WEBVTT

1
00:00:00.080 --> 00:00:03.080
Let's bring him into the fold now
and get his perspective not only on Pittsburgh

2
00:00:03.160 --> 00:00:05.960
but on that of the Clemson Tigers. It's our good friend. I saw

3
00:00:06.040 --> 00:00:08.160
him a few weeks ago. He
was up here in studio hanging out with

4
00:00:08.240 --> 00:00:10.919
Rich Weaver, and now we got
him for a couple of minutes. It's

5
00:00:10.960 --> 00:00:14.800
Will Vandervoort Clemson Insider dot com.
What's going on, big daddy? Hey

6
00:00:14.800 --> 00:00:17.120
man? What's going on with you? Guys? Man? I don't know.

7
00:00:17.239 --> 00:00:21.000
We've been just the dog days of
summer for football fans, as you

8
00:00:21.039 --> 00:00:24.600
know, is like late June,
early July, and now we're into it.

9
00:00:24.640 --> 00:00:27.879
We're here, We've got the EA
College Football Game out. I want

10
00:00:27.879 --> 00:00:30.760
to start with that. I'm understanding
here from talking to you during break that

11
00:00:31.280 --> 00:00:34.240
you do like video games. You
do have a copy of this game,

12
00:00:34.520 --> 00:00:41.039
and what were your initial impressions?
Yeah. I like to remind the younger

13
00:00:41.119 --> 00:00:47.280
generation that our generation, John Yes, is the original video game generation.

14
00:00:47.560 --> 00:00:52.079
I mean, my generation has seen
every level of video game played. You

15
00:00:52.200 --> 00:00:57.359
have just created and played, and
so we are the knowledgeable ones when it

16
00:00:57.399 --> 00:01:00.039
comes to video games. You couldn't
people are like you played video games?

17
00:01:00.039 --> 00:01:03.320
Of course I do That's how I
grew up. I heard up on video

18
00:01:03.320 --> 00:01:06.959
Do you think anybody was giving us
Nio deals when we were playing Pong and

19
00:01:07.000 --> 00:01:08.640
pole Position? No, they weren't. We were playing for the love of

20
00:01:08.640 --> 00:01:11.200
the game. Will Van Dervord,
that's we were. We were playing for

21
00:01:11.200 --> 00:01:15.280
the love of the games. And
but anyway, I so, yeah,

22
00:01:15.280 --> 00:01:18.599
I'm a big video game guy,
and I love sports video games obviously,

23
00:01:18.640 --> 00:01:22.079
and so of course you know I've
been waiting for this, this video game.

24
00:01:22.359 --> 00:01:26.040
I love college football. If you're
not a college football fan, if

25
00:01:26.040 --> 00:01:29.519
you're a college football fan, excuse
me, and you're a video game fan,

26
00:01:29.719 --> 00:01:33.840
oh go, it makes complete sense
that you get this game. It's

27
00:01:33.920 --> 00:01:34.840
just like, you know you're supposed
to do it, just like if you're

28
00:01:34.879 --> 00:01:38.760
an NFL fan, you get mad. So I get mad, and so

29
00:01:38.840 --> 00:01:41.519
I got the bundle, even more
so than Madden, because it's been a

30
00:01:41.560 --> 00:01:44.760
ten year wait since they developed one
of these, and it's like there were

31
00:01:44.840 --> 00:01:49.040
so much pin up ideas. I
think the separate development team with any aid

32
00:01:49.120 --> 00:01:51.920
that does the college game was like, boy, we've been waiting a few

33
00:01:51.959 --> 00:01:55.719
years to get this thing out,
and boy, sometimes these games bomb it.

34
00:01:55.840 --> 00:01:57.599
First, I played the thing for
a couple hours last night. I've

35
00:01:57.599 --> 00:02:01.439
talked to people that I trusted know
about this stuff. There's almost nothing to

36
00:02:01.439 --> 00:02:05.920
complain about. No, there's no
I mean I say, every guy I

37
00:02:06.120 --> 00:02:10.680
talked to has been has like a
came in with very little sleep to work

38
00:02:10.680 --> 00:02:15.680
today. Yeah. Yes, because
a lot of us, you know,

39
00:02:15.719 --> 00:02:21.159
we were a little bit older.
We got responsibility. Yeah, family and

40
00:02:21.199 --> 00:02:23.919
you gotta you gotta do all those
things first, and then you're like,

41
00:02:23.960 --> 00:02:30.439
okay, it's not thirty my time. The only person I think was a

42
00:02:30.560 --> 00:02:34.400
relatively taken aback and I told you
to turn the break that when my son

43
00:02:34.479 --> 00:02:37.439
last night was playing his Clemson,
he'd started his own dynasty and they actually

44
00:02:37.439 --> 00:02:42.360
beat Georgia by three points to start
the season. There's not a telling they

45
00:02:42.360 --> 00:02:45.639
weren't a damn person on that field
that could have blocked Peter Woods. But

46
00:02:45.680 --> 00:02:47.159
I think Peter Woods still would tell
you. I'm a little pissed off because

47
00:02:47.199 --> 00:02:51.280
you see him on Twitter yesterday.
He was not happy about his photo,

48
00:02:51.439 --> 00:02:55.159
about his likeness. He wants that
fixed a set, and I think the

49
00:02:55.240 --> 00:03:02.759
developers need to know that Peter is
a gentle soul, but fix his They

50
00:03:02.840 --> 00:03:08.360
got Brenning stool wrong. Too.
He don't look like they also pronounced his

51
00:03:08.439 --> 00:03:15.520
name and there did They is not
tappy either, Yes, in there does

52
00:03:15.560 --> 00:03:17.680
not pronounce the thing correctly. What
do you bringing? Do you say bringing

53
00:03:17.759 --> 00:03:23.280
stool? Like? Hell them brining
stool? That sounds like a condition.

