Hell everybody through the facilities of the iHeartMedia Megaplexus is Dick Gabriel. This is the statewide edition of the Big Blue Insider. Better late than ever. We had the Double Coaches Show, the Double Header tonight plus BBN Radio. So now we're here to talk to you along with Billy Rudglans Aeron Gershan, Jep Picoryl. It's all coming your way here on the state wide BBI Border to border. It is the Big Blues Sider, Dick Gabriel, Billy Rudlich here
in the studio, Eron Gershan joining us by phone. Aaron, let's start with the most recent news, and that of
course is signing day. And of course now it's to take the bitter with the better kind of thing, because you talk about brand new Wildcats, although they're a little bit of an abstract, because of course there are names on a list right now, some will enroll early, but also news of Wildcats leaving through the portal and Jeppiicor and I on with Tom Leach earlier tonight filling in for Mark Stoops as it were, and Jeff pointed out, and I agree with him, Kentucky has lost players from
the football team through the portal so far over the last few years. But I think Dane Key is the biggest loss through the portal, and I take it.
You agree, Yeah, absolutely, I agree.
You're talking about the guy that is fifth in program history and receiving yards. I mean, and did that in three years.
So absolutely.
I mean, i'd honestly say you've seen two of the three biggest ones in this cycle. Keishawn Silver is a guy who had a really nice season. It's not talked about because the team stunk, but that was a guy who I thought got a lot better in his second year at Kentucky. Was a former five star recruit and you can't teach his size. He's gonna go out and get paid in that portal ahead of his last college season.
So I think between Silver and Key keeping the top one for sure, and then Justin Rodgers a couple of years ago, which wasn't mutual parting the ways, but just
the fact it was a key starter there. Those are probably the three biggest portal losses they've had, and Dan Key definitely tops the I can't say, you know, when you go four and eight, it's nothing should be a surprise, and you know, Mark Stuke's kind of alluded it wasn't there in person, was still making the drive back from Clemson, but I heard him talk about, Hey, you know, there are gonna be some surprises, don't panic.
And I was, you know, assuming it was going to be one like that.
So it's unfortunate Lexington kid, his father obviously played here. You have to wonder exactly what went on behind the scenes, maybe to kel Schwartz getting pried away, who knows what it was exactly, or maybe it was just the poor results and the lack of continuity. There's probably a million different things, but you know, losing dan Key at the very least. You know, when you put all those things together, it's a tough pr hit for a team that's taken a lot of hits right now.
Well, of course he needs to take a big step in his development this coming season, and I with all due respect to the kids coming back, I don't know that he'll get a chance to do that here at Kentucky with once again an ole line that is rebuilt. I would guess, Aaron, we may not know the names of at least three starters coming up this year the next season for the football Cats. We're pretty certain it'll be cutter Buwllie. But you know, how much better could
he get? What kind of relationship can he build with Dane Key behind a rebuild line. So if he needs, you know, camer ready turnkey kind of offense to make that last step of improvement toward the NFL, he probably I hate to say it because I love watching him play, he probably does need to move on.
I can't disagree with that. I think it's probably you know, it's definitely best for him. You look at the situation next year, the quarterback situation, like you said, is gonna be cutter Bowllie. Mark Stup said today they probably do need to go out of transfer. We all, it's not officially yet, but we know Brock Vandergrift's going to be moving on. We'll see what Gavin Winstat wants to do.
I think that's more a guy you want as your second string if he's coming back, and then you're bringing into true freshman quarterbacks who aren't going to start next year. So uh yeah, the questions that quarterback now, it would be for him what third wide receiver coaching four years? He had Witty for two years, so that's a lot and third three offense coordinators in four years. Uh, you know going up front. I know doesn't coach him directly,
but offensive line coach. Ching's just why not go to a more stable environment for your last college season when it's you, it's your league year. He's a guy that has NFL talent. He the way he worked on his body. You know, I've seen a lot of stuff on social media calling.
Him Medieva and all this.
You're talking about the wrong receiver in that room.
Not going to name names, but you're not. Dan Key is not a diva.
Did he have some stupid penalties, both being against Vanderbilt, Sure, but Deion Walker had some stupid penalties in his time here. Josh Allen had a stupid penalty. I remember at his time here, great players, mcdumb mistakes.
That kid worked his butt off.
You see it in the way he improved his body. He looked more of the part this year. It played into I mean, I think heil in one or two drops Hall season. That's not the guy. So you know, wherever he goes, hopefully it's a stable environment and he has a.
Strong ear and he goes and gets paid.
