Sunday Morning Sports Talk - April 23, 2023 - Hour 2

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Episode Transcript

(00:14):
The Leech Reports Radio Network presents StockyardSpank Sunday Morning Sports Stock. To interact
with the show, call us ateight five nine two eight oh two two
eighty seven at eight five nine twoeight oh cats, Welcome back to stock

(00:35):
Yard Spank Sunday Morning Sports Stock,coming to you live from Clark's Main Street
Market downtown on Main Street, acrossthe street from Rapperina. I am Anthony
White alongside Larry Vault and via phonejoining us Jack Pilgrim at E y B
L in Atlanta, Georgia. We'veso far in the first hour, we

(00:55):
discuss the construction of UK Basketball's theroster for the twenty three twenty fourth season,
and at this point we have Jackscratching his head, Larry scratching Jack's
head as well, and we aretrying to figure out And one of my
people just told me that we askedJack an impossible question that doesn't have an
answer to it. We put himon too big a spot because you can't

(01:19):
answer. Yeah, so Jack,maybe we need to apologize to you.
Well, so no apology necessary.I'm going through. I think I'm closed,
but it is it is much harderthan I anticipated. You're You're very
right. Uh, I guess wecan transition a little bit, but we

(01:40):
gotta tweet early this morning before wecame in from cast In that said college
football is a breadwinner for programs andmost popular sports. Yet a UK where
UK continues to spend money recruiting thirteenscholarship basketball players versus the eighty five in
football, he says, this hasto change. My expert opinion is I

(02:02):
don't think that's factual. Larry Vault, do you think that we spend more
money on basketball players than we doin football for recruiting? Yeah, yeah,
because the numbers came out. Ohthat's where you got through. Yeah,
they got the information from the USAToday article, and I guess they
got the information from an open recordsrequest that it costs about three hundred thousand

(02:24):
dollars per recruit the Kentucky signed inthe physical year twenty twenty two for basketball,
and it costs about forty five thousandfor the players they signed in football,
because they spent what was it,jack one point two million for basketball
recruiting in less than nine hundred thousandfor football recruiting. Even on basketball signed
forward and you can in football signedtwenty five. But how is that money?

(02:47):
Did it? What does that travelfood or whatever? I mean,
I guess private planes, and thatmakes a little bit more sense. I
guess you in high school, you'regonna get probably thirteen times to see a
player of play probably most mainly beten or eleven if you make the playoffs
or whatever. Uh So basketball,they're playing almost thirty yards if you're good.

(03:14):
They don't go to see him verymainly, they just go How often
does they go out during the season, Jack, Not very often? You
said they're out like right now,where they see twelve thousand kids in one
weekend, don't they? Yeah,that's a lot of the basketball recruiting stuff.
It's evaluating them at events like this, which does count toward that budget.
But even like last weekend when Calwas on a tear going from city

(03:37):
to city to city to city,I think he went four recruits in four
days, and that was seen aslike, you know, the anomaly,
like the outlier, like that's that'snot normal for any given weekend. Uh
it just depends on what what youknow, if there's a quiet period or
a live period. You know,there's there's all the different recruiting restrictions.
But yeah, that's that's typically typicallyhow it works is once those periods are

(03:59):
open, it's really tight window andthey basically just go as much as possible
in that tight window to go toas many people as possible. And I
don't I guess you guys will beasking me this question. I don't have
to answer it for you. Butwith Cats then asking that question, Larry
what and I have no idea because, to be honest with you, I

(04:21):
think there's a lot of money spentunder the table and now with nil it
can be spent. I'm not sayinghere in college sports in general, in
college sports in general, I'm justgonna be completely honest with you. But
even keeping in contact with Cats,then questions what we're like, we want
to spend more money. You're notjust where we spending more money? Yet?

