Welcome to the solid verbal.
I'll that for me. I'm a man, I'm for it.
I've heard so many players say, well, I want to be happy. You want to be happy for Dake Edith State is that whoo whoom?
And Dan and Tye.
Hey, everybody, it's your friend Dan. I am so, so, so so so sorry. Ty is swamped this week, so we still have a show. Obviously, you know what this show is. But he's a busy man. Ty has so much going on, swamped at the mysterious day job closing. I think he closed on a new house, so he's got stuff to do. He's too busy for me. He's too busy for us. But we don't go away. We don't take weeks off. That's just not what we do.
So I texted our dear friend Bruce Feldman, who has been all over this spring checking in with Spring Camp and looking over players and sort of giving out eye tests, because that's what Bruce does. Bruce is one of the greats, and so we have them on and we're going to talk about all sorts of fun things and he's there up close. So who better to trust than the immortal, the esteemed Bruce Feldman. And as a quick reminder some housekeeping solidverbal dot com. Send us notes at solid verbal
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feet on the gas for you. So shoot us an email solidverbal at gmail dot com, Tweet us at solid verbal, Facebook dot com, slash solid verbal enough of this nonsense. Actually that's not true. We start out with some nonsense. Bruce and I. So here it is Bruce Feldman, s I Fox Sports One. Go find his book. It's called The QB. It's a great fast read. Let's talk football, all right, and with that, welcome on Bruce Feldman. First
of all, no Tie. So if you have any questions, if you want to get thoughts out, knowing that this will probably not get edited, just now is the time?
Well that is good to know. You're kind of hitting me on stuff where I so I can ask anything about him, or anything about or anything.
Like you feel like Tie would edit out or Ty would be uncomfortable talking about any and just wherever your heart wants to go.
And we can come back to that.
Like Tie is very establishment guy, true, you know, so he's kind of he's kind of clamping down on all our creativities.
I would think we're going to explore the creative space today with of course Bruce Feldman from Fox Sports One on the sideline reporting Sports Illustrated. You're all over the place SI dot com. You are the I would argue the pre eminent college football trader, Joe's vegetable Fried Rice spokesperson, M.
Yeah, I'm not a it's actually my kids who like that. I am so, but we are. It's legit. I'm in there like once a week. Same.
I appreciate the honesty.
I mean, Trader Joe's sponsor, you're on the audible with Stuart Mandel of the Athletics, So I think it's all happening.
That's what I'm saying.
I am a big Trader Joe's guy. We you know, we have like the bedcome of the Mattress company. That's legit. I really like that. So it's all you know, it's all good.
Yeah, people don't understand. So we really do use the things that sponsors send us.
This is all very real.
Let me ask you this, would you most like to and don't give me like some you know, Jaguar, some fancy car dealership there, right, But let's say this, what place that would be a reasonable fit for your podcast? Would you most like to cultivate as tough.
As a sponsor? God, that's a good question. I mean, Apple would be great. It wouldn't make a ton of sense because they don't need us. There are a couple of clothing companies that if I could restock my wardrobe.
I wear a lot of clothes. You know what Everlane.
Is is that a company that's big in plaid.
It is not big. It's all sorts of materials and patterns.
Everlaine. There's a store that's all over now called Unicloth. They're in la I'd happily take a sponsorship from them, somewhere where I can like literally wear the sponsorship. I think would be the most convenient for me.
What about you, okay, uh, torchies, tacos.
Oh, yeah, that'd be nice.
And I actually reached out to them a couple of times, not stalking, but you know, I had had them tweet at me once on something. So when a couple of years ago, my first two years of doing Sideline, I was in the Big ten A lot. Those are the games. We ended up doing the Big twelve A lot, And so every Friday I would take my Sideline producer to a torchise now because they were in there. They're in Oklahoma, you know, in Norman, all over Texas. So it was
very it was it just worked out great. And so I'm like, man, I'm gonna be on the road in the Big twelve A lot. This would be a good fit. I'm a huge Torchies fan.
H what's your order?
My order is one chicken, one steak, Tahoe taco. I am not very exotic on on some of the other stuff.
You gotta get more. They have a fried avocado taco.
