Let's bring him into the fold now and get his perspective not only on Pittsburgh but on that of the Clemson Tigers. It's our good friend. I saw him a few weeks ago. He was up here in studio hanging out with Rich Weaver, and now we got him for a couple of minutes. It's Will Vandervoort Clemson Insider dot com. What's going on, big daddy? Hey man? What's going on with you? Guys? Man? I don't know.
We've been just the dog days of summer for football fans, as you know, is like late June, early July, and now we're into it. We're here, We've got the EA College Football Game out. I want to start with that. I'm understanding here from talking to you during break that you do like video games. You do have a copy of this game, and what were your initial impressions? Yeah. I like to remind the younger generation that our generation, John Yes, is the original video game generation.
I mean, my generation has seen every level of video game played. You have just created and played, and so we are the knowledgeable ones when it comes to video games. You couldn't people are like you played video games? Of course I do That's how I grew up. I heard up on video Do you think anybody was giving us Nio deals when we were playing Pong and pole Position? No, they weren't. We were playing for the love of the game. Will Van Dervord, that's we were. We were playing for
the love of the games. And but anyway, I so, yeah, I'm a big video game guy, and I love sports video games obviously, and so of course you know I've been waiting for this, this video game. I love college football. If you're not a college football fan, if you're a college football fan, excuse me, and you're a video game fan, oh go, it makes complete sense that you get this game. It's just like, you know you're supposed to do it, just like if you're
an NFL fan, you get mad. So I get mad, and so I got the bundle, even more so than Madden, because it's been a ten year wait since they developed one of these, and it's like there were so much pin up ideas. I think the separate development team with any aid that does the college game was like, boy, we've been waiting a few years to get this thing out, and boy, sometimes these games bomb it. First, I played the thing for a couple hours last night. I've
talked to people that I trusted know about this stuff. There's almost nothing to complain about. No, there's no I mean I say, every guy I talked to has been has like a came in with very little sleep to work today. Yeah. Yes, because a lot of us, you know, we were a little bit older. We got responsibility. Yeah, family and you gotta you gotta do all those things first, and then you're like,
okay, it's not thirty my time. The only person I think was a relatively taken aback and I told you to turn the break that when my son last night was playing his Clemson, he'd started his own dynasty and they actually beat Georgia by three points to start the season. There's not a telling they weren't a damn person on that field that could have blocked Peter Woods. But I think Peter Woods still would tell you. I'm a little pissed off because
you see him on Twitter yesterday. He was not happy about his photo, about his likeness. He wants that fixed a set, and I think the developers need to know that Peter is a gentle soul, but fix his They got Brenning stool wrong. Too. He don't look like they also pronounced his name and there did They is not tappy either, Yes, in there does not pronounce the thing correctly. What do you bringing? Do you say bringing stool? Like? Hell them brining stool? That sounds like a condition.
We need to get that looked at. Oh geez, well, yeah, Jake, Jake's good on that game. And you know, I think my my son Andrew, who likes to go right into the game playing on the hardest mode possible, whatever all Madden is, That's what he did. And I said, boy, you might want to look because he doesn't know the college game as well. So I said, I'm going to sit back and
watch you play. And it was so fun to know that he didn't know the rules, like the hash marks are wider, the clock stoppage from time to time, and then the overtime. He went in an overtime game against ap State, which is hopefully on a loop, and he's like, what do I do? I said, I don't know. You should know this. He said, what do they get it back? And so he ventured till I said, look, everybody gets a crack at it for I think three times. Then you got to start going for two if you're trading the
same score, He's like, what's kind of cool it? Yeah, there were tastes where it wasn't so cool. Ask will Vandervoord, who was working late nights, if he was ever like a Texas tech gamer over times they had to take. Yeah, God, I love the game. I'm like him. I do my I'm I'm big madd guy, and I do All Madden when I play Madden. So I actually practiced, and this is just
said I nerdy I am. I actually practiced All Madden for a couple of weeks before to get myself kind of back in the field of the game. And because I'm because I'm I'm like him. I went straight to Heisman and uh hes level played, because that's just you know, if you can play All Madden, you can play Heisman, though of course you can't, you know, so so you know, I went straight over there to the Heisman level and played and it was fun. It's fun. I enjoy I enjoy
