July 14, 2025 • 21 mins
Bobby Burton (OnTexasFootball.com) joins The Craig Way Show to discuss the upcoming Texas Football season with Craig Way and Mike Hardge at the SEC Media Days. They discuss what it will take for the Longhorns to get over the hump, Arch Manning, and other contenders in College Football's deepest conference.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
If the Devil went down to Georgia. Our producer back
in the studio who knows music only too well, Cole Dicks,
and must have known that we're gonna have Bobby Burton.
Bobby and I've been friends a long time, over thirty years,
and did television recruiting shows together.
Speaker 2 (00:20):
Back in the nineties, and Bobby.
Speaker 1 (00:25):
Exploded and I might this is a personal editorial.
Speaker 2 (00:28):
This is not something Bobby's saying. It's what I'm saying.
Speaker 1 (00:32):
He legitimized the coverage of recruiting in football that started
in the nineties. Bobby was the one who brought it
mainstream and made it legitimate and not looking snarky and
sketchy and all of that other kind of stuff. That's
what Bobby Burton did back in the day. That's what
(00:52):
Bobby Burton did to make it global with rifles. That's
what Bobby's doing right now with on Texas Football.
Speaker 2 (01:00):
Author of that.
Speaker 3 (01:01):
Yes, yeah, I'm kind of a full circle for me,
you know what I mean. I started broad and uh
did recruiting nationally helps help launch rivals, and hired a
lot of people with them. That's the hired a lot
of people.
Speaker 2 (01:17):
He didn't want to hire. Yes, I did that too.
I mean we were just talking about that at lunch.
Speaker 3 (01:21):
I mean one of the things about it is, you know,
you like, there's some people that you had to hire
even though you didn't like the person, because they were
good at their job, you know. But No, in all seriousness,
really enjoyed my time and doing that. And then the
last two years I've just been covering uh long the
long ones on on Texas football and it feels good, man,
(01:43):
it feels really really good. I'm at that age where
my kids are out of the house.
Speaker 2 (01:48):
Now I can slow down.
Speaker 3 (01:50):
I don't have to breathe out of a fire or
drink out of a fire hose.
Speaker 2 (01:54):
I feel like it's just a lot.
Speaker 3 (01:55):
Of fun and it helps when Steve Sarkisian wins just
put it that way. I mean, that makes everybody's day
day a little nicer, and they recruit well. And you know,
Chrystal Conti's got it kind of going in the right direction.
Kevin haltyves been very positive, the Chancellor of the Border Regions,
(02:15):
Chairman of Word Regions. So I feel like, for me, Craig,
I appreciate the comment first of all, but second of all,
guys like you helped me along the way because you
were you were that little little age gap ahead of me,
not much you had gray hair before.
Speaker 2 (02:31):
I just let's hit on the word gap.
Speaker 3 (02:35):
But but my point is, a young person like myself
needs some people a little bit older than them to
trust them a little bit along the way, you know,
And you were absolutely one of the people that did
that for me.
Speaker 2 (02:48):
So I appreciate it very very much.
Speaker 4 (02:49):
Yeah, that's all sending stuff.
Speaker 5 (02:50):
I'm glad y'all took me down memory lane for y'all
y'all's relationship because I didn't know the exact history of it. Obviously,
you both are good at what you do when covering
the University of Texas just happens to be a part.
Speaker 4 (03:04):
Of that coverage, so it makes it a little bit better.
Speaker 5 (03:06):
But there's also been some lean times too where you
guys had to go through that and understand what it's
all about.
Speaker 4 (03:13):
But I want to talk about the present.
Speaker 5 (03:14):
I mean, obviously, over the last couple of years, Texas
has done an unbelievable job of getting the bbies back
in the boxes, they like to say, and now they're
ascending in the right direction. Obviously, start his crew and
the one thing that I've always accredited it to was
the fact that he didn't make a ton of changes. Yes,
(03:35):
people were leaving, but they were advancing. People were getting
jobs because of their talent, not because you got to
go because you're not doing your job. How cool has
that been to see the continuity of the coaching.
Speaker 2 (03:49):
Yeah, I mean, look, I mean I go back, and.
Speaker 3 (03:55):
You're right, I saw a bunch of changes in over
the years, whether when Matt Brown. Look my senior year
of college, I was working for the Tech University of
Texas football team and David McWilliams got let go, and
I was there the day John macviick walked in the building,
and I saw how that transpired where he only kept
one assistant, and then everything else, the recruiting coordinated, everything
(04:19):
else got blown up.
Speaker 2 (04:20):
Well, okay, that happens.
Speaker 3 (04:22):
And then I saw Mac Brown come in and do
almost the same thing. And some of that needs to happen, absolutely,
But what I thought some coaches did. Now Mac didn't
do this, but some coaches overreacted and kicked the put
too many people on the street, not necessarily the coaches,
(04:44):
but the players, and to your point, Arts, I just
felt like Sark was a took a more measured twenty
first century approach. Does that make sense? It feels more.
I mean, you just don't kick everybody out the door.
I mean football is a player driven sport, and I.
