Breakout Season for the New Look A&M Secondary? | Texas A&M 2024 Secondary Season Preview

Intro I've said it before and I'll say it again now the DB room straight up costed Texas A&M games in 2024 there were a lot of things wrong with the team but you can point back to exact instances in games where getting burned on deep routes destroyed Texas A&M's chances of winning a football game you had massive Personnel issues at corner where you were forced to start players out of position or play true freshmen that just weren't ready to play at the SEC level you had inconsistent play at safety and after last season you lost a bunch of what was already a peac mill room Texas A&M will look to Rebound in that position group with a host of new faces who entered the program mostly out of the transfer portal adding a whopping seven transfer DBS and three from the high school ranks including five-star Talent Terry busy when you talk about the 2024 version of the agie defense there are some Surefire contributors that come to mind up front you have the Shamar you have Nick scorton you have DJ Hicks you have Torin York as your middle linebacker and team captain you have Bryce Anderson who's back to take the Helm of the free safety position but in the rest of that DB room it's really wide open it's the Wild West it's competition competition competition so today we begin our 2024 Texas A&M defensive preview videos with the DB room that coach Mike Elco wasted no time in building in short order his first month's at the helmet Texas A&M but I'm not going to do this one alone there are so many new moving Parts added to the team I needed to recruit some help so in this video I'll have Matthew Dawson of the red shirt sophomore podcast and of texags you may have seen him before he's going to join and help us break down this very very exciting new position group Matthew and his brother cidi are living encyclopedias regarding Aggie football and the world of college football overall so if you haven't subscribed to the red shirt sophomore podcast I highly recommend it and that's exactly why we have him here today to help us break down all these new faces so without any further Ado let's get into the video and there he is Matthew Dawson Matthew why don't you go ahead and start us off by introducing yourself and telling the people where they can find you well look like you said I'm Matthew Dawson I have a podcast with my brother Christopher Dawson it's called the red shirt sophomore you can catch us over there our preseason previews for every single power four team is coming out in these weeks so make sure you guys check those out if you're interested in understanding the Dynamics of other aspects of college football maybe not just Tech because if you want techm Sports I mean you're com to Drew TAMU on YouTube for sure I appreciate that man yeah I actually lean on them a lot when I'm trying to learn about you know zoomed in aspects of other programs they're really good they they really know their stuff so I can't recommend them enough but today we're gonna ask him to zoom in onto the Texas A&M DB room an exciting new room you guys know The Portal Rebuild a bunch of new names there a room that needed some improvement based on the performance last year so Matthew been a journey since uh the firing of Jimbo Fisher into the coaching search into mikee ELO throughout that search you know you had the blackluster DB room you had players transfer out of what was already a a pretty scarce room you had players graduate and then you're left with like an empty room essentially you need you had a need in the portal for literally a secondary essentially you needed everything and I I think at this point it's obvious that Elco passed that test with flying colors he came in he wasted no time so I want you to go ahead and kind of tell us about what you see that he did like what was the mindset did he get the players that fit the El system the Elco just the way he sees a DB it seems like he went out and got his kind of players would you agree with that and kind of elaborate on what he did the short answer is yes absolutely um you know people if you remember Tyreek Chappelle went into the portal right and Elijah Robinson was his primary recruiter right like when Chappelle came like that pipeline to Philadelphia Pennsylvania like that was Elijah Robinson when Elijah Robinson went to Syracuse there was Heavy lean that you know he was gonna end up there as well and coacho brought him back but I also think Ty Chapelle doesn't always fit um fit the mold of a normal Mike gelo DB right like normal Mike Elco DBS are the tall long you know physical DBS that we've seen in the past the Jaylen Jones's right the Antonio Johnson's um and I think he got a lot of those big- time guys in the portal and also positional versatility is incredibly important Melo anywhere on the defense right you know in the front seven and in the secondary right so Mike ELO getting those pieces that he knows can that if we know that he can move those pieces around like I trust Mike ELO to put people in the right positions for them right if you remember he recruited Antonio Johnson as a safety he played nickel he recruited Jaylen Jones as a safety he ended up playing Corner um plenty of examples of that Mike elos tenure at not only necessarily Texas A&M but you know wake Force Bowling Green Duke you name it right absolutely man and yeah that goes back to like you said other position groups if you think about his D lines that he had 2020 