(04:41):
Like do what do you suppect usto do? We're getting the cruise,
I think we won't like you're lookingat the bludgeon numbers. We people
are complaining we're not getting the topbasketball players this year. I think it's
gonna be a little different. AlthoughI think this basketball class is not all
that great. Is why we're gettingthe guys that are top of the class
that's not really good football. Ithink we're getting most of the people we
want, Like, I don't seeus having the issue getting them. Where

(05:03):
do we spend more money? Hewants to spend more more, will we
spend it? I'll tell you what. We got a guess coming up at
ten thirty. Name. You mayhave heard of Vince Meryl. Yeah,
why don't we ask Vince if theyneed a bigger football recruiting budget or if
they got enough? Right now?Do you think we see and you're just
stirring upot this Now you already gotjack scratches and now you want to scratch
Vince's head too. I think ifif, if I think Vince would say,

(05:26):
hey, if we could use thisor that, he would tell us
he thinks that would help. ButI'm like, Hugh, he's in pretty
darn good job right now. Yeah. Yeah, So that part of that,
that story that came out had quotesfrom Mitch Barnhart who said, there
is no like feeling on like,there's no cap on football recruiting. That's
just, you know, Mitchell thing. They could spend more if they want

(05:49):
to. That's not what they wereallowed. They just said, you know,
because it's football recruiting. It's soregional, and it's you know a
lot of stuff within driving distance,and like he said, not as much
private jet and use and all thatstuff, and just the money didn't add
up. Mitch said, if theyif they have any reason to spend more

(06:10):
on the recruiting trail, but byall means, go do it. That's
just what Mark Stukes chose to doit. And obviously the results speaks to
themselves with with who they're getting andhow they're getting them. So m yeah,
I just wanted to add that inthat that Mitch definitely said they can
do whatever they want, and youcan join the show if you like too.
That's eight five nine two eight zerotwo to eight seven US eight five

(06:32):
nine two eight zero cats. Uh, Jack, while we got you,
I know, we got you fora little bit more time. Uh.
The talk off of the air,and I'm sure most of Big Blue Nation
is kind of wondering this. Wetalked about divvy in the minutes and I
don't know how long Cow can sustainthis. H I know we had a
caller call it a couple of yearsago saying McDonald's going to McDonald's and getting

(06:55):
all the number fives, getting allthe and he really kind of related to
McDonalds a restaurant, the fast foodrestaurant, but a duke there. We've
talked about a lot of people.There's there's a guy named a Duthierro and
there's a guy hustle named Lance wherewho's returning? Well, what is what
is going through Lance's head? Jack? Have you talked to him? Is

(07:17):
there any scuttle but going on?Like you don't want I mean, you
know that he's been there long enoughto know the younger guys are going to
get their minutes. But now OscarLevi, you're talking about bringing in another
guy. I think at some pointyou just want to play basketball. I
don't know if I really want tosit and watch people play basketball? What
is the talk on Lance? Thatis completely true and I agree with that,

(07:40):
And me personally, I've always said, you know, I don't know
why he's not going to a Bostonyou know he's from the Northeast. Why
doesn't he go to a Boston collegeor you know, somewhere up in that
area a step down and play,but somewhere that he could go and play
good minutes because he is a goodplayer, and then I think he would
thrive in that kind of rough andtough physical dial of play that So that

(08:01):
was always my gut. But Ithink the family aspect, bringing in you
know, two Cannon guys, aguy that he played freshman his senior year
high school, DJ was a freshman, you know, kareem watching like it's
Camedden culture is such a family orientedlike like. I think he values that
genuinely more than playing time. Ithink he just kind of understands, you

(08:24):
know, I'm here to graduate andhave fun and be kind of this role.
You can't tell a guy that heneeds to go find a bigger opportunity
elsewhere if he's not begging for it. So I think he's in an interesting
spot where I don't think he's justclawing to get more minutes. I mean,
he'd like he would play them,but I don't think he's just dying
for it. A dude is definitelythe one to watch closely. If if

(08:46):
UK were to add any other highprofile guard or you know, I think
if Chris were to come back ontop of Antonio coming back, I think
a dude would probably be the oddone out. And it was interesting I
reached out to his dad and said, you know, just making sure there's
nothing to worry about. Everything goodon your all then, and he just
kind of like liked it and waslike just kind of confirmed, like yep,

(09:07):
good, all good here, butdidn't go above and beyond to be
like, oh, yeah, Idon't know where all this transfer stuff is
coming from. He's he's fine,he's locked in. So he's the one
that I'm watching closely because if Idon't know, if you guys have followed
his dad on Twitter, he wasvery outspoken all year long about why isn't
a dude getting a shot or there'sa guy on the bench that could could

