← Zone 1150 - TexAgs Live
Zone 1150 - TexAgs Live
TexAgs Live - Jason Howell + Kaylee and Sydney : 08.05.26
00:44:54
TexAg's senior recruiting analyst Jason Howell comparing the potential of 5 star Aggie commit eric mcfarland to the likes of Mario Craver + the segment all the Tik Tokers love "In Case You Missed it" with Kaylee and Sydney!
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- [00:01]
David Gardner
We're back here on Tech SAGS Live. We're presented by David Gardner's Jewelers, Rollo Insurance. Studio time for recruiting country Brought to you by America Momentum Bank. They're the only privately owned bank headquartered in Bryan College Station. And they're committed to helping our community prosper by offering you a wide array of personal and business banking solutions specifically designed to help build financial success with confidence and momentum on your side. With that, we go to the Buppy's catering and bartending hotline. We are joined by. By Jason. How. Jason, what's up, buddy?
- [00:31]
Jason Howell
Oh, same old stuff, man. Same old stuff. Doing a little last minute barbecuing. Some man had a scare, had an ac scare this weekend that I don't know.
- [00:45]
David Gardner
What song was amazing? What song was that? Was that your phone?
- [00:49]
Jason Howell
What's that?
- [00:49]
David Gardner
I heard a song that was KZ and E. Oh, KZ and E. Never mind. Disregard. Jason.
- [00:55]
Jason Howell
Yeah, but, but yeah. Just, just trying to get things wrapped up and get started on the, on the 2026 football season.
- [01:05]
David Gardner
What have you been grilling?
- [01:09]
Jason Howell
What? What have I been.
- [01:10]
David Gardner
What about grilling?
- [01:14]
Jason Howell
I, I actually, I went to, I did some bratwurst jalapeno poppers. I saw a little recipe online and got a wild hair, did it a few different ways, but basically, you know, it's a jalapeno, the cream cheese, the bacon inside. A opened up bratwurst and not the healthiest option, but it was, it was a lot of fun just to kind of experiment a little bit and you know, trying to, trying to do something a little bit different.
- [01:55]
David Gardner
Yeah. And I apologize. Sometimes I, you know, Bronnie calls me esl, so it's hard to understand me. Jason, let's, let's get into the IMG work that you had to do. I know you had a lot of great interviews. You want to, where do you want to start off with there?
- [02:10]
Jason Howell
I think we've got to start with coach Greg Stoodrawa.
- [02:14]
David Gardner
Okay, hold on.
- [02:16]
Jason Howell
He's.
- [02:16]
David Gardner
There's a reason I didn't say his name that I said, where do you want to start? Because I was like, I don't want to butcher this dude's name. So I'm glad. Struja.
- [02:24]
Jason Howell
Stu Drawa. He goes by Coach Stud because basically people are scared of that last, that last part and how to all put it together. But he's a guy who's coached on a college level, multiple stops. LSU with Coach Moffitt and Ohio State and several other stops along the way. Now he's the head coach over at img and, man, I didn't know what to expect going into the interview. He was. He was a guy that I really wasn't too familiar with, but brought a lot of energy. Could not speak highly enough of McFarland and Forestall. Super excited when it. When it comes to his program. He was like, those are. Those are two game changers. Those are two of the guys right off the top of the list and just. Just raved about them and what they bring to the table from a playmaking standpoint, leadership standpoint, and. And where he's seen them grow over the last year. I mean, he. He talked about the strides both of those young men have made, and I mentioned it. My three things. I've. I've tried to direct people to those articles and interviews over. Over the last few days, but if you haven't listened to it, that's. That's definitely a highlight reel because he also goes into his connections with. With A and M and just what he sees in the program and. And one of the things he talked about was how much love for the game and the fun they have and. And the passion that they play with. That he sees out there with. With Coach Elko and that staff and of course, his connection there with Moffitt. He's like, you know, there's no doubt Coach Moffat plays a huge role in that, but he has some phenomenal things to say about the A and M program and, and just what he sees in. And what Coach Elko's. He thinks it's a great spot for those two young men.
