Which Year 2 coach makes the leap? Freeze, Prime, Rhule or Fickell? | Northwestern's David Braun

Intro [Music] welcome to Andy Staples on three Big Show for you today we did first year coaches yesterday we're going to talk about seconde coaches today cuz there's one who's on a recruiting heater that's Auburn H freeze but as intriguing as the first year coaches are the second year coaches might be even more interesting because you get that first year to second year jump and you get crazy things happening like Urban Meer won a national title in his second year at Florida Kirby Smart went to the national title game in his year at Georgia you see some big leaps year one to year two so we're going to talk about that with our guy Philip Dukes Dukes the scoop the host of The Five Star Flex on the on three recruits Channel we'll start off talking about what Auburn is doing in recruiting as Hugh freeze ramps up for year two but we'll expand that out into the universe because there's some very notable year two coaches Matt rule coach Prime Luke fickle there's a lot of folks and then some folks that maybe not thinking about that might be due for a big old jump but before we get to that one little piece of news one little piece of news this this comes from John Bryce at football scoop so he reported this on Tuesday fascinating story Jake cner who has been Central Michigan's quarterback's coach is not expected to remain with the chipa was More Connor Stalions Fallout? that's according to John Bry at football scoop now why is that interesting so Cosner is a Grand Haven Michigan native and worked with Jim Harbaugh for four years as a student assistant in Michigan now again why is this interesting well remember Chris Ballas from The Wolverine or or Michigan cited on three Chris reported that Michigan's expecting to get a notice of allegations regarding the Connor stallion's Advanced scouting case and remember Central Michigan figures into this case because who was that guy on Central Michigan's side line during the Michigan State game last year who was that guy we all know who that guy was look at him look can see him look at him we know who that is he's wearing the wrong shoes and everything like that's how you know somebody's not supposed to be on the sideline because they're they're really weird about the shoes you got to wear the brand of shoes the team wears he's not wearing them we know who that is that's Conor stallions and for the longest time Central Michigan is like we don't know how that happened we have no idea we we don't even know if that was him but shortly before Camp you've got a staff reshuffling just as this notice of allegations is about to come down I'm not saying anything definitive no one's saying anything definitive because Lord knows no one said anything definitive yet but could this be related to the greatest Halloween costume in college football history now it happened on a Friday night week one season opener but the funny part is we all figured it out on Halloween Conor stallion the story just keeps on giving it the central Michigan part of the Conor stallion story is actually my favorite part and what I consider to be the most interesting part like I want the whole story behind that if the Netflix documentary gives us that I will call it a success I'm not optimistic but if we get the full Central Michigan story I don't even care about the rest of it I just want that story we'll find out we'll find out but that seems like an awfully big coincidence we bring in Philip Dukes Dukes the scoop Dukes I know you're a little bit of a historian and and I'm saying that as a way to not Dukes The Scoop Joins, Wraps up Stalions talk say that both of us are old but you remember when remember when Bobby Valentine was the manager of the New York Mets and he gets thrown out of the game and he shows back up in the Dugout with like a hat and glasses like a glasses and a mustache like that's what I think about when I see that Conor stallions thing in central Michigan hey this is wild I the only time I've seen anything like this was either pro wrestling or the Bobby Valentine situation only time I've seen stuff like this insane well and then Bobby Valentine like if you've ever heard him interviewed about that he's very funny talking about that but then he also claims he invented the rap as in like the rap sandwich right so now like that's this Conor stallion documentary I can't wait because that's what I want I want him to just expand on things like I want to know about the vacuum cleaner repair business that he had with the vacuum cleaners in front of his house I I and again this Central Michigan thing if if someone's been fired over it and Central Michigan feels like they're in a place that it they're good like let's let's hear the whole story oh man that's insane I I think the picture with the sunglasses is the best I mean he looks like I'm it's almost like spy versus spy you remember that like oh yeah exactly what it looks like well and now and and look every we everything here comes with a big allegedly because we don't know yet we don't know that this Personnel move it at Central Michigan is related to Conor stallions it's just awfully coincidental right but I'm just imagining a conversation hey dude you know that thing you do with the signals we could use a little help and this is a team you y'all play later in the year so you could just you know just look and if you see something right that's crazy so good I got a polo for you and hat come on come on with it that's crazy oh my Lord it is it is the greatest that again I don't like I know everybody else is worried about is Michigan gonna get a bull ban what's the NCAA gon I don't care about any of that I care about finding out the whole story involving Conor Stans in central Michigan that's it yeah I mean like what like the initial conversation had to be so wild right like yeah man like I mean and then he's got the great he has one of the greatest names to be involved in the Scandal Connor stallion stallion it comes yeah it's headline worthy I love it oh and it's to I I was Googling it this morning and so many people spell it wrong because there's only one L in Stallions in his last name and of course if we're talking about multiple horses it would be two L's but so many people spell it wrong that Google told me no no no two L's and I'm like no there's only one L I'm the expert here Google don't mess with me I cannot wait to see what happens and again if the if the documentary which releases August 27th and again would have preferred it a week earlier because we're going to have too much news on August 27th to to really dig into it but but right I I will take the the central Michigan piece of the story if it's only about that I'll be happy but Dukes we gotta we gotta move on we got we got news we got stuff happening Hugh freeze according to Twitter he hit hole in one on the golf course yesterday going in going into camp but he's also just mashing it in Auburn's Recruiting Heater recruiting they had their big cat weekend in Auburn over the weekend and it's like just an avalanche of commitment including two flips from Alabama what what I obviously this was the plan to time it out this way but did Auburn expect it to be this fruitful yeah they did um no doubt about it I was talking to people on the planes earlier in a month and when Alabama had their run where they were a number one overall for a while Auburn just kind of stayed cool and was like be patient and uh from what I was understanding they there there is a of a shift in Alabama where Auburn is now becoming the destination place I always talk about how the 17 year olds who are being recruited as 25 recruits and now when you see them recruiting the 26 class these guys are even younger well they haven't seen Auburn play championship football they have there's no recency buys when it comes to their Championship prowess so for Hugh FES to do the job that he's doing to introduce Auburn as a place that you want to go to beat guys like to beat teams like like Alabama Georgia Ohio State for players that's huge