(09:28):
that would have gotten that steal orgotten that loose ball or whatever whatever the
case is. So I think asof right now he's probably locked in.
But yeah, I agree, therecould be more of a numbers crunch and
I think he could be the nextodd man out. Before we get to
our caller, I just want tosay, based off that Aduke the ol

(09:50):
statement, I know you told usplenty of times a dude last year,
he knew he was coming, He'sa project, He's gonna be here.
I don't think in the same breathas lanced where I don't think that he's
going to be here and every yearyou're gonna bring in, you're gonna recruit
over me every year. I thinkhe thought that he would develop into a
spot where he could be trusted asa starter at some point, maybe his

(10:11):
junior year. But it's looking likethe way we're trying to get the money
minutes crunch. I'm not sure ifhe's going to get the time to develop
by his junior year. So andthat's kind of him, and that's why
Cal's paid the big bucks. AndI think that's his biggest his biggest hurdle
at which he used to do greathis first couple of years, getting personalities
combined together and play together. ButI'm not sure if if after this season,

(10:35):
if Thearrow is going to stay onthat. Hey, I want to
be a project and I want tolearn. I'm not sure if I'm gonna
be ninth man on the roster fortwo or three years. That's kind of
why I ask you that question.But yeah, go ahead, Yeah,
I'm just saying I completely agree.I think he came in yet understanding he

(10:56):
was a project and he would contentthis past year. But there's also a
difference between you know, the lancewhere I don't care when my minutes can
come. I could graduate tomorrow andyou know, and and not be still
be content with how things went.But on a dude's side, it's like,
yeah, I'm cool with waiting andbeing patient, but I also expect

(11:18):
to get a shot whenever a shotis available. Don't recruit over me just
for the sake of doing it,Like if you believe in me and you
get you know, every time Calhas a mic in front of his face,
he says, I think a douchere is gonna make a huge impact
on college basketball at some point,and I think it's gonna be soon.
Like, you can't can't keep keepbuilding this kid up and saying he's gonna
be this, this, this andthis, and then just never give him

(11:39):
the shot, because you know,that's how transfers happen. So that that's
that you're you're right on right onthe nose there, Anthony. All right,
let's get to the phone lines tosee, uh what Al has to
say this morning? Good morning,Al, what do you what do you
got for us? Hey, guesshow you're doing this morning? Doing good?

(12:00):
Great? Uh? You know,I don't know how much y'all have
looked at the NBA games recently.Um, we see so much Kentucky talent
spread out through the NBA and thenthe playoffs, Monk and Fox are doing
anything with the Kings. Uh,Treylous is upper as well. Of course
we all know about Devin Booker uhand Karl Anthony Towns among others. And

(12:28):
we see that talent and then whata lot of folks do say, well,
why does the Kentucky have you know, more championships based on the level
of talent that has come through theprogram. Uh. It reminds you of
the of the twenty fifteen team thathad enough talent that Kyle seemingly couldn't find

(12:50):
enough playing time for those individuals andcoins them the platoon team. So there
has been a lot of time tocome to Kentucky and seeing the cal has
always found a way to play guysas well. I've seen the Yukon team
win the national championship with the bigSinnings in the middle amending uh Sonogo,

(13:18):
the big African feller that was movingguys around as he was a king on
the chessboard. And then they hada seven footer that shared minutes with him.
I believe his name was clingdon Uhthat played and Hurley used those two
guys uh uniquely uh to balance theminutes. Both made tremendous contributions and agreus

(13:43):
that I saw him play uh sortof a platoon type of team that Hurly
had up there to win with um. Why would it be difficult for Kyl
to not sign NL nil money forboth of those guys to have Hunter and
Oscar play Answony And one other questionI do have for you. We talked

(14:09):
a lot about the nil deal,but do you remember back in the day
it was the n l I arrangement, which was a national let of intent.
That let of intent was binding.Seemingly the player couldn't move without being
able to hold out a your Itwas more popular back then. It was

(14:33):
it was something that you, asa player, you have to he was
buying to a national let of intent. We birth tell them even hear that
anymore. Did you when you cameto Kentucky as a football player, did
you have to sign a national letterof intent? And is that antiquated in
this age of nil? Thank youfor the call, Al. We will

(14:54):
talk about those things on the otherside as a break, you're listening to
Stockyards Banks anymore? Sports talk onnews radio six thirty WAP six thirty WLAP.

