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The University of Mississippi Athletics
2004 National Signing Day Press Conference
2/4/2004 | Football
Feb. 4, 2004
OXFORD, Miss. -
Opening Comments
This is always an exciting day for everyone involved. It's the new blood of the program that you're looking at this time of year. The first thing I want to do is thank our entire staff for the outstanding job it has done in the recruiting process. Everyone on the staff worked a countless number of hours and did a tremendous job in getting outstanding players to be a part of the recruiting process.
I want to thank the players who are currently on the squad. I thought they did an outstanding job of hosting these young men and that was impressive to see. We had one of those recruiting classes where we didn't have a lot of people come to campus. We brought the right people to campus and ended up being highly successful with those people.
We signed 21 players today. Thirteen were defensive-oriented players. You never know exactly what's going to happen. Eight of them are offensive-oriented players. You never know exactly where the recruiting process is going to take you and what it leads to. There is a lot of work to be done by these men that we've signed before anything comes to fruition and a lot of work to be done by our staff.
This is an exciting day and I think we did an outstanding job. We really helped ourselves up front. There are some very physical football players in this class. We signed four offensive linemen today, five defensive-front players and three linebackers. We have attracted some real physical defensive players so there should be a lot of internal competition as we begin practice with this group. There's certainly a great deal of speed in this group and a lot of playmakers.
I'm excited about this class. I think some of them could come in and certainly have a quick impact in our program, but as I said, all of that remains to be seen. We're just tickled with the people they are and tickled with the opportunity to have the chance to coach these young men. We're definitely looking forward to it.
Q: How did the 10-win season, Cotton Bowl victory and facility improvements help with this year's recruiting class?
A: The facilities are certainly something that every prospect looks at. We're putting together a facilities package that will be second-to-none. Instead of just hearing us talk about it, all of these recruits saw (the improvements). They see the progress. Some of them had been here in the fall and it's exciting for them to see the progress from the fall to now. We're getting much closer to moving in. As far as coming off a great season, everybody enjoys winning and we've raised the bar. The expectations are greater and I think that's what good football players want to be a part of. I certainly hope that's their intention.
Q: How did last year's success affect this year's recruiting?
A: Everyone loves a winner. That's a natural process for all of us. I would never use the term "easy" when talking about recruiting, but I would say that last year's success on the field helped our coaching staff be more effective with this year's recruiting class.
Q: Talk about landing a marquee in-state player such as Garry Pack.
A: Garry is a tremendous prospect and it's always great to land a player of his ability. The exciting thing is that there are other players in this class who have that same type of ability. It's always hard to rank these individuals, but we're definitely proud to have him as a part of our program.
Q: Would you have signed a running back if Lavarus Giles had not signed?
A: We probably would not have. Lavarus a special talent. I think he's an exceptional young prospect and we'll see what happens. Being an in-state player and being as close as he was, it certainly was exciting for us to recruit him.
Q: Talk about recruiting players from the outstanding high school programs in the region.
A: It has been a great experience. We get to pick from a number of great programs throughout the south. It's fun to break into those programs. These guys (in the south) are used to winning and they understand the effort and work ethic it takes to win. You could certainly put South Panola in that category. They, along with several of these other programs, are the type of programs that we're looking to recruit from. I don't want to disrespect any program, but those are marquee names in the south and it's fun to go in and sign good football players from good programs.
Q: Talk about recruiting players from South Panola.
A: South Panola is a high school very close to our campus. They have a great program. We've had success with their players in the past and certainly intend to keep recruiting quality players from that school. It's turned into a hotbed for great football.
Q: Did you take any specific direction with this year's recruiting class?
A: We're always going to be about running. If a player can't run they have a difficult time playing at this level, so, consequently, we're going to always put speed at the top of our list. Plus, the ability to move and run -- on both sides of the ball -- is extremely important. The key to this thing is getting bigger and faster guys. That combination becomes deadly. I think this class has a lot of talent; a lot of raw, physical talent.
Q: Talk about keeping Mississippi high school players in-state for college.
A: We certainly sell that like anybody would. It's exciting to see our players stay in-state. We were fortunate to sign some of those type players. It's exciting and we think the talent level in Mississippi is exceptional, both in the high school and junior college ranks. We stated when we came in that we felt the bulk of our recruiting would be held in the state of Mississippi. It's going to always be the most important area to us and we'll continue to work it that way.
Q: Talk about moving as far east as South Carolina with your recruiting efforts.
A: We're always, at this time of year in particular, scanning the entire southeast for recruits. In the recruiting process, you get a list of names and you start looking at those names. You try to get more information on the prospects and try to get tapes of their play. Year-round we're looking at tape. Brandon Thomas, who you're referring to, we saw him on tape and really liked him a lot. We found out that he had some interest, so when we find good football players with interest, we go recruit them, regardless of where they're at.
