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Latui the baller shot caller. Logan has been having himself
a fantastic hear when you come back. The biggest thing
is not just some people say maybe the nil money. Look,
it's a lot more than that. It's can you elevate
your play and you elevate what you've already done. And
Logan's been having a phenomenal year. The Red Shirt senior
defensive end two under sixty pounds six foot two from
West Valley went to Weaber State before he transferred to BYU.
Speaker 3: Has been balling out this year.
Speaker 2: Has forty one total tackles, seventeen solo, twenty four assistant,
four tackles for loss.
Speaker 3: Hasn't gotten a sack yet.
Speaker 2: The season that could be possible could be possible in
a game against UCF with the senior stepping up and
he's had three pass breakups. The interception at Iowa State,
I remember that that turn the momentum, And of course
Logan is top ten right now in tackles for BYU
on the team. That's exactly what you want to see
out of your red shirt senior, the statesman as some
people have called him in this media availability sound that
we're about to get to leading BYU has a lot
of talent along that defensive line.
Speaker 3: Well, let's get into the sound.
Speaker 2: Logan tweet was asked questions by the media from US
yesterday in dau's preparation game for UCF. We're gonna go
question by question, Logan, Let's start with number one, if
you don't mind, Kalani said, momentum was gained from the
win over Cincinnati. How would you describe the momentum this
team as going into the season finale against UCF.
Speaker 4: I feel.
Speaker 5: That as the weeks have gone on throughout the season,
our team has just been closer, playing better as a unit,
and on all three phases, special teams, offensive, defense, and
I feel like going into this final game, we're just
starting to hit our peak.
Speaker 2: So I'm excited, just starting to hit their peak. He
says he's excited.
Speaker 3: He should be. There's a lot to play for.
Speaker 2: Still, it's a lot on the season, lot, a lot
that lies on the line.
Speaker 3: UCF is a big game.
Speaker 2: They stand in your way of a big twelve title
birth Utahs praying on your downfall.
Speaker 3: They're praying. Trust me.
Speaker 2: Look guys, you're here at ESPN the fan, the Brothers
station seven hundreds not too far away.
Speaker 3: I heard him.
Speaker 2: I heard what the Bill Rileys were saying in Scott
Mitchell's Cincinnati wasn't help you, Right, they're not, and UCF
ain't gonna help you either. You're not getting in. I
don't think b Yu is gonna take care of business.
And he's excited. So we'll see number two logan for
you Senior day coming up. Last year you went through
this against Houston. You're gonna get yourself two blankets. I
guess you got an extra year. Are you better equipped
to experience this day emotionally now?
Speaker 5: Uh yeah, I'll say yeah, but it's still gonna be
a bittersweet moment, especially with the team that we have
and uh, my experiences here, it's it's been nothing showed
amazing here at BOU And I'm glad I've been able
to spend my time here. On the time I've spent
here and yeah, just taking it all in, grateful for
the chance I've been here, and I'm grateful for the
season that we've.
Speaker 2: Had, Grateful for his time at bo you the seasons
that he had, and it's been a phenomenal season for sure. Look,
double digit win seasons are always hard to come by.
No one, and I mean no one takes those for granted.
Fans don't. Definitely, the players I know don't. Coaches don't.
So you gotta enjoy it. Not all good things come
to an end. And Logan Litui's time at BAU is
coming to n N number three. Logan second week, you
guys have been named the Big twelve defensive line of
the week. How aware are you of those recognitions and
do you take pride as being the senior statesman of
that group.
Speaker 5: Yeah, I mean we take a lot of pride and
trying to stop the ball, stop the run. We prot
ourselves in practice going into one of the top o
line in the nation. I feel like, and you've seen
in this past game of our LJ in his rushing yards,
but I feel like in practice we go against one
of the best. So it's good to go out and
perform on Saturdays, especially when we only have three down
linemen and being able to stop the run, and it's
a we need all eleving guys, so it's not just
a D line. But like I said, we're just playing
better as a unit each and every.
Speaker 2: Week, plan better each and every week as a unit,
which they are. Hey, yeah, three down linemen Keanu and
Tonavasas taking the blox, allowing Jack Kelly and Isaiah Glaska
to make plays as well as JT. And you know logan, look,
number fifty seven draws a lot of attention, a lot
of attention in the number four logan. As the older
statesman on the defensive line, give us some insight on
how you've been able to help guys like Tessie Lea
Khanna Lucy Doma Bell.
