UC Football Transfer Portal Opening Presser Courtesy: UC Athletics
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00:00 Media availability today with head coach Scott Satterfield.
00:05 Returning All-Americans Mason Fletcher and Dante Corleone.
00:09 Coach, we'll start off with a quick opening statement,
00:12 and please raise your hands for questions for the student athletes and coach.
00:15 Coach Satterfield, please.
00:17 Yeah, I think first of all, just, you know,
00:19 we want to have this press conference just to get together,
00:21 talk a little bit about what's happening on our team
00:23 and, you know, what we're moving forward with.
00:26 You know, first of all, awesome to have these two guys, you know,
00:30 sitting here beside me.
00:31 As you think about, you know, pillars of the program,
00:34 these two guys here are certainly great examples of that.
00:38 Phenomenal human beings, but really outstanding football players as well.
00:42 And, you know, it was of huge importance for me to be able to have these guys
00:47 come back and be a part of this team.
00:49 I mean, I think they're obviously great leaders,
00:50 but to have them in the locker room, to have them training in the offseason
00:54 program and all those type things I think are obviously huge.
00:58 And not only these two guys, you think about, you know,
01:01 five starters back on the offensive line, on an offensive line,
01:05 that finished fifth in the country in rushing,
01:07 I mean that's huge to have those guys come back.
01:10 Corey Conner, which is, you know,
01:12 one of the hardest working players that I've been around, you know,
01:16 every day he's in there doing something.
01:18 And he's a guy who's rushed 4,000 yards and, you know,
01:20 something that's not to take lightly, I think.
01:22 That's huge, the first year in the Big 12 to have a 1,000-yard rusher,
01:25 that's phenomenal, you know, for the guys up front and for Corey,
01:29 the way he put together a great season.
01:31 And to have him coming back, you know, Cincinnati kid, you know,
01:35 that's just, again, a great example of what we want to have in our program.
01:39 You know, we're excited about where we're headed, you know.
01:42 Obviously disappointed in our record last year, you know.
01:45 Shoot, we outgained, you know, I think six opponents by more than 100 yards,
01:49 so that tells you we're not that far off.
01:52 You know, we did not do the things that were good enough to seal games, I think.
01:56 And it comes down to being disciplined.
01:58 And I think, you know, that's ultimately these games,
02:01 a lot of it are decided in the fourth quarter.
02:03 And it's the team that's the most disciplined,
02:05 the team that does things right the majority of the time.
02:08 And I'm talking off the field and on the field.
02:10 And, you know, so we want to fill that locker room with those type of individuals
02:14 because when it gets down to it, it's crunch time, we've got to make the play.
02:17 Those guys will make the plays because they do things right.
02:20 And, you know, guys like this that do things right, you know,
02:24 that will have a strong voice in the locker room, we need that.
02:28 And, you know, I think about, you know, some of the other guys that will be coming up,
02:32 they're the same way.
02:33 So we're excited about the future of it, the program.
02:36 We're looking forward to December 20th where we have, you know,
02:39 it will be over 20 high school players that will be signing with us.
02:42 We're excited about those guys.
02:44 And as you guys know, we're right in the beginning of portal season.
02:47 And so we're looking to add some players in that regard.
02:51 And, you know, certainly these guys will be involved in, you know,
02:55 Kendra and Gerhardt and these guys will be involved in that process
02:59 because, man, this is their team.
03:01 And they want to bring in quality individuals.
03:03 And I think more than anything is quality people and individuals,
03:06 and that's what we're looking to do.
03:08 So I'll open it up for questions.
03:10 Chad.
03:11 Coach, the importance is it -- can it not be stated of finding maybe that core
03:19 as you go into speed dating season?
03:21 Because, I mean, it's chaos and you're trying to find people you have a connection
03:26 either here, there, any which way.
03:28 But how critical was it that week before to say, okay,
03:32 this is the foundation of what we are going forward, and those guys are all on board?
03:38 You know, you can't say it any louder.
03:41 I mean, to be able to have the core leadership of our team from last year,
03:45 and, you know, these guys have had great success throughout their careers
03:48 individually, but also as team players.
