Speaker 1: The Bench with Jacob Hester and Matt Flynn. Let's go.
Let's go from a championship backfield to your morning drive.
Speaker 2: Hansday. Hester and Hester.
Speaker 3: Got it five out of five your.
Speaker 1: Logs in to Off the Bench.
Speaker 4: Yeah, there's back control for the.
Speaker 1: Live from the Raising Knees Studio. Here's Jacob Hester and
Matt Flynn.
Speaker 5: Welcome into a Friday edition of Off the Bench. Taylor
Sharp in the host chair today. The guys of the
crew they got caught up in mobile. They weren't able
to make it back today. Jake salth Matt's out. Wait
a minute, a Landra is here. Yeah, so that means
they did not get caught up in thebile. Jake and
Matt were just like, we're gonna sit this Friday out.
But uh, one member of the crew actually showed up.
They tapped their helmet, so, uh, we appreciate it.
Speaker 3: The grittiest one out of the both of them, three of.
Speaker 5: Us, two former NFL players.
Speaker 6: Are only one of them showed up.
Speaker 5: I mean the streets are talking a little bit. They
are guys, how we doing house mobile?
Speaker 2: Mobile was awesome. That was my first time at the
Senior Bowl.
Speaker 3: It was great.
Speaker 2: It was a lot of fun. I feel like I
learned a lot. I feel like I know where everybody's
going to go in the draft now, and the only
the number one pick overall.
Speaker 3: Is gonna be col Peyton because he's the only one
who knew what.
Speaker 6: Was on him all week long.
Speaker 2: Undrafted Jennings dunker. That was the upset of the entire.
Speaker 6: And you all sent me that I was I was
so disappointed.
Speaker 3: It was because he literally didn't have any opinions.
Speaker 5: A few years ago, there was a guy that actually
looked exactly like His name is Cody malk He was
from North Dakota State. I mean, belly out the year
Red Mullet looked great.
Speaker 6: He was good. He's actually order on the Buccaneers now.
Speaker 5: But yeah, Chenning's dunker, I mean to look like that
and have those kind of answers really really disappointing.
Speaker 3: He spells his name with a G.
Speaker 6: Yeah, I don't like that. Yeah, I don't like that.
Speaker 5: You sound a lot better than I thought you would.
I actually thought that would be I just thought you'd
be sick. You're out in the cold, like oh bruh
for a while.
Speaker 3: So yesterday.
Speaker 2: Matt left, So Matt ended up bringing a car and
left before Jake and I did because Jake, well, to
be fair, Huck was playing in the super Bowl yesterday.
I did hear him say that lat Yeah, so Hug
was playing in the super Bowl yesterday. So I was like, yeah,
go do it whatever, And then I was thinking about
going with him, but I was like, I'm not gonna
leave Jake to for sure. Yeah, So I waited on Jake,
and yesterday I was actually up in the booth with
him instead of being outside because I was like, I'm
not going.
Speaker 6: To get any right, what's actually gonna happen.
Speaker 2: Right, it's the third day of practice. I think we
learned what we had to learn from it. So I
didn't really pay too much attention practice yesterday. But the
first two that I went to it was you wouldn't
think that watching practice is fun, but it was really fun.
Speaker 3: And I had Matt next to me just yapping about
football and I loved it. It was great.
Speaker 5: Okay, who drove over to my bile Matt. I was
gonna suggest I was gonna take a sight slight shot
at you and Matt before y'all went out there. Why,
Because I was like, guys, we need Jake to drive.
We don't need another laundry wreck or flasher Flynn on
the roadways, Like we didn't need that.
Speaker 3: It was cool.
Speaker 6: So Flynn may have had the flashers and I wasn't sure, but.
Speaker 3: Jake drove back.
Speaker 5: Okay, I was the safe. I love your fault. We've
had a few here recently. So when the track record
says something.
Speaker 3: Yeah, I won too many recks for me to be honest.
Speaker 5: Like I'm glad y'all stayed uh stayed healthy? Y'all ever
sleep so good that like you don't know what day
it is?
Speaker 6: Yeah, okay. So I showed up here Wednesday and like
it's the worst I felt in years. I mean like
I was. I was in bad shape.
Speaker 5: I told Elandra, like you ever see road killed on
the side of the road. That's like what I felt
like physically. So I go home like one forty five
on Wednesday, which is way early for me. I never
go home at one forty five, got in bed about
two thirty. I wake up a landrum. It's a daytime outside.
I lose my mind and I'm like I overslept and
just otv.
Speaker 3: Oh yeah yeah.
Speaker 5: And I was like, why don't get a phone call.
It's like, ah, Victoria probably called in for me. I
clicked my phone. It was four thirty in the afternoon.
I'd been asleep two hours. It was like, okay, well
so we're good, but we uh we we shook back
from that. That was her fault though she got me sick.
Normally it's the other way around. But uh, Cassie, how
we do it? Straight off the Lego Masterpiece.
Speaker 7: I'm I'm all right, I'm a little tired. I did
so talk about Legos. I for Christmas got a Lego
Tiger Stadium and it.
Speaker 3: Was, oh, that's cool.
Speaker 7: It's not Lego brand, but like it's still like the
Lego bricks whatever.
Speaker 3: But it's pretty awesome.
Speaker 7: I've been working on it like since Christmas, and I
finally finished it last night. Didn't finish it till like midnight, though,
but I was determined to finish it.