Speaker 5: Those two already well equipped when they got into the system.
I want to say I had much to do with it.
I'm it's great seeing those two and especially all the
other dns in the room. A lot of great young talent,
and the team's going to be in good hands, especially
in that position for a while. But it's it's it's
been fun to be around those young guys and to
be able to share what I've learned throughout the years
and see them go out on Saturdays and perform and
have success, and it's it's just a fun, fun room
to be in.
Speaker 3: Definitely a fun room to be in.
Speaker 2: I couldn't imagine being in that room with the young
talent that probably has a higher upseiling high rated stars.
Brandon Gurney was declared of about it. He thinks that
Nucy can take the role of Jack Kelly. The will
be just fine. Look they got that, they got aced,
they got a bunch of guys. They got a bunch
of guys in this room. I from Maciata, I think
he's in that retcher. Look, Bo's got some talented guys
that think they're gonna be falling out to step it up.
Speaker 3: Next year.
Speaker 2: So I think even if Isaiah Lasker did declare and
he didn't come back, You're gonna have a bunch of
guys that are gonna have breakout years.
Speaker 3: The portal's gonna be calling their name.
Speaker 2: You just hope that you can retain all of them,
because that's gonna be the most difficult part in this
day and age of college ath athletics.
Speaker 3: Logan, You've been effective in your role.
Speaker 2: What led to you being so successful in your opinion
this season.
Speaker 5: I'll say, just understanding our defensive line goals. We have
goals and we want to accomplish as a defensive line
unit and personally, and I feel like, especially going into
this season, I just wanted to make sure there was
nothing left unsaid or no doubts left on the table
and just trying to spill it every week. And I'm
just surrounded by great players. We have some great dtackles
and dns and in our defensive line group, and just
playing against them just makes me look better when the
ball comes to me. So yeah, I gotta tip my
hat to those guys.
Speaker 2: Leave nothing on the table. So the last season you
got a ball out, don't give up. You're gonna see
a bunch of guys. Look, I think on top of Logan,
you're gonna see Kiana Town of Vasta ball out too.
He could technically declare for the draft if he wanted to.
He's got another year of eligibility. I think he's red
shirt junior to a lot of guys on this team
that are gonna be going ham No pun intended for
Thanksgiving on Thursday this week, because you know they're not
gonna They're not gonna see the field maybe next year
if they decide to go. It could be Logan's out
of eligibility, so he's not and Keanus does one more year.
He'll decide if you'll pick it up or not. But hey,
you gotta play to the fullest because this could be
a lot of people's last eighteen guys. I mentioned earlier
game in Lavelle at Ward Stadium, number six. For a
lot of guys, when they get to this, they talk
about it snaks up on them. Could you've imagined that
you be coming to this point having come from we
were state Logan.
Speaker 5: Uh No, Actually, that's that's something pretty surreal to me,
especially I speak about this with my wife often being
in the.
Speaker 4: Situation that we're in.
Speaker 5: It's pretty squirrel to be here at BAU top ten,
we're top ten team in the nation, you know, Big
twelve championship contenders, just all those recognitions. It's it's pretty
crazy to see that that's where we're at here, And
I wouldn't be able to say that that's what I
envisioned when I my freshman year at we were State.
But like I said, said, I'm grateful to our heavenly
Father and what he's blessed me with and all these
opportunities in these doors that I've opened in my life
to lead me to where I'm at today. So yeah,
it's it's pretty surreal, but I'm just grateful that I'm here.
Speaker 2: Lead me, guide me, walk beside me, help me find
the way. And Heavenly Father helped Logan find the way
to BYU. Know, and he said he was talking about
is his wife and family. Then situation that he's in.
I mean a lot of people want to play for BYU.
A lot of people want to play for BYU. A
lot of these kids said they grew up with it.
Give a little tease because we're gonna have Austin Leousa
sound later In the third hour, Austin mentioned that growing
up he wanted to play for BYU as well. It's
a lot of people on this roster that dream about it.
Tannel wall the Great Waller Provo mentioning him again was
a walk on in the scholarship. That's truly the Kalani culture.