That's not me avocado.
You gotta go for it.
Bruce, I'm a great Wow.
Okay, so you were in, you were in Oklahoma a lot, and then suddenly you're in the Big Ten.
Big twelve now, and then there's all over the Big twelve. So that's why it's fitting at last this past year, my crew is in the Big ten A lot aren't tor Cheese, So it wouldn't have kind of been as natural a tie in. But because we did do a couple of Oklahoma games and we're in, uh did the Big twelve title game, so that would have been that would have worked out. But for the most part, Uh, it wasn't the case last year. But that was one
I pushed Stu on. I said we ought to get on tor cheese, and I put the other one he had suggested. Yeah. So and at one point, uh, you know Kevin Burkhart, I do, he's the Yeah, great guy anyway, So I think it's some point he and I both became like on the same bandwagon of Lululemon for men. You know, closed is good, come premium af leasionable, Yes, and it's just great stuff for getting on a plane and whatnot and just your day of travel. So ik, at some point I might have reached out to them.
Wow, I appreciate this hustle. By the way, it's late April.
So to anybody listening to this and complaining inside their head that we haven't gotten into college football yet, it's late April and we're going to hear Bruce's thoughts on ath leisure and soft tacos, that's just how it.
We're sorry, Sorry, this this is what happens when when Tye has jury duty or whatever Tie's doing right now.
It's very true. Okay, let's transition to college football because it is the spring. Because this is I don't know how many years of you doing spring tours. You've sort of been all over this spring, so overarching, because there's not always a ton to take away from spring, particularly spring scrimmages, games, whatever. Did you see anything that is that your positive is going to be meaningful even though it was just spring.
As you look forward to the twenty eighteen season, yes.
I would be positive that UCLA desperately needs its incoming true freshmen to learn the system really fast and be mature and be focused because they need help.
Why.
They just don't have much personally, you know, so much talent right now. You know, the best, the most talented kid in the program, Jalen Phillips is an edge rusher. He was out for the spring. And they have a couple of defensive backs, but beyond and you know, defensively they have a few pieces. Offensively, they don't have much
right now. And I think when you look at the schedule they have and I said this on our podcast the other day as I kind of went through it just thinking in real time, I think it's a stretch to think they are going to be favored in more than two games this year. Wow. And those two games will be the opener with Cincinnati, who have bad year, and the other one would be a game against Fresno
who's coming off a double digit win season. And I'm not you know, I'm not positive they're going to be favored in that game because that's coming off of a game at Oklahoma, where I think Oklahoma could could beat them by four touchdowns.
Yeah, and you're talking about a Cincinnati team that I think is one of the best three, maybe group of five recruiters recently with Luke Fickle and Fresno, which has a really good defense, like like a legitimately good defense they do.
Now they're gonna have a new defensive coordinator, right, they're old, DC went back to the CFL. But still you know, they won double digit games, and you know that those kids on that team are going to look at and go, you sill a man, you guys never recruited me, And there's going to be a lot of passion for that. So and there's probably a you got Jeff Tedford who's coached against Chip Kelly a lot, and I'm sure that there's you know, there's going to be that one circle too.
So whenever you get one of those like like last year, I know San Diego State relished whi ASU and beating Stanford, you know, there's kind of their little brother vibe to it. So so that was that was you know, a big takeaway some of the other places. You know, I think
Washington is going to be really good. I think they're loaded in the secondary with young talented guys, and I think that I think they have a shot to go to the playoff this year, a real shot not only to go, but to do some damage when they get there this year.
Okay, fair enough, What is the biggest difference? Not to spend too much time on UCLA, but what is the biggest difference in your eyes? Having spent time around him before in Eugene and now a little bit in Westwood, between twenty twelve chip Kelly and twenty eighteen chip Kelly, assuming twenty twelve chip Kelly is not just dropped down in southern California.
I think some of the differences are the influences around him. You know, He's been a lot of different places. He obviously spent time in the NFL, where I think there's some elements I think he's probably I don't say more open to but probably been more exposed to some trial and error and saying hey, we can do it this way, and probably more adaptable to what he has to work with or what he might not have to work with.
