And the retention of a staff that I’m super proud to be a part of not just who these guys are and what they stand for, but the chemistry we have together um combined with the experiences we have, you know, not just together on this field, but 340 plus years of games between us myself and the 10 assistants. And when you had coach mcneil in there, it goes up dramatically, but it’s a group that cares a lot about each other. We talk about our coaching staff like to have a good time together, work hard, play hard and does things for the right reasons. And so I’m excited to start this journey with them. Um And while it’s true that we are a team with a lot of new players, the most I’ve ever had, I think it’s 42 right now. It’s also one of the closest group of guys I’ve been around and that’s unique, which really goes back to what our January when I walked in that team room for the first time and felt or I guess how many new faces there were that we had a lot of work to do off the field and on the field. And it’s really been one of the biggest and most fun challenges I’ve had uh outside of a season building a team, not just from a talent standpoint, but the chemistry standpoint, you talk about 17 guys coming in from the portal and uh the high school guys that came in and then the additional guys that have walked on the football team, it’s been a fun chemistry experiment. It’s really what it is. You know, it’s a lot of different people, a lot of different backgrounds, experiences, failures, successes and one goal, you know, is to come together as a team and be the best team we can be and be a championship roster. And that’s really been our goal since we started. This journey is to put together the best group of guys that we can and I’ve enjoyed it, you know, and you do that with sweat equity, you know, how hard you work in the off season together, going through those challenges. Coach Thunder and his staff do so well through the summer and then getting to know each other, you know, being really intentional as a head coach about time in the meeting room, not just on football, but about life and, you know, talking about life, talking about things that have happened, talking about hardships, talking about heroes, um being very vulnerable with each other and opening it up and, and reflecting, you know, on things that have happened, things that we can learn from learning from the past. Um, but being in the present, you know, uh, taking the guys camping in the woods, bringing in different speakers, all these different things, you know, it is accumulated into a really fun group to be around. And, uh, it’s been fun to see him respond and work hard together and embrace what we’re trying to do and we look forward to the season, you know, whatever the season is, the obstacles that come as you guys know, you can never predict all the things you have to face and, but doing it together. Very excited to be in Carter Finley for the opener and thankful to our fans that have bought in and to have a sold out season, not just opener says a lot, it says a lot and really looking forward to that, getting these guys in there and, and feeling that environment and I love you guys for that. It means so much and uh student section can’t wait to see our students and a lot of new students, one of the biggest freshman classes in school history. And so getting them to be a part of what game day is all about. And, you know, I would just say, you know, to our fans that one of the beautiful things about NC State is our wolf pack, um mascot, you know that we are a pack and we’re not a singular thing. It’s a bunch of individuals, a bunch of people from all over the place that, uh, our family and Game Day has turned into entertainment in a lot of ways. All these sporting events you go to, man, they’re incredible and our light show and our fireworks and the flyovers and the Jumbotron and the sound system and that’s all true. But it’s still a bunch of 18 to 23 year old guys down there that work really hard coaching staff that works really hard that are out there trying to do their best to win games. And I think the one thing I’ve learned over time, we can have 1/12 man. We have one of the greatest game day atmospheres when we get that thing going in the right direction and just for our fan base and our students and everybody man, we need you on your feet at the right times. We need you loud and the key moments, you know, the third downs when our defense is trying to stop somebody, the red zone, when our defense is trying to stop somebody, the celebrations after big plays that we make and then understanding when our offense is on the field, letting them hear each other, you know, be loud at the right times. And yes, it is about entertaining the fans, but it’s more entertaining when we win. And so that home field advantage needs to be that, you know, we’re not asking for your criticism on game day, we’re asking for your support on game day. And so so many times you see, and I go to games too. I got to NFL games and high school games and man, it’s like everybody knows what the coach should be doing. Everybody knows what the players should have done, you know, and, and you don’t, um I’m not criticizing you, you’re trying to be a fan but if you want to help us win, criticize the opponent and support the players and support the coaches and encourage them and allow them to have that backing. And I think that’s something we can be better at and, and I’m so thankful to our fans for the support and, and what they do, but this is, uh we’re riding a wave right now, man. I think one of the coolest things I was able to be a part of was at the men’s basketball, uh elite eight game in Dallas. I’m in the, I’m in the uh uh section there where the parents of the men’s basketball team were around me and I could just hear them cheering for each other’s kids