Kalana guys b Yu guys that want to be here,
and Logan is a BYU guy with many others. Let's
get the number seven though, not to get too personal,
but you grab a special little man and put him
on your shoulder. What does that mean to share those
moments with your family here at b YU.
Speaker 5: Yeah, yeah, he's three years old. I think I have
credit that to the culture that coach Koloney's established here,
making us feel welcome, our families feel welcome. And yeah,
I just that's something I look forward to every home
game for the past few years, being able to take
my son around when we high five the fans. And
he actually looks forward to that too, Like every every
game day when he runs up to me, I think
he's gonna say, like, good job dad or whatever, but
he says, oh, let's go high five. I'm like all right,
So I think that's a fun experience. It's gonna be
one of the core memories for sure.
Speaker 4: Playing here at.
Speaker 2: Bou definitely gonna be a core member. Definitely gonna be
a core memory, no doubt about it at all. Logan
Litui gonna remember moments with his son. Tried to Shaun
Walker on doing the Capitol j journalism. He asked the
question and new how old his son was. I think
both of those look or yeah. I mean, you really
have to have a good relationship with the player, which
journalists can have to do that. I remember Tony Jones
coming to our class. He got invited to Donovan Mitchell's
wedding this past summer when he got married. So you're
able to have relationships in the job. So pay attention
to little details. Again, like Seawan had said, he didn't
want to get too personal, but when you pay attention
to who's around and those and he asked those questions.
Speaker 3: There's always a story.
Speaker 2: Something I learned in school from Jeff Call There's always
a story there, you just have to find it.
Speaker 3: I've been able to apply that now.
Speaker 2: I know I'm more on the radio interviewing side, maybe
less on the writing, but the principle still applies. You
can ask those questions in these availabilities that Sean was
able to do right there, So shout out to Sean Walker.
Speaker 3: Good question, great question. Sean.
Speaker 2: Got to give you credit where credit's due. All right,
Logan number eight, let's get you out of here on this.
You're brought up that it's surreal to be at BYU,
to be on this team and after everything that you've had,
it to navigate through the portal has changed the landscape. Look,
I mean, for crying out loud, who knows where you
know Logan would have been if it wasn't for the portal,
And I think he benefited from the portal in a
positive way. But how have you been able to navigate
the new landscape of college athletics with nil and the
portal in European?
Speaker 5: Yeah, I think the new landscape escape of the sport
is really deserving for the athletes. Yeah, coming in and
seeing where it was before to where it's at now.
I think it's it's it's the way to go to
be athlete in college. It's a great experience, you know,
and here at BOU they take care of you your families,
and it's it's been just a great expense overall being
in college and seeing all the different changes that have happened.
But yeah, it's it's pretty crazy, but I feel like
that that's one of the blessings I've had to sperience
of my life is just being a collegiate athlete and
especially here at BOU.
Speaker 2: Yeah, it has definitely been something that a lot of
players have had to navigate. Something that's interesting. I'm gonna
ask Talon Alfred that question here in the next segment.
But yeah, when you're at BYU and you've been there
that long and the portal, you know, maybe guys don't
leave because of relationships. Maybe guys don't leave because of
the culture. I actually know they don't because of that.
You're gonna have some that that are You're gonna lose
some like look, you're gonna lose the Harrison Taggarts, guys
that want to for sure be the starter maybe, and
you got guys behind them that are pushing Sialia, Sarah Right,
Max Alfred, Jay, Brian Strawther. It's a lot of talent
in that room. And I know Max has been getting
a lot of reps in Sali. But Shay and were
rotating to remind you a lot of people forget that
Shae and Cial both are rotating. But that just shows
you how impactful Chate Brian Strather is and be what
you get them back, saying guys, if you're worried about
Jack and Isaiah leaving, don't be Yeah, Max Alfred here too.
You know how people perform a year two in Jay
Hill and Aaron roddicks schemes. You know how that goes.
We've seen that before. Come on, now you saw what
happened last year? Oh b we was five and seven
and coming in to twenty twenty four season, what did they do?
Eleven and two? Right back at it, So don't worry,
have no fear. Jay Hill and a Rod are here
just making it up on the spot. But no, look
you got them back logan back for another year and
the portal has changed things. But BYU is both benefited
from it, the portal and the portal that take it away.
It giveth and you give it, it taketh, then it
giveth receive it whatever. Ben says, what is a word?