54
00:03:23.360 --> 00:03:27.000
We need to get that looked at. Oh geez, well, yeah,

55
00:03:27.080 --> 00:03:30.240
Jake, Jake's good on that game. And you know, I think my

56
00:03:30.240 --> 00:03:31.680
my son Andrew, who likes to
go right into the game playing on the

57
00:03:31.680 --> 00:03:35.919
hardest mode possible, whatever all Madden
is, That's what he did. And

58
00:03:35.960 --> 00:03:37.759
I said, boy, you might
want to look because he doesn't know the

59
00:03:37.800 --> 00:03:39.240
college game as well. So I
said, I'm going to sit back and

60
00:03:39.240 --> 00:03:42.599
watch you play. And it was
so fun to know that he didn't know

61
00:03:43.159 --> 00:03:46.120
the rules, like the hash marks
are wider, the clock stoppage from time

62
00:03:46.159 --> 00:03:50.199
to time, and then the overtime. He went in an overtime game against

63
00:03:50.199 --> 00:03:53.840
ap State, which is hopefully on
a loop, and he's like, what

64
00:03:53.879 --> 00:03:57.319
do I do? I said,
I don't know. You should know this.

65
00:03:57.879 --> 00:04:00.520
He said, what do they get
it back? And so he ventured

66
00:04:00.520 --> 00:04:01.680
till I said, look, everybody
gets a crack at it for I think

67
00:04:01.719 --> 00:04:04.360
three times. Then you got to
start going for two if you're trading the

68
00:04:04.400 --> 00:04:08.800
same score, He's like, what's
kind of cool it? Yeah, there

69
00:04:08.800 --> 00:04:12.319
were tastes where it wasn't so cool. Ask will Vandervoord, who was working

70
00:04:12.360 --> 00:04:15.920
late nights, if he was ever
like a Texas tech gamer over times they

71
00:04:15.920 --> 00:04:20.680
had to take. Yeah, God, I love the game. I'm like

72
00:04:20.800 --> 00:04:25.560
him. I do my I'm I'm
big madd guy, and I do All

73
00:04:25.600 --> 00:04:30.000
Madden when I play Madden. So
I actually practiced, and this is just

74
00:04:30.000 --> 00:04:32.319
said I nerdy I am. I
actually practiced All Madden for a couple of

75
00:04:32.319 --> 00:04:35.279
weeks before to get myself kind of
back in the field of the game.

76
00:04:35.839 --> 00:04:40.480
And because I'm because I'm I'm like
him. I went straight to Heisman and

77
00:04:40.800 --> 00:04:45.319
uh hes level played, because that's
just you know, if you can play

78
00:04:45.319 --> 00:04:47.399
All Madden, you can play Heisman, though of course you can't, you

79
00:04:47.439 --> 00:04:50.560
know, so so you know,
I went straight over there to the Heisman

80
00:04:50.639 --> 00:04:54.720
level and played and it was fun. It's fun. I enjoy I enjoy

81
00:04:54.800 --> 00:04:59.240
competition. So when I beat,
I started beating the game consistently and beating

82
00:04:59.279 --> 00:05:01.199
other people. It's not fun to
make. Well, that's how you live

83
00:05:01.240 --> 00:05:04.399
your life. You're so dominant in
your career endeavors that you get bored a

84
00:05:04.399 --> 00:05:08.240
little bit, so you got to
get on the vent. I get tired.

85
00:05:08.279 --> 00:05:13.040
I'll get tired of whooping y'all's ass
walking around you put on a T

86
00:05:13.160 --> 00:05:15.439
shirt like Joey Porter. I'm tired
of whooping y'all's ass. Because will Vandervoord's

87
00:05:15.439 --> 00:05:18.959
weapons of mass out there doing the
best content coverage for the Clemson Tigers.

88
00:05:19.000 --> 00:05:23.560
Let's start there for a minute.
We got all seasons off video games.

89
00:05:23.560 --> 00:05:27.800
But Dabo Sweeney spoke with the media
today. I did catch the fact that

90
00:05:28.319 --> 00:05:30.720
obviously, on August first, the
Panthers are coming back down for fan Fest,

91
00:05:30.959 --> 00:05:34.040
which will be very cool, and
Clemson's opening up fall camp on that

92
00:05:34.120 --> 00:05:40.439
same day practicing on adjacent fields.
Anything else stand out in terms of just

93
00:05:40.560 --> 00:05:45.480
Dabo's commentary today or is it just
general sort of provisions of what's to be

94
00:05:45.519 --> 00:05:47.360
expected as fall camp opens up here
in about a week and a half.

