Former Players Break Down What Fall Camp Is Really Like

Summary

Inside Texas Football

Episode: Former Players Break Down What Fall Camp Is Really Like

Air Date: August 5, 2026
Host: Tex Homer
Guests: Drew Kelson (former Texas DB/LB), Jet Bush (former Texas LB/DE)

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Episode Overview

This episode dives deep into the realities of Texas Longhorns fall football camp from the players’ perspective. Host Tex Homer leads a candid discussion with former Longhorns Drew Kelson and Jet Bush, covering the intense daily schedules, physical and mental grind, team dynamics, and misunderstood aspects of camp life. The conversation unpacks how roles are won (and lost), how team culture is built, and what actually matters when evaluating camp progress. If you want a player’s-eye view of what really happens behind the scenes each August, this is your playbook.

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Key Discussion Points and Insights

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1. Anatomy of a Fall Camp Day

Timestamps: 02:04–04:11

• Jet Bush lays out a typical schedule:
  • Early breakfast (sometimes a lift before or after)
  • Two hours of meetings, two hours of practice
  • Exhaustion, lunch, “recap” and film, nap
  • More film work (install, recapping, defensive/position studies)
  • Walkthroughs in classroom/new facility
  • Dinner, more walkthroughs, meetings till ~8pm
  • “And that’s your day, all day, every day. Football.” (03:07)
• Kelson agrees: “There are no real breaks. …If you’re not working, you’re watching film.” (04:14)

Notable Quote:

• Jet Bush (03:07):
  “If you got, if you're doing stuff after 10pm you ain't doing enough for sure during fall camp.”

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2. The Hardest Part of Camp

Timestamps: 04:31–05:35

• Bush: “Being a freshman.” It’s about time management, body care, and sleep discipline.
  • "Sometimes you put your head down and pick it right back up." (04:38)
• Kelson: The mental grind, especially after week one.
  • “It’s easy to get up and hype for the first day…. But that second week, late that third week…It can start taking a toll.”

Notable Quote:

• Drew Kelson (05:02):
  “It’s really mental more than it is anything else, of just staying locked in because you’re hitting each other all this time without hitting another color jersey.”

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3. Psychological Leaps: High School ➔ College vs. College ➔ NFL

Timestamps: 05:35–07:09

• Both transitions are huge, but college maintains more camaraderie and structure. NFL is more “solo.”
• NFL cutthroat: “Those last few days of camp before the season, you’re not guaranteed to be on the team.” (06:32)

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4. Fall Camp vs. Regular Practice Weeks

Timestamps: 07:09–08:49

• Bush: Camp is about learning, fighting for jobs; season is game-specific prep.

• Kelson: “Your body, once you get to the season, it’s definitely just more maintenance. …In camp, man, you’re competing... going hard.”

  • No protection unless injured—physical throughout camp.

• On modern rules: “You can’t do two-a-days, which is like...they did that like, 10, 15 years ago.” (08:58)

  • INTENSITY remains high ("Bloody Monday/Bloody Tuesday”)

Notable Quote:

• Jet Bush (08:49):
  “I don’t think it’s any less physical at all. I think they’re very like, Bloody Monday, Bloody Tuesday, or Bloody Tuesday.”

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5. Earning (and Losing) a Spot

Timestamps: 09:52–14:59

• Players know which drills or scrimmages are "compete days" for jobs.
• Heavy focus on special teams for depth players.
  • “The live drills are bigger. …We know, they hype it up.” (11:06)
• Evaluations are “fast, physical, and assignment-sound.” Film is the deciding factor.
  • “The film room...has to tell the story.” (11:32)
• Depth chart can change fast.
  • Kelson recalls Jordan Shipley: "He was about to be a starter" almost immediately, until injury (12:24)
  • Bush: Some move up quickly; others can be “yanked” just as fast for mistakes.

Notable Quotes:

• Jet Bush (12:23):
  “Pretty immediate.”
• Drew Kelson (14:38):
  “If you’re a liability on the field, that’s the fastest thing that'll get you yanked.”

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6. Competition and Trash Talk

Timestamps: 16:08–17:29

• Every day is competitive, especially inside run periods.
• Trash talk is intense but policed to keep it healthy. Coaches intervene if it goes too far—once it disrupts performance or becomes personal.
  • “If it gets toxic…you gotta know what that line is.” (16:57)

Notable Moment:

• Kelson and Bush riffing on “burnt toast/runny eggs”—the ‘punishment’ myths:
  • Bush (17:28):
    “No. But you did get a victory meal on Sunday. And if you didn't win you would just get like, normal whatever, you know, dry potatoes, dry meat, chicken, whatever, instead of steak and lobster.”

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7. “Making Practice Miserable” & The Role of the Strength Staff

Timestamps: 17:52–18:45

• Coaches don’t usually try to make it miserable, but strength staff will.
• Running after a hard practice is part of psychological conditioning.
  • “How long will you run if you don't know the distance? ...That's the psychological torture.” (18:38)

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8. Winning Jobs: Flash vs. Consistency

Timestamps: 18:45–19:31

• Coaches value consistent, mistake-free play over occasional big flashes, especially outside skill positions.
• “You can make a big play, but if you’re not consistent…you’re giving up more points than you gain.” (18:58)

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9. Injuries: Why Do They Seem Worse in Fall Camp?