But it's the truth. It's very true. It took it,
Harrison taggerd It took it to Keeling Marion. But it
also gave it you Darius Lassiter. It also gave it you,
Nucy Thalmapao. It gave it you Jack Kelly, just saying
it's giving you a bunch of great dudes. It's taking
some way, but more positive than negative. I think about that.
Look gave it. It gave it you Andrew Gentry. It
gave it you Isaiah Jada. Those guys are going to
be NFL offensive Lineman, right, It gave it you, Whalen Hey,
you benefit sometimes from that. It gave it you, Keanu Tonavasa.
Let me not miss out on saying that one, because
I know someone's gonna come from me if I don't.
Both the portal take it and it giveth and at
the end of the day, sometimes you have to just accept,
you know that that's the nature of it. That's the
nature of college athletics now, Belogan latuiy it gave it
you him from Weaver to Byu And that's crazy. It's
still crazy to think, you know, as I bring up
that Staturday brought to you by banderwalthbanderwelf dot com, that
the average athlete will transfer two times before they find
a new home it's like one point seven, one point eight.
Speaker 3: It's crazy. Go look at athletics. Now, look at the
nature of it.
Speaker 2: I mean, Pete NACo's reported this is more Big twelve
conference news. But Sam Levin and Azona State not gonna
be a factor next year, not gonna be a problem.
I think they have a good backup quarterback. But is
Kenny Dillingham gonna end up at LSU or Ole Miss?
And is Sam Levitt gonna follow? You have no idea,
Blane Kiffin and sec. That school is a mess. Look, hey,
it might take it. The portal is gonna take it,
Sam levit away. He went from Michigan State to Arizona State,
now somewhere else. That's what happens in the portal, guys.
So what happens in the portal? Keilan Maryon from Yukon
to BYU, over to Miami. Telling you to multitude of athletes,
the transfer for sure once, if not twice, as it's
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right here on one of three nine ninety three ESPN
the Fan.
Speaker 1: Let's get to know the Cougars student athletes. Get a
player profile segment here on one oh three nine at
ninety eight three ESPN the Fan.
Speaker 3: Welcome back to Cougar Sports. You're on one of three
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three man Weaver. Here, I'm gonna.
Speaker 2: Get into a little player profile segment. We live from
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Draper or Riverton. Gonna get into this player profile segment.
Let's get to know Talent now for you a little bit.
I know that sometimes he might get overlooked because he's
in a big time safety room. That's a lot of
guys in this room and Talent is one of those guys.
But remind you, guys, when Byu was going through that
rough season, remember when Delo was getting hurt, Caleb Hayes,
Talon and I know that those were the cornerbacks, but
those safety guys in mileage, more guys are get nicked up.
And Talent had a step into a big role, had
to come in and play earlier than he thought. But
that experience, he was the reason why BA was able
to help. You know, and the defeating Houston last year
had that kickoff return for a touchdown. Houston tried to
onside him. Arizona State got him, but they did it
to them two weeks.
Speaker 3: In a row. They were prepared. And that's what I love.
Speaker 2: Talent didn't get on the football the first time, made
the mistake at Arizona State. But that's why I love
when people watch tape because he saw it. Houston tried
and he took it to the house. And man is
he fast too faster than a lot of people might think.
But let's get get caught up with talent now for you.
Is he was pragged by the media with with the
questions we asked him yesterday in the media availability. Let's
start with number one. Tanner Senior Day is coming up
this weekend on Saturday against UCF. You came home from
a mission, then you blew an Achilles. Unfortunately it's been
up and down. So what are your emotions going into
this day?
Speaker 4: Yeah, I mean they're kind of been building up.
Speaker 6: Over the last five years, but emotions are high this week,
you know, thinking about a lot of last coming up,
a lot of last have happened, and just being overwhelmed
with the support that I have for my family. We
got tons of family coming down from Washington and from
all over the country to support me this week.
Speaker 4: And yeah, I'm just super grateful for what I've been.
Speaker 6: Able to accomplish BYU and the relationships that I've built
and the friendships that I've built and that will continue forever.
And grateful for coaches and teammates. And yeah, my career
has been great. It's been, like you said, a little
ups and downs. Akiles collarbone injuries, but being able to
play and contribute and help the team and anyway can
has been.
Speaker 4: Nothing but an honor and super grateful for that opportunity
that have.
