Locked On ACC - Daily College Football & Basketball Podcast - ACC SQUAD - Why a 24 team College Football Playoff would be AWESOME for the ACC

Episode Date: May 21, 2026

ACC expansion to a 24-team College Football Playoff could set the stage for chaos and upsets—can Miami, Louisville, or SMU shake up the SEC and Big Ten’s dominance? The ACC Squad breaks down the unpredictable impact of expanding the playoff field, highlighting sleeper ACC quarterbacks like Mason Heintschel (Pitt) and CJ Bailey (NC State), and debating the league’s most explosive running backs. The hosts tackle the controversy over NCAA salary cap enforcement, examine rivalries under threat, and question if conference powerhouses like the SEC and Big Ten will break away for good. Players’ rights, NIL chaos, and the future of college football’s business model all come under scrutiny. Will unionization become inevitable, or will open-market madness rule? Don’t miss this high-energy debate on the state and future of ACC football. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

So the ACC is on board with a 24-team college football playoff expansion, and honestly, this could be a lot of fun for this one particular reason. You're talking ball with the ACC squad. From Florida State to North Carolina, from Syracuse to Miami, and from NC State to California, it's the local experts of the Locked-on Podcast Network, bringing you scoops, breakdowns, and the most comprehensive preview of the upcoming ACC weekend. Hang on, it could get loud, it could get heated, and it will definitely be fun.

Squad up, you're part of the ACCC squad. Let's have some fun today. What's up, everybody? Welcome to the ACC Squad Show, Locked on ACC on the Locked On Podcast Network. Coming up on the show today as well, who's the most slept on quarterback in the ACC heading in to this season? Plus, income rules and I guess a salary cap enforcement is going pretty poorly. So we'll talk about that at the end of the show. But Grayson Singleton here, Kinta Gibbs, locked on Wolfpack, Jarvis Davis, locked on, yellow jackets.

What's going on, fellas? What's going on, man? How you doing, bro? Man, I have chilly. Kintin was up? I'm great as always, man. I'm ready to get into it. We got some things we need to discuss today.

I'm going to tell you, you might hear me say C.J. Bailey name more than a few times today. Nah, I'm joking. I'm leading a homerism at home, y'all. I'm excited to be here with you. fellas. Hey, let's let's get it done today. Hey, uh, I want to start off with this 2014 playoff thing because the ACC is now endorsing the 24 team playoff expansion that we've been seeing floated around for a while. And while all of us, we agree that in principle, it's a bad idea to have a 24 team college football playoff. However, this could be fun. And I'm going to float this by you guys and see what you think about this. So the SEC and the big

tip want to keep this a constricted playoff because like, they're going to get about 85% of the teams that are involved. But if you let more of these ACC teams in, maybe more of these Big 12 teams too, we have a chance for some fun here, some chaos, because in a one game scenario, you look at a Miami team that just went to the national championship. Who's to say some of these other ACC teams couldn't upset the Apple cart? And all of a sudden, you could probably get the SEC pissed off because one of their teams just lost to the lowly ACC.

So while I still think this is a pretty bad idea, it could be a lot of fun, though. I mean, I a thousand percent agree, and we saw it last year. Like, this ain't even about the ACC. If you're talking about the SEC and what they did last year, just out of curiosity, fellas, how many wins did the SEC have against teams that were not other SEC teams or group of five teams? So any team that an SEC team beat in the playoff that was in the power for it, not SEC, go for it, fellas. Who they beat?

Anybody got an answer? Anybody want to guess? Big old goose egg, huh? Nothing. Nothing. They ain't beat nobody. And for as much as everybody talked about, oh, Miami lost to two ACC schools too low.

Oh, they lost, you know, Louisville beat them. Oh, you know, SMU beat them. Oh, they're a terrible team. They can't be nothing decent. How did Texas A&M fair against them? The Texas A&M that ran through the SEC? until they play Texas, how'd that work out for them? How'd that work?

Oh, Ole Miss, that's the team, right? Because, you know, Texas isn't, their quarterback can't really throw the ball and all that. Okay, fine. Let's go to Ole Miss then, you know, where, and Ole Miss is having a very interesting time right now. I'm in LSU having a good old-fashioned clan off right now on Twitter, but that's neither here nor there.

That team. Yeah, that's Spider-Man, me for sure. Prolific. They ready. They ready. They was going to dominate poor, little Miami. Miami was the underdog in that game, I do believe.

And how'd that game end up for Ole Miss? Did they win that ballgame? Huh. So what we're seeing is this bears out. You know, you could talk about all the other bowl games and say, oh, well, Virginia only beat Mazoo because Missouri had all these opt-outs and they didn't care

and this was Virginia's best year ever. Did Old Miss not care? Did Texas A&M not care? Did all of these schools, Did Bama not care when they were playing Indiana? I need to know. I need to know who cares and who doesn't and when they care. Because when you line it up, all of a sudden you see different results then as, you know, as Lane Kiffin said, let the odds makers make the playoff.

