ACC Kickoff 2023: Day 1
We are LIVE in Charlotte at the ACC Kickoff for the first day of the event. We will have plenty of news and updates throughout the day so stay on ClemsonSportsTalk.com.
We will have updates including free content for an event without divisions this year. Commissioner Jim Phillips kicks things off at 9:30 a.m and will be streamed on The ACC Network.
Syracuse head coach Dino Babers (11 a.m.) Players : QB Garrett Shrader, TE Oronde Gadsden II, LB Marlowe Wax
Miami head coach Mario Cristobal (12:30 p.m.) Players: QB Tyler Van Dyke, DB Kam Kinchens, OL Matt Lee
Louisville head coach Jeff Brohm (1:30 p.m.) Players: RB Jawhar Jordan, DL Ashton Gillotte, OL Bryan Hudson
Georgia Tech head coach Brent Key (2:30 p.m.) Players: DB LaMiles Brooks, OL Jordan Williams, DL Sylvain Yondjouen
Syracuse
Dino Babers
Q. Just wanted to kind of get your impressions of Jason Beck, the job he is doing, and how he is adjusting to the new role?
DINO BABERS: That's a great question. Jason is doing a fantastic job. Obviously this will be his second year with us. We felt like he has been with us a long time. His personality is one of those personalities that's easy to get along with. The players are really motivated, and he really activates and can stimulate his personnel extremely well. So we're excited about what's been going on in the spring, and we're looking forward to see what's going to happen in the fall with his first opportunity with us.
Q. Talk about your running game. What do you have to do this year to get the running game better because I know you lost Tucker to the Buccaneers. What do you have to do to get better?
DINO BABERS: I think the first thing is we've had a lot of turnover in the offensive line. Another fantastic question. We need to get those guys solidified up front. As the big guys go, we go, whether that's the O-line or D-line. If we get that solidified, then we've got a host of characters that are looking forward to seeing if they can step into the shoes that Mr. Tucker left, and we wish him the best of luck with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. But we feel like we've got adequate back there, but it always starts with the offensive line if you want to talk about the running game.
Q. You lost, what was it, five personnel from your coaching staff to different places this offseason. Just how difficult was it to kind of keep the team intact and keep the continuity that gave you a little bit success the first half of last season?
DINO BABERS: First of all, with the transfer portal, the teams have changed. There's guys coming in and coming out. With the coaches it was a little unique to have that many coaches leave, you but they all left for different situations, and I think the coolest thing about them leaving is that we got new personalities in. And for those young man, our family, our Ohana, our la familia, to have those new coaches come in and look at the young men through a different set of eyes and give them the positives and negatives from another coach being able to coach them and talk to them, I think it's going to reap benefits for us.
Sometimes they need to hear it from someone else when they've been too used to hearing it from the same person. It gives new life to players who may have been lost in the depth chart a little bit when the new coaches come in and they look at them through a different set of eyes. It may give them some opportunities that they may not have had before.
Oreonde Gadsden
Q. When Coach uses words such as "mature" and phrases such as "older than his years," what does that do for your overall morale and how you produce on and off the field?
ORONDE GADSDEN II: It gives me some boost of confidence. I don't think he means older than years than just my age but how I know how to play the game, the rules, knowing how to try to be a leader. I'm usually a lead-by-example type of guy.
Q. How has your game grown and developed in your years in Syracuse, and do you consider yourself a wide receiver or a tight end?
ORONDE GADSDEN II: I probably would consider myself a hybrid type of player. I don't really have a position right now. The biggest thing that's probably grown is probably my weight. Coming in at 185, 190, and now I'm about 225, 230. I think I've just gotten better at running routes, catching the ball. I've always been good at catching the ball, but I've gotten even better now. I'm still working on blocking.
Q. You talk about being a hybrid player. Are there any players on your team or any players in the NFL like a Kyle Pitts or Evan Engram that you try to model your game after, so that way you can be effective both split out wide and also down at the line of scrimmage?
ORONDE GADSDEN II: Yeah, mostly those two guys that you just named are guys that I would probably model my game after. I want to be able to play end line, tight end, play in the slot and outside.
Garrett Shrader
Q. You have played 35 games throughout your college career. Can you put a value on just how important that is that you've kind of seen it all, done it all? Especially running Coach Beck's office, there really isn't a lot that you haven't encountered since you have been in the game.
GARRETT SHRADER: Absolutely. I have been blessed to be here, where I'm at now, and I know that I definitely have taken a journey, which is the road less traveled coming from another school. This is my first OC in five years, and so there's not been a lot of consistency, three head coaches.
But I'm grateful for where I'm at and the guys that I have around me. I have learned that that's what matters the most. We have a great head coach and offensive coordinator in Coach Beck. He is a great guy and just a leader. You can see it in his family.