95
00:05:48.480 --> 00:05:53.600
It's just, you know, he'd
basic comments talked about he was asked about

96
00:05:53.639 --> 00:05:57.720
the comments or asked I should say
about the a SEC trying to move to

97
00:05:57.759 --> 00:06:02.240
South Carolina game, talk about how
that is. He did Graham Net the

98
00:06:02.279 --> 00:06:06.399
Athletic Record did come to him about
that when they approached Clemson, and and

99
00:06:06.519 --> 00:06:10.759
Dabo said, you know, you
know, no, I don't want to

100
00:06:10.800 --> 00:06:14.519
do that because of several reasons.
One is, you know, he says,

101
00:06:14.600 --> 00:06:16.920
is not good for the community.
You know, big game days in

102
00:06:16.959 --> 00:06:21.199
Clemson, they are special. Uh, this is something that community lives off

103
00:06:21.240 --> 00:06:26.399
of each and so if you put
it on Thanksgiving, you take you take

104
00:06:26.439 --> 00:06:29.720
it on Big Black Friday, you
take that weekend away from the city.

105
00:06:29.759 --> 00:06:32.199
And also he mentioned I liked how
he mentioned the recruits. Now a lot

106
00:06:32.199 --> 00:06:36.120
of people don't probably don't know this, but the rules change in recruiting.

107
00:06:36.199 --> 00:06:44.439
National Signing Day will actually be the
week I believe the week after leading up

108
00:06:44.480 --> 00:06:47.240
to so to be the Wednesday after
the South Carolina game will be that early

109
00:06:47.319 --> 00:06:54.240
signing period day. And so that
weekend of the South Carolina Clemson game is

110
00:06:54.279 --> 00:06:59.199
an official recruiting weekend. They get
to make that official recruited weekend. And

111
00:06:59.240 --> 00:07:02.680
so Debo's like, you know,
we don't want to lose a weekend in

112
00:07:02.720 --> 00:07:08.800
the valley on a Saturday in the
Valley giving because and nobody can come because

113
00:07:09.240 --> 00:07:14.879
you know, they got Thanksgiving for
us to do that for us to work

114
00:07:14.920 --> 00:07:17.600
in the industry and cover this team, it's not ideal either, So I

115
00:07:17.800 --> 00:07:26.079
understand I don't want to work on
Black Friday on Thanksgiving. I liked how

116
00:07:26.079 --> 00:07:30.360
he said that that's what was supported
being with the families, making sure the

117
00:07:30.399 --> 00:07:32.800
players are with their families, the
students or with their families so they're not

118
00:07:32.839 --> 00:07:36.800
having a rush and get back for
Clincon Carolina game on a Friday. You

119
00:07:36.800 --> 00:07:40.959
know. But I did like what
Davo said. He took a stabbage.

120
00:07:41.360 --> 00:07:43.800
Well, he says, if they
want to do that in Columbia, that's

121
00:07:43.800 --> 00:07:47.519
fine, we go down there to
Friday in Colombia, but we're not doing

122
00:07:47.519 --> 00:07:49.959
that, and we're not doing that
and Cson he says, I love it,

123
00:07:50.040 --> 00:07:51.920
you know. I mean, people
get on dab over. One thing

124
00:07:51.959 --> 00:07:57.560
I'll say is he has the the
best interest of everything about that university,

125
00:07:57.600 --> 00:08:01.879
including his players, right in his
heart there. Uh and everybody else can

126
00:08:01.920 --> 00:08:05.519
just kiss his butt because that's how
he is man to that to that level.

127
00:08:05.600 --> 00:08:09.240
He did have a comment today that
I'd like to relay that back to

128
00:08:09.279 --> 00:08:13.839
you. This is from several reporters, including Austin Hannen, and I'll read

129
00:08:13.879 --> 00:08:18.480
you what his comment was about the
criticism of n il. We've always done

130
00:08:18.560 --> 00:08:22.079
things differently. If nil is the
factor, we're probably not going to get

131
00:08:22.079 --> 00:08:26.399
the recruit simple as that. If
it's a factor, hey, we've got

132
00:08:26.439 --> 00:08:28.160
as good a shot as anybody.
What do you make of that comment?

133
00:08:28.279 --> 00:08:31.159
Is it any different than where he
stood before? Because to me it sounds

134
00:08:31.240 --> 00:08:35.480
like a reminder to those out there
you need clarification. Where I stand,

135
00:08:37.039 --> 00:08:41.960
it's not our leading pitch, but
we've got some resources. Yeah. I

136
00:08:41.960 --> 00:08:45.039
think that's what he's saying, because
that was big on he doesn't want a

137
00:08:45.080 --> 00:08:48.120
player to come to Clemson because they
want to make money, because that's not

138
00:08:48.240 --> 00:08:52.919
the kind of that's not Has he
the culture? Has he? Okay?

139
00:08:52.000 --> 00:08:56.000
Now, has he clarified why he
feels that way? Is it? Is

140
00:08:56.000 --> 00:08:58.679
it a culture thing? Is that
he's afraid they're going to jump ship next

141
00:08:58.759 --> 00:09:01.759
year? Is he trying to Yeah, it's he hasn't clarified it. I'm

142
00:09:01.759 --> 00:09:05.960
just gonna go with why. Why. I believe he hasn't clarified it.

143
00:09:05.440 --> 00:09:11.559
I believe it's it is a cultural
thing because Dabo is very big on wanting

144
00:09:11.639 --> 00:09:15.200
kids to come to school, a
to come to Clemson because this is the

145
00:09:15.240 --> 00:09:20.159
place you're gonna you're signing up to
spend you know, hopefully four years and

146
00:09:20.159 --> 00:09:24.559
and it's a place where you want
to graduate and get your college degree.