Speaker 2: Had nothing but an honor and honor indeed it is.
He was a co captain last year. He was CSC
Academic All District honoree in twenty twenty four as well,
and then he was named to the Academic All Big
to a first team the first year boa he was
in the conference in twenty twenty three. He's an exercise
science major, business minor. That is not easy to do.
You look at him in Tannewall. This safety room is
very very smart people. Even when you go back further,
My goodness, uh, these.
Speaker 3: This beauty defensive room that they have. These guys, these
a lot of these business majors, even the offensive side.
But man, these guys.
Speaker 2: He served a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ
of Latter day Saints in Uruguay as well as Fresno, California,
covid miss Probably. He is fluent in Spanish as well.
His wife's name is Kate. He was married in twenty
twenty two. He enjoys the outdoors. Former pig farmer. I
did not know that, and then of course born on
one of greatest stretch down there and playing on Texas.
Speaker 3: There you go.
Speaker 2: He's a three star per twenty four to seven Sports
and he was a number eighteenth overall player in the
state of Washington. This is a good football player. Like
this is a very good football player. Guys, He's behind
a lot of other talented guys. The six to two hundred
and five pound red shirt safety out of Auburn, Washington,
played at Auburn Mount View High School. In his career,
talents played in forty games started in eleven, has totaled
seventy four tackles, forty four solo, thirty assisted, one tackle
for lost and he's got two fumble recoveries n I
N T baby, and then two pass breakups as well.
You'd love to oh, and then don't forget the punk
return for that and that punk out the kickoff return
for a touchdown as as well. He got to the house.
Don't let anybody tell you differently. He did, and he
was moving the gallop and lack a great gazelle. I
need to know what that speed is, Talent. Gonna have
to ask you what that speed is, buddy, because you
were moving. But yeah, Telan Alfred, he's had a great career,
so I think when he looks back, yeah, he's he's
battled some aniversary.
Speaker 3: He's battled him up and down in this.
Speaker 2: But I don't think Talent's going to be disappointed at
all with the career that he's had. And when it's
all said and done, Once a cougar, always a cougar.
As they say, let's keep it moving along, Talent. Let's
go to number two. Coming off the Cincinnati game. What
momentum did you gain from that win? And how can
you take that going into UCF.
Speaker 6: Now, yeah, yeah, that was a big win whennew going
in that if we win the next two games that
we have a chance to go to the college a
Big twelve championship game and have a chance to win
the Big Twelve, which is a huge deal. And obviously
be able to continue playing after that, So knowing that's
a big game, and being able to go in and
execute and you know, play complimentary football, all three phases
working in other Obviously there was you know, things here
and there that we have to clean up, but seeing
the team fight and play together was super inspiring and
gives us, you know, gives the team a lot of
confidence moving forward that you know, we still Colonne might
say it was two thousands of every week that we
haven't played our best best yet you know, full sixty
minutes of what we know we can do and as
we strive to you know, get to that. I know
that we can accomplish a lot coming up. And but yeah,
like you said, there's a lot of momental a lot
of confidence with the team and moving forward and excited
to see what we can do in these next few weeks.
Speaker 2: Excited to see what they can do in the next
few weeks, no doubt about it. Talan Alfree one hundred
percent they can build on it. And he's right. He
even mentioned the College Football Playoffs. He's not wrong. Look
if other people losing you beat up on UCF, he's
not wrong. This winning this game does give you an
opportunity to go to the College Football Playoffs if you
win the Big Twelve. Now the committee has said what
they've said, you're not gonna get in because you got
dominated in one game, which is crazy. But I guess
you know that wasn't a good loss because you got dominated.
But these other people aren't even beating enough of bowl
eligible teams, which is another story I guess for another day.
But it's Blasphamists. I tell you, Blasphamius. But look, you
win against UCF, you're going to Arlington. If you're able
to beat Texas Tech, you're going to the Big Total Game. Look,
you might even have a chance if you lose close enough.
Now we'll see what happens with the other people in front.
But you never know, could bou be that final at
large to get The committee says they won't punish you
for losing the conference championship. Maybe what you can do
in the conference championship, maybe what be what you can
do is if you make it competitive and you losing
a last driver like a field goal or something, or
they have the ball last after you've tied the game
where you took the lead.
