The Herd with Colin Cowherd - 3 and Out - Greg McElroy on Arch Manning Hype, NIL/Transfer Portal Chaos, Saban Culture

Episode Date: July 11, 2022

National championship winning quarterback - and host of the Always College Football Podcast - Greg McElroy discusses expectations for Sark in year two at Texas, if Arch Manning can live up to the hype, if the transfer portal needs to be reigned in, if the reports of astronomical NIL signing numbers are inaccurate, the culture shock of Nick Saban’s first year at Bama, and how he continues to adapt to get his message across. Subscribe NOW and follow Middlekauff and The Volume on Twitter, Instagram and YouTube for the latest content. It's always FanDuel for the best wagering action! #HerdSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is an I-Heart podcast. Guaranteed Human. Another podcast from some SNL, late-night comedy guy, not quite. Unhumor me with Robert Smygel and friends. Me and hilarious guests from Bob Odenkirk to David Letterman help make you funnier. This week, my guest, SNL's Mikey Day and head writer, Streeter Seidel, help an a cappella band with their between songs banter.

Where does your group perform? We do some retirement homes. Those people are starving for banter. Listen to humor me with Robert Smigel and friends on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal, but encouraged. It's the enhanced games. Some call it grotesque. Others say it's unleashing human potential. Either way, the podcast's superhuman documented it all, embedded in the games and with the athletes for a full year.

Within probably 10 days, I'd put on 10 pounds. I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth. Listen to Superhuman on the IHard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care which I'm saying. Yep, that's me, Cliver Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, my basketball and college football journey, or my career in sports media. Well, now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifers Show.

This is a place for raw, unfilled conversations with athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but the show. celebrated. So let's get to it. Listen to the Clifford show on the Iheart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok's podcast network on TikTok. On the Look Back at it podcast.

For 1979, that was a big moment for me. 84's big to me. I'm Sam J. And I'm Alex English. Each episode, we pick a year, unpack what went down, and try to make sense of how we survived it with our friends, fellow comedians, and favorite authors. Like Mark Lamont Hill on the 80s.

84 was a wild year. I don't think there's a more important year for black people. Listen to look back at it on the IHeart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. The volume. The three-in-out podcast with me, John Middilcough, is presented by Fandul's Sportsbook. There's no better place to make every moment more than with Fanduel. Great odds and markets for baseball, the NBA, NHL, PGA, Tours, and so much more. Awesome new and existing user promotions. America's number one sports book, very easy to use, safe and secure.

You get your winnings fast. I cannot recommend it enough. Love gambling with Fanduel. If you are new, just download the Fandual Sportsbook app to get started. Now sign up with promo code Colin so they know we sent you. What's up, everybody? Welcome to the Three and Out podcast. Back from a little summer break and have a big, big show today.

If you listen through Collins' feet, subscribe to the Three and Out podcast. You guys know the drill, the Instagram, fire in, get on the Middlecock mailbag at John Middlecough is the Instagram. But let's waste no time and go to high school state champion, college football champion, drafted in the NFL. He now has a podcast, which came out last week, his first guest, might have just landed a pretty big recruit, Steve Sarkeesian. Greg McElroy, you can hear him always college football five days a week now.

What's up, man? How you doing? All good, man. No, I appreciate it. It would be real fun, unfortunately, because of the rules that are in place right now. It's like the only rule that still exists when it comes to recruiting, it feels like. Sark could not quite comment on the specifics of Archmanning's recruitment, but we commented on his behalf. So it's been fun to kind of get this thing launched and to get things going and talking about the sport we love so much every day. Before we get into Sark, I actually saw something on Instagram yesterday.

and it made me think of you once I was kind of looking at your wiki and realize, obviously, you went to South Lake Carroll. You backed up Chase Daniel. And there was this Instagram post yesterday that Chase Daniel in the history of the league ranked 62nd in most money made for quarterbacks. And he started five career games. I mean, what an incredible life. Doesn't get any better at that. Yeah, I think the big key. And unfortunately, I found out the other side of the equation. Like, I think the big key is wait as long as you can until you have to play. So by that point, you're a seasoned vet, and you can basically say that, you know, you've seen it all at that point. You've gone through practice long enough.

You're adjusted at the speed of the game. Those that are forced to play early, they play their way out of the league. So it's kind of funny how that works. So it's worked out great for Chase. And he was a great guy to play with in high school. And he's a guy that I've rude before ever since. Can you name me some quarterbacks that went to that high school? Because I'm pretty sure there's a long list, right?

A long list. But, you know, as far as making it to the NFL, Chase and I are the only ones that got to. Where did Drew Breeze and Foles go to schools? They didn't go to South Lake. So they're from, so Drew Breeze, I believe, is from Austin Westlake. Foles is from Austin Westlake. Sam Allinger is from Austin Westlake.

But then there's another school called Baytown Lee, which has had a bunch of quarterbacks. Midland Lee's had a couple quarterbacks. So, I mean, obviously, Texas is kind of a, kind of a hot bed of quarterback talent. And it's usually kind of divided up as crazy as it sounds into like six or seven different schools. So it just kind of depends on the era. It was West Texas for a while.

Then it became Dallas and now it's down to Austin. So it's kind of scattered all over the place. Well, speaking of your first guess, I've always had this take. I mean, I've only met him a couple times, but I have a lot of mutual friends that have worked with them. People love Sark. People root for the guy personally. And obviously as a coordinator, he's been fantastic. I mean, hell, he had success in the NFL, obviously his role.

resume in college speaks for itself. But as a head coach, and I live in the Bay Area, I'm a Pac-12 guy. You know, Washington, given he's a great recruiter a lot like Lane, just didn't go that well in terms of winning. And then Chris Peterson got there and he won. USC obviously battled some demons. Last year of Texas, which is not all of his fault, he inherited just, I mean, a roster they didn't produce any NFL players. And I think people are pretty bullish on them this year. But his resume as a head coach for a guy that everyone likes personally and who's really good at coordinating in offense is just questionable. Why do you think that is?