Timestamps: 19:31–20:31

• Largely coincidental, but more physicality in fall, more “go to the ground” tackling.
  • “Statistically you have more of those situations...” (20:07)

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10. Spotting Who’s Ready and Who Isn’t

Timestamps: 20:31–21:53

• It’s “right away” obvious if a big recruit isn’t ready—playbook overload, conditioning, or even personality fit can be issues.

• “There’s a playbook part. …There’s a conditioning part. …Sometimes they’re just straight up not good people.” (21:15)

• Inverse: You can spot the prepared—the ones who put their heads down and quietly go to work.

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11. Locker Room Dynamics: Rooming, Culture, and Being “Intentional”

Timestamps: 31:27–35:48

• Texas made players move back into dorms for camp (not done last year)—meant to foster unity across position groups and encourage cross-side discussion.
  • “They’re kind of putting together players that are not rivals...so you get to know the other.” (34:06)
• Kelson: “You still have to be intentional about building that connection and having everyone kind of be in one place.”
• Strong bonds across offense/defense matter for keeping culture cohesive during the grind.

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12. Player Health: “Never Healthier Than Day 1”

Timestamps: 35:48–36:33

• All agree: You’re never physically better than the first day of fall camp.
  • Accumulated “pain and soreness” becomes the norm, not necessarily injury but always “banged up.”

Notable Exchange:

• Kelson (36:03):
  “Because your body's just cycling through…once you just get to a certain level of soreness and pain, it's just a part of…just a part of it.”
• Bush (36:28):
  “Everybody’s hurt. …Not, you know, there’s [a] difference between being hurt and injured, but everybody’s hurt.”

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Memorable Quotes & Moments

• Jet Bush: “Sometimes you put your head down and pick it right back up.” (04:38)
• Drew Kelson: “Your check may get cut, you may not start in college—in the NFL you may not have a spot.” (06:32)
• Jet Bush: “You’re a two or a three, you are automatically trying to be a starter on special teams to build that trust and make a name for yourself.” (10:10)
• On film review:
  Kelson (11:10): “If you don’t have clean film, clean effort...the film has to tell the story.” Kelson (11:39): “You forget about it on the field...But then you go to the film room, and...you have people coming from other meetings saying, 'Dude…'”
• On health:
  Jet Bush (36:11): “You know what, I think I still feel my first fall camp.”

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Key Takeaways

• Fall camp is a relentless, all-encompassing grind both physically and mentally, especially for freshmen and players fighting for spots.
• Evaluations are concrete and fast: depth chart movements can be immediate, largely decided in highly competitive, film-reviewed moments.
• Team culture is intentionally built through shared adversity, unified living, and cross-position relationships.
• Physicality remains central: despite modern rule changes, practices are still “bloody,” and “what you put in is what you get out.”
• Consistency wins more jobs than flash—unless you’re a generational talent.
• Fans and media often misinterpret out-of-context clips; real player evaluation happens out of view, daily, and is far more nuanced.
• Once fall camp starts, “you’re never healthier than day 1”—the grind takes its toll on everyone, even if it’s not termed injury.

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For Texas Fans:

If you want the most authentic understanding of what shapes the Longhorns in August, listen to the players who lived it. As the new season approaches, keep in mind: hype, reports, and clips only scratch the surface. The real battles and bonds happen in the grind.

Transcript

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[Tex Homer]

Hello everyone, I'm Tex Homer, joined by former players Drew Kelson and Jet Bush. And camp starts tomorrow, so we're going to learn what that actually looks like for players. But first, head over to Inside Texas right now you can join for $1, then 50 off your first year. Click that link in the description. Also, Paul just dropped his 2026 Longhorn football prospectus, thanking Texas Football there is no better preview for the Texas Longhorns in the world, period. He also goes over all of our opponents and then even the wider sec. So link down in the description and get your physical copy on Amazon. Or you can go digital. All right fellas, I have A bunch of questions, I'm gonna throw them at you. And then fans are gonna know what's up. First things first. Take us through a normal day of fall camp, from waking up to going to bed. What are you actually doing? And don't say everything you're doing on, on a. During fall camp, but you can. Maybe anything after 10pm you can leave out. But what's your normal, what's your normal day on fall camp?

[Jet Bush]

Yeah, if you got, if you're doing stuff after 10pm you ain't doing enough for sure during fall camp. But you go, you know, breakfast, sometimes you have a lift before, sometimes you'll have a lift after, you know, and then you got like a two, you got two hours of meetings, two hours of practice. You go, you're exhausted after that lunch recap, practice, nap time, more film. Whether it's install or more recapping or just, you know, things of that nature, you're watching film. Whether it's a defensive study film, whether it's a position study film, you got walkthroughs, you got dinner, you got more walkthroughs basically. Or. Yeah, walkthroughs in a classroom or whatever or wherever they do it these days. I know they built that new facility and pretty much meetings until it is, I don't know, 8 o' clock or something like that, 7 o'. Clock. And that's your day, all day, every day. Football.

[Tex Homer]

Drew, was it any different for you?