147
00:09:24.080 --> 00:09:28.799
That is still big to Dabo.
That's still something he pushes. He's,

148
00:09:28.960 --> 00:09:31.159
uh, he's very big on you
know when you look at Clemson set the

149
00:09:31.200 --> 00:09:37.039
record this year with graduation rate.
How they I think they led all Power

150
00:09:37.159 --> 00:09:43.799
five schools in graduation rate this year
in the as a football program. And

151
00:09:43.879 --> 00:09:48.279
so like he's big on that,
and he's and he's honest about it,

152
00:09:48.320 --> 00:09:50.639
and he's like, hey, he
goes in there and tells mother, moms

153
00:09:50.639 --> 00:09:54.759
and dad, look, I'm here
not to help your kid get rich.

154
00:09:54.519 --> 00:10:00.200
I'm here to help your young man
become a man. Recruiting, but I'm

155
00:10:00.200 --> 00:10:01.840
trying to do here, and that's
the heart of what he is, a

156
00:10:01.879 --> 00:10:05.120
recruiter and a communicator. And I
think it's a brilliant move on his part.

157
00:10:05.159 --> 00:10:07.799
I'm not even kissing his buddy or
it's the right way to do it,

158
00:10:09.120 --> 00:10:11.679
because deep down, you can make
the moves you need to make behind

159
00:10:11.679 --> 00:10:16.720
closed doors that impact these players' finances
and make them happy. But you don't

160
00:10:16.720 --> 00:10:20.679
want to be like Jimbo Fisher out
there just oh, you got it.

161
00:10:20.720 --> 00:10:24.000
We have record in ioyear we're spending
left and right and then you go five

162
00:10:24.000 --> 00:10:26.879
and seven and I get it.
But man, we were in that facility

163
00:10:26.919 --> 00:10:30.279
of today, John, and you've
been in there, that facility. Yes,

164
00:10:30.559 --> 00:10:35.679
it is unbelievable. The stuff that
Live Star resort. You literally listen

165
00:10:35.720 --> 00:10:39.759
to this. This is some people
can understand what Clemson's football facility is.

166
00:10:39.840 --> 00:10:45.159
Like. You literally can walk in
the door there and stay for seven days

167
00:10:45.480 --> 00:10:48.039
and not have to leave for any
reason. Aaron Rodgers shown up there.

168
00:10:48.919 --> 00:10:52.679
You can shower, you can get
a haircut, you can eat, you

169
00:10:52.720 --> 00:10:56.279
can work out, you can play
football, you can play video games,

170
00:10:56.559 --> 00:11:01.399
you can play bowling, you'll play
you can play what's that pickleball? You

171
00:11:01.440 --> 00:11:05.960
can play putt putt, you can
play basketball, put you can do every

172
00:11:07.080 --> 00:11:11.759
you can cook out on your grill, you can do everything you want to

173
00:11:11.759 --> 00:11:15.960
do in that facility. And it's
like that loan right there to me is

174
00:11:16.000 --> 00:11:18.559
like, man, I would love
to just live here, you know it

175
00:11:18.639 --> 00:11:22.120
is. It's not just the facility. I've seen parts of it. I

176
00:11:22.159 --> 00:11:24.639
even't been able to spend a week
there. Like it's the Lakeside ladch which

177
00:11:24.679 --> 00:11:31.360
I probably should ask. I should
ask somebody like money or somebody down there.

178
00:11:31.600 --> 00:11:33.720
Is there a way we could just
do a promotional deer where I'm there

179
00:11:33.759 --> 00:11:39.200
all week, just a big fact
no in the morning with a cup of

180
00:11:39.240 --> 00:11:45.080
coffee and your robond to watch TV
Dado's brother Bless. It's hard to gonna

181
00:11:45.080 --> 00:11:48.000
come in and escort my ass right
out. But in iol, I mean,

182
00:11:48.000 --> 00:11:52.600
this is the thing. Look at
the top dogs in terms of who

183
00:11:52.679 --> 00:11:56.240
is making the most money in that
department. It's arch Manning. It's guys

184
00:11:56.279 --> 00:12:03.200
like Jackson Dark talking about quarterbacks Evan
Carson, Bell Mill. It is.

185
00:12:03.440 --> 00:12:09.720
And so you know, right now
with Clemson's particular season in il is what

186
00:12:09.759 --> 00:12:13.200
it is. You can't really get
that hyped up and hyper attentive about it.

187
00:12:13.240 --> 00:12:16.679
As an analyst, as we're almost
at fall camp, what I want

188
00:12:16.720 --> 00:12:22.279
to talk about is the actual football
because there's one player on this team that

189
00:12:22.360 --> 00:12:26.759
I think now has a little less
competition and a real path in front of

190
00:12:26.840 --> 00:12:31.679
him to be spectacular this year,
not only on the field, but just

191
00:12:31.679 --> 00:12:35.720
statistically. Fil MafA Yeah, yeah, I think Phil has a chance.

192
00:12:35.759 --> 00:12:41.639
You know, Debo and CJ.
Spiller and Garrett Riley, we're all talking

193
00:12:41.679 --> 00:12:46.000
about how CJ. I mean,
how philm MafA was, you know,

194
00:12:46.240 --> 00:12:50.519
kind of just he's kind of taking
that next step as a player, as

195
00:12:50.519 --> 00:12:54.600
a running back, as a leader. They just said, you know,

196
00:12:54.679 --> 00:12:58.000
he's just a different guy than what
he has been the last couple of years

197
00:12:58.039 --> 00:13:01.320
in all those areas, and you
know they're gonna write them this year.

