The Hokies have recovered a bit in the recruiting rankings for the 2026 class after rough Spring of major de-commitments. We invite BCP favorite and VTScoop writer Matej Sis to help us talk through some the specific circumstances that led to this slow start. We also discuss some of the key commitments so far in this class and what we can look forward to in the coming months as this class continues to fill out.

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And welcome back to the Boundary
Corner podcast along with my

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partners, Brian Siegler,
Jonathan Talley, and tonight our

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special guest from 247 Hokies.
Mate Sis, this episode is

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brought to you by Doctor Jeremy
Counts down at Main Street

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Pharmacy.
Excuse me, Counts Family

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pharmacy.
I got the old, the old tag

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Counts Family Pharmacy, your
friendly neighborhood pharmacy

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three O 1 S Main St. in
Blacksburg, VA and like I said

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already matasys back in the
house.

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He does not need an
introduction, he's part of the

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family.
BT scoop mate.

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Long time no talk man.
How have you been, dude?

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I'm good.
I mean, we, I know we were

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talking a little bit before we
went live here, but it's great

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to be back.
I mean, at this point it's like

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it's Thanksgiving, it's
Christmas and then it's our our

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yearly catch up.
So I know we've done it a bunch

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of times in the past, but truly
an honor to be here and I love

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chopping it up with you guys.
Yeah, man, love to have you all

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back.
I mean, obviously we usually

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have you on almost 2 * a year.
We usually get something in the

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spring, something just before
the, you know, season gets fall

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camp, gets cranked back up.
We we missed the first go round.

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Everybody was busy doing some
different stuff.

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But hey, we got you back.
Now we're talking recruiting,

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we're talking Hokies.
Love that you're back, Mattei.

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Absolutely.
Mattei sis back in the house, my

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season preview relies on what
this man has to say tonight.

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So you're either going to get
angry tally or optimistic

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talent.
It relies on Mattei y'all so.

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No pressure?
No.

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Pressure messages.
Fill it up in the chat.

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Let him know which tally you
want to see because it relies on

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him.
I'll.

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Tell you, would you would you
like to comment on that?

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Maybe somewhere in the middle,
we'll see.

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I want to see optimistic tally
though.

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I think everybody wants to see
optimistic Tally, but sometimes

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pissed off Tally's fun too.
Tally.

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Oh my God.
Yeah.

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Tally brings out like because
yeah, we we all have different

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levels, right?
Like everybody who's watched

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this program will tell you
you're you've seen it, you've

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seen us happy, you've seen us
angry.

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I feel like Tally helps tip me
and Brian.

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Like what if Tally's not feeling
good?

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Eventually we're not going to be
feeling.

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If Tally's feeling good, we're
eventually going to be.

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Tally is sort of the he is the
he is the head of the roller

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coaster of our emotions on this.
The over analyzation king once

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that once that roller coaster
start going the wrong way, you

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better buckle up.
We can't get it on the right

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track.
It's.

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A lot of fun.
Well, y'all matey here tonight.

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We we got a lot to know because
a, we didn't get to talk earlier

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in the year, but we've got a lot
of different stuff we want to

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talk about and we're going to
lead off tonight.

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And just but Tay in general kind
of Hokies recruiting just not

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running as hot as last year and
we know it's not in a vacuum.

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So we wanted to kind of hit on a
few things and basically how you

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feel they're impacting not only
this year's recruiting, but

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potential future recruiting.
I know Tally, I'm going to let

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you kick it off because
obviously, you know, we'll let

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you vent a little bit.
Yeah.

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So you know, just go ahead and
asking the question.

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I know you're pretty close to
Virginia Tech recruiting and the

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program.
So first thing I want to say is,

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you know, I was definitely not
happy with how the season went.

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I don't think too many people
were.

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But from where you're standing
and what you seen results of

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2024, do you think that
potentially throws a kink on

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Brent Prize job security?
I mean, yeah, in terms of job

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security, I mean, I I feel like
we've been debating it all

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offseason on Twitter.
There's so much promise Last

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year.
I can't remember a time that,

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you know, maybe goes back 10
years when people had pre season

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expectations of 10 plus wins and
then, you know, to make it out

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and only have 6.
Like with the talent that they

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brought back.
There was so much that went into

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it, so many people that were
excited.

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Talia, I know I saw you last
year down in Nashville, but it's

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like, so going from that game
with all the promise and hope,

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the entire stadium, week one at
Vanderbilt, everyone's in there

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already looking past Vanderbilt.
And then you look, you know, at

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the end of the year, it's like,
what happened?

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What, what did we all just go
through?

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And I think a lot of people are
still feeling the effects of

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that.
And, you know, definitely from,

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you know, prize perspective,
he's got to figure out a way to

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win now.
And I think he feels that with

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Babcock feels that everyone
feels that.

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I mean, they invested so much
into football.

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I think we saw the effects of
what happened to men's

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basketball as well.
Like this has ripple effects.

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So definitely there is some job
security questions.

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I mean, every graphic that comes
out in in the offseason, we've

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seen Brent Prize name on it.
But at the same time, I think,

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you know, whether it's a good
year, whether it's a bad year,

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average year, like they're going
to focus on what's next.

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And you know, there's a lot that
has happened from last year's

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team to the team we're about to
see on the football field.

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Like a lot has gone into it, a
lot of changes, coordinators,

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support staff, I mean, players
galore.

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I mean, this was the most active
portal in in history and

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especially for Virginia Tech.
So definitely a lot of lessons

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learned and heading into 2025.
I mean, this is this is, you

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know, put up or shut up year.
Yeah, I'm saying this.

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I'm gonna say this for a minute,
Curtis.

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Oh, go ahead.
Before you go, I'm.

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Saying on I'm saying on 247, it
was snapshot that came through a

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thumbnail, it said, talking
about the changes in the new

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faces. 31 scholarship
departures, 30 transfer

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editions, 19 high school
signees, nearly 60 new faces in

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2025.
Yep.

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So I'm just saying, I wanted to
throw that out.

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I just want to throw that out
there.

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Let me ask this, Matei, what
about from the recruiting

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perspective?
Because, you know, you kind of

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went in depth there about how it
was ripple effects across

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everywhere.
Is is that season affecting what

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we're seeing with, you know, not
that last year just felt like

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every time we turned around, it
was a guy we wanted jumping in

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the boat.
Like, bam, we got it.

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Yes, the end of that kid beat
beat Ohio State for that kid.

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Beat somebody for that kid.
Is is the murmurs around the

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business, like we don't know
what's going to happen there,

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therefore that momentum and that
steam slows down.

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You know, it's interesting
because I think I'm not going to

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deny that it doesn't have any
impact.

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I mean, I'm thinking about all
the classes, all the cycles that

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I've covered.
And it's like towards the

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beginning, that was always a big
concern with everyone.

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When is Beamer going to step
down?

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Then it was Fuente.
Is he, you know, is he going to

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stay here for the long haul?
Is he leaving?

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And now it's like we're in the
new era where it's kind of faded

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into the background a little
bit.

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Like we're talking about all the
additions that Virginia Tech

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just had to this roster after
what happened last year.

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I mean, when we saw most of
these portal guys come in, I

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don't think they had named a
defensive coordinator, let alone

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an offensive coordinator.
And it was just commits left and

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right and you're kind of
wondering what's going on, who's

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pulling the strings here?
But you know, those players

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specifically, I mean, I get it
from a portal perspective, a lot

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of these guys are jumping up to
a better situation and makes

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sense no matter who the
coordinator is going to be.

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But then when you look at it
from a high school level, I

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think there's so many things
that change there.

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I think they've done well.
I think the staff has always

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done well given their
circumstances, whether it's, you

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know, these guys can sell
anything, whether it's we need

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you to come here because we need
to change the perception around

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here or something.
Like, yeah, last season was a

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disaster, but we had five guys
drafted, 11 more guys signed on

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to a team.
Yeah, it was a disaster of a

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season, but we're at least
getting guys to the pros.

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Do you want to be a part of
that?

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So no matter how you spin it,
there's always a way around it.

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But I definitely think there is
at least a slight impact of

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recruits saying, OK, what is
this going to look like in the

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long haul?
Yeah.

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I mean, I know with with NIL the
transfer portal, you're not

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seeing guys stick around like a
full four years even even in,

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you know, favorable conditions,
right.

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So sometimes new opportunities
open up, they want to take

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advantage of that and they move
on.

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But you know, when you look at
the way the expectations versus

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the, the outcome worked last
year, it definitely seems like,

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you know, it's hard to tell
whether it was, did this class

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start a little slower because of
the way the season played out?

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Did it start a little slower
because you had coordinators

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that were fired as a result of
that?

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And now you're having to re
establish some of those

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relationships that you took a
year building, you know, at the

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start of that, that class cycle
now into, you know, the time of

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year where you start seeing some
commits come through.

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It's really hard to say.
And you know, let's talk about

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that, that NIL a little bit.
So, you know, we've got

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settlement details finally came
out.

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There's been some kind of
challenges to certain language

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throughout the process.
How is this whole NIL house

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settlement and stuff like that
playing into how the the Hokies

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have kind of set up their
recruiting board this year?

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Yeah, it's been super
interesting.

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And I mean, this is something
I've, you know, remain like I

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was watching it from the very
beginning.

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I'm sure most of us were, but it
was delayed.

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Delayed finally came through.
I think it's been interesting

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because I haven't seen in terms
of Virginia Tech and how they

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operate, at least from a
football perspective.

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I haven't seen like a huge
dramatic change yet in terms of

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their philosophy, how they're
approaching, whether it's the

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portal, high school recruiting
or guys on their current roster.

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Like we've kind of seen the
trend of smaller high school

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recruiting classes getting guys
of need in the portal.

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And for the most part, like
we've seen Virginia Tech retain

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who they needed to retain, You
know, whether that's their

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quarterbacks this offseason.
Last year was pretty much

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everyone it it has, I think the
biggest impact and we've kind of

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seen it hit high school
recruiting this year is that I

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think there's a lot of short
term effects from it that these

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big collectives kind of
offloading a lot.

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And maybe we see more movement
in schools that we're not

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typically seeing that from, you
know, immediately, like Texas

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Tech comes to mind coming out of
nowhere.

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There's plenty of other examples
like that.

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But I think we're kind of seeing
right now from a high school

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perspective at least, we're
seeing a lot of inflation.

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I think we see more guys than
ever right now committed to

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schools.
I think the the available player

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pool's a bit smaller than it has
been in years past.

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But yeah, overall, I think, you
know, it helped a little bit in

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terms of Virginia Tech landing
some of these portal guys with

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the expectation that this was
going to happen.

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But then in terms of recruiting,
I think there's some other

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benefactors across the country.
Yeah, and that's the thing

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about, you know, the deal and
everything, because now

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everything's scrutinized, right?
I mean, there's already been

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reports of deals like, Nope,
deals not good.

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Yep, deals not good.
This.

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00:14:26,240 --> 00:14:29,520
And you know, in some, in some
situations that's going to hurt.

223
00:14:30,040 --> 00:14:32,440
But eventually I think people
will find their way to work

224
00:14:32,440 --> 00:14:35,080
around it.
And if the hoagies are having

225
00:14:35,080 --> 00:14:37,640
any issues, will we hear about
it?

226
00:14:37,640 --> 00:14:39,760
Maybe, maybe not.
I think they've got enough

227
00:14:40,440 --> 00:14:43,360
individuals inside the state of
Virginia that have businesses

228
00:14:43,360 --> 00:14:49,040
that they can easily just say
get that kid $100,000, let them

229
00:14:49,040 --> 00:14:53,120
come be a speaker for your
business and what what can you

230
00:14:53,120 --> 00:14:57,280
say their business, they want to
pay a kid $100,000 to come speak

231
00:14:57,440 --> 00:14:59,920
whatever is going to work.
But let me flip back because

232
00:14:59,920 --> 00:15:01,600
we've mentioned the portal a
couple times.

233
00:15:02,160 --> 00:15:05,200
I want to know the effects that
you think you're having or

234
00:15:05,200 --> 00:15:08,440
having the portal, the way it's
working out or it's having on

235
00:15:08,440 --> 00:15:11,200
high school recruiting.
Because the way you kind of got

236
00:15:11,200 --> 00:15:13,240
to look at it, if a kid thinks
I'm going to come in and play

237
00:15:13,240 --> 00:15:18,360
day one, boom, boom, boom
portal, like that's my position.

238
00:15:18,560 --> 00:15:22,240
Like, how can that be negative,
positive in high school

239
00:15:22,240 --> 00:15:23,640
recruiting?
And I know some people are

240
00:15:23,640 --> 00:15:26,360
saying, yeah, but those guys are
like way down the line.

241
00:15:26,360 --> 00:15:29,600
And it's like it happens a lot
quicker than you think.

242
00:15:29,720 --> 00:15:32,360
And then you also have people
who are recruiting to sophomore

243
00:15:32,360 --> 00:15:34,960
in June.
We we think about the recruit

244
00:15:34,960 --> 00:15:37,240
last year, Curtis Perry.
I know he didn't last.

245
00:15:37,480 --> 00:15:39,840
You made TC early, mad,
whatever.

246
00:15:39,920 --> 00:15:41,440
I'd love to hear the back story
on that.

247
00:15:41,440 --> 00:15:45,120
Maybe that's JCPKS One night,
give him about 10 beers in,

248
00:15:45,120 --> 00:15:48,160
he'll give us the whole story.
But when you see that, it's

249
00:15:48,160 --> 00:15:51,000
like, well, I'm a defensive
lineman and they just got that

250
00:15:51,000 --> 00:15:54,080
kid in the portal.
Is that my spot?

251
00:15:54,920 --> 00:15:58,640
How much do you think that is in
the minds of high school kids

252
00:15:58,640 --> 00:16:01,440
now looking at how teams are
recruiting to the portal?

253
00:16:02,240 --> 00:16:04,320
I think it's definitely in the
minds of a lot of high school

254
00:16:04,320 --> 00:16:09,160
kids and I, I think it varies
per program because not only are

255
00:16:09,160 --> 00:16:13,400
you looking at guys now like if
you go to the 24/7 database and

256
00:16:13,400 --> 00:16:17,200
you're just sorting based on,
you know, five stars, 4 stars,

257
00:16:17,200 --> 00:16:19,960
three stars, there is a
different story for every kid.