Yeah, and you know the big surprise to me today, even more than than Dan Key leaving, was was Shorts leaving, you know, and Mark Stoops at his news and again you were traveling, but in his news he made it clear that that caught him off guard. And honestly, Aaron, I thought that was such a great hire. I thought Stoops did a terrific job too, And in identifying this guy bringing him on, I thought he did a great job. The kids clearly responded to him, and boom, he's gone
now and had to pay her. Nebraska or whoever he's gonna have to pay a lot of money to get him.
Yeah, five hundred thousand dollars file. And but you know, at the same time that one came on to my radars, it's Dana Holgerson. And Dana Holgerson is who Dekel Shorts played for West Virginia and he got him starting coaching both at West Virginia and Houston. So you know, it's a large buyout, but Nebraska has the financial power to do it, and you know, Schwortz probably feels more comfortable with Holgerson than compared to what you know, he had to deal with in his first year here.
I mean, it wasn't easy. I'm sure for him either.
You go look at the offenses he's been in and coached, they're all top passing offenses. At Houston, they were a top ten passing unit.
In two of his years there.
So here you're talking about a bottom ten passing unit and wide receivers are gonna leave. You know, you lost Dame Key already. Barry On Brown will see what happens. Wouldn't be surprised if we hear something on him soon. Jamary Macklin sounds like it's about fifty to fifty right now what he wants to do, So you know you'd be going through a rebuild in that room. Just it makes sense for him and it stinks for Kentucky. They're gonna have to you know, this is gonna be his seventh wide.
Receiver coach in thirteen years. That's to have a curzy number.
Yeah.
Yeah, we're striving for continuity nowadays with offensive coordinators and wide receiver coaches and like flies. But I expected some change here. I mean they needed to have some change with this football program to get back to leadership and discipline some of the things that Macklin talked about in his press conference. I just don't know how to judge National Signing Day anymore. And it's it's.
Not really the same.
I mean, we've only got eight, nine, ten guys, and then you're kind of waiting on the transfer portal to be your starters while these guys are you just maybe hope that they stay with the school. It's really taken the pizazz out of this day and we're kind of just waiting to see, you know what, guy leaves his team to try to find playing time.
You know, yeah, yeah, you're totally right. Look, that's why I think I do like to change to the front of the month to try to give these kids some shine. But yeah, everyone's worried about the portals. I mean, that's just the nature of the beast. It's basically a free agency. And you know, Vince merrilicks to call this the NFL draft, but it's not. It's not like they're picking players of the day of and you know, maybe we'll get this five star with this tick. That's not how it works.
You know, this is kind of like a second it's kind of like a amateur free agency, if you will. So you know, it's thanks for the freshman involved, I think, But you're right. I mean, none of these kids are guaranteed. Look at their twenty twenty three high school class. They were talking two years ago that they signed. They signed in December twenty two with I forget who I think Javonne Brown and Tommy Zismeier both hit the portal today. They signed nineteen kids.
I believe it's either seven or eight I have now left the program.
I mean, so you're talking about almost fifty percent of.
That class and who knows what.
You know, The twenty twenty four class was one they really like. I'm sure they're gonna lose some reserves from that class in the next two days here too, So there.
Is a lot of unknown.
You know, there are a couple of kids in this class that are high four star guys like Martellus Carter, who they talked very highly of today about being possibly an impact maker right away. There were some gems in that twenty twenty four class. I mean, Willie Rodriguez was awesome, cutter, bully, showed some things trying to think to Ryan Nichols, I thought played really well when he was healthy.
So, you know, these.
Freshmen signing classes aren't by any means meaningless but it's that I agree with the ability. It's lost its luster. And look, when exciting names that are already kind of household in college football like Dan Key are entering the portal every day for the next month, and you know all these schools have access to signing them, it's hard
not to get excited. And it's how some of these programs like South Carolina and Vanderbilt were able to turn around and turn around their programs in short order.
Was the portal not necessarily freshmen?
Well, it was good to see that they did get a couple of guys on the offensive line. Yeah, So to help me develop a little bit, Aaron, give me a percentage chance that Kentucky retains their current offensive line coach this year.
Oh, I think it's like ninety five to one hundred percent that Eric Wolter's knack.
Wow, are you for this season? Yeah? For this coming. Yeah, he's not leaving, He's not going anywhere.
I Mean, I could be wrong, but I just think Mark Stoops genuinely thinks very highly of him as a recruiter. I think they genuinely got rid of the beef that was there from what Wolford did when he left for Alabama on her left for Kentucky on recruiting trip and finished that recruiting trip saying roll tide. So I think that's kind of water under the bridge, and he looked. I mean, Eric Wolford got you, Deon Walker and barry On Brown, so I get what Mark Stoups is thinking.