and I think that right now you're starting to see the beginning of what could be a powder Ki in Auburn Alabama I hadn't thought about it that way Dukes but it's interesting so these kids were five they were in kindergarten when Cam Newton LED Auburn to the National Title they they were eight for those Nick Marshall teams that like they they have not seen that and but but right now I believe they got from eight of the top 10 players in the state of Alabama for for 2025 which is a massive shift from when Brian harson was there and you know I it's it's we we always thought Auburn would recruit well in the nil era but it does seem like Hugh FES has has sort of figured something out when you're when you're recruiting against uh Auburn you're recruiting against Hugh frees when you think about sometimes you have guys where the defensive coordinator or you have a recruiting specialist on staff where you're going against Hugh frees and I think that's something that you were missing in the previous regime where Brian harson was more of a CEO type guy so there hasn't been that type of energy with these guys where it comes to having direct contact with the head coach Hugh Freez is a recruiter if he was selling me something I'd buy and right now he's doing the same thing on the recruiting Trail where you're able to lock down the majority of the good players in Alabama and the last time that we saw somebody put a fence around Alabama like this is when Nick Sav started his run yeah you're exactly right because that's kind of what what drove Tommy tuberville out at Auburn is Nick Sabin was just outworking and whipping Auburn's butt you know you go you're talking about Julio Jones you're talking about um Rolando mlan it was just kind of an avalanche the 2008 class is really where it came home to Roose now I know Roland had had committed to Mike schula and Nick signed him but like that 2008 class just they got every good player in Alabama and it felt like they got every good player in Alabama for about three years man it it lasted a long time before Auburn was able to grab one of those High more high rated guys I mean when you and and the guys that actually panned out it it got into the late 2000 teams before Auburn really started to kind of shift the momentum when it came to like top rated players you think about a guy like Marlon Davidson he was a guy who helped shift the program and when he became a senior those those Junior and senior years Auburn was good and they were in and they were competitive when Auburn wasn't getting those type of game changing players and the best players in Alabama they weren't competitive and and you started to see that and and multiple coaches have felt the wrath of an un an unhappy and uncompetitive Auburn fan base uh so now when you have when right now you have Auburn happy off of the field now coach freeze has to do it on the field you go out here you get eight nine wins against this schedule then I think you start you see the start of something special I'm glad you mentioned that so we're going to talk second year coaches we're going to start with you Freez and armor before that I got to remind everybody this show you see a little dog on my shoulder right here this show is sponsored by roback the makers of the world's most comfortable hoodies polos shorts and Ad swim trunks use the code Andy roback.com that's rhob bac.com for 20% off for all new customers by the way not just for the guys great clothes for the ladies too the active dresses the skirs they got everything my daughters told me listen just get me rack for Christmas I want a bunch of rowback so it is stylish it is perfect for any activity that you have coming up I got a fishing trip coming up this weekend I will be wearing my roback performance hoodie I promise you that RH BAC use the code Andy 20% off for all new customers all right dues let us talk Continuing the Discussion on Auburn Auburn on the field this year we saw him at SEC media days pton Thorne came talked about how different things are this year I I'm curious we we' we've talked a lot about cam Coleman the The Freshman wide receiver it's not just cam Coleman but how can the receiving core help Payton Thorne in Hugh freeer too I think one uh being more consistent catching the ball one of the things was like always growing up and you know what this too Andy if you have a quarterback that's struggling the last thing you can do is drop a ball when he puts it on the money and we saw that old we saw that way too many times last year it's very deflating when you have when when when things aren't going the best and the quarterback makes a heck of a throw and the wide receiver drops it so we saw that way too many times last year I think also you got you have veteran guys who've done it on a larger scale when you think about a guy like Robert Lewis coming out of Georgia State uh who who's really like uh he reminds me so much of oh what was the guy from Louisville last year the wide receiver who transferred in oh Jamari thrash thrash it reminds me so much of Jamari thrash uh TR they had the same trainer in Atlanta so I think um that's a guy who has documented production who can play the perimeter and the slot and then you think about Keandre Lambert Smith from Penn State who's also done it on a high level now you have veteran guys who when the when when things are going wrong there's somebody who can go and and and and tap pton Thorne on the backside to say come on bro you got this and I don't think he had that last year with any of the guys who uh from uh who were on that that and Auburn's receiving Court last year not to say they were bad but they weren't this good and I think that makes a difference and and who should we be looking at on Auburn's defense this year because it felt like that group was a little more steady dealt with the offense being inconsistent they could be rewarded if the offense is is better but who who do opposing offenses need to worry about I think this Renaissance and Auburn recruiting started with Kay and Lee who uh flipped from Ohio State at the end that year he's an absolute dog out the Cedar Grove High School in Atlanta goes about 51 a little bit undersized and he plays with that chip on his shoulder last year he was thrown into the fire uh it left they left him manto man A lot of times and he actually graded out pretty well had a bad game against LSU but who didn't I think uh as far as using that experience uh this year I think he'll like he's he's basically played against first round picks and now he's uh after a year of being in that system and being able to do a little bit of everything now you bring in a guy like uh uh uh Charles Kelly to partner with Wesley McGriff who can kind of give him some uh give him some feedback on how to use him I think you'll see K Le turn into a star this year Charles Kelly I we probably should have mentioned that when we're talking about Auburn's recruiting you know getting Charles Kelly back on the planes this is a guy who when he was at Alabama was very successful as a lead recruiter on some really important people like oh I don't know will Anderson so this this is this is a guy who can help them on the field and and in recruiting the other thing I noticed with auburn that that I think is interesting because Auburn was very active in the portal this year especially on defense but if you look it was more like depth building on defense it was it was not necessarily we've got to get this guy to come in and start but you look at some of those defensive line like Philip Ley TR TR Carter like whether they start or not they're going to be in the rotation and we always talk about having a deeper dline rotation and how in the SEC it's absolutely critical that's that's the part I I'm interested to see is how how deep did they make their D line in terms of whoever the starters are are there people who can give them 20 reps a game fresh that they feel confident in yeah and I think 20 and I think those 20 reps are super important when it comes to the fourth quarter uh stay in fresh we saw we saw in the four quarter last year