- [04:46]
David Gardner
Well, let's talk about those two young men specifically, I should say. I know you got to catch up with them. Talk a little bit about Eric McFarlane, his connection with Damian Warren and why it was such a natural fit to come to Texas A and M. I
- [05:01]
Jason Howell
think, yeah, A and M did a great job of painting the picture with him. He knew after his official visit, that's what he says, that he knew A and M was kind of the place for him. He had developed a strong connection and bond with the coaches, the guys on the roster, and just every. Everybody in the program. And he just felt, you know, at home with. With what's going on. And he loved the vision on the field, you know, with. They've. They've highlighted Mario Craver there and. And the comp and. And the utility, you know, and the way that they. They see Eric fitting into a very similar role. And I think Eric really bought into it and really enjoyed, you know, really. He was able to see what it could look like and what it could look like at an early point in his career at A and M. And as far as Damani, I mean, you look at them now, one's in Las Vegas, others in at img, but they both grew up in Las Vegas. They've, they've grown up playing with and against each other for years. And to reunite in College Station, you've got that dynamic presence that Eric, Eric brings to the table. And then Damani is that big bodied athlete on the outside as well. So you've got, you've got a strong, powerful combination that brings a chemistry and a knowledge of each other. And I think they're both pretty excited to see what that, you know, looks like in College Station.
- [06:55]
David Gardner
And I should have said Demani. I called him Damien. Let's move to Eric McFarland then. Excuse me, Zion Forstall, because he's kind of the guy that just take me through his summer working with college in College Station and also how he helped recruit.
- [07:12]
Jason Howell
Yeah, he got to, you know, come back to College Station a few times. I know we've talked about those guys that came in and took multiple visits over the summer. And Ziram was one of those guys who, you know, he spent a lot of quality time recruiting around the team. One of the things he talks about in our interview is just what, what he learned about the step, you know, from high school to college and how it's. Even for a program like AMG that's known for elite development and, you know, preparation for the college level, it's a huge, huge step. And he, he was able to see a lot of things that he's going to need to continue to do and improve on as he, you know, gets, gets prepared for his future in College Station. Of course, one of the big guys he was recruiting was Eric McFarland. And when he committed back in, I think it was March, Zirin immediately was like, hey, I'm, I'm all over Eric and made him a top priority. They've been teammates there at img and when, when we caught up with him, he was like, you know, I really didn't have to do a ton of heavy lifting there because Eric, he, when he talked to Zion said, when he talked to me about A and M, it was clear we saw a lot of the similar things. Eric talked about how, how much different the atmosphere was at A and M when he went for his game day visit and zir. And that was a big thing for him as well. But the cult, the development the know, the brotherhood that they see there, those were all things that they kind of sold themselves. But, you know, he. He was. He was one of those guys that was in Eric's ear and, and many others. But he's excited about the brotherhood that this 27 class is building. One of the things he talked about was elite people with a, you know, want to be around those with elite mindsets, you know, and, and that's what you've got in this 27 class is, is a lot of guys with similar mindset, similar, you know, traits and, and. And cultures and, and. And a, A, you know, determination to develop. And I think that those were. Those were a lot of things that really stood out to him. But you're looking. Zyron is up to. Up £20 from where he was this time last year, and he's got a lot of people excited about what he's going to bring to the table, coming off the edge. And I know Coach Stoodrawa was. Was pretty pumped up about what he's seen in terms of the power game that Xyron's brought to the table, as well as that quick twitch and ability to bend the corner and put heat on the quarterback.
- [10:32]
David Gardner
Talking to Jason Howell here on Tech Sags Live, presented by David Garner's jewelers. It is Recruiting country, brought to you by American Momentum Bank. Let's kind of look now to some of the underclassmen, Andre Alexander and Chase Foster and of course, Phoenix Evans.
- [10:46]
Jason Howell
Yeah, these are three guys. I wanted to highlight them because both Alexander and Foster were camp standouts. And Phoenix Evans is a guy that he plays all across the secondary. You're going to see him play some nickel this year at img. He's played corner. He's played safety. He's also been a teammate of Makai Allen at Don Bosco. He's, you know, he knows the story of Chase Basantis. And now he's playing with McFarland and forestalled IMG. So there's a lot of connections there. And again, like Zyron mentioned, you know, that elite mentality. He's excited to see more about A and M. He's already developed some relationships. Coach Elko and, and BGA and several of the guys on the staff, and he's. He's excited to dive more into that and, and come back. And Andre, I remember seeing him at camp, he was one of the more impressive linebackers we saw. But again, he. He loved the culture. A and M is. Is a place that definitely has his attention from a mindset standpoint Coach Travis Williams leading those efforts and he, I mean all these guys are talking about getting back to College Station. They didn't necessarily mention dates. They but look for all these guys to be back in college stat some point this fall. And with Chase Foster on the D line, he's a guy that coach Elijah Robinson's been recruiting since, since the eighth grade. So he's got a long standing relationship there. Chase was the, the fastest big man at one of the big elite camps this this summer in College Station and earned his offer. But he, he was able to visit in the spring and is, is a guy that definitely keep an eye on out there. But yeah, A&M's done a great job developing that pipeline and, and really digging in that 27 class and it's looking like 28 has a chance to be pretty fruitful as well.
- [13:11]
David Gardner
Talking to Jason Howell here on Texas Live. Jason, let's look at a 28 converse Judson's.