Well, hell, the odds makers would have lost a lot of money, wouldn't they? I mean, you know. So, again, ultimately, I'm a big fan to line it up. And Grayson, if we extend the 24 and we get more ACC teams in the team. there, we got a better chance than, well, you know, Louisville can't compete just because they can't compete. Why can't they? Isaac Brown runs so fast, he makes Speedy Gonzalez look slow. Isaac Brown runs so fast, I just know that he could blink, I mean, that he could cut off the light and be in the bed before it get dark in that room. I know he that fast, but we're going to sit

here and pretend like, oh, we can't compete with the SEC. For what? I think, man, when you look at it like this, man. I think this 2014 playoff, I'll be it. I'm not necessarily a big fan of it, a big proponent of it, because I'm real big on, hey, man, it's a small private club and only certain people can get in. I'm a big proponent of that. But if you start the, if you open this bad boy up, I think it's going to start to change some narratives, right? Because I think the one narrative that has changed and I believe that's a big reason why, Nick Saban got out of the business. Like it's, it's, it's even, almost even planning right now.

It's everybody's fair game now because, hey, everything is above board. You, you can pass around. If you got the bag, if you got an NIL collective, there's, there's willing and ready to pay. They'll be willing to go to Bloomington, Indiana. They'll be willing to hop on a, hop on a bird and go to, you know, Texas or whatever, you know, outside of, you know, them being, moving into the SEC. So when you have the, the, the, the, the,

the playing grounds kind of, like, evened out a little bit and you can't stack, doggone three or four deep NFL prospects, like legit, legitimate NFL prospect. It was like a conveyor belt at Alabama back in the day. Like, all I got to do is just wait my turn. As soon as I get my one year starting, I'm going, I'm going first round.

Like, it was literally like that. Kirby Smart. All that, yeah, he got to understand it too now. It's not the game is different. He's starting to try to play it how he used to play it. But like these guys adjust. So I think that this 2014, 2014 playoff opening up is going to change the whole, oh, well, the SEC, everybody, they got to come through the SEC now, man.

Like the Big Ten got something to say now too. Well, I mean, look at who Ohio State lost to in the college football playoff. That was Miami too. Right. Yeah, exactly. And Lord knows they wouldn't, and they got all the money. They wouldn't have spent it all. Ain't nothing in the state of Ohio but big girls and Buckeyes.

That's all the money that they got is going to make it sure that Ohio State's a winning football team because there's nothing else there of any substance that you would ever. Let me tell you, people talk about it. I'm upset about the college football playoff expanding. No, I'm more mad about the NCAA tournament expanded. You want to know why? because that means more teams got to go to Dayton. Anytime you're telling more young men go to Ohio,

you're the villain. You're the bad guy in the story. You are not the good guy. Hey, well, first of all, two things. Number one, the states of Louisiana and Mississippi fighting over who's less racist is hilarious. Number two, what number two, what the hell do you have against Ohio, bro?

Oh, I'm a Detroit. I'm from Detroit, Michigan, brother. We hate the folks. As someone, you know, I hate to play a big brother on this one. As someone who spent some time in Cincinnati, Ohio, I was up there for a summer, and I will inform you, I will regret to inform you that I ain't seen that many big women, especially from Cincinnati and specifically from Columbus.

I'm sure. I'm sure you didn't. I'm sure you didn't. because there ain't many people there, period. It ain't many people there at all. You didn't see many people there at all. But again, times have changed. When you was up there for that summer, I'm guessing you was way younger than Baxson, and got way wider.

With the invention of the air friar and modern technology that finally got to Ohio, years after, decades after, it got to the rest of the world. What you're saying is, the skyline chili started to expand. I'm going to just a minute. I'm going to say that skyline chili got a little too good.

Yeah, they put chili on everything. They said those little chileo cinnamon rolls up there. I said, what type of big back button? They keep the game, brusher. On TikTok, they keep asking who are going to be the boys, who are going to be the girls? I keep asking who are going to have the toes? Who are going to have fully functioning feet at the end of this? Because diabetes, they're going to be calling you sugarfoot for real.

But on a different, back to the sports-related part of this thing. Again, I just, I look at the NCAA, I look at the college football playoff expanding, And I say, I don't want it either, but if it's going to happen, I a thousand percent agree with you, Grayson. There will be more upsets from the ACC. There will be more ACC teams that prove our medal nationally. Right. And because when you expand and you, especially in a sport like football where it's a single elimination tournament, when you expand, you're adding more games, which means you're adding more opportunity for chaos, which will it possibly diminish the interest in your product when you get to the final four? Okay, maybe. But if you look at it from an ACC or even a Big 12 perspective here, that's more opportunity for us to cause some problems. So just it's basic percentages and law of averages here that something is going to happen,

whether it's Miami, whether it's alluble potentially, whether it's an SMU who, let me tell you all, SMU is built more like a power four team coming into this year than they have been since the days of the Pony Express. So that the possibilities are endless if you let more and more of those teams in. Clemson ain't going to be down forever. Florida State will get its act together at some point, hopefully before I turn 30 in six years. But it's going to happen where if you just invite more and more opportunity, things like this will come up and bite you in the rear end. Oh, yeah.