Speaker 2 (05:07):
Thought he did a really nice job of that.
Speaker 3 (05:09):
He didn't get rewarded for that in year one, not
at all, but eventually I think he did. I mean
keeping I mean Alfred Collins and I mean Tovandre Sweat.
I mean Sweat was the one that was laughing on
the bus and yep, I was in You know, ames and.
Speaker 2 (05:28):
Kids make mistakes.
Speaker 3 (05:31):
And things happen, but you when you're building the team,
it's not just one and done with everybody. I mean,
you got to figure this thing out. And so to
your point, I really liked. One of the first things
I noticed about that was I didn't feel like the
whole world was on It's you know what right out
of the gate with Sark it was. It was decidedly
different than Charlie Strong, decidedly different than Tom Hammond.
Speaker 1 (05:52):
Fused out about that, visiting with Bobby Burton on Texas
Football is where you find his great work and Jerry
Hamlin and the rest of the crew. I want to
ask you about the change. One thing that you have
done very well over the over the years is navigated
the currents in an ever changing world of what the
recruiting world is all about. Uh again my opinion. You
(06:14):
you let me know how you feel about this. I
would say never, never and never is a pretty powerful world.
But never in the history of recruiting have the waters
been more challenging to navigate for a coaching staff than
they are right now because of n I l uh
(06:35):
and and then of course the portal has its own place.
But and I know there was there's been some confusions,
some conjecture, uh, some uncertainty among long worn fans about
you know, is is is Stark letting Rome burn? Is
he just fiddling while all these idea of Texas Tech,
of the five million dollars deal and all this other
story sort of thing, Uh is, how is the money
(06:57):
being managed for all of this? I mean, these are
these are some really really tumultuous times in the in
that particular phase of the football industry, in college football.
Speaker 3 (07:07):
I didn't in a very short period of time, so
it I mean it changed on a dime, right from
can't pay anybody in Money's all of a sudden in
IL is legal to all of a sudden two or
three years later, we have a salary capital.
Speaker 2 (07:20):
Well, is that a hard cap? Is that a soft cap?
Speaker 3 (07:22):
With what you can do with n IL additional out
third party sark is not asleep at the wheel. That
would be very clear to me someone that's involved, you know,
in it.
Speaker 2 (07:36):
I think that.
Speaker 3 (07:39):
I look at what they've done and how they've done it.
Speaker 2 (07:42):
I think in this this.
Speaker 3 (07:43):
Era of a salary cap, even if it's a soft
salary cap, at this point, I think they're saving their
their powder a little bit powder d yeah, for for
big fish. And you know there's a couple of guys
right right now now that are out there that they're
trying to make sure that they become a part of
(08:03):
this class. I mean, my take on this time in
college football and recruiting is the problem you have is
at least there was black and white understanding up until
about four years ago. Okay, now it's all shades of gray.
(08:27):
I mean, that's all there is. You don't it's not
only do you not know if you're in an ocean
on a boat, you don't know if you're actually in
a river or or a Lake. I mean, you don't
know what you're at, what the platform is you're actually
dealing with, because from year to year it could be
I mean it literally could be nil, Hardcap, soft Cap. Oh, well,
(08:50):
they're all third party, do you. I mean, that's what
Brandon Harrison, general manager at Texas, Steve Sarkusian, Crys Delcante
and all of Sark's assistance are dealing with right now.
The other thing that's happened, he used to it used
to be all about an assistance.
Speaker 2 (09:10):
Relationship with a coach.
Speaker 3 (09:12):
Well, now that's become it hasn't become third wheel on
this thing, you know what I mean. But now that
relationship is not necessarily as big as nil in some
respects it temporarily gets set aside. Yes, and so you're
gonna go play for this guy. But you're really it
is odd and it's different. At the same time. I
(09:34):
will tell you all this, having witnessed other recruiting teams
out there, I'm not so sure that Sark and his
staff haven't navigated those waters to Linda Metaphor cleaner than anybody.
I mean, they've done this recruited class. I just brought
(09:55):
in its legit and I think they're gonna do. I
don't know that it will have a number one class
this year, but I think they're going to have pretty close.
So Dia Bell just got ranked the number one quarterback
in the country, the young man out of South Florida,
And so I just I feel really good about where
things are at because Sark has proven himself very what's
(10:16):
the word of malleable, you know what I mean.
Speaker 1 (10:18):
He's been able to know the one who's who has
said the reason the dinosaurs are extinct because they were
not adaptable and they didn't adjust Sark has said that
throughout his time here.
Speaker 2 (10:29):
So what you're saying is he's he said.
Speaker 1 (10:31):
You have to be adjustable and adaptable or you'll wind
up extinct.
Speaker 2 (10:34):
This like you can't.
Speaker 3 (10:36):
I mean, you think that Davos Wueni didn't take a
kid from the portal for three.
Speaker 4 (10:40):
Years, now, what is Dabbo doing?
Speaker 3 (10:43):
But but Sark did that right away because he realized
where where it was all headed and nil, you know,
and he got on it pretty quick. So I mean,
while being the play caller and the CEO of I mean,
he's I think he's a very talented People do not
(11:04):
give Stee Herkysan enough credit for being talented in that
area as well as just a play not just a
play caller.