Speaker 3: But now I'm really tired.
Speaker 5: Well, I was tolding you it looks like the second
half of the Texas A and Them game serve fans
in the stands on the Tiger.
Speaker 3: Stadium you made so I'll have to pull up a picture.
Speaker 6: It was.
Speaker 5: It was game used for sure, kinds like a confession
to make. I'm not saying that like I'm going to
become Lane Kiffin full time. But I did some pretty
lane kiff In things last night.
Speaker 2: What I didn't like the way I know now, which
thinks I don't love that.
Speaker 6: I took a yoga class last night.
Speaker 3: Oh okay with Victoria.
Speaker 6: Yes. So she goes to this hot yoga or was
it it was it was ninety degrees. So it's called
y S nineties. The program.
Speaker 5: It's a literally a place called Yoga Studio ninety. She
goes to it in Dnim and she goes like two
or three times week. Well, they had the they had
the Bros and Bruce special last night, so Lashin brewing
out and Denim awesome.
Speaker 6: Yeah, local brewery.
Speaker 5: They partnered with Yoga Studio ninety to like have refreshments
after the class. And uh, I mean it was it
was fifty to fifty male female. Like I was still concerned,
like what if it's just me and one another dude,
Like I don't want to do this, But uh wasn't
that I Uh, I learned that I'm not in nearly
as good enough shape as I thought. I was ten
minutes into a forty five minute workout. I was, I
was done. It was like, I'm done, getting me out
of here. How do you do this three times a week?
But uh, yeah, guys, I didn't. I didn't know if
I wanted to say it because I know people are
gonna pick on me. Yeah, but I gotta tell you
it was.
Speaker 6: It was nice.
Speaker 5: I'd go back now when I do it two or
three times a week. Yeah, I've never taken and in
the back though, like the backstore, a lot of a
lot of down with dog guys. It's one thing I learned. Yeah,
it's one thing I learned.
Speaker 3: Right, this is fabe.
Speaker 5: Yeah, I mean that was that was gonna be the
the activity. Like I learned that it's built around that pot.
And yeah, they don't stop either like I was expecting,
you know, three or four different workouts at this little
target stop have like a five minute explanation of the
next thing.
Speaker 6: Nope, no no, no, no no no no.
Speaker 5: You get like ten seconds of rest to drink water
and then you're right back at it. So, I mean
it's fifty minutes straight it. It kind of beat the
crap out of me.
Speaker 3: But I because I don't like to sweat.
Speaker 6: Wow, I mean that's just gross.
Speaker 5: You spend when you walk in if it's if it's
not hot enough, they turn on the heater in there,
like they keep it at ninety.
Speaker 6: Like it was. It was a hot boy.
Speaker 5: They actually opened the door for a little bit to
like let in a little bit of cold air because
sometimes it's too hot, but they try to keep it.
I think it's like eighty eight to ninety. But yeah,
it was. Uh it was a good time, full disclosure.
I didn't want to do it. A couple of weeks ago,
Victoria goes, hey, they have this brozen uh brew class bros.
Speaker 6: And uh, I was like, what is it.
Speaker 5: She goes, okay, well you have to go do this
hot whiles ninety class with me and then they have
a beer after it. I was like, I know, I'm
not doing that, and then she said we were doing it.
So of course we wound up doing it. I mean,
that's that's how the dynamic works.
Speaker 6: But uh, it.
Speaker 5: Wasn't great, guys, what a great performance by me? Like
I didn't I didn't mind it. I walked in thinking
I was like, Okay, I can do this. I'm gonna
be a lot better. I thought it was gonna be
a lot better than I actually was pretty bad. You
boys got bad hips. Learn that you're not very flexible. No, okay,
I told Victoria it is one thing you had to
like lay on your hip. And I was like, Victoria,
I'm too bony for this. Like I don't have I
don't have a meat in the leg area, like I need,
I need, I need a little bit more here. And
uh we made it work. There was a guy behind me,
like live stream, just hisself doing it. Oh no he
did not, Yeah, no, I mean he was. He was
totally an amateur people.
Speaker 6: Oh I don't know. I was in front of him
so I couldn't see a screen. He was right behind me.
Speaker 5: And oh and Victoria's like, tell her, I always like
to get to the front. Can we get to the
front of the class? I'm like, oh, so everybody can
watch us. That's perfect. There's a three rows and I'm
in the front and I don't want to do that. Yeah,
but uh, yeah, we made it work. It was uh
something I didn't think I was gonna do. I used
to Uh, I used to laugh at T Bob all
the time about being a male doing it. But I mean,
who knew, you know, I dove right in. We uh
we made it up. But it was a good time.
But uh yeah, yoga Studio ninety and then it is
what it was called. It was, Uh, it was a
good time. It's so about send minutes from our house.
But like, yes, I'll go again. Am I gonna go
anytime in the near future. I don't know if my
body can handle it. Yeah, like, if you're into that,
go because like it was relaxing. I slept like a
baby last like my alarm went up. I won't even
madly the alarm went off this morning. I mean it
was it was incredible, but uh a longer.
Speaker 6: You seem like a hot yoga person.
Speaker 2: So I've never done hot yoga, but I've done plenty
of hot pilates.
Speaker 5: So this is a mixture, app I think. I think
Victoria actually calls it like yoga lotties. It's kind of
like a mixture of that too.
Speaker 2: I've never done yoga though, Okay, I mean I've been
told that I need to do it, but I haven't
tried it yet.
