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Cover 3 College Football
Jared Curtis, LSU’s Future & Texas A&M on Fire | Cover 3 Recruiting Show
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- [00:01]
A
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- [02:18]
B
What's going on, y'?
- [02:19]
C
All?
- [02:19]
B
Welcome back to the COVID 3 College Ball Podcast. I'm Bud Elliott. That's Andrew Ivins. That means this is the recruiting hour. Ivans, what's going on, dude?
- [02:26]
D
Not much, bud. Five weeks away from the early signing period, AKA signing day. And I think it's just gonna get crazy right? This coaching carousel spinning. We entered this football season right, like the entire top247, everyone had made commitments. Now we're seeing A lot of movement and I think as new staffs get into place, it's shaping up for a crazy final stretch until pen meets paper. I don't think anyone actually signs anything before you before the docusign is submitted and sent via an app.
- [03:04]
B
Man, I'm excited to see some of these flips we might have on deck. And one, our buddy Barton Simmons had this kid in town, five star quarterback Jared Curtis visiting Vandy. You saw, you saw Nate the comedian there on game day, shouting him out multiple times trying to get him to flip from uga. We have had some like pretty big QB flips in the past. It's not a position, I think that flips quite as often but. But when it does, it is usually around a coaching change. I don't think any coaching change is imminent at UGA or Vandy, but obviously some playing time and maybe an attractive offense to play in for Curtis there at Vandy. Give me the detail on this. What are we thinking?
- [03:44]
D
Well, yeah, Tom Lloyd at 247 Sports has, has kind of been all over this and you know, came across my desk late last week, hey, Vanderbilt involved with Jared Curtis, who like you said is, is a five star quarterback, right? And he's going to be in the conversation for QB1 here in the 2026 cycle. I mean this kid is the real deal now. He goes to school right there in Nashville. And bud, to me this makes a ton of sense for Vanderbilt to kind of not like kick the tires but try to push all the chips in on Jared Curtis because Diego Pavia, the, the pit bull, you know, he's gone after the season, assuming something doesn't happen, you know, in the court system. And for Vanderbilt, which is in the national spotlight, which just hosted college game day, which is now favored against all this SEC competition, you know, how do they stay relevant? How do they stay in the spotlight? I think going after a guy like Jared Curtis makes all the sense in the world. And Vanderbilt, if you know, I'm Barton Simmons or I'm Clark Lee and people inside that football building, you know, I think you go to the donor base and said, hey, if we want to keep us, you know, at the top in the spotlight in the College Football Playoff conversation, that we got to make some noise. And Jared Curtis apparently from what Tom Loy and others have reported, is at least listening to what Vanderbilt has to offer. He was there in town on campus Saturday for the win over Missouri. Tom Loy also reported there was another visit, maybe for a practice. Now with that being said, Georgia Mike Bobo they continue to press all of the right buttons. Mike Bobo was at Jared Curtis's game this past Friday. So, you know, a lot to unpack here, bud. The thing that I've been saying for a while, hey, you look at the past three recruiting cycles, a five star quarterback has flipped late to a different school. Last cycle was Bryce Underwood. Remember he was all lsu, all lsu, ends up in Michigan. The year before that was Dylan Raiola, it was, you know, Georgia, Georgia, Georgia. All of a sudden he ends up at Nebraska. And then Dante Moore the year prior to that, Oregon, Oregon, Oregon. All of a sudden he's headed to ucla. Now he's back with the Ducks. But we have seen these high profile arms in this name, image, likeness, era, you know, kind of have a change of heart at the last second.
- [06:16]
B
It'd be interesting to see how he would fit in this offense. Man, I don't think he's quite the runner, you know, know that Pavia is, but obviously a really, really talented thrower and I think Tim Beck an excellent offensive coordinator, you know, and you got to think about path to playing time as well. Right, you know.
- [06:31]
D
Well, yeah, but. And I would, I would kind of push back on that. Like I, you know, Jared Curtis is a kid who played running back in the youth leagues. Like he, he grew up as a.
- [06:42]
B
Hell of a highlight right there. Yeah, yeah.
- [06:44]
D
And he's a, he's a power runner. Right.
- [06:47]
B
And which Bobby is too.
- [06:49]
D
Exactly. Now is he going to be Diego? I mean are you going to run him 30 times a game? Probably not, but you can utilize him on the design calls. And the thing is, you know, he throws a beautiful deep ball, right. He can make high level throws, easy exit velocity, right upper body can make, you know, throws off platform. And I think the biggest thing with Jared Curtis and really you've seen it here as a senior now Nashville Christian facing a lower level of competition there in Tennessee. But he plays with some swagger, right? Like just updated his scouting report on 247Sports.com this morning. Like there is a chip on Jared Curtis's shoulder. And when they've been on the biggest stages, when they've leveled up in competition and face some defenses that have, you know, fellow power for talent. Jared Curtis has been the X factor. So you know, could he be the day one starter for Vandy if he were to flip? I think absolutely right, because you said it, Tim Beck, you know, he can kind of cater that offense where Jared Curtis doesn't have to be the guy at all times. He can certainly you know, maybe by season's end kind of break through. But you know, when you compare him to Bryce Underwood who has started day one at Michigan, when you compare him to Dylan Raiola who started day one there at Nebraska, like, very similar to those guys, Jared Curtis is, is going to exit high school with 50 starts under his belt. He's a four year start. So again, I, I think for Vandy it makes sense to kind of stay relevant by going after this guy because if it's, if it's not Jared Curtis, then they're likely going to be looking in the transfer portal. And you know, if Jared Curtis were to pick Vanderbilt, bud, think about it, he instantly becomes everything. When you mention Vandy, it's going to be Jared Curtis, right? And he's going to be kind of up there on, on the Mount Rushmore of quarterbacks for the Commodores. It's going to be Diego Pavia, it could be Jay Cutler and it's going to be Jared Curtis. He hasn't even played a snap. So, you know, I think this is certainly a major, major development at the top of the board.
