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00:00 >> Something different, just as far as mindset and expectation.
00:02 >> Yeah, I think kind of the old school mindset I think from QB was like,
00:07 that was instilled in me was like toughness, competitiveness,
00:11 that kind of deal where like that's what we want the QB position to exude.
00:16 Like, man, this guy can take some shots and guys are gonna respond to that.
00:19 He's the toughest, most competitive guy on the field.
00:23 I do think that the mental side has grown and
00:24 it's become a bigger piece of handling the social media and
00:30 how much exposure you're gonna take when maybe you have an off week or
00:35 an off performance and how can you respond to that and being focused on the day to day
00:40 of like, hey, this is what my task is in this moment, like staying in the moment that way.
00:46 And I think also like I throw an interception, I have a bad drive,
00:50 turn the ball over and whatnot, how do I bounce back from that?
00:52 >> You use that term flush it, you can flush it and be done with it.
00:55 >> Flush it and be done with it, and we talked about kind of one snap and clear,
00:58 one snap and play the one snap and clear mind moving on.
01:01 That's a big piece of what we try to,
01:05 I just think that piece of it has become a lot bigger.
01:09 And I know that there's some people around the program here that we try to get our
01:14 guys around and expose and work with.
01:16 And I just think that's a huge part of the game and
01:19 a part of the game that I feel like if you work at that part of the game,
01:24 you can create yourself a competitive advantage, I guess, against your competition.
01:28 Everybody's doing the same terms of practices, weight, weight staff,
01:35 all that, but the edge, I think, the mental edge of the game to me is where we
01:41 really challenge our guys to try to get a competitive advantage in that way,
01:44 particularly at the quarterback position.
01:46 >> Sure, thanks so much.
01:46 >> Do you see Tanner Miller as a leader in the O-line room, and is he a center or
01:50 a guard?
01:51 >> I think Tanner can do both.
01:53 We're gonna ask him to do some center.
01:54 As far as a leader, I think he's got experience, and I think the leadership
02:00 piece, he's coming in as a new guy, he's gotta come in and earn that.
02:03 I think that any time you got a guy that's got experience playing at this level and
02:08 has had success and knows the system, yeah, we'd love for him to come in and
02:12 take a leadership role, but
02:14 that'll be something he'll have to come in and earn, but yeah, Tanner,
02:18 I think he's, one of the things I love about him is he's done both.
02:21 We feel comfortable with him snapping the ball, and
02:23 he was our backup center, primarily at Oregon State, and then, but
02:27 he's, any time you feel comfortable with that guy snapping the football is
02:31 a good thing to have, so yeah, we'll try him at center.
02:34 I don't know where he'll end up landing, but
02:36 I know he's gonna take a lot of reps at center this spring.
02:38 >> With the wide zone concepts you guys run, you look a lot,
02:42 did you take a lot of look at Shanahan and some of the stuff that they do?
02:45 >> Yeah, absolutely, those guys, I mean, I don't know if it's even more than half
02:50 the NFL's running that type of West Coast system that, and I say modern pro style.
02:56 I think those guys have done a really good job of tweaking the system a little
03:01 bit from what it was 15, 20 years ago or whatnot, and
03:05 being just kind of the under center, stagnant.
03:08 Now they're gonna draw up some different motions,
03:11 some different ways of getting some of this stuff.
03:13 But yeah, those are some of the, in my mind, the best offenses in the world.
03:17 Those guys are some of the best minds in the world as far as offensive football,
03:22 and we study the Niners and the Lions, and they do a great job.
03:26 And they're all kind of tied in that tree.
03:29 And it's somebody that we study for sure in the off season.
03:33 >> What do you think is most effective in those offenses?
03:36 Just overloading kind of the personality on one side or using-
03:41 >> Yeah, to me it's how multiple they are and
03:45 they're able to do the same things, the same concept, I guess,
03:49 through multiple looks to where you're truly keeping things simple for us.
03:53 And we've got, like you said, the wide zone concept.
03:56 Our guys have got hundreds, if not thousands, of banked reps running
03:59 the wide zone, but you're running in a multitude of different ways
04:02 where it looks like you're doing a lot more than you really are.