throughout the game. I mean, it was so cool to hear DJ. Burns’ dad screaming at other players in a positive way throughout the game, encouraging them. And, uh, that’s what one pack, one goal is in my mind. It’s a, it’s a united mission to win a championship and, and that’s everybody, everybody that works here. Everybody that cheers for us and all of us are a part of winning a championship and you all got to feel what that’s like this off season with so many of our sports, so proud of them. And so let’s go together into this march of, of four months of football, which could turn into five months of football. Now, uh It’s the longest football season in college football history coming up, going all the way into the second academic semester, first time ever. And so it’s going to be a lot. And so we ask for everybody to understand that and it’s not a sprint, it’s a marathon. Um I’m excited, you know, very excited, you know, to have a football team like we do a staff like we do and a fan base like we do and um let’s get the stadium rocking, let’s make it really hard for these other teams and our students, you guys are the heartbeat, you know, you’re the pulse of game day. You really are. And so remember that and get out there and have fun and get those people up with our football team. I love the way that our transfers have integrated into our team. I was worried about that and we worked really hard to single out the right type of guy. We call them our kind of guys but guys that fit our, not just our team but the mantra that we have of of working. And, uh, I also love how our returners have embraced those guys and it’s really been fun to see what they do together and how they’ve come in the older players and just jumped right in the middle of it and in some ways enhanced some things in some ways changed for them. And it’s about earning trust you as a coach and player to player, player, to coach, coach, to player. And there’s really been a open arms and that from all sides, I love the way our captains were voted on. You know, there was a lot of guys on our team that earned votes, but I spoke a lot to the team about what leadership looks like and, you know, having guys that really walk the walk and we got to see a great vision of that last year with Peyton, not just as a football player, but how he stood up for teammates, how he played on the field, how he talked about his teammates and all those things. I thought it was incredible to be a part of and I’m proud of Davin Van and Grayson mccall, Zeke Carell and Sean Brown for getting the most votes. And there’s a lot of guys that got some, there’s a lot of good leadership and you got to see that throughout the off season with guys leading their position groups, you know, with Aidan White and Devin Boykin and the secondary and Cayden Fordham and Betty at the linebackers and Jordan Waters and you see Tim mckay at the offensive line, Anthony Belt and there are so many of them, you know, the guys have really developed that way. And so that’s part of this as a coach because leadership is easy when things are good. As, you know, the adversity is going to happen at some point. And that’s when the leaders got to be their best for myself down. Talk about our first opponent, Western Carolina seven win team last year. They were the number one offense in seven statistical categories in FCS. Last season. They did a tremendous job offensively scored a ton of points and their quarterback returns. And he’s a coach’s kid, Cole Gonzalez. I know his father. Well, Billy’s a really good receiver coach and you can see that Cole is the coach’s son. He’s a leader, he understands the game, he manages the game, he gets the ball in playmakers hands. They run very fast up tempo system which you guys see a lot, but they get the ball in space to play maker. They got a head coach that’s a vet and he’s coached a lot of places and he’s done a great job. He’s done a really good job with his program, um bringing Western Carolina up to where they are. Um I’m excited to see us play. You know, the game obviously is coming quick and game days it’s a gift. These kids work really hard for 12 guaranteed opportunities to play, which means they’re training for 340 plus days to play 12 and the games bring out the truth. You know, they’re really an opportunity to see where you’re at. It’s not an indication of where you’re going to end up by any means, but that first game tells you a lot. And I always felt that in college football, pro football, a lot more games are lost than one self inflicted things. And that’s something we’ve worked really hard on as a football program. I don’t know if I’ve ever spent more time on situational football as you know, the two minute warning is new to college football. And so all these different things from helmet communication to the sideline tablets to the two minute warning, really helping our guys be in as many game like situations where we can go through those steps and be ready for them and to be the best team that we can be, we have to put a premium on eliminating self inflicted things and that’s execution and unforced errors. That’s really what you’re talking about things that matter as, you know, and it’s really been a big thing here, turnover margin and explosive plays and then the pre and post nap penalty piece of the game and playing really good on special teams. Like those are the things that we put a lot of time into. You, talk about our roster in general. It’s it’s an interesting, uh, group of guys when you look at the O line in particular, I think it’s the oldest offensive line room I’ve had, we have seven guys that are grads in there. Four of them are starters. And so they have a lot of college time, a lot of experience under their belt. And I like that, you know, I think that it’s really a thinking position and so it’s gonna be fun to have that