Haynes King, David Shanahan & Kyle Efford Discuss Georgia Tech's Matchup vs. Florida State in Dublin

[Music] all right we'll go ahead and get started with h k questions R I guess looking back you know going through the long summer preseason camp I imagine you're you're ready to get out there and play some football oh yeah I'm ready for the game start yes sir Alex I guess you're going in your second year here as a starter just talk about kind of how confident are you and kind of how much more comfortable are you with the off than you were coming in as a first year starter last year oh it's very comfortable you know everybody's playing fast playing physical uh real discipline right now and you know we we're just ready to get out there and and play georia with the first game being in Ireland how much does it mean that the first game of the season to open up the season is out the country how big of a stage is this for you guys I mean it's different uh you know a lot of us we we've never been out of the country incl me uh so it's going to be a a d different atmosphere different exposure but uh exciting at the same time uh with that being said like it's just don't need to add extra pressure or anything because at the end of the day it's a four quarter game 100 yard field uh 11 on 11 and just simple as that some people like to you know complicate it when when you really don't you have you know a bunch of new faces as the backups at at the running back position uh how has the timing been between you and them you know in the in the rpos and that type of thing and and what are you your expectations for those those guys that are uh you know getting ready to have their first real chance of showing what they can do oh it's going great right now uh and in the way they developed and and how fast they developed and the exposure they had going against the defense that we have every day it uh it just helps them improve even more else we kind we talked to the receivers a couple weeks ago during Camp just talk about that group seems like one of the deeper receiver groups Georgia Tech's had in a while just talk about being a quarterback and having a group like that to be able to throw the ball to how excited are you to be able to use all those weapons it just makes you a better quarterback you know uh the the better the talent the that these guys have the speed the athleticism the way they track the ball and the way they just get the game of football and fill space it it just makes your job a whole lot easier you you can just trust them you know they're going to be at the right spot uh and you're just letting things fly instead of thinking hesitating like I hope he's going to be here it's just it makes the job a lot [Music] easier you've had a bird's eye view of of the the defense some of the new Personnel the new schemes that type of thing uh what have you seen from that group and what's is there any main difference from last season talking about our defense yeah uh just the way they they fly to the ball uh the energy that they play and and bring every day uh and they're they're challenge us each and every day you know iron sharpens iron uh and it it's made us a better football team not just offensively but as a whole team the way they bring it every day hey maybe this has already been asked but uh coach ke was talking about yesterday with the uh the time change mhm and how it shouldn't affect you guys cuz a lot of guys on the team have playing NCA 25 or college football 25 so um you know that was his joke but how do you account for time change short amount of time to get acclimated for a different start time and just a different kind of week of prep alt together I mean at the end of the day you got to adapt overcome uh you know I've never been over there I don't you can only read what the weather like uh the time change like you said you only only way you can do is just adapt and overcome uh and just fight through adversity you know find a way uh you don't have to press or anything but just find a way and I'm sure that coach key has has the right uh template and and schedule for us to to have the best chance at doing that you have a one new offensive lineman up front uh this helping make the offense go in Rage you know what can you tell us about him and what has he contributed to the success of the offense so far his addition is great you know uh especially in the interior when when we lose we lost skags last year uh the addition to him it it uh it definitely improved our our offensive line and you know he has a little grit to him and that's what you want up front and uh just adding him it it just he kind of added a little little bit of spark with him too and everybody's kind of starting to get a little gritty and that that stuff about him now so it's it's it's fun to to be able to see him and the way he uh you know it just kind of affected everybody they follow his lead the other Lin you think I wouldn't necessarily say that I just say he he would uh cuz we we have a lot of older guys veteran guys as well uh but I I feel like he just added a little spark to them and stuff like that anything else I guess just talk about Camp overall kind of how good a camp has been I know Kyle talked about how how much the teams kind of come together and then this week specifically game week how prepared do y'all feel to go go over there and play and uh just kind of get getting ready to play how prepared y'all I feel like we really prepared you know uh not just football with with how to handle uh you know just going over there with the time change and everything and I feel like coach key has been very open about that and and what his thoughts are and and what he's expecting and and what he's wanting out of it uh I feel like we're we're very prepared not uh Ju Just as a team in general so Hayes going into the Louisville opener last year you know there was so much change leading