Speaker 6: You'd like it. You've ran a freaking half marathon.
Speaker 3: Yeah, like this, I don't know if they should do it.
I feel like i'd like it, but I don't want
to wake up early to go work out. Well this
was this one wasn't after this afternoon?
Speaker 6: This was it.
Speaker 7: When I get home from work, I don't feel like
working out.
Speaker 3: Yeah, I feel that that's my I definitely feel to.
Speaker 5: See I'm the opposite, Like she likes to wake up
early early and work out, not me, And like it's
not that I don't want to wake up early. I
mean I get up every early every morning to come
do the show, and I'm not not doing that. I
actually prefer an afternoon, which I know most people.
Speaker 3: Don't, but I just never feel like working like Victoria's.
Speaker 5: Hey, they have a five fifteen am. When I was
like no, it was like we do the six in
the evening. Seems much more my speed.
Speaker 7: I got a picture my legos.
Speaker 6: Oh yes, see the legs.
Speaker 3: It's pretty damn that's awesome. I need one of those.
It's really cool. It's huge too.
Speaker 5: So did I for show you my groom's cake, oh
wedding the painting picture a little bit later? I mean
it was it was this tall. It was it was
Tiger Stadium, like an actual uh Tiger stadium. Yeah, that
was my uh, that was my grooms Kate. Before the
wedding happened, like, you know, nobody's actually there for the grooms.
I was just kind of standing them out amongst everybody,
and Kaid was there, and uh, he was walking up
and he's like all the guys were just gathered around
the groom's cake the entire time.
Speaker 6: It was. It was a fun time. All right, Look,
fun little first segment there.
Speaker 5: She kind of wanted to get a little recap of
the senior ball, Explain why, uh Jacob Matt decided not
to come in today.
Speaker 6: And Uh, now you.
Speaker 5: Guys know that I do hot yoga, so there's there's
something else you can you can laugh at me about.
Speaker 6: But we're gonna take a time out. We get back.
Speaker 5: We're gonna officially get this thing started. We got a
lot to talk about. Uh, ESPN ranked the top one
hundred transfers. L s U has a lot of players
on that list. We'll highlight a couple of them, and
then uh we'll talk some LSU baseball coming up at
seven forty five, you know, Laundrill, chop that up. That's
all coming up here on a Friday edition of Off
the Bench.
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Speaker 1: Com Tigers turn talkers. This is off the bench.
Speaker 5: I'm holding on your room gutments and feet off the ground.
Speaker 3: You know I'm hearing what you say, but I just can't.
Speaker 5: Make songs what I needed. Oh is this one of
like the smoothest songs.
Speaker 6: Of all time?
Speaker 3: I don't know, but it's pretty good.
Speaker 6: It's gotta be. This is such a banger.
Speaker 3: I haven't had this. I haven't heard this song, no,
really long.
Speaker 5: I'll be listening to it later. So this is this's
gonna be added to the playlist. I haven't heard this
in a long time either. All right, So first segment
we did. We wanted to have a little fun. I
told you about my extracurricular activities last night. We got
a recap at the Senior Bowl from a laundront laundro
home because Jake and Matt decided they wanted to take
the day off. So Taylor Sharp here with you in
the host chair. Look, we're gonna we're gonna dive in here.
There's a lot going on. ESPN ranked their top one
hundred transfers. LSU has five of them. But before we
do that, let's get the show started.
Speaker 1: It's time to get glowing courtesy of go Flow ivy spa,
where hydration vitamins and a summer ready glow are always
on SAP. Now for starters.
Speaker 5: Okay, so ESPN ranked the top one hundred transfers. We
are not going through all one hundred of these. I
mean I stopped at about twenty. For what it's where
those who does have five of them on this list,
the lowest being jas Brown at seventy three overall. I
think that's a little too low. We'll get to him
in just a second. But the out of the five
they have on there, three of them are inside the
top ten.
Speaker 6: Now.
Speaker 5: The highest ranked guy is Sam Levitt. He is number
three on this list, actually behind Brendan Soresby, who is
number one. I kind of think they're on and what
like when LSU fans freaked out that Brenda Soresby went
to Texas Tech over LSU, I thought it was always okay, yeah,
but if you get Sam Levitt, it's a wash because
those two guys are about and what provided Sam Levitz
fully healthy, I have no reason to believe by the
time the season rolls around he won't be. Sam Levitt
comes in at number three, And it makes a lot
of sense because Levitt has every opportunity to be successful here,
and it's because LSU did a really really good job
in the transfer portal filling in every single one of
their positions of need. I mean, between the high school
and the portal, they added thirteen receivers. Now, I know
we all laughed about it, saying, oh man, are they
just gonna have, you know, eleven receivers out there on
the field, But it makes sense that they added that many.
Speaker 6: You go back and look at the team.
Speaker 5: Stats for ole Miss from a year ago, they had
six guys with at least four hundred yards receiving, nobody
with a thousand. So Lane Kiffin likes to likes to
spread that thing around a little bit. So you're gonna
need all those weapons. I mean, if you're going five
or six guys per game, you're basically only too deep
now with that thirteen man wide receiver room. So I'm
actually good with it. And there's some studs there as well.
I mean, I'm pumped about Jakes Brown. I mentioned that
he made this list, Like James Brown almost a thousand yards.
He was around seven to fifty eight hundred last year
at Kansas State. But he had one hundred and twenty
yards rushing on that offense for the Wildcats last year.