competition. So when I beat, I started beating the game consistently and beating other people. It's not fun to make. Well, that's how you live your life. You're so dominant in your career endeavors that you get bored a little bit, so you got to get on the vent. I get tired. I'll get tired of whooping y'all's ass walking around you put on a T
shirt like Joey Porter. I'm tired of whooping y'all's ass. Because will Vandervoord's weapons of mass out there doing the best content coverage for the Clemson Tigers. Let's start there for a minute. We got all seasons off video games. But Dabo Sweeney spoke with the media today. I did catch the fact that obviously, on August first, the Panthers are coming back down for fan Fest, which will be very cool, and Clemson's opening up fall camp on that
same day practicing on adjacent fields. Anything else stand out in terms of just Dabo's commentary today or is it just general sort of provisions of what's to be expected as fall camp opens up here in about a week and a half. It's just, you know, he'd basic comments talked about he was asked about the comments or asked I should say about the a SEC trying to move to
South Carolina game, talk about how that is. He did Graham Net the Athletic Record did come to him about that when they approached Clemson, and and Dabo said, you know, you know, no, I don't want to do that because of several reasons. One is, you know, he says, is not good for the community. You know, big game days in
Clemson, they are special. Uh, this is something that community lives off of each and so if you put it on Thanksgiving, you take you take it on Big Black Friday, you take that weekend away from the city. And also he mentioned I liked how he mentioned the recruits. Now a lot of people don't probably don't know this, but the rules change in recruiting.
National Signing Day will actually be the week I believe the week after leading up to so to be the Wednesday after the South Carolina game will be that early signing period day. And so that weekend of the South Carolina Clemson game is
an official recruiting weekend. They get to make that official recruited weekend. And so Debo's like, you know, we don't want to lose a weekend in the valley on a Saturday in the Valley giving because and nobody can come because you know, they got Thanksgiving for us to do that for us to work in the industry and cover this team, it's not ideal either, So I
understand I don't want to work on Black Friday on Thanksgiving. I liked how he said that that's what was supported being with the families, making sure the players are with their families, the students or with their families so they're not having a rush and get back for Clincon Carolina game on a Friday. You know. But I did like what Davo said. He took a stabbage.
Well, he says, if they want to do that in Columbia, that's fine, we go down there to Friday in Colombia, but we're not doing that, and we're not doing that and Cson he says, I love it, you know. I mean, people get on dab over. One thing I'll say is he has the the best interest of everything about that university, including his players, right in his heart there. Uh and everybody else can just kiss his butt because that's how he is man to that to that level.
He did have a comment today that I'd like to relay that back to you. This is from several reporters, including Austin Hannen, and I'll read you what his comment was about the criticism of n il. We've always done things differently. If nil is the factor, we're probably not going to get the recruit simple as that. If it's a factor, hey, we've got as good a shot as anybody. What do you make of that comment? Is it any different than where he stood before? Because to me it sounds
like a reminder to those out there you need clarification. Where I stand, it's not our leading pitch, but we've got some resources. Yeah. I think that's what he's saying, because that was big on he doesn't want a player to come to Clemson because they want to make money, because that's not the kind of that's not Has he the culture? Has he? Okay? Now, has he clarified why he feels that way? Is it? Is it a culture thing? Is that he's afraid they're going to jump ship next
year? Is he trying to Yeah, it's he hasn't clarified it. I'm just gonna go with why. Why. I believe he hasn't clarified it. I believe it's it is a cultural thing because Dabo is very big on wanting kids to come to school, a to come to Clemson because this is the place you're gonna you're signing up to spend you know, hopefully four years and and it's a place where you want to graduate and get your college degree.
That is still big to Dabo. That's still something he pushes. He's, uh, he's very big on you know when you look at Clemson set the record this year with graduation rate. How they I think they led all Power five schools in graduation rate this year in the as a football program. And so like he's big on that, and he's and he's honest about it, and he's like, hey, he goes in there and tells mother, moms and dad, look, I'm here not to help your kid get rich.
I'm here to help your young man become a man. Recruiting, but I'm trying to do here, and that's the heart of what he is, a recruiter and a communicator. And I think it's a brilliant move on his part. I'm not even kissing his buddy or it's the right way to do it, because deep down, you can make the moves you need to make behind closed doors that impact these players' finances and make them happy. But you don't want to be like Jimbo Fisher out there just oh, you got it.