I think that, you know, you're just looking at the final top 25, just scrolling. And like I know, I hate to sound a little biased in a one game scenario, you know what I mean to tell me that Haynes King couldn't upset somebody, went on a heater and upset somebody? And mind you, the team that everybody was arguing, well, do they belong in? Do they belong in? Was Texas.

I have no doubt in my mind and in my heart that Texas would have gotten, they would have gotten all they could handle and maybe lost the game to Georgia Tech last year. That's not a doubt in my mind. thousand so yeah yeah i think open it up it when you you're going to when you open it up you open up a can of worms like there are going to be some teams they're going to get in and expose the whole oh yeah the mighty powers that be nobody can compete with them now yeah i hear you like the one and the two essentially yeah those guys are probably going to get those those but when you talk about you're getting the three four five six seven eight yeah like if you open that bad boy those go those

guys can get can and will get knocked off the funniest part of all this is that SEC country and I live in it SEC country is already incredibly pissed off because they haven't won it they haven't even played for a national championship in the last three seasons that's the first time that's happened since right before I was born I believe um that was 20 that was a quarter century ago if they start losing in playoff games to big 12 or ac c teams our lives are going to get really really fun watching the reaction to that. Oh, well, you know what, though? And this is the best, this is the best part about that, to watch them melt down in real time, to watch Canaan say, oh, you got the great Auburn.

And even if y'all are better than us, who wants to watch it? Well, thank you for telling us you're not here for good football. Thank you for telling us, hey, you're here for the names and not the actual ball. I'm here for ball.

I don't care who you are. Texas Tech is good now? Great. I love to see it. Miami has finally risen up from all those years down. Great. I love to see it. SMU, free shirt with blood.

Y'all still need to free my dog. But SMU is good again? Absolutely. I love it. I love it. Yeah. Let's do it. I don't understand this idea that college football is bound to certain teams being good.

I grew up one of the biggest Michigan fans in the world. I'm not bound to Michigan has to be good. Even if they're not good. I don't want to watch no college football. Why? For what? That I root for them because a lot of cash technicians go there, but I'm not about to sit up here and say,

oh man, I don't want to see nothing if it ain't the old powers that be. No, stop that. It's a new game. It's a new breed. It's a new day. Indiana is our damn defending national champion. Right.

16 and 0, 16 and no. First one. Yeah. And I'll give you all this. NBA analogy, I know we've got to take a break. But NBA analogy here, I'm just a fan of basketball. I didn't mind one bit that the NBA final. last year was Oklahoma City versus Indiana.

I'm still going to tap in. I'm still going to tap in if the national championship is between Georgia Tech and let's just say Texas Tech. For instance, I'm still going to watch a bunch of people that hate watch college football may not. I'm still going to be there. Why? Because I'm a fan of ball.

Yes, indeed. Coming up next here on the ACC squad show, just getting started here, Grayson Kenton and Jarvis. Who's the most slept on quarterback in the ACC? And Kenton will tell you why it's CJ Bailey. Coming up next. Workplace chaos, deadline stacking up, inbox overflowing, and the one position you have to fill is still sitting open.

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This is a job for Indeed's sponsored jobs. All right. Welcome back, ACC squad here on a Thursday. Grayson Singleton, Kenton Gibbs, and Jarvis Davis here with you. Okay, so we in our think tank earlier today, we came up with who's the most slept on quarterback in the ACC. So I want us to do this. I'm not going to go with Kevin Jennings, even though there's an argument for it, because I host Locked-on SMU. Kinson, I hope you'll go with somebody not named CJ Bailey because you host Locked-on Wolfpack and then Jarvis is the same for you. But if we had to divert from our teams,

which there's certainly arguments to be made for each of our team's quarterbacks, SMU, NC State, and Georgia Tech, who would you go with as the most slept-on quarterback in the ACC coming into this season? First of all, I find this question offensive. I wasn't actually going to go with C.J. Bailey. Come on. No, I was actually, no, I was actually just being funny. But I'm going to tell you something. I'm going to show a group some love,

and it's not just because they're very interactive online. It's not just because we all love the Calgary. JKS is freak show stuff. That young man was a freshman last year. And do you know how many quarterbacks in this conference had more yards than him and less interceptions? Take a while, guys. None.

one, Darien Minter. That's it. That's it. Nobody else have more yards and less turnovers than him. He is a guy that I really look at him and I say he can make every throw and he doesn't struggle with the consistency of the underneath stuff either. Now with him, you look at him and say, hey, you need to get more comfortable. You need to get a bit more settled. And sometimes I got to stand in there and take that hit because he does have a tendency.

to use his mobility in the backfield to kind of bail out sometimes. And it's like, dude, the window's there. Just hold on for just one more second. Take that hit and deliver it. But I think that he truly has some freak show stuff to him. And he's one of those guys that he has a superpower and he doesn't have the negative downside to it. Normally, guys like him that have that tendency to hold on to the ball

and make guys miss in the backfield and all that, they normally tend to have some just terrible boneheaded turnover. Not him. Not him. And mind you, he was a true freshman last year. This is a true freshman. You know, this is a kid that was slow dancing at prom not too long ago and did a great job with Cal last year. He's losing his top receiver. He's losing Kendra Gryl and all that.

