Andy & Ari On3 - BURNING college football spring practice questions

Episode Date: March 10, 2025

This show is brought to you by Panini America, makers of the most collectible sports cards on the planet. The Prism football card series a vibrantly paralleled base and insert roster featuring college football’s brightest former and current superstars. Panini sets include NIL autographed cards from players including Arch Manning, Quinn Ewers, Cam Ward, Jalen Milroe, Dylan Raiola, DJ Lagway, and Luther Burden. To start collecting, visit PaniniAmerica.net. Busy mornings, late nights, working through lunch—life doesn’t always leave room for a complete, balanced meal. That’s where Huel comes in. This podcast is sponsored by Huel, spelled H-U-E-L, The World’s #1 Complete Nutrition Brand. It’s a complete meal in seconds—just grab, sip, and go. No more skipped meals or unfulfilling snacks. Huel makes it easy with nutrition that fits into your life. And right now, you can try it for FIFTEEN PERCENT off your first purchase of $75 or more with the code STAPLES15 at HUEL.com. Fuel up the easy way with Huel today! huel.com/STAPLES State and Liberty makes modern athletic fit clothing for men who want to look great and be comfortable at the same time. Whether you’re looking for an athletic fit suit or your new favorite hoodie, State and Liberty has what you need. New customers get 10 percent off when they use the code ANDYARI, or you can visit this link: https://tidd.ly/4gVLuUE(0:00-1:37) Tickets Punched for the Big Dance(1:38-2:08) Huel(2:09-4:38) March Madness Update(4:38-13:55) IATA, Spring Break and Ari(13:56-18:12) True Freshman QB1?(18:13-20:33) Deuce Knight, Auburn(20:34-30:05) Keelon Russell, Alabama(30:06-34:18) Bryce Underwood, Michigan(34:19-37:45) PaniniAmerica.net(37:46-51:44) Penn State's WR Problem, Remodeling(51:45-52:36) State & Liberty(52:37-1:01:29) In depth on Miami before Spring(1:01:30-1:07:35) Ari's Cleveland Browns Fandom(1:07:36-1:10:57) DJ Lagway's Status before Spring Ball(1:10:58-1:12:08) Conclusion: Texas A&M Promo for tomorrow Spring practice has either begun or is about to begin at schools across the country, and Andy and Ari have questions. Are any of the early enrollee true freshman quarterbacks (Michigan’s Bryce Underwood, Auburn’s Deuce Knight, USC’s Human Longstreet, Alabama’s Keelon Russell, Ohio State’s Tavien St. Clair) in a position to compete for the starting job at their new schools? Can a transfer or freshman wide receiver at Penn State finally make that position group productive again? Will we see Carson Beck throwing at Miami this spring? LSU killed it in the portal, but can the Tigers develop a run game? Watch the show on YouTube instead! https://youtube.com/live/gn9Rl5xcb-s Hosts: Andy Staples, Ari WassermanProducer: River Bailey

Welcome to Andy and Arianna Monday is real to be back at work. Ari we are we're one week away from having a full bracket. Full bracket for the NCAA tournament. We got some, but we got teams in the bracket. I know, but next Monday on the show we will be talking about a full bracket and how you're going to bet these games. And are you up to speed? Have you done your homework? I'm not up to speed, but I know people who are up to speed.

I just tail them and watch the games. It's going to be fun. I'm excited. I didn't realize that selection Sunday was already a week out. And I'm gonna be in sunny Las Vegas that following Thursday for some fun. And Friday morning for our show at four in the morning or whatever time it starts there. So it's gonna be a good time. Yeah, I mean like this offseason, believe it or not, for me is going by pretty quickly too. And I don't know if it's just like the phase of life that I'm in, but like that season was the fastest season I've ever been a part of.

Um, and I feel like we're going to snap our fingers. We're going to be in August and we're going to be ready to ramp up again. So, you know, this is like one of the pillars that helps us get through it and I'm excited to watch it and enjoy the tournament. Well, the other part of this is this week. I always enjoy because it's one of those weeks where you come home, there's conference tournament, basketball on TV. I know for you, there's always action in a week like this. But in honor of our friends at Huel

and fueling your morning with Huel, this is the Huel Black Edition, by the way, 35 grams of protein, 27 vitamins and minerals, complete nutrition in this bottle. We fuel your morning with the things you need to know. And of course, one thing you need to know is you use the code staples15 at huel.com. That's H-U-E-L.com.

Code staples15 for 15% off your first purchase for $75 or more and a free gift. We will fuel your morning with some teams that deserve a little celebration. Lipscomb, the champions of the Atlantic Sun. High Point, the champions of the Big South. Drake, the champions of the Missouri Valley. Omaha, the champions of the Summit League.

Well, the other school was not eligible to participate in the NCAA tournament, so they're in anyway. And then the ultimate directional school, Ari. Southern Illinois University, Edwardsville. So not even the flagship of Southern Illinois, but Southern Illinois University, Edwardsville. This is not the Salukis who came up on name that logo. I believe these guys are the Cougars. That's a different college. All different school. It is a directional directional school.

Oh, I thought like those schools were still like satellite branches of those schools. That's hilarious. Well, it is. It is, but they have their own athletic program. I did not know that. I didn't either, but. That's going into the final four. I think you should. You know, look, yeah, I just sprinkle little bit on him. That's that's the best way to do it.

It is my favorite thing in the world. When a team that has an athletic budget of like $14,000 beats Kentucky, like I still can't get over that. Yeah, well, I said we were looking at it. It's my son asked me about Jack Golke just this weekend, so Jack Golke was the hero of Oakland's win against, Kentucky He made it rain on the Wildcats to the tune of 10 three-pointers in the first round last year

He got traded got traded this weekend from one g-league team to another so it's it just I think I was thinking about this so one day this week We need to have a segment where we go for about 15 minutes and we just name. NCAA Tournament Heroes of the past. It's like yeah, Jack Goldke, Ali Farouk Manesh, Bryce Drew, like just I would be very bad at that because my my ability to

retain names in college basketball is very bad. Like I remember the moments I don't remember. I don't remember the people. Well, there's the buzzer that Ali Farouk Manesh beat, but. Those teams are. Gonna be dancing in the NCAA tournament. Will find out more as the week goes on. But thank you to Hewlett. And thank you for giving us

complete nutrition in a bottle. Staples 1515% off your first purchase of $75 more at hule.com. Alright, alright, we have a very big show today. We are talking burning questions for spring practice. Spring practice has either begun or is about to begin like when we

talked to Rich Rodriguez last week. I think he'd already. He already had two spring practices in the books. They're now like a third of the way through at West Virginia. Florida started last week. You've got Penn State going on spring break this week. They come back and then they start. We talked to. We talked to Jed Fish. Now they don't start until a little bit later

because they don't finish their spring until May. Conveniently, after the transfer portal window closes. Yeah, I mean, maybe that that that's a better solution I think than just not doing a spring game. You know, I feel like they didn't really have to think that outside the box on that one. Um, yeah, so cold in Seattle. So having a later spring practice makes sense. Yeah, but I just think anybody could just do that, right? Yeah, pretty much. Yeah. Okay. So

does it like here's the thing and I don't know this and I've been covering college football for 15 years. Does everybody's spring practice coincide with their spring breaks? That will know not necessarily because like a lot of them they'll have spring break in the middle of spring practice and they'll sort of plan it that way. Okay um Andy I gotta go on a little mini spring break rant real quick about me okay and my the a-hole. Um oh boy My daughter has swimming lessons at 10 40 a.m. every Sunday for half hour with a with an instructor to teach her how to float and all that stuff. And this is triggering me about spring break. So my wife and I are late and we rush her over to the pool. And when we get there, the place is basically empty. Like there's no kids in the pool. Usually it's like packed.