And do you think that's going to change now moving forward with the talent he's getting in Texas? Well, just a little bit of an incomplete grade to me. And while I can certainly acknowledge and I'm not blind to the things that you pulled out there, the Washington job that he inherited was an absolute dumpster fire. It might have been the worst program in America, the most underachieving program in America. And he did, I guess, a decent job of getting things shifted there. just a little bit.

And then his time at SC was just so short. It's difficult at that point, at that stage of his life, to get a gauge on what that was going to inevitably become. My time around Sark has mostly been centered around his time at Alabama. I live in Birmingham and obviously close to the program. I just know from my own personal experience, you would be hard pressed to find an offense that I'd rather play in as a quarterback right now. And if there's one thing we know about college football,

It's very quarterback-driven. Yes, while defense matters, running game matters, featuring wide receivers matters. All that stuff is very important. No one's denying that. If you don't have a quarterback, you cannot win. And it's been like that for a very long time now. So I have a difficult time anticipating him struggling,

given the quarterback talent that's already flocking to Austin. We mentioned Archmanning. He'll be there in 2023. Quinn Ewers was everyone's favorite five-star a couple years ago. He decided to go to Ohio State. and I was back at Texas competing for the starting job with Hudson Carter, who started games last week, last year. So I think that Texan is in a position to really jump,

especially knowing the NIL and the changes that are happening, and again, on the landscape and college football, they're really well positioned. So look, you still got to prove it. But if I were to bet yes or no on Sark's success, right now I'm betting on yes. Well, I have a couple buddies that scout in that, you know, the Southwest they consider it and think that their team on paper,

actually is pretty good this year. And obviously Bejohn Robinson, you know, is potentially the best running back in the country. Landing Arch Manning, we'll get into Arch the player here in a second, but just the buzz that that brings for Sark. And five and seven, you know, again, you're closer to it than I am. I thought like, God, you have back to back like five and seven and six and six. This guy going to survive. But it does feel like the manning situation. Does that almost give him somewhat of a pass?

Or is there some pressure to at least go like eight and four this year in a program, which has a huge influx of talent now, like you said, because of the transfer rules and just a different time than when you played. Yeah, I think it's tough to gauge progress by wins and losses. But it's not always down to wins and losses, I guess. But I think this year with how their schedule sets up and with what the rest of the Big 12 is, there's really no reason to believe that Texas is going to struggle. I mean, on paper, you can make a strong argument that they have one of the best rosters in the entire Big 12. They have an improved quarterback situation from a year ago where Casey Thompson's a good, solid quarterback,

led the Big 12 in passing touchdowns, but Quinn Ewer is based on talent and upside is far past what even Casey Thompson was. So I think people believe quarterback position will be upgraded. I think people believe the run game will be just as good. The offensive defensive lines are hopefully going to take a step forward. And the personnel at wide receiver last year they had one. This year they might have three that can all be difference makers, which will only help the offense move forward a little bit more with the question marks that are in other places too.

I mean, Oklahoma, new regime with Brent Venables, think he's going to be good, think they're going to score a lot of points, feel very optimistic about what they might be this year, but it's certainly not a slam dunk. You look at Oklahoma State, they lost a lot. Baylor, they lost a lot. You can make a case, actually, that every team in the Big 12 is down this year. You can make that case. Now, I think it's a difficult case to make, but it can be made.

and Texas would be the one team who you can actually point to and say, okay, here I can see legitimate improvement. So I think eight and four is the minimum, but I also think with Arch coming in, it sets the standard for what the recruiting class might be in 23. And then as they transition into the SEC, I think they have a chance to really pick up a little momentum. The Big 12 was sneaky good last year.

You know, I mean, Oklahoma State and Baylor, it was good. If Arch Manning and Quinn Ewers, their names were John Middletalcalf and Greg McAul. Roy, like just in a vacuum, you know, because obviously Arch has held to such a high standard, but yours, I mean, I've been hearing about this guy. I don't even follow recruiting that closely for a couple years now. Who would you say would be the better recruit just based on talent, not on the hype and the name? It's a difficult, it's a difficult play right now. I've,

John, full disclosure, like I follow recruiting. I like recruiting, but I like the bigger picture storylines that surround recruiting. Like to me, Arch Manning's recruitment, do we even know what kind of player is to a certain extent. Yeah, I mean, I've watched a little bit of high school tape, but it's not like I'm grinding on six or seven high school games. I've watched him play basketball. I've watched him play basketball. I was like, damn, this guy's a good athlete. Right. He's a great athlete. He's like, you know, he's like Cooper in a lot of ways, his dad, really good athlete, very, very fluid athlete. So he's got a lot of natural gifts. And I think his skill set certainly sets up for the modern day of college football where he can win in the pocket,

but he can also create on his own with his legs and extend plays and make some off-schedual plays too. So there's a lot to like about him as a prospect. I think if you're going based exclusively on armed talent, Quinn Ewer's by all accounts, and I've seen him throw in person twice. He went to my high school. I've seen him throw in person twice. The first time, I was very impressed the second time I was blown away.

Now, being blown away by watching a guy throw in shorts and shoulder pads is difficult to do, but also, you know, we got to see him play the game. Like when live bullets are flying, how good is he? I mean, I really can't answer that right now. But I know that his arm is as good as just about anybody. This guy can flat out throw the football. Now, his footworks a little bit of a mess. He's a little bit of, you know, a little bit too chaotic.

I'd like to see him win a little bit more from a prototypical passing posture. when I was watching him at Ohio State and pregame last year, some of the throws he was doing in warm-ups made no sense. Like, dude, you would never throw with your feet like that. So I think he definitely has the horsepower, but now can that horsepower be refined? And Sark, traditionally, has been a guy that does a really good job of making a quarterback do that.

