Press Conferences (Jason Moore) Elite Edition September 2

0:00We said especially my arm length you know so many tools that you can do you know just be the best place I can do. What about coming? You know that all the distance that you're doing is like 5 right there. What about that and he is so active in the tool. You know just coming off the bar you know he's been there with the crazy things. Bigger penetration and you know to build off of that you know so many different moves and skills you can do. It's kind of our release. It's not just like the talent by the humans. It's a guy getting kind of good. The Saturday you have this student appreciation. Is it fun? The interfrom the students is a weird having the guy next to a biology class one on a graph. What's that like when you're kind of working out front of your health students? I think it's a great event that we're having. You know you love our students you know just like on game days you know they come to watch you. You know it's a discussion feeling so it's just good to kind of get that doing again.

1:00Like high work and see how it will be for the spring game. You know we're just happy that there is going to come to watch. And also you have the spring game coming up this year it's on Fox. Is that say anything about the brand of a high state or the group of college football that we're starting up a practice. And glorify practices on net worth television within a group 20 years. Yeah I'm saying definitely come going that's an television for spring game. You know I've never heard of that before you know that's a good thing. That definitely serves the brand that we have here. You know it's different here in a lot of different schools in the country. By way definitely it's kind of a really kind of set. And this is definitely a special for us that have the opportunity. Jason, do you have a view of life in your life? Do you have a picture of life plays on the entry of the way? I was going to do all my ice cream career I kind of read out some of my ears. But you know do this in the process. You know post jays you find the only post that has the real meaning of kind of film. You know I might go to the truth that you know that the years went by you know things worked out.

2:04And you write. How much every year is that? I've been like year and age. I'm not sure where I am 25, I'm not 305 now. So it's definitely. To me I don't sure I can difference. You know I may make a good difference but to me I feel like I'm moving way faster. The quicker it was supposed to be, I ever was in my life. What is your life? Five and a half years. I've known this one the longest one for the team for spring. Jason, you know from your size in high school and just being able to kind of use your size. How big the transition is. This is huge transition. I feel like it's not just size what you did here. That's one thing I realized. It's a long time in the kind of process. We want to get the grown men out here. Don't need to ask them that. That's way different than anybody in high school. And it's more than just size that you have here that kind of did. Past them. It's more technique.

3:05Knowing the plays. Knowing who the round is. This way more than just size. Kind of a much easier one. Is there like a moment for you like I think. I'm here and I've got to learn to use this size. Is there a moment less your practice with the good sound of it or or or courses or one of those guys on the inside. Is there a moment you can point to like look at that's when I light. I say it's probably like how we could see. You know we can all those reps and practice. It's out to you. Number one is to start at every straight. And you know that's just kind of open my eyes. This is the real. This is kind of where everybody knows there's no games. And I really have to adjust. I want to do that. How much is that helping for the scouts? Right now Coach Jason the true man. I feel free. You're gaining some buzz here from other guys around the program in the spring. How much did you think you could point the scouts in? Yeah that helped me prepare for possibly that before he got here in 2012. That helped me a lot. I feel like without being on the scouts and I wouldn't be right here right now.

4:05I feel like I'm going to be able to learn it. I went to the other. To learn it. I went to the other physical teams. I went to the other one. I was trying to get to the other one for the game. They helped me. I know we kind of just ready for myself. Whenever my time is, we're coming in with the jump. So we're talking to you and Kate and hero today. How important is it for you three young guys to step up on the interior this year? We have our top four guys. They kind of came in and we're going to fight. What they can do, obviously, because of what the draft is past year. But they want to come back. You know, they have to do them. I go to the Super Team up north. I'm going to chat and share. And we know we can't build just for them. You know, we need guys to come in. Kind of get themselves ready needed. So they can be the best. And for us to be able to come in and help the team. What was your reaction when Ty League said he was going to back? I was happy.

5:05Now I was throwing slides and seeing the game back. That's my guy. I was glad I was able to be able to take another year. Just to learn from him. You know, that's for me. That's the kind of thing that's the best thing ever. I think a lot of people see it as everybody on the team wants to be older guy to lead. You know, but why is that wrong? Why is that outlook going on? I think you want to win. I feel like that's what everybody here as well. I would never be worried if I had to go to the winning. You know, guys who come back and help us win. That's all we care about. That's all we want. Jason, I think it was Thursday that said that you guys are going to have to play 25-30 snaps to games. So it's a help Ty League and Ty League. It's a 6-10-10 game. When you know that there's 25-30 snaps to game, you kind of up for a grab. What does that do for you? Obviously, like you just said, you've got those guys in the top. You're probably going to play in there with 40-50 snaps. You know that there's pretty good chunk of points. Can't talk about the national wrap up. What does that do for you?

6:05I mean, besides just looking at it, whatever snaps are available. We just want to do whatever takes to help us win. And in this case, you know, taking those types of snaps, that's what we need to do to help the team win. We're going to do that and do what the best we can. What about being dirty with top five chips? How do you expect this year to be different or is it different? Yeah, I mean, every year it doesn't matter what the record is. You know, our record or their record, it's going to be a war no matter what. We can just go back to history and look at that. So we know that they're going to give us a good shot. You know, they're a good team. They're a good football team. And there's no mistake in that. So you know, we know we're going to have to come in there and play our balls off. And we expect a war. That's what we can't really do. Is there any chance they have an extra? Just because they're only playing their sort of goals? No, I wouldn't say that at all. No matter what, it's going to be a battle in this game. You know, it's a rivalry. It's the biggest game of the year for both of our programs. And I expect it to be a hard-fought game. And I can't wait. Jack, obviously the win is the trial. The last few years with the losses, the toughness of this team is the question. Is that a point of pride for you guys not just getting a win, but doing it in a way that's like, yes, we can play the style of the win.

7:10Yeah, I love it. I mean, you know, for myself personally and for the defense. That's how we want it. Offense as well. You know, it's been our motto all year. You know, it's been the toughest guys on the field every time we're stuff out there. And execute on a high level. And if you do those two things, you know, usually win the game. So that's definitely, you know, I love that question. Because you know, for me, you run up in Columbus. That's like what you pride yourself on is being tough and win the games that way. So that's definitely the style of ball we expect the Saturday. And that's just the style of ball we go to play. Jack, do you go against Donovan now? Are we playing for anybody else? What if your presence been in him as they left the table? Yeah, I mean, Donovan, Donovan is a great player. You know, he's so athletic and seeing him move. He's so athletic and seeing him move to the left tackle and play well. He has. There's no surprise to me. And the rest of the team, he's set up in a big way. Two leadership wise for the young guys. I had to step in for Seth going down, which is so unfortunate. You know, still still feel so bad for him. But he's been a great leader as well. So Donovan's been great leadership wise, playing lives. You know, it's no surprise he's been able to switch like that.

8:10And I really now, these are set. Jack, do you have any specific memories from growing off of when you realized how thick this rivalry was? Yeah, I could say back to when Curtis and Miranda went in over. I think it was overtime to win. Pat Elfine leading the way. You know, from Pick North, I grew up watching Pat play. So I was really special. I think I was really the moment when I was a man I want to play in this game. And it's just really cool looking back on the now. You know, watching with my buddies going crazy when we scored. I have no idea one day I'd be playing this game. So just a blessing from God and you know, take it all in. What's that like? The thing about that is that you're in it. For that. The thing with the dead kind of sometimes hard to grasp. What you aspire to is comfort. Yeah, you know, sometimes it's tough because you get caught up in the swing of being the, you know, trying to prepare yourself for the game that you kind of lose sight of, you know, where you came from. And, you know, being grown up in Columbus always doing about playing this game. And sometimes you forget about it in the in the midst of getting ready to go play and actually compete. But yeah, no, it's cool to definitely reflect and be able to realize that you know, growing up, you know,

9:14being a buck I've been growing up 15 minutes in here. It's such a, like I said, this is a blessing from God to be able to play in this game and play for the buck guys. You know, so definitely don't take it for granted and stuff like a senior night too. So sure the emotion can be run high. So I'm going to see a bunch of tears for my mom, you know, right now the tunnel. So it's going to be a good experience. You guys are curious. Most of us were in Palestine. We're going to function this past week. I mean, did you find yourself watching them at all? I mean, you're on the sideline. Just, let me look what that was like watching that from a defensive standpoint. Yeah, you know, I wouldn't sell as curious about how they do because I know that, you know, Carson played a lot of ball for us last year at center. And, you know, I know Austin's a great player. He's been, you know, working his tail off all year, being ready for a moment like that. So I wouldn't say I was curious to see how he plays. I know they'd play well together and I was cool to see that. Check. I made a point in his press on the set. Oh, I'll see if everybody talks about this game. It's got kind of that. You're here. You, the guy who's in the bus came back with his name.

10:14What's that you're been like in a better couple of time you. Yeah, I mean, it's the reason why we come back. You know, it's the reason we all came back. You know, I think a big part for me is to come back for Coach Day. I think that no one deserves just one more and he does. And I just see what him and his family have gone through in the last three years, falling sort to them. I made my decision even more clear to come back. And he's a guy gave my opportunity to play here. So I thought that I would have to him to come back and, you know, get this win for him. So that's what we plan to do Saturday. I was in the first place to see the pain on the team. I was thinking we also would look closer and I thought, like, how much do you mean on that? Say that again. Well, how it's set on Saturday, you can even know what you're doing. You can see the pain. Yeah. But how much do you mean on that? How personal do you think? Yeah, I mean, it's always personal with the game. And, you know, the last year has been tough. And I'm not going to sit up here until you're headin' to it. Because this game means everything to this program and everything that anybody involved.

11:14So, yeah, we're using this fuel. We're using this fuel the last whole off season. So, but, you know, we're just ready to go out there and play and compete and we're ready for war. I mean, I don't even know what you're going to do. I'm going to go out there and just continue to go to the fan there. What does that do to you guys? I know you play for each other. Do you play for him? Yeah, I mean, I love Coach Day. I mean, like I said before, I'm dictating Media Day. I'd commit him a thousand times over just the type of guy he is and the family man he is. And the coach he is, the us, believe in it and all of us. So, yeah, the stuff he had to go through was bullshit the last three years and works out of it out here and played for him. And definitely playing for him a little bit too. Not a little bit. I mean, that's one of the big reasons I came back is for him too. So, definitely excited for this opportunity as a weekend. Yeah, guys, if you want to brew up here, brew up with this rivalry. Oh, you've talked a lot about Dave. What's it been like for you? It's been the toughest part of now. You get to live out this rivalry you've watched and you're on the other side of that.

12:17Yeah, I mean, it's tough. I think that I don't want to rivalry again with football since seven grade against the Rootview. Never beat them, never beat Central and High School. You know, tie in the zone like they rubbed that in a lot. And then you get here and you fall sort of three years too. So, just excited for the opportunity to go out the right way this weekend. I mean, rivalry begins to emotionally. Yeah. A long time to go without running a rivalry. I know when high school can be a little different. How does that weigh when you have a person who doesn't possess a football player? Yeah, I mean, I wouldn't necessarily say it weighs on me as a person. But, you know, I'd be lying if I said I don't think about it every day. Sometimes I still think about this. The game's against Central and High School. So, it's just a competitor in me. But, you know, I think that going through those trials and tribulations the last three years has really shaped this team and the coaching staff as well. And I think you see it in the way we're playing, the way we're approaching stuff now. And, you know, it's been tough. It hasn't been easy, you know. It's a far from easy.

13:17So, but that's the way we like it around here, you know, is going through those tough times with each other has embraced it for this moment that we're got this year. So, I think the chips have all aligned in the right spots. And we're just excited about them to keep this Saturday. We have the top six of the early student games between you guys. And where you want to get to, Jeremy? That's the way it's supposed to be, man. You know, I think that growing up, you know, it's always been like that. You know, the game's always been played for the most on the line. That's how I think they want it. That's how we want it. And, you know, that's how you want us to competitive too. You know, I know they love it and we love it. You know, everything you got, you worked for and you love is on the line against the team that, you know, you hate the most. So, that's the way it's supposed to be. And that's the great thing about sports. Jack, the past rush felt like the first quarter against Indiana was a big struggle. But then, Cody got free on that lead. So, you and JT were there too. And just kind of opened the plug against you a little bit. Just, what's your thought about that? Are you guys a 60 minute team that it may not happen in the first five minutes and the second five minutes, but it's eventually going to happen.

14:17Is that what do you look at? Yeah, I think that, you know, early on in games, you know, I'd love it more than anybody to go to get a bunch of sacks. So, early on in games, but, you know, teams scripted up a good, you know, first couple of drives and they're getting the ball out quick against us and doing different things. So, you kind of got to let the game come to you a lot of times, which, you know, I know you guys want to see a sack. And I was just, you know, I know we want to see it more than anything. But, like you said, that once you get in the flow of the game, you start putting, you know, putting the pressure on getting a third down, starting the longs when you can really pin your ears back and go. That's when you see the sacks that are happening. That's when you can really get out to the quarterback. Did you guys have an Indiana position they hadn't been all year? Did you see that? Yeah, I think you felt it too. I mean, you could see it in their eyes, you know, when they got in the third long, after the first few sacks at, you know, they're kind of looking all over the place. No, that something's coming. So, once you start putting pressure on offense like that, you know, it kind of just snowballs. Now, they say sacks come in bunches. I really believe that, like you saw it last week. You got a couple of sacks going on, then they just started coming away. So, that's really solid. Do you think you want to play?

15:17There's a deep, exact, deep area. Your solo sack came on a play where Cody Blitz is across the center space and you move from weak side to get all the way to strong side A gap. When a stunt is dialed up for you like that, what is going through you? Ah, just excitement, you know, I mean, just hopefully that, you know, the play works like it's supposed to work. And, you know, we executed a high level. That's the thing we've been talking about a lot later. Executing at a high level and doing your job and not worrying about anything else. So, I think that when we got that type of mindset and, you know, we're just going to play as hard as we can execute and do our job, you know, to the fastest and best skill ability we can. And things are going to work out on the right way. Is there a sense of that deep answer, Zach? There are sense of deep answers or a present though, going from the basically the force of your Nebraska on. It's something new as part of it. You guys pretty much figure out a way to shut things down. One way or the other. What is it from the inside that you feel about this defense? Say that word again for Shindo. What's that mean? I like that. I like that. I might add that in my dictionary.

16:17Yeah, I mean, I think that we're playing confident, man. You know, Coach Noel is trusting in us and he's dialing stuff up for us and letting us play. Let us play fast and aggressive, which we want to stop all we want to play. And, you know, it's working out great. I keep continuing and keep exiting on a high level. And you see, he's going to find a game, the last couple games as he's done here. Jack, you've been here. What he's doing, I think he's done a great job the whole time. It's been here. You know, I think that a lot of times we've had execute better. And I think that's been the focal point of this defense moving forward. You know, after the organ loss is executing better and knowing our job with Simon and playing, you know, fast we can. Jack, you know, I'm very much. You guys have not talked about this much. Two books, three locks. At least there's no back turn. How much is that in the back of your range? You know, we don't really talk about that much anymore. Thanks guys. Thank you, Jack. He's more poised. You know, there's a lot of great reps, great won't be ones. And, you know, he tests me athletically.

17:17I test him athletically, but, you know, both him and both Josh is actually. They do a great job. They do a great job of just having to stay on our toes. You know, there's, I mean, we're going to say the best tackles nation they're going to win. It's the best deans, the best de line. So, you know, we're just, it's just good on good every day. What makes him a difficult guy in the right mind? He has great feet, very athletic. You know, he, he's just a, he's a freak. I mean, he moves well at his eyes and, you know, it tests all of us to, you know, stay on edge. You know, Johnny has his, has moments. But, Johnny's a great kid, man. You know, he's getting better each and every day. Young guy, but, you know, he's a high-simmer. Can I get your thoughts on Tyler Conte's new secret TNT handshake? I'm not having seen it, but I can't talk. I'm not part of it. I always have what is. But, you know, that's, I guess that's how the cookie crumbles, you know.

18:19You like the TNT moniker? You like that? I miss you guys. Are explosive, they say? Yeah. Again, I feel like I could be a part of that. I have a T. But it's probably not in the, you know, my first name, but I do have a T. So, I guess I'm just the cousin of the whole thing. You could be JT, TK, TK. Yeah. Right now they just have me on the side. So, I'm just on the side right now. I think that's high. But I think right now, we're working on all the little things, you know, get off violent hands and just stay in our technique and our toolbox. So, you know, of course that's a, that's in mind, but we understand that, you know, that goal would not be reached unless we, unless we don't continue to do the things that we're doing now and just work on our craft. What is Cody Simon's under-earned respect to this team in the Commonwealth Coast? Man, you know, Cody, you know, once he came back, he just took on leadership role, took on the vocal role.

19:20You know, it wasn't easy at first. He just continued to talk, you know, just get that confidence going and, you know, he just, he grew and his growth as a leader. You know, I've seen it from when we first started off season to now and, you know, he's a great leader. He's a great guy, you know, playing, playing behind me and just leading the pack. And, you know, I'm blessed to have him as a Mike Lombard. What is Trump for going to be known for? Do you think when it turns October, November, what are y'all going to step in a pay stand for the world you want to call it? Is there a reputation do you feel? I think for us, the front four, the D-line, the R2X, we just want to be known as, you know, the guys that play relentless, you know, like Cozis has had on fire, you know, never seen us, you know, for sideline and sideline. That's big as we are, you know, maybe 300 or maybe, you know, 262.250. But, you know, no matter what we're going to be flying, we're playing on, you know,

20:20our heads off and just, you know, making sure that, you know, relentless effort is a tell to us, David. Yeah, and you know, it's a commentator around the country stuff. They're talking about how good you are. I mean, one of the things they talk about is, having a Penn State game every week. No, you know what I'm talking about. What is your goal in that regard this year? My goal, yeah, I think you just hit on it, consistency. You know, my goal for me is, you know, as much as it would be great to have a Penn State game every day, every week. You know, it's hard, so, you know, for me, as you can't go chasing, I got to let it come to me, got to stay, you know, in my wellhouse, not, you know, going outside of it. You know, doing things out of, you know, out the blue that hurts me more. So right now it's just, you know, eyes, hands, feet, playing fast, playing physical and just continue to just, you know, be the player I am and just bring that every week. Did you know what I'm talking about? Yeah, yeah, that's one thing we've been preaching across the room is a lot of us just being us, but as well as, you know, playing together and just playing fast as we can.

21:25Did you know what I'm saying? Yeah, I've been able to catch him and wouldn't have made about his leadership. Man, you know, I've been roommates with him. Jack has, you know, just big praise for him, you know, just seeing him grow and being with him. Jack has been a tremendous leader in and out the, the, the, the Lover Room, you know, for him to be named captain, you know, for us to have R2SV named captain. I mean, that just speaks for him and, you know, he's gonna, he's gonna continue to lead, continue to push us. I continue to push him and we just continue to just have a hard hat days and, you know, keep our head down and continue to work. But I can at least hear a splash while I bring you two guys. Oh, okay. Yeah. I remember, we was just playing in the, in the Rose Bowl for, you know, a couple of weeks back, but now it's a senior year. You know, we're getting ready for this last season. Man, time flies. That's one thing though. All the guys that came before me told me is just, you know, count your days, make every day count. Cause, you know, when that day comes, you're gonna look back and be like, man, you know, it's already my senior year.

22:30I do that every day. He just wake up, but, you know, that just made me understand that how blessed I am in this game. You know, the position I'm in. I'm just able to, you know, not only, you know, affect the, affect others around me. You know, bring, bring a positive message to whoever, whoever's coming after me, you know, just let them know what the standard is. Let them know, you know, what, on how state, especially, what kind of things. All right, Jake, do you want to appreciate it? Appreciate me. I appreciate it. I'm working here at the New Michigan First Game Discontinant. Never. Wait a minute. Yeah. I'm going to be with Jake, you know, I'm going to call him there. And we're done here, yeah. Particularly, I feel like we're in the open time. What are you talking about? You're seeing, I mean, you're in the open time. I'm thinking, look at the rash up there. Whatever. Yeah. I know we also know it. Oh, yeah. It's the same time. I think I'm putting out a little, I always think for a reason. No, he's not gonna get better. To make sure the run of him is a champion, he's not a player, I've seen.

23:31So, it depends on the design. Well, he's like trying to get one. Today, that's what happened. Yeah. What do you think we'll have with all of us before we meet? We're here to make a card. You have a quarterback, a MacGy decision. Just come up with two queries about the red and red. Now, tradition, we're going to record it in the season. We're going to see what we're going to see. We'll talk about it in part two of the UNICEF. It's not all of the DB1s. It's not the post-economic background. There's some kind of plan. Yeah, man. I don't know, like, what do you mean? The DB is being clowned. Some kind of things. These are the reason I've tossed out inside. You know, we're really excited to have him on our team. And the red and red is the day. And the player feels really comfortable back there. It's a kind of random red. I got to be a player because it's a good honor. It's all helping. How fun is it to be at practice or in games like this with B.A.A right now? It's really fun to be again like this. And it's kind of just like a little foreshadow with the season-giving flag. It's really excited for what we have established for the year. We have all the chips in this year. And we want to win it all in the same time. You've always been honest about your assessments

24:31and how things are going. What did you see from day one of practice for 15? What is the origin of the season? Is it that open? The offends. We really get together. Sorry, you know, we have an interesting job. Should I go skiing? You have to like a lot of your seats. Those seats, the whole thing. A lot of our comfort. They make it clear they're getting better. That's what we want. You know, I'm really excited to see those. I'm going to definitely win. The fear points. The event is going to be out there. I mean, we'll talk about the event. They came back. You know, what have you seen in this dream? The event. We're going to be amazing. You know, we have a lot of things. We're going to be amazing. We're going to be amazing. We're going to be amazing. We're going to be amazing. You know, we have a lot of new things. We're still in install and a lot of new things. We're going to see that the guys go brown. That's what you see in all of the things. We have more or five people in our field. But different, more or less. And I'm really excited. We're going to do it. We're going to take this off. We're going to take this off. You just think he's putting a lot of time into it. A lot of effort. And it's definitely showing. So he's doing one heck of a job. And we're just trying to help him out. As we as we can. Really caught up on this. Ryan was mentioning the idea of increasing

25:31Jeremiah's route tree. Something you guys have been working on. Where was it last year in work? And I guess grow or can you kind of expand on that? Yeah, I mean, just. You know, asking JJ do everything. You know, I mean, you know, everyone to put him in a. In a box. You don't want to put car now in a box. You want to put anybody in the box. You know, I'm going to put it in the box. You know, I'm going to put it in the box. You know, I'm going to put it in the box. You know, I'm going to put it in the box. You don't want to put car now in a box. You don't want to put anybody in the box. You know, so to make sure he's, you know, 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 him. And that's been one of the ways he's done that. Austin, what, right? When, when, when you guys were talking as an offensive staff about the possibility of having a quarterback go live, were you surprised that it came up?

26:32Were 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. Let's tell you. Tell you, tell you play football. So, obviously, there's a proximity to the season, which is, it's a little reckless, I understand that. But 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 alive, 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. I think I was able to handle it well. It was good for all parties involved. And more we can do that, the better, but I'm sure that is coming to a close here very quickly. So. That would be 247. Right. Jeremiah off the field, we saw after practice on this Saturday,

27:34the mob that came to get autographs and 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 aspect? Yeah, 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 and 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 and 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,

28:35but Jeremiah has done a great job with it, hang on it. And it's definitely growing at an exponential rate to say the least. But I think he's built for it and he's been handled at a high level. But those around them were trying to help not a little bit. Yeah. What made Quincy the first freshman to do this black striker machine? Uh-huh. Yeah, I mean, that's a good question. I think that, you know, frankly, you know, I don't, I don't, I'm not really fully involved with that. So that 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. Um, and he was starting to make a lot of, a lot of plays consistently. And I think the consistent level that he's been as a person, uh, being on, being on time and doing what his job description on each play

29:37and the ball is coming your way or making some big plays. And, uh, you know, it starts, it starts being seen by your peers. And your peers start asking for it. They start barking, getting it straight 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, uh, people are bringing it to your position coach. I think it speaks volumes of the, uh, the general respect that you're earning, uh, through the process. So I think it's something like that happened. And, uh, you know, it's what it's served 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-straining and all that that goes into that. Just how much have you seen Austin benefit from this spring and everywhere that he's been? And how big of a piece do you think he's going to be regardless of where he fits on this offensive line? Yeah, I think Austin has been awesome. I mean, he literally, you know, what I'm going to say, he played every split, every position, we just move him around, you know,

30:38and, uh, 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. And his name never really gets brought up, you know, in a good way. Like, you know, the old line, your name gets brought up when, uh, 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. And so, uh, but Austin, when his name gets brought up, he's like, man, that was a good job. A good job, pass off that combo. Whatever, it's always positive. And, uh, been really impressed with him. He started in the winter. Did a great job through the winter. Again, continuing to build a respect for his peers. And then he's going to a good job. Really good job just being, uh, very consistent through spring. I left you up the over at press bro. Brian, since you've been working more with the whole offense, when it comes to quarterback play, what has grown in your, I don't know, appreciate it. 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.

31:38If you are just a wide receiver guy, you won't be a very later on. 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, you know, receiver guy, whatever you want to call it, uh, there's only one page, it's the quarterback's page. So everything is based off them. There, whether it be their progression, their timing, the stresses they have is what we're trying to minimize. So, uh, if you don't fully understand the quarterback play, it's hard to, you know, maximize receiver play, I think, you know, uh, that being said, um, yeah, I mean, I'm still always learning, you know, I think that, uh, I can't say anything's jumped out massively right now. Uh, but I would say that, uh, 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 allotted time, right? I mean, there's only so much time where I'd be with players. If you're not willing to spend, you know, your own time, getting prepared for practice, to be, uh, to maximize one's ability, uh, there's a good chance

32:40you're not going to maximize your ability. So, you know, other positions, you know, I'm not going to be able to, uh, not going to maximize your ability. So, you know, other positions, I mean, all lines, 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. But the requirement of a quarterback to know, uh, the fixed protections, uh, 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, uh, and frankly, uh, you know, the, you know, the online is good as the quarterback, the receiver is the only, the quarterback, they're often, it's going to be the quarterback, and, and it's our responsibility to put guys in position, to maximize with our capable of maximizing. But their inability, uh, to notice that they need to spend extra time outside the allotted time, I think is critical. And the amount that it takes, I guess that was maybe a little naive too, but, uh, the guys are doing a great job doing it. Just a couple more questions. Got a, uh, beating, uh, Rob, all our Columbus dispatch. Brian, you know, we've got to reach the mount top.

33:42We've got a banner out there, national champs. I think you keep these guys grounded, being in the moment, looking ahead, not back. Do you, 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 on the blue, believeable example, how to get to where you want to get to. Um, so the focus is on trying to, you know, 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, uh, the last thing they want to do is put in a ton of effort and then not reach their goals. So, uh, motivation, I don't think is needed. I think there is a catching up of those. And maybe aren't quite sure what it takes, you know,

34:44and, but overall, um, motivation is not what we've needed. Uh, clarity of message is definitely what we've been focused on. And, uh, I think the message is being received. So, uh, not concerned about, you know, motivation and, and the, uh, uh, looking back, if you will. I think everyone's pretty, pretty focused on being forward and knowing we haven't accomplished anything. So, Steve and me, who are you talking about, um, who would you say is the leader of your wide receiver? Right now. Oh, I would say, Colonel Tate, Brandon and his, uh, probably done the most, most outspoken, you know, in the room. Uh, yeah, I would say they're doing a good job. Those are probably the two guys that would jump out my room. Yep. I mean, because Brandon, he's been in the local, obviously. Colonel taking on that role, yep, more and being more vocal. He's a good football player. I'll be sending these things down here, but that process for him and becoming a more vocal leader took to pretty much say that on him. What, what's the question? Colonel, like, what, what do you see, like, the growth part of it?

35:45Uh, yeah, I mean, he's, I think he's pulled guys aside, you know, it had one-on-one conversations with him. Uh, he's locked in, uh, you know, just, I think he saw the impact that a mecha made, and, uh, the role he played, and to think that you're gonna lose that, and then be a better group, probably doesn't, not the math, it definitely makes sense to him. So, someone's gonna step up in that role, and one, everyone respects him 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, and the older head, and, uh, and appreciate the way a mecha probably went about his, his business. And so, um, he probably valued that, appreciated that, uh, and he's just, being assured, we still have that. Final question, Bill, where better to put this back? Could you assess the running back room? Uh, I think it's pretty much assumed, both those running backs, C.J. and, uh, uh, James, I think that tandem system is probably the way you're gonna go again. Um, how do you think it's, how's it working, and you see, there were maybe fourth guys, up in and there. I think that, you know, in college football, uh,

36:46NFL football, any football, really, you gotta have depth in the running back room. I think that, um, this very apparent in the NFL, it's usually a two-back system, you know, very inferiorly, is it one guy, uh, but in college, I think we saw the benefit of that last year. Uh, the ability to compliment each other is really important, the ability for us to know. Yeah, we're just very, three weeks prepared, uh, sometimes we get, sometimes we get tired of going and starting, we can go outside and want to add somebody else, but, so they were, we were able to do that, you know, we were able to tackle somebody, and just, uh, just get up and gaze, and lose their, and today, man, we're just, to, to at least, uh, let them dog for it. What was that there, a person, when he felt like, well, young guys, I mean, I mean, the one out of the town, when you talk to the GD, when he was, once he were in his trolls, and what was it, and what was it, uh, we were playing on the top of this, but, um, we obviously, like, tend to see that the last game, I think, was Vanderbilt, and Vanderbilt went on to 17, and they came back and went, so we understood that, you know, the scenes are going to back the hour, and get the team to go for all of those corners.