- [09:00]
B
Yeah, I mean like you got to think, okay, they've improved the roster so much at Vandy, right? It's not just Pavia, but Pavia is a major part of their improvement and you would expect some drop off at the position when he goes just because of how competitive he is, like the edge he plays with, how perfect of a fit he is for that offense. But man, like I guess you really hadn't thought about what if, what if they do better, you know, and as a thrower, like Curtis's ceiling is much higher than Diego. Now granted, I think the floor is much lower just given that we know what Diego's four represents. But like if they could get better, like maybe they don't have to drop off somewhat. You know, a lot of people thought they drop off this year and I was like, where's this roster worse, right? Like this is a better team than it was last year. So really interested to see that. Other potential flip situations to monitor. So Keyshawn Henderson is committed kid from Houston, committed to Houston. Houston having an awesome year under Willie Fritz, but I think really a, a year earlier than most predicted after their roster got picked over pretty good in the transfer portal. Willie Fritz, just an absolute magician at finding ways to win. But Keyshawn is, is a guy who is committed to Houston. You know, they're, they're all in as far as the nil stuff. They're trying to, you know, surround him as well. They're ranked team and this is just such a cool story in the nil area. You just wouldn't have this happen prior. I mean I know Houston got Ed Oliver what about a decade ago or so, but that's pretty rare and that's not a five star quarterback, you know, so can they keep him? Do we have, do we have to keep watching this?
- [10:38]
D
Yeah, right. So, you know, I try to jot down some five star flip watch candidates. Obviously Jared Curtis is, is the one that's in the media for good reason as we just explained. But the one I've always kind of, you know, kept my thumb on is Keyshawn Henderson. And that's because as you noted, Bud, I mean he's headed to a Big 12 school. He's the number two player in the top two, four, seven and he too could finish as quarterback one and you know, I think when he committed to Willie Fritz and the Cougars, I mean he was not a household name. He had yet to really emerge on the national recruiting scene. We thought maybe he was a wide receiver or a safety. Since then, you know, he was MVP of the Navy All American Bowl. He has turned heads at the Elite 11 finals. He has shown much more as a passer and a runner as a senior. And to me I think he's a game breaker. I think you know, Jaden Daniels, Lamar Jackson, that's the type of talent you're getting with Keyshawn Henderson. Now I'm not saying he's a first round pick, he's a lock, but plays a similar style of game, right. He can move around, make dynamic movements in the pocket and also make high level throws. So yes, he is committed to Houston, which as you pointed out, you know, number 22 in the latest AP top 25 boulders seven and one under Willie Fritz. They've done it with a lot of transfers since Fritz has arrived there in the Space City that that's where they've leaned heavily. But Houston's recruiting class, man, they got some guys. They were surrounding Keyshawn Henderson with some playmakers, playmakers that he's familiar with. And I think that's so important because the coaching carousel crazy already going to get crazier. I think Keyshawn Henderson is going to be a very, very attractive target for some of these head coaches that take over at the blue bloods, right? Lsu, you know, what is their long term plan at quarterback? Keyshawn was linked at times to Joe Sloan and Brian Kelly. So that's one what happens if Texas opens up with Steve Sarkeesian, that is an in state kid like Keyshawn Henderson has the talent and he is going to be a potential splash addition for a new regime at one of these power broker schools. I think he's all Houston, you know, everything you read, everyone you Talk with at 247 Sports, Mike Roach, Tom Lloyd, you know, Keyshawn Henderson continues to say all the right things. I think he's aware that they got guys around him really like the H back they have committed and Javion Martin, I think he's a high volume target. Jaden Warren's a wide receiver that can get deep and their running back, John Hebert, Bud, past 21 games, this kid has ran for close to 6,000 yards and 64 touchdowns. So they have surrounded Keyshawn Henderson with some, some potential playmakers, you know. But what happens once we get some of these coaches in new places? Because again, you're trying to win a press conference, you're trying to win the off season. Keyshawn Henderson would certainly be a statement for someone.
- [13:50]
B
He, he really would. I, I don't know who your comp is for him. I always kind of thought Randall Cunningham, you know what I mean? Like a guy's like a legit runner but he does want to be a thrower, you know, and it, I don't like, he's just, he's special man. People want to follow him. It's, it's really, really impressive.