What I think, and I'm with you on the big picture stuff with these guys, what's fascinating about Arch is I heard someone say that, like, in the history of the elite 11, someone ranked, like the highest, the most hyped and best prospect based on all the rankings was Fields. And I think Trevor Lawrence was right there too. And Arch wasn't even in the top 10 of the group over the last decade. But I would say on the hype level, Arch, again, he's not Peyton Realized Kid.

That's part of it. But it feels like he is, you know? Like he's like a combination of them. But he's not. But the hype on him, we've all been hearing about him for years. I think it's going to be very, very difficult, even if he's a good player for him to live up to this. Because I would say that Trevor Lawrence, whatever that was, three or four years ago, he immediately started and they immediately won the national championship.

And it was clear he was really, really good. And it almost feels like anything less than that from Arch the moment he starts. Now, who knows, does he start as a true freshman? Maybe Ewers is really good this year. You know, maybe they have a lot. Maybe they underachieve and Arch gets a very good opportunity to start. Well, I'm pretty sure that his, if he does start as a true freshman, they play Alabama week two in two years.

So it's like, how? How does he live up to the height? I guess this is my question. Anything less than being like a Heisman trophy candidate immediately, it feels like, you know how, especially the SECs right around the corner, it's going to get crazy fast. Yeah, and I think the one guy that I could probably draw some parallels to would be Jimmy Claussen several years ago for another game.

And the reason why is Claussen the last name. I mean, his brothers had had a lot of success at Tennessee and had done a lot of really nice things. And he was the bona fide number one guy coming out of Sherman Oaks, California. And it's like, this guy can't miss. He had his recruitment and his final, I guess his announcement was at the College of Hall of Fame in South Bend. People are saying he's going to win three Heismans. You know, it's like, you know, some of the hype was a little bit ridiculous.

Not saying it was wrong. It just gets carried away. And next thing you know, he's got a popular name. It's like, okay, well, this guy might be the real deal. Well, he wasn't great out of the gate. I mean, he, like most people, they had growing pains. And by the time he came around to his third year, he was excellent. But first and second year, it was far from a finished product.

So the thing that I've always said about young quarterbacks having success, Trevor Lawrence ruined it for everybody. I know. I mean, it's as simple as that. Like, if you don't go out and win a national championship and ball out, like there must be something wrong with you. But it's not the case. Sometimes it just takes guys a year, maybe two,

to get comfortable playing at that speed, to get comfortable with the terminology of a college offense, to get comfortable with being able to make decisions that are consistent and you're not going to put your team behind the eight ball because I'll guarantee this. I don't care what Archmanning does year one. He will have in practice or in the games, he will have wild plays and he'll have horrible plays. Do those horrible plays get you beat? That's what freshmen are. They're an absolute roller coaster. What Trevor Lawrence did so beautifully in their national championship run is his big time mistakes were not catastrophic. They were growing pains, but they never actually affected Clemson in a negative way.

They were always able to overcome the mistakes that he might make along the course of the season. So they did that because they had a great defense, many other things too. So I think that Arch, no matter what, people will nitpick his game. But I also think at the same time, he's got the right head on his shoulders. He's got the right tutelage. He has transferable traits from a physical skill set standpoint. So there's a lot to like with him and like anybody. I mean, he's a pretty safe pick, I think as far as being an effective player at the next level. I would agree with you on Trevor changed it, but it does feel like that like Bryce and CJ, now those guys redshirted. Caleb was kind of doing that and then he just ended up starting when they bench Rattler kind of showed that like

when you're an elite player on big time programs that you can not only hit the ground running, like you can dominate. So I think. Well, Caleb had growing pains too, I think what's easy to have selective memory with Caleb doesn't mean he wasn't a great player. And at times he did special things. But he also was a player that was somewhat inconsistent at times, you know, as a true freshman. The Kansas game is one to forget for sure. Right. But all anyone remembers is the great play at the end, the heads up play at the end where he stripped the ball from his own teammate to keep a drive alive.

Right. So there's a lot to like about the skill set, but the consistency and the consistent decision-making for a young player. often leave something to be desired. So if you're not a perfectly refined product year one, don't panic. Like, it's going to be okay. Just keep grinding away, keep trying to get better and keep honing your skills. Because at some point, you know, if you have a high ceiling, all you need to do is just bring that floor up to your ceiling

so that you have predictable play as you take the field each and every Saturday. The baseball season is here. This baseball season turn K's into cash and big hits into big wins with Fandual Sportsbook. Right now, new customers can step up to the plate with no sweat first bet up to $1,000. Just sign up, place your first bet, and Fandul will give you up to $1,000 back in free bets if you don't win. Here's what I like. Betting on the Los Angeles Dodgers and betting on the New York Yankees. Bet on the best teams and you are more likely going to win money.

There's no better place to bet America's pastime than on America's number one sports book. Download the Fanduil Sportsbook app and sign up using the promo code Colin to get started with your no sweat first bet up to $1,000. 21 and over in president of Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois, Iowa, Indiana, Louisiana, Michigan, New Jersey, New York,

Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, or West Virginia. Must wager in designated offer market. Max bet $5. Restrictions apply. See full terms at sportsbook. Fandul.com. Gambling problem, call 1-800 next step or text next step to 533-4-2-Arizona,

1 8887-8-8-8-8-9-7-7 or visit ccpg.org slash chat, Connecticut, 1-800 gambler or visit fanduil.com slash RG, Colorado, Iowa, Indiana, Illinois, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Virginia, 1877-7-7-7-1-1-7-1-1-7 for confidential help, Michigan. 1-877-8-N-Y, or text Hope N.Y, 467-369, New York, Tennessee, 888-98-9, Tennessee, 1-800-5-2-4700. Wyoming. Visit www.1-800 gambler.net, West Virginia.

Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal but encouraged. It's the enhanced games. Some call it grotesque. Others say it's unleashing human potential. Either way, the podcast's Superhuman documented it all, embedded in the games and with the athletes for a full year. Within probably 10 days, I'd put on 10 pounds. I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth.