37:46Yeah. So, the dollar and the dollar are trying to make the time, and, uh, that's what we got. Well, yeah, we got really good lines, uh, uh, yeah. Uh, the approach goes over to Justin Bieber, uh, uh, uh, it's being created for our DB stuff, to attack with it. Different from what we're looking for. I think, I mean, uh, it was a little bit of a great project, to give the, uh, different looks, and I think we saw that today. I don't know, it's a different, it depends when the offense starts the way they, you know, to get, but you're often started the way you did it, and it's a different, you know, I mean, we just speed off of it, I mean, they started it, and, you know, we just, we were already hyped, and have the same, the way they went down the score, and we just, we just ramped everything up by tarry. So, um, things that you guys might have seen, some kind of stuff as well. Now, you guys move on to work, and then all of us on the Dutch issue. I mean, they're great teams, and I know, uh, it's a baseball-class game, and I know they elevated. So, I'm really, so we just have, we have some time to prepare, time to get our bodies right, and it's just a,

38:46it's just, uh, two to just, hopefully less things. So, are you looking forward to that rematch? Oh, yeah, I was definitely. I mean, there's, there's a lot, behind it, playing them twice, and one of my first years, or this year or so, you know, we're very motivated. I understand that, it's gonna be a hard-focke game, and a 4-4 game, and we're, we're getting ourselves ready, and you're gonna be ready. JT, I know you and Jack, I'm supposed to close the relationship, how special is it when you both play at the level that you did tonight? I mean, a match, or, you know, a match, uh, previous, previous games, I always match, shove energy, and whenever he makes a play, I want to make a play. And he'll go vice versa, but it's a same in him, and it makes me, I'm blessed, we don't play alongside him, and I think they can go enough to have another, and, um, I can go alongside me, as well as everybody else on the part, too, do you feel like I was the best game you two have had collectively? Uh, I think he is up there, it's up there. Um, it took turns to look like, look like I got a second, you got a second, he got one, I got one,

39:46so, I mean, we're just doing off the chit, so, but we always bring the heavy games like that, and, uh, we've got continuous take-ins, and, uh, put another game together. And, um, I think the hell for once is, if you guys think of, we've got a lot of serve, uh, three now, and then, comments for the right of life, so, I think there's a compound for us in the game. Yeah, so, uh, I think that was just, uh, the very, uh, main group we had is, the one, the office, I think it's like Tennessee, a very explosive office. Uh, SEC, uh, play of the year, we had to, we had to go back, get on them, we had to, we had to go back, get on them, we had to go back, get on them. Sure, we're doing a great job. I have a good, serious, serious, serious. I have a good job, serious, serious, serious. But, uh, so they have a lot of weapons so we have to understand them, so we have to play gam-style, play discre into, continue to attack every time and about the game. Yeah, keep going, finish up with Jack. Yeah, do a lot of guys come and go,

40:46they still protect your hair, they're losing their fights, when you see with this guy, you're probably, right now. Yeah, I feel like they were kind of being challenged, you know, when we came into the playoffs a little bit and and people had a lot of question marks about them, but I think they answered in a big way and I'm just so proud of those guys and the resilience and the, you know, the way that they overcame, you know, a lot of those struggles that they had, you know, all the, you know, shifting around that they've had to do. I mean, Donovan Jackson's plan maybe some of the best football of his career and he's playing left to you know, he never played tackle before. I mean, it's unbelievable. These guys have just stepped up and done what the team has asked them and no matter what, you know, maybe they want to do. You know, I'm sure Donovan, you know, coming into this year probably wouldn't have expected to be playing, you know, tackle, you know, and and probably wouldn't have preferred to play tackle, but he's doing it because he, you know, that's what we need for us to win this game and for us to win all these games. So they're just un-unselfish or, you know, an un-selfish group of guys, you know, a group of guys.

41:48That I love and care about so much and, you know, they keep me safe, man. So I got to give all the all the thanks and the credit in the world of those guys. Cool. Yeah, I think that's a really good point, man. I, you know, I talked about a lot when I was at K-State, you know, the fact that experience is invaluable. And when you go out there and when you do things, it may not be perfect, but, you know, the, the reps and being out there and just getting that experience is invaluable. And, you know, I feel like there's, there's few ways to, there's few ways to really practice being out there other than actually doing it, you know, and I've played a lot of football in my career and I think it's taught me a lot, you know, and there's been situations even this year where I've learned from, you know, and you never, you're never done learning. And the more that you, the more that you can go out there and feel, you know, I think that's a good point.

42:57I feel different situations, understand how to deal with it, you know, not just in the moment, but mentally, emotionally, after it. You know, I've dealt with pretty much almost every scenario that a quarterback could probably deal with in terms of, you know, playing, starting, backing up. Like I've done pretty much all of it, but I think, you know, I just trust that God has a plan and, you know, just continue to work hard and believe in, believe in myself. You know, here we are, man, so God is good and, you know, just keep your head down and keep working, man. Yeah, you know, obviously after the first two rounds of the playoffs, we knew that he was probably going to draw some attention in that last game and, you know, they did pretty much everything they could, you know, in the cotton bowl to eliminate him and not let him beat us or beat them.

44:14And I thought other guys stepped up really well, but, you know, there are ways to get, you know, to get him the ball that, you know, you just got to scheme it up and figure out different ways to attack it. But obviously, you know, it's a different style of defense that we're playing, you know, so there's maybe some different wrinkles that we can throw in there. You know, it's all part of the game plan, man. We just got to look at it, feel what's the best way to get the ball into his hands and all of our playmakers hands, because, you know, the thing that can work out to your ability there too sometimes is that, you know, he can take two or three guys out of there. And, you know, this is a good thing sometimes. Sometimes you want to get him the ball. So, you know, there's a lot of different ways you can work with it. Yeah, I definitely would expect him to attract some attention.

45:24Yeah, I think, you know, he's just a really down to earth guy, really, really truly, you know, faith-driven, good values, good family. You know, you can just tell, you know, you talk to him. And he just feels like pretty similar to me, you know, and I just really respect the guy that he is and the person that he is, you know, first and foremost. And then, you know, seeing the way that he plays, I feel like, you know, our games are a little similar in a way. You know, he's a really good leader. You know, he plays with some passion, some energy. And I love that, man. I think, you know, I think we're pretty similar guys. You know, and I'm just really, you know, it's crazy that we're here, you know, couple of months later and, you know, we're here in the national championship. You know, it's kind of, it's kind of wild, but you just got to thank God and be thankful, man, and do everything we can to win this game. Yeah, the transition was definitely, you know, interesting. And, you know, coming from a place where you're there for four years and you're very comfortable.

46:52And, you know, everyone, you know, coming into a new system where you have to kind of, I didn't know anyone's name. You know, I'm just learning everybody's name when I first got here. You know, so first and foremost, I wanted to get to know, you know, I don't know how he went about his transfer. You know, I didn't talk to him a ton about it. You know, we obviously, you know, had had a couple minutes together, you know, at the man in camp, but we haven't, you know, we haven't talked to ton. You know, but at least for me, in the way that I went about my transfers, you know, I wanted to get to know everyone first, you know, and come in and not, you know, not be trying to lead everyone in bark orders right from the get-go, man. Just coming in there and saying like, hey, I want to be a part of this. You know, I want, I want to be a buck guy. Like, I want to understand what it's about. You know, I didn't want to come in too strong. Come on too strong. And just, you know, I tried to really just, you know, show them and earn their respect, show them that I wanted to be here. And I wanted to be a part of this thing. And going from there, man, like, we just, we just had so many good guys that took me in and appreciated me and, and I gained, I feel like I gained their respect.

48:00And really, in the summer, I think I was able to kind of step into more of a leadership role and, you know, just get more comfortable out there. Yeah, first of all, Notre Dame's defense. I mean, they're, I think that the hardest thing about them is that they play really, really hard. And they're just, you know, they don't take plays off. You know, sometimes you can watch on film and look around and see, man, like, oh, you know, these guys take a playoff here or there, but these guys play hard. And they're tough. And I mean, they're, they're going to do everything they can to disrupt me. You know, the passer, they're going to, they're going to move up front. Those guys are active. You know, I think their linebackers are really instinctive players. Their DBs are, are good cover guys, man, they're smart. That's safety. You know, number zero and number eight.

49:08I think they're both really, really good players. You know, I think they got, they got a lot of talent and a lot of heart. And I got a lot of respect for that, man. So we know it's going to be a fight. But then the second part, you know, the, the mystique of Ohio State, I guess. You know, it, me coming from a different program, like, you know, the brand of Ohio State is just so big. You know, and so, you know, kind of just, it is what it is, man. It's like, it speaks for itself, you know, it's, it's the Ohio State. So coming to a place like this, man, you kind of understand what that is. And I try to just kind of buy into it as much as I could, man, because I'm only here for one year. And I love it. I love it here. You know, I love being a buck eye and trying to just make the most of the year that I have here.

50:08Yeah, that's a good question, man. I would say probably my sophomore year of high school was when I started to realize like, hey, man, this, this football thing, I think is what I'm probably going to end up doing. And I think I might have a real shot to do this thing. You know, I started getting some offers. You know, it wasn't anything too high. You know, I was kind of just thinking, man, you know, maybe I can work my way into some, somehow playing at, you know, at the division one level someday. But, you know, I always believed in myself. I never really expected to, you know, I never expected my career to go the way that it would. I obviously wanted to make it to this point at some point. But, you know, if you were to ask a 19 year old or 18 year old will Howard, if he'd be out of Ohio State playing in the national championship, I think you'd probably say you're crazy, man. But, you know, it's just you got to continue to believe in yourself, no matter what and adapt and change, you know, I, that was one of the biggest stories of my career was just dealing with the change and dealing with adversity and then, you know, dealing with success and being able to balance that and just continue to work hard and keep that chip on your shoulder through all that.

51:29You know, I would say probably not that much, honestly. You know, when I came into the transfer portal, it was really between, you know, at the end of the day it was really between going to Ohio State and then, you know, there were a couple other schools on the docket, but it was really the NFL was, was what my other option was. You know, I had a senior bull invite. You know, I was, everything was teed up for me to kind of go into the draft process. You know, obviously the NIL money, you know, it was nice to get it as kind of more of like a almost insurance, you know, like kind of kind of thing, but, you know, that really didn't, if I, if I would have been in it for the money, I probably would have been somewhere else to be honest with you, but, you know, I came to coach day and I said, man, I want to go somewhere I can develop myself into a better player and win a national championship. And that was really what the ultimate motivation was for me. So yeah, the NILs nice and, you know, I wasn't there when I was, when I was coming into this thing, it's a nice add on, but it wasn't why I came here.

52:31Trey, ooh, man, that's a really good question. He's, he's, I think one of the most underappreciated guys, you know, in college football, man, that dude's just an explosive guy when he gets the ball in his hands, but I think one of the most special things that he does is without the ball in his hands is, is pass pro. I mean, that guy is unbelievable in pass pro, like, and he, and as a quarterback, it's cool because he takes so much pride in it and he loves, he's like, man, they're not touching my quarterback, man, and I, I just like, man, I love that, you know, I do that, especially a running back, you know, that's unselfish enough to, to be, you know, that caring about not letting dudes hit his quarterback, man, like that's special. And he and Q do an unbelievable job in, in, in pass pro, man, but I mean, that, you know, what they do with the ball in their hands speaks for itself, but, you know, that, that's one piece of his game on the field, I would say that is special and probably overlooked.

53:47Yeah, you know, I obviously I wasn't here for that, but I know that, you know, a lot of people around the building still ache at that one. You know, so definitely it will be, you know, we're able to, able to get this one done in this building, you know, it'd be a little poetic. And, you know, that, that would definitely be, you know, a great feeling for a lot of people in this building, but, man, that, you know, Ohio against the world mantra, that's kind of what we, kind of what we try to embody, you know, and we talk about Ohio against the world, the woody against the world, you know, really just us believing in ourselves. That's really what it is. It's, it's not us against, you know, obviously we say it's us against the world, but it's more us bringing each other together and saying, man, like we're going to hunker down and kind of say this is all we got, this is all we need. And, and it's more of that, you know, I'm going to go out there and, and, and fight my butt off because I love the guy next to me, not because I hate the guy across from me, but it's because of that love for the guy next to me.

54:48And that's really what I think we're trying to portray with that, you know. Yeah, yeah, that's definitely, you know, the human element starts to kick in at this point where, you know, you get a little tired and it's late in the year, but you got to shake that off, man, because it's a national championship. You know, and at the end of the day, none of that, none of that stuff matters, none of that, you know, human stuff matters because I mean, we got, you know, 60 minutes really for the rest of our lives, man, and this is, this is it. This is all we've, you know, been working for. And it's been, yeah, I mean, this playoffs has been, it's been long, it's been a grind and it's been, you know, kind of a crazy ride because, you know, when we started off in this thing, you know, a lot of people were writing us off.

55:52Not really going to give us a chance at home against Tennessee and then all of a sudden going to the quarterfinals were like the favorite and, you know, it's, it's just crazy, man, you got to, I think the thing we've done a really good job of is not changing who we are because of what people are saying about us and trying to just believe in ourselves. Stay true to what we are and who we are blocking everything out and just continue in a work and have that same chip on our shoulder every week. So, what's the second touchdown? Why did you break that around deep? Yeah, kind of saw the pre snap based on the play that we called. I know I kind of had to overrun and once I kind of scrambled to the right roll to the right. I kind of feel like there's only nobody deep there and obviously with Kyler and his ability to explain the play always got to be ready and kind of have an a pre snap. You know, what I want to do if he starts to scramble so I just took a high, you know, obviously great vision. He saw me and I be connected on the big play there. So, when you dove, did you think you were going to get to the goal line or were you where you were going to be? Oh, I did once I took off. I was getting an end zone for sure. And the JG always tell us not to reach some so he's going to tell me about that but I'm glad I made the play for sure.

57:00What was another screen? I was a key for you to help him. Let's get open. Make sure he can see you first and foremost. Get open, find open space, make yourself available. On the second scramble drill on the left side line, was that intentional? You kind of stepped back, they did the safety that you went deep. Was that intentional? What's going through your mind there is just kind of all based on feel. Yeah, I mean, there's a little bit of feel. Obviously, you know, I kind of saw the defense that there was no way deep. And kind of once I came back to Kyler, I knew he would kind of drive on it and kind of made a U-turn and took a deep and obviously with Kyler's vision, like I said, his ability to extend the play a second to none. And I was been grateful he saw me. On that first test sound, does it all feel familiar when you score and Paris is lifting you up? Yeah, definitely. We've been talking about that for a while now so I'm glad we got the fight. It's a chance to do that. Are you feeling good Kyler? You can come from that, you know. Yeah, I mean, I think it's great. Obviously, his skill setting, his ability, he can do everything on the football field. Obviously from end to pocket, extended the play.

58:05I think I do a good job of getting myself open when the play breaks down. Obviously, that's one of his best abilities. Obviously, in the pocket, having everything one time. I feel like I'm a pretty good route runner. So I can get open on time and on schedule and we kind of just do our thing from there. Mike said you didn't change anything about your pretty game routine. Did you think about it? Did you think about changing anything up or did you know I got to just do the same thing? No, we can't change anything up just off of one week. I think more and more brilliant, anything to process is probably the most critical and important factor to anything. The results are going to be what they're going to be depending on the week, depending on the defense, how the game flows. So the results come very, but along with your process, they're saying I think that's most important. What are your catches, Marvin? There's a defender draped all over you. What does more for your confidence or validate your confidence that or scoring the touchdowns? I'm just happy because it's a completion. However, it comes. I'm just going to do my job to get open and catch the ball for Kyler and I just go from there really.

59:05Mike said that he texted you after the game last week to kind of give some words of wisdom. What does it mean to have the support of something that's your locker made over there? Yes, I couldn't ask for a better teammate really than Mike and just to really rest the receiver room. Since the first day I got there, they've always had my back always wanted to support me. The ever see the room is great. I've been in a lot of special receiver rooms from a talent standpoint and the talent's just up there with the rest of them, but just the characters and persons personalities in that room is really second to none. I'm super thankful that they always have my back. I always have their back as well. But Mike, for him to do that, definitely meant a lot to me. Obviously we do everything pretty much together. We do on a jug machine throughout the week. We're always on a jug machine. Just to find it any way that we can make each other better. I have a teammate like Mike, like I said, he's been great and I wouldn't ask for anybody better. Did you feel like you left some meat on the bone in terms of plays that you could have made and then how much is he going to feel for you next week?

1:00:05Like I said, four completions for Kyler and they were all to me, it's definitely unacceptable and you're continuing to get better. Develop that chemistry, develop that relationship. As you get more giver up, some sure it will come. Still week two. We have 15 weeks left, so I'm not worried. I'm going to continue to get better like I said. When did you realize that all the physical completions were targets for you? I also looked at the stat sheet, a box score, whatever it is on a sideline. It was very disappointed. That's all that. You had a fellow coach in the Caldor region who was telling us in the locker-american game you was wondering if you would have some jokes for the team this week in meetings? Yeah, they've been on me. Obviously all the rookies have had to stay jokes before the meetings. It's not really my personality. I kind of just sit there and listen to the coaches, but I told them we'll see. We'll see about that. You like the standard deliver though? He said you were an oliam, and you would have been fine by now? Yeah. Like I said, the receiver room, they're the great job of not having me do too many outlandish things and I guess I couldn't ask for a better receiver room.

1:01:12How many texts did you have when you checked your phone after the game? I'm asked that really having gotten around to it yet. I just kind of enjoyed the win with my teammates. I was asked that first one of the year against the division opponent. I'll build a lot of momentum going forward. There's such performance like this. I was just asking what are performance like this, about the offense in big situations, hostile environments, just putting it all together. What does that say about what this team can do moving forward? I think within a building, we think we have the best offense in the NFL, just from a talent standpoint, who the coaches are. There's obviously one back there. We can do anything. I think we've got to continue to show that, improve that on a weekly basis, and we'll continue to get better. Obviously the whole offensive really hasn't had much in-game action, just yet really, really long that second game. So continue to grow. I'm going to super excited to see where we go from here. 30 and 2 in the first quarter. That is really a course. We're here to try.

1:02:12Yeah. I mean, it could have been better, I'm sure. So I got to get the rest of the game to go as well. I'm bringing to the table and kind of making sure that the mesh well has been winning. So I've been enjoying the men's, great feedback here and so kind of. I think before coming up, so I take a lot of pride in it. I feel like I owe it to the guys at War this logo on this jersey prior to me, so don't keep pushing that direction. Where are you talking about, don't go to camp. Where have you seen the biggest areas of improvement from the teams out there? I just think starting fast, I know that was a big issue. Coach Falsh went to emphasize this season. He hits the early practices, but I think the guys have taken he to that and really took pride in it. Just coming out here with the right mentality, not kind of oozing into practice and turning it up at the end. Obviously throughout camp, we have some highs and lows, but more we can continue to ascend in terms of how we compete. I think the better we will be. So that's been the biggest thing I've been impressed with. Just coming out hot, ready to go.

1:03:15I'm always in a challenge. My guys are coming out because I feel like we've set the tone up front. So if we're half-setting up there, then you can expect the rest of the defense to fly around. That's going to be the constant challenge in playing our local places this season in a lot of different areas. So we've got to be able to react to whatever time they give us to be. What areas do you think we're seeing in the air? I think this is a little thing. Like we're trying to, like I said, this is year two for them. This solid defense. So not as much teaching in terms of execution, where you need to be. So just a little techniques, whether that's your hand placement and your feet, how violent you're bringing it to strike or how we're finishing on the quarterback. And what we're focusing on in our past, rush all those little type of things. I think make a big difference once you get the game time. So while wearing this camp training type mode, how can you get better on the little things? Because I think how you do anything. How have you seen the camaraderie of the team improve that well camp's over? It's kind of tough to get around other groups throughout camp. So starting with my group, I think they've been great.

1:04:15And like I said, I've been trying to shuffle around guys and see who can play with what. So you can always trust these out on the field. I think how we play on defense, coach and boys all about connections. One of the most passionate guys I've been around and bringing us together and playing for one another. And I think that's going to also turn into special teams. And it's going to turn them into the offense. I love the competition periods that we have. Coach Foster challenges the guys to be there after it. But doing it in a way that's great on the field and not to feel we're back to being brothers again. So great competition up front. I think we can continue to build that relationship with your teammates. I think that's going to ultimately make us better in the long run. What's the process like of building a line, like building a combination of guys that's going to work and where are you guys out with that process? Yeah. I think it starts with knowing who can do what and knowing what can each person handle. Some guys are athletic enough to play on the inside of the way. Some guys are more cerebral to be able to drop at times. We would rush to pass our time. We have to get inside and play passing situations on the materials. It's similar to what they did with the twins last year. So it starts with that. And then just going out there and letting them play.

1:05:19Obviously like individual pairs of things like that. I'm very vocal and I'm trying to show them and teach them what I want to do. When they get on the field, it's their time. I want to be over coaching them. I want to have them play naturally and play based off of their parameters when the defense. But I don't think constantly traveling there. I've been just putting different groups out there seeing who can do what and then see who steps up and it's time to play. I think where I don't even know. I wouldn't even say I have a clear idea of who is going to be doing what this year. We have a lot of guys with a lot of experience and a lot of different athletic abilities. So it's going to be interesting how we can play that on the field. I'm excited for where we're at, but looking forward to getting more out of the way to go and drop this last few weeks. What separates J Toya? I think it's mentality. He's out for it. As you guys know, he's a dog on the field. He's all business. He's definitely a tough one. Which is something I can always appreciate. Him being an older guy, having a whole lot of snaps. So I'm constantly finding ways to challenge him. Finish more. He's definitely going to bring the juice. He never got to be a guy that you got to rally up or rattle up to get going. He's going to set the tone up front.

1:06:19So he's trying to find ways to constantly bring guys around with he knows. Him and New played a lot of snaps last year. Gary Smith played a lot of snaps last year. We got a lot of guys who haven't had that experience. So trying to help them see what he sees and kind of do. Kind of what he feels like the best reaction to a blocker or reaction to a particular play is. So he definitely stepped up his leadership qualities. I'm definitely going to have him in part of the room. I think he's taken some strides from my first guy here to now in terms of how he's speaking up. Having a sense of pride on the defense and also having a standard of what he needs to look like. He's probably one of the first guys to speak up with things going right. But not from a demeaning element, but from a passionate element. A keyer standpoint. Showing him that he really cares about this game. And I think that's the type of urge you need to play this game this level. So our Collins plans some insights to like Terry defensive line on Saturday. Is that kind of like part of a cross training where you do both or do you see him maybe play more inside?

1:07:21Yes. That's the topic of got moving guys around. I think Collins is the guy that can do both. So challenge him to do both. I've always been out dealing with interest in the past. So trying to get him back in the groove. Kind of shake off the rust and he's accepted the challenge. So I'm going to keep growing and keeping improving. He's taking the coaching and obviously what he's used to doing in the past. What we're doing here is a little bit different. So he's still very young in terms of his experience with the defense. But I think he's doing a good job so far. He's got to keep stacking the days. Man trying to find a way to push through. Find a way to get better. Sharif says he closed the training. I stopped to coach Miller. I hope so. And I know he's working hard to get back. We just don't want to be you know too quick to put him out there for this ready. So we want to make sure his conditioning is straight for all that. But you know behind scenes doing a lot of work to get him prepared and ready. So when his time is we can see what he can do. The more good, the more you value evaluation and the kind of go from there. One other guy you got trying to make it up. You don't believe when we're sure men coming from Division 3. That's how I'm against him. See LA. What have you thought about him?

1:08:21I like his mentality man. I know he was not sure what to expect just in terms of from where he was at to where we're at here. But another guy that's like you can see and trying to take the coaching and applying. Right. It's a different way of doing things. I know a lot of our techniques are different. Our scheme on defense a little bit different. Kind of mission how this is the first time of him being like a true outside backer. So all the elements to go around that's been different. But you know I one thing about Luke many go because it goes a hundred miles per hour. You know so you can play with that type of effort and that energy. I think it would be in the right spots. Not just about fine-tuned little details and cleaning up his technique. But you know he's always going to work hard. He brings that mentality that work horse mentality to the group. So he's got to keep it up. One of the younger guys on the group. Grant Bucky. What have you seen out of him so far? Bucky man. Another guy that's playing multiple positions. You know I know in the past he's played inside. But this season we're really working on both. A guy that's you know he can just show a tool and Bucky just retains it. Right. He can just listen to the coaching and apply it really early. So him another thing I'm challenging to just play continue to play faster. You know what to be able to move him all around. I can't just be just super heavy and just ready to play the run all the time.

1:09:26Want to be able to drop it sometimes. Want to be able to set the edge at time. So I think he's been getting better now. That's especially from spring to now. I'm like until it matters to him. He's on the field. He carries it like that. You know another thing on the container challenge. Bucky man just continue to compete. Everything that he does like every place in not saying that he is. But sometimes you just feel like when you got the scheme of the defense down you can just go out there and just you know play it naturally. But I always want to try to find ways to look at things differently. How can it be better in this rush. I can be better on the inside when I'm playing these type of blocks. And he's he's responding man. He's great man. I feel like I can coach all these guys hard. It's something I appreciate. There's just an extreme amount of passion I have for this game. Like I said to this university. He needs a lot to have those and follow us and move forward. So I want to make sure we put out the proper product once time ago. Good. Yes. Thank you so much. Thank you. Thank you. Thanks. Just finishing it in the right ways. I might say you know right now. You're going to be playing in Texas against Texas. The crowd will be you know a lot of low-hours defense because they always travel.

1:10:29But are we a pro Texas crowd for the most part? Do you guys kind of thrive off that? Do you like that kind of being the enemy? I mean you can say that but you know we don't really you know try to focus on the fans. If you just want to you know produce on the field. If it's a way game home game. You know we just want to go out there and execute. Four goals. Right Cameron T. Grovinson the athletic. There's a lot to say when you guys all came back. So Steve the line could be these last two games. 12 sacks. You guys really on blitz and a ton. It's not even the start. The best guys can yada. What's it been like to see this? Realizes potential and got up with the category class. I said we always knew what we had in our room. You know it's just now it was just showing up you know teams are scheming us different ways. And it's allowing you know certain players and make certain plays. And I think you know we got so many guys in the room you know we have two that can be ones anywhere.

1:11:30We have three that can be ones anywhere in the country. But they all you know decided to stick here and you know grind this thing out with the guys they came in with. And like I said I think we have a great group who you know can make plays anytime. When you guys get eight sacks in a game but also hold it even close off is a minus 24 rush yards in the game. What is that like? You know what is that say by the script? You guys did. I think it's a great feeling you know looking up at the scoreboard scene like a negative. Definitely. But you know it's just like all the work we put in over the summer over the season. You know we've been building this defense to where it is now. Like I said when we're executing and we're at a high level it's hard you know do anything with us. Behind the enemy Birmingham. I'm not going to ask you to call out officials okay but I do want to ask you. Have you ever been told before? Yeah I think our whole deline gets held you know every game. I don't know what the reps are seeing or what's going on with that but you turn on the tape and really look at it.

1:12:33We're held almost every play. Is there something that do you guys be better actors? Can we be more dramatic about it? What do you think has to happen for that? Can we get called in your favor one time this season? We can be actors but you know we don't really teach none like that but I don't know if it's where I'll stay. You know letting things go or what it is but it's been you know pretty bad. I know y'all see it too it's every play almost every game. We got you. Adam think WDNF? We got a chance to see a glimpse of Coach Dave's pre-game speech. The intensity that you've seen for him for the last two games in the playoffs. Is that different than you've seen throughout the year and what does that do for this pre-before you go out on the field pool? I want to say it's different he's been like that his whole year but it's just now getting recorded and posted. But definitely when you see your head coach it's fired up like that likes the fire and you go out there and do better.

1:13:34And you know you can't thank Coach Dave enough because he's our leader over this team and he's like that he makes you want to go out there and do great for him for the guys around us. Scotty we're going to go to you with a couple of zoom. Yes sir we're going to start with Andy Anders. Andy go ahead. Yeah I mean Texas has a runs a lot of outside zone schemes that you just want to what's important for the thing those kinds of plays on the ground and I guess just. You're straighting out those kinds of so to speak. Do you say that again? I don't need to get there. Yeah just Texas runs a lot of outside zone in their run game. Running schemes. I just what's important for defending that kind of plays of the tackle. For a detackle versus stretch team you always want to talk about penetration like penetrating the line and not catching. Because once you know you penetrate the stretch it basically stops the stretch and makes them you know cut back to you know on block players.

1:14:40So really just attacking this game and not catching. Next question is going to come from Dan Hope. Dan go ahead. I leak you are in a freshman class with Quinn now you're playing against him a few years later just what's that like for you. You know Quinn's my guy you know he's a great competitor great quarterback. I think it'll be fun going to guessing you know trying to get him. Next question comes from Kurt Bulls. Kurt go ahead. Yeah tell me I don't know if there's one thing you can pinpoint why y'all been so dominant. I would think maybe it comes back under the physical brand of football. Do you feel that's going to be the survivor in this game who's the more physical team? I would say definitely the more the most violent team you know the team that plays the fastest excuse the most and you know. Exceed their game playing the most is going to win this game.