03:51 And to go through what we went through last year and for these guys to continue
03:55 to lead and to continue to try to be a positive example, I mean, it's huge.
03:58 And to carry this into the offseason is huge.
04:01 And so when you think about bringing over 20 freshmen in here that need to be
04:06 able to look up to these guys right here to say, all right, this is how it's done,
04:10 this is how you're supposed to work, this is how you're supposed to carry yourself,
04:13 you know, we need great examples of those guys, character guys that can show these
04:17 young people how they're supposed to be and how they're supposed to act.
04:20 You know, I think that's huge.
04:22 And so, yeah, you can't say it loud enough how awesome it is to be able to get
04:26 these guys back in the program.
04:28 You know, and here's the other thing.
04:30 I mean, these guys, man, you know, you think about the portal.
04:32 Like these guys on the market could have went out there and landed at a lot of
04:37 other great places, right, you know, and could have went to the next level, you
04:42 know, professionally.
04:44 I mean, there's a lot of avenues these guys could have taken, but the fact of
04:48 them to say, hey, listen, we're coming back, we want to see this program get to
04:51 a great place and get back to a great place.
04:53 And to be those kind of leaders that we want to have in the program, it says a
04:57 lot about who they are individually.
04:59 Dante, how much of your staying was what the city means to you, what the school
05:05 means to you, and then second part, you know, getting that bad taste out of your
05:11 mouth from what happened this year, and third, how much of it really was you just
05:16 couldn't go somewhere that there wasn't Skyline?
05:19 Yeah, for me it's legacy, you know.
05:21 I want to finish off on top, like just finish it on a high note, you know.
05:25 Second, I just want to help Coach Satt, you know, someone I can go to talk to
05:30 about anything, you know, I want to build a foundation.
05:32 He said December 20th, that's where all the freshmen come in.
05:35 So that's my job this year and footy job and all the other people on the team
05:38 that's still here, trying to build that foundation, you know, that's where it
05:41 starts at, them freshmen.
05:43 We got to teach them, like, the highs and lows of this game because they're not
05:47 going to know anything coming in, so we just got to teach them one day at a time.
05:50 And it's just I'm big on loyalty, you know.
05:53 Money is not the main point for me.
05:56 I just want to learn how to be a professional at the end of the day.
05:59 I feel like I needed more of that, so that's what was a big part of me coming
06:02 back.
06:03 I know Coach Satt and that great staff he got can help me with that.
06:05 So that's why I was like -- it was a hard but it wasn't.
06:08 So it was an easy decision to come back, especially because we got such a great
06:11 leader, a head coach.
06:12 So it was an easy decision for me to make.
06:14 But, you know, I'm a Bearcat and I'm excited to get to work.
06:17 But also, what Coach said earlier, like, it's now my part to be around these
06:21 transfer portal guys so I can know if they're going to buy in or not.
06:25 So that's my job and that's the footy job and then the rest of the team.
06:28 We got to be collective, including the fans.
06:30 It's all one -- we all got one goal and that's winning championships.
06:34 So we got to build brick by brick.
06:36 So that's the foundation.
06:38 That's what we got to keep going on.
06:39 So that's something I'm very excited about.
06:41 And I just wake up with a smile on my face every day that we're going to find
06:44 the best people to get in this team to buy in.
06:47 And Skyline, of course.
06:49 [Laughter]
06:51 Dante, kind of continuing with the portal, you're obviously from Cincinnati,
06:54 you've played here for so long.
06:55 What kind of specific mindset and what kind of person coming out of the portal
06:59 do these guys need to be to kind of fit in this culture at Cincinnati
07:02 and achieve what you guys want to achieve?
07:04 Yeah, there's three things, taking coaching, wanting to buy in,
07:08 and just holding yourself accountable.
07:10 Like, those are the big three things you got to have, like,
07:13 if you want to be under Coach Satt.
07:15 Those are just the big three main objectives.
07:18 So we're going to find people that want to buy in, and if not,
07:21 we don't want you.
07:22 So we're just going to keep -- just being honest,
07:25 but we're just going to keep trying to find the best players out that want to
07:28 buy in at the end of the day.