There's a million kids there. Lessons are not going on yesterday. Okay. We got no notification of that via email or text or call. And then when we got there, they said it's spring break. And I was just like, for who? For who? Like what do you mean? That's not a uniform. Parents of three year olds don't get a spring break. I don't know what

to say. Like what is spring break a uniform thing for every district? Is it on the calendar? Is this like the official week of spring break? Ari Ari is not the fine but tell me. Ari is not the a hole here. You're not the a hole. Like what? Yeah. That was the worst like and I and I went like and that's what I did exactly what you said. She goes, we don't have classes today. It's spring break and I said for who? And I got a little, you know, I got a little like on

the. Also, Dallas is a massive city. I doubt everybody's on the same spring break. Even in the tiny town I live in. There's no. Everybody's on the same spring break. Everybody's spring break is different but hold it to their school district or their college. I was like, what the hell are you talking about? So where I live, most places try to mirror University of Florida spring break. Since so many people are employed by the University of Florida, they try to mirror the University of Florida spring break.

And some of them do. But like the local Catholic schools match the diocese in St. Augustine, which sometimes has a different spring break. And some of them do but like the local Catholic schools match the diocese in St. Augustine which sometimes has a different spring break. Yeah. And so they're those kids are on a different spring break than everybody else's kids. And it's very strange. And so don't feel bad. And then I feel bad. Okay, so I'm not in this scenario. But I was they are they are for not emailing you. And like you remember having a three year old getting her in her swimsuit and doing all the stuff and getting her over. I

mean it's like not easy. And I would have rather just laid around especially because we went out on Saturday night and I had a little hangover. So okay, lastly at the end of the show I need you to explain to me how this roll forward roll back works. I don't get it. The spring forward fall back. Yeah, I don't understand how we're manipulating. We should bring out our friend Big Cat from pardon my take because they do the running prank every year where they tell people like weeks in advance to spring forward or fall back.

But they tell them the wrong one and they do it in the wrong weeks. And he messed it up this year because he forgot to do the prank and then I mentioned it last week and it was the actual week of it. But you don't really need to know anything. Your phone does it for you now. No, no, I understand like what we're doing. I get it because like this morning when I woke up, I worked out at 5 30 this morning and it was pitch black and usually when I

come out of the workout, it's light and it wasn't anymore. Like I understand and it was lighter. I get what we're doing. What I don't understand is of the workout, it's light and it wasn't anymore. Like I understand and it was lighter. I get what we're doing. What I don't understand is how are we doing it? No, how do we manipulate time? It's like, aren't we on a schedule of like, this is how many like, do we we're not we're not manipulating it because we do spring forward and fall back. So it all ends up working out. I know. But it's just like, okay, I just don't understand how like, it's like,

the world is on an axis. We're turning like the time is the time. Like, I don't understand how we, how we can just know that time is a construct. There, there, there are always so many hours in a day and so many days in a week and all that, but how we view that and market and codify it is one week. So one week at the beginning of the year has 23, one 23 hour day and then one day later in the year has one 25 hour day.

Pretty much, yeah. And we do this for far. Unless you live in Arizona, then you don't do it at all. Why is so difficult? I grew up in Arizona and like we did not we didn't do this. So like now like so we went out on Saturday night and my wife had her mom watch our daughter. So we went out on Saturday night. We had a nice time.

We got to come home to an empty house and we got to sleep in the following morning. And she goes, but by the way, we're rolling forward tomorrow. I'm like, what the hell does that mean? Is that like a drug? Like, what do you mean? We're bringing spring forward, spring forward. And I was like, that means that we get one extra left. It's like, of all the days I finally get to sleep in, we have one less hour to do so. I was very frustrated by that. And I just like why, like, it's for farming? Is that what, do I understand this correctly?

Originally, yes. For harvest time, you had more light at the end of the day. So, yeah. What I don't understand about that is why the farmers couldn't just work when it was light out. What does it matter what time it is? Crazy, right? Does that make any, it doesn't make any sense to me. But the rest of the world still moved on the clock.

Their kids had to go to school, all that stuff. So, that's why. Yeah, Arizona doesn't play any sense to me. If the rest of the world still moved on the clock, their kids had to go to school, all that stuff. So that's why. Yeah, Arizona doesn't play around with this nonsense. We just chilled. Like, you know what I mean? Like the time is the time. And like, that's what I grew up with.

So, you know, this is nonsense. I don't like it. Also dude, shout out to Big Cat. Cause I don't know if you've been paying attention to this guy, but he's hit 16. Undefeated, I saw. Yeah. And that's like, I know it's like kind of like a funny thing

that people are laughing about. You know how hard that is? Oh, very hard. So he's giving, he's giving out basketball picks and very sharp of late. Now his, his overall record is not all that great, but very sharp lately. No, I've never hit 16 bets in a row. I've lost nine in a row once. Yeah. Now there, his partner, comments or Wizards fan is mad at me for the Cooper flag column.

I wrote last week. Yeah, I saw that we talked about it on the show. Like if Cooper flag wanted to not be a Washington Wizard or not be a Charlotte Hornet have you on the on the on the show to talk about that because that's a pretty well, basically they excommunicate error or BFT has communicated me for the wizard. And I texted him about it and he's like, look, they're actually trying to rebuild this time. And I'm like, how am I supposed to know the difference?

Feels like they've been trying to rebuild the entire time I've been alive. So, I'll just tell you what I told you on the show that day, and I still think that. I think that like basketball dumpster fire franchises don't seem to be as big of a deal as like a football dumpster fire franchises don't seem to be as big of a deal as like a football dumpster fire.

But because one or two players can get you out of it. Like you draft Cooper flag and you make one free agent signing and then you're good now. Like I mean like that's just how it is in basketball. And then another thing and then we'll get into the spring stories Andy but have you been following this Miles Garrett stuff? That was pretty wild huh? Did you see how he requested a trade like a month ago and then just sign the largest deal in the history of a non-quarterback

in the league with the Browns? The largest since Max Crosby's two days earlier and also I did enjoy DK Metcalf. I want to go to a contending team in warm weather. Congratulations. You're going to the Steelers. I mean, he got one of the ones willing to pay him what he wanted. So there you're going to the Steelers. I mean, he got one. They were the ones willing to pay him what he wanted. So there you go. One of the two. I guess

that's pretty good. Uh they're not contending. They're gonna their first round exit every year. Hey, sailor Joe who goes oh and 16 in a day. Uh going oh and 16 is just as hard as going 16 and oh just so you know. I can attest. Remember that week I had where all of the picks on the graphic lost. Yeah. It's hard to do one year during the NCAA tournament.

I lost nine bets in a row. And I'm like, I've never won nine in a row. Like I wish that my, my stats and the odds of that went in my favor, but, um, right. Bad luck is still luck. Yeah. That's a still luck. Yeah. That's a pretty bad luck lately. Can that in cards specifically, you can ask my, my guys, Kevin Puckett about that.