Speaker 5 (11:11):
Yeah, his people's skills are top notch, and that is
why he's been able to build those relationships keep those
relationships strong. But not only that, to your point, he's
kind of managed it in a way that a lot
of folks may have cracked under the pressure, but he's
found a way to get that done. So I'm excited
about what's coming up, and speaking of that, I'll be
(11:33):
remiss if I didn't ask you about the arch Manning situation,
because everybody wants to talk about that, and tomorrow, I
guarantee it is gonna be a chaotic day. But it's
not just Archs. The Texas Longhorns are coming to town.
And we saw what happened last year when we were
even in Dallas. Now this is really about to ramp up.
Obviously bringing them here, there was no doubt it was
(11:54):
his team. Now everybody's moving forward. But the expectations have
always to me, I've always said they need to be
tempered a little bit. If you play quarterback at the
University of Texas, there's a lot of expectations that goes
with that and the first mistake. Some people will jump
out the ship, but the ones that are smart enough
to understand he's navigated these waters. And I'm talking about
(12:17):
coach Sark once again to the point that now here
you go, kid, Now.
Speaker 3 (12:21):
It's time for you to roll first. David McWilliams. Back
in nineteen eighty nine, they were going Texas was going
through this quarterback rotation. Forbes quote, Yes, Donovan Forbes and
Shannon Kelly and Mark Murdoch.
Speaker 2 (12:39):
I mean, it was a crew coming through.
Speaker 3 (12:41):
And he's like, and I don't know about this your quote,
but he to me is like, I mean, it's the
first time I ever heard the most popular person on
Texas football Texas campus is the backup quarterback.
Speaker 1 (12:52):
That's the quote I've heard, And it was attributed to
Donovan Forbes, although it could have been uttered back in
the forties.
Speaker 3 (12:58):
We know.
Speaker 2 (13:00):
David McQueen is the first person I ever heard that from.
Speaker 3 (13:02):
Yeah, and he was saying it to a group of
like ten people, yeah, fifteen, But I just remember that,
And so when I'm thinking of arch Manning and Quincy,
arch Manning gets the bigger cheer when it comes out.
And I was like man the thirty five years later,
it's the same now. I don't know if it's going
to be true this year, but I and also I
(13:25):
was talking to the guys earlier, I just envision this
media scrum tomorrow where if you it's like if you
had the selfie sticks, there's gonna be like seventy five
selfie sticks reaching up into the air trying to get
a glimpse of arch Manning.
Speaker 2 (13:40):
If you had a.
Speaker 3 (13:41):
Aerial shot of that, it's gonna look like they're all
there for like Kim Kardashian, right, or a super Bowl.
Speaker 2 (13:48):
A super Bowl everybody wants a little sound bite.
Speaker 1 (13:51):
But my prediction, by the way tomorrow is that and
from folctional, No, we're in what we call the digital drive,
which is the upstairs which I don't know if cam
can pan it around to show you, but uh, it's
wall to wall live radio and audio shows like for example,
our friends at Textags or to our left, they do
digital video and audio, same thing going on, same thing
(14:14):
with yours, ye your program boyby and and and there's
a lot of live radio as well. But it's digital
drive because it's not all radio. There's it's evolved just
like everything else, has to wherever folks are getting their
information anyway. So this wraps all the way around. The
second level. On the bottom floor is the main press
(14:35):
conference level where Sark will be and we'll bring that
to you that that news conference tomorrow and uh, the
players will be in breakouts down there. My prediction is
that the players never make it upstairs.
Speaker 3 (14:48):
I would not well at least, yeah, I.
Speaker 2 (14:53):
Bet, I bet they.
Speaker 3 (14:54):
Michael Taff, I know everybody loves him, has a long run,
but I bet he makes it up.
Speaker 1 (14:57):
I started to say, I started to say to sixteen,
but I better define right, number six eight exactly, you know,
so yeah, no, so yeah, yeah, Taff may be up here,
Anthony Hill might be.
Speaker 2 (15:10):
Yeah, yeah, but I don't know the number sixteen. I
don't know.
Speaker 4 (15:14):
I don't know.
Speaker 1 (15:15):
But to Harge's point, that's what the media that surrounds Texas.
And you asked me when I was on your program
about the twenty twenty four season, and I said, if
nothing else, it was the proving ground. It was the
opportunity for Sark and his staff to show not only
was the program here's the air quotes sec ready that
(15:39):
a lot of folks raised that question that, by the way,
that that quote came up more often than Texas's back
is yeah, back all that stuff. But anyway, not only
was it the proving ground to show that Texas wasn't
deep quote unquote sec ready, but also the proof of
the work that Sart, that the staff and that the
(16:01):
program has put in over these past three years, and
then going from five and eight then uh to you know,
to eight and five, five and seven to eight and
five and then and then the back to back double
digit wins. I mean, I remember a lot of people
talking about how Sark was thirteen and twelve after his
first two seasons, yep, and since then he's twenty five
and five.