2021 those years what he could do mixing and matching on third down packages that was a staple of a Mike Elco defense and it seems like the players that he added really fit his mold they say when a coach comes into his program it takes time for him to find his players well it really seems like he forced the issue and got his players in short order at the DB room so let's go ahead and get into the names here bunch of names added like I said at the beginning of this video seven um portal editions and three true freshman editions including five star Terry busy but we're really going to highlight these immediate impact potential portal guys today obviously you have guys that are still around like Tyreek Chappelle like Bryce Anderson but I really want to get a good read on some of these guys coming in so Matthew why don't you go ahead and highlight a few guys that you you think should be at the The Players top of our watch list going into the year and we'll round out the room and kind of touch on everybody but who do you think we should be keeping a dead aim on at the start of the Year well I mean I'll start with I mean Bryce Anderson okay and I only bring him up because I know everyone watching this video knows who Bryce Anderson is and know that he's a very good football player right absolutely um he played a lot of nickel last year and I I don't know that that's going to be the position that he plays this year um I know like if you're checking ourlads you're like wait but he's a nickel on ourlads I I think he's gonna play safety all right I think we need to be ready for that and I think that that is an upgrade over demani Richardson I think deani Richardson you know had his moments he was Mr Johnny hey here's the ball right yeah like he found himself in really good positions and he did a lot for that defense over the years but I do think Anderson's ceiling at that position at that strong safety position is is a lot higher right so I think I think Bryce Anderson playing safety I think we could see a lot now here's the thing mik ELO he values the nickel Corner position right just because Bryce Anderson starts the safety doesn't mean he won't finish the season at nickel you know and whatever like we don't know what this entire secondary is gonna look like but I do believe that Bryce Anderson will be playing safety so I do think that that is a dynamic change there because you saw him play Nicholls so much and be pretty effective at it uh despite his struggles occasionally in in man coverage yep absolutely and I think of the guys you have coming into the team that's on the DB group that's the one you can say okay I think that guy's on the field play one that's that's the guy that's on the field but outside of that it's really wide open I mean there's a huge competition happening across the board and this spills from position to position because you touched on versatility most the guys you add it can play multiple positions and that was obviously a priority with the targets so of the new guys who do you think we are very likely to see out there early and often next to Bryce Anderson you know I think I think you're going to see will Lee out there and and here's the thing like I know everyone's like very high on will and I am too because let's remember this gin has played one year of division one football okay one year and he was pretty dang good in his time he made you know he made mistakes all right he did as any first year division one football player is going to make sure okay but his length at 6 fo three um he put on a little bit wait this year like this is a guy that we could definitely see you know match up with those physical wide receivers in the SC because like I'm not going to say that the SEC has the most talented receivers like this year but there's plenty of big fast physical receivers that I think Mike guo wants to have to lean on you know a bigger quarterback and I think will could be that guy absolutely and it's a guy that played Safety in Community College High School like he could play anywhere but he's GNA play boundary corner all right that's just what it's going to be um he's gonna have to lock down those big guys but I mean you you saw the flashes last year and you saw the flashes you know Community College highights like he has the potential to make huge huge impact plays all the time right absolutely and Willie is obviously top of the list he's one of the first uh DBS they got in the portal and since he entered the program he was always a candidate to be a day one starter another one that you added that you can't help but be extremely excited about this one with a lot more eligibility left is Dez Ricks transferring out of Bama coming from IMG Academy before just checks every box of physicality and athleticism you could ever ask for in a corner it's like a 4540 like a 40inch vertical leap like this guy can do so much he's just such a a blank canvas to to do great things with and we know how Elco can develop DBS so just speak to your excitement about Dez Ricks I I mean maybe he's a day one starter but at worst he's the future of the DB room so why don't you go ahead and tell us a little about Dez Ricks well and the thing about him too is like you know he's got people like talk about Eli Ricks and the negatives with Eli Ricks but he he's playing really in the NFL right now and that speaks to you know the traits that he had and that once he had a coaching staff there that he was able to develop one you know he was able to take that