07:30 Are you still at 12 to 14?
07:32 That was your initial gauge.
07:34 Yeah, you know, it's obviously fluid.
07:36 You know, we'll see where that number lands,
07:38 but roughly somewhere in that ballpark.
07:41 Also, are you taken aback by how crazy it's been, just the sheer numbers
07:46 and some of the names, and you guys probably know some of these guys.
07:50 Do you look at it and go, "Holy crap, that guy's in there"?
07:54 Well, I mean, it doesn't surprise me -- well,
07:57 nothing really surprises me anymore.
07:59 But I think this year, obviously I think this thing has been going on now,
08:03 what, for two or three years,
08:05 and each year it's gotten bigger and bigger and bigger.
08:07 You know, it's -- I love and appreciate loyalty, I really do.
08:14 You know, like with Dante and, you know, what he just mentioned.
08:17 I mean, I think that is few and far between, I think, anymore.
08:21 And, you know, but every -- here's the other thing.
08:24 You don't want to put everybody in the same category
08:26 because every situation is different.
08:28 You know, somebody's reasoning for leaving their school
08:31 was maybe different than someone else's.
08:33 Everybody's got their reasons; right?
08:35 And so, for us, as we're looking to bring a part of --
08:37 the Bearcats family is like, "All right, what's your reasoning for leaving?
08:40 All right, what's your issues?
08:42 And what are you looking at this, trying to get out of this?"
08:45 And so, we have to do a great job of vetting the guys
08:49 and try to bring the right ones in.
08:51 And the ones that, you know, like he mentioned,
08:53 that would take coaching, that would want to be a part of a team.
08:56 Because this is a unique sport.
08:58 This is not like, you know, some of these other sports,
09:01 particularly individual sports.
09:03 It's a team sport.
09:04 There's 11 guys on the field at one time.
09:06 I'm one, but I am playing for the other 10 that I'm out there on the field with.
09:10 It's a team sport.
09:11 If you do that, then you're going to have some great individual success.
09:15 But if all you care about is yourself, then you're not.
09:18 You're not going to have success.
09:20 The team's not going to have success.
09:21 So, as we're looking to bring -- that's the kind we want to bring in, guys,
09:24 that, listen, they all want individual success.
09:26 We get that.
09:27 But you've got to do it within a team structure.
09:29 And that's the thing that we have to find, you know,
09:31 guys that want to put the work in to do it as a team.
09:33 Ryan, then Chad.
09:34 Coach, you mentioned this offseason is going to be really hard,
09:36 not only for the players but also the coaches.
09:38 Can you just describe some of the differences in this offseason playing
09:41 compared to last year?
09:42 Yeah, I mean, you know, for me, I mean,
09:44 I've got a much better feel about who we've got in the locker room.
09:46 I come in here, I have no idea.
09:48 You know, Dante used to come hang out in my office all the time in the
09:51 offseason, so I knew him.
09:52 But you just don't really know what makes people tick and those type things.
09:57 So, we've got a great feel for that now.
09:59 But it's like, you know, offseasons are supposed to be hard.
10:02 They're always hard.
10:03 I mean, that's part of it.
10:04 You know, you go through it because you break everybody down
10:06 and then we build everybody back up.
10:08 You know, there's going to be early morning stuff that we're going to be doing,
10:11 competition, lifting and running,
10:13 and all the things that most programs all do.
10:17 We'll split our guys up into teams and have competition within the teams.
10:20 We're going to put coaches on these teams as well.
10:24 And we're holding everybody accountable.
10:26 You know, there's going to be repercussions for people that don't do right
10:29 and that don't win certain competitions.
10:32 And so, we're all going to be in this together, the coaches and the players.
10:37 Hopefully it will bring us really close.
10:39 As we think about doing these particular teams,
10:41 I think we're going to have six different teams.
10:43 They're going to be a mix of all different position groups and coaches.
10:46 So, everybody gets to know everybody a little bit better that way.
10:49 And I just think it brings you tighter and closer.
10:51 You'll face adversity throughout this winter program.
10:54 How are you going to react?
10:55 And so, what you try to create is adversity that we've faced during the season.