You mean to tell me, as creative as lane kid
in Charlie Weis's junior arm, they can't find unique ways
to get that guy in the ball. I'm excited about him.
I think he's going to be your wide receiver one
next year if all things hold. Obviously you have Eugene
Wilson or Trey Wilson, whatever you want to call him
out of Florida, and you know he's a guy that
his numbers don't pop out at you. But he played
in a bad offense with even worse quarterback play. I mean,
think about this. For the two years he was there
at Florida, Graham Mertz and Dj Lagway were his quarterbacks.
I mean, you might as well have me throwing you
the ball and spoiler, guys ain't that good. And he
got Jackson Harris from Hawaii. I mean over nine hundred yards,
twelve touchdowns and only eleven games played. He's all six
foot three, Like that's those are all guys that could
come in a contribute right away. And that's just the
tip of the Iceberg. I mean you signed three studs
out of high school who I love. I mean, there's
tons of depth pieces out there. You signed big, tall,
physical receivers. You have a good mix of guys. Winston
Watkins from Ole Miss comes over. He made this list
as well. He's way down in the eighties, but I
mean he made the list of the top one hundred.
There's so many guys on this list, and oh, line
should be a lot better. It kind of has to
be right. And for a while, after you landed Sam Levitt,
offensive line was your biggest concern, as it should have been.
It took a little bit of time for those guys
to trickle in. But I think you got a heck
of a class. You're bringing back Braylan Moore, You're bringing
back Weston Davis and I get the west of Davis
wentn't great last year, but you also lose Brad Davis,
which to me is a net positive. I think Eric
Wolford will do a lot better job than Brad Davis,
because again he kind of has to. So let's say
he takes that second to your jump. You bringing Devin Harper,
can he battle for a guard spot? Bob the guard
from Maryland, who you brought in might be the most
underrated signing in that class. He started twenty three consecutive
games at guard in the power for that's a guy,
he's plugging play. He's gonna slide into one of those
guard spots and probably take one of those jobs pretty soon.
And then you bring in the next guy on this list,
coming in at number four is Jordan Seaton, who's probably
going to be your left tackle.
Speaker 6: Now.
Speaker 5: You know, there was so much talk about Jordan Seeden.
You know, was he worth the money you were gonna
pay him? Is he ever going to sign as LS
you need to move on? Well, here's the thing. One,
it's not my money. And two I've accepted the fact
that LSU football just has endless amounts of money, so
it doesn't really matter how much you pay a kid.
But look, he's six foot five, he's three hundred and
thirty pounds. He was second team All Big Twelve last
year as a left tackle. And some people may say, okay,
second team All Big twelve, like that's good, but it's
not first team All American. No, But he gave up
three pressures and zero sacks all year long at that spot.
I mean This is a guy that has first round
draft pick potential. If he lifts up to that potential,
I think he's gonna slide in there at that tackle.
So you're replacing three to four offensive linemen from a
year ago, depending on who wins starting jobs. But you
might be better at every position this year. Like, okay,
even if Devin Harper doesn't win the job at guard,
he got a guy like Solomon Thomas who people forget about.
Speaker 6: Like all the.
Speaker 5: Rage last year was was Carrie's current and I get it.
A five star he could play guard, end tackle. He
got thrown in there. You really wanted to see what
he could do. Solomon Thomas was a five star in
his own run. I mean, remember they flipped him from
Florida State on National Signing Day and that was considered
a big recruiting win for Brian Kelly. People just forget
about him because he had a season ending injury in
fall camp, didn't get to play the whole year.
Speaker 6: That's a talented guy.
Speaker 5: I could see him coming in there getting some solid reps,
maybe winning that left guard spot if it all works out. So,
I mean, the weapons for Sam Levitt are going to
be plentiful. You have a number of them, and then
your offensive line should be a lot better. Now number
six on this list, we're moving to the defensive side
of the ball. This is the last guy for LSU
inside the top ten. No surprise here, it's Prince Will
Luman Miellen from Ole, miss.
Speaker 6: This was the.
Speaker 5: Biggest splash outside of Sam Lave. That was probably Prince Will.
Forty four tackles total, but thirteen tackles for a loss
in nine sacks, and that's a nine sack guy.
Speaker 6: You had to improve your pass rush. Here's how bad
it was last year.
Speaker 5: Remember you brought in all those transfers at the edge
rushing position. We kind of thought that was the job
you had done the best at in the portal. A
year ago. You brought in Patrick Payton from Florida State.
He had had big time moments there. He brought in
Jamari Butler, he had been in two spots, performed well
at both, and then Jack Pibrin coming over from Florida.
Now with Pybrid it's a little bit different. He came
here to learn how to be a pass rusher. I
don't think people expected him to come in and be
an elite sec pass rusher. Day one that was kind
of his limitation at Florida. He left to improve that year.
He finished with two sacks. That's about what I expected
from a guy like him. Jamari Butler two sacks. Patrick
Payton came to ll Issue last year's a double digit
sack guy.
Speaker 6: One sack.
Speaker 5: Harold Perkins was your leading sat guitar last year on
your entire defense with four and he played the star position.