And then you know, all these offensive linemen in this class, especially the kid from Michigan whose name is gaping me. He was the best one in the group. He was the primary guy on So yeah, he's a pretty good recruiter.
But I'm not understanding Aaron.
I mean, it was the worst offensive line in the SEC last year with Alabama, it was the worst offensive line in the nation this year with Kentucky, and.
Seems to be doing the same.
I don't disagree with you.
I'm just saying I don't think Mark Stups is moving on for one year. I mean, Zach Yenzer twenty twenty two, they were equally as bad, it's not worse as this offensive line, and he gave him a year two. And Yenzer was nothing on the recruiting trails, you know, no offense then personally, but he didn't do anything of substance on the recruiting trail because he was an NFL guy more so than a college guy and his coaching career, so I think, you know, he's what I think Mark
Supe wants to get back to. And I don't know if it's the right answer or out. I just am calling. What I see is he wants to have his assistant coaches as recruiters first in some of these spots, not all of them, Like and mar Stewart is a really.
Good position coach.
He's an okay recruiter, but I really think at some of these positions, and I don't necessarily agree with it, he's putting recruiting first. We saw it with the Enzer, where it was more coaching first. It didn't work the way he wanted. He went back to a recruiting coach first. Chris Collins as dB coach is good at both. He lucked out with that one. But you know, safety coach for the final doesn't recruit much. He does a little bit, but not a ton, and he's a pretty good position
coach from all accounts. So I just think he's trying to strike that balance, and he opted for a recruiting guy first in that role.
That's unbelievable.
I really can don't.
I'm with it.
Here, here's the question. Uh, you know, do you hold the cook responsible or the guy brought in the groceries? You know what I'm saying? Oh sure, that's that's the quest. Now, if if the old line coach had gone out and recruited these kids or had them more than one year, didn't just walk in here's your old line Okay, I mean, he didn't recruit an him, hadn't developed any of him back in the spring or the year before. Just here
they are make something out of him. But what I want to know is what happens when he's there more than a year and he developed the.
Cook previously was employed and poisoned the food. I mean, and he's gone, he's already gotten his second shot.
So and it didn't work again?
Yea.
So Contnudy is great.
I get it.
And Bush Hampden's saying is going to be a big deal. I think it's gonna helps the quarterback. But kN neudy doesn't guarantee success.
No, but but no connuity guarantees no success. See what I'm saying. I would disagree.
Really, yeah, I'm kind of yeah, the Wolfford thing's tough for me, but I will look, it's like.
You're right, like if he's.
All going to be up to development at Alabama. You know last year the offensive line, your ability, they stunk in pass pro. They had I think they had at least one true freshman starter. But you know he didn't get that much better until this year when they had a new staff. So you know, the developing part with Wolford is in question because in twenty twenty one, when he was the offensive line coach, that might have been Kentucky's best old line of Mark Teups's tenure. But he
inherited that entire room except for Darre Rosenthal. So it the jury is very much still out.
On him as a developed, developing guy.
But I do think, look, I don't know if he's the right guy or not, but I think you ought to give him one more year to get the continuity part is so important, especially with offensive line coach and offensive coordinator. I mean, shoot, even twenty twenty two, they were both new. Every year twenty it's a different combo for this team. I don't even want to get how many years in a row they've had a different combo.
So I think you give Wolford one more year and if it fails, well hopefully they just the whole staff has gone at the sales again next year. If we're being honest, but Wolford can't, I would even consider a mid season change if it's a Matt.
I don't know line coach. Here's the one thing I think we all need to remember. We're kind of getting over our skis me you billy, We're all passing judgment on this guy. You know who thought he was a pretty good oline coach, or he wouldn't have hired Nick Saban knows a little bit about football. Yeah, so that's why I will benefit of the doubt.
I'll give him a little I'll give him doubt.
You've got to show me something up from you know, Hey, it's going to come down to the portal.
That's right.
Get just didn't happen to work when he was with Nick Saban.
No, but so Nick Saban was wrong, Yeah he was. What about the players that he walked in on? Who did he have good players when he got there at Alabama? I had no idea me to do.
I I mean, one of the kids he had on this team last year, Booker is going to be a first top ten pick in this draft and need a top ten pick in last year's draft. Like, it's not like he was a total mess.
I wonder what Nick sawing him? All right? All right, when we come back with ship to basketball, since Aaron was on handed Clemson a little bit later on, Jeff ccorl was going to join us right here on the state wide BBI from Pikeville to Paduca. It is the big Blue Insider, Dick Gabriel, Billy Ruddlers, Aaron Gershawn joining us on the phone, and he has been home a little while now from Clemson. Your first trip to Little John Am I am? I right about that?
Yeah, first time in Clemson, cool town. Great.