when Georgia just started to kind of lean on them run the ball better and then they just started going to Brock Bowers well some of that stuff can be attributed to the defensive line not being deep because as they start to lean and you have to start to bring down extra people to help to stop the run now you're getting one-on-one situations with one of the best tight ends in the history of college football so I think that that hurt you so bringing that that depth in you're able to keep guys fresh and you're able to stay fresh at the point of attack which I think is super important to SEC because of all the past and all the great quarterbacks it's still all stars with the run and if you cannot stop the run it's an issue and I think by bringing in guys who have that run stopping that run stopping pedigree like you talked about like a guy like trell Carter or a guy like uh Philip from uh Indiana I think these guys help and you beat people for these guys I think when we talk about recruiting even in the transfer portal it's not who you got sometimes but if you want to know how good a guy is it's who you beat and I think by having guys the LSUS of the world keeping him off of LSU's roster says a lot well and and also we've had a big discussion about LSU in the D lineman where basically that they felt like the prices got too high in the spring transfer portal didn't end up taking anybody may not have that depth on the dline this year like that that's something they're going to have to deal with and they were trying to address it uh but Auburn did address it so again you you mentioned earlier we had the schedule up you said if they can win no nine games against that schedule that's a that's a roaring success and you look at it so they got to play Oklahoma Georgia Missouri Texas A&M Alabama they're at Kentucky that's not going to be easy either I I think you're right if you you go nine and three against the schedule you're actually probably getting talked about as a fringe playoff team I don't know if you make it but everybody would be pointing toward Auburn 202 five as a playoff SL SEC National Contender absolutely and I think that if that happens you see Auburn go ahead and break the bank for whatever quarterback is out there in the transfer portal if you build that type of momentum and you have that roster setting and you have the cam Coleman he does what he does and you've got a guy like Kan Lee who you know is probably going to the NFL draft next year you got to strike next year with that first class that you brought in and so you can also continue to build a round that class and the Synergy that's going on in Auburn so I think that's when you really see people think that Auburn has been like really just oh they've got the niil going wait until they win some football games then you'll really see then you'll really see the bank open up man yeah and it's funny because you you forget like the the Brian harson years and it was only two years but it was so frustrating for the Auburn people because it was not what Auburn has been historically as a recruiting program and it was like somebody was trying to do something trying to make them something they weren't and I think now they look at with Hugh frees they can go back to being what they have been and what they historically are and I you know I go back to Hugh frees when he was at Old Miss it was the second class that he put together you know the 2014 class with Robert kichi and lacoin Treadwell and laramy tonsil you know that was was the that was the one that that really elevated them that made it different now the difference now is people aren't going to go well how'd you get those guys you're not supposed to get those guys like one we're used to Auburn getting good recruiting classes and two n i I think and the way that Hugh freze is doing it I think the most the the the the the best part what I saying I was in I was in the uh in the facility earlier this year laramy tunel comes there every offseason and work out with cuts Dom stenis every year so when you see an offensive lineman who's one of the highest paid offensive linemen in the NFL saying hey these are my guys and wherever they are I'm GNA be here that helps in what place was Auburn always kind of deficient in even when they had top 10 classes offensive line this year now this is going to be the best offensive line hall Auburn has ever had they have never had this type of depth and this type of athleticism along offensive line and I think going to help and you may see them get a guy like a Andrew babalo or another fivar you already got a fivestar pedigree guy and BR SCH from Kansas so now with the offensive line recruiting that's is this is kind of that second year where it's like where he had an Old Miss where it was like hold up Auburn Auburn's doing Whata Old Miss just got who that's what you're going to see along the offensive line somebody said what was harson even doing for two years chilling and football one thing I say about Brian harson he wasn't let anybody stress him out zero always cool as a cucumber you Wen G to see him mad hey you're not recruiting hey that's hey I'm a football coach I'm a CEO he was so cool he always treated me well but when it came to recruiting that just WN his thing yeah unfortunately for him it's Kirby Smart's thing it was Nick savin's thing and it's definitely Hugh F's thing so I'm I'm excited to see Hugh fre in the era of I can talk to my quarterback directly into his helmet we've talked about that in the past I I think that's a big one for him for Lane kein for Mike norell for those guys who are the play calling head coach who can you there's just people who see things on the sideline we were talking to to Jed fish the Washington coach and he worked with Steve spier coming up and Steve spur was the ultimate of I'm on the sideline but I can see things that you can't see with your guys in the Press Box and H fre is one of those guys too I I've always been amazed at what he can spot in real time get that play in get the attention of the quarterback hey do this do that now you can actually talk to him I I I do think that's going to help pton Thorne you know or you know if Walker white winds up having to play as a freshman I think they're willon be all right but 2nd Year Coaches: Deion Sanders at Colorado let's okay let's expand the universe here so we're talking about these year two coaches so we we've said what success would be for Hugh FES because I think we both agree on the recruiting Trail he's doing exactly what he needs to do do they're building you know building what they need to build they need to do it on the field they need to be better you know like an eight- win season would be great nine- win season would be you know awesome let's talk about some of these other guys coach Prime is is one and you and I have gone back and forth on what Deion Sanders may or may not be able to do in year two I think and I may be wrong here but I think if they just make a bowl game that's acceptable progress given where he started agreed I think if they get a bowl game year or two uh seven wins would be great um I think if you can get in that range then you you start to see like the proof of concept as far as this is winning football but I think like of course their aspirations are way higher than that and and and I'm cool with their aspirations being high because I I don't I'm not one of those guys that said that that says oh you got to be realistic there's nothing realistic about my life and there's nothing realistic about Dions either so of course when other people say oh well you gotta be realistic and you won't be able to do that he doesn't see it that way I mean when you look at it he's he's Deion Sanders what is realistic about him period none of that is realistic so I think that yeah but to your point I think six seven wins is a win for them um I mean they there there's not an easy one on the schedule in my opinion I think they they play guys every week there's not a gimme game on that schedule including North Dakota State who plays a great brand of football and they're