258
00:16:20,400 --> 00:16:23,840
There are some kids that their
financial situation, they're

259
00:16:23,840 --> 00:16:26,080
going to go with the highest
bidder no matter what.

260
00:16:26,360 --> 00:16:28,720
Doesn't matter what your program
provides.

261
00:16:29,160 --> 00:16:31,960
There are some three stars the
same way there are also some

262
00:16:31,960 --> 00:16:36,200
four stars that, you know,
believe in the vision, maybe are

263
00:16:36,480 --> 00:16:39,080
a little well off.
Whatever their situation is,

264
00:16:39,440 --> 00:16:43,800
like they have it within them
that they want to go to a place

265
00:16:43,800 --> 00:16:46,880
where they trust the coaches to
develop them and they know it'll

266
00:16:46,880 --> 00:16:50,240
pay off down the road.
And I think when you look at a

267
00:16:50,240 --> 00:16:53,840
school like Virginia Tech, what
they're at least trying to do is

268
00:16:54,080 --> 00:16:59,640
avoid those guys that are just
in it for the benefits, guys

269
00:16:59,640 --> 00:17:03,480
that may take, you know, some
money right away, but they don't

270
00:17:03,480 --> 00:17:06,440
see them for the long haul.
Guys that are flip flopping

271
00:17:06,440 --> 00:17:11,280
through the recruitments.
You know, there there are even

272
00:17:11,280 --> 00:17:16,319
some like we already saw some
guys that said, I'm committed to

273
00:17:16,319 --> 00:17:18,520
Virginia Tech, but I want to
take an official visit

274
00:17:18,520 --> 00:17:20,880
elsewhere.
And, you know, I want to see

275
00:17:20,880 --> 00:17:23,280
what else is out there.
And Virginia Tech has been like,

276
00:17:23,359 --> 00:17:26,720
you should go see what what else
is out there, but then don't be

277
00:17:26,720 --> 00:17:29,800
committed to Virginia Tech.
And I think that's kind of their

278
00:17:29,800 --> 00:17:33,040
stance on that.
But in general, with the portal

279
00:17:33,520 --> 00:17:37,800
like it, it also boils back to
what we started talking about in

280
00:17:37,800 --> 00:17:40,480
the beginning of Brent Pryde
being on hot seat.

281
00:17:40,840 --> 00:17:43,240
Like this is a team that's in
win now mode.

282
00:17:43,560 --> 00:17:46,800
They needed to bring all those
guys from the portal.

283
00:17:46,960 --> 00:17:51,840
They need to win now.
So that is the priority.

284
00:17:52,680 --> 00:17:56,480
I mean, obviously high school
recruiting is priority as well,

285
00:17:56,480 --> 00:17:59,360
but you want guys that are going
to stick around and stay there.

286
00:17:59,360 --> 00:18:02,680
If OK, we believe that next
season's going to be a great

287
00:18:02,680 --> 00:18:04,520
year.
All those guys they brought in

288
00:18:04,520 --> 00:18:06,600
are going to leave.
We're going to be developed and

289
00:18:06,600 --> 00:18:09,080
then we're going to pick up the
torch and play for a winning

290
00:18:09,080 --> 00:18:10,720
football team.
That's kind of the formula.

291
00:18:13,480 --> 00:18:14,560
Yeah.
I mean, I know we're dealing

292
00:18:14,560 --> 00:18:16,040
with a lot of different things
here.

293
00:18:16,040 --> 00:18:20,400
You know, you've got the outcome
of last year, we got new

294
00:18:20,400 --> 00:18:24,840
coordinators, you got, you know,
new information with NIL and,

295
00:18:24,840 --> 00:18:27,560
and new rules and, you know,
navigating all of that.

296
00:18:27,560 --> 00:18:30,560
And then obviously, you know,
the way the portal in high

297
00:18:30,560 --> 00:18:34,200
school recruiting are kind of,
you know, trading places in

298
00:18:34,200 --> 00:18:36,480
terms of importance, or at
least, you know, starting to

299
00:18:36,480 --> 00:18:39,960
match each other in terms of
importance in a given year.

300
00:18:40,760 --> 00:18:44,480
Looking at the 26th class, kind
of let's talk about the biggest

301
00:18:44,480 --> 00:18:46,320
impact.
Is it that hot seat

302
00:18:46,320 --> 00:18:48,600
implications?
Is it the shift in recruiting

303
00:18:48,600 --> 00:18:52,680
for focus, is it the new
coordinators, or is it some of

304
00:18:52,680 --> 00:18:56,040
those organizational or
financial factors that are part

305
00:18:56,040 --> 00:18:58,400
of the NIL landscape?
Yeah.

306
00:18:58,600 --> 00:19:01,640
I mean, if I had to rank them, I
would definitely say landscape

307
00:19:01,640 --> 00:19:05,680
is #1 impact right now.
Just again, I think it's very

308
00:19:05,680 --> 00:19:07,960
short term.
I know Curtis kind of talked

309
00:19:07,960 --> 00:19:12,760
about it, but I think there are
some programs that maybe are

310
00:19:13,160 --> 00:19:15,720
putting things out there a
little Willy nilly and they

311
00:19:15,720 --> 00:19:17,360
don't know the ramifications of
it.

312
00:19:17,360 --> 00:19:21,120
They're just hopeful to get top
talent and figure it out later.

313
00:19:23,240 --> 00:19:26,440
Second biggest impact I would
say is the coordinators.

314
00:19:26,760 --> 00:19:32,080
Like if you think about it for
Sefke's coming into Virginia

315
00:19:32,080 --> 00:19:36,320
Tech, he has never seen any of
these prospects before.

316
00:19:36,600 --> 00:19:41,800
He was in pro systems evaluating
pro guys going through, you

317
00:19:41,800 --> 00:19:44,480
know, professional.
Techniques and.

318
00:19:44,760 --> 00:19:47,920
Yeah, exactly.
So now you pluck him out of

319
00:19:47,920 --> 00:19:52,080
Arizona, he's coming all the way
across the country and he is not

320
00:19:52,080 --> 00:19:55,920
only getting to know these guys,
like half of them he's probably

321
00:19:55,920 --> 00:19:58,040
seeing for the first time when
they come to campus.

322
00:19:58,440 --> 00:20:02,160
But now he's got to evaluate
them on a different level and

323
00:20:02,160 --> 00:20:04,960
build the relationship.
At the same time, I think

324
00:20:04,960 --> 00:20:07,320
they've gotten some guys
defensively, they've done some

325
00:20:07,320 --> 00:20:10,480
work there and obviously it
helps that you it's not just

326
00:20:10,480 --> 00:20:14,120
him, right, Like there are other
people, but in terms of.

327
00:20:14,880 --> 00:20:16,560
And you know, it's the same
thing with Montgomery.

328
00:20:16,560 --> 00:20:19,800
I think he's more familiar with
it, but he's still going through

329
00:20:19,800 --> 00:20:23,320
it in terms of Virginia Tech's
pool for the first time.

330
00:20:23,760 --> 00:20:28,200
There's a lot of catch up there.
And I think a big thing that

331
00:20:28,200 --> 00:20:32,960
we're seeing right now, like I
think about July 4th every year,

332
00:20:33,360 --> 00:20:37,160
I mean, it's day after day,
multiple commitments a day for

333
00:20:37,160 --> 00:20:39,320
Virginia Tech.
They try to get 80% of their

334
00:20:39,320 --> 00:20:41,840
class locked up July 4th every
year.

335
00:20:41,840 --> 00:20:45,120
This year is different.
This year there's only nine guys

336
00:20:45,120 --> 00:20:50,120
in the boat as of right now.
And these coordinators, while

337
00:20:50,120 --> 00:20:56,480
they they probably could have
that number right now at 1617, I

338
00:20:56,480 --> 00:21:01,200
think that their approach is we
need to know these guys and we

339
00:21:01,200 --> 00:21:04,080
need to see these guys.
We need to see them for their

340
00:21:04,080 --> 00:21:05,840
senior season.
We want to see tape.

341
00:21:06,480 --> 00:21:10,760
We want to go, you know, by
weeks, whatever midweek, see

342
00:21:10,760 --> 00:21:14,080
these guys play football, live
football, and I think that's a

343
00:21:14,080 --> 00:21:17,440
big part of it right now.
So I definitely think

344
00:21:17,440 --> 00:21:21,240
coordinators, big part of the
whole recruiting equation.

345
00:21:22,360 --> 00:21:25,600
And then again, like, I don't
want to diminish the hot seat,

346
00:21:25,600 --> 00:21:28,480
but I just think the other two
just far outweigh it right now.

347
00:21:29,040 --> 00:21:32,600
Yep, I'm going to, I'm going to
throw something in here, Matei.

348
00:21:33,160 --> 00:21:36,440
Speak to it what you can if you
know, but obviously just a few

349
00:21:36,440 --> 00:21:41,120
weeks ago, Jayden Anderson, the
wide receiver out of Green Run

350
00:21:41,120 --> 00:21:45,320
went into the portal.
Do you know what happened?

351
00:21:45,640 --> 00:21:48,600
Do you have any sort of insight
that you can give us or that

352
00:21:48,600 --> 00:21:49,400
you're?
Don't get fired.

353
00:21:49,440 --> 00:21:51,040
Don't get.
In trouble?

354
00:21:51,360 --> 00:21:53,320
But if you can.
Yeah.

355
00:21:54,280 --> 00:21:57,400
Yeah, I mean, I don't want to
say too much on the situation.

356
00:21:57,400 --> 00:21:59,920
Obviously a lot of respect for
for Jay.

357
00:22:00,160 --> 00:22:01,680
I think he's a great football
player.

358
00:22:01,680 --> 00:22:03,760
I think everyone's very excited
for him.

359
00:22:04,040 --> 00:22:07,600
I just think that, you know,
sometimes there's a transition

360
00:22:07,600 --> 00:22:11,960
element from high school to
college and some things get lost

361
00:22:11,960 --> 00:22:14,560
in translation.
And I'll, I'll kind of just

362
00:22:14,560 --> 00:22:18,080
leave it at that.
But you know, I obviously I

363
00:22:18,080 --> 00:22:21,880
think it's tough because not a
lot of people can can really

364
00:22:21,880 --> 00:22:24,160
talk about it.
But at the end of the day, you

365
00:22:24,160 --> 00:22:26,920
just kind of wish him well
because it's, you know, a guy

366
00:22:26,920 --> 00:22:29,840
that wanted to live out his
dream at Virginia Tech.

367
00:22:30,160 --> 00:22:33,200
And then, you know, things
happen, obviously.

368
00:22:33,200 --> 00:22:37,040
But at the end of the day, it's
it's best for both parties to

369
00:22:37,040 --> 00:22:39,080
kind of move on and wish, wish
each other.

370
00:22:39,080 --> 00:22:40,520
Well.
There you go.

371
00:22:40,840 --> 00:22:42,680
There's also another one in here
and we're going to kind of

372
00:22:42,680 --> 00:22:47,280
chuckle about this, but Peyton
Falzone, he already I didn't

373
00:22:47,280 --> 00:22:48,640
know he decommitted from Penn
State.

374
00:22:48,640 --> 00:22:55,160
Like, I mean, how tough is that
just for you reporting on this

375
00:22:55,160 --> 00:22:58,600
and like, OK, he commits to us.
Oh, that's great.

376
00:22:58,600 --> 00:23:02,320
He goes Penn say I make sense
pencil and now he's Auburn.

377
00:23:02,320 --> 00:23:04,880
Which Auburn?
From everything I'm seeing tally

378
00:23:04,880 --> 00:23:07,440
you can confirm this.
Auburn's kind of like shit show

379
00:23:07,440 --> 00:23:11,200
right now.
Freeze is he's he's something

380
00:23:11,200 --> 00:23:12,960
else, man.
But I know one thing.

381
00:23:12,960 --> 00:23:15,240
You better do something.
You better do something because

382
00:23:15,240 --> 00:23:16,800
I ain't going to play with him
down there too long.

383
00:23:16,800 --> 00:23:19,760
But.
How does that go A.

384
00:23:19,760 --> 00:23:23,920
Lot of people already.
But but the humatee, how does

385
00:23:23,920 --> 00:23:26,720
that even go?
Like researching a kid, getting

386
00:23:26,720 --> 00:23:29,240
to know, and then all of a
sudden it's like it's the

387
00:23:29,240 --> 00:23:31,560
freaking stock market.
Like where is this kid going

388
00:23:31,600 --> 00:23:33,800
today?
Yeah, I mean, it, it happens a

389
00:23:33,800 --> 00:23:37,680
lot.
It's, I wouldn't say it's at the

390
00:23:37,680 --> 00:23:43,120
same level, but you guys
remember Demetrius Davis?

391
00:23:45,000 --> 00:23:46,480
Hold off, Hey.
Mass mass.

392
00:23:46,480 --> 00:23:49,800
They already beat you too.
I heard Auburn and all of a

393
00:23:49,800 --> 00:23:52,360
sudden my mind went there
straight away.

394
00:23:52,880 --> 00:23:56,440
I mean, it happens a lot, right?
Like the at the end of the day,

395
00:23:56,440 --> 00:24:01,920
these guys are 161718 years old
and all of a sudden, you know,

396
00:24:02,400 --> 00:24:04,800
in the modern era, you're
talking about life changing

397
00:24:04,800 --> 00:24:07,680
money places.
And, you know, I'm not quite

398
00:24:07,680 --> 00:24:11,600
sure what the situation was at
Penn State because when he was

399
00:24:11,600 --> 00:24:14,640
committed to Virginia Tech, that
was always the school to watch.

400
00:24:15,080 --> 00:24:17,800
There was no mention of Auburn
at that at that time.

401
00:24:18,280 --> 00:24:21,240
And, you know, from there, it
was kind of a clean cut.

402
00:24:22,680 --> 00:24:25,680
I, I know Virginia Tech still
continue to recruit him here and

403
00:24:25,680 --> 00:24:29,880
there, but at that point, you
know, I didn't follow as much.

404
00:24:29,880 --> 00:24:35,400
So I was a bit surprised to see
him flip again to Auburn again,

405
00:24:35,400 --> 00:24:37,960
I don't know what the situation
there is with Penn State.