[Drew Kelson]

Not much different. There are no real breaks. We used, I mean, we probably had like maybe a two hour period where you could, I mean, you'd have time to nap if anything else, or go get some treatment or something like that. But yeah, if you're not working, you're. You're watching film.

[Tex Homer]

Next question. What's the hardest part of fall camp that fans have no idea about?

[Jet Bush]

Being a freshman for me is like the thing that pops up. Like you've never done anything like that and just like compartmentalizing or managing time management in terms of like taking care of your body and getting enough sleep I think is like, was the craziest thing for me. You know, it just kind of feels like sometimes you put your head down and pick it right back up.

[Tex Homer]

Yeah, you're just trying to keep your head above water.

[Drew Kelson]

Yeah, it's, it, it's, it's the mental part. I mean, it's easy to get up and hype for the first day, the first few days or the first day of pads. But that second week, late that third week that, that Scrimmage you have, that second scrimmage you have. I mean, you get excited about football, but when your body has to respond, yeah, it just, it can start taking a toll. So, yeah, it's really mental more than it is anything else, of just staying locked in because you're hitting each other all this time without hitting another color jersey. It's a lot of work in a small amount of time.

[Tex Homer]

I got a quick question. I was asking this the other day. Is there a bigger, bigger psychological jump between going from high school to college or college to NFL? Not even, like the physical side of it, but just the day to day. What do you think?

[Drew Kelson]

I wouldn't say bigger one way or the other, but definitely, I mean, there's a two different major psychological jumps. I mean, from freshman to college, there's still that camaraderie. There's still that comfort of having teammates. If there's any jump, it's just the way you're challenged mentally, whether it be on the field or off the field, and being humbled by realizing, like, there's a lot to learn and you're not the best athlete. I mean, you may be one of the best players ever where you came from, but you got to go out and compete every single day in college. The NFL, from. I mean, it's, it's just. There's no connection. You're, you're, you're solo, you're. You work, you go to work, you put in time and you leave. There's not as much time, as I understand it, like, spent on culture. And I mean, people have a choice on how much time they want to spend at the facility. I feel like in college, we didn't have a choice. It's like we're here. So it's. It is different psychologically. But in the NFL, there's always that depending on where you get picked up. I mean, I had several friends where it's those last few days of camp before the season, you're not guaranteed to be on the team. So it's stressful in that way because your check may get cut, you may not start in college. In the NFL, you may not have a spot. So that's just. It's completely different.

[Tex Homer]

Next up, how different does fall camp feel compared to a normal week of practice during the season?

[Jet Bush]

Like, the actual practice itself, it's definitely different because during the week, you're preparing for a game. Like, you're still in fall camp. You're still learning the playbook, installing the plays, learning how to play as a defense. Some People are fighting for starting jobs or the two. So that, I think, is the biggest difference, and I'm sure I'm missing a couple.

[Tex Homer]

What do you think, Drew?

[Drew Kelson]

I'd say the way you treat your body is a little different. Your body, once you get to the season, it's definitely just more maintenance. You're competing in camp, man. Basically, if you're not injured, you're going hard. I know you think we protect guys more, and I don't know how jetting them did it, but there was no protection, man. You were out competing every day. It wasn't probably until the week before the season started, where at least the week before the. The first practice week, where you start taking a couple days just to kind of heal up. But we had physical practices for a lot of the time, and I think that's just. That that's the difference. You're not. It's just a different way of taking care of your body.

[Jet Bush]

Yeah, we. We have physical practices, and I've said it on the podcast before that I believe in that. And it's kind of like calluses, and you don't want your calluses to kind of wear down, you know?

[Tex Homer]

So I do have one of those questions. How physical is the modern fall camp practice actually allowed to get? Are they. Is it less and less kind of each year, or how do. What do you think, Jet?

[Jet Bush]

I mean, I don't think it's any less physical at all. I think they're very like, Bloody Monday, Bloody Tuesday, or Bloody Tuesday.

[Tex Homer]

I just didn't know if they put rule. They put rules.

[Jet Bush]

The only new rule is, like, you can't do two A days, which is like. I think they did that like, 10, 15 years ago. this point, Drew had to go through two days. I can never even imagine doing actually, like, two practices, you know, so that's. You know, we think we have it hard these days. And then somebody like. Like Gideon would get up there like, you guys think you had it already. This is a cakewalk. Something like that. So.

[Tex Homer]

Yeah, that sounds like Gideon, too. That's a good impression.

[Drew Kelson]

Two days were fun, though, because now y' all just sit in meetings.

[Jet Bush]

Yeah. And if you're like me and you're just big, you're one of the older guys. You get a bunch of visual reps and stuff like that. That's extremely useful for somebody like, you know, I can get a good rep. I can. I get a whole practice.

[Drew Kelson]

Yeah.

[Jet Bush]

You know, just standing back there and watching, you know, it's really just about, you know, what you put in is what you get out.

[Drew Kelson]

Yeah.

[Tex Homer]

Are there moments where everybody knows and moments could be a drill or you could be, you know, doing team run, whatever. This is where the jobs are going to be won today. Are you aware of that?

[Jet Bush]

Yes. I guess I can answer this a little bit better because I know how Sark does it or Banks does it.

[Tex Homer]

Really.