Speaker 4 (16:21):
Yeah, totally different conversation now.
Speaker 3 (16:23):
Right, Yeah, I think that what I talked about when
I think about last year to your point and go
and I take myself back to a year ago this
week when we were in Dallas at the SEC Media Days,
and it was is Texas sec ready?
Speaker 2 (16:40):
Is Texas a one hit wonder?
Speaker 4 (16:42):
Yeah?
Speaker 2 (16:43):
Because if you remember they were what that year, twelve
and two semi final loss to Washington. That's correct.
Speaker 4 (16:50):
The question wasn't the greatest game Michael Pennick's played he.
Speaker 2 (16:54):
Was a freak. I mean, he was great. He deserved
that because he played that well.
Speaker 3 (16:59):
But my point, my point is the question last year,
is SEC ready and was Texas a one hit wonder? No,
they weren't a one hit wonder, and yes Texas is one.
Uh As, is you ready? And I will say from
talking to other people like I just like you do
you visit with other colleagues that are at other universities
(17:19):
following their teams. That was the number one surprise for
them as it related to Texas. They did not think
Texas or Oklahoma was ready for the line of scrimmage.
And other than Georgia, Texas didn't play a better team
on line of scrimmage than what they saw in practice
every day. Correct now, now Georgia, I get it. I
(17:41):
mean they looked, they looked terrific. But Texas was ready
on the line of scrimmage.
Speaker 5 (17:46):
And they started that four years ago when he said
that we need to get bigger, we need to get better.
Speaker 4 (17:52):
And we got to start up front. And that's exactly
what they did.
Speaker 2 (17:55):
Yeah, big humans.
Speaker 1 (17:56):
Uh final thing here, Bobby, what this was something I
was asked on another radio show today. Somebody asked me
Texas will be in that national title conversation, YadA yadas
once and for if and they asked me to fill
in the blank, and I said, if the key performers
(18:18):
stay healthy and effective throughout that because I still I
salute when yours for having a fight through everything he
went through last year to put the team in position,
but we all know he wasn't one hundred percent physically
throughout the course of the entirety of the season. If
Arch is able to stay that healthy, stay healthy all
(18:38):
the way through, and other key guys, including in that
offensive line, where yes, it's only one returning starter, but.
Speaker 2 (18:44):
There's a lot of guys who played a lot of
snaps who will be there.
Speaker 1 (18:48):
And then I thought, yeah, they can be in that
conversation because these guys are talented enough and they're well
coached enough of that. That was my take on it,
but I'm interested in your take on it that they
can be in that conversation to play for these kinds
of things.
Speaker 3 (19:03):
If offensive line, yeah, because I do think the defensive
line is going to be there. I think they brought
in enough help that had experience, whether it's a Marod Watson,
there's you know, freshman all American. You've got Alex January
kind of growing up. Travis Shaw's played a lot of
snaps for UNC. And they've got the edge guys with
(19:25):
Colin and Ethan Burke and Colton Vosx healthier. I think
they got the defensive front. I'm the number one concern
for me is the offensive line being ready relatively early.
Speaker 2 (19:37):
In the season.
Speaker 3 (19:38):
So you've got two games in the first five where
talent level is gonna be somewhat similar. Ohio State's gonna
have the talent Texas does, right, We saw that. I
mean even though they graduated, Texas graduated heavy two. Both
teams put a lot of guy but they both got dudes. Yeah,
they both had and they both a lot of them
are gone. Yep, from this year to last, from that year,
(20:00):
this year. But then Florida, I'm telling you they they
came on late last year. DJ Lagway did not play
against the Longhorns. He has got a he's got a
as good an arm as you're going to see in
college football. Now he's a great quarterback yet let's find out.
But they've got a run game. They may have the
(20:20):
best offensive line in the SEC. You know, they got
dudes on defense, just whether they can get them in
the right position.
Speaker 2 (20:30):
I think you could.
Speaker 3 (20:30):
I mean the first those two first big games are big,
and so you've got to have your offensive line ready early.
And you're coming back with really four out of five
new starters. That's not necessarily like I love the fact
that Tech's had four starters returning and went to Michigan. Yep,
you know what I mean on the offensive line. Now
(20:52):
you're you got one of five and you're going to Columbus. Yeah,
that's so my points he is, I'm concerned about that early.
I think they'll be fine. They're really good, really talented.
That's not the question. The question is where they gel.
Speaker 4 (21:10):
Yep.
Speaker 1 (21:10):
Well, I appreciate you doing this. It's awful lot of fun.
We'll see each other on down the road.
Speaker 2 (21:15):
For sure. You're going to Columbus, aren't you.
Speaker 3 (21:18):
Yeah, we got a tailgate going on up there.
Speaker 2 (21:21):
That's right.
Speaker 3 (21:22):
Okay, beautiful bride, she's along for the ride, and more
than right. She's been very, very helpful.
Speaker 1 (21:29):
She actually stole a chair from the dining room and
we'd have enough sat She did Bobby burn on Texas Football.
That's where you catch his outstanding work and Jerry Hammla
and the rest of the staff as well. We've got
some more topics we're gonna get to when we come
back here from Atlanta, the College Football Hall of Fame
here on day number one of SEC Football Media Day.