And I think you see, you know, when he was when he was at Oregon, obviously it worked great because they they I think it was like forty six and seven and four years as a head coach, but a lot of those assistants were Ballatti guys and were longtime Oregon guys, Whereas in this case, it's not to say that he doesn't have guys who who know him, because he's got, you know, guys who worked with him with the Niners and guys who work with him with the Eagles,
and there are a couple of you know, Oregon disciple guys there. But I just think a lot of these different elements. I think, you know, it's not twenty twelve, and I think, you know, if you want an example, it's not to say he's going to be exactly like what Scott Frost was at UCF, But you saw UCF in the last couple of years evolve is probably not the right word, but you saw them really add on to a lot of this stuff and they were able to stay ahead of the curve. And I think that's
going to be interesting now. It took them a little bit of time to go from winless to six and seven to thirteen and zero, and I don't know how quickly u CLA can make that. You know, we'll see how good you know, Dorian Thompson Robinson is, and we'll see how good you know, some of the skill pieces around him, because I don't think it is right and like a're going to be relying on freshmen or I think to give them a big spark and make some impact, and it's going to be an uphill climb.
You mentioned spending time in Seattle with Chris Peterson and Washington. This is now his He's been there since twenty fourteen, so my quick math says this will be.
His fifth year in Seattle.
How close is Washington to not necessarily with talent, not necessarily with you know, on field results, which obviously is getting closer and closer, But is Washington getting to that premiere level in terms of the the infrastructure of a year in, year out, double digit win program where they can just year over year, plug and play and become basically the Pac twelve's version of you know, Clemson, Ohio State, Alabama, whoever, Oklahoma. How close is Washington to that level of infrastructure?
I think they're right now where it is maybe with Oklahoma. The difference to me between you know, Clemson and Alabama and all the other ones in that group, and I put Ohio State and with the other new with Clemson and Ohio and Alabama. Is just the ability to load up on big line of scrimmage difference maker kind of guys. You know, it's not to say that Washington hasn't had
any of them. Vitave certainly is that or was that, But I just think you see it with offensive line guys, and I think you certainly see it with front seven guys. Now they have some. I think in the back end they definitely have it. The area where I think they are most needy is they need some of these young receivers who they just signed, who aren't there yet to
come in and make an impact. You know, they have Chigo mcclatcher, who's a good He's kind of when you look at him and say, okay, he's kind of an X factor guy in terms of some of the stuff you can do with fly sweeps and different things like that. He was out the spring, he missed last year. I think they need him, not necessarily to be a complete
go to guy. But then there's other guys. Ty Jones, who's big, rangy, not super fast, but he has some athleticism, but they need him to be a reliable go to guy, especially in the red zone, and there's other receivers that they need to really blossom. Run game, I think they should be good. I think Miles Gaskins really underrated, not the biggest running back in the country, but he is. He's explosive, he's really smart. I think they can count
on him. You know, he fits with what they're doing, and so that helps, you know, you just get at I think Chris Peterson is really about as good as there is a developing a team and building it that way because he is so smart in you know, when you talk about building a culture, I think he gets it. You saw that at Boise and you I think you've seen it now. Obviously he's I mean, to me, he's one of the five best coaches in college football. And it's not necessarily because he's loading up on five star
guys every year. I mean, I think it's it's not it's it's harder to do it when you don't have you know, maybe the same you know ability and the same level of school's commitment or at Geographically, there's just not as many of those kinds of guys with a within an our flight of Seattle. It's just not. So that's the part that's going to be I think they're
ready to take the next big step. I think that we're going to find out a lot more in their opener because they play Auburn and that's basically a de facto home game for Auburn and not a big statement I think for the Pac twelve as well, so year.
In, year out, and I guess we'll just shift to another team that wears purple. TCU is another team that has built a culture. They just gearing in year out, win much more often than not. They go to the Big Twelve championship game last year and get throttled from by Oklahoma once again. But you spend a little bit of time in Fort Worth, is there anything striking about what's new? Or is it, you know, a business as usual in a very good way for the Frogs.