(15:18):
Welcome back to the Dockyard's Banks Sundaywhen it's sports talker Man do White
along with Larry Vault and Jack Pilgrimjoining us UH from Atlanta, Georgia at
the y b l's Circuit. Gota short segment here, so I'm going
to answer Al's question. Yes,I did sign an NI NLI deal,

(15:39):
which is national letter of intent.Everybody signs an NLI deal because when they
have the people, the news isthere. You see them signing paper.
That's what you're signing. You arenot signing the contract or anything. Well,
you are signing an agreement that youare going to attend school at that
school, and that is that you'regonna tend to since you can always take
that away if you want to,but that is verifying that you do plan
to go to school there. Jack, before we let you go, he

(16:03):
did ask, and I'm sure ifhe's listened to the show, he understands
we kind of discussed this. Whyis there not enough Shirley Kentucky has enough
money for Hunter Dickinson and Oscar.Sheboy, I don't think that the nil
is the problem. It's the wholepoint of the show we had. I
don't know if there's enough minister forboth of them. Your take on your

(16:26):
input on Hal's question is Kentucky Shirleyhas enough money for Hunter and Oscar.
Yeah, definitely not for Yes,nil is important for both of their respective
decisions about what they're going to do, but not for them playing together.
The idea of them playing together isdefinitely more of a of a role thing

(16:48):
and and fit thing. One hundred. Dickinson, which I've never seen this
before, has his own podcast andlike explains all of this thoroughly about his
thought that, you know, thoughtprocess and all of that, and said,
yeah, I needed an assurance thatOscar wasn't going to be there,
kind of like a one, oneor the other type deal, because the
understands two seven, you know,a seven footer and ah, you know

(17:11):
six nine, two hundred and fiftyfive pound anchoring center that those two aren't
going to fit alongside one another.Uh So they need an assurances against one
that it's not about nil or youknow anything like that, it's it's we
have to be able to play complimentarybasketball for it to work in us to
play well. Uh, and andthose two together just just will not work.
So you got to get shooting fromsomewhere in some versatility, and he's

(17:34):
gonna get that from Oscar Sheeway unfortunately. And uh, before we get you
out of here, what what areyou looking to see today? Are you
just taking in the times you've beenthere since Friday? So you sound earlier
like you might have been exhausted onhigh school teenage basketball. But what are
you looking for today to see?Yeah? Just you know, wrap things

(17:57):
up quickly and get on the roadas as possible would be fantastic. You
know. I spent the first coupleof days watching more self focusing on the
interviews and getting updates on the recruitmentsand all that. This is going to
be definitely more of a getting lockedin and watch the game is more closely
and get some scouting reports and thosethose sorts of things. So, uh,
seeing who is separating themselves? Uh? In twenty twenty four and b

(18:22):
and Jaffer Johnson, there's a keymatches it was it was was it was
it Jasper and Jade in the playyesterday. Well, key match up that
that you were you are highlighting onTwitter. Uh they they played together,
they played together? Who they Yeah? Who who they played against? Uh?
He played Ron Harper U or DylanHarper, son of Ron Harper,

(18:44):
who is one of the best guardsin the twenty twenty four class and and
played very very well against him,which I think is kind of a good,
good little measuring stick considering Uh Harperis top five player in the class
twenty twenty four. So keep thatin mind. Well, we appreciate a
man taking a little bit more werebasketball man. Don't get in trouble.
We'll stay out of trouble and havea safe trek back to Lexington and we'll

(19:07):
see you next week. Jack.When we come back, we will have
the biggest of the dogs. Wewill have the big dog, Vince Merrow
to talk everything in a vailed draftand a little bit find out where that
recruiting football money is going. We'llhave big dog when we come back.
You'll listen to Stockyards Bak Sunday Wantis sports talk on news radio six thirty
w LAP. This is Stockyards BankSunday Morning sports Talk presented by the lead

(19:33):
troop for it to radio network likeWLAP, So Welcome back to Stockyards Bak
Sunday one in Sports Talk. Thisour Sunday when the Sports Talk was brought
to you by Cutry Boy. Iam Anthony White alongside Larry Vault and beautiful

(19:55):
Alexan in Kentucky downtown and Mark Clark'sMain Street Market. We are now proud
to be joined by the Big Dogof University of Kentucky Football, Vince Merrill.
Good morning, mister big Dog,Good morning, my man. How
y'all doing. I'm actually downtown myselfrecruit about to lead back out that we

(20:17):
had an official visit, So I'mactually down here about the breakfast for about
thirty minutes. Oh well, well, we appreciate you taking some time to
join us this morning. I guessa lot of things going on. We
need to talk about the draft prospects. Have you gotten any more closer on

(20:38):
the Will Levis where he's planning onlanding? You know, you know when
you get with these drafts, asyou get closer to the draft, you
have people agents, other people whomight have players as similar in the same
position as Will. People putting outstuff like all this stuff about Will.