[Jet Bush]

So it's a big compete day on, like, special teams, and it's like lining up one on ones, whether they're gunners, working up some inside drills, working on some blocking drills, and they're having pass rushers, pass, punt or whatever, or kickoff, Kickoff practicing. All special teams heavily emphasized. If you're a two or three, you are automatically trying to be a starter on special teams to build that trust and make a name for yourself and establish street cred and go out there and play. So, yeah, they. We know, they hype it up. Clearly, the live drills are bigger. The scrimmages, like, going into the scrimmages, we know. Like, I've had my coach be like, this is between y'. All. Whoever ends up with a better film is going to be the two. Like, that happened my junior year, my senior year, my true senior year. So my fourth year, you know, and I won, and I got to. I got the backup job and backed up Demarbion and Jalen.

[Tex Homer]

Okay. I didn't know it was that concrete, so that's. That's good. Was the same for you, Drew?

[Drew Kelson]

Yeah. I mean, at the end of the day, it's. It's fast, physical, and assignment sound. If you don't have clean film, clean effort. I mean, the. The film room is kind of. Yeah. Because. Because the film has to tell the story, so it does get objective. And you know, you're competing, but you also know the film is going to be what they comb through to make the decisions.

[Tex Homer]

So what's worse? Getting embarrassed on the field or knowing everyone is about to watch it repeatedly in the film room?

[Drew Kelson]

Oh, you forget about it on the field. Like, on the field, you move to the next play. Everybody moves the next play. But then you go to the film room, and it's like after the film room, when you go to your team meeting or whatever is after that, you have people coming from other meetings saying, dude,

[Tex Homer]

yeah, I had it in high school, man. There I had this whore. I got killed on this rep so much that it was laughable, and I was dreading film that day. And the coaches replayed it about eight times, so that's even consistent.

[Jet Bush]

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Tex Homer]

How Quick. Can a player legitimately move up or down the depth chart during camp or how fast have you seen it happen?

[Jet Bush]

Pretty immediate.

[Drew Kelson]

You know, the fastest I've ever seen someone move up the depth chart. And it was unfortunate because he got hurt. Jordan Shipley got on campus, and immediately. And I mean, across the whole team, we were like, yeah, this dude's different. Could not be covered. Was quick, was. Was solid. The effort on his routes was just different. Anyway, he. He. I mean, he was almost immediately our. Our true freshman year was. I mean, he was about to be a starter, so then he got an injury, so. But that's the fastest I've ever seen someone come in, make an impression, and I don't think anybody saw him coming, but he was undeniable, for sure.

[Jet Bush]

Yeah, I think of. Jordan Whittington was pretty one of those guys. I know he got hurt, obviously, like, very, very early, like, second time he touched the ball or whatever and kind of lingered through his career, but he. They were trying to find ways to get him on the field. Bijan, obviously, I'm gonna say.

[Tex Homer]

Were you there when Bijan was a freshman? Was that the same year? Yeah.

[Jet Bush]

No, he was. He. I was there when he was a freshman.

[Tex Homer]

So whenever Tom Herman didn't play him until late in the season. Did you already know he was. The truth, and it was just a coach thing.

[Jet Bush]

Dude, I could have told you. As soon as I saw this guy walk, like, I was like, this is the truth. I was like, I don't even. I can just tell by the way he's built and the walks. You know what I mean? Like, some people just got that thing about him. Who was I about to say, you know, Byron Murphy, T sweat a couple other guys. They're just like, you know, if they're just big enough and strong enough and good, you. They can just play immediately. I'm not gonna have a tomato. I don't know.

[Tex Homer]

Do people drop faster than they can rise?

[Jet Bush]

No. I don't know. It's situational. Like, how bad did you mess up? How consistent is this? Yeah, you know, I climbed really fast as well, too, you know, played as a true freshman, walk on, you know, so kind of just was already a two and three going into fall camp. I think I was, like, one or two days, like, as on scout team, and then they, like, immediately took me off or whatever.

[Tex Homer]

Yeah, so you. I just. I just thought you could get yanked a lot faster than you could.

[Drew Kelson]

Oh, oh, you know, you can get yanked for sure. Absolutely. Can get yanked. I've Been yanked. I've been yanked. So you can get yanked. If you're a liability on the field, that's the fastest thing that'll get you yanked. Whether you're not assignment sound, you're not physical enough. You just don't know how to leverage correctly or have the right technique, that's what can get you yanked immediately.

[Tex Homer]

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[Drew Kelson]

Every day? I mean, that's what we used to be on.

[Jet Bush]

Yeah, inside run gets pretty heated, but it was really quiet on the offensive side when it gets inside run. So it was pretty loud on the defense sighting, like, obviously they're like, berf. Like, just don't even go in there or we're not gonna get the playoff, basically, you know?

[Drew Kelson]

Yeah.

[Jet Bush]

So, you know, it was pretty loud, but obviously as soon as they broke one out or made up, hit us on play on. On live or something, it was just. It was like, as loud as it was most obnoxious ever, but rightfully so. I mean, we're just as obnoxious.

[Tex Homer]

How do coaches police that? Because there's, like, trash talking that's healthy and good for the game. And then there's enough trash talking where you're like, I'm starting not to like my team. A teammate. How do you, like, balance. How do they balance that? Or just it sorts itself out.