- [14:10]
D
Yeah, Buddy's one of the best leaders I've been around. Like he is a gravitating personality at that Navy All American bowl, right? NBC, we had some pre meetings. I tell this story all the time but you know, these are a bunch of on air talent that, that cover the Olympics and, and various sporting events. And they were just shocked and blown away by, by Keyshawn Henderson holding court for 15 minutes. I mean I asked him, hey, you know, who's your favorite receiver to throw to? He sat there and you know, broke down every receiver on the roster with a full detailed scouting report. It was very, very impressive. And you know, someone that can be a force multiplier, right? He's going to get the most out of his teammates. I said it my player comp. Like I know it sounds ridiculous, like Jaden Daniels, Lamar Jackson, like I think he is that type of athlete. And you know, Gabe Brooks on our scouting team, he says Jordan loves. So we're all over the place. But here's the thing, we all really, really like his ceiling.
- [15:08]
B
So Texas, obviously Sark had his agency shoot down that rumor last week or. Well, the report. I don't have any reason to think the report's false, you know, but a lot of reason to think that they didn't want that out there. True or not. So he had his agency shoot that down. They have Diabell committed a guy who obviously had to shut it down for a senior year here in the state of Florida so he can get healthy and compete for the job there immediately in Austin, at least that's kind of what some sources have told me. Do we think Texas could hold on to him? I know Notre Dame has been after him a little bit. Florida State, given FSU situation right now, I a hard time seeing that happening. But do you think he's rock solid to Texas?
- [15:54]
D
Yeah, but this is the, the third five star quarterback that I think, you know, you at least gotta keep an eye on. Right. And I wouldn't put Diabell on, on flip watch. But what happens with Steve Sarkeesian and that's, you know, this isn't the hour to speculate on all of that. But what has stuck out to me about Diabel, and I know you had him and his, his father on the, on cover three after he won MVP at the Elite 11 finals. Like Raja told me after Diabell's season opener where he led this like furious comeback that, you know, some schools were still in contact with Diabell, which I, which I found surprising because they seem to be all in on the Longhorns. I mean, he committed to them before his junior season. He went out to Austin, he threw out their elite quarterback camp alongside a bunch of other blue chippers, and he was essentially handpicked by Steve Sarkeesian. This was the quarterback of the future. But it seems like they've at least, you know, not shut the door on other schools. Notre Dame's an interesting one, right? I've heard that multiple times. Notre Dame does have a quarterback committed, but Marcus Freeman seems to have taken Notre Dame's talent acquisition to a different level. And I think Diabell has a higher ceiling, has a higher floor than the guy that they already have committed in the 2026 class. So, you know, would Notre Dame make a move if, if Sarkeesian were to leave to be, you know, the head coach of the Tennessee Titans or something like that. I think you need to track that. And same thing applies with, okay, Florida's open. We know a new coach is going to come in there. Florida State could potentially open. I mean, there's just a lot of moving parts and you know, Dia not playing as a Senior, as you noted, dealing with an injury for the second season in a row. But the player comp for him has been Dante Moore. Extremely smooth from a mechanical standpoint, on time, very accurate, can create with his legs. So he's going to be attractive as well to, you know, some of these coaches that find themselves with a new zip code in the coming months.
- [17:57]
B
No, no doubt about if you got Diabell, that would make a big time splash. All right, so obviously something we were going to lead the show with and still going to be larger than meat of the show. LSU decided to pull the trigger and fire Brian Kelly. Let's kind of get into like his departure, what LSU needs to do here as far as like from a recruiting standpoint, who they hire, what, what is the model going to look like? But man, I got to start with the top. The, the kid who LSU fans were basically begging to stay. And that's five star defensive lineman Lamar Brown, who LSU beat the Aggies for his commitment, obviously. And A and M beat the brakes off LSU in Tiger Stadium on Saturday night. What are we thinking there?
- [18:41]
D
Well, Lamar Brown is by far one of the most unique players I've ever scouted. I've said it in the past like he's got round one ceiling as an offensive lineman and round one ceiling as a defensive lineman. We legitimately are probably going to list him as a 285 pound athlete. And that's a 285 pound athlete that could finish as the number one player in the country. I think everyone sees defensive line. With that being said, Bud watched his cutups late last night. Lamar Brown's playing a lot more offense than he is defense here as a senior. He's at University Lab High school. That is in the shadows of lsu, literally. Yeah, but they scrimmage like a preseason action was inside LSU's IPF. Like you see Lamar Brown out there throwing people around and there's a tiger logo right below him. With that being said, go back to the summer before Lamar Brown made his decision. There was a lot of people in College Station that felt optimistic. They felt like, you know, they led in the recruitment. They thought up until, you know, the hour before Lamar Brown put on that huge oversized LSU hat on on SportsCenter that, you know, they, they might pick up that pledge. So for lsu, I mean, disaster of a scenario, I think on, on Saturday, obviously, you know, losing. Right. But if you want to take a step back and look at the big picture.