(21:00):
I don't know where it's coming from. I think it's all smoking mirrors because
people I talked to other people CoachDukes talk to, I feel pretty good.
I think Will, wherever we willgo, they're gonna get a heck
of a quarterback, a guy who'shas all the twos to be in the
NFL. Will be a big timestarter in the NFL, with a big

(21:21):
arm, smart, with very strongintelligence. When he was here, he
knew the whole playbook. So Ithink Will gonna be in a really good
spot. And I think he's gonnago hire picked higher than what I don't
know all he's gonna stuff is saying. But I feel Will going anywhere from
one to five, one to six. That's where I said, this is

(21:42):
gonna be a difficult question for yourprofessionalism. You've always been pretty honest with
us, but this has come offcome up a lot of times off air.
Does you think rich S Gangarello sincewith him having affiliation with will he
have any input on will draft stock? I think, what y'all? And
I think people probably say, well, is there sour grates because Rich has

(22:04):
gone? Rich really really was abig big supporter of Will he the one
I mean he wants said the fortynine ers playbook is very complicated. He
said, Will actually can run thatoffense and knew it. And that's the
key when you a young guy gettingdrafted the NFL. If you can't master
that playbook, that's where you seea lot of turnovers and just things going

(22:29):
back for first year, second yearquarterbacks. So I think Richard was a
big, big supporter of Will.I think he's still out there big supporter
of Will because he's seen Will firsthand. I think the greatest thing is
it's a great Samaria because now yougot Liam calling back who I think people
don't they know, but they don't. It's an understatement of saying this guy
just came from the NFL. Hewas an officer, a coordinator, so

(22:52):
he talks with a lot of themguys they thought stuff off of them from
when Liam had him in twenty one. So I just think, to me,
when you look at the whole thing, the safer bet to me is
that this guy was coached by twoNFL guys, ran an NFL offense which
sixty percent of the league runs.I'm taking my bet with that guy compared
to some of the other other stuff. Let me gives you thother quarterbacks that

(23:14):
good quarterbacks, but I'm taking mychance with that guy. Hey, that's
one thing. You're a relentless recruiter. I would hate to even think how
many hours you put into it.But it's still kind of interesting that sometimes.
I mean, I was looking backat an interview I did with Will
talk about when he was in highschool that he almost was begging people to
recruit him, and now here weare looking four years later and he's going

(23:38):
to be a top five draft pick. Is that part of this what makes
your job so hard? Because sometimesthere's just guys that just developed better than
what anybody could ever anticipate they're goingto develop. Or or there's these guys
that I got a lot of buddieson these recruiting fights, but maybe they
missing. Maybe day the ones asranking these guys wrong. And I mean,

(24:03):
you tell me, how could BennySnail being a low three star and
he's the third all time leading rushingin then SCC, you tell me how
could Josh Allen be a two starand he's the seventh pick in the NFL
draft. So I think it's acombination of both. I know this and
always said this. We can beon the kid, he could be a
four star. Maybe in a fivestar get all of a sudden if you

(24:23):
don't go to one of them traditionalschools or how state, Bama, Georgia
or the name, all of asudden, he gets knocked down. It's
just this, Mike is quite funnythat he gets knocked down to be a
five star. He a four star. So we do our stuff, We
rank our own guys. Guys areon the board the way we see him.
But yes, can you miss guys, just like the NFL can miss

(24:45):
guys. Guys cannot be drafting.They turn out to be thirteen fourteen year
veterans. And it happens, itreally does. And another question has been
coming up a lot, and it'sbeen pretty quiet. Where are you hearing
about Chris Rodriguez? What rounds areyou you hearing him? Link Wood?
I think Christ from three, threeto four? I think really in that

