College Football Live - CFB LIVE - ACC KICKOFF DAY 2

Episode Date: July 16, 2026

Today on CFB LIVE, Zubin Mehenti, Tom Luginbill, Roddy Jones, and Pete Thamel discuss day 2 at ACC Kickoff with Dabo Swinney, James Franklin and other coaches take the podium. Marcus Freeman joins the show to talk about Notre Dame's upcoming season, all of this and more on CFB LIVE. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This episode is brought to you by Activia. You might already be eating yogurt, but not all yogurts are created equal. Activia contains over one billion probiotics per serving to survive and reach the gut alive. When it comes to gut health, Activia is the number one family doctor-recommended probiotic yogurt brand. Choose Activia, feel good from the inside out. Visitactivia.coma for more details. Straight ahead on college football live after last year's snub. What is Marcus Freeman?

have in store this year for the Irish, he'll join us in moments with the answer. Clemson's got a real quarterback derby, but our Roddy Jones says it's another position group you really need to keep your eyes on. Plus, we'll hear from Davo. And how quickly can James Franklin turn the Hokie's fortune? We'll debate that, and hear from the turnaround artist. All that and more at ACCC Media Days next on College Football Live. First team out, Notre Dame. It has to be gut-wrenching for them.

You often hear me say keep the pain. but you have to move forward. And that's what we've done as a program. That's what I've done as a leader. It's our job to take care of what we have to do. To breach the goals that we have. It's our responsibility to make sure we leave, no doubt. And with all of that in the rear view,

Notre Dame will look to get back to the playoff after that tough disappointment. Of course, the first team left out of the bracket after being jumped by Miami in the final ranking at Ed Fans' buzz. all off season long. CJ Carr has everybody buzzing because he's back as quarterback

after finishing eighth in the nation in QBR. He'll actually be the first Notre Dame quarterback to start consecutive season openers since 2020. And Carr's going to have some new faces with him in the backfield. The Heisman finalist, Jeremiah Love and Judarian Price,

were both selected in the first round of the NFL draft. Two guys being drafted for the same position group and the same draft in the first round is a good problem for Marcus Freeman to have. The recruiting has been on fire, so I'm sure he's not too worried about it, and he joins us here on college football live. I've been waiting to talk to you for weeks and ask this question as we just had the SBAs last night

when the sports world came together. You are in one of the most unique positions in all of sports. Your very first head coaching job was that maybe the most iconic place in all of sports. Very few people jumped into a situation the way you have. As you enter your fifth full year, how would you take a look back at this nearly unprecedented journey you've been? on? I think it's it's never how you foresee it on the front end. You know, you could have tried to imagine what being the head coach at Notre Dame was going to entail. And it's different. But it's special. It's special because of the people you get to do it with. And I think about the four years I've had in the four previous years in this upcoming year and what makes it special is the young

people that you get to go to work every day with and to see them do such great things on and off the field. It's what makes this position so special. Let's talk a little bit about C.J. Carr. He's certainly special. That's an adjective you could use. What are you looking for him to see in terms of a year to jump? Well, I think, you know, he's gifted. He is as talented as anyone I've ever been around. he prepares in such a great way. But what I love about him now is going into his second year as a starter. You're seeing his leadership, his ability to make not only the guys on offense better,

but the guys on defense, the team, he makes them better. He challenges him. He holds him accountable. He's a great leader, a great player, and I'm excited to see what he does this season. Take me inside the mind of somebody like Carr, because, you know, you played at a legendary program at Ohio. Ohio State, and you thrived. You made it to the NFL.