10:59 Like, how people react, that's when you see true colors.
11:01 And so, we're going to try to see that
11:02 and find that out in the off season as opposed to during the season.
11:06 Fletch, in your return announcement, you mentioned getting healthy.
11:10 Just take us through some of the struggles that you had physically this year
11:15 to stay on the field.
11:17 And then, you're an All-American, you're an all-conference guy.
11:21 You could have gone pretty much anywhere that you wanted.
11:23 Why stay?
11:25 Why the decision to see this thing through?
11:28 Yeah, so, for the first part, I kind of just had,
11:30 I guess at the end of last year, kind of returned with some,
11:34 like a sport-ernia type stuff and then some real sort of tightness in my groins.
11:38 And couldn't really figure that out for the whole season.
11:41 And we didn't know whether to operate or not.
11:43 And decided just to go with what was kicking well enough to go through the season.
11:46 And I don't think I was unbelievable this season, like I maybe had been last year.
11:51 But I thought I did pretty well this year.
11:53 And the whole punt team as a group, considering how much that had changed,
11:56 even with the young guys on that unit, I think we're 15, 16 in the country.
11:59 So, pretty proud of them.
12:01 And those young guys, like Jonathan Thompson, who's coming back next year,
12:04 I guess answering your next question, a guy like that sort of is a big motivation for me.
12:09 Because I see a guy like that being a really damn good football player.
12:12 And that's someone that I want to be around next year.
12:15 And that's someone that I want to help grow.
12:17 And we had a lot of young guys this year that we've retained that are going to come back
12:22 and have played a lot of football where in other situations or in other teams that I've been in,
12:27 you kind of didn't get your chance because there's so many guys in front of you and stuff like that.
12:31 But, yeah, this city means a lot to me.
12:33 And I've been here for three years now.
12:35 And it was Coach Mason, special teams coach, who's doing his job for the Colts at the moment,
12:39 doing really well for himself.
12:41 So, good on him.
12:42 But he recruited me and he took a shot on me.
12:44 And I think we kicked over face time.
12:46 And that's just how it was back in the day, back in the days of COVID.
12:49 And he took a shot on me.
12:50 And, you know, the rest is history.
12:52 And this city has really looked after me.
12:54 And, yeah, to be honest with you, there was kind of no question with me coming back, to be honest.
12:58 I mean, there was agents and all that stuff that are always going to be in the picture.
13:01 But, you know, my dad always kind of said to me, you know, money and that stuff will kind of come.
13:06 And you don't get to be in college forever and just enjoy that.
13:10 And, yeah, so, yeah, there was no real worry for me coming back or not.
13:14 That's kind of what I was going to get to next.
13:16 How do you lean -- do you lean on your dad and your grandpa on that ability to --
13:21 you know, they've been professional athletes and they know what this is about.
13:24 How much do you lean on them?
13:26 Yeah, a lot, for sure.
13:27 And I'm very lucky and blessed to be in a situation like that where I've had two blood-related people that, you know,
13:34 I grew up and they raised me to be the man I am today, to be so close to them even though I am so far away.
13:40 Yeah, I've been so lucky in that sense because he's been through it.
13:43 He did it for 20 years.
13:44 My grandpa did it for 15 years.
13:46 And they've been hugely successful in their own game.
13:49 And I think professional sport and being a professional athlete,
13:52 no matter where it's Australian football or American football, there's some similarities there.
13:56 So to be able to lean on them has been awesome.
13:59 Dante, Mason, obviously you guys talked about the importance of coming back,
14:03 but how important is it for this offseason with guys like yourselves, Dante -- or Dante, Mason,
14:09 the offensive line returning, Corey, what's been the big emphasis for you guys heading into this offseason?
14:14 Obviously you talk about the leadership.
14:15 What's the biggest focus as you guys are heading into this offseason with this group?
14:19 I think kind of just going with what I just said before, like a guy like Jonathan Thompson,
14:24 it's just someone we -- we've got a crux of those players.
14:29 I think Barry Jackson is going to be a damn good footballer as well.
14:32 They're the people that need -- what Dante said before, they need to be guided.