406
00:24:37,960 --> 00:24:41,560
If they told him, you know, go
ahead and, and, and find a

407
00:24:41,560 --> 00:24:45,080
situation.
But it I mean, this happens

408
00:24:45,080 --> 00:24:47,000
everywhere.
He he's not alone in that.

409
00:24:47,960 --> 00:24:50,640
I'll tell you, I'll say this,
and this is from somebody who

410
00:24:50,680 --> 00:24:53,920
don't know shit, this is just
from somebody who I ain't going

411
00:24:53,920 --> 00:24:55,920
to lose my job.
Yeah, I ain't going to lose my

412
00:24:55,920 --> 00:25:00,680
job for talking.
Nowadays, these kids, the

413
00:25:00,680 --> 00:25:05,120
recruiting aspect of stuff is
what can I get?

414
00:25:05,640 --> 00:25:08,840
Not all the time, but some kids
is what can you offer me?

415
00:25:09,360 --> 00:25:11,800
So even if they commit to a
school, they'll go back to a

416
00:25:11,800 --> 00:25:16,000
coach and say, well, such and
such card and offer me this and

417
00:25:16,000 --> 00:25:18,280
such and such may have caught
and offered you that.

418
00:25:18,280 --> 00:25:21,800
But what's getting lost in
translation a lot with kids is

419
00:25:22,280 --> 00:25:25,880
you have to be in the right
position for you to produce.

420
00:25:26,840 --> 00:25:29,800
Like my kid is a baseball
player, right?

421
00:25:29,960 --> 00:25:34,320
And travel ball is ridiculous.
So you get so many coaches

422
00:25:34,320 --> 00:25:37,440
that'll you'll be at a
tournament and they see you play

423
00:25:37,440 --> 00:25:39,440
and they'll come.
Hey man, y'all should come over

424
00:25:39,440 --> 00:25:42,680
here to this program and if my
kid comes and plays on that

425
00:25:42,680 --> 00:25:44,960
team, he might not like them
kids, he might not like the

426
00:25:44,960 --> 00:25:48,360
colors, he may not feel the same
when he's on the field.

427
00:25:48,360 --> 00:25:50,640
Like the kids that he played
with right now, he's played with

428
00:25:50,640 --> 00:25:53,560
them for probably 5 or 6 years.
They're comfortable with each

429
00:25:53,560 --> 00:25:55,520
other.
If he strikes out three times,

430
00:25:55,520 --> 00:25:57,720
it's not really going to have
nobody to rag him, you know what

431
00:25:57,720 --> 00:26:00,160
I'm saying?
But you go to another team and

432
00:26:00,160 --> 00:26:02,720
you strike out once, you may
have somebody on the bench that

433
00:26:02,720 --> 00:26:07,160
goes, hey, you suck.
So I'll take that back to take

434
00:26:07,160 --> 00:26:09,800
that back to like where we are.
We're talking football, right?

435
00:26:10,400 --> 00:26:13,520
So sometimes you can have a team
that's really strong, a program

436
00:26:13,520 --> 00:26:16,360
that's strong, or even a
recruiting class that's strong

437
00:26:16,360 --> 00:26:19,120
and hold together.
A lot of Times Now these kids

438
00:26:19,120 --> 00:26:21,480
aren't giving themselves the
opportunity to even do that.

439
00:26:21,800 --> 00:26:24,400
They're just going with the next
best thing.

440
00:26:24,920 --> 00:26:28,520
You know, speaking on the Jaden
Anderson situation, which I

441
00:26:28,520 --> 00:26:30,000
can't speak on it, I don't know
it.

442
00:26:30,000 --> 00:26:33,440
I don't know what happened.
I'm just saying from the outside

443
00:26:33,440 --> 00:26:37,880
looking in as a grown man, if
you start a job and you're on

444
00:26:37,880 --> 00:26:43,400
that job 7-8 days and then you
leave that job or you get fired,

445
00:26:43,400 --> 00:26:46,720
what something happened that
they didn't like or something

446
00:26:46,720 --> 00:26:49,720
happened that you didn't like?
So we can throw all these

447
00:26:49,720 --> 00:26:52,400
theories around and we can ask
the questions back as to what

448
00:26:52,400 --> 00:26:55,280
happened.
Something happened on one end

449
00:26:55,280 --> 00:26:57,160
that somebody didn't like or
something happened on the other

450
00:26:57,160 --> 00:26:59,280
end that somebody didn't like or
maybe both ends.

451
00:26:59,720 --> 00:27:03,720
But you can kind of take that
and use that as you will because

452
00:27:03,720 --> 00:27:05,680
like I said, I don't know the
kid or his family.

453
00:27:05,920 --> 00:27:07,880
Definitely wish him well, very
talented kid.

454
00:27:07,880 --> 00:27:11,640
But us as fans, like we throw so
many theories out.

455
00:27:12,360 --> 00:27:15,560
I heard this so I know this and
we don't we don't know nothing.

456
00:27:16,040 --> 00:27:18,480
We don't know what's going on in
that kids household.

457
00:27:18,720 --> 00:27:21,440
We don't know if that kid gets
homesick and wants to go home.

458
00:27:21,720 --> 00:27:23,880
We don't know if that kid gets
there and says hey Ben, y'all

459
00:27:23,880 --> 00:27:25,480
got too many people in this
room.

460
00:27:26,120 --> 00:27:28,480
We don't know what we don't.
They might not like the living

461
00:27:28,480 --> 00:27:31,440
situation.
You know, I've had kids here in

462
00:27:31,440 --> 00:27:33,560
Huntsville.
Huntsville's a it's in Alabama.

463
00:27:33,560 --> 00:27:37,280
So we still country, but like
Huntsville's a, a city.

464
00:27:38,000 --> 00:27:39,920
I've had kids that, you know,
leave here and go to

465
00:27:39,920 --> 00:27:42,200
Jacksonville State and they're
calling their parents and go,

466
00:27:42,640 --> 00:27:45,480
I'm in the country, man.
Like you got to come get me.

467
00:27:45,480 --> 00:27:47,480
I can't stay there.
My kid did it.

468
00:27:47,800 --> 00:27:50,120
My daughter went to Jacksonville
State and stayed again.

469
00:27:50,120 --> 00:27:52,760
And she was like, I want to come
back home and go online because

470
00:27:52,760 --> 00:27:55,800
there's no Chick-fil-A here.
Like that's a big thing.

471
00:27:56,760 --> 00:28:00,440
You never know what's happening
when a kid leaves his house, you

472
00:28:00,440 --> 00:28:05,400
know, or, or her house.
So just normal stuff as fans.

473
00:28:05,600 --> 00:28:07,320
I get it.
I've been there.

474
00:28:07,680 --> 00:28:10,280
I'm one of those people who want
to get in everything and want to

475
00:28:10,280 --> 00:28:12,960
know everything and see if I can
make a call and see if I can

476
00:28:12,960 --> 00:28:14,560
look at a message board.
But guess what?

477
00:28:14,560 --> 00:28:16,920
Right now I don't give.
A fuck.

478
00:28:17,640 --> 00:28:20,120
I don't care.
I just want to win.

479
00:28:20,480 --> 00:28:23,120
I don't care what's going on.
I just want us to win.

480
00:28:23,200 --> 00:28:26,080
That's what I want and.
The thing about winning tally is

481
00:28:26,080 --> 00:28:27,400
winning takes care of a lot of
these.

482
00:28:27,440 --> 00:28:30,720
Everything you win, winning,
winning will solve a lot of the

483
00:28:31,200 --> 00:28:33,440
the big problems that we have.
Yeah.

484
00:28:33,800 --> 00:28:36,560
It's it's not going to solve
everything and and it's not

485
00:28:36,560 --> 00:28:40,200
going to turn us into a
powerhouse overnight, But if you

486
00:28:40,280 --> 00:28:44,600
can win and win consistently, a
lot of your year to year

487
00:28:44,600 --> 00:28:47,960
problems start to disappear.
And then it's all about can you

488
00:28:47,960 --> 00:28:52,280
build a foundation good enough
to take that big step up the

489
00:28:52,280 --> 00:28:54,960
next rung of the ladder?
But if you can just start

490
00:28:54,960 --> 00:28:58,240
winning eight games every year,
you'd get consistent with that A

491
00:28:58,240 --> 00:29:01,160
lot of these other problems that
we have start to go away.

492
00:29:01,560 --> 00:29:03,960
Now let me say this before we
get back to Batay, because I

493
00:29:03,960 --> 00:29:06,440
know Curtis, we got to get, we
got to get this man out of here.

494
00:29:06,440 --> 00:29:08,440
He got a.
Lot of these guys in man man.

495
00:29:08,440 --> 00:29:09,920
Yeah, he got a, he got a lot of
stuff to do.

496
00:29:10,440 --> 00:29:13,240
I will say this and we'll talk
about a little bit more on our

497
00:29:14,200 --> 00:29:19,200
panel that's coming up.
Also, our season preview, we did

498
00:29:19,200 --> 00:29:20,960
have a lot that came back last
year.

499
00:29:21,320 --> 00:29:24,000
Great.
So much return in production.

500
00:29:24,640 --> 00:29:27,480
But I'm going to say this, y'all
can hate me if you want to.

501
00:29:27,960 --> 00:29:31,200
Some people came back the same,
some people didn't get better.

502
00:29:31,440 --> 00:29:33,480
Just because you're returning
doesn't mean you're better.

503
00:29:33,560 --> 00:29:36,800
You said that last year.
You leave and you come back from

504
00:29:36,960 --> 00:29:41,720
summer break or whatever you
call it, especially as a pro.

505
00:29:41,720 --> 00:29:43,480
All of those kids want to be
pros.

506
00:29:43,760 --> 00:29:47,600
You got to come back better.
And sometimes, man, when you get

507
00:29:47,600 --> 00:29:50,400
paid, you just you kind of
chill.

508
00:29:51,360 --> 00:29:53,600
Some of our offensive lineman
look like they chilled.

509
00:29:54,160 --> 00:29:56,280
Our running back didn't chill.
No, he didn't.

510
00:29:56,600 --> 00:29:58,720
You know Dorian.
That's why he got a lot more

511
00:29:58,720 --> 00:30:00,200
money this year.
Dorian.

512
00:30:00,200 --> 00:30:03,800
Than he did last year.
I think Steve Stevens said it.

513
00:30:03,800 --> 00:30:06,440
He said they believe the hype.
Yeah, we believe the hype last

514
00:30:06,440 --> 00:30:09,040
year.
I'm not saying no good.

515
00:30:09,080 --> 00:30:10,720
The coordinators believe the
hype.

516
00:30:11,200 --> 00:30:14,240
I said that from the beginning.
You know, I ain't saying we're

517
00:30:14,240 --> 00:30:18,800
going to be so much better, but
I do believe that Pratt has his

518
00:30:18,800 --> 00:30:23,240
best staff from top to bottom
this year since he's been here.

519
00:30:23,920 --> 00:30:26,200
He is still the head coach.
I'm still saying probably you

520
00:30:26,200 --> 00:30:28,840
got to win.
But I do think that this staff

521
00:30:28,840 --> 00:30:31,040
from top to bottom is better
than the Staffs he had in the

522
00:30:31,040 --> 00:30:33,280
past.
So want to get that out.

523
00:30:33,520 --> 00:30:35,040
Y'all can talk about it in the
chat.

524
00:30:35,560 --> 00:30:37,200
I know we got to get back to
Mattel Curtis.

525
00:30:37,200 --> 00:30:37,720
What we got?
Well.

526
00:30:37,960 --> 00:30:41,080
What we got is we've been going,
you know, we've been exactly

527
00:30:42,720 --> 00:30:46,160
rose colored glasses the 1st 30
minutes here because that's a

528
00:30:46,240 --> 00:30:48,160
who we are.
We don't, we don't paint it.

529
00:30:48,160 --> 00:30:51,720
We paint it like we see it, but
there are some positives that

530
00:30:51,720 --> 00:30:54,200
happen like what they mentioned
earlier this month.

531
00:30:54,680 --> 00:30:59,200
And it ain't all doom and gloom.
We got 9 kids in the boat and we

532
00:30:59,200 --> 00:31:00,600
just wanted to hit on a couple
of them.

533
00:31:00,600 --> 00:31:03,000
I'm going to let Brian tee it
off with the first one because I

534
00:31:03,000 --> 00:31:04,520
know where he's going.
You know where he's going,

535
00:31:04,600 --> 00:31:05,800
Tally, and I know where Tally's
going.

536
00:31:06,360 --> 00:31:10,400
Hey man, this is this is an
offensive line focus podcast, a

537
00:31:10,400 --> 00:31:13,160
trench focus podcast.
So we got to talk about Thomas

538
00:31:13,160 --> 00:31:19,560
Wilder, mate, tell us what type
of recruit this kid is and talk

539
00:31:19,560 --> 00:31:25,640
a little bit about how Pry has
built this pipeline with that

540
00:31:25,640 --> 00:31:29,600
deep run program that down.
Green run 5. 7 green run.

541
00:31:29,840 --> 00:31:32,400
I said deep run.
Sorry green run my deep run.

542
00:31:32,560 --> 00:31:34,720
Right Curtis.
Getting right, Curtis.

543
00:31:35,000 --> 00:31:39,040
Hey green run, my bad green run.
Yeah.

544
00:31:39,040 --> 00:31:43,240
I mean, I mean, first and
foremost, Thomas Wilder is, I

545
00:31:43,240 --> 00:31:48,760
mean, I think when we all looked
at this class, he was a guy that

546
00:31:48,760 --> 00:31:53,280
not only the coaching staff
circled as this is a top guy

547
00:31:53,280 --> 00:31:56,440
that we need desperately to keep
here.

548
00:31:56,760 --> 00:31:58,480
But I think all fans saw that
too.

549
00:31:59,040 --> 00:32:03,960
And I think it helps.
I talked about it before with

550
00:32:03,960 --> 00:32:08,000
the coordinators meeting a lot
of these guys before, but this

551
00:32:08,000 --> 00:32:11,560
is Matt Moore as well.
This is, you know, there is

552
00:32:11,560 --> 00:32:15,360
crystal balls over a year ago
for Thomas Wilder to go to West

553
00:32:15,360 --> 00:32:18,760
Virginia and Matt Moore has kept
that connection.

554
00:32:19,720 --> 00:32:21,760
Virginia Tech has kept that
connection.