When we've talked to CJ on this program, it doesn't feel like the weight of being Notre Dame's quarterback is weighing him down. How does that sort of manifest for somebody that young? I think the pressure C.J. Carr puts on himself to be the best football player he can be is more than anybody else outside of our walls or it's out of his body could put on him. he wants to be the best. And so he knows in order to be the best, he has to continue to work,

continue to develop, continue to be the best version of himself every day. And so he's prepared. He's ready. I think maybe growing up with a grandfather that was the head coach at Michigan and a father that played at Michigan, and he understands what being a major college football player entails. And so he doesn't allow the things that shouldn't affect him,

affect him. and that's what makes them different. Was that a Freudian slip? Did you just not use the word school love north? Are you going to hear about this? No, it's Michigan. University of Michigan is what we call it. All good.

How do you replace somebody like Love and Price? You don't replace those two individuals. You've got to find ways to replace the production. And I truly believe we have a stable of running backs that we've brought into this program, that have been in this program, that will continue to find ways to replace the production. But it all starts up front. And our big guys up front, some are very experienced, some maybe not as experienced. But those guys are the ones that give the Jeremiah loves and Dodarian Price an opportunity to have success and have those highlight runs. And so I'm very confident our running back room and our offensive line and what our offense will do.

November 7th, I think it's not just Irish fans and Keynes fans that have it circled anybody that loves college football is going to be glued to their TV. If you just had to extrapolate, I saw you before the interview. You said, I don't have any problem raising my voice. What do you just think practice might be like that week before the Keynes come to town? Honestly, I hope it's no different than the week's building. up to that that game. What you can't do is make something bigger than what it is. It's going to be a great football game that's in the second, really the last quarter of our season. And so hopefully what I see is an elevated football team that starts week one through whenever that

week is that we're playing at a higher level. We're practicing at a higher level than we were week one. And that's what's going to matter. Like let's take advantage of what we have right in front of And when we get to that week, it won't be a sense of motivation. It needed to motivate the team. They'll be motivated because you've got a great opponent. We can talk about the history and what the game has meant. But, you know, that's a blue blood. And it's going to be a great contest.

That it will. Real quick, on the way out the door, I know this is a 24-7-365 sport, but I know you had a chance to reconnect with your heritage with a trip to Korea this offseason. Tell us about that. Yeah, it's been something I've been one. to do. My mother came to the United States in two, I'm sorry, in 1976. And in 2017, she went back for the first time with my oldest son, but I've never been able to go until finally this year, I said,

we're going to do it. And I was able to take my wife and two of our kids over there and to just connect and meet, like blood, meet my mom's family to really be entrenched in the Korean history and lifestyle was such a meaningful week. It was something that I almost felt guilty. I haven't done this before, and I need to do it again soon. But it was special to do it with my mom, to meet her family,

to be embraced by so many people over there. It was something special. Yeah, no doubt. That was a big storyline in 2024. A lot of people got to know that in your route to the championship game and the history and how you came to be. That was also the year.

You were the coach of the year. And Notre Dame won a school record 14. games, which maybe, who knows, could be topped this year if it's the dream season, many hope. Best of luck, and I really appreciate you spending some time with us. All right, great spending time with you. So they're kind of like the 17th ACC team. Media Days, Day 2 in Charlotte, among the guys taking center stage. One of the most accomplished coaches to ever enter the conference that coaches that program.

So far, he says, so good. We feel like we have won the offseason. all that's great. That sounds good in a press conference. It's a great sound bite. The reality is we've got to make sure all those things translate to the season and go out and play a style and a brand that is going to make Coach Beamer proud. All of our alumni, we want to make all those people proud of how we play for us. Embracing what the ACC brings. Miami's done a phenomenal job. You look at what they were able to do. year and the run that they were able to make. That's important for our conference and embracing those type of opportunities. That's why these three guys stayed at Virginia Tech to play in these types of games. That's why I'm here.

It is critical that we open up the season and play really, really well against VMI. But there's going to be games like that that come later on the season that we're going to be judged by, and I'm ultimately going to be judged by. And I embrace that. 0.689 win percentage. If you're looking for the Draft King's Sportsbook odds on the number of times you've seen this graphic on your television, take the over.