14:36 They don't need to be -- you know, we don't need to be breathing down their neck all the time,
14:39 but they're people that need to be guided by someone like me and Dante who's been here for three years
14:43 and seen success and seen how a team works together.
14:47 It's going to be huge, and I'm really excited for it, to be honest,
14:50 because I learned more last year than I've learned -- I was just saying to my dad the other night,
14:55 I learned more last year than I had in my whole career of playing sport.
14:59 I think you obviously don't want seasons like that, and it leaves a really sour taste in your mouth,
15:03 and it's heartbreaking, to be honest, because you go through all that struggle to not end with, you know,
15:08 the amount of wins you want to, but at the same time, too,
15:10 there's a lot of positives that we can take from last season going into next season.
15:14 A couple more adjustments, JT.
15:16 To add to that, but at the end of the day, I say foundation again,
15:19 but we've got a lot of young guys that can play.
15:21 I just feel like my motivation this year to tell them is, like, to stay ready.
15:26 Like, Kaelin Carroll's a guy that he probably wasn't expecting to play this year,
15:29 and he played really well at the end of the year.
15:31 So the young guys -- I'm going to tell the young guys this year to stay ready, just keep working,
15:35 even though you've got a red shirt.
15:36 The red shirt was a big year for me, you know.
15:38 Losing all that weight and getting my confidence back, and then just taking off from there is like a lot.
15:43 So I just tell them to stay patient and just keep working.
15:47 Coach, those exit meetings you have, whether it's a player ends up staying
15:51 or a player goes in the portal, what do those look like in general,
15:53 and, you know, what kind of expectations are maybe talked about when you have those meetings with players?
15:58 Yeah, I mean, I think, you know, those conversations that, you know,
16:01 are had with the position coaches, you know, you have those at the end of the season
16:05 because you want to find out what's going on.
16:07 You also -- also, you know, for the young guys, you say, hey, listen,
16:10 here's the things you did great this year, here's where you need to improve, and you set goals,
16:15 you figure out how to get better as you move forward, and then you figure out, all right,
16:19 well, who's not going to be a part of this, and who's -- you know, so those type of things you figure out.
16:24 I think for coaches, for us, we figure out, all right,
16:26 here's our plan moving forward now after having these exit meetings,
16:30 because you don't truly know what's going to happen, you know, when you have these exit meetings,
16:33 and, you know, everybody across the country is certainly having those.
16:35 That's why the NCAA made those days dead, you know, for those first three or four days in the last week of the season,
16:41 so you can talk with your players now, because we all -- it's a different era of football, college football,
16:47 and these teams are turning over a lot.
16:50 And for me, in a perfect world, we don't want to turn over a lot of our players.
16:55 You know, we want to keep our guys intact, certainly the guys that are doing things right
17:00 and the guys that are playmakers for you.
17:02 And there's some guys, and these guys mention them, some young players like J.T.
17:05 I mean, he's a very young player.
17:06 He got to play a lot this year, and he made some mistakes, you know, but he's going to grow,
17:10 and he's going to learn, and that's part of going through some adversities.
17:12 You learn and come out the other side so much better.
17:15 And so those are some of the conversations you have in the exit meetings about, man,
17:18 we see a really bright future for you, and, you know, you keep doing the things you're doing.
17:21 You keep working, man, and you're going to be a great player.
17:25 And I think it's hard sometimes for young players.
17:27 You know, I think about like a Barry Jackson who, you know,
17:29 we were in a red shirt and he played in four games.
17:32 You know, I'm sure he wanted to play a lot this year, but he's a true freshman, you know,
17:35 and just like Dante, he went through a red shirt.
17:37 You know, you do that, you grow a lot, and on the other side of that, man,
17:40 you're going to be so much better.
17:41 There will be appreciative of it, I think, later on, but, you know,
17:43 as you go through it, it's a little bit tougher.
17:45 So just having those conversations of just continue to be positive and lift these guys up.
17:49 Last couple, J.T. and then Keegan.
17:51 All right, Mason and Dante.
17:54 Mason and Dante, why was it so important for you guys to announce that you were coming back
17:58 before the portal opened?