- [13:16]
Jason Howell
Is it Jamar Bowens, J. Mari Bowens and yeah. 646-52-10 multi sport athlete. A guy that we were able to catch up with. Got a nice little interview that we posted on Monday that he's, he's got some connections to, to A and M. His older brother Johnny Bowens committed to Texas A and m in a 23 class but eventually decommitted, ended up going to Oregon, transferred back to utsa. But a, you know, a guy that familiar with A and M and what the Aggie program has to offer. He's a big body receiver, tight end type and a guy that A and M, Texas SMU and several across the state have made a pretty high priority with his versatility and just a unique skill set. But he, he competes in track, he competes in basketball, spends a lot of time on the AU circuit and catching up with him. He, he spoke highly of the A and M staff and, and what he's hearing from, from the Aggies and, and getting back to College Station talking to Jason Howell.
- [14:44]
David Gardner
Hey Jason, does it feel like we're in an area of all right, everything's going to be chill. We've got season starting up. Is that kind of where we are?
- [14:55]
Jason Howell
Yeah, it's, it's not too high paced but yeah, the things that I'd be watching. You got quarterback Donald Tabor on to keep an eye on. He's, he's planning to make an August decision and A and M is very much in the mix there. I'd say they're the leader but you know LSU is a school to watch there. You've got guys setting visits, especially in that 28 class. And. Yeah, but with the 27s, you got a few questions going into the season, but you're kind of in your wait and see mode right now on that 27 group.
- [15:35]
David Gardner
All right. And I do got to ask you, because it happened earlier, I guess, at the end of last week. Landon William Callis picking Texas. You don't think it was a surprise?
- [15:45]
Jason Howell
No. And me and Bronnie have been pretty clear on this. There's been a lot of Texas momentum there. The Longhorns seem to feel pretty confident about their chances and were very outspoken about it throughout from the end of June until he was ready to announce his decision. And, you know, we did feel like there was still shot. I think one of the things we continue to say was, look, we, we hear all the other things being said, but you can't count out Trooper Taylor, A and M. You saw a number of guys, a number of recruits, number of guys on campus continue to recruit him all the way to the end. And, you know, he was guy that, that the Aggies wanted, definitely a guy they made a priority. And. But I think the writing, you know, the, the writing was. It was hard to. It's hard to pick against the horns, even with a little bit of, I guess there was. The door seemed to be left open a little bit as, as we got towards decision making time, I want to say, checking with a lot of different sources on this at, you know, different programs. SMU felt like it was them in Texas, Houston them in Texas. You know, A and M felt like they, you know, was coming down to them in Texas. And, you know, when it, when it gets to that point and there's a. A single common competitor, you kind of get the picture. But I think everyone was fighting to the end and he did a good job of keeping things close to his vest.
- [17:30]
David Gardner
All right, Jason, let's hit a break here. We'll come back with more on Recruiting country brought to you by American Momentum Bank. Let's see. Let's talk about our friends at Paragon Financial Advisors. They're great. You know Stephen McGee, he should be with us tomorrow. There's something special about the Aggie network. It's built on trust, on relationships and people looking out for each other. And that's exactly how Aggie owned. Paragon Financial Advisors approaches financial planning from their headquarters right here in College Station. They serve individuals, families and business owners nationwide with independent fee only fiduciary advice. So if you're preparing for retirement, growing your investments, building your business or planning for the eventual sale of that business. Paragon's gonna work alongside you every step of the journey. You can learn more on your and get a schedule and a complimentary consultation@paragon-adv.com it is Paragon Financial Advisors, Aggie owned independent serving clients nationwide.
- [18:23]
Louis Pelina
The Money Machine is open now. Two ways to enter each week oh come on.
- [18:28]
David Gardner
Don't keep us in suspense.
- [18:29]
Louis Pelina
Zone1150.com and the zone newsletter thank you.
- [18:33]
David Gardner
We're live here on Texas Live talking to Jason Howell on the Bucky's Catering and bartending hotline. It is Recruiting country brought to you by American Momentum Bank. Let's continue down that running back path, Jason, so they don't get Landon William Callous okay, what's the next step for running back? Is it kind of a wait and see how guys on campus develop and maybe how guys around the state develop?