(25:07):
three range, you know, whenI look in like this, Benny went
in the fourth round. Benny randfour to six six four six of them.
Chris ran four five, one fourfive two. I just think Chris.
I think a Christ eventually gonna bea start because Christ and Showdeven catch
the ball out of the Backfield's he'sdefinitely can pick up the blitz and we

(25:32):
all know what he can do betweenthe taxles. I mean he's he's ran
behind two different coordinators that like Isaid, again, the knowledge is gonna
be there because he's been in thisfor two years. So I think Chris
will go. I like to seeChris. I think obviously Chris probably going
in the third round, no laterthe four, but I would not be
shocked if his early third. Yeah. I thought if he did anything under

(25:56):
four six, I thought he wouldhelp himself. But I didn't expect can
be knocking on four four almost,So, uh, that was huge year.
You told me that. He toldme that, Bro, he told
me that that he was gonna doit. And I was like, I
mean, you know it's like whatyour kids you you you you believe in
them. My mother, I'm goingto the NFL when I was like ten
eleven years so she's looking at itlike okay, baby just knows all right.

(26:18):
You know. It's kind of likeI wasn't Chris, like, I
hear you. But when you readit, Bro, I was like,
this dude made him some money.He made him some money. I just
w remind folks that it was justtwo years ago that the guy named Vince
Barra told us that he was hearingthat Luke Fortner was going to go really
early in the draft. Could babybe early as the third third round early.

(26:41):
I think a lot of people kindof were skeptical, Vince when you
put that out there. And thena few days later, Luke Fortner went
right at the top of the thirdround and started what seventeen games for the
Jags last year. So when yousay Chris in the third round, I'm
paying attention. I mean you're gonnalook at it. I mean, guys,
you'll see him play in this league. And I think, just like

(27:03):
White said when he ran that underfour to six, before that, I
was saying he was gonna be amaybe a fourth the sixth round guy.
A matter of fact, when hegot his great last yees will come out.
They had him as a fourth roundguy, fourth fifth round guy,
because they thought he was a fourto six guy, high four six guy.
I mean this guy ran almost fouror four nine. He ran four

(27:26):
or five one, four or fivetwo. I mean, they don't take
rocket times to see them what hedid there in the best league college football
League, in the country and heran a four five two at that size,
and I feel really good about him. Really where he's gonna where he's
gonna go? H The one theone thing that kind of threw me off.

(27:48):
Carrington didn't run at the combine,so I thought, man, he
tried to amass that he was gonnarun and say, but after proache he
ran the four or three. Sowhat are you hearing about Carrington? We
knew no one thing about it.Like I knew Characteron was fast. I
think, you know, he trainedwith Chris Vaughn. Chris Vain already did
a good job training them. Iasked Characton, I said, man,

(28:11):
how did you lose all that?He said, it was like going to
really go into prison. He said, he changed this guy. He just
worked, but worked hard. Characterhas long arms, and you run four
three and you and this size.He's a physical guy. I think character
he's gonna be in that third,third to fifth round two. I think,
you know, our guys, wereally got guys that I believe after

(28:34):
we all go, there's gonna beguys, you know, just like the
one year when we had guys goinglike every you know, every round.
I think charatons as a dB becausethey go higher. I think he is
gonna go I think he's gonna gothird anywhere from the third, third to
fourth round. I really do believethat. Yeah, I thought I saw
I think he had it. Ithought his vertical is pretty impressive. I

(28:55):
thought he was like a thirty eightto thirty nine vertical with it. I
was forty thirty nine vertical. Okay, he was thirty nine. Uh.
Some people you know he actually gotthe other you know, the NFL,
and he nipped it. And wewere trying to tell a man that's you
know, he should give it tohim, you know, so they and
yeah, he had a really goodbroad jump too, a really good broad
jump. Uh. And now Ihaven't heard anything at all. Uh.

(29:18):
Now, I guess as hard togauge. I mean, I know you're
in the knowe about Tayshan Tayshan Manning. What is uh what are we hearing
about him? I can see himanywhere from six to seventy. Actually the
actually did good for himself at theSenior Bowl. Uh. You know,
it's hard to find them guys andguards that are big and physical. Uh.