555
00:32:22,240 --> 00:32:25,400
This is a guy that has been
recruited by Virginia Tech since

556
00:32:25,400 --> 00:32:30,200
he was 13 years old, right?
Like he is growing into his

557
00:32:30,200 --> 00:32:32,760
body.
He is starting to play big

558
00:32:32,760 --> 00:32:35,800
football and Virginia Tech is
there every single step of the

559
00:32:35,800 --> 00:32:39,440
way.
And it does help Green run.

560
00:32:39,520 --> 00:32:43,080
I think Wilder transferred there
before last year.

561
00:32:44,440 --> 00:32:48,760
But you look at, I think the
domino effect has been real.

562
00:32:48,800 --> 00:32:52,720
And you look at a guy like
Keelan Adams, Brody Adams, that

563
00:32:52,720 --> 00:32:55,920
was a guy that the staff just
worked so hard on.

564
00:32:56,160 --> 00:32:58,600
And then you have guys like
Fontelle Mines coming in.

565
00:32:59,000 --> 00:33:01,360
You have Matt Moore coming into
the school.

566
00:33:01,600 --> 00:33:03,840
All of a sudden you're
recruiting guys all over the

567
00:33:03,840 --> 00:33:06,960
field from that program.
All the different coaches are

568
00:33:06,960 --> 00:33:11,160
coming in those doors week after
week, establishing connections

569
00:33:11,160 --> 00:33:15,000
not only with the coaching staff
and the players, but these

570
00:33:15,000 --> 00:33:17,520
families that talk to one
another, the community.

571
00:33:17,960 --> 00:33:22,200
So I think they've shown a
willingness and granted, these

572
00:33:22,200 --> 00:33:25,840
are great players.
Like not every high school,

573
00:33:26,120 --> 00:33:29,800
especially in state, are you
going to find multiple guys on

574
00:33:29,800 --> 00:33:34,360
the same team that you can
confidently say in our sixteen

575
00:33:34,360 --> 00:33:36,560
man recruiting class, we're
going to take two to three of

576
00:33:36,560 --> 00:33:38,640
you guys.
I mean, that's crazy if you

577
00:33:38,640 --> 00:33:41,560
think about it.
But no matter who the green run

578
00:33:41,560 --> 00:33:45,320
prospects are, Virginia Tech,
like we'll give them a fair

579
00:33:45,320 --> 00:33:49,920
shake and we'll recruit them and
has been recruiting all these

580
00:33:49,920 --> 00:33:54,040
guys for many, many years.
So I think, you know, not only

581
00:33:54,040 --> 00:33:57,640
is it a lot of these guys that
will eventually see their former

582
00:33:57,640 --> 00:34:00,360
teammates from the high school
level at the collegiate level,

583
00:34:00,720 --> 00:34:04,600
it's like it's one big community
and it it just so happens that

584
00:34:04,600 --> 00:34:07,200
they're very talented at playing
football as well.

585
00:34:10,520 --> 00:34:14,639
Well, I was happy that he
committed.

586
00:34:15,239 --> 00:34:17,719
I was worried, but I was happy
that he did.

587
00:34:18,639 --> 00:34:20,480
Another one that I was happy to
see.

588
00:34:20,480 --> 00:34:24,199
Didn't really know much about
him, but I do know what we need

589
00:34:24,199 --> 00:34:27,360
help at.
And this kid was committed to

590
00:34:27,360 --> 00:34:33,159
Rutgers, Terrell Simpson, he was
committed to Rutgers.

591
00:34:33,159 --> 00:34:36,480
And I know what Rutgers look for
and I know what kind of program

592
00:34:36,480 --> 00:34:39,480
they have.
So again, didn't know much about

593
00:34:39,480 --> 00:34:42,320
the kid, but when I seen he was
committed to Rutgers and I seen

594
00:34:42,679 --> 00:34:45,880
his size, definitely got happy
about it.

595
00:34:46,239 --> 00:34:50,960
But wanted to ask you kind of
how did that that commitment go?

596
00:34:50,960 --> 00:34:53,040
How did that you know, what do
we do?

597
00:34:53,320 --> 00:34:54,199
What?
What happened there?

598
00:34:54,560 --> 00:34:57,760
Yeah.
I mean, I, I think sometimes you

599
00:34:57,760 --> 00:35:00,200
get aided by things out of your
control.

600
00:35:00,280 --> 00:35:06,200
And I won't go into too many
details on it, but I think with

601
00:35:06,200 --> 00:35:11,520
Simpson, Simpson, he's a guy
that Virginia Tech recruited and

602
00:35:11,520 --> 00:35:13,640
recruited.
And, you know, I was pretty

603
00:35:13,640 --> 00:35:17,360
pessimistic about it because I,
you know, obviously I heard some

604
00:35:17,360 --> 00:35:20,720
rumblings, some people on my
team were saying, you know, I

605
00:35:20,720 --> 00:35:23,680
think there is a legitimate
possibility that there could be

606
00:35:23,680 --> 00:35:27,920
a flip here.
And all of a sudden, you know, a

607
00:35:27,920 --> 00:35:32,280
guy from North Carolina, as you
mentioned, Rutgers knows how to,

608
00:35:32,360 --> 00:35:34,880
you could say what you want
about them in the Big 10 and

609
00:35:34,880 --> 00:35:38,960
their overall success rate and
what have you, but they know how

610
00:35:38,960 --> 00:35:44,760
to develop offensive lineman.
And I think that was a situation

611
00:35:44,760 --> 00:35:49,200
where at the time, Rutgers
seemed like the best opportunity

612
00:35:49,600 --> 00:35:52,600
to get a full ride to a really
good program that would develop

613
00:35:52,600 --> 00:35:55,440
him.
But I think, you know, wasn't

614
00:35:55,440 --> 00:36:00,400
too much time.
But I think he really realized

615
00:36:00,400 --> 00:36:04,360
the need for him to stay home or
closer to home.

616
00:36:04,800 --> 00:36:08,760
And Virginia Tech offered the
best opportunity to not only,

617
00:36:09,320 --> 00:36:14,360
you know, get a full ride
develop under Matt Moore, but

618
00:36:14,840 --> 00:36:18,240
stay close to home.
And I think that was the missing

619
00:36:18,600 --> 00:36:24,320
piece that became apparent over
time and the reason why they

620
00:36:24,320 --> 00:36:26,880
were able to, you know, get that
flip.

621
00:36:29,240 --> 00:36:30,640
Yeah.
Definitely good flip.

622
00:36:30,640 --> 00:36:32,240
We got a little birdie in our
ear.

623
00:36:32,920 --> 00:36:36,120
Somebody messaged us and said, I
think we're going to flip one

624
00:36:36,120 --> 00:36:38,520
soon.
We're like, OK, that's that's

625
00:36:38,520 --> 00:36:40,440
nice.
But you hold your breath, right,

626
00:36:40,440 --> 00:36:43,280
because people have messaged us
before me like, oh, this is

627
00:36:43,280 --> 00:36:44,640
going to happen and none never
happened.

628
00:36:44,680 --> 00:36:48,560
So in that one was a good case
in the tallies points like every

629
00:36:48,560 --> 00:36:52,880
kind of all mixes where he got
recruited to the footprint guy

630
00:36:52,880 --> 00:36:55,720
and then just his sheer size.
It was like great flip.

631
00:36:55,720 --> 00:36:58,360
Love it.
I got one I want to hit on.

632
00:36:58,360 --> 00:37:00,920
And this is a guy that recruited
way back in April and Josh

633
00:37:00,920 --> 00:37:06,600
Pittman down at Suffolk, down at
Kingsport, a linebacker.

634
00:37:06,640 --> 00:37:09,120
And.
Yes, maybe what I want a little

635
00:37:09,120 --> 00:37:13,560
more on this one is this was
Xavier DB's first recruit.

636
00:37:14,200 --> 00:37:17,240
He put it in the boat quick.
His first chance to get out

637
00:37:17,240 --> 00:37:21,360
there, hit the road, puts a
pretty solid one on the board

638
00:37:22,120 --> 00:37:27,120
from what you've heard.
How big was being Xavier DB to

639
00:37:27,120 --> 00:37:31,000
Joshua Pittman?
Very big, very big.

640
00:37:31,040 --> 00:37:34,440
And I think, you know, there's a
lot of similarities there.

641
00:37:34,440 --> 00:37:38,520
I think at the same time, like
this is a guy that, you know, 6,

642
00:37:38,520 --> 00:37:40,960
three.
I think he just put up like a

643
00:37:40,960 --> 00:37:43,520
weight update on Twitter.
He's 230 now.

644
00:37:44,600 --> 00:37:46,520
Yeah.
He's following the plan, then.

645
00:37:46,680 --> 00:37:50,640
He sure is like this is a very
dedicated, serious young man

646
00:37:51,200 --> 00:37:53,240
that really wants to be
successful.

647
00:37:53,560 --> 00:37:58,520
And I think they view him as a
guy that can do a lot of things.

648
00:37:58,520 --> 00:38:01,760
They view him more as an outside
linebacker, maybe a guy that

649
00:38:01,760 --> 00:38:05,480
could, you know, in certain
situations, rush the passer,

650
00:38:05,480 --> 00:38:09,480
maybe play closer to the line,
but just a really solid player.

651
00:38:09,480 --> 00:38:12,560
And I think when they were
looking at, you know, we're

652
00:38:12,560 --> 00:38:17,080
going to them saying we're going
to take one to two linebackers

653
00:38:17,080 --> 00:38:19,560
this class, they always knew in
the back of their mind they

654
00:38:19,560 --> 00:38:23,160
wanted him as one of them.
So I think that's why it was so

655
00:38:23,160 --> 00:38:26,160
quick.
Again, only nine guys.

656
00:38:26,160 --> 00:38:30,280
But of the nine guys that are in
the class, it's very clear like

657
00:38:30,400 --> 00:38:33,680
these were the guys that
Virginia Tech was like, we need

658
00:38:33,680 --> 00:38:36,360
to say yes to.
We need their commitments.

659
00:38:36,600 --> 00:38:40,040
Again, like I said it a bit
earlier, they could have 16 by

660
00:38:40,040 --> 00:38:43,040
now.
They decided we're not confident

661
00:38:43,040 --> 00:38:47,440
on the other 7 or so.
But the nine guys that they have

662
00:38:47,440 --> 00:38:51,440
right now, including Pittman,
like they they knew they wanted

663
00:38:51,440 --> 00:38:56,400
him at linebacker.
I love hearing that and let's

664
00:38:56,400 --> 00:38:58,760
talk about that a little bit
because you know, you talked to

665
00:38:58,880 --> 00:39:02,480
a couple times at this point
about, you know, maybe a couple

666
00:39:02,480 --> 00:39:05,000
of these guys that could have
been in the boat that we've

667
00:39:05,000 --> 00:39:08,280
either kind of pull back on or
you know, yet new coordinators

668
00:39:08,280 --> 00:39:10,640
coming in want to see a little
bit more before they they pull

669
00:39:10,640 --> 00:39:16,000
that trigger.
What other schools have

670
00:39:16,000 --> 00:39:19,680
benefited from that You're
looking at maybe like the top 20

671
00:39:19,680 --> 00:39:22,640
in the state is, is there
certain schools that have

672
00:39:22,640 --> 00:39:26,240
benefited maybe from us taking a
little more of a slower approach

673
00:39:26,280 --> 00:39:28,560
this cycle as a result of those
new coordinators?

674
00:39:28,960 --> 00:39:33,920
Yeah, I think you know it.
It definitely varies in terms of

675
00:39:35,600 --> 00:39:38,760
like, you know, definitely
there's another in state school

676
00:39:38,760 --> 00:39:44,880
that has benefited, you know,
other ACC schools, but I, I've

677
00:39:44,880 --> 00:39:49,320
also seen like I know there,
there is one battle with Texas

678
00:39:49,320 --> 00:39:51,400
Tech.
I'm, I'm trying not to like say

679
00:39:51,400 --> 00:39:58,160
all the names here, but I think
just in general, like there are

680
00:39:58,160 --> 00:40:01,240
other schools that have
benefited definitely from

681
00:40:01,240 --> 00:40:04,080
Virginia Tech kind of waiting
out the process.

682
00:40:04,080 --> 00:40:08,800
Like you can kind of put it
together like when the official

683
00:40:08,800 --> 00:40:13,400
visits happened late May.
Into June, like a lot of these

684
00:40:13,400 --> 00:40:17,800
guys are, are pushing to commit,
right And we've seen so many

685
00:40:17,800 --> 00:40:21,720
commitments to various different
schools where Virginia Tech was

686
00:40:22,000 --> 00:40:26,080
in the top five, the top three,
sometimes even it was 2 schools

687
00:40:26,080 --> 00:40:29,720
that a recruits choosing from.
And, you know, I want to be

688
00:40:29,720 --> 00:40:34,040
clear in some instances of that
happening, you know, that

689
00:40:34,040 --> 00:40:36,240
recruit decided I want that
other school.

690
00:40:36,240 --> 00:40:39,520
But there have been
opportunities for Virginia Tech

691
00:40:39,520 --> 00:40:40,920
to add.
And they said, you know, we're

692
00:40:40,920 --> 00:40:44,120
just not confident right now.
We want to see some more film.

693
00:40:44,120 --> 00:40:48,120
And all the best of them as as
they make their commitment and

694
00:40:48,120 --> 00:40:51,680
have a spot somewhere else.
Nice.

695
00:40:52,120 --> 00:40:55,400
We've mentioned a couple times,
Nah, Nah, Nah.

696
00:40:55,400 --> 00:40:57,040
That's where we're stuck at
right now.

697
00:40:57,840 --> 00:41:01,120
And you obviously pay attention
to the portal to the class size

698
00:41:01,120 --> 00:41:05,040
to maybe see this guys that you
thought would make an impact by

699
00:41:05,040 --> 00:41:07,040
their third season.
It's just like they're just not

700
00:41:07,040 --> 00:41:12,960
coming to fruition.
Where do you see where do you

701
00:41:12,960 --> 00:41:14,720
see this class landing?
What's your number?

702
00:41:14,720 --> 00:41:18,000
Just like, again, playing the
scholarship game, playing the

703
00:41:18,000 --> 00:41:21,800
they're going to need this from
the you're you're logged in.

704
00:41:21,800 --> 00:41:23,280
Where are you throwing your darn
sand?