Speaker 3: Maybe what they'll say is you made that game super competitive.
You know what.
Speaker 2: You can't compete in the college football playoffs as the
twelve seed, which would suck because if you play Texas
Texas the five, you go right back the Lubbock. Oh man,
you hope that doesn't happen. You hope that doesn't happen. Anyway,
let's continue on talent number three.
Speaker 3: Baby. From the time you signed with b y.
Speaker 2: U, the college football landscape has changed completely, like completely
all over. A lot of athletes who experience has changed,
you know, have benefited from it, but they've also had drawbacks.
What have been your I guess benefits from it and
what have been your drawbacks from the college football landscape changing?
Speaker 4: Yeah?
Speaker 6: Yeah, yeah, Like you said, I've been here from signings
and now it's been a good amount of time and
I've seen a lot of change experience. You know, initially
when nil was gonna started to be a thing, and
then now it's now it's revenue sharing and that's still
ever changing and going to continue to evolve as time
goes on, but.
Speaker 4: You got a portal and all that. It's been. It's
been interesting, been super lucky and fortunately and.
Speaker 6: Blessed to be able to be able to stay here
at BOU the whole time and to be able to
you know, benefit from those things being here at BUYU.
And I think, yeah, as college football kind of progresses
and evolves, it's it's still just football. You still have
to play between the lines and that's what really matters,
doesn't really matter anything else off the field. Whover has
the most points, then the game wins and that's what
goes in the win column and.
Speaker 4: That's what matters.
Speaker 6: And so being able to be part of the this
program and see what we've been able to do the
last couple of years, even though there's been a lot
of change, it's been it's been amazing. And I think
Colonne has done a good job with obviously things on
the field, but.
Speaker 4: Off the field as well.
Speaker 6: And you know, hiring you know, strength staff coaches, you know,
new defensive coaches, and you know new even new offensive
coaches for position groups and stuff like that. It's just
goes to show that he great man, great coach and
he's the man for the job, and I yeah, I
love Colonne and I think he's handled the change as well.
And let's trickle down to the players and we've handled it,
I think well, and it's been fun.
Speaker 2: Kalanie brings up a said Kalona Good as gracious talent
brings up a good point about Kilani off the field
is probably one of the biggest. Kevin Gilbride, Jay Hill
obviously a rod was already you know, they're under grimes,
but that was brought in. Look, I mean bringing in
Kevin Gilbride, I think was tremendous. I think people aren't
looking at how big that was for the tight end room.
And then to couple that as well, because Carson Rand's
a great blocking tight end. T J. Woods, you know,
coach Funk was gone and where are you going to
turn to? You got t J Woods. He shaved a beard,
he got the mustache, and the run game has been
phenomenal and we forget about this. We may be as
media members as well as you know, maybe fans. Aiden
Robbins was one of the reasons why he got drafted
t J.
Speaker 3: Woods. LJ.
Speaker 2: Martin is about to get drafted this next year's draft.
If you players, I believe you will. Why TJ Woods.
TJ Woods, that offensive line run game coordinator with a
rod like that goes a long way. Klannie Higher, good higher,
Kilanie J. Hill phenomenal higher, Kevin Gerby phenomenal higher. Right,
you can go down the list. Matt Mitchell on the
staff as well. Offensively, he mentioned that, So that's a
great point that talent brings up because I think that
gets overlooked. I think it gets overlooked early and it
gets overlooked often. That's that's a really big move right there,
really big, and shout out the talent on bringing it up.
I really am impressed because Kilanie's staff is not an
opportunity that you get to keep this staff together. Look,
Gennaro Gilfer got promoted to a defensive pass game coordinator.
Jay Hill thought that was a great promotion. You can't
tell me Bill these cornerbacks on right, You don't think
Evan Johnson is gonna go to the league. Evan's got
a chance. Drey Alexander has a lot of upsiding. He's
playing well, He's only gonna get better. He's gonna go.
So look, these moves the coaching staff moves, the coach
is only as good as his offensive coordinator, his pieces,
and the position coaches. So I love that Talent brought
that up, especially in the world of NIOL where guys
can just hop in and leave. They can leave whenever
they want and say, Okay, you know I'm not gonna
be here bye, I'm.
Speaker 3: Gonna take off.
Speaker 2: Speaking of of taking off talent, You've touched on this
a little bit in the last question.