I think what's different about them because I've been going there pretty much for like the last ten years, like in the offseason either you know, every other year or so. And to me, what's different is the caliber of big people he has been able to get, especially in the last few years. Their d line is pretty impressive. You know, when you have a six four three hundred and thirty pound athletic, athletic guy like lost Blacklock. I think that is something you just haven't seen them have that kind
of option. You know, in the middle of their defense. They had linebackers who can run, and what you know he was able to do when he got that thing really cranked up, was they would take you know, former running backs and different guys and turn them into defensive lineman. You know, the Jerry Hughes guys and everything. But I think that is now really changed because they have so many really impressive guys with good feet who are big.
I mean, Blacklock's the best example of it, but there's other guys who are behind him who I think would have started and played sixty six these snaps a game, and now there are guys that maybe can play thirty because they're just deeper there. You know Ben Managu who's a developmental guy who started out Louisiana Monroe and is a local guy who's there. You know, he's a good edge rusher. They have a lot of good linebackers, safeties, and I think but he's so good at being Patterson
is he's the defensive coordinator. No head coaches any more hands on on the defensive side of the ball than him, and he develops them and prepares him so well. People have seen the success. The facilities are good, No, the stadiums not huge, but they're in a talent hub in that DFW area, so you see it with the how it's carry it over. I mean, they have pretty athletic receivers that are young guys. You know Jalen Riegers, come on,
they have you know, he was impressive last year. They have a couple of freshmen they registered at Tay Barber as an early enrol league kid who who I think Clemson tried to get on late. They're really excited about him. So you know, whether I think it's going to be Robinson who started a little bit last year when Kenny Hill got hurt, and he's a physical runner. You know, we'll see, you know how he is, how accurate and
consistent he can be. But I think if the offensive line, which has got to be overhauled somewhat because they lost some guys, if their offensive line can gel, I think they should be a double digit win team.
Interesting, let's go to another school that you spent time I guess a former Big twelve school and the talent issue to me seems relevant. So you go to Lincoln, Nebraska, and a lot is made, obviously and rightfully so, of Scott Frost coming home and bringing this big, high octane Oregon and UCF offense to Lincoln and overhauling everything. What is the actual talent level in Lincoln right now?
I think it's better than I had initially thought it was.
Okay.
The areas where I think it's good is they have three legit receivers who I think would play almost anywhere. You know. One of them has been there for a while, Stanley Morgan. He's a Louisiana kid. He's physical and he's productive. You know, six', one about two hundred. Pounds they are super high on him because he's what they're looking for just in terms of the, toughness the physicality to buy. In and they HAD. Jd spielman not had a really
good freshman. Year return, guy slot, guy tough. Kid you. Know his Uncle's Chris. Spielman his father is THE gm of The, Vikings Rick. Spielman he was a good player last. YEAR i think he's only you, know continue to get. Better the other one Is Tai John lindsay was a former five star recruit had been committed To Ohio. State he struggled last. Year he wasn't mentally, ready you, know as a true. Freshman Everything i've heard from the guys WHEN i was down there was he has really bought
in and he. Is he is matured a, lot AND i think that both players and coaches see. It and he's so good in. SPACE i think that will really help. Them so, THERE i think they're really. Good and obviously with the, SYSTEM i think that boats. Well offensive LINE i think is nowhere near what you would have expected A nebraska front to. Be they do have some experience up. THERE i think a big key and we saw this
in the spring. Game Adrian, martinez who had been committed To, tennessee you, know would have gone there if Which jones. Did he every that has made. MATURITY i think he. Is he's the, future if not the, present of this. Offense you, know he's he's. In you look at. Him he's not like a strong. Kid he looks like he's a quarterback who's twenty, one not you, know should still be in high. School you, know we'll see he's coming
off a shoulder. Injury SO i don't know if he's quite one hundred percent in terms of where they want him to be on, that but you, KNOW i think if he's the, GUY i think that is a building block for them for a. While if, NOT i would say it's maybe you Know Tristan, jevia who's kind of from where you're. From, yeah same hythleticism, too, yep, yeah AND i know people like him. Too so so those
are two decent, options especially because they're so. Young on the defensive side of the, ball they have some pretty good d linemen who played a, lot, so you, know the, secondary WHICH i thought should have been better than it was last. Year they had some injuries and just it was kind of. Disconnect they've done well with SOME jc transfers who are already in. There there's so the parts WHERE i see where it's questionable is they don't have
a quarterback with. Experience that's an obvious. Thing they do not have a, true you, know workhorse running back at this point to have between durability issues and. Whatnot AND i think there is some question mark in the in the defense where there's no real dominant. Player there's certainly nothing like in dominicant, two but there's nothing even close to, that but that you could say about a lot of. Schools to, me this team WHEN i saw, them compared
to like SEEING, Ucla nebraska has considerably more. TALENT i think that he does right. Now, wow super Interesting and they won four games last?