Listen to Superhuman on the I-Hard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care what you're saying. Yep, that's me, Clifford Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits,

the reactions, my journey from basketball to college football, or my career in sports media. Well, somewhere along the way, this platform became bigger than I ever imagined. And now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifford Show. This is a place for raw, unfiltered conversations with some of your favorite athletes,

creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. One week I'll take you behind the scenes of the biggest moments in sports and entertainment and the next we'll talk about life, mental health, purpose, and even music. The Clifford Show isn't just a podcast,

it's a space for honest conversations, stories that don't always get told, and for people who are chasing something bigger. So, if you've ever supported me or you're just chasing down a dream, this is right where you need to be. Listen to the Clifford Show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast.

And for more behind the scenes, Follow at Clifford and a TikTok podcast network on TikTok. Do you remember when Diana Ross double-tap Little Kim's boobs at the VMAs? Or when Kanye said that George Bush didn't like black people. I know what you're thinking. What the hell does George Bush got to do with Little Kim? Well, you can find out on the Look Back at it podcast. I'm Sam Jett.

And I'm Alex English. Each episode, we pick it here, unpack what went down, and try to make sense of how we survived it. Including a recent episode with Mark Lamont Hill, waxing all about crack in the 80s. To be clear, 84 was big to me, not just because of crack. I'm down to talk about crack all day, but just so you all know. I mean, at this point, this is the second episode where we've discussed crack.

So I'm starting to see that there's a through line. We also have AIDS on the table right now. Thank you for finishing that sentence. I don't think there's a more important year for black people. Really? Yeah. For me, it's one of the most important years for black people in American history. Listen to look back at it on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Welcome to my new podcast, Learn the Hard Way with me, your host, and your favorite therapist, Keer Games. And in recognition of Mental Health Awareness Month, I'm bringing over a decade of my own experience in the mental health field and conversations with so many incredible guests. I'm talking, Tripp Fontaine, Ryan Clark. Sometimes when we're in the pursuit of the thing, we get so wrapped up in the chase that we don't realize that we, are in possession of the thing, and we're still chasing it, and we don't know when we've done enough. Because people scoreboard watch. Life becomes about wins and losses. Steve Burns, Dustin Ross, because you find it important to be a good person while you hear on earth,

or are you a good person because you're afraid? Because that's two different intentions, bro. Absolutely. And that's two different levels of trust. I want you to just really be a good person. Join me, Kear Gaines, is we have real conversations about healing, growth, fatherhood, pressure, and purpose on my new podcast, Learn the Hardway.

Open your free, I Heart Radio app, search Learn the Hardway, and listen now. Well, speaking of Caleb, what's your take on this, the transfer rule and the mayhem

that has become the transfer portal? I'm in favor of, I don't have any issues with transferring. I mean, we've talked about this, gosh, for several years now. And what I never envisioned And I thought that a lot of guys would leave, but those players would be disgruntled.

Whether it be by playing time or a relationship with the coach, I thought that there'd be a lot of movement, but it'd often be because of players' circumstances weren't great. That's not the case. That's something that I just didn't really anticipate. So I'm good with it. The only thing that concerns me is that if you have a player, for instance, that means a lot to a team. Let's use Jordan Addison as an example at Pitt. He won the Bolitnikoff last year, had a ton of great looks.

You know, you would never think that after a season like that, he would be open to leaving the program that helped get him where he's at in search of greener pastures. And that's exactly what he did. I don't have a problem with it. It's a little bit uncomfortable. But then again, if all things being equal for Jordan Addison and he still leaves, then that's one thing. but he lost his OC, he lost his quarterback, and he lost his receiver coach. I mean, all things were not equal. Like, he lost a lot of pieces that he relied on last year to get him where he was.

So I'm not going to be critical of a guy like Jordan Addison. Where I'm going to be critical are the guys that entered the transfer portal in an effort to create leverage from an NIL standpoint. That's something that really, it just kind of, it's a little bit disturbing to me. For instance, it would be like Bryce Young entering the transfer portal. right now and creating a market for himself to use it as leverage against Alabama. That just makes me a little uncomfortable. Is it wrong? No, it's not wrong. By the rules. Yeah, it's well within the rules. It's perfectly within his right. It just makes me a little uncomfortable because still, I guess the idealist in me wants to believe that players

want to play for their school because they love their school. Ultimately, that might not be the case. But it's just the leverage against the school and an effort to create NIL leverage is something that I'm still not quite all the way up to speed with. I think I'm with you because, you know, Jameson Williams, the dude that's drafted, you know, Jameson left Ohio State. He left Georgia. You're like, okay, if you're behind a bunch of guys, it makes sense and then you get to shine somewhere else. But when the Jordan Addison, who again, Keaton Slovis goes there. So I'd go, well, he lost his quarterback, but then he gets a legitimate quarterback. And then there are the stories of of like his family's moving them out in USC gear.

It does feel like, and I know Dabo and Nick take a lot of shit because anytime they say something, but it does feel kind of like a free-for-all. I mean, I worked in the NFL. There's a salary cap and you're a free agent and you played in the NFL. Like you're under contract. You can't, there has to be some sort of rules and regulations. And that will be seen like is the NCAA, the group to figure that out? Probably not.

But clearly the coaches know that there has to be, no one's against these guys making some money off their name, image, and likeness, or transferring certain times. but you know a ton of coaches, so do I. I mean, I've talked to people that say they're uncomfortable at practice or in the meetings, like how do you get on a guy? I don't want him to hate me, and then he leaves. It's created. In football, naturally, there's a lot of, you know,

it's just kind of a contentious environment sometimes. So it's a slippery slope where we're at right now in a game that I know you love, and I do too. It's just kind of in a weird place. Dirty might even be the wrong word. It's just a little off-kilter and something has to be fixed. some way or somehow, right? It just feels a little unnatural.