But I think that he is talented enough. He is good enough that him plus LaPoy could spell danger for a lot of ACC. Yeah, I think when you look at what Tosh LaPoy as a head coach, now I'm not buying him. as a head coach. That's just me, you know, because I, you know, had some experience when he was an assistant down here with Atlanta Falcons and that that just didn't rub me the right way. So I'm waiting to see. Yeah, I'm not surprised. Don't know about the Falcons rub anybody the right way, man.

Yeah. What will we do with here? Yeah. Pause, all that stuff. But yeah, I don't, yeah. But when when you talk about him being a head coach and being able to get JKS to continue to evolve, you know, that's what that's what I question that's what i'm looking to see but yeah just from a talent perspective though yeah that that dude is one talented cat and one thing about titha he can recruit he can recruit his but all so i'm not surprised he was able to retain him i think that was like job number one uh i wouldn't be surprised he jumped on a private private jet in the middle of the night to go as soon as he got hired to go hey

go get go get jk s and figure out what it's going to take for him to stick around but but yeah but for me though when I think about you know, quarterbacks outside of the one that plays for the team that I cover, I got to look at a guy like Mason Hines for Pitt. That, like, he was one of those dudes because, you know,

Pat and Arduzzi, you know, decided to go towards him, you know, last year, benched Eli Holstein, and that was a pretty big deal up there, up there in the state of Pennsylvania when that went down. And he looked, he, and Mason Hinesh made him look like one of those dudes. Like, please, 7, 3% of his passes.

And he just went slap off. And I think that he continued to ride that wave. And when he came down to Bobby Dodd and had the whiteout and everybody was all emptied up, all you got to do, just get this win. You're going to Charlotte, baby, everything all good. Mason Hunter said, no, no. So, yeah, I think that Mason Hineshaw is a guy that, definitely the conference. I know I got my eye on him and keeping an eye on him as far as the

conference goes, but I think nationally, he is definitely being slept on for sure. And I'll tell you, one thing about Mason Highshu, I love his offensive coordinator, Kay Bell. I think that he's one of the rising stars in the coaching ranks. He was originally under his father, Curvin Bell at Western Carolina, and they lit it up. They lit the world on fire out there. And I knew that he was going to do great things. at Pitt, but to see the way that they have worked with Mason Heschel and kind of turn them from a more unheralded guy into a year one impact player, a year one guy that, you know, as much as I love JKS, guess who had the higher QB rating between Hinschel and JKS in terms of true

freshman in the ACCC? So Mason Hyssel definitely deserves more flowers than he's getting. I don't know why Pitt can't have quarterback continuity. ever since Kenny Pickett left. I don't know what's going on there, but maybe Kay Bell and Hineshle are the combo to make it happen. Well, I think, I mean, a lot of what goes to that is poor evaluations too. And, you know, sometimes you can think a guy's one thing and he's really not. And then he doesn't end up developing.

So I think that plays a part into why you're playing quarterback roulette for the last couple of years up there pit. Mason Hintzschel was going to be my number two. I'll make the argument for you, Kinton, about C.J. Bailey. because I think he's the one that I look at and I say, this dude's not getting enough fanfare, and it's likely because he's at NC State. Kenton, I know I'm not breaking news to you, but Jarvis and to anybody else listening,

this is NC State's schedule this year. Virginia, Richmond, Vanderbilt, App State, Louisville, Wake Forest, Stanford, Cal, Duke, Syracuse, Florida State, and North Carolina. They don't have a lot of guys, have a lot of teams on the schedule that are going to put them into a, spotlight matchup.

So we're just always by default going to forget about C.J. Bailey. But this was a dude last year who's 6 foot 6, 210 pounds, and can move and at a touchdown interception ratio of 25 to 9. This dude's a real baller. And if he continues to showcase the ability that he showcased last year, in a quarterbacked rich NFL draft in 2027, this dude could be one of those risers because he's going to test well in addition to if he puts up solid numbers. We're just going to forget about it because they don't have a game against Miami.

They don't have a game against Clemson. They don't play maybe even an SMU. They play Louisville. Okay, that's a good one, but that's your best matchup. And we don't even know about their quarterback. So I think he's going to be one of the more forgotten names unless you're consistently watching college football from kickoff to after dark on a Saturday. Wow. I could not agree more.

You know, I agree. This Grayson kid, he's on this up, Jarvis. He did a great job to find him. Let me tell you something, man. CJ Bailey is definitely going to be one of those guys next year. And the crazy part about it is when you look at how NC State has been structured these past two years, he's kind of had to be that. He's kind of had to, they haven't had defenses, which is kind of odd underdoring. And, you know, it's strange to say, but Tony Gibson ain't walking through that door.