Year they did win four?
Games and what sense did you get spending time Around Scott frost spending time around the staff?
There the job he's doing just in terms of.
Managing, people managing expectations given it sort of Like Golden boy Comes. Home we don't see a lot of coaches going back to their alma mater and succeeding with A i guess a super high. Rate paul Christ is done a really good job in that, division but that was a well oiled machine basically when he got. There what Is Scott? Frost what has his experience been early on just in dealing with that type of fish, bowl eyeball.
Environment you, KNOW i don't think he's really worried about managing expectations too. MUCH i spent a good amount of time with, him and there wasn't a lot of off the.
Record these kids, suck so you, know don't. Whatever, NOW i think realistically this is probably a six or seven when, team because you look at their schedule and there's going to be a bunch games where they have a chance to, win But i'm not sure they, will especially with an inexperienced quarterback and you, know a defense that was horrible last. Year SO i think people know you don't go from four and a to ten and two no matter who the coach, is, Realistically SO i think he's, like you know,
what this is what the expectation is going to. Be our team is going to play, Harder we're going to be more, competitive we are going to be. Tougher AND i know the fan base and these people well enough to know they're going to see, that and they're smart enough to know that's what we. Want that's the direction we need to go, in and they know it's not gonna you, know it's not realistic to. Expect, okay this guy took a team that was winless and then within
two years, later. I'mdefeated like year, two we're going to be. UNDEFEATED i don't think he expects, that but you, KNOW i don't think he'd be thrilled THAT i say. This BUT i think by year, THREE i think they're a top fifteen team by year, two especially one of these quarterbacks really. Blossoms and this IS i think they'd have a chance to be it by year or, two to be a team that's a legit top twenty five.
Team sort of, related AND i wonder about this from time to, time not all that. Often why Doesn't Bo polini have a bigger job at this? Point is he that objectionable as a manager leader type or is it just he had his shot and is sort of happy In.
Youngstown you, know that's an interesting question just because you look and his. Record you, KNOW i think he was there six. Years only one year he didn't have a top twenty five, finish and if you look across the, board that's a lot better than a lot of people who get. Jobs his team seem to like, him but his sideline demeanor was so volatile THAT i think that makes ads and presidents a little, uncomfortable especially as you get further and further down, this you, know down this
road of. Decorum, sure especially with you, know back when both of us were growing, up especially WHEN i was growing up Because i'm, older where it was like you just didn't have so many, Games everything wasn't ON, tv there weren't so many cameras on. People there wasn't social media to, like you, know let's, say you, know The Woody hayes example is you, know again The Gator bowl or whatever with The clemson hitting The clemson. Linebacker you
know that there's video of. It BUT i just think in this day and, age when something like, that maybe that's you, know even a stronger example of, it but something even less you, know holy you, know holy shipped kind of component to. IT i just think that that would get everything blows. Up and so because of, THAT i think there's a certain schools that you just couldn't see, both you, know saying, hey we're going to hire A
bopolini and roll the dice on. THAT i don't, know you, know if you're if You're, illinois and let's say it doesn't work out With Lovey, smith you turn around to go To bopolini and, like you know what this guy can? Win mm, hm you, know do we do? This you, know certainly THEY'RE i don't know if he would even think of a mac job as anymore is a big step up from where he's, at you, know in his and his coaching and his basically in his backyard, now
so clearly he knows what he's. Doing it's just that stuff On SATURDAYS i think makes people.