198
00:13:01.360 --> 00:13:05.320
Now. I don't think that means
they're gonna write them for thirty or forty

199
00:13:05.440 --> 00:13:09.240
carries old Raymond Priester style back in
the late nineties. I don't think that's

200
00:13:09.279 --> 00:13:13.080
gonna be the case. I think
you're gonna see him get up around twenty

201
00:13:13.120 --> 00:13:16.600
carries per game. He's gonna be
their main guy. They talked about how

202
00:13:16.600 --> 00:13:20.000
he's improved in his hands out of
the backfield, has become a better receiver,

203
00:13:20.279 --> 00:13:22.840
yep, And they feel like he
can be a definitely be a weapon

204
00:13:22.879 --> 00:13:26.200
there. I think the biggest step
Field needs to make this year is with

205
00:13:26.279 --> 00:13:31.399
his pass protection. If you remember
Clinton's biggest game of the season last year,

206
00:13:31.679 --> 00:13:35.360
Clinton's driving to go take a two
score lead early in the fourth quarter

207
00:13:37.039 --> 00:13:41.639
when MafA misses the linebacker coming off
the edge and goes out for a pass

208
00:13:41.720 --> 00:13:46.559
instead of staying in and chipping the
linebacker club Nick fumbles the ball, the

209
00:13:46.600 --> 00:13:50.320
ball scooped and scored, picked up, scooped, and they run it back

210
00:13:50.320 --> 00:13:52.480
for a touchdown, and it ends
up that ends up being the play that

211
00:13:52.519 --> 00:13:56.840
sends the game into over him and
they turned the whole game around as Florida

212
00:13:56.840 --> 00:14:01.799
State ends up winning it in overtime. So you know, that's something he's

213
00:14:01.799 --> 00:14:05.879
got to get better at because it
did cost Climpson the game shit literally to

214
00:14:05.919 --> 00:14:09.240
the point cost clumps in the game, And so that's kind of where he

215
00:14:09.320 --> 00:14:11.759
needs to get better, and especially
if he wants to play in the NFL,

216
00:14:13.159 --> 00:14:16.919
he's got to improve in that department. And I know that's something he's

217
00:14:16.960 --> 00:14:22.360
worked hard on in the spring and
this summer, and CJ feels like he's

218
00:14:22.480 --> 00:14:26.399
kind of like turning that corner there
and it's going to be a much better

219
00:14:26.799 --> 00:14:30.279
player in that in that regard.
Will Van der Vord is our guest Clemson

220
00:14:30.320 --> 00:14:33.320
Insider dot com. I mean,
there's so many questions I have about this

221
00:14:33.440 --> 00:14:37.240
roster, and we would need a
whole podcast. Maybe your podcast, which

222
00:14:37.240 --> 00:14:39.480
we can promote a minute, would
be a good place to do that.

223
00:14:39.559 --> 00:14:43.399
But just quickly, when you look
at this defense. Obviously it stands on

224
00:14:43.559 --> 00:14:48.440
its own with the reputation, but
I think there's a reality here brewing that

225
00:14:48.519 --> 00:14:52.679
this unit, at least in terms
of the front seven and then a couple

226
00:14:52.720 --> 00:14:56.360
of pieces on the back end,
have the potential to be one of the

227
00:14:56.360 --> 00:15:00.840
best we've seen in a long time
around here. And I'm not using hyperbole.

228
00:15:01.240 --> 00:15:03.240
I'm looking at guys like TJ.
Parker, I'm looking at Peter Woods.

229
00:15:03.480 --> 00:15:07.360
I see Kate park who has come
on so strong here in his development.

230
00:15:07.799 --> 00:15:11.200
Barry Carter obviously we know what he's
able to do on a night or

231
00:15:11.279 --> 00:15:16.440
night a night out basis would as
has been just absolutely excellent when he's come

232
00:15:16.480 --> 00:15:18.279
in there and played. And Khalil
Barnes, who I think is just one

233
00:15:18.279 --> 00:15:24.000
of the hidden gyms from last year. This young defensive times had to grow

234
00:15:24.039 --> 00:15:26.960
up fast. And I think Wes, who you know well, Wes Goodwin,

235
00:15:26.320 --> 00:15:28.440
he's got to be loving the fact
that hey, they're young and they

236
00:15:28.440 --> 00:15:35.480
got experience. Absolutely, and he
you know, he talked about today that

237
00:15:35.879 --> 00:15:39.279
this is a team where some people
I think naturally look at it thought they

238
00:15:39.279 --> 00:15:43.240
lost a lot of pieces, and
I guess technically they did, you know,

239
00:15:43.879 --> 00:15:48.440
But at the same time they bring
back guys who who started at least

240
00:15:48.039 --> 00:15:54.120
four games at almost every position.
The only place where they don't really have

241
00:15:54.279 --> 00:15:58.559
that experience is at defensive end yep. And that's the major concern there,

242
00:15:58.240 --> 00:16:02.879
and that's why the pulling Peter Woods
to the outside and letting him play.