notorious for spanking people who come in not expecting them to play well so I think and and they play very very disciplined football which is something that I I think that Colorado could have done better last year be more disciplined at times so I think that uh where where Colorado is right now they're at a point where they've they're ra they raised the talent level on that on that roster to now they have a second they they they have a second defensive line if somebody gets hurt on the offensive line you can't just spot a position where hey we're going to attack this guy and we're going to beat him for four sacks alone that guy from Colorado State last year is still sacking the quarterback right now like they're like so like but now this year that doesn't happen I don't see them being able to get game wrecked by one player because they have more Talent on the roster and I think yeah I I I absolutely think that they are contend to get six seven wins and I think that's a win for them I I do too and it's crazy because the conversation about Dion It's like the Dion fans get mad if you say something like that because they're like no no they're going to win the Big 12 this year and then everybody who hates Dion and you again go back and watch Duke's video on this because this is it was perfect because he he explains it perfectly like people either love him or hate him there's no like middle ground in the discussion and so the people who hate you are like they're going to go three and nine this year I I do think there's incremental Improvement to be had but you made a great point about the discipline let's look at that schedule again because North Dakota State incredibly disciplined football program you're hear from David braw the North Western coach a little bit later who came through North Dakota State Nebraska we don't know about them on offense but we do know defensively they're going to be very good very disciplined Kansas State Utah Kansas Oklahoma State all teams that are going to hit you in the mouth be where they're supposed to be like you if you make mistakes if you get sloppy they will beat you like those are the ones you got to be very careful with Arizona is just kind of star studded this year we'll see how they how they play Under Brent Brennan but they got dudes and that's you're right if they're not disciplined this could go bad and so that is the biggest thing they have to improve upon from last year but I I think I think we're on the same page Dukes on on what success is for Colorado even if Dion says he wants more but I go back like Kirk cetti the Indiana Coach talking to him last week where he's like he's like why why why are we limiting ourselves to just saying we need to beat Purdue like I'm almost say we're going to try to beat Michigan and Ohio State like if we don't make it that's okay we're not limiting ourselves though that that that and that's what I'm saying like people are mad at DM because he's saying he wants them to go to the playoffs well what I mean I don't wake up I don't go to work anywhere and say I just want to be the best at my job title no I have aspirations bigger and better that's what you want to do so I think Deion Sanders has that same thing and then you got to think he's got two top five picks on the roster not saying that's the end all Beall but when those top five picks are a battery that like where actually will be throwing the ball to another top five pick whether's defense offense as an athlete Travis Hunter is one of the best players in the in the world so in the nation of college football so when you think about it uh they have star Talent they have guys who are going to raise their level of play this is this is a this team is way more talented than last year for a win team and if you just go based off trajectory another three wins I think that I I think and especially in this conference like you don't see any there there's no fluff on that schedule that's a pretty decent schedule so if you add three wins there then yeah of course and I think that if they do any better if they pick up momentum this is the whole thing in my opinion let them mess around and get five- two and pick up some real momentum then I start the thing how much difficult Colorado becomes when you have a roster that is built the way this one is where you have dep last year they had no death you punch them in the mouth and guy has to go out then it was a little bit worse that people started to get down on themselves this year the roster is different and I think they can be successful now another seconde coach Colorado's gonna see in week two so 2nd Year Coaches: Matt Rhule at Nebraska that's Matt rule tremendous pressure at Nebraska they haven't been to a bowl game since 2016 we know the defense is good uh you you dealt with Dylan rol's recruitment you saw him getting recruited to he he was at he was going to go to well he's going to go to Ohio State first then Georgia now he's at Nebraska it feels like that's kind of the key here like I think they're gonna make a bowl game I think the defense is good enough the offense just has to be okay but if they want to have a really good season like they want to win eight games flirt with nine they're going to have to get production out of that freshman quarterback how much pressure is that on him it's a lot I think um you're talking about you're not saying the highest classification in Georgia where he played last year Buford plays a great Baron the football and he had Talent all around him and D1 players everywhere but it's still not the big 12 this is a ton of pressure for Dylan Rola I think that his playing style is built for it though when people ask me about what did I see in Dylan rayola I said he's able to throw from arm angles and arm slash that that are unreal I hate to bring up the pat Mahomes comp parison but he's the he's one of the only other guys that I've seen that could throw the ball the way he can with his elbow at the the most in in in insane angles and a that you can think of so last year when play he didn't have like the big stat year what he had was plays where you saw a talent that will project to the next level so when things break down he's going to be able to do things that the average freshman cannot do so I think that yeah can they get a bowl game yeah I think they can uh do I think that uh they Dylan Rola comes out and and is a Heisman candidate absolutely not I just think there's too much of a learning curve coming from high school football to the Big 12 I mean it's not I mean yeah big big 10 they start with a big 12 team in Colorado but oh yeah excuse me excuse me they in AIG we want a Time Warp it's okay we're old I'm sorry yeah yeah the big like going into the Big 10 is even worse just to to keep it a book U I mean yeah schedule oh they got Northern Iowa too yeah yeah that's another thing that's another one that's usually pretty good but I think I I think if they beat Colorado there's a very good chance that they're six- one heading into the Ohio State game or maybe five and five- two where UCLA USC Wisconsin those are games you can win Nebraska Iowa is going to be a lot of fun because there's a chance Iowa's sitting there you know maybe with nine 10 wins going into that game maybe a playoff chance so this is it's G be a fun season for Nebraska but you know so Matt rule you know what what's success for Matt rule in your I I think you got to get over the hum Mega bowl game but I think they're better than that like I feel like it I I feel like with Matt Ru we're looking at more of a Hugh free situation like if you you win eight or nine then you're really setting yourself up yeah you look at how the way that he's recruiting against some of the major programs in the country think about a guy like uh David Sanders right now number one offensive tackling country or or number two depending on who you who you ask but he's seriously considered Nebraska and they already have proof of concept getting the number one player overall in the country last year in uh Dylan rayola so now it's like hey you go out here you win a couple of