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out to the hotline. Welcome in former b YU great
super Bowl champion. We got Brady Popinga on the line.
Be Pop, how you living?
Speaker 2: Hey? Man? Now you don't, buddy, I was going to
jump on.
Speaker 3: Yeah, man, how was the how's the weekend? What did
the pepingas do this weekend?
Speaker 1: Oh?
Speaker 2: What did I do? Man? I think I took it? Man,
I'm on Saturday. Oh yeah. So what we usually do
is I take my daughter to a training session local kid.
It's really good as they smoke as Quinn and something
about it's so Cali once they get trained by the best,
like it's point.
Speaker 3: That's my guy.
Speaker 2: And then so that we always go to an in
and outdate. My daughter and I I've pound two three
by one with a big huge diet coke. And then
after the month we went to a play a my
performance of Wizard of Oz and man, I still have
trauma from that wicked witch. Man, it was still kind
of freaking me out, but all.
Speaker 1: Love it.
Speaker 2: Man.
Speaker 3: So so your go to every time you go to
In and Out? What's the order again? Give me break
it down?
Speaker 1: What is it that? Are you going?
Speaker 2: Like?
Speaker 1: Onions?
Speaker 3: No?
Speaker 1: Onions? You doing double double no?
Speaker 2: Three by one? So three patties one cheez and I
and I do this and I do the bud on
that day because I'm car bloating. And then I get
big Lars and coke very nice like.
Speaker 1: Like it man, Well, uh got it? I love In
and Out Burger.
Speaker 3: I took my two kiddos on a little in and
out Burger date on actually Friday night as my wife
was having a little get together shit dig at the house.
Speaker 1: It was awesome. It was fantastic. Pretty.
Speaker 3: So we're getting into bowl season now, and it's also
transfer portal season.
Speaker 1: Let's talk about the bowl game v Y versus Georgia Tech.
Obviously Notre Dame.
Speaker 3: They say they don't want none, they don't want to
find out, they don't want to mess around and find out.
Speaker 1: They decided essentially eternally.
Speaker 3: Is that the reason why they opted out is because
so many of their key players, their star players, were
going to opt out and just leave for the NFL.
They didn't want to see the smoke. They did want
to get that smoke from BYU and the pop Tars Bowl.
I want to get your reaction to the Notre Dame news.
Speaker 2: Oh yeah, well that it's a folks of the fact
that they're upset that they didn't get in to the
playoffs and then they just quit. It's so anti competitive.
It doesn't make any sense. If you would tell me,
and I could be in high school, I could be
a tech. I could be a fifth grader playing pick
up at the park. Oh you tell me is hey,
we got a game going on, I'm going to be
that Why because I, hey, love to play and then me,
I know it's gonna make me better, Like that's like
what it's about. And then at this stage it's the
same thing. It's like anything you can do to develop
your team is going to be advantageous because what people
need to realize. And I was talking to Sean Null
the other day, by the way with USC about the
number one recruited class in the country that they had
just earned, and he was telling man, Brady, you should
also look at you know how Kelly is a BA.
People look at this guy like that guy and I'm like, wait,
why don't you guys go after him. He's like, we
don't have any more money, man, It's like we should
pend it on them. And so reality is is money
isn't constraint right now. You can you can still get
the number one, you know, nationally raped recruiting class, but
you still have to be able to find other guys
that could come in and you've got to develop them.
How else are you going to develop your ronster if
they're not playing? And it's like to me, it's like,
that's actually the opportunity that you would jump out if
your order name and you're like, wow, heart star guys,
I'm playing. Well, guess what, that's where our depth's going
to come in. Also, we're gonna be able to see
these other kids that are you know, maybe we paid
them a one year deal to recruit them here. Most
deals are like that from understanding them, pay them to
get them in there, and then it's performance based. What
a better way to go out and see if these
guys are worth worrying about and retaining is a bowl game,
and the lead up to the ball game, you're gonna
see I mean it. It just doesn't make There's no
there's no place where that's a good move. Outside of that,
you're crying and you want to kind of prove a point.
And sure they proved their point. And the reality is
they didn't align themselves with envelopment their teams, they didn't
align themselves with the true competitive spirits, and didn't align
themselves of a of a program that just loves the playings.
Let's say you what, b YU football. They love the
point man, don't play anybody anywhere because they love it.