04:05 And then the big thing for
04:06 me is how those guys are able to create explosive passes.
04:10 And they do that by marrying the run and the pass.
04:12 They make them look the same on rundowns, and they stay on schedule.
04:15 And we're able to keep defenses off balance that way.
04:18 And then to me, scoring points is about creating explosive plays, and
04:23 those guys are some of the best.
04:24 We're doing that.
04:25 >> Excuse me, quarterback is such an important position in your sport these
04:29 days, you have a potentially dynamic player coming in who's a multi-talented
04:34 guy, not necessarily a drop back passer.
04:36 So offensively, are you forced to build your philosophy around your quarterback,
04:42 depending on what style you place?
04:44 >> Absolutely, yeah, we always wanna play off our personnel.
04:46 And our offense from a year ago with DJ will look different than it will with
04:51 Aiden, and we call the game a little bit differently when he was in the game
04:55 a year ago, just based on his skill set.
04:57 And that's something that I've challenged our staff to look at, okay,
05:02 here's a guy that feels like a really talented guy, how can we build the offense
05:05 around him, whilst staying with some of the key things that we believe in.
05:11 So that's something that's a project of ours that we've been working on.
05:14 And probably see a little bit of it in the spring and then go into the fall, but
05:18 always wanna play off his skill set and what he's comfortable with.
05:21 >> I switched tables, so I apologize if you've covered this ground, but
05:24 what attracted you to Michigan State and Jonathan Smith?
05:27 What made this an appealing move for you?
05:31 >> Shoot, I haven't been with Jonathan for six years, and
05:35 just I really believe in the way that he runs a program and
05:40 his philosophy of the way that he treats not only players but coaches.
05:44 I think the quality of life, as far as your family, the way he treats coaches.
05:50 And that way, hey, we're gonna work hard, but
05:53 it's also gonna have some time to be able to spend with your family and
05:56 understanding the importance of that.
05:58 And then, like I said, believing in the way that he does things.
06:02 I think everything we do makes sense.
06:04 I just really believe that's easy to kind of get behind.
06:06 And then coming to Michigan State, just to me, the history and
06:10 tradition of the program, playing and competing in the Big Ten Conference.
06:16 I always think having recruited in quarterbacks against Michigan State,
06:22 I feel like it's a national brand.
06:24 It really excites me that I feel like we can get some big time talent
06:28 to work with offensively.
06:33 That's exciting.
06:33 And like I said, the tradition, they had this place going.
06:36 Won ten or 11 games, right, two or three years ago.
06:41 And then, yeah, and then what they did through that,
06:44 really the last 20 years or whatnot, just a lot of success.
06:49 Tunneling, making it physical, I think,
06:51 kind of lines up with some of the things that we believe in.
06:55 Yeah, I'm excited to be here.
06:56 >> Spring ball even more important when there's a new staff and new players?
07:00 >> Yeah, absolutely.
07:01 I mean, every minute that we can spend with those guys, it is nice having,
07:07 we got four of the full-time coaches came over on offense that know the offense.
07:13 And there's some comfort there.
07:15 But just getting around these players as much as we can, and meetings,
07:19 walkthroughs, I mean, just taking advantage of every opportunity we can to get better
07:23 will be big for us.
07:25 >> With the familiarity with Jonathan Smith,
07:26 tell us what we might not know about him that makes him a little separate,
07:31 or how- >> He's a super competitive guy,
07:35 one of the more competitive guys.
07:37 And I think sometimes, even in practice, he's very quiet, he's very reserved.
07:41 But you get around him from anything that he's doing,
07:44 whether if you're playing golf, you're shooting hoops, you're doing anything like
07:49 that, the guy is one of the more competitive guys that I've been around.
07:52 And it doesn't always come off like that, cuz he's this very reserved, nice guy.
07:56 The guy is one of the more competitive people I've been around.
08:00 >> Can you talk about how you put together that quarterback recruiting class?
08:04 It's a weird situation where I'm sure you've never had a deal where you come
08:07 into a program and there's zero quarterbacks.
08:10 And then you have to go, you have to get transfer, obviously.