I mean, I just, anytime, but change is hard. Those that are previewing the demise of college football, I just, I don't see it that way. I mean, you know, I still think college football, I love the sport because I love the competition each and every Saturday. Like, I don't care. When they run through the tunnel in their respective stadium wearing their uniforms, alternates or, you know, traditionals, whatever, like when Texas players run out of the tunnel and Oklahoma players are on the other side,

line, the stadium split, half of its crimson and cream, half it's burn orange. I don't care how much the quarterback's making. I don't think about that way. I think about my team and I want to support my team to help them win. When I flip on Washington State against Washington and the Apple Cup, I don't think about the fact that the quarterback for Washington State is a transfer from Incarnate Ward, who is really one of the first guys that was given legitimate NIL situation by way of transfer.

I don't think about that. I was like, man, that guy's a great player. Like, it's fun to watch him play at the highest level against the best competition. Like, that's how I'm always going to view it. And I think you can get as deep in the weeds as you want to get. But what we all love football for is the spirit of competition, the physical presence that's along both lines of scrimmage, the precision that you see from quarterbacks, the athleticism that you see from defensive players, running backs, wide receivers,

etc. or like that's what we truly love football for. If you want to get into the contracts and you want to get into NIL, you want to get into the transfer, you want to get into the business side of things, by all means, without question, there's an appetite for that for a lot of people. But I also think that will turn off a lot of people too. So get as involved as you want to get. We're going to cover it for sure.

It's part of what we'll talk about on a daily basis, but it certainly will be a much smaller percentage of the content of our conversation because I know. that a lot of people still love the game for the game. And that's where our focus is mostly going to be. Well, a big story the other day. I'm in the Bay Area. And right down the street from me is Pittsburgh, California. And Najee Harris lived right there too.

And obviously he went to Alabama. And this quarterback named Jaden, who's going to Miami, there were rumors that he got $10, $11 million. And he came out and said that it's totally false. You're living in the heart of NIL and the people going back and forth. I mean, first and foremost, are these numbers just not correct? Yes. And two, how crazy is it actually flawed?

Yeah. So you got to consider the source too, right? And a lot of the numbers are coming from representation and agencies in an effort, I think, to drive up the price of their next client. The numbers that I've heard from Division I schools, there are 10 percent. of the aforementioned $11 million. And that is like on the ultimate high side. Like the ultimate high side.

That's a million dollars still, right? It's a lot of money. That's a lot of money. There's no deny that that it's a lot of money. But that is like the highest of the, that's the top half of 1% is maybe making a million dollars. There might be 10 players in the country that have legitimate million dollar deals. I don't know the specific numbers.

But it's small. But it's really small. Like I know for a fat like some of these people saying all the collectives are aiming to raise between eight and $10 million. Well, I have it on fairly good, you know, authority that most collectives that I've talked to and the most people that are connected to collectives across scholarship football, their goal is to raise a million dollars. A lot of them's goal is to raise $1.7 million because they want to be able to pay every scholarship player $20,000. So the average college football players probably make in the vicinity of average scholarship college football player on my mind. at. Probably making somewhere in the vicinity of $10 to $25,000. So that's Power 5 probably at some of the smaller school is probably considerably less than that. How about this? Will Anderson,

who played at Alabama. Some might argue he's the best player in the country last year. His NIL total dealings last year. Yeah, I wouldn't push back if you said he was. I think he's certainly in the conversation. And if you would have given him the Heisman trophy, you would have found no pushback for me. He made a grand total of $0.00. via NIL last year. Zero. Some players just aren't, they're not interested in it. Why is that? He turns it down. He doesn't want it. Didn't want it. Now, it might be different this year. I'm not sure. I, you know, I hadn't heard anything publicly about what he's capable of earning, but I know he had ample opportunities last year and said it was a distraction. He didn't

want anything to do with it. He's just wired differently. You know, he's not that he, not that that's praising him or, you know, discouraging him or saying he's crazy or anything like that, but just some guys aren't motivated by it. Some guys don't care about it. They know their money will come at the next level or they know their money will come down the line with, you know, consistent performance. Some guys are just wired that way. So I don't think the numbers are as extravagant as some people like to suggest. I think a lot of the coaches are trying to kind of push down what's expected on the recruiting trail now because you start hearing $10,11 million dollars. I mean, it's absurd. What do you tell your guy, for instance? What do you tell,

let's say, Tyler Van Dyke at Miami? Let's say he's there next year and this Rashada guy shows up. Well, he's supposedly making $9.5 million. What is Tyler Van Dyke making? He's starting a quarterback. So I think that's where the representation's going wild and there's no clarity. There's no transparency. I personally think the best thing to police this, like you talked about with the salary cap or, hey, we got to have some rules. The best way to police this right now is having a freedom of information somehow being able to open up the numbers, open up the books on what these guys are actually making and why they're making what they're making. Because if you're doing a television hit for 30 seconds on TV, a radio hit, for instance, and you're getting $30,000 for that radio hit, well, that's not

fair market value. Like, something's up. So I think transparency would go a long way in policing this. And it's something that I hope that we can somehow figure out down the road. Well, that's how it works in the NFL, right? A.J. Brown, Debo, Samuel. They signed a contract. It's fake at first. But then within a couple days, we know exactly what the true numbers are. And no one can be like, well, he's actually making $700 million. No, he's signed for $45 million, truly, right? Right. Wasn't that everyone's reaction when my home signed for $450? Like, hang on. Wait, what? You signed for what? You know, that's baseball money. Totally agree.

I was at Fresno State when Jim McElwain left. We were talking about this before we hopped on. And I remember hearing a bunch of stories because you guys hadn't become Alabama quite yet. I mean, I think it was like saving second or third year. And that was the year. I think you ended up losing in the SEC championship. And then the following year you won the national championship. But the first recruit, he gets the job, like a limo picks him up and they go to recruit Julio Jones.

