AggieYell Mailbag, sponsored by Tipton Auto Group
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Q: Any worry about the interior of the DL having a significant drop off in run D? I think we have capable replacements (gonna really miss McKinley Jackson) but curious what you think. (Jrperez1979)
A: Yeah, I have some concerns. But it’s one of those where you don’t know until you see it. Jackson was an outstanding run stopper and took on a bunch of double teams. But you’re going to have a lot of quickness and athleticism with Shemar Turner, DJ Hicks, Albert Regis, Rodas Johnson and (hopefully) Gabe Dindy in the middle. Mike Elko’s defenses were stout against the run and he likes what he has, so that’s a positive sign.
Q: I have been very impressed with Elko. He seems to be well organized and provides thoughtful answers to questions. He seems to have a plan for the program as opposed to Jimbo often seemed to be flying by the seat of his pants. I know the success/failure will be decided on the field. Based on your observations have you seen anything that would need improvement, or could lead to him not being successful (e.g. Jimbo being stubborn and hanging on to Addazio which I think was his biggest failure, and we were warned about him being stubborn). (GCJC)
A: Yeah, he could be flashier.
That’s a joke.
Honestly, I can’t think of much I haven’t liked so far. He’s come in with a plan, he’s implemented, he’s regimented and guys have bought into his vision. The best way I can describe him is he’s about the work. He works his butt off and establishes the tone for the rest of the program.
Q: After the World Series are you going to SEC media days? (Wick)
A: Always do. And, with it being within driving distance, no reason not to. I’m looking for a sponsor for it, by the way.
Q: After Henson left, Our OL performance seemed to fall off a cliff and that was probably the primary reason for underperforming in 2022 and 2023.
1. What is it that made Addazio such a disaster as an OL coach?
A: If you’ll give me permission to be blunt, he was a jerk and nobody respected him. He didn’t emphasize fundamentals and just expected his players to know what to do. He provided no leadership, just a lot of yelling. At least, that’s what I’ve been told.
I don’t need any inside sources to say he was an incredibly bad hire and should have been fired after the 2022 season, if not before.
2. You seem to be more optimistic about Cushing and expectations for the OL. What in his past or how he coaches makes you optimistic about our 2024 OL? (Thepassag)
A: His track record at Northwestern and Duke is what makes me optimistic. At Northwestern, he coached (coming directly from his bio) seven All-Big Ten offensive line selections and eight NFL offensive linemen. At Duke, he had two All-ACC selections, an All-American and an first round draft pick in just two seasons. The guy puts players in the league. And, talking to offensive linemen in the spring, they definitely like his approach and his emphasis on technique.
Q: I really don't understand the logic in the proposal to limit the size of the football to 85 players, thus eliminating the opportunity for walk-on players. Can you shed any light on the thinking here? (Tnags)
A: No, because it makes no sense. That’s part of the beauty of college football, where someone can come out of nowhere and be a real contributor. It would kill the 12th Man entirely. Every single SEC coach has come out strongly against it, and I hope that the idea is dead on arrivals.
Q: Can you get a press pass at Omaha, assuming we get there? (H273)
A: I would think so.
Q: 1. Bussey, ends camp at CB or WR?
A: I am going to guess, and it is just a guess, that he ends up at wideout. I think they would rather him at corner, it’s just that the need may be greater on offense.
2. More 3 TE or 4 WR sets?
A: Tough one. I’m going to go with 3 TE, because Donovan Green and Tre Watson bring a level of versatility.
3. Where does Brooks play and how much? (JustAvgIllini)
A: Strong safety and a lot.
Q: What’s the buzz about picking up more transfer players for basketball? Has it gone silent, stealth or dead? (Spar2cus)
A: It’s just quiet. They’ve still got some options out there they can pursue.
Q: Which game you go back and watch per season? I’m finding few these last few years… (LTGrenader)
A: I honestly have not gone back and watched a single game from the past two seasons. I’ll watch them immediately after for the sake of analysis and see if I missed anything, but after that, they’ve been way too frustrating. If I were to watch a game from last year, it would probably be the Mississippi State game. I might watch the Auburn game, too, because the defense was fun that day.
But if you asked me the last A&M game I rewatched, I watched the Nebraska basketball game the other night when I couldn’t sleep.
Football-wise, the games I go back and watch the most are Tennessee from 2016 and LSU from 2018.