I don't think people realize just how poor your pass
rush was a year ago. That's going to improve a
lot because you got Gabriel Rellaford back. He flashed two
years ago as a freshman, played early last year, had
that season Indian injury. If he's fully healthy, that's another
body that can slide in there for you. You bring
in Jordan Rowls from Tennessee again, hasn't played a ton
because of injury, but was a really highly recruited guy
coming out of high school. He's got potential. Jaylen Brown
from South Carolina again another guy you bring in. Sky
could be the limit for him athletically. You brought in
so many bodies, proven guys and then guys with a.
Speaker 6: Ton of potential to pair with.
Speaker 5: Some of these freshmen like don't forget about Damian Shanklin,
the coaching staff raved about a year ago. No, we
didn't get a ton of Playton time because I mentioned
the four guys I had of him and he was
a true freshman. But he's a guy that certainly looks
the part. I mean he fills out that uniform. Like
when we were out there last year in fall camp,
everybody's like, who's that. Who's that guy right there? Who's seventeen?
It was Damien Chanklin. I mean, he looks like he
is physically ready to go right now. I am very
excited about his potential on this defense. The last guy
I want to mention is not inside the top ten.
He's actually a lot lower on the top one hundred
list than I thought he was going to be. It's
time Benifield, the safety transfer from Boise State. He comes
in at thirty four. I think that's too low. Tie Benifield,
and I know I've mentioned it numerous times on the show,
but I'm gonna keep beating this drum top Bennifield is
probably my favorite player LSU signed out of this transfer
portal clap in terms of just raw ability, I think
he is an excellent safety when he comes in at
six foot six wine around two o five to ten,
perfect size for safety. Played a lot of games, played
forty one games over three years at Boise State, started
most of those games. Just look at last season one
hundred and seven tackles, seventy of them were solo, eight
and a half tackles for a loss in two interceptions.
It's perfect because that's a guy that gives you versatility.
And you know, when you looked at safety in the offseason,
it's not a position that a lot of people thought, Okay,
that's a big position in need.
Speaker 6: You're gonna go get a top guy.
Speaker 5: Because you had to Marcus Cooley coming back, who was
really good for you all year long. You also had
Deshaun Spears, who was in his second year. He flashed
for you. Now he what an every day starter because
he had to play behind Cooley at aj Halsey. But
he was your second highest rated defender all year long,
bind only Mansword Lane, who about to be a first
round pick. Not bad there for DeShawn Spears. So you
thought you had your two guys locked up in Spears
and Cooley, But this gives you so much versatility on
this defense. I mean I mentioned the tackling, I mentioned
the coverages, but eight and a half tackles for a
loss for Bennfield. Can he slide into that star position
that you're gonna have to fill because Harold Perkins is
moving on? What if he's really good at safety? Can
you slide to Shawn Spears down? I would love to
see DeShawn Spears at that star position. He's six' three
pushing two twenty right, now and that's a big safety
that's bigger than What Harold perkins played at last, year
and he did a good job at that star. NOW
i Think cjjim coylyy is gonna have something to say
about that star. Position he was great last year in fall.
Camp he certainly looked the part as. Well but you
just have so much versatility with a guy LIKE Tdd.
Bennifield so you bring in a guy that you know
is going to play right, away that just played big
time football at a high. Level that gives you so much,
versatility whether it's at, star whether it's at. Safety where
do you Put DeShawn? Spears Cjjim coyley can come into the.
Mix maybe some of these young freshmen as, well, LIKE
i get that safety probably wasn't like a pressing need
as far as like we don't have anybody we're comfortable with,
starting but getting a guy Like Todd, Benefield, like if
a player that caliber is in the portal and, interested
you take. Him and that's exactly what this staff. Did
AND i could not be more excited about this guy's
potential in This Blake baker. Defense, Again Winston watkins did
make this, list he was somewhere in the. Eighties and
Then Jase brown made this list also at seventy. Three
in terms of the top one hundred transfer portal, Players
we're not going to go through them ON i just
wanted to highlight a couple of them right there BECAUSE
i think all four of these guys THAT i just
mentioned are going to play some big time football for
The Yellowshet tigers coming up in twenty twenty.
Speaker 6: Six All, right we're going to take a quick.
Speaker 5: Time out when we get back possible changes to the
targeting rule in college. Football it's obviously long. Overdue we're
talking about a little bit next coming up here On
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Speaker 5: Com all, right welcome back In friday edition Of off The.
Bench Taylor trump and the host chair of philling in
For Jacob pastor And matt flann Aladrah Villarrial Cassie spazzali
along for the ride as. Well tease it a little
bit there going into. BREAK i Got Chris marler At
louisianasports Dot net actually put up this. Article that's WHERE
i saw it that THE ncaa and The Officials committee
is actually considering maybe a few tweaks to the targeting.
Rule and my first response, is, well it's about, time
and that is the rule we hate the. Most like
we set up here a month ago and said we
don't like the transfer, portal we don't like the targeting.
Rule those are the two things of mind we would
change if there was A commissioner of college. FOOTBALL i
didn't realize that targeting had been around since two thousand and.
Eight time really freaking, flies that's almost twenty. Years but
the ejection part of it didn't start till twenty, thirteen
which makes a lot more.
Speaker 6: Sense but.
Speaker 5: My issue with the targeting, rule, like, look player safety.
THING i get, it that's, fine care about player, safety that's.
Awesome it is such a subjective. Call it is such
a call of, like, hey let me make a judgment call.
Here it's a bang bang, play and it just seems
like every big time hit is now.
Speaker 6: Flat. Now it's fine if you want, to, hey let's flag.
It let's call it.