It's been awesome, and I'm excited for what we're going to do this year. Especially because we are running the same offense. First time running the similar offense, different OC. Coach Beck does a lot of exciting stuff. We have a lot of different little minor details where we can get guys in different positions, so we have the best chance for success.
Q. Garrett, you talked all about Coach Beck a minute ago. Can you touch on your relationship with him being your quarterbacks coach and now being your OC?
GARRETT SHRADER: Yeah, absolutely. He has a different approach toward the game and just the air raid the way that he has learned and the way he sees the game of football. It's been relieving because he is not a very strict and authoritarian, I guess would be the right word. He wants you to go out and play loose and play fun and just go out and make plays.
Just the way -- his approach to the game and the mindset that he has given me and the way that I've been able to play, it's been awesome to see and just the development that I've had just in the last year and then what we're going to be able to do this year.
Q. I'm going to kind of continue the terms we're talking about your offensive coordinator, Coach Beck. Robert Anae, who is now with the Wolfpack has a history of having successful seasons with quarterbacks. You mentioned that this offense is pretty much the same. I guess it's a little tweaks here and there. Can you expound on that a little bit more?
GARRETT SHRADER: Absolutely. Starting last year we had a phenomenal running back. We had a totally different identity in what we thought we were going to be. By the end of the year that changed, and due to injuries and other things, we had to switch more personnel sets and do different things, which is part of the reason why we had to struggle just out of necessity.
I feel like we have a clear-cut identity this year and where we're going to be. It's the same offense, but it will look a little bit different, and I think we'll be a lot more explosive. I know we'll be a lot more explosive. Score a lot more points, a lot more explosive plays. We have a great group of guys. We have a great receiving room. Oronde leading the charge there. We are deeper than we have ever been since I've ever been here on the offensive line and our receivers have grown tremendously, and our running backs as well. We have studly running backs.
I'm excited to see what we're going to do. We have all the pieces, and now we just have to put it together.
Marlowe Wax
Q. This is a two-part question, first part may be a little bit of fun: Great linebacker, but people may not know you were a great running back in high school. Do you ever kind of nudge Coach Babers and say, hey, throw me back there, give me a shot, put me in a package?
MARLOWE WAX: Of course, that's an all-the-time conversation. I would love to get me just one carry before I leave Syracuse, but we'll see how it goes this season, though.
Q. The top I think 12 in tackles last year in the league. You hear people talk about you, and they say he just has a nose for the football. What is it about your playing style that leads to not only that physicality, but always being able to be around the football?
MARLOWE WAX: I feel like, like you said, just playing running back it helps me just see the defense better and see what the running back sees, because we all know if I see a hole, the running back also sees the hole. I just have a nose for where he wants to go. Just meet him there.
Q. Marlowe, you have been a leader on this defense from very early on, and you have been a very vocal leader, but that kind of translates to off the field with The Mob Podcast. First part of the question, are we getting The Mob Podcast back in 2023?
MARLOWE WAX: Yeah, for sure. Caleb is not going to let us not keep it going. It's definitely keeping going for the next season coming up.
Q. Second of all, with some of the guys that you all are having to replace defensively, with you being a leader, who is very vocal and all the things that go into that, is that something that naturally comes about for you or something you've had to intentionally work at to be more of an outspoken leader for your team and for your defense?
MARLOWE WAX: I probably would have to say that it didn't come easy. I was more of the laid-back guy, quiet guy, not really trying to be vocal, but as you all know, Mikel Jones, he is a great leader. He helped me a lot in that area in my game just being able to talk to the young guys, talk to teammates that's also older and just be more vocal and just be that person that people would look at and just listen to.
I gave a lot of praise and a lot of thanks to him. He just helped me a lot in that area.
Miami
Mario Cristobal
Q. Last year you guys had a tough season, up and down. What do you guys have to do to get better because I know a lot of Miami fans seek excellence in Miami, and they want Miami to be great like years ago? What are you going to do to turn that page?
MARIO CRISTOBAL: Well, first of all, good morning. Thank you for having us here. Obviously a great setup, and appreciate you guys having us.
It's an honor to be here with these three guys because relative to your question, it starts with that right there. Elite people that are elite athletes and that hold really, really high standards.
So I think whenever you start up at a program again and it has a rebuilding aspect, you have to sometimes go through a season like that and not make any excuse or sugar-coat it, but you go directly at the things that need to be addressed, and it starts with people. People in the locker room, people on the coaching staff, people in a support staff role.
What we feel that we have done is that we have added some elite components in the personnel department, some unique additions at the line of scrimmage, outside on the perimeter, in the secondary at linebacker.
I feel like our culture led and driven by our team leaders has created ownership in our program. In other words, the steps that you cannot skip, those things have been in full force since the end of last season, and it's led to a great offseason, a great signing day, class of best in our school's history, a top-ten portal class.
