're going to kick butt, we're going to win. And he's going to be a head coach and college or pros or whatever he endeavors because he's that good. So I'm thankful and I'm happy for him, but he is awesome. When I tell you awesome, he is totally awesome. Okay. We'll go over here to the right side in the first row. We got another guy on the side of the ball named Pat Shermer. That's pretty darn good as well. I mean, really good. And his compatibility and relationship with Shador is amazing. And what they plan on doing this season. I can't wait to see it myself. Yes, sir. Coach Prime, my name is Arnie Bayesmore with Vegas Sports today. Yeah. I want to officially welcome you to our amazing CD of Lost Vegas. Thank you. Now, my question is. I don't gamble though. So you ain't getting that out of me. Okay. With respect to legacy and impact, what legacy and or impact do you hope to have on the world of sports as a player and or as a coach?

4:00:17Both really, I don't care like how you see me. How you look at me. I'm more apt to understand how I see me and how I look at me and how God sees me and how he looks at me. So really, I don't care how you see me. It's never going to be enough. Nothing I do is ever going to be enough. So I'm cool with that. I understand that that is life and that's how life is going to be. But I plan on being a tremendous blessing to as many people as can bless, especially those probably 120 young men that put on this CU helmet and go out there and to play for our school in our program. So the summit all up, man, I just want to be known as a great dad. I think I have three sons here today and I just want to be a great dad to them. That's it. Thank you, my man. I appreciate you. All right. We'll see in the right side. We'll go about halfway back on the aisle. Coach, Dom is out WDY in Fargo, North Dakota.

4:01:18You're opening up with North Dakota State or known Gaulty S killer. Tell me what you know about the bison. They're good. They're really darn good. And I'm mad at Rick right now if I put them on the schedule, open up with them. Like, can you give me a layup or something? Like those guys are wonderful. Their staff has always been amongst the best. Many people have matriculated from that staff to go to higher levels. Those kids play their butts off. They play tough. They don't make many mistakes. They're accustomed to winning. They don't give a darn about being at home on a roll that does not phase them whatsoever. We just can't wait to see it. I know it's a national television game. I believe it's a Thursday night game. Hopefully not too late. But we can't wait to see them. It's going to be a phenomenal game. Phenomenal matchup. But that program is second to none. All right. We'll go to the left side. Sixth throw on the far left side. Stuart Mandel from the athletic. Going into your two. What are some of the things that gave you confidence that this season can end a lot better than forwarding?

4:02:24When I see the offensive line and the way they train, the way they work, the way to go about their job, when I see the defensive line coaches and the way they're on their kids and the way they're demanding excellence. And the way these young men are working and the athletes that they are and the bodies that they have and they've developed right now. I see the receiving core staying out the practice to work with the quarterback coming over the quarterbacks, coming over there on off days to work with one another. When I see the running backs doing the same, led by a former walk on Charlie Alfordol. When I see the special teams, Mark Vesett is here right now. I think he's a darn pro in a model that don't miss and Jayce Phelia knows guys that they can't wait to their time. They understand special teams mean that we're special. When I see those, the secondary shoot, they get out of bed and want to play man to man coverage.

4:03:27I love it. And shall OK wait to hit somebody. You know, Cam Silman. So many of the guys, the change made from safety to linebacker would Trevor, I mean. I really think this young man is is going to be the next brand or lacker. I think he's going to make that transition from safety to lineback and be dominated like I, I just see the won't in the fire and desire from our young men. And I can't wait to you get an opportunity to see it as well. So I'm very optimistic on what we have on our plate this year. All right, we'll go to the right side, third row right in the middle. Phillip Duke's the five star flex on on three coach Sanders. I don't. As the father of three Division one football players, what did you learn during their process as a parent that's helped you formulate your recruit a style as a head coach? Great question. First and foremost, I've set in all seats.

4:04:32The parent seat being recruited as the kid now being the coach that helps me tremendously when I'm recruiting when I'm understanding what the parent is thinking, what the kid is thinking now what the coach desires to want to know. It's been a tremendous asset for me to understand those facets of this new recruiting age that is impacted tremendously by NILs and collectives. So I love it. Sometimes I don't like it, but I love it and I love that these kids are being compensated somewhat for what they bring to the table. I don't want them to put the bag before the game because if you have the game, the bag is going to come. I want them to understand that. But I just don't want to take away from the purity, the purity of this wonderful game that we have college football is phenomenal man.

4:05:32This conference is phenomenal. Look at what we are. You got to be kidding me. I'm a brother from Folk, my ice floater. And I'm sitting up here in the Dern, Inz on in Las Vegas talking to the whole Dern country about a childish game that I played when I was a shouting. Don't you understand how powerful how wonderful this is and I'm so darn thankful to be here. So I try to relate that to all our young men. This is a moment, man. You better maximize it. And let's go get it. Thank you. It's a wonderful question. We'll see in the right side. We'll go halfway back in the center. And if you have it is right. I got you today, right? Okay. All right. We'll go back halfway back on the right side on the center aisle. Coach Prime, Alex Blackburn, College Football Dogs. With all the media attention surrounding your program, how do you stay focused on the main goal, which is winning games? How do you keep yourself and your team focused? Well, you keep the main thing, the main thing. The main thing never should transfer itself.

4:06:33Winning is what we're here for. As far as the focus and intention, I think every sense I step into Florida state in 85 has been like that for me. This ain't new to me. I'm not new to this. Like we say in the hood, I'm true to this. So this is new to some of you all. And you want us to change. We're not going to change. We're going to try to do things being smart, tough, fast, disciplined with character. That's what we're relaying to all our young men. But the cameras and the lights, I think I haven't seen one kid here today to say he didn't like that. He may not like the process, but he likes the the package that you wrap him up in and you put him out there. All these kids are excited about the EA sports game, right? There's scores and levels. They want attention. They want affection. They won't love. They want adoration. Adulation. I'm sorry. Yeah, we give you that, but you got to work first. So you can understand the consistency thereof is going to take you to where you want to go every time I'm on and dead.

4:07:39If that's what you please. I will stay over here on the right side. Third row right in the middle. Hi coach. How you doing? Good. How are you? You go girl. I know you. Nikki Edwards, you sports report. We talked during spring and throughout last season. I'm going to be a little bit more important on stopping the run. You get a guy like BJ Green and your defensive line. How is he going to be a leader in achieving that goal? BJ Green is already a leader. Do you know that BJ Green played for me when he was five through seven years old with truth and Dallas and well South Dallas? So he's been a part of my life for a long time and they raised him right at Arizona State and for him to come over now. It's phenomenal. His work I think the way he approaches in the text of game. It's phenomenal. His want, his desire, his will. I just got finished during the interview and they say well you have two young men that projected probably to be the top five picks. I said yeah but we won't for in the first round. And the only way that's going to happen is we win and they are dominant.

4:08:43And I think BJ Green could be one of those guys. And I think he will be one of those guys because he wants it that much. Shane, round deal, Amari McNeil. I'm just the name of a few and Juan is to to Feeck Chodosi. T.C. that's my dog from Arkansas. I mean we have some guys inside there that can flat out do it. Outside we have some guys that can go get the quarterback as well. We just want to be in the position to allow them to be the best they can be. And that's one thing that Coach Livingston is doing well. He's not coming in trying to remake everything and reinvent the wheel. He's like let's find out what these guys can do well and let them do what they do. And that's what we're going to do. That's the formula. I told you guys that's that's what we do. Okay. That's how we come in. All right, final question far left side about a question. I'm just having a good time. Now you got to go right out of time.

4:09:43We got a shot. Pluck joy. Did they give you a shot? Pluck. How are you doing, coach? How are you doing? On me, Archon, TG Sports here. I have a quick question regarding building a winning culture. Yeah. What does that mean? What does a winning culture mean? I want to know what that means because you got to be a winner to understand what that winning culture means. Everybody want to know about the culture, the culture. What is culture? To me, culture is day in day out putting in the work lifestyle. Yeah, you lifestyle. Yeah. Okay. So progressing in that general area right there as far as the winning culture side. Last year you guys started off strong. You did kind of fills it out a little bit towards the end of the year. But I remember you still talking about continuing to build that winning culture day in day out. Do you feel the guys that you brought in this year are going to be able to help you fill those gaps? I don't talk about culture that much. So that wasn't me. But I do talk about the consistency there of the goal and being consistent in whatever you do.