up to it you had just been named the starter and Coach key and you guys had kept hitting on trying to discover identity you know Define our identity now with that a year in the rearview Mir like where do you guys feel as a program not just identity wise but where you're at in the big picture um in the college football landscape oh we're we're a program that's it's going to be reckoned with you know uh and that's it it started from top down with what coach key built uh not only with with who he's he's recruiting but with who he's hiring you know and uh he stays true to that and he cares about the culture the culture of the team culture of the locker room coach the culture of the coaching coaching staff uh and it it's just that that's just I felt like that's the way to build a program and we're on the right track right now and we're just ready to go show it anything else all right appreciate thank you sir thank than David we've talked before about the trip you know and your your excitement and that type of thing now that it's tonight's the night you know how are you feeling yeah I I feel good um definitely probably excitement is the preading emotion um yeah um I mean I think probably the time adjustment will be the hardest thing um just getting out of bed and going straight to practice and all that um but yeah know I'm really excited can't wait to see my family um I'll see him tomorrow evening um so yeah just really excited Alex coach Kei said you've kind of been working with him on his Irish uh slang he said he didn't know what was real kind of what was what was a b but uh talk about talking with Coach key about about going to Ireland and kind of what have you told him about being over there yeah I tried to teach him like an Irish greeing like he an actual Irish or gay like you guys probably call it but uh I don't think he quite got the hang of it but yeah know he's been uh he's been pretty funny about it all um just asking me about the food and what to expect over there um he hates big thing in Ireland is Pudding we pudding for breakfast it's like blood pudding it's kind of like sausage when he's going over there I told him to try it I was like a you really like it and then um he said he hated it so yeah but I'm I'll be looking forward to seeing what he thinks of it all two questions what is that Irish greeting and then two with teammates what have you told them to expect about this trip um I think the IR it's just like uh AR and uh it just means how's it going I'm happy to be here today and what's the second question just with teammates you know you kind of talked about getting ready what about with teammates what you told them to expect um I mean I wouldn't say it's too dissimilar a lot of the stuff probably the weather I mean I think they're probably expecting it to be summertime it is summertime in Ireland but summertime in Ireland is probably a very different definition to summertime in Atlanta um definitely a little chillier um but yeah I'm excited to show them around Dublin um just kind of get the whole vibe of the place I think it's a cool city um so yeah have youve been able to round up enough tickets for friends family yes I have just about I think I got like 40 something in the end I think my dad bought another Bunch so I think I've got enough just about I guess just talk about the special team unit up as a Hulk as a whole just kind of how how confident are y'all kicking puning and everything just kind of how excited are you to get on the field and kind of show how much y'all grown in this off season this fall Camp yeah know I think we've all had a really good camp um you know me Aiden Henry um yeah it's just another year of uh you know working together we had a really good offseason um so yeah I think we're feeling we're feeling really good I'm putting the ball well Aiden's kicking well Henry snapping well um so I think we're going to I think we're in a really good spot really excited to get going anything else R same subject uh we've talked to you before about your expectations for this year and the coaches have talked about it uh you know what what were you working on and you know what has the outcome been since you've been working on some of those things uh yeah probably big thing this year was just uh more Direction especially with the ruges um I think like the type of rugby coach Brumfield wants to do was kind of new to me last year um so yeah just getting more reps of that and doing that over and over again and kind of honing in on the technique and just being more consistent directionally with those probably the main thing this off season Alex and I guess being a punter you know when you're out there on the field it means the offense is is punting get punting all the way how bummed would you be going back home if if you don't get the fun are you kind of hoping you you are rarely used there over there the offense kind of means probably working if you weren't used a whole lot Haynes has been telling me all summer that I'll just be holding extra points in Ireland so we'll see how true that is but I'd be if we didn't punt I'd be perfectly okay with that as long as we won okay anything else you've been holding now for uh Aiden for a while now how has that progressed in do you feel pretty comfortable with it now yeah I know definitely um yeah as I said you know me Aid and Henry this is going on year three of us kind of being together even though Aiden was just freshman he wasn't really playing but um yeah just having that rhythm of you know the timing and the tempo of everything um it's something you can really a to get with experience and Reps so I think that's been really good okay David thanks bud yep sweet okay Kyle efer we'll go ahead and start questions R uh the depth chart came out yesterday afternoon we had a chance to see you know what coach santui decided upon you know uh what are you seeing from that depth chart and what