kind of, uh experience there. You know, coach two J and uh, coach and I work really well together with that front. But Anthony Belton uh had the best training camp. He’s had Anthony Carter really improved himself this off season. Carell comes in, gets voted captain, started 30 games at his previous school and has a chip on his shoulder to finish his career the right way. Tim mckay really worked hard this off season on things he wants to improve and move from tackle to guard mid season and now has a body of work that he knows how to work with. And then Jarius Peak again, who became a starter in the middle of our season last year and did a really good job for us. Those five guys will start at quarterback. Obviously, Grayson comes in with a wealth of accolades, not only our starter but a captain and he’s fun to coach. You know, he, he’s a football guy. He’s got great experience. He’s a winner he’s got grit running through his veins, he’s tough. Um, and again, another guy with a chip on his shoulder, you know, wasn’t recruited at this level out of, out of high school in Charlotte. And now comes in with an opportunity to play against a lot of coaches that didn’t recruit him. And, uh, it’s fun to be a part of that with the guy that’s a three time player of the year in his league and very humble, you know, very humble guy, the backfield and the receiver room, tight end room. All those rooms have really been made over through the portal and through development. But Jordan Waters excited he’s here, obviously did damage to us a year ago. So it’s nice to have him on our sideline, but uh he’s a complete player and does a lot of good things with and without the football. Um Kendrick Raphael gained 10 to 12 pounds in the off season and did a nice job improving throughout training camp. Hollywood smothers really athletic, bring some things to the table back there as a change of pace and a kickoff returner does some good things as a receiver out of the backfield. And you’ve heard me talk about Duke Scott Duke is going to be a really good back for us, you know, physically he’s ahead of the curve and once he gets in these games and starts playing, I think you’ll see why we’re excited. And Demarcus Jones is a utility knife, Jordan Poole, those guys do a lot of things for us, Justin Joel Lee, who he actually played against a year ago in the opener. Another guy, I’m glad he’s on our sideline. You know, he has a really good fall camp presents a bigger body that can run and catch, uh, juice fare has improved a ton, you know, really proud of juice and his growth in the off season. And those two guys can, you know, take advantage of reps and keep each other’s fresh. You’ll see on the depth chart at our big tight end position. Matt mccabe has really done a good job for us on the edges. He’s playing guard, he’s playing tackle, he’s playing tight end, he can do a lot of things and then Isaiah surely plays both ways for us. You’ll still see that with Isaiah. Um He’s not listed that way, but he will be able to do that still. And then Dante Daniels and Reed Mitchell, those four guys, uh five guys allow us to do some things in heavier sets in the run game and in protection and then the overhaul in the receiver room. I’m proud of Dakari and his development and his growth. He came on towards the end of the season last year and became a bigger target and he’s always been a good blocker for us. And then you add the competition that we added there with Noah Rogers and Wesley Grimes Keenan Jackson, Terrell Anderson on the outside. They’re doing a really good job competing. We’ll be able to have a nice rotation in the slot, Ky and Jalen Coy and Jonathan Taylor. So again, another room that has competition in it and we’re going to be able to rotate and we’re going to need to be able to rotate in these games. And now it’s just about consistency, you know, you got a lot of guys and so who’s going to be the most consistent performer? And that’s what games are about is finding that out. You know, you have what you think is going to happen coming out of practice and then what actually happens coming out of games? Sometimes they are the same. Sometimes they’re not coach and I and his staff have done a really good job evolving and tweaking our system looking at our talent and how that’s changed and how our offense needs to change based on the talent. What are our strengths? Where can we get better? And I think, you know, he and rope coach, Roper do a great job with the pass game. He and two J with the run game. And so coach and I’s oversight and experience and his creativity along with those guys. It’s fun to be a part of that on defense, fifth straight year with the same staff led by Tony Gibson and excited for that continuity. And I know those guys have another chip on their shoulder about just the lack of respect. Maybe they get with losing one player that was so good. And how are they going to make up for that player’s loss? There’s a lot of guys that want to show that to everybody on the D line. It’s a pretty similar group with a few additions. Davin Van Valley are starting defensive ends. Brandon Cleveland are starting nose and then you’ve seen Noah Potter, you’ve seen Red Hibbler. Both guys played well for us last year, Isaiah Shirley towards the end of the year and then really happy for DJ Jackson, the nose guard. He’s been hurt for his entire career at NC State. He’s healthy now, had a really good training camp excited for him. He brings a change of pace in there really quick and then Chaz Wallace, uh who we brought in from the portal is getting better and better. And so we’ve got some depth there. Linebacker Sean Brown makes the transition from safety very seamless and now it brings speed to that position group toughness. Caden Fordham had a great camp at Mike returning starter and Betty who’s played inside and outside. So