1:15:43I found a question will come from Stefan from Cleveland dot com. I think what's kind of your relationship been like with Ty Hamilton especially as the seasons progressed and just how in sync you feel like you two are playing on the defensive line together. Me and Ty are you know we've been roommates for the past two years. We live in the same apartment complex we played a game together. It's really like one of my best friends on the team you know we talk about a lot of football things so we're really on the same page with a lot of you know plays teams like to run against us. And there could be some stunts we run we're always you know connected in some kind of way. Jerry back to you. Great thank you. Just a couple more questions. Joy Coffin Columbus this bad. Tanya Lee what does it say about your defensive line and how pride for you guys when you can get eight sacks, 13 tackles for loss. I have an array and ton of extra guys and pressure by you. I'll say cool to store coach coach Jay. This is a lot of technique and you know sometimes it doesn't show up because you know team scheme you different ways.

1:16:47But when you have a team one dimensional like they have to pass the ball that's when all the you know the. Bash rush technique and stuff comes out and I think we've gotten Tennessee and Oregon to those situations where they had to pass the ball and you know just let us rush free instead of worrying about the run. Is that makes sense? You guys just winning those one on one of those past version situations to I was here somebody sacks and TFLs. Yeah I'll say we're definitely winning way more one on one now and you know they're not keeping as many guys in the box to block us because they have to you know they're trying to come back. So I think it's like I said it's just cool to the offense you know creating these big leads and making teams one dimensional. Before left David. David. We talked about how better the team has gotten to getting off the fast starts on both sides of the ball but there has been some scoring lead the first half. Like it's in the scene against Oregon has there been renewed emphasis on controlling the middle eight and how important will that be against Texas?

1:17:48Definitely you know that's one of coach days biggest points you know controlling the middle eight control the middle eight you like chances of you winning that game goes you know sky rocket. So definitely verse Tennessee Oregon we give up touchdowns you know lay in the second half I mean first half but we you know we just got to keep our full on the gas we can't let up like at all because these teams were playing our great teams like Texas is a great team you know the great offense great offense line great quarterback great receivers great running backs. So you know we just got to just keep executing like we know we can and you see how it plays out. Okay final question for finally here Tim May letterman roll. Tell me you know Aaron don't you talk about everybody's hurting at this time of the year but when the lights come on in the in the snap goes what goes off in a guy like yours mine I mean from the standpoint of making the play I mean can you explain that the people don't get to play down in the middle of it all. I'll say you know like I said you're right everybody is hurt around this time you know we're with 15th week 14 you know deep in the season you know you just got to just got to show up that's my mind so you just got to show up no matter what I'm going through I got to make that play I got to be disruptive you know just to help my team out because.

1:19:02When I'm on when I'm on my game you know everybody else can you know feed off of me or we can feed off of like you know JT Jack tie but I said you know coach make always says like nobody cares like it's true nobody really cares if you're hurry for injured you just got to go out there and play and make place. Just a little bit explain the drive you have personally to get to through this next one into the next one but I know it's one step at a time but you know you came back etc explained people what's going on in the game. What's going on in your brain about your motivation my motivation you know you we all have our wise you know while we're doing things you know we have family you know family here our team our brotherhood but. He's got to he want to do you write for your brothers you know on this team you know we're trying to win the big thing we're not just you know trying to go win two games and lose we're trying to win the big thing you know because we stay motivated stay you know humble know like you know take the rap poisoning you know things like that and just execute and just play our hardest you know we'll they'll be fine.

1:20:10Thank you very much I think that brotherhood is important you've been known as a pretty good veteran tired career but have you seen a shift in the way that you're able to do things already without walking into buildings yet you say like I would say offensive work. Yeah whatever you say like it's a different than what you were able to do already in an emergency tag we're going to Penn State. I always always look at this with with recruiting I think it's so true every program there's a different level of difficulty right it's all it's all difficult now for you now I think the biggest transition is going from the role as a coordinator back to the roles of position coach in that recruiting mode which is obviously been something that I've been excited about. I think each program you go to it's a different it's a different level of difficulty based on who you're competing against right when you're at certain programs you're not going to compete against a program like this right but when you're at this program you compete nationally with other programs right so it gets all the same level of difficulty and it still you know it goes back to count what we talked about with trust with the offensive line it is a people business.

1:21:18I think the first thing and no different than we did with our individual players but within the groups that have been on Ohio State's radar for a while and our radar for a while but also the ones is trying to build that relationship and rigid quick make sure that we're getting people in campus to be able to sit down face to face you know I haven't had an opportunity with a ton of these guys to go visit them in person unless they were regionally at the place at once so you know I think all of that's been exciting you know I don't know if it's certainly the brand. It's really really strong right but always look at it I'll never say it's easier or better right right different it's just a different level of difficulty you got to attack it that way. We talked to Rachel last weekend the con line about this and the key to do a good job putting right back to the game the best position will be successful. You have like a one game that you try to stick to or you like a community and you call one game to get in spring practice you're going to see like okay this group does this best you know where it's there like a Taliban stable which is not really easy.

1:22:21Right I think the first thing that you miss based on the credible player that was fun to be able to move them around and put them in positions to be successful hard worker and I'm looking forward to see what he does with his career. I look at the wrong game like this particularly this time with your here and today's college game to play and particularly run the ball at level you better have a diversity right so that's going to look very multiple at this time of the year and then as we go we're funneling that down to what does this. This what is this offense of you that you well in the run game I think you're always looking at that way if you don't have the ability to attack to attack the defense from the a gap to the knee gap and on the perimeter at some point you know they're going to be a long career and you don't have an opportunity to make it difficult for you that many can't do it but they can make it difficult so to be able to have that diversity to go into them from there. You know what do we do well what is what are those five guys do what are we're not going to backseat you know you know where's our quarter back of all you know all those things play into the run games I wouldn't say there's ever one thing I know this we want to have a physical downhill run game that does not generate TFL's and have right that's the number one thing we do and I've asked all the time to not create TFL's and have it sort of really starts there right before you go run the ball really well you can't give up to your films right we got to keep the game.

1:23:46I look at it that way every year every team is different every unit takes on a different identities but you've got to start diverse enough to attack the defense in every area and then figure out what pieces in that game plan we really fit to go against that defense based on what we do. It's interesting to be thinking about some of our people's opinions about what is the highlight of what we do. Oh man there's a ton I don't I'll miss somebody if I just start spitting off names I mean I'll go all the way back I think early in my career is fortunate to play for a really good head coach that was run minded and very diverse and what we did and then also become a young coach in the first round that would be around the region that that someone comes to mind right away but then even moving on you know the spread game we coach more at you know where I was with him in a couple of different places and running that type of system invaluable experience I had with the Jacksonville Jaguars you know what we did wasn't a great year from a results standpoint but you take a lot of knowledge from that situation and then you know go into a place like I just came from where you're in a rebuild and you're having to evolve every year your personnel may not be in the field.

1:25:01It may not be necessarily to go and wait but we've got to figure out how to equate the talent and equate the run game based on what we have. So I think all those have been valuable experience I don't know if there's you know I don't know if there's one person in particular I would say you take good and bad from everywhere you go. I'm not trying to give a cop out answer but that that I mean that's the truth. I mean if nothing else I don't believe you can be in this profession and not be a lifelong winner. Yeah I'm not telling you at every year if we're not studying best practices of technique if we're not studying best practices of what's news dramatically if we're not looking at our own film and saying how could we make this better how can we enhance it then we're going to fall in line. How are you interested for a recovery standpoint? You spend a lot of time giving up kids and then you take a job right and you get to switch. What's the messaging shift? When you go from anywhere some of the obviously prefer between recognizing you're recruiting a lot of students. How does the message change? It's just man I didn't understand why it's different because of this.

1:26:01Where is it still about the personal relationship? Yeah I mean I think it starts with the personal relationship for sure. You know there's a trust level that's built in any relationship we have but it's also kind of bridging the gap of what this program means. You know and I think it's a good testimony for guys that I had prior relationships with. You know why did I want to be a part of this? Which one I think is the best program in college football? So I think that part of it makes the communication easy but it still starts with those personal relationships. Those don't go away. Is there a boomer moment for you on TV here? Maybe realizing this is why I'm staying at the top of the building. I want to say a while it is what I expected it to be but more and I'd say that all starts with Coach Day's visual. Just how the program is going to be. The detail of the organization. How everyone has a very detailed role of what they need to accomplish for the greater good.

1:27:06That's from a player standpoint, from a coach standpoint. I think that's very unique and he's at the top of the league. Excuse me, sorry. The point where you're in date first. I don't know if that's how it happened. Would you think whatever process started? Well obviously you know what's going on in the landscape of Coach. I think it was a time from remembering correctly it's all been a whirlwind. I was on the road or I was on the road and number popped up and it was great because I'd been around Coach Day before. I was down in Jacksonville and knew a couple of people here and obviously they've always competing against this program. And also at Marin and from afar it was very excited and the conversations started from there and the interview for instance. I think you think about alignment with the type of coaches you want to be around.

1:28:10Type a head coach you want to work for. The ability to compete at the highest level I think all those things have tried to be here. You get here, you've got your environment here, you've got your service and you've got your stuff that you practice here. What are your early impressions of like the car is in the center of the park. That's a pretty bad thing. The attack was like you never recruit these guys. You don't even have met anyone until now. You have your early impressions of like the stock. You said it best first. I'm going to reserve a lot until we get on the field. Obviously there's a body of work with some guys from last year that you're seeing on film watching every snap. I hope that they went through last year and guys moving around and all those things. I'd say the thing that stands out to me is the athleticism in the room. The guys that can pull and kick out and get on the perimeter and do things. I think there's a general level of athleticism that sticks out and guys that have experienced different spots you hope.

1:29:11As we get in the spring that helps the bad strategy. But as we go through spring we're able to create some flexibility with the interim. You've got your conversations with Brad and my first job helped be part of this conversation once in a period of time. So how much does that matter do you think you are in the last couple of years? I don't know that there'd be a question for him. I mean I hope that everywhere I've been I think you make an impression on people as a recruiter, as a coach. I always view it whatever job you're at. You're interviewing every day. Not even just for that job, but what your reputation is. I hope that played a part of it, but I'm sure it's just here to work. I ask you, who do you think is the most athletic in your family? I'm going to say myself. My brother is really athletic, but I'm going to go with myself this time. Tommy, leave Edwards with Las Vegas Raiders. Congratulations. Obviously you being a linebacker, being drafted by a team whose head coach was a former linebacker.

1:30:12How excited are you to be able to kind of learn under him and kind of gain his knowledge as well? Yeah, I'm really excited to learn from him and just how he sees the game. He's a former linebacker, he's a great player. How he sees the game and just how he coaches us too. I can't wait. Just curious, what is your relationship with San Juan Fern? Have you been able to kind of hear what his experience has been like with the Raider? Did you say that again? I was just curious, maybe your relationship with San Juan Fern from a real estate guy. I'm going to talk to him and all about what his relationship has been. What his experience has been like with the Raider? I talked to him briefly. We actually we overlapped two years or three years, I think, but he loves it. And you know, I can't wait to join him. Tommy, so I don't know how familiar you are with the kind of energy around the Raiders. That since Antonio Pierce took over his head coach, it's led by guys like Max Crosby and Robert Spillane.

1:31:15But it's basically how do you think your energy fits in with this team? You know, I think they're really, really tough dudes that love the game of football and play really, really hard. And that's something that, you know, I try to proud myself on too. And you know, that's something I hope to add to this team. I know it's just curious what these last few days have been like. I know this can be, you know, kind of a nerve-wracking proposition. I'm waiting for your name to get called. How was it for you over the last few days? It was definitely ups and downs, I think. I think if you ask anyone, I think they'd probably say that. But it's a relief. But it's kind of like, you get picked. But there's other things. There's more steps. You got to keep going. So I'm just excited. Yeah, I know you obviously are new players for either the rivalries of their Ohio State. And now you have to rivals with the chargers here at the Raiders and Jim Harboss there.

1:32:17You can have excited about every new in that rivalry at the NFL level. Yes, I am. Yep, I'm very excited for that. Tommy, could you talk about your motor and just the way you're all football all the time? And whether it's film and after practice, just about your love for the game. That that sets you apart from a lot of guys who have talent as well, but maybe don't love it. Yeah, I mean, and that was something I told a lot of teams is, you know, my love for the game is unmatched. Like there's nothing else I want to do in my life. And, you know, it's hard to turn off, but I mean, I love the game. I mean, I'm always around it. Always just trying to learn, learn whatever it really. I mean, even, I mean, I can't even name all the things I've done back in college. I just revolved around football because I love the game so much. I love the do's, I love the coaches, I love just everything that comes with it. So I'm excited to just continue my journey.

1:33:18Tommy, obviously, I'm in from a prestigious program like Ohio State. You played in some really big games, some really big robberies. How much do you think the pressure of those moments and those situations will help transfer to playing within the NFL and making it go roster? Yeah, I think it'll help me a lot. Because I know that I've played football at the highest level in college. I know Ohio State where the expectations are so high where there's someone come to take a spot every single day. And if you don't show up, you know, that's your spot on the line. So, you know, I think it's helped me a lot so much in the, you know, I think it'll keep helping me in the future. And we speak the same language, you know, you know, like, you know, he's been on 20 plus years in the NFL. I was 12 years in that field. So a lot of the language, you know, a lot of guys, the tree, that he's under, a lot of guys that I was close with really kind of have the same background. So those things and the language and the understanding of the fronts and coverage and high-time, kind of similarities there.

1:34:21So that part of being a good blend. And, you know, just really going to show him the land a little bit of college perspective. Because it's changed a little bit since he's been there. You know, it's different obviously. At Ohio State, what you're looking for in the country is Ryan's office, right? Is there still Jim Moles in defense? Is this bill higher state defense now? Like, what is the identity of this defense? The Ohio State's defense. You know what I mean? Is the collaborative group effort on pulling things together? Some new stuff we did in the past, you know, because days, you know, it'd be a group effort of things trying to pull it together to get their right mix and the right fit. Because we've done a lot of good things here in the past. But, you know, some things we need to tweak and adjust and we'll just kind of blend it all and see how it goes. And, you know, it's the second year for Aaron and Bryce. How big is this spring for them? And what, you know, we're going to take you to the right and talk about the fact that IGV is not going to be getting as many grunts as something like that.

1:35:27So this is a spring, it's probably some real opportunity for those guys to sort of make a step. Yeah, we have to see what some guys can do. Big for Aaron, big for Bryce. We're really excited about them and upside in the potential. They're really good players, really good young guys with a lot of potential, big upside. And we need to see them, put them in position, and see them get a chance to get a lot of reps, execute new things. You know, we have a few guys, you know, IGB, Caleb has played a lot of snaps, you know. So we need to really see the rest of the guys, put them in different position, game-like positions, and see how they function over a three or four week period. So, what's the difference between those guys? Probably so. Probably so. But all those things, though, we'll work on that. Even though I was in a league, you know, we have a streak for guys.

1:36:27You know, those things happen a little bit. Do you want to keep learning and grow for it? What happens is, you know, we'll go back through it and look through it. Some of them easy out of do a better job. It's two or three of them are questionable calls in there. Is that just a reputation now that you just let's look at him and say he's the guy that holds it? Yeah, well, all those things kind of play a factor. Doesn't matter. They call it. We got to work through it. So we got to put ourselves in a position to be better with it regardless because it's kind of a thing for you now. So you got to find a way to remove that. And you do that by working on it and doing the little things at the top of our out to help you, you know, overcome that part of it. Which we will. We'll work on that all this spring. That part of the big. I know you and my year was a lot very close together in the secondary. Just out of that year together last year helped pair you this year. We have a new partner. We want to keep some things. Keeps me together in the same business. Yeah, it helps a lot with that being all men.

1:37:27We work together. So, like me and Coast Gurrier got a great relationship and we able to blend stuff together. And we're kind of showing them that, you know, some of the stuff that we've done here. It's all football, man. It's all the same. You know, it's just, you know, whether you call it an Apple. So Orange is all, you know, cover three, you know, one, cover two, you know, the whole same thing. So, we just got to blend it and make sure the, the verbiage and all that stuff is in place. It's not unusual for young quarters to come in and make them back in the spring. They may be right away. It's a very useful, right? What do you want to see from some of the younger guys coming in for their first group? Compete. I want to see you compete. I want to see you have a chance to make plays on the ball. I want to see you have a chance to be in competitive situations and apply the things that you know. So, that's a big force to see. You know, because that's game light.

1:38:30The good thing for us, we see the best receivers in college football. We also want to top off offenses in college football. So, we get a chance to experience real game light situations in one on one's, 707's, team drills. So, I look to see them compete and then try to execute in game light moments. Because that's critical. That's how you get game ready. You know, it's not just the drills. You know, now can you go play the game of football and go apply situations, the down and distance, field position. Can you comprehend and apply those things under duress? I'm going to just have to take a look back as a third-year version of Caleb Downs. Help a young secondary or young defect inexperienced in that game. It's huge. I mean, the leaders over there.

1:39:30So, it helps a lot that he can direct, advise, comfort those young guys on how to play together. How to play the game. He puts a, a, a, at ease type of fit with guys in there, because he can help communicate with them. He gives them words of encouragement. And the one on one talks and things that he has with them of understanding the game. And they'll, you know, can be a constant for those young guys when they coached out around. You know what I mean? So, that part is big because you're getting it from a guy who's played the game out of elite level. It's, it's, it's with death and illness. I think Jeremiah Smith has sort of broken everyone's brain in terms of what a realistic treatment season looks like for guys with sort of a five-star recruiting pedigreece. What have you seen out of death in so far? What's death and what are the kind of the key things that he needs to work on this spring? And what's a realistic expectation for him? This season if he sort of puts things together? Well, first of all, you know, let's start out where he is a tremendous athlete.

1:40:30Tremendous talent. But now we've got to go play football. You know, now, you know, we have to see the application of those things transitioning into the game. So we kind of got a little bit of weight and see on that. But we have big hopes. He has a big upside. But we're looking forward to seeing now go apply those things on the field in competition in six months on the football. And then he does, you know, he has a chance to improve and keep going in the direction we were like, but you got to kind of wait and see, you know, once they get going. Because obviously you still have, we got a lot of guys that have, that we look a bit strange with, you know, ASCOT, Bryce West, you know, we got those guys that are young talent, guys, man, that can be, but we have the still going to play the game. So we're looking to see how that transpired in the moment when the

1:41:30bullets start flying. See, former player here, yourself, James and Brian, also on the staff, you guys take extra pride that you brought a national championship back to our state. Have the guys you played with? Thank you. And you graduated, you know, what's been the response? Well, no doubt. We feel really good that we've been able to be a part of that as, as former players. So that's big for the city. You know what I mean? And the former players, you know, as in ten years, man, we have some really good teams. It came up short. So I'm going to get it over the hump for those guys. Coach Day, that's really big for the city. You know, we believe, but kind man, you know, played here. So that stuff is big to be able to be a part of this on the other side and go down into history books, but to be able to bring that to the community is our standing deal to know we have a long history with this city. Sorry, Senator, if you were asked about this, this is just a wild hair.

1:42:32Could Davidson play inside at all? Well, he's better outside. Well, he does do inside some to more of the dying stuff. We just, you know, we'll see how it goes in spring, but you know, we had enough that was stuff last year that we just got a, you know, we had a good group there last year with depth. But we'll move a lot of guys around this spring to see what they can do. You know what I mean? Because we're just a different year. Different group now. Jeremiah sort of redefined, I think, the expectations for freshman around here and maybe National. I have been calling Devon Sanchez the Jeremiah Smith and Portabox for a while. How stupid am I for saying that and where how has Devon lived upwards? Or what has he shown you so far that gives you the obvious of what he is, whatever he thought of. Well, it's not stupid for saying that, but I don't ever like to put expectations on guys.

1:43:35I like to let them no play and see tremendous athlete. But one question for Tyler. You know, get adjusted to the game, learn the game, get in some situation on football stuff and see and then grow, don't get better. Don't compete because you know I'm big on compete. You know, that's the thing we talked about about the room. Even when we started recruiting, you know, like everybody's competing for stuff, but they know that. The whole room knows it. Open to a positive musical chairs, man. We won't guys to go earn it. Guys to go compete. We got a lot of young guys that's been on that. We're looking to see things from the screen. And Scott Bryce West, you know, we got a lot of guys that we got to go see play. And then we kind of let it play out. We'll have a much better answer on those things, probably in about two or three weeks once they get going. You know, to see how you make the transition. And even with the young guys, when you start playing more snaps, you know what I mean? When you start getting into hockey, now I'm playing 40 snaps. Now you can see whether you can ascend and be able to maintain it for a level of time.

1:44:39And you know, those are the things we were able to see with Jame. You know, he was able to get it and then move up and then be able to maintain it. So that's when they're trying to build the clubs. To be reunited with Matt, just how excited are you about this opportunity and how much scheme and how much do you think this defense is going to change? I don't know. It's still up in the air with stuff we're trying to do, but I'm excited about it because of the fact that we've worked together before. Really am I sharp? He knows the game. We better work the other knows the same same language. And then you know, we'll be able to teach the guys at a high level understanding the game of football and the game within the game. So we're excited about it. It'll be a combination of stuff. You know, because we had a lot of guys that back, you know, me and James and Matt goes J, you know, all those guys we worked together a lot. So he's the happy piece that's coming in to be a great addition to it. So we'll just start a blended and see how all this stuff fits together. James, you got the runs over in that spot a little bit last year.

1:45:41How much on board were those experiences? And as he gets, as he kind of wants to start with? It's important, you know, again, we have to see how those does on a week. We excited about it. It was a big upside as well. But we have to see it play because you know, join play a lot of snap. A little past several years. So now, we're going to see because he doesn't have as much experience with that. But really works hard, really sharp, detailed, puts him in time. This will be a good strength for him also to see you in a new role. Or out as applied and how he handles those things. And the first till today he can do it. When you think about when you can match with him, you know, there's playing a offense there. What does that journey feel like to see? That's the very much. Hey coach, we're open on the 30. Last question. It's been great because of the fact that I saw the transition of him learning, growing, started the bottom of the up chart, and I'm working straight to the top. But he's a diligent worker, puts the time in, and we're looking forward to see you now in a new role on how he can compete and go maintain.

1:46:45He's just a fellow. Thank you. I'm going to be going on a road against a really good Baltimore team. And we've got to be able to minimize mistakes if we're going to be able to win that game. But the vibes are in here are really high because of the way we're competing in practice and showing up in the game, the little thing. So we're looking forward to middleing that. Terry, I think you've shut down Cincinnati today. You have a 16 plus incredible play, Jayden. How do you feel about the rapport that you and him are building? And how special was that played today? Yeah, him and I are growing each and every week. And great thing about him is we're always in constant communication. So when I have him to stay, he's always got my back and making sure I'm just keeping focused and same with him. I'm just trying to encourage him when things don't go right. But you can definitely tell that our connection is growing each and every week. And I just want to be the guy that can help continue to develop and be a great teammate for him and the rest of our team. And honestly, I just want to shout out to Naomi for real. He's had quite the journey and the league and the way he's matured and continue to keep his head down at work.

1:47:47And he's kept his faith high in the Lord and he was ready for his moment. And obviously, Mr. Noah, that was tough for us, but for him to step up in that moment to get one on one coverage. We knew we were going to get a lot of man today. And I feel like we handled that as a group. Luke coming up with big conversions, OZ. And I'm just really happy for Naomi. So I think he just has to continue to grow and being those big spots for us. I know he's going to continue to try to make those plays. So me and Jayden are going to continue to grow, but I'm definitely happy for the other guys. You guys had a lot of huge plays today. What does it say about the�? I think you guys are able to get, I think four plays, 34 more yards. Yeah. Maybe six overall. What's it about the softest? It's a lot of them plays like that. Yeah, I think we're finding ways to create explosives. And it's not just in the past game. It's in the run game as well. You're finding guys who are running down the field trying to give blocks in the second level. So they're running basketball spring free. We're doing a really good job in scramble-driven. Jayden is giving us a chance. And when you got a man game like this, you might have some chance to win some explosives. And you got to make teams pay. So we're really excited that we're able to create explosive plays in the run in the past.

1:48:48And I feel like that just gives a lot of dynamics for our defense to continue with. And on us, we just got to learn how to minimize the mistakes, you know, getting down in the red zone, missing opportunity, fumbles on my part, drop touchdowns. So, but to put up 34 points and win the game against a good defense, you know, we're proud of that. So you take the good with the bad, but you, you got to learn from it going forward because we're going to have a really, really good test next week against Baltimore. Jerry, could you see this coming? The start, could you see it coming? I think, I think you never really know how it's going to play out, but I had confidence in this group the way we practice each and every week. The camaraderie, the way we built from the spring through camp, the competitive edge that we have against one another. And Kyle Coach Quinn pushes us to compete in everything we do. And when you got guys who won and won every single practice rep, I think that translates to the football field. And I think our preparation is really in a good spot right now, but I think it really the hang hat, we can really hang our hat on the way we're working. And just to see that we're able to put up the points that we already defense is getting a group,

1:49:48but we still have a lot of room to get better and leave, you know, at least meet on the bone. That's exciting as a player for myself. Yeah, we're just going to continue to build on this. You never really know how it's going to play out in the league, but when you put good days of practice together, when you play for one another, when you compete at the highest level, and there's a lot of unselfishness on this team, you have a chance to have success. So I think we're doing that at a high level right now. You guys are putting the nation on notice. So for those just starting to tune into what this team is all about, what do you think you showed them today? We're just going to continue to stay humble, but at the end of the day, I feel like when you turn on the film, you're going to see a group of guys, but it's often as defense special teams are going to play extremely hard for the guy next to them. Everybody's eager to try to make a play to help win the game or make a game change your play. And you got guys who are really unselfish and just really need to do the little things that help us be successful, whether it's in the run game, pass game, defense, run it to the ball, D-Lim and run out of stack, especially teams that way they're converging on kickoffs and bringing energy to our team. So it's not really something that we're trying to prove to the nation, but I think what you turn the film on is a direct indication of what we've been building since Coach Quinn got here in the spring.

1:50:56And it's on us and the leaders to continue to try to build on that and continue to get better on the little things and the mistakes that we did have. So we could play a lot cleaner, but when you come out with a win like that and you feel like you still have a lot of room that's exciting. It makes you get eager to get back to the Jornboard, where's the film and to get better. Thanks, Terry. Thanks, Terry. Thank you. Fun and mental stuff, hand-placing, leveraging things like that. What do you do as the biggest strength of your game that you're bringing here last year? Definitely my arm lift, my side line and side line speed and my covering. What are the biggest things you're working on now to be able to get better at some freshness? My hand placement, since my arm is so long, sometimes I tend to try to get all blocks in my hand. You too, why I got to get closer, things like that. You and Riley are kind of going through the exact same thing. Should still be at high school right now, both linebackers. Is it nice to have a kind of a guy going through the same thing that you're going through? Yeah, that's my roommate. So we just come from a different thing together. Yeah.

1:51:56What kind of example is sunny setting for you guys as a linebacker right now? Really just being a great leader like the way he leaves the whole team is just amazing. And the way he sweats from safety to linebacker and how he learns so much in just more years from the ordinary is just great. How valuable was it for you to be able to come in in January and be with the team for the end of that championship front? It was great. You know, just watching the last year's seniors, how the way they led, the way they were going to run they went on, how intense things were, and how everything, like every rep matters, every rep matters. I'm sure like that's something you already dreamed of before you got here, but when you actually see it, you realize how much does that inspire you to then want to be part of when yourself. Oh, this is great. You know, he's like, you see it and just like, we got to go get what we got to go get what we got to keep legacy going things like that. The bread doesn't go in. That's never happened here before where the early and early is good to go to like those season games. Oh, hasn't when when did you know? Yeah. When did you guys find out that you doing that? I found out when I came because I got here on January 2nd and as soon as the day I got here, they called me so I had come in and worked out and then we started doing the team.

1:53:04Yeah, I was the first person that we did it here. Yeah, very. And what did you take away from that experience? Just everything, you know, the way they appreciated everything, the way they took in everything, like I would tell him every rep matters, just every little thing, every little thing matters. Is that what you have to go ahead? Now, when we first got here, I was just doing individual drills. Physically, how have you changed to personal? I was great. You know, got stronger in the weight room, coach, everything. There was amazing intent, got in faster things like that. What are your goals for your freshman year? What do you feel like you could accomplish in your one? Really just getting some play in time, you know, showing what I could do on the field in the game moments, things like that. But, you know, first it starts in practice. How much do they emphasize special themes, being something somewhere you can contribute to your one? They emphasize that a lot. They say to play here at Ohio State, you have to first play on specialty.

1:54:08Like, that's just the coaching. You got to do on self-esteem to make the team better. When was the last time you were on specialty? I played specialty all four of my school years. Obviously, a lot of guys have come here from Florida and have had success here. How much does that inspire you? You know, it's great. It inspires me a lot. See people like, you know, Jay-Jay, Command, Sean, KJ, Command and Sean, Ryan, Jay, Zerat, Laura, Backer, position. Just things like that. It just shows you that, yeah, I could do that. You know, in Florida, they kind of be like, oh, yeah, Ohio don't play Florida kids. They don't like Florida kids. But then when you look at history, like, it's so different. It's Shazier. One of the guys that inspires you as a player. Definitely. Hands, your own Baker players like that. Thank you. Thank you. Thanks, teacher. And Arlington, we're going to need everything we got to try to win this game. You know, clearly we're massive underdogs. Nobody's going to give us a shot. So we're going to need all that that we can to try to win this game. Our next question is going to come from Stephen Hawkins. Go ahead.