Most importantly, the retainment of our top players and top leaders led to a great spring and now has had a great summer. Now we're eager to get to camp so we can put all of that to good use, and the bottom line is just to get to work. Not worry about anything or anyone and just get to work and put to good use this hard work that we have done.
Q. You've had as many as four players mocked as first round draft picks in the upcoming draft, and the question becomes, because Miami has always had great players coming through, how do you materialize that talent into success and wins that are on pace with your and Miami fans' expectations?
MARIO CRISTOBAL: Absolutely. I think it always starts and ends with personnel. So, you know, we don't pay much attention to the mock draft stuff, but we also at the same time make sure that any type of publicity and brand enhancement that we can have for our players, we emphasize.
That's important. So there's no question that we do have some really talented young men that area really hard and we are surrounding them with more and more and more. When Miami looks a certain way, the locker room is littered with that caliber of player and person.
Then, also, littered with a coaching staff that knows how to put personnel to good use. Put guys in the right positions to make plays, making sure that we're teaching at a high level, that the onus of learning the system is as much on the player as it is a coach by doing it together. So it's as simple as that.
Our track record we've had great success developing some guys to really high levels to go on and play long careers in the NFL. That's certainly a huge part of our goals as well as the academic component and graduating with a big-time diploma from Miami.
Q. It was announced yesterday that you guys are going to be playing for the Schnellenberger Trophy going forward. I want to get your thoughts on that game and what Coach Schnellenberger means to you and what it means playing for that trophy?
MARIO CRISTOBAL: I love Coach Schnellenberger. I was recruited by him. My brother was recruited by him. He spent many, many days and nights at the house recruiting us. I more fond of the pipe than the boots, quite honestly.
I think it's the right type of honor to honor Coach Schnellenberger, what he did for the University of Miami, what he has done for the University of Louisville, what he represents in terms of football.
He made the game better. He was a great man. We refer to him a good amount of times, and he is just a significant contributor of the game of football and our community. We're honored to have the opportunity to honor him.
Kam Kinchens
Q. What is it about your side of the ball that you like? Where are the strengths? Are there in any questions as you prepare for fall camp that you still feel like need to be answered?
KAM KINCHENS: The first thing, our front seven. Those are some dogs. Especially the front -- the transfer with Kiko. Then you have Corey Flagg and Wesley. Those guys coming back with some experience under their belt, and then you got Akheem, you got Rueben, you got Nyjalik, Jahfari, L.T. You got Branson. We loaded down there. Then Jared coming back off of injury. I think that's the best group we have on our defense.
Not to take nothing behind the secondary. You know, we got Devonta Brown come coming in as a transfer, Daryl Porter. You got me and James back there. Arguably the best safety duo. Got some things going on for us.
Q. Kam, you alluded to yourself and James being one of the best safety duos in the country. Let me ask you this: Do you lean into that labeling? Do you lean into that and say, hey, we are the best, this is who we are, or is it something like, it doesn't matter, we just go out there and do our thing? What puts you all at that level to where you are being mentioned amongst the most elite safety duos in the country?
KAM KINCHENS: You look at it, and it's one of those things you kind of see on social media. Everybody on social media says. It's one of them things we don't try to buy into. It don't take away from our work ethic, and all the extra work we put in together to make sure it happens.
It's not bad to be a part of that. It's okay to be an underdog sometimes, but sometimes it's good to see other people recognize what you have been doing. It just goes to show our hard work ethic. You know, all them late nights or early mornings we get in there trying to get extra work to be the best safety duo in the country.
So it comes all with that, and then production on the field.
Q. So Coach Cristobal played at Christopher Columbus High School, right? Then he played, you know, at the University of Miami too. Then now we see this year, this upcoming class coming in. Players loaded with talent. How much does it mean to you, your teammates, the locker room, the fans that you interact with to have a head guy in charge that is Miami through and through all the way to the soil, you know what I mean?
KAM KINCHENS: It's great. You know, he kind of knew the background that we come from in the Miami culture. It starts all the way from youth football. Football is not a joke down here in South Florida. He is one of those people that experienced that, and he doesn't let nobody forget it. It's crazy about the Christopher Columbus (laughing).
Matt Lee
Q. I will ask your first question from the podium. Why Miami? You had choices. Why did you pick the Hurricanes?
MATT LEE: A lot of reasons went into that. I'm from Florida near Orlando, UCF, my previous school. Growing up always liked the Canes, always like the U, Everything about Miami. I wasn't a direct fan, but being from Florida you see all that stuff a lot. On top of that, I got a lot of family ties in Miami, and then once I got a chance to go down and visit, do an official visit and really get to know Coach Cristobal, Coach Mirabal, TBD, other guys I got to meet, it kind of became a no-brainer. The work ethic, the discipline, the type of guys they are, the type of guy I am and what I want to be a part of.