And I would say in my adult life, and I'm like you, I don't fall recruiting that close. But there are certain players, Arch Manning. But I would say Jadavion Clowny and Julio Jones were number one recruits, can't miss guys. And then Julio probably more than Clowny, you got to play with Julio Jones. Do you remember the first time that you saw Julio Jones on campus? And then when you realize, holy shit, this guy is going to kick everyone's ass. Well, it's funny because Jones, you know, he's like a thoroughbred when it comes to like just how physically imposing he is. Like I remember pretty vividly when he walked in the locker.

And we're all, you know, we're all pretty excited. He was not, if I remember correctly, he was not a January enrollee. So he came in with the rest of the recruiting class. Back then, guys didn't show up early. Because he's from Alabama too, right? Yeah, he's from Foley, Alabama. So he's from down in the Mobile area in Baldwin County. So he's, I mean, he walks in the locker.

And really it was the entire 2008 recruiting class for Alabama. And you can go through the list. Marcel Darius, you know, Julio Jones. you know, Robert Lester, Dante High Tower. Like you just go through the list of that 2008 recruiting class. It was ridiculous. Like, just a ridiculous group. So many guys that just, I mean, nails, absolute nails, like Chance Warmac, like just so many guys that were great.

Long story short, I remember walking in that first day of summer. And, you know, we had pretty decent looking players. Like Rolanda McLean was on the roster at that point. You know, guys that Andre Smith was on the roster at that point. You know, guys that ended up playing a really long time in the league and got drafted really high and, you know, we're talented dudes in their own right. But I remember walking in being like, who the heck is that guy? Like, I've never, I've never even heard of you in recruiting. Your name's Mike Williams, like 6-8-270.

Like, who are you? Like, are you a walk-on? Like, the best-looking guy on the team was recruited into this 0-8 recruiting class and no one heard of him. You know, it's like, and he's like 6-8 with like long arms and like, dude, you look like, like, flew like jacked. And then Jones, you see him. And it's like at 17

years old, he was the most physically impressive kid I had ever seen. And, you know, in that locker room at that time, you got Mark Ingram, you got, I mean, you got all these great players. I mean, guys that went on to have great careers and

guys that had made a lot of money and had great college careers and whatnot. And, but Julio was such a man amongst boys. in high school that even in college, he was a man amongst boys. And I can remember vividly, John Parker Wilson was our quarterback at the time. And we were at seven on seven. And it was funny because every single route that McElwain would want us to run, because we, you know, we would basically have like a call list. Like, they wouldn't give us a sheet because that was illegal. But like you just wander past McElwain's office and there's like eight plays on the board.

Like, okay, I guess those are the eight plays were running today. So we'd write him down and like, all right, sounds good. Every single one basically had Julio as the number one wide receiver. So it's like, all right, how many looks are we going to get this guy? He's listed as the backup X right now, and yet every ball is going to him or designed to go to him. And he made it right more often than not. I mean, you could tell you who's going to be a Hall of Famer pretty early. And if not for a couple of nagging injuries in his first two years on campus,

I think he would have completely rewritten the record books at Alabama and probably would have done so in just three years. I think what's cool about your story is it feels like, you know, it honestly feels like Nick's been there for like 30 years. But, and so many of these guys, right, they knew Nick. He starts recruiting them at 15, 16 years old, you know, Amari Cooper, whoever, you go to these camps. You were already in the program. So you saw what it looked like before him, his first day on the office, and then what it took look like to get to the mountaintop. Do you remember his first team meeting or maybe your first experience with him, maybe a call to the office? And do you remember calling your parents and been like, this is going to be a different animal here?

Well, we went for, it was like polar opposites. You over correct, right? So Mike Shilob was like the ultimate NFL, like, everything's great. You know, let's not work too hard. Like, hey, everyone, like players coach, right? Like just, hey, we're, you know, we're going to take care of everybody. like everyone, we need everyone to feel good when they go into the game on Saturday. Like, Coach Haven was basically like, if you survive this, you're going to be great, but you might not survive this.

Like, that's how hard this off-season program is going to be. It was. I mean, so we did the fourth quarter program. And the fourth quarter program notoriously is one of the most difficult off-season programs anywhere. And everyone's doing some variation of it now. I mean, it's all pretty similar. It's basically mat drills, but it's like that on steroids. where you're having to run like 200-yard dashes and it's ludicrous. It really is.

A difficult stretch of fourth quarter workouts is like three weeks. That's like that is like nose to the grindstone. If you can make it through three weeks, like, all right, we're good. Let's go into spring ball. We're in great shape. That first spring was six weeks of fourth quarter workouts, six weeks. Six weeks. And it was to the point, like, guys were quitting every day.

Like, this is the worst. worst grind I've ever been through. We started February 1st. We finished the middle of March. And to this day, that was by far the hardest six-week period of my life in a football uniform. Absolutely miserable. Our legs did not recover the rest of the year. We lost our last four games of the regular season, one of which came against Louisiana Monroe because the off-season was so impossible and we just never really recovered. But we learned quickly, like, who was going to be with us? Right. It was one of those like, hey, man, Junction boys, like, you survive. We're going to go and do some special things here,

but there's no guarantees here. And hey, if you guys want out of your scholarship, please come to my office ASAP because we will use that scholarship on a better player, more than likely. So it was really hard. The transition was really difficult, but you could tell quickly that we were going to have a really tough team. We're going to have a totally bought in. And prior to his arrival, we were everything but that. The program's obviously played in legendary games over the stretch. But, you know, again, I'm a California guy that the SEC's gotten so big and I follow

your guy's program. I would have to imagine when the national championship was enormous. But the SEC championship game, that was Tim Tebow's last game, correct? Yeah. And winning that thing is got to be one of the bigger wins. I mean, anytime the first big win. is got to be right up there, right? Just, I mean, you were in the game,