705
00:41:23,280 --> 00:41:24,720
I think we're going to land
about here.

706
00:41:25,120 --> 00:41:28,760
Yeah.
So I, I would say this, I mean,

707
00:41:28,760 --> 00:41:32,000
last year they got 20 high
school guys.

708
00:41:32,000 --> 00:41:35,360
And if you think about it, most
of that was done.

709
00:41:35,480 --> 00:41:38,680
And I always bring it up, but
like early July is when the

710
00:41:38,680 --> 00:41:43,440
spree starts throughout July,
maybe early August, maybe you

711
00:41:43,440 --> 00:41:47,360
get like sprinkle in one to two,
like September, October.

712
00:41:47,760 --> 00:41:51,280
And then all of a sudden, like
last year, I think Virginia Tech

713
00:41:51,280 --> 00:41:55,960
was 16 or 17 guys.
And then all of a sudden you

714
00:41:55,960 --> 00:41:59,480
have a late flip.
And then you add a guy like JoJo

715
00:41:59,480 --> 00:42:06,280
Krim and you know, you're able
to kind of you, you've already

716
00:42:06,280 --> 00:42:08,880
developed these relationships
and maybe you can take a couple

717
00:42:08,880 --> 00:42:10,760
more guys as you figure out the
numbers.

718
00:42:11,120 --> 00:42:13,280
So I kind of see the same thing
this year.

719
00:42:13,400 --> 00:42:16,640
Like, I know it's been a little
slower to start, but I

720
00:42:16,640 --> 00:42:23,520
realistically can see Virginia
Tech like 15 or 16 and then they

721
00:42:23,520 --> 00:42:26,560
could push up from that closer
to signing day.

722
00:42:26,560 --> 00:42:31,360
Because I, I do think there's
going to be like I keep saying

723
00:42:31,360 --> 00:42:34,720
it, but so many guys committed
already and I think there's a

724
00:42:34,720 --> 00:42:38,840
lot of prospects of Virginia
Tech's going to fight for.

725
00:42:40,560 --> 00:42:43,320
I don't know, like a lot of them
are long shots.

726
00:42:43,320 --> 00:42:45,840
But at the same time, like you
never know what could happen

727
00:42:46,080 --> 00:42:48,960
leading up to signing day.
Is is there a coach that leaves

728
00:42:48,960 --> 00:42:52,600
or moves on so many different
factors?

729
00:42:52,600 --> 00:42:58,480
So I see it as somewhere between
16 to 18, maybe even pushing 20.

730
00:42:59,320 --> 00:43:01,920
OK, it's.
A little bit bigger than I

731
00:43:01,920 --> 00:43:04,680
thought when you start talking
about that bigger number being

732
00:43:04,680 --> 00:43:10,120
20.
But I guess I got to ask, man.

733
00:43:10,120 --> 00:43:12,280
I mean, I don't know how much
you can tell me, but I at least

734
00:43:12,280 --> 00:43:17,000
got to got to ask you, you know,
names that I guess we haven't

735
00:43:17,000 --> 00:43:18,760
talked about, the names that you
may be hearing that we're

736
00:43:18,760 --> 00:43:22,880
targeting.
What are some names that you can

737
00:43:22,880 --> 00:43:24,760
give us that may be Hokies by
December?

738
00:43:26,240 --> 00:43:28,960
Yeah, I mean, it's it's an
interesting list.

739
00:43:29,720 --> 00:43:34,600
I right now is a dead period and
we just saw a huge spree.

740
00:43:34,640 --> 00:43:40,720
So I won't say it's the most
exciting list, but in terms of,

741
00:43:40,880 --> 00:43:44,640
you know, guys that they could
be targeting, Cole Bergeron, a

742
00:43:44,640 --> 00:43:49,360
guy out of Louisiana high three
star prostyle quarterback, I

743
00:43:49,360 --> 00:43:51,000
think he's like 6 four and a
half.

744
00:43:52,080 --> 00:43:55,000
He's a guy that, you know,
they've identified Montgomery.

745
00:43:56,240 --> 00:43:59,400
He's someone that has Virginia
Tech on top right now.

746
00:44:00,280 --> 00:44:03,040
I think they're in the, you
know, they very much want to add

747
00:44:03,040 --> 00:44:06,720
a quarterback to this class.
And he seems like the favorite

748
00:44:06,720 --> 00:44:12,760
in in my opinion.
I think in terms of like bigger

749
00:44:12,760 --> 00:44:17,640
star power, T Ron Richardson,
Hopewell guy.

750
00:44:17,920 --> 00:44:23,240
I think if Virginia Tech can
pull this one out, he's the guy

751
00:44:23,240 --> 00:44:26,560
that everyone looks at at the
end of the cycle and says that's

752
00:44:26,560 --> 00:44:29,240
the gem of the class.
Like including Thomas Wilder.

753
00:44:29,560 --> 00:44:34,320
I think he's that good.
Penn State, Oklahoma, Syracuse,

754
00:44:34,560 --> 00:44:39,680
they're all in on him.
But yeah, he's a big one for

755
00:44:39,720 --> 00:44:42,800
this cycle.
I think, you know, the biggest

756
00:44:42,800 --> 00:44:46,960
fish that's probably out there,
I know I've seen like Elijah

757
00:44:46,960 --> 00:44:50,600
Golden, he's announcing pretty
soon, I think on the 26th.

758
00:44:51,160 --> 00:44:55,600
He has Notre Dame, Bama,
Oklahoma and then Virginia Tech

759
00:44:55,600 --> 00:44:57,960
in his Final Four.
I think that one's like an

760
00:44:57,960 --> 00:45:00,160
absolute long shot, but you just
never know.

761
00:45:00,360 --> 00:45:02,520
Like they recruited him for a
very long time.

762
00:45:03,640 --> 00:45:06,600
Personally, if Notre Dame and
Alabama are calling, I'm

763
00:45:06,600 --> 00:45:09,880
listening.
But he's still someone that's,

764
00:45:09,920 --> 00:45:12,840
you know, in the conversation at
least and that they're pushing

765
00:45:12,840 --> 00:45:17,800
for other guys.
I know Jalen Burrell has been an

766
00:45:17,800 --> 00:45:20,920
interesting one.
He's a high three star.

767
00:45:21,160 --> 00:45:25,680
I think he's listed as a safety.
I believe he's playing wide

768
00:45:25,680 --> 00:45:28,560
receiver for his high school
program.

769
00:45:28,640 --> 00:45:32,720
And I, you know, I'm not sure if
he's looking to go the route of

770
00:45:32,720 --> 00:45:35,840
wide receiver or not, but he's
someone that definitely Virginia

771
00:45:35,840 --> 00:45:39,080
Tech wants to monitor through
senior season.

772
00:45:40,440 --> 00:45:44,480
Charles Belser, linebacker out
of Philadelphia.

773
00:45:44,480 --> 00:45:49,600
He's got Michigan State, UCF and
Virginia Tech in his top three

774
00:45:49,600 --> 00:45:52,840
right now.
He's another guy I think

775
00:45:52,840 --> 00:45:55,800
Virginia Tech would want to add
from a inside linebacker

776
00:45:55,800 --> 00:45:59,960
perspective.
And then, you know, a name to

777
00:45:59,960 --> 00:46:02,680
watch.
Got to mention Green run again.

778
00:46:02,680 --> 00:46:06,400
But Shawn Church junior, he's
another quarterback, big lanky

779
00:46:06,400 --> 00:46:10,320
guy.
I think he's like 63190 or so

780
00:46:10,880 --> 00:46:16,920
could play multiple positions.
But yeah, with and also Zay

781
00:46:16,920 --> 00:46:18,760
Cleveland as well.
Like I know he's already in the

782
00:46:18,760 --> 00:46:22,360
boat, but it's just, it's just
funny how much Green run can

783
00:46:22,360 --> 00:46:25,880
give to Virginia Tech.
But he's he's someone I think

784
00:46:26,280 --> 00:46:29,440
again, like with a big senior
season, I could I could see that

785
00:46:29,440 --> 00:46:33,440
happening.
But again, I think like the

786
00:46:33,440 --> 00:46:36,280
names, I always say that I feel
like I say this every time I'm

787
00:46:36,280 --> 00:46:39,000
on here, like the names always
change, right?

788
00:46:39,240 --> 00:46:42,840
But I think the idea is that
they're looking for a

789
00:46:42,920 --> 00:46:46,760
quarterback, couple wide
receivers, maybe add to the O

790
00:46:46,760 --> 00:46:49,040
line and D line.
If it's, you know, someone they

791
00:46:49,040 --> 00:46:51,360
can really add to that group
with.

792
00:46:51,800 --> 00:46:55,360
And then I think they rounded
out with couple safeties, A

793
00:46:55,360 --> 00:46:58,480
linebacker and maybe another
cornerback.

794
00:46:58,840 --> 00:47:00,600
And I think you're talking about
like a nice class.

795
00:47:00,680 --> 00:47:03,640
Oh, and definitely a tight end.
They definitely need a tight

796
00:47:03,640 --> 00:47:05,080
end.
Definitely need a tight end.

797
00:47:05,160 --> 00:47:08,480
Yeah, definitely.
Let me let me ask you this,

798
00:47:08,480 --> 00:47:10,320
Matei.
I mean, you talked about some of

799
00:47:10,320 --> 00:47:13,920
the, the schools in the mix for
these kids that are still, you

800
00:47:13,920 --> 00:47:19,360
know, haven't committed yet.
When I look through kind of the,

801
00:47:19,880 --> 00:47:22,280
the, the commitments for the
state of Virginia and, and kind

802
00:47:22,280 --> 00:47:26,320
of look in the footprint in
general, I'm seeing Syracuse in

803
00:47:26,320 --> 00:47:30,400
a lot of these battles either
either already have a, a verbal

804
00:47:30,400 --> 00:47:35,160
commit or are pretty high in, in
these final, final round outs.

805
00:47:35,160 --> 00:47:40,920
Here is, is Fran Brown making a
big push down in the

806
00:47:40,920 --> 00:47:45,920
Mid-Atlantic this year In
general #1 and #2 we've already

807
00:47:45,920 --> 00:47:49,840
seen a couple flips that are
there's some flip opportunities

808
00:47:49,960 --> 00:47:52,400
for the Hokies that you've
already identified that we

809
00:47:52,400 --> 00:47:56,800
should keep our eyes on.
Yeah, I'll say with Fran Brown,

810
00:47:56,840 --> 00:48:01,440
I mean, it's, it's not to the
same degree as like a, a Texas

811
00:48:01,440 --> 00:48:03,240
Tech.
I mean, this is just my opinion,

812
00:48:03,240 --> 00:48:05,960
right?
But like I think when I talk

813
00:48:05,960 --> 00:48:09,160
about or have talked about
tonight about some of those

814
00:48:09,160 --> 00:48:14,080
short term impacts of like some
schools are operating in a

815
00:48:14,080 --> 00:48:17,320
different way than others.
I think Syracuse is one of those

816
00:48:17,320 --> 00:48:20,760
programs like they're seeing the
benefits of, you know, some of

817
00:48:20,760 --> 00:48:24,560
the rules changing and they're
you know, I think they're I

818
00:48:24,560 --> 00:48:27,160
think Fran Brown is legit as a
recruiter.

819
00:48:27,320 --> 00:48:29,080
I think he's a great staff for
it.

820
00:48:29,360 --> 00:48:32,920
I mean they just got blanking on
his name now, but they just got

821
00:48:32,920 --> 00:48:37,560
that five star guy over
Michigan, which was a big

822
00:48:37,560 --> 00:48:40,200
shocker.
But and Miami.

823
00:48:41,280 --> 00:48:46,720
But yeah, I think Fran Brown has
has done a good job in term in

824
00:48:46,720 --> 00:48:52,680
terms of flips.
I think Amari go from who's

825
00:48:52,680 --> 00:48:56,600
committed to Syracuse now, he's
a guy that Fontelle Mines has

826
00:48:56,600 --> 00:49:00,760
been recruiting a lot.
I think you know, athlete guy

827
00:49:00,760 --> 00:49:03,280
would play wide receiver at
Virginia Tech.

828
00:49:04,400 --> 00:49:06,560
He's someone I would keep an eye
out for.

829
00:49:07,640 --> 00:49:11,200
Dizier Carter over at Rutgers,
another Rutgers guy.

830
00:49:11,200 --> 00:49:15,600
But again, wide receiver.
Just my opinion.

831
00:49:15,640 --> 00:49:19,560
I just think Fontelle Mines the
way that he operates, he's going

832
00:49:19,560 --> 00:49:22,800
to continue to recruit guys till
the very, very end.

833
00:49:23,080 --> 00:49:25,880
And we've already seen some
cases where he's gotten some

834
00:49:25,880 --> 00:49:30,000
flips from it.
But overall, I think that could

835
00:49:30,000 --> 00:49:32,200
end up winning out over the long
haul.

836
00:49:32,440 --> 00:49:35,200
I think both those guys are
probably still long shots.

837
00:49:36,320 --> 00:49:40,840
I know everyone's like Carter's
Carter Scruggs, like can

838
00:49:40,840 --> 00:49:42,720
Virginia Tech get them from
Clemson?

839
00:49:43,040 --> 00:49:45,720
That one's long gone.
But you know, Virginia Tech will

840
00:49:46,000 --> 00:49:49,520
continue to recruit him.
I mean, Darius Gray, even though

841
00:49:49,520 --> 00:49:53,640
he's uncommitted, he's not going
to commit to Virginia Tech

842
00:49:53,640 --> 00:49:58,280
spoiler alert.
But again, I'm trying to address

843
00:49:58,280 --> 00:50:00,120
the fans here.
But you know, that's someone

844
00:50:00,120 --> 00:50:02,880
they're going to continue to
recruit.

845
00:50:02,880 --> 00:50:07,000
And you know, maybe a guy like
Isaiah Simmons at Pitt to add

846
00:50:07,000 --> 00:50:11,160
another linebacker.
I know Virginia Tech was high on

847
00:50:11,160 --> 00:50:15,000
him, he chose Pitt.
But those are kind of the guys

848
00:50:15,000 --> 00:50:18,520
I'm looking at right now.
I think go and Dizier Carter,

849
00:50:18,520 --> 00:50:24,320
probably the most realistic, but
still a flip is a flip alone is,

850
00:50:24,720 --> 00:50:29,000
you know, very unrealistic, but
those are guys simply because

851
00:50:29,000 --> 00:50:31,360
Fontelle mines and and the
history there.

