Speaker 1: You've obviously got the a SEC Tournament and the SEC
Speaker 1: Tournament in our backyard here coming around the corner and
Speaker 1: central to that would be the Clemson Tigers. There's a
Speaker 1: lot going on with the Clemson stuff in terms of football.
Speaker 1: We'll get to that, and also Brad Burnell's run with
Speaker 1: this team again this year, joining us to break it
Speaker 1: all down, and maybe a Steelers A question or two
Speaker 1: at the end of the interview is will Vandervart Clemson
Speaker 1: insider buddy, how you been?
Speaker 2: Hey? Guys? How You've been a long time man?
Speaker 1: So I think we all had I know you in particular,
Speaker 1: a guy that works them late night deadlines, after the
Speaker 1: dabos WHENNY press conferences you needed a breather. We gave
Speaker 1: you a bit of a breather after football sort of
Speaker 1: wrapped up, and what a remarkable season it was for Clemson,
Speaker 1: you know, out there in Austin, Texas trying to rally
Speaker 1: and win that game. I want to get to basketball
Speaker 1: in a minute, but what's your reads so far? Early?
Speaker 1: It's very early. We know there's been some off the
Speaker 1: field stuff that Clemson's been litigating and they're through that.
Speaker 1: But on the football set, lost a few guys like
Speaker 1: Barry Carter and a new defensive coordinator and Tom and
Speaker 1: give us just a few nuggets there from from what
Speaker 1: you've learned about the program heading into twenty twenty five.
Speaker 2: My man, I think they're gonna be way better defensively.
Speaker 2: We spoke with Tom Allen last night after practice and
Speaker 2: you know this this is practice number That was practice
Speaker 2: number four of the spring and so you know, they
Speaker 2: got to do a little bit last Yesterday was the
Speaker 2: second day they were in full pads, probably the first
Speaker 2: day they actually have done you know a lot of
Speaker 2: live work where they really got down and down to business,
Speaker 2: if you will.
Speaker 1: Ben was on the field, so you know that's gonna happen.
Speaker 2: Yeah, So it was you know, the main thing that
Speaker 2: came out while we were there yesterday the conversations. You
Speaker 2: know Tom Allen, you know, we get people perspective. He
Speaker 2: walks around with the microphone in his hand and he's
Speaker 2: fussing at the at his team, you know, during practice
Speaker 2: and letting them know, hey, this is how you know
Speaker 2: I need you to do this right, I need to
Speaker 2: do this. I don't want to say fussing's the best way.
Speaker 2: I should just say coaching he's coaching. He's coaching the guys,
Speaker 2: and he's letting them you know, he's coaching his coaches,
Speaker 2: he's coaching his players, and he walks around and goes
Speaker 2: around to each segment making sure guys are doing what
Speaker 2: they're supposed to do. And the main thing they're emphasizing,
Speaker 2: and it's no surprise, is tackling. Tackling with a major issue.
Speaker 2: Coach Allen said that what he did when he first
Speaker 2: got the job at Clinton as he went watched all
Speaker 2: the game film from last year to see what the
Speaker 2: problems were, and then he went and watched practice because
Speaker 2: he said he wanted to see the effort. What was
Speaker 2: the effort like in practice, and he talked about how
Speaker 2: the effort wasn't good in practice, which translated the game
Speaker 2: day and and so he mentioned that as a major issue,
Speaker 2: and that's one thing he wanted to correct right away.
Speaker 2: First thing is effort in practice. And then the second
Speaker 2: thing is, you know, how is tackling going. And they
Speaker 2: really they do this what they call the Madden circle.
Speaker 2: And so the whole thing these drills work around, you know,
Speaker 2: working on tackling within one yard of the ball carrier
Speaker 2: right right, and wrapping up in tackling. So it's really
Speaker 2: interesting drills that he's doing, and he's trying to just
Speaker 2: kind of fundamentally get it in their heads, you know
Speaker 2: why it's important to tackle and how to tackle. I mean,
Speaker 2: it's like going all the way back to that won't
Speaker 2: say totally back to their pee wee days, but it's
Speaker 2: definitely teaching them how to tackle with the how to
Speaker 2: tackle the football, and that's what they needed. And so
Speaker 2: I think that's the thing I get out of it
Speaker 2: so far of the four practices we've been able to
Speaker 2: watch so for we'll.
Speaker 1: Talk about some of the key players here in a minute,
Speaker 1: but back to Tom Allen. Will Van Dervoort, Clemson Insider
Speaker 1: joining us, who has been covering Clemson spring practice, and
Speaker 1: I found it fascinating to hear some of his interviews
Speaker 1: that the Clemson athletic folks had put on one of
Speaker 1: the podcasts, and do you hear some of his press conferences.