Uncomfortable, Wow, OKAY i just you see coaches freak out all the time and say, weird stupid, things and they everybody seems to be getting more and more, chances and he's developed a ton OF nfl. Talent BUT i, guess, yeah it's it's an, individual case by case. Thing this is also a season of aside from teams practicing and new coaches getting a first look at their, talent it's talent getting a first look at new. Coaches because we are, squarely if not at the back end of the grad transfer.
Markets what are names that people should know that the, expectation obviously as a grad transfer that they will make an immediate impact as somebody, experienced AND i suppose moving up to a higher profile.
Platform, WELL i would start With Calvin, anderson who Left rice and had all sorts of. Interest, yep he was a two star offensive lineman From, austin played really, well he's, incredible incredibly. Intelligent YouTube any of this stuff about him with you, know GOING rubishu backwards and forward without you, know looking all this other, stuff but he's got really good. FEET i Think herb handed recruit him At auburn and then was able to actually close the deal and get
him At. Texas certainly they lost In Connor, williams a really good, tackle AND i think that is a is a key piece for. Them you, know they it's no, secret you know they're going to probably end a drought that was ten years long of not having an offensive lineman even drafted in THE. Nfl AND i Think calvin is that guy WHO i Think i'm not saying he's gonna be a first round, pick but you, know he's a really good talent AND i think he should fit
in well and be an impact. Guy you, know one That i'm curious to see what's going to be is Is Keller christ, who as you, know is played at them for then lost his starting job to kJ. COSTELLO i think there's probably pretty big expectations from The tennessee. Fans we'll see if he can beat Out Jared guarantano when he gets. There but you, know if if he does, that because It's tennessee and because there's so much attention on that program and it's the first year there For Jeremy.
PRUDE i think they'll Be that'll be an interesting. One and then you, KNOW i would look at the flip side of that is a guy Like Gardner, minshew who is At East, carolina had been a. Starter will he Become Mike leach's trigger. Man he had been a you, know he'd been committed To alabama and knew it was a long shot that he would he would play there with the quarterbacks, there but you, know from his, perspective he wants to be a coach and learning From Nick
saban would be. GOOD i think he knows that he can Learn Mike leech's system and there is a big need for a new quarterback, there so you, know there's a chance to put up a lot of numbers in that system up in. Pullman so that's another ONE i WOULD i would keep an eye. On you, know just in terms of a stats, perspective we.
Are sort Of i'll stay On alabama a little, bit but we're sort of in an era where an, incoming super, type blue, chip true freshman quarterback is now it's assumed he's going to push anybody that's even a little bit, less anybody that's a little bit less than. Excellence and we saw it last year With Jake from And Jacob. Eason we saw it a few years ago With Deshaun watson And Cole, stout who obviously was not a blue
chip and sort of game changing quarterback For. Clemson but now this year we have Now Jake from supposedly not necessarily being, pushed but sharing a depth chart with one of those blue chip. Types we Have Trevor Lawrence. Clemson we last year had two attack Of. Biloa it's tongue Of.
AILOA i. BELIEVE i want to get that.
RIGHT i believe so.
Too, yeah tongue iiloah sort of Supplanting Jalen hurts at least in The National championship, game and their stories About Jalen hurts. Transferring are are any of these new? Guys SO i Guess lawrence And fields comparable to previous situations at those schools where a true freshman immediately supplanted the.
Incumbent you, KNOW i think the one probably most likely to overtake the guy could Be lawrence At. Clemson you, Know, Yeah clemson went to the playoff last. YEAR i Think Kelly, bryants you, know had a good. Season but when you look at his passing, numbers there was a lot left to be, desired and you don't want to read a ton into a spring, game but there were some shots he missed. Downfield you can see the frustration when he. Missed him And lawrence hit some big throws in that,
game and there's a ton of hyph. BUILDING i, mean let's not forget there was like another five star guys also in between them And Hunter, johnson and you know they got good. Receivers the expectations on that team are sky, high especially with the guys who decided to come back on. Defense so to, ME i would check, that put a
check mark next to that. One you, know as good AS i Think Justin field, is AND i think, he's you, know ultra, talented maybe even more talented Than Trevor, lawrence but you know he's he's trying to overtake a guy And Jake frumb who led his team to a national title.