1:55:11Stephen Hawkins with the AP and Dallas Will Howard, the last game he pointed AT&T stadium with Kansas State beat in the TCU team. It was undefeated. You saw a lot of him last year, obviously, and you've seen what he's done this year. What have you seen from Will Howard as you've watched him play in the car and said he brings? Yeah, I would say the first thing is he's a he's a much better athlete than people probably give him credit for. He snapped off a shoot about a 70 yard touchdown run against us a few years ago. So he has good speed. He's got great poise and composure in the pocket. You can tell he's very bright. You know, the system they ran at Kansas State put a lot on the quarterback and knowing Coach Kelly and Coach Day and what they do. So him managing, you know, the offense is that way. So he's got intelligence. He's got athletic ability. And then his ability to throw a catchable ball. I've seen that now for a few years. He throws passes where they need to be thrown and guys make plays for him. And his poise and composure in critical moments is something that has been very impressive as well.

1:56:14Coach, your next question is going to come from Corey Moose. Corey, go ahead. There you go. Try you doing just one to ask about how you love making your call sheet. I know that for sure. And so when he comes to this game, particularly when you have a guy like Caleb Downs and that secondary special after moving him into the box lot more. How much does that affect your building of that call sheet? And also how much of the help that you have a gym door for where winter to practice against to prepare for this game. Yeah, I mean Caleb's a fantastic football player. You know, obviously we played against him last year. His freshman year at Alabama and made some impactful plays in that game. And you can sense and feel his football IQ, his awareness. But yet the athletic ability to cover ground to make plays. But then the physical ability to get people on the ground to take on blocks. So he's a complete player. He's all around player. And again, we're, we got to look at the scheme first when we start building the call sheet and coach Knowles is a fantastic defensive coach.

1:57:19He's been doing it a long time. Very good. Very good at developing plans that put his best players in position to have success. Caleb being one of those. And so we got to look at the schemes before we even really start dialing into the specific players. And then try to put our players in the best position to have success. So that's always a process. That's a fun process to have. But again, that's the opportunity for our guys to go against our defense every day, which we think is pretty good. That, that, you know, that always helps our guys kind of prepare for the speed, the closing ability on the ball that that is going to be necessary on game day. Coach, your next question is going to come from Eric Henry Eric. Go ahead. That's a great opportunity. You know, beginning of the season, you spoke about the obsession with winning a national title. And obviously got a long way to go. Right. Two more games. But just curious. Having gone through 15, 16 weeks. As you said, not much rest. How does that obsession kind of manifest itself within you now, being so close?

1:58:28And just to come this far, I guess would be what I tell you. It's how it's manifested itself. It's like the journey's not done. The mission is not complete. It's still a driving force behind, you know, what we do every day while we wake up so early, while we stay so late, why are players are, you know, come in on an off day when they're when we're asking them not to be here and they're in here watching tape working out stretching strident getting rehab. And it's all that, you know, it's all that that continues to push you, you know, because none of this is guaranteed today's not guaranteed. But none of this is guaranteed. It's not like well, we'll just get back here again next year. You know, we're back in the final four for the for the second consecutive season. And those other three teams that were here a year ago with us didn't make the 12 team play off never mind the final four. Nothing's guaranteed. It's difficult to get to this spot. And we want to make sure that we maximize this opportunity and put our best foot forward and see what happens. So your next question is going to come from Kenneth Barry. Go ahead.

1:59:34You know, the West Coast. Grants will make it this far in terms of just obviously everybody talks about NIL, but you got you talked about pretty much for a 16 game season. You're pretty much playing an NFL schedule in terms of just a number of games, especially with very little buys. So whether outside of the portal, how important is it for the sports science department and you as a coach to be on the same page. And just the money that would go into that to keep guys healthy, making sure, you know, you're training and healing process is up the power. How crucial and overlooked does that get. Does that get overlooked at a time like this? It does definitely does not get overlooked in our building. You know, we believe in sports science. We believed in it before. The 12 team playoff, you know, became into existence. But we definitely poured into it even more so when we found out that this could be the path and the journey that we'd go on before the season.

2:00:40We definitely altered some things before the season and how we worked. We altered some things from a recovery and rehab standpoint. We did a bunch of research and studies on NFL teams and how they practice not only in season, but as they get into the playoffs. And we tried to put our players in the best position to perform. And as much as it is, it's about X's and O's, it's about taking care of their bodies, taking care of their minds. So that they're, you know, they're physically, you know, ready to compete at a high level, but also mentally and emotionally. And so sports science, sleep studies, all those things are hugely important in our building. Coach, your next question is going to come from Nick Hamilton. Nick, go ahead. Hey, coach Nick Hamilton, night cast media. I wanted to ask you just from afar, being able to watch the wide receiver, obviously, pretend to matter how high I was state of a mecca and Jeremiah Smith and just how they've been, how they've been able to, you know, change the course of games and the threats that they pose against opposing teams.

2:01:50Yeah, but they're both big physical players. You know, they have, they have length, they have speed, they have playmaking ability on the ball, they have really big catcher, radiuses. They've got, they've got the scheme to go with it with coach Kelly and coach day and they've got a quarterback who delivers on the ball. So you add all that up. These guys are impactful players that, that are real issues. We're going to have a hard time garden. Coach, your next question is going to come from Joe Cook. Go ahead, Joe. Hey, Steve, I don't know how you view maybe the first round, but the peach bull is the first time you as a head coach lifted up a bull trophy in your program in 10 years. Do you allow yourself to reflect on that or is there still just too far to go before you can start thinking about what that means for your career? No, I mean, we took a moment. We took a moment after the cleansing game and took a moment after the peach bowl. You know, there's always probably a good thing when the confetti's falling on you and it's your colors. You know, so, you know, we try not to miss those things, you know, as much as there's a, there's the big prize at the end that we're striving for.

2:03:00There's, there's, there's victories along the way and those small victories need to be celebrated. And this by no means was a small victory, but you got to celebrate your victories as you, as you navigate your way through it because they're hard to get. If they weren't that difficult, there'd be a lot of other teams in this position, but we're fortunate to be here. And like I said, I've been, I'm so proud of our staff, so proud of our team with their work ethic, with their determination, with their resiliency, you know, week after week after week. And it's been a credit, you know, that, our selves in Penn State are the only two teams now that actually played in the conference championship game and had to play a first round game. So we're, we're the two that really haven't gotten any of the time off that, that, you know, that Notre Dame and or Ohio State have gotten and even those teams that got the first round by. So, we're just trying to, you know, take it all in stride and continue to move forward. But again, along the way and enjoy the victories as they come. So, your next question is going to come from Westcott, Ebers, go ahead.

2:04:03Hey, Steve, if I was just wondering if there's anything that Arizona State did specifically to make things difficult for y'all on first down and what you need to, and prevent to be more effective on that down against Ohio State. Well, I thought they were very active. I thought they did a good job of, of running their defense. I didn't think it was so much of that there was something new or different. But they executed. I thought they won some of their one on ones, which we got to improve upon that. You know, you know, at the end of the day, you know, first and second down wins are really important for us to try to minimize some of the third and long situations that you can get yourself into. But, you know, that's when we're at our best. And so for them, I just thought it was they executed that what they do on defense and they did it better than we did for a lot of that ballgame. So, your next question is going to come from Brian Davis, go ahead.

2:05:03Hey, Steve, just wanted to ask you about the way you feel like the defense has answered the bell. You know, multiple times here, you know, in the postseason, all these situations they're getting put in. And I don't know if you want to, do you want to brag on the Michael Taff or maybe defend him a little bit, you know, multiple games now. You guys have been laying some really hard licks that that are not targeting. Does that is that a sign of how good you know are you are coaching them to maybe play the right way. Well, I think our defense has been tremendous all year. That was a hard game the other night. You know, they played over a hundred snaps. And it was an odd game, you know, you think about we really lost almost three full possessions on offense. Anytime you have a scoring return on special teams where we had a punt return for a touchdown, that would have been an offensive possession that we lost our first drive on offense, we scored in two plays. And then we we have the safety in one play. And so we really lost three possessions that, you know, unintentionally put our defense continually back on the field. I just thought it originally, man, we weren't getting off the field. We were we were doing OK, especially in the first half of that game.

2:06:17But over time, that can wear on you. And so I thought those guys showed a lot of grit, a lot of guts in that game to fight through. I had, you know, we have players playing a hundred snaps on defense, not including special teams. Michael Taft being one of those, I think you played 101 snaps on defense, not to mention he was on punt, punt return and kickoff return. And so that that's a lot on these guys that that we again, we've got to get him healthy and get him back as far as, you know, football goes, hey, we don't play flag football, man. All right, this isn't seven on seven. This is tackle football. We believe in playing a physical brand of football. We try to do it the right way within the rules. You know, there were there were numerous plays. I thought in the game that I'm sure they were upset about a call. There was numerous plays. I didn't agree with the call. And so, but that's football. That's the way it goes. But we're not going to change the way we play. We play a physical brand of football. We're always going to try to impose our will on our opponents and Michael's a great example that he plays the game the right way. What's your next question is going to come from David Eckert David go ahead.

2:07:21Hey, Steve, appreciate the time. I was just curious going back to Ohio State's wide receivers. I guess, how do you kind of balance ensuring Jeremiah Smith doesn't kind of take over this game and while they've got, you know, two other wide receivers who are 600 yard guys. How do you kind of conceptualize that defensively with resource management there? I just hope we're good enough to guard on me. These guys are really good players. We'll find out. Coach, your next question is going to come from Sean McFarlane Sean go ahead. Hey, Steve, appreciate the time. Just you talked this season about the depth and talent of the SEC and the competition this conference. What do they mean in year one to be the last team standing from this conference and be representing this conference on this stage? Well, you know, I still hold true to this. Like, I really believe this is a premier, you know, football conference in America because of the weekend, week out task that it requires physically and mentally.

2:08:28It's not a one time thing where you just play one SEC team and then you get on to go do the rest. You have to do it weekend and week out. You're going to go into some really difficult environments. And over time, that's what takes this toll on your team physically and mentally. And so you got to make sure that you can kind of recharge those batteries. Stay as healthy as you can. You know, clearly we've endured our fair share of injuries this year. And I think I've done a pretty good job, decent job of navigating our way through it. You know, I know unfortunately for Georgia, you know, they lost their starting quarterback in our game and the SEC championship game. And I'm sure other teams in our conference had to endure things that can take their toll on your team. And that's, that's no excuse that the end day. We have to find a way to navigate our ways through it. But to be here on this stage, to be back in the final four. We're in that SEC patch on our jersey. You know, we're going to do our best to represent it because it's a heck of a conference.

2:09:30So your next question is going to come from Christopher Hidal. Go ahead. Hey, coach, this is Chris Hidal from Herbeth and Radio in Baltimore. Do you feel a lot of pressure to be the home team in the state schools of the big state of Texas, playing in the conable with the history of Texas being in the conable? You feel a lot of pressure or you just feel like there's just another game each week. I don't necessarily feel pressure upon that. You know, when you take the head job here at the University of Texas, you got to know what you're signing up for. And there's an expectation and a standard here to compete into win championships, compete for and win championships. And so you acknowledge it. You accept it and you start charging forward. I think if this is more of a great opportunity to play in the conable and in the semi finals of the college football playoff against an unbelievable opponent in a high state, they've got a great fan base. They're going to travel. Their fans are played against them in the Rose Bowl and different different opportunities. So their fans travel really, really well.

2:10:34And so the challenge for us is to stay composed in that arena. You know, the challenge for our fans is to show up by tickets and support us so that we can make it as tough an end of fireman as we can. Because like I said, we're going to need all those factors in this game. This is this is the best team in college football. And we're going to have to make sure that that we put our best forward to give ourselves a chance to win the game. So your next question is going to come from Rob Oler Rob. Go ahead. Hey Steve Ryan Day was just talking about the NFL and his experience there. You have NFL experience. He said it kind of feels this starting to feel like an NFL playoff late season thing. Is it feel that way to you and you not that you haven't advantage, but can you use that experience, you know, moving on from one game with the quick turnaround? Well, definitely feels like that, you know, you think about like I said, we're going into game number 16 here.

2:11:38And so how you manage the players, how you utilize your time, how you try to keep them as fresh as you can, not only physically, but mentally, but also put forth and make sure you got a good plan that you can execute against, you know, the further you go into the playoffs, the better quality opponent you face. And so your quality of play has to continue to improve. The coaching has to improve. Everybody's got to improve. We've always got to continue to strive to get better all on the same time trying to get everybody fresh and back and putting them in the best position to have success. And so it's a challenge. But that's the beauty of it, right? That's that's like to be in the stage and to be with this opportunity. You embrace it and you try to balance it as best you can so that when the balls kicked off, you're putting everybody, your staff, your players in the best position to have some success. Coach, two final questions first from Donovan Bridgeport. Donovan, go ahead.

2:12:44Hey, coach, congratulations on such a great season so far. What is your response to those who see this as a home game for your program with it being at AT&T Stadium? Yeah, I don't know. I mean, I think both schools get the same number of tickets. I'm not certain Bianca might be able to answer that for you, but I think I think everybody gets the same number of tickets. And then from that point, who's going to buy the rest, you know, and I know we've got a great fan base that travels. I know Ohio State's got a great fan base that travels. So I don't know if it was at D.K.R., or I'd probably say something that would be like a home game, but you know, it is what it is. The last question is coming from Chip Brown. Go ahead, Chip. Hey, Steve, in Ohio State's first meeting with Oregon, they didn't sack Gabriel once in their second meeting. They sacked him eight times. What, you know, what stands out most about their pass rush? Do you see them? Are they similar to Georgia in any way?

2:13:50They're ferocious up front. They've got a great pass rush big on the inside, big edge players that are very talented. I think getting ahead 34 to nothing in the second quarter was helpful. You know, Oregon got a little limited, but they had to just start passing the ball. And that's generally when a lot of sacks occur. So when people have to just really throw it to get back into the game and quarterbacks can hold the ball and so on and so forth and D.Liaman can start pinning the ears back and going because there's not the threat of the run. So I think inevitably that's where that balance comes in that we talked about of why it's important that we continue to lean into the run game and find find balance there to try to neutralize those guys up front because it's a ferocious pass rest for sure. Well coach, we really appreciate you joining us today. Thanks for joining us already. I'll thank you. Paul transcripts of both news conferences along with audio and video files will be distributed via email and posted via the Good Your Cotton Bowl Classic section of the College Football Playoff Media Portal.

2:14:52The game access to the portal send an email to licensing at catapultsports.com. If you have any questions, feel free to send me an email at Scotty SCLTTIE at Cotton Bowl.com. Thanks for joining us today. Stay safe. We wish you safe travels. I think some of us don't need to work on so I've got a lot of work to do. But I think the biggest thing in Library, you've got to just be instinctual and just go. You can't try and overthink things and try and overprosite because then you'll be slow to the play every single time. And Arbel Reese, just what you've seen out of him coming on this season and it looks like he's ready to take over what Cody's done. Is that kind of how you view it? I mean, I think he's going to be a great player right now. He's going to be a really, really good player next year. Obviously he's a physical specimen. Big guy fast and run can hit. I think the biggest thing, he's, he took a huge leap this year in terms of like the mental part of the game. I think he has a grand understanding of the game. You know, be able to play my, my client backer. You've got to be a smart football player. And I think he took a huge jump in that part of the game with the share.

2:15:53Thanks. We'll throw it to Texas and Scotty. Yes, sir. We have two questions on zoom. Our first is going to come from Dan Hope from 11 warriors. Go ahead, Dan. Hey, sonny, you talked about how you guys prepared going into those first two games. How do you guys make sure you keep that same edge going into this fair game? Yeah, I mean, I think those days been doing a good job. Make sure there's no let off. You know, last two weeks, really don't matter if you lose this one. So we're not only focused on anything's happened to pass. It's a clean slate or just focus on being Texas. They've got a really good team. A really talented team and we know we've got to bring our best to be able to win that game. Our next question is going to come from Kurt Bowles from the Houston Chronicle. Kurt, go ahead. Morning, sonny. Good to see you. I was curious how you assess Texas off-mance and they've had their struggles in the running game. So they look like a team that's kind of pass heavy and leads into the past first and how would you evaluate that part of their game? I mean, I mean, you say as you say, they struggle to pass a few games of the running game.

2:16:56But I think they got a super explosive run game. If you watch the Clemson game, I think they put up almost 2050 rush hour or something like that. I think they're a team that's capable of putting up around 50 points if you let them. I mean, we're deep enough short-rated play. It's in an extremely talented offense on all three levels. I think the quarterbacks great player, the running backs are very, very explosive. She was very explosive. They've got great tie-down, great online. So they're well-rounded offense. And you guys are big favorites in the game. Do you worry at all about overconfidence or complacency just because the way you've dominated the opposition so far? No, I don't think anything else like noise matters. I think there's things to be said about it before we won those two games. And now they're thinking about us after we won those two games and those things might be different. And it really doesn't matter to us. We're just focused on the opinion inside the woodie. And we know we got a brand-new egg in every single week. I mean, it's a really good team. It doesn't matter how it beat the last two teams. This is a whole completely different team. Thank you. That's all our questions on Zoom.

2:17:58All right. We'll go back to the local level here. Bill Rebenoins, Columbus Dispatch. You guys travel. Your fans travel very well, but obviously this game is in Dallas. Do you guys kind of thrive and like the playing front of hostile crowds? I think guys kind of like going in an enemy territory sometimes. You know, it feels good being a little bit of the villain you could say. Yeah, I mean, obviously you got to take into fact that it is in Texas. So it could be a lot of environment. It could be like an away environment. We obviously know that. But I mean, that's right. Where you put the ball down. We're just going to come show up and play. And I think there's a staff that you guys that your opponents have not been called for a holding call since September or something like that. Is that something that you guys are aware of? And do you guys point out on the film? They didn't call that one. They didn't call that one. Yeah, we're aware of this that we don't pay attention to too much. So you guys just play. Yeah, we really got too much to say about that. You got to just play through and just let your talent take over. Don't let it come down to a ref decision.

2:19:04Over here to the right, Austin Ward for podcast. So I mean, it didn't feel like against Oregon that you guys had to blitz as much as you had been maybe some other games in the second half of the season. Why is that? What does it allow the linebackers to do when you don't have that responsibility? What made that a successful approach on Wednesday? Yeah, I think when you got as talented as guys, we do the front with those four guys up front. I mean, a four-man pressure is feeling like a six-man pressure to the quarterback. So you're able to drop out and be able to drop everyone else in the coverage. So it makes it a lot easier on our defense when the defense align is just taking over like that. It's tough for an offense to do anything. We got four-man rush. Feel like a zero coming at you. And then you got everyone dropping into coverage. It's kind of just shout over the field. I mean, it definitely makes the defense a lot easier for everyone else when the defense aligns playing like that. Jim Knowles, you talked about this a little with having so many veteran players that you could make different game plans. You don't have to just be pigeon-hold into one thing. We got to week.

2:20:07Does it feel when you get in there and you guys start game planning? Like they are very different for every opponent for you guys at this point? I don't know if I would say that. I think they keep it simple enough where guys aren't like confused when we're doing. I mean, it might look like that for like the quarterback. We might be giving different looks and things like that. But I don't think it's over-complicated at all. I might just be because we got a veteran defense as well. So it could be a little bit biased. But that's kind of the way it feels. It doesn't feel overly complicated when I got. I will go to Joey Coppen Columbus this back. So how do you think it's helped you guys to get Caleb Downs dropped out more into the box? Later, late in the season, I've been doing that. It seems like more. How does it feel to you guys? Yeah, I mean, I think both of our safeties have done a really good job dropping down in the box and coming down fast and running support. I mean, I think when you see guys coming from 12 yards and they're making tackles or two yards games, it's all that's pretty impressive. I mean, you saw late in the last game come from the weak side boundary hash.

2:21:09About 10, 12 yards, you come down and hit the dude at two yards and then home was knock him out. So, I mean, both of our safeties are super impressive in the run game. So it definitely makes the health of the defense. You know, usually you're dropping the safety in. Usually those are four yard runs, five yard runs, and where they're stopping for two yard runs, no yard runs. So it's super impressive and helps the defense out a lot. We'll go to Jeremy Birmingham, the podcast. So, how much does the defense structurally changed since the Oregon game in NUG? Or is it more of a loss of time than you guys just being more better in and knowing the defense better? Or has there been fundamental changes that have been made? Because it looks a lot different. Yeah, I mean, I think there's been some changes. But I think a lot of it's been a mentality of trying to be more aggressive. And we're just trying to... It's having an aggressive mindset. I think you've seen that in shows up on tape with the pressures, the TFLs and things like that. And I think we've gotten a lot better since the beginning of the year.

2:22:11And we've kind of improved on the issues that have shown up each week because the issues are always there. And I think we've improved on those really well. And then obviously, it looked like a completely different team now. You've seen a different aggressiveness from the coaching staff. So, then not just coaching old individual position coaches like Coach Lawrence, but even from my day, like, as he been a different type of leader? I think he's been a great leader the whole year. I think after that team on Norfolk lost, we kind of hunkered down and say, hey, we're going to get up and we're going to start swinging. And we're going to keep swinging as hard as we can and see what happens at the end of the game. And this will have been doing the past two games and it's worked out pretty well. Next to Mick Walker, Letterman Row. So, you mentioned a great kind of thing earlier. What stands out to you about Gunner Hellman? How do you kind of take out a guy that's such a focal point for all of us? I think he runs great routes. He has good hands. I think they set up some really nice plays for him. You see some of those plays where he kind of sneaks out of the protection and comes out wide open.

2:23:13I think the biggest thing that stands out is probably the routes in the hands. It's super impressive for a tight end. Obviously, he always be aware of where he's out on the field. And there's going to be some explosive play set up for him. Any other questions here? Tens on the quick guide. Absolutely. Yeah. Letterman Row. I'm sorry. Good minute eruption. Jerry. When you were in a nutshell, how would you describe him to someone? Because he seems even more effective when he kind of gets out of the pocket or moves around and stuff. So, what do you see when you think of him? I would say the capability of like early on the game, not him getting his routine. Like some of those routine throws, routine throws. They run the ball. That it's play action shot. 50 yards in the field. It's like that. I think he's a super good job with that. Being able to sell the play action and pull the safety up. And then hit you down, feel with the 60 yard bombs and like that. So I think that's the biggest thing that stands out to me on film. Super talented quarterback, super talented arm talent.

2:24:15He can get the ball on many different ways. But that's probably how I put it in the show. It's just super talented player. You can make any throw on the field. Like you said, he can move around a little bit. I don't think people respect that enough. His legs, he can move around and extend the plays. It hurts you down, feel. The guy used to be in this building, at least for four or five months. I wasn't really here with him, but I don't think it's really odd. I played some former players before, but obviously he's a talented player. I think a lot of guys have a lot of respect for him. So it's just going to be a good match. I'm excited for it. We'll go to Bill Rebellion. It's Columbus this batch. Adam, the win will talk to you next. I'll ask you now. I'm sure it's the last thing you're going to buy. And we'll talk about, do you have any idea what you're going to do next year? I mean, obviously you can go to the NFL. Do you have any thoughts on that right now? No, I haven't thought about it at all. Just worry about winning. Scotty, that's it from Columbus for sunny styles anymore on your end. No more on our end. Thank you, sunny.

2:25:15Thank you. OK. And then we went into the last game and still didn't quite know what the ramifications were, everything that was going on based on who we had up front. And there was a lot of things that played into that game, but certainly one of them was we called this game more aggressively. There's no question about that. But also I think we did some things in this game that maximize what we have in terms of our strengths and minimize our inefficiencies. Not that everything was perfect in this game, it wasn't. But I do think that, and I also thought Will was excellent in this game, played really well. You know, did a really good job of placing the ball and some big time throws when he needed to make plays with his legs. He did. And certainly Jeremiah, you know, was dying to mind again. But Will was a leader. But we also had balance in this game. You know, it wasn't like it was just throwing it all over the place. You know, we did we did have balance. We had some good runs and those those hit for us, which makes a big difference when you have that run run past balance that we're looking for.

2:26:20So, you know, this has got to continue. That's got to build momentum, you know, going into this next game over to the right Dylan Davis. Delaware Gazette. Right. You don't you don't know the first half. If you look up up the scoreboard, head to the halftime and you're on the left. Would you feel like you let them off the hook a little bit? What was that conversation like at halftime knowing that you did dominate that half? I'll be it, you know, or more or less. Yeah, that's why we knew coming out in the second half. We had to we had to win the next four to five minutes. And we did. And that that really helped because you're right. You know, you can feel that way a little bit. But I say it all my all time coming in halftime. You're going to be up the honor. It's going to be tied. And so now we have to go win the next five minutes of the game for minutes of the game. And you know, they deferred. So they got the ball. So we had to get that stop. We did and then we went down the score and that made a huge difference. But but yeah, you know, I tell the guys all the time that, you know, in games like this, you got to have poise because there's ups and downs and you can't get caught up in that. But yeah, I mean, there was a point there where we have a chance to go up to 28-0 and we're through the interception, great play. And I like the call.

2:27:20I like how aggressively we were because that's that's part of it. When you're going to call the game aggressively something like this happens. You know, you have to do one to work, you know, live with it. But but yeah, I mean, you have a chance to score right there and go 28-0 and the games, you know, pretty much in hand at that point. But they they fought their way back in. But they're a good team. I mean, this is a very good SEC team that came up here and so we knew it wasn't an abeasing. Cameratee Robinson, the athletic. Ryan, I know obviously the confidence for this group comes from the work you put in on a daily basis. But when you sit, you sit for weeks and you just obviously just want to get in the game, how important is it for you to have that first drive the way you guys did that to build confidence for the putter at that game? And just the execution, we've talked about that the last few weeks and some of the press conferences we've been in. I know, you know, you've heard us harp on execution, execution, execution because there's a lot of things coming out of that last game that, you know, we just look back on them like we just didn't execute very well. We didn't, you know, and certainly there are there are things that we needed to do better in terms of skiing.

2:28:20But we also, you know, didn't execute. I thought we've, you know, for the most part fielded the kicks better in this game. I thought, you know, we blocked better in this game. I thought we ran through contact better in this game and certainly we threw a cop better in this game. And that made a huge difference in it. But you're right. There was a confidence coming out of that that first quarter because, you know, we're playing with a lot of energy. But even coming out of warm-ups, you can feel it. You know, there was these guys wanting to play in this game and there was a confidence they got built through practice. And I thought we had a good game playing going in. I think the guys believed in it. And that went a long way to get that first drive. Folks, I'm going to bring, have Jack Sawyer and Cody Simon go to the back two tables there to start their interviews. Then we're going to go ahead and continue with Coach Day, Bill Rebenweitz, Columbus Dispatch. Thank you, gentlemen. Either one of the back two tables. How you got through it and just how important this was because this was a season defining win to this point.

2:29:23What did you do to make sure that you guys were ready? Did that without the event standing off? Well, the first week was an identification of the issues. You don't just move on from the game. You have to identify what the issues are and have real conversations with the players. Allow them to speak because they're vested in this. And then coaches have their two cents. And you give it about a week. And then you put a plan together on how we're going to move forward, how we're going to get these things fixed. And then you figure out what your opponent is. We found out it was Tennessee. And that's where the two weeks of work went. And they got about Wednesday of this week. You could tell these guys just wanted to get on the field. They had been along lead up for us weeks. And it does, you know, to say it doesn't weigh on it does. We know a lot of pride who we are. And these guys have a lot of pride. And these guys, they love each other and they're a great representation of Ohio State. And I'm glad that they were able to, you know, for the last game for those seniors to finish with the win.

2:30:27But they are not satisfied at all. I mean, they quickly are going to get their focus on Oregon, which is going to be a rematch for us, which is exciting. And going into a great opportunity to go play in the Rose Bowl again. And so, yeah, I think it says a lot about who our guys are that we're able to respond like that in a big way. Dan Hope, 11 Warriors. Ryan, you talk a lot about leave no doubt. How important was it for you guys in terms of building momentum to not just win tonight, but to leave no doubt? That's it. And even there were a couple of points in the game where, you know, there's some couple calls and, you know, different things where, you know, in the past when you have one of these games that comes down to the last play, you can look to those as game altering plays. But when you leave no doubt, you know, nobody will talk about those plays because we did. And there was a few opportunities in this game to do that very thing for a downstop. You know, there was again that those drives right there in the third quarter that I felt like allowed us an opportunity to pull away when the defense was getting stops.

2:31:32Over to the right, Stephen means Cleveland dot com. Right. You told us during the week that we could see a rotation on the interior of your offensive line there. You just talk about the job Luke Montgomery did, but then also Austin's playing essentially two different positions in one game just evaluate the job he did going back and forth, depending on who was in the game. When you don't notice the guards, they're doing pretty well. I noticed Luke's energy, toughness and edge. I got to watch the film and see how we did, but, yeah. We blocked them much better in this game and they have a good front. I thought we got some of the gap schemes going some good double teams. It wasn't all perfect by any means, but we'll have to continue to diversify going into next game. But I thought we at least focused on the things that these guys could do well and now we got to build on it. And they played with confidence. They played with energy. You can see after, you know, we scored a couple of touchdowns. I mean, they were, they were jacked up and coming off the field with good energy and the leaders of that group certainly is Donovan Jackson, Josh Fryer and great to see Carson play well.