you’ve got three guys with playing experience there. And then the backups are the guys that we really need to get ready with Jalen Parker, Calvo mcbride and Kamel Bonner. All three of those guys have had good camps, gotten a lot of reps in camp but not game reps and the safety room really has a lot of change in it. Um We added in that second portal window to help us with the depth there with Bishop Fitzgerald returning as a starter, Devin Boykin returning but not being healthy yet. So Donovan Kaufman, we call DK coming in from Auburn as our free safety Jihad Carter coming in as a nickel from Ohio State to Marcus Cooley, a nickel coming in from Maryland KJ Martin who can play free and strong. And then Taranta Hinton moving from corner to safety, that room is completely different. And so looking forward to watching those guys play, there’s depth at those positions at corner, I feel really good. Aidan is in the best place he’s been and obviously he’s played well, but he’s in a really good place right now. Brandon C can play a lot of positions for us in the back end. He’s really a good football player, Corey Coley, another transfer from Maryland and Devon Marshall. Those two guys were both experienced players at their previous institutions. So we’ve got four guys at corner that can play and then Jackson Vick has really improved. A guy that was hurt on and off last year has really stepped up and improved that can help us on special teams and all defenses now are rotations, you know, I mean, you’re playing against sometimes 80 to 90 snaps in a game. So you’re going to be rolling guys in and out of the game And so we look at some of these two s as starters in our heads because they’re going to play 20 to 40 snaps based on rotation. And even though you have a too deep with a starter and a backup, a lot of times you’ll see guys playing equal snaps, you know, lastly the special teams Canola Vinas really impressed with his consistency, his mental makeup, you know, he’s a guy that really does a good job with his routine. He’s the same guy every day. He’s got a smooth swing. Coach Gobel calls him the Freddy couples of kickers. He just got a really nice leg swing that’s consistent that he can repeat and repeat and he’s got good strength. He made a 53 yarder and a scrimmage. Ken Inca returns, Ayden Arias returns who snapped in our bowl game. We brought in Jake Mann who was a snapper at a state last year and him and Aden have had a great competition. You’ll see both of them probably in the game. Collin Smith returns. Collins been here for a long time as our kickoff guy and as returners, Jalen Coy and Casey will be out there in punt, punt return situations and in Hollywood will be our kickoff returner. So that takes you through the entire lineup. Now, I’m gonna open it up for any questions. The first thing for you, obviously, Carolina being the season opener. What do you hope to learn out of this? Game before you get to the following week. Well, I hope there weren’t a lot, you know, I think it’s gonna be really good things that come out of the game that we didn’t expect and then there’s gonna be things we got to fix and, um, but how are we gonna manage the tempo offense? You know, how are we gonna manage things that happen in a game from a negative standpoint? You know, as players, you, you’re not having fans and, you know, TV, and all the things that go on with game day there, how are they going to handle game day? You know, in general and then adversity different than in practice, you know, in practice, you have a penalty or a drop and it’s next play, just move on, on the game. There’s bigger repercussions mentally sometimes can they get to the next play, you know, how do they sustain success if they’re having it? Do they relax? Do they keep their foot on the gas? You know, if they’re not having it, can they snap back and, and regain it? You know, and what’s the leadership like on the sideline in the game? What’s the leadership like in the huddles in the locker room? The impact of the helmet, the impact of the tablets, all that we haven’t been through a full game with all this stuff. So there’s going to be a lot of learning some on the field, some off the field I think that comes out of game one and obviously we’ve got a lot of big tests in front of us. So no matter who we play after the first week, we want to be better and better and better and better as the season goes on. You talk about some guys having a chip on their shoulder on the defense that, you know, because Peyton’s not here somehow, the defense isn’t gonna be as good. Tony’s had such a long successful history of, of, I mean, Peyton’s won’t have won, but the, the linebackers have been exceptional for a long time under him. Uh, how have those guys sort of embraced this role of, of, uh, chipping their shoulder. Tony Gibson linebackers? Yeah. And I think, you know, goes back to Isaiah Moore and Drake Thomas and, and Levi, uh, obviously Peyton S been a lot of them, um, that have played well, Jermaine Pratt Arias more. There’s guys that have played really good in our defenses here at that position and you always want to leave things better than you found them, right? And I think that’s it. I mean, these guys wanna play as well as they can because the standard of that room and all of our rooms is you want that you want to leave things better than you found them. And so I think as players and as coaches, you know, not on my watch type of thing that something’s going to drop off like, you know, there’s some internal pride about that, that guys have and, you know, when you hear that you can’t do something that’s a good motivator. And so I think those guys are hearing it or reading it and I’m excited to see what they can do, you know, and it’s their opportunity now and, and the film is your resume. You know, so when you go out there it’s, it’s what