Speaker 2 (21:50):
So I'm thirteen underd the zone
If the Devil went down to Georgia. Our producer back
in the studio who knows music only too well, Cole Dicks,
and must have known that we're gonna have Bobby Burton.
Bobby and I've been friends a long time, over thirty years,
and did television recruiting shows together.
Speaker 2 (00:20):
Back in the nineties, and Bobby.
Speaker 1 (00:25):
Exploded and I might this is a personal editorial.
Speaker 2 (00:28):
This is not something Bobby's saying. It's what I'm saying.
Speaker 1 (00:32):
He legitimized the coverage of recruiting in football that started
in the nineties. Bobby was the one who brought it
mainstream and made it legitimate and not looking snarky and
sketchy and all of that other kind of stuff. That's
what Bobby Burton did back in the day. That's what
(00:52):
Bobby Burton did to make it global with rifles. That's
what Bobby's doing right now with on Texas Football.
Speaker 2 (01:00):
Author of that.
Speaker 3 (01:01):
Yes, yeah, I'm kind of a full circle for me,
you know what I mean. I started broad and uh
did recruiting nationally helps help launch rivals, and hired a
lot of people with them. That's the hired a lot
of people.
Speaker 2 (01:17):
He didn't want to hire. Yes, I did that too.
I mean we were just talking about that at lunch.
Speaker 3 (01:21):
I mean one of the things about it is, you know,
you like, there's some people that you had to hire
even though you didn't like the person, because they were
good at their job, you know. But No, in all seriousness,
really enjoyed my time and doing that. And then the
last two years I've just been covering uh long the
long ones on on Texas football and it feels good, man,
(01:43):
it feels really really good. I'm at that age where
my kids are out of the house.
Speaker 2 (01:48):
Now I can slow down.
Speaker 3 (01:50):
I don't have to breathe out of a fire or
drink out of a fire hose.
Speaker 2 (01:54):
I feel like it's just a lot.
Speaker 3 (01:55):
Of fun and it helps when Steve Sarkisian wins just
put it that way. I mean, that makes everybody's day
day a little nicer, and they recruit well. And you know,
Chrystal Conti's got it kind of going in the right direction.
Kevin haltyves been very positive, the Chancellor of the Border Regions,
(02:15):
Chairman of Word Regions. So I feel like, for me, Craig,
I appreciate the comment first of all, but second of all,
guys like you helped me along the way because you
were you were that little little age gap ahead of me,
not much you had gray hair before.
Speaker 2 (02:31):
I just let's hit on the word gap.
Speaker 3 (02:35):
But but my point is, a young person like myself
needs some people a little bit older than them to
trust them a little bit along the way, you know,
And you were absolutely one of the people that did
that for me.
Speaker 2 (02:48):
So I appreciate it very very much.
Speaker 4 (02:49):
Yeah, that's all sending stuff.
Speaker 5 (02:50):
I'm glad y'all took me down memory lane for y'all
y'all's relationship because I didn't know the exact history of it. Obviously,
you both are good at what you do when covering
the University of Texas just happens to be a part.
Speaker 4 (03:04):
Of that coverage, so it makes it a little bit better.
Speaker 5 (03:06):
But there's also been some lean times too where you
guys had to go through that and understand what it's
all about.
Speaker 4 (03:13):
But I want to talk about the present.
Speaker 5 (03:14):
I mean, obviously, over the last couple of years, Texas
has done an unbelievable job of getting the bbies back
in the boxes, they like to say, and now they're
ascending in the right direction. Obviously, start his crew and
the one thing that I've always accredited it to was
the fact that he didn't make a ton of changes. Yes,
(03:35):
people were leaving, but they were advancing. People were getting
jobs because of their talent, not because you got to
go because you're not doing your job. How cool has
that been to see the continuity of the coaching.
Speaker 2 (03:49):
Yeah, I mean, look, I mean I go back, and.
Speaker 3 (03:55):
You're right, I saw a bunch of changes in over
the years, whether when Matt Brown. Look my senior year
of college, I was working for the Tech University of
Texas football team and David McWilliams got let go, and
I was there the day John macviick walked in the building,
and I saw how that transpired where he only kept
one assistant, and then everything else, the recruiting coordinated, everything
(04:19):
else got blown up.
Speaker 2 (04:20):
Well, okay, that happens.
Speaker 3 (04:22):
And then I saw Mac Brown come in and do
almost the same thing. And some of that needs to happen, absolutely,
But what I thought some coaches did. Now Mac didn't
do this, but some coaches overreacted and kicked the put
too many people on the street, not necessarily the coaches,
(04:44):
but the players, and to your point, Arts, I just
felt like Sark was a took a more measured twenty
first century approach. Does that make sense? It feels more.
I mean, you just don't kick everybody out the door.
I mean football is a player driven sport, and I.
Speaker 2 (05:07):
Thought he did a really nice job of that.
Speaker 3 (05:09):
He didn't get rewarded for that in year one, not
at all, but eventually I think he did. I mean
keeping I mean Alfred Collins and I mean Tovandre Sweat.
