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the Fan in Store. One of the questions right that
I've been asked time and time again to say, Hey,
what is this step fens going to look like under
Kelly Papina as the defensive coordinator. What is it that
he's gonna do? How was he gonna execute it? Are
we gonna have a drop off? Is he gonna be
as good as Jay Hill? All of them are valid questions.
I love the conversation, I love the debate, I love
the the questions that come from kugarnation and Uh, I
think you're gonna see you heard you hadn't heard Kelly
on BA Sports Nation. We're gonna try to get him
on the show as well this week, try to get
some inside and commentary maybe piggyback off of the questions
that b A Sports Nation UH was asking about the
future of this Bayu defense. Uh, but I'm very optimistic,
extremely optimistic about the defense going forward with K Pop
at the helm. Uh, He's definitely earned it. Uh. Let's
talk a little bit about the future of this defense
under K Pop with a former by U Great Super
Bowl champion. We got Brady Papinca on the line. Brady,
how the heck are you, buddy? Always a pleasure talking
ball with you, Brady, like I like ever since the change, right, everyone,
you know, everyone's concerned about losing Jay, which you know
we do reason We all love Jay. He's a fantastic
coach and we wish him well. Gennaro was a loss. Uh,
but uh, everyone asked me, Hey, Ben, what what type
of defense is k Pop going to be running? What
is it gonna look like? What is it gonna feel like?
What type of play caller will he be? Give me
your your eval and I know, look, I'm asking the
big brother here. You're you're as familiar with Kelly's strengths
as you are with these weaknesses. Uh, you've watched it
up close, you've watched it from afar. What type of
defense do you think Kate Pop's going to be running
next year in the years to come?
Speaker 2: Well, I mean the biggest thing is you're you know,
Kelly is not a guy that's gonna be delusional here
and right, I mean he's looking at this like this
defense for the last two years has been really good.
I would say, you know, very almost to the point
of being a dominant defense. And there's no reason to
change that, you know, especially when you got guys they're
all coming back that you can build on what they've
done previously. Like that's to be one of the most
valuable things gonna in my career, I was always asked
to do something different almost every year from when I
was the freshman in college all the way to my
last year in the NFL, which was a twelve year span,
and it was hard. It would have been really nice
just to be able to stack years one on top
of another, you know. You here Don Beck talk about
that a lot even in his career, where you know,
you just like to be able to just grow on
what had been done previously. And so when you take
all about it into consideration, how good they play and
have a lot of guys coming back to the show
success in the same kind of scheme, there's no there's
no reason to try to change it.
Speaker 3: You know.
Speaker 2: And then then at the same time, the final decision
of this defense comes down this money, you know. And
then that's also why Gary's there to be the kind
of the guysman through this whole thing, to keep them
true to what they do, because it's really good. The
principals ended up really good. Their sound. They got some
really good change up in nuances that on a week
to week basis game planning wise, are really good. And
they're really good because they're complicated to the defa excuse me.
They're complicated how they are perceived by the offense, but
from the defensive perspective, they're quite simple. So they have
the illusion of complexity, you know, and if you look
at any strategists, like that's like the perfect sweet spot
where something to you can look, you know, really complicated,
but it's really a simple adjustment here, and that's what
you go for. So the base is there, the infrastructures,
they're sure. Kelly's probably gonna have some more of his
signature involved in that, which you know, i'd imagine to
be some of the Broncos stuff, you know, the Cover six,
Cover four, you know, some of the traps Cover two
kind of stuff maybe, but that's pretty much it. And
and by the way, all that stuff compliments already what
BYU does you know with the single Stafey stuff. I
mean Cover six, as you know, Ben, you ran that
for how long?
Speaker 3: Yeah?
Speaker 2: You know, you were pro.
Speaker 3: And we ran it. We ran a ton of Cover six.
I was like, I got I was like, I tried
to mix up my alignment every single time we called
cover six. So I was like, so they don't I'm
like pressing one time, I'm playing at eight, acting like
a four cross an other times and coming down with
the snap. I was I was trying to give different
looks at different times for certain Yeah, but I.
Speaker 2: Bring up that because and again I don't know if
he's gonna actually do it, but it looks a lot
from a quarterback standpoint, you can make Cover six look
a lot like Cover three and post course corner stuff,
and then you think, oh, I got we got the seams.