do you think you know how strong is the depth at the linebacker position now I mean it's definitely there I mean we're going to have the opportunity to come out and play fast and know rolling some fresh legs when we need them so I mean the depth is there and it's across the board too so we're real excited about that and gu talking about coach s toi being new defense coordinator new system uh just kind of how excited are y'all to kind of get out on the field and kind of show what you know everything new and everything kind of hopefully improved with how excited are youall about that really excited you know we we've been prepping this whole time this whole offseason so I mean we're really excited to get out there and put on the field and really show everybody what we got so I mean our our excite our excitement level is really up there sir when you when the coaching changes were made uh with coach sanui you know new coordinator and also as a linebacker coach um what was the transition like as far as you know the new schemes and how do you think you guys have adapted to the new schemes and do you think it's going to be a positive for the defense oh almost definitely I mean coming in I we talked about you know kind of having like a blind trust we have to put in coaching staff you know when we come in you know we don't we don't know we don't know them so coming in we just kind of had to put our put that blind trust into them you know played off paid off so we are we're here we're at now just ready to go play some ball Alex and I guess we talked to Coach key yesterday but just about how far this team has come in Camp and just overall kind of Camp thoughts how feel how do you'all feel about the team going into the season kind how much work have y'all put in and how prepared you feel like y'all are to kind of take the field on Saturday and and be a step above you know were what you were last year yeah so for me really with this Camp you know the football is going to be the football I mean it is what it is so just we gonna go out there and work every single day but I feel like this camp we really came together as a team you know no no more clicks around you know no more offense defense you know we're we're one we're one unit together so I feel like our biggest step was really just coming together during this Camp how does it feel to be starting off this season in Ireland and to have such a big stage for the first game it it really doesn't feel real honestly like it's my first time out the country too going to go play this big old game so it don't feel real but it feels great at the same time feel me you have some new uh new at the linebacker position that are in the dep chart TSH Butler EJ what can you tell us about those two guys and what do you feel they can contribute you know boys some ball players I mean they came in and they show us that they could play ball I mean paid off for them so hopefully they can get in there and get some burn I mean they gonna come out and do their job and that's really all we need and like you said first time out of the country I guess pretty long you know first long trip I guess are you a little bit worried about how your body's going to respond um in a few days you having to play a game after you get off a big trip or coach key kind of joked about you you guys play you know staying up all night yesterday say playing the playing the football game and uh seemed like your body would be ready for it just kind of getting up going to practice but kind of your thoughts on on you know how your body will respond to a long trip like that yeah I mean I'm not too worried about it like I mean it's in the back of my head but to me it's just really just a mental thing like if I tell myself I'm tired I'm going to be tired but if I wake up I'm ready to go you know I'm going to be be straight on feel me so really to me just in my head honestly right are you excited to to let everyone see what the new defense is going to look like extremely I mean this is what all this work we've been putting in the offseason is for to go out there and put it on tape put it in front of everybody so I mean I I can't even explain to yall how how excited we are to play this game but but then again you feel me we can't we not we not going to be up here we're not going to be down here got to keep it right there in the middle and I guess uh talk about playing a team like Florida State obviously they've got a lot of new new faces on offense just talk about that challenge and kind of what you're expecting you know going up against the offensive unit like Florida State yeah I mean the offense like Florida state is very very explosive offense I mean it really really up to us just come out and execute you know limit explosive plays and I feel like we'll be able to come out on top um you said this is your first time out of the country but fortunately you have a teammate who's from where you guys are going do you have anything on your bucket list or anything that you've talked to him about that y'all kind of want to check off whether that's food or just something that you guys want to experience while you're there uh I mean not for real like We've joked about it and talked about it but I mean honestly just talking about Ireland for me it's a business trip so I really haven't been you know worried about too much other stuff going on so football for me football football football uh part of state has a pretty good rushing attack and that was sort of the Achilles heel for Georgia Tech in the past you you know has that been a concentration in Camp getting ready to to stop that run to force them into the passing game it has I mean that's we we going to have to stop the run and that's the plan so we just had to come out there and just lock in on our fits and stop it okay anything else all right Kyle thank you Budd all right now appreciate youall good trip [Music] [Music] oh