852
00:50:32,000 --> 00:50:35,040
Yeah, when I when I brought that
question up and brought Syracuse

853
00:50:35,040 --> 00:50:36,800
into the discussion, I was
hoping you were going to say

854
00:50:36,800 --> 00:50:38,080
Amari Go's name.
So.

855
00:50:38,160 --> 00:50:42,680
Yeah, yeah, send eight O 4 kid
down at TJ.

856
00:50:43,480 --> 00:50:46,520
So, but it's really funny how
you well, how you mentioned Fran

857
00:50:46,520 --> 00:50:50,600
Brown, what he's doing, but the
biggest thing that he did last

858
00:50:50,600 --> 00:50:54,120
year was win 10 games.
If that guy was 3 and 10 last

859
00:50:54,120 --> 00:50:58,680
year, no one would be looking
at, no one would be looking at

860
00:50:58,680 --> 00:51:02,760
Syracuse.
But you win 10 games, you're the

861
00:51:02,760 --> 00:51:06,520
hotness.
Also the billionaire donor maybe

862
00:51:06,520 --> 00:51:08,640
says, OK, here's an extra 5
million this year.

863
00:51:08,680 --> 00:51:10,720
He kicked ass last year.
Exactly.

864
00:51:11,080 --> 00:51:13,440
Yeah, I mean, pulling Calvin
Russell was a big deal.

865
00:51:13,720 --> 00:51:15,720
Yeah, Calvin, Yeah.
Yeah.

866
00:51:16,000 --> 00:51:22,080
Huge deal.
You might play both sports there

867
00:51:22,080 --> 00:51:24,800
too.
You're you're muted there, bud.

868
00:51:25,160 --> 00:51:27,240
I'm on mute.
Yeah, you are on mute.

869
00:51:27,680 --> 00:51:29,040
Yeah, we can hear you now.
Check.

870
00:51:29,040 --> 00:51:30,840
Check.
All good.

871
00:51:31,760 --> 00:51:33,560
Y'all can hear me?
Yep, we can hear you.

872
00:51:33,960 --> 00:51:36,560
I can't hear y'all one moment
boys.

873
00:51:36,560 --> 00:51:39,560
That's a problem.
There we go, technical

874
00:51:39,560 --> 00:51:40,840
difficulties here.
We're back.

875
00:51:41,360 --> 00:51:44,040
Let's jump off recruiting for a
few minutes here and let's just

876
00:51:44,120 --> 00:51:47,960
come up with our mirrors here.
You know, you were you were

877
00:51:47,960 --> 00:51:51,600
having a conversation with us
before we jumped on the night

878
00:51:51,600 --> 00:51:55,160
about how, how is Matei sis
going to take the key of the

879
00:51:55,160 --> 00:51:58,440
landline in the kick off of the
2025 season?

880
00:51:58,880 --> 00:52:02,720
Matei, if you make it, we're
probably going to have you back

881
00:52:02,720 --> 00:52:07,080
that next week just to recount
your journey because what he's

882
00:52:07,080 --> 00:52:11,760
got to do y'all?
It's it'll be a great story.

883
00:52:11,760 --> 00:52:15,680
But let's talk a little bit
about this piece in general.

884
00:52:15,680 --> 00:52:19,960
And we've mentioned their names
a couple times and there's also

885
00:52:19,960 --> 00:52:22,160
a few other guys that have not
been mentioned thus far.

886
00:52:22,160 --> 00:52:26,600
But what did you feel about the
moves, the hiring of Philip

887
00:52:26,600 --> 00:52:29,800
Montgomery, the hiring of Stamp,
Steve, just the absolute

888
00:52:30,120 --> 00:52:34,920
stealing of Matt.
I don't know why you give up

889
00:52:34,920 --> 00:52:39,240
that guy to keep you do what you
got to do along with some of the

890
00:52:39,240 --> 00:52:41,760
other staff moves.
You know, Xavier coming to staff

891
00:52:42,960 --> 00:52:46,560
where Brent Pry is to me.
I think somebody mentioned in

892
00:52:46,560 --> 00:52:50,880
the chat earlier, he did what
people who are having average

893
00:52:50,880 --> 00:52:53,200
team has to do.
You have to shake up.

894
00:52:53,240 --> 00:52:55,920
You have to change.
But when you started seeing

895
00:52:55,920 --> 00:52:59,760
those come in in January, where
was your head at Ford?

896
00:53:00,720 --> 00:53:03,280
Yeah.
I mean, I think initially

897
00:53:03,280 --> 00:53:08,840
looking at Sefke's, like I was
trying to understand it at the

898
00:53:08,840 --> 00:53:10,640
time.
And I think there's so many

899
00:53:10,640 --> 00:53:13,000
factors that go into it.
And I know a lot of them are

900
00:53:13,080 --> 00:53:16,480
probably well documented by now.
Like there's been much discourse

901
00:53:16,480 --> 00:53:18,880
about it.
But you probably weren't going

902
00:53:18,880 --> 00:53:22,320
to get a guy that, you know,
like Brent Pry at the end of the

903
00:53:22,320 --> 00:53:25,240
day is still a defensive coach.
Like he's going to be looking

904
00:53:25,240 --> 00:53:28,200
over your shoulder.
You're not going to get a Uber

905
00:53:28,200 --> 00:53:32,320
experience guy to come in who
maybe only has one year with the

906
00:53:32,320 --> 00:53:33,920
program.
Like if it's worst case

907
00:53:33,920 --> 00:53:37,720
scenario.
And I think what they got, like

908
00:53:38,640 --> 00:53:41,400
I'm intrigued by it.
I think I still need to see like

909
00:53:41,400 --> 00:53:43,960
what it's going to look like on
the field 'cause I think

910
00:53:43,960 --> 00:53:48,040
sometimes where my head goes
when you bring professional guys

911
00:53:48,440 --> 00:53:52,520
to the college ranks is they've
just done this.

912
00:53:52,520 --> 00:53:55,840
Multiple systems, multiple
schemes, you know, they pick

913
00:53:55,840 --> 00:53:58,800
guys out in the portal that
maybe play a certain technique

914
00:53:58,960 --> 00:54:01,560
and then they go off the field
and they bring on someone else.

915
00:54:02,040 --> 00:54:05,040
And that works in the pros
because everyone's a pro.

916
00:54:05,680 --> 00:54:07,600
Will that work at the college
level?

917
00:54:07,840 --> 00:54:10,200
What happens if you need to
simplify the plan?

918
00:54:10,440 --> 00:54:14,600
Like, I have a lot of questions
like that, but I do think as a

919
00:54:14,680 --> 00:54:20,400
coordinator, as a guy with, you
know, raw football IQ, I really

920
00:54:20,400 --> 00:54:22,760
like it.
And I think like the ideal

921
00:54:22,760 --> 00:54:26,920
version of what Virginia Tech's
defense looks like, like really

922
00:54:27,160 --> 00:54:30,240
excites me.
I think it's just kind of wait

923
00:54:30,240 --> 00:54:34,440
and see mode on that front.
Then I think with Montgomery,

924
00:54:34,440 --> 00:54:38,360
like obviously had Bowen go to
Ohio State as offensive line

925
00:54:38,360 --> 00:54:43,880
coach and you know that that
kind of, you know, all of a

926
00:54:43,880 --> 00:54:45,400
sudden you need to fill that
void.

927
00:54:46,680 --> 00:54:50,640
But I like Montgomery a lot
because I think there was just

928
00:54:50,680 --> 00:54:53,480
when you look at the offense,
like obviously there were a lot,

929
00:54:53,480 --> 00:54:55,600
there were there were some
highs, but there are also a lot

930
00:54:55,600 --> 00:54:58,160
of lows.
And I think Montgomery's a guy

931
00:54:58,160 --> 00:55:00,840
that will come in and kind of
even it out.

932
00:55:01,360 --> 00:55:07,120
And if not, you know, still like
I I think he's gonna try to

933
00:55:07,120 --> 00:55:12,600
maximize what he has and not do
too much with the pieces or, or,

934
00:55:12,600 --> 00:55:17,880
you know, like, and I think
Bowen sometimes got a little too

935
00:55:17,880 --> 00:55:21,320
creative and it didn't quite
work out.

936
00:55:21,720 --> 00:55:24,040
But I I am excited about
Montgomery.

937
00:55:24,040 --> 00:55:28,280
But I think in a simple way,
like where cefkeys is maybe more

938
00:55:28,520 --> 00:55:30,560
of the creative.
I want to see how it's going to

939
00:55:30,560 --> 00:55:34,240
go down Montgomery.
I have, you know, it's the

940
00:55:34,240 --> 00:55:37,080
experience and kind of the
simplicity that I like there.

941
00:55:37,920 --> 00:55:39,040
Obviously.
Matt Moore.

942
00:55:39,040 --> 00:55:41,560
What more can you say?
A+ higher.

943
00:55:43,480 --> 00:55:48,960
Like again, we talked about it a
bunch, but Sefke's Montgomery,

944
00:55:48,960 --> 00:55:50,640
they're coming into a new
situation.

945
00:55:50,680 --> 00:55:53,920
Matt Moore was like, I'm going
to bring all my guys and I have

946
00:55:53,920 --> 00:55:56,800
pre-existing relationships.
It's going to help out this next

947
00:55:56,800 --> 00:56:00,280
recruiting class.
So everything he's done outside,

948
00:56:00,280 --> 00:56:02,760
like we haven't fully seen the
development yet.

949
00:56:02,760 --> 00:56:04,800
Like I'm I'm still waiting to
see.

950
00:56:05,200 --> 00:56:09,840
I think it's going to come out
pretty soon, but like the height

951
00:56:09,840 --> 00:56:12,360
and weight on the roster, I'm
one of those guys that's pretty

952
00:56:12,360 --> 00:56:16,400
excited about that.
See all the weight room stuff

953
00:56:16,960 --> 00:56:22,600
with Ferg, but I'm, you know,
outside the development and on

954
00:56:22,600 --> 00:56:27,520
field products like Matt Moore
has done everything and more to

955
00:56:27,520 --> 00:56:29,680
bring some hope to the offensive
line room.

956
00:56:30,160 --> 00:56:35,160
So very excited about Matt
Moore, like he's already paying

957
00:56:35,160 --> 00:56:38,520
off dividends there.
Yeah, very, very excited about

958
00:56:38,520 --> 00:56:41,200
Matt Moore and, you know, kind
of looking back at, you know,

959
00:56:41,200 --> 00:56:45,560
what you're saying about about
seekers, I feel like his Wofford

960
00:56:46,600 --> 00:56:51,000
experience is going to come into
play in terms of how he's

961
00:56:51,000 --> 00:56:54,080
deploying some of that
personnel.

962
00:56:55,200 --> 00:57:01,000
I think it's going to be
interesting to see what if he

963
00:57:01,000 --> 00:57:03,120
can scale it up.
So like he's he's he's had the

964
00:57:03,120 --> 00:57:06,840
Wofford experience, he's had the
NFL experience, like, you know,

965
00:57:07,320 --> 00:57:09,480
Virginia Tech power for college
football.

966
00:57:09,480 --> 00:57:12,000
It's kind of somewhere in the
middle of those two from a

967
00:57:12,000 --> 00:57:14,760
talent perspective.
And is he going to be able to

968
00:57:14,760 --> 00:57:18,040
make that type of adjustment?
Because you still need to be

969
00:57:19,000 --> 00:57:21,960
innovative and bring new ideas
to the table to be competitive

970
00:57:21,960 --> 00:57:23,280
there.
But you also need to be able to

971
00:57:23,280 --> 00:57:27,920
do a lot with sometimes at least
going to be one or two positions

972
00:57:27,920 --> 00:57:30,120
where you don't quite have the
talent that you'd like to have.

973
00:57:30,680 --> 00:57:36,560
Right.
We getting close man, Don't

974
00:57:36,560 --> 00:57:38,520
worry.
Man, I'm just old.

975
00:57:38,520 --> 00:57:41,040
Man, I'm just old.
Been working hard.

976
00:57:41,560 --> 00:57:43,680
All day.
Got ready, got ready to talk and

977
00:57:43,680 --> 00:57:45,520
did next thing you know it y'all
wants to come.

978
00:57:45,960 --> 00:57:49,640
So somebody said what put that
up Brian?

979
00:57:49,640 --> 00:57:50,640
What does it say?
What's Steven?

980
00:57:50,720 --> 00:57:53,320
What's Steven say the last?
Yeah, yeah, yeah.

981
00:57:54,560 --> 00:57:58,600
You know, stuff like that, man,
I feel, I feel you, Steven, I'm

982
00:57:58,600 --> 00:58:01,800
with you.
But I guess I'll ask the next

983
00:58:01,800 --> 00:58:07,280
question of form a tape.
Do you have any expectations for

984
00:58:07,600 --> 00:58:10,560
this year and if you do kind of
where are?

985
00:58:12,160 --> 00:58:15,960
They this is where, of course,
Tally's asking the question,

986
00:58:16,680 --> 00:58:19,920
will he be optimistic, Tally, or
will he be?

987
00:58:20,160 --> 00:58:23,640
He gave you a whole hour, whole
hour, and he's gonna finally.

988
00:58:23,640 --> 00:58:28,160
He sure did, to be honest with
you.

989
00:58:28,200 --> 00:58:31,280
I'm somewhere in the middle.
I I truly am somewhere in the

990
00:58:31,280 --> 00:58:33,840
middle.
I think there are so many

991
00:58:33,840 --> 00:58:37,360
unknowns last year.
You look at the roster, I mean

992
00:58:37,400 --> 00:58:41,120
we've gone through it like a
million Times Now, but there are

993
00:58:41,120 --> 00:58:43,840
so many expectations.
Like there are a lot of knowns

994
00:58:44,080 --> 00:58:46,640
this year.
I think you brought it up

995
00:58:46,640 --> 00:58:49,440
earlier, tally 60 new players on
the roster.

996
00:58:49,880 --> 00:58:54,640
Like there's a lot of unknown.
There's a new scheme on both

997
00:58:54,640 --> 00:58:58,640
sides of the ball and there's a
lot of pressure as well.