Speaker 5: Targeting we're gonna go review. It we can always pick
up the. Flag i'm good with. THAT i know it
takes the game a little bit, longer but if you
have to get the call, Right i'm okay with. That
WHAT i don't like is certain players are called targeting
some or, not and even after, review they still get it.
Wrong and the reality, IS i, MEAN i say they
get it. Wrong we don't really know if it's wrong
or right because nobody can give us the. Definition, like,
yes forcible contact to the head and neck. Area, sure
sometimes guys lead with their, helmet sometimes guys lead with their,
shoulder and you could, say, okay well it doesn't. Matter
it's across the. Board but it does matter because you
don't always call it the. Same but it's never explained
why it's called certain ways in certain. Situations Like jake
sits up here all the. TIME i think it's a great.
Idea he always. SAYS i think that officials should have
a postgame press. Conference if there's a big, call in
a big time moment that could potentially impact the outcome
of the, game just go up. THERE i, mean, look
we're not trying to stone you in the street or
burn you. Like they just want an. Explanation why can't
officials go in? There players have to do postgame. Interviews
coaches have to do postgame. Interviews IF i want to
know why my star wide receiver dropped the, ball he's
gonna get asked about it. Postgame IF i want to
know why a coach went for it on fourth down
and his opposing territory then or his own, territory he's
going to be asked about that in. Postgame why can't
officials as? Well Steve, shaw The National coordinator Of, officials,
says what targeting is driven in terms of player, behavior
change has been really good and the numbers reflect. That
but how can we continue this trend of taking out
more and more of these hits we don't want in
the game while being less. Punitive this is gonna sound
a little bit. Insensitive you signed up to play football
at the end of the, day, like no one's forcing
you to do. It big hits are going to. HAPPEN i,
mean it's just part of the. Game if you don't like,
it it's part of the, game maybe consider go play something.
Else like, okay there was a play that we'll do
right now THAT i played after the game. Happened it
was A georgia Versus Old miss in that playoff, game
And georgia lost the key starter in their secondary because of.
This That Old miss ultimately won the. Game like this
play right here that was called. Targeting the player leads
with his, shoulder not his. HELMET i think he's trying
to slope. Down it was called. Targeting they reviewed.
Speaker 6: It it was. UPHELD i don't see that player launch
his feet lead with his.
Speaker 5: HELMET i kind of, See, Hey i'm going in there
to make a. Tackle i'm trying to slow down and
brace with his hit as best possible to.
Speaker 6: Me that's not.
Speaker 5: Targeting there's no malicious intent behind. It they called it,
targeting which, okay if you want to call, it. Fine
there was a play in the Ole Miss miami game
where an Ole miss PLAYER i mean came in helmet
to helmet hit the receiver across the.
Speaker 6: Medal it was called no, targeting it was called incidental.
Speaker 5: CONTACT i just don't understand how some plays are called
targeting and some. Aren't like, again the premise behind targeting is,
fine you want to keep the player.
Speaker 6: SAFE i understand.
Speaker 5: That but when you're ejecting guys for the play like
that that we just saw with The georgia safety where
he slows now and he kind of leans back a little,
bit drops his shoulder to avoid a helmet to helmet,
hit and you're still called for, targeting you still get.
Ejected what else do you want the player to? DO i,
mean at the end of the, day this is. Football
it's a violent. Sport there's a lot of bang bang.
Plays i'm coming for the, ball the receivers going for the.
Ball we get there at the same. Time like it,
happens not every big hit is, Targeting but it just
seems like referees kind of picking, jews like oh that
player got hurt or oh that was a big time,
hit LIKE i must be.
Speaker 6: Targeting that's not necessarily the.
Speaker 5: Case, LIKE i JUST i don't really get the whole point, of,
hey let's throw this guy. Out let's let's completely impact
the outcome of this game by this one. Call but
a little bit later on in the, game defensive back
or linebacker whoever is going to make almost the same
exact identical play and we're not going to call. It
LIKE i would almost prefer at this point any big
time hit like that just be called.
Speaker 6: TARGETING i know it, SUCKS i know it's not.
Speaker 5: FUN i know it's bad for the players and fan,
Experience but at least there's a, uniformity, Right, like at
least there's consistency this whole bro, well you, Know and first, off,
though the rules analysts they bring In Matt, Austin Jeans,
sterotor who the hell told them they were rules, Analysts,
LIKE i feel like they're never. Right like anytime you
bring in these, guys they try to give you some
long convoluted answer of, oh, well you, KNOW i mean
he went in and you got to determine if there's
intent behind.
Speaker 6: It how do you determine?
Speaker 5: Intent If cassie And landro were fighting back, there And i'm,
like who started, It they're not gonna, say like, you
how do you find out? Intent you go up to
the player and be, like did you mean to hit that?
Guy helmet the helme and be honest with. Me the
whole intent rule is. DUMP i don't understand. That by the,
way the only thing That cassie would ever be fighting
over would be like A chick fil a or whatever
or something like. That she's not a very violent, person but,
hey it could. Happen crazy your things have APP i
just for players. Safety when a player has to stop
and hesitate and second guests themselves before they're making a,
hit that's where injuries.
Speaker 6: Happen remember about six or seven years.
Speaker 5: Ago maybe eight years ago in THE, nfl they were
really cracking down, them the roughing the, passers like you
could basically not hit the quarterback above the. Shoulders you
could hit them below the. Knee it was really hard
and these players were pulling. UP i remember this like
it was. Yesterday Cameron wake the defensive end of The
miami dophense he was A Pro bowl defensive end the year.