you get to do, it’s what you get to show. It’s really an indicative thing of what you talk about and all the things that the linebackers and coach are trying to represent. So I know they’re excited to prove themselves and take the next step in college that they talk about, uh, getting old and then staying old, you mentioned your offensive line, all those graduates dotted up and down the two d how important is getting old and more staying old in college football now, especially given how long the season is and how much experience you back. Yeah. No. One thing you can’t do as a coach is make your guy experienced, you know, I mean, you just can’t do that. You play a freshman, he’s a freshman, no matter how good he is, that’s what he is. And there’s gonna be some mistakes that come with that youth. And so that is an advantage of bringing in older players, you know, um, to, to staying old, I think, you know, there’s two ways to do that. There’s the developmental piece of bringing younger players up and growing them like we do. And that’s why you see we still had 18 high school signs in that class and you want to have a blend of guys that have come in that are in their last year or two and guys that you’re gonna get to that point as well because they understand and I think the longevity of being in a program when you look at some of these guys like the Davin Vans and Sean Browns, uh Anthony Belt and Tim mckay guys that have been here a long time like their, their bloods in the bricks here, man, they’ve been a part of building this thing and there’s, there’s a lot to that like you do not want it to not go your way because of how much you’ve invested, you know. And so I think you need a blend of that. Um And I do think it’s ok, you know, to have some young guys playing too, like there’s some freshness and KC brought a lot of juice to our offense last year as a young guy. So I think you can have that. You just don’t want to be a bunch of that. We had that one year when I had a lot of injuries and that was tough. There just wasn’t enough experience out there to guide him. How much is all that experience and all those guys with the blood and the bricks help you incorporate these new guys and make the transition a little bit easier. It helps a ton, you know, because ultimately it’s their team, you know, I, I get the opportunity and the blessing of leading the team, but when they hit that grass, there’s nothing I can do for them between the whistles. You know, it’s their team between the whistles and when they get in that locker room, it’s their team, you know, and there’s things that they got to be able to manage and they want this program, not just to have standards, they want standards to get elevated, you know, and so they’ve got to be the caretakers of that and the guys that have been here the longest, it’s their responsibility. It’s part of their legacy to give back to the youth of the football team or the newness that comes in through the portal with so many new faces this year. And obviously you guys are using the portal as much as you did. Did you sit down with the coaching staff at the beginning of the year and say, like we do have a chemistry experiment here. How do we want to do this? And, and in particular, I’d be interested in hearing more about your camping trip. Um I knew just because of how recruiting was going for us in December with the guys that were calling us as soon as the portal started that we were gonna have something new on our hands. And so, um, it just kind of marinated with me for a while and then when the season ended, I got away a few days and just really put some thought into what I need to do differently coming back because it was going to be a different type of team having that many older players come in. And I told the staff like, hey, our calendar that we, because I have a 12 month calendar, like this calendar is gonna look different. Um And here’s why and we got to get these guys closer quick and we can’t just say it like we have to create space for that on the calendar, not just when we’re having meetings where we do Real World Wednesday and guys will get up and talk about their lives, but getting them out of their comfort zone, uh getting them out of the building. And so I had some good help, you know, uh Jamie Slit, he’s a good friend that works with the program, special forces, former Special Forces. And I talked a lot about like, what have you done with other teams? Like, is there a place I can go with these guys? These guys have no idea what it’s like to be in the woods at night. How can I get them somewhere and do something really cool with them? And it was his idea. Uh he had been to the camp rockfish which is down near Fayetteville. And, uh, it’s a huge family camp. They, they do all kinds of different things down there, but they’ve got 20 plus outdoor, um, leadership courses and, you know, from climbing walls to flipping tires to whatever they come up with it. And Jamie had done that and not with a football team, he’d done it with smaller teams, you know, baseball, softball, things like that. And, uh, he thought it would be really cool if we could do that. And so we were able to get Jamie and his team and in our team, um, and then, uh, go down there for a night and teach them all kinds of stuff away from football and get them out of their comfort zone and let them sleep in bunk houses with their coaches by the way. So it wasn’t just players out of their comfort zone. I mean, you got, you know, coach and I sleeping in a bunk house with a bunch of players and all this stuff going on and, you know, the coaches are looking at me like I’m crazy, but I felt like it was something we needed to do was to give them a unique life experience and it was phenomenal. You know, we came out of there really as one, did some interesting things, wellness wise. We’ve got a really good wellness, um, coach that we’ve been working with as well that, you know, taught the guys breathwork and got them in the cold water. We’re all in a lake together. 