next step even as a rookie in the NFL and Dez rcks people forget he reclassified right this kid is Young I mean like sure he didn't see the field last year when there were two you know first round caliber corners and know SA or KY McKenry won the second round but in Malachi like that DB room was loaded like he was not gonna see playing time that first year and you know bringing hman Wiggins over that connection there I think kind of helped I think I think Dez Ricks has a potential to be fantastic you know and it might be it could be this year it really really really could sure because we don't again we don't know I I would assume that Chapelle starts at that at that one corner position at least starts week one right because he knows that defense M ELO trusts him arguably his best year was his freshman year with Mike ELO on defense but I do think Dez Ricks like you can't help but not think that he's going to get some sort of playing time down the road like his like you said the the blank canvas the eism the explosiveness it's it's all there with deser it really is people should be super excited about him yeah he shows great ball tracking capabilities in his high school tape just great instincts I mean he has a lot going for him you spoke on uh tyreq Chappelle just quickly touching on him I've never really seen Tyreek Chappelle through all the issues you've had at DB I've never seen him as as a liability I don't think Tyreek Chappelle has ever been a negative player for A&M I think the issues from last year stem from games where was either out or the other Corner position I I I've never had an issue with throwing Tyreek Chappelle on the field and I I do see him as a very likely day one starter as well but with that rotation being very interesting I mean do you agree about Chappelle I think yeah if memory serves he's never been the root of the of the issue at the DB room yeah you know as freshman and sophomore year he was a lot more involved in the Run game and I don't know what happened in 2023 that didn't allow for him to do that like I always thought that he was a very physical corner and even though he's not undersized but you know I think he's like what 5'11 185 you know just I don't think I ever saw him as like an Elite Physical corner right but I always saw him as a guy that you could rely on to make a tackle in the Run game yeah this last year I I just thought uh there were a little bit of struggles and you know even on a couple plays down the field I think he uh you know maybe Mist trck the ball a little bit and you know got lucky on a couple plays but I do think is really good and I do think that the comfortability of being in Mike ELO's defense again I think you're going to see a huge huge improvement from last year right so I I don't know that like you could see some of these other guys who you know maybe fit the mold a little bit more of a Mike goo DB eventually take that Ro but I do think Chappelle is really good I think he stayed back for a reason I think Mike goo knows that he's a guy that he can depend on and that's why he needed him back so I do think Chappelle I don't think he's a liability at all that's not what I'm trying to say I do think he's just going to improve from last year makes a lot of sense and Mike ELO DB coach in his own right and speaking on the Prototype Mike Elco DB this is a guy that as I've gained more contacts and more knowledge about this player I just can't help but get more and more excited about him this year and Beyond Marcus Radcliffe out of San Diego State bad San Diego State team really good Marcus rackliffe hits the portal comes to A&M if you built a Mike ELO DB in a lab I think it's Marcus rackliffe I think he checks every box huge physical versatile player I think he played like three different positions last year in the secondary talk about Marcus Radcliff man I I can't help but be super excited for this guy dude so he for for reference he went to San Diego State okay and you know as a true freshman CD and I you know we were texting like every week like yeah dude this guy is a stu like he's unbelievable and if you look at like um not everyone's on San Diego State Twitter like I am but if you go on San Diego State Twitter right that's why you subscribe to them by the way this guy's on San Diego State Twitter and other Twitter accounts you would never even think to be on this guy's there but sorry continue thank you I appreciate that but like it was a disasterous season for San Diego State right and Brady Hoke you know leaves his son actually he's now on the coaching staff at Texas A&M people didn't know that but Bray hul he gets out he retires right it was it was time it was over and they bring in Shawn Lewis and I don't think Marcus rackliffe saw himself you know a future at San Diego Because by the way he was a high rated Prospect and he chose to go to San Diego State and uh because he's from San Diego right so he was like Hometown kid and he was huge like what like 63 like 200 lb 215 pounds yeah I think he's close to like 220 on the latest roster it's crazy he massive right and he and he absolutely dominated at the Mountain West level as a true freshman and then he goes in transport and CD and I immediately text I'm like dude Marcus radliff is in the portal yeah where's he gonna go and he commits to UCLA and Dean Lynn if people don't know he was the defensive coordinator at UCLA and he was phenomenal last year right which is why he got the job at USC you don't know Dan Lynn also got the defensive