You know, he was a wonderful defensive coordinator while he was in NC State. But now second most yards allowed any ACC last year, and I still believe they won eight or nine games last year. that is wildly impressive. And Grayson, I'm going to need you to stop talking about NC State players because Vegas opened up the odds, the underover on NC State for this year at six and a half. It's already jumped an entire game. So there's a lot of smart money going around saying. You're still trying to get that best price on that over, aren't you?

Hey, listen, me and Brandisoris be the same type of guy. Yeah, man, if you get a call from me in the middle of the night, said, I got a hot tip on Turkish basketball, just know it's legit. I'm joking. Don't gamble like that. Don't beat degenerates. Don't y'all do it. But in all seriousness, I think the C.J. Bailey is prime for a really good time. I mean, this is his third year with the same coaches. How often do we say that in college football, right? Like, granted, the offensive coordinator change, but he got the quarterback coach who was already there with him to become his offensive coordinator. So that's a very good continuity. And that was from two years ago to last year. This year, you're keeping the same offensive coordinator. same head coach, same quarterback for two years in a row. And as strange as it sounds in college football today, that is a rarity. So I expect big things out of CJ Bailey this year. Yeah, man.

And kind of just to third every, you know, what you always said. Like I never forget in the second half of that game, that man was on one leg against Ted. Yeah. One leg. One leg. And he was just slinging it. Just slinging it.

sitting back there, read the newspaper, throwing the ball all over the yard, handed off to Isaac Brown and all in Hollywood. It just wasn't pretty. It wasn't pretty at all. Hollywood was hurt that game. It was Duke Scott. Duke.

Duke. Duke. There we go. Yeah. He went for two hundred. Duke. Hey, listen, that's my guy. I haven't been that excited about the Duke since Stevie Wonder

dropped that song way back with an eye. So, you know, it was a hell of a game. But, no, in all seriousness, this, C.J. Bailey has that ability to improvise that you would say, only 10 guys in America can make this play. He also has those boneheaded moments where you're like, only 10 guys in America would be so silly as to make that play. If he can eliminate that downside, if he can eliminate that, the thing that I said, J.K.S. doesn't have where it just holds on to the ball for too long and does that. If C.J. Bailey can get rid of that bit of indecision and be a little bit more decisive in his decision-making and have moments where he's like, you know what, the best thing I can do right now, this ball into the stands, give some kid the souvenir, let's grow next down.

I think that he's going to be fantastic. And if NC State's defense can stop anybody, I mean, anybody could be a special year-in-rella. Let me ask you guys this, because it seems like the wild card at quarterback in the ACC is the new Louisville quarterback, Lincoln Keenholz, hadn't really played much of college football at his time at Ohio State, got leaked rocked by Julius St. I mean, wait, wait, no, I mean, let's be real like there are some people that think link and keens also is going to be really good i am not one of them because i genuinely don't know a single thing about this dude see see this is my problem man

like it this goes back to the whole narrative oh just because he was recruited by ohio state and he had a certain ranking yeah we should respect that and he's the next you know joe burrow and all this stuff like no man like it's a reason why that man didn't play over there like that has to be taking into consideration. Well, yeah, but that's why I said he's a wild card, because we don't, we don't necessarily know. Like, he could, he could end up being pretty decent with, with, you know, Jeff Brom's coaching staff and the way they run their offense and he just got passed up or beat out at Ohio State. That's possible. Or Ohio State could have been right in the dude just sucks. Like, we, we don't know a single thing. There's no piece of information that would

lead you to, to know literally nothing about Lincoln Keenholz right now. If there's anything working for Lincoln Key Holtz, it's who his coach is, right? In the same measure that I mentioned, K. Bell, you've got the quarterback whisperer Supreme in Brian Brown. When a quarterback's career is dead, when it's in the graveyard, when somebody is reading the eulogy, all you got to do is put his body, the body of his career on Coach Brown's steps and he turns into the Lazarus Pit. You're going to come back out fresh and new. Remember when people said Miller Moss wasn't going to be nothing that they were done with him. he was terrible and he can't do nothing he can't play for lincoln riley that's not it he turned him

into a good look and start quarterback remember plumber jack plumber took that team to an ac c championship game uh if there's anybody if i knew my son couldn't play a lick of quarterback and they said can't you got to send them to some ac c school come on down to louisville kentucky okay well what's the area called the 502 send the boy to the 502 he'll be just spot in the Papa John's Stadium. You know, I know they renamed it, but as my own named it, Papa John's Stadium. So, yeah, send him on down there

and we'll get them right, because, again, Brown and his brother do a heck of a job with those quarterbacks. They do a heck of a job with those offenses. And he has what is very likely, first of all, without a doubt, the best big play hitting running back in the ACC, maybe even a nation in Isaac Brown. But he has what could be particularly the best overall back. Hold on now, Kim.

Hold on now. I was a better big. George Jake just got Justice Haynes. You think Justice Haynes is a better big play threat than Isaac Brown? Isaac Brown was hobbled and hurt for half of last year. How many yards do you think he averaged per carry when he was healthy? Oh, by the way, when I say when he was healthy, I don't mean like the games where he was healthy. I mean the entire season when he played.