[Drew Kelson]

I mean, that's really the line, you know, if it gets toxic, you know, whatever that looks like, you got to know what that line is. But at the end of the day, guys are competing and they're. You playing with emotion. But if it gets in the way of guys performing to the standard, then that's a problem. But also if he gets into a way where people start taking it personally, then that's a problem. So you just. You gotta, gotta go. You gotta go play. It's competitive every day. You're gonna take your Ls.

[Tex Homer]

I think this is a Herman question. Did players really get burnt toast or runny eggs?

[Jet Bush]

No. But you did get a victory meal on Sunday. And if you didn't, when you would just get like, normal whatever, you know, dry potatoes, dry meat, chicken, whatever, instead of steak and lobster.

[Drew Kelson]

Yeah, that's wild.

[Tex Homer]

Yeah, Those are the weird, like, psychological ones that even the players are like, this is dumb.

[Jet Bush]

Like, what she took from Urban Meyer so we can just blame it on him.

[Tex Homer]

Is that what it is? Yeah. Can you tell when the coaches are intentionally making practice miserable to see how the team responds?

[Jet Bush]

I don't think they ever try to make it intentionally miserable. Maybe the strength coaches will try to make a workout.

[Tex Homer]

That's what I was. Y' all running. Yeah. Is intentionally miserable?

[Jet Bush]

Yeah. Like, I think the worst thing in the entire world is, like, you get done noon scrimmage on, like, a Saturday heat index on the field is probably above 115, and you're like, great, you made it through the practice. And then they're like, everybody on the line?

[Drew Kelson]

Everybody on the line.

[Tex Homer]

Yeah.

[Jet Bush]

That is just sucks the wind out of there.

[Drew Kelson]

You never know when it's going to end. Yes.

[Jet Bush]

It's just like, you know, that's the. How long will you run if you don't know the distance? You know what I mean?

[Tex Homer]

Yeah. That's a psychological torture, too. If you don't know when your last run is. What's more important to winning a job, making big plays or consistently avoiding mistakes?

[Jet Bush]

Play consistency. Because, like, you can make a big play, but if you're not consistent and you're busting, you're giving up more points than you, than you, then you gain.

[Tex Homer]

What about wide receivers where they caught three touchdowns and they do everything else wrong? It's not really that extreme. But are there any positions where you see a difference in that?

[Jet Bush]

Well, he says, like, even Sark says it, you know, we trade, you know, they're ball players. At the end of the day, if they see space, they're going to go take space. If they take a chance and don't make the chance and, you know, that's part of, part of the game. It's taking those chances.

[Tex Homer]

This is a unique question. Why are there always season ending injuries in fall camp, but hardly ever in spring camp? Our practices just tougher in fall camp.

[Drew Kelson]

I think that's more coincidental than anything. Meaning. Meaning spring having no injuries. I. I think that's more coincidental. But yeah, fall camp is just tough.

[Tex Homer]

I think you just hear about like the acl, like more in fall camp for whatever reason. I don't know if it's because getting back into it over some. I don't know what it is. And maybe that's not even true and it just feels that way, but sometimes it does feel like that. Like the season enders, like the big ones.

[Drew Kelson]

Yeah.

[Jet Bush]

You have more, you have more physicality, I would say. And like true. Go to the ground tackling. So I mean just statistically you have more of those situations, so maybe that's why. But I mean that's more coincidence. I think it's hot. It's just as hot in the spring, it's hot in the fall, it's hot in the winter. So that's true.

[Tex Homer]

This is a Texas problem. How obvious it. When it obvious is it when a highly recruited player is not ready yet?

[Drew Kelson]

I mean, it's right away. Yeah.

[Jet Bush]

You can just.

[Drew Kelson]

Yeah, it's. It's easy. And there's different things that can make a player not ready. I mean, sometimes it's the playbook, like you just. They can't handle the, the download of the playbook and they're out there thinking at a position where you just shouldn't even be thinking.

[Jet Bush]

Yeah.

[Drew Kelson]

So there's a playbook part. There's a. There's a conditioning part. Not everybody's conditioned. So that's the difference. It's. You just, you're not. Yeah. No matter who you are, you're gonna have to make an adjustment. And it usually falls in. In one of these buckets and sometimes

[Jet Bush]

they're just straight up not good people. And they just say F you to everybody. And we try to get them on the field and they just. That's very. It happens.

[Tex Homer]

What's the inverse with like a Kelvin Banks? Like, how quick can you tell, like, oh, this guy is going to be ready?

[Jet Bush]

I mean, you just come in and you do the work and you keep your head down. You're a freshman. You know what I mean? You don't act like you've done anything because you haven't even stepped on the field. You want to earn your stripe, do it the Right way. And then, you know, you don't talk a lot. You just tend to take care of business. And if you do talk a lot and you take care of business at the same time, it's like, all right, fair enough.

[Drew Kelson]

Fair enough.

[Tex Homer]

Nothing I can do about it.

[Jet Bush]

Yeah.

[Tex Homer]

When the offense or defense dominates a scrimmage, does the other one hear about it afterwards?

[Jet Bush]

Yeah, I think I got a good one. So, like, the office has bad practice. Coach is going to not be in a good. Like, get a good mood. He's like, we did not have good day practice.