243
00:16:03.200 --> 00:16:06.440
It's interesting how they're gonna clemch this
funck is gonna look this year because Wes

244
00:16:06.480 --> 00:16:12.960
Goodwin and Chris Rump and Nick Eason
both all three of those guys when asked

245
00:16:14.000 --> 00:16:18.000
about their Peter Woods and how he
was gonna how they're going to use him,

246
00:16:18.440 --> 00:16:22.240
they mentioned how it's going to depend
on the opponent and what fronts they're

247
00:16:22.279 --> 00:16:26.399
going to be using, and they
also said we could use some move some

248
00:16:26.519 --> 00:16:30.120
other guys out there too, such
as Trey Williams they mentioned as one guy.

249
00:16:30.159 --> 00:16:33.919
Peyton Page is another guy, and
they said it really goes off how

250
00:16:34.000 --> 00:16:38.360
these guys are multi talented. They
can they can cross train and do different

251
00:16:38.399 --> 00:16:41.919
things, and it allows him to
have different, multiple looks up front.

252
00:16:42.360 --> 00:16:47.600
And so it's gonna be interesting how
Wes Goodwin plays the video game, if

253
00:16:47.639 --> 00:16:52.279
you will, with real life players, because he's got some talent there and

254
00:16:52.519 --> 00:16:56.639
at that defensive tackle position to where
they could do some things with different guys

255
00:16:56.679 --> 00:17:03.600
to overcome you know, the lack
of depth to have at defensive end.

256
00:17:03.679 --> 00:17:06.000
So and then of course you got
T. J. Parker, who,

257
00:17:06.599 --> 00:17:10.359
for some reason everybody forgets. This
guy's pretty darn good. Oh he's really

258
00:17:10.400 --> 00:17:14.680
good. He's I mean, he
tackles for a last last year. Yes,

259
00:17:15.720 --> 00:17:18.480
thank you. Nobody talks about him. It's like ridiculous, Like hello,

260
00:17:18.559 --> 00:17:22.400
guys, Well, he's the prototype
edge six three about two fifty,

261
00:17:22.440 --> 00:17:26.000
and that's what you want. Is
sort of the guy that can get the

262
00:17:26.079 --> 00:17:27.799
ben you need. And it's for
Woods, I mean those that don't know

263
00:17:27.920 --> 00:17:32.039
Woods. He is, you know, built a little bit I guess like

264
00:17:32.079 --> 00:17:36.519
a Warren Sap like a three technique, but he's got so much quickness off

265
00:17:36.519 --> 00:17:40.400
the line you can use him at
conventionally. War is a great comp right

266
00:17:40.440 --> 00:17:42.440
there. That's a great comp.
I just think he well the technique he

267
00:17:42.440 --> 00:17:45.720
plays online, but he has more
versatility there. He can hold the five

268
00:17:45.799 --> 00:17:48.480
technique at the tackle. And I
think, to your point about good when

269
00:17:48.519 --> 00:17:52.000
I haven't spoken to him about this, but I trust your opinion because you

270
00:17:52.000 --> 00:17:55.240
and him know each other well.
I'm fascinated bout how they run this front

271
00:17:55.240 --> 00:17:57.400
and then on the back end there
obviously you got some guys you've lost,

272
00:17:57.400 --> 00:18:02.359
but you know Terrell's coming back.
And again Khalil Barnes was a guy that

273
00:18:02.480 --> 00:18:04.359
just flashed for me. And this
is even before he was getting turnovers.

274
00:18:04.599 --> 00:18:10.079
I saw a guy that was just
the frame, the way he plays his

275
00:18:10.200 --> 00:18:14.200
traits. He's long, he's athletic, and he's got a good, good

276
00:18:14.240 --> 00:18:17.559
mind for the game. I think
he's gonna be a star here. Last

277
00:18:17.680 --> 00:18:22.559
question about this particular team here with
the receiving corps. We'll talk about that

278
00:18:22.599 --> 00:18:26.559
in greater detail, but brinning Stool
of course, will pronounce it correctly.

279
00:18:27.000 --> 00:18:29.680
He can have a breakout year,
right. I mean, this is a

280
00:18:29.680 --> 00:18:30.920
guy who's been emerging year after year, and I think, you know,

281
00:18:32.559 --> 00:18:34.440
target share is going to be a
little bit interesting with what they do have.

282
00:18:34.480 --> 00:18:41.160
And maybe don't have your thoughts on
Brenning Stool and maybe outside of the

283
00:18:41.279 --> 00:18:44.759
usual names, we're hearing at receiver, maybe a younger receiver that could step

284
00:18:44.839 --> 00:18:48.400
up and surprise us this year.
Well, yeah, you know he's a

285
00:18:48.400 --> 00:18:52.000
guy at Breinstall had fifty catches almost
five hundred yards last year. He is

286
00:18:52.039 --> 00:18:56.039
on the cuff of being one of
the more talented tight ends Clemson has ever

287
00:18:56.119 --> 00:19:00.000
had. Yeah, and I think
this year he has a potential to really

288
00:19:00.039 --> 00:19:03.920
put up some big numbers. I'm
with you, especially if guys like you

289
00:19:03.960 --> 00:19:07.680
know TJ. Moore, the freshman
coming in that came in last month,

290
00:19:08.720 --> 00:19:14.039
or you know, you've got the
young man that was there already on campus,

291
00:19:14.240 --> 00:19:17.480
a man whose name is escaping me
at the moment. You know,

292
00:19:17.880 --> 00:19:23.480
but if you know west Kill Brian, that's all I read about was and