08:13 Two portal guys and then two high school guys.
08:15 It's a unique situation, you can't talk about.
08:18 >> Yeah, I've never been a part of anything like that.
08:20 I mean, I stepped off the plane, I think it was the Monday after the last game of
08:25 the season, November, and I got off the plane and all those guys had gone to portal.
08:30 It was wild.
08:31 My wife called me, it was like, hey, you got a great first day,
08:34 you know what I mean?
08:35 Got no quarterbacks in the roster.
08:37 And it was really challenging, just the time frame of like,
08:42 hey, we had two and a half weeks, I think, for that first sign day.
08:46 And to get Aiden over when he went in was huge.
08:51 But it also made it challenging at the same time.
08:53 Hey, you're bringing someone from your program that you were at that you
08:57 recruited, and then who wants to come, what other transfer wants to come,
09:03 be a part of that program when you get a young guy that you recruited that you're
09:07 bringing in.
09:07 >> Right.
09:09 >> So it was really challenging talking to other transfers that way.
09:12 And fortunate enough, we were able to find Tommy,
09:14 a guy that all time leading passer in North Dakota.
09:17 And he's played a lot of ball and gives us some experience in the room.
09:22 And then just two and a half weeks that the tour together, find some freshmen.
09:28 We liked the guys that we brought in.
09:29 Obviously, there was some familiarity recruiting Ryland from when we were at
09:33 Oregon State.
09:34 But Alessia, a guy that kind of went through and watched a lot of guys in
09:38 the Midwest and felt like he was really kind of talented under-recorded guy.
09:44 And excited about what he brings.
09:46 >> What did you like about him?
09:47 >> Arm talent.
09:49 Arm talent and I think he was really productive.
09:51 That's one of the things that's really big to me.
09:53 He's got our guys, they look good throwing it in the drills and whatnot.
09:57 But are they winning games and are they producing?
10:01 He's touchdown interception ratios off the charts and
10:05 playing in that Catholic league in Chicago.
10:08 Won a lot of games and did some good things.
10:11 But he's got big time arm talent.
10:13 He's gotta keep working on his, quicken his feet up.
10:16 >> Is your family?
10:18 >> What's that? >> Is your family made to move?
10:19 Is everybody with you?
10:20 >> Yeah, spring break, fall in last week.
10:23 I was, it wasn't like I was heading to Florida and
10:27 going to chase the sun or whatnot.
10:29 But yeah, headed back to Oregon.
10:31 We were able to kind of get packed and moved up.
10:32 And they actually got back and we got over here Thursday officially.
10:37 So there's- >> Three kids.
10:39 >> Yep, three kids.
10:40 And so yeah, I've got an eighth grade boy, seventh grade daughter, third grade boy.
10:46 Yep, and so we're in kind of an Airbnb right now.
10:49 And then we're moving to our home, I think, towards the end of March.
10:54 But to get them out here is awesome.
10:55 Like get them out here and they're champs as far as leaving school in the middle
11:00 of the semester or whatnot and coming out and starting is never easy.
11:04 But it's just awesome to get them out here full time.
11:08 That's definitely kind of nice to kind of check the box that way as far as.
11:12 >> It's tough at that age.
11:13 They gotta get used to a new school, new environment, new friends.
11:16 >> Yeah, new sports teams.
11:18 Daughter's a dancer, she's gonna find a dance studio.
11:20 So we're kind of, wife's out doing all that stuff right now.
11:24 But it's great to get them out here.
11:25 Yeah, this is gonna be good.
11:29 Excited to be out here.
11:31 >> Jack Bowling, what does he do for you?
11:33 Obviously, he had a huge year last year.
11:35 >> Yeah, yeah, Jack, I think, is a savvy player.
11:41 I think he does a nice, obviously, he's got a lot of physical talent and
11:44 ability that way.
11:45 But I always think those guys that put up good numbers in a tight end position are
11:49 really savvy as far as the way that they can create separation and
11:53 understand zones, zone coverage and finding spaces and
11:57 zone coverage with different option routes and different things that we ask him to do.
12:01 And Jack's kind of got that savviness about the way he plays.