He wins a ton of games. But against the best competition, James Franklin has really struggled. And until that changes, his reputation will remain. As is, let's go to the fellas in Charlotte boots on the ground, Tom, Roddy, Pete. Let's start with you. I want to start with a sentence that Whitbapcock,

who hired James Franklin said. He essentially said, we want a coach in James Franklin that's celebrated, not tolerated, which I thought was the great way to put his old job and his new job into one sentence. What do you make of this higher? What is the sport saying is now we creep closer to the start of the season and a program that could desperately use a reboot? Zubin, there's never been a more linear line in college football

between investment and success. The case for Virginia Tech to reviving its brand comes down to cold, hard cash. before Whit Babcock left as athletic director. And before Virginia Tech even recruited James Franklin, they underwent a cash infusion. Some of it's going to be raised. Some of it's donated in a $75 million donation. But essentially, over four years,

there's going to be $229 million port-ins athletics most into football. That's going to allow Virginia Tech to buy a roster so they can compete with the top echelon of the ACC. Look, Beamer had eight straight 10-win seasons from 2004 to 2011. He left in 2015. They've had one 10 wins season since. That was in 2016. The sport has completely changed.

In Virginia Tech needed this lull to get the wake-up call that they needed to catch up. And that catch-up is coming in cash. Well, Pete, it's nice of you to give you a yearly salary to Virginia Tech so they can get a little bit of cash infused in there. But when you look at this team, I think one of the things that James Franklin has done is really let them see how far they were behind in a lot of areas. He's changed the culture by changing signage that hadn't been touched in years. He's looked at the lighting.

change that. It's the little details that James Franklin has brought to have Virginia Tech operate like a big time program. And when you look at the culture of this program and the way that people love James Franklin, look no further than what happened with his defensive coordinator. His defensive coordinator this year is Brent Pry. That name is familiar. He was the guy that got fired less than a year ago from Virginia Tech as the head coach. But they have a relationship that goes back 30 years. James Franklin was coached by Brent Pry's dad. They know each other. They love each other. They trust each other. They had talked to each other. about being together on the same coaching staff again, no matter where James Franklin win. It just so happened that Brent Pry is going to get to keep his house, move a couple offices down,

and the humility that that shows Lugge. I love that that shows for the program and for James Franklin. I think it's tremendous, and it shows a lot about the culture of that place. Well, I'll tell you one thing. If those resources were not allotted to football, James Franklin doesn't take this job, right? I mean, because if you're going to want to win,

you have to be able to compete, and now Virginia Tech should be able to compete. but if you look at the short term and what's going to be put on the field this fall, I think it's really interesting to note how much returning experience in terms of snaps played and starts, both who were brought into the program and also the retainees that Virginia Tech has. It's top five in the country in terms of returning experience, and then it starts with the quarterback. When you look at Ethan Gruncomeyer at Penn State, who James Franklin and that staff recruited, he really hit his stride the last three weeks of the season, was completing 76 percent of his

passes. And then some of that returning experience plus the quarterback being familiar and understanding. Because right now, the quarterback's in a role of being an extra coach because he knows the standard. He knows how James Franklin wants this program to be run, what's going to be expected. And so on the field, in the weight room, in the coach's staff room, Ethan Grunkmeyer is going to be the biggest advocate for how they get from point A to point B. And guys, I think the schedule is manageable and they're talented enough to maybe have a break. out season that most people aren't expecting. And oftentimes that happens. You get a new infusion of enthusiasm.

You get the crowd reinvigorated. We all know how difficult it is to play in Blacksburg when they're rolling. Yeah. A 6-0 start, certainly. Go ahead. Pete, you got something? Go ahead. I was just going to say, you can't manufacture passion.