- [20:13]
E
What's up everyone? It's Siya Najad from fantasy football Today dfs, a weekly NFL daily fantasy show that's a part of the CBS Sports Podcast Network. If you're looking for NFL game by game previews, which player's stock is up or down, and DFS strategies and advice, Mike McClure, Meg Shoup and I have you covered every single week. Download and follow us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and anywhere podcasts are found. Make sure to turn on those notifications so you don't miss a single pick all season long. Good luck. What's up everyone? It's the counselor of Cash Siyan Ajad from the Early Edge, a daily sports betting show powered by Sportsline and part of the CBS Sports Podcast Network. If you're looking for the best bets, picks and analysis for the day in sports, we're your one stop shop. We're locked in every day with NFL bets and player props, college football picks and so much more. Download and follow us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and anywhere podcasts are found. Subscribe to the Sports Line YouTube page to watch us live at 10am Eastern Time every weekday. Make sure to turn on those notifications so you don't miss a single pick all season long.
- [21:11]
C
Good luck.
- [21:12]
D
The recruiting section inside Tiger Stadium was was loaded, right? It was a who's who. Lamar Brown, as you pointed out, was there, but there was a ton of other five and four star prospects and what did they see in the second half? They saw fans booing, right? It was not a good environment. So I don't know if Texas A M is going to turn up the heat on Lamar Brown. I think they've kind of made their pitch here. Hey, you know, we developed defensive linemen. I think that was very clear Saturday night. We have more stability and we're gonna potentially play for a national championship. I think everything that Texas A M sold Lamar Brown on has rung true and everything that they probably negatively recruited towards LSU has probably also rung true. So we'll see what happens. I think this one will go down to the wire and I think a lot of it's going to hinge on who LSU tabs as as Brian Kelly's replacement. The best in the boot, stay in the boot. It's a very, very weird state in the sense that like Nick Saban is the only coach that I think has had that really had sustained success of going into Louisiana and pulling guys away from lsu. There's a lot of pressure for those kids to stay home. LSU was Lamar Brown's first scholarship offer. Again, you know, probably doesn't have to Change much of his morning routine, going from university lab to classes at lsu. So one to certainly track. And I think that there's a team to watch. It's, it's definitely Texas A M.
- [22:52]
B
I, I muted myself. Oops. Like, I, I totally agree on that. Like, if you look at this, I mean, I think they're gonna have a good shot to hold on to them because, like, you just, you can't lose this kid, right? Like, the new coach coming in has got to say, hey, whatever it takes, back up the Brinks truck, let's just get this one done, right? And you probably have to overpay a little bit, but it's just such a bad look if you're the new coach coming out, you just cannot afford to lose the kid in your backyard there.
- [23:18]
D
And the other, and the other thing too, Bud, is like, again, I think opinions are a little split on where you position Lamar Brown. Like now, is there a scenario where we could have like, Lamar Brown be a Travis Hunter and he gets snaps on both sides of the ball potentially? Maybe. I mean, if there was a player that could do it, it's probably Lamar Brown. I mean, we went back and we looked, we looked and we tried to find point of attack players that have gone both ways in college. I think one of the only ones I found was Mike Pouncey, former Florida center guard. Right. He got some burn on defense at some point during his career just due to injuries and attrition. So I don't know where, you know, the next LSU staff's going to see Lamar Brown, but here's the thing. After watching what took place on Saturday night inside Tiger Stadium, I don't think it matters where you line him up, because he's going to be a difference maker. The other thing on top of this, Bud, is it's not just Lamar Brown, right? LSU has one of the top defensive line groups in the country, committed. Whoever comes in, they got to hold on to these individuals because I think that is the root of LSU's problems right up front in the trenches, specifically on the interior. And you know, LSU brought in a, a, a transfer portal class with, with Pat Pton, Jack Pyburn, a few other guys still think, you know, they haven't matched the level of, of previous, you know, frontline defenders for the Tigers. And, you know, Richard Anderson is a kid out of New Orleans, Edna Carr, you know, he's going to be in the five star conversation for us. He's a big stump in the middle, right? And you know, as much as we Gush about Lamar Brown. You know, Richard Anderson is going to have a chance to make that much, just as much of an impact up front wherever he ends up. Trenton Henderson, a five star edge rusher out of Florida's panhandle. They got to keep him on board. One of the sleepers they have committed, the Anthony Lafayette right here in Orlando. But I think this kid's a stud, right? You know, yeah, he's maybe 6ft tall, but he can rush, crush and close. And then the other one, Deuce Geralds out of the Atlanta Metro just I believe set the GSH or ghsa record with 51 career sacks. Kind of reminds me a little bit of Jerson Newton who was at Illinois, right. He's this, you know, quick twitch interior pass rusher, also plays some running backs. So lsu, they got a lot of issues, but I, I think they need to figure out a way to keep all these defensive linemen in the fold because they all have multi year starter upside in the sec.
- [26:00]
B
Absolutely. So another guy they got to figure out is who the heck's going to play quarterback because you know, they, they, they signed Ricky Collins who went to Syracuse and you know, is, it's just not any good. You know, they signed Colin Hurley. I, I was never like, I don't know if you like totally write off Colin Hurley based on what you saw in high school because there was some certain like physical abilities, but I was usually like a little bit underwhelmed relative to some of the hype on him when you saw him at certain events, especially under pressure. They get Van Buren who had some like a nice cup of coffee with Mississippi State last year. Now he's the backup. He had to come in a little bit when Nussmeier got dinged. Like is LSU starter for 2026 on their roster? Do they believe in any of these guys? And they also don't have a 2026 high school kid committed right now.