Ended up being a great environment.
To be honest with you, was like, it wasn't anything spectacular in the first half. I've definitely seen some tougher environments in the SEC. But it picked up big time in the second half when the Clemson sand Bay started to smell blood in the water. And you know, credit to the Kentucky fans that made the trip or in the area, there was a good contingency when they went on a run there at the end of the first half.
I think it was nine to zero. The big Blue chance definitely broke out, and they were they were waiting to have their moment in the second half, and it didn't quite happen that way.
Now, you know, you got one on me. I'd never been to Clemson. I've been to Greenville. I've been to Furman a couple of and once for football, once for base I.
Drove by Freeman on the way homes of day.
Yeah, that's a great campus. But I heard Mark Pope talking tonight and heard I stayed up late and listened to him talking to Tom Leech last night. Man, he was drained. I don't know about uh when he talked to you guys, and yeah, no doubt, but I got to think his team was drained too. That was a physical game, and in theory they they prepared for it, Aaron, but I don't know how you can actually get ready,
you know. And it's a great quiver to have in your in your bag now because they know what it's gonna take to win a physical game.
Yeah, I mean to be honest, the last three games have probably been the most physical they've played, but they just hadn't played the caliber of physicality that clums And provides just to to you know what WK and Georgia State are. And yeah, I mean, look that Ian Shefflin kid, who's only like six seven or six eight. He would have got twenty rebounds and yep, without a foul somehow. I mean, that kid was just a bully to them,
especially in the first half. And I think he'd eleven at halftime, so you know, they really struggled on the glass in the first half. They got pushed around. You know, everyone's screaming about Kobe Brea not playing much well, and I agree to it a point where if you're trailing and you need offense, yeah, you give up the defense, I guess. But he couldn't guard anyone and then offensively, clumbs and ran him off the line all night. You know, the one open look was a really good play by
him to get themself open. So they were running Kentucky off the three point line. There were still some open looks and Kentucky didn't make a lot of them, which is frustrating, but that's what you're gonna get when you played this brand of basketball. But yeah, Clemson physicality was on display. It was a very, very physical one. Kentucky
I thought matched it in the second half. Obviously, they ended up I think breaking even in the rebound category, so that was good, but it took too long to adjust, and I think a matter of shots not falling, not just from three, the biggest thing. And I've been saying it, you know, really all year. They're not a very good free throw shooting team, and they got to get that cleaned up.
Now.
Eleven of eighteen you lose by four, so you make five of those and you win the game. So it's just there are some things that are preventable that they can clean up that also played into this loss. But you know, this was a good physical test for them, probably the most physical team they've played, even with Duke in there, with Duke being a little younger, and look, Gonzaga is more physical, faster, and better shooting than Clemson, so hopefully they'll be ready quick.
It was a concerning game for KERKKRISA Aaron, do do you feel like Kentucky has a death problem?
Oh?
I you know, we'll see if it becomes a trend, but it was definitely the starting lineup was much stronger than the reserves. There's no question. I thought the only guy who really gave you much of He didn't give you much offense. So I thought Ansley Aminar played okay off the bank. I didn't think he was too bad. But Brandon Garrison really struggled. And like you said, Kirk cries on both sides. Was it was a mess for him last night. You know, it just not his night
at all. And look when Lamont Butler was infou trouble and then maybe a little hobbled in the second half, it was a mess. I think that what Butler finished with a plus seventeen, Carissa with a minus twenty one. Yeah, I mean, it doesn't get much more. I don't know if I've quite seen a big difference like that before between your starting and backup point guards. So that was concerning Brendon Garrison made Maybe it's the injury being rusty, hadn't played in a week. I don't know, but uh,
he struggled a lot last night. I thought Amari Williams was great on the defensive end, but offensively, we all know there's some deficiencies there. So the two things like outside of you know, shots are going to fall. I think eventually, I think there's too much good shooting on the team. Hopefully they get the free throw shooting intact, and then the physicality. I think that'll come. The two issues I came away concerned with the death like you said, Billy,
and then you know Kentucky. What they do, like Byu did it last year, is that center spot. They run them at the top, at the top of the key and they kind of run the ship and it's a read and react system. Last year at Byu Ali Khalifa who's now a Louisville he's red shirting with an injury. This year, he could shoot threes. He was like a thirty five thirty six percent three point shooter, so defenses had to come out and respect him. Where Amari Williams
and Brendan Garrison they don't shoot threes at all. Brendan Garrison hasn't made one in his career and Omari's made like two or three, so there's no respect for them and allows defenses to sag off and maybe even go double team with Kobe Breo or just fill the gaps on the three point line. And that those are the two things I've come away concerned with with with these last couple of games.