293
00:19:23.599 --> 00:19:29.119
he he was showing flashes already.
If those two guys live up to their

294
00:19:29.680 --> 00:19:33.400
potential or what people are saying about
him, I should say, then I

295
00:19:33.440 --> 00:19:37.279
think that's going to open up things
for Brittany Stool because if you got if

296
00:19:37.319 --> 00:19:41.160
Crimpton's got the vertical threat back in
its offense, which is what it's been

297
00:19:41.240 --> 00:19:45.440
lacking. If they have the vertical
threat back in their offense, and then

298
00:19:45.480 --> 00:19:48.720
it's just going to open up things
across the middle for Brennan Stool, for

299
00:19:48.880 --> 00:19:52.720
Antonio Williams, for Tyler Brown.
And by the way, let's all forget

300
00:19:52.720 --> 00:19:55.039
about this guy Troy Stelauto. By
the way, if you play him in

301
00:19:55.039 --> 00:20:00.440
the video game, you know he's
he's he's unbelievable. A still, lot

302
00:20:00.440 --> 00:20:06.480
of a sports guys were talking to
me because I've been talking of yuh Troy

303
00:20:06.480 --> 00:20:11.680
Stilano forever and and this guy do
the best hands on the tip route.

304
00:20:11.799 --> 00:20:15.319
My son Andrew, my son Andrew
played as Clinton last night and I watched

305
00:20:15.359 --> 00:20:18.319
that. I knew all these guys. He did not, And he said,

306
00:20:18.319 --> 00:20:19.640
who's this guy? I said,
well, he's a guy that we

307
00:20:19.680 --> 00:20:22.480
think should be more involved most of
us. And it's like cool to see

308
00:20:22.559 --> 00:20:26.400
that actually happen in front of us
and looks real. And not to mention

309
00:20:26.720 --> 00:20:30.839
Stellato's, I believe his uncle is
the agent for Tommy Cutlet's. So,

310
00:20:30.079 --> 00:20:37.759
I mean there's there too. And
Tyler Brown put on some some exhibition type

311
00:20:37.799 --> 00:20:41.480
numbers last year at times, and
I've got some high hopes for him.

312
00:20:41.480 --> 00:20:45.640
It was inconsistent at times, but
again MafA feeding the ball as the team

313
00:20:47.039 --> 00:20:49.079
came down the stretch last year.
I know there's some injury stuff with Shipley,

314
00:20:49.480 --> 00:20:52.119
they led, they really leaning on
him and the way he played in

315
00:20:52.160 --> 00:20:56.759
that Bowl game, the way club
Nick showed some resolve. Gonna be interesting,

316
00:20:56.799 --> 00:21:00.720
Hey, quickly before we let you
go Steelers. I don't know if

317
00:21:00.720 --> 00:21:04.279
Falcon wants to to ask any questions
about the Pittsburgh team, But I'll just

318
00:21:04.319 --> 00:21:08.319
say this, are you right now? Do you think he's getting traded?

319
00:21:08.400 --> 00:21:14.119
And would you? Would you do
it if it's a first rounder? M

320
00:21:14.279 --> 00:21:18.039
hmm? I mean I think that's
the only way the Steelers can give him

321
00:21:18.519 --> 00:21:22.240
uh is to dangle of the force
because they're not gonna trade, you know,

322
00:21:22.480 --> 00:21:26.200
uh tj waher. I heard one
person say trade tj w. I'm

323
00:21:29.319 --> 00:21:33.519
you're idiot, not gonna do that. You don't do that. So I

324
00:21:33.559 --> 00:21:38.160
don't know if the Steelers have the
capita to do it or will want to

325
00:21:38.200 --> 00:21:42.359
do it, because he's gonna be
asking for so much. The forty nine

326
00:21:42.400 --> 00:21:47.200
is gonna ask so much in a
trade for him, So I just don't

327
00:21:47.240 --> 00:21:49.759
know. I mean, Pittsburgh's got
the money next year to pay his protract.

328
00:21:49.839 --> 00:21:53.920
They don't have the money. They're
in good shape from a cap space

329
00:21:53.920 --> 00:22:00.720
standpoint, but they I don't the
Steelers just they don't trade first round pick.

330
00:22:00.839 --> 00:22:03.279
They don't do that, and I
just I just can't see them do

331
00:22:03.400 --> 00:22:07.160
that. I just can't see him
do that. Aside from IUK obviously,

332
00:22:07.400 --> 00:22:08.640
what do you what do you make
of this receiving core right now, how

333
00:22:08.640 --> 00:22:14.440
do you feel about Roman Wilson kind
of coming in? Could he? I

334
00:22:14.480 --> 00:22:18.039
love Roman Wilson. He is the
hind ward kind of guy. I like,

335
00:22:18.480 --> 00:22:22.119
that's who he reminds me of.
He's got this toughness to him.