We have record in ioyear we're spending left and right and then you go five and seven and I get it. But man, we were in that facility of today, John, and you've been in there, that facility. Yes, it is unbelievable. The stuff that Live Star resort. You literally listen to this. This is some people can understand what Clemson's football facility is. Like. You literally can walk in the door there and stay for seven days and not have to leave for any reason. Aaron Rodgers shown up there.
You can shower, you can get a haircut, you can eat, you can work out, you can play football, you can play video games, you can play bowling, you'll play you can play what's that pickleball? You can play putt putt, you can play basketball, put you can do every you can cook out on your grill, you can do everything you want to do in that facility. And it's like that loan right there to me is like, man, I would love to just live here, you know it
is. It's not just the facility. I've seen parts of it. I even't been able to spend a week there. Like it's the Lakeside ladch which I probably should ask. I should ask somebody like money or somebody down there. Is there a way we could just do a promotional deer where I'm there all week, just a big fact no in the morning with a cup of coffee and your robond to watch TV Dado's brother Bless. It's hard to gonna come in and escort my ass right out. But in iol, I mean,
this is the thing. Look at the top dogs in terms of who is making the most money in that department. It's arch Manning. It's guys like Jackson Dark talking about quarterbacks Evan Carson, Bell Mill. It is. And so you know, right now with Clemson's particular season in il is what it is. You can't really get that hyped up and hyper attentive about it.
As an analyst, as we're almost at fall camp, what I want to talk about is the actual football because there's one player on this team that I think now has a little less competition and a real path in front of him to be spectacular this year, not only on the field, but just statistically. Fil MafA Yeah, yeah, I think Phil has a chance. You know, Debo and CJ. Spiller and Garrett Riley, we're all talking
about how CJ. I mean, how philm MafA was, you know, kind of just he's kind of taking that next step as a player, as a running back, as a leader. They just said, you know, he's just a different guy than what he has been the last couple of years in all those areas, and you know they're gonna write them this year. Now. I don't think that means they're gonna write them for thirty or forty carries old Raymond Priester style back in the late nineties. I don't think that's
gonna be the case. I think you're gonna see him get up around twenty carries per game. He's gonna be their main guy. They talked about how he's improved in his hands out of the backfield, has become a better receiver, yep, And they feel like he can be a definitely be a weapon there. I think the biggest step Field needs to make this year is with
his pass protection. If you remember Clinton's biggest game of the season last year, Clinton's driving to go take a two score lead early in the fourth quarter when MafA misses the linebacker coming off the edge and goes out for a pass instead of staying in and chipping the linebacker club Nick fumbles the ball, the ball scooped and scored, picked up, scooped, and they run it back for a touchdown, and it ends up that ends up being the play that
sends the game into over him and they turned the whole game around as Florida State ends up winning it in overtime. So you know, that's something he's got to get better at because it did cost Climpson the game shit literally to the point cost clumps in the game, And so that's kind of where he needs to get better, and especially if he wants to play in the NFL,
he's got to improve in that department. And I know that's something he's worked hard on in the spring and this summer, and CJ feels like he's kind of like turning that corner there and it's going to be a much better player in that in that regard. Will Van der Vord is our guest Clemson Insider dot com. I mean, there's so many questions I have about this roster, and we would need a whole podcast. Maybe your podcast, which we can promote a minute, would be a good place to do that.
But just quickly, when you look at this defense. Obviously it stands on its own with the reputation, but I think there's a reality here brewing that this unit, at least in terms of the front seven and then a couple of pieces on the back end, have the potential to be one of the best we've seen in a long time around here. And I'm not using hyperbole. I'm looking at guys like TJ. Parker, I'm looking at Peter Woods. I see Kate park who has come on so strong here in his development.