I think it's.
Something that can be cleaned up, but they're gonna have to scheme around it.
Got about a minute left. But I really believe and this is not why they lost, But I think it mattered. Butler gets into foul trouble and it hurts himself.
Yep.
I think minus him, they're not quite the same team, are they.
No? I think if Butler played what do I don't know what his final minute to twenty five. If he plays twenty five, ye, if he plays thirty three.
They win that game.
Maybe.
So that's how he was.
Their best player on the team. He was there playing better than anyone on the entire court last night.
No, I know it.
Take Away might have been the leading scorer, but Lamont Butler was the best basketball player on either side last night, and not having him for fifteen minutes hurt And I was glad. Mark Pope said, I probably should have let him play through it.
I think they probably wouldn't in the game if he did that. I only played nineteen or nineteen.
I think nineteen, okay, So yeah, if he gets if you get through to like twenty eight, they probably win that game.
Not sure where I got twenty I really think so.
Yeah, no he was. He was not flustered, I thought at all. But then again, he's a guy who played the NCA champions. He did exactly right, and they all are. Do you look more like a fat You're right, all right, Aaron. Well, next time we get together there will be more news I'm sure about coming or going on football. You're not going to Seattle?
I all right, I'm not going to Seattle.
Okay, all right, Well, we'll see you in here next week then, and hope all is well with your dog. Big day tomorrow for Barkley tomorrow. Yeah, good luck with your giants as well. Have a good one, all right? Talking about coming and going to New York Football Giants, that's Aaron's team. Jeah Pacorl's next here on the State Wide BBI. Welcome back to the Stay Wide, Big Blue Insider Dick Gabriel, Billy Rutlis join now on a celebrity hotline by mister Jeff Picoro, color analyst for the UK
Basketball Network and sports director WTVQ. Before we get into the sports, Jeff, you are a man of mature years. I will say you're not old by any chance, but you're committed a relationship. So is Billy? So am I married? Billy just shared something with me seconds ago about a survey about first date So I guess this goes back to when people are in their younger years, but this one shocked me. Go ahead, Billy.
Yeah.
According to a recent survey by Dating News involving three thousand participants, Chick fil A is the number one preferred first date spot for American men, and then the follow up to that is sixty six percent of women agree that a first date at a fast food restaurant is acceptable.
Jeff, how much money did we waste trying to impress women in our younger years?
Just gonna say, where was I?
Where were we going all the time?
Change?
I mean, I love me some burger king back in the.
Day, but I mean the worst, I mean, first date, The worst you could possibly was like el teredo or chee cheese or something. Maybe Darryl's. Maybe Darryl. Darryl's was a great spot.
My brother used to work at Darryl's.
You're right.
I dated worked at Darryl's. I couldn't have taken her there.
I worked there with Sandra Burton.
Oh my goodness.
Yeah for me, they just announce che cheese is coming back too, is that right?
Yeah?
Yeah, yeah, the son of the owner, the original owners bringing it back.
So admitted Billy, your your current squeeze your fiance, Did you ever think of taking her to a fast food place first date?
No, but our first date was at a bowling alley, so it wasn't that crazy, not that far away from a fast food restaurant.
But it's about but there's an activity there. There's fun, you know, there's wearing sweaty shoes at fifty other people.
The worst thing you can do is go see a movie because then you're not talking, don't right.
Or a comedy club, you know.
You know, Dick, I thought Billy took me for a Taco Tico guy.
We've gotten tacos, Jeff. We went on over to a gobby and Ryan not too long ago. Yeah, that was a good time.
I mean, I remember when Taco Tico was rolling and then all of a sudden, this taco bell rolls in. You're like what and now look at us? All right, well let us move back to sports, and Jeff, let's start and you and I already talked to the links with Tom Leach about signing day, but I don't think anybody else has signed since we chatted. But as Billy said, a lot of the luster, a lot of what was the word you use, becazzz Yeah. Remember, Jeff, you were part of these shows. I mean there used to be
an army of people over UK. We had at least six or seven different anchors. You and Christy and Freddie Maggart and and me and Jeremy Jerman and yeah and Tom Lee you know, and and U case video people did it incredible. I mean that the cameras, the cabling, the lighting, it was phenomenal. Now, I was like, here's the release. Yeah, yeah, healthy, Yeah. But that's where we are now with recruiting, isn't it.
I guess. I mean it's not as you know, I really think this wasn't the cause. But I really think that the portal, yes, taking so much away from this, you know, that is the cause.
I really do. I mean, you know, you've got, like you said earlier tonight, Jeff, okay, you've got this recruiting class, but now what you know, show me the portal. How many will be here in three years?