Q. You are a part of that special transfer class as far as offensive linemen that Coach Cristobal has talked about and whatnot. Seeing some of the struggles that Miami had last year offensively, a lot of those can be trace to do a lack of health or a lack of production from the offensive line. How do you see yourself in the transfer class being brought in positively impacting that? And basically what would you say going forward is like, hey, this is what I know we can hang our hat on and be our identity as an offensive line?
MATT LEE: Yeah, I think me and Javion coming through the portal and also guys like Jalen rivers and Anez Cooper and the new freshman Francisco Mauigoa and Samson Okunlola and a couple of other guys as well. We're tough. We're going to get after it. We're going to work as hard as Coach Cristobal and Coach Mirabal push us on any given day.
We just have to hang our hats on being the toughest, meanest guys on the field every single snap, every single game. It doesn't matter. Always be able to rely on us five no matter what.
THE MODERATOR: Again from the podium. You continue to grade high, and you had multiple accolades in your last stop. So with all the grading high and the things that you have accomplished, what's left there to accomplish? It's a devil's advocate question, obviously.
MATT LEE: No, the accolades and all that stuff is cool. I don't really care about that. I want to win games, right? I want to win conference championship. I want to go all the way, all that. All that comes with that because individual stuff is awesome, but it don't really matter. All that matters is the team, winning the team, going as far as you can get the team to go.
Tyler Van Dyke
Q. Last year we spoke, and I asked you what are your plans for the future and upcoming goals, and you said, hey, we are focused on this season, we are focused here and now. That being said, what are your goals for this upcoming season? If you could give of me a tangible list, what's on that list?
TYLER VAN DYKE: Last year didn't go as planned. Yeah, it's a new year. I think everything happens for a reason. You go through times of adversity for a reason.
Yeah, we're just looking forward are to this year, taking it one day at a time, staying focused in the present. Our goal is just to win. Just take it one day at a time, as I said, and just win.
Q. Back to the question I asked Coach Cristobal, talk about the new offense for a second. What it is about it that excites you to elevate your skill set, to have a great season.
TYLER VAN DYKE: The thing I love about Coach Dawson's offense, I mean, you guys saw what he did at Houston. Threw for almost -- did throw for 4,000 yards, over 2,500 yards rushing. The thing I love about it is the freedom he gives the quarterback. Change a run play to a pass play, pass to a run. Giving receivers routes based on what the defense gives you.
So just gives the quarterback a lot of freedom. It allows you to put the ball in the hands of the playmakers. That's my job to do. So yeah, I'm very grateful that Coach Cristobal brought Coach Dawson in, and I'm excited for this year.
Q. Miami is known for great quarterbacks, like Bernie Kosar and Dorsey and all that. Have they ever talked to you and got you ready for the season? Have they gave you some good pointers?
TYLER VAN DYKE: Yeah, identify heard from a few of them. I mean, the one that talks to me the most and texts me the most is Bernie Kosar. He texts me all the time, gives me great advice.
He is always down at campus watching practice. He came back for the alumni dinner, and I talked to him for a while. Always giving me great advice as long as with the other quarterbacks too.
Yeah, I've looked up to him a lot. He has had a long successful career. He is a guy that I look up to a lot.
Louisville
Jeff Brohm
Q. In talking to people up at Louisville, they talk about when you got there, it was so evident you were wanting to change the culture, whether it was even giving tours of the facilities, making sure people are involved, wanted. How important was that for you from day one to instill a Jeff Brohm/Louisville type culture there?
JEFF BROHM: I think it's important that just in general, whether you are changing culture or not, that are you invested in the program and that you are doing your part to not only help your team achieve success and get better, but also opening the doors to many people that want to be a part of it.
Like everything, your fan base is important. I feel like Louisville we have a tremendous passionate fan base that wants to see their team succeed and do well, that wants to feel a part of it, and we want to make them feel a part of it.
Like anything, you have your immediate family, you have your team family, but then you have your extended family of anybody that wants to help and experience a great time and help building a program and having success.
So we're excited to get things underway. We've got a good nucleus of ball players that work really hard and want to achieve great things.
Myself as a head coach, I have to do my part and put in the work to help us have answers to problems, to be able to fix things immediately throughout the season, and our assistants have to do the same thing.
Then it trickles down to our team, but I think we all put in the work and we all are invested in our community and fan base feels that investment that in the end good things can happen.
Q. You took over a Purdue team that was not just a Big Ten, but a perennial Power Five bottom dweller, and you took them to heights that that program hadn't seen in years, and you come into Louisville with a lot of expectation taking over a team that's in a much better place, most people would say, than where that Purdue team was. So how do you go about, like, hey, I expect greatness out of this team, I expect a high ceiling, but also being realistic in terms of, like, this is -- I wouldn't want to let down or whatever the case may be in terms of if you are expecting national championship right now, we may not be there. How do you balance that per se?