998
00:58:58,880 --> 00:59:04,960
I think the good news, I don't
feel like the ACC as a whole is

999
00:59:05,440 --> 00:59:09,000
or I, I know the schedule is
kind of, you know, there's a

1000
00:59:09,000 --> 00:59:12,720
couple really tough opponents
next year and a lot of teams in

1001
00:59:12,720 --> 00:59:16,840
the middle, but I don't feel
like there's a ton of like the

1002
00:59:16,840 --> 00:59:19,040
talent compared to last year
feels down.

1003
00:59:19,480 --> 00:59:23,080
So I think there is a path for
Virginia Tech.

1004
00:59:23,480 --> 00:59:30,840
I think my realistic upside for
them is, you know, 84 is for me,

1005
00:59:30,880 --> 00:59:33,680
like that's me trying to be as
realistic as possible.

1006
00:59:34,040 --> 00:59:36,800
But I think I I land somewhere
at 6:00 and 6:00 at the end of

1007
00:59:36,800 --> 00:59:39,560
the day.
Yeah, I get it.

1008
00:59:39,600 --> 00:59:41,400
I understand.
Kind of the same.

1009
00:59:41,400 --> 00:59:46,240
So y'all don't get to see no
tally, you just get the regular

1010
00:59:46,240 --> 00:59:49,360
one right now.
The middle you get to see the

1011
00:59:49,360 --> 00:59:52,160
middle right the.
Mid tally you're doing Mike you.

1012
00:59:52,760 --> 00:59:54,960
Get to provide to me it So what
it.

1013
00:59:55,360 --> 00:59:56,760
Is Mike.
Oh, Mike.

1014
00:59:57,320 --> 00:59:59,800
Yeah.
You know, that's like, I like

1015
00:59:59,800 --> 01:00:03,800
what you say there because the
8:00 and 4:00 is the good,

1016
01:00:03,800 --> 01:00:07,960
right?
But until the head coach proves

1017
01:00:08,480 --> 01:00:12,880
certain things can be managed
right, because we go through the

1018
01:00:12,880 --> 01:00:15,960
last two seasons of certain
things have been managed right.

1019
01:00:16,920 --> 01:00:19,280
I don't think we're sitting here
questioning anything.

1020
01:00:19,880 --> 01:00:21,920
You know, you think about the
end of the Vanderbilt, the end

1021
01:00:21,920 --> 01:00:24,920
of the Rutgers game, the end of
the Duke game, the the the

1022
01:00:24,960 --> 01:00:29,480
Syracuse debacle.
Is, is, is is.

1023
01:00:29,520 --> 01:00:31,880
I'll give you all some opium.
As much as we bitch and

1024
01:00:31,880 --> 01:00:35,040
complain, this team was very
close to winning 9 and 10 games

1025
01:00:35,040 --> 01:00:37,480
last year.
And if that had been the record

1026
01:00:37,480 --> 01:00:40,560
next to it, a tally, be a lot
happier.

1027
01:00:41,120 --> 01:00:43,120
I throw in stuff, I'd be a lot
happier.

1028
01:00:43,960 --> 01:00:47,320
Yeah.
So to me, he's made the changes

1029
01:00:47,320 --> 01:00:50,080
in one aspect, and Sally has
said it numerous times.

1030
01:00:51,160 --> 01:00:56,000
Can he change himself?
Because that's what it takes.

1031
01:00:56,680 --> 01:00:58,320
He's made all the pieces around
him, right?

1032
01:00:58,320 --> 01:01:01,000
Can he learn from those guys?
Can he learn from other people?

1033
01:01:01,320 --> 01:01:04,720
Start making other decisions?
I think we got one more Brian,

1034
01:01:04,720 --> 01:01:06,240
before we you got something you
want to say go.

1035
01:01:06,240 --> 01:01:07,320
Ahead.
Yeah, I just, I will, I will

1036
01:01:07,320 --> 01:01:10,120
piggyback on that a little bit.
I mean, at some point at the

1037
01:01:10,120 --> 01:01:15,320
day, I think Pride does a very
good job of evaluating the

1038
01:01:15,320 --> 01:01:17,680
program.
But it at the end of the day, if

1039
01:01:17,680 --> 01:01:20,160
you, if you're doing your
evaluations and you make your

1040
01:01:20,160 --> 01:01:22,640
adjustments, at some point
you've got to get better or you

1041
01:01:22,640 --> 01:01:25,800
got to go.
And so that's where we're at

1042
01:01:25,800 --> 01:01:28,160
right now.
I think he's done the things he

1043
01:01:28,160 --> 01:01:30,760
needs to do from a self
evaluation standpoint.

1044
01:01:31,520 --> 01:01:34,800
We need to see it put into
action or we're going to be

1045
01:01:35,480 --> 01:01:38,200
having the same discussion next
year, except the seats going to

1046
01:01:38,200 --> 01:01:41,360
be on fire and it's going to be
if you don't win 8 plus games,

1047
01:01:41,360 --> 01:01:43,920
you're probably gone.
We're going to be we're going to

1048
01:01:43,920 --> 01:01:46,320
be facing that type of situation
this time next year.

1049
01:01:46,320 --> 01:01:49,480
So that's where I'm at.
But let's go, let's go back one

1050
01:01:49,480 --> 01:01:54,040
little 1 little more round of,
of, of recruiting stuff real

1051
01:01:54,040 --> 01:01:58,440
quick here before we let you get
out of here, but say so we had

1052
01:01:58,440 --> 01:02:00,760
this, this really good 2025
class.

1053
01:02:00,760 --> 01:02:05,480
We feel really good about it.
What's a commit that you think

1054
01:02:05,480 --> 01:02:07,480
is going to be a household name
come December?

1055
01:02:08,960 --> 01:02:18,080
Household name from this last
class let me. 2025 that's a big

1056
01:02:18,080 --> 01:02:19,920
class.
There's 20 people so.

1057
01:02:20,320 --> 01:02:22,720
Yeah.
Do do we want transfers or are

1058
01:02:22,720 --> 01:02:25,560
we talking like?
No, no, no high school.

1059
01:02:25,960 --> 01:02:28,200
Like high school, just the high
school guy, any guys, it's going

1060
01:02:28,200 --> 01:02:31,560
to be a pretty immediate impact
whether the guys that had, you

1061
01:02:31,560 --> 01:02:34,320
know, had some some reps in the
spring or whether it's somebody

1062
01:02:34,320 --> 01:02:38,200
that sure and.
That's the thing I was going to

1063
01:02:38,320 --> 01:02:39,080
say.
That's the thing with the

1064
01:02:39,080 --> 01:02:40,680
portal.
There are some guys we've got

1065
01:02:40,680 --> 01:02:43,560
that we've got the tape right
against Elite Cop like I got.

1066
01:02:43,600 --> 01:02:48,240
That's true football.
I think in terms of high school

1067
01:02:48,240 --> 01:02:50,720
guys, Sheldon Robinson's the
name that jumps out.

1068
01:02:51,080 --> 01:02:55,880
And the thing that makes me very
happy about him is I had that

1069
01:02:55,880 --> 01:03:00,600
feeling before he signed, like
he was gonna play.

1070
01:03:00,600 --> 01:03:02,760
I, I think the coaching staff
thought that.

1071
01:03:03,200 --> 01:03:07,800
And not only has he showed up
and started to develop and

1072
01:03:07,800 --> 01:03:12,360
really, you know, take shape in
a college weight room, I think

1073
01:03:12,360 --> 01:03:14,520
he's someone that can get onto
the field.

1074
01:03:14,520 --> 01:03:18,120
And I know there's a ton of
bodies in that DB room.

1075
01:03:18,120 --> 01:03:21,920
I just think he's very versatile
and there could be a package for

1076
01:03:21,920 --> 01:03:24,120
him.
Like again, we talked about it,

1077
01:03:24,120 --> 01:03:26,320
it's win now mode.
They're going to play a lot of

1078
01:03:26,320 --> 01:03:28,160
older guys, a lot of these
transfers.

1079
01:03:28,440 --> 01:03:32,440
But if there's one guy to step
up from the freshman class that

1080
01:03:32,440 --> 01:03:36,680
is undeniably has that talent to
get on the field, I think it's

1081
01:03:36,680 --> 01:03:39,040
Sheldon Robinson.
Yeah.

1082
01:03:39,040 --> 01:03:41,400
I mean, you, you mentioned him
and I think that's interesting

1083
01:03:41,400 --> 01:03:44,600
because, you know, you say we
definitely brought in a bunch of

1084
01:03:44,600 --> 01:03:49,400
safeties in the transfer portal,
But what we don't really have is

1085
01:03:50,120 --> 01:03:52,920
a a ton of entrenched guys at,
at those position groups.

1086
01:03:52,920 --> 01:03:55,400
Like everybody that's coming in
is either new or young.

1087
01:03:56,080 --> 01:03:58,760
So there's going to be some
opportunity to get fight for

1088
01:03:58,760 --> 01:04:02,600
some reps in that room.
So I, I like that pic.

1089
01:04:02,600 --> 01:04:05,240
I think, I think he's going to
have a, a really good career.

1090
01:04:05,240 --> 01:04:06,920
So I'm looking forward to seeing
what he can do as well.

1091
01:04:07,480 --> 01:04:09,040
All right.
And, and, and I've got one more

1092
01:04:09,040 --> 01:04:11,640
thing because I got a message
saying when's the basketball

1093
01:04:11,640 --> 01:04:14,360
segment?
And this is kind of off.

1094
01:04:14,360 --> 01:04:17,520
I don't I don't think I sent you
anything on this, but I saw you

1095
01:04:17,520 --> 01:04:20,800
make a post You're you're
clearly paying attention to Neo.

1096
01:04:21,440 --> 01:04:25,160
I mean, how excited.
I know you, you're primarily

1097
01:04:25,160 --> 01:04:27,640
focused on football, but y'all
cover all aspects.

1098
01:04:28,160 --> 01:04:31,080
What was that like to see a guy,
you know how talented he is,

1099
01:04:31,160 --> 01:04:33,600
Everybody does.
But when you see that and it's

1100
01:04:33,600 --> 01:04:35,800
like he's he's going to he's
going to play in Cast Palace.

1101
01:04:37,560 --> 01:04:41,160
I mean, I, I've been watching
some of the highlights that have

1102
01:04:41,160 --> 01:04:44,600
been everywhere of him playing
for the Greek national team.

1103
01:04:44,920 --> 01:04:49,040
And I can't believe a guy that
big can move like that and is

1104
01:04:49,040 --> 01:04:51,320
coming to Virginia Tech.
Like, I just can't believe it.

1105
01:04:51,720 --> 01:04:55,280
And I got to give a massive
shout out to Chris Arvin, who

1106
01:04:55,280 --> 01:04:58,400
writes for us on Vt Scoop,
'cause he's been calling that

1107
01:04:58,400 --> 01:05:00,680
for months.
He's been hitting us in the

1108
01:05:00,680 --> 01:05:02,880
Slack channels and just talking
about it.

1109
01:05:04,120 --> 01:05:07,760
So I, I've gotten to watch him
quite a bit over the last couple

1110
01:05:07,760 --> 01:05:12,400
months and I know there's a lot
of stress with the whole NBA

1111
01:05:12,400 --> 01:05:16,720
decision and him eventually
picking Virginia Tech.

1112
01:05:16,720 --> 01:05:19,880
But yeah, he's just, he's so
good.

1113
01:05:19,880 --> 01:05:24,120
I, I am very excited for, for
basketball, unlike last season,

1114
01:05:24,120 --> 01:05:28,800
like, no, Mike Young did what he
could out of it, but like, they

1115
01:05:28,800 --> 01:05:32,160
put everything towards football.
So much stuff happened right

1116
01:05:32,160 --> 01:05:35,080
before the season and it, it was
tough.

1117
01:05:35,080 --> 01:05:39,880
Like, it's tough when Virginia
Tech can't, you know, pull it

1118
01:05:39,880 --> 01:05:43,360
together for college basketball.
So I'm very excited for next

1119
01:05:43,360 --> 01:05:45,840
year.
Yeah, I mean, I think it's going

1120
01:05:45,840 --> 01:05:48,040
to be a fun team to watch.
It's not going to be a

1121
01:05:48,040 --> 01:05:49,960
frustrating team to watch like
it.

1122
01:05:50,200 --> 01:05:52,440
This past year's team was at
times.

1123
01:05:53,200 --> 01:05:56,680
Whether that translates to
enough wins to be competitive in

1124
01:05:56,680 --> 01:05:58,760
the ACC, that's remains to be
seen.

1125
01:05:58,800 --> 01:06:01,520
But it's it's at least going to
be a fun team to watch this

1126
01:06:01,520 --> 01:06:03,240
year.
I'm going to watch every game

1127
01:06:03,240 --> 01:06:05,720
and who knows if they're how
many they're going to win, but I

1128
01:06:05,760 --> 01:06:08,960
I will definitely be watching I.
Think it's going to be more than

1129
01:06:08,960 --> 01:06:11,560
last year.
There's going to be quite a few

1130
01:06:11,560 --> 01:06:14,360
more than last year because I
think what's been mentioned a

1131
01:06:14,360 --> 01:06:17,280
couple times and on here and
with just talking with different

1132
01:06:17,280 --> 01:06:20,440
people, you look at this team,
the way it's shaped, it's like

1133
01:06:20,440 --> 01:06:23,760
it's competitive.
Like we're long, we got size.

1134
01:06:24,000 --> 01:06:26,680
So and we've got the one thing
Tally's been begging for for the

1135
01:06:26,680 --> 01:06:29,680
last three or four years, Just
give us one guy who can make the

1136
01:06:29,680 --> 01:06:32,000
plays off the ball.
That's the Greek kid.

1137
01:06:32,160 --> 01:06:35,400
The Greek kid can do that shit.
So it's like we are up two

1138
01:06:35,400 --> 01:06:37,760
points.
We need 2 points to extend this

1139
01:06:37,760 --> 01:06:40,320
lead.
Give him the ball, he's going to

1140
01:06:40,320 --> 01:06:41,920
go score.
We actually got somebody with

1141
01:06:41,920 --> 01:06:43,520
length that can handle the ball
too.

1142
01:06:43,520 --> 01:06:46,560
I like, I feel like we've been
missing that component.