coordinator job at this past year once Al Grinch was fired at USC and then all of a sudden his recruitment opens back up Marcus rack like and he was very silent right he didn't decommit from you he actually just like all of a like I started hearing rumes that Marcus rord was coming to Tex in him and I'm like cidd like we could be here in bomb in the next couple hours and he commits to Texas A&M and I could not have been more excited because this isn't just a 2024 kid this is a 2025 kid this is a 2026 kid this is Guy when you talk about positional versatility size speed athleticism physicality Marcus Ratcliff checks every single box that you could possibly want in a Mike defensive back and just because you don't see him on the field this year a ton which by the way you might still does not mean that Marcus rackliff cannot be a superstar for this Texas defensive team down the road absolutely man yeah I I'm I'm so high on this guy and I feel like there are certain matchups where you could see a guy like that providing a lot of value to a team another guy I mean we're going through this room and as you look at each name it really you just feel the floor in this room raising compared to where it was last year I mean you look at it last year and you had um Josh DeBerry out of position at corner you were forced to play Ja and Thomas you were forced to play uh Braven Rogers at times those guys promising players probably not what you would want in your year one rotation yet need some time to cook but now you just have so many options at each position and a couple more guys I want to bring up for you because I get these questions about these guys all the time from my audience specific spefically Trey Jones now Tre Jones I've found limited information about Tre Jones in my research I've seen some highlight some highlight footage of him but what I gather is like this is a man in a college football player's body right now this guy's been in the college offseason program this like a six offseason as a college player he's play like 1800 snaps it's crazy he's just so experienced he's using that that covid eligibility he is he's a veteran and you add him to the room and I have people saying that guy's a day one starter potentially and I don't know man I don't know much about that but I just know he has a ton of pedigree a ton of experience out of Central Michigan what are your thoughts on Tre Jones the third so Trey Jones is a really interesting one because I think he could start right I say could because they are moving Bryce Anderson likely to safety so that leaves that you know the free safety spot open and Trey Jones is more of a bigger box safety if you ask me although he's played snaps he's played snaps in slot he's played a free safety he's played a strong safety and uh he's from Central Michigan right and over there Rob AI the defensive coordinator very aggressive guy right very aggressive defensive coordinator also has a great defensive coordinating staff there and people might not think of Central Michigan as like a good defensive team but like in the Mac relative to like other teams in the Mac like sure you have Miami Ohio you have Toledo Ohio the last couple years with Tim Albin but but like Central Michigan like has had a decent team I know last year's team was pretty brutal defensively but let me tell you it's not because of the safeties at all either one of them so Trey Jones the potential I think to really really really raise he's a floor raiser like you just said like he's a guy that has experience playing against really good teams um Michael zorich there the the defensive backs coach he's has NFL coaching experience he played in the NFL I mean like Trey Jones was not under a coach right he was developed I think pretty well and I I think that the staff can trust him and when I see him out there at practice he's a big guy like I know he's like 6 I Marcus rackliffe is like supposed to be bigger than him but like Trey Jones is like he's built he is he is an SEC football player in the sense where like I don't question his traits uh transferring over to the SEC it's just going to be a question like can he find his way onto the field like I don't think he's gonna play nickel necessarily even though he could he's play I mean last year he played like 160 snaps in the slot so it's not a question that he couldn't play nickel I just think that they like him at safety more I think central Michigan found out that they just liked him at safety more and just kind of stuck him there kept him there I kept playing more safety more in the Box as the years went on there but I do think Trey Jones in immensely raises the floor you know especially like if your DB room you know fortunately like up until fall camp we haven't really had injuries right and that's something think because Tony Grimes last year didn't play yep right like when you were talking about the floor of Texas A&M's defensive back room last year Tony Grimes was a part of that conversation leading up to the season the entire time and you didn't see him at all so I think Trey Jones is a guy that you feel comfortable about even if he doesn't start day one one he's going to push them he's going to push to be a starter for sure but I think uh he just raises the floor of like the M the backups if he doesn't end up starting for sure like Trey Jones I think is a really good player as as a floor absolutely and a couple other floor raisers I mean there's a few more names to get through we'll kind of go through