I mean Sweat was the one that was laughing on
the bus and yep, I was in You know, ames and.
Speaker 2 (05:28):
Kids make mistakes.
Speaker 3 (05:31):
And things happen, but you when you're building the team,
it's not just one and done with everybody. I mean,
you got to figure this thing out. And so to
your point, I really liked. One of the first things
I noticed about that was I didn't feel like the
whole world was on It's you know what right out
of the gate with Sark it was. It was decidedly
different than Charlie Strong, decidedly different than Tom Hammond.
Speaker 1 (05:52):
Fused out about that, visiting with Bobby Burton on Texas
Football is where you find his great work and Jerry
Hamlin and the rest of the crew. I want to
ask you about the change. One thing that you have
done very well over the over the years is navigated
the currents in an ever changing world of what the
recruiting world is all about. Uh again my opinion. You
(06:14):
you let me know how you feel about this. I
would say never, never and never is a pretty powerful world.
But never in the history of recruiting have the waters
been more challenging to navigate for a coaching staff than
they are right now because of n I l uh
(06:35):
and and then of course the portal has its own place.
But and I know there was there's been some confusions,
some conjecture, uh, some uncertainty among long worn fans about
you know, is is is Stark letting Rome burn? Is
he just fiddling while all these idea of Texas Tech,
of the five million dollars deal and all this other
story sort of thing, Uh is, how is the money
(06:57):
being managed for all of this? I mean, these are
these are some really really tumultuous times in the in
that particular phase of the football industry, in college football.
Speaker 3 (07:07):
I didn't in a very short period of time, so
it I mean it changed on a dime, right from
can't pay anybody in Money's all of a sudden in
IL is legal to all of a sudden two or
three years later, we have a salary capital.
Speaker 2 (07:20):
Well, is that a hard cap? Is that a soft cap?
Speaker 3 (07:22):
With what you can do with n IL additional out
third party sark is not asleep at the wheel. That
would be very clear to me someone that's involved, you know,
in it.
Speaker 2 (07:36):
I think that.
Speaker 3 (07:39):
I look at what they've done and how they've done it.
Speaker 2 (07:42):
I think in this this.
Speaker 3 (07:43):
Era of a salary cap, even if it's a soft
salary cap, at this point, I think they're saving their
their powder a little bit powder d yeah, for for
big fish. And you know there's a couple of guys
right right now now that are out there that they're
trying to make sure that they become a part of
(08:03):
this class. I mean, my take on this time in
college football and recruiting is the problem you have is
at least there was black and white understanding up until
about four years ago. Okay, now it's all shades of gray.
(08:27):
I mean, that's all there is. You don't it's not
only do you not know if you're in an ocean
on a boat, you don't know if you're actually in
a river or or a Lake. I mean, you don't
know what you're at, what the platform is you're actually
dealing with, because from year to year it could be
I mean it literally could be nil, Hardcap, soft Cap. Oh, well,
(08:50):
they're all third party, do you. I mean, that's what
Brandon Harrison, general manager at Texas, Steve Sarkusian, Crys Delcante
and all of Sark's assistance are dealing with right now.
The other thing that's happened, he used to it used
to be all about an assistance.
Speaker 2 (09:10):
Relationship with a coach.
Speaker 3 (09:12):
Well, now that's become it hasn't become third wheel on
this thing, you know what I mean. But now that
relationship is not necessarily as big as nil in some
respects it temporarily gets set aside. Yes, and so you're
gonna go play for this guy. But you're really it
is odd and it's different. At the same time. I
(09:34):
will tell you all this, having witnessed other recruiting teams
out there, I'm not so sure that Sark and his
staff haven't navigated those waters to Linda Metaphor cleaner than anybody.
I mean, they've done this recruited class. I just brought
(09:55):
in its legit and I think they're gonna do. I
don't know that it will have a number one class
this year, but I think they're going to have pretty close.
So Dia Bell just got ranked the number one quarterback
in the country, the young man out of South Florida,
And so I just I feel really good about where
things are at because Sark has proven himself very what's
(10:16):
the word of malleable, you know what I mean.
Speaker 1 (10:18):
He's been able to know the one who's who has
said the reason the dinosaurs are extinct because they were
not adaptable and they didn't adjust Sark has said that
throughout his time here.
Speaker 2 (10:29):
So what you're saying is he's he said.
Speaker 1 (10:31):
You have to be adjustable and adaptable or you'll wind
up extinct.
Speaker 2 (10:34):
This like you can't.
Speaker 3 (10:36):
I mean, you think that Davos Wueni didn't take a
kid from the portal for three.
Speaker 4 (10:40):
Years, now, what is Dabbo doing?
Speaker 3 (10:43):
But but Sark did that right away because he realized
where where it was all headed and nil, you know,
and he got on it pretty quick. So I mean,
while being the play caller and the CEO of I mean,
he's I think he's a very talented People do not
(11:04):
give Stee Herkysan enough credit for being talented in that
area as well as just a play not just a
play caller.