How many yards do you think he averaged per carry while the injury situation is going on? I just know, Justice. before he got hurt seven he was averaging seven yards and led the big 10 and y'all's per carry i'm not i'm not saying that i'm not saying that i'm not saying that haines ain't a hell of a back i right i don't know what it is i'm saying you just said it too you had too much fervor in your in your throat you know what it's a little bit too much confidence my brother when it comes to hold on now i have watched like i have watched way more ac cc football than the average bear okay i've seen all these backs do it and i've watched

a good amount of Michigan football because, of course, again, my cast tech technicians go there, cast tech number one second or nine, you know how that go. But I am telling you, I like Justice Hanks. I think he's fantastic. Sure.

Isaac is on another level. He makes fast guys look slow. He makes everybody. We just said it too confidently. That's all? And I'm always going to be confident behind that. I'm still saying. I'm saying, I had to kind of like,

make sure that, you know, I gave you the inside hand. I just had to give you the inside hand, just pop your chest a little bit. You know what I'm saying? In the words of Mary J. Blas, don't bring no hate and race and holleration into this dancerry. I think that Justice Haynes is fantastic, but Isaac Brown, in terms of big playability, in terms of the ability of like, hey, any moment when he touches it, packing a mail is gone,

oh, he's second to none. Again, in the ACC for sure, in the nation, I'm like, you might be able to convince me, but no player in the nation had 100 carries and eight yards or more, except him, except him. He's it. He's a fantastic back. When you talk about Heismic candidate potential, like, that depends on how Lincoln County holds plays and what their record looks like

at the end of the year with Louisville and all that stuff. But, yeah, he's up there, man, for sure. But, you know, hey, there's somebody down here in Atlanta, too. They got something to say about that as well. There we go with the South got something to say. See, this is it. Every time Atlanta feel like they get me more. We go grab the mic, the South got something to say.

Well, hang on, hang on, hang on, hang on now. Hang on now, kids. It's Atlanta. Nobody ever ignores Atlanta. Well, no, no, I'm just saying every time Atlanta feel like they getting ignored, they're going to tell you, some got something to say. We got to say something. You know, it's too much.

It's too much. But, again, Isaac Brown, oh, and by the way, I was undershooting it when I said eight yards. He was averaging 840s on over 100 carries last. year the young man every time he touched the ball it was a first down damn near and you're telling me that he has an equal in terms of big play capability I say and slow your road bro that's it all they tell him start drug testing the hosts I'm a tell him start drug testing these holes they just get me there anyways and say whatever and mr. lock see look see you don't wait until we do the BET version of the ACC squad

to say something like this has to be I mean it I mean look I mean look it already was but from what's come out of our mouths today, this has to be the blackest locked on show that we have ever had in our entire lot, in the entire history of this company. Mr. Lock, I was joking. I don't believe that. I don't believe that.

I believe he's sober. I just think he's wrong. I just think he's very wrong. Oh, big. Coming up next on Locked on ACC, C. These income enforcement rules and a proposed salary cap is going absolutely poorly and to the point where the Big 12 is telling the SEC and the Big Ten to just go ahead and leave and do your own thing.

This is terrible, man. We'll be right back. ACCC Squad here on this Thursday this week. Grayson Singleton from Locked on SMU, Kenton Gibbs, Locked on Wolfpack, and Jarvis Davis from Locked on Yellow Jackets with Georgia Tech. And I came across this earlier today, boys. So the clearinghouse that is supposed to regulate the NIL payments and stuff like this, I guess the Big Ten and the SEC are not following it to the point where one of the ADs in the Big 12,

the AD for Iowa State, has said, hey, if they don't want to follow these rules that we all signed up for, hey, just go ahead and leave to the SEC and the Big Ten. Now, I think behind closed doors, the SEC and the Big Ten are saying, oh, yeah, we kind of actually would like to do a week, you know, kind of like to do that thing. But when it comes to enforcing these so-called salary caps, which by the way, you shouldn't be able to do for a number of legal reasons, it seems like it's driving a rift between those two conferences and the other two conferences here in the in the ACC considered. So when you hear people encouraging the SEC and the Big Ten to break away, you think this is a good idea, I think it's a bad idea or this playing with

fire with this Iowa State AD? I mean, I get it. I don't. I'm confused on which side of defense I fall on here only because there will be a lot of cascading downriver effects that I don't think are being considered. Like, don't get me wrong. Am I of the ilk that follow the damn rules? The rules are set up as they are, you know, follow them.

And, and, you know, those rules aren't necessarily fair in the free market. I mean, it's, if these players are not. employees, if you don't have collective bargaining, if you don't have all of those things, you're going to run into stuff like this. That's just how this works. So I'm conflicted here because part of me is like, if y'all want to take your ball and go home, go for it. Like you just said, the SEC ain't played in the national championship in quite some time. As a matter of fact, the ACC has played the one much more recently than they have. But with that in mind, it's also like, you know, do you want to see these rivalries go away? Do you want to see the Georgia, Georgia

robberies go away. Do you want to see the Clemson, South Carolina's go away? Do you want to see those types of things, Florida, Florida State, you know, Florida, Miami, do you want to see those types of things go away? It's a very dicey territory, but I do always look at people a little sideways if it's like I'm taking my ball to go home, but it's for good reason if it's, I'm taking my ball to go home because you're not going to allow me to pay my players what I have. what's the consequences though? Like, who's going to check me, boo?