these last few quickly but a couple other big upper classman BJ ma out of UAB Jaden Hill out of Florida do these guys have a path to see early rotational snaps or do you think these are some more um you know backup kind of guys I mean what what do you see from Jaden Hill and BJ Mae so BJ May I'll touch on him first because I actually like him in the the stuff that I saw and he you could say like oh he didn't play against played against Georgia last year guys okay go back watch that Georgia game you look at mc mc Williams or whatever his name was on the other side MC McMichael I forget his name he was getting burned all day on that U burned and if you looked at BJ ma like he was physical right he was now I think lad makoni was hurt for that game but uh Georgia other than other than lad Maki has some big physical receivers and matched up he steps up in the Run game he makes tackles eight pass breakups last year two ints he was targeted a bunch but uh made plays on the ball right I think he's a really good athlete I don't know if he's a starter I think he could be like like any of these Corners like quarterback two I think for week one again I think Tyreek Chapelle start week one but I think that later on the road he could be beat out potentially but I don't think you're G to see two guys there week one I think you could see BJ ma getting in rotation yeah I think Jaden Hill I think he's Play Nickel that's that that's I think where he fits but in terms of BJ Ma I mean played he gained he's another guy who gained 10 pounds this offseason right like Tommy MAF effect we can go on and on through the list the entire offer people that benefited from that but he guy played 600 snaps last year for by the way like and played well with a high school defensive back like the coaching staff that Trent dord brought in there was a lot of the guys that you know he brought from his high school days you know guys that you know maybe he worked with like as players in the NFL but like not a ton of guys that I think were like the coaching staff that Mike ELO has brought in right I think DJ Mays has a chance to not only has he put on the weight but I think he just has a chance to get more well and better coached this year I really do again that's another guy who's played one year division one football because that he was that Incarnate Word y he played really well there as well so he's a climber he's 61 almost 200 pounds like he's a guy that I think physically can match up with guys in the SEC because we've seen him do it you know in a limited sample size but it's Georgia yeah absolutely so we talked about the nickel a little bit you think Jaden Hill fits more of that nickel mold it sounds like Ratcliffe can definitely Play Nickel um I think Chappelle got reps at Nickel in Spring is that right Braven Rogers got reps at nickel I mean who do you think is rounding out this nickel rotation I mean this very versatile it could really be anybody it really could be like there are positional versatility is the key word in this defensive back room I do think it's Jaden Hill um he's got experience I think he's physical I think it can match up with a lot of guys in that slot but um there are some bigger you know tight ends slot guys depending what packages you're going to bring in I think you could bring in you know even bigger guys than than Jaden Hill to kind of fill that nickel role I do think it'll be Jaden Hill week one I don't know for sure though right like again like you said everyone's kind of getting reps here everyone's getting reps in this nickel spot and I don't I think it's a not necessarily revolving door but the door is open for someone to take that spot but I I do think against J I think he's I think he's pretty good I think I don't think he was the weak link on that Florida defense that was like not great last year sure uh I do think in that secondary I think he was really effective I don't think Mike goo would have brought him in or Jay bitman or Sean Spencer if they didn't think so as well or at least see the potential here uh now that he's a senior and has plenty of SEC snap or plenty of SEC snaps sure absolutely and at worst again a floor Riser now we've kind of danced around a player who we were a little bit more familiar with in Dalton Brooks where do you think Dalton slot in cuz he showed some potential in that bowl game I mean he got some reps kind of sparsely throughout the year but he really kind of came came on a little bit towards the end does he is there a a space for him now I mean there's so many names in here I mean there are more mature guys than Dalton Brooks I was high on him until you added all these guys so where does he slot in potentially dude and the the reason why I think that I'm not sure if Trey Jones is gonna start is because I think Dalton Brooks might start yeah like he he's been that effective in practice he was that good in the bow game right but if you remember up until the season he played mostly nickel right like in filler situations right but bll game he played a lot more safety and I think Dalton Brooks you know I think he's a good tackler but I think like you know playing over the top I think would have in you know allowing him to play forward I think would benefit Dalton Brooks in that spot he's not like the giantest human being of all time but he's so good guys like he is so good and coming out of high school you saw the athleticism not just on the defensive side of like he was like an incredible on the offens side of the