If we get them, you know, in a specific formation,
we got some weaknesses, but all of a sudden they
shift to six and those weaknesses aren't there anymore because
it's a compliment to Cover three. So you have that,
and it's a really strong run defense, you know, with
the with the split safety look and a split with
split safety concept too. So it's it's a nice comment.
Maybe it's something they do and that would be that
would be the extensive that I imagine it would go.
But like I said, if if you're smart, like Kelly's
really smart, you know, look, this has been working. You're
gonna keep doing what's working until it doesn't work anymore,
no doubt.
Speaker 3: One of the things I've also brought up is is this,
I don't know if we've had as much talent on
the defensive side as we've had over the last couple
of years, and it continues to look like it's going
to improve. The clay is good an artist into each
good clay, and so a good artisan with good clay.
It sounds like it's going to be. Uh, I'm pretty optimistic.
Uh with with all that, you know, the talent that
Byu has in the in that locker room.
Speaker 2: Well, yeah, I think the and Kelly said it, I
believed is one of his interviews where he hits a
theme of competition, and I think that'll be really fun
because as you get more and more good players, more
and more of them are deserving to play, but there's
only a love of spots, right, and so that just
creates an internal competition to where guys are going to
be more caught up and competing in terms of making plays,
which I think is the ideal scenario where you want
your kids to be is you want them to compete
against each other and the scoreboard is making plays versus
worrying about the opponent, because the opponent you should just
be nameless, faceless, it's just it's just there. But to
go out and be like, man, I got to go
out and makes big plays today to get more plays
or to keep you know, the hot hand going. That's
a healthy place to be because when everybody's doing that,
it's an internal synergy that takes everybody's level play to
a whole new level. And if you have enough guys
to pull that off and that the coaches can be
disciplined and you don't have to be a jerk about
it from a coaching standpoint, where you're you know, you're
pulling guys out every time they make a mistake or
every time the other guy makes the plays. You're you know,
you're not all of a sudden benching the other person,
but you're you're letting them know, like, look, you know,
if you do get in a rut, we have somebody
here that can come in and make plays. And then
at the same time, and this is what it's going
to be challenging for Kelly and this the staff is
you have to be able to fit these guys in.
You have to have scheme flexibility, scheme creativity to get
your talent on the field and the eleven best guys.
People don't realize your eleven best guys need to be
on the field, but your eleven best guys change per situation,
and so that takes scheme creativity, takes a situation for recognition,
takes you know, recodition of understanding how you're gonna defend
an offense. And those are the challenge that this bass
is going to be confronting, and I'm sure it's one
they're looking forward to and because it's fun from a
schematic standpoint, and so this is this is really good,
you know, to have enough horses in the barn to
so to speak to where you can do that. You
can run a lot of different schemes. You could have
that interurial competition going and then at the same time
have that challenge of how do I find a role
for everybody, because you can't just abandon guys. You know,
there's guys that are probably you know eleven a you know,
when you're talking to your eleven mes guys when it's
a you know, tough running team you're playing against versus
other teams that maybe spread you out throat. Okay, maybe
they're you know, twelve thirteen. Well you got to still
be able to help them to be incorporated in the
team and help them incorporated into the scheme, but not
ask them to do something that's outside of the willhouse.
So those are all fun challenges that these these coaches
are going to be dealing with. And you're right, it's
a good buy product because it shows that you have
a sleut talent. Relatively speaking, I would say you're correct.
There's more talent than we've been been seeing. It be
like you know, a long time, and the recruited class
shows as much. And uh, the status shows, you know,
the being able to pay player shows and so that's uh,
for surely's new reality that these guys are dealing with.
And like I said, it's it's the challenge is the scheme, flexibility,
creativity and understanding situations.
Speaker 3: Brad vinga here on your Utah ESPN Radio Network talking
to BYU Football and the future of b YU football
here on Cougar Sports. Brady, when you look at the
h the acquisitions via the portal, we see a couple
of linebackers, Katie lave j Clifton, one from CAL one
from UH Kansas Kansas State. UH. You look at three
offensive lineman Pockey Finow, Junior Sia and Zakiyamauchi al from
p or one two from P four programs and then
Junior coming from Utah State, Kyler Casper, a wide receiver
from Oregon. Two tight ends Roger Sally Apaga from Oregon
and then Walker Lyons from UH from from USC and
then Javin Williams Mississippi State. What stands out to you
about the transferport class and the guys that are going
to make an impact this next season, Well, what.