Okay. Go ahead. Let's get into spring. We've got to talk spring practice. I am, I am fascinated by some of these questions heading into spring football. Pete Naco's did a really good column on on3.com that you used our way too early top 25 and just asked the burning question for each team

that we had in our top 25. And I liked a lot of those, but I also thought of a couple of my own. And one that just sticks out to me is of these true freshmen. Cause there's always a freshman that winds up the starter. You know, last year was DJ Lagway at Florida, Marcel Reed at Texas A&M, which nobody would have predicted the beginning of the season. There's always a freshman who

winds up starting and and at Oklahoma. Yes. But he's keeping me at the moment for some reason. So here's the thing. You've got to you've got to figure this out. Like which of these guys have a chance to maybe be the opening day starter. Like are we going to get a surprise like freshman opening day starters or who in spring practice can put themselves in a position to be in that mix at Michael Hawkins Jr. By the way,

so yeah, thank you. Yeah, I mean, I've had a lot of I've been scarred by Oklahoma fans like my brain. That's just like a natural. They're mad at you. They're mad at you, but that's OK. You're a big job. It's here guys so alright, let's let's go through this list. Bryce Underwood's obviously the headliner because Bryce Underwood got the biggest bag at Michigan, Larry Ellison from Oracle, pitched in because Larry Ellison's wife is a massive Michigan fan

and he was the number one recruit in the country. He was committed to LSU forever and then close to time to sign. He flips and now he's at Michigan. Now Michigan has brought in Mikey Keene from Fresno State who while he was at UCF played in Chip Lindsay's offense and started in Chip Lindsay's offense and Chip Lindsay's their new OC. So it sounds like they brought in a veteran who knows the offense who if Bryce Underwood isn't ready, then you can go to him. But this, this, the Bryce Underwood situation to me, Ari, feels like a Dylan Riola type situation at Nebraska, where like, this is the guy. This is who everybody's been waiting for.

Let's, let's get it in there. Yeah. Like the thing that's interesting and the difference between those two is that Nebraska didn't bring in a transfer to when, when you were thinking about it. Yeah. And then it got, it got, remember Kyle McCord was going to visit. And then it was like, no, nevermind. We're just Dylan Reyl is coming and that's it. I wonder what happened there.

Um, but yeah, the, the thing that's interesting to me, as you go through all of these names is that there, in most of the cases, there are people that could theoretically be the starter that aren't the true freshmen, right? Like, I mean, if you go look at Alabama, you look at Ohio State, Tavian St. Clair is there and you have Julian saying that people are expecting to start. Mikey Keene at Michigan, like it's not just a slam dunk of like, it's either the kid or no one else, right? So like, I think that maybe that is a good thing for the teams because they can make the freshmen earn it if it comes to that, or if the freshmen is better than a person who's been on the roster for a few years, that's also a very good sign.

In terms of their, their ready ability to go in and play. Um, like my answer to this question, Andy, is probably very similar to a different topic that we have on this, on the show, because like, I feel like to me, like of all the ones that are in there right now, the straightest line between true freshmen and program meeting a playmaker at quarterback is at Alabama. And that would be like my guess.

Like, I feel like- Keelan Russell. Let's throw some names out there so that people can kind of get a sense of who we're talking about. So we got Bryce Underwood at Michigan, obviously. Keelan Russell at Alabama. Now he's a freshman from Texas.

The other guys in the competition in Alabama are Ty Simpson, who's been there for a while, who was the backup last year. Austin Mack, who's been there for a while, who was the backup last year, Austin Mack, who originally signed with Washington, came to Alabama when Kailin DeBoer came to Alabama. So those guys. You've got Deuce Knight at Auburn.

Deuce Knight was committed to Notre Dame for a long time, flips to Auburn. Now remember, Auburn also went out and got Jackson Arnold in the transfer portal, and also went out and got Jackson Arnold in the transfer portal and also went out and beefed up the room. So this is a true competition at Auburn. Deuce Knight is not the favorite.

Obviously Jackson Arnold is. But what if Deuce Knight just comes in and balls out? So that's the thing. It's like too, like a lot of times with college football, Andy, I feel like we do a lot of discussing things and trying to figure stuff out when the coaches are telling you through actions what they're going to do, right? Like, I think that through action, it's probably a fair assumption that Jackson Arbel is going to start there, right? Because you don't put up the money and the effort to go get somebody like that if you're not going to rely on them to play. Now, if Deuce Knight turns out to be, you know, Cam Newton, not by style, but just by in stature. And not by number either, because Cam Newton's like, No, you can't have my number. You can't wear number two. Yeah, Cam Newton's. He's an interesting dude. I love his hats. The We need to have him on the show.

He probably would come on. But like that's, so like, to me like Auburn's action though didn't put them in a position where they would be relying on a freshman to come in. I think they also have Ashton Daniels who was that's right Stanford starter last year so they they have it seems like you freeze really did intend to have a real competition for this thing. Obviously, if you're handicapping it, Jackson Arnold's going to be the guy you think is going to start. But if I'm Hugh Freeze, given my situation... Yeah, it's almost like an overcorrection in a good way. It's like you didn't have any quarterbacks last year, so you're going to bring in three dudes and let them compete it out so that you know you can't fail in that regard. And like, you know what? That's the thing, too.

It's like when you're projecting which players are going to start as freshmen, to me, the only thing that you can really do is try to look at the path of least resistance. Like, if you look at, if you look at, you know, if Deuce Knight is awesome, and he turns out to be, like, a cannot be on the field type of guy, that would be great. But as we're sitting here in March, like when we're projecting who we think is gonna be the one that plays, he has the furthest to go in terms of what to overcome in order to get there. So I can predict that.

For me, Keelon Russell strikes me as the type of person in position. I don't think he lost a high school game. He's an incredible athlete, big arm, everything that you'd want in a five star player. Like he strikes me as the face of the new Alabama. Like, and I think that there's been a lot of discussion. And I don't want to like, maybe I'm being terrible at podcasting right now, Andy, because I know we were going to talk about Bama later. But like, I think that like, this is an important thing of like, people are like dancing on Alabama's grave right now.

And I don't think people are talking enough about what may be rising from the ground in what four or five months. Like he could be a household name as soon as August, you know, like it doesn't always take forever. Maybe he won't play at all. I don't know, times Ty Simpson has had some experience, but like he never really blew me away when he was on the field. So like for me, like the path of it's like, and let's

go to Ohio State now, right? Like is Ohio State going to go to a freshman? The the Tavian St. Clair has been committed for a few years. He's a big kid. He enrolled and was on the national uh sideline at the national championship game. Like he is a part of the program and I think that somebody that Ohio State thinks very highly of. But is he going to start over the other five star that's been in the program a year longer? Like, I don't know, probably not, right? Like just based on succession and how important it is to get your feel.

I don't know, I don't know, maybe it's not. Julian Sayen who, it's weird because we're just talking about Alabama, but Julian saying was signed at Alabama. And got there in X, saving leaves and Julian saying decides to open things back up and winds up at Ohio State. So yeah, it's very interesting how all of this shakes out that the Alabama thing I find fascinating because Ty Simpson and Austin Mack were on the roster last year and you've seen in the chat every time I bring up Jalen Milrow and I've said you know you guys keep telling me Jalen Milrow was the problem but if he was such a problem why didn't they just fix the problem? They had other quarterbacks on the roster why didn't they go to them? If he was the problem and the other quarterbacks on the roster weren't good enough to beat him out, that's still a problem. How do you spend the entire offseason banking on the guys that weren't good enough to replace the problem?

Yeah, no, I'm with you. And I don't know if Kalen Naboor thinks this in his head. I don't know if that's the actual problem. But I don't know in the, I think that we find out very early at the quarterback position who's can play and who can't. Like I think that the stars of this deal, it's like Lenore Sellers and DJ Lagway didn't need a ton of runway before we knew that they were going to be stars, right? Like it was just very clear from the beginning. And I think that, you know, there's a long conversation about quarterbacks, the way that they're developed, how much money in a lot of cases goes into training these guys with personal throwing coaches and form coaches, like the Elite 11s, all these things that these kids are doing from the 3 or 4 years prior to even arriving at high school has put them in a unique position from a readyment standpoint to go and play. So like, I just think that like the

quarter, like, I don't know, it's interesting, we could do a ranking of like, what are the hardest positions to play as true freshmen? And I would say probably defensive tackle and the tackles on the offensive line, just from a physical standpoint. But like, I wonder if we're at the point now, and this might be the dumbest thing you've ever heard in your entire life, but it's a podcast, and I don't care, punch me. Is quarterback one of the easier positions to start at as a freshman considering where? I don't think it's easier. I don't think the jobs gotten any easier. I do think that they have ways of. Adapting the offense so that a true freshman can play faster, but I think because of the politics, the quarterback position because of the numbers game in the quarterback position, you sometimes find yourself in a situation where you have very little choice but to play the freshman.