That's what they're about. Now, is this gonna help you
in the future win championships? I think so. I you
can hear it. It sounds doesn't guarantee us anything, But
I would rather be in a situation where I'm operating
more from Hey, I love to play the game. We
want every opportunity to play. Let's find these opportunities. Versus
on the other side, Well, we didn't get our way, Okay,
let's find an opportunity not to play. I just I
don't know what that looks like that. I don't I
don't get it doesn't make sense to me, and so
what they were doing to me doesn't make really a
lot of sense as to why they would do that
outside of just being criers in emotional and maybe you're right,
maybe they did have I mean, I still think they
have their scars two thousand and four because it was
kind of the bag thing. I really knew they came
in they didn't start their start running back was Ryan Garrett,
he Menuly. Ryan Grant mentioned the came my teammate with
the backers. They sat him out, some other guys out
when they came into promo and we kicked their butts. Man,
they didn't, I mean, they had no answer for us.
It was like we're and you know, our blitzing defensive profits,
like we have to do s blitz from everywhere ready,
Quin didn't know what was coming, you know, and uh,
and then his excuse is always, well, we didn't play
our best players and not like, hey, our secondary doesn't
make your top three. You know, no offense to those guys,
but it's like, don't don't talk about talent. You know,
it's not like we're overflowing with talent at those times.
And so I do believe they were scarred, because that's
why they haven't come back to BYU. They haven't wanted
to come back to Provo. The only way that was
possibly have to play about a contral site game in Vegas,
but they sold fifty five percent of the stadium to
Notre Dame fans. So it's just it's the problem is
I think I mentioned this before. Their mortality and vulnerability
as a program is becoming very clear, and then they
have to adapt. They have to figure this out. I
don't next year they have a deal with the College
Football Playoff or they're guarantee the spot at breaks in
the top twelve. But who's to say you know how
you're gonna do once you get there, you know, especially
if you're not playing a lot of good teams, and
who knows that they're going to be matched up in
a way that they're playing it, you know, like they're
worthy to be there, Who knows. I mean, we've seen
them in a couple championship games over the last twenty years.
They've gotten absolutely destroyed. You know, the last tether the
championsh game against Olabama wasn't even a game of disaster.
So yeah, I just I think if like I said,
I think with them, they they there was a like
the Russian is cut moment they realized they were not
invincible whole seat, and they freaked out. And now they're
trying to figure out what the heck and where did
they sit in this world? And also the Independence Thame
players are rolling it. I heard their ad say that's
who we are. Well, if that's who you are and
you don't get other ads cooperating with you, you're just
not going to have opportunities to really play this big
level football that you're promoting and that you're telling your
kids that you're dreading are not that might not work
for you. So it's I think it's a it's a
recognition of mortality and vulnerability from there.
Speaker 1: At more Nay, Yeah, it's Uh.
Speaker 3: It's a unique, unique college football landscape right now. Do
you want to see the college football playoff expanded? If so,
to how many teams? What structure would you build if
you were the chancellor, the emperor of college football?
Speaker 2: Well, I've fit as many games the wee can fit in.
We take out I take out the championship like the
conference championship games. Yeah, and we would I just fit
as many teams from the last week of the season
that is viable to give you know, maybe the top
four teas a game come just a one week by.
I don't think you guarantee them the spots in the
big games. You just give them a one week by
in as many teams playing as you can, and just
speak after week and just whindles down. And then once
you finally get to what in the final eight, Okay,
there's your there's your Big BCS both or whatever those
games are called. Down, you know, there's your Big Bowl
Game participants, and then they you know, playoff. I can't
do another big game to the championship. So yeah, as
many as you can fit. I'm not sure. I'n't really
fought it. Like the little number. I mean, thirty was great,
you know, twenty five well, but more than mary. I
don't know why we we you know, once, because to me,
it's like, if you have something that's really good, it's
gonna be really good at twelve, it's gonna be really
good at twenty four, proctly really good at sixty. But
I think that's just getting a little too crazy at sixty,
you know. But I think somewhere around twenty five thirty
would be really, really fun because the thing that people
have to realize and I think this year is going
to do that. And I feel this way about UIU
in some ways. It's kind of a kind of mixed
on it. But what you want is wanted an understuted
champion at the end of the day. You know, I
don't want to think back in two thousand and four
like I do, because we've played both USC and Utah,
and I think, man, because you talk the USC, because
I really did the good up. But we'll never know,
right And if I think USC went on voted as
national champions, and guess what, that's a disrespect to them
because I don't even look at them as national champions
from that year. I told Matt Leonard that, you know,
on the radio thing a couple of years ago, he
like was a pall that I'd ever said that you
thought it was better, And like, well, guess what, I'm
an opponent of yours, and I think that that's the
problem because you're not undisputed, Like I don't look at
it like, yeah, you absolutely were the best you can
showed us on the sales. No, I don't know. So
whatever we can do to do that, and again it
was bius kind of like the same thing. It's like,
we don't know. You get very healthy again, you get
him back into the playoffs. You just get into tournament.
You just don't know how things are gonna shake out.