- [18:57]
Jason Howell
I think it's going to be a nationwide search, but yeah, right now it is a wait and see type of situation. I think you're going to see a lot of evaluation, a lot of turning over stones, making sure that they zero in on, on the right guy, whatever that looks like, whether that's hitting the portal or you know, deciding we, we see a guy in a 28 class or a couple guys that, you know, we, we want to direct our attention that way. But you know, I look for them to take a look at some of the guys they, they looked at early on in the process and you know, we've mentioned some of those names. One that I, I know I, I like is, you know, Oregon commit Cadaris McMiller out of Tyler High and East Texas. But you know it's, it's, it's going to be a situation where yeah, I don't think they're in a rush to make a decision and, and hit, you know, hit out after another target. I think they're going to, you know, troopers going to take a look at the board and evaluate the options and see what's out there and then move on from there. You'll, you'll probably see some them, you know, kicks and tires of some 27s around the state and I wouldn't be surprised to see a few, few new names from, you know, across the country even. But again, I don't think they're in a hurry just to, to put, you know, get, get after a couple guys. They don't have a, a guy that it's like, oh, this is going to be who they're going to go after. So one of the guys we have been hearing that you've, you' thrown thrown out there as a potential option. Rod Baker, DeSoto and he, he has been a strong option in the past, but I just don't see it talking to different sources around DeSoto and and around Surround. There's, there was a lot of mutual interest, but Texas Tech, let's just say they, they've, they've, they've done done well there and yeah, they've, they've. It's going to take a real for, for that to come back towards A and M or anyone else for that matter.
- [21:29]
David Gardner
Jason, I know Coach Elko doesn't care if they finish with the number one recruiting class. That's not important to him. What's important to him is getting the best guys for A Texas A and M. That being said, they are number one right now. So what does that look like over the next couple of months?
- [21:47]
Jason Howell
Yeah, I've got, you know, a few big questions and will the Aggies finish as the number one and 27, one of those at the top of the list? Again, I don't think the coaching staff or the, you know, personnel staff really cares about that. It's not something they can really control. If 2, 4, 7 or on 3 decides to they don't like somebody in the class. Those rankings can change. So you can lose it without changing any of the people in it. But I think right now A and M is in a great position and I don't see any of those guys really causing having any cause for worry as far as losing a, you know, a ranking to a substantial degree. All of them are really high, highly thought of and so, you know, established in, in their standing nationally. I think, you know, I, I think A and M's got a great chance at finishing number one. Honestly, I think it's going to take A and M seeing a decommitment or two to see them lose that standing right now. You know, I don't see any major smoke in that department. It, you know, you could see some more reclassifications. We saw Amir Sears, a five star in the 28 class, reclass classify up to 27 and commit to Miami. So you know, further solidifying that, that, that class there with the canes. But even with that addition, they, they, they weren't able to overtake A and M. And then you could, you could see some, some schools get some flips. I know the Longhorns are really trying to get after munch on sales still. I Mean, that's, that's uh, if, if they're able to pull couple more flips, you could see the Longhorns make a run at the top spot. But at the, as things stand and as you know, the projections look, A and M's got to feel great about what they have put together. And I think they're in a very strong position to finish as the number one recruiting class in the country in 27.
- [24:19]
David Gardner
And do you see maybe another commitment at some point before the season starts or is this more. If we see anything, it'll be after football is being played?
- [24:28]
Jason Howell
I think right now we're looking more towards something during the season or, you know, in, in December or late November, as you know, things start to wrap up in the class. But, but yeah, I think right now we're, we're very much in wait and see mode. Landon Williams callous was kind of the last guy, that uncommitted guy that, you know, it, you know, looked like they, they could add to the class. And now it's going to be about do, you know, what do they do at running back? Do they, you know, look at some of these, some of these late emerging prospects that eventually pop up the radar and are they able to get a flip here or there? And I think those are all going to take time to see. I think generally in season evaluation, you're looking at three weeks into the season before, you know, you start to see those highlight clips, those highlight reels start to emerge and things like that. So I think if there's an early evaluation, you might start to hear more about that as the season starts to get going. But right now, yeah, I'm thinking we're in wait and see mode.
- [25:54]
David Gardner
Jason, let's talk about Chance Archangel as we look at the 28 as well. Just I know that they are looking at every position because they're still got a long ways to go. But let's start off with Chance.
- [26:06]
Jason Howell
Yeah, Chance gives A and M a great, you know, flexible, twitchy guy on the edge and it's a heck of a way to start off the recruiting class. I think that's, that's got to be something that when you look at what is, is Starting with the 28 cycle, you've already got a, you know, one of those guys that, that can be a difference maker on the edge. He can really bend that corner heat up the backfield. He, he brings some versatility to, to the position and he's got a lot of Caden McCarty to him, you know, very, you know, long Lean, and he just gets after it and really puts pressure on the quarterback. So big, big win this summer to kick things off and in the 28 cycle. And, yeah, I think he's. When. When I'm looking at things I like, I love that they. They were able to start off things with a big commitment on the edge and kind of get that ball rolling.
- [27:21]
David Gardner
Great stuff, Jason. I appreciate your time, buddy. We'll talk to you next week.