JEFF BROHM: Well, personally I like challenges. I look forward to them. Even when I took the Purdue job, I remember asking a lot of colleagues of mine when I took it, what do you think? Should I take this job? Probably 95% said, heck no, don't take that.
To me I like building a winning football team. Without question, coming here to the University of Louisville is another challenge. It's unique, but yes, we have some really good football players on our team, some guys that have had success.
We watched a team last year that got better as the year went on, that the last half of the season the defense played at a high level. Really you just take every team that you have, you try to figure out what are our strengths, what are some things we can get better at, how can we do that? Are there things we need to do to develop certain guys here? Do we need to add a few pieces to the puzzle to make things more competitive?
In today's age of college athletics it's about winning now. It's about doing it, in my opinion, with our current football team and any new pieces we've added, and we want to do that in year one, and it's important that you do that.
I just think if you build a competitive environment where our guys are working hard every day, where they understand if you put in the work, you'll have a chance to do great things. They aren't scared of a challenge or obstacles. They feel like we have a group of coaches that are going to work with them on a daily basis to help them improve and get better, that anything can happen.
We're going to take this challenge head-on and look every opponent directly in the eye and go out there and compete on a weekly basis come game day. I think if you do that, and you are willing going into the season knowing that, you know what, yeah, we could lose a game or two, how are you going to handle those losses will determine how the season goes.
If we can find ways to improve, find ways to get better, find ways to win some close games, find ways to win on the road, it can definitely lead to success.
Q. It was a pretty significant transfer portal class, both in terms of the number and also the quality of the players that are coming in. What was your pitch to that group? How do you manage blending them in with some of the players that are still left over from last team?
JEFF BROHM: I think we have a lot to sell at the University of Louisville. It's a tremendous college sports town, great facilities, passionate fan base. There is no pro sports in our town, but we provide a great city of a lot of things to do even outside of the game. That's an easy sell.
I think we've had some great talented football players that have gone on and done great things at the NFL level throughout the entire history. Right now the highest paid corner in the NFL is from University of Louisville. Highest paid quarterback, University of Louisville.
You can come here and achieve all your goals and do it at a high level. When it comes to our football team and adding pieces, it's about being honest. It's about understanding that our goal is to build a championship-level team and for our really good players on the team, they know that in order for them to play well and have success, they can do it a lot better with really good players around them.
So you just try to piece that together. Our guys know that the best players are going to play, but if you are ready to play, and you can contribute, we're going to get you on the field as well, and you can prove to us that you should earn more playing time.
I just think the fact that I'm fortunately going on my tenth year as a head coach, you've been battle-tested. I've been in some tough football games where we found a way to win against opponents that maybe we weren't expected to win against.
We found ways to get to Big Ten championship game at a place that had not done that ever before, and then we found ways to get up on off the ground when we got knocked down when we shouldn't.
How can we piece that together here? I just think it's about being honest with your guys, being truthful, but putting in the work and then putting in the work. In my opinion if you do that, you can win football games at a high level.
Ashton Gillotte
Q. Ashton, you're known as a defensive lineman that's a ball of energy and an extremely explosive first step, but in watching your film, I see so much more than that. Can you kind of break down what goes into developing a pass rush plan for you? Is this something that you go into the game with certain things that you want to do, or is it a play-by-play adjustment based on what you are seeing? Also, beyond that, is there a player that you model your game after in term of how you approach the game?
ASHTON GILLOTTE: So week by week, I mean, you study your opponent, so your pass rush plan is always going to be different. You're going to break down different opponents different ways.
Something I like to look at is hand placement where a tackle is putting his hands, what moves first, how far back his foot is. Those are things that you can do to get a jump on another lineman.
So a bit of it is beforehand, but in the moment you have to prepare play by play. If I'm doing this move, I set it up. Now I can do a spin off of it. Something like that.
My modeling of a game, I really try to watch Von Miller a lot. I like Von Miller as an edge rusher. Max Crosby is a good one. George Karlaftis is someone that played under my current coach. He has been great to learn from.
THE MODERATOR: I'll ask one from the podium here. It's sort of a follow-up to what you were just asked. You've been pretty steady your first two years. There seems to be another gear in you for this season. How is it that you are going to find that next level of your game?
ASHTON GILLOTTE: I think it comes down to preparation and mental preparedness. The physical aspects are something that everyone thinks about how to get faster, how to be stronger, but I think especially this year going into the season, I've taken a lot of steps to mentally prepare myself to be in these situations, whether it's opponent prep or just watching NFL guys just seeing how they work.
That's really what separates NFL players besides athletics. It's their understanding of the game. I'm trying to model after them and build on top of that.
Q. In terms of year to year in college we all know that a player's body changes a lot based on their goals and based on what they want to be better at, what they want to work on, especially as an edge rusher and all that good stuff. So in what ways have you worked to change your body this offseason? Has it been body comp? Has it been getting bigger? Has it been getting more lean? What in particular have you worked on in terms of that strength aspect that you talked about in terms of getting your body better and getting your most out of your natural athleticism?