55 degree lake and there’s guys that were freaking out, you know, and you’re in a lake in Fayetteville, who knows what’s in that water with you? And, uh, yeah, muddy, smelly cold, but just everybody doing the same thing together. And so it was really good. We did it right towards the end of spring ball. It was just a good way to kind of bring them together before spring ball ended. And then we, you know, get ready for the summer program. But I, you know, coming out of December, I just felt like nothing was off limits when it came to how we need to get these guys closer. And, um, that’s one of the things I like to do. I like to do things differently. I don’t, you know, just because it works doesn’t mean it’s best. Your ingredients on a football team are completely different every year. I mean, you’re, you’re 12 for you. Uh, co what are you most proud of that? You get as a coach of accomplished from the time you got here to, to where we are? Yeah, I think just the consistency, the environment that we have for, for these guys. It’s, it’s, uh, it’s what I hoped it would be. Obviously, we want to have a championship trophy in that house with us too, but it’s a place where guys can be themselves. It’s a place where you teach respect and it’s a family environment and I don’t just say that because coaches say it, it is and people generally love each other in that building. We have incredible people working in there. Like you go from one department to the next department. I don’t care if you’re talking about nutrition or talking about mental health. You’re talking about the training staff, you’re talking about the strength coaches, whoever it is our operations department, um our recruiting department, our graphics department, you name it, you know, we have incredibly talented, good people around and I’m proud of that, you know, because those are all the people that I’ve been able to hire and retain and thankful that I’ve had the ability to do that with Boo’s help. Uh because it’s not, it hasn’t always been that way, you know, sometimes you’re like, man, I wish we could do better than this, but we got some great people and so I get to come to work today and be surrounded, you know, by guys, I look forward to being around and not just guys, you know, I mean, it’s, it’s a team of everybody’s in there. And so, yeah, and very blessed to have the staff that I do go a bit digging back off this question on a technical level. Obviously, you mentioned all the new transfers, you have the majority of the offense actually being brand new people. What’s it been like for you coach and I, and the offensive staff in terms of making a new offense that incorporates all these new transfers, not only just the players themselves, but kind of their play style compared to last year. It’s been a process, you know, I think every time you go to practice sometimes things get uncovered about what a guy can do because sometimes it takes a player a while to show you what he’s really good at. They might just be thinking too much or they’re not in good enough shape yet to really expose what they can and can’t do. But it’s a process and that’s one of the strengths that coach and I has, you know, he’s, he’s very, very pliable when it comes to moving things around and adjusting from routes to blocking schemes to formations, to motions. He’s done a lot in his career and so he can adjust pretty quickly. But it’s been a fun process too, you know, because obviously the offense ran through our slot last year for an obvious reason why he was really, really talented and he could do things with the football and now it’s keeping that in the offense and you know, what else is going to happen with Jordan Waters, with Noah, with Takari and all these things, Justin Joe Lee. So, yeah, it’s been fun to watch and it’s going to continue to evolve like game one, we’re going to come out of that game with some insight and then we got to tweak and change things a little bit for the next one and then continue and continue. I think you saw a really good visual of that last season. We were completely different in the first half than we were in the second half offensively, not just production but systematically. Yeah, proud of Matt. You know, he’s, he’s put on probably 70 pounds of really good weight, works really hard, earned a scholarship and now he’s starting for us at tight end and he’s also one of the primary backups inside. If something would happen, he could go play guard. So really proud of him. It’s a great story. I think a year from now if we don’t have walk ons, if that ends up being real, like that will be a story you point to is what we’re losing in college football or those kind of stories. Um But yeah, I couldn’t say enough good things about him. I’m really excited for him. I told him that yesterday, like you worked really hard and I can’t wait to see what you do, you know, and he’s really excited. Well, it gives somebody a role that’s kind of 1/6 man for you on the other line. Sometimes it also opens up some run game, you know, I think when you have a blocking tight end like that, that can also run like Isaiah was a tight end in high school, he can catch the football like he’s not just a guy that can block, you know, and so it opens up run game play actions, uh gives you a really physical three or four man surface. Sometimes it can get softer and that’s the opposite of what we want it to be. We want to be able to be really physical at the point of attack when we have those guys in the game and they can play on the ball, they can play off the ball. So it just adds things in the run game which are really important when it comes to sustaining drives and short yardage or four