12:06 And I just think I look for his role to grow even more,
12:10 just having the experience from last year and
12:12 just being able to do some more things with him.
12:14 And then I think he's grown a little bit as a blocker.
12:17 His first year coming in as a freshman, he had to put on some strength.
12:20 And he was great when we flexed him out.
12:22 But when we put him in line and asked him to do some stuff in the run game,
12:25 he was getting exposed a little bit.
12:27 Now last year, I think he took some steps that way.
12:29 And working with our tight ends coach, Coach Wozniak,
12:31 those guys have done a great job with him.
12:32 So I just think him growing into that position where he can really go in line,
12:38 he can flex out, we can do a lot of different things.
12:42 I ask him to do a lot of different things, it's gonna make us better.
12:45 >> I got a time for a couple more questions.
12:47 >> I asked Joe this, he's a guy that has kind of Midwest ties, Midwest rules.
12:51 You guys, coming from the other side of the coast,
12:55 how much do you lean on a guy like that?
12:57 How much do you lean on the guys that, both from recruiting and
13:00 program building, to kind of put the Midwest stamp on you?
13:05 >> Huge, huge.
13:06 I mean, as much as asking them questions all the time about,
13:10 when you said like the conference, and the way things run here.
13:13 And then also recruiting, just now I've not spent a lot of time recruiting.
13:18 Here were the schools that we need to hit.
13:20 These guys usually produce players.
13:21 And travel questions, all that kind of stuff.
13:25 But yeah, leaning heavily, and it's good to have a big chunk of our staff to have
13:30 that kind of that Midwest Big Ten experience, which would be good.
13:33 And it's been fun for me just recruiting a little bit as part of the country and
13:37 getting to know some new coaches that way.
13:39 I'm just excited for me to play some games at,
13:42 like during the day, like at noon every now and then.
13:45 >> [LAUGH] >> It's 5 AM your time, man.
13:47 >> Yeah, I love it.
13:48 I was jealous, you could watch game day and then like, man,
13:51 Big Ten's playing at 9 AM Pacific time.
13:53 Like, see, these guys are gonna be on their couch.
13:56 >> Do you remember the last time you watched Michigan State game?
13:59 >> Yeah.
13:59 Michigan State, I've watched it, I mean, a number, I mean, years.
14:07 Yeah, I feel like cuz we're always, Michigan State was playing during the day.
14:11 And we would just be sitting in the hotel,
14:13 waiting to play at Pac-12 after dark.
14:16 And gosh, and I was playing those games.
14:19 But yeah, I've watched plenty of Michigan,
14:21 when Coach Saban was here.
14:23 >> I'm sorry, I'm sure you've been asked this already, but
14:27 the quarterback position obviously is the most important of an offense.
14:30 And having the familiarity that you have with the agents,
14:33 just how does that help when there's so much newness around this program?
14:37 And even the guys that have been here for a few seasons,
14:39 they're gonna have to learn how this staff operates and everything.
14:43 >> No, it's huge.
14:43 I mean, it's anytime you get a guy that's familiar with the system and
14:48 then kinda knows how you work and operate, call it on game day.
14:52 And expectations for how you practice,
14:55 it's great to have somebody in the room that's been with you like that.
14:58 It's almost a veteran guy that can bring the other four quarterbacks that we got in
15:03 as far as this is how we run this drill.
15:05 This is the expectation in the offseason for
15:10 how we do things and operate and do things in the weight room.
15:14 Yeah, I just think it's a big piece, particularly going into a new program and
15:20 how he carries himself, the other positions as well.
15:25 Seeing him, how he operates and how he expected to.
15:29 >> What did you learn about him just last season?
15:31 Not necessarily about what he can do on the field, but
15:33 also just how he is as a leader.
15:36 >> Yeah, he was young and he kinda was the backup and came and
15:41 played in some drives.
15:42 But I just love the way he carries himself,
15:44 his confidence that he plays with.
15:47 Kind of a free spirit to where he just, if he has a bad play,
15:51 he can move on to the next.
15:52 And he does that better than any young guy that I've been around.
15:57 And just, like I said, the confidence, the swagger, the ability to focus.