ball games they've got Michael Terry on the hook who's the side soon like they're not just going guys just from Nebraska they're getting guys from across the country and maybe you start to see that that Renaissance where in the in the 90s where Nebraska was able to recruit with a national imprint and we haven't seen that in a while but they gotta win that schedule sets up like you said they could literally be six and one going into that pivotal game so I I I think you gotta win I mean you think about gimme games or or let's let's not say games that you should lose Ohio State I mean maybe that's pretty much it like the like USC Wisconsin Iowa feel like games they can win not necessarily they coin but they could win them right yeah absolutely so I think I think six wins probably be just sneaking into a ball game will probably will probably be selling themselves short with that schedule yeah I think you're right and you know the the other the other big year two guy that I think everybody's been looking at is is Luke ficket Wisconsin I remember watching this team 2nd Year Coaches: Luke Fickell at Wisconsin last year thinking okay I I get what they're trying to do but they don't have the speed to do this and so we'll see if Luke Fick will add enough team speed at Wisconsin but they were they were seven and six last year I Dukes I don't it's interesting to me because I think we forget how good Wisconsin was for how long like Brett belma era the early Paul Christ era they were we're talking double digit wins a lot of seasons and I know a lot of that's because of of the Big 10 West in the in the Paul Christ era and they weren't playing everybody but I just feel like this is one where you you've got you you've got a solid base with your offensive line like you're always going to be able to recruit and develop offensive linemen if you can just import some receivers that can get open and and can can outrun people I think this could be a Monster yeah it could man it just feels so different from the traditional brand of Wisconsin football that we've seen it almost feels like like like Dolly Parton coming out with a rap album it's just not what we're used to uh I mean she might be a she might be the one person who could pull it off for sure especially in this era but uh with with uh with Wisconsin going with using some of these uh some of these past happy Concepts that we've seen in Cincinnati Cincinnati was always able to recruit guys because they were getting guys who had that specific trait of speed and also being able to get guys who may not have checked all the boxes on the ranking sites to be a five star but they had plus traits that allowed them to be successful so he was able to identify those three stars that worked in that system well now you got to find out those fourstar guys because that's how you're going to be judged it's not you can't just go get the same guys you were getting at Cincinnati to be successful at Wisconsin so now you have to figure out how do you infuse that team with speed it no no no offense to that Midwest area but Florida is where you the southeast and maybe Texas and sometimes Cy is where you go get your speed from majority of the time and I think that being it for he's going to have to increase his National imprint to make that thing go in the way that he wants it to I think they'll always be good in the offensive line I had a coach last year from the Big 10 tell me you know uh that was asking about some guys in the Southeast and was saying well you know I I'm really kind of okay I really like this kid if I'm recruiting them because I could just go in my backyard and get three of those and so I think that's really what they're going to be able to have as their bread and butter is that they're always going to be able to have the offensive line to your point but I think if you cannot recruit with more of a national imprint it's going to be troubling Wisconsin but I think they'll be fine but I don't think Luke fickles ideal fine is what the average guys IDE deal find is he wants to play championship football and I thinking that he he's gonna have to figure out a way the same way Oregon does how does Oregon always have this guy who runs a 4240 every year he's got to figure that part of it out because I guarantee you they're not coming from Oregon that's exactly right that's exactly right and and once they do that I think they can be competitive because I think if you got a good offensive line it opens the door to a lot of things you know like we talk about LSU this year like their their offensive line is going to be awesome like that's why I don't worry about LSU's offense because I know I know up front they're fine like whatever else happens behind them they'll figure it out because they're mashing people Alabama the same way this year like that's that's where Wisconsin can can really go because all of a sudden if you are breaking some long pass plays that box gets lighter those big dudes start leaning on people you're running for five six yards to carry it all opens up but you're right Luke fickle wants to win big 10 championships once's to compete for national championships he wouldn't have taken that job any other way so that's I I I think what you your point is really good his vision of like we may say hey just win one one or two more like you won seven last year win eight or nine this year he's going no no no no we we need to be double digit wins here absolutely so couple couple other uh 2nd Year Coaches: Alex Golesh at USF year two guys that you and I had texted back and forth about that that I think really interesting Alex golish at USF great first year Byron brown one of the most exciting young quarterbacks in the game what do we think Alex goolish is gonna do in year two I think man did he not set the bar really high for himself last year I mean to go in he had the second most wins uh as far as turnaround goes I think he had six uh did did he end up in seven uh they won the bowl game yeah so they they did yeah they got yeah so to go from one and 11 to winning seven games that's that's literally unheard of and I think What They're bringing back one one guy that he talked about as far as in the a uh media days was Ben Kno the quarterback who he said was the hard and soul of that defense when you look at what that defense was able to do against Alabama last year albe it before they uh during the whole jayen milro experiment thing where he didn't play I don't think he played that game but play a snap didn't play a snap that game but he they basically was able to hone in they held Alabama to 17 points um you look at that level of competition and what they were able to do I could see them winning eight or nine games this year maybe even 10 uh in in that conference the a is not the same a that we knew from a couple of years ago after you lose a Cincinnati and a and a UCF um yeah yeah Houston like so I think in that conference they should be able to do better you've got another year of Byron Brown uh the running backs came back uh what's my the wide receiver I love this gu too uh Sean Atkins SE I think Shan Atkins is back and he's like the quintessential college football receiver you know not the biggest not the fastest but he knows how to get open so um yeah I think they have a lot of things to be excited about in South Florida and and and he's one of the cooler coaches in the game he just turned sporty um he he he's he's enjoying the moment he he runs that offense that we've seen multiple times I just I just think that South Florida is one of those teams that can win a lot of games this year surprising people but are we really surprised I don't think we're surprised but I I think there's a chance they win the league and then if you win the league in this environment that means you may be a playoff team so like that's that's the thing and when he took that job you know Jeff Scott had tried to get it going Jeff Scott's Great recruiter but just not been able to get that thing going you're like all right is this ever going to get back off the ground because they had success under Jim levit