4:10:46So if you have a team that's got to be a little more physically tough, you got to develop that. You got to mentally tough, strategically satisfying. And from the coaching staff's point of view, you got to understand that. But culture, everybody's own this word, this word. And I don't understand this word one bit. And somebody got to help me understand what that word culture means. An environment, understanding of winning, you want that. I feel like I'm a winner. I know I'm a winner. So whatever I display, however I go about my job, my work, my business, my personal life, that's that's of a winner. That's all I know. I don't know anything else but that. So in due time and due process, we're going to reach that goal because we're going to get there because I know I'm going to get there. And I'm not going by myself. I'll do it. Coach, thank you for your time. Wow. God bless you.

4:11:58I'm just getting used to the speed of college. I would say. What about Calvin? He was obviously here last year. He was? Calvin has gone. I'm just going to get used to the speed of college. I would say. What about Calvin? He was obviously here last year. He was? Calvin has gone. He's gone. I would say that he's gone a lot smarter. And then he also write GB. I think he's there about Calvin's intelligence, you know, where he's grown. Where specifically is it? The film room? Is it kind of picking up the playbook? Where have you seen that? 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 you in the last year? Was it in the soft sea? When did you feel just comfortable?

4:12:58I would say in the spring I started to get a lot more comfortable in our defense. We say you break up the past yesterday with the share of my name. I'm sorry if you're asked, but it's earlier. But what is like going up against him? Do you? It seems like 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 one-on-one matchups this preseason or whatever. You know how belly-hooed this game is. So Jill, he forces me to pay the back of it. 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 of 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's a lot more smart than this here. Everybody's right. I would just say that we're going just smarter. Yeah, but when you look up and late and ransom decided to come back and Caleb down, transfer it in.

4:14:04What 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 at. Yeah, I would say that like, a down's coming and, what they say he was coming back, Zell says he was coming back. It's still like, I'm really happy to be the native. Thanks, man. Of course. I heard it. I mean, you know, I, this is sometimes I just try to keep going and not take it to my level, but it gets obvious. I don't know how those governments say they feel good, but I just don't know how to keep doing my job. No, no, I, I, I came to the house to come back and I love this place. I wanted that to be a point of mind, I've been here the same way since I was a while ago.

4:15:06I mean, I, I think I'm definitely the new agent of college football. I love the way I do. I love my team. I want to stay with that. I feel so many good, like long lasting practice. I'm a team who, so I don't know what I'm doing. I always treat it as if I was. I prepare like I was.

4:16:07I'm also interested in God, and I knew that my time would come and I'd be ready to take my take what's happening to come. I'm just happy that I was able to do that and I'm still trying to put my view to be able to. Where is the confidence where the work is being done for? You get a sense of courage and energy and amazing work. Where is the, I don't know, a flagger level right now in the end of college? I mean, we're a good team. Our confidence comes from our preparation. You know, we practice hard and we want to make sure we get everything we've done. We're going to have a little bit of a little detail we can. I think Coach Gourdes is a really good job. We need to continue to do that. Everything that happened last week does go in the matter if you don't do this week. Our goal is to do better than we did last week and to make a totally different game I think. You've got to sing the real good. Everyone's trying to be a nice guy to make a good one. What's up like out there and then at the club?

4:17:10It's a talk with Chris. Yeah, I mean, I think that's the biggest thing football is not to be a fun sport. We're meant to go out there and make plays and have fun. You really be brothers with each other. You know, the only time you really make plays when you're having fun. You know, I've been trying and I'm making plays. I really have those hands in hand. We're just out there trying to help my team. I know my life that is just a sky rock right there. I just need to say this. I just need to say this. I mean, obviously, we've got a couple of years before you did there. I'm curious about how you picked your higher strength. It's pretty good. You started to do it a lot. I mean, in terms of the guy who you want to join you, how do you pick your life? You're a star.

4:18:24You're just an interesting number. I am. I'm 20 years old. I'm working for what you're in first. You see me in first. I'm interested in this. I'm really comfortable. I'm really glad. I'm working. Thank you for all those music jokes today. Thank you very much. Thank you very much. Thank you very much. Thank you. Thank you. Once again, your music is going to be popular. I'm going to be talking about this. Kelly, about the night I got this role. What's your job? My job? I'm a professional. I'm a professional. First time I met her, we just found a role. What do you think the hand brings to this topic? You know, we have different topics. We have a lot of topics reporting with the latest government. We'll sort of talk about it later.

4:19:25We would be interested between warriors, that they don't care what happens. For me, I feel like we have a strong mass interest, we have active organizations, that we want our escalating languages, and other así- kilometres. Yes. And, whoever you love and supporting is something統一. Of course, you need to think about it perfectly. I don't think anybody outside looking at you with questions, the strength of your commitment, like you locked in your last eight, you sent it over and over, but you're making visits around the country, you see other schools, it's almost a totally different mindset. What's that code to the new aspect? How do you approach these other visits and how do you communicate with Ohio State about them? What's been the message you've been talking about? I'm always locked in, I'm still enjoying buses, it's been built, this is only one time, I'm very interested in enjoying the other schools that are set up in life.

4:20:30Yes, it's going to be really hard to try to give you the flip, so Ohio State is where I would be. What does it make you want to take home to this? How does that feel to the state? For me, I think it's time for them. Most of the times they don't even care that I play football. The kids at Children's Hospital, I always try to just go there every day. You get to interact with the kids and they're just having someone's taking the time to hang out with them. We did thing though, I won multiple times. It's fun hearing them call in and we're telling jokes. I enjoy that part rather than just making a big deal about how I want to award. How did you come up with the idea that your face stands? Did that happen? In the moment, touch them. Do you mind saying that you guys are often as blind as finding and as pudding as far as the

4:21:34skiing that you guys like to rumble all the guys? Why do you think you like to effort despite all the injuries you got to suffer? I think that just shows you how deaf our online is and how good and how much of a team we got right now. For them, guys to step up and the guys who got hurt, guys to come in there and play. These guys probably never think that they had a chance maybe early on and the table's turns so fast and they're put in position where they got to help us win. I think that we're these past two weeks showed how good our online is and I think it's credit to them for the success that we're having on the ground. I always say I was tip my hat off to them because Coach Pat and everybody in the lineroom for helping us all out. You guys have the second-line online off-dance in the second half. What do you think of the success in being able to touch them behind you and have a lot of

4:22:37success in our online online online. I think that it's just a mentality, man. We take pride in winning the second half but we've got to try to perform in the first half too. This is a four quarter game, four quarter fight, 15 round fight. That's how I say it. We've got to try to find a way to do that in the first half but make sure that we bare minimum that we win the second half. That's just going back to how we train in camp and OTAs and all those other times that we had to dig down deep and find that dog mentality. I think that the online is such a good line. I think that they're the ones who's moving the heart of the team to be the team and we're just following the way that they're providing for us. How would it impact your run game if you were able to get four Darryl back in this week? What does he add in? What is that two-time room? We get four Darryl back in the middle. What does it do for the run-about room? What's the difference? I mean, see Pete, he's just a weapon and I mean he brings what he brings.

4:23:38He's a Hall of Famer. We all know he's a playmaker in all areas. He's just a run-about board, especially teams, but he's like a he's a put him anywhere. Just to have another player out there on the field where they have the game plan for is good. Do you feel like the offense has come together? It's a quick and faster than it has taken longer to be from the point of see what it is. What do you feel like are the ingredients of Dynodep, why do you think it's happened to have to be this one? Practice. You've got to keep reaching it. Sometimes it might not work the first, second, third week, but you know, if you just keep trying and keep getting at it and keeping that mentality, then eventually good things will happen. So it just shows that every day they go in detail when they go out there in the field, they're in detail. They're always out there early. They're always out there, though last one's out there too. And it's showing. So when there's just practice, like anything in life, you know, if you want to be good at anything, you just got to practice. And it's not so much about how fast you get it, how long it takes, you're just getting it. Now we're getting it early.