Speaker 5 (11:11):
Yeah, his people's skills are top notch, and that is
why he's been able to build those relationships keep those
relationships strong. But not only that, to your point, he's
kind of managed it in a way that a lot
of folks may have cracked under the pressure, but he's
found a way to get that done. So I'm excited
about what's coming up, and speaking of that, I'll be
(11:33):
remiss if I didn't ask you about the arch Manning situation,
because everybody wants to talk about that, and tomorrow, I
guarantee it is gonna be a chaotic day. But it's
not just Archs. The Texas Longhorns are coming to town.
And we saw what happened last year when we were
even in Dallas. Now this is really about to ramp up.
Obviously bringing them here, there was no doubt it was
(11:54):
his team. Now everybody's moving forward. But the expectations have
always to me, I've always said they need to be
tempered a little bit. If you play quarterback at the
University of Texas, there's a lot of expectations that goes
with that and the first mistake. Some people will jump
out the ship, but the ones that are smart enough
to understand he's navigated these waters. And I'm talking about
(12:17):
coach Sark once again to the point that now here
you go, kid, Now.
Speaker 3 (12:21):
It's time for you to roll first. David McWilliams. Back
in nineteen eighty nine, they were going Texas was going
through this quarterback rotation. Forbes quote, Yes, Donovan Forbes and
Shannon Kelly and Mark Murdoch.
Speaker 2 (12:39):
I mean, it was a crew coming through.
Speaker 3 (12:41):
And he's like, and I don't know about this your quote,
but he to me is like, I mean, it's the
first time I ever heard the most popular person on
Texas football Texas campus is the backup quarterback.
Speaker 1 (12:52):
That's the quote I've heard, And it was attributed to
Donovan Forbes, although it could have been uttered back in
the forties.
Speaker 3 (12:58):
We know.
Speaker 2 (13:00):
David McQueen is the first person I ever heard that from.
Speaker 3 (13:02):
Yeah, and he was saying it to a group of
like ten people, yeah, fifteen, But I just remember that,
And so when I'm thinking of arch Manning and Quincy,
arch Manning gets the bigger cheer when it comes out.
And I was like man the thirty five years later,
it's the same now. I don't know if it's going
to be true this year, but I and also I
(13:25):
was talking to the guys earlier, I just envision this
media scrum tomorrow where if you it's like if you
had the selfie sticks, there's gonna be like seventy five
selfie sticks reaching up into the air trying to get
a glimpse of arch Manning.
Speaker 2 (13:40):
If you had a.
Speaker 3 (13:41):
Aerial shot of that, it's gonna look like they're all
there for like Kim Kardashian, right, or a super Bowl.
Speaker 2 (13:48):
A super Bowl everybody wants a little sound bite.
Speaker 1 (13:51):
But my prediction, by the way tomorrow is that and
from folctional, No, we're in what we call the digital drive,
which is the upstairs which I don't know if cam
can pan it around to show you, but uh, it's
wall to wall live radio and audio shows like for example,
our friends at Textags or to our left, they do
digital video and audio, same thing going on, same thing
(14:14):
with yours, ye your program boyby and and and there's
a lot of live radio as well. But it's digital
drive because it's not all radio. There's it's evolved just
like everything else, has to wherever folks are getting their
information anyway. So this wraps all the way around. The
second level. On the bottom floor is the main press
(14:35):
conference level where Sark will be and we'll bring that
to you that that news conference tomorrow and uh, the
players will be in breakouts down there. My prediction is
that the players never make it upstairs.
Speaker 3 (14:48):
I would not well at least, yeah, I.
Speaker 2 (14:53):
Bet, I bet they.
Speaker 3 (14:54):
Michael Taff, I know everybody loves him, has a long run,
but I bet he makes it up.
Speaker 1 (14:57):
I started to say, I started to say to sixteen,
but I better define right, number six eight exactly, you know,
so yeah, no, so yeah, yeah, Taff may be up here,
Anthony Hill might be.
Speaker 2 (15:10):
Yeah, yeah, but I don't know the number sixteen. I
don't know.
Speaker 4 (15:14):
I don't know.
Speaker 1 (15:15):
But to Harge's point, that's what the media that surrounds Texas.
And you asked me when I was on your program
about the twenty twenty four season, and I said, if
nothing else, it was the proving ground. It was the
opportunity for Sark and his staff to show not only
was the program here's the air quotes sec ready that
(15:39):
a lot of folks raised that question that, by the way,
that that quote came up more often than Texas's back
is yeah, back all that stuff. But anyway, not only
was it the proving ground to show that Texas wasn't
deep quote unquote sec ready, but also the proof of
the work that Sart, that the staff and that the
(16:01):
program has put in over these past three years, and
then going from five and eight then uh to you know,
to eight and five, five and seven to eight and
five and then and then the back to back double
digit wins. I mean, I remember a lot of people
talking about how Sark was thirteen and twelve after his
first two seasons, yep, and since then he's twenty five
and five.
Speaker 4 (16:21):
Yeah, totally different conversation now.
Speaker 3 (16:23):
Right, Yeah, I think that what I talked about when
I think about last year to your point and go
and I take myself back to a year ago this
week when we were in Dallas at the SEC Media Days,
and it was is Texas sec ready?