And also, too, in situations like at Alabama, or even Ohio State, if you have really good players around that quarterback, you don't have to run a complex offense to be successful. Like, I mean, Ryan Williams is going to make plays next year, no matter who's throwing him the ball, and you can simplify it and you still are going to score. So like, you know, to me, you know, River pointed this out in the text, and it's true. It's like, it depends on who is around you as well. But in terms of, you know, I think I phrased that poorly, Andy. I don't mean that playing the quarterback position is easier than playing the other positions. What I'm saying is, is it's easier to fathom or easier to protect a freshman quarterback.

Yeah, because we've seen it. And part of the reason is the way the number situation works out, the way the transfer portal works. Your backup is very likely going to be a freshman. There are going to be times. So Colorado is a good example this year. They go get Kaden Salter from Liberty who I would have used. I think you get him to be your starter this year. You bring in Julian Lewis, who's your high profile signee. The idea is to start Kaden Salter.

But what if Kaden Salter turns his ankle week one? Like Julian Lewis is probably your starting quarterback at that point. Yeah, I mean, maybe somebody who could be on this list because it's not much different than some of the other positions. So or the other people that we have on this list. But yeah, like the thing too, is this like, I'm most excited about the notion to have a lot of these guys playing, because

as we turn the page, I feel like this is a very critical year for for big time programs changing quarter. I mean, even George is changing it to a certain extent, right? who it is, but, and we saw him play. We think it's Gunnar Stockton. But it's not a five star freshman, right? So that's, they're not on this list, but there is a new face of the sport turnover here. When you think about the big programs,

Michigan, Ohio State, Georgia, Alabama, all these guys are changing who's calling, who's under center or who's catching snaps. Like that's a big deal for like what we talk about every week too. So yeah, I'm super excited to see how it goes. I don't know if we're gonna get answers in the spring to these questions,

but if any of these kids played, none of it would be a surprise. But I think that it's pretty clear to me that Keelan Russell probably has the shortest, you know, A to B to be the starter than any of the other options on the list. Yeah, that that is the. And it's weird because we've already seen some of Alabama spring practice already this year and like in week one, all the beat writers that got to see stuff, they said, you know, if you're going by who's going

and ordering the drills, it's Ty Simpson, then it's Austin Mack, then it's Keelan Russell. Obviously, that's week one of spring practice that can change. I mean, that goes on. But I, yeah, I would love to know what the thought process was going in because they flipped Keelan Russell from SMU and he was one that just about everybody wanted. Rhett Lashley did a good job getting him committed but once the onslaught came,

it was gonna be hard to keep him and Alabama ended up taking him. But that's one of the ones. And look, we've seen this before at Alabama. I'll give you an example of a year this happened at Alabama. 2015. So 2015, they are going into the, excuse me, 2016, not 2015, 2016.

They're coming off a national title. Jake Coker was the starting quarterback on that national title team. They've got guys that have been in the program. They had Blake Barnett. Uh, they had, uh, I believe Cooper Bateman from Utah. And then Jalen hurts comes in as a true freshman and they started Blake Barnett against USC in that season opener, but it was very clear that they they were going to Jalen hurts early and if Jalen hurts was was halfway decent on the field in a game situation, he

wasn't getting pulled and so he comes in in the second quarter of that game against USC and that was it. He was not coming out and so. This feels a little bit like that situation where you have these guys that have been on the roster. They've like Cooper Bateman had been given a chance like he was given a chance in 2015 to start the Ole Miss game because they weren't sure about Jake Coker. And then they fall behind Ole Miss.

Jake Coker almost leads them back and then Jake Coker is the guy the rest of the year. But you had these guys that had been in the program, the freshmen quickly became the obvious choice. So perhaps that's the situation in Alabama this year. Yep. And also to the kids special. So like, I mean, those scenarios, man, I know Jalen Hurst, I don't remember like what, what Coker Bateman were as for his recruits, but like, Keelan Russell is supposed to be like one of the Coker was done. Coker had won, Coker won his national title was out of eligibility.

Uh, but no, all, all of Alabama's quarterbacks at that time had been elite recruits, they just weren't that good. Yeah. So we'll see. Um, but also too, for everybody who's like, this is, I'm taking so much pride and excitement in the death of Alabama like I like I think that we're there's no funeral yet. No, wait to see how this plays out because it could be they

could be really really good this year if their quarterbacks dynamic and they have a chance to do that with Russell if he if he is ready. So to the Michigan question. Because Bryce Underwood is the true freshman that everybody is watching right now. Michigan question. Because Bryce Underwood is the true freshman that everybody is watching right now. Ferris con in the chat who's a Michigan fan rice under work can be QB one because the Michigan offense is

not built around the QB. They had 62 yards passing versus Ohio State and still beat them. That's true like. Michigan is capable of getting more out of Bryce Underwood then they got out of any of their quarterbacks last year, cause their quarterbacks last year were not very good. Here's the thing, and that's true, they did beat Ohio State. That's not who they want to be. I don't think Michigan wants to be Iowa. Like, so, you know, I don't know. I think that there's probably a, they're probably love child of Ohio State and in Iowa to some.

I mean, is that a what a fling that must have been. It was a yeah, no, it was hot. But like don't you think when you bring this guy in you don't want that to be true, right? You don't want that to be no. What you what you want is to but the thing is I think what Ferris is saying is that as a true freshman, he's still going to give you more than you got out of that position last year.

I think you would give them more than they got out of that position last year. Well, I got a hell of an arm. I know you got a rocket. Very long. Yeah. I mean, I think that like if they don't get more out of the position this year, then like you have a coaching problem.

Like, I mean, that's like that, you know, you can give them one year because they didn't. I mean, but that happens again. Then all of a sudden like Sharon Moore's in the crosshairs of like, what the hell's going on here? I think that like JJ McCarthy, and like, that was the thing with him, like, was maybe the perfect Michigan quarterback, because the team was awesome. Around him, but like, also, JJ McCarthy made pivotal plays through the air and on the ground in big crucial moments repeatedly that year. Like I think that like if you want to be that, that's okay.

But Ohio State's or the game plan for Ohio State that was done by that was just basically carried out by two elite interior defensive linemen in a bone headed game plan on the other side is not the model for Michigan football moving forward. I think they're gonna wanna throw it, they're gonna wanna run it, they're gonna wanna be tough, the culture is still the culture, right? But you want Bryce Underwood to be the main piece

in my opinion of that offense, especially considering the fact that I'm not aware of any dynamic receivers that they have on their team at the moment that are gonna be the face of that. So maybe it'll be a running back, it usually is, but you're not paying Bryce Underwood a bunch of money to throw for 62 yards in a football game. You're just not. No.