2:32:34Look like anyways, from my point of view, watching the game on tablet that he played well. So that allows us to have balance. And as you know, that's a huge part of it. Yeah, we'll have to look at it and see, but it seems healthy to me to get those guys involved in the game. We're going to go just a couple more questions for coach over to the left pat Murphy 24 seven sports. Brian this week, the defense talked about, you know, they had to win the game. They felt confident doing that. Obviously, you're often played the way it does so they don't have that much on their shoulders. But other than a couple of drives, they hold hold before down their performance and just what they can build on from this. Well, they're playing with confidence and coming off the last game. I think they felt like, you know, we have to go win the game. But when the offense is playing to their potential like they were today, then now it's complimentary and you can end up with a game like we did tonight. So you just never know it could be like the Oregon game. It could be like, you know, the last game of the season.

2:33:37You know, you just never know how those games are going to shake out and we have to do whatever we can to win. We've talked about that before just win the game. So we got to win three more over to the right here Spencer, Holbrook, Letterman, Ro. Ryan with will that first touchdown throw just seemed like it was just so on point. Yeah, he looked to be just kind of dealing tonight. Did you see anything different from him last couple of weeks? Just because like down field, he looked better. It just looked more concise almost at every time. And I think that this footwork was good. I thought that we worked hard on some of those throws and he had a few of those right on the money. Yeah, the fade ball and the goal ball were really well done. I thought the levels ball to carnell was really, really well thrown ball, probably missing a few others. But yeah, he was he was accurate today and you know, a big thing for well is his footwork when his foot works on point. And when he's seeing things well, you know, he's as good as anybody in the country. Folks, we just sent Donovan Jackson to the back of the room as well.

2:34:38And this will be the last question for coach, uh, day, uh, Scott darker man, the athletic. Yeah, Ryan, I wanted to ask you just kind of a big picture about the big 10 and what kind of this the season maybe looks like when you have three teams advance into the quarter finals. And from a big picture perspective, what was this first year like playing in the big 10 and how good are these teams that are in the tournament? Well, I think, um, you know, the big 10 has great football. I think that, you know, we play nine conference games, so we beat each other up sometimes. But when you have an opportunity like this against a very good SEC team, you know, we, we know how important that is for the conference and you know, great to see some of the other teams in the league representing well because it is a great conference and a very difficult conference. Coach, thank you very much. We're going to open up. I guess more just like confident and like set you feel that can lead to the year.

2:35:3898 difference. 98 difference from my first year and my second year to now. Right now, my guy, I know I can play and I know I can go to one of the best. Especially with Max. Anybody else that we can go and play this year and I know what to do. So all I do now is actually meet my potential and help everybody else out on the teams. You practice a lot against Malcolm and he's really coming to 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 to work every day. The way he does and he works hard. He doesn't like twice or anything. Yeah, he'll get mad over cold rest. Well, it's the same time. He has an entire off and off. He doesn't really care what you're talking or anybody else. So it's like, alright, just keep going. That's how everybody has something. How about Ty Reed, two together at the same mindset? He doesn't say the same mindset. Look at him with that nerve. Oh, no. He missed that swing. From this side, first year here and so now, he has.

2:36:42Ty has just landed. He's grown up a lot mentally. Looks like you guys are reimagining the offensive line. We'll be with you out there right side. We've worked pretty well. I guess they're serious. We had a little rookie moment a little bit. But as big great friends, I dream about my brother. And I always will. We talk every day about how can we get better, how can we help each other on the right side. So we can actually make that connection.

2:37:42You guys play like Friday game. Do you think of that? What do you think about the NFL playing? Like the Wednesday Christmas. Hold it. I think I see us. I guess you go first. I really care about the time of the play. I think you guys are. I just think of the challenge. Okay, like we got all these attributes. They got all these things, but can they get past me though? Can they beat me though? So every day just working on that. Just getting better and better. Have you ever used any of the strong race tripping for our transfers? Yeah, that's my dog. We came in together and just like talking to each other about the process, especially when my coach riled up and I was like, you know, we're going to build you with me. And then we just suck through it. And then me and him now, I just talked to him every day. That's my bully and working on different things. Because he's at the left. I'm at the right scene. Things from different point of view. So it was great. How is the transition going for you? I was going to be amazing. I feel every day get better and better. Going against the best every day. So you have to be on your A game and going to just do like CJ.

2:38:45That's my play. Just getting better and better and transition just not an hour half away from home. So this has been pretty good. You started for games last period. So what are you kind of thinking of? No memory of those games. What did you think you learned? I think like for my role, I think I did just enough. Like as a person I am now, if I was a person, I feel like I would have done lay better. But just going into that role, helping that's helping Minnesota. Do what we got to do. And I feel like I did just enough. But there's always back to always do. Where's always room for improvement? Where did you see this? What specifically? Pass, pro and my first steps. Working on those things. I have the length and power. I just all over the place. And I feel like every game I was understanding on how the game worked and how to attack, how to be passive, how to work together as an online unit and not just be by myself.

2:39:48You mentioned the first step. What about that first step? Really just making sure I feel powerful out of my stance. That was the one big thing I had to work on. Especially at my last school. Working on my stance, making sure I can push off and gain ground. And I felt like sometimes I wasn't doing that. Even when you mentioned that he had to lose 30 pounds when he got here. Do you have to change from your body at all? Definitely. I was 3-20 coming in. I played at 3-20, I felt great. And then they told me they wanted me to go down to 3-15. And I was like, nah, I want to do that. I got 3-15. I started running. They started putting me on the meal plan. They started doing all this. Oh, I see the vision. I was like, yeah, I definitely chose for my body. My arm is steadily getting bigger. Weight room is going to amazing. I'm growing every day. It's hard every day. But I love it though. I'm getting worked after practice. I have to do weight room. I'm cooked. But I can see the results and see the gains.

2:40:50What is it like, you leave a place. You know you're probably breaking some people's hearts back there. Describe what it's like to make a move like this. You know what I mean? Basically the midst of a college career. What were you seeking more than anything else? It was definitely a big move. What was I seeking? Just the development with knowing I can, I wanted to go and get some of the best dudes every day. And coming here, I'll be able to do that. Just to train and program the culture here. And it's summer in Minnesota. So it was definitely a, I get easy merch. Few had said. Few were quite. You hadn't really thought about Ohio State being an option. When the portal houses quickly, the sort of the merch is one. What do you remember about just some of the other group that I do? I remember coach Fry calling me when I hit the portal. He was one of the, a couple of first people to hit me up. I was going to, I was going to go home anyways, because I was going to go to my mom's house.

2:41:50I was going to go home with my family and just talk about it. And my cousin and I were like, you're already an hour and a half away. So you might as well just see what's up up there. They want, they show an interest. And I was like, you know, it buys you a. You mentioned the transition from Fry to Tyler Bowen. Just what's it been like playing with both of Bowen so far? I don't really know too much about coach Fry, you know, just a little bit. But what I was in here, I definitely saw like dudes definitely doing this. I was like, I've been here. I definitely saw like dudes definitely develop. Like I can see it on tape. Not necessarily like really see that practice. But with coach Bowen, every day, just improving and he's just always telling me things. Little things, I don't even notice that I'm, and I need to work on it, especially with coach Johnson and coach Dickey. Having no story in the room is probably the best thing ever for me. Last year helped a lot, you know, just being in, knows the scheme was pretty complex and understanding both and playing both has really helped me. So yeah, I'm just trying to do whatever I can to learn both and just fit wherever I'm needed.

2:42:51The map of Trisha has talked a lot about already, how he likes to do guys around and adjust things to the strength of his players. Can you spout on that a little bit? Yeah, I mean, we just, we've got a lot of players that can do a lot of things. And, you know, you got two of the most versatile linebackers. And you got CJ too. So, I mean, you've got Sunny who's probably the best you know, past defending linebacker I know. And then you got Artvel who's elite off the edge and can do literally everything on the field. And then I feel like I'm pretty good in the box. And we all got our strengths and we're just trying to make each other better. And so I think, you know, whatever happens happens. And we've got guys who are able to play anything. It's been like two weeks, but what are your thoughts on the coach, Patricia? So far. Man, I really like coach Patricia a lot. He's a big, you know, it's what can he do for you? Not what can you do for him? And he's just trying to serve and help.

2:43:51And I've learned so much football and this past two weeks, more than I've, you know, learned in my whole lifetime. So it's been great having him. And he's a good coach and he teaches. And he's talking to me on the mic, telling me what I see and stuff. And it's just, I feel like I'm getting a lot smarter and processing things a lot, a lot faster. That's the difference for you coming out of, you know, last year with the injury and everything. What it has been like to take the feet under you and kind of get over the building, you know. I mean, it feels good. I was kind of just throwing right into it and fall camp. And I thought I did a pretty well job, you know, just kind of getting thrown into the fire. But, you know, now after coming back this year and just things are things click a lot, a lot easier. And I feel like this defense is for everyone's clicking. I'm just, I'm really studying as much as I can. I mean, I just live up here all day. You know, it's great having sunny. And then just, even like a guy like Cody last year, just the level of preparation he had every single day was, I'm like I've ever seen anyone.

2:44:52He knew what everybody was doing every single play. And so that's what I'm just trying to have trust in the coaches that I can, I know what's going on at all times so I can go in there and do my job. What feels different about this defense is to go to Patricia right now. You picked up on that with nuanced wise, would you think, would you, would you sense we feel a little bit different? I think he's just, he's big into playing the player's strengths. Like, if I'm better at this, he's going to put me in this position. And if I'm better at this, he's going to put me more in this position. Just, just a little bit of that. I mean, we haven't really done much. It's only been two weeks, but guys are playing to their strengths. And just getting better. I mean, that's just, and we're doing a lot of fundamental stuff, not too much scheme. Just, you know, working on tackling, getting off blocks. Be reasonable. And in the talent, he's definitely got opening. He noticed two coach Laura Midas over years time. Change a little bit. And it's teaching him. Where do you want to call him, he knows actual. Yeah, absolutely. I mean, I would say, right now, he's the best linebacker coach in the country. I mean, he knows everything about him, especially, you know,

2:45:55with Patricia being in the NFL. He's definitely, you know, he knows it all and stuff. So he's done good, man. It was kind of hard for him. I think it was a little hard, you know, because he was kind of just thrown in. Like, I was just thrown in the mix. He was trying to give me as many reps as I could get in the fall camp. And I'm really grateful for that. I mean, it was hard for me. Like, you know, when fall camp kind of ended, my reps really, you know, cut down. But he did a good job of, you know, keeping me with the defense and watching all the plays and stuff and just talking me through everything. You know, we built a great relationship and I couldn't be grateful to have him as my coach. How did you think you had the last question? We had thrown in the fire like that. Were there any moments where you thought to yourself, like, no, I'm not ready for this. You feel pretty good. I felt pretty good. I mean, I, like I said, wrestling, you kind of get forged in fire. And so, maybe just a little bit of that. I think the really the hard part for me was just, you know,

2:46:56just consistently waking up every day and doing it, the mental side of it. Especially, I mean, you just don't know a lot of stuff. I mean, you had never done it before. But I wouldn't say the physical stuff was hard. I mean, obviously it was hard, but, you know, growing up wrestling and, you know, having older brother beat up on you a little bit. It went too bad. Did you see that? It seemed like you picked up more special teams' responsibilities, especially when you play off. It's like your staff council is higher. Were you doing more by that one this season? Did you hit like a little bit more? Yeah, 100%. I mean, I was kind of on all four fights. I was just trying to do my job and just show I'm accountable every week. And just, you know, guys will go down and stuff and stuff and up. And, you know, being on kickoff and kick return and get some power turn reps and even some punt reps. And I was, you know, I was really grateful to have those, you know, just being, even just being in the games and the playoff games, you know, seeing the stadium and being on the field and having the responsibility. Thank you. You made a lot that they were willing to put me out there and they trusted me enough to do my job.

2:47:56Thank you very much. Thank you. Thank you very much. I was really just watching it because I mean we played Missouri Lost Loan this past year on a corporate field role from like 62 yards. So like, I was watching the game with more of a span. But yeah, I mean, the things that Coach Day does in the offense and I thought the Ryan does, I feel like really fit my type of field and I'm not a player. You know, where I was coming from in case they was a very long heavy offense, especially quarterback, Lauren Hevy, which I was very happy to do and didn't do anything at all. I'm excited here to where I feel like it's more of a, you know, where I can be that pocket passer and also use my legs when I need to. But, you know, I feel like my strength is doing my own thing. But I also feel like I can do really good things for my

2:48:59obviously being in quarterback, you need to make those plays. Oh, it had a huge impact on it. You know, I love my guys at K-State and I have nothing bad to say about them. But I mean, the talent here is unbelievable. Just being around the guys and the thing that impressed me the most about, especially the receiver room is how it was driven, how much they want to work. I don't have to go out there and beg these guys to go catch. I mean, there are already out here catching on the jugs when I come out the throw. They're incredibly hardworking just all across the room. I mean, we got dudes like Carnell and Brandon and I. And obviously, and Mecca and all those guys like, I mean, that's just the, that's just the ice cream. There's so much talent in that room and being able to throw to guys like that makes my job a lot easier.

2:50:02First of all, you're a German. Dude, he's a dude, man. I haven't gotten to talk to him that much yet, you know, just because we've been in different groups, lifting and stuff. Yeah, I mean, but man, he's a specimen. I mean, that dude is a freak show when he comes to physical. I mean, he is, I'm excited to see him on the field and invite him to be able to come here. I feel like the resounding thing that I heard from, from these NFL guys and from people around the league was needed playing ball. And we need to see more high level play. And I feel like, you know, I played a lot of football in my time at K-State, but, you know, I only had one year where I was really the true starter and where I played, you know, the whole year. The most part I was a backup filling in. And I felt like, you know, there's a bunch of statistics and things that they look at.

2:51:06And, you know, I was on the very lowest end of like, you know, the amount of yards that you're supposed to throw for. You know, you look at the success stories versus the failure stories. And there was just so many signs of a point in becoming back. And really in my heart, and that was at the end of the day, I mean, it was up to me, it was my gut. And I felt like I just wasn't ready to leave college yet. I go for a more, I want to go to a competition. And I feel like I've been in a lot of different ways than I've ever been. I've been in a lot of different ways. I've been in a lot of different ways. Absolutely. And I mean, the biggest thing was I felt like I could come compete here to win a national championship. And that above anything else was one of the most important things. I felt like I just had more I want to go to college and I wasn't done yet. And that was, I think, what really drew me here. You know, getting to the next level and, you know, playing in an offense like this, I think it's really going to prepare me for that next level and give me the best shot. And that's all I just really shoulder on the cake, you know, for me.

2:52:09Well, you're longer in the top. You're longer doing it on the bottom. I can have it at the top. I can put it in the pool. I'm able to let you know how to do it. And I can bring you back in the top. Yeah, I mean, we definitely talked about it. You know, we're all here to compete and we're all here to, you know, help the buck guys win. That's all we're here for. And that was, you know, that was made evident when I came on my visit. And, you know, the thing that I'm the most fired up about is how good the dudes in the Dreamark and how good they've been to me. You know, they could have believed me. I've been in a situation where we brought in an older trans again. And, you know, they could have been, you know, mad and not taught me and helped me out. But I mean, Devon and Lincoln, the guys that have been around, they've really helped us a lot, especially us three new guys. And, you know, I know I'm older and I've done things, but still just learning a new system learning, you know, how we do things, and how we go about our busy day.

2:53:14Everything's a little different. So I'm so thankful for those guys that they've just, I mean, they've helped me so much, just getting, getting accustomed to, you know, being in this building. Really good dudes, really good kids and really talented too. I mean, they can both spin the ball really well. You know, they're young and they, you know, they know they got a lot to learn and so do I. Right there, you know, I think we're, we're all trying to learn this together, even, you know, approach over on a little bit and we're, we're hitting the ground running. But, you know, it's exciting. Those two guys are especially special. What do you want to do for a driver like this? You didn't see what you had to put in the building. It's hard to say. I probably say the draft would have been my, you know, I was, I was talking to some other schools, you know, Miami and USC were in there in the mix.

2:54:15But it was really, I would say here in the draft at the end of it. You know, there was a lot of different things that went into it. It was a long, hard process, but yeah, I would say, I mean, that was probably most likely. I mean, nothing, nothing crazy. You know, it was just. I appreciate it. I'm not a fighter fan. Yeah, I appreciate it. Yeah, there you go, a little sidetrack. But, uh, no, I, what was the question again? I'm sorry. Spider controversy. What's up? Yeah, no, it was, I mean, it wasn't really anything crazy, I would say. You know, I just, you know, nothing really changed.

2:55:18It was really kind of, you know, they, they were kind of holding me off a little bit. I was still after that game just in fairness. You know, I was, I was patient and waited my time and, you know, it all worked out. It comes to it. I know you just kind of make the point. It's hard to tell. I don't really know. It was a world wind of a process. You know, I started hearing initially they might be interested, but I hadn't really heard anything directly. You know, really getting in like, I really started to feel that interest. You could tell us you know there's a change coming. A good coordinator. A little bit. Yeah, I kind of figured that I didn't know for sure, but he kind of hinted at it. And, you know, he, his point was, you know, it's in the best interest to him and the team. I was all in. You know, I completely understood, you know, the decision and why he did it.

2:56:20What was the reason about your being during the other team? Yeah, I mean, there were a lot of, a lot of things that were said, you know, a lot of, a lot of things that, you know, were attractive to me about this offense and about what he kind of thought about my game and how he thought he did. You know, elevate me to where I wanted, where I wanted to be. And, you know, I feel like one of the biggest things was how close dial the offense is. And, you know, a lot of these other schools that I was looking at, you know, maybe these air raid type schools. I mean, they got great offenses and you know, I could put up a lot of numbers, but I don't know how much that was developed. And playing in a system that coach O'Brien, which is, I'm using the big hand side, how much. How much better can you prepare for the NFL than with somebody who's coach at a head coach level and an important head level at the NFL? You know, there's just all the things pointed to the last day.

2:57:53I'd be understanding a new twist or why he called it how we did. And it's been great for the Titans. I'll leave it at that, not to get too much in the scheme, but we've definitely benefited and me personally learning every day. Do you look at the, I guess, the most of the experience you're doing is actually coach compared to other years, the emergency intensity, the technical shirt talk. Yeah, I think, you know, awesome. That's a great question. I hope not. 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 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 eights, not in the room anymore. Great. We're going to play somebody in a couple months. Right? And there's got to be a tie down out there. Hopefully it's two. Hopefully three tight ends out there. So hopefully they feel the urgency's picked up.

2:58:57I believe that the structure, but he's been in for a long time. But it felt like year after year, it was a long time. The better guy, the next one, the better guy, the next one behind. Does that mean you have to provide leadership for guys? Yeah, I don't know. I'm not going to put it all on you. Right? But again, the leaders drive the culture. Now whether it be G or whether it be Pat, and he'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, I'm not cutting off the scene. It's got to come from them. Now again, my job is coaches to make them hear things they don't want to hear, 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. Can you, you were in the room, Kevin was in the offensive meeting room for so many years. This, this haven't chip kind of gets you guys back to where you guys were with Kevin. I know that the room as an offensive staff, you guys were kind of young last year now to have chip with that experience. Is that kind of like what you guys have with Kevin?

3:00:03You know, some similarities. I think the comparison is that we're talking about Kevin was in the chic earlier to 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 and an awesome leader, right? Of driving us and listening and I'm on 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 that not get to come to fruition as much as the way that game played out here? You know, I don't, I don't remember exactly what, you know, the expectation was he was going to help contribute. And 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. So we felt comfortable riding out with him, but I think Jolani and everyone else is kind of focused going forward.

3:01:06Did you guys see the bull prep that was a step forward at all? Yeah, oh yeah, he's definitely takes that forward for sure. But you are painting an ideal situation for the ball. 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% or 14% now. And 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. I mean, the toughest is on the field. Are you seeing enough of that feel comfortable saying that that can happen by. Yeah, I mean, we're taking strides. We'll see about the end of spring and then hopefully fall camp. It's a long ways away from wherever we play. The action has been great. It's been great. Pumper turn kick return and again to coach other positions to write. I mean, I mean, special teams comes down to technique and effort. Right. And that's the ultimate test of the brotherhood.

3:02:09No one no one signed up to be a buck out of me on Pumper turn. They want to be first round this first round that so it's been awesome. And involved in that. Oh, yeah, we're working quite a few guys back there. We got some options. So yeah, we fun. You guys were thinking about puts. 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 Kade was taking. I think good. I think it just shows that, you know, next man in we trust you fully. Kade couldn't go. No one bad at the night. It was G. Then it was Pat period. We call their offense. There's no modified offense or anything like that. So to put our trust in and then you went out and made a lot of plays and both this gets played really well. I think that helps the confidence for him and awesome.

3:03:15Really good. When you look at when you look at G now, do you this be a suspicious question, maybe you see a tight end here? Staying when I'm saying from a couple years ago, he was you know, he moved over from wide receiver and all this kind of stuff. What just jumped out at you about what he brings with the tight end spot. I know what you're asking to. I promise you I never like in the tight end. Reminds me, oh, but he's a receiver playing tight end. He's a tight end. So he's greater like a tight end. 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 it's lesser opponents, but having some success out there, you know, like in the run game, the blocking aspect of things and stuff. He seems to progress 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. 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 have in us, but what teams do you think that's benefiting you guys in terms of just how you're going to get the pain?

3:04:22Yeah, I think so. Dan as you know, as far as ownership goes, right? Like, I mean, I'm not saying I wasn't invested. Lasha, but shoot, I'm pumped return to kick return. I mean, that's 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 Ohio State, and I bet you Hartlan feels the same way about the receiver. So as far as the buying from the staff, heck yeah, heck yeah, for me, at least speaking for myself. When could, when Coach Dave broke that up? What did you think about that change? And number two, what is he told you he wants that he wasn't getting from special teams a year ago? No, he never, he never told me anything about Lasha. It was all about, okay, how can we be? This is again Ohio State, whatever the janitorial staff supposed to be the best in the country. The tight end coach better be the best dynamic in the country. Same thing with quarterback, same thing with pumped return coach. On the pumped return 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 fund yourself studying punt returns in a field team, things like that. How are you doing your prep work? Oh yeah, coach Hart, coach Keys, thanks Gunner. I mean, we bought to ourselves in a room for a week there. I don't think I did any offense.

3:05:28You already have pretty good knowledge of return game or good books if you have to start from scratch. No, yeah, there's no starting from scratch. It's all ball. And that's the coolest thing about special teams is if you're not special teams, you're going to make you better, tight end. It's 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 we have to decide what our identity is going this season. What's the best thing about that? What's the best thing about that? What trust is that? Yeah, 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 fine star or if you're a walk on. But to that point, I think sometimes there's a mentality of, oh, but he's just a walk on. That does not exist with Pat. It's went out the window to start a, once you start a plan.

3:06:28Is that how you approach a hero? It's how guys like a hero's a guy. Almost 1130. How many stars? Oh yeah. 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 that in I. I'm going to put the toughest dude out there who goes to hardest. I don't care if you're from Ohio, your dad's a buck guy, if you're a walk on or a five star. Whatever should help us win, you know. We can marry in minutes. Not here yet. You still work with them? How does that work right now? Yeah, we can. I mean with Max and Toe, it's FaceTime 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 can do on the front end with, you know, sending them tips, sheets and that's what it is. And we're technology nowadays. I mean, COVID we had to do it. So 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?

3:07:29Just 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 every, we're see each other every day for the last eight years and luckily I worked four 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 of kind of setting the direction given us some expertise and we just kind of have a flow off each other. Okay. Obviously in the guys react to that. So you're coaching. That's much teams. Yeah, I think I think they like it because like the accountability again, if my tight ends aren't on point 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. She didn't in a time when Trent Transport is so big and the guy like jeep probably could have left multiple times if you wanted to. What does that do for the room to have a guy who's a leader? Have you just so set that's like, I want to stay here, I want to stay here and make an impact. Jesse, go. Yeah, I think it speaks volumes. You hit the nail on the head, not just for G, but for the brotherhood.

3:08:29I know it sounds cliche and people read it on Twitter and kind of roll the rise of brotherhood. Why do you think the entire defense came back for the brotherhood? We got two goals here. We haven't done them since she's been here. He hasn't hit his two goals, so he stayed for the brotherhood. So I think it speaks volumes for G as 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 because 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. Is it different trying to keep kids around maybe in the portal or at a 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 think you're 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 take a question earlier. I don't care if he's a senior or a true freshman.

3:09:29If 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 get a blockjack in JT. And then your dog tired next play, you're getting covered by downs and late then and all those guys. Are you kidding me? Is this NFL? No, it's the Ohio State. Right? So yeah, I think it's a little bit different, but you got to be honest on the front end. Thank you very much. Awesome. Thanks, guys. Thanks, coach. Thank you. You know, the games are done. I think that, you know, I definitely probably was in the back of my mind, you know, knew I was going to come back regardless. So, like I said, you know, just sort of been tough on me to leave this year. And with the opportunity we got, you know, you only got one more chance left to, you know, to go do something that not many people get to do. You know, I don't know why it's so, we're in a blessed position. Now, what do you think, look for your final match? Yeah, I think you have the top. You should try to win the first match. Uh, and I just think that I was putting good positions. Just kind of let, you know, let loose. We're not there in play ball.

3:10:30Like I know how to and, you know, my teammates played great too. And coaches called it the game defensively. I mean, you know, I don't, did we give a 14 total points or a 17, 14? 14. I mean, 14 and get to get off and it's like that. Great team. I mean, that's a good day. So obviously we didn't get the results we wanted, which is frustrating again, but it's a whole different story. Uh, yeah, I mean, I just think it was, it was collectively a good day on defense. And I happen to be fortunate to be in position and make some good plays. I mean, that'd be the time for, obviously, some of your men in the conversation. You guys are playing rough, but nothing will be happening. The most I've done now is necessarily, you know, you're in that, but you kind of had all that in what most starters. Do you feel when we're in a groove like that when you get off the field, and I mean, you're in a groove like that when you get off the field. Yeah, I think I felt like I was in a groove probably the whole second half of the season. I felt like myself again, and I was just out there playing and having fun with my teammates. And, you know, I think that, you know, when you come here and you expect to get the field in a certain way, you know, it's hard to get over that for a little bit.

3:11:31And I think you can look at kind of all of us on the D line as a front. We all kind of had our own journey into how we how we're playing right now. And now it's just all about building and not looking back and playing how we know how to play and being confident out there. And using our abilities that God gave us. So I think that this whole next year, you know, just going to see a whole different level of play from all of us. Yeah, you know, I've knew all along what I was capable of. I know it's frustrating the first few years, you know, not being able to, you know, not playing for whatever reason on the field to what I was capable of. But, you know, once you just put that stuff to the side, just got there and play ball. You know how it's just going to take care of itself. Yeah. No, you're good. Yeah, you know, I think you said it, you know, with, there's no talent issues here on this team.

3:12:39I think if you look at our team across the board, probably one of those talented teams in the country. It's not the most talented team in the country. And so, you know, that's God given though. And what we can work on is our discipline, our skill, our technique. I think if we become the most, you know, disciplined and sound team technique wise, there's not going to be a team in the country as well. So, but it's, you know, it's a long process to get to that point and to get to that season. So I just think that when Coach Day talks about that, you know, it's true. We've got the talent. Just got to go out there and work every day on the little things. What are you specifically working on this spring? You know, I'm working on a flexibility, you know, I'm working on bending the corner a little bit in hands. You know, at D line, you can kind of improve on everything. And so, Coach Johnson's, our emphasis is just, you know, just taking care of the little things, hands, hips, foot placement. So it's kind of a little bit of everything in the spring. There's a lot to be excited for, especially with all the guys coming back on defense. But how excited are you to play again with JT? I'm really excited about that. You know, it was cool, really cool.

3:13:39I mean, him going back and forth the whole time to side, and we're going to come back or not. And, you know, when we, you know, I kind of knew, I knew before you guys knew when he was coming back. So, you know, I was excited. He's a, you know, a hell of a player and, you know, a really good friend of mine. So just having another year with him and, you know, we're going to enjoy it. And, you know, hopefully have some fun. You know, we can have a lot of support about this next fall. Even going back to the group, you know, the first guy to come in on this spring. You guys over for Barb Cue's in your house. What was it like, I guess, to see a kind of comfortable circle in a way that you could kind of almost leverage that relationship. And you could prove guys to come back into the pool and run back on the run this year. Yeah, you know, it's unique. You know, I think it's a really unique position. I've got great group of guys coming back, man. I mean, you know, it's just so exciting. And I just wanted to, you know, for me, you know, and the same thing for those guys, you know, I think I'd like to say a lot of the things that I'm going to say about this program. And care about the team and coach day. And guys you want to do it for in the city and, you know, the chance, we all knew that we had great opportunities.

3:14:44And we also have a great opportunity to put another one of those banners up here. And, you know, get some revenge on the guys up north, all that stuff. So, you know, when you put it in a nutshell, you know, it was a really simple decision for a lot of us. And we got for being in this position and coming back, you know, I don't think anyone's regretted it. And we're just really excited to, you know, get back on the chase and, you know, not miss a day. Jack, can you take a wide view of the defense with the additions made by Caleb coming in? And now you see Sonny move closer to the line of scrimmage. But you just, when you have an opportunity to like look at what's out there, how does it change the capability of your defense? Last time I think how can it change the way maybe you deploy that you couldn't do a year ago? Yeah, I mean, you look at our, you look at the defense one of the very like damn we're big. Corner we're big, line back we're big, D line we're big, safe through we're big, fast. You know, we're just, you know, we've got a lot of weapons to say the least.