Speaker 2: I liked about it is we fortify our offensive line
because if you're just for example, looking at offensive line
from a death standpoint, performer standpoint of last year, you
know you're not losing a ton of guys and you're like, man,
we're good. And so there could have been a tendency
by Klannie and the staff to be like, oh, we
don't need to really be aggressive, and they were the
complete austite, which is like, man, that's exactly how you
have to do. You have to basically fortify your your
your your up your front. You know, I like to
have seen them maybe be more active in our defensive
tackle spot. But that maybe shows what they think about
some young guys, because we do have a bunch of
young guys there too that are that are growing and developing.
But uh, but yeah, I think every year you're always
looking to fortify your fronts, no matter what you have
coming back, no matter how well they've perform it, because that,
to me is the foundation of what by football flavor
is and that's the foundation of just football overall. You
got to have a really good front that can control
the on the scrimmage and then uh and then offensively,
it was a priority to get man demand beating offensive weapons.
So you know that the big wide receiver cast for
is last Ning's Casper correct.
Speaker 3: Yeahs wide receiver from from Oregon.
Speaker 2: Yeah, I mean that's a that's a guy right there
that basically you're I mean, he's he's very similarly built
to uh Man, just the names. What what was our
other really tall light receiver very very recent there is Mitch.
It reminds me a lot of Mitch, but he has
a little bit more i would say flexibility, body control
at the top of the route. And so he's the
guy that if you're going to try to you know,
play us Manda Man like Texas Tech was doing against
us in that championship game and we didn't really have
a man beater, you know, somebody that makes you think
twice about playing Mando Man. That's hard. You know, he's
the guy that's gonna help that. Also, the two tight
end editions you mentioned are right in that Willhouse. Also,
is there meant to be missed, mismatched, you know, matchup
nightmares for these defenses again, make it to where has
a defense you've got to double think or think twice
about whether or not you're gonna run mana man and
when we can do that. In addition to having our
quarterback or any game like we had with Bear, and
then just our overall running game in general, that really
puts the defenses in mine. So I really liked all
of the additions they made, and I'm looking forward to
the younger guys too, developing and becoming you know, household names,
which I think is gonna happen. I think you're gonna
see guys emerge, you know, especially guys that you know
light bulb turns on all of a sudden, they get
more opportunities and boom, like last year. You know, we
had body I got really immersed and was really starting
to be impactful, especially at the end of the year.
And then we had Nucy. You know, Newcy. I think
as long as he can stay healthy. You know, he
had some some stuff he was dealing with, but man,
he was as dominant of a defensive player we had
all year by the end of the season, especially in
that game against George Tech. I mean, he was a
difference maker. So you always see these guys growing, and
that's I love that about how we're managing our roster
byu is, we're not just selling out to hey, let's
go buy a bunch of talent, although we do. You know,
we talk about these transfer portal guys, but at the
same time we're heavily investing in draft or not drafting
and development. But it's it's recruiting and developing there it is.
It's kind of like drafting developing, same concept, but it's
recruiting and developing, which goes to show you, like, if
you're able to do that, that's really your your your
mark as a good coaching staff because you're able to
take guys that have the the foundational skill sets that
you want you're able to develop them into contributors, you know, dominators.
That's that's huge, you know. So yeah, and then then
the onside, then the off the ball backers. You I
thought we added toughness, and the big thing I think
we need is we need guys that can step into
if you looked at Texas Tech, because the Texas Tech
I thought had two really good inside linebackers that they're
not gonna jump off any you know, physical trait metrics.
You know these guys, Yeah, they may rend pretty good,
but they're not big and fast. They're not these hard
hitting guys. But what they did, and I was impressed
because I watched very closely, was they've lined up their
defense and they executed precisely. I mean, I don't know
if you guys remember that. I think it was like
a reverse pass with Parker. I mean, those guys didn't slinch.