18:00 Just to let the portal guys know that like two of the best players returned just to show like how --
18:09 like the program is still going to be intact, but like we still going to have the players here
18:13 to support and recruit, so we're going to try to recruit the best players.
18:16 Just to show them like we're very excited to come back next year
18:19 and just do what we got to do.
18:22 Just I guess as well, Dante, to add to that, just to show people that this is a place
18:25 that I want to be at and that Dante wants to be at and that people want to come to
18:28 and they should want to come here.
18:30 It's a really proud city and that loves all their sports.
18:33 And they probably struggled a little bit this year across the board,
18:36 but it's a city that absolutely loves their sports.
18:38 And as I said before, there's no one else I'd want to play for.
18:40 And kind of it was not difficult for me to come back to be honest.
18:44 And that kind of sounds crazy with the transfer portal being what it is at the moment
18:47 and all these schools and stuff like that, but it's not difficult for me.
18:51 This is a place that I want to be at and it's where I want to finish off my career,
18:55 hopefully on a really positive note.
18:57 And kids in the portal should know that.
19:00 Final question, Keegan.
19:01 Coach, are there any specific positions of interest that you and the recruiting staff
19:04 are looking after in the portal?
19:07 Yeah, I mean I think certainly there's not any position that's off limits.
19:11 We're going to look at all positions.
19:13 But obviously you're trying to fill in some gaps.
19:15 You know, the defensive back room, we'll obviously fill in some gaps there.
19:18 Linebacker room, you know, receiver room, you know,
19:23 we lost some of the guys out there.
19:24 So I do think we'll look and, you know, you want to see what's out there.
19:28 You want to see maybe our gauge interest of anybody that may be interested.
19:31 And then kind of go down that road.
19:33 It's a very fluid process.
19:34 I mean there's a lot of moving parts.
19:36 Things change, I wouldn't say every day, but really every hour.
19:39 You know, things changing now over the next two weeks.
19:41 These next two weeks are going to be extremely critical.
19:43 You know, it ends up going dead there in the December 20th week.
19:47 And, you know, and then it's dead all the way up until the beginning of January.
19:50 And then, of course, we start classes.
19:52 So for us, these next two weeks are going to be very important about, you know,
19:55 getting the right guys on campus and figuring out where we need to go from there.
19:59 You're okay at punting?
20:01 Yeah, I think we're in good hands in the punt game.
20:03 We got my man Fletch right here.
20:05 Yeah, we're in great shape.
20:06 We're in great shape.
20:07 So probably don't need to be looking for a punter.
20:10 Thanks, Coach.
20:11 All right, thank you guys.
20:14 What did this last season teach you?
20:16 You know, you had a lot of winning in your career,
20:18 and then you go through a tough season.
20:19 How much did you lose in kind of learning how to lose
20:22 and how you and this team have reacted to it?
20:24 You know, it's been difficult.
20:26 I came in probably at the perfect time to come into this program
20:29 and go through so many wins and be a part of all that.
20:32 And then to go through this season, it was rough.
20:35 But I believe in this coaching staff, and I knew that, you know,
20:38 give me another year, we'll get things back under control
20:41 and we'll get things back going.
20:43 Gavin, you guys all made the announcement as an offensive line group
20:47 to come back and run it back for the 24th season,
20:49 all kind of around the same time.
20:51 Could you just walk us through what it was like with those conversations
20:53 as that offensive line to, hey, let's run this thing back
20:56 for one more season all together?
20:58 You know, throughout the season, we all knew that we were probably going to all come back.
21:05 And, you know, towards the end of the season,
21:08 we didn't really have too many conversations.
21:10 It was just kind of a feeling, and we all knew that we were all going to come back.
21:15 And then once we announced it, we all decided, you know,
21:17 Corey announced it that morning that we would all announce it at the same time.
21:20 One of the guys was a little late to the party.
21:23 We give him jokes about that every once in a while.
21:26 But it was real important for us to get that out there and let the fan base know.
21:31 Yeah, I also think that just us being us announcing at the same time
21:35 was kind of important just for, you know, everyone knowing that we're all on the same page
21:40 and that we're all coming back to, you know, having belief in Coach Satt
21:44 and Coach Cardwell and the whole coaching staff.