If I want to spend $30 million on my roster? Like, who's going to check me? So if we're in a space where, like, you don't have something that's collectively bargained, you know, contract, law that you have to follow, you know, or the laws or rules or whatever the league will be called, if those guys would, those conferences would walk away, then like what are we really talking about? And to be honest, which is like, are they getting

return on their investment? You know, because look we just won the 90. Indiana one. And the other one at no $30 million, you know, they went up there with Ohio states of the world or whatever that number is, you know, that's being thrown around. So yeah, like if there, if there aren't any consequences, we're going to continue to remain in people complaining about, oh, They're not following up $20 million salary cap. Well, shoot, get these doggone up boys in a union, these 18 to 25, 24 year olds, and say, hey, man, y'all get your union together. We're going to get our league and call it and get rid of the NCAA completely.

And we're going to negotiate this thing and hash it out and come up with something that makes sense for everyone. So everyone can follow the rules. Until then, it's going to be chaos, baby. Let's figure it out. Like, wherever the money you can get it to bring it in, to get a player that you know that going to help you win ball game, do it, man. Because, like, this is all the NCAA's fault, right? Yeah. Yeah.

They did not. They wanted to act like they were this nonprofit organization and, you know, everybody getting fat cat TV contracts and NCAA got two employees and they all on getting paid millions of dollars and they just sitting there chilling. They just pop up there now and then when a guy signed a jersey and sold it for $100. Like, A.J. Green down there in Georgia. So, yeah, no, like, these are the consequences. These are the consequences of going that long without deciding to come up with some type of form of compensation. I mean, I know we're not talking about that now. Like, because I was a student athlete.

I remember, like, I had to make $20 last for two weeks. You know? Like, and I'm not a little person for those who sit here looking at, looking at us on YouTube. You know what I'm saying? Like, it took a lot to feed me. You know what I mean? So, yeah, man, like this, this, the issue is not the SEC, Big Ten, spending all the money they want to spend. These are the consequences of the NCAA ignoring common sense for so damn long.

Now they're reaping the consequence and it's straight up chaos. And I love it. Until they figure out, I'm going to sit back and watch. And by the way, nobody here has a problem with it one bit. I love the fact that the NCAA is being thrown into disarray. But you know, you mentioned bargaining with the players, right? Ross Delinger was on one of my radio shows here in Oklahoma about a couple of months ago. And he dropped this interesting factoid.

If you're going to negotiate the players, that means the players have to unionize. And what incentive do the players have to unionize right now? Oh, they actually, hold on. Hold on. They actually have a lot. They actually have a lot because every time that you look up and they're having these conversations about players' compensation, who's missing? The players.

Who's not there? The players. When they're coming up with this Save America or Save College Sports Act and all this and all this and all that, who's not at the table? The employee, the de facto employees. Sure. And my grandmother was a, you know, from the Motor City, she worked in the UAW for a long, long time. And she told me, if you're not at the table, you're on the table.

If you are not there, when you are talking, when people are discussing your pay, your pay is going to get cut. Your pay is going to get down. And that is why, yes, hypothetically, there is no reason for them to, you know, come to the table and negotiate. But to me, it only works out that. way if you're banking on the 1% outcomes. Because, yes, Adairian Menta is going to get paid $8 million, $9 million, whatever the number is, $6 million, whatever it is. Sure.

A backup defensive tackle from Texas State is not. A backup left guard from East Carolina is not. And if y'all want just the same protections, y'all want to make sure that you are taking care of, there is a reason to come to that table and say, hey, this is our union. These are our demands. This is what we need in order to make this thing work out to where we will consider taking any cuts or anything like that. But KG, KG, let me throw this at you. And I think you're exactly right, though.

But because they're not employees, this what the schools are running and the conferences are running into is that you can't artificially limit my earning potential because all I got to do is take you to court. Because if I'm essentially, if I'm essentially an independent contractor and I'm not sure employer, then who are you to restrict what I can make? Who are you to put manmade caps on what I can make? They can more easily do that when they are employees and you're collectively bargaining with them. So as long as you're not employees, which by the way, the NCAA's whole existence is built upon making sure these cats are not employees.