336
00:22:22.160 --> 00:22:25.880
He's he can run block. I
think the Steelers kind of feel like they

337
00:22:26.000 --> 00:22:30.680
got the receiver. They need to
be opposite Pickings, because if you think

338
00:22:30.680 --> 00:22:33.480
of hines Ward, you know,
you think of Roman Wilson as hines Ward

339
00:22:33.599 --> 00:22:40.240
like, and you think of Pickens
as plexico burst like, and that's kind

340
00:22:40.279 --> 00:22:42.880
of who they are and what they
remind me of. And I think that's

341
00:22:42.880 --> 00:22:48.279
a good combination with Russell Wilson to
have. And then people he forgetting Pat

342
00:22:48.400 --> 00:22:52.680
Pat Fryarmuth is a heck of a
tight end he is now that he's got

343
00:22:52.720 --> 00:22:56.039
a quarterback that can throw the ball
and give him the ball. You're gonna

344
00:22:56.039 --> 00:22:59.359
talk about somebody who's gonna come on
the scene in the NFL. Everybodys gonay,

345
00:22:59.359 --> 00:23:02.039
where did this guy go? Exactly? It's gonna be Pat. There's

346
00:23:02.079 --> 00:23:04.000
no doubt in my mind. Do
you see the Steelers got weapons on the

347
00:23:04.039 --> 00:23:10.519
offense and Najie Harris, I think
is gonna be they have at least some

348
00:23:10.640 --> 00:23:15.160
coherent plan. Now Canada was a
bad coordinator with bad schemes. Then you're

349
00:23:15.160 --> 00:23:18.960
bringing Mike Sullivan out of basically half
retirement to try to patch it up.

350
00:23:18.279 --> 00:23:22.640
Arthur Smith is a lot of things, but I'll say this coordination is very

351
00:23:22.680 --> 00:23:26.279
good when he's behind the mic there
doing it that way, and I think

352
00:23:26.279 --> 00:23:30.119
it fits to what Tomlin wants to
a t so Hindswater, I was looking

353
00:23:30.119 --> 00:23:33.640
back at the statsu here real quick, like the first couple of years in

354
00:23:33.680 --> 00:23:36.640
his career, I mean for four
or five years, it was basically a

355
00:23:36.720 --> 00:23:38.200
slash role. Remember that he was
doing a lot of dirty work, grunt

356
00:23:38.240 --> 00:23:41.279
work, and uh, he didn't
break a thousand yards till two thousand and

357
00:23:41.319 --> 00:23:45.720
one. So you got to be
patient with a guy like some of these

358
00:23:45.759 --> 00:23:48.640
rookies that are coming and Wilson I
love him a lot. And obviously it's

359
00:23:48.640 --> 00:23:53.720
a team that is hunger for a
championship. They're spending like bare minimum on

360
00:23:53.799 --> 00:24:00.400
two quarterbacks who could be starting around
the league. That's a feast. Understand

361
00:24:00.400 --> 00:24:07.279
that the Steelers have a have an
elite defense that is ready to win super

362
00:24:07.319 --> 00:24:10.279
Bowl now. And so they went
out this year and said, we got

363
00:24:10.319 --> 00:24:14.200
to put an offense that can work
with this defense. And I think they

364
00:24:14.240 --> 00:24:17.680
went out in the off season and
did that, and and I think,

365
00:24:17.720 --> 00:24:18.759
you know, I think you're gonna
see that. I don't. I'm not

366
00:24:18.759 --> 00:24:22.200
saying they're gonna win a super Bowl
this year. You think the Steelers.

367
00:24:22.319 --> 00:24:27.359
I do think the Steelers are gonna
contend for the a C North. I

368
00:24:27.400 --> 00:24:32.720
do think they're gonna win north of
eleven games, and I do think they'll

369
00:24:32.720 --> 00:24:36.720
win a playoff. Do you foresee
real quick, one final question, do

370
00:24:36.759 --> 00:24:41.960
you foresee Darnell Washington being utilized more
in this offense? I think he can

371
00:24:42.079 --> 00:24:45.400
be, but he's just so he's
he definitely can't be in the red zone.

372
00:24:45.440 --> 00:24:48.920
I think probably see him use more, and especially if you look at

373
00:24:48.960 --> 00:24:52.880
Arthur Smith and how he uses tight
ends in the red zone. He's gonna

374
00:24:52.880 --> 00:25:00.359
be a big weapon for Clinton for
the season. He's so good at one

375
00:25:00.440 --> 00:25:11.119
thing, pulldog hen in that in
that in the red zone dish coming season

376
00:25:11.160 --> 00:25:15.119
and and we'll see where he goes. They really like him as a run

377
00:25:15.160 --> 00:25:18.799
blocker. Though they like him,
he does a great job when it comes

378
00:25:18.839 --> 00:25:21.640
to that. Yeah, if he
could just get a little the catching stuff

379
00:25:21.680 --> 00:25:25.160
down, he'll he'll be pretty special. And he is already. Will Vandervoort

380
00:25:25.200 --> 00:25:27.160
is a special guy. You can
find him at the Clemson Insider and Steeler

381
00:25:27.160 --> 00:25:30.559
Will on Twitter, and there's gonna
be a bevy of coverage on the way

382
00:25:30.599 --> 00:25:33.759
here. We'll we'll bring you back
in a week or two and we'll start

383
00:25:33.799 --> 00:25:37.240
really diving into Clemson and of course, uh, the NFL, and we're

384
00:25:37.240 --> 00:25:41.559
gonna have you on every week to
make picks. You in man, I'm

385
00:25:41.599 --> 00:25:47.079
in man. That's good guys.
Happy football season, it's here hap Happy

386
00:25:47.119 --> 00:25:52.839
football, Yes, Mary Football.
Thanks, We'll see you later. Will

387
00:25:53.559 --> 00:25:55.920
Climpson Insider dot com