4:24:39Just keep at it. Just keep working. Hey brother, how are you? You want to say something? You coming interview? No? He has a, hey, spin. Tell him how terrible your music tastes. Come on, come on, come on, come on, come on, come on, come on, come on, come on, come on, come on. All right, whatever. Do you want to do some of the most important things that you think you carry out for a week? You get well on and off and so actually week, you know, you do have it. Thank you, fat. Huh? Talk every Thursday, actually, that's my day to talk. Anyway, what did you say? I was saying, you know, we've been talking a lot about the stuff you guys have around your focus. What are some of the important things that you need to happen? Is this thing that's just what I want to do? I mean, it's pretty much the same thing I've been saying all the time. He'd ask, when are you going to do that? Is this practice, man? You just practice, you go out there and you practice. So much, you know, what you do is you go and film the next day, you watch it, you see what you need to prove on. You know, I mean, you see the, what did, what was good, what was bad, you know, college

4:25:42recall it's a good bad ugly. You watch film, you put it bad, you put it to rest, then you work on the next team. I mean, you know, you guys, you're asking the same questions pretty much over and over again. It's just practice, it's just practice, man. When you talk about practice, there's something that are interested in challenges. You guys differently are there elements that you're doing with this pleasure? How are you? I mean, he, I mean, shoot, just keeping it, it's the energy, you know what I mean, don't get lacksy days, you know what I mean, don't, don't get too comfortable. And this, especially in this sport, you know, you can't get too comfortable at all because no matter who you're playing the week after week, when I, what the record is, you know, they're still good team and they're still a capable team. You know, we got the Giants this week and they're a really good team too. They got a good front and they got good players on offense too. So, you know, just having that mentality of where that, you know, we got to, we got a dig down deep and really just, you know, finish this, finish this week out is a, is a most important thing and it's having that mentality. You have to go to one more guy, you said music. You said music is second to go, what's the energy and everything to have a music in practice?

4:26:44And it does that help with energy and then keeping things light and it keeps going? I personally don't care. I mean, in college, we didn't really do no music, but obviously it's not college. But I think, you know, some guys like it. I mean, you don't matter how we got to do it before, you know, I mean, music or no music. The main thing is the perform and just don't lose focus on that. You have music, do whatever, but just keep the main thing and the main thing is when it goes on. You said good frustrated. Do you get frustrated in moments like that in the ballstack? Definitely, a little bit of both. Obviously, I just wanted the team to win. I think we got a chance to win. You know, definitely towards it and to stretch that last drive. I was a couple of plays here, a couple of calls that he maybe should have gotten. But I think the frustration and more so it just comes from wanting to win more. True. What did you say he was a little surprised how much attention you got right away from your defense? How about you? Yeah, definitely. We maybe gilved more, one of ones kind of how the game playing was set up. You didn't get a different coverage out of cloud to my side and this is kind of how the game goes.

4:27:48What's the process been like sometimes where whatever reason just just to see that? Yeah, definitely. Especially in college, a lot of the game fans defensively were taking you away. You know, they had a lot of success. I was able to stay out of the game. One of the ball having different weapons. They're kind of still getting the victories and I was yeah, you continue to do better jobs when I hear. Why are you taking the game? It's a communication that process been like post game getting on the same page with Kyler. You guys exchange tax. Yeah, they're filming definitely kind of asking what did I see there kind of go over and play. Did I just get him what I saw and kind of different feedback there? Mark, I get it. We're asking questions about the previous game. Are you the type of guy to let a game like that winger or how do you flush it? You got to move on. Got to move on. It's a long season. Got like 16 more of them. Hopefully, you know, I can stay healthy throughout the year and just continue to build and get better each week. You guys did so much work throughout the off season to get on the same page.

4:28:49How different is it when you get into that regular season? Yeah, it's totally different. It's totally different. You can do a lot of things, you know, in shirts and shorts and then once you go out there, put practice and you got pads on. You do like the joint practice we did with the colds but there's nothing like actually going out there. And live action and really trying to be on the same page. So I think that relationship will continue to develop and look at better. Is that it, just a matter of reps then, as much as anything? Yeah, definitely. Definitely. Like I said, I was kind of my first live action together. So I think we'll continue to give it a bit. When you're early impression, so are you on the field together and when you're increasing this with Kyle? Yeah, but now obviously I have a death certificate respect, no JG's call or preseason. And obviously we all feel really healthy and that's kind of the most important thing. Obviously that will help you going forward. So, um, that's it. I can say. I'm already really impressed with the Rams. What do you think of the Rams? Yeah, I mean, they're a good team. They're a good physical team. I got a new lot of new guys up front, I think. That's kind of where the strong suit is.

4:29:49Kind of a little different to Buffalo, come over to a little match coverage. So I'm excited to go against them. Personally, when the bells tape gave me one of my opportunities, how do you feel today? Wasn't many of them. Wasn't many of them. So, uh, I thought I needed to get... I'm just what you think versus just playing. You're not getting any preseason game actually. I think it was three season. Definitely, definitely thinking a lot out there. And, um, you know, I think I'll come with reps. I think that thinking less and just going out there and playing, definitely come with reps. And it's something you're gonna get better at, but, um, definitely say I was thinking a lot out there. Is there anything you can do to prevent that from the coverage? Anything you can do to prevent that from the past? Because you're gonna fix that a lot, obviously. Yeah, I mean, you just got to team, get open for yourself, make yourself available. The one the ball does, can be made in the play. Um, this, he's just taking you away, that means other guys aren't having chance to get open. So, that's how kind of high it is. No longer since it's either offense. That's the best thing for us. That kind of thing would be with Kyla. Is this something that comes pretty quickly in a new game or something like that?

4:30:51Months. Uh, hopefully sooner or later, I think. Um, I'll look into the scene and see. I don't think we're in a bad place right now at all. Obviously, I don't really think that. But, uh, just a live episode will continue to grow and show. And one of the supporters, again, I think everybody leads. Um, in our own way, you know, not everybody's the brother. Guys, come around, let's go. Like, that's not everybody, right? Like, I think for me, that's me specifically on game day. With the O-I, and after we do a little one, like, that's my like, well, I'm dead. Like, that's my like, the vocal time I feel like. I'm talking about this, um, you know, just recently. Um, talking about how what I want to do for the role is I want to bring that hump energy. The Abroad, right? So last year, um, of course, I'm sure you've been doing for years, but the year when I spent my own. He brought a lot of energy, excitement, happiness in the room, which is his natural energy.

4:31:54To where I only had to focus on me, you know, I didn't have to make sure other, other guys are, you know, feels the type of way when it came in here because hump brought that. You know, the hump's not here, but I saw when you did for the room, I want to be that guy to make sure I want to amputate or practice. Everybody's, I'm taking a field team on period, you know, it's a low day or something, you know, it's a disadvantage. But like, I want to make it feel like, yeah, Paris, the trip. I want to bring that because that's what we did to each other. We would hide each other, do something to walk, we're lit. So I want to do that. I want to bring that energy. I want to make bring more guys. Um, you also do that. Yeah. I wanted to do that from day one, you know, I kind of, I wanted to do that from day one. Um, um, I'm talking to him and obviously it's that time I spent an off season before OTA started. Um, just being in my self-just thinking about what the room needs, you know, because I know I,

4:32:57the new role as one of leaders, you know, on offense is that we need a guy like that is going to make sure the O-R is picked up. We're ready to go every day. I was held accountable little things are having a practice of people are saying anything and how I believe maybe different than somebody else may be. You know, like a practice at least like the legal positivity, you know, I mean so, but he the energy yeah, would be on just though, hyper the beyond. So I was kind of how I would be going on, um, living my whole life on again. I felt team captain like specifically and I felt I wasn't captain in high school. Wasn't a captain in college, but I want to make a joke because I was in high school. So I feel like I'm not going to be captain like he's that I felt. Yeah. Um, but that would be awesome, you know, but you know, that happens. It would be great, but not either way. I want to assume a role as a captain from the perspective of guys until the visual words and get back that way.

4:34:05Yeah, I mean, I can't say that, um, I mean, I guess the biggest thing is that I felt like how you used to in the past, but it didn't take just the first LTAs and took training left and right once this season. And because I know what was going to be so, a lot of reps just to give back to feeling like myself for the one LTAs. And then that whole first week, but now like today specifically just changing some small things with my feet that is talking about the long coach. I've got some things I'm going to do my feet to get to that, but to sell that traditional angle that I love to sit on. I thought I felt great already, but I felt even better. So I need more excites tomorrow now, get on my feedback and how I like the right side and on the left side. So I'm excited. I mean, obviously I feel like in the league, whether I left the right, you're still going against Premier guys.

4:35:06So obviously, the high expectations for the left and right tackle, but definitely like the level of energy and like the expectation definitely take the human side. Because now, I can like the blind side. That's the, as the tackle world, you know, so yeah, I would say in terms of communication as far as this, even outside of the facility, just stuff like that, like really creating that, the tackle quarterback, bond even more off the field, I think has been something that's even the cool thing. I got a text one day and I said, hey, I keep going left. Yeah, I've been training both. I've been training both. I asked after the season there, like honestly, we'll talk to you some great season and I just got a text one. I had this with the free agency. So I was like, you know what? I had an old season right tackle. So if I get the word, I'm going, I'm standing right, tackle.