And look, if they're not comfortable with him yet, if they don't feel that they have Mikey Keene, who's played a lot of college football games, so they can make that work. But they've got plenty of talent. Yeah, and they got Justice Haynes is running back. So like, you know, that's I don't know that he is one of the better Alabama running back to the last 10 years, but he's still a very good player. So we'll see. We'll see what it looks like. But my anticipation is that whoever's playing quarterback, whether it be keen or underwood, there's going to be a massive improvement in their ability to, to throw

the football this year. Yeah, I'm very interested to see what they do. Kaelan Childress listened to our Alabama discussion and said, Yeah, no, it's Ty Simpson. His intermediate passing with those stud wide receivers will be awesome. Then why didn't he replace Jalen Milrow last year, if Jalen Milrow was so bad, as all you Alabama fans keep telling me. And we don't think that we're getting our intermediate throws. Yeah, I think I listen, good intermediate passing is highly

underrated, you know, get the ball out on time, all that stuff. But that's not. That's not what what you're looking for. You're looking for someone who can do it all, which Kiela Russell may be able to do it all. Yes. Jalen Miro couldn't do it all. Yeah. Bryce Young could do it all. You know, like that's, yeah, that's what you're looking for. So, yeah, yeah. One guy who we had this discussion about last spring who wound up being exactly what everybody thought he was going to be.

Lived up to the hype is this guy. That's DJ Lagway. I pulled my first DJ Lagway card out of a Panini Prism pack on the show on Friday. It's this Rated Prospect Prism Break card. And there are autographed versions and autographs of DJ in some of these. There's Arch Manning cards in here. But PaniniAmerica.net is the place to go to start your collection.

Ari's got a whole stack of Panini cards on his desk right now, constantly shifting, constantly reevaluating. But I'm pumped because I got this first DJ Lagway. I was waiting for one of them to pop up because these prism boxes, they're the ones where you think, okay, I might get somebody who's big in college football right now, who's going to be even bigger. And that's, we got another pack we're going to rip later this week.

We also have a pack of the basketball version where there's, there's Caitlin Clark autographs in there too. So paniniamerica.net collect your favorite college NFL NBA stars. What we got Ari? I got a Deon Sanders. I don't know if I showed us on the show or not. This is what's on my desk. A Deon Sanders patch to five out of Spectrum.

I've got a Riley Leonard silver rated prospect here that I pulled out of the product that they sent me. We got Luc Lashay, the tight end from Iowa to one 99. Uh, these are the ones that we're just going through right now and a few, uh, Romo Dunze patches out of spectra. Let me go. See, I've got a lighting problem in here, so I'm trying to see that. You don't need to see your face.

We're just looking at the cards now. Yeah, that's right. Visit PaniniAmerica.net to start collecting your favorite college and NFL stars. Andy, I forgot to show you. I'm going to show you while you're talking. Show me show me about this. But this is this is it right here. That's what you're looking for. DJ Lagway rated prospects Silverado right that is what I want. Yes, looking for that is what I want. We got another year

this I also got Oh, got this one the other day. Caleb Downs, Raider Prospect. So yeah, there's some fun cards there. I can't wait. We're gonna rip that other prison football pack. But we've also got, I've got a couple of prison basketball packs that we gotta rip in honor of the big dance coming up.

I mean, the thing with those basketball packs is you might have a Caitlin Clark lurking in there, and even base Caitlin Clark cards are going for 25 to 30 bucks. And usually the base ones are worthless. You're looking for the big hits, but like Jayden Daniels and the big products, Caitlin Clark base cards are pushing 50 bucks now. I mean, there could be a nuke in there. What would you do if they're just like $10,000 just sitting in that box right now? You didn't even know it. Just sitting there. I don't know. I'm excited.

I don't know how you just honestly like Panini I love you. And I know that you might have like a plan for our ad reads. And if you say they would like to repacks on the air. Yes. I'm opening them like Andy will Andy will will rip them on the air. Yes. I'm opening them like Andy will. Andy will will rip them on the air. I can't control myself, but I'll show the hits and I'll you know, I'll tweet about it. I'll show the hits. I don't know if I'm just negotiating with the advertiser on the air.

Thank you so much. I mean, I like we love you, Panini. Thank you. Thank you very much for being part of the show. Ari, another spring practice question. Has Penn State fixed its wide receiver problem? Yeah, I don't know if we're going to find the answer to that question in the spring. But like also too, is it something that we would know in the spring? to is it something that we would know in the spring?

That may be one of those that like, it may leak out on the message board on Blue and White Illustrated. Our guy Sean Fitz may end up writing about that. I don't know. I really don't know if you get, or they want you to get that much intel, but here's the deal. They got Devontae Ross from Troy and Kyron Hudson from USC. Devontae Ross was wide receiver one at

Troy. He was the high volume guy last year. So he's been that guy. It wasn't like getting Julian Fleming from Ohio State who had not really been. You know, uh, that high up on their pecking order among receivers. I think Ross was the guy everybody wanted to throw to. And by the way, there is history for a guy going from Troy to a big 10 school and being the best receiver. Now he was the best receiver pack 12 school first, but Tess Johnson going to Oregon from Troy worked out pretty well. So Devante Ross, then you got Kyron Hudson.

Kyron Hudson was not USC wide receiver one. Obviously he was more of a second banana and I would not expect him to suddenly become a bulletin cough winner at Penn State, but. If Devante is what you think he's going to be. Then Kyron Hudson becomes a very. Dangerous number two. The good thing is you're talking about personnel changes.

Like if you were if you were asking this question and they just brought everybody back, it would just be like, oh. Like the fact that there was the chance for that to happen, I think is a good thing. And anytime you have, even if it's from a lower level, somebody who cut 80 passes for over a thousand yards, that's somebody who's used to catching the ball.

Who's been in that role, who understands what it is to be the primary target. I'm not sure, like Tyler Warren was the primary target for Penn State last year, and that's great. They've recruited well at tight end. So I'm not as- We also have to talk about Luke Reynolds, don't we? We should, we should. Go ahead. You know, he's a big bodied top 100 player at the tight end position, who I think is going to be a major fixture in their passing game as well. So like, I mean, like, that's the thing, like, Penn State, you know, beyond the shadow of a doubt, is going to have a good offensive line.

Their quarterback is returning and was productive enough to get them to the CFP semifinals, path easy or not, should be better and more seasoned a year from now. And they've got the best running back combination in the entire country with Kate Ron Allen coming back. And Nick Singleton. Yeah. And Nick Singleton, who I, and by the way, when I was doing the All-American list, I was having a hard time picking which one to put first team. Like that's where we're at with those guys, right? Like both of them could be sure, first team All-Americans a year from now. So and we think and we think Penn State's offensive line should

be pretty good. Like, I think this is work. If Luke Reynolds can give you I don't I'm not saying Luke Reynolds, he's come in and replace Tyler Warren. Because that's, that's awfully hard to do. Yeah. But if you have Luke Reynolds as a legitimate, viable tight end receiving threat, which he certainly can be. And those receivers are better. All of a sudden, that offense is so much more dangerous. Yeah, I mean, the thing that's interesting to me about the

Penn State thing is that was it late in the third quarter of the Notre Dame game when their first reception from a receiver happened? Or was it the fourth quarter? Or was it the fourth quarter? And if they were in the game, like sometimes I feel like I look at Penn State and I feel like they are one dynamic player away from a position. And it's not always receiver. They've had good receivers in the past. I mean, Jahan Dotson was a freak. KJ Hamler. Yeah, they had guys who could stretch the field.

They've had dudes before. Sometimes it's the linebacker. Sometimes, you know, they've had Micah Part. They've had guys. Okay. But I feel like if you would have dropped Jeremiah Smith onto their team last year, they might have won the national title. Sure, I mean, just go back to the Penn State, Ohio State game,

because that was what happened. So Penn State takes the lead with the pick six and their defense is doing everything it can possibly do to win that game. If Penn State had one person Ohio State was scared of stretching the field, they could have won. How much more does that open up for Tyler Warren, person Ohio State was scared of stretching the field. They could have won. How much more does that open up for Tyler Warren for Cajetron Allen for Nick Singleton in that game? Yeah, it's like so bizarre watching Penn State and Ohio State play

last year and sometimes when paid Penn State's in big games, not Notre Dame. I thought they could have won that one. They were dominating the entire first half actually. Raymond Horton points out they never got a reception through receivers. They didn't. I thought that's one of the fourth quarter. No, no. On the pitchy woo, a receiver caught one of the pitches, but it wasn't, it wasn't a reception. Yeah. That's what it was. I guess Tyler Warren had more receptions than the entire receiver core last year combined. Yes, by two. 104 to 102. And they made the semi-finals.

