How do you think the GT combine invitees will do?
KQ- Interesting question. I'm not sure on Zeek Biggers. I'm not sure what he lifts or how he will run good or bad, I just don't have a great framework to have an idea on him. Jackson Hawes I think will do well with the measurables and in drills. He is pretty solid at all of that stuff. I'm unsure how he will run.
What do you make of the spring game cancellations?
KQ- I think paranoia is at an all-time high in the coaching ranks and this is a little bit extreme. Most of the coaches hate the spring game as a rule. Generally it is just a chance for guys to show off a little bit who don't get to play much (think Chris Elko last year) and avoid getting hurt. Key kept some things under wraps last year in the spring game as an example with how they used players and he even admitted afterward they kept it cool.
If the coaches think this will avoid poaching, they are out of their minds. If kids are doing well that haven't played word gets out and/or their agents will be shopping them with practice clips or whatever they can use regardless.
I think they need to just make the FCS game the spring game and have some parameters around it and call it a day or you scrimmage someone you wouldn't normally play like you have an ACC/SEC challenge and a Big 1G/Big XII challenge and let those teams have a real scrimmage with some player caps on it and go live.
How big of a recruiting pitch is the Fanning Center?
KQ- I think it helps. The Edge was in rough shape when I started on the beat in 2009. So much wasted space and a bizarre layout that looked old. Is that going to sell a kid to come to GT? No. Is it going to help perhaps? I think based on what Batt, Key and others have said about it on and off the record it should be a very positive forward facing building for the athletic department and that is always a good thing.
Among the players from the 2024 class who haven’t gotten much buzz or playing time, who do you see making an impact next season?
KQ- So there are some significant candidates on both lines of scrimmage to step up. Offensively I look at guys like Jameson Riggs, Tana (he played every game but on PAT/FG and a handful of offensive snaps) or like Jordan Floyd as candidates to step into a much larger role. Last year Jordan Brown came out of nowhere from summer workouts and not even the spring so you never know when the
will come on with OLs. They expect Luke Harpring to be in the mix for one of the TE jobs as well. Defensively, Jordan Boyd and Amontrae Bradford played a ton on special teams but now is the time they need them to step up and there will be snaps available to get into the rotation for both players. This is make or break time for a guy like Landen Marshall as well to me who didn't impress in the fall on the scout team.
Can you name any recent players that took that step in their second year on the Flats?
KQ- Bailey Stockton last year was a good example or Chad Alexander both who came in via the walk-on route ironically. It is a little funky to think back over the last few years because of all the weird class status moves due to covid and the irregular class movement and stuff like that.
Football: Who do you think will be able to get the most out of spring scrimmages?
KQ- The defensive side of the ball. They need to find chemistry within the defensive line and front six overall as that is a complete overhaul and now you have a new DC who may call it a little differently.
With the qualification that a program going in the right direction has coaches getting poached/hired elsewhere, how does Brent Key do the research in always having a list of guys? Is it him actually watching games and noticing playing calling or schemes he likes? Or from coaches clinics like they have coming up where he can get a vibe of the person first? I assume it's more likely, other guys on the staff know people from previous jobs?
KQ- Coaches talk to other coaches all the time and they also watch film like crossover film or scouting so you'll pick up on that I like how North Dakota State attacked Colorado and how their LBs played or whatever and he may jot down a note about something like that and then keep that in mind for later. Essentially it is like a pro sports team you are always looking to improve your roster or staff in this case and you are looking around. Key has tons of friends in the business and that is where a lot of these recs come from, but he has some super obscure guys he is looking at too. Like more obscure than the names that popped up in the DC search. There was literally one name that I had never heard of the coach or the SCHOOL. He dives pretty deep. There are connections at events like coaching conventions or clinics or just guys he bumps into on the recruiting trail (less so now that he is an HC).
Things are trending up but any idea if basketball NIL will be up significantly up this spring from last year or more or less in a similar place? Curious what inroads Damon is making with donors if you’ve heard.
KQ- This wouldn't be the time to make inroads with donors, the dude is busy coaching his ass off right now. As far as NIL goes, GT will be able to pay more just through the fact they will be able to pay through the school starting in July or whenever that kicks in. How much? I don't know how Batt will allocate that money. I'm sure that is going to be an interesting talking point in the spring ACC meetings.
When will ESPN and the other networks finally understand that a 2 hour window for a college basketball game just doesn't work with all their commercials and time outs?
KQ- They stack those bad boys up on top of each other and have forever. The idea is they don't want to have like a 30-minute studio show to kill time so they intentionally make it so the games overlap.
Might we see any new developments/content for 2025? Anything new/exciting for Kelly this year?
KQ- There are a lot of irons in the fire. The next two years will be very interesting on JOL and for me.
Any inside scoop on how the players/coaches are reacting to Blake.
KQ- So far so good, they won't know a lot until they actually get on the field with the staff and start working.
Are we really switching artificial turf for new artificial turf and still planning to do real grass some day in the future?
KQ- They are not ready to go to grass. It is a huge investment to switch back and I expect it will happen in 2026 or 2027. The turf has to be replaced from time to time and they opted to replace it now.
Any word on scheme adjustments with the new DC?
KQ- My understanding is he is going to fit his scheme within the structure that is in place already. They aren't switching to a straight up 2-4 front six or anything wild like that. Jess Simpson is pretty involved with what the front four does schematically and was with Santucci and will be with Gideon. Gideon's expertise is with the secondary and he will focus his energy on fixing that part of the defense and scheming there more than some dramatic overall scheme change. He wants to fix the backend of the defense and that was Key's goal as well with the new hires there and then they hired the new LB coach who will help oversee that group as well.
Not to get too political but how, if anyway, is the new administration affecting NCAA sports?
KQ- I think there will be a push away from Title IX and how that is impacted by NIL which we are already seeing and I think there will be tremendous pushback if the SEC/Big Ten try to break apart from this administration given where a lot of their aligned political power is based in areas that have schools that would be screwed in that scenario financially in the Big XII in particular so that could end up being somewhat helpful. I'm curious how the march toward the SAs becoming employees or not and if they have contracts or not and if any of that stuff plays out. It is not a pro-individual administration, they are pro-business aka the schools in athletics case so that will be interesting to watch. That's just my take on it.