[Tex Homer]

Yeah. Defense actually. Really? Defense checked.

[Drew Kelson]

Whoop.

[Jet Bush]

You know, Checked. Checked it. And today. And we had a great practice. So like, sometimes it'd be those days where he's like, all right, I thought the practice was pretty good or whatever, you know.

[Tex Homer]

Yeah.

[Jet Bush]

But I mean, there's. We get the best of them, and sometimes, you know, it's the complete inverse. I mean, it. That's what happens when you got two elite sides of the ball.

[Tex Homer]

Do you. Do you guys listen to the press conferences as players?

[Jet Bush]

Yeah, I do sometimes.

[Tex Homer]

Yeah.

[Drew Kelson]

Sometimes hear things. And if you don't hear it, somebody, you know, has listened.

[Tex Homer]

Okay. Because I. I was just wondering if you guys, like, that's not what happened or, you know, or. Or he didn't mention this, you know, because he could say, we didn't have a good practice today. And you could be like, well, wait one second.

[Drew Kelson]

There's usually things that come with that, like turnovers, fumbles, bus sacks, false starts. Like, that's not a good practice. If it's a competitive practice, but the penalties are clean. There's no false starts. It's competitive at the point of play. Like, that's. I mean, even if it's. Even if one side scores more or, you know, the office doesn't score at all, at the end of the day, you want a clean practice, a clean competitive practice. But a bad practice is. Yeah. When you're. When you're turning over the ball and doing the things.

[Jet Bush]

Yeah, I agree. I agree.

[Tex Homer]

If you miss three or four practices during camp, how damaging could that be to your place on the depth chart? Not a disciplinary issue, but just like you tweaked. You tweaked your knee or something like that. How have you seen that happen where a guy was close and it was.

[Drew Kelson]

Depends on the depth, dude. It's always going to depend on the depth. I mean, if somebody's right on your heels and you haven't earned that spot yet outright, and there's not a definitive line that you're just better than the next guy. I mean, good luck, you know, you'll come back as depth and you have to fight your way back into it.

[Jet Bush]

Exactly.

[Drew Kelson]

Yeah. That's really what it comes down to. Who's. Who's behind you. What are the other options?

[Jet Bush]

Yeah, yeah, exactly. Exactly. Honestly, who is behind you is a great way of putting it.

[Tex Homer]

Chris, did you prefer to practice outside or in the bubble?

[Drew Kelson]

I'm. I'm a grass guy.

[Jet Bush]

I'm a grass guy. That's what I was gonna say. I'm a grass guy.

[Tex Homer]

Yeah. Is the bubble that bad? I just hear that it sucks, dude.

[Jet Bush]

It looks a hundred years old.

[Tex Homer]

It does, but I'm talking about, like functionality wise, inside.

[Drew Kelson]

It doesn't.

[Tex Homer]

It definitely doesn't look pretty.

[Jet Bush]

It's the same. I mean, it's just a bubble.

[Drew Kelson]

Yeah, I just. It. I know there are a lot of people who grew up with more resources and playing in high school and had bubbles and like, dude, football feels like football to me outside and it feels like football in grass and even in the heat. So when we go in the bubble, it almost. In some ways, some guys are like, this is a day off.

[Jet Bush]

Yeah. Yeah. Like, you gotta turn the intensity of when you go in there to how hard is the word about the outside? For sure. Like, it's a different.

[Tex Homer]

Is it humid in there?

[Jet Bush]

No, it's AC and it's nice. It's just like. Yeah, it's freaking great. Honestly, it is nice. Like, there are some days where it's so hot outside that like, by law or something, they have to do like an hour outside and like an hour inside now. And then now we have like another thing where it's like we have like mandatory. They literally just have like a container like you see on the back of an 18 wheeler and it's just completely frozen on the inside. And you have to go in there for like 30 seconds or 60 seconds and then you can get on the bus and go. Because of like the heat or whatever

[Tex Homer]

they got you guys.

[Jet Bush]

Very nice.

[Tex Homer]

Like a freezer truck.

[Jet Bush]

I'm doing it.

[Tex Homer]

I've never heard of that, man. Yeah, I just saw the stats that like 90% of the heat deaths are linemen specifically. So it makes sense. But I was like, man, put the big boys in the. In the truck freezer, I guess, more often.

[Jet Bush]

Yeah.

[Drew Kelson]

So if you.

[Jet Bush]

If you're wondering what those random containers are, that's what those are.

[Tex Homer]

I didn't even know those existed. That's.

[Drew Kelson]

Those guys could lose 10 plus pounds of sweat in the practice.

[Tex Homer]

So, yeah, question. What's the win. Win rate ratio you're looking for with DL&O line, for instance? I'd love to see 50, 50 with a Colin Simmons and Trevor Goosby. What, as players, are you noticing, like, hey, our end is winning too much, that our tackle might not be good or vice versa? What's that? What's that? Give and take.

[Jet Bush]

So for sure, like, obviously you want it to be more 50, 50, I would say, in terms of just estimating the whole thing, but there was times like that 22. No, my last year, it was like, we have no. Like, it was just like, power off the edge. Power off the edge. We have no speed. And this is basically the story of my life. It was like this for like three years. And then they were like, we need speed. So they just like send me in there. I'd go hit like five space speed moves in a row and they hadn't seen it in like two months. So I won like every rep and then they just moved me over there. And so, yeah, I mean, there was. It was like either to sharpen iron, to sharpen iron or, you know, we actually need to see who's going to be able to beat this tackle.