- [27:26]
Jason Howell
Absolutely appreciate it, David.
- [27:28]
David Gardner
Thank you. Jason Howell there on the Puppies catering and bartending hotline. We'll come back with in case you missed it. And then we'll listen to a little more of Coach Elko on the other side. You're listening to Tech SAGS Live, presented by David Gardner's channel. Yours.
- [27:41]
Jason Howell
Give it to me.
- [27:41]
Louis Pelina
Give it to me. The Louis Pelina show.
- [27:43]
David Gardner
It's awesome.
- [27:44]
Louis Pelina
Not the sharpest tool in the. But he is the loudest. Listen in weekdays. Love it at two in the Zone.
- [27:52]
David Gardner
It's the segment that the Tik Tockers love. It's Tech Tags live, attended by David Garner's Jewelers Rollo Insurance Studio, in case you missed it with a sprinkle of football. Hello, ladies.
- [28:01]
Kaylee Dreyer
Hello.
- [28:02]
Jason Howell
Hello.
- [28:02]
David Gardner
Dryer. I just saw you, so I don't know why I said hello to you. You were just here. Now you're here. So hello. And Sid. What up?
- [28:07]
Sid
I am in a great mood today.
- [28:09]
David Gardner
You're always in a good mood.
- [28:10]
Sid
I am, but especially today.
- [28:11]
David Gardner
Why especially?
- [28:12]
Sid
Because fall camp, and it means football is starting.
- [28:15]
David Gardner
Are you going to practice today?
- [28:17]
Sid
I should be.
- [28:18]
Louis Pelina
You should be.
- [28:18]
Sid
If I'm cleared to go, I am. Because we're going tomorrow.
- [28:21]
David Gardner
When you say cleared to go, like they approve you.
- [28:23]
Sid
Yeah. Cause we might have two social people there. A lot of content coming. Get ready for it, guys.
- [28:28]
David Gardner
Yeah, I don't know if they're gonna approve you. I don't know.
- [28:31]
Sid
They better.
- [28:31]
David Gardner
I just said I don't know. You took an A. I don't know. I'm not them.
- [28:34]
Sid
So you said it like in a. I don't know.
- [28:37]
David Gardner
Like, if they're watching right now, they're gonna say absolutely not. Or they say absolutely yes.
- [28:42]
Sid
They want me there.
- [28:43]
David Gardner
Because then you can say in case you missed that this happened at practice.
- [28:46]
Sid
Exactly.
- [28:47]
David Gardner
Boom.
- [28:47]
Sid
You might. You might see me there. You might not. So.
- [28:50]
Kaylee Dreyer
Okay, well, today we're gonna play a game in honor of fall camp starting.
- [28:53]
David Gardner
This is where I do terrible.
- [28:54]
Kaylee Dreyer
So we're gonna give you every position group. Okay. And we want you to pick who starts at each position group. If they played today, Your opinion?
- [29:04]
David Gardner
If they played today?
- [29:06]
Kaylee Dreyer
Yes.
- [29:06]
David Gardner
Okay.
- [29:07]
Sid
Okay. First starting five up front.
- [29:10]
David Gardner
I mean, you got to do. Naboo, you got to go with the. I think you. Today you start the three transfers, right? Yeah, I think absolutely. The three transfers. And who am I missing here? We've got left guard, so Tyree Adams. I think we'll do. Let me think. Yeah. So let's go with the transfers. Naboo, I'm missing one. Who am I missing? Let's go. Cohen, Echols, he's the transfer. Who am I missing?
- [29:37]
Sid
Wilkin.
- [29:38]
David Gardner
Wilkin. Formby's there? Yes. Trevon Ball's there. Who am I missing? Yeah, let's go there. Blake Ivey. I think Billy said that on the show. Okay, you want to go wide receivers, Are we going to do three or are we doing two? What are we doing?
- [29:52]
Kaylee Dreyer
You decide. Okay. Whatever you want.
- [29:54]
David Gardner
We're just for right now, Craver and Horton, quarterback, I think we're going to go with Marcel Reed. Running back. I think it'll be Reuben Owens. I think tight end Will. Richie Anderson. Okay. I think we know David Orlando. Don't know, but I assume it'll be David Olano as your field goal kicker. I know Asher Murray's had a really good one. Let's see on the defensive side, I think that's going to be a crapshoot, but I'll tell you, DJ Hicks is absolutely the guy. Linebackers, I don't think Damian Sanford is your starting linebacker today because he's still working his way through if he had to play today. But I think whenever that day is, he's your starting linebacker and I think he'll be paired up initially with Ray Koni, but Noah McHale getting a lot of love and a lot of reps early on. And then in the secondary, I mean, you're going to do dez, you're going to go. Ricky, you're going to go. Dalton, you'll go throw me one. I think the others, the nickel spot, I mean. Yeah.