I mean, they were everybody's in position across the board
and specifically these backers. So we get more of that
out of our inside guys, because that's why I think,
you know, last year, and by the way, it's just
how our defense is. It's a heavy dose defense. You know,
they're gonna have a lot of layers to it. If
we can get that where our linebackers can line us up,
help us execute at a higher rate. It just want,
you know, make plays where they're supposed to make plays,
fit the gaps where they're supposed to fit the gaps.
That right there is going to take our defense to
home a level. So so I like those I like
those editions, And like I said, I think I think
our off season so far looks really good. Now you
never know, so you actually go play, you know, guys
have to go show them. But on paper, we're looking good.
Speaker 3: Let's transition over to super Bowl talk. It was the
grand finale of the season. Any people thought that the
actual Super Bowl was the Seahawks versus the Rams. But
this is a defensive showcase, right, a little bit of
a pitchers duel, if you will. Seattle was in control
for most of it. They ended up winning the game. Obviously,
they are the they are the champions, and congratulations to them.
But what did you make of the game? What stood
out to you about it?
Speaker 2: Well, let'stood out a bet. It is John Schneider, the
general manager of the shah seahawse. He and I go
way back man. He he was a big reason why
I ended up in Green Bay. He's a big reason
why they signed me to a contract extension and to
see him have success because I know how he wants
to build teams, and by the way he builds, he
build the teams very similar to how Uyu does. He
builds the teams based off a competition. Can I remember
one time he got all drunk. Man, it was funny.
We're at the nakes Giving party. I've told this many times,
like I just love telling you about him because it's
so Josh Snider. We're at this nakes Giving party and
he's he's a little younger, you know. I think I
think we maybe three or four years apart in age.
So we had some mutual friends and that's why we
have this party together. After we had played the Dallas
Cowboys on Thanksgiving back in oh seven, and that was
the game where Brett Farber got hurt. Aaron Rodgers comes
in and just lights it up and everybody's like, Ooh,
Aaron's gonna be really good. So we're at this party
and he's just drunk out of his mind and we're
talking and he's yelling right because there's some music in
the background, but he's drunk. And when people drink, some
people they just start yelling. And he just starts yelling
at me. He goes, you know, far from I'm like, yeah, bro,
He's like, we're done with him. He's like, we are done,
but that guy. He's like, we got our guy. And
I'm like, bro, you were really talking loud and he's
like am I. I'm like, yeah, Like that's pretty sensitive
information about here, man, you know, because Brett Farber is legendary.
Speaker 3: I mean, you know.
Speaker 2: And so fast forward into the conversation and my wife's
standing next to me. He's like, oh, by the way,
Brady's like, we're gonna give you a contract extench. I'm like, oh,
that's great, thank you very much for that. I'm looking
at my wife. I'm like, how about that. And then
he's like, but don't don't get He's like, but don't
get sit on your laurels. We're probably gonna draft, you know,
so if we get a background your safe position in
the first round, we're gonna pull the trigger. It's like,
we just we just draft football players. We let you
guys decide it on the field, you know. And I
was like, hey, that's cool. And then Lobo last forward
to when we came back to work on that Monday.
I'm getting my pass getting ready to go out to practice,
and I hear this this yelling of my name, Brady, Brady, Brady.
I'm like, what the you know, what's going on? I
turn around his John and he comes up to me.
He pulls me aside. He goes, Brady, whatever I said
last week, do not repeat it between us. I'm like, okay,
we're good, and uh so, yeah, he's he's a stunt man.
I'm really happy for him. He's the first general manager
to win the Super Bowl with two different teams where
there's zero players on each one of those teams, different coaches.
I mean, he is the epitome of how you build
football teams, and he learned it from one of the greats,
Ted Thompson Ron Wolfs. Again, those are Green Bay Packer guys.
And so that's my background, by the way, and how
I perceived teams build. You build it off competition, and
then you go after football players. I think so many times,
you know, recruiting wise is the same thing. You get
so caught up with these intangibles. Are are they? Are they? Tall,
are they long? Are they fast? I mean, there's certain
measurables that ye are minimals. But man, just get football players.