But I kind of don't give him the past because
they had, you know, that opportunity and Harling really pushed
the ticket into the playoffs, not any and song and
they didn't do it. But that's what I will out
of these playoffs. Get that number in there to where
there's never a question as to like, Okay, these guys
are under spirit of chance.
Speaker 3: Brady Popinga on the line Cougar Sports one of three
nine ninety eight point three ESPN, the Fan Talk and
some BYU Cougar Football. Would you look at the Pop
Starts Bowl the Georgia Tech. What challenges do they do
they post for this? BYU Cougar Football team, Well, they.
Speaker 2: Got a quarterback who's really good at number ten. He's
a legit dual track guy. Their whole offense is based
off of him. I think Jay said it really nice
and he talks like the very It's like Utah's offense
in a lot of ways. West Virginia, but they have
the talent like Utah. Uh, their offensive line, I think
if Utah's offensive line is you know, ten, their offensive
line to nine. I think they're left. I think their
tackles are really good at the right tackles athletic, the
left tackles athletic insurrans for you or bigger, more kind
of mallered kind of guys. They'll they'll move the best,
but they're they're competitive and they try hard. But it's
all about the quarterback, you know. It's and he's a
decent thrower. He's an anxious throw He wants when he's
in the fogging, want to get the ball out, you know.
Or he runs and then when he runs, he's funny
because he's not this quick, twitchy guy. He's a real
patient weaver. So we'll kind of like probe in a
little spot and then all of a sudden the little
gap opens and then he can accelerate fast enough to
exploit those gaps. But uh, but he's a good player, man.
You have to the key is I disciplined with these
kind of guys are because we got to get safety supports.
You don't get safety the support you're gonna get gashed,
you know, especially on those power runs when you're stealing
everything to the siline, and so our safety eyes have
to get so locked in that they're playing crazy downhill
when it's the power h or any of those point
guards or were spilling to the edges. But at the
same time, they can't get sucked up when any playoff
should pass and get beat over the top because they
have good enough athletes. They don't have I would say,
like a receiver like the TCU that number one, he's
a home run hitter. They have more like guys like
U sef that they're capable. They can beat you if
you're not disciplined. But then at the same time, you know,
if if you're just a little off here, they could,
you know, pomp one on him, and so you gotta
be careful. So it's gonna be a really good challenge
for our guys. I'm excited to have him go down
to Orlando and you know, joining those festivities and get
another opportunity. I think it's gonna be huge for you know,
a lot of these young guys that we've seen grow
that will continue to grow, and it's gonna be huge
for better I hope he can come back playing.
Speaker 4: This is huge in his development to continue to stack weeks,
continue to stack games to UH to help him out
to present his highest ability, and so I'm excited for him.
Speaker 3: Brady Butpinga here on ESBA, the fan discussion of college
Folau BYU football and more. Couple things here regarding recruiting.
BYU just signed a top twenty one class in the
twenty twenty sixth class.
Speaker 1: I was looking at twenty twenty.
Speaker 3: Their class was ranked eightieth, and you look at what
was accomplished from that time to present day.
Speaker 1: They went eleven and one. They then they've been ten
and three.
Speaker 3: Eight and five, five and five and seven and then
back to back eleven and two seasons with you know,
you look at BYU's timeline.
Speaker 1: Typically it takes you know, three four five years in
order to.
Speaker 3: I guess, reach a peak with a recruiting class, eightieth
ranked recruiting class, and I was looking at who was
in that class? Body scoonover, Who's trending in a great direction?
John Nelson was another highlight. Soone MOA was like the
lowest ranked player in that class, pretty crazy. Cody Epps
was a part of that class. But then I get
you know, twenty twenty six I'm like, this is the
twenty first ranked class. Ryder Lions, Bot Mulatalo, Brock Harris,
Adam Bywater, Tygetchi, Jeron Pula, Lopetti, Mwala Kennon Pula, Jack's Tanner,
Terrence Seri, and Braxton Lindsay Kawea Conna. I don't know
if you know all these guys Legend, glasger Mace and
Matthew Mason. Anyway, Uh, do you any thoughts on the
twenty twenty sixth class and what this means for BA
football and do you have any favorites in this class?
Speaker 2: Well? I tend to not get too excited about it
because if you come back to my class and wasn't
very highly talented, but I'd say probably ended up being,
you know, the best college and pro player out of
that whole group of guys that recruited ninety eight. But uh,
I don't really get caught up in it.
Speaker 1: But I do know who else is in your class?
Who else was in your class? Do you remember?
Speaker 2: Yeah, like Reno Mahey, Dustin Reiker, I think was in
that This is class guys that were just when they signed,
Guys that never showed up. It was kind of fascinating.
I don't think they could ever qualify. So anyway, another
you know, another era where we're trying to figuring things out.