No. And Virginia Tech had people showing up at Lane Stadium even when the results weren't there. Right. That is a fuse getting ready to lit. And I really think that's one of the biggest assets other than the cash that they have used. Yeah, last thing I would say, the week after he got first, fired. Pete, you know this. He showed up on college game day and said, I guess I'll just have to go win the national

championship somewhere else. He was not going to sit out. He is rare and he's ready to go. So when's the next time Clemson's going to win the national championship? That's what their fans are wondering. Dabble took the mic to address a lot of concerns. And Roddy will tell you why you need to be looking at an offensive

position other than quarterback for the Tigers. That's next. We're back on college football live. Let's focus in on the Clemson Tigers coming off a disappointing 76th season. Worst season since going six and seven in 2010. The Tigers have been at a losing record in 15 straight seasons. They've been absolutely terrific.

But it just hasn't really worked. Davos Sweeney has been using the portal. That's a bit of a change. They added 17 players this year from the portal, 16 in the eight years previous combined. And now we have a real QB battle, but every year is a different year. I don't think you get to carry anything over. you got to start over. You don't get to carry the touchdowns over. You don't have to carry the bad stuff over. I just think the biggest thing is you just carry the lessons and you learn

and you grow and then you attack the areas that you need to improve in. And you self-scout and you evaluate what went wrong, what went right, and then you apply those things and with the decisions that you make to go improve. And I've got to do a better job. So, you know, those are just all areas that you learn from and then you start over. because at the end of the day, it's a new season, and that's our focus is to try to maximize our opportunity in 2026. Very interesting. The heat is on. Let's bring the fellas back. Pete, let's start with you. And this is kind of a new vote thing we're seeing in college football.

Old faces coming back to familiar places, and the upstate of South Carolina is indeed one of those places. Tell us what kind of reunion we're going to see here. Well, Zubin, we're going to see a reunion of Chad Morris, who played a giant, role in Davosweeney building Clemson into the power that he has brought it to in the last decade or so. He was an early staff hire there. He brought tempo and spread in a lively offense back in the Taj Boyd era before he went on his own head coaching journey. So this is Davosweeney doubling down on Davosweeney. He's a guy who's about evolution and not revolution, right? There's never been a panic when the results haven't been at that national championship level. And this is him

doubling down in someone he knows, someone he's comfortable with, and someone who's comfortable with. and someone who's going to bring a little bit more flare to the offense that just wasn't there the past couple of years. You know, listen, I think that this football team is where they need to be right now. I mean, guys, think about it. When was the last time people were talking so little about Clemson football? They're kind of hanging out lying in the weeds, and that might be a good thing for them. The thing for me that I'm really interested in is when you start having discussions about the transfer portal, especially as it relates to the quarterback position, those are not.

conversations that you take lightly. So when Chad Morris and Davosweeney got together and the small sample size we've seen from Chris Vizina, the true freshmen they're excited about, they must have been absolutely convinced that Chris is a better option than anything else they felt they could have gotten out of the transfer portal. Now we'll see if it is. But I kind of like that they're kind of sitting back and nobody's talking about it. I think it's going to help them.

I do too. And Chris Vizino played against SMU, started against SMU last year. He was not the reason they lost. that game. He threw for over 300 yards in that game. And you have to ask the question about value. Everyone does. So maybe for the price, he's going to give them the most. But the position that we need to talk about on the offense are the guys that are going to be catching the ball from Chris Visita. Because it's an elite wide receiver. It is. Brian Westcoe was phenomenal as a freshman, got hurt after seven games last year,

but as a 1,200-yard receiver over the course of his career in two years at Clemson. And T.J. Moore continues to emerge. And if he takes a step, I think both of these, these guys have the potential to be really high NFL draft picks. You add that to Tyler Brown, who had a phenomenal freshman year, has sort of fallen off since. But if he can regain some form, I think Olson Pat Henry, the tight-in, has a lot of potential there as well as a pass catcher. The skill group around whoever the quarterback is is pretty good and can really power that off.