really early in their history as a program and then it just sort of fizzled out but yeah I you look at the circumstances right now Memphis them we'll see what John sommerall does at to Lane but USF is a team you you're talking about his potential champion in the in the American Athletic Conference which if they win it we are talking about them as maybe a playoff team what one more we go a little closer to to your home and this is a guy he he got half a season as an interim before he became the full-time 2nd Year Coaches: Brent Key at Georgia Tech coach this is really uh this is really a year two and a half for Brent key at Georgia Tech but I've just been so impressed from from the moment he got that job after Jeff Collins got fired it feels like he's done all the right things um you know just stopping the bleeding as the interim Bria Buster fauler hannes King last year this is a team Dukes I I don't know what success is for them but I I they have probably the hardest schedule in the in the ACC plus they play Notre Dame but I feel like they're gonna beat some teams they're not supposed to yeah and no disrespect to Jeff Collins but I think Brent key is who we thought uh Jeff Collins was going to be for Jordan Tech um yeah we think about the like the what what the energy that he's brought into that program representing the 404 like you know anybody from Atlanta has this great sense of Pride and they'll tell you every two seconds they don't even tell you they from Atlanta they're G to tell you where they're from in Atlanta and I think that he's reinfused that program with that type of Pride and staying home he's getting guys like so I think one of the biggest wins that he had on a recruiting Trail was last year's uh freshman All-America Eric Singleton they beat Auburn straight up to keep him home and he goes out and he does he he becomes one of the best deep threats in the country he also went crazy on uh he ran a 10 a a High 101 I know High sounds crazy but he ran like a 1018 100 coming out of high school and and Auburn was going crazy about him at the end and they beat him and so now when you start to think about these type of guys that you're able to keep at that you're able to keep at keep Atlanta in Atlanta I think is a huge thing and the only way you're going to be able to do that is to continue to show proof of concept that you can win I think this year what getting Hanes King was was key as well I think like that battery between those two guys as far as they they've gotten a lot better upfront I think by being able to throw the ball and stretch the field I think there are there they're a threat to beat any team in the country because all they have to do is have a good game between those two if and now everything else works and Haynes King like I we're gonna talk about this a little bit on tomorrow's show because I got a really great dear Andy question about it but Haynes King the second year a transfer quarterback start starts for you we've got some examples of some guys who made some very big jumps in those years and hanyin could be that guy and you know he was a big-time recruit going to Texas A&M it never worked out for him there because of injuries because of Jimbo Fisher was about to get fired like it just it it didn't didn't work there and the hannes King's game did not match what Jimbo Fischer wanted in a quarterback like so Aaron Murray the former Georgia quarterback told me something a couple years ago that could never unsee about Jimbo Fisher Okay Aaron goes look at every Jimbo Fisher quarterback and look at how they carry the ball when they're moving around on the field and it's like always up here two hands by the ears he's like try to move around like that just in your in your living room and see how natural that feels so imagine you're an athlete like Haynes King and who is a really good athlete and you have all these Natural Instincts to move very fast and move around it's not easy to do it when you're holding the ball like that and if you watch Hanes King last year his natural athleticism came out a lot more because he was allowed to move naturally and so God bless Aaron Murray who won a hell of a lot more games as a as a starter in the SCC than any of us uh for noticing that and that was he he noticed that like three years before Jimbo got fired at like it was it was amazing so but that but that I I every time I see Haynes King I think about that because I'm like oh this is a plus athlete too and now he's allowed to beat it yeah and then and and I think even with Jordan te last year I think uh Brent key as far as game management um he's gonna get better there that's one thing I think he could have worked on last year there was some games that Jordan Tech probably should have won one being a Miami game which is a little more egregious to any of them they definitely should have beat Miami last year and that's a that that that that that oh no they did beat Miami excuse me Miami should have beat them there was they did Miami should have taken a knee Mi should have taken a KN so I think it was uh I want to say I don't I don't want to misspeak on the game that they should have won but I think that year two you're going to see Bren key do some things that are going to show him more as a h than we've seen previously so I think in in in this moment like yeah they got a a heck of a schedule I mean Florida state Georgia state's not going to be the same gim uh I think Syracuse we'll see with Fran Brown good with Fran Brown yeah at Louisville see they get all the best of the ACC they get Florida State Louisville everybody thinks Virginia Texas going to be good and they got to go to blackburg Miami and NC State the only one they miss is Clemson uh but then they also have to play Notre Dame out of conference and of course they have to play Georgia I like it's brutal yeah but this is what programs are made of when you're building them like now you're gon to have the like how many times are we goingon to see Georgia take on ESP this year versus when we used to see him we're gonna see him a ton and now that Georgia the tech is relevant Georgia isn't just they they're not just saying okay well we can sit all our starters at the end of the year they know they got to go play Georgia take this year they know that and uh I think uh I think Brent key man he he growing up in Atlanta we grew up having the Joe Hamiltons of the world and and seeing Georgia Tech being successful even though they never got over the hump you saw you knew that Georgia Tech when you went to go play Georgia Tech you had to bring your your your boots in your in your uh chin strap and I think this is what Brent key has really infused in I think he's one the bright coaches in the in the country I will never forget I was either in college or shortly after college I was in a bar in Buckhead and there was a palpable buzz in the bar because Reggie ball was in the bar ball man and that is that's what Georgia Tech was back in the day yeah man good gracious re you took me back there man I'll never forget I was at Auburn and Auburn goes into the uh preseason number five team in the country and they lose the USC like oh going to smack Jordan Tech man Reggie ball went nuts that game I think he still scored touchdowns man like that that was crazy man shout out to Reggie ball man effect Fitness that's right one shout out real quick go for it man dbaz your guy man do you not see B Dukes' Special Shoutout do you not see this beautiful Falcons helmet in my background they saw the one I had that I stole from my son's uh Halloween costume and uh yeah they was like no Dukes they saw me on Andy staple show and they said Dukes we got to get you a better Falcons helmet so shout out to David Bassy man my man uh from uh VP of communications for the Atlanta Falcons for giving me that helmet shout all Andy Staples thank you that that is not because of me that is because that is the most beautiful helmet I want that to be the permanent helmet again there was a I there was a tweet I thought of you yesterday somebody tweeted about Andre ryzen and it was a a picture of