ASHTON GILLOTTE: So I think in the last scheme it rewarded me to be bigger. So I was playing around 275. Considering the new scheme, I'm a true edge, so I've been leaning out per se, so trying to drop, body comp, body fat, and playing down to around 265, just to get your body feeling better to be on edge, get faster. Those kind of things go into it. That's really about it.
Bryan Hudson
Q. When we talked about two-sport athletes in college, it's usually football and baseball or something else, but track and field, how does participating in the discus and the shot put help you with your footwork on the offensive line? Because those are both technique-oriented sports or positions, and it's all about footwork there as well.
BRYAN HUDSON: Yeah, there's a big correlation between the two. Like you said, the big thing is the footwork. In track and field, especially in shot put and discus, you have to find a way to throw a 16-pound ball as far as you can just within a 7-and-a-half-foot circle.
Having that footwork, the balance, being able to kind of build on your athleticism and it's very technique-oriented, like you mentioned, just like the O-line play and on the football side of it.
So the two go hand in hand. In the weight room they're very similar athletes, being a thrower and an offensive lineman. Just being very explosive, very powerful, being strong and very powerful in the unnatural and uncomfortable position is a big part of it too and just being able to put on your athleticism.
So the two definitely go hand in hand. Track and field has helped me tremendously, especially early on in development and even right now with football.
THE MODERATOR: I do want to follow that up from the podium. You still hold the state 3A record for the shot put, 63 feet, 9.5 inches. What's the key in getting that pellet 63 feet down the field?
BRYAN HUDSON: There's a lot that goes into it. Like I said, it's very similar to playing offensive line. It all starts from the ground up. Just being able to have that explosiveness from the hips and just being able to hit the right positions and have that leverage on the ball just like offensive line you need leverage on the D-line and the defensive opponent.
A lot goes into it, but it's just being able to be explosive and be powerful and be very accurate with the positions that you hit to be able to be successful with it.
Q. Bryan, you were a player who was a leader on this offensive line during the 2021 season when you all were one of the better units in the country, quite frankly. Last year the offensive line seemed to take a little bit of a step back for whatever reason. So what is it that you personally are looking forward to in leading this team and leading that unit into becoming the top 25% or higher of every pretty much grading statistic, of every rushing statistic, of every time allowed per pass statistic? What goes into getting that offensive line performance back to that level in this upcoming season?
BRYAN HUDSON: I think it all starts with the preparation. Like you all mentioned and what's been talked about, we've brought in a lot of new guys, even into the O-line room even this summer. There are several new faces. A lot of guys with a lot of experience, both newcomers and returners that have played a lot of ball. That's a big plus.
It makes my job a little bit easier being the center and being in more of a leadership role that the guys, they don't need to be babysat or anything like that. They all have that motor. They all have that motive and commitment level that is required to accomplish that as an offensive line.
Just going through that preparation, learning this new playbook that we have, and really being able to process that with movement, process that against all the different fronts that we're going to be up against this season.
But, yeah, it just starts with preparation and getting in the film room. Along with that, just on-the-field work. Staying after extra, after workouts, staying after extra after the practices that we had some summer and now going into fall camp has been huge for us. I think we have all the potential that -- the sky is the limit for this offensive line as well as for this team. Like I said, we have a lot of new faces, and we have a lot of talent, a lot of athletic linemen in the room. So adapting the new system has made that a little bit easier, just having those athletes, but I'm looking forward to seeing what we can do with all the potential.
Jawhar Jordan
JAWHAR JORDAN: With Brohm's offense it's given me the opportunity to showcase my versatility as a running back. With the game evolving, you want to be able to do multiple things. So with this offense I'm able to catch the ball and hopefully I can match the way I run the ball with catching the ball as well.
Q. In terms of your career so far, your first three years saw limited touches, limited action and all that, and then last year saw an immense jump where you had more yards from scrimmage than you had in your entire career combined before that point. What led to that jump? Was it simply a matter of getting the opportunity? Was it the game slowing down for you? Was it anything in particular that led to it, or what caused that?
JAWHAR JORDAN: Definitely it was just preparing for the opportunity, winning off the opportunity, and staying mentally ready for the opportunity. I just kept working and just stayed patient and eventually it came. So I just made the best of my opportunity.
THE MODERATOR: A question from the podium.
A lot of people are amazed year after year that kick returners perform at the high level that they do. What is it about practice? What is it about preparation when it comes to kick returning that's made you so good the last two years?
JAWHAR JORDAN: Really I just got to give credit to the guys that block for me. Coach Mas and last year our special teams coach, he gave us a game plan. We followed it, and we just executed it. I just do the easy part.
Q. Jawhar, running backs are smaller stature, always had that stigma that they can't run between the tackles, but you, in fact, had over 467 yards after contact. Can you expound on that stigma of running backs not being able -- smaller running backs not being able to run through the tackles when you actually prove that it can be done?