Q: Was your staff looking to branch out with its recruiting efforts? Or, was a lot of it a result of the Cotton Bowl and lots of TV exposure?
A: I think we had more exposure, certainly nationally, which has been good for our program. We've had a lot of nationally televised games, a lot of national articles written and, because of that, I think a lot of people are aware of Ole Miss and our football program. I think that does broaden our horizons in the recruiting process, but, as I've said, it all starts right here in the state of Mississippi. We've got great high school programs with great coaches and a lot of great things being done at the junior college level. I really believe that everything starts right here at home.
Q: How important is the playing time issue with these recruits and how does that effect their decisions?
A: Most of them are interested in playing. They've been great players their whole careers and they're not used to standing on the sidelines. It's not something they cherish the thought of, so I think every young player dreams of playing as quickly as they possibly can.
Q: Talk about the significance of having a player like Robert Lane to help you in recruiting.
A: I think the quarterback position is one of those positions where one guy does most of the playing. We lost a tremendous quarterback in Eli Manning, but we have some quality people coming back. Robert Lane is a young player who has already had a lot of notoriety. I think that probably gets player's attention in terms of their interest level, particularly early on. You'd have to ask those young men that we got involved with in recruiting how much that was a factor, but I certainly think it was a factor.
Q: Is it possible you will sign more recruits at a later date?
A: I don't have anyone in mind at this point, but there's always an opportunity and that potential. We haven't used all of our initial scholarships at this point. When talking about those available scholarships, we will look internally to some of our current players/walk-ons before we search for more outsiders to join the program.
Q: What is the chance that Larry Kendrick will play both ways?
A: He is certainly a guy we intend to play on both sides of the ball. He is a very talented player and, with his experience at the junior college level, one who has proven that he can do it at a very high level. He is an exceptional talent, an exceptional playmaker and we will have a plan in place for that. I think the easiest way to approach this situation will be to teach him everything defensively - the packages, coverages, calls, etc - first. After he gets comfortable with the defense, then we will worry about teaching him everything from an offensive standpoint. He's a talented individual so teaching him how we play shouldn't be much of a problem.
Q: Are you happy with the percentage of recruits you got?
A: I think, overall, we were extremely successful with this year's recruiting class. When you consider the number of recruits we brought in at each position, I thought the percentage that we got was exceptional. We were able to pinpoint many of our candidates early because of the strong interest we had in some of these young men.
Q: Can you talk about Walker Jones (coordinator of football operations)?
A: Walker has done a great job with our on-campus recruiting activities. We all appreciate the job that he does for our program. He loves Ole Miss and is very passionate about his work.
Q: Has this recruiting process been another roller coaster?
A: Let's just say that I'm finally looking forward to getting some sleep. The whole recruiting process takes a lot out of myself and this entire coaching staff. It involves a lot of phone calls and late nights at the office, but that's what makes it so competitive and so fun. It's just been one of those tough years because a lot of things have happened at the last minute, but this is still an exciting time of year for all of us.
Q: How has Michael Spurlock helped in the recruiting process?
A: Michael Spurlock is an impressive young man who brings natural leadership, a lot of energy and a lot of enthusiasm. With Eli gone, I think he understands what's in front of him right now (the chance to be the starting quarterback in the fall). He enjoys being involved in the recruiting process. Our current players always do a great job in the recruiting process and this year was no different.
Q: Can you give us an injury update with the incoming freshmen?
A: I don't foresee the situation with Chris Bowers (concussion) being a problem for us. He's been cleared and looks good. Reterio Brown had ACL surgery, but he seems to be recovering quite well. At this point, I don't know of any other major injuries.
Q: Talk about this year's recruiting class and how it improves your defensive line.
A: We had an opportunity to help ourselves quickly with this recruiting class and we feel like we have done that. I think we are going to be more physical up front. Anytime you have the opportunity to make your team better on the offensive or defensive line, you better take advantage of the situation.
Q: Are there any gaps in this year's recruiting class?
A: From a position standpoint, I keep a quota, and we have been pretty close in that area. One of the great things about our defensive scheme (4-2-5) is that we have been in it for two years and we are starting to get the number of defensive backs we need. That will also help us in the kicking game. I feel we signed the right kind of players to fit our system and hopefully we can continue on that path.
Q: Talk about the previous junior college signees.
A: They are here working out, and they will have an impact on us quickly. They know what is expected of them. They know our system, and they are both very talented young men. They'll definitely have an impact during spring practice. They are excited and feel good about their opportunities here."
Q: I know it's signing day, but have you thought about a replacement for linebaclers coach (Jim) Knowles?
A: That situation (him leaving) has obviously happened at a tough time. The last few days I've tried to get some things on paper and get ready, but I haven't done anything at this point. I'll start tomorrow and try to get this done as quickly as possible.