Andre ryzen and it was when they were wearing the red helmets and they had the white jerseys with the black numbers man it was beautiful talking BR yeah man we and and in uh in Little League the Falcons we got to wear those like that that one yeah man like that that that was a good time and and and we actually we didn't have the full we had to with the gray pants oh my gosh yeah it's it's perfect little little homage to to Georgia Sila Brites there little homage but yeah Closing out with Dukes Absolut it has been a pleasure thank you for helping guide us through the year two coaches man Andy thank you so much man it's always fun I gotta go get me some of that some of those rowback hoodies I like the dog know they're tough I'm definitely so when we get offline I'll definitely be calling you oh yeah oh yeah well my daughter stole two of them but I've got more so don't worry for sure man I'll see you Dukes Northwestern's David Braun Joins all right man the great Philip Dukes watch him on the on three recruits Channel if you're not already subscribed to the on three recruits Channel get yourself there five star Flex he had a great one-on-one interview with Kirby Smart last week great show great interviews with some of the best recruits in the country you that's what we're when when you want to figure out who's next which which programs are trending up you go to that on three recruits Channel and you will find out now we talked second year coaches we didn't mention this guy but I think he's in a unique situation because he was actually the inter room coach for his first year his whole first year it's David Brawn at Northwestern got thrown into about as terrible a situation as you can get thrown into where Pat Fitzgerald gets fired right before Camp starts and he is the new defensive coordinator he had been hired in January come from North Dakota State and basically has to Rally everybody all the guys that that are on your team they they you know signed to play for Pat Fitzgerald they thought they're going to play their whole careers for Pat Fitzgerald because he this is a guy who'd been there for a long time but it was still a young guy and you thought okay what do we do now that first game against Rutter they looked awful you wondered if they'd ever win a game and then you get to the end of the season they've won eight games they beat Utah on a bowl game like what a turnaround for David Braun who you know I I remember writing the column when they fired Pat fitgerald I was like okay northwestern's going to have its choice of coaches they're in the Big 10 they've got all this money you know could could they could they be the one that prized Dave Clawson away from Wake Forest uh could they you know get another upand coming coach well it turned out David Brawn was the right guy for the job and all it took was him having a season to prove that and now he's got his own offensive staff in there and he's got a different challenge he's got to he's got to show them hey guys everybody's praising you for what happened last year we have a very tough schedule we gotta be better so here is David Brawn training Big 10 Coach of the Year David Braun from Northwestern the very different experience between last year and this year for sure for sure I just remember watching you up there on stage last year thinking they should not this man do this but you not only dealt with that but an entire season where you know not a lot of known and then you end up winning eight games win a bowl game how satisfying was that that year for you yeah it was uh just doing it with great people you know I mean at the end of the day uh the reason why I got into this the reason our family does it is because the the people and the relationships um what the what that group navigated what what they were able to accomplish the way we're able to celebrate with a bull Victory with a bunch of you know those young men a lot of which were going on to graduate and on on to new things whether it be football or or life outside of football uh I told someone earlier today uh that that that bowl went against Utah that that is a memory I will I will never forget standing in that locker room with that group of young men and celebrating uh uh you know an incredible culmination of that well and you guys have been through so much because nobody nobody thought last year would be the way it was but and also Kyle Whittingham doesn't lose mini bowl games that was a hell of performance well I mean going in that bowl game it was it was one of those situations like Utah what they've established in their sustainability and and what Kyle's created I mean it's kind of going in that game you you you you really admire what Utah is and what they've what theyve built and what an incredible challenge for us uh that was that was a neat experience so this offseason go in you know you're you're given the full-time job you start to create the staff that maybe would would have been your vision what's it like now that is it is your program and and you've gotten to make all those big decisions over the last year yeah it's it's it's been it's been really exciting I mean that that transition was hard I mean the success we experience last year was a was a credit to every one that was involved yeah you know you just realize as as a as a head coach it's your job to make decisions that you believe are in the best interest of the long-term health of the program uh it it it's been exciting it's been challenging new landscape what's this going to look like uh you know I'm learning a lot about myself it's been a year first of what this looks like planning long term I think the ultimate challenge for us right now Andy is truly understanding that as much as it's I mean it's what we've been doing a lot today we've been talking about the success of the last year well right what this new group of of of uh players coaches everybody has to understand is this collection there there may be a lot of guys coming back that were a part of it but this new collection of people hasn't accomplished it damn thing yet oh yeah you know and and you don't know what chemistry is going to be until you get them out there together there's got to be a certain hunger and urgency that we move with daily and just taking it one day at a time and um you know from from what I've seen in terms of our offseason and spring um you know I'm I'm excited about where this group's at we we ran a story recently on your new OC and I know you guys are are really excited about what what was it about him that that made you say this is this is who I need yeah you know I I think there's a lot of factors but I mean the the thing I really challenged Zack on in our conversations where you know I don't want I don't want to see a Playbook or uh a system I want you to talk about your vision for creating you know utilizing and tapping into your system and your Concepts that you've created to be tailored towards the skill sets of the the young men in our on our team that you inherit yeah here's what we got what can you do with that absolutely I just highly intellectual super relatable adapt cable and just has a certain level of understanding the game and leverage and how you can utilize leverage to your advantage as an offense creative with trade shift motion and uh not ego driven you know so many times we get tied up in well the best defense or the best offense or the most yardage at the end of the day it's our job to put our guys in situations to win games yeah Zack luhan's all about finding ways to win games actually I was having this conversation with with bush hamon who's the new OC at Kentucky the other day and so he's working for a defensive minded coach uh again where he'd been with an offensive minded coach as a guy who comes from the defensive side of the ball how do you handle the complimentary aspects of how do I practice to make sure the offense get gets what it needs but my defense is also getting what it needs yeah I think it really comes back to what we just talked about um you know being really intentional and doing my best to ensure that we are