4:36:06I'm just doing what I did before I'm built on that. I was like, I might as well as train the left tackle now. As if we're going to be left tackle. And I'd rather do that than train all the right time with the co-a. I didn't switch my feet yet. You know what I mean? So I'm like, let me just prepare an advance. I was like, yeah, let's go. I think occasionally on third down, there would be a lot of twists. I was just not like, it's automatic. And I think that was my mindset for like the first half of the season. Like I didn't have to go once again with some pros. Like, oh my gosh, they did that. I kind of figured, okay, like this is this is the type of rush. And like, yeah, this is how this guy usually rushes. Like get the vibe. This is how the ends like the rush, you know, tackles that are first year guys. We got the premium patch on. Or you know what it was going to be. Or you know, or the every stunt. And honestly, just knowing that's kind of an advantage to. So you're not, you're not, oh, they brought the twist on my side again. It was never airing off of it. Well, they come up and I was like, 30 plays in a row.

4:37:07And in two minutes, I knew that it was going to happen. So like, you know what I mean? I'm watching more everybody else. And he rarely goes out there occasionally on third down. I was like, yeah, I was like, he's going to pick me. You know what I mean? So, that effect, it's kind of, it's also kind of an advantage in a way. But it's also exciting. I'm going to get the hardest look. You know, those are real, real reps, you know, the things. Really out on our way to kind of process. And I was like, hey, when I tell me, let me know about, I'm just going to train it. I was training all the way up. So TAs, I guess if I didn't hear anything about TAs, I came in like. So, you know what I mean? Because just like, I'm cool with training both continue. I would have been cool with training both continually. But I feel like anybody in any position will feel like, okay, like, you want as soon as possible, you give your feet kind of a settle it. Your hips settle it. Your hands, settle it in.

4:38:08A certain kind of that. Would it have been harder for you to work both, or how to use? No. No. But they're definitely, but in terms of the development, it was definitely a lot faster to stay on the one side. But I think having that week that we had the transition with seasons over, it kind of like was fun. You know, look, good time to get up, put up my phone and I think week. Things at a time right now, but when it comes back, I'm going to show them to you on the house. So I just got a house, not too far from, so I told them, I got that house, like I could yell outside. I did it. You know what I mean? So, yeah. Be able to have guys looking up to you, ask them questions. And it's a great feeling to be a part of, to know that, I mean, I can help develop younger guys that had the opportunity to play this year next year. So, it's harder to be in the position that I'm in. You feel like what you need to develop a knack for playing with the other safety.

4:39:10So you can get out there and come in with everybody's new. I think that's something. I feel like that's communication that comes with time. Yeah, we got, I used to play with late last year, so that was a blessing to have him here and to have a year with him. But now, yeah, we got to learn to play with new people and continue to grow as a defense and have new people in different positions. Okay, who's caught your eye in that secondary? It's kind of making it a move this spring. It's turning up to you. I think everybody's done a really good job. I like the lot where we're a rooker is doing. He's stepped up a lot and a lot of improvements that I'm allowed to see. Jailer and Malik have played extremely well, so just love to watch those two guys continue to compete and continue to grow. And then outside those guys compete every day. Miles Lockhart just got a strike off and he's been playing really well, so proud of him. And what he's been doing, but those are the people that I would say. This David Sanchez looked like what you would call a five star.

4:40:12I mean, when he's out there and stuff, what you know what I mean? The guy comes in with a little bit of tar, you don't go back to a certain extent but living up to a billing. How has he lived up to it, I guess? At the end of the day, even when I got to college, it really doesn't matter about your stars. You walk in and you're at the same type of stature as everybody else. So it doesn't really matter in terms of how would you walk in here with? He's done extremely well. He's learned a lot. He's improved a lot from day one to now. So it's been great to watch him develop and watch him get better. And he's made some exceptional plays and I hope to continue to see that. I do feel like McAurray has helped you grow as a player. What's your relationship? How has that kind of developed over the time that you've been here with him? Very football intelligent, very football first mindset. And I respect that as a person just to be able to go and have somebody with the same mindset as me. Coach Wallen has been a really good help to me and has helped me a lot on and off the field here. So I respect him for that.

4:41:12But Coach G is pushed me to increase and learn more football every day in our sport. Coach Matt, did you choose what you was going to do in your process? Not before you got hired. What about this new coordinator, baby, brings a new idea of stuff? How could you change your revolver? I mean, just being in new positions, the ability to play multiple positions in the secondary, playing Don and stuff like that, being put in different positions that I wasn't maybe put in last year to have different things on the field. I think that's a great thing. Always good to have versatility as I said and something I promise I'll have some luck and fortune. You could do more opportunities with your players. That's a good day. I can't really think about that. But if I get the chance to go back there, it'll be on and I'll try to pick another play.

4:42:16It's a light-blocking every day. It's been, it has been kind of weird to walk in here and see all the different pictures that they put up. Even the three from the play also. It's been great and then they have different pictures inside and everything. It's been good. It's been eye catching where you walk by, like we just accomplished that. But it's a great situation to be in. You might have been asked to show up with you guys a couple of you, some of the things that have taken down to this year because you haven't achieved anything yet. One of the leaders that kind of, like that, I can feel about that. I mean, I think that's, you have to reset at some point. And I think at some point we had like, in the weight room, we had like, massages every stuff up there. And it was like, I mean, this, the new guys that walk in here, we, they haven't earned anything. We as the new 2025, 26 season, we haven't earned anything. So we can't really take credit for anything that is up on the banner. So we can't take credit for winning anything at this point. We have to compete every day with the mods that have, we have to get better to be able to put ourselves in position to be.

4:43:21How the opportunity to get to that point. Yeah, what is the lesson learned from an accomplishment like that, Kayle, that you do carry forward? I mean, the lesson learned is you have to continue to work. Last year, every day we continue to stack bricks, like he said, and continue to get better every day. And I think that's why we came out to be where we were. And you can't just think about that from the moment that you get here in January and you start lifting in there. And you can see, you can see, you can push to be exceptional every day. And it's not really helping if you're just looking at stuff from the last year, every day. And you get the move passed, you get to keep going. But I think the spring has been good for that because it's been able to be loud. Okay, we are turning to new leaf. We have different people in here, new faces and everything. And it's different people on the field. And they got to, we got to make plays with who we are. Coach, Dave says you've been limited from participation standpoint to a certain extent, right? I was asking you want to go about the team, but what have you noticed about this team from a work standpoint of the catches your eye?

4:44:21Very competitive, I'll say. People are trying to compete and push themselves every day. And it gets, it gets chippy sometimes. That's always a good thing, especially on the defense, to have people that are willing to go there, willing to get to that age, and willing to be physical. I really like to see that, I love to see it. And I mean, I think we just need to continue to be more disciplined, continue to work on our skills and everything like that. Continue to strive to be better. We good. Did you see your last two players attacking? I mean, that's not what my eyes are. They ask, I'll do it for sure. That's not what my eyes are. The team that has so much turnover, you guys step up into the big ones, helping against a spin, having guy like Sunny, and how much of you could have seen him grow this leader if he was last two or three months? Oh, it's been an honor to see just because we've had conversations about it and everything, about how both of us are going to have to step into bigger roles and everything like that. But to see where he's, to see where we had those conversations to where we're at now, it's just an honor to see the growth that he's been a part of, and a proud of him, and he's going to continue to get better.

4:45:34Continue to be the person that he's supposed to be. As a room, so it went real. What was he saying to you that you didn't do anything for him? What was he like as a coach at practice now that he's here at Mount Clare? First day, he didn't really talk that much, but he gave us some tips and certain things to work on. And as he's learning our offense as well, because he just got here, so I think he's been great so far. Coach just leaves all the time. I don't know how often he's coached even. How surprised were you, what was your reaction to you for the moment of leaving? Just with the situation of College Football Bar where it is today, I understood. Coach offered me what was best for him, but I'm here at Ohio State not only just for everything around it, but I'm just here for the university in itself. So I think just focusing on the bigger picture and the brotherhood that's here and what's important to me, that's what I was focusing on throughout everything. Pretty surprised. I just got here not too often to go, but like I said, I understood it and just came here to continue to work.