minute situations. So, yeah, I’m, I’m excited um that we have the ability to expand and contract, you know what I mean? Like we can get five really fast dudes out there in a heartbeat and we can get really physical and big in a heartbeat and, and so I like that with your uh three freshmen receivers on the depth chart. You got to see what they did in high school. What’s the process been like? And for who, the three freshmen receivers throughout the, I think Jonathan came in a little later than the other two. But what’s it been like to see like their process? George Paul camp and ups and downs and uh yeah, all of them are gifted. Um The thing I like is how coachable they are, how hard they work, you know, Keenan started fast in the spring and then was out for a while with the, you know, soft tissue deal. He probably of the three was the best in fall camp. He was consistent all the way through. Really did a good job this summer getting himself healthy. Terrell had the best spring I think of the, the guys and, uh, started camp a little dinged up and then it’s coming on here the last week or so and then Paler wasn’t here in the spring. So like his first week was like, oh my gosh, you know, like this is what college football is about. He was so out of shape, football wise fast. But, you know, the stamina that you need. So he’s learning, but each day he’s out there, he’s a really coachable guy. He’s really hard worker, he’s getting better and, uh, all of them upside really good. Z get a captain, he got a transfer and miss spring practice because of an injury. Every single, I think every single player I’ve talked to in the past few months has mentioned his name at some point. What has he done to ingrain himself with the, the program to that level without actually being on the field for such a good part? That’s impressive. Right? Uh I think the first thing he did in the spring was learn how to lead from the back because when you’re not on the field, it’s hard. And so he was an encourager, you know, he was a guy that was in the meeting room talking to guys, he’s played a lot of football and so he immediately gets this guy has played in 30 games. Uh, he’s gonna have respect because of that. But the way he went about trying to help people and then encourage people. And then when he was able to go how hard he goes, uh how consistent he is, the type of person he is, how he carries himself, but he’s earned it all, you know, I mean, it wasn’t like we brought him in and said, here’s your center vote for him, you know, I mean, he’s earned it all. And, uh, yeah, I, I, same thing, I don’t know that I’ve ever seen a transfer miss a portion of the year, especially right when they get there and get that kind of recognition. It’s pretty cool. Yeah. You know, uh, he’s in really good shape. His practice habits have become escalated as far as the urgency and the focus Anthony likes to have fun. He’s got a great personality and sometimes that gets too close to the game for him. I think, you know, being able to compartmentalize those things and this is work, this is fun and knowing when it’s time to do both, he’s really grown up. He’s had a really good fall camp and uh I’m excited for him, really excited. Like he’s playing good football right now. 6875 in-state players. Um, and you’ve been able to retain a lot of them year over year. Why is that such a big deal to have those guys in there? Uh, you know, when I’ve came up in the sport at other schools I’ve worked at and won championships at some of them and helped them build programs when I looked at those programs, uh, they were all heavily tilted to end state and so I don’t know exactly why, but I think in my opinion, it’s because they live where they work and, uh, they have to go home to their hometowns and they have to talk about their school, you know, and there’s a lot more people in those towns that want to follow them. And so when they get back it’s, hey, man, you guys beat every team in your state or, hey, you guys had a great season. Uh, I’m not saying it’s pressure, it’s just reality, you know, when you’re from here and you play here, it’s different and when you go away, they don’t forget who you are as a person, but they may not follow you and it’s probably not near and dear to them, how your team’s doing. They just wish you well, you know, you’re playing for a lot of people when you play at NC State, it’s the largest alumni base in the state, a lot of people and they care. And so there’s that factor is that way, you know, at Montana is that way at Kansas is that way at Wisconsin, I mean, those people in the communities cared and I think when you get players from there and, and to why they don’t transfer as much because their families are closer, you know, there’s a value to that quality of life you get, when you can see whoever that is in your family, that’s your person. Uh, you can see it more often, you know, and that helps you in this challenging window of time as a student athlete because it is, it is challenging. It’s a huge, huge window of pressure and, and having those people that love him the most close by and then they gotta move away. I think it’s probably why you saw so many kids come back home that left our state and transferred here because they missed that connection at home when they weren’t playing in their own state. A couple more questions. She’s been a monster in the ac before it’s for state when you look out of the landscape of the expanded leave. Now, do you see them off? I don’t even think about it like that, you know. Um I think the thing that we’ve done over time here is be able to beat everyone. We’ve played on the schedule at some point in time. There used to be a time where you’d look up and they haven’t beaten this team in 10 years and be, and that doesn’t happen here anymore. We can beat anybody on our schedule and our kids