Speaker 1: He definitely has the voice that commands respect. He's obviously
Speaker 1: got the bona fides working up there in the Big Ten,
Speaker 1: has brought a lot of great defenses and has developed
Speaker 1: a ton of star players in the NFL. But all
Speaker 1: that is glitz and glamour and an inn window and attributes.
Speaker 1: All that matters is tackling. You were so right about that,
Speaker 1: because I've seen this with teams in the NFL. I've
Speaker 1: seen it with my own Panthers. The one thing that
Speaker 1: kills you in football. And I'm not trying to echo
Speaker 1: Dabbo or Tom or speak for them, but boy, if
Speaker 1: you start missing your tackles and taking bad angles and
Speaker 1: you can't hold the edge, I don't care how good
Speaker 1: you are on offense. I don't care how good dynamically
Speaker 1: you are in the back end in terms of playmaking.
Speaker 1: I don't care how good you can rush the passer.
Speaker 1: It will kill your momentum. And I think you're telling
Speaker 1: me in a certain way. Allen's bringing a certain attitude
Speaker 1: to that, and we'll see if that translates. Do you
Speaker 1: get the sense that on the offensive side of the ball,
Speaker 1: With Garrett Riley coming into I believe it's what year
Speaker 1: three now for Garrett Kate club coming back. Caid should
Speaker 1: have been a Heisman finalist last year. In my opinion,
Speaker 1: Cad will be this year if he's healthy. But what's
Speaker 1: he working with out there? You give us an idea
Speaker 1: of what the offensive wine should be looking like. And
Speaker 1: obviously losing Brennan Stools a big deal. But some good
Speaker 1: young receivers on that roster right now.
Speaker 2: Man, Yeah, they're in. Uh they're fire. H Okay, I'll
Speaker 2: say it the best way. The main thing they're looking
Speaker 2: at on the offense there in the spring is they're working.
Speaker 2: They're working on running back. Uh. You know, they got
Speaker 2: they got they got obviously the pressure coming in and
Speaker 2: they're excited about what he can do. How much can
Speaker 2: he learn in this short amount of time to get
Speaker 2: him ready for Paul Camp. You know obviously you know
Speaker 2: you got Adams and those guys that are back. The
Speaker 2: big news is Adam Randall is now playing running back
Speaker 2: this spring. That's what he's focusing on. Dad's big on
Speaker 2: that to make sure, you know, trying to see doesn't
Speaker 2: necessarily mean that's what he's gonna play in the fall.
Speaker 2: They're just trying it right now. As Dabo you said,
Speaker 2: let's let's try and let's see what it is. So
Speaker 2: he's been working at running back and getting I see
Speaker 2: him with the first and second team reps. So and
Speaker 2: then the you know, as far as the wide receivers
Speaker 2: go to they're a great shape at wide receiver. Flintston
Speaker 2: is the only team in the country that brings back
Speaker 2: four receivers that had over five hundred yards receiving five
Speaker 2: hundred yards receiving last year that there's there's nobody else
Speaker 2: that that that has that number. And yeah, they got
Speaker 2: to replace Brenting, still a tight end. But I'll be
Speaker 2: honest with you, you know there they think they think
Speaker 2: a lot of the young man that was here last year,
Speaker 2: give me a second year. I'll tell you his name.
Speaker 2: He was a red shirt freshman, played a little bit
Speaker 2: last year and Christian Beneicure and uh, he played a
Speaker 2: little bit last year during his red shirt season. They
Speaker 2: think he's got the the ability to be really really
Speaker 2: good and uh and right now he's getting a lot
Speaker 2: of reps because because uh Alston pat Henry is missing
Speaker 2: some time in practice because of some magginet injury he
Speaker 2: had from last year. They're just kind of let him
Speaker 2: take it easy. So that's allowing him to get some reps.
Speaker 2: Gift Patrick Sapp excuse not Patrick Sapp, Josh Sap, Patrick's
Speaker 2: son as well. And so you know, I think they
Speaker 2: feel pretty good about that position because of the guys
Speaker 2: they have, they're already in place. And then and then
Speaker 2: the offensive line, they bring back four starters, but really
Speaker 2: they bring back a fifth two and Harry Sewell, you know,
Speaker 2: because he was you know, he played a lot last
Speaker 2: year and played a lot in the year before, and
Speaker 2: so he's pretty much gonna be penciled in, already penciling
Speaker 2: in that left guard replacing Marcus Tate. So they feel
Speaker 2: real good there and they feel like this year they're
Speaker 2: gonna be able to get even more depth than they
Speaker 2: had last year, which they had to use all of
Speaker 2: it and then some with the injuries. But they feel
Speaker 2: really good about who they got coming back on the
Speaker 2: offensive line. Now, Tristan Lee and a couple of those
Speaker 2: guys aren't working right now in the spring because again
Speaker 2: they had off season surgeries and some nagging injuries that
Speaker 2: they cleaned up. Walker Parks is not working either, So
Speaker 2: there's a couple guys that are that are that are
Speaker 2: getting extra work that they probably wouldn't have gotten. You know,
Speaker 2: if those other guys weren't banged up. I want say
Speaker 2: banged up, that's not the right work because they're rebilitating.