- [26:50]
D
Yeah, as much as I just talked about the problems on the defensive line, that's my big question, like what is the plan at quarterback, Bud? And I know you probably know a lot more LSU people than I do and I just don't see what the plan is for next season and then beyond it. And how did this happen? Like Jaden Daniels won a Heisman Trophy in Baton Rouge not too long ago. Joe Burrow has been there.
- [27:19]
B
It's just Buyer's gonna get drafted.
- [27:23]
F
Your fantasy season doesn't end after your draft. The Fantasy Football Today podcast is going to get you through the season and to a champion championship. Fantasy Football Today, part of CBS Sports Podcast Network has episodes every single day. Waiver wire, trade talk, starter sit, mailbags and more.
- [27:42]
D
If you want to win your league.
- [27:43]
F
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- [27:53]
G
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- [28:23]
D
Correct. And all these quarterback recruits are attracted to lsu. I don't know if it's a mismanagement. I don't know where, you know, things have gone wrong. Actually, I do, bud. I mean, Bryce Underwood, they thought they were going to get. It was a Bryce Underwood. Bryce Underwood, Bryce Underwood. And then they get left at the altar and there didn't seem to really be, you know, a backup plan. And that has bled into the 2026 recruiting cycle. And in 2027, you know, Elijah Haven, five star quarterback, our number two player in the country. He also goes to school in Baton Rouge, but LSU took a pledge from another quarterback, Peyton Houston, in state. I mean, a guy that can, you know, he's a fire hydrant, he can rip it around the yard. He's not the tallest, biggest individual. That's Elijah Haven. But it's just been fascinating to see, you know, how this quarterback room has come together because I think everything's going to change, right, with whoever steps in. And, you know, to me, they're going to have to go after a transfer. If you don't think Van Buren's the guy who, let's give him credit, he is kind of a gamer, right? He's exceeded expectations for me. I mean, he's a kid that took a lot of hits at St. Francis Academy, was really good in the Under Armour game, you know, did not see what he did as a freshman at Mississippi State there. But I think they need a high school guy and I think they're going to go after one of the top transfers on the market.
- [29:50]
B
I think it makes a ton of sense. Like they, they do recruit in state pretty well. I, I know, like, opinions on all these in State. Like Louisiana quarterbacks for 27 are just all over, kind of all over the board. You know, you talk to somebody that they, they like this kid, they don't like that kid. Next guy loves it, loves the kid the other guy didn't like. So it, it, like, I don't know if there's a developing consensus yet. Like, I know we like Haven. I, I think we, we like the makeup. He, he looked pretty good when we saw him, you know, at the Future50 event. But at the same time, like, you know, I don't think he's in like, Trevor Lawrence can't miss. Like, like, how in the hell do you let this kid walk out of the state category? Like he's not at this point in his career. Like, he's not the replacement, right, for Bryce Underwood, you know, which honestly it, if LSU hangs on to Bryce Underwood, I'm pretty sure Brian Kelly's not fired.
- [30:43]
D
Would Bryce Underwood be playing?
- [30:46]
B
That's a great question. I, so it would sort of depend on like how hurt is Nussmeier, right? Like, he's not very effective right now. I mean he, he's playing a little bit better. I think he's probably a little bit healthier. But I, I do think maybe at certain points in the year Underwood would have received snaps. But also I think there would, there would be pressure to play Underwood in a way that like, Van Buren is not like a super high level talent. There's not a lot of pressure to play. Like nobody in the fan base, there's no big donor out there. Be like, hey man, I paid all this money for Van Buren. I better see him get some snaps. If Nuss Meyer is going to be hurt and you know, not playing very well. Right. With Underwood, there certainly would be. Like, I, I think if you got a kid that talented, like the risk of making a coaching move is, is really risky if you're worried about losing the kid. Right. It's probably why Sharon's going to get another year at Ann Arbor. You know, despite them not really looking anything special this year. I, I, you just can't afford to fire the coach and, you know, have the kid transfer out. I, I think he would still have the job if they kept Underwood. Now maybe the defense wouldn't be improved because they had to spend their nil money on Underwood. Not on, on the, on the transfer portal defense. But it's an interesting kind of hypothetical to ponder for sure.
- [32:01]
D
Yeah, we used to always, I think they still do them. Chris Hummer at 24 7. Sports like the big recruiting what ifs.
- [32:07]
B
Oh, t boat Alabama, obviously. Yeah. Right.
- [32:11]
D
But hey, this is shaping up to be a big one. You know the. Yeah, the Bryce Underwood I. The same thing. Like Dylan Raiola to Nebraska. Like, what if he went to Georgia? What does Matt Rule look like in kind of year three there? Yeah, it's now these, these quarterback, I mean we call them quarterback dominoes, but that's really what they are because it changes trajectory of the entire college football landscape. Bud, can we talk Texas A M like.
- [32:40]
B
Yes, so let's, let's, let's talk talk about the winning team here, Texas. And we went into Death Valley and put Brian Kelly out of business and they're just developing a nice identity under Mike Elko. I think, like they really understand who they are and, and do a great job recruiting to it. Which brings us to our GM of the week, Derek Miller of Texas A M. And let's, let's chat about Derek a little bit.