(29:41):
I will predict this, he willhe will make a team because he's
a smart kid. But he's abig, physical, strong handed young man.
And I knew, I know there'sa lot of teams that liked him
when we came in doing the years. You know, all you want to
sit down and talk to him andyou know, just act about him.
You can always tell them what teamsare like, really high on guys,

(30:03):
and he was one of the mainguys that can bring up on all the
time. They's tell us a littlebit about Jodcast Jones, DeAndre DeAndre Square.
What do you expect, if anythingto happen with them during the draft.
Now you remember Danny Jervythan and Wesleywere I can see them guys and
I'll be neither one of them wasdrafted and they both played what over ten

(30:26):
plus years. So I think withJackuaz, he's a little bigger, uh
smart him and Square that's that's whatthat defense was the way they were because
brass scheme is a complicated NFL scheme, and them two guys ran into the
team. I just think, youknow, people don't always tell guys until
our guys don't get caught up inthe draft. Don't get caught up in

(30:51):
these people saying, Oh, you'regonna do this. You get these little
agents, you don't know what theheck they're talking about, telling them they're
gonna do this. Just signed witha team if you're drafted, And sometimes
it's better not to be drafting whenyou can draft in the later rounds because
now you can just pick the teamyou want to go to. And they
were always putting money up front.When they're putting money up front and a

(31:11):
nice size of money up front,that's when you know that team really,
really really is interesting them. SoI see them two guys being very productive
guys. They are they are goodfootball players. And uh, I don't
know if you keep up with thecurrent NFL players are the one thing that
you know Benny Snell is a isa big Blue Nation favorite. Uh that
he's he's on the market, youhere and h anything. Yeah, if

(31:33):
he's gonna land the spot any timesoon? Yeah, So what's what's really
And it's kind of intriguing about that. The same teams that I know Chris,
it's very high on Chris. Acouple of them teams have contacted Benny's
agent. You know, here's whatyou got understand about Benny Benny played four

(31:56):
years. The Stiller still on them, but it's kind of like, Okay,
do you go maximize your potential?And you know this man, when
you are a four year starter inthe core four of special teams and you
are running back that can come inand give you good productive football, that
that guy is always gonna He's alwaysgonna be in the market. People want

(32:17):
them always. So he told meit's about four or five teams. One
of them is very close here thatthat that's interested them. So it'll be
interesting after the draft to see wherehe signs. Well, the one,
the one close to here, Scottgot a few openings at running back right
now. I think they've I thinkthey vary in interest in them. Heystent

(32:39):
Crystal too, that Nick Date,that big blue nation to love that be
able to travel up every Sunday andcatch a game. Wouldn't it be something
you get? Will I will goto the coach or the Titans. That's
a three hour drive, And ifChris goes to the Bengals or anywhere,
got will go to the Bengals Thatan hour and fifteen minute drifts on a

(33:01):
lot of a lot of people goingto see these guys to play, you'd
be on the road every Sunday.Then, Actually, you know, I
wish I could, but when wecome back, you know, I go
on the road during the season,or like Thursday night getting place to go
to the school, watch the game, and then I'm back here Friday night
after the game at the whole saleor he did not go home because we

(33:22):
played the next day. So Iusually do that when we when we home,
when we're on the road, itjust depends on it. If it's
somebody that we want to recruit inthat area, that we're gonna do that.
So now I can't go because thenwe watched Field on Sundays and you
know, I got I gotta geton my guys make sure they played.
Okay. Well, well, Iknow you can't talk a lot specifically about

(33:45):
recruiting, but let me just askyou, it's been a pretty good weekend
here in Lexia and Edvan. Yeah, it was a pretty good weekend.
It was it was did it snowthis weekend? Because it was it feel
like Christmas. H We had someof the guys that are to some really
good players came in and visited.So it really is really really good,

(34:07):
you know, recruiting, don't it. Don't stop now, man, I
was on the road recruiting high schoolrecruiting. They had to come back for
its official visit. Uh. Ithink our whole offensive staff really did a
great job, even the gas andsupport guys like like Tim Williams and and
CJ. Conrad and Drake Jackson andyou know a lot of them guys do

(34:27):
not get mentioned. Dan. Youknow, it's it's a big operation,
a big operation. And then kindof starting to remind me of the NFL.
Uh. You know, you justit all has to come in and
then you bring the closer in andwe do what we gotta do to sell
what we need to sell. ButI can tell you this, you know,
like I ain't saying on names,but tell this, the Big Blue