Speaker 2: So I would say it's more rehabbing more than anything.
Speaker 2: Don't be more than ready to go. They could play now,
Speaker 2: Dabo just doesn't see the sense of rushing them back
Speaker 2: or just you know, spring practice.
Speaker 1: And Dabo made it real clear there will be a
Speaker 1: spring game. Oh no, there's a lot changing in college football,
Speaker 1: but that ain't changing. So a spring game.
Speaker 2: And not only that, Dabo mentioned that they're trying to
Speaker 2: figure out to a fan appreciation day as well. Yeah,
Speaker 2: and I don't know if it to be tied in
Speaker 2: with the spring game or not, but Dabo mentioned that,
Speaker 2: and a lot of people haven't talked about that part.
Speaker 2: It was kind of at the tell any because everybody
Speaker 2: was so focused on him saying, yeah, we're keeping our
Speaker 2: spring game that they didn't hear the part where Dada says, yeah,
Speaker 2: we want to try to do something also not just
Speaker 2: a spring game, but also do something else for the
Speaker 2: fans when it comes to fan appreciation day kind of thing,
Speaker 2: So you know, kind of be on the lookout for
Speaker 2: that too as well. Davo's trying to figure out some
Speaker 2: substitute with that.
Speaker 1: Sounds like we'll keep an eye on that. Let's tuck
Speaker 1: football away to bed for a minute. As we've obviously
Speaker 1: got the combine. Some Clemson guys are going to be
Speaker 1: in this draft class, including Brennan Stoel and Barrek Carter.
Speaker 1: But basketball on the men's side, it's just another special
Speaker 1: season for Brad Burnell's team, a coach that was all
Speaker 1: but left for dead a couple of years ago. And
Speaker 1: I will tell you I haven't followed this team as
Speaker 1: closely this year because I no longer do the WeSC pregame.
Speaker 1: But I have followed it from a distance, and I've
Speaker 1: caught up on the fact that you know, James Zachary
Speaker 1: twenty one points the other night, they go twenty five
Speaker 1: and five this season so far, seventeen and two in
Speaker 1: the ACC chase. Hunter's doing great things. The chef is cooking,
Speaker 1: breaking records again. You get the tournament time. It's unpredictable.
Speaker 1: Is there a level of confidence Do you think that
Speaker 1: they can lean on from what they went through last
Speaker 1: year going all the way to the Elite eight or
Speaker 1: is it a new season and unpredictable things, as Virginia
Speaker 1: proved over the years, can happen. Where's the mindset with
Speaker 1: coach Brunella and what's he telling you guys?
Speaker 2: Well, you know who's telling us just basically what you said,
Speaker 2: because you know, you know coaches are they're not going
Speaker 2: to come out there and tell us they think they
Speaker 2: can win a national championshipslator that's what I need. But
Speaker 2: you know, I will say this, he likes his team
Speaker 2: a lot. He likes the direction they're in and they're going,
Speaker 2: and that they've been at at at this point. Personally,
Speaker 2: what I think this team is. I think this team
Speaker 2: has a chance to go very far in the tournament
Speaker 2: because they are built with all the things you need
Speaker 2: to succeed in tournament basketball. They got good guard play,
Speaker 2: they can shoot the three pointer, they can play defense,
Speaker 2: and they got it. They got a good strong inside
Speaker 2: interior game. And when you have those three things, oh
Speaker 2: and they protect the rim. Well you know, so when
Speaker 2: you have those elements, it allows you to, uh to
Speaker 2: to be a matchup problem for a lot of teams.
Speaker 2: Where there's not many teams where Clemson's gonna be they're
Speaker 2: gonna have a matchup problem. More teams are gonna have
Speaker 2: a matchup with Clemson a problem with Clemson than the
Speaker 2: other way around.
Speaker 1: You say more so this would you say it's a
Speaker 1: better condition for them now than this time of year ago.
Speaker 1: In that regard.
Speaker 2: Oh yeah, I mean again, you don't know what's gonna happen,
Speaker 2: Like you were saying, that's why no coach you ever
Speaker 2: hear no coach said they're just gonna roll through.
Speaker 1: The term there's always air.