Before he tore HIS acl because he had to slow
down so dramatically to avoid hitting the quarterback because he was.
Speaker 6: Scared he was gonna get A roughi in the passer
call on.
Speaker 5: It when he tore HIS acl on that, play he
was out for the season at the end of the.
Day is it worth? It like this is eventually going
to cause more harm than. GOOD i think it already.
HAS i hate the targeting. Penalty like we always talk
about a commissioner college. Football IF i was the commissioner
of college, football my first rule would be take away
the targeting. Penalty we were fine for years without. It move,
On it's, Football go out there and. Play it's got
to be either in all or. Nothing you got to
call every one of them or you got to call
none at. All this back and forth a judgment, call
referees not having to explain themselves all. That, like it's
bad for the, game it's bad for. EVERYBODY i don't
really understand the direction we're. Going and the fact That
Steve shaw again said, that oh, well you, KNOW i
think it's done a good. Job we just want to
tweak a few. Things you think they've done a good
job calling, Targetings he, said player behavior.
Speaker 6: Change has been really. Good.
Speaker 5: Yeah, man they're trying to take themselves out of the.
Game they're trying to slow down to avoid hidden. Guys
player behaviors, change AND i don't think it's for the.
Speaker 6: Better look that that's just.
Speaker 5: Me i'm one, Person Like i'm good with a fifteen
yard penalty if that's what you. WANT i hate the
ejection that impacts the whole outcome of the. Game, like
these guys get paid, now, RIGHT i mean we always,
see oh their nil evaluation is this this person was
GUARANTEED x amount of dollars to go to this, school
which is why they committed there in the transfer.
Speaker 6: Board find. Them they make.
Speaker 5: Money if you don't want to find, them you think
it's too harsh on the. PLAYERS i, don't but a
lot of people think that the players should get to
do whatever they.
Speaker 6: Want find the.
Speaker 5: School you find the school for fans storming the field
because you say that's a player safety. Issue in THE, nfl,
guys they don't get ejected from the. Game it's fifteen
yard personal. Foul you'll probably get a couple thousand. Dollars,
fine why can't you implement something like? That and, again
you know you have to find the. Players find the.
School i'm good with, it but ejecting guys and not
really giving a black and white definition of what you're
looking for in. TARGETING i just think it's really really
bad for college, football AND i do think hope something
does change here in the very near.
Speaker 6: Future, right we're going to.
Speaker 5: Take a time out a little bit early because coming
back your relationship baseball team two weeks away from today
for opening up their season out At Alec, box and
me And, lounger we're gonna chop it up kind of
talk about what we're looking forward to during that opening.
Weekend The tigers are actually scrimmaging for a four day.
Period it started. Yesterday there us are scrimmaging, today tomorrow
And sunday in preparation for that opening. Game we're talking
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Speaker 1: Org. Again locked in ON lsu football twenty four to,
seven you're listening To off The Bench.
Speaker 6: Welcome.
Speaker 5: Back in A friday edition Of off The, Bench Taylor
sharp been the Big boy, chair filling in For Jacob
hester And Matt flynn A Landravilla Reale Cassie's bizzali here as. Well, okay,
guys two weeks from, Today february, thirteenth get fired, Up
no A landra will be out there yelling at the
opposing pictures while they're warming up in the.
Speaker 6: Bullpen it's WHAT i, do, RIGHT i, mean you got
to you got you got.
Speaker 5: It you gotta hackle the bullpen in the right field
or depend on where you're. Sitting everybody knows that these
are the. Rules.
Speaker 3: Right your mom doesn't love, you.
Speaker 5: Right so WHAT i used to. DO i used to
do WHEN i would go with my. Friends my buddy
went to Tell shoe we had season extuded tickets were
sitting right.
Speaker 6: FIELD i would look up to play your bike and
find their parents'.
Speaker 5: Names, yeah and There baio getting their head a little
bit weed to love doing.
Speaker 6: That actually.
Speaker 5: Hilarious but two weeks from, Today february, Thirteenth ulos she
was Welcoming milwaukee into Alex Box. Stadium, guys we're fired
up about, It Jay, johnson Two natties in four. Years
you kidding? Me best coaching college? BASEBALL i know A
laundra's fired up about. It, Okay so IF i was
to ask, you like opening, weekend you, know we broke
it down pretty good the other day With, Flynn but, like,
okay one, pitcher one position, Player like you're really excited to.
Speaker 2: See, okay this is a hard one because there's so
many That i'm very excited to go.
Speaker 3: See but somebody that has.
Speaker 2: Been getting a lot of talk in the picture side
of things and That i've been hearing great things about
Is cooper more transfer From.
Speaker 3: Kansas he's gonna.
Speaker 2: Start, YEAH i, MEAN i think he might be The sunday.
Guy and then y'all, Know i'm a Big Zach cowen.
FAN i was very happy that he's going to be coming.
Back Gavin gidrey is we finally see the return Of Gavin.
Gidrey So i'm hoping that he's worth or he's like
lives up to the hype that we, want like The
Gavin guidry that we, know and that he gets back
to that after being. Injured But Cooper moore had a
three point ninety six E ra At kansas last year
and he had a season high of ten strikeouts VERSUS
byu and he's been getting a lot of a lot
of talk during the off. Season So i'm excited to
See Cooper moore and see how.