Yeah?
Well show me who's leaving and who's coming through that portal? Right?
So in two weeks. We've got to have a portal party.
Exactly, portal party, you know, why not? Uh, but you'll have a better grip on who you're going to play, who's gonna be playing next year?
Right yep?
Yeah, yep.
And I mentioned earlier your your theory about Dane Key, and I agree with you. Needs to go someplace where he can take I think the step that he made from year two to year three, he needs to at least match that or better at year three to year four in terms of his improvement looking at his professional future, right, yes, I.
Just think he needs to be in a pro style offense. That's he's he's thinking, Okay, I've done all I could do here? Yeah, where can I go that I can possibility of catching fifty sixty seventy passes, you know, like you know it for billion the people out there. Dick knows this. We're at Texas and they had seven receivers with thirty or more catches, eight receivers with twenty five or more catches. I mean, that's crazy, but that's the
way some of these offenses are these days. And I think he sees that and says, if I go to a place like that that wings the ball all over the place Tennessee, Texas, Missouri, and he catches seventy passes. Now he's got you know, now he's got that exclamation part exclamation mark on his on his resume.
Correct me if I'm wrong, Jeff, I think I believe you said earlier tonight that you weren't entirely sold on Cutter. Bowlie, what do you expect Kentucky does that quarterback this next year? Would you like them to bring in a transfer?
Yeah, I think they have to. I mean they have to bring him in. Look, Gavin's not coming back and Brock is not coming back, So that means you got Cutter and you got two freshmen coming in. You have to have somebody there that has got some experience. You've got to bring in a junior or senior, somebody that started a bunch of games. I mean, there was two or three of them today that have that have announced. The kid from Southern cal It hits the Stanford quarterback.
You know, all these quarterbacks are jumping in there. I'm not saying I'm not sold on Cutter. I think Cutter can be the future. I just think that I'd like to have a little more seasoning in my quarterback than a kid that's played a half of a game and a half of a game and got knocked out.
You know, can you afford to do that, Jeff? I mean in this day and age.
If you if you tell Cutter, well, I mean, I think the greatest example is arch Manning. I mean, that kid's making two three million dollars to sit on the bench and come in and what do you have three plays against Kentucky? You know, it's crazy?
Yeah, that was That was also a guy that was declining innil deals with NCAA football just because his family's loaded. I feel like a quarterback in the portal wants to know that he's starting, right.
Yeah, Yeah, that he's gonna at least have the opportunity to start. And that's all I'm saying. You're gonna have to bring a guy in and guess what best guy wins, that Cutter or the other guy. That's what they did at Georgia after what's his name left and you had Brock and you had the kid that's there now, and the best guy wins, yes, Bennett, Yeah, and he all he did was making in the NFL.
Yeah, No, Brock had plenty of lack of seasoning and playing time as well.
Yeah yeah, and well that's kind of what I'm getting at. And look what happened. That's all I mean, today's football here's and Billy, here's the point that I made. If if okay, Billy, I'm gonna ask you pointedly this question, Yeah, would you rather have twenty eighteen year old kids coming in or would you rather have twenty twenty one, twenty two to twenty three year old kids coming in? Probably
there is a huge difference. Yeah, yeah, I mean when you were when you got to ninth grade, let's say, okay, and you were a golfer, right, yeah, and you maybe played for your high school golf team. There's a big difference between a ninth grader who's what fourteen years old and a senior who's eighteen years old. Oh yeah, it's a huge difference. You know what. They hit the ball seventy five one hundred yards longer than you do. It's
just that's just maturation in college football. If I can get a junior and a senior and another senior who are grab students, you know, that's which I mean. Look at the kid at Louisville he's a seventh year player.
Yeah, the seniors were also stubborn, and they were also worried about where they were going to college. They weren't worried about playing in their high school year. So there's pros and cons to both, but I completely agree. I mean, when you have you know, transfers and senior transfers, I mean, these are grown men compared to the seventeen eighteen year olds coming in on national signing team.
And that's what I mean. Look, Tutter Bowley has If you look at his father, his dad's a big dude. I mean, he played basketball in college, but he's a big dude. He's filled out, he's mature. Tutter is still a kid. I'm not taking eything away from Hey. If he if he wins it out and it's the starter next year, great. I love the kid, I love his family. I'm just saying he's still got Brad White talks this all the time. He still has a kid body. He didn't have his man body yet. You know.