(34:50):
Nation it really hard to sell rightnow. And definitely the Big Blue Wall
it's not hard to sell. Uhhad a little crack in it. But
I can tell you right now thatjoker is going to be backslid. I
did want to ask you since wegot your online, it's come up a
lot of times and I don't havean answer, and you got you do
such a good job. As ahard question for me to answer on the
outside. What Uh? I thoughtwe had a couple scholarship positions open,

(35:16):
and everybody's asked me, what arewe looking to feel this late? If
if we have anything to feel,what are you guys looking to feel?
Old line? Okay, have afine old line. Uh maybe uh a
linebacker. We were pretty I cantell you this, man, we gotta

(35:37):
we are pretty. We did agood job a cruiting. But you know,
if I had a if it wasa coach through speaking or Brad White,
I would say probably old line,which we're gonna address that real soon.
And uh, linebacker, I thinkwe need some deaf line back.

(36:00):
Other than that, I like ourreceivers. I like our tight ends are
running back from are pretty good.Getting Ray Davishich is really good and having
your turn in there. I likeour D line. I D Stewards done
a good job to D line.And I'm telling I like our secondary.
I think Frank Buffano and and andcoach College man, we really got some

(36:21):
good secondary. Uh. You know, I was happy to see that one
of them other guys committed somewhere.I was I was glad to tee found
at home. But we got apretty good secondary. Hey, events.
There was an article that came out. I wanted to ask you a question
about that, but I got togo to break. Can you join me
back one more segment? Yeah,yeah, I knew you had to recruit.
Okay, I we do got aquestion. We will ask Vince this

(36:44):
question or other side of the break. You're listening to Stockyards Bank, so
I didn't want to sports talk onnews radio six thirty w LA. This
is the home of the Wildcats,six thirty WLAP. Welcome back Stockyards Thank
Sunday morning sports Talk. I'm answeredwide along with Larry Vaught and still join

(37:07):
via phone with a big dog VinceMerrow. I got a short segment.
I just really wanted to get thisquestion in. Our listeners asked earlier that
there was an article posted that wespend a little over a million dollars in
recruiting four basketball players and a littleunder a million dollars recruiting twenty five scholarship

(37:29):
athletes. I just wanted to Ididn't see why there was an issue or
where we could spend more more moneyat is that is? That is?
There is there an issue with that? If you need more money, where
could you spend more money? Ifthat was if there was a extra funds.
Yeah, I don't know where thatarticle came from. That I can
tell you that that's a martial questionor or ad our senior a d that

(37:57):
it's kind of like the NFL.You know, Hey, I'm on a
low totem pole. You know Iwill say this it is, don't I
don't see. We had no problemas always still always to have people if
they want to give and give,not just to football, but you know,
give the basketball to my women's basketball, give to men's baseball. You

(38:19):
know, Kyra lg coach else hassituations where you you know, I think
she can use now I think Iknow she can use and I but for
us in football, I think itstill comes down to recruiting. You still
have to have a relationship. Itdon't matter what you suspending. I mean,
somebody can recruit me. And ifthe program is totally whack or the

(38:43):
culture is real messed up, I'mnot going there. So I don't.
I don't know if that's an issue, but I think you can always you
can always use help. You understand, I'm saying, because we got a
talented roster and there's people who wantsour guys, and that's a fact.
There's people who want our guys,and I think we have done a good
job. Uh Eddie Grahan, likeI say, Mark Hill, Uh,

(39:07):
A lot of them guys a longercoach dudes, and I like managing that.
But that's that's a total I don'tI don't deal with that question.
I just go recruit and I knowwhat you know, and that's you.
We can't. We can't even saythe kids like, hey, I'm recruiters,
am I want to give you this? Give you that when they get

(39:28):
on campus. We have an niNIO program where coach Graham would talk to
them, and there is there's moneythere for uh recruits, but I don't
know if we had I mean,we can always use more help, but
there's other sports I can use helpto you, all right, you do
a great job. So hey,you do a great job. So I
don't see where the money could beused. As we thank you for your
time, We got to get toa break. We appreciate you joined this

(39:51):
morning. We'll be back with KennethDork Kenneth Horse. On the top of
the hour, you're listening to StockyardsBank Sonny when the sports talk on the
news right L six thirties of LA p.