Speaker 3: That I asked you. But we'll always kept your.
Speaker 2: BYU, especially in this landscape where it's easy, just the balance,
if you're not getting the snap count or the playtime
that you want, why did you stay?
Speaker 4: Yeah, I just went back to relationships, and.
Speaker 6: You know, being here for now five years, I've the
relationships that I've built are hard to leave and hard
to give up if I were to, you know, go
somewhere else. And I've always I've always thought, you know,
even being recruited and everything, that bou was the place
for me where I could thrive in all areas of
my life. And it's you know, having the having come
here now and seeing the seeing what's happened and what
I've experienced.
Speaker 4: It's definitely true.
Speaker 6: It's the best place to go if you want to
thrive in all the airs of your life. And so yeah,
that's what really kept me here is the environment of
the culture.
Speaker 4: Relationships and teammates and all that.
Speaker 3: Environment.
Speaker 2: Relationships, culture, all of that contagious. As as I always say, Look,
I think this is something that's tremendous.
Speaker 3: I think this gets overlooked.
Speaker 2: I really, really really think that the culture is why
people want to be with Kilani. Like Trey Alexander talks
about this a lot. He posted a picture on the
social media. Look, I gotta pay attention to these details.
He says, thank you for taking a chance on me,
because like it was a picture of Kilani holding him
by the helmet, and trade was coming back, like these
relationships matter, these players, this culture that Kilani has. I've
been told by many of people on off the court
selling the court goodness gracious is gonna get chastised because
I always have a basketball reference in football season. Brain
day is gonna get me CEO of Odeon mince where
that's what the segments brought you by anyway.
Speaker 3: But the point is, think about it.
Speaker 2: When someone leaves a job and this actually fits perfectly
into you know, this is analogy I'm going to use.
When you leave a job, you're leaving for what two reasons,
Either higher pay right promotion, higher pay position if you
didn't get at your other job and they won't, you know,
make you comfortable, Or you're leaving because you're quitting a supervisor.
No one ever quits a job because they hate the job.
You quit for two reasons, either you don't like your
supervisor or because you're getting more money elsewhere. It's the
only time you leave a job. It's the only time
unless you've been fire for hr reasons. Then that's a
completely different reason. I hope that doesn't happen to anybody.
I've seen that happen to other people. Very messy situation.
But the point that I bring up is that's the
only time that you're leaving or moving on. Same thing
with me in this job and being the executive producer
of the program happens.
Speaker 3: You know, they keep you comfortable.
Speaker 2: You stay unless someone else is willing to pay you
that market rate, and sometimes they are. And you see
that in the landscape of nil people get their market rate,
but at BYU, you're getting paid your market rate. You're
getting paid the culture I connected the same here wrong.
You've been there a long time. It's been like five years.
I love the culture that we have here at ESPN
and fan on Cooper Sports have been critical. I love
my team. I'm getting my market rate and the environment
and the relationships I have are fantastic. So that's given
you my perspective from a journalistic perspective, from a media perspective.
So imagine that, and I make way less than what
these dudes are making. These dudes are going to be
setting up their families and you know, their kids and
their kids' kids potentially look like think about that, and
that's why they've stayed it is because of those relationships.
So look, you can never pass up good relationships. You
can never pass up an opportunity, you know, to further
yourself when you have good people around you. And that's
what Kalani has, That's what Bayu is. So shout out
to Talent on letting us know and giving us a
little bit of insight. Talent, let's get you out of
here on this. This is the last thing.
Speaker 3: Number five.
Speaker 2: When you got here, b Yu was independent. They weren't
in a conference out of p four even though they
knocked off a bunch of P four Tis teams still
call you, guys to pack twelve South champions or co
champions with Utah. I know that makes a lot of
Utah fans mad now by using the Big twelve. What
has it been about the last couple of seasons that
sparked this like incredible turnaround And do you take pride
in this as being a member of the senior class
that helped built it to what it is today?
Speaker 4: Yeah, I think.