Barry Carter obviously we know what he's able to do on a night or night a night out basis would as has been just absolutely excellent when he's come in there and played. And Khalil Barnes, who I think is just one of the hidden gyms from last year. This young defensive times had to grow up fast. And I think Wes, who you know well, Wes Goodwin, he's got to be loving the fact that hey, they're young and they
got experience. Absolutely, and he you know, he talked about today that this is a team where some people I think naturally look at it thought they lost a lot of pieces, and I guess technically they did, you know, But at the same time they bring back guys who who started at least four games at almost every position. The only place where they don't really have
that experience is at defensive end yep. And that's the major concern there, and that's why the pulling Peter Woods to the outside and letting him play.
It's interesting how they're gonna clemch this funck is gonna look this year because Wes Goodwin and Chris Rump and Nick Eason both all three of those guys when asked about their Peter Woods and how he was gonna how they're going to use him, they mentioned how it's going to depend on the opponent and what fronts they're going to be using, and they also said we could use some move some other guys out there too, such as Trey Williams they mentioned as one guy.
Peyton Page is another guy, and they said it really goes off how these guys are multi talented. They can they can cross train and do different things, and it allows him to have different, multiple looks up front.
And so it's gonna be interesting how Wes Goodwin plays the video game, if you will, with real life players, because he's got some talent there and at that defensive tackle position to where they could do some things with different guys to overcome you know, the lack of depth to have at defensive end. So and then of course you got T. J. Parker, who, for some reason everybody forgets. This guy's pretty darn good. Oh he's really good. He's I mean, he tackles for a last last year. Yes,
thank you. Nobody talks about him. It's like ridiculous, Like hello, guys, Well, he's the prototype edge six three about two fifty, and that's what you want. Is sort of the guy that can get the ben you need. And it's for Woods, I mean those that don't know Woods. He is, you know, built a little bit I guess like a Warren Sap like a three technique, but he's got so much quickness off the line you can use him at conventionally. War is a great comp right
there. That's a great comp. I just think he well the technique he plays online, but he has more versatility there. He can hold the five technique at the tackle. And I think, to your point about good when I haven't spoken to him about this, but I trust your opinion because you and him know each other well. I'm fascinated bout how they run this front and then on the back end there obviously you got some guys you've lost, but you know Terrell's coming back. And again Khalil Barnes was a guy that
just flashed for me. And this is even before he was getting turnovers. I saw a guy that was just the frame, the way he plays his traits. He's long, he's athletic, and he's got a good, good mind for the game. I think he's gonna be a star here. Last question about this particular team here with the receiving corps. We'll talk about that in greater detail, but brinning Stool of course, will pronounce it correctly.
He can have a breakout year, right. I mean, this is a guy who's been emerging year after year, and I think, you know, target share is going to be a little bit interesting with what they do have. And maybe don't have your thoughts on Brenning Stool and maybe outside of the usual names, we're hearing at receiver, maybe a younger receiver that could step up and surprise us this year. Well, yeah, you know he's a
guy at Breinstall had fifty catches almost five hundred yards last year. He is on the cuff of being one of the more talented tight ends Clemson has ever had. Yeah, and I think this year he has a potential to really put up some big numbers. I'm with you, especially if guys like you know TJ. Moore, the freshman coming in that came in last month, or you know, you've got the young man that was there already on campus,
a man whose name is escaping me at the moment. You know, but if you know west Kill Brian, that's all I read about was and he he was showing flashes already. If those two guys live up to their potential or what people are saying about him, I should say, then I think that's going to open up things for Brittany Stool because if you got if Crimpton's got the vertical threat back in its offense, which is what it's been
lacking. If they have the vertical threat back in their offense, and then it's just going to open up things across the middle for Brennan Stool, for Antonio Williams, for Tyler Brown. And by the way, let's all forget about this guy Troy Stelauto. By the way, if you play him in the video game, you know he's he's he's unbelievable. A still, lot of a sports guys were talking to me because I've been talking of yuh Troy Stilano forever and and this guy do the best hands on the tip route.