3:15:44And so, you know, when you got, when you know you got those guys behind you, you know, you just make sure you play so much more free up front. And, you know, you're dependent, you can rely on those guys behind you. And I think that, you know, if we take that approach and everywhere on the field offense too, that, you know, we're going to really fun here. Yeah, thank you very much. I think combo because like, you know, we're obviously, we're doing a lot as a group. It's not just chip and eye. So, but, you know, obviously chip has an image and a view on things that I never had. So, to have that experience and to have that viewpoint, I'm just trying to absorb as much as I can. And then also highlight some things that we've really done a good job of and make sure those, you know, nothing's really changing. We're just trying to enhance. We're not changing. We're enhancing. So, where the things fit is perfect. You know, I think, you know, the rest of the dynamics of search chip can talk about, but it's been, it's been awesome. So, I'm excited about it. Right, right. Are you talking about it? You talk to a mech at just on the moving from slot.

3:16:46Outside. You know how good you think in this slot. You know it's a good, this is a good, this is a great, cool move for you guys to go just to know how good a guy is, one spot, but know that maybe for his long term future and the, the. No, I wouldn't say it's anything on his future because he's capable of doing whatever you want to get done. But I'd say that it says more about the room. I think this is the growth of, you know, Brandon, and the gross, grow of Bryson. That's really, you know, allowing my mind to say, hey, mech, be prepared. out of that slot, you're going to be outside, we're going to create mismatches out there. I mean, his ability to move around is critical. But I would say between Mech and between Carnel Tates ability to move around a lot, it's going to provide a lot of flexibility for our room. And those top six, seven guys that are really doing a good job right now. I'm dressed like this spring for Mech at the Conservatives. It's one of those things I'm sure when you guys balance how much work does it need versus how much does he actually? Heavy emphasis on what work he needs versus anything else.

3:17:50I rely on him. We have great dialogue back and forth. It's a two way conversation. And frankly, there's going to be times where like, hey, Mech, what do you want to do today? You want to go outside? I'm going to go inside. And I don't care. So we're not there yet. We will be there. But it's just more about when the room is ready to start mixing things up. I would say there's got, I mean, I make sure I bring in guys that are able to do all. But I have not asked them to yet. So the only guys that in our room currently I've asked to do that has been Mech and Carnel. And those are probably the two guys that I would think heavily on doing moving around a lot. I'm not putting that on anybody else right now. I'm not saying they can't. But at this point, having two guys be able to swing, you probably don't need much more than that. I need guys being experts at what they're good at.

3:18:51So it helps the offense. Don't be great at everything and be an expert at something. And we can use that to our advantage. Do you think you're doing this here differently? Like maybe guys who are more situational about that. The room's always different. Frankly, I mean, from 2018 and then 19 and through COVID and those guys and then the depth of those guys and then where Mech and Marvin and those guys were as freshmen, you know, it's always different. And I expect this one to be different again. Not sure at what level yet. Last question. The TV room. Especially the bathroom. I'm curious. TV room. I have a leader just like you. Play a little high. I have a little extreme. I'm curious about how you've seen Tim build different our backroom. Especially on the roof. I'm not a suspect. I'm curious about how you've seen Tim build different our backroom. Especially on the roof. I'm not a suspect. I mean, maybe be effective. Your roof. How that's kind of enhanced. He would probably know more for that question than I would, but I would say that. Yeah, we obviously feel of each other.

3:19:53Right? I mean, there really is a team sport and we can't do without them and they can't do without us and we can't do without the quarterback. We can't do without the online. So the more that can seep into other positions and we work as a team and operate as a team and identify where a team, the healthier we are. And when we are, we think that already, but I would say me and Tim, I've really met on that talked about it. Like we talk about technique, we talk about recruiting, we do all that together and not at a crazy level, but definitely like, you know, more than I have in the past. So I love working with OG. I mean, he's, he's awesome. He's got a great perspective. And we definitely feel of each other in practice and then maybe while building our rooms, we've done the same. Ryan, thank you very much. Cool. Thanks guys. All right, folks, we have CJ Hicks on the 20s. Sure is fine. Yes, Brian. Yeah, that was great. I'm three-take. I mean, the Strith was like I was saying, and speed against those guards.

3:20:57That's, that's really helps me a lot. What were the conversations when you were in this first game on the last game? You didn't want to do it like you were in there when they asked you about what you were doing? Well, I talked to Coach Jay. Coach Jay was the main one. He wasn't forcing me or nothing. He just said, if you want to move inside, you can't, if not, stay at the end, then you can do that as well. But I saw that I could help the team out, get some depth right there. So I chose to move inside. But then we'll have uh, you are bo g o Yeah, Jack, named Mark Jack, JT, Tileek, and Tileham to a great leaders on and off the field.

3:21:58They don't help me with just simple stuff. Like if I didn't know where to go, get some, they'll tell me, or if they just like hanging out with a group, getting them closer. Just a lot of different small things that got brought us closer to like last year, that I need to start doing this year. I haven't started yet, but I'm going to get into it. Do you feel that you're making this a lot of leaders? Yeah, I feel like, uh, main thing we teach in our unit, that anybody can be a leader no matter what year, freshman, sophomore, junior or senior, or even if you're a walk-on. Everybody can be a leader, just, um, yeah. How do you try to hit you last year? Okay, this is protecting this thing. You know, you know, did you have to grow into it? I had to grow into it a little bit. It's very new, especially playing D in my whole life. But I had a colleague help me, like I said, throughout the whole process. When did it really strike you? I could be a factor. Oh, what? What game? How do I make it to?

3:22:58What's the most important thing I've ever seen? I'll say closer towards the playoffs, meet with a colleague a lot. I felt comfortable like, okay, I can actually do this. Because he was showing me some stress I have. Like see him like see you can do this. And that really helped me get the confidence to know that I can. Yeah, but then you became a factor. You came back from special, you know, basically through the playoffs. Yes, sir. Would it mean to you to be a factor that really? All glory to God, first of all, to keep me healthy, to keep doing that. But it meant a lot that Coach Jay trusted me enough to go on in the big games like that. And knew that I would be able to produce. You're going to get the next three or two games. Definitely speed and strength. Those are my main two that I would say will help me in the inside of this those guards. I know that you know, you know, really brought me inside when you were high school like you wanted to be as a defensive end, right? Yeah. What's the changes? And so you just realizing your body's taking you there anyway? What is the moment for you?

3:23:59Like, you know, like actually I am going to take a lot of things. Definitely. My main thing also, and so I know interviews, some of those interviews I said, the main thing was being a team player. And moving the three-tag was going to help the team. So I was willing to move inside for it. What's the competition like? Jason and Will and Tywin are competing in the soul of the Olympic attackers. So what's the other thing you want to do? I was very competitive. We all come in trying to see where we need to get better in, just to keep moving forward. So it's pretty good competition. And I love them all. Wow. You made the move like during the five-week last year, right? What was the toughest part about the air crash? Really nothing. I really embraced it. I knew that I need to move inside in order to help out the team, because we asked some really great D.N.'s last year, Mitch Mellon, JT Jack, Kenny Curry, KJ. So it was pretty good ends. And then moving the three-tag, I also asked some depth down

3:25:02there while still being able to showcase what I got going. Would you feel like doing this? This G2T got a couple of them. Did you feel like rushing to get a depth down? Did you guys see that you're ready for that next game? No. They were all in on me just whenever I'm ready. Just let them know how I feel about moving in or standing outside. Patrick, you just did ask the leader. Who's the repressionist now in the ring of view? You played as a freshman to see what he takes to build the pressure. Will you see JT players, all these guys, actually taking the big of the big of time? JT players, trajan, all the guys that came in are they continue to work hard every day. Even if they don't get it the first time, they'll ask us, what are they doing this situation to help me out? So the ability to keep trying to learn from people that's playing in the big stage, that's the word really going to keep them going.

3:26:03Not really. I knew once I got it, Coach J was going to trust me a lot more to keep going out there each and every time. So I appreciate them. Like I said earlier, thank you Lord, and thank you guys. All right. Thank you. So I've been there ready to go into game and go execute. So now to step into a role where they're competing for the job, is a little bit of a different deal. I'm so excited to see them compete for the next second. Can you give your kind of impression of each of those guys from which they're the coach? Thank you, Ian, it's a link all year. David and the little bit. It's true, it's just a initial impression to look at that. Yeah, yeah. So start with Lincoln. A guy that's going to his third year here. And I think really, when you've been in an offense for two years already, you're going to that third year. You've got a really good feel of the scheme. You've got a better feel of college defenses and where our schemes are susceptible. And where are the issues? I am what we're trying to attack. And so I think that's something that over time, I can feel Lincoln getting a better and better feel for it.

3:27:05Lincoln has definitely stepped up from a leadership perspective. And you can see the way that he attacks workouts. This winner is so big for all three of them. Just set the standard and to understand the intangibles that playing quarterback is all about. Because there's so much more than just picking up a football and throwing it when it comes to this succeeded on Saturdays. So I've seen that growth from Lincoln. And that's really exciting. As for Julian, last year going into the year, he was competing for a job and ended up not winning the job. And he could have turned it down and been bummed out and not attacked it the way way. But I saw him continue to grow throughout the year. So I'm going from well and to get to a point this year where now he can step up and be more of a vocal leader. And that's something I've seen growth at him as well. He's put on some weight and he looks good. And he's definitely attacked his time in the winner. And so that's been awesome. And then Tavy and comes in. And Tavy and Tavy really should still be in high school.

3:28:08Instead, he's in my office all the time, learning the offense. And when he's not with me, he's with Coach MacKarade. He's over there doing academics and sassos. So his days are pretty jam packed. And it's definitely new form. But his commitment to wanting to be great and wanting to be to the level where he can go out and compete in the spring has been really impressive. So I'm excited for all three of them. Does it feel like what's August 30th? Is it just around the corner years down when I'm saying you've got to have a guy ready to go against Texas? Yeah, yeah. Yeah, I don't think so. I don't think so quite yet. I think we have a unique situation where we've got three really talented kids. They're all young. They all have a lot of room to grow. And I think they all understand that they're eager to attack tech growth. But most college football teams or a lot of college football teams going through a year and they end up having a guy get hurt or something happens. So as far as having one guy, that's not to go either. We want to develop the room. We want all three of them to continue to get better,

3:29:10to continue to develop. And big guys that we can count on throughout the season. Do you guys want to board? Scholarship guy? That's still in conversation. What kind of Seattle goes? Obviously three is a little bit less than we typically have. But the three that we're really confident in right now. The last year we got Ryan working with Border Max 2 and Border Max 2, Border Max 2, Border Max 2, Border Max 2, Border Max 2. Who's filling out your room? I mean, do you have someone that you've haven't mind to come into me, the assistant for you, or how do you see that? Yeah, right now Colin Kienos in helping me. So Colin was working with me at Akron. He was a student assistant. And he was really, really impressive there. So he's going to come in. He's going to help out with some of the day-to-day stuff. And then Coach Day and I have built a pretty good relationship where between my time here as a GA, where I learned the game of football the way he's seasoned. And that was such a pivotal time in my career. I was so blessed in college. And then in my first job there,

3:30:10that I got to work with Joe Morehead. And I learned so much football from that man. And I credit so much of my career to him to put me in the position. But then having the opportunity to OK, maybe I'm going to see you through a little bit of a different lens and learn how Coach Day sees it. It was so big for me in my development. So that couple of years as a GA was awesome for me. And then last year to be able to sit in with him and really kind of see the game in a similar fashion. And I'm always going to continue to learn from him because he's just such a special coach. But to be able to see it in a similar way and continue to bounce thoughts on him to make sure that him and I are communicating in the same way, Coach Day will always be directly involved with the quarterbacks. And now Coach Hartlein will as well as the offensive coordinator, I think as the guy in that chair, you have to have a relationship with the guy that's in the hotel. I think that's really important. So him and I have already begun conversations just about how that's going to work out and how he's going to continue to see the game the same way that the quarterback does and how he's going to communicate to them. Those conversations are already beginning. So it'll definitely be a combination of us three.

3:31:13Bill Ecavian being there for the championship run. How does that help with this development? Well, it's pretty cool. Just about every one of those games where he was at a playoff game at the National Championship. Our guys were warming up and I grabbed him. I say, hey, look around. You've got to take a couple minutes to take the same. This is what it looks like. This is what we work for. So when you get to a really hard day in the winter, you just remember not all I'm working to get to that point. So for him to have that experience and to be able to see that and hopefully one day when he's in that spot, he's like, oh, I've seen this before. I know what it looks like. I think it's pretty cool, I think, just to have that bank in his memory. I know you have to be responsible. I know what you're going to see me in the time. I know it's a very busy moment. I think it comes off, soft spoken. But without question, come out of the show. And I would even say you're soft spoken last year. I think that he kind of understood that Will was in charge of the offense. And he knew that he was young and was still earning respect. A big part about leadership is you can't just

3:32:13walk into a room and start leading. You have to earn the respect to your peers. Julie understood that. And I think he earned that respect about the year. And so this year, you're definitely seeing him step up. Him and Lincoln both are in that phase where they've earned that respect. And so they're doing a really good job leading right now. And in Tavians doing a good job earned respect. So we're kind of in the middle right there between those two phases. Really, the most Lincoln is, I think, still less than two years, just specializing in this. Just regretting. I actually kind of did the end of his festival here. I guess where do you think he is harnessing all of that all-unflutability to being a really good coach? Yeah, I mean, there's no question how Lincoln's special athlete. And guys that have that background that have been successful in multiple different sports. One way or another is going to translate to the game of football. So I think that would continue to see that from Lincoln. I think as the more that he is in position

3:33:15to understand and learn the game, in which we saw last year, you continue to grow. And so to take that into spring, and combine that with his athletic ability, I'm excited to see. I think it'll be a really good competition. But today, you can pull back truly lead until he is the quarterback. Oh, absolutely. I mean, the interval one is quarterback. Oh, I think so. I think so. I mean, leadership comes in all different phases, you know, in all different ways. There's, you know, there's without question, I've been part of different teams, and I've seen it, where maybe the guy that wasn't starting quarterback was the strongest leader on the team. So I definitely think that that's part of it. You know, I think once you earn the respect of your teammates and once you show that, you know, you're going to lead by example and they respect you for that. You're in position now that you can be both of them. So, you know, I definitely don't think that you need to be a starter named a quarterback to be a leader at all. Even around some incredible offensive minds in college already,

3:34:16what are your, what are the traits you look for specifically as a quarterback being a quarterback yourself? Yeah. You know, I think it comes in a couple of different ways, you know, from a tangible perspective. I think that you've got to be extremely accurate. I think you have to be able to make great decisions with the football and get the ball out of the time. And I think that you have to be able to do it. You're consistent. And we solve a problem with the feet. So, you know, it's rare in college football that every protection's blocked up perfectly or everything goes exactly that we drew it up on the whiteboard. So, when things break down, I know I'll be able to fix it with our legs. And then, you know, as far as intents will school, I look at, I look at, you know, Guy like Will, who had those intents who was about as well as I've ever seen. And that's just a complete command and understanding of both the offense and the huddle, to know exactly what we're trying to do on every single play. Know what we're trying to attack, understand where the issues are and where they lie and how you're going to combat those issues.

3:35:16To be able to understand, you know, when it's time to move on through the ballway and move on to the next play. And then also be mentally tough enough that when things don't go our way, to be able to react the right way and move on to the next way. Did you know last year, last year? Last year? Last year? Last year? Last year? Last year? Last year? No, I didn't do it as an addition. Oh, I did. When you're coaching and you build a relationship with these guys, you want nothing more than for them to go out and have success on the field. And I think that's so important. Like I sit in that room and it's about them going out and reaching their potential and maximizing their talents and going out and execute on the field. And so last year, I was just trying to find a way that I could help them do that. So to be able to work with those guys last year and to help out and have them see some success, it was special for me, but it was special for me because I know how bad they wanted it. And so that was pretty neat. I'm going to have that game, but we'll look out there

3:36:17and hopefully change the narrative. And we still play with the same confidence, same technique. And yeah. Bill Rebellion, what's the problem with this match? And Tenzao obviously had a tough game. And that one, what have you seen from him and how he's responded? Do you get a sense of from him, how he's up to you for this rematch? Oh yeah, he's super stoked for this rematch. His preparation has been very good. He's always been preparing. Even though it didn't go the way he wanted to go that game, but he just always had his confidence. And we're going to see a big game out of him this week. And I know you guys wanted to play them in anapolis, but the fact that you get to play them at the Rose Bowl, I mean, get a second chance. And people have said, you don't get that very often. How determined are you guys to take advantage of it? We're super, super determined. We watch film. I mean, we've lost a lot of film. The first time we played them, now we've got another six games that they played up film to watch. And it's just, they've grown a lot as a team. Same as us.

3:37:18We've grown a lot. We're not the same team. We were when we played them week one or weeks six or whatever. But now we're out there and going to play fast, physical, and everything like that. All right, Jordan, we're going to jump to the Zoom question here from Joey Kaufman. Climb us this match. Oh, my bad. Not too Joey. Cameron T. Robinson, the athletic. Hey, Jordan, you've moved around a lot in the second day and in your career. And now I'm kind of getting some many more safety reps. What is it like at this point when Walt or Coach Noles comes to you and asks you to do some else? And just how much can you lean on the experiences you've had and moving around when you're trying to learn something new in the middle of the season? That means a lot. We always talk about what this is being on the surface, whether that's making plays or not making plays or doing your job so another person can make plays. That's kind of what we pride ourselves on. And it's just fun. Me moving around different positions. I'm always up for a new challenge. And a lot of people in the country can't do that.

3:38:20I just hold myself to that standard where I can play any position and excel at it. OK. If anybody else needs a question, let me know. But otherwise, we can go to Austin more of the podcast. Jordan, when you were talking about watching film, Oregon, which one do you think is more valuable to you watching that against yourself? Seven games ago, even if you've changed. Or the ensuing six games for Oregon, which one do you put more stock in? Kind of both. For me, I kind of watched what I did, things I did well, things I didn't do too well against them. And their team is changing. And I like their scheme has changed. Some players have been out those stretch of games. So I really watched the past game we played. And I know they're going to go back to some of the stuff that they liked, of course. And different games like Penn State, maybe Illinois, they run a lot of men. So just watching stuff like that, every game matters. So yeah. Jordan, thank you very much.

3:39:21Thank you. Hi. But working at Auburn, put it back down here doing our little job. Just pulling to the ceiling. Taking our feedback, not more as criticism, but just because we love it. And you are the best thing to do. Just doing that. And just keep rolling on that. All the way to far. And I'll do some crazy things. Just take a look. You are doing some more outside for you. You're stopping as well. How's that going to feel? Yeah. I've been more, the more years you get under a belt, the more experience you get. You start knowing this offense more and more. Not just your position or what you're doing, but like everybody's job. What you're doing, how you're doing, and why you're doing it. So I mean, yeah, I've been wrapping the outside of ZXH. Anywhere, Coach Hanlon needs me to just really be that guy and go make a play on it. What's the biggest difference for you between outside and outside? The pace. A route concept, you can kind of get the pace you can play within the slides more for Nesgame and the slide. Something I got very comfortable with. Just the way you can attack the defense, I think. Just you know, conceptually and also just having a good place down.

3:40:22But I mean, just doing both. And just making me a better guy for the NFL. And that's what Coach Hanlon produces on the NFL Italian and the Producent NFL guy. I'm feeling very comfortable with that. Do you have to have a different mindset as a slide receiver? That's what's going on. Absolutely. I think it's more thinking. I think it's more of a, you have to understand another game a lot. And the slide you've got to have a feel. This is natural. I feel like it's more natural position. And on the outside, it's just more, you know, get different things and see different coverage and see different player types of corners and nickelbacks and safeties more in the slot. So just seeing how you can attack knowing your person now and how you can attack certain people. That's how I say the biggest difference. Do you have that more courage? Say what we're talking about? Do you have that more courage in the slot? Oh, yeah, absolutely. Especially like being myself in the slot faster. Skinnier guy that want to put hands on and want to get physical with you. But you just got to match that and just let them know that you there too. So you as in a balanced question, whatever gets you on, you'll be part of this inside outside.

3:41:24I'm just willing to make plays and show one one of the best receivers in America. So that's in the outside, that's in the inside, whatever coach online in this team needs me help us win. And show them one of the best receivers in America. Anything? Thank you, sir. Bob, do it. No decisions yet. What do you want to see from JJ this break? And I'm just a plant right now. I'm playing a much longer season than he played before in Texas. So what do you think looks like here? I think everyone played a lot longer than they ever have. So I think heading to this spring, it's just the tear down of the former foundation and the rebuild of a whole new team. I mean, you have to have that mindset. You have to have a day one mindset in order to progress. You can't rely on previously built culture or schematic understanding. There's no assumptions. You have the rebuild from scratch. We're in the process of that. We will treat day one like day one that includes Jeremiah Smith. And so great opportunity to evaluate and grow

3:42:28a new group of guys. I think in spring, I think our opinion is, by fall, it's everything the team, the team, the team, it's what it's all about. But in order to add to a team, in order to add to a collective, you got to focus on the individual. Individual must improve so the collective can improve. And so building the base, I think, schematically and fundamentally, culturally, is what we're attacking as we head into spring. How much is Brandon looking forward to a different spring and different opportunity? I know it wasn't fun for him having to take a little bit of a backseat to a knockout. Where do you see him, the fire of the passion right now? Is he gets right for this one? Yeah, I think when you come out of a season, you get out of January and kind of take a breath. Then when you get back in the winter, it's the first opportunity to reestablish the new role that I want to have, right? I mean, across the board, there's not one guy that doesn't want to improve roles. So I think they're all attacking it that way.

3:43:32I think Brandon's one of them, but he's one of 50. And I think that it's our job to provide opportunities, to grow, to separate themselves, to see peer to peer evals, to allow these guys to check a chase a role, leads through winter they've gotten that started, to continue that through spring. And I think Brandon's fit in line with that. I think Brandon did a great job looking back of finding his role last year and excelling at it. We know we talk a lot about if you want to be a starter, you have to be a starter before you're the starter. And if you're not, then you're never going to be the starter. So I think he embodied that, you know, he gave himself an opportunity to get into spring, and get into us, he's me, into winter, continue who he is, continue to build his base, build his leadership, and then now he's got to take that in spring. So all the great things you do prior, doesn't mean anything, if you don't have to go out there and do it in spring. So that's the harsh reality of this sport. You know, what have you done lately?

3:44:33And I think all these guys are chewing at the bit to get back on the field. Brian, everybody brings their own experience. Ryan was a quarterback, you were a receiver. And then to become a play-puller, obviously, you have an understanding of the whole offense. But what was the process like for you of protections and the run game and a quarterback play and just continuing to grow with your knowledge of that part of the game as you prepared for this position? Yeah, I mean, I think you're always growing. I think that you still have a specialty here. You still have an expertise in one area. It's seen you have an expertise in all of it. That's just not true. And in my opinion, I've seen multiple coordinators. And I know that as a fact. So for me, I think it's just, you have an opportunity to be with the best staff in America every single day with the best coach in America. So just stay off your phone and pay attention and take notes and actually maximize your time. It's amazing the amount of people that don't do that.

3:45:35So every time I'm in a meeting, I just try to make sure I'm getting a nugget or I'm getting information or when things are said, do I truly understand it? And I really think, guys, I'll tell you. I don't care. I'll ask the question. I think I'm, I look dumb. But I don't care because I want to know the information. So I think that approach, I think a lot of guys have that approach. That approach allows you to just build over time. And then that'll continue to build from now to game one and then build through the season. So the opportunity to grow is literally daily. So I just try to make sure I'm finding those opportunities or I'm aware of those opportunities when they're writing my face. I'm going to do a role in the offensive media room. How important is it to do a role in the future, guys? Yeah, the coach Jordan's always been a huge part of their receiver room. I think that, yeah, he's just understanding my pull away is real. That can happen. So he's going to be on his toes and being ready to, we're ready to not skip a beat. So information wise, communication wise,

3:46:38he's got to be locked in on that and just time to assume that coach hard's got it. He never really has. I expect him to continue to do that. And he's been a big part of everything we've done. Is that almost like taken from what Ryan did last year where he shipped away from play calling? And maybe that's somebody else. And he should think away from being a quarterback's coach. We're like, give the have somebody you trust. The hell on there, take you maybe to develop that trust. And that relationship with them and to where like, you know, that hey, if I'm pulled away for a second, like, Devin's got this. And I don't have to worry about like what my room is. I think it's more important that I do a great job being organized. So I'm never pulled away. I will be in that receiver room and they will be coached at the very highest level. So I think there's ways to eliminate being pulled away by being organized on top of things, having the right work and working, right help. A four that receiver meeting ever happened. Is that important for you? Is that what you've got to emphasize? Nothing's going to change in terms of your, I never, there's no, nothing's going to change in my involvement in the receiver room. Ryan from Myland to be going through a full spring

3:47:39fall off scene for the first time. What do you look at everything? It's areas he can grow to play in times here. Yeah, I mean, Myland is doing a great job. He's growing at an exponential rate, getting stronger. He's getting bigger. He's got way added. You know, I'll tell you like, you know, I always explain to him like, you don't realize how much you miss when you come in June versus a mid year. Like it's massively different. Not saying you can't overcome it. Some do at the end of the season, you know, some have. But, you know, I think that's probably reliant on the room. You know, I had a Chris had an opportunity late, a lot of a, you know, in the season to kind of make an impact, but it's very, very rare. So, and now, you know, he's going through the winner workout, his growth, his everything he's done. He's like, hey, coach, I know what you're talking about. Now, when you miss that section of winner workout. So, that being said, it makes you laugh, but he's doing a great job. I expect expectations for him through, through spring. And I don't see that changing. The opposite of that, the opposite of that. The opposite of that, the opposite of that.

3:48:40This year is younger than it's been past years. I think it'll make up for that. You don't have somebody who's maybe used to it. What's the average? It's like the average. It's like 30, 30. Is the average age? Is that, including support staff? No, it's just the primary. I got you. What's it been in the past? A couple minutes, bro, it's two more minutes. Huh? No kidding. Yeah. We'll know, yeah. Yeah. I don't know. Dan Lantings, the head coach in Oregon, I was his average. I'm asking. I don't, I'm 38. Can he Dylan Hamles? It's 30s and 50s. So, I don't really know. I gave zero thought to that. I think that, you know, I think your ability to kept with players is important. I think you probably see a little bit that happening in the NFL as well. I really have given zero thought to that. I don't want to just ramble on that. Yeah, I just didn't know if it was the thought of the manager. I don't know if it was the manager. Frank, you were in version? With Bryson, what's the next step for him? Because we've heard him make a talk to him and like, he's a mystery consistency, catching a lot of things.

3:49:41He's like, he seems to generate a little bit of buzz but has limited role. Like, now he's got an opportunity. What's the next step for him to get that opportunity? Take the next step and be a, be everything. He's capable of being right. I mean, I think the guys that, you know, are out there are, you know, very consistent in all job phases, you know, like, again, I think he wants to be a full rounded receiver. You know that? I think he loves playing in the slot. Did a great job there. I asked him to come out to the outside a little bit. Did a good job out there. I think his natural positions is in the slot, doing a great job there. But it's just another opportunity to establish himself based on his peers, right? I mean, it's kind of like the draft. I'm trying to explain sometimes these guys like, you come to Ohio State to compete with the best. It'd be alongside the best. It's always peer to peer evals. Like, that's how it works. Like the draft embodies that. Like, if it's easier to go play somewhere else, then that's fine. That's what we're kind of looking for. I'm not saying that's pricing. I'm just saying it's a very competitive room. And you chose that because of this room.

3:50:41Now you got to beat your peer to play more and do more and all that stuff. So, you know, I think that, you know, you got to continue to build worries at. And the guys that seem to be, you know, starters in our room, you know, really, I think over the last eight years have been NFL quality guys. So if you're in it, become a starter to Ohio State, it's a good chance. You're probably an NFL caliber receiver. I mean, again, just go on to the numbers. So you're chasing that. Can't get discouraged. Or maybe not being, you know, not doing what you think you should have done. And that goes for everybody. It's not just Bryson, but all these guys are chasing that. As I ramble about Bryson, but, you know, I think that it's not just him. It's at BI, it's Carnau. Everybody wants, it's chasing a higher level of play. And this spring is another step forward to do that. Which is a question of the freshman. How much in your estimation is that a gift? To be able to do it? How much of it is learned? And where do you stand on that? Oh, never gave it a lot of thought to it.

3:51:43I've never, I've never called a play in a game. So for me to have an opinion, I think that'd be a little brash. I would say that like anything, it's probably a skill that you can improve on and do better at and do good, and do worse at. I think being surrounded with guys and seeing how they do it has been a blessing. And it's very clear. Others more than one way to do things. So being aware of that, I've noticed that. What's your impression of the three freshmen and how they may be transitioned here? Yeah, all four freshmen, I'm like very encouraged, impressed with. They carry themselves the right way. We have hoped. They worked their tails off. They've all improved. I would say that they're the right mode, they're the right fit. They belong in the room. And now they have to just improve. Now they're competing both first individually between each other. And then as we get into spraying, they'll start competing against each other, but the rest of the guys want to mean by that. But as a group, the freshman group very impressed in the rough to the right start.