but just since following the program, where would you say that bad boy ranks? And obviously the floodgates open, he never looked back. That was probably still number one. Florida, were they favored in that game? They were. I don't, you know, at that,

when you're a player, when you're a player, like, you know, you'd like walk down. Yeah, we were, there were seven and a, like, I have no idea. All I know is that like every time I'd walk down, like, walk across. the quad. People would be like, we're going to cover this week, Greg? I'm like, I don't know. I have no idea. I mean, I don't. I don't. I don't. I don't. I don't. I don't. I don't. I don't,

are we favored? Like, yeah, I mean, I have no idea. But I know this. That was a cool game because we had lost to them in 2008. We had a fourth quarter lead in 2008. And we just could not hang on. And it was basically the entire off season was dedicated to figuring out, okay, we had to do just a little bit more because we were 15 minutes shy of being able to punch our tickets at the national championship game and we got to do a little bit more. And so a lot of the conversation in the locker room was about Florida. They weren't on the regular season schedule, which, you know, thinking back on it, it's like, I can't believe we were talking about a team that we weren't even scheduled to play. But when we got to that game, it was almost as if we'd had 365 days of

frustration and preparation in order to get over the hump. And, we watched Miracle the night before the game because Florida to us, they were the Soviets. They were the gold standard. They were the team that had been on top for a very, very long time. In most of our college careers, they were the standard with Urban Meyer and Tim Tebow and Chris Leak and Percy Harvin, all these amazing players. So they were looking at trying to win three out of four. And we were the only. only ones really standing in our way. And a lot of people didn't really give us much of a chance. They said that teams, the rosters are comparable, the one difference being the quarterback spot where Florida has a massive advantage. So I took that personally. And I had one of the best

games of my career that night as well. So it was really emphatic because it was a passing of the torch. And it really kind of changed the landscape in college football. We thought at least in the near term, but it's now gone on for the better part of a decade and a half. So it was a really special night, and I think it was a statement to all of college football that there was a new sheriff in town and to be a part of that and knowing how much we put into that game, it was just incredibly, incredibly satisfying to finish the way that we did. You mentioned something, and I don't know if Nick quite gets enough credit about this because it's all about football and the big wins, but the movie night before games.

Girl I'm dating asked me that, hey, do you listen to the new Ed Mylett podcast? They were talking about Nick Saving. I'm like, I wonder who they had on like Greg Sanky or something. No, it was a guy that had been in prison who speaks to the team. And he's so good at getting all these guys to speak. So I think Nick, you know, he's 70 years old. He's known as old school guy.

But he does a lot of progressive things that I don't, yeah, he's Ryan Leaf and guys like that speak to the program every single year. Is that like he's got pitches that other guys just don't have in their bag? I just think he's always, you know, he's always thinking about ways to do things differently. It's all about recruiting. So if he can get Kobe Bryant, who I believe when spoke to the team like a decade ago, I don't remember exactly when. But if he can get someone like that to speak to the team, if he can get someone that would leave a lasting impact on the players.

And I know a lot of people kind of criticize Alabama, saying it's a football factory. and, you know, I don't care about this. They don't care about education. It's really the furthest thing from the truth. There are so many lessons that you learn. I think there's a lot of programs like this that are unfairly characterized. But there are so many things that you learn over the course of being an athlete and spending

time with successful people, coach saving being one of them. So many ways that you can apply, whether it be as a dad or as someone that's working in business or, you know, a small company owner or whatever it may be. like you learn so much in your four years at your respective school. There's so many applicable things. Sports are the greatest teacher in the world. But when you have people that are great at sports that are coming back to speak to the team and impart lessons on you, it's amazing.

I mean, shoot, when we were in camp, we were, I mean, we were probably one of the first or, like probably one of the first or second groups that would start to have a camp speaker routine. And we used to have guys that came in. no one like Kobe and, you know, the guys that have come since. You know, we had guys, I mean, had amazing stories, amazing lessons, things that can be applied. And then Coach David does a great job of harnessing some of the information from the speeches and bringing it up over the course of the year when he feels like it's applicable. And that's why I think we watched a miracle that night because, you know, we put so much into,

we put so much into Florida. We put so much into preparing for Florida that like, hey, this is our one chance and we've got to be perfect and we're going to go get it done. And we had talked about Miracle earlier in the year. Ironically enough, we talked about it in reference not having a letdown game because you put so much into, absolutely we did it before Mississippi State. You put so much into the LSU game that you don't want to have letdown. It wouldn't mean anything if you lost Mississippi State the next week. So we had referenced it then,

then we watched it again later in the year. So that was kind of a theme that we had throughout the season that he kept playing the hits from. So he's very thoughtful in that regard. And I think that's part of the reason why his team is always so inconsistent. Yeah, the talents immense, but he knows how to press the right motivational buttons in order for you to put forth the best effort that you can each and every Saturday.

Okay, before I get you out of here, I want to just go rapid fire on three quarterbacks just because you're a quarterback guy and the hype on these three, definitely the two, and then this third one, who's Kentucky's quarterback, I think is pretty fascinating. But let's start with Alabama's quarterback. To me, as former scout, you see the picture last year at the Heisman, like Aidan Hutchinson, C.J. Stroud and Bryce, he's just not very big. But then you watch the NFL draft, all of the state of Georgia gets drafted, all on defense. You go, God, this guy was balling against those guys.

So what's your take on him? I mean, does he have a chance to out dual CJ this year and be the number one quarterback pick when it's all sudden done. I think it's tough. So I think CK's great, obviously. Yeah, he's small. And I think a lot of teams will knock him because of his size. But I will say this, he's got great instincts. He doesn't get squared up very often.

He's got a great feel for pressure. He knows when pressure's coming. He also has a great understanding of protection. And for a guy that's only two years out of high school last year, I mean, he always knew where the unblocked defender was going to be. He had an answer always. That comes from study. I think that comes from instincts.