- [33:02]
D
Yeah, I mean, to me, bud, when you, you watch Texas A M, you kind of know what they are, right? Like they're a hard nose football team. It is height, weight, speed across the board. And I think it gets easy to just label teams and operations as like, all right, like they're, they're gonna go after the guys with traits and the guys that play hard. Texas A M is executing that. Right. And they play with their hair on fire. I think especially on the defensive side of the ball. They' focused at the point of attack and I think they have a schematical advantage on, on both offense and, and defense. Right. They are getting the most out of the players they have. And what stands out to me about Texas A M and you know, you look at their recruiting class in 2026, that's the one that's going to sign in five weeks. It ranks number five nationally. You talk to some people inside those football offices and in the personnel department, but I think they're more excited about the guys at the bottom of the commit list than the guys at the top of the commit list. And to me what that signals is this is a program that has it all together from an evaluation standpoint. They don't care about the rankings.
- [34:18]
B
Right.
- [34:19]
D
We have a vision, we have a plan. This guy fits what we want to do. We're going to go get them. So that was the case last cycle as well. We saw some of those guys make plays as true freshmen against the Tigers on Saturday night. I mean, Marco Jones, three pressures. I mean, that's an edge rusher that Aggies went out to California to get, right. More of these guys are going to be in the lineup. The other thing, and the reason why Derek Miller in that entire operation deserves a ton of credit is talk about some of these pieces they got in the transfer portal. I mean, Casey Concepcion, he has that huge punt return touchdown. TJ Searcy, who was at Florida, two sacks, right? Scooby Williams, also big impact on Saturday night. Des Ricks, a transfer in from Alabama. I just think it's been an excellent kind of blend of transfer portal additions and high school recruiting, right? They're still developing from within. And, and to me, I know Marcel Reed was a holdover from, from the previous staff, but, you know, they put him in position to succeed, right? And you know, he can be the X factor in certain moments. And I think the biggest thing is he's a dynamic mover, right? He can beat defenses with his legs. And, you know, I just think with how it's all come together, you know, that roster vision again, the culture, the identity, you know, Texas A and M. If, if I'm 80 at one of these other schools, I'm looking at Texas A and M, I'm looking at Vanderbilt. What do they all have in common? They got culture, identity, you know, guys with traits, mobile quarterbacks. I mean, it's all right there in front of you.
- [35:59]
B
I mean, I, I think part of this will be holding that coaching staff together, right? Like, you know, Colin Klein has done such a nice job for them, you know, calling it and helping to design, you know, that offense. But I, I do think with Mike Elko at the helm and the resources that A M has, like, they should be able to continue to, you know, to kill it. Right? Like, you, you mentioned that they're, you know, pretty high on Kasuga, the quarterback coming in after Marcel Reed. Is Marcel Reed a senior or does he have another year? Because I don't think he's like an early NFL guy.
- [36:27]
D
I think he's got another year. You want to know a fun fact? But yeah, a friend texted me about Marcel Reed and I, I don't know, maybe it was the first time that, you know, they got a good taste of Marcel Reed. They're like, man, this kid's super skinny. And I'm like, yep, that, like, to me, Marcel Reed is the definition of a, what we call in the scouting world, like a hard gainer. I mean, he is, he is tight skinned, doesn't have a ton of bone density, you know, doesn't have broad shoulders. And at the same time, him being so lean is, I think, what makes him what he is, just his agility. In the pocket. But I I went and I looked it up and if you love the.
- [37:05]
H
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- [37:27]
D
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H
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- [37:34]
C
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- [38:10]
D
This is in the UC report, right? A database that dates back to 2016. I only found three other quarterbacks that were lighter than Marcel Reed that signed with Power 4 programs. One of them was Jaden Daniels. The other guys haven't even started. I think one of them was Tutu Atwell who was committed to play quarterback at fau, went to Louisville. Now he's in the league as like this gadget player. So he is like the exception to the exception. But Marcel Reed makes it work again, like he delivers in in key moments and you know, it's been fun to watch his rise. A guy we had as a four star prospect. I don't think we any of us expected this, but what he was able to do in high school has translated to to college. And as you noted, Colin Klein kind of sets the table for him. The other thing with Texas A M, bud, is we just kind of downplayed the quarterback outlook for lsu. Like Texas A M's got a plan moving forward. Hellman Kasuga is committed out of Utah. He's 8 and 1 as a senior after missing a good chunk of his junior year due to injury. He's mobile. Texas A M loves him right now. Does he have NFL trades, NFL upside. I don't know about that guy that's played a lot of football. He beat IMG Academy as a junior in kind of a best on best setting before he got hurt. And then they're really excited about the kid they got committed in 2027. So that's a junior in high school, J.C. johnson out of Valdosta. You know, I think out of all the quarterbacks kind of in focus right now that are on my radar, like this guy's the closest thing to Lenora Sellers. So, you know, think about Lenora Sellers and Colin Klein's system, right, in terms of his ability to be a power runner and still make some big time throws. So yeah, GM of the week, Derek Miller. And really it's that entire operation, you know, everyone from Mike Elko at the top. But what they're doing, I think they got an identity and that's a big reason, you know, why they're likely going to be playing for an SEC championship and potentially a national championship.