Game and also when you look At george's, SCHEDULE i don't know where the game after a long, cold you, know could be a tricky spots after LINE i think is pretty, good but there's a good chance that they Will they've En georgia will not play a team that is in the top fifteen or top twenty even until
Mid november when they Play. Auburn. Wow and so when you think about, that it's, like, okay they could just kind of roll along business as, usual because If alabama was Drilling, georgia let's, say there's probably no call to Give tua that shot to kind of rescue. Them and so if you're not really, CHALLENGED i think that you, know, Yeah Justin fields will play in some you, know games
that turn out to be. Lopsided BUT i just don't know how many meaningful under you, know in pressure situations that he may get.
Is to a sure, THING i, mean not necessarily to, start but it seems everybody remembers the one admittedly perfect throw to end The National championship game and win it For, Alabama but it seemed like every, play every other play before, that he was sort of a wild, card as true freshmen tend to. Be is does he strike you as somebody, That, okay he wins the job Over Jalen, Hurts Jalen hurts, Transfers tua is, dependable, consistent you, know everything that people
thought he would after that? Throw or is there a pretty significant unknown quantity to.
HIM i, Mean i'm bullish on, him but there's still some unknown AND i think people who are just, saying, Oh Jalen hurts is gonna leave are forgetting some of the games that he won for. THEM i would go back to when he's a freshman In Baton, rouge in a tough place to, play where they are just you, know in a slug fest where there's not a lot of yards to be, found where LSU's defense is pretty, nasty and all of a, sudden basically the difference Was
jalen hurts his. Wheels and it's not to say to it it can't, run because he, can but JUST i think you saw a guy who's more physical as a runner than probably he's given credit, for and has the toughness as a burst and that stuff which helps you win. Games and also you, know, yeah they're not gonna they
weren't gonna take a ton of shots at. Risk like when they Played washington early in the, Game Jalen hurths almost got picked off and you can kind of See Lane kiffen And Nick saban just kind of throttled down and, Going, okay we can win this. Game Being alabama. Football we don't need to try to go Have Baker mayfield run the show. Here AND i just think that's a little bit of a. Departure if you look at what they
have won national titles. With ever Since Nick saban's got, there there has been no like lights, out big, time stretch the field pass OR aj mccerrn's pretty. Good but they, haven't you, know just look across the. Board they've had quote unquote game manager. TIGHTS i know, that's you, know an unfair, cliche but they know they have an elite defense as elite as it. Gets they have physical running
game with a good offensive. Line, yeah they got really good receivers, Too BUT i just think they know our bread and butter is we don't need to get too fancy to win a ton of. Games and, again you look at the schedule they, have THEY i don't what are they going to play one top twenty team in the regular? Season maybe that might be.
It, wow another team THAT i think has has lost a, lot but WAS i think they finished the season twelfth in the top twenty. Five and you've spent some time around. THERE usc has to replace a lot of different pieces on different.
Levels on both sides of the.
Ball how DIFFERENT i guess will they look and are they actually going to start a what should be a high school senior at.