So he's one of those guys where I do think his size will naturally be held against him. I get that. Like if I'm a multi-billionaire and I'm going to invest the future of my franchise, I probably don't want a guy that would potentially be an injury risk because he's slightly undersized. C.J. Stroud is beautiful. I mean, I don't know how to describe it. Baller. Yeah, he's just pure.

I mean, what I this love is release. You know, I've just always wondered, like, I'm, shoot, when I was a quarterback, I used to always try to, like, just pitch it, like, throwing darts. And I, it just, I couldn't generate the velocity that he does. Like, for the ball to jump out of his hands with as much velocity as it does, while being as short and as quick a release as he has, it just doesn't make, it doesn't make sense from a physics standpoint. I don't know how he does it. I mean, to generate that much velocity is amazing. It's like Ernie L's golf swing.

You know, it's very smooth, but he hits it 320 yards. Well, almost like ROM's golf swing, or Phenow's golf swing. Yeah, it's quick, but it was like, it's like sawed off. Like, I don't know how the heck does he generate 125 mile or club speed, but he does. I mean, it's like it looks like he's taking a half swing. It looks like he's hitting a wedge, you know? It's a little bit like that, but you're right. It's just this, this power and this speed and this and this explosiveness that is just kind of difficult to describe.

And it's difficult to relate to because just not that many guys that can do it. I think that he's extremely accurate on the underneath stuff. I think the downfield stuff is something that improved as the season went along last year. He's got great physical ability to where he can run and extend and move in the pocket. I don't know if his instincts are quite what Bryses are, but of course his measurables are more desirable than Bryce's measurable. So that would be the one thing. Do you value the measurables or you value the instincts?

because, you know, that's kind of where you might be able to create just a little bit of a gap between the two. CJ being the measurable guy, Bryce being more instinctive. And then as far as Will Levis is concerned, I got to be honest. Like, I just, it's incomplete for me. Like, I think he's got a lot of game. He's got a lot of talent. And everyone now is looking for the next. A lot of preseason hype, Greg.

A lot. Probably too much. Everyone's trying to find the next Josh Allen. you know, and everyone's trying to figure out, all right, who's the big physical guy that's got a cannon that can run? And maybe he's a better runner than he is thrower at this point, but we'll make, like Josh Allen was a great runner, his rookie year,

and look at how he's progressed. I think everyone's shooting for the moon for a guy like that. And I can understand why you would draw some parallels between what Josh Allen was at Wyoming and what Will Levis is at Kentucky. But, man, it hasn't all come together for me just. yet. I need to see him have a great year. A lot of hype around Tyler Van Dyke at Miami, too. Still just not enough games played. I mean, the guy that I like a lot is at Virginia,

Brennan Armstrong, and he decided to come back. And there are still parts of his game that he needs to progress. But he's one that I thought had a really solid year on a team that played no defense whatsoever. But he did a lot of really nice things. He's the one that's a little bit lost in the shuffle too that I think might be a little bit more on the radar as we as we fast forward a a year from now. He's a lefty, so he's a little bit different. He's a little bit non-prototypical, but I think he's got solid game. So he would be the other that I'd kind of thrust into that conversation amongst those three as guys that I'm really keeping the close eye on this year. When the dust settled, it was clear last year as a two-horse race. It does feel a little more open this

year, does it not? I think so. I mean, as far as as as quarterbacks are concerned, I think it's going to be a really good class. You mentioned Keaton Slovis earlier in the interview, man. Keaton Slovis, you were to ask, Mick Shea and I used to text each other all the time about like, dude, Slovis. Did you see that? Like, I love Keaton Slovis. I think he's really clear. He's a baller. I think he's really good. And people have kind of forgotten about what he is. So maybe he has a big year at Pitt. We just saw, you know, a pick quarterback go number one overall. So I feel cautiously optimistic about what he might do as well. If he could stay healthy this year, got banged up last year. If he can stay healthy and eliminate the mental mistakes that plagued him in 2020 and

2019, then I think he might be a guy that's in the mix there as a fringe first rounder as well. Well, Greg, I appreciate all your time. Always college football. You can go right now, listen to Sark, Bob Bowlesby. Lincoln's coming on. Savin's coming on. The guests are going to be fast and furious. Look forward to watching you call games on TV this year like you've been doing for years on ESPN and again, been following your career for a long time and have a great rest of the summer. And let's get ready for some college football. We're almost there, man. I appreciate you having me.

Thanks so much. No problem. Thanks, bro. See it. Another podcast from some SNL late night comedy guy, not quite. Unhumor me with Robert Smygel and friends. Me and hilarious guests from Bob Odenkirk to David Letterman help make you funnier. This week, my guest, SNL's Mikey Day and head writer, Streeter Seidel, help an acapella band

with their between songs banter. Where does your group perform? We do some retirement homes. Those people are starving for banter. Listen to humor me with Robert Smigel and Friends on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal but encouraged.

It's the enhanced games. Some call it grotesque. Others say it's unleashing human potential. Either way, the podcast's superhuman documented it all, embedded in the games and with the athletes for a whole. full year. Within probably 10 days I'd put on 10 pounds, I was having trouble stopping

the muscle growth. Listen to Superhuman on the I-Hard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. On the Look Back at it podcast. From 1979, that was a big moment for me. 84's big to me. I'm Sam J. And I'm Alex English. Each episode,

we pick a year, unpack what went down, and try to make sense of how we survived it. With our friends, fellow comedians, and favorite authors. Like Mark Lamont, Hell, on the 80s. 84 was a wild year. It was a wild year. I don't think there's a more important year for black people.

Listen to look back at it on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care what you're saying. Yep, that's me. Clifford Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, my basketball and college football journey, or my career in sports media.

Well, now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, the Clifford Show. This is a place for raw, unfilled conversations with athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. So let's get to it. Listen to The Clifford Show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok. This is an IHeart podcast. Guaranteed human.