4:46:39What's up? You picked up and you talked to him? You're sure you're here in the middle of the night? Yeah, definitely. Right. Right. And everyone I'm around, I've picked up something from him. I think Coach offered, I've learned a lot while his time was here. You know, he taught me a lot of different things specifically about the position and other position as well on the field. So I have learned a lot while his time was here and I thank him for that. Coach, what's sort of different about him? He seems like a high energy guy. How would you describe him? Yeah, so with Coach Lachlan, I mean, I've only been around him for a day so I don't really know, but as you can see where he's coaching, how he is as a person. He's very high energy, he's very intense, you know, and I think he's very hands on. So I think it'll be awesome to be working with Coach Lachlan. What's your opinion of soft fats cookies? What's your opinion of soft fats cookies? I'm going to mention that in the first meeting with you guys though. No, not yet. I want you to use a Florida City with a new venue for men. How many generations do you have? A lot. So we're from the same city.

4:47:40We have him from the same place. At Florida State, you know, he worked on that staff with Coach Johnson and they offered me out of high school. So the relationship was already there then and we just continued to build on from then. What is it? What is it? What is it? What is it that we wanted to meet you in the afternoon? It meant a lot, you know, just the things that we talked about since I was younger in high school, you know, just to have that opportunity to go and play there. So it's awesome. What's the rest of the screen look like for you? What do you want to see yourself get there? Yeah, just to continue to improve all around, you know, continue to learn the offense and get involved in everywhere that I can on the field and just be able to improve my game all around. I know we were only here for Saturday. We haven't seen you guys practicing a lot but it's like you come out of the backfield, catch your tension, don't pass from the wheel. Are you pushing to continue to get better out of the backfield? Where do you feel like you are as far as learning the offense and being a fast-cutter of the backfield? Yeah, definitely. That's my goal to just continue to improve everywhere but I think just overall it's just helping the team anyway that the team needs to be helping just being a team player.

4:48:46That's my deal just trying to come in and, you know, help the team with whatever the team needs. How did you guys find out? Actually, I honestly don't remember how I found out but I just remember like the process on what was where we're going to do moving forward. Ryan Dees talked a lot about the leadership Travian's rods for running backroom to spring. What, how have you seen that from him? Yeah, definitely. Travian, like I said, has improved. He's been a leader to the whole room, you know, by his actions and vocally as well just continue to improve all around and inspire the young guys in the room. I think he's done very good at that. Coach Dave, what, you know, T.C. Kathy's a guy that can contribute to you guys as well. What have you seen from him as a walk-on to be able to contribute to your room? Yeah, definitely. T.C. works very hard. He knows the offense. He's always in the playbook, always in the meetings, Ryan Dees down. Very head down guy. He doesn't really talk that much but he's very good.

4:49:47I agree. Oh, it's like something to question. How was Coach Dave like his running back school experience? It's crazy you say that because he just told us he's like, well guys, this probably my last week with y'all and I'm out. But Coach Dave has been awesome. You know, he's taught us a lot of different things as far as scheme and different positions that he's coached overall and you know taught us a lot of different things that we learned overall. So it's been awesome. I know it's probably unsettling not to have a position coach for two weeks but what does it also mean? You have like a head coach in that hands-on with your spirit? Yeah, definitely. It meant a lot. You know, to have Coach Dave in those meetings teaching us everything that he's put in and implementing it into our game and showing us how he specifically wants it. It was really good to have him there. You just told about it in lightning y'all from the respect of our quarterback. Right. What do you remember taking away from this guy? Yeah, it's just really like not only looking at it from a running back perspective but also as a quarterback as well looking at certain reads, certain blitzes from other players and just looking at it all around from the field.

4:50:52Can I use your second go? Who's the list that you ran through the game time? You're the fastest in that field. Yeah, actually I don't really remember but thank you. I'm pretty sure you are. You are the reason that face of the game. Yeah, definitely really comfortable. Like I said, I've been improving to start of this year, you know coming here just improving my game all around. What's the biggest question playing in the world? Pretty quiet today. Is that disconcerting? Are you waiting for like some? I'm waiting. I mean, he's giving me a lot of feedback today on practice, you know, different plays, what he thinks, you know, what he's happy about. But I think the energy is going to come soon. So I'm excited. Did you get any more props for your blitz pick up on that last of your mind that everyone was freaking out about? Oh, yeah. I did. How were you without party or anything? When blitz pick up? When blitz pick up, I can feel it. Yeah, pretty solid. I think like I said, just improving my game all around. That's the goal. Continue to build every day and not be the same player that you were yesterday. So that's really my goal.

4:51:53But I think I've been pretty solid at it for sure. All right, Quenchon. Thank you. All right. Thank you guys. Quenchon. The game I wanted to play, that's the only game I have circled. So I just, I guess I got to wait two years. God has it playing for me that it will in two years. I'll be able to play in this game. It should be better. It's not, it's not. At least it's good. I mean, we all came back for a goal. And that's to be the best defense, one of the best defense to ever play at Ohio State. And hopefully be the best defense in the country. So we all come back with that with that goal in mind. And if we fall short, then we fell short of that. Oh, super duper excited.

4:52:54To have someone like that come here and then makes me compete every day. Like I love Caleb being here, we're in the film watching film together. And we're competing in the way we're competing on the field. Just to have someone like that to just push you every day. It's going to make both of us better. So I can't wait to have Caleb here. And all the other safes like Jaha, Malik, some of the young guys, Barnes, Jalen, them dudes stepping up. I mean, all the safes are just excited to be around because we have such a competitive room. You don't come to BIA unless you want to compete. Like, no one's job safe, no one's jobs guaranteed. And that's how we show up to the room every day. What stands out to you about Caleb? What's some of the things that kind of jump off the page of the film? Just someone that lives in the film room, someone that loves to be a student in the game. That's something I like to gravitate to because that's what I find myself. So just being able to just watch film, be a sponge, learn. He just really came into the room and really just jelled right in. So it's exciting having him be a part of the room. Was that a surprise when you heard the news that he was coming up to office or did you have it in the video that was going to happen? I think, yeah, it was definitely a surprise. I mean, I remember when he came here as a recruit and he was on his official and he really liked it.

4:53:57And then I know he's really coached with Jordan Hancock and stuff. So it makes sense why he had to come in. I mean, you see what coach G are doing. Why not? Why wouldn't you want to come be a part of BIA? I believe that with the way that you came in here, that's great looking safe. That also allows the defense to take a different game of the sun. So when you look at the box here in the back, you look at that whole thing and you look at number six now playing off the closer line of scrimmage. How do you think it changes the whole room of how you play BIA? Yeah, I mean, I think Sunni is a spectacular athlete. I mean, Sunni has the ability to play safety, to play linebacking, and probably come off the edge. Sunni could probably play every position on the field. So I think having him closer to the line, being able to make plays, it gives us more opportunity to change the defense, and do different things in the defense that maybe we weren't able to do last year. So I think wherever Sunni is going to play, he's going to be successful. So I'm excited to play with him. What's going on in the back? It's going great. I mean, coach G was here when I, when I,

4:54:59my junior year in me and him, I mean, we gel together a lot. And I think he's a great coach, ridiculously smart, and brings a lot of energy every day. And I love being coached by him before, and I can't wait for him to be back here and have a year, another year with him. I think the big jump in your one, I think coach G was the most beautiful. I mean, like I said, it should be the best defense in the country. It shouldn't be no other goals. Did you play a big role in specialty in your time here? It's been like watching it now with Ryan Day having a lot of room. Does that hand in in that? Yeah, I think I love how Coach Day's getting more hands on, getting more involved in everybody. I mean, I think Coach Day's the best head coach in the country. So for him to be in there on our special team, and he's really pushing everyone to be better, holding the older guys accountable, making the older guys hold the young guys accountable, I think it's just going to make us a better all-around team. What did you see from Jaylen? And his early days? Oh, man, Jaylen is a, he, he, a dude that goes 100% every play. And as a young guy, that's the first step of, for greatness,

4:56:00just going as hard as you can every play. And, uh, man, I think Jaylen can be really special. Yeah, that's why I got to say. What was it like in the Wumble for you? I just feel like every time you've got the momentum, you're head towards something, you can throw another curveball. How did you handle this one compared to the other day? Yeah, I think, like I said earlier, I'm not going to sit here and lie and say when it first happened, I wasn't crushed. I think I was really destroyed. But I think just knowing that guy has a plan for me, and I'm facing this adversity for a reason, and I'm going to come out stronger, smarter, and a better player. So I can't wait for what he has in store for me this year. And, what did you find yourself doing watching? I just know you had a decision, you had a good old future. I got it from my word about this, so it was $1.00. You wanted a part of the team to be around you. And I had to be frustrating for you to watch this time, considering how close you guys were, some of the plays that went the other way and everything else. Yeah, just knowing, I mean, knowing how much, like, it's funny when I talked about it before,