Speaker 6: I mean always talk about you know, avoiding pride all that,
but I think it's a good pride when you talk
about the senior class kind of feeling feeling a little
bit pride in what we've been able to build. And
I think it goes to back to Colonia and the
culture that he's been, you know, trying to build this
time here and the more and more biden that you have,
in my experience for each each year, the more buying
that you have is the more successful the team ends
up being. So goes back to the players and then
obviously leadership kind of helping the new guys because obviously
we talked about the transfer portal and there's also freshman
coming in and you know, helping people understand what the
culture is and help how we live it and what
we do. Byu is a different place and we take
pride in that we and so helping everyone kind of
get on board and follow Killanne and what he set
set up for us, I think is what has led
to a lot of success last couple of years and
what will lead to the success moving forward.
Speaker 4: Yeah.
Speaker 6: I think there's a dynasty building at b Yu and
happy to be part of the beginning of that.
Speaker 2: Agree or disagree with Talon Alfred dynasty building at Byu.
Should have put that out there on the socials, don't think.
I don't think we did, but we need to dynasty
building at Byu. That would be something. Could Kalani build
a dynasty at Bu?
Speaker 3: Or is he not? Even? Could he?
Speaker 2: He's proven that by getting good level talent. I mean
he's got what the most wins. I mean they're twenty
one to three now, but they said they don't win.
They should he get lucky. So the dynasty is being built.
How far would this dynasty continue to be built? And
there's a couple of things that talent said, you know,
more by and more successful you are. Again I'm gonna
repeat that. The more buy in you have the more
successful you are. Well, this team's bought in. I think
he'd been bought in, says the Big Twelve. I just
think it was a lot of when you had a
handful of your roster that were transfers. But you saw
it that second year, and man, this just makes you think,
what would this team look like with Kelan Maryon? What
would this team look like if Darius last are I
got his waiver or even kayleb Etn what would it
look like?
Speaker 3: Man?
Speaker 2: I know Jacob Robinson was out of eligibility, but you
know if you would have came back, jayha would have
loved to have him, and then Evan and you know
SCHMEV and Jacob Robinson.
Speaker 3: Oh good, Jay rob I mean for crying a loud.
I can't.
Speaker 2: It's like the Spider Man meme when you're putting on
the glasses, you can't really see the person that Evan
Johnson is that Jacob Robinson. I can't tell which one
it is. It's one of you two because both of
you are wearing number zero. That's what it is. So Trey,
let me tell you, say, I put a target on
your back of number one. He told me that in
an interview early, when I interview during fall camp or
during the seas. Let's switch that trade in the offseason again.
I know it's gonna be the thirty year you'll switch
your number from twenty four to one. But whoever seems
to wear number zero seems to be a baller. So
do that and go work out with Rob Daniel and
then it's all gonna be said and done. So we'll
see who has number zero next year. But actually it
takes it back in two years. Trade maybe your senior
because Evan Johnson I believe he's coming back as a
red shirt junior. I believe Evan's got one more season
that will help him. But anyway, getting back to the
point in hand, talent has been a big part of
the success bought in Kalane. The culture, what they've established,
and again it's a good pride of what they do.
I know they talk about not having pride. It says
in the scriptures, don't be prideful. But this is something
you can hang your hat on that he was a
part of this team when they struggled. You know the
team that lost in that Liberty game, right lost on
the road. They were up fourteen three, it looks like
they're about to run him and they didn't happen, and
then you have the obviously the season the first year
in the Big twelve didn't go as planned, and then
the last two years double dish win seasons. He's a
part of that and he's gonna be a part of
the team that well when I believe they'll beat UCF
and go to the title game, depending what happens, he'll
be on that team that potentially has an opportunity to
go to college football playoffs, and if they do, you
can't take those moments away. And all of that because
his relationships to BAU because he stated didn't transfer, he
didn't going to the portal.
Speaker 4: It's crazy.
Speaker 2: Sometimes the grass isn't greener. Sometimes the grass isn't greener.
So shout out to talent now Free and definitely Billy's
gonna honor him on Saturday at eleven am Mountains Standard
of the Time on ESPN two as him and a
bunch seventeen other seniors, including the great Waller Provo all
will be getting.
Speaker 3: Honored as they've had a phenomenal career.
Speaker 2: The twenty twenty six class under Kilane, we gotta go
to break, but don't go anywhere. Let's get into that
final hour of Cougar Sports. Guy's gonna get into the
Jared Bledsoe interview. We're gonna hear Austin Leahusa sound. All
of that coming up and more. Still got a lot
to get to right here on your one oh three,
nine and NINETYD three network, ESP and the Fan