hiring low ego high output individuals like how does that happen as much as you direct as the head coach and you can mandate that M it's it's a lot easier when you hire a offensive coordinator and a defensive coordinator that just check their egos at the door and work well with one another in those aspects already I've seen that between Tim and Zach of like hey what do you need to see what what do you need to see hey what can we set up this fall Camp to make sure that we get some two back looks hey I you know we'd really love to see some Tempo out of the offense so we can prepare for some of the tempo operations and both are just so willing to service one another to at the end of they serve the program which is critical so in terms of you know putting your culture in the program in a different play like you've been to North at North Dakota state which obviously great winning program great tradition and and they know how to win but is it you know these past few months where you finally got to say okay here's how I feel like we should run this program yeah I mean it feels like last season was just trying to deal with the next week no doubt when did you get to sit back and say okay here's my vision for this thing yeah I think it's one of those things uh you know being someone Andy that uh you know when I'm at my best I'm taking time for myself and creating some quiet time staying you know I've said it before staying prayerful there there there there was moments throughout the season moments throughout the offseason where things just click where you go man I was kind of searching for that but also you take some time to really digest that write it down as we move forward the things that are critical to me how do we find a way to win a big 10 Championship the the only way we find a way to do that at Northwestern is by out developing people and out teaming people yeah well we have guys that go on in the NFL first round draft picks of course but at the end of the day the way that we are collectively going to win we got out develop we got out team and then you know for us um it's it's looking at everything through a prism of in this new landscape what's unique about Northwestern and there's plenty that's unique about Northwestern but we need to leverage that uniqueness to our advantage in terms of everything that we do well I felt like when when Jim har on then David Shaw were at Stanford they did that where they they didn't use Stanford's academics as an excuse they made it the primary selling point Y and all of a sudden all these great offensive linemen are coming because offensive linemen tend to be smart guys they they like the degree and they're like oh okay y but let me ask you this in this era how do you outd develop when the second people realize you've got something good going and that you've got this person kind of ready to go they're swooping in uh that that that is a great question I think on the front end of recruiting and prioritizing High School recruiting you're making sure that you first identify young men that love football passion this isn't as much as I respect the ivy league and what that conference stands for and the quality football players that come out of the Ivy at the end of the day this is the highest level of college football along with Northwestern academics you better love football step one step two is identifying young men and families that truly value a Northwestern degree as much as we want talk about nil and revenue share one of the greatest selling points we have to retain our student athletes is making sure that they really value what a Northwestern degree will do because you can show lifetime earnings okay absolutely and then you know in terms of the development piece of it how do we out developing out team it's by by development in in transfers you're you're G to e and flow it's going to stunt your growth creating a system that guys really want to be there for four years they want to fully develop they want to develop holistically and then ensuring we got our work cut out for us in this area but we got people that are hard at work at it ensuring that our our uh you know nil landscape and how we navigate this Revenue share and things that are on the horizon everything is geared towards the retention of our student athletes so at the end of the day they earn their Northwestern degree and they play their best college football at Northwestern not at another institution I feel like as the revenue share era starts it's it's going to help schools like yours I would agree where're where're the Gap isn't you don't have to go raise it all some of it's there 100% you know I'm not going to share strict numbers but the the nil Gap right now between us and others in the Big 10 is incredibly dramatic that's not to understate the work that uh TR andu has done and others have done to fundraise and people that have supported but uh I again just like I said earlier today with challenges in this new landscape there's also opportunity I'm really excited to go attack those OPP opportunities well good luck appreciate coach thank you Andy appreciate you Wrapping Up; Dear Andy Tomorrow! that is David Brawn Northwestern head coach guy with maybe a harder job this year than last year getting all those folks to say we had a good year everybody thought we were great sang Our Praises all offseason now we have a very tough schedule but it is a schedule that is fascinating because we now have the stadium situation now remember Northwest is going to play a couple home games at Wrigley Field so like Ohio State and Wisconsin they'll play at Wrigley Field but you've got all these other games in a converted lacrosse field hockey Stadium I believe well I believe it's the lacrosse stadium it is on Lake Michigan like no shield from the elements if you've ever been in Chicago you know sometimes the wind comes off Lake Michigan very hard so if you are going to play in northwestern's converted lacrosse stadium get ready you are going to maybe have a situation where you are not able to throw the ball so I'm sorry Ohio State and Illinois those are the games at Wrigley so the Wisconsin game is going to be on campus at Northwestern so I'm I'm telling you I got I I I got to figure out which game to sneak to in Evanston because I really want to see a game in that Stadium I really do and I can't just like it especially I want a day where the wind's whipping like 35 miles an hour off the lake let's make it happen we'll we'll we'll put up a poll at some point like which of these games oh that's a good game time poll that's a great game time poll which of the Northwestern home games at the converted lacrosse stadium should I attend love it you'll see that later today tomorrow dear Andy show you drive the show your questions love it I told you we've got a couple good ones already but don't worry we need as many questions as we can get because I am bringing back the written version of dear Andy so we'll have the version on the show and the version you can read I will not be answering all the same questions there will be some crossover because sometimes what you do in writing does not translate as well to speaking or translates differently to speaking so we may answer some of the same questions because we can answer them in different ways but we also will answer different questions and also we're gonna have a random ranking every week in the written version we occasionally do the random ranking here but we'll have it every week in the written version so absolutely get your questions in _ Staples on X or on Instagram Andy Staples on 3@gmail.com if you have a truly epic question if you want to send me a video question can't wait this is going to be a fun one already got some good questions could use a few more though so we will talk about your questions tomorrow also Nico speaks we going to hear from Nico IAM alava the new Tennessee starting quarterback they he he doesn't talk very much but he had his pre-amp press conference had some interesting things to say so we'll hear from him tomorrow as well we'll talk to you tomorrow [Music]