- [40:15]
B
I think they're also a school that, I mean, look, I, I had them projected number two in my college ball playoff rankings, you know, for, for my weekly projection. Like there's a chance they could be the number one overall seed. You know, if you look at that resume, if they run the table, which they certainly could do, I mean you get what Missouri's left and Missouri has a, now a third string quarterback. Zoller, she actually played pretty damn well for them. I thought in a tough spot against Vanderbilt, you get Texas. And like I just don't think Texas, like, they just don't block, right. Like I thought Arch kind of turned a corner two of the last three games, but they really just don't block anybody there this year. And the receivers are just kind of, they're not bad. They're just, they're kind of Jags by Texas standards, you know, and, and yeah.
- [41:04]
D
Texas might not block, but here's another thing that makes the Aggies like what they are, is the depth and the rotation on the defensive line. Like they are eight deep and which is crazy to think about given what they lost to the NFL drafts.
- [41:23]
B
This, this is the most surprising thing I think about this A and M team this year, right? Like Colin Klein designing an offense to hide some, some of Marcel Reed's processing issues. Not totally surprising. You know, we knew the upgraded receiver in the portal offensive line, like that was an obvious, might be the best in the country type group. Like them, Notre Dame, Iowa, Miami were kind of like the pre. Maybe Bama Preseason in the mix of like, okay, like on the short list of who could have the best O line in the country. Like a lot of NFL guys, a lot of returning experience, you know, type thing. I did not see this defensive line coming like in this way. And they're pretty good. I know they give up some points sometimes, but like this group kind of rips, man.
- [42:04]
D
But remember when you were. I don't know if you reported it on the COVID three back in the preseason.
- [42:09]
B
Yes.
- [42:10]
D
Or you were joking about it about Tamar Stewart potentially coming back. Just gonna say this. I'm under the impression that maybe Shemar Stewart, like, I don't know, he for sure had a spot at Texas A M at the, the slotting for whatever, you know, dollar figure he wanted. I, I think Texas A M felt pretty good about the defensive line.
- [42:30]
B
Yeah, I mean, like think about the money they spent to get receiver. That's probably a smart move, not bringing Shamar Stewart back. Obviously he ended up signing, what with the Bengals. So is he playing, by the way?
- [42:40]
D
Yeah, I saw him in pursuit the other night on red zone.
- [42:43]
B
Okay, there you go. I, I really don't watch much NFL like I, I do, but like not like live very often. You know, they're in a, they're in a position here to close, by the way. Like there are some guys. So obviously we talked about Lamar Brown. If you're watching this on a vod, go watch the lsuvod. If you're watching the full episode, make sure you give us that like, and subscribe to the channel. We do try to talk recruiting here for about an hour a week on the COVID 3 podcast with Andrew Ivins. But like Tank Jones, Braylen Womack, KJ Ford, if they finish number one or number two overall in the playoff ratings, I mean regardless what happens in the playoffs, signing days before any playoff games are played, like, dude, like unleash the money can. Because you got like actual like proof of success, proof of concept on the field, plus like serious dollars. If you're willing to pay 70 million to buy out Jimbo Fisher, I think you're probably pretty willing to pay whatever it takes to, to land some of these guys to really capitalize on, on this number one or number two season.
- [43:39]
D
So, bud, this is a thought that came to me after Sunday after Brian Kelly News. Five weeks till signing day. And I think what's very unique about this recruiting cycle is, is the fact that the coaching carousel is spinning at an all time high. Guys have been let go way before they normally would have. You Know what it used, it used to be like Black Monday after Thanksgiving. I mean, throw that out the window. Everyone just gets dismissed, you know, before Halloween. And I'm sure athletic directors and schools are going to try to get head coaches in place, but the early signing period is extremely early this year. Right. It is December 3rd.
- [44:27]
B
Very early. Yeah.
- [44:28]
D
I don't know how many schools are going to have coaches in place. So where my mind went is like, okay, who's in prime position to capitalize here on some uncertainty at your regular kind of power players? And I got four teams here. Let's start with Texas A and M sitting number five right now in the recruiting class rankings. We talked about Lamar Brown, you know, five star defensive lineman slash offensive lineman. I think Texas A and M is going to push. I don't know how much more they're going to push. I think they've made it very clear, hey, you should come here for these reasons. You just saw it on Saturday night. Up to you, man. I think Mike Elko, you know, Derek Miller and that staff, I think what also makes them unique is they're just going to move to the next thing, right? Like they, they are not going to waste their time. Tank Jones is, is a player to know for a, a majority of these schools. We're going to mention edge rusher out of Alabama, you know, borderline five star prospect going to be in the conversation. He is a longtime Oregon commit. He's been to Miami, he's been to Texas A and M since the season started. But I think he's the closest thing to Reuben Bane in this cycle. He is big, he is thick, he can get around the corner, you can put him on ball, off ball. Really love what Tank Jones has done as a senior there in Mobile. Big, big fan of him. Everyone seems to be thinking the same thing because Texas A and M, Oregon and Miami I think are all point of attack focused programs and operations right now. So he's one to keep an eye on. Braylon Womack, five star safety out of Mississippi. This was the Gatorade player of the year last year. The player comp has long been Caleb Downs for him. Now Braylon Womack has dealt with some injuries as a senior, but he can do a little bit of everything on the back end. His recruitment's been kind of all over the place. Texas A and M was in there very early. Now Texas A and M likes the safeties that they have committed. They got a really good one in Tylen Wilson out of Mississippi. So, you know, certainly it seems like Texas A and M is, is positioning themselves to, to bust out that spatula. They like what they have in the class starts at the point of attack. Tristan Givens, Bryce Perry Wright, two five star pass rushers. So they are one to. To watch and, and they are going to parlay this on field success into success in the living rooms of of of top top recruits.