That's crazy. So yeah, so the receiver problem, I think that what you do, and we had this discussion a few weeks ago, it's really hard. There's no Jordan Addison in the portal this year, right? So you can't come down on Penn State. We're not going out and making a slam dunk, no doubt about it freak addition to the receiving core, right? But there were good, there were good receivers. Like you know, you saw Kevin, Kevin Concepcion went to Texas A&M, Eric Singleton Jr. went from Georgia Tech to Auburn. There were good

receivers out there. So it's not that they weren't available at all. They were there. Yeah. Yeah. I think that's true. I don't know. They did. Noah Thomas went from Texas A&M to Georgia.

Zach Branch. Zach Branch and Kyron Hudson are the same thing. Are they? Yeah. Guys who are at USC who were like fourth and fifth on the pecking order. I mean, I've seen, I don't know if Hudson, I mean, Zach branch makes, has made my jaw drop before. He has, but as a wide receiver or as a kicker turn is a kicker turner.

Okay. That's different. But when you add somebody who's made my jaw drop to your team, that's pretty good. All right, Zach Branch, 47 catches for 503 yards. The average 10.7 yards of reception. That's not a huge receiving average. Kyron Hudson actually had a higher,

Kyron Hudson and Zach Branch's stats were very similar last year. Very similar as receivers. Yeah, I mean, we'll see. It wouldn't surprise me if like Zach Branch turned out to be an absolute animal in the Georgia system. We'll see. Maybe it won't happen. We'll find out because the USC situation is interesting with all of these guys because much different numbers wise from Branch and Hudson either. And then you had Deuce Robinson, who's also transferred to Florida State, who was a little bit behind them. But you know, it's- I just want to hear how not good Zach Branch was when Georgia, who can pick whoever they

want to come to their school, took him. Well, yeah. Because if you unlock that jaw dropping capability of Zach Branch with all of the other athletes you have, then all of a sudden, here, here's how you know there's a difference, Andy. If you switch Hudson and Branch in this conversation, it's a different conversation. I don't know how different it is.

I think as a receiver conversation, we'd be talking about if they unlock Zach Branch, Penn State could have the thing that they could they didn't have. Did you say anyone say that when we were talking about if they unlock Zach branch, Penn State could have the thing that they could, they didn't have, did you say anyone say that when we were talking about Hudson? I don't think it's that different. I think one average more yards per reception than the other and it was Hudson.

Do you think one has a higher ceiling than the other? Maybe, but if they never reach it, it doesn't really matter. So if Penn State brings somebody in who has a ceiling like that, but if they never reach it, it doesn't really matter. So. If Penn State brings somebody in who has a ceiling like that, that would be the best receiver they could have conceivably gotten and they didn't. We'll see. I mean, maybe Devante Ross will be the best receiver

they could have conceivably. We'll find out. Yeah, we'll find out. I just think that the conversation- Somebody in the chat pointed out that this is, they don't have a great history and track record. Like Dante Cephas had a big year in the Mac before he went to Penn State and then didn't do much at Penn State.

Yeah. Yeah. It might not, it might not be, it might be more of the same, but like, I mean, I think there was an entire Penn State conversation too on like, how do we feel about James Franklin, what needs to be done next year to build on that, or do you feel like they got over the hump last year and he can breathe a little bit? Like where, where are the, I think he can breathe just fine because his contract allows that. No, I know, but the way that he actually walked off the field-

He knows what the problem is and we just spent 10 minutes talking about it. Did he look like somebody who could breathe when they walk off the field after the Ohio State loss? No, but his situation hadn't changed yet at that point. Now it has. Yeah. So, but I don't, his contract hasn't changed is my point. Like he was in a really rough position in the middle of last year. In terms of just being uncomfortable.

And he knew what the problem was and it's the same problem and it's been the same problem. So look, he's known what the problem has been. He needs to fix it. We'll see if he did. So look, he's known what the problem has been. He needs to fix it. We'll see if he did. We just talked about what steps they've taken this time to try to fix it. There's your Penn State schedule. Lots at home early.

They get Oregon at home. They have to go to Ohio State. They have to go to Iowa. That's gonna be tough. They, but look, if they're 10 and 2 with losses to Oregon and Ohio State, they'll make the playoff and they'll go in there exactly the same as they did this year. And you just better hope that they have a good draw, which I mean, too, with losses to Oregon, Ohio State is this. I feel like the Penn State football seasons are just groundhog today. They they are. So you gotta win one of these

like win one of those. It's a different story. If you're 11 and one, you're back in the Big Ten championship game. You've beaten one of those elite teams, so it feels different. Beaten one of those elite teams so it feels different Wonder if you still think at Iowa is a tough game like I I'm not counting that as a gimme Yeah, and the fact that they're back to back games There's an open week in between the Iowa and Ohio State game, but back-to-back games pretty tough and then Indiana I don't know what they're gonna be but that might be a they're tough as three right and that they're they're coming to State College so We'll find out about that. I believe there's a meeting going on right now in State College.

About naming rights. They're talking about naming the field, not stadium, so we'll see what they decide on that one. Nate Bauer from Blue White Illustrated had the news on that this weekend and West Shore Home Field at Beaver Stadium is the idea they're kicking around so. What's that business? It's just I know it's a Penn State alum, but what's the business? I believe it's a home renovation business, but I'm not sure.

Maybe they're not telling me what the leak in my roof is. So we'll find out what they do. But I think James Franklin is in a different situation now because of what happened at the end of the year, because they made it to the semifinals because they were so close to playing for the national title. But he needs to fix the same problem that he needed to fix last

year. He knows it. It's up to him to do it. I just went to the West Shore Home website. That stuff works, man. We do that that sort of thing. Yeah, so Penn State fans are kind of iffy about this Andy. They're going to be iffy until they see their receivers shrieking down the field and catching passes and and them being in a game with Ohio State. No, but they're iffy. It isn't just dominated by their defense. What now? I said they're iffy about renaming the field

though too, right? There's yeah, there's some people who would like it to be named after Joe Paterno. But I believe one pays $50 million and one pays $0. Yeah. So the one is $50 million over 15 years, I think is the other one. Yeah, I would take the money. Yeah, so we'll see. I would fix the receivers. Yeah, if I make Penn State fans happy, I would have productive wide receivers. I think that's what I would do. And a home remodeling renovation, technological company helping you float the bill on that. The root we're remodeling our offense. Why don't you remodel

your receiver room? Now with capable light receivers? Yeah. Yeah, that's that's the way you got to do it. All right. I'll tell you about state Liberty. I've got the state Liberty. Navy blue crew sweater on right now. It is one of my favorites. State Liberty goes from casual I got that the black waffle knit hoodie that I'm always wearing on the show all the way up to suits the suit I wore to the National Championship game of state and Liberty. comfortablefortable, athletic, made to fit you, not made to fit some dude with pot belly,

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or click the link in the show description and go get yourself some State and Liberty, 10% off for new customers. All right, Ari, let's talk about Miami, because couple different things going on with Miami. One, you have Carson Beck, who's the new quarterback, but also Carson Beck coming off an elbow surgery. We saw him get hurt in the SEC Championship game playing for Georgia He's limited but it sounds like he may be able to throw in the back half of spring practice