3:52:46Coach Harlan, thank you very much. I need like, have trouble remembering something. I just go up to them and they know like every play, every little detail, he just, he's helpful with that. And if I need help, like with four words up here, it'll come out, help me. And just like, whatever I need, he's there. When you are making that transition to a new position, do you have to kind of be patient and realize it's gonna be a process that takes time? Oh yeah, definitely. Coach Har, it's totally bad at that at the beginning. Like he played a quarterback in high school too. And he hasn't made a transition to receiver at here at Austin. And he's helped me. It's gonna be rough at first, but he has to push me to get me to where I need to be. When you think back and just like you're upbringing, coming from Africa being over here, just what do you how did all you feel call of that kind of helped mold you into who you are now? Oh yeah, definitely, definitely maybe like tough and like not afraid of like new change. And he's like willing to just adapt to my environment. What was it like for you coming in here as a freshman and getting to see if it's team go win an national championship

3:53:47for those first few weeks here? Definitely was a high motivated, you know? Being a freshman, it wasn't really my team though. So like I didn't really get it. So that makes like push me like that once, when it's my turn. I got put in the word, I want to be the same position, but with a ring on my finger. What did you learn from those guys? Just about what you need to do to have a chance to go accomplish what they did. I say you's gonna, you know, let the past like affect you. And just, yeah, I'm a lemon. You got me a lemon. You got put in the word. It's not easy at all by any means. It's gotta be hard, but you have to do everything into it. What do you view as like the best attributes of your game that you're gonna bring to this team? I would just say my size, my speed, I can take the top off the defense and I can play tough and physical. It's about that. Last year, I'm like, when you think back to the whole reward last year, I'm gonna have to do it all the time. What has the last kind of year been like for you?

3:54:48It's been a lot of gone from the players, it was kind of going through the process too. Any of the clients that was making the transition of the team, how has this last year been the total? I was definitely chasing like, cause I was always, my sophomore year, I was hurt, and my junior year, I got hurt during track, so I was able to, I was a highly excluded athlete. And this time last year, like when my junior really picked up, and it's been crazy, like must have another, like he was just leaving me, in my corner, in my coach's everything, they just give me the motivation to go. What is your relationship with like the team? What is your relationship with the guys? What is your relationship with the team? I'm in the other team, I'm in the other team, I'm in the other team, I'm in the other team, I'm in the three world, I'm in the fourth team. Oh yeah, that's a big good, before I even got a hostage offer, and before I even, it was exactly, actually, I threw it with them, a couple of times in both, Bella Fond, she was a trot fan, yeah, I was working with, I knew it was at head coach,

3:55:48and anybody would be to come and run routes, and I actually ran routes for Tavis, right? If we was exactly, and it like, we were the first team in the year, we had a lot more, we got got together, us the freshman class, and he's growing, he's working on everything, he's definitely got nice on. This, this corner record, we're here, and I'm going to tell him how much that kind of, do you want to do on the first floor? The quarterback? The quarterback? Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. And they're definitely childhood, and you say, as they always say, I should have been on it, and they make it hard for you, and just, when you play this high level competition practice, and you go on a game, you're like, twice as easy into the practice, and he's really, he's built on stuff. Is there been a moment in question? I knew there's a big battle with that at home, oh wow, this is something, you know, I guess like a welcome call to it. I guess there's been kind of like a moment first, I realized, oh wow, these guys are, these guys are really good at cycling, they're picking. Yeah, just like,

3:56:50I just first, like on high school, I just take some like reps and, I've seen with this guy, yeah, I just had, had speed, had, catching abilities, like face separation, and I come to college, and explore everybody's fast, everybody's big, so you have fun, new ways to get out, but it's really good for yourself to hire a team. We're only freshmen ever to receive, you know, Iron Buck I reward, which, you know, is something I was pushing towards my, my entire time being here, but you know, it takes another level of dude to be able to receive that reward, especially as a freshman. So, you know, that's kind of when I knew. Steve, it means, what do you mean about that? More on that. When you and Mara first got here, Garrett and Chris were adamant about the way you guys, even as freshmen, were pushing two guys who were about to be first round Rockpigs. And then Mara kind of said the same thing about Karnatlin, Brandon last year. How did JJ push you guys when he first got here as the young guy, and now you guys are the older guys? Yeah, I would say it's very similar. It's kind of the same exact thing,

3:57:51and I'm, you know, I don't know what it is about the culture and its own sex, but we keep bringing in these type of people you're in and you're out. That's what makes our room so great, but I think that, something that JJ was able to push me in was just, you know, he was able to push me in my leadership. I needed to grow in that aspect, but he also was able to challenge me when it came to the weight room and on the field, because we were always paired together when it came to summer and when our workouts were always lifting together. You know, I get a couple wins, he get a couple wins, so, it was really that next level step of competitiveness that I needed and that edge that I needed. That Murphy 2474. You guys came into the Tennessee game with a lot of outside motivation, Michigan boss and kind of the three weeks of the talk. I know obviously there's still that motivation to go on and win a national championship, but how do you keep that kind of edge to lack a better term mentally after some of that stuff has kind of gone away and followed the big one? I would say kind of if you lose your edge,

3:58:52I wouldn't really call you a true competitor. I think that, you know, the way with the college football playoffs is structured, the intensity cranks every single week. So if you're not more intense than you were the last week, then something's wrong with you. I think that, you know, Tennessee was a great win, great for our momentum, but we have our full focus on Oregon, not worrying about anything in the past, nothing in the future, our full focus towards this game. And then, you know, we win this one, we go on to the next one, our full focus is gonna be on that one. So it's just, you keep moving down a ladder like this. Step on Crackstake, please let me talk about it. Mecha, there's been a lot of change in college football in the playoffs and things of that nature, but you know, the way in some of your team and team coaches talk about the Rose Bowl seems like that's what gave us really, you know, maintain a lot of that tradition. You play the net, you know, what it's about. Could you explain it to, you know, also you would never have a chance to play in a Y the Rose Bowl, does maintain, you know, that level of respect for the players and coaches? Yeah, I think, I don't know, there's just something about it, something in the air down there in Pasadena. It's just a beautiful venue, especially that time of the year. Like you said, the tradition is held year and year out.

3:59:54And it's kind of the game you dream of playing in when you're a little kid, you know, playing back yard football with your friends. The Rose Bowl is always one that tends to come up. So just having a chance to play in it, it's definitely very surreal. And this is gonna be my second time. So I'm gonna do my best to take it all in while also being fully focused on Oregon. Dan, let me worry. Matthew Will said he still has 90 minutes about bad first game in Oregon. Just what kind of drive you seem to him this week wanting to get back at this one? Yeah, Will is, he's a laser focused person. He goes about his business. I mean, he's very loose and he's very calm and he's able to rally the team. But you can see it in his eyes that this game means everything to him. So every single practice, every single huddle, making sure we're sharp, making sure we have a better practice than we had last than yesterday. A better practice than Oregon's having. So his full focus is on being this team. And obviously it's hard not to think about the stuff of the past, but I know he's laser focused on what we got coming up. Tony Garvin, fuck I have him.

4:00:54Matthew, when you're a kid playing back yard with a guy in one team, where you playing for him? Honestly, I wasn't, I was never really a buck I fan until, you know, I really committed here. And I saw what it was all about. I was actually an Oregon fan growing up, especially on the Pacific Northwest. You know, my grandpa went to UW and stuff like that. So I like the Huskies too. But there was a legendary football player named Foto Liatto from my high school and he went to Oregon. And a couple of y'all probably know that story. So I'm a couple of years back, but he tragically died in the car accident. And you know, he was, he was someone I looked up to in high school. You know, I was relatively close with him even though he was a bit older than me in age. But I'm just seeing what he did at my high school and then going on to play big time football out Oregon. That was a school that I really dreamed of going to. They build a bit like this back. I think actually another Jeremiah question. Is there one moment, one play, one something that made you just go, oh man, I've never seen it before.

4:01:57That's just incredible. Yeah, I'll say it's happened multiple times. There's not really one. I can pinpoint, but the more he does it, the more I tend to react less. So I would say probably my earliest memories of it were in spring bowl kind of getting the first glimpse of him when he's making all these ridiculous catches. And he still does it time and time again even now. But it's just more common now for me. The land that one that's taken the north. But you had, I think, 12 touches in the first game against Oregon Thunder Central. It's two carries. Is there something about this matchup that favors you? And now that you have, where that productive, the first time you played this team, what kind of attention, or I guess, I'm going to be different defenses are you expecting to see? Yeah, I mean, we're not entirely sure what their gameplay is going to be, but we're paired for everything. You know, I'm not going to get too much into scheming and stuff like that. But we know that if the ball comes our way, we've got to make those plays. So whether I have 10 receptions again coming up this game where I have 0 or 1, we're just looking to get this win on the road, because it's really a road game

4:02:58for us, you know, flying across two times zones. So I think that, you know, it's going to be a great matchup. Whether they tend to focus on me more or not, it doesn't really matter to me, because I know our team has a great playing regardless. That time for a couple more questions, Spencer, over at Letterman Rural, you guys are surprised when the game is going to be set to be part of something I can do on our two games. You can kind of feel it throughout the game, I would say. He's a true competitor. He wants to get involved, but at the same time, he's super selfless. And he's really humble. So he's going to do whatever it takes for the team to get a win. But it's the competitor nature in him that wants to contribute as much as he can. So I try to be in his ear to tell him to be levelhead and stuff like that, not that I need to. He's a very level-headed and selfless guy, like I'm saying. But sometimes that's just how the game goes. I had a game this year where I only had one catch. But we ended up winning by lot. So I think that it's easy to be focused on the personal attributes that you could have game in and game out. But no one's really going to remember those

4:03:59if we're holding up the trophy at the end of the year. He could be a number one. I think 95% of the ball off the ground needs to be number three. When you see his work as a goal of those things, then you know if they're going to play. And you guys ever come behind him like, yeah, this guy can absolutely be a number one of the most golf ball off the ground. I would disagree with you. I think that he is a number one. I think that we don't have a number three receiver. That we have three number one receivers out there. So whatever the defense, if they want to put their attention on one guy or a couple of us, they're not really doing themselves any favor because we're going to have a favor will match up on the other side of the ball. So that's never how we view ourselves. We know we're alpha dogs out there every single one of us knows we have the capabilities to be a number one receiver and we are number one receivers. And final question. Steve, how long has this 24-7? It works. I could think of that game. He made one of the clutch plays that passed down the sideline. At any time when you make that play, do you think, did you ever, your mind, we're going to win this game after we're now close to field goal range?

4:04:59I mean, did that play in your mind, say, my goodness, we've got a chance to get out of here with the win? Yeah, I definitely knew where I caught the ball. And I knew we were closer being in field goal range. So there was a sense of, I knew it was a big play that I made. But in those moments, you have to finish out the game. No matter what, you can't get a big head. You can't get complacent. You have to finish the game until the clock hits zero. So that's when we've been working on, we work on two minute every single Wednesday practice. So today we'll work on our two minute. And we don't even call it two minute. We call it clutch because in those times, in those games, in those big moments, someone has to make a clutch play. So we're focusing on that every single game, knowing that we're going to have to make one of those plays coming down the stretch here. What would it mean if you're able to finish this one off and get to the final four of this playoff? Just what in your mind, would this be just the ultimate, I suppose, a team that's already beaten earlier this year? No, I think the ultimate would be winning the national championship. So we're focused on, this just happens

4:06:02to be the next team in the way. We're not focused on where we played them earlier this year, whether they got the win over us. They're just a nameless, faceless opponent. So we're going out there, fully prepared, not worried about what's happening in the past. We played them before. We felt them out. So it's all about who got better from that point in time until now. A method, thank you. Thank you. I'm talking about this just recently. Talking about what I want to do for the world is I want to bring that home energy, the he brought. So last year, of course, I'm sure he's been doing it for years, but the year I spent on him, he brought a lot of energy and excitement and happiness in the room, which is his natural energy, to where I only had to focus on me. I didn't have to make sure other guys were feeling some type of way when they came in here, because hump brought that. I'm a hump not here, but I saw when you did for the room, I want to be that guy to make sure

4:07:03I was an amputable practice. Everybody's taking a field team on period. It's a low day, something that would say this event, but I want to make it feel like home time. You're like, you have a pair of the trip. I want to bring that, because that's what we did to each other. We would have each other do something to be a walk. We're lit. So I want to do that. I want to bring that energy. I want to make more guys. You want to do that? I want to do that from day one. I kind of want to do that from day one. I want to come to them. And obviously it's that time I spent in the off season before OTA started just being in my self-just thing about what the room needs. Because I know I knew who was one of the leaders on the office is that we need a guy like that. That is going to make sure the OIs picked up. We're ready to go every day. I want to help a little things don't happen to practice people and saying anything.

4:08:04And how I may lead, maybe different than somebody else may lead. You know, like to practice at least like a legal positivity. You know what I mean? So the energy I would be on just to help type of be on. So I was kind of how I would be going on. I was living my whole life. I felt like I was a captain in high school. I wasn't a captain in college. But I want to make a joke on high school. So I feel like I'm not going to be a captain like he's that I felt. But that would be awesome. But that happens. I'd be great. But not either way, I want to assume a role as a captain from the perspective of guys on the TV or the visual world and get back in that way. Yeah. I mean, I can't say that. I mean, I guess the biggest thing is that I felt like how

4:09:05you used to in the past. But it didn't take just the first day LTAs. It took training and left and right. Once this season ended because I didn't know what was going to be the champion. So it took a lot of reps just to get back to feeling like myself for the LTAs. And then now, over the next week, but now, like today, specifically just changing some small things with my feet. That is it. Talking about the long coach. Some things I'm doing my feet to get to that to sell that traditional handle that I love to sit on. I thought I felt great already, but I'm OK. I felt even better. Sorry, I need more excites tomorrow. Now I'm getting my feet back and how I like the right side and 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 on the right, so I'll say that I got this out there. I love augmentation pain. And now I'm just kind of looking for the right direction. I'm going to come back toallиты.

4:10:06And then here's the internet. I'm, you know, rumor here we've just been working on. And so I just see that right there. Mother, tapered. I got this green horseshoebowl. And that support cost Блиria whopping rigidly, you don't sign up here and I'm going to defend. There's really nophenic strength there. And I'migenГ. Yeah, there's that, and the third thing I have to do is catch up right away because this new team is a fact because they're not Far rubber. Let me tell you, tell how you do this or here's a fact. That's, yeah. even more often feel it I think has been something that's even cool. I got a text one day and I said, hey, I keep well up. I was like, you know, yeah, I've been training both. I've been training both. You know, I asked after the season there, like honestly, you know, we'll talk to you in a certain season. And I just got a text one, telling what happens with the free agency. Then, so I was like, you know what, I had a whole season right tackle. So if I get the word, I'm going, I'm standing right tackle. I'll just do what I did before I'm built on that. But I saw, I was like, I might as well as trained to let tackle now. As if we're going to be left tackle. And I'd rather do that than train on right tackle

4:11:07with the call A and do the left tackle. I didn't switch my feet. You know what I mean? So I'm like, let me just prepare an advance. I was like, yeah, it was kind of, you know? I think occasionally on third down, there would be a lot of twists. I was just not like it's automatic or common. 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 like, okay, like this is, this is the type of rush. I'm gonna get like, this is how this guy usually rushes. If I get the vibe, this is how the ends like the rush, you know, tackles that, you know, first year guys. We got the premier patch on. I already know what it was going to be. I already know what we every stunt. And honestly, just knowing that's kind of an advantage to, so you're not, you're not, oh, the problem twists my sight again. It was never air-doll, but it comes out to my sight. Three plays in a row. Two minutes. I knew that it wasn't going to happen. It's so loud. You know what I mean? I'm watching more everybody else. And he rarely, he really goes out there occasionally. Third down, I was like, yeah, I was very close.

4:12:08He's gonna 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, like, okay, I'm gonna get the hardest look. You know, those are real, real reps, you know, the things. Really, I went in kind of process. And I was like, hey, when they tell me, they'll let me know about it. I'm just gonna train it. I was training all the way. 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, continuing. I would have been cool with training both, continuing with, but I feel like anybody, any position will feel like, okay, like, you want to as soon as possible, give your feet kind of settled in, your hips settled in, your hands, so then, 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,

4:13:09it's definitely a lot faster, they're staying on one side. But I think having that, the weeks that we had the transitional seasons over, you bend a lot in your spine. You know, look, good time to eat up, put them in the front of your head, and we think things are the time right now, but when it comes back, I'm gonna show them to you on the house. So I've got a house to not too far from, so I told them, I got that house, like, I got a yellow side. I did it! You know what I mean? So, yeah. My mom says, you know, just go out there, my dad just dominated the person I was in front of me. You know, just do what I've been doing for the last two to three weeks, I should say. But, you know, they play mental men, so I'm just ready for the challenge. Yeah. I mean, feels good.

4:14:10Just say somebody going out there and playing mental men, guess how high your state receivers are, it's something crazy. But, you know, we just ready for the challenge. They're sitting at a changing day game play, but we gotta go out there and show them the reason why not to play mental men. Well, in an out of the race, you know, the month of 2016, and somebody's not going to run right now, so I'm sure we're going to be the conversation. Yeah. When you go to the car, you have to come home and say to the case, why is he going to have to run? I mean, I don't really, if I be on a curve, I be on a curve with me, and it's not really a big deal to me, it may definitely be a blessing for sure, just to be on a curve of a game, but, you know, it's not really a dream of mine. It's a dream of mine, but I don't really think too much of it. I mean, no, not yet. Probably hit me after this season. No, just no. Playing in the Carlos football playoffs as a freshman, or playing in the Rose Bowl as a freshman,

4:15:13playing in a Cardin Bowl, not in the National Championship. I mean, it's a blessing for sure, but it hasn't hit me yet. My favorite catch, I would say we play Michigan State, the one I caught over two defenders, definitely probably my favorite for sure. Or you go the one from Iowa, I should say, and it ends up, probably them two. I think it's a good one. I'm sure it's a good one. Here is the GOAT. I think it's a good one. It's a good one. It's a good one. It's a good one. It's a good one. It's a good one. I don't, I mean, like you said, it's pretty frustrating me having a game that I had in the Rose Bowl, and they're coming to the Cardin Bowl, you know, just doing different things, chasing their scheme up against me. But, I mean, like you said, whatever, I could do to make, I mean, help the team win.

4:16:16It's not really a big deal for me. As long as we win, that's all I really care about, and it got us to the National Championship. Thank you. It means a lot. We put a lot of work in this season. We have highs, we have lows, we have people cutting us out. But we hear now, we just ready to put on a show Monday. Oh yeah. Yeah. First of when this National Championship, because there was means a lot, I mean, you see everything that he's been through this year, people saying he should be fired and this, that, the third. But, I mean, you see everything that he's been through this year, I mean, I see everything that he's been through this year,

4:17:20I see everything, people saying my head'm on Twitter. I wasn't here, he first got to hear the coaching job, but I know this year for sure, we definitely got to win this for him. Oh, I mean, it's a lot, a lot of people in the league, I should say, I can't really say who, but I mean, you had guys like Odell, you had guys like Odell, you had Stefan Dicks. It means a lot of Michael Thomas Chris Carter, just a lot of, you know, guys I played in NFL and stuff like that, but yeah, really them guys for sure. Okay. No, just keep going. You got it, you've messed up for sure. Really, I really appreciate that. Like physical defense, like people say, like they like the play man, they're not changing their scheme.

4:18:23So we're just ready for the challenge. Like you said, the best defense we probably go see all year, and we just gotta be ready to go out there Monday and just put on the show. I'm excited for will him. First coming here in Ohio State January our first workout we had together. Just everything that we built through this season. I mean, I'm just happy for him to be in this position right now, but we got to finish the job and that's the winning out of the whole Monday. I mean, it's pretty funny. Them saying that because I'm just only a freshman, but I miss a blessing for sure people to even say that, but I got two, three more years left for Carlos.

4:19:28And I'm just focused on cars right now. I'm not really worried about the NFL right now. It's very special for me. Just being a freshman and playing the national stage, like a peer for national titles, something that I dreamed about as a very young kid. I'm just happy to be here and I just can't wait to put on some Monday for you guys. I mean, all of us, we were just sitting on the bench and we just seeing him hit the quarterback the ball come out and we all just got up and just started jumping up and down. We all decided happy for Jack and that moment. And we just knew that that moment like, you know, this we're going to the daddy for sure.

4:20:33I mean, it's a lot of me going from high school or winning three state championships, Shamanama, Donna, then coming to Ohio State, just appear for national title right now. Me just showed that I've put two great schools, but I'm happy to be here and I just can't wait to put on some Monday. The coolest person. The coolest person. I mean, you got a lot. I can't really say just a specific person. You got a lot of great guys. We tried to lead like Odell. You had guys like Stefan Dicks. A lot of other players will just take kind of my mom, but really, really into guys for sure Odell and Stefan Dicks. Yeah, yeah.

4:21:35I mean, like they say, they play man. So I'm just ready for the challenge and just get ready to go out there Monday and just no put on the show. Thank you. The vice genome, how you gave me. I said, just keep golfers. I know the reason why I'm here. Like he said, just keep golfers and just no keeping the maintenance and the best corner I face this year. I mean, I've faced a lot of great corners. I can't really say, but yeah, I face a great daughter. I can't really put a name on it. I'm a dream vacationer.

4:22:39I'm a dream vacationer. I'm a dream vacationer. I'm a dream vacationer. I say both respect and frustration as well. But I mean, I thought they come out there and try to team me and they say stick it to whatever door in our year. And that's playing man covers, which is ready for the challenge. Pretty good group Christian, Gary 29th, a great corner, 15, the Narmor, two great guys are right there. Very physical, but we all have to receive it. So we ready for the challenge.

4:23:55I say just no understanding the defense, understanding the game plan, understanding what Coach Kelly was trying to get done. I mean, just coming in, I feel I progress from our first game against Akron to now. I feel like I better each and every week. I mean, things slowed down a lot for me. But yeah, really just no understanding the differences and no understanding what they're trying to do to me for sure. I'm two guys. Great part of the best we're going to see all year for sure. Two physical guys. But we're ready for the challenge that they're coming with. And that's the play man, oh man. And we ready to go on Monday. I mean, the environment is pretty crazy.

4:24:55Seeing all these cameras. Suddenly I never thought I'd see them alive, but it's a blessing for sure to be in this position right now. I mean, we just had a prayer, prayer, prayer, prayer meeting. And you know, we all, they all, we all discussed the issues because they discussed issues. And you know, we just want the word. I mean, not two and a half weeks we had off before Tennessee game. And we just came out there on Tennessee game. And we played with a chip on our, on a chip on our shoulder. All throughout the playoffs. And we go continue to play with that chip on our shoulder. And that's championship on Monday. Do you know how that very impactful, yeah, the very impact on my career, I should say, you know, just going to his games. I was a very young kid, seven, eight years old.

4:25:56Him playing West, he went playing for West Virginia. And they played Clemson Orange Bowl down in Miami. I mean, just go there, they're seeing his games. It was like, yeah, definitely when they play on the stage and I can't wait till I get to know that moment for sure. Yeah, I'll be there. Yeah, because they really just in his own, his own love space. He's just walking around trying to get his mind right trying to get his mind ready for the game. But you know, he, he just gave everybody hype in the locker room and just trying to get us ready to go to win the game. Yeah. Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah, for sure. I mean, you go play mangas Ohio State receivers. I mean, just be ready because, you know, we definitely go come out there and know. Give our best.

4:26:56And I mean, they said not to change what they do. So we're just ready for the challenge. I mean, just to be able to be in this position right now, just to be here for Miami to be here. I want to take it for granted. I'm ready to go out there. I'm going to give him a roll. Yeah. Yeah. I mean, I was watching that game against was a Georgia.

4:27:57I believe. Yeah. I was watching that game. I was pretty sick myself because I was actually committed at that time. So I mean, yeah, they left a bad testimony mouth. But I mean, we ready to go out there Monday to redeem myself and just put a show Monday. I mean, I just laugh. But you know, that's what they do. They're not going to change what they do just because we're Ohio State. So we're just going to go out there and put it on. Put it on. Why not to play man on mangas. So we just got to go out there and show them Monday. So. Here you go. He said again.

4:28:57My journey here at Ohio State repaired me a lot for the National Championship. I mean, just going through everything that I've been through. My first guy here, all the Matt Jules, all the hard workouts that we had, all the hard practices. I mean, just preparing all of us for this moment. And I'm just ready to go out there and give it up my all on Monday. Okay. Yeah. We just squeezed this. One or nine. 200? I mean, he is big and strong. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. What's going on? What's 20? Yeah, that's great. Yeah.

4:29:57Pretty good. No problem. Yeah. What's 20? Yeah, that's great. Yeah. Pretty good. Yeah. Why not part of the most is the one against Michigan State when I caught over two defenders on that song. Probably that one or the one after that, I should say, or you go to one against Iowa. Probably them three. Probably my best ones, for sure. I mean, just we'll put in the ball in my area.

4:30:58And I just know how to make a play for them. Even though somebody was gathering my face, I just know I still have to make a play because the ball touched my hand. So, I mean, just when the ball is the other thing, I have to make the play no matter how the ball comes at me. I have to make a big game. I mean, they really feed us Chick-fil-A or Pizza after the game. So it's really either Chick-fil-A or Pizza. So yeah, probably Chick-fil-A for sure. Yeah. It went pretty good. Everybody's just speaking with their thing is going right in what they think is wrong.

4:32:00Which is a lot of the older guys who are watching their opinions on what we need to do to come to get as a team. But, you know, that me and Depply helped us in a big way because it helped us on the field as well. And we played at a great football right now and we just continued our own Monday. Yeah, Depply got emotional. Can't really say what it really was said because players only and coaches only. But it was definitely some stuff said that people took and they went with it. That's the reason we're playing the Wies and Rawi playing right now. Yeah, make helped me a lot this year. Him being our older guy in the room. Me and Carl Nell as well and Brendan and all the guys in our scene room as well. Me just a great guy as well. Very smart. Me and make just been a big part of the reason that I'm having a seat that I'm having a well because he's been a big.

4:33:01Older guy been there, been a lot of great guys in our room. Like Chris Alivega, Garret Wilson, Marvin Harrison Jr. Jackson Smith and Jibbos. So he's seen all the Chris I've been through there and he teaching us the right thing and the right way and the buck out way for sure. I love it. That means they don't know what's coming out of the next. We got 12 personnel, 11 personnel. You can throw two of us in and throw one of us in and you've got to start it all. What have you made of the quarterback? Three of them. Not too much. I feel like they all come in here working. I feel like everybody's making their throws, making their passes, everybody's making their corrections. When did you take away last season? After the last season? What did you take away from last season? After the World Championship? 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 the bench. The spring ball is about improving as a individual when you work on this. I'm hoping I'll ever get down trying to get my game as well as playing spring.

4:34:03I'm trying to come up to fit it on. We hear about either the team or the coaches, not just the spring ball, but the whole team. You can step up who has started to step up and your eyes can't face the ball. 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 always have to be vocal. You can have the same examples on the field. You can be vocal, do both. I was happy for Gia. I see her, I hear Grin, I see her, I see her, Grin, and getting the extra work. The 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, consistent wise.

4:35:03People used that word, but I feel like I'm just overall better. I came in here ready to go. How much does it push you when you're in a room with guys like Max and Will and Bennett? You know you've got to be on your game if you're going to get in the field. I feel like Arya is starting to hire every day. He comes in and works and they push me every day to work. It's just like I'm a do-do. I'm probably going to ask this before, but it's now a crowded room. You got Matt first one. What's the brand name of Matt? I love the ball, honestly. Matt's Claire, Matt's LeBlanc, both of them. I love it. What's... You're flashed in the time you're in it. Is this the year work that all comes together? I feel like Arya was my year, but hey, we're going to see this year. I'm ready to come out here and put on a show for the Bucket Nation. I feel like everybody on the field is ready to go put on a show. We're trying to go back and back. You got Blaine quite a bit though last year, Tulane. What did you pick up from all of that, especially in a championship run? You know, and they were counting on you.

4:36:04I honestly just be ready at any time, honestly. You can be throwing in at any time, just like I was. I probably had some rest while I was just throwing in. You got to get it done. Yeah. And if you don't get it done, they're going to find somebody who has to do it. No, I think we ask you this every time we get through. If you jump in, you can find it. We're definitely seeing what you've progressed. It has a tight end, you know, the ball that that needs. I personally... I personally, over the spring and some of this, I'll see you there. I feel like I've told them I've body a lot. And I got stronger in the wheelroom. I've also got a little bit faster, so I can get in another break. And just the mine part of the game. The middle part of the game. If you got even better in the end, I mean, how would you describe that? I'll say it again. The mine part of the game, you know, though. 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 walk through, more fair. Which is more students in the game now. We're like that.

4:37:04Thanks. One, two, three, four. You wobble, it's like five o'clock. What do you mean we're like that, what? I feel like it was just an exciting play. I was the last lead on it. Like the very last lead on it. I don't go out, I came down with the catch, so we did the first down. You really don't want to go out. You're, but I still had a great rookie year. Six yards of carry, you know, things like that. I think it was like nine touchdowns, ten, including the playoffs. And so there's always been like, all right, you guys let me show my talent, trying a little bit, like even when I had the knee, so I had the knee, right? A lot of people don't know, like I didn't get hurt again whenever I got, you know, got cleaned up. So I went down in 21, right? Had the injuries, the knee injury. And then came back later the next year. And I played the first few games and I just feel there was a lot of scar tissue in there. So I had to get it cleaned up. I didn't get hurt again. I could have played the whole year, but I got it cleaned up so I can feel like me.