Speaker 2 (16:40):
Is Texas a one hit wonder?
Speaker 4 (16:42):
Yeah?
Speaker 2 (16:43):
Because if you remember they were what that year, twelve
and two semi final loss to Washington. That's correct.
Speaker 4 (16:50):
The question wasn't the greatest game Michael Pennick's played he.
Speaker 2 (16:54):
Was a freak. I mean, he was great. He deserved
that because he played that well.
Speaker 3 (16:59):
But my point, my point is the question last year,
is SEC ready and was Texas a one hit wonder? No,
they weren't a one hit wonder, and yes Texas is one.
Uh As, is you ready? And I will say from
talking to other people like I just like you do
you visit with other colleagues that are at other universities
(17:19):
following their teams. That was the number one surprise for
them as it related to Texas. They did not think
Texas or Oklahoma was ready for the line of scrimmage.
And other than Georgia, Texas didn't play a better team
on line of scrimmage than what they saw in practice
every day. Correct now, now Georgia, I get it. I
(17:41):
mean they looked, they looked terrific. But Texas was ready
on the line of scrimmage.
Speaker 5 (17:46):
And they started that four years ago when he said
that we need to get bigger, we need to get better.
Speaker 4 (17:52):
And we got to start up front. And that's exactly
what they did.
Speaker 2 (17:55):
Yeah, big humans.
Speaker 1 (17:56):
Uh final thing here, Bobby, what this was something I
was asked on another radio show today. Somebody asked me
Texas will be in that national title conversation, YadA yadas
once and for if and they asked me to fill
in the blank, and I said, if the key performers
(18:18):
stay healthy and effective throughout that because I still I
salute when yours for having a fight through everything he
went through last year to put the team in position,
but we all know he wasn't one hundred percent physically
throughout the course of the entirety of the season. If
Arch is able to stay that healthy, stay healthy all
(18:38):
the way through, and other key guys, including in that
offensive line, where yes, it's only one returning starter, but.
Speaker 2 (18:44):
There's a lot of guys who played a lot of
snaps who will be there.
Speaker 1 (18:48):
And then I thought, yeah, they can be in that
conversation because these guys are talented enough and they're well
coached enough of that. That was my take on it,
but I'm interested in your take on it that they
can be in that conversation to play for these kinds
of things.
Speaker 3 (19:03):
If offensive line, yeah, because I do think the defensive
line is going to be there. I think they brought
in enough help that had experience, whether it's a Marod Watson,
there's you know, freshman all American. You've got Alex January
kind of growing up. Travis Shaw's played a lot of
snaps for UNC. And they've got the edge guys with
(19:25):
Colin and Ethan Burke and Colton Vosx healthier. I think
they got the defensive front. I'm the number one concern
for me is the offensive line being ready relatively early.
Speaker 2 (19:37):
In the season.
Speaker 3 (19:38):
So you've got two games in the first five where
talent level is gonna be somewhat similar. Ohio State's gonna
have the talent Texas does, right, We saw that. I
mean even though they graduated, Texas graduated heavy two. Both
teams put a lot of guy but they both got dudes. Yeah,
they both had and they both a lot of them
are gone. Yep, from this year to last, from that year,
(20:00):
this year. But then Florida, I'm telling you they they
came on late last year. DJ Lagway did not play
against the Longhorns. He has got a he's got a
as good an arm as you're going to see in
college football. Now he's a great quarterback yet let's find out.
But they've got a run game. They may have the
(20:20):
best offensive line in the SEC. You know, they got
dudes on defense, just whether they can get them in
the right position.
Speaker 2 (20:30):
I think you could.
Speaker 3 (20:30):
I mean the first those two first big games are big,
and so you've got to have your offensive line ready early.
And you're coming back with really four out of five
new starters. That's not necessarily like I love the fact
that Tech's had four starters returning and went to Michigan. Yep,
you know what I mean on the offensive line. Now
(20:52):
you're you got one of five and you're going to Columbus. Yeah,
that's so my points he is, I'm concerned about that early.
I think they'll be fine. They're really good, really talented.
That's not the question. The question is where they gel.
Speaker 4 (21:10):
Yep.
Speaker 1 (21:10):
Well, I appreciate you doing this. It's awful lot of fun.
We'll see each other on down the road.
Speaker 2 (21:15):
For sure. You're going to Columbus, aren't you.
Speaker 3 (21:18):
Yeah, we got a tailgate going on up there.
Speaker 2 (21:21):
That's right.
Speaker 3 (21:22):
Okay, beautiful bride, she's along for the ride, and more
than right. She's been very, very helpful.
Speaker 1 (21:29):
She actually stole a chair from the dining room and
we'd have enough sat She did Bobby burn on Texas Football.
That's where you catch his outstanding work and Jerry Hammla
and the rest of the staff as well. We've got
some more topics we're gonna get to when we come
back here from Atlanta, the College Football Hall of Fame
here on day number one of SEC Football Media Day.
Speaker 2 (21:50):
So I'm thirteen underd the zone
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