Hey, Chrichy, you just starts off with the gym. Uh. It was a really productive spring. We worked extremely hard, probably the hardest we worked in the four springs I've been here now. Uh, these guys just embraced every moment of it. We saw a lot of progress as a team got The new guys that came in, either as as freshmen you know, high school guys, earlier rollies, or the portal guys all just assimilated very very well. We saw that in the in the winter training program as well.
So we stayed healthy for the most part of it. We had you know, some mix and stuff like that, but we didn't have any serious serious injuries at least the guys that are in the depth right now. So we feel really good coming out of this. Now, the next phase is the portal's open, so I'm sure it's madness out there, and these guys will work out for a couple of weeks and they'll take some time off and we'll get back at it right after Memorial of the weekend, so late in May. That's the next phase.
So it's been really good, really competitive cooperative intents. We got about probably over fourteen hundred team reps, which is more than you have in a season. So that's that's what we needed to do. We needed to work hard and we did it. What are you approaching this portal window? Do you feel like you have a lot of bulls that you still need to No, No, We're we're in
decent shape. I mean, there's some spots that we have to address, and we'll do that, but I'm hopeful that you know, guys that are here want to stay here, appreciate the environment that they've helped create, and are happy with the progress for making. But there's always going to be you know, surprises. We'll be actively looking for guys that can, you know, help us get where we want to be. And you know that starts a second we walk off this field because I'm sure there's you know,
priority thousands of kids in this portal. It's it's a different time now that they're going to reduce the roster limits. There's gonna be a lot of really good football players out there, so we'll be hunting. How do you balance building on the momentum from last season to starting with Ron you start over, you know, I mean last year doesn't matter. You know a lot of these guys winning here, we lost some critical pieces, uh to you know that helped us have the success we had last year. So
it's it's you just start from ground zero. You know, you talk about culture, you talk about work ethic, you talk about attitudes, you talk about character, commitment, teamwork, team, you know, selflessness, all those things. You just got to rebuild it out. So they're really in this day and age, there's no such thing as momentum coming out of one year or not. You just I think if you assume there's going to be, then you make a pretty big
mistake quotational. So we just start over, start over, and you have a chance to see King when he played Temple, what did you like about him and say a good figure? Well, first and foremost, he's a playmaker. You know, he's made a lot of tackles in his career and that's position with that experience and a guy that's you know, been productive is really important. Uh Like the way he played, like his energy when he came on us visit just
his personality. Uh he fits here. You know, he's a he's a good natured, tough, hard working team kind of guy. And you know that was what we felt when we brought him in for the weekend and through this last since January. That's what he's proven to be. Same thing in this spring ball. You know, he kind of stepped up. And it's not easy to come in as a new guy and gain instant credibility with your teammates and respect for your team teammates. But he did that just in
his words and his actions. So I'm really excited about him. So you're missaid last year's last year, but dose last year helped sell your message when you're looking, It absolutely does. So that's there. You know, if you're a put in in a word that or in a realm wasn't necessarily like the football part. There's more people that are willing to listen to us than they were in the past.
Recruits transfers a little more attention on your program, and that's a real positive obviously because we we want to capitalize on that. But in terms of like resetting as a team, we don't do that. But yeah, it's been it's been different. You know, there's there's people that are making unofficial visits here, people that are you know, in con tack with us that maybe it was a little more difficult to get get their eyes last year. Look,
especially defensive fronts. I'ven pillars are sort of the program. How hard is it to rebuild? It's hard. It's hard. You know, you stand out here and you see Val and Chase sitting over there. Of course I see him every day. They're both living at my house, which has been unbelievably awesome to have him there. Uh, I mean funny, fun fun I mean, you know, Val and my wife cook every night, the Vows cookies, zucchini bread, carrot cake,
sourdough bread. I mean I walk in the other day, VAL's gotta he's got a bowl with a uh a towel over the top of them. I started to postle, coach, don't pull that back. That's my My dough is whatever rising And it's just awesome. But uh, you know, Val, Dal, Chase, Jilawnie, you know Malik two Wee Ronto. Those guys were here through the fifth in the fam and so there was just this there's this grit to them and they've been
the guy. So they understood what we were all about, and they'd kind of kind of put some skins on the wall. They earned it, and it's hard to replace that. It really is and that's why one of the reasons that this spring is so demanding on these guys. You want to see who's going to emerge, you know, who's going to show up and when you put apply pressure to the team, you know, or things you're kind of going off off track a little which maybe you create on on purpose, who's going to try to get it
back on track? And so those are really important things for us to have accomplished this spring. That's say, well, I got like a Taekwon and he kind of emerges, you know, and you they see things kind of going whack out of whack, he just kind of has the ability to bring it back in could on that note, who have been some of the people who have kept the leadership wise for those group You've us in so
many of that, says Demon Brinson. Wes Ho, you know, I mentioned Taekwon, Donovan brand Carston and they're all in their own way. Some guys never say a word, but the way that they work and their attitude every single day, Uh, you know, they're just there. They're big time influencers on this team. And uh, Cam Chadwick in his own way, Joe Figiano obviously, so uh I think there's just a
lot of potential. I think as important as leadership is just a connection, you know, and the team seems to be building a connection, and that's really important, really important as you go forward. You talk about people listening to maybe more and now more and more willing listening. You've had a few players that you know, went to the teams that you played against, right impressed them they went there.