[Tex Homer]

Can you guys predict, like, how much of that is, like, ego? Of like, well, of course I'm winning because I'm good. When do you realize that, like, our offensive line might suck? Like, when does that come in to play?

[Drew Kelson]

It's never your own personal one on ones that tell you that. It's when you watch the film and see everybody just, yeah, yeah. And sometimes it's not even the offensive line. You still see it even when. Because it's not like we just watch the ones in film. When you see the twos and threes, you're like, okay. Like, yeah, these guys. Like, that's when you get to see the scale of this is what good looks like versus this is what developing, figuring it out looks like. You still see a lot of film we watch in college is still shitties. Twos and threes, figuring it out. It's not all ones and crisp and everything else, but we learn from that too. So, yeah.

[Tex Homer]

Got a question from my man David Keith Williams. Drew, if you had to compare your game as a safety and linebacker while at Texas to any current player on the roster, who would that be? He says, I have a feeling you would say Jelani.

[Jet Bush]

It's a great question.

[Drew Kelson]

Jelani and Ty Smith are the two that I probably have probably paid more attention to. Just naturally on the field than last year because just the way they play, combination of speed, physicality, playing sideline to sideline, Jelani tackles better than I ever did as far as an open field. But yeah, that, that's about what I would say.

[Tex Homer]

When we hear as fans of players having a great camp, what does that actually mean inside the building?

[Drew Kelson]

It usually means unstoppable. Like you haven't been able to really figure him out yet or he's just consistently made people look silly or just, or, or just produced. I mean that's. But it truly has to stand out because you're going to see guys that make plays. But when it's the consistency of it that stands out, those are the guys that get talked about. So when you usually hear rumors like that it's, it's a good sign that, that there's something that that's really there because most camps, guys, guys are going to make plays on both sides. But when a guy is consistently standing out and having a good camp like that, that usually tells you a lot.

[Tex Homer]

Finally, what's something fans consistently misunderstand about fall camp reports? One thing I'll have is the social media clip, right? So it's like either awesome play and if he makes awesome play, then he's a legendary player or the unfortunate like DB that gets mossed and they use his clips and now fans are like, oh yeah, that DB sucks. So that's the number one thing is like avoid the out of context social media clips to determine who's good or bad. That's my first thought. But what's something you would hear fans say? And you're just like this, it's just kind of fan nonsense or marketing.

[Jet Bush]

I think that's probably the number one point. I think you hit it on the head with that one.

[Drew Kelson]

The main thing I think fans miss is regardless of the highlights, regardless of. And inside Texas does a great job with all the practice reports and everything. I mean you're going to know depth charts even and assumptions on depth charts before the season starts. From a player perspective, all of that means nothing. No matter what we do in August, at the end of the day, you got to show up on 12 Saturdays. You know, like there's that like no matter what these reports are, there's school's going to come back into play. You're gonna have people back on campus. August 24th, you're going to be like, it just. You're in a different dynamic. So it's good that you get this isolation for a few weeks. But there is a reality of living day to day and operating day to day as a player during the season, that regardless of what you hear in August, you're going to drop a whole so many more variables into the mix once, you know, once the season starts. And that's when all the things you did in August and in the summer and in the spring really show, you know, how connected you are and how focused you can be before distractions rained out.

[Tex Homer]

So one big thing. It's not really a change, but they didn't do it last year. They made the players move back into the dorms for fall camp.

[Jet Bush]

Oh, they did that. They made me do that, too.

[Tex Homer]

I was gonna say they made you, but they took off last year.

[Jet Bush]

Oh, really?

[Tex Homer]

Yeah. So I was gonna ask you, who'd you room with? And do I know? He even said, I don't know why I did.

[Drew Kelson]

He didn't do it last.

[Tex Homer]

Yeah, yeah. That was the whole thing with the culture getting wonky a little bit last year. But would you. First off, who'd you room with?

[Drew Kelson]

Jet.

[Tex Homer]

And then second off, do players like that at all? Are they like, dude, I'd much rather be in my apartment, especially Nil, where

[Drew Kelson]

it's like, my apartment is much nicer.

[Jet Bush]

I'll tell you what. Sometimes you're so. Some people are so tired, they just sleep at the facility. Like, it's just, you know, there's that air mattresses there. If you do want to sleep at the facility. I really don't even want to hop in a car. By the time I'm done with fall camp, I'd much rather just walk across the bridge and fall asleep in Sanjay. I also did not have a roommate because I was a captain. So my last roommate I had, I think, was Luke Brockermeyer or so. And, yeah, I think that was the last one I had. And it was like, we were. We weren't going to the dorms yet. We went into, like, whatever hotel we go into before game names or whatever. And I, like, never forget. I think it was, like, Patrick Bayou's room or something. And I think, like, all the sheets were dirty, like, gross. And, like, none of it was cleaned up. I think they were, like, using it as a storage room. Like, there was, like, four desks in there. Like, it was hilarious.