But no, what I love about like this last year especially,
I remember walking into training camp in August, first part there,
and I was really impressed with the talent level. You know,
I just like this is and I saw I've never
seen this much talent on tood even I said on
the radio many times in a BYU uniforms, you know,
And I think what we saw in twenty twenty four
was a typical BYU team where you had some dang
good players sprinkled in there and then you just had
some really good, tough football kids that played a lot
better than their rob The ability now I believe, and
this is I think with Clonnie and Kelly and Jay
and all these guys did really well on the staff
is they can take talent and they can they can
maximize that, they can really magnify it. And so they
and they know also how to continue to work the
same you know foundation of BAU football, which is scrappy,
competitive kids that love to play the game. LOVEDYU and
now if you mixed out with raw talent, you could
beat anybody in the country any give a week. And
I think that's where we're at. Quite frankly, I do
believe that now, can we improve on our skilled position
players and find some more home run hitters. Absolutely, can
we do the same, you know on the defensive front,
you know, find some guys to replace Isaiah and Jack.
I think we can and so and that's that's hard
to do here and in year out, you know, but
I see this as a really exciting time because you're
getting raw talent combined with that scrappy, tough play with passion,
humble yu kid. That's a real, real potent combination and that,
like I said, will always keep them in contention as
long as they have decent and really functional quarterback play
year in and year out.
Speaker 1: Yeah, I like that take.
Speaker 3: And right now, you know, the quarterback room is fantastic.
Like Bert Bockmeyer, you have, you know, some experience with
Trason and McKay Hillstead. I wonder, you know, Emerson Golement's
probably gonna go on a mission. I really liked Emerson Goleman.
By the way, I wish I wish he was a
return missionary, right now, any thoughts on Emerson. Have you
seen him at all in practice, scout team or otherwise?
Speaker 2: Has he been playing? Is he number ten? I don't
know what his number is a scout team. He's probably
number ten this week because we're comparing preparing for during
his deck. But I mean there's I don't know his name,
but there's a dude. He's long, he could run and
he could yet fit that he reminds me Ben Olsen.
Speaker 3: Number sixteen. Yeah, he's six four to two oh seven.
He's the product at a boutiful high school's number sixteen.
Speaker 2: Yeah, I really, yeah, he's been very impressive against our
our defense and yeah, and so I like him a lot.
You know, I think there's as we continue to progress
and guys don't get kicked out, you know, because because
like I said last you know, we played in the
Texas Tech and with Beard rolling up on his ankle,
getting his ankle rolled up, that was the only time
where really the quarterback death threw us, you know, this
whole year, and it wasn't it wasn't about design, right,
It's not like they didn't recruit enough. We had, I
mean we were loaded, you know with Jake and then there.
You couldn't ask for two better start, you know, top
two quarterbacks, and then obviously those situations with Jake, so uh,
I see that happening again, and it's gonna be a
lot of good internal competition. And then as long as
that stays true and you keep that solid quarterback play,
you know, we keep getting offensive linemen and tough runners,
you know, because I think LJ is probably gonna go
to the NFL. I was invising him. I would, so
we're you know, we're gonna be looking for another tough
between the tackles, pile driver basically that you can just
lean on to really physically pound a team and pulverize them.
But uh, and I think we'll find somebody. But yeah,
I mean, this is this is what the Klonie does. Man.
If you if you remember back to his I think
it was his first press conference, you know, they're kind
of doing the you know what do they call that
dog and pony show, and he kept saying, you know,
I just want to get to recruiting because that's what
I love and that's and I think you approve of that,
Like this is what he does, you know. And then
he's taught his guys to do the same. And you know,
Jay and I keep you on bringing jail because I
think they're cut from the same cloth, you know, Kelly,
they these guys Justin and the whole crew. They they're
extra recruiters, you know. And and then they also have
a really good, uh program to sell. You know, you're
not selling these guys anymore on hopes and dreams. And
you know, playing time like he could you know, used
to be like, hey, you come here at BA and
immediately play. Now it's hey, you're gonna come and you're
gonna play. This is top most football prepared to play
in the other Oh, it's gonna be done in an enjoyable,
exciting way. And then you got this BUYU fan base
that you know what you have, you have some good years,
You're you're gonna become legendary. You know that. That's that's
very very pillic. So anyway, it's exciting.
Speaker 4: Man.
Speaker 2: I think that, like I said, I think that's a
weren't a good place. And I think that draft or
the draft class I called the draft class, that uh,
that recruiting class is an example.
Speaker 3: Of that love that any popinga ladies and gentlemen guys. UH,
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Speaker 1: Brady. Thanks for hopping on today. Brother.
Speaker 2: As always, my pleasure, My pleasure, brother, and gokoobs.
Speaker 1: All right, there you have it. That's Brady Papinga. Guys,
the season to be giving.
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nine ninet eight point three