1143
01:06:46,560 --> 01:06:49,520
Like there's a, there's a ton of
big guards in the ACC and like,

1144
01:06:50,160 --> 01:06:54,120
you know, we're running out, you
know, 511, six foot kids.

1145
01:06:54,120 --> 01:06:56,840
And no offense to them, they
were good shooters, but they

1146
01:06:56,840 --> 01:07:01,280
weren't exactly rangy kids and
and elite ball handlers that

1147
01:07:01,280 --> 01:07:03,760
could really match up with some
of those other ACC guards.

1148
01:07:04,880 --> 01:07:07,360
It's just crazy.
I'm just thinking about it and

1149
01:07:07,520 --> 01:07:10,320
just a little bit of a tangent
here, but it's like if you were

1150
01:07:10,320 --> 01:07:13,400
in a coma last year and you woke
up today and you're like, what

1151
01:07:13,400 --> 01:07:15,280
has happened with Virginia Tech
athletics?

1152
01:07:15,280 --> 01:07:19,120
It's like you have 60 new guys
on on Virginia Tech's football

1153
01:07:19,120 --> 01:07:21,200
roster.
All of a sudden Mike Young is

1154
01:07:21,200 --> 01:07:25,320
bringing in German 7 footers,
Greek guys to play basketball.

1155
01:07:25,320 --> 01:07:28,560
I mean, how much things can
change in a year is it's just

1156
01:07:28,560 --> 01:07:31,360
crazy.
Yeah, for real.

1157
01:07:31,360 --> 01:07:35,240
I just need somebody to be good.
Basketball, baseball, football,

1158
01:07:35,240 --> 01:07:39,280
softball, wrestling.
String something together, man.

1159
01:07:39,280 --> 01:07:43,640
Give me some hope.
Hey, wrestling and softball gave

1160
01:07:43,640 --> 01:07:44,640
you a little bit of hope.
They were.

1161
01:07:44,720 --> 01:07:48,000
Yeah, and I mean women's soccer,
they went on a run too.

1162
01:07:48,000 --> 01:07:52,440
So I mean, there, there wasn't
like I, I, I think because

1163
01:07:53,160 --> 01:07:56,280
wrestling probably had a little
bit more expectations than they

1164
01:07:56,280 --> 01:07:58,320
necessarily follow through on.
That was a little

1165
01:07:58,320 --> 01:08:01,600
disappointment, even though it
was a good season, You know,

1166
01:08:01,640 --> 01:08:04,120
there wasn't a whole lot to
really, you know, hold on to

1167
01:08:04,120 --> 01:08:06,600
this year.
So it, it, it's nice to have a

1168
01:08:06,600 --> 01:08:09,960
little bit of hope back at least
for, for basketball.

1169
01:08:09,960 --> 01:08:14,080
There's at least some hope for
football in that we at least

1170
01:08:14,080 --> 01:08:16,439
know we're not going to do the
same thing we did last year

1171
01:08:16,439 --> 01:08:19,240
because we brought in a whole
bunch of new players and

1172
01:08:19,240 --> 01:08:21,080
coaches.
So it's going to look different.

1173
01:08:21,080 --> 01:08:23,200
Even if the outcomes the same,
it's at least going to look

1174
01:08:23,200 --> 01:08:25,080
different.
So there's something to to

1175
01:08:25,080 --> 01:08:27,319
really latch onto from that
perspective as well.

1176
01:08:27,319 --> 01:08:34,600
So, you know, we'll see.
We will wrestling last year

1177
01:08:34,920 --> 01:08:37,800
wrestling did to us this year
it's like winning nine games

1178
01:08:38,000 --> 01:08:41,640
when we were winning 10 and 11
every year. 20 years ago, oh, we

1179
01:08:41,640 --> 01:08:44,920
only won nine games.
This year, oh man, like, and now

1180
01:08:44,920 --> 01:08:48,960
it's like, give us 9 games.
We'd be ain't ain't no telling

1181
01:08:48,960 --> 01:08:51,520
what the episode would look like
in December if we won nine games

1182
01:08:51,520 --> 01:08:52,640
this year.
Yeah.

1183
01:08:53,080 --> 01:08:55,040
State of the program would go
hard man.

1184
01:08:55,319 --> 01:08:56,840
Yeah, that's nothing.
We shouldn't win.

1185
01:08:56,960 --> 01:09:00,000
We need to win 10.
I got I got to hit mate with

1186
01:09:00,000 --> 01:09:03,120
this before he leaves because I
I have to, you know, he knows

1187
01:09:03,120 --> 01:09:04,680
how I feel about his rankings,
man.

1188
01:09:04,680 --> 01:09:07,240
I'm he's been getting better.
He's been getting better.

1189
01:09:07,680 --> 01:09:11,319
But I did a little bit of
research and a little bit of

1190
01:09:11,319 --> 01:09:14,040
watch and I haven't done a lot
because they don't piss me off.

1191
01:09:15,120 --> 01:09:18,600
But T Ron Richardson, I did a
little bit of research on him

1192
01:09:18,600 --> 01:09:22,880
and a little bit of film study.
I don't know, man.

1193
01:09:22,880 --> 01:09:25,399
It kind of looked like he's
better than a three star.

1194
01:09:25,399 --> 01:09:28,080
I'm going to tell you.
That's what I'm I'm just saying,

1195
01:09:28,080 --> 01:09:30,880
man.
I said the same thing I said.

1196
01:09:31,359 --> 01:09:35,040
I'm saying when it's all said
and done, he could be the gem of

1197
01:09:35,240 --> 01:09:37,760
the class if he were to choose
Virginia Tech.

1198
01:09:38,520 --> 01:09:41,279
Right, right.
Yeah, I look at his I looked at

1199
01:09:41,279 --> 01:09:46,520
some of his offers and I mean
off a list is is is crazy and

1200
01:09:47,200 --> 01:09:49,080
talent is crazy.
Size is good.

1201
01:09:49,080 --> 01:09:52,520
So I was like, man, this this
kid is is is nice.

1202
01:09:52,520 --> 01:09:56,200
So again, haven't been paying a
lot of attention to recruiting

1203
01:09:56,600 --> 01:10:01,640
because y'all know why.
But if you want to check out any

1204
01:10:01,640 --> 01:10:05,360
kind of Virginia Tech recruiting
or recruiting in general right

1205
01:10:05,360 --> 01:10:07,920
now, go look at T Ron
Richardson.

1206
01:10:08,480 --> 01:10:10,800
T Ron.
Richardson and.

1207
01:10:11,800 --> 01:10:13,600
Take.
Him out 11 player in the state

1208
01:10:13,600 --> 01:10:16,040
of Virginia I think.
Yeah, he's right behind Wilder.

1209
01:10:16,480 --> 01:10:19,840
Behind Wilder #11 player but
Tay, you got anything you want

1210
01:10:19,840 --> 01:10:22,200
to add or plug before we wrap
this night up?

1211
01:10:22,760 --> 01:10:25,400
I'll say it's always a pleasure
to come on here.

1212
01:10:25,640 --> 01:10:28,600
Always fun, not too much to
plug.

1213
01:10:28,600 --> 01:10:31,600
If you haven't checked us out at
Vt Scoop, please do.

1214
01:10:32,200 --> 01:10:36,840
Massive shout outs as always to
Evan G Watkins and Colby

1215
01:10:36,840 --> 01:10:38,440
Crawford.
I know he's been on here

1216
01:10:38,440 --> 01:10:43,160
recently, but or maybe a couple
months ago, but those guys have

1217
01:10:43,160 --> 01:10:46,520
been holding down the Fort in
the offseason, so go give them a

1218
01:10:46,520 --> 01:10:50,040
follow and yeah, come check us
out at Vt Scoop.

1219
01:10:50,240 --> 01:10:51,760
Offseason's almost done, I
think.

1220
01:10:51,760 --> 01:10:54,800
What is it?
Six or seven more Saturdays till

1221
01:10:54,800 --> 01:10:57,360
we're back.
Cannot wait.

1222
01:10:58,560 --> 01:11:02,840
I think we're easy, man 48 days,
49 days until.

1223
01:11:03,560 --> 01:11:06,960
Do anybody got do anybody got
NCAA 26?

1224
01:11:07,640 --> 01:11:09,080
I got it.
I got it.

1225
01:11:09,760 --> 01:11:12,440
You got it.
Is it better or worse than last

1226
01:11:12,440 --> 01:11:13,520
year?
It's better.

1227
01:11:13,800 --> 01:11:16,160
I mean, it's still a little
glitchy at the beginning, but

1228
01:11:16,160 --> 01:11:18,080
it's it's got a lot of
attributes to make it better

1229
01:11:18,080 --> 01:11:19,960
than me.
I know Tally was real happy when

1230
01:11:19,960 --> 01:11:23,600
Sam and was in that thing.
No comment.

1231
01:11:23,800 --> 01:11:26,520
We're going to keep this show
good, man.

1232
01:11:26,520 --> 01:11:29,320
We ain't going into it losing
their minds.

1233
01:11:29,680 --> 01:11:33,080
I can't tell you, man.
I just wonder, I pay attention

1234
01:11:33,080 --> 01:11:39,240
to details the older that I get
instead of just like gameplay.

1235
01:11:39,720 --> 01:11:42,240
So I'm playing with the Hokies,
of course, and I'm just

1236
01:11:42,240 --> 01:11:44,280
listening to them talk about
like Kyron.

1237
01:11:44,280 --> 01:11:48,080
And they're talking about, well,
you know, last year, if he had

1238
01:11:48,120 --> 01:11:51,600
if they had come down with this
Hail Mary at Miami, a whole

1239
01:11:51,600 --> 01:11:53,440
season might have turned around
and been different.

1240
01:11:53,440 --> 01:11:57,480
I'm like, how much time do they
put into these games, man?

1241
01:11:58,000 --> 01:11:59,880
But this is what they're saying
on the game.

1242
01:11:59,880 --> 01:12:02,640
So if y'all ain't checked it
out, I'm pretty sure everybody

1243
01:12:02,640 --> 01:12:04,800
then checked it out in the in in
the in the chat.

1244
01:12:04,800 --> 01:12:08,720
So it's good man, I like it.
I like the.

1245
01:12:10,600 --> 01:12:12,720
You got to add new king, man,
new king.

1246
01:12:12,880 --> 01:12:15,360
Oh my God, I thought he was gone
this week.

1247
01:12:15,600 --> 01:12:18,880
You got to add Robbie.
I thought he was gone.

1248
01:12:18,960 --> 01:12:22,520
You got to add, Josh.
I got a new king.

1249
01:12:22,520 --> 01:12:25,400
New king, throw that.
Throw that PSID in there.

1250
01:12:25,640 --> 01:12:28,360
Yeah, man, y'all put them, put
them, put them gamertags in

1251
01:12:28,360 --> 01:12:31,560
there, see what we got.
They'll get us a game going.

1252
01:12:31,560 --> 01:12:33,240
There we go.
No new king.

1253
01:12:33,240 --> 01:12:35,680
You ain't playing with Miami.
Pick another team, buddy.

1254
01:12:36,080 --> 01:12:38,200
I don't see that ugly ass orange
and green.

1255
01:12:39,360 --> 01:12:43,400
Shaw man, Uma Taye, again, we
really appreciate you joining us

1256
01:12:43,400 --> 01:12:45,040
tonight.
And again, that wraps up this

1257
01:12:45,040 --> 01:12:48,960
episode of the Boundary Corner
Podcast brought to you by the

1258
01:12:48,960 --> 01:12:51,440
Counts Family Pharmacy.
I'm Curtis Wilson.

1259
01:12:51,840 --> 01:12:54,040
Brian Siegler.
Jonathan Talley.

1260
01:12:54,280 --> 01:12:59,240
And with our wonderful guest
from BT Scoop 247 Sports, Matei

1261
01:12:59,240 --> 01:13:02,280
Sis, we are part of the College
Shuttle network.

1262
01:13:02,440 --> 01:13:05,920
Check out boundarycornerbt.com
to listen to all of our

1263
01:13:05,920 --> 01:13:10,040
episodes.
Also Twitter, Facebook,

1264
01:13:10,040 --> 01:13:13,080
Instagram, follow us, subscribe
to the YouTube channel as well.

1265
01:13:13,080 --> 01:13:18,160
We also on any podcast source
you can possibly think of that

1266
01:13:18,160 --> 01:13:21,280
impressed my oldest son today
when he asked you on Spotify

1267
01:13:21,320 --> 01:13:23,120
there.
I'm like, yeah, I'm on Spotify.

1268
01:13:24,520 --> 01:13:27,400
Yeah, I can watch you like,
yeah, I guess you can.

1269
01:13:27,400 --> 01:13:30,240
I don't know.
Anyway, always check out our

1270
01:13:30,240 --> 01:13:33,920
music, man, Jason Long, who
plays us in, plays us out every

1271
01:13:33,920 --> 01:13:37,920
week.
Check out Jason Long music.com

1272
01:13:38,320 --> 01:13:41,400
where you can link to all of his
music, Apple, Spotify, YouTube,

1273
01:13:41,400 --> 01:13:44,400
Facebook pages.
He is going to be this Saturday,

1274
01:13:44,680 --> 01:13:47,520
fresh off his trip to the Big
Apple, going to be at the Grand

1275
01:13:47,520 --> 01:13:51,240
Village Farmers Market down in
Roanoke, and then on August

1276
01:13:51,240 --> 01:13:55,160
10th, Music on the Mountain at
Mill Mountain Discovery Center.

1277
01:13:56,600 --> 01:14:00,040
Check that out in Roanoke as
well.

1278
01:14:00,240 --> 01:14:03,040
I'm sure, I'm sure the Chelsea
market in Grand and Village is

1279
01:14:03,040 --> 01:14:04,960
about the same.
About the same, right?

1280
01:14:04,960 --> 01:14:07,480
About the same.
We appreciate you guys for

1281
01:14:07,480 --> 01:14:09,760
always listening, always in the
chat out there.

1282
01:14:09,760 --> 01:14:12,960
And as always, let's go.
Oh geez.

1283
01:15:21,680 --> 01:15:21,800
None.

Matej Sis

247 Sports Writer

Matej is a Writer for 247Sports.com's VTScoop. He joined the staff as a Sophomore while attending Virginia Tech and has worked there ever since. He primarily focuses on VT Football, but has coverage on VT Basketball as well. He also helps with recruiting coverage.

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