- [47:01]
B
And Malik, what a, what a perfect year for, for A M to do this too. Obviously Texas had so much recruiting momentum, you know, coming off last year. Texas Tech just you know, fire the money can and doing a nice job on some evaluations as well. And, and for A M to come to like actually we're, we're that team and also we're going to knock LSU out of the race, make them go into a coaching search. One that like if they're going after Lane Kiffin might extend well past signing day. Like a man. That is. You could have not timed this better if you are are the Aggies. They certainly did. So I'm looking forward to see how they close. Speaking of clothes, let's, let's get to the evaluation of the week here. A guy that I know we saw a good bit in some 7 on 7 stuff from the Northeast, receiver K.J. duff, who man, like just watch him in person. I, I don't want to step on here but like is he a receiver? Is he gonna grow into a tight end? Like athletically? Like I don't think he was like freaky fast, but he did make a lot of plays. Instead on seven, a guy who just kind of kept like oh yeah, all right. Like that guy, he catches it well, he gets up, gets himself open like good body control guy. But he's blossomed into a lot better for Rutgers than I thought he was going to be.
- [48:13]
D
K.J. duff against Purdue, I didn't have eyes on this game, but I, I watched the PFF.
- [48:19]
H
Cut.
- [48:20]
D
Cut up six catches, 241 yards and in one touchdown as as Rutgers rallied to beat Purdue. But average 40.2 yards per catch. I've never seen that for a receiver that had like more than four catches like that is insane. K.J. duff now leads the Big Ten in receiving yards. 761 on the season. Makai Lemons behind him, Jeremiah Smith's behind him, Carnell Tates behind him. A guy I had a ton of exposure to, K.J. duff and we went back and forth about, hey, should it be a four star prospect? He finishes as a three star. He finished as the number 28 tight end in the country. The number one player in New York. We weren't the only ones that misread KJ Duff because everyone passed on Hannah. This is a kid that had Tennessee involved. Florida State was involved. Miami was involved. Florida was involved. Penn State was involved. Penn State, which has a ton of issues at wide receiver, I think they could use a KJ Duff. Syracuse, all those schools were involved with KJ Duff, but no one was ready to pull the trigger really besides Rutgers. And that's why he ended up in Piscataway. I think what everyone had was hung up on was, was the 40 time. I mean he has a 4, 78 guy. In hindsight, he was doing that at 200 pounds. He always made contested catches. And bud, I, I bring up KJ Duff because, you know, transfer portal window, what, two months away. This is going to be a guy that is going to have plenty of suitors if he elects to enter. Talking with some people inside his camp a few days ago, a CFP contender I'm not going to name the school tried to poach KJ Duff last cycle. Rutgers paid up well. Greg Shiano, Scarlet Knights, they're gonna have to do it again because these big bodied X's, they carry a ton of value in the transfer portal. So kudos to Rutgers for not overthinking it with KJ Dub. Shame on all of us for overthinking it with KJ Duff. And just an awesome kid to see kind of blossom in one of the big two conferences.
- [50:30]
B
I mean like awesome awesome for, for Rutgers. Kelly McManus is playing pretty well this year as well. He was like one of PFF's leading quarterbacks, which is nice to see because like, like there were times when he was pretty rough before and you know, a story of continued development there. Yeah, I mean records probably gonna have a fight on their hand to hold on to him, but also if you're him, why not stay like they're clearly building the offense around you. You're leading the Big Ten in receiving. It's not like you're going to go somewhere and get a lot more exposure. Right? Like you're going to continue to get an absolute ton of targets there for the Scarlet Knights, man, five weeks to sign a day. I, I am absolutely pumped. This is, this is a whole lot of fun. We'll do it again next week. And I Ivan's, I appreciate it man.
- [51:12]
D
Of course bud. Hey, everything is moving fast, right? Like I mentioned, A M is gonna gonna close strong. I keep an eye on Oregon, keep an eye on Miami, Mario Crystal ball in that staff. They're trending for Milan Paris, a big 65 wide receiver that's kind of in the same mold as KJ Duff, maybe a little bit faster. Ohio State sitting number nine in the recruiting class rankings right now. And from my perspective, I think Ohio State is making the best senior season evaluations out of any operation in the country. Not surprised. Mark Pantoni, the GM there, but they're going to get things rolling as well. So a lot of schools capitalizing on some, some uneasy waters for a lot of other schools.
- [51:56]
B
Absolutely. Ivan. Enjoyed it, man.
- [51:58]
D
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