So it would be nice to see him thrown again The other piece of this Miami's overhauled its defense which The other piece of this Miami's overhauled its defense, which really was what killed it last year because Miami's offense was incredible with Cam Ward and Xavier Restrepo. But defensively, it's not like they have bad players. They have some individually very good players on this defense, but can they put it all together? Is it like you know LSU switching to Blake Baker last year? Perhaps. Their new coach Heatherman. Corey Heatherman coming from from

Minnesota is going to do the same thing where. You have automatic improvement, instant improvement. All of a sudden, if the offense is pretty good. You've got another playoff contender. Yeah, I mean, I think this is a very pivotal year for Miami to tough schedule again. But like when you come into the season,

looking at where they are and where they were last year, I think that Miami fans probably finished the year disappointed because the potential offensively at least was for a deep playoff run. And their defense just was not good period like it just wasn't good so I think that you kind of have the same question about Miami that you did about USC coming into this past year of like can you just make it okay can you just make it serviceable enough to get stops because Miami's offense I'm gonna put my flag in the in the ground right now, they are not scoring at

will the way they did last year. They're just not going to. They lost way too much. And I think that Carson Beck, although a nice, you know, salvage of what could have been a disaster of a quarterback room, considering what happened, you know, late in the portal and all that stuff, you know, finding him, I think was a good thing. But I think that this notion that it's going to be as good or better than last year's insane. So they need, the defense is everything this off season. They need to get stops somehow. And they've got dudes like Ruben Bane,

he could be an All-American next year. It's not like they don't have personnel. They overhauled their secondary in the portal. Like, they brought guys in. Like, I feel like Miami's defense will and should be much better. Does that mean it's going to be great? But no, I think, but if it plays the way that USC played this past year and has really improved, I think that they have a chance to get to nine wins again.

I think so, too. I think a they have a chance to get to 9 wins again. I think so too. I think a good defense for my now it's it sucks with that schedule that you start off with Notre Dame. You get Florida shortly shortly after that, but at least both those games are at home. If you can split those two, you have a really good chance of ripping through your ACC schedule. You know they do have Louisville and SMU that they've got to play, but they get Louisville at home and then they got to go to SMU. Those are the scariest games. We'll see about Florida State. Now maybe Florida State is better

this year. Miami's got to go up there, but Miami should be as good or better than Florida State. should be as good or better than Florida State. So with Carson Beck, I just, I've, we talk about everything Cam Ward did, but the other thing that Miami had last year was some excellent old receivers. We had Xavier Estrepo on the show at the senior bowl. That guy was incredible. Incredible Xavier strepo and Jekyll be George combined for 122 catches. For almost 1900 yards are it's like 18, 18, 80 something like that's obscene. I've been doing the mock draft thing lately, not making them, but reading them. Yeah.

See a lot of Xavier restrepo to the chiefs, if you want to have- Oh, that's not even fair. What's gonna happen next year? That's not even fair. She rice bagged Xavier Worthy and Restrepo. That would be, that'd be something. Like, can you imagine like Restrepo

and his ability to run routes and catch everything with Mahomes? Oh, that's why I said not fair. Because like Worthy is a speedster, like traits guy. Restrepo is just a straight up incredible receiver. Perfect route runner. Yeah.

Yeah. Like he's going, and he's not going to, like in the NFL probably isn't going to wow you with speed where he's going to just run away from everybody. But he's fast enough. And he's a perfect route runner knows how to get open. And I feel like that like it's like you can test his 40 or whatever. And I know that he then he say at the senior ball that he's working on his time. Yeah, it's fast time and stuff. But like, I do feel like there's a huge difference

to between like 40 time and game speed and like his natural feel for the pockets and the secondary kind of reminds me a lot of like what Travis Kelsey does, right? Uh, Travis Kelsey just finds ways to get open even in broken down plays. And I think Restrepo would be the perfect compliment to Patrick Mahomes' playing style. Uh, you know, this is an NFL prop podcast, but oh my God. I think Restrepo was one of the more underappreciated players in the entire sport last year.

Yeah. And I think that's the big question for Miami. And I, like Carson Beck, we know is fine. Who is that person? Is it one of the younger guys? Is it, is it somebody who was waiting behind Jacoby George and Xavier Strepo? Is it a freshman coming in this year? Like who are the, who are the guys that become

Carson Beck's primary targets? And look, Carson Beck, we've seen what he looks like with elite targets, and we've seen what he looks like with okay targets. Because when he was throwing to Brock Bowers and Lad McConkey, people were talking about him as the first quarterback off the board in the NFL draft. Yeah.

When he was throwing to the group of receivers he had last year at Georgia, it was a very different story. I mean, they have Jojo Trader on the team. Like he's a former five star prospect. I mean, it's not like they don't have guys. But I think that guys like Trader have to make a huge step forward this year because I will say it into this camera and I've said it a million times and I'll say it a million one. Carson Beck is a trailer, not a truck.

He is. And I don't know if you agree with that, but he is. I think the numbers have shown that. I think the statistics have borne that out. And he's very reliant on what you put around him. So, but you can put good players around him. He's a very effective quarterback. We've seen that. Yep. So CJ Daniels, Chance Robinson, Jojo Trader and Icar. They've got, they've got options.

I just, I feel like those options need to show up in a big way because you can't just replace George and Restrepo for how good Miami was, I thought was kind of bizarre that they weren't talking about more nationally. I mean, there was a, I mean, maybe it was just because there was so much energy about the receivers like sucked up by Ryan Williams and Jeremiah Smith that was just hard. Also, because a lot of the credit was just going to cam ward because he was doing things that made your jaw drop. Yeah. I mean, cam ward was exciting, but who was always there open waiting to, to

finish those plays that major jaw drop, you know, and, and who was making the key receptions and games that they had to call back. Cam Ward did not have that at Washington state. So having that also helped Cam Ward do what he did. Now Cam Ward's going to be rewarded by being either the first or second quarterback off the board. It seems like we're at the point now where just unequivocally he's going to be the first one, right? It feels like it. There seems to be a gap forming between Chidor and Ward.

Yeah, but, and Ward seems to be the consensus number one. Welcome to Cleveland. We'll see. That always switches up as we get closer to the draft because people start lying and people start... Everybody's got to keep the machinery moving. Ward is going to be Cleveland Brown. Exactly. Enjoy that, pal. Let me know how it works out. Yeah. It's funny because Ari, you grew up in in Arizona, but yeah, follow the Cleveland Browns your

entire life. Yes. Why not working in Ohio by coincidence, but you were a Browns guy. I was a Browns guy. I've sucked the life out. I mean, like, here's the thing. The thing that sucks is like growing up a Browns guy ruins your, I think the reason why I'm a gambling addict is because I didn't have a team to root for. Like their seasons have been over by week four of my entire life.

Like outside of maybe three seasons, they've been terrible. So, you know, and I don't know what happened with that organization, but somebody sold their soul to the devil to curse them or something. I don't know what happened, but it's the most dysfunctional franchise in all of sports and Can't wait to see what cam warden does there, but it's gonna be a pretty rough. Maybe somebody will trade up and rescue him Maybe somebody will trade trade. I mean Browns are the king of the trade down, but well the Titans have the number one pick and they I

Don't know. We'll see the Titans also need a quarterback. Who's their quarterback? They do. It's not Will Levis anymore, is it? Can't more be a good one for him, for them. I could see that. Yeah.

But I've seen a lot of mocks just Titans taking Abdul Carter number one. So I don't know. But I don't even know who, like, I don't know if the Titans. I would take Cam Ward. Oh, like I would say Kim Ward and cut bait on Will Lovis that that would be a pretty easy decision for me. Yeah, I didn't even know. I don't even think you can say with a straight face that will

love us can be your quarterback again next year, even if they don't draft the quarterback. The only way I wouldn't the only way I wouldn't is if the Browns or the Giants who also need a quarterback got really desperate and wanted to give me a number one next year. Then I'd happily let them take it, take Abdul Carter, and then go get a quarterback next year. Yeah. I just, I just feel like if I would be a really good quarter GM in the NFL, you want to know why? What's that?