4:57:01like, being a dude from Arizona, I didn't know too much about how I stayed before I got here. So just being here for the years I've been here, man, I grew to love it. I grew to really love my brothers, love Ohio State, and to not be able to play in that game, and I was crushed. I was crushed. And it was hard for me to watch, to watch Hart from me to just sit there and not be with my brothers and be a part of that. But, I mean, that just has that much more fuel in the fight this year. To go in there and to achieve our goal of being team of Nore, winning the Big Ten, and winning the national championship. So that's why we came back. It's easy. All of us could have went to the NFL and achieved our dreams. But when we didn't achieve our goals here and didn't finish our legacy here, the way we wanted to made the decision to come back that much easier. When did you get over the last question? The last question, the back scene, you know what I mean? Getting back feeling, getting into it right now. What time frame is that? Probably towards the end of the winner. I started feeling a little more like myself again. So just keep stacking those days and keep building that momentum to feel even better.

4:58:01And I felt last year. You may have been asked for a walk up here. But what does Caleb bring to that secondary now? And you and him back there, what does that feel like? Oh, yes. It's super exciting. Like I'm saying, he's a really student of the game. Me and him being in the film room all day. I'm getting on the field competing in the way room on the field. He's a great competitor. And just having someone like Caleb to push you every day to get better and hold you accountable, man, is super exciting. And I can't wait to see how me and Caleb play. How all the safety's played. Jahaig looking great. Jellima claim, Bonzoo, all those dudes looking great, man. And just having BIA back, I'm excited. What are the quick, is you looking at this defense from your fans? I'm like, you know, I have all the pieces there. They're just saying, does it feel like this could be a special year? I'm hoping to hold things together. Yeah, I mean, I feel like the last three years it could have been a special year. But I mean, yeah, obviously, if you look on paper at the defense, we have the best defense in the country. So if you just, it just takes, it's on us to put it all together.

4:59:03It's easy to say you had the defense just now. But at the end, they still got to go on the field and shout out to Hummett up and show it every week. It's late and thank you. Thank you. Taya, we got you, buddy. Thank you. Oh, yeah, it's easy, really easy. You know what I'm saying? Yeah. What was it like to, like, come and throw. You were identified as a Leo guy. He's not going to get a yellow medal for the state. Yeah, yeah, yeah. They had big flints for you, right? Did you sense that? Yeah, I definitely saw some likeness to my ability to the ability of Leo. So I definitely was excited to get into that position and do what I could do best. And just played at the best of my ability. But of course those things change. And you never know to expect, especially coming on a holiday. So I'm just here to grind and work every day. We're going to watch you on Saturday. You know, you can watch your big sister stuff. You see these playing with how low they feel like that Saturday. They're right in the spring. Which is the goal really, right? Yeah, I think for the majority of this spring, I've been feeling more confident in myself and my abilities. Even with everything that's happened in the past, I still think I have a lot to give and a lot to give in this program. So I think that kind of showed on Saturday day

5:00:04where I just let loose a little bit and just play to the best of my ability. So yeah. Take time. Yeah, I mean, for sure. I think it definitely took a second to just trust myself in my body because for the past couple of years it didn't hold me back or it didn't help me out in the best way, obviously. But yeah, I mean, it's just like, it is very mental. I've found just like every day, just like counteracting that fear or that like doubt of like my body's in a hold up. But I just think, I think my mentality right now is really good for that. So I think I'll be good. Yeah, I don't know. I don't usually try to get that. Yeah, I do feel home. I think this past two years has definitely been a learning curve. But I think now more than ever, I'm definitely comfortable. I'm not mad at what I need to do and like my skillset. And I've been talking with the coaches about what it looks like for me to be the best possible version of myself in this position. So yeah, feel great.

5:01:05Oh. Yeah. I think the biggest thing in our group is just leadership because we have a lot of guys like you said in that room who've been battle tested, so to speak. So I think especially coming up in this bringing into this fall, we just like need to be the anchor for this defensive unit. And I need to show up every day, day and and day out. So. How are the coach Johnson has talked about really wanting to be always likes to play a lot of guys? Last year he was very well. Rotation, maybe he like, you know, just people already had now was talking to her. Or that was like bringing to her. He wants to play for the last two years. Um, especially with those new seasons, I'd expect that. But um, we have to see, you know, you don't know until it happens. So I'm just very curious to see what's going to happen to season. So yeah. What is the dynamic like in the room? All these old guys that came back and then he got all these young guys. Yeah, it's like a little brother, big brother type deal. You know, a lot of the guys who've been there trying to help out and bring along the younger guys.

5:02:08And uh, it's definitely a process at times. But I think the love we share in that room is very, very strong. And with that, I think it helps us get through anything and any challenges and overcoming as well. Yeah. Mitch, maybe you were already asked to show you primer. Yeah. This road and light. And here and then get up to this point. Yeah. You finally kind of maybe hit that pinnacle source. Um, it's uh, it's a blessing, I'd say. Because you know, a lot of guys in my position have had the same injuries and still haven't came back. And um, I'm just, I'm just thankful that I'm here in the best university in the world and the best training staff. And they got me to this point where I can be back to, uh, be back to healthy and even better than healthy. Because I feel like I better than what I was. So it's um, it was humbling, I think. The journey was for me. I just, because I remember coming to Ohio State, there was nothing but a dream, you know. I had a dream of being the best version of myself doing all the things and all the accolades. But then, you know, things happen. And uh, it took me about surprise, of course, but I think it also gave me a lesson that I really needed. And it needed to like grow into a better version of myself.

5:03:08So I think the journey was needed and it was, it was a blessing for me. Do you ever ask questions? Do you ever think about? I'm done. No, I can't do that, man. I love the sport too much to do that, you know. And I love the guys around me. And I think that's the biggest thing that brought me back was just like, I can't do it to them. And you know, I just, I know we have what we can be on the field. So it's like, I'm gonna do everything I can to get back on that field, for sure. What impact you think you can have in your life? Um, I'm not even, I'm just trying to go day by day. It's hard. That's what I found myself is always like going to the future and thinking what I'm gonna do this thing. Or next day, next day, next day, but it's just like it's overwhelming. That it's like gave me stress, I think for me, it's just worrying about tomorrow, the next practice. And what that holds for me. And then doing whatever I need to do and whatever skill I need to sharpen it, things like that. When did you start to feel completely up? Um, definitely last season. I think it was kind of hard to like, trust it, last season, but I still think my body was at 100%. So yeah. All right, Mitchell, thank you. Thank you. Thank you guys. Thanks, Mitch. Yeah.

5:04:14I mean, I'm not gonna sit here and lie and tell you like in the moment it wasn't hard. Um, it was definitely hard. But it wasn't as hard when I realized that me and my brothers didn't achieve our goals. Um, like we have three goals here at Ohio State, beat the team in the North, win the Big Ten when the national championship. And I still yet to achieve, I've yet to achieve those goals. So when I sit there and look at the big pictures, yeah, the next level, I mean, that's my, that's my, that's my all-time dream. But I still haven't finished my legacy here at Ohio State and achieving those three goals. So it made the decision a lot easier. It was, it was ridiculously hard. I mean, that was the game. That's the only game I really wanted to play all year. Like that's all I thought about, especially just how the last game ended. And I mean, I'm playing the game I wanted to play. That's the only game I have circled. So I just, I guess I got away two years. God has a plan for me that it will, in two years, I'll be able to play in this game.

5:05:20It should be better. It's not, it's not. At least it's good. I mean, we all came back for a goal and that's to be the best defense, one of the best defense to ever play at Ohio State. And hopefully be the best defense in the country. So we, we all come back with that, with that goal in mind. And if we fall short, then we fell short of that. Oh, super duper excited. I mean, to have someone like that come here and then makes me compete every day. Like I love Caleb being here, wearing the film, watching film together. I'm working peeing in the way, I'm working peeing on the field. Just to have someone like that to just push you every day, it's going to make both of us better. So I can't, I can't wait to have Caleb here. And all the other safes like Jihad, Malik, some of the young guys, Barnes, Jalen, them dude stepping up. I mean, all the safes I'm just excited to be around because we have such a competitive room. You don't come to BIA unless you want to compete. Like, there's no one's job safe, no one's job's guaranteed. And that's how we show up to the room every day. What stands out to you about Caleb? You know, what's coming up things that kind of jump off the page of you?