16:02 He showed that in scrimmages early in fall camp and we wondered, okay,
16:06 when the lights come on and the fans get out there, is he gonna be able to,
16:10 all that stuff, is that gonna be able to transition?
16:12 And he was able to go out there and make checks and
16:14 function in that environment.
16:15 And that was pretty cool to see from a young guy.
16:17 >> Ryan, go on with that a little bit.
16:18 I don't know if you've addressed this already, I apologize for that.
16:20 But how do you sort of challenge Hayden now as year two, hey,
16:23 this is different.
16:24 And if it's gonna be the start of it, this is different.
16:27 That it's not just running it back necessarily from last year, hey,
16:29 I got my coaches, everything.
16:31 I assume you wanna challenge him and- >> Totally, he's a big,
16:34 I think guys make the biggest jump year one to year two.
16:37 And he's, yeah, maturing and I think taking the next step in his game.
16:42 As far as I think understanding of defenses and
16:44 I think also in the way that he prepares during the week, having to be the starter.
16:48 And I think he saw DJ, it was really good for him to be around DJ.
16:52 DJ had done it for a while and he was a pro in the way that he went about
16:56 preparing during the week.
16:58 And I think that's gonna be huge for him and what we're gonna challenge him to do.
17:02 If you're going in as the starter, this is the stuff I gotta do someday to
17:07 game time to put myself in a position to be successful.
17:12 >> You've seen him taking on that different role already?
17:14 >> Yeah, through some of the meetings and stuff,
17:16 I think he's headed in the right direction.
17:19 But that's something that as we get going, he's more of the veteran guy now.
17:24 This is making it a habit as opposed to just.
17:30 >> How do you find and build the leaders right now?
17:33 And if you've seen any guys, maybe emerging as
17:38 new folk really more than anything right now?
17:40 >> I see some and I've just gotta be around them more before I name names or
17:45 whatnot.
17:45 But there's some guys that have been around here that it's important to them and
17:50 they're competitive guys.
17:51 And to me right now, it's about the guys that go out and do the work.
17:54 You know what I mean?
17:55 The guys that are working hard and being positive, encouraging teammates.
17:59 And I think there's a number of guys that have stood out that way and
18:02 hopefully that continues to grow.
18:03 But I'll have more specifics, probably the names as we get to go in the spring and
18:07 we're able to see him kind of go through some rougher times and
18:11 see how they handle some adversity that way.
18:13 >> Aiden choosing to come play for you guys again after having the year
18:16 experience, what's that say about him, I guess?
18:18 Maybe was that hopefully you hope says that about you guys as a standout?
18:22 You had opportunities, I'm sure, that could have been whatever.
18:25 But to choose you guys a second time, what does that say about both parties?
18:28 >> It's huge.
18:29 I feel like it meant a lot.
18:32 I know it meant a lot to Jonathan and I.
18:34 Just going through and getting to know the family.
18:36 I have a big deal of respect for his family and the way that he was raised,
18:41 the way that he is, and that was what drew us to him.
18:43 The recruiting process was like, this is the guy that,
18:45 this is the type of kid we want in our program that we wanna be around on a daily
18:48 basis, and a guy that we can build a program around.
18:50 And it was cool.
18:53 One of the reasons that we were so attracted to him was we felt like they
18:55 were pretty loyal, and loyal family that way.
19:00 And it was really cool to see him stick with us and believe in things that
19:05 the way that Coach Smith runs the program and what we're doing offensively,
19:08 it means a lot.
19:09 >> How about the value of having a guy like Tommy and
19:11 all his experience and what he can bring?
19:13 >> Totally, yeah.
19:13 Tommy's played a lot of ball and has been productive.
19:16 And the challenge to him is, can you do it at this level?
19:18 And I just think, yeah, he's thrown for a bunch of yards.
19:21 He's been on the road.
19:22 He's had to handle, he's played on the road in Nebraska.
19:25 He's played on the road at like, it was a Boise,
19:28 some of these places where the environment's a little bit tougher.
19:31 He's had to go manage that.
19:32 It's anytime that you can get that in your room, I think, is huge.
19:35 >> Thanks, Coach, I appreciate it.