- [30:54]
Sid
How do you feel about Julio?
- [30:55]
David Gardner
I think Julio actually today Julio might start. I think when Ricky gets his. His work in, I think he'll. He'll be the guy. But I think today Julio, and from what we heard about camp, Julio was, you know, killing it. So I think that's what we'll do.
- [31:14]
Sid
You see Marco Jones in there?
- [31:16]
Jason Howell
Yeah, Yeah.
- [31:17]
David Gardner
I think Marco and Anto will be along. I think they'll be. Yeah, I don't know. There's again, though, I don't know who starts. Is as important as who's in the rotation, because, like, you're going to see, like, remember Tyler Onyetum? There's other guys last year that, like, they didn't have to start to feel their presence in each game. So I think when we're talking about rotations, how deep do they go on the line? Do they go seven deep on the defensive line? Do they go eight deep? You know, I think that's the question on how deep they go.
- [31:49]
Kaylee Dreyer
So what about punt and kick return?
- [31:51]
David Gardner
We're gonna now kick return. Coach Oko gave a really good answer yesterday, and he even said, if I remember correctly, we could see Isaiah Horton involved. And it could, I think, is the way he phrased it. But I do think we'll see a combination. I don't know how much you want to use Craver in that world, but Terry Bussey. Absolutely. Yeah.
- [32:13]
Sid
Yeah, definitely. Well, a couple more.
- [32:15]
David Gardner
What did I miss? That was a test. That wasn't a miss.
- [32:18]
Kaylee Dreyer
No, it was a game.
- [32:18]
Jason Howell
It was a fun game.
- [32:19]
Sid
In order of camp.
- [32:20]
David Gardner
Oh, in order of camp. Gotcha.
- [32:22]
Sid
One thing you may have missed, the football weight room had a little renovation done. The benches are so nice. They got new equipment and the whole thing looks a lot newer now. Some people are actually saying that the benches look nicer than the seats in a Mercedes Benz. Have you seen the pleated seats on
- [32:39]
Kaylee Dreyer
the bench on Instagram, they posted.
- [32:41]
David Gardner
I haven't seen it. No.
- [32:42]
Sid
They look so nice.
- [32:44]
David Gardner
Do we have a picture of it?
- [32:46]
Kaylee Dreyer
I didn't send it.
- [32:49]
David Gardner
Do you have it on your computer?
- [32:51]
Sid
I can look it up for you.
- [32:52]
David Gardner
We don't have to do that. It's fine.
- [32:53]
Kaylee Dreyer
Okay, well, I'm gonna tell you one more thing that you probably have missed. So all of her Twitter, I guess Colorado's being made, not made fun of, but basically their guys look like they're 13 years old. They look like they need Tommy Moffat, everyone, how tiny they are. And I mean, I don't know if that's just us comparing them to Texas A and M or what, but on Twitter, people are just saying that they might need a new strength and conditioning coach.
- [33:22]
David Gardner
Well, do we have the numbers in front of us to fig Bayard when he got here and to where he's at now? Like, I'm just curious. I mean, he may have lost weight. I don't know if he did, but I guarantee you he looks bigger.
- [33:32]
Sid
Yes. It's the Moffat method.
- [33:34]
David Gardner
It's the Moffat method.
- [33:35]
Kaylee Dreyer
That's all we have.
- [33:37]
David Gardner
That's it. So a test. And I want to showcase.
- [33:40]
Sid
It was a game, not a test.
- [33:42]
David Gardner
It was a test. Speed test. Give me the offensive line. I don't know the three transfers today, but to go back to that, I think as Billy has pointed out, Lamont Rogers expect him to play quite a bit. Yeah. At some point. And that goes back to the original segment we had on the show that this competition. I don't. I think that the reason I struggled. Answering those questions is a really good thing.
- [34:04]
Sid
Yes.
- [34:04]
David Gardner
It can be a bad thing, too,
- [34:06]
Kaylee Dreyer
especially with the new freshmen. There's so many of them.
- [34:09]
David Gardner
Well, and then I think the second and third year players that have been waiting their turn, you know, Lamont Rogers was kind of green when he got here and he has developed and he's just athletically and physically, you know that he's going to be a factor. Tyre Adams did a great job at lsu. Didn't play in the A and M game. But these are guys that I think you don't have to start the young guys. So I think today you start guys who have done it in the sec. But we'll see if that looks different in three or four weeks. That is true. All right, give me one more thing.
- [34:38]
Kaylee Dreyer
I'm trying to look for this new locker room to send to Nick.
- [34:41]
David Gardner
Oh, we can.