[Tex Homer]

Were y' all already in the dorms, Drew, or did you all have to do that for camp, too?

[Drew Kelson]

I was already in the. I mean, freshman freshmen. I think starting sophomores had to. I mean, sophomores had to be in the doors anyway.

[Tex Homer]

Did upperclassmen have to Go back.

[Drew Kelson]

Upperclassmen did not. And no, they didn't have to come back for camp. So I honestly didn't mind that, but also don't mind this setup, too. I. I appreciate, you know, Sark is being intentional about this. I mean, this team is different. This team is different. You still have a lot of guys who. I mean, or they're still new to the team, and I think they're still. You got to be intentional about building that connection and having everyone kind of be in one place and. Because once you let them loose, like, once they're out of the dorms and back to their own lives, like I said, they start school and everything else, and the season's like, once that starts, you don't get to go back and recreate this. This last little moment where you. You get to, you know, keep them close for camp. So.

[Tex Homer]

Well, they're doing unique pairings, too, so they're kind of putting together players that are not rivals, but I guess so. It's like Arch and Bo Masco, right? Like corner and quarter quarterback. So they're like, also not letting you room with your buddy. They're trying to match you up with someone across from the defense and get. So you get to know the other. And also a guy that you can talk to like, hey, Bo, you had the most success versus Cam during the spring. How are you doing that? So I think they're trying to encourage those conversations, but also not the natural silos team will do where you end up hanging out with your position or your side of the ball.

[Drew Kelson]

No, I'm telling you. So Vy and Rod Wright were close. And when I say close, I mean, they were Both class of 2000, class 2002. Got to Texas at the same time, on the same trajectory as far as. I mean, Rod was a freshman, all American and everything else. By the time Rod was a senior, V was starting the 2005 year. I mean, they talk before practice. They talk on weekends. Like, what are we doing tonight? Because even if we hung out, like, even if we were going to go somewhere collectively, Vy would hit abroad and be like, hey, where are we gonna. Like, we would do things as a team, and offense and defense would kind of keep. Keep tabs on each other, but also they check each other. They'd also say, hey, you know, like, they would keep each other accountable for what was going on on both sides of the ball. But I got to learn, like, I appreciated seeing those two be as close as they were because, yeah, I mean, you really have a choice. I mean, you can choose to just focus on your own group, but they were, I mean, naturally connected and intentional about connecting both sides of the ball. And I just felt like we had a truly connected team.

[Tex Homer]

Final question. Any truth to the statement that you're never healthier than you are? The day fall camp starts,

[Jet Bush]

is it

[Tex Homer]

all downhill from here physically?

[Jet Bush]

For sure.

[Tex Homer]

For sure.

[Jet Bush]

Yeah.

[Tex Homer]

Absolutely.

[Drew Kelson]

Yeah. Because your body's just cycling through.

[Jet Bush]

You know what I think I still feel my first fall camp. Yeah.

[Drew Kelson]

I mean, if you, you can get back fresh, you know, but yeah, and I'm not saying you'd be hurt, but once that first game hits, once you just get to a certain level of soreness and pain, it's just a part of. Just a part of it. It doesn't mean you're injured. It's just, you know, you're banged up a little bit.

[Jet Bush]

Everybody's hurt.

[Drew Kelson]

Everybody's hurt.

[Jet Bush]

Not, you know, there's difference between being hurt and injured, but everybody's hurt.

[Tex Homer]

Yeah, a lot of fun. All right, everybody head over to Inside Texas. Join for $1, then 50 off your first year. Link in the description. Also, guys, get Paul's book thanking Texas football. You can get the physical copy or digital. Link is also in the description. All right, fellas, camp starts tomorrow. So we're gonna have great news and notes dropping over on the board as well. Everyone have a great night and see you later. If you're on the hunt for your next action packed thriller, check out Backtrack by New York Times best selling author Mark Cameron. The story follows Ricky Lee Pink, a criminal who spent years in prison plotting his revenge after a botched $5 million diamond heist. And the man he blames is gone. So now he's coming after his grandson, U.S. marshal Arlis Cutter. Their showdown unfolds aboard a massive cruise ship in Alaska's inside Passage, where Arlis has to stay one step ahead or risk becoming the last Cutter standing. If you're into fast paced action with authentic law enforcement detail, Bactrack is definitely your next read. It's available right now wherever books are sold.

[Jet Bush]

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[Drew Kelson]

it said everything happens for

[Jet Bush]

a reason, but maybe everything happens for a reason. Take noise canceling headphones. Do they block hearing to heighten taste? That sound seems to show everything happens for a Reese's what would you do if you could get more More dinner parties with friends, more gear for your garageband, more places to discover. What would you do if you could get more at Shell this summer with the Fill Lucky Sweepstakes? Stop by Shell, scan the QR code at the pump, and enter for a chance to win $100,000 or free fue. No purchase necessary. Ends 11:59pm Central Time, August 28th open to USDC residents. 21 plus visit Shell US Phil lucky for rules and entry details.

[Drew Kelson]

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[Jet Bush]

We were made for the moments when

[Drew Kelson]

you live like you mean it.

[Jet Bush]

When you don't just hear the music, you feel it. When you let the bonfire burn into

[Drew Kelson]

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