I would draft a quarterback every single year until we knew we got a franchise guys. So you're a college coach. You should do it like a college coach does. Or take a quarterback with all seven picks until you buy. Because you can wallow in without a quarterback for 30 years and suck for 30 years, or you can go try to find your guy. What's the cop? Every NFL team that has turned it around. Oh, it's like your Washington has sucked for 30 years and they go get Jayden Daniels and now they're almost in the NFC. Oh, I wonder what that what happened. Like and if Jayden would have sucked, go get somebody else next year until you find Jayden

Daniels. So I don't think you have to use your first on a quarterback every year if there's not somebody of it, but I actually think that's not a bad idea. I do. No, I'm saying use a first when you feel like it's an obvious guy, but if it's, but then keep every year. Just take somebody in the in the set in the third, fourth, fifth. How many of the starting quarterbacks in the NFL are third, fourth and fifth round picks? the starting quarterbacks in the NFL are third, fourth and fifth round picks. It's got to be really good ones are right. I know if you don't press gots a fourth Brock Purdy's is seventh. Yeah. So these are the exceptions to the rule. I don't know how big of a exceptions they are. You don't have a quarterback. You can feel comfortable trying to

get one in the fourth round like Brock Purdy was. I'm not saying you're going to get a quarterback to be your starter in the fourth round. I'm using your philosophy of draft one every year. If you use your first round pick on a quarterback every year, you're stupid and you're going to get fired. But if you use a pick on a quarterback every year. Or you could do what the Cleveland Browns have done,

which is draft kind of okay the last 10 years. And get guys like Nick Chung. And pick exactly the wrong quarterback. And pick the wrong quarterback year over year and then ruin their primes and make them, you know, bash their heads in for 15 years and not have anything to show for it because you never had somebody who could throw a football.

So like it's up to you how you want to handle it. But like to me, I would like this, there's this notion that the Browns might not or was a notion that the Browns might not take a quarterback because they owed Deshaun Watson all this money. And it's like, okay, but then go another year. They have like 40 starting quarterbacks since 2001. Go ahead. Keep going.

Yeah, I would take, I would take because your only chance of having a good quarterback now while you owe Deshaun Watson on that money is to have a quarterback on a rookie contract, especially when you owe the person a lot of money and he sucks. Like the Sean, like he's not even like, even if he's healthy, it's not got a good quarterback anymore. He used to be, I don't know a lot happened in the last few years with him. And he, the, the, the result of it was he doesn't know how to throw a ball anymore. So that.

But I do, I do like your philosophy, because that is what college coaches do. College coaches take a quarterback every year. Who was? Regardless of. And it's like, also, even the exceptions do, though, it's like, okay, well, they took Brock Purdy with the last overall pick, Mr. Relevant. Everybody forgets that they took a quarterback in the top five the same year. Like, it like they they they that wasn't the plan. They backdoored into it like it and it worked out for them. But that's not the way that they drew it up. And who was the no it's not. But that's why you take that's why you occasionally take one in the lower rounds. Yeah, because it might work out for you. Like when they drafted Dak Prescott wasn't Tony Romo still like two three years years left on his contract? Oh yeah, that was purely speculative when they drafted Dak Prescott. Either took a player in the first round or had a quarterback that were comfortable

starting for a few more years before they had to rely on it. Like the Browns need one now. They need one yesterday. Well, I know, but they haven't been using your philosophy. Once a team has been using your philosophy for a while, then they'll, they'll have the quarterback they want starting that they're comfortable with, and they can speculate every year in the third, fourth, fifth round. That's the best portion of the show. But my point is that if you draft a quarterback in the first round, by the following year, you'll either know he's not your guy or he is. And if he's not your guy, then do it again until you find the person who becomes Jaden Daniels. And then you can build your entire team around them. I just think it's weird in the NFL when teams try to reverse-build their teams, which is

half a league, of like, we don't have a quarterback, so we're just going to take Abdul Carter, and we'll figure out the quarterback down the line. It's like, OK, well, then suck for another year, then figure it out. Like, I don't care how good Abdul Carter is. Miles Garrett is the testament to, he is the best non quarterback in the league and has been for like five years and the Browns have sucked the entire time. Why? It's true. Gotta have a quarterback.

Speaking of quarterbacks, Ben in the chat has a question. Have y'all talked about DJ Lagway? Is he on quote unquote light duty at spring practice? What knowledge you got from him? We did talk about this on Friday, but we can talk about it some more. DJ Lagway is on light duty at spring practice. What knowledge you got from her. We did talk about this on Friday, but we can talk about it some more. DJ Lagway is on light duty at spring practice.

Billy Napier mentioned some injuries and you've seen him just kind of working on air. And now I don't think this is gonna affect DJ Lagway in the fall. I think he's gonna be just fine. But if you were- I'm hard to say it though, if he's not, is Billy Napier just a dead man walking at that point? It's a big problem because I don't know that Harrison Bailey

is your guy to lead you to eight, nine, 10 wins against this schedule. So yeah, you need DJ Lago to be healthy. And here's the thing with lagway. So as a freshman. He toughed out some games because he heard him. He got hurt in Miami gaming her shoulder in Miami game and played through a nagging injury after that. He has the hamstring injury in the Georgia game that knocks him out of the game keeps him

out of the Texas game comes back playing on one leg against LSU played played really well considering. against LSU played played really well considering. So Ben, my question is, could he go if needed? Well, he's not needed till September, so I think they're probably OK. He can go. He'll be able to go when that happens. And like also to the thing about being a freak of an athlete and having six months to go on any injury is is that he's going to be OK. Probably like I mean, aren't there players who were come back from torn ACLs having six months to go on any injury is that he's going to be OK, probably. Like, I mean, aren't there players who were come back from

torn ACLs in six months now? Adrian Peterson did nine. That's the fastest I've ever heard of it. Yeah. Yeah. So it's yeah, I think. It's frustrating for them, I think, because they wanted to tap into all this optimism the way last year finished.

They want videos of DJ Lagway chucking balls down the field, going viral, but that's not gonna happen. You're not gonna see that this spring. So you have to live with that. And the more important thing is DJ Lagway being healthy for the regular season. So now. Does this hurt as he tries to figure out who his new top receivers are because Elijah Badger and Shamir DK are gone. Yeah, absolutely. So.

They'll have to get that part straightened out as as he gets to where you can throw some more and gets into the summer workouts and develop some chemistry. But you know, we'll see what happens. It's gonna be... I think it's gonna be frustrating for Florida not having a chance to really ride that excitement. But as long as he's healthy and starting when the season starts, I don't think, because that's all that really matters at this point. Like you said, if he's not healthy during the season, there's a bigger problem. And that's a, there are many more discussions to have, but I do feel like a healthy DJ lagway makes you pretty optimistic about Florida. Yeah, as for us.

Yeah, we'll see. I mean, it's, it's a tough schedule. Ari for tomorrow's show. Can we talk a little bit about the team that can just mess up everybody's expectations? Yes. I texted you this this morning and. You were right. Should we tell everybody who the team is? Well, I noticed a team over the weekend

when we were doing the hardest schedules research last week and then the story ran this weekend who just crept up on everyone's schedule. And everyone's schedule where a coach is either on a hot seat situation or in a you got a winner, everybody's going to turn on you a year. And if this team is good, they can mess up a lot of stuff for a lot of people. And they were pretty good last year. So tomorrow, we're going to explain how the Texas A&M Aggies could just completely wreck shop and get everybody fired.

We'll talk to you tomorrow.