Just get guys who are tough, have face diversity, and
just love to play the game. And guess what, there's
no scheme flexibility out there, especially if you're creative to
sit those guys in. And I mean that's how the
Seattle Seahawks team is built. And like I said, I
see a lot of similarities with how we do it
at Uyu and it's very validating. And like I said,
I'm really happy for John and for what he's been
able to accomplish.
Speaker 3: Brady, who's your way too early favorite to win the
Super Bowl in twenty twenty seven. It's gonna be.
Speaker 2: The Seahawks until somebody knocks him up to the Toto balls.
The same with the Eagles last year. And the Eagles
looked amazing, and you know they have some issues and
allow the Seahawks to be merged. But I mean, the
Seahawks are built to be good for a long time.
I mean that Russell Wilson trade, Man, they got some
good draft picks out of that. I mean, because I'll
tell you it just Jarns Stander does not miss very often.
Relatives you're always gonna miss, but relative to to the
other teams and how they hit or miss on draft picks.
So they're gonna get some really good rookies in there.
These guys that had the experience this, ye're gonna grow,
you know. I mean, they're only gonna get better. And
and I'll tell you the biggest thing for Seattle though,
was getting that home field advantage because they are just
a completely different team up in Seattle. Man, when you
got the twelve, just rocket. It's the loudest stadium I've
ever been in, and they play at a different pace there.
It's like a completely different team when you're playing up there.
And that's you know what they they had when they
were playing the Rams and then the forty nine ers.
The forty nine ers, Man, it was like over first
quarter and a half, it's like a blitz, you know.
But but yeah, you know, obviously I always go with
the champion until somebody knocks them off.
Speaker 3: They go Brady for Pengal gentlemen. Brady. Last thing key
storylines for spring ball, it's it's right around the corner.
Is there one key storyline you're gonna be evaluating, is
it QB two, RV two, is it the defense? What
do you got?
Speaker 2: I want to see how it's managed, because you know,
there's a lot of money right now being paid to
these kids. I don't know if it's a good idea
to do the traditional spring practice where you pat them
up and you have them go out and you hit.
I'm thinking and it's just I'm curious to see how
it's Kwane has it as you turned this into the
NFL kind of mini camp where you have them go
run around a little bit, work on their schemes, walk throughs,
jog roots, and then just save everybody, you know, save
them for the season. To me, there's no reason to
go put pat these guys up unless they're young. You know,
maybe some of these young guys that because look, there's
bubble guys. Remember now we now that there's roster limits,
there's money above, there's bubble guys. So yeah, maybe with
the bubble guys, you know you're gonna want to go see, hey,
hour like guys should come back on missions. I don't know, uh,
and just see what they're liking. Pads to get idea, Hey,
we need to move in different directions because they will
you know, I think last year.
Speaker 3: We had.
Speaker 2: Leave a spring Bear after Spring. So there is some
value in some guys playing. But like I said, I
said more majority of the guys, do not pat him up.
Just let them, you know, get out there, run around
a little bit, let him run through the scheme. You know,
whatever nuance is Kelly's gonna bring. You know, that's the
opportunity for him to do it. It's great for Bear
and Roderick to finally just tail down their exact offense,
which which I'm sure it's a lot like what we
saw in the last part of the season, uh, but
with more running that now Bear is healthy but still
front ball m of uh. I mean I could see
us doing a lot or at times high temple empty
stuff with Bear because he's still a running back. You know.
That's still very similar to if you go empty, if
you have a tight ms like running eleven Verson ol
because he'sier, he's your other.
Speaker 3: Back, you know.
Speaker 2: But then he has the option to used the quick
game like he did so well against George Techna. George
Tech threw everything out him and you have it well.
So I mean, that's gonna be fun. To me, like
to see that offense and evolved this year with these
guys having a full off season and how smart Fair
is and how you know, forward thinking and creative Roder
kids and his offense stop. That's gonna be exciting.
Speaker 3: Brady. Always appreciate our time together. Invite everyone to check
out the xpt dot com if there are in need
of any gym equipment and or a gym build out. Brady,
thanks for so much for hopping on. We'll catch you
up with you again soon.
Speaker 2: All right, my man, I'm a good rest of today.
Speaker 3: There you go. That's Brady Pavinga. That's our show. Guys,
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