21:46 So I think that's another big important aspect of it.
21:50 Even though you're all back, I'm sure you paid attention to what's going on yesterday
21:54 with everybody in.
21:55 Are you surprised by some of the names?
21:57 You probably know some of the names, and are you working on some of the names?
22:02 Yeah, it was very--like I saw the stat of having like over 1,000 guys enter yesterday,
22:07 which is just a crazy amount.
22:09 But, yeah, for me it's kind of crazy how--of the names I've played against that I've known.
22:15 And, yeah, it's kind of just knowing them, seeing them enter the portal, and good luck to them.
22:22 Gavin, you were the only returning starter last season.
22:25 You're tying us back, the entire offensive line.
22:28 How does that help with continuity heading into next season?
22:31 It helps a lot.
22:33 And when I--you know, being the only guy back, I was used to being, you know,
22:37 the leader of the line playing center, you know, after last season.
22:42 But, you know, having these guys back, I won't be the only voice out there that, you know--
22:47 you know, throughout the season I knew that they'd be vocal.
22:50 But at first, you know, I was like, "Oh, I've got to lead this whole thing.
22:53 Like it's all on me."
22:54 But having everybody back is tremendous.
22:57 So you lost a few of the backups, the starters that are here.
23:01 I'm sure you still know some O-linemen.
23:05 Can the guys--the current backups that are currently here, can they step up and take those positions?
23:11 Or--I don't know.
23:14 Yeah.
23:15 There's some names out there I've seen that it's like, "Well, you know, they'd be kind of a nice fit."
23:19 So that's why I was getting that.
23:21 I know that in my mind.
23:22 You know, whoever Coach Carver wants to bring in, we'll support that.
23:25 We know that, you know, he's only going to bring guys that fit this program well
23:29 and they, you know, build in with the chemistry of this program.
23:33 And a lot of the guys, you know, the two deep that we have from last year that are going to be returning,
23:37 they've all made a lot of, you know, strides in the progress of their development.
23:43 You know, like Jonathan Harder, Ethan Green.
23:46 They'll all continue to develop and they'll be good to go.
23:50 Luke, Coach Satt talked about the guys you bring in, whether it's high school or transfer,
23:54 like wanting to be a good fit for the program.
23:56 You having played with him at Louisville, do you have a sense of what that is
23:59 and what kind of players do you feel like he is looking for,
24:02 especially in the portal, to bring in that will fit in right away?
24:04 Yeah, just good people.
24:06 That's what Coach Satt always says, you know.
24:08 He wants to bring in good people first and then good players.
24:11 You know, obviously good players--there's good players everywhere, but just good people.
24:15 And it shows when just like the previous teammates at Louisville
24:19 and even now like other guys coming in, you know,
24:22 they're just good people and good guys to be around.
24:25 I think that's the biggest part of them.
24:28 Corey, following the Kansas game we caught you kind of standing emotional,
24:31 taking Nippert in, then you told us you weren't done there.
24:33 Just talk about this community a little bit more
24:35 and for you to come back for this senior season.
24:37 Just embrace this community a little bit more heading for your senior season.
24:40 So, growing up in Cincinnati, you know, I always looked up to the Bearcats
24:44 and everything that they were doing.
24:46 One of my high school coaches, Solomon Timmon, played for the Bearcats.
24:49 So I always knew what was going on here.
24:51 I knew the great things going on.
24:53 And then my journey took me elsewhere, and then I saw all the great things
24:57 happening here, so I decided to come back and be a part of that.
25:00 And I just know that this city is known for winning,
25:04 and that's what I want to be a part of, and that's what we want to be a part of.
25:08 We want to help to get back to that and show the community
25:12 that no matter who is here, we're all great people.
25:16 We're all winners.
25:19 Corey, you ran for 1,000 yards this season.
25:22 After having a few weeks to think about it,
25:24 what kind of pride do you have for accomplishing that goal?
25:28 And then for Luke and Gavin, how much pride do you guys have
25:31 for being blockers for a guy that ran for 1,000 yards?