Speaker 2: Is this team prepare? Does this team have what it
Speaker 2: takes to make a run? Absolutely more so than last
Speaker 2: year's team did, which made a run. I think this
Speaker 2: team when you look at the offense and efficiency numbers,
Speaker 2: you know, Kim Palm had this out yesterday and they said,
Speaker 2: here are the teams that the last twenty five years
Speaker 2: have won the national championship. Here's what their numbers are.
Speaker 2: Whether it's like seven or eight teams this year that
Speaker 2: fit that same description, Clemson is one of those teams. Now,
Speaker 2: I'm not saying Clemson's gonna go win the national championship,
Speaker 2: but what it tells me is because of the way
Speaker 2: Clemson plays on offense, because of the way Clemson plays
Speaker 2: on defense, they do both very well in the top
Speaker 2: thirty in both areas. I think because of that, it
Speaker 2: gives them a chance to go far. According to what
Speaker 2: Kim Thomas saying, gives them a chance to go far
Speaker 2: in the tournament like it has teams before them. And
Speaker 2: so with that said, if there's only eight teams that
Speaker 2: match these numbers, then you're looking Clemson as should be
Speaker 2: an the lead eighteam at worst case scenario, right and
Speaker 2: maybe and then if you get to that far, then
Speaker 2: you got a chance to get to the final four
Speaker 2: and then do some special things with that as well.
Speaker 2: So I know coach Brownell, he said take it one
Speaker 2: game at a time, and that's what they're gonna do.
Speaker 2: But John, I really like this basketball team. I think
Speaker 2: they got a chance to be really really good and
Speaker 2: go on deep runt here in this postseason.
Speaker 1: Well, quickly, I want to get your about one hundred
Speaker 1: and twenty second thoughts on the Steelers and primarily what
Speaker 1: to do with quarterback. Russell Wilson's a free agent. Justin
Speaker 1: Field is a free agent. The season ended in typical
Speaker 1: Steeler fashion. Get a good, competitive team not quite equipped
Speaker 1: to pass the torch to a guy that's ready to
Speaker 1: be the quarterback of the future. Do you think that's
Speaker 1: the route or is it the veteran route, or is
Speaker 1: it Russell Wilson all over again? Where are you at
Speaker 1: right now? With these Steelers.
Speaker 2: Man, well, I don't think Russell Wilson's happening. Everything I'm
Speaker 2: reading that's gonna be justin Fields. That's gonna they're gonna
Speaker 2: keep because they're looking at the future. However, justin Fields
Speaker 2: isn't the answer either. I can tell you that right now. Uh,
Speaker 2: he'll he'll be a placeholder this year. I don't have
Speaker 2: any expectations for this team to do anything next year.
Speaker 2: So I'm thinking probably I'm gonna go ahead and say this,
Speaker 2: this will be the first losing season. It might be
Speaker 2: wow and y' and they'll probably at best win six games.
Speaker 1: What I call the this is vintage Vandervoord. There really
Speaker 1: a new segment, vintage Vandervard. We bring out like a
Speaker 1: cabdet vintage vander Word. And I mean that sincerely is
Speaker 1: a compliment because under Cell over perform and keep your
Speaker 1: expectations because the Steelers look it ain't like the Panther
Speaker 1: where it's been ten straight losing seasons, but that ten
Speaker 1: win stuff's got to get a little tired after a while.
Speaker 1: So I don't blame you for going in. We'll see
Speaker 1: what happens draft around the corner, and maybe Jackson Dark
Speaker 1: you know.
Speaker 2: Oh my gosh, I don't know. I mean, I mean,
Speaker 2: you never know if a rookie could come in and
Speaker 2: if he's got I mean, there are pieces in place
Speaker 2: for the Steelers to be successful, but I don't know
Speaker 2: how much we're in place. And I just right now
Speaker 2: had no level of confidence if this team could do
Speaker 2: anything they need to. They need to get a high
Speaker 2: level quarterback. You know, they made the mistakes several years
Speaker 2: ago when they could have gotten Lamar Jackson. Instead, they
Speaker 2: didn't want to hurt Ben Roethlisberger's feelings and they let
Speaker 2: him go get drafted by the Ravens, fighting them in
Speaker 2: the butt twofold if you will, and you know so,
Speaker 2: I don't know what they're gonna do, but you know
Speaker 2: it wouldn't necessarily be a bad thing if they only
Speaker 2: go six and eleven and get a top ten draft pick,
Speaker 2: where maybe they can go get themselves a franchise quarterback.
Speaker 1: Finally, Steelers Vintage Vandervoar had brought to you by a
Speaker 1: couple of beers. Will Vandivore clips it insider. It's great
Speaker 1: to catch up with you, man. Let's do it in
Speaker 1: studio soon. But come see us.
Speaker 2: Yeah, absolutely, man, that's fun too, Yeah, try to do that.