Well, you talk about the transfers incoming increasing. Well, one of those guys is Chris Johnson Jr. from SMU. Who? Who had a nice day against Clemson last year. Oh, man. He is electrifying. So that's going to be a little jacking. of all trades for Chad Morris because he's a

returner, he's a running back, he's really skilled in the passing game, so hopefully that's going to make him a little more dynamic and explosive. Could be that little Andre Ellington. Yeah, absolutely, yeah. Good pull with the Ellington there. You're right. Dabo prizes loyalty. Hopefully, Vizena has stuck around long enough

to be the recipient of it. We'll see. On the way, we had Fernando. Is next up, Alberto, with the same amount of magic that Big Bro bought. We'll discuss that. he's with. This episode is brought to you by Accenture. When your advertising operations fall out of sync, everything else follows.

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and has just dropped their new limited edition deodorant and antipersprint collection for 72 hours sweat and odor protection, helping you stay fresh from kickoff to the final whistle. Visit dove.com slash CA slash E.N. slash men dash care to shop now. Also at the mic today for Georgia Tech Malachi Hoseley. running back and head coach, Brent Key, running the ball, their specialty. Me and him push each other to be better than we were the day before, just because, like, to me and him, we're the best running back to do on the nation.

And that's just how we feel about it. So we have to keep pushing each other every day just until when that opportunity comes, we can show the country what we've been working on. Last year was a good step in the right direction, winning nine games. But let's make no mistake, I'm not happy about that. Right. And if you don't think that's driven myself in how we've built the roster, how we've trained, prepared, worked, built the staff,

to put the right men in place to be around these guys, then obviously you don't know me and you don't know our program. Faces change, names change. The identity of Georgia Tech football is not going to change. Well, those two guys know a thing about Georgia Tech or two, and these two guys know a thing about suiting Upper Georgia Tech or two. Trying to figure out which one is Tom, which one is wrong. I'm just kidding.

Okay. Just quick thoughts here on the rambling wreck. And what we make of how they are going to be playing this season since you both donned that beautiful goal telling them. Oh, I tell you, I was wearing a blue jersey there. It tells you how old I am. We don't see tech in the Navy. You know, listen, I think, I really think this Georgia Tech team is going to be a good football team,

but I think they're going to be a good football team in incremental progress. because there's just so many new faces across the board. We know, as Brent Key just said right there, who they are and what they are going to do is not going to change. There's no secrets there, right? And they are loaded at the running back position. I was just saying to these two guys in the break, try and name a team in the last five years in college football that had a three-year starter at quarterback. It's almost impossible to do. So you bring in Alberto Mendoza, who in his short sample sizes looked really, really good, but he hasn't played a lot of football.

You're replacing almost the entire secondary, new faces out wide. you're going to have to replenish the offensive line. But because of that identity, when you go out and you target the portal, you target and recruiting, you know what you're not taken and what you have to take. I think that's important. Yeah, there are a lot of new faces. Georgia Tech, though, was very intentional about the places where those new faces are going to make the biggest impact. Defensive line, they had to get bigger.

They did that. They targeted the secondary and were really effective there. But the biggest thing is the identity of this team, they knew that whoever they were going to bring in was going to be inexperienced at this level at quarterback. Yeah. So why not go out and get the best running back in college football through the first half of the season last year,

which was just as Haynes? He got hurt in the seventh game of the year, but worse for over 800 yards during that time. And outside of Jeremiah Love, like he was the best running back in the country up until he got hurt. So I think that running back room is something that they're going to be able to lean on early

to let Alberto Mendoza really grow into the start. The most predictable game plan in all of college football, Football this season, guys, is going to be the opening Thursday when Georgia Tech goes against Colorado. Colorado, we'll have 11 new starters on defense. Thank God, because they were 133rd in rushing, Zuban. Yeah, Pete, we're going to hear from Belichick and Tosh Lupoy tomorrow, who might have the best quarterback in the country. See you then.