Yeah, let me toss this out at you, Jeff. I didn't have a chance to do it earlier tonight. We were trying to get to so much stuff, but and we have talked about this before. The revolving door that has been the Kentucky quarterback spot ever since Drew Barker went down by necessity, not by choice Juco's and it's
worked to appoint Stephen Johnson Terry Wilson. I'm talking about wins over Tennessee Louisville at Florida Will Level owned U of L and he was a transfer, of course, but Barker was the guy who was going to be the man a quarterback, right He was going to take over as a sophomore because the calendar worked out that way, and he was going to be the guy who would be the Bill Ransdell or the Jared Lorenzen in terms of, you know, being a starter and letting them develop some
depth behind him. But he gets hurt and it didn't work out. I got to think that that they're looking to cut her bully the same way. He'll be our QB and he'll be a good one, and meanwhile we can develop death depth behind him. But can they do that if they go to another transfer or another Juco or whatever this coming season.
Well, I think first thing, first, Dick, it doesn't matter at this point if there's a Fran Tarkington or a Johnny Manzil or Roger Stauback out there. You gotta find him because if the offensive lin't any better, they're just gonna be running for their lives back there. And most people don't know who Roger Straubark and Fran Tarkington are, but they know Johnny Manziel.
Yeah, Fox kids, those guys could run away from trouble, especially tarkingdon better than even Johnny Minkings. Right, yeah, yeah, there you go. Yeah yeah, and giants.
But but but what I mean is, look, you've got to get a line. Okay, if you've got okay, let's look look at Texas for instance, if you had Texas's line, then you can have Cutter Bowley back there because he's not get touched.
Okay, you know, I got you. Yeah.
How would you take the temperature of Mark Stoops right now? Jeff, do you feel like he's he's back with energy and ready to prove people wrong or do you feel like that this could be like you know, two three years he's done coaching.
I don't think he wants to go out this way. He wants to go out on top. He has a winner's mentality. He's a he's a you know, he's an athlete, and it doesn't matter how old you are, you want to win. He doesn't want to leave. He wants to leave on his own terms, you know, just like his brother did. He Bob wins the national championship. He said, you know what, I've had enough. Now I may all my bunny and I want to I want to enjoy life.
Marks almost to that point. But he's not going to go out after a four to eight season, and uh, he deserves. Here's what people forget. He's done something that no other coach in the history of Kentucky football is done. And he's he's done it by more than more than twice as many bowl games in a row as anybody else.
Right, Yeah, And people dismiss that, Well, you can schedule a ball. How come only eight teams have done it?
You know, Kentucky only three going into this year. Was only three teams in the confine Georgia, Kentucky and Tennessee, not Florida that you know, not South Carolina.
Well, and I mentioned this earlier, Jeff that I'm Billy, that was a great question. But I do believe that the energy Stoops has has been tempered by the ni l and portal and you know, you talk about it, probably too much, but I think he was trying to shoot straight with people. Look, here's what we're up against. And you know, Kentucky does not have the deepest of pockets generally speaking, when it comes to the nil. Thank you,
Joe Kraft. But Mark Stoops when he got into coaching, he wanted to recruit, evaluate and develop players, not be one of the highest bidders raise money exactly. And I can't blame him, you know. I mean, I think he loves being a football coach. And what coach out there says, give me some more of that, you know, I'll drop what I'm doing and go make some phone calls and help whoever is on my staff try to raise money. That's why guys are quitting. Everybody you know knows that.
But not everybody's a Nick Saban, Not everybody's a Jay Wright Stoops' brother. You're right, Jeff, he got out with his national title. I'd be willing to bet that Mark's made more money than he yes, because when Rob got out, Yeah, so does that makes sense?
Yeah? But you know, and Dick, you know this, I think you look at Okay, look at Louisville and what they've done there. I mean, Jeff brom is the COO of Louisville football. Brian brom is the head coach of that football team. He runs practice, he calls the plays, he does everything. Jeff is the overseer. Mark is still trying to do basically both jobs, you know, and that's
hard to do nowadays. I mean, now you're seeing most of the college football teams around the country, especially the big ones, are bringing in what they what they're calling him general manager to help alleviate just what Mark's talking about nil portal. They are these general managers, and some schools are paying seven figures and upwards of these general managers uh to come in and basically set up to
set the team up. So you've got, as you said, what they say, three hundred offensive lineman they went through last year, Yeah, to find the ones that they was Yeah. So now this general manager does that so Mark doesn't have to. Maybe it's a guy like Eddie Grant someone like that. Yeah, but these teams are moving to that because you basically you've got to have a guy to
figure out payroll. You've got to have a guy to figure out your because you've got eighty five basically, and pretty soon it's gonna be one hundred and five free agents.
Jeff, let me shift it a Let me shifted a basketball in the time we have remaining, because you have to pay attention to that as well in your day job. But what did we learn about this Kentucky team last night?