JAWHAR JORDAN: Really it's just a matter of respecting the game. I know this game is physical, and I respect that, and I take that serious. Just proving people wrong, I'm big on that. That's why I just run with heart.
Georgia Tech
Brent Key
Q. You took over midseason last year, and now you've had kind of an offseason to kind of implement what you want. Can you tell us kind of the -- I guess the key areas that you wanted to improve on when you took over and how -- what kind of progress you've made in the offseason since then?
BRENT KEY: How long do we have right now? We've got a lot of things we've got to get better at.
You talk about the continuation of last season, but I don't see it that way. Every season is a new season. We have new players. We have new coaches. It's a new program.
Do you have a little bit of insight and knowledge previously on the roster and strengths and weakens and things to improve on? Yeah, but it's a constant evaluation of your roster. It's a constant evaluation of the staff. It's a constant evaluation of every part of the program that needs to improve.
I don't care if you win 15 games or lose 15 games in a year, there's always things to improve on. That's my job. My job is to find those things, to focus on the small things, to focus on the details, and to focus on what makes a difference in winning and losing.
So really from the top-down every part of the program is a constant state of working to get better, improving -- it starts with improving your staff, improving your roster, improving in the weight room, strength and conditioning, improving your fundamental play in football, improving every position across the board. I mean, there's only one way to go, and that's up. That's the way you have to trend.
Our goal is to win games. That's on the field our job. People ask about expectations and how you feel leak you're going to do and those things. I mean, how am I going to sit here and say we're going to put a number count on the amount of wins we have? Well, now I'm conceding the other games? I don't feel that way. I don't operate that way. I don't want these guys to operate that way.
Our job is to go out and do as good as we can possibly do at all times.
Every part of the program, that being said, is working to improve.
Q. You brought in a new strength and conditioning coach after you were hired. How has the summer program gone, and how has that helped in the development of the team in preparation for the season?
BRENT KEY: I feel like it's going well. I think probably better to ask these guys how they feel as far as their strength and conditioning and those things.
But really all these things, do we know now? We have a gut feeling, but really we'll find out day six of preseason camp. We'll find out day 12. We'll find out in the fourth quarter of game one really how all that has improved and where we're at as far as our stamina and toughness and endurance and strength level and can we sustain those things.
Q. Every assistant coach has things they would do differently if they were the head coach. Doesn't mean right or wrong. Just your kind of take on things. Were there a few things in your mind that you kind of couldn't wait to implement once you really got full control of this program?
BRENT KEY: You say wait until you had full control. There's always things as an assistant coach that you are making notes on, good and bad. I don't think there's something you say, oh, I can't wait for that to happen. I worked for Nick Saban, and there are things, of course, would you do different than Nick would. No one can emulate one person. You have to be yourself and be true to who you are, number one, or these guys are going to see right through it. They're constantly looking for fractures and cracks and things. You have been true to who you are. You can't be somebody else. You have to be genuine, and that's what I want myself and the coaching staff to be all the time.
Are there things you're going to emulate? Yeah. Are there things you're going to do different? Yeah. I hope every guy on our staff now is taking notes and preparing themselves to become a head coach one day because that's what I want. I want a staff of people that grow. I've been very fortunate to be around two head coaches in my career, in George O'Leary and Nick Saban that promote growth on their staff and promote elevation of people within their staffs, and were happy when people were able to move on and get those types of opportunities, and I want the same thing for our staff.
LaMiles Brooks
Q. You guys graduated two big leaders in Eley and Thomas last year. Who has stepped into the leadership role on the defensive side of the ball, and what have you seen from the two additions that you guys made through the transfer portal?
LaMILES BROOKS: Leadership-wise I would say myself, D'Quan Douse, and Sylvain here. We've all kind of already been leaders on the team in a sense, but now that Ace and Charlie are gone, we're here to continue to push the message that they pushed. Obviously from the head man himself.
The new additions, two linebackers, Andre and Braelen. Excited to see how they come in and play in the fall. You know, they had a good spring, been preparing well in the summer, and it will be a show this fall.
Q. Is there a personal emphasis for you to change the identity and culture from a fan's perspective and a team's perspective of Georgia Tech?
LaMILES BROOKS: From a team perspective, the culture that I feel that we're trying to create is a culture of winning obviously and doing all the little things right. The little things add up, whether positively or negatively.
So I would say a culture of doing the small things right.
Then from a fan base standpoint, just the expectation of winning, like Coach said. Not waiting for bad things to happen. As players we shouldn't do that. As coaches we shouldn't do that. As fans we shouldn't do that as well.
Q. How easy has the transition and the coaching transition been for you knowing that you had your secondary coach retained as well as the defensive coordinator?