My son Andrew, my son Andrew played as Clinton last night and I watched that. I knew all these guys. He did not, And he said, who's this guy? I said, well, he's a guy that we think should be more involved most of us. And it's like cool to see that actually happen in front of us and looks real. And not to mention Stellato's, I believe his uncle is the agent for Tommy Cutlet's. So,
I mean there's there too. And Tyler Brown put on some some exhibition type numbers last year at times, and I've got some high hopes for him. It was inconsistent at times, but again MafA feeding the ball as the team came down the stretch last year. I know there's some injury stuff with Shipley, they led, they really leaning on him and the way he played in that Bowl game, the way club Nick showed some resolve. Gonna be interesting,
Hey, quickly before we let you go Steelers. I don't know if Falcon wants to to ask any questions about the Pittsburgh team, But I'll just say this, are you right now? Do you think he's getting traded? And would you? Would you do it if it's a first rounder? M hmm? I mean I think that's the only way the Steelers can give him uh is to dangle of the force because they're not gonna trade, you know, uh tj waher. I heard one person say trade tj w. I'm
you're idiot, not gonna do that. You don't do that. So I don't know if the Steelers have the capita to do it or will want to do it, because he's gonna be asking for so much. The forty nine is gonna ask so much in a trade for him, So I just don't know. I mean, Pittsburgh's got the money next year to pay his protract. They don't have the money. They're in good shape from a cap space standpoint, but they I don't the Steelers just they don't trade first round pick.
They don't do that, and I just I just can't see them do that. I just can't see him do that. Aside from IUK obviously, what do you what do you make of this receiving core right now, how do you feel about Roman Wilson kind of coming in? Could he? I love Roman Wilson. He is the hind ward kind of guy. I like, that's who he reminds me of. He's got this toughness to him. He's he can run block. I think the Steelers kind of feel like they
got the receiver. They need to be opposite Pickings, because if you think of hines Ward, you know, you think of Roman Wilson as hines Ward like, and you think of Pickens as plexico burst like, and that's kind of who they are and what they remind me of. And I think that's a good combination with Russell Wilson to have. And then people he forgetting Pat Pat Fryarmuth is a heck of a tight end he is now that he's got a quarterback that can throw the ball and give him the ball. You're gonna
talk about somebody who's gonna come on the scene in the NFL. Everybodys gonay, where did this guy go? Exactly? It's gonna be Pat. There's no doubt in my mind. Do you see the Steelers got weapons on the offense and Najie Harris, I think is gonna be they have at least some coherent plan. Now Canada was a bad coordinator with bad schemes. Then you're bringing Mike Sullivan out of basically half retirement to try to patch it up.
Arthur Smith is a lot of things, but I'll say this coordination is very good when he's behind the mic there doing it that way, and I think it fits to what Tomlin wants to a t so Hindswater, I was looking back at the statsu here real quick, like the first couple of years in his career, I mean for four or five years, it was basically a slash role. Remember that he was doing a lot of dirty work, grunt work, and uh, he didn't break a thousand yards till two thousand and
one. So you got to be patient with a guy like some of these rookies that are coming and Wilson I love him a lot. And obviously it's a team that is hunger for a championship. They're spending like bare minimum on two quarterbacks who could be starting around the league. That's a feast. Understand that the Steelers have a have an elite defense that is ready to win super Bowl now. And so they went out this year and said, we got
to put an offense that can work with this defense. And I think they went out in the off season and did that, and and I think, you know, I think you're gonna see that. I don't. I'm not saying they're gonna win a super Bowl this year. You think the Steelers. I do think the Steelers are gonna contend for the a C North. I do think they're gonna win north of eleven games, and I do think they'll win a playoff. Do you foresee real quick, one final question, do
you foresee Darnell Washington being utilized more in this offense? I think he can be, but he's just so he's he definitely can't be in the red zone. I think probably see him use more, and especially if you look at Arthur Smith and how he uses tight ends in the red zone. He's gonna be a big weapon for Clinton for the season. He's so good at one thing, pulldog hen in that in that in the red zone dish coming season and and we'll see where he goes. They really like him as a run
blocker. Though they like him, he does a great job when it comes to that. Yeah, if he could just get a little the catching stuff down, he'll he'll be pretty special. And he is already. Will Vandervoort is a special guy. You can find him at the Clemson Insider and Steeler Will on Twitter, and there's gonna be a bevy of coverage on the way here. We'll we'll bring you back in a week or two and we'll start really diving into Clemson and of course, uh, the NFL, and we're
gonna have you on every week to make picks. You in man, I'm in man. That's good guys. Happy football season, it's here hap Happy football, Yes, Mary Football. Thanks, We'll see you later. Will Climpson Insider dot com