believe that. And so there’s a belief, um, I don’t know because I really don’t study everybody that we don’t play. And there’s some good teams we’re not playing to this year, but I don’t look at it that way. As much as I look at what are we gonna be, you know? And I hope that we’re a monster for people. I really do. Um, time will tell and hope we’re a good monster that way. We’re not, you know, hurting ourselves along the way. But that’s why we play the games. They mentioned the teams that you’re not playing this year. Do you feel like that makes the opportunity this year, that much greater? It could, again, these are preseason rankings, you know, and this is when everybody’s teams are pretty much healthy. And so as, you know, who’s good today may not be who’s good later in the year. And so we’re basing that on what people think of us, not what really is going to be on the field against us. So, yeah, and you guys know me well enough to know that I’m not gonna base the strength of our schedule and where we’re ranked in the preseason or where they’re ranked, we’ll see, you know, when we get to these teams at the end of the year and when we get to the end of the year, you know, that’s where you’re gonna find out how good they are. I, I wish they’d get rid of preseason rankings personally and, you know, start ranking teams midway through the year when they’ve earned who they are. I know that wouldn’t be good for you guys because you’d have nothing to talk about. Probably. But, I mean, it’s a lot of, you know, false stuff. I just have the warning this year to change the way you got an extra time out, you know, um, and plays that could happen, going into the two minutes could be different because there’s going to be a stoppage there. Like you might have a team that just throws the ball past and now they’re going to run the football because there’s 210 on the clock and it’s going to stop. They don’t have to get a play that goes out of bounds. You’re gonna cease things like that. You, you might use a time out earlier in the half that maybe you wouldn’t have because you wanted it later knowing that you’re getting an extra stoppage towards the end, you know. And, uh, it’s gonna be interesting cause I mean, I did a lot with that from February until the end of this training camp. We did a lot of what ifs around the two minutes and how that impacts the team trying to get the ball back that’s down and you’re trying to get the ball back for your offense and how much time there would be it used to be, if there was 240 on the clock with no time outs, you could kneel it out game over. Now, it’s, you gotta have a first down with two minutes on the clock, right? And so your game ending play calling is now different, uh, for both sides understanding that. So there’s gonna be some really good management of that and there’s gonna be some mismanagement of that based on, you know, the work people have put in the players. We’ve practiced it a lot. And so what I told them is I’m gonna get you in these clutch situations a lot and, uh, unusual situations a lot. So when we end up in them, it’s not unusual and so that you’re comfortable and so we’ve done a lot. I mean, we started practicing two men on the second day of training camp with the offense and defense. And so we’ve had three weeks of work, putting them in all kinds of what we call situation of the day work where they can get out there at the end of the half or end of the game and go through a scenario and be ready for it in real time one more. I’ll be done. Sorry, I, I don’t know if it’s, uh, off of this topic, but it’s something I always just thought of and I wanted to ask you to be fit for the last question. Obviously, last year you had the, uh, amazing fireable clap back that I thought was super sick. Uh after one of the games at some media members. Um so I just wanted to ask funny enough, obviously, basketball ended up having some of the best seasons ever. So I just didn’t know if it came across your mind and I wanted to know how excited are you to get this season started and really show how this football program has been built with you being here for so long and obviously with you guys having such an underdog mindset for so long being able to really go out there with this brand new team and show like, hey, this is what we’re about and this is what we’re ready to do with the new era of college football playoffs. Yeah, I’m excited for the college football playoffs. Um, when I was a coach at Montana, we played in the FCS playoffs two years in a row and man, it’s fun. It’s really cool being in a bigger playoff like that. So I’m really excited just for sports in general to have a college football playoff and excited to get on the field with our team last year has nothing to do with this year. Every year you got to go out there and prove who you are. And last year I had some opportunities to stand up for our team and I did and I’ll continue to do that. That’s my job. That’s what I feel like my job is to stand up for our football team and I have no problem doing that. Maybe those comments were good. Maybe they weren’t, but they were comments that I felt were the right things to do at the time. It’s funny, I think I get more popularity out of the stupid stuff. I say more than some of the good things that I do, but it’s all good. I love this football team just like I love the last one. Each kid on that team is important to me and they work hard for our staff for our school and we’re going to get on that grass together and go do the best we can and whatever that looks like it looks like, but it’s going to be a fun season. These kids are into it, man. It’s a good vibe in that locker room right now. Appreciate it. You have a good day. Thanks. How did you do a chemistry classes? Break a break? I got leave but I don’t know. It’s not correct.

Source: wralsportsfan.com