LaMILES BROOKS: It's been great. Myself as well as all my teammates have maximum trust in both of them. For Coach Tillman it was nice having him last year. He has been in our shoes, Georgia Tech grad, played in the NFL. He has played where all of us want to play.
So just taking small gems from him, the different techniques he teaches us and allows us to go out there and perform has been amazing.
And for Coach Thacker, I don't think he gets enough love. I think he is a very underrated defensive coordinator in college football. He rarely calls bad games, if any at all, to be honest.
Knowing that I have both of them back who fully support me as well as my defensive teammates is great.
Jordan Williams
Q. Obviously you came in, and you were a very young freshman, but now you're the leader of this offensive line. Just talk about the leadership perspective for you this year getting to mentor some of the newer guys on this offensive line.
JORDAN WILLIAMS: It's definitely a newer feeling. Especially coming off of playing as a true freshman and having somebody tell me what to do for most of the plays my freshman year.
Then looking at where I'm at now, I'm in a position to where I can hopefully give out some useful tips to the freshmen or anything, but really any tips I give out or something, it's either something Coach Key told me or something that sounds good enough that Coach Key told me. If he is around me, I look at him, and he will give me a little...
That's really how it goes with the leadership. It's really for me watching film and giving them coaching tips on film.
Q. Coach had mentioned there is always room for improvement. What are you looking to personally improve upon for the season? What are you looking to capitalize on for the season?
JORDAN WILLIAMS: Really blocking on the second level at linebacker. Hand placement. Hand placement, yeah. Really everything.
Hey, playing offensive line is a game of technique. You have to perfect your craft. Really what Coach Key said. My hand placement, my footwork, really everything. I'm in a position where I could play guard or tackle, so I'm just trying to stay ready for anything.
Q. You have a head coach, like we just saw, he was an offensive line coach. Geep Wade, a brand new offensive line coach. What's it like having a head coach that has the history of the offensive line, and how is your new relationship with Geep Wade?
JORDAN WILLIAMS: My relationship with Coach Wade is good. He is a cool laid-back coach. Well, no, I'm not going to say laid-back. He is not that. He is not that laid-back. He is definitely still hard on you and everything.
He definitely is preaching the right stuff, telling everybody what they need to hear. It's not about what you want to hear. It's about what you need to hear, and he does a good job with that making sure everything -- keeps everything black and white.
One thing Coach Key really always did with us. So there's no questions in the air about where are we at with this, what position am I going to be playing at with that? You always knew.
But having an O-line coach and an O-line head coach it's pretty funny at practice when you are just going through Indy or something, and you can see Coach Key just staring us down like a hawk, like he is just ready to give a little correction or something.
Sylvan Yondjouen
Q. Sylvain, you are a player that obviously coming from Belgium you experienced football late and started playing late. How have you made the transition as rapidly as you have to become as good as you are at this sport that a lot of guys are playing from 4, 5 forward to be where you are today and to be seen as a leader on this team in a sport that, again, is fairly new to you by some people's standards?
SYLVAIN YONDJOUEN: I think personally it's just the coaches I've been around, listening to what they say. I've been told that I'm a very coachable person. I get coaching a lot because I don't know the game. They always know it better than me, so there's no point for me to argue what they tell me or something.
I really just are doing what they say, and it works out. For the past few years, I can see getting better at the stuff I didn't do right at the beginning. It's really practice on practice. It's doing it again. What Coach Coleman talks about it is fundamentals, and I think that's something that I didn't know at first. The basic stuff, you know, about football you keep it all your life.
Yeah, that's what I learned this past five years and just getting better at it.
Q. Just curious how much of an inspiration was seeing what Keion did last year and seeing him get drafted in the second round and seeing that potential because you did have games where you could even argue maybe you outplayed him a little bit in your role. Just kind of what kind of inspiration, I guess, is that for you to see that?
SYLVAIN YONDJOUEN: It gives me a lot of motivation to keep working hard because I saw Keion at the beginning of the season or even when he transferred, at first he didn't really play a lot, and then he played way more last year.
Just seeing him work every day, he would come in, get treatment, get in the hot tub, get stretched before everybody, after everybody, stayed longer after workouts, and it just shows that if you put your mind to it and you keep working for it, it will pay off.
That's what I'm trying to do just like him. Just keep working, head down, and we'll see where I get. Yeah, I'll put 100 every time.
Q. Coming from Belgium, how much or how has your teammates helped you adapt to the Atlanta culture, swag, food, all that?
SYLVAIN YONDJOUEN: A lot. My freshman year it was a different team. There was a bunch of different stuff I did and enjoyed my freshman year. It was just a year of discovering America for me, really just feeling what college was because you heard about it back overseas, but you don't really believe it until you see it.
Yeah, I mean, I went through a lot my freshman year seeing stuff. Yeah, I mean, you get used to it. I've been four years in Atlanta now. Four, five years. I think I got acclimated well to it, yeah.