5:06:20Just someone that lives in the film room, someone that loves to be a student in the game. That's someone, that's something I like to gravitate to because that's what I find myself. Just being able to just watch film, be a sponge, learn. He just really came into the room and really just jelled right in. So it's exciting to have him be a part of the room. Was that a surprise when you heard the news that he was coming up to all this? Or did you kind of have it in there that was going to happen? I think, yeah, I was definitely surprised. I mean, I remember when he came here as a recruit and he was on his official and he really liked it. And then I know he's really coached with Jordan Hancock and stuff. So it makes sense why he had to come in. I mean, you see what coach G are doing. Like, why not? Why wouldn't you want to come be a part of BIA? Played a tune, he'll come in here. That's great. But he's safe. But also, allow the defense to take a different game of the sun. And we're here in line. So we need to look at some like, actually, you're in the back of the game. You look at that whole defense and finally, can you look at number six now playing off the closer one? It's pretty much how do you think it changes the whole whole game of how you play BIA? Yeah, I mean, I think sun is a spectacular athlete.

5:07:22I mean, sun has the ability to play safety, to play linebacking, and probably come off the ares. Like, sunny could probably play every position on the field. So I think having him coached the line, being in the make plays, it gives us more opportunity to change the defense and do different things in the defense that maybe we weren't able to do last year. So I think wherever sun is going to play, he's going to be successful. So I'm just, I'm excited to play with it. Going great. I mean, coach G was here when I, when I, my junior year in me and him, I mean, we geled together a lot. And I think he's a great coach, ridiculously smart, and brings a lot of energy every day. And I love being coached by him before, and I can't wait for him to be back here and have a year, another year with him. I mean, like I said, it should be the best defense in the country. It shouldn't, should be no, no other goals. Did you better make real special teams your time here? It's been like watching it now with Ryan, Jay, having a lot of room. Does that hand in in that?

5:08:23Yeah, I think I love how coached days get more hands on, get more involved in everybody. I mean, I think coached days, the best head coach in the country. So for him to be in there on our special teams, you're going to push everyone to be better, holding the older guys accountable, making the older guys hold the young guys accountable. I think it's just going to make us a better all-around team. What did you see from Jaylin playing? And his early days? Oh, man, Jaylin is a, he, a dude that goes 100% every play. And as a young guy, that's the first step of, for greatness, just going as hard as you can every play. And, uh, man, I think Jaylin could be really special. Yeah, that's why I got to say. What was it like in the Wendell for you? Just feel like every time you've got on that other, you're having a toward something. You can throw in another curveball. How did you handle this one, compared to the other two? Yeah, I think, like I said earlier, I'm not going to sit here and lie and say when it first happened, I wasn't crushed. I think I was really destroyed. But I think just knowing that God has a plan for me and I'm facing this adversity for a reason, and I'm going to come out stronger, smarter, and a better player.

5:09:25I can't wait for it. What do you ask the store for me this year? What did you find yourself doing watching? I know you had a decision, you had a good old future. I got it. I'm not worried about God. I'm just going to get a Starbucks. You wanted a party of the team, you're around me. I had to be frustrating for you to watch this time, considering how close you guys were. Some of the plays that went the other way and big house. Yeah, just knowing, I mean, don't want how much, like, it's funny when I talked about it before, like, being a dude from Arizona, I didn't know too much about how I stayed before I got here. So just being here for the years I've been here, man, I grew to love it. I grew to really love my brothers, love Ohio State. And to be not be able to play in that game, and I was crushed. I was crushed. And it was hard for me to watch. Hard for me to just sit there and not be with my brothers and be a part of that. But I mean, I just had that much more fuel in the fight this year to go in there and to achieve our goal of being team of Nore, winning the big team and winning the national championship. So that's why we came back. It's easy. All of us could have went to the NFL and achieved our dreams.

5:10:26But when we didn't achieve our goals here and didn't finish our legacy here, the way we wanted to made the decision to come back that much easier. When did you get over the last question? You know what I mean? Kidding back feeling. I'm talking to myself right now. What time frame is that? Probably towards the end of the winter. I started feeling a little more like myself again. Just keep stacking those days and keep building that momentum to feel even better than I felt last year. You may have been asked for a walk up here. What does Caleb bring to that secondary now? You and him back there together. What does that feel like? It's super exciting. Like I'm saying, he's a real student of the game. Me and him being the film room all day. I'm getting on the field competing in the way. He's a great competitor. And just having someone like Caleb to push you every day to get better and to hold you accountable man is super exciting. And I can't wait to see how me and Caleb play, how all the safety's played. Jahaig looking great. Jelima claim, Bonzou, all those dudes looking great man and just having BIA back, I'm excited.

5:11:31What are the quick, is you looking at this Davis from your band? All the pieces there, I guess I'm going to say, does it feel like this could be a special year? Yeah, I mean I feel like the last three years it could have been a special year. But I mean yeah, obviously if you look on paper at the defense, we have the best defense in the country. So if you just, it just takes, it's on us to put it all together. It's easy to say you had the distance and just that, but at the end day you still got to go on the field, shepherd, hum it up and show it every week. Nathan, thank you very much. Ty, we got you buddy. Thank you. I'm talking to your talk. Yeah, I think, you know, also that's a great question. I hope not, right? I think the energy was still there with a guy like Kate. Now again, it might have been, like I said earlier, also it might have been, you know, the 3000 level course with Kate, because he's ran that play for four years before I got him. Right now it still might be the, what do I got to do? And yeah, I mean, I hope the guys feel that the energy's picked up, because the urgency has. I mean eight number eight is not in the room anymore.

5:12:32Great, we're going to play somebody in a couple months, right? And there's got to be a tie-dand out there. Hopefully it's two, hopefully three tie-dands out there. So hopefully they feel the urgency's picked up. They believe that the room is structured. But she's been in the courtroom for a long time. But it felt like year after year there was a bomb. The better guy, the next one, the better guy, the next one behind. That's something dynamic that you're going to play. Does that mean you have to provide more leadership for the guys? You know what I mean? Does that have to be more for you to set the tone? Is that just a geez job, even if it's not going to work? Yeah, I don't know, I'm not going to put it all on geezer, right? But again, the leaders drive the culture. Whether it be G or whether it be Pat, who's been here for a long time and played a lot of football or whether it be Will came in and say, no, this is what it should look like. I mean, I want those guys to take it around with it. You know, on Saturdays, I'm in the box. I'm not cutting off the C-Gaff. It's got to come from them. Now, again, my job is coaches to make them hear things they don't want to hear. You know, pushing to do things they don't want to do. So I'm certainly going to do that at times. And I'll keep doing it. But they've done a great job of driving the culture.

5:13:32Can you, you were in the room, Kevin, was in the offensive meeting room for so many years. Does having Chip kind of get you guys back to where you guys were with Kevin? I know that the room has an offensive staff. You guys were kind of young last year. And now to have Chip with that experience, is that kind of like what you guys have with Kevin? You know, some similarities. And I think the comparison is that we're talking about Kevin Wilson and Chip Kelly, two of the brightest, you know, minds and offensive football in the last several decades. So I think there's some similarities there. But yeah, I think it's a loud one coach day, maybe to delegate, you know, to Coach Kelly. And let him be the best version of himself. And Coach Kelly's been an awesome leader, right, of driving us and listening and providing input. So it's been great. I don't know if it's exactly like it was with Coach Wilson, but it feels great, however it is right now. Can you initially a bigger role, expected for Jolani in the cotton bowl, and did that not get to come to fruition as much as the way that came played out there? You know, I don't remember exactly what, you know, the expectation was he was going to help contribute.

5:14:32And certainly we wanted him to contribute from the jump and keep him in there contributing. The game kind of started off, you know, not ideal. And we had Kate in there and, you know, that was his last game as a buck guy. So we felt comfortable riding out with him, but I think Jolani and everyone else is kind of focused going forward. Did you guys see him going to find during the bull prep that was a step forward at all? Yeah. Oh, yeah. Yeah, he's definitely takes that forward for sure. If you are changing an ideal situation football, what does the depth look like in terms of how many guys you trust? I think I got six seats in there. So six of the toughest dudes on the team. I'm not sure I'm just giving the coach speak, but I mean, however it shakes out. Hopefully we could play 13 person, no 14 person now. I got guys out there that are going to go a recent happy, but I don't know. They're going to make that sort of out right now. I'm worried about whatever Thursday's practice, the toughest dudes on the field. Are you seeing enough of that to feel comfortable saying that that can happen by the end? Yeah, yeah. I mean, we're taking strides.