So as long as they're not employees, they are technically, I mean, almost legally able to make as much money as they want. because if you are going to inhibit my earning potential, all I got to do is take you to court, say, hey, they're not my employer. So employment law and all that stuff and antitrust exemptions too doesn't really factor in. And again, that's the lay or that's the word of the law, right? That's how the law is written, right? What happens when you go to court and they interpret it a certain way that may not agree with you?

then what how often does that happen though it hasn't happened very often but this is what i'm saying you can't live your life based off of so far it has never happened so it will never happen if it goes to the highest court that there is that is the supreme court now again we don't talk politics here we talk sports here however if the president puts forth a ruling a law saying hey you got to let me know this is the hard limit point blank period we ain't going to beyond this, right? You get a raising your cap of 1%, 2%, 3% every year, whatever the occasion would be, right? If the president puts that in place, you sue, you lose, or you win whoever, and y'all keep going back and forth, how likely is it for the highest court in the

land to discreet the president? With the way it's presently constructed? Not very likely. Not very likely. And guess what? Guess what? You can't vote a Supreme Court judge out. You can't. You can't. They're going to either give that seat up or they're going to die with that seat. Right. And it's interesting. And it's interesting you bring that, bring that up because, you know, like, did you guys see that the score act?

The score act that has been trying to be pushed through Congress. That got ripped away from the voting agenda most recently. So, like, I know we don't talk politics on this show, but there's a lot of overlap between college sports and lawmakers right now. And now with the midterms on the horizon being about to come up, all this could get really, really hairy to the point where to bring it back around to college football, if you're trying to use congressional legislation to reel this whole thing in, that might have to be put on the table for a while. Because we have no idea with the compensation, the compensation, the construction of the House and the Senate is going to be until we get through these midterms. Yeah, man, like, that's why I'm on, that's why I'm on board with, man, get that money. Get your money, man. Oh, yeah.

If you a player, get your money and get as much money as you can. Absolutely. Get your money. But again, I'm saying protect your opportunity to get your money by coming together collectively. Either you will bargain collectively or you will beg as individuals. Players do not know it yet, but the begging phase is right there. It's right there on the cusp, peeking around the corner. It got his top hat on saying, my crew, let's go.

Because it's about to be on the move in a much quicker instance than we think. And again, I'm all for these players getting money. Grayson, you're right. As they're not employees, you're right. You can't cap them. You also don't get the protections that employees have. When you get hurt, you don't get workers' compensation. Everybody that played in the defensive line room I was in, we all got something wrong with us.

It varies. It's different degrees. It's some guys that, like, you know, You know, the school discretion as to whether or not they want to pay for your rehab. Exactly. Exactly. That's the type of stuff I'm saying where it's like, if you are not,

if you don't have these protections, you don't have these protections. And again, while the 1% will go out and get their millions and millions of millions, everybody on the roster with the 1%ers ain't making millions. That's just the way it is. I've heard, and I'm not going to say from who, I'm cool with many families that are, you know, either. all around college football, some in the ACC, so I'm not. And one thing I will tell you is I have heard some of these deals that are coming out.

Some of these guys, they're making life-changing money. Some of these guys, they're making a year-changing money. They're making like, oh, that's about the salary or the average American. Maybe a little longer. Some guys, I've heard of even lower than that. So, again, if you're not protecting your ability to make money in a long-term sustainable fashion, I think that athletes are doing themselves in the service. And that's last word.

Yeah. As you're going to say ultimately, though, when it comes to collectively bargaining, you're not collectively bargaining for the present. You're collectively bargaining for the future. And it's going to take some very level-headed thinking from these young men to say, hey, we need to go be able to go to the table for the man that's coming from behind so he can benefit. And I don't know in today's world right now, the way these numbers being thrown out, if it's a guy that's in that seven-figure range, I don't know if he comes to the table.

He's going to be a resort level house that he was given. Yeah, it's just like when the NFL has to redo their collective bargaining agreements, where it's the top of the line players that are urging everybody to vote yes, but who, I mean, you get past the 10th, 15th, highest pay player on the roster, those guys that are in the 40 to 53 range. They're the ones that are like, wait, no, we, we ain't trying to go for this while, you know, JJ Watt and Vaughn Miller and Kurt Cousins are up here telling us to do it. Exactly.

They make good job money, right? Don't get me wrong. I'm not saying that the NFL doesn't pay guys. I'm saying the guys in that 40 to 53 range, they make money as if they have a really good job. But there's levels. to this. The guys, the JJ Watson and all that, they may, my kids don't have to work money. That's a different.

If you are bargaining based on that 1% of guys, you're leaving the rest of that, even if you say the top 50% of players in college football are all going to be set in terms of FBS. You're still leaving a large portion of guys out in the cold, right? And that's, what do you want to do with that? What do you want to, do you want to bring back potentially four years, scholarship, and say it's no longer a one-year renewable, whereas, hey, if you don't perform, we're going to get rid of you. But I'm not an employee.

How can you get rid of me because I'm not performing? If I'm not an employee, you could not pay me NIL, sure. But why would you get rid of me from the university if that's the case? Yeah. Protect yourself. Protect yourself. That's all I'm saying. Yeah, real talk.

All right, boys. Hey, man, this has been a lot of fun. Appreciate all of you guys tapping in with us here on Locked-on ACC, the ACC squad show this week. We'll do it all again next week. Make sure you check out Locked-on SMU. Make sure you check out Locked-on Wolfpack and Locked-on Yellow Jackets as well. For Kenton, Gives and Jarvis Davis, I'm Grayson Singleton. We'll see you guys next week.

Take it easy, everybody.