4:38:05And so after I got that cleaned up, the first two games back from the injury, I had over 120 yards rushing, right? And then went on, had great, great ending of the year, you know, 100 total yards in the play-all game we lost, which I hate the most. It's not going to matter to me I want to win. But then come back the next year, hurt again, like 20 kills. So two really unfortunate injuries, but that's just a guy's plan. You know, and I think that the storm is now over, you know, and I do think that I'll be able to shine a light to the whole world. Are you concerned that you have that label of what you can't say? I could care less because I do, I know this out there. Because as it should be, it should be. I got hurt two major injuries back, not back to back years, but you know. 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, little dinky injuries and sitting out.

4:39:06It's something I can't control literally. So that's why I'm not bothered by it. Like, yeah, I am injury-pone. You can say that, you know, but I do think that the chargers are getting a guy that's going to be healthy from now on, you know. God will it, and it's going to be great. I do think that is going to be a great however many years here. When you've been on the field, you've been highly productive. 5.8 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 not what you need? All the confidence in the world, you know, the way I work. I want to 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.

4:40:07And I think just the work ethic, my prayer and all that stuff, that's what helps me have that confidence. With the numbers, we'll be there. And they might be higher after this year, you know, and it's crazy to think about it. Because I had six point yards per carry, you know, so we'll see. You live in Florida running behind this line, does it fit the everything? 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 and win some games, because that's what I came through for. Justin, are you a part of the year or? I would say part of the recruitment, but like whenever I decided I was going to sign it, it was great to have him in the room. Yeah, we're great. We have a great relationship. That's like my brother. I think it accomplished, it complimented each other very well. You know, he can do a lot of stuff too.

4:41:07You know, a lot of people think he's just power, power, power, but I think he has some other parts we've gained too, which it'll be great, because I feel like I could do everything. And when we wanted to get tired, we can roll it in, we keep rolling, win some games. When you, the two of you, you're going, how do you think this is going to look? The work will be, 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 that as Greg Roman 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'll be, I think it's going to be great.

4:42:10So, it's going to be amazing. When we talk to him, you know, I was like, why are you going to build something good for us, not necessarily throughout your career? Which everywhere you've been. And you said that one part of it is just, you got to call the place. You got to call it on the place. As a running back, you know, how much confidence, how much excitement does it give you? You know, you have a play collar that's going to stick with it and allow you and the offense to run into a rhythm of the group. It gives me a lot of excitement. You know, it's going to be, like I say, it's fun to play in his office. 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 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 mentioned you're around a percent now. So, you mean, Fogo or training? That's the expectation.

4:43:10Look, 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 of gold. I think I'm ready to go. And then, actually, you know, I'm on PUP. Like, hey, look, some stuff above my prairie, pay gray. So, but I don't know. Hopefully, I can start. I think I'm ready to start, you know. I'm going to start with 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 it. 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.

4:44:11So, 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 head into the agency, you know, dealing with rehab and not, you know, having a full season of paid for the production to go out there. Is there any part of that where you're like, I wish I, you know, have hit the open market with the different situations, you know. Nah. 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 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,

4:45:11it 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, I went to, 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, it's a high risk, high reward type thing, right? Not even a high risk, low risk because you, it's a business, right? So, I got hurt last year. So, not as much money as 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 were like, all right, 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 prove people wrong? Like, you've done a couple things like the high risk, high reward, injury from, you know, like,

4:46:14are you the type of person that really tries to prove 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, like, yeah, yeah, what happened? No, because I don't care. Like, 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? Forget all the naysayers and people that talk about being injury prone, because whenever I have this great year, it's going to be forgotten, you know, too. Why, why give that energy? Talk of Justin and all of our guys are chances to be in the league. 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 on, we were at an award show, because I was a dope walker or a finalist.

4:47:17And 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, six. I went to first arm. 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, you know, nerdy, but he's cool, dude. Very laid back. No, we'll face to him. It's just because like the last three years, he's been disappointed at the end of the season. So I feel like we put more work in. I feel like that's what we're missing. We're just putting more work in. And he's got to do that throughout the summer, the spring fall. And then he's got to show it on the field. Tell the guy to test, Jack. When you take a, you still like in a mold, you're a practice. And you look at it through all of the deep. I mean, you look at the person L-chains. We're coming in with Sonny moving up in the post-reline spring. What's your like other view of what's out there on defensions and how it maybe allows?

4:48:17Or do you do some things to me? It's kind of just like I don't want to like, hyper-head too much, but it kind of looks like a legendary defense kind of. I feel like we got playmakers everywhere and then moving Sonny down I think that's a great move for him. It's a big athletic dude. He can play in a box, he can play like safety thing that's just showing, like, versus how he is. Caleb, you know, he's using Caleb how he plays. He's an animal. He's only a sophomore I think. And I feel like the guys we brought back, you know, we all can, we're all dominant. So I feel like as a collective, you're never going to be like unstoppable. So confident is a problem? No. Well, there's a part of that too. And as I mentioned, they're about pacing yourself. So if there's that way to self-believe, then there's also that part of going to build depth. You know, in case you have injuries, case you have visions. So how do you look at spraying in terms of getting guys that are next in line as prepared to keep that standard high? I think you just got to set a great example for the young guys. And just showing them how to how to practice, how to like watch

4:49:18film, how to take care of their body. Because those are the things you're going to need to like go on this deep run. I think it's like 17 games or something. That we're not. We add in games. So the young guys are going to have to play. We can't just play 5th of the games. The snap. That's not going to happen. So how do you do it? How do you get to a 70 or 80? He's got to keep working. Kind of keep running. Get any shape. You played so many snaps. You know, it's kind of surprised me that you said that. You said that. It was a joke. I'm sure. But like, you know, it was surprising to hear that from you. It's a really humbly snapped you play last year. Did that kind of take a toll on you last year? Do you think that you need to push it even further getting better shapes so you can play all 16, 17 games? Yeah, definitely. I got to get way better shapes than I've been. And I felt like it was kind of like it was a joke. Of course, I needed those snaps because the years before I wasn't really playing as much. So I just wanted to get more experience under my belt.

4:50:18So I can bring younger guys with me because I've been through a lot of it. One of those younger guys we're seeing out here. It's the first time I've heard all these last years. What have you seen from Lowe? Because I kind of felt like last year we all forgot about it because he was hurt. Now he's running almost a second man up behind you and Ty. What have you seen from that experience? Well, it was a workhorse. He's going to stay quiet. He's going to work hard. And that's what I love about him. He focuses. He don't really talk much. He's going to get a job done, do a job right. He rarely has any mistakes. So what would be a successful season? A national championship? A ring. When all the games were going to lose anything, we got a mindset that we can't be beat. We just got to go show it. That mindset different. It seems like you guys expect a national championship every year. This year, even more so, you guys all come back for this. You guys have all decided like an opposite way. Does that feel different? Or is there not really any difference? It's just the same for me. It's definitely a difference. Everyone working harder.

4:51:20We noticed our last run. Most of us don't have any years after this. So we got to go bigger, go home, then. We're not trying to go home. It's finished big. We know what you guys think of Michigan. But when you look at what they did, they won the national championship. And you guys took them down to the final minute. Right? And I mean, you were right there. Something goes a little different. You guys could have won that game against them. Does that tell you anything about like that, hey, you guys want to win a national championship, but you played to the 59th minute with the team that won the national championship last year, like you're that close? So I'm saying, we just work harder. That's kind of what you make of saying. Nobody cares, just work harder. Those won't play Georgia. The same thing. Last play. They went on the win in 90. So we just got to get over that hump at the end of the season. I think we'll be fine. How frustrating is that? You're that close against the last two and actual title. Of course, it's frustrating. But you can't change the outcome. You can't really dwell on it.

4:52:22You just got to come back and work harder. Do things better than you did last year. And hopefully the outcome will change. Is that as you get older, you kind of learn? I thought I was working harder than you always find out there's a little more than you could have been doing. Yeah, definitely. That's what growing up is basically in college. I thought, first of all, I was working. It's hard as I could, but now I look back at it. I really wasn't working hard at all compared to what I'm doing now. So just to learn anything. If the stamina is a 16, then the answer is like, what do you need it to be to be your best? Uh, 80, 85? I mean, it's all on me. I think it's a little higher. I was just trying to be funny. But I mean, it's all on me. I just got to run harder in shape. So I think it's time to add to you, young, the heart. It's been a pleasure. The idea of a potential is 16, 17, 17, 17. I think about the ideas that make you nervous about, can you last for a moment? Are you worried? What was your idea? I think I could go that out there.

4:53:23I think I definitely could last. I was just, you know, we got to get the young guys to come along with it as we can't play 50 snaps again. That's just too much on our bodies. Just everybody's like, online, D-line. We got to get those younger guys to play, you know, get that pieces on the D-line and the online and everywhere else. So we can last that long. Speaking of which, I was like playing in the old and the snaps, was that, if you like playing that many snaps again last year, if you love them? I don't know if any of us were really expected to be part of that next time. Ah, yeah, I did. Unless we were like winning by like a lot. I thought like, there are no moments you know, I can go sit down or something. But we're playing them big games, like, you know, Notre Dame too, or Notre Dame. Those kind of games. Of course I want to be in, because I know I can contribute. And I won't want to put that on anyone else when I know I can get the job done. What stands out about Kaden McDonald? Is he got the key? You guys, it was a second. Oh, yeah, definitely. K-Mac is a K-Mac animal. Y'all, you haven't really seen it yet, but in practice, he shows it all the time. He's just, he's growing right now. He has to work, I think. He just has to get, you know, in the playbook,

4:54:23and things like that. You guys are about the exact same size. Listen, you're both listening to 6-3, you're 3-27, he's 3-26. Yeah, he's very often. I kind of look at him like my junior, but you know, K-Mac, he's going to be a great player. He's got to develop more and get into playbook. So really a lot on you, older guys. There's that large group of young guys, and then there's the seniors in the back. Is that part of your task for this year to bring those guys along as well? Yeah, definitely. We've got to be leaders. Like I say, we've got to have them play this year. We can't just play all the snaps. They got to get in there and get some work. And we got to get them right during the all season. So they can play. And not just play, they want to contribute, like make plays, tackle a sex. Let's stay right about this. I think that's a great one. It seems like these guys get bigs. Each one of the first in the class is a big, big, biger. Do those guys kind of, it doesn't kind of allow you on the cell in the first place? Yeah, they definitely do. And they all work hard. I've only seen much of something day two, and I'm not a bad one. But throughout the workouts, they've been working hard. They're determined to actually, and it looks like they're

4:55:26ready to work at me. How important this notes feels like. There's a lot of great defenses that you have big, athletic defense attacks who can eat up space, but also move, right to this back. Does that have an environment maybe from a great defense? To have guys like you that have some fault, but also a great feature. I think that is definitely. I think if you look at the last couple of national championship winners, like Team of North, they got two good detacled, two athletic detacles. Look at Georgia, two athletic detacles. I think that's definitely neat if you want to go on a big run and beat those big teams. Really, if you think about this, they want to fight by the defense attack. It's like, what's Georgia's, Jordan Davis and Jeff Carter? Let's miss you again. It's Chris Jenkins. How do you think you understand this was you play it? But I feel like some time I don't know. Are people realizing how important defense tackles are? A little bit more than they used to?

4:56:27I think so. I think they're starting to develop more and more of these freaky detacles. In the combine, just now, you see in those guys, they're moving four to seven, eights and things like that. And when you think about this freaky attack, how do you think you fit into that mold of that kind of player? You watch that and say, yeah, that's me. Yeah, definitely. I think I'm top notch when it comes to detacles, but I don't want to get a big head, but you know, watch it come on. I watch it do the drills. I have Tate here. You're looking like my film. So I think I'm up there with all those. I'm like, do you become like an artist? I'm like, you're back in the past. Is the figure way is kind of your thing. When you're going to spring practice, you're not doing as much a weapon on a weapon. That's crossing. How do you work on that? Do you have like a gold one, Marn? I don't remember how many you have last year. Like, you have a gold one. That's good to mind. How many do you want to have little stuff? I mean, as many as I can have, I think I have more than that. But I think they've been counseling. I think they've been counseling some of them.

4:57:27And some of them were just listed. So, but I think we work on drills matching the hand. I think that's goes big. And what we do is a D line, you know, just affecting the quarterback is anywhere you can. It's just great for the defense. You know, just that little thing you cover in his eye, you know, he might throw it. A little bit to the left to our players. So, so, like something that you really, really have to work on. You can do that with what you can do. It's very, that's one of the things that you've maybe worked on the most. You can bring your time here because there are a few guys that I've seen, like, oh, that pastor is sitting down. We don't have to ask him to style it. We kind of kind of expect it for the second. I think I just have like a eye for the ball, kind of. I kind of just look at the quarterback and just, I see him like load up. I just try to get in his way. And sometimes he just throws it to me. I don't know. I hear it's either you do it to the Ohio State or Mexico. I think you're bad, dumb, passes. I mean, they get frustrated by, you know, we're a team, you know, we're just getting back. Big time to grow, you know, you don't have to have the,

4:58:28the pig mentality of problem of, of, of instant gratification, you know, you can develop and grow. So, and sometimes you may be behind a guy that's a really good player is nothing wrong with developing and growing and playing when your time is right. And if the time is right right now, the freshman, like, what's your main, did you play early? You know, so we try to also sell that, you know, we care about him as people and try to prepare you for life after football. So it's bigger than just football. We're going to prepare you for life. Whether it's the NFL or on with a regular career in the workforce, we want you to prepare you as a young man and we try to sell that and preach that to the parents. With remain having that, in fact, that you mentioned, holding all these different spots. Do you anticipate, you know, there wasn't a lot of rotation on the cornerbacks last year when everyone was healthy. Do you anticipate maybe growing him through to rest guys here with the longer season potentially? Yeah, we play it by ear. You know what I mean? We see how it goes by the time we get in the camp, but you know, obviously he's earning his stripes. So, you know what I mean? When you earn your stripes, you know, a lot of jobs to create opportunities for you.

4:59:29You know what I mean? We have to see how it goes with all the other stuff. You know, once we get closer to the season, and we're getting the game plan stuff, but he's doing a great job and he's, and he's taking a great step forward. Tim, when you're the way that you've been building room, or the way you've kind of established your room now, it seems like it's been, like, centerpieces kind of relationships, and kind of building bonds. But I'm curious, is that something that you came in with the, like, a couple years ago, with the intention of doing it, or is it something that you're like, that's kind of been cultivated over the course of your Thomas position, both here at the guys. No, it's been there for a while. I've been doing that for a long time. It's all about relationship. If you develop real relationship, and you're authentic in your communication, and you have honest feedback, and you have direct teaching, the guys that have a value and character, and they appreciate that stuff, they'll embrace that. So, but they have to know you care, and you have to know that it's real, and they have to know that you're really concerned about there where it being as a young man, and when you get close to him, it's been a lot of time with him off the field. You could coach him hard, and you can say truthful things to him, and then they'll embrace it,

5:00:29and you have real conversation, because you know, the only goal is to help him get better as a young man. As you see, computers go, and you think those are still listed though. I've received room to show for ahead in the corner where we get a kind of skewed that evaluation sometimes. How's that dynamic change in these three years? Is this group shot in Boulder, and you think you better be more counted? Yeah, it's done balanced up a little bit now. That goes with great competition. We go against the best receivers and call it football. So that helps escalate your growth process, because if you don't figure it out real fast, you're getting embarrassed. So that competition, but what happened with that, I guys start competing, I guys start growing, I guys got better, and now it's even up a little bit. So where you get really good work at practice today, you know what I mean? So as competitive, it's fun. Those guys both on both sides of the ball care about each other. So it's great competition, and they all are real close. So you know what I mean? It's that stuff that gets us better that will prepare us for Saturday. I asked Denzel, kind of, that same idea. We're like first day practice, actually, the receivers kind of got them, as I didn't kind of, but they wake up all, make it for this,

5:01:31with this one. No, it's just, it's gonna competitive, man. They got the best group in the country that you're going against every day. So you have to bring it every day, you know what I mean? So we got a great quarterback room, we got a great receiver room, the running backs are really good. So when you out there going against them is deep. So you have to be ready for it. And obviously, man, we're seeing a lot of good stuff with Wednesday and Coach Kelly doing over there, and so it prepares you a lot, and it helps us grow. So why don't you go over and play kind of an massage game for three or eight? Is that? It's your three or a wide receiver room kind of, like a part of your green pitch. Like, these are the guys you get to play against. Yeah, all that's, because you know, that's where you get better. Iron shop is iron. So you know, you get to see that every day of practice. That helps you grow. It's no better thing to go against every day than to see that on a daily basis. I'm also near room massage drawer, looking at it to play that in this one. We just moving a lot of guys around. We watch our practice, we have a lot of guys in there right now. You know, we pop out through a four different guys

5:02:31in there, obviously the ring's old in there, the gymnas in there, Caleb, Miles, we have about four or five guys moving around. Right now, we just try things out in spring ball. See what it fit, you know, see what things work together. So there's probably some more guys in there. You know, we move it around to try to just get the right fit throughout the N and C. How it goes by time we get really start the season. What's in the down button too, some hard. You can run any strong, you know what I mean? He's fast, very serious about his business. He's big, it's 200 pounds, he can run, he's strong, he's conscientious. Now, man, he's starting to grow and he's starting to get better with it. You know what I mean? So we look for big things for him in spring. What do you want to see from here in this spring? Keep competing. You know what I mean? Now, he's made the transition competing today. You know what I mean? Start going in that transition is all just like I'm in your main last year. You throw him in the fire, you let him go, you compete, you go by time we get out of the end of training camp, you have been him figured out. Yeah, I want to, but now you just throw it all at him. He's going to compete, continue to grow, continue to learn, he has the skill set, he has to let, now you just got to put it all together

5:03:32and it takes time to do that. And hopefully you see that by the time we get in the training camp. It seems like a midwinter springing kind of clicked for your main last year and you start to see and perform a little better in practice. Is that like a benchmark for where you want to be by the middle of spring? Does he have to be at a certain point where you wanted to start clicking? Yeah, by the time you start getting about two weeks from now that last week, you know, because it takes time because there's a lot of stuff going on. You know, by the time you get into that last week of spring ball, you'll start seeing the things that you look for show up. And then you get another evaluation again when you get into training camp. See if this stuff carried on to make sure we go it for starting in September. What's your assessment of the growth that he's made now that he's kind of got his feet under one defense? Or what do you like about him and that knickles? He's very conscientious, he's smart, he can run, he's tough. He's made the adjustment because he's out of Europe on his belt. So now you can see he's not making a lot of mistakes. He competes, he's real conscientious. And he has a physical presence. So the growth has been really good and we look to continue that throughout spring.

5:04:33Coach, thank you very much. I can ask one more. All the guys that came back, like Denzel's a great example. Because that surprised you as you reflect on all these guys that came back late for the ransom that could have turned pro. No, the culture here is real. Coach, they does a great job of building the culture. Our room is close knit. The guys on defense are real close. Those guys want to come back. They have an agenda. We want to come back. They want to come back and walk away with something. So it didn't shock me. But it's a good environment for them too. That's when you see those guys come back. That's a testimony to the culture that's set here. Their brotherhood, their environment. And of course, they run the program for those dudes to want to come back. Because we go at it. It's hard. It's not easy. It's not easy, but what we do. So in fact, they come back and do that. It's a testament to how he runs the program. Coach, thank you very much. As far as intensity, how would you evaluate any dignity early on? How would you evaluate your games tonight? Yeah. My goal was just to come out and play as hard as I could.

5:05:34It was a little weird last week. For the first time in my career, playing a game that doesn't necessarily mean anything in terms of playoff contention. And I kind of had to check myself. And this week, come in with a mindset of every game matters. And we need to put the best product out there that we can. And that's what I try to do. Later, now, it was a good push. Or you looked at the working question, but you retired. You did seem shaken up right after you just talked about foothand. Yes, Sam just tried to get it on it. And it was more of a stinger-clap thing. But the ref wanted me to go to the tent. So I had to go answer some questions. How many are home? It was jammed, yeah, my neck. Do you want your helmet? I know that you've got a different helmet. Help do you want to? Yeah, maybe. When it hits the top like that, it's not as good.

5:06:36But. I played these guys 11 months ago, kind of crushed their dreams. Do you get the sense they're kind of a different team? Or an also the thing? This was a very important game for them to win. I don't think they're that different. I think they've had a ton of injuries on defense, which hurts them. But the mentality of the head coach, you could see it throughout everybody. It's really a cool team. I could just see from afar that it's probably a fun team to play for. And they come out and they play to win every game. And I respect that. I've put so much emphasis on the ball, all meetings, takeaways. And I think you've got two since the by-week. Is there any accounting for that? I mean, there's so many different things that go into a turnover or takeaway. How do you wrap your brand around? It goes into every level of the defense. When you have your opportunity, I know we had two against Stafford.

5:07:39That could have made, I mean, if maybe if we get those, it sparks a bunch of other ones. So you just have to make your plays when they're there. And then just being the right spots. And I don't think we've done a great job of that this year. The last cycle since night, the pool is all pro. Did you want that matchup? Would you think about that matchup tonight? It's good. He's a really good player. And yeah, I wanted to see where I'm at against him. Have you ever seen anything like the Jameson Williams touched out or it's popped back to him? Have you seen something like that? I was in the tent, so I had no idea that happened. There was a play in this game when we saw a misdirection sprinted all the way across the field to make the play. Did you see the play? I think it was that the one gives a cut back. Yeah, I had a 10-yard cushion. And he ran by me like, oh, it didn't exist.

5:08:42And I tried to sprint. And I just was just like, I don't have this. And thankfully, Mustafa is a heat seeking missile. And he made the play. So. What was your mindset against my hand? I mean, how did it have to get you to took us? I mean, I think we came in with the right mindset as a team. Just myself. It felt a little like dead energy wise. But yeah, it was a learning moment for me to learn and make sure that I come in with the right mindset every single week. It seems like there's a lot of plays where you guys get to get the final pass breakups. And it'll be like a couple plays in a row. And then there's an explosive about what you're thinking about the inconsistency. Yeah, I mean, we did get them to the second, third, and longs.

5:09:43And then, yeah, they would make a big play. And you definitely want to capitalize when you back them up like that. We didn't do that tonight. And that's why they scored 40 points. All right. I'm sure. I'm sure. Yeah, I'm sure. Oh, yeah, for sure. You had guys like Chris Carter. Guys like Michael Thomas really, new to guys, for sure. Michael Thomas was talking to me before the game or the Rose Bowl in Chris Carter in after the game as well. I mean, just giving me advice, just telling me, keep going first and just keep doing what I've been doing the whole year. I mean, I'm God's bugger, I legend. So definitely look at them. God's for sure. Make sure to spare.

5:10:46It means a lot. Me just a kid from Miami. Just be able to play an actual championship as a freshman, something that I've dreamt of as a kid. And I'm here now in this K-rated. K-rated. Can't wait to put on the show Monday. He said he can. I mean, the tips, like he says, may crazy each and every week playing, but you know, can't, can't let it get to my head. I should say, let me just football at the end of the day, but just happy being this position. Get your mind full. I'm good. I'm good. I'm good. Can't let you have our game. Take it right. You can start now. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Oh, none of us think we could be covered, man, oh, man. I mean, we're actually talking about this yesterday as well. But you know, I mean, that's what they do. That's what they do.

5:11:46We should go to God there, you know, play our game and know sort of reason why not to play, man, oh, man. Two. Thank you, Mark. Four. Three. One. I'll go fly. It's good. No problem. Two. Thank you, Mark. Four. Three. One. I'll go fly. It's good. No problem. No problem. One. I'll go fly. It's good. No problem. Do what I've been doing for the last. No, no, no. No, no. Maybe we shouldn't. Oh, man, I said, no, just go out there. No. Just dominate the person I'm supporting me, you know, just do what last two to three weeks I should say but you know they play man on man so I'm

5:12:50just ready for the challenge. I mean feels good just say somebody going out there and playing man on man against Ohio State receivers is something crazy but you know we just ready for the challenge they say they're not changing their game plan but we got to go out there and show them the reason why not to play man on man. I mean I don't really if I be on the curve I'd be on the curve it's not really a big deal to me. It may definitely be a blessing for sure just to be on the curve of a game but you know it's not really a dream of mine. It's a dream of ours but I don't really think too much of it.

5:13:50I mean no not yet. Probably hit me after this easy. No just no playing in the Carlos football playoffs as a freshman. Playing in the Rose Bowl as a freshman. Playing in a Cardinal not in the National Championship I mean it's a blessing for sure but I haven't hit me yet. My favorite catch I would say we play Michigan State the one I call over to defenders definitely probably my favorite for sure or you go the one from Iowa I should say and then it's our opponent too. I mean yeah I can say it's pretty frustrating me having a game that I had in the

5:14:52Rose Bowl and they're coming to the Cardinal just doing different things changing their scheme up for against me but I mean like you said whatever I could do to make the I mean help the team win it's not really a big deal for me as long as we win that's all I really care about and it got us to the National Championship. It means a lot we put a lot of work in this this season we have we have loads we have people kind of out but we hear now we just ready to put on a show Monday. Oh yeah.

5:15:54First of when there's a National Championship because there was means a lot I mean you see everything I had been through this year people saying should be fired and this down to third but you see everything I've been through this year I mean I've seen everything I've been through this year see everything people saying about him on Twitter I wasn't here he first got the head coach and job but I know this year for sure we definitely got to win this for him. I mean it's a lot a lot of people in the league I should say I can't really say who but I mean you had guys like oh they're you had guys like oh they're you have Stephard Dicks means a lot of my good Tom is Chris Carter just a lot of you know guys I played in NFL and stuff like that but yeah really them guys for sure. No just keep going you got it you've got stuff for sure really I really that

5:17:01yeah. Like physical defense like like you said like people say like they like to play man they're not changing their skin so we're just ready for the challenge like you said probably the best defense we probably go see all year and we just gotta be ready to go out there Monday and just put on the show. I'm excited for will him first coming here in Ohio State January our first workout we have together just everything that we did through this season I'm just happy for him to be in this position right now but we got to finish the job and that's the winning out of you Monday.

5:18:05I mean it's pretty funny them saying that because I'm just only a freshman but I mean it's a blessing for sure people to even say that but I got two three more years left for college and I'm just focused on college right now I'm not really worried about the NFL right now. It's very special for me just being a freshman and playing the national stage up here for national titles something that I dreamed of as a very young kid I'm just happy to be here and I just can't wait to put on a show Monday for you guys. I mean all of us used to sit on the bench and we just see him hit the quarterback the ball come out and we all just got up and just started jumping up and down we all decided happy for jacking that moment and we just knew that that moment like yeah let's we're going to the

5:19:08other for sure. Ministers a lot I mean you know going from high school or when a three-state championship Shamanama Donna then you know coming to Ohio State just competing for national title right now me just so that I've picked two great schools but I'm happy to be here and I just came with the corner show Monday. The coolest person. I mean you got a lot I can't really say just a specific person you got a lot of great guys re-challenged the league like Odele you have guys like Stefan Dex a lot of other players

5:20:09were just taking kind of my mom but really really into guys for sure Odele a step on this. Yeah yeah I mean like they say they play man so I'm just ready for the tallies and just can't ready to go out there Monday and just no put them so thank you. The vice-geno high gave me I said just keep going first. I know the reason why I'm here and I mean like he said just keep going first and just no keeping the main thing and the best corner I've faced this year. I mean I've faced a lot of great corners I can't really say but yeah I've

5:21:10faced a great lot of great corners here really put a name on it. My dream occasion is Tertus and K-Codes. How good are you? I say both respect and frustration as well but I mean I doubt they come out there and try to put to me and they say you stick it to what they've been doing our year and that's playing man covers which is ready for the challenge.

5:22:15Pretty good group Christian Gary 29 is a great corner 15, Lennard Moore two great guys all right there very physical but you know we all highest there at C.V.A. so we ready for the challenge. I say just no understanding the defense understanding the defense understanding the game plan understand what Coach Kelly is trying to get done. I mean just coming in I feel I progress from our first game gets accurate and now feel like I better each and every week. I mean being slowed down a lot for me but yeah really just no understanding the defense and no understanding what they're trying to do to me for sure. I'm two guys great part of the best we go see all year for sure two physical guys

5:23:27but you know we're ready we're ready for the challenge that they're coming with and that's the play man oh man and you know we ready to go on Monday. I mean environment is pretty crazy seeing all these cameras. Suddenly I never thought I'd see them alive but it's a blessing for sure this is the main in this position right now. I mean we just had a prayer prayer prayer prayer meeting and you know we all they all the we all discussed the issues because they discussed this issues and you know we just want the work uh I mean not two and a half weeks we had off before Tennessee game and we just came out there um Tennessee game and we played with a chip on our on a chip on our shoulder um all throughout the playoffs and we go continue to play with that chip on our shoulder in a

5:24:27natural championship on Monday. Uh do you know how that very uh impactful uh yeah the very impact on my career I should say just go into his games as a uh very high kid seven eight years old uh him playing what's with him playing for West Virginia and they play Clemson on