- [34:42]
Sid
Like, the pleated seats are actually crazy. They look so nice.
- [34:45]
Kaylee Dreyer
And all the equipment looks brand new. The turf looks new. Like everything looks like everything got redone. Just like the volleyball locker room.
- [34:53]
David Gardner
Did you get to go to that?
- [34:55]
Kaylee Dreyer
I did not, but I saw it. I looked at all the footage.
- [34:57]
David Gardner
That was good. That was good. Yeah, K did great there. All right, ladies, you can show me at the break what this looks like and then I can share it with the audience on the other side. We'll hit a break. We'll come back when I hear one more thing from Coach Elko as we get ready for the start of fall camp. Later on this afternoon, we'll have full coverage on Techstags.com and of course, all of our social media platforms. Check it out. We'll be back in a few.
- [35:19]
Louis Pelina
Visit the Pod center at zone1150.com and find every hour of every day of your favorite shows. Download or subscribe.
- [35:28]
David Gardner
Welcome back to the final segment of the program. It is TexActs Live. We are presented by David Gardner Shuler's Rollo Insurance Studio. So I'm going to ask the audience to text in on the Catalyst Pure Performance energy text line on the Texact Premium chat or on the YouTube chat. What do you hope we report back about practice tonight. What do you. What. What like, and let's, let's go with realistic hoping. Not like, hey, I hope Marcel goes a thousand for a thousand deep balls. Like, I want us to all in. In audience participation and staff participation. What do we want to hear? Like, from us, from Bronnie, myself, whoever else covers at Cali, whoever's out there. What do you guys want to hear from it want to hear from you on the Bubbies catering bartending hotline and also on the Catalyst Pure Performance energy text line. Nick, what do you want to hear?
- [36:16]
Nick
I want to hear. I want the. I want to hear about the linebacker room. To be honest with you. Just because. Not because of. Well, kind of because of Samford. Just because we. Apparently he's going to be participating some form or fashion tonight. It'll be interesting to see how much he's participating. But if he's not, and it may look. Or it may look like he might not be full go for week one. Like, what does it look like behind him? We talked about Ray Coney today. He was number 18 on. On 25 and 25. So I'm excited about him. I feel like a lot hasn't really been said about him, but I mean, he's. He was a tackling machine at Tulsa and I think he's going to be a key piece in the middle of the defense. So I want to see that. And I'm just interested to see this wide receiver crew one more time. I mean, feels like they're so loaded in that position. It's going to be fun to see maybe some highlights tomorrow in our show when we put it all together.
- [37:20]
David Gardner
I hope so. All right, Kaylee Dreyer, what do you want to see?
- [37:23]
Kaylee Dreyer
Well, I want to see about this legendary, I guess, SEC ready secondary that Mike Elko keeps talking about. And.
- [37:30]
David Gardner
Well, hold on to give Coach Elko a little credit here. He keeps being asked about it.
- [37:36]
Kaylee Dreyer
Yes.
- [37:36]
David Gardner
So he's not like touting it.
- [37:39]
Nick
Yeah.
- [37:39]
David Gardner
I just want to make sure people. It's not like Coach Elko's bragging about it. He's been asked and he said, hey, I think this is the best I've had here at A and M. So. And he also said yesterday, on top of that, I judged this on draft picks and he thinks he's got some draft picks there. Continue. Sorry.
- [37:54]
Kaylee Dreyer
Also, obviously the O line, like everyone wants to see, but also I'm interested in the transfers, but. But mainly the freshmen and seeing, you know, who gets playing time, obviously in the first few games. I'm sure we'll see more of more variation around every position, but I'm curious to see what happens at practice.
- [38:13]
David Gardner
I'm going to play a bite from Elko on that secondary in a moment. But let me tell you some of the things that I'm looking for. I am. Look, I don't. I am not one of those that wants to watch the offensive line. I don't think I'll learn anything.
- [38:27]
Nick
All right.