It's a must be nice to have somebody now like Taekwon, that you saw and you liked whatever you saw and we're able to pull him here. Yeah, no, it is, it is. It's just just uh, it's a good it's a good feeling to at least get in the game, you know, when there's been times in the past we couldn't even get in the game with a guy, and now we feel like, you know, people are willing to listen. It's there's a genuine interest. And then when they come here and they meet the people and they see the
facilities and the way these kids treat each other. Geez, I didn't know what it was gonna be like this, you know, So at least we're getting to that point. And then we just got to pull a few victories out of that and we'll keep building this thing the
right way. You know, character is so important to our team, you know, in that connection, and so we always have to be really careful that it's it's more than just about the football player, you know, it's about the person as well, because that's you know, that's what builds the strength of your team, is the is the character of your team. We kind of been Branch was a guy that had decommitted at leave and then you guys got
it to come back and now he's in here four years. Yeah, what what was it that you saw them that made want him to stay? Well, he decommitted, Like I mean I said, right when I got here, I didn't know him, you know, but you watch the film and you saw trades. He's a guy I just done a tremendous job of developing himself physically and mentally, emotionally. I mean, he's just a he's a world class person and he's grounded. He
takes it serious. He's been the same kind of since he got here, and now you're really starting to see it payoff. And the way he looks physically, his understanding of the defense is production. So if you look at his production. If you went off his pure stats, there's nothing to write home about. But you know, that's kind of those people outside that are looking the stats. Fortunately, we get to see him every day and meetings in the weight room, we get to see him at practice,
and we know what he's becoming. Jim, I hate the thrower used to be out there, But it used to be these springs would end with a spring game or a scrimmage or something like that. Not anymore, it's cheaged. Well, we decided last year when we were out there on Maron at least, I decided that that was we weren't gonna do that again again. Number One, the turf isn't
conducive to safety and opinion in football. It's okay for lacrosse and soccer and and the field if they ever play field hockey the things they do out there, but for our football team, that turf is not safe. Number two, Uh, it was cold and wet and rainy, and no one was there, and uh, it just wasn't the energy and the environment that we needed. And number three, I feel like in a practice like this, we can get a
lot more done. You know, we can create more situations, We can create the energy we want, we can get the evaluations that we want, and so we just decided last year that we're not doing anymore. Now other people have their own reasons for us, it was really just a function of how can we have fifteen really really good practices where we can develop as a football team,
irrelevant of what anyone else is doing. I'm so curious on your position on the state of sort of the transfer portal and all that stuff where we're seeing at least one player, you know, show that you can kind of hold out. Yeah, And I mean I don't, I don't know. I don't know. There's there's there's really no rules that are being followed. Tampering is rampant. The NCAA refuses to step in and do anything about it. I
know this. If one of our players that I don't think is gonna leave all of a sudden leaves, I'm calling that team out. If I have any inkling that there's tampering, I'm naming names. I'm not gonna be one of those coaches says, hey, we the NCAA's got to do something about tampering. I'm gonna say no school X, just like get I did in the winter school X did this, and then the NCAAs to decide if they want to do something about it, which so far doesn't
appear they're going to. I think it's chaos. I think it's unfortunate. I think it's horrible for the players. I don't think it's the player's fault at all. I mean, these players, they see the money out there, they want to go get it. There's no contracts, there's nothing holding them back from them. They're young, impressionable kids. I don't blame them at all. It's it's it is what it is. You're just the I mean, I consider I'm not bitching. I'm just telling you the facts. It's just it is
what it is. I mean, you kind of get a little adrenaline rush out of it. At the same time, you know, I know the positives it. It gives us a chance to go out and you know, better our team, and it gives players a chance to got and better their situation. But at some point in time, at some point in time, the people that govern this have to have some parameters that they enforce and they stick to, otherwise it's going to implode. You didn't hear anything. You
didn't hear anything. At all after anybody mentioned more. It's like Mike Gandhi said, you know, go and look consider my Gundy said about spring games. You know, I'm not going to repeat what he said, but tell somebody's willing to actually hold somebody accountable. People are just going to do what they want regardless of the this what the rules say, and that is exactly what's happening. But I'm not going to be afraid to call it out because I don't care. You know what I'm saying, because what
are the players on your spring roster? Is du Khan? Define? Can you talk about him at all? I don't know how it work. Is this some sort of kind of tryout or how hard if nearly try? He impressed us now he you know, Coach Penders talked about him a lot to me, and Drew expressed an interest in coming out and playing football again. And you would not have known that it had been a while since he played.
And when he stepped right in and he was really good and he understood the game, and he's competitive, and he's tough, and he catches the ball consistently, he learns well. I don't know what his plans are going forward. I mean if if tomorrow he's out there, you know, hitting clean up for our baseball team, I'm all for it. You know. I'd love to have him back in the in the summer, in the in the fallback. So whatever he wants to do, you know, and whatever coach Penders
thinks is best for him. I like him, you know. I like dual sport guys like I wouldn't mind our guys running track, you know, I'd be great. He just go out there and compete. That's the best thing we can do is go compete. So all right, hey, thanks,