ball like the athleticism just jumps off the pages I know people don't like to people like to discredit the smaller schools like Shiner it's like come on dude like Talent is Talent like is that dude again I don't know I don't know for sure if he's gonna start week one but damn he will be in that rotation one billion percent like whether it's nickel or safety but I believe it's going to be safety and I I I had to guess it's it' be that free safety spot and for whatever it's Mike Elco was very complimentary of that safety room coming out of spring and that was without Trey Jones in the building yet because he wasn't there for spring so that was the Dalton Brooks Bryce Anderson Jared cerr as a rotational guy I mean does Jared cerr even have a spot anymore he's a guy who has a ton of experience here so who knows but he's an option I know it's crazy man it's crazy where we are now compared to where we were last year so I guess we'll trans we've kind of covered I think we've touched on every name you want to say anything about Donovan Saunders he's another guy who's upper classman another big guy another perfect mold for Mike Elco you want to touch on him real quick huge he 6'4 I mean he's massive okay but Donovan Sanders he comes from Cal pulley okay and you know if you don't know a lot about cowp Pooley football they're they're pretty good okay like they don't just bring in Joe Schmo there um you know maybe guys that were just overlooked right Donovan Saunders is a 2025 2026 guy okay like not that he couldn't see the field this year I think it's just less likely that Donovan Sanders sees the field over some of these other guys but Donovan Sanders definitely has a potential to see the field a lot down the road because if you remember like the safety spot you're really young right you know with the exception of like uh Trey Jones right but the cornerback position right Chappelle he's coming in on his senior year uh you're looking at BJ Mays is in his senior year like there there are some spots to be had in the future in that rotation I don't think Mike Elco is just gonna play two corners all game right like like a guy like Trey Jones last year played like 700 snaps okay yeah I don't think we're going to see anyone play 700 snaps in the corner room right like I think I think if I had to guess that we're gonna see people 500 snaps you know 400 snaps kind of like what will Lee did last year with Kansas State I I think that you're GNA see a lot of fresh legs not sure if Donovan Sounders is gonna crack that because there are so many names in this room but again another guy with a very high ceiling just not sure his floor right now is ready to go in the SEC yeah and that's a great Point bringing up the amount of snaps for some of these guys so let's kind of transition into what The DB Rotation / Who Plays? exactly is Mike Elko going to do with all these guys I mean you're going to have a starting group out there you're going to have a group that earns the right to start in game one based on the performance in Fall Camp pedigree before with Bryce Anderson guys like that but is this just a matter of keeping fresh legs out there is he going to mix and match based on the opponent could we just see totally different rotations based on the look you're getting I mean what where does he go with this yeah that that's a great question and and I think that's also up to you know some of the defensive staff that he has there I think in the defensive line we can say very confidently that there is going to be a rotation right um and in linebacker it could also like you could like at every single level of this defense you could see positional rotations in the snap now Mike OKO as we know is pretty aggressive specifically in the front seven you're asking the secondary to kind of do a lot now granted if you get to the quarterback right you put pressure on him you're not asking him to do as much but it's a lot of high-intensity Reps for sure in that secondary lot of you know there's some press man you know but some off coverage right but you're asking these cornerbacks to play Down um and make tackles like if you are playing a corner in Mike uo's defense like you are going to be a good tackle that's what you're asked to do um so I I I think in that sense I think Mike guo is going to want to see a lot of rotations and like last year like Duke they didn't have exceptional Talent at the secondary level in fact a couple guys got injured there in the secondary and they still had guys come in and have to make plays and they ended up playing kind of a rotation down the stretch so it's like you I think we're going to see a lot of rotation in this stb room which is why I say like week one your starters week one are I'm gonna guarantee this but you know there are no guarantees in college football your week one starters are not going to be your week 14 starters right and you know it might not even matter right you might see a guy like I you might see BJ Mays get 380 snaps 400 snaps which is by the way like a really good amount of snaps to have and he might not even be a starter right like that that's that's just the way it is yeah absolutely that's super exciting because you kind of contrast that to some of Jimbo's teams felt like Jimbo's teams were at times topheavy I mean you were really really talented you got some really good recruiting classes but a lot of those were really oriented at that defensive line couple receivers couple of guys that really highlighted those groups but this