- [38:27]
David Gardner
I just see dudes moving like that. Okay. I don't have the eye for it. You know how some people have the palate for wine. I don't have the eye to see. I mean, I can in a game, but I can't see it in practice. Like, I just. I kind of see it. Whatever. Oh, he looks huge. Oh, yeah, he moved great. What I want to see is that. That's long term forecasting, as is my next one. But I feel like a point that we have not hit enough is the running game, right? The running game. To me, while the offensive line is the catalyst, the line of scrimmage is the catalyst to performance. Right. For Texas A and M and all teams, it's all one in the trenches. If you can't run the ball, you can't expect for Marcel to have a great season. And if you just look at how they ran the ball towards the end of the year against elite defenses, I recognize. But sometimes you need backs to make the offensive line look good and sometimes you need the offensive line to make the backs look good. And by the way, that can happen with the quarterback as well. So can the running game be what we saw for three fourths of the season last year, which was it made defenses had to be honest on passing situations, right? Because you knew that Le'Veon and Ruben and Jamarion and EJ and Amari all could do big things. I am very curious to see what the running game looks like. Does Reuben Owens. I mean, I've seen him since, you know, the end of the season, he looked bigger and stronger. But I am that. That is an area that I think if you talk about the offensive line and you talk about Marcel, you have to talk about the running game. I think I said that like I was scolding my kids. You have to talk about it. But to me, it's not all about the running game. But the running game to me will determine what kind of year the offense has because we're going to get great numbers, I believe, from the wide receivers anyway. I am talking about limiting turnovers. I am talking about efficiency. I'm talking about giving Marcel time where he doesn't feel sped up. If he's sped up, it's because he wants to be sped up as opposed to being forced to be sped up. And those are two different scenarios. You can have a quarterback who plays better uptempo. You don't want a quarterback to be forced to move out of the pocket because of pressure. You want it to be because he has a design play that comes that way or they're trying to play at an up tempo pace. So that's how I really think the running game is important. But back to what you were talking about in the secondary. He was asked. Kochelko was asked about the secondary, about how he has talked about them a few times. And I'll let his speaking do the analysis, if you will. But he's got different parts of people ready to play. Who's going to start in those positions? What does it look like? Here's coach Elko on the secondary.
- [41:17]
Coach Elko
Feeling as though we're going into a season with an SEC level secondary. And there's been times in the past where maybe that wasn't exactly where we were. If you look at. And again, I measure everything. We know this. I measure it all by draft picks, right. And there's been years where we've played without any. And so I just think when you look at the pieces that we have back there, I just think you feel really good about rotating. You feel really good about holding up for 12 games. I think so much of what this year is going to be is it's going to be such a war of attrition with, with, you know, the five road SEC games, 9s. Like, it's. It's going to be like. And I'm not trying to complain about it, but it's going to be. And so you feel comfortable with depth and the amount of guys you have that you feel good about going out there playing.
- [42:04]
David Gardner
All right, that's coach Oko and he is exactly right. But SEC level guys and he. How did he phrase it to start that. That sound bite. He hasn't always had that. Right. He's had guys that are good, but not to what the. It's kind of like the pitching staff for A and M. There were some good guys last year, but they didn't have that front line pitching that they think that they have this year. Right? Yeah, not enough of it. And I think when you look at the maturation of Dalton Brooks, who was at the podium yesterday, and you look at DEZ Ricks as he's kind of gone through this and you look at what Ricky Gibson can be and what he did at Tennessee and what Julio Humphrey did at Georgia and what another year in this system means to him and Bryce Anderson coming back and all the, I mean, Tafik Bayer joining the crew. The amount of guys that they have added to this secondary and also developed in the secondary, I think that not the sky is the limit for them. Not that. But I think if they live up to what Coach Oko has talked about, what do they do for the defensive line? I talked about the relationship between the offensive line and the quarterback, but it's the running game. The secondary will go a long way to allow Marco Jones and Anto Saka a little bit more time to get after the quarterback and also make it a tighter window for these quarterbacks to throw to, to make, you know, tip balls and interceptions. All part of it. All right, that's going to do it for Tex Ags live on a Wednesday. So tomorrow on the program, a couple things I do know about former players. Okay, we're going to have Stephen McGee on. Aaron Wallace, I believe, just got his master's recently. I believe that's the word. I want to go back and read it, but I believe he just got his master's. He's going to be joining the program. So we'll talk to both Aaron and Stephen McGee at two different times. And of course on Thursdays we have Aaron Torres from under a freeway. Actually, he hasn't. I don't believe he's. Nick, am I right? Has Aaron Torres been under a freeway recently?
- [44:07]
Nick
Yeah, no. It sounds like he's coming to us from inside his apartment recently. So a lot better.
- [44:13]
David Gardner
And to his credit, like it is two hours earlier there. So when we get him on at 9:30, it is 7:30. I mean at that point I've been awake for three hours, but I mean, you know, who's comparing? So we're gonna have Aaron Torres on the show and we're also gonna have the world famous slash not really fan show with Matt Browning, Roy May, we'll see if Hunter Shirliff can come by. So we'll have those guys on the program. So it should be a loaded Thursday as well. And then Friday Billy will join us. But again it's the start of fall camp. We'll have the snippets from camp. We'll have some highlights from camp. We'll have some audio from out after camp. It'll be great. It's the first day of football season. I hope you guys enjoyed it. We'll have a lot more for you tomorrow. Thank you so much for watching and listening. We will see you all manana.
- [44:54]
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