QUARTERBACK i think they will end up STARTING. Jt, daniels that high school, senior NOT. Jt. Daniels and you, know in, actuality he's turned. Eighteen. Ok, yeah he's pretty much the same age as most incoming freshmen. Are so from that, standpoint he's very. TALENTED i think the best thing for him is he's going to have a really really good
group of. RECEIVERS i mean what they have And Tyler vaughns And Michael, pittman and now you're going to add on his, Guy i'm On Ross Saint, brown who everybody thinks is going to be a really big time college. Receiver so that's a plus, now you, know Without Sam. Darnold the other thing Is Ronald jones was a really explosive. Back now he wasn't great in the receiving, game BUT i think, that you, know leaning on The Stephen carr if he gets healthy he missed the, SPRING i think
that's a big TIME usc. Back i'm not sure you know how special the guys behind him. Are the offensive line has been really underwhelming for much of the last, decade AND i don't expect them to be to be at the upper level of offensive line groups in the. Country, defensively they have more depth now than they, did you know in the last few. Years you, Know Porter gustin's
a really good pass. Rusher as long as he stays, HEALTHY i think he'll be really productive in a loss To Chennan, Nuosu WHO'S i think their best player on defense secondary is is pretty, good BUT i don't think it's much more than. That but LIKE i, said they do have more depth back. THERE i don't think there's a guy in the on THE d line itself who is a special. Like there's No Leonard williams or anything close to that right. Now and to, me that's the part that WHEN usc was was on top of the
college football, world they're close to. IT usc, had you, know big time studs up. Front you can go back to Uh Sham clady was a good, Player Mike patterson was a great. Player Kenichi, daisy who actually coaches these guys, now is a really good pass. Rusher, Certainly Cedric ellis was a monster when he was going and then when they got hit by the. Scholarships you Had Leonard, williams who is a who is a real stud and but even like the layers below, that you, know Like Frosty
rucker and and guys like that who's had a LONG nfl. Career, now, uh you know you look at some of Those jarrell K i, mean those guys were good. PLAYERS i don't know if they have anybody who's even And Jerrell casey's trying out to be a BETTER nfl player than probably people. Thought But i'm just, saying, like those guys were really good. Players AND i think that's WHERE usc on both the offensive line and defensive line has really dropped a notch or two below where they where would come to expect.
Them and maybe they'll get back to that, point but THEY i just don't think they've been able to develop linemen the way they used. To and so IF. Jt daniels is really really good and hits the ground, running
you know they should be able to win ten. Games if he's not and they and he looks like a true freshman playing in A power five conference at, quarterback you know they could go eight and, four and that's not a good place to be if You're Clay, helton BECAUSE i don't think he's getting the benefit of the doubt from a lot OF usc fan, bases even though he's. Won he's won A Rose bowl and won A pack twelve.
TITLE i just think people are looking and, GOING i don't, Know i'd rather have the who's coaching The bruins right?
Now and, finally you spent some time In, eugene So i'll be selfish, here BUT i know we do have a lot of duck. Listeners what is your snapshot in the first spring Of Mario? Cristobal they have their. Quarterback, obviously recruiting has improved these past couple of years from where it was the last couple of years Of Mark. Helfrich but what is your what is your, talent your, process your sort of big picture snapshot of Where oregon football.
Is having seen them up, CLOSE i think this.
Place, is you, know doing it to be a recruiting. Machine you, Know i've just kind of gotten a taste of like how much they've rammed things. Up it is. Glitzy they are playing up to their to their facilities in ways that you know you'd see it and go. OKAY i can see how they're trying to wow these kids with. Flash you, Know Mario crystabal was as good a recruiter as or as in the country when he
was at you, know his previous. Stops AND i think he's got his legs under him and his, figured you, know figure out how to apply WHAT i know to WHERE i work, now AND i think the people around him have the buy, in so in that part's the big plus they are going to. Be you, know his mask kicks ass. Philosophy you, know for a long Time oregon one With speed's not to say they didn't have some really good big, people because they, did BUT i think he is looking at it, going, hey we signed
five really talented offensive. Lineman beat some some top top other. Schools for some of the guys they brought. IN i think the smallest guy they're bringing in is six, five three. Twenty there was a kid who was signed was in this, class is From philadelphia. Area he's six, seven three seventy one or, something AND i saw him on the. Visit he didn't even look like a sloppy three seventy. One he's just a massive. Individual so THAT i think is going to be part of their. Identity you, know the
quarterback is really. GOOD i mean he's, good he's, big he's you, know he's a you, know very pleasure and you know he's got some of The marcus personality where he's almost like he's so nice you can't believe he's, actually you, know real kind of. Thing but he's just a sweet kid who's talented and can. Run is everything you're looking. For just need to see his leadership continue to develop the parts WHERE i think they need help right. Now you, Know Royce streatman was really. GOOD i don't
think they have that, big, big physical running back. There they have some some guys who can run and they're, smaller you, know, situational you, know running back by committee. Guys the receiving core needs. Depth they just don't have enough. Receivers you look at THE d line and some of the. Linebackers they have, some they have, some they don't have enough of, them but they have some some really athletic people who are, tough and that's kind of what you're looking. For fair.
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