Whether shots don't fall, it's hard. I mean, you've got to shoot better than what was it sixty four percent for the free throw line, sixty one sixty for the free line. I mean, you you hit five more free throws, you win the game, right, six more free throws you win the game. I know was seventy seventy sixty six? Five more free throws you win. I just thought that right from the start. I'm losing my mind. Big guy for Kentucky whim he could hit a shoot, he couldn't buy one.
Andrew car could not Andrew Carr put Andrew Carr. He could not buy a shot. I mean easy shots that he makes all the time. And then and then he went to the free throw line, missed his first two free throws. I said, oh, he's he's off tonight. But you know they get bullied around a little bit. But I think that's the way a lot of teams are going to try to play them, because you know, you're going to try to bounce them off that three point line and force them to go inside. And uh, you know,
Kentucky will change, They'll get it. It's like, look, nobody's gonna go out to see and everybody knows that this is a pretty good Clemson basketball team. They went to the Elite eight. You know they're pretty good. I think that you people are going to try to come at Kentucky with that lunch pail mentality now kind of you know, we're going to try to make it an atn alley an alley fight.
Uh well, Kentucky is everybody super Bowl. And it was interesting to hear Mark Pope say that because it sounded eerily similar to the old coach. But I saw one of the strangest things I've seen in a basketball game in that game, Jeff, when Clemson stormed the court, they turned all the lights off. So you gotta think that's not this brightest idea. Would you agree with that?
Yeah?
Yeah, Hunt until the one thing.
The one thing I did like is they they ran about ten security people right in front of Kentucky's bench. Yeah, so the fans couldn't get to the Kentucky bench. And if I'm not mistaken, I think they had like a rope that they were holding too. And then Kentucky walked the entire length of the floor around everybody out, which I thought was a very good idea. Yeah this, well,
I'll tell you what. The one thing that I hate sports, and it's really getting out of hand in football is this is storming the field and then let's plan a fly?
Thank you.
Hate that? What is the deal with that? Ridiculous? And I know, well, if you don't want him to do it on your flat, on your field, then beat him. No that's no, No, that's rue.
Sarkashian did it perfectly. He ran. He saw his guys who went out to the Texas A and M fifty yard line to get pictures and he said, no, we don't do get get let's go.
Yeah, and then.
And everybody's killing Ryan Ryan day because all he did was stand there and watch and going woods that happening.
What do you think of that?
I think he was stunned. I think that he was absolutely stunned at what happened. They were a twenty point favorite. Yeah, and this may be the worst Michigan team to beat ranked. They won forty seven straight games to get sent unranked opponent Michigan wasn't ranked. Yep.
Well, Bill Curry couldn't beat Auburn and who was there was Ohio State coach? Couldn't be Michigan had a great record otherwise, Earl Bruce. That's it. That's it, yeah, Jeff Row, I appreciate your time as always, nice sharing the airwaves with you tonight. Have a good one, thanks, Jeff. All Right, we'll step out you back and wrap up this evening
of sports talk radio. It's been a long one, but a good one here on the state Wide BBI as we wrap up this edition of the Big Blue Insider, the state wide version, of course, we thank you for hanging in there because it's been a long night. But it was kind of cool having the back to back shows. I realized Mark Stoops was not here tonight, but it was fun talking football but Tom and Jeff, and I'm not sure it's exactly what folks wanted to hear, but Mark Stoops is back at work and I think has
tried to say the right things of Late Billy. But man, I agree with you. I mean, I remember when our friend Freddie Man used to describe what signing day was like for him. He had every possible screen in his man cave working. He had multiple TVs and an iPad and a computer and and just you know, and he's not the only one, you know, with information pouring in and that way fans could plot and plan the future of their team. And now it's the portal, and now it's who is.
Now it's like half of that class may not even make it to their sophomore junior year, which is just like, how can I get invested in those guys if they're not going to play. Before it was like, you know, if they left, they had to sit out a year, you really set back your progression and all that. So and even before that, it was the fax machine, right yep. You would just watch a fact.
The huge show that we used to do over on campus with all those anchors and cameras and lights. You know that started They called me one day and said, would you come on signing Day and be on the internet, just sit there on camera and announce who we saw. I said, sure, that's it. So I'd sit down and when there was nothing going on, I get up and walk around. If anybody tuned in on the internet, there's
an empty chair. And when there was a signing, I'd sit down and say, okay, here's the latest, and then they'd show him putting the name up on a wall. And that was it, and that evolved into this huge show and now we're back. We're back to the piece of empty chair exactly. You don't even get to see the empty chair. So anyway, it's all out there. Thanks so much for joining us, Thanks to Aaron, Billy and Jeff.
That's it.
Good night from Lexingdon