Speaker 3: Some of the other guys have.
Speaker 2: Developed because y'all KNOW i Love Nate, yeski SO i
know that some of these guys are gonna come back
with some Like Zach cowen had he needed to develop
a couple, pitches and hopefully we see that from, him
And i'm excited to see. Them in terms of position, players,
obviously my Guy Zach, YORK.
Speaker 3: I cannot, wait LIKE i cannot wait to watch.
Speaker 2: Him just drop bombs all the time and hopefully dominate
at first. Base And i'm very also excited to See
trent carrowa, yeah.
Speaker 6: A lot on third base like.
Speaker 2: That that's not a competition, anymore coming From Oregon, state
And i'm excited to See TRENT i HEARD i. HAVE
i didn't obviously go to see any of the scrimmages
or anything like that Because i've been In, mobile BUT
i heard that he's been having a good, offensive, yeah
scrimmage as. Well so excited to See Trent. Caraway very
excited to See Zach yorke because why.
Speaker 6: Would you not be excited to See Zach york and our.
Speaker 3: Outfield see How Derek corriella if.
Speaker 2: He can get any better than he did last, SEASON
i don't know if you. Can and then my Favorite Stephen.
Speaker 5: Mylam, YEAH i meant stop in your whole outfield. Back,
yeah that's like the core of your. Team like people
people don't think about, that like that's that's the core
of your. Team that's like in, football we were talking,
about let's you do the. Defense, hey they have their
whole secondary back basically have that with your, Outfield like
that's that is the core part of your.
Speaker 6: Defense that's back for.
Speaker 2: Sure and that speaks a lot to like J i
feel like and also the standard that you have made
here at l S. U and we Were jake AND
i were talking about it on the way home yesterday
And i'm.
Speaker 3: Like, okay our down year With, jay we made it
to a.
Speaker 6: Regional, right like almost won the, thing right and.
Speaker 3: Ya were like the favorite to win the national. Championship.
Speaker 2: AGAIN i was Telling, jake, LIKE i actually have a
really good feeling THAT lsu could very much win back to.
Speaker 3: Back The intimidator went up the other.
Speaker 2: Day the very exciting they.
Speaker 3: Are we have to get a bigger into.
Speaker 6: Make another, one so.
Speaker 3: Very i'm just very excited for the.
Speaker 2: Season and like AGAIN i think That jay has like
the culture that he's built, here the standard that he.
Set you're bringing in guys that are going to buy into.
That SO i feel really good about the transfers that
he brought, in AND i feel really good about the season.
Speaker 6: For me as far as, PICTURES i love the.
Speaker 5: Up Gavin. Guidry that was the first name that came to.
Mind LIKE i mentioned, Earlier, hey people forget About Solomon,
thomas he was a five. Star people kind of forget
About Gavin guidry because we hadn't seen him in like
almost a year and a. Half like he was your
rock for two seasons at the back of that. Bullpen
like last, year, Yes calan, emerged case It evans emerged
before you moved him into the starting, role but beginning
of the, season it, was, hey who's going to be that?
Closer who's going to fill That Gavin guidry role because
he was so valuable for you for two. Years and
Also Devin shearing again another guy that not necessarily a.
Newcomer seven't seen him because he was injured all of last.
Season BUT i mean When Devin sheering enrolled last, season
people looked at him as almost, like, hey this is
a guy that could become a. Starter now again he
didn't get to play because of, injury but that's the
Guy i'm keeping an eye.
Speaker 6: On now as.
Speaker 5: Far as fielding, Goes Seth dardar for me is it
is a guy That i'm keeping an eye on opening.
Weekend from Everything i've heard coming out of the scrimmages
and fall, ball he's the front runner right now at
that second. Base, NOW i, MEAN i know you Got
braydon sent in. THERE i know you Have Tanner reeves
has moved from third to, second like you got a
little bit of a battle. There but Sut dardar is
hitting the cover off of the ball out there at those.
Scrimmages AND i, mean, look if all things are equal,
defensively you Know jay's going to put a big bat
in that, lineup especially you know the power you lost
from a year. AGO i think Sept dardar is going
to have a big opening. WEEKEND i am really excited
to see. Him, like, Yeah i'm excited to see the
young outfield. Players BUT i, mean to what A londrige
just mentioned a minute. Ago the problem is you got
all three of your studs that ended the season last
year in the, outfield all of them are. Back it's
a good problem to. Have you just we'll see how
those young guys fit. In like you guys Know Jay
johnson by, now he's gonna play twenty to thirty guys
in the field through that three game series like.
Speaker 6: That that's just what he does in the opening.
Speaker 5: Weekend But Set dardar is a GUY i just continue
to hear really really good things, about Like carraway at. Third,
yeah the. Transfer but if you want to move over a,
Base set Dard. Ar if he doesn't, start he's gonna
play a. Lot i'm excited to see him in the
opening weekend for his ability to hit the. Baseball all,
right that's gonna do it for hour number. One hit
a lot of topics and that's not gonna. Change at
the eight o'clock, hour we're gonna put a button on
The Senior. Bawl Then Rasse jackson locked On saints And
louisianasports Dot net will join us at eight point thirty
to Talk, saints what he saw at The Senior, bowl
maybe some late round targets for The New Orleans. Saints
that's all coming, up and then the nine o'clock, hour
we're gonna have some fun as we close this week.
Speaker 6: Out all that coming up here On off the, Bench
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