25:35 It was cool for me personally.
25:38 It didn't go the way I wanted it to go,
25:40 but being with these guys and accomplishing something that's not very easy,
25:45 it was very fun because I've seen the work that these guys put in every single day,
25:50 and the work that I put in and then us together just made it work.
25:56 Yeah, I think for O-line, that's our stat too.
26:00 It's Corey's stat, but I feel like it's the O-line stat too
26:04 because all the work that we put in for him to hit those holes and get those yards.
26:09 Gavin, what did Coach Cardwell do to bring that whole offensive line group together
26:13 and lead to so much success?
26:15 Because you have guys getting their first experience
26:17 and you have multiple transfers coming in, and then he has to build that,
26:20 and then he leads to one of the best offensive line groups.
26:23 What did he do to put that together?
26:25 It starts in the summer before fall camp and OTAs started.
26:33 He gave us a packet.
26:34 They're not allowed to work with us,
26:36 but some drills that we can do as an offensive line,
26:39 we go out there after our lifts and everything
26:42 and do those that will prepare us for fall camp
26:45 so when we get to fall camp it's not just being thrown into the fire.
26:49 You've got to feel for what he wants.
26:52 He has drills that certain guys need certain things.
26:58 Tackles might need to be able to run off the ball a little bit more than me,
27:03 and he has drills fit for that for every player.
27:06 Mason Fletcher mentioned, Barry Jackson and Jonathan Thompson,
27:10 those two guys he's really excited to see develop this summer and offseason.
27:15 Who are some of the younger guys that we should maybe know
27:17 that you guys see every day in practice that you're excited about next season?
27:21 I'll just speak for the offensive line to start.
27:23 I know that Ethan Green is going to be a tremendous football player.
27:26 I think Jonathan Hart is going to be really good too.
27:30 I'm trying to think who else we've got in that room.
27:32 Evan.
27:33 Evan is going to be really good.
27:35 And I know he gets his hands on somebody.
27:37 He's getting away from that high school side of ball, trying to just torque kids.
27:44 But once he continues to develop, he's going to be a really good football player.
27:48 He's going to make me a little nervous.
27:53 Corey, the running back room thinned out a little bit.
27:56 How focused are you going to be over these next two weeks as they bring guys in
28:00 to maybe find your running mate, your guy that kind of helps you out in that room
28:05 going forward?
28:08 I would say I'm very focused.
28:10 I'm giving my input on guys that I think that would be a great fit for this room
28:14 because we're not just looking for great running backs,
28:15 we're looking for great people.
28:17 As Luke mentioned earlier, we've got to bring in guys who fit the mold of this team.
28:24 So it's very important.
28:27 How different does this offseason look when you look around the room
28:31 and it's more than just you that has started a game on offense now.
28:34 You've got a full offensive line.
28:36 You've got Corey.
28:37 You've got some wide receivers.
28:39 How much different does this look now than it did a year ago?
28:43 It feels awesome.
28:45 I can go into this offseason and have all these guys helping me lead the team
28:50 in the weight room.
28:51 This offseason is going to be hard, and we need that.
28:54 We need to build this team up, tough and nasty like we've tried ourselves on
28:59 in the past, and disciplined.
29:01 We need to be really disciplined.
29:03 And having these guys, along with some others, helping me lead in the weight room
29:07 for starters, it's going to be huge.
29:10 Aesthetically, if there were to be a quarterback that visits,
29:13 do you guys want heavy involvement in that?
29:16 Do you guys want to be around to make sure the guy fits
29:20 and he's right there with you?
29:21 Yeah, that's what Coach Satton and Coach Carmo really said.
29:24 He's like, "They will give us some names to hit him up or look him up,
29:29 see how he fits."
29:31 And then, yeah, they do give us some input, like, "Do you like this guy or not?"
29:37 So I think that's what's really important, too.
29:40 Yeah, and we believe that they're going to bring the right guys into this program.
29:43 But giving us a say, letting us meet the guys before they really make that
29:47 decision, we appreciate that a lot.
29:52 Any other questions?
29:54 Thanks, guys.
29:55 Thanks.
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