team in particular and speaking Beyond DB it feels like you have so many options in so many places you can look at the o line and look at the versatility on the interior there and now Elco is saying a lot of those guys can Shuffle out and play tackle so you could be looking at a starting right tackle that's arag Reed Adams Then potentially Ruben FY backing him up Ruben FY maybe swinging over the left in case of emergency if something happens with tun you have a huge Shuffle that could happen in the interior of that o line you have the same thing happening in the DB room obviously the dline maybe two and a half three groups deep at dline so many exciting new linebackers in the room it's really going to be fun to see how deep he digs into the bag for the given matchup to match up to certain looks to match up to certain players he can do a lot so just concluding this discussion on the DB room I mean compare it to where we were last year I mean I've been speaking towards it like you know we had Personnel issues it was it was an issues of jimmies and Joe's in the DB room in my opinion last year you didn't have enough options you didn't have the high level of competition you're going to see this fall Camp that's happening right now while we're speaking I mean what is the what is the ceiling of this DB room this this feels like it could be a room that you know becomes goes from one of the worst in the SEC to one of the best yeah and I I'll compare it even like past couple years right even like with Mike ELO his first year without like last year look and I was mistaken right like I I really thought that that secondary had a lot of pieces that were really good but again like you said you had to play Josh DeBry out of position right uh Chapelle was banged up right then you had Tony Grimes who was never able to see the field and then you're playing Javon Thomas who just you know quite frankly is a really good player just was not ready as a true freshman ex was not ready and I think you know deont Richardson wasn't able to necessarily he's not the kind of athlete that's going to be able to elevate the corners right like he doesn't cover that much ground and despite being a really good like uh you know instinctive player I just don't think he had the Speed and he wasn't a threat you know like so these Corners were really getting picked on game after game after game you know really starting with that I mean not starting with the Miami I guess starting with the Miami game but then also in the Alabama game I mean you just got picked on over Miss I mean obviously LSU did it to everybody but I mean come on they did it to us they destroyed us at the end of that game just picking on them yeah and then I want to go back to 2022 right the first year without Al M goo you actually had one of the best secondaries in the country statistically metrically talent wise right the problem with that was like you got lucky with injuries like you really did like deanii Richardson was stay he had 782 snaps Jordan Gilbert had over 700 snaps Ty Chapelle had almost 700 snaps Jaylen JY at 600 and you did miss him in a couple games but it just felt like um they were able to kind of fill that void there with a really good pass rush at certain times I just thought that 2022 secondary you got lucky with injuries and same thing happened in 2022 with Mike gko who by the way played Terry Chappelle and Jaylen Jones and Antony Johnson all over 700 snaps so I I think you know the like you said the floor of this room you know kind of fell underneath us last year this year you know you have a stable floor where if some injuries happen you know like they fortunately they didn't happen in 2021 and 2022 when you had a pretty good secondary yep but you just you saw it come off the wheels in 2023 when you just didn't have those guys behind those you know your studs you had some studs and then you had guys that were either Duds or were not ready yep exactly exactly I couldn't have said it better and you're right I think the main thing is the floor is elevated with this room it's just the experience and the depth that just stabilizes the entire room he brought it in a DB room essentially he brought in an entire DB room exactly what he wanted so many guys to his mold so so much of his dudes you don't get that in a year one coach too often especially in the past before the transfer portal era I mean you bring in what 25 guys in the portal and he handpicked these DBS he's a DB guy and they're also going to be elevated by the fact that A&M should have a pretty nasty third down pass rush package I mean the depth and versatility on the D line just to get after it with four I mean it's really exciting stuff for this Texas saying them defense well all right Matthew I appreciate you coming on man tell us one more time where they can find you so the people can go and follow Matthew Dawson and Chris Dawson tell the people where you're at you can find us on the [ __ ] sophomore on YouTube and Spotify if you want uh everything college football right all teams you know we're going to be covering during the season we got Mack games on our preview list we got Mount West games on our preview list you want to hear all about that kind of sports uh that side of college football you can catch us on the red Street sophomore get in there sickos I know you're here I've seen you out there come on guys get in there all right Matthew I appreciate your time man let's have a hell of a year it's going to be a lot of fun gigum gigum