5:15:33We'll see about the end of spring and then hopefully fall camp. It's a long ways away from wherever we play. Yeah, it's been great. It's been great. I mean, I mean, I mean, special teams come down to technique and effort. And that's the ultimate test of the brotherhood. No one signed up to be a buck out of me on proper term. I want to be first round this, first round that. So it's been awesome. And involved in that. What do you think about it? Oh, yeah, we're working quite a few guys back there. We got some options. So that would be fun. You guys were thinking about football. I mean, he had more time, right? Just because we have that whole month of kind of December for development. And you know, the bull press a lot like spring ball and that he has those three or four weeks, you know, to get the reps he wasn't getting during the year because Katie was taking it. Right? Yeah, I think good. I think it just shows that, you know, next man in, we trust you fully. Kate couldn't go.

5:16:38No one batted a knife. It was G. Then it was Pat. Period. We call their offense. There's no modified offense or anything like that. So we're going to be able to do that. I think it's a good thing. I think it just shows that, you know, next man in, we trust you fully. And we call it a good thing. Period. We call their offense. There's no modified offense or anything like that. So to put our trust in him, he went out and made a lot of plays. And both of this gets played really well. I think that helps the confidence for him and awesome. Really good. When you look at, when you look at Gene now, do you, and this is the easiest question maybe, do you see a tight end? You're still one I'm saying from a couple years ago. I'm years ago, he was, you know, he moved over from wide receiver and all this kind of stuff. We'll just jump out at you about what he brings with the tight end spot. Yeah. I know what you're asking to him. I promise you, I never like, he's in the tight end room. I didn't say, oh, but he's a receiver playing tight end. He's a tight end. Yeah. He's a tight end. So he's going to be greater like a tight end, treated like it. So I never really, But like Kevin talked about when the, you know, first made the move, you want to, you want to get this guy some confidence, playing tight end, meaning, I'm not going to say he gets lesser opponents, but having some success out there, you know, like in the run game,

5:17:41the blocking aspect of things and stuff. And he seems to progress a big time from that. I mean, do you feel that way too? Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah. He's gotten way better. And again, I practice, he's on the left side, he's against JT. If he's on the right side, he's against Shaq. So I mean, there's no, this is Ohio State. You're playing against the best every day. So he's definitely progressed. Do you think that elaborate effort you guys are having as a special team? Do you think that's benefiting you guys in terms of just how you're pushing out the enemy? Yeah. I think so. Dan, as far as ownership goes, right? Like, I mean, I'm not saying I wasn't invested last year, but shoot, I'm a part of the turning kicker, turn. I mean, that's Coach Hartlan and I's product out there. And if there's not tight ends all over those units and they're not going to play tight end in Ohio State, and I bet you Hartlan feels the same way about the receiver. So as far as the buy-in from the staff, heck yeah. Heck yeah, for me, at least speaking for myself. When Coach stayed broke that up, what did you think about that change? And number two, what does he told you he wants that he wasn't getting from a special team a year ago? No, he never told me anything about last year. It was all about, okay, how could he be?

5:18:41This is, again, Ohio State. Yeah. Whatever the janitorial staff is supposed to be the best in the country. The tight end coach better be the best in the country. Same thing with quarterback, same thing with pumper-turn coach. On the pumper-turn coach, I should be the best one in the country. So I got to work with Coach Hartlan and Coach Keys and everyone else learning this game and techniques and now we got to put on the field. You find yourself studying punt returns or like NFL teams and things like that. How are you doing your prep work? Oh yeah, yeah. Coach Hart, Coach Keys, Thanksgiving and I, I mean, we bought to ourselves in a room for a week there and I don't think I did any offense. So you already have pretty good knowledge of return game or good moves if you have to, like, start from scratch. No, yeah, there was no starting from scratch, Dan. I mean, it's all ball. And that's the coolest thing about special teams is if you're not special teams, you're just going to make you better tight end as you're being a better DB, you're running back and it's like the technique and everything like that. I think I had pretty fair foundation and then maybe some tweaks and, you know, kind of, we have to decide what our identity is going this season. And then we talked about that pattern. Maybe we played a big role.

5:19:41What do you think? What do you think is the best thing to do? What trust is you? I guess what kind of trust is that? How do you think that? Yeah, I think I think he proved it on special teams because he played on special teams before we played offense. And then just reps that practice again against blocking the best linebackers in the country. It doesn't matter if you're a five star or if you're a walk on. But to that point, I think sometimes there's a mentality of what he's just a walk on. That does not exist with Pat. It's went out the window that started, once he started playing. Is that how you approach it here? It's how guys like the dude's a guy. It's almost 11.30. Oh, yeah. Is that help you? Oh, yeah. They know I think everyone in my room knows. And, you know, guys I talked to on the recruiting trail. Kate went down and knew his G and then Pat was right in. I didn't have a bad eye. I'm going to put the toughest dude out there who goes to the hardest. Right? Oh, I owe you a dad's a buck. I owe you a walk on her. Five star. Whatever she'd help us win, you know. We could marry events.

5:20:41Not period. You still work with them? How does that work? Yeah, we can. I mean, with Max and Toe, it's Face Times and it's encouraging them to get here and watch practice so that when they get here, right out of graduation, we can hit the ground running. But yeah, it's much prep work as we could do on the front end with, you know, sending them tip sheets and that sort of thing. We're technology nowadays. I mean, COVID, we had to do it. Yeah, we could get to work right now. Two more questions, folks. With the special teams question, the collaboration that you guys have, it's three people in one room. Like, how does that work semantically where you guys are all putting your heads together to get one idea? And just how does that play out in the room together? Yeah, I mean, luckily, I mean, it's Coach Hart and I. I mean, that guy, we worked, we see each other every day for the last eight years. And luckily, I worked for years with him. So that's so organic. Hart and I just kind of bounce each other, thoughts off each other. We can read each other's minds by now. I think that's how close we are. So this really organic in there and then Coach Keys does a great job. We've kind of set in the direction, given us some expertise. And we just kind of have a flow off each other. Okay. Obviously, the guys react to that.

5:21:41So you're coaching. That's how she teams. Yeah, I think they like it because like the accountability, again, if my tight ends aren't on return to take a drink, they're not playing tight end and they know that. So I think across the board, it gives us a platform to coach other positions. In a time when Trent Transport is so big, and the guy like G probably could have left multiple times if he wanted to, what does that do for the room? To have a guy who's a leader, have just so step-ass, I'm like, I want to stay here, I want to stay here and make an impact. That's the goal. Yeah, I think it speaks volumes. You hit the nail on the head, not just for G, but for the brotherhood. And I know it sounds cliche and people read it on Twitter and kind of roll the rise of brotherhood. It's, what did they, the entire defense came back for the brotherhood? We got two goals here. We haven't done them since G's been here. He hasn't hit his two goals, so he stayed for the brotherhood. So I think it speaks volumes for G's a leader in the room. But also, I mean, you look around a roster, how many guys could have either left for other opportunities in the portal or in the NFL. So I think it speaks volumes to the brotherhood. Is it different at tight end with the transfer portal maybe

5:22:41because for some positions it's such a development position at tight end where you have to develop run blocking and you have to learn the passing game. Like, is it different trying to keep kids around maybe in the portal area at tight end? Yeah, maybe it is. And I haven't really thought about that because it's still so new. I think you've got to be so honest in recruiting, right? If you think I'm going to walk into a living room and say, come be my starting tight end, I should be crazy. You're crazy. Now, come prepared and get to work before you get here. And, you know, I'm going to give you the opportunity to, again, I'll tell you a question earlier. I don't care if he's a senior or a true freshman. If you could play, you could play period. I can't wait. Give me a true freshman, you could play tight end. It's the Ohio State. You've got to block Jack and JT. And then your dog tired next play, you're getting covered by Downs and Latelyn and all those guys. You kidding me? Is this NFL? No, it's Ohio State, right? So yeah, I think it's a little bit different, but you've got to be honest on the front end. Thank you very much. Awesome. Thanks, guys. Thanks, coach. Thank you.