Matt Luke Signing Day Press Conference Transcript

OLE MISS HEAD COACH MATT LUKE

Opening Statement…
"We are really excited about this class. I thought it was very important being able to get back to 85 scholarships. This is a very big class. It's a deep class. It's got 31 players in it. Most of it was done in December, but I thought we had a great day today. I've got to credit our staff, Tyler Siskey in the recruiting office and all of our coaches. Some of these relationships were four years, three years, two years. I just thought they did a phenomenal job of closing today because we still had some needs out there at defensive line and linebacker, and keeping some of the best players in Mississippi at home, and I felt like we were able to accomplish that today. Top to bottom, I feel like this class can be the foundation of getting this program back on track and back where we all want it to go. I am very excited about that and moving forward."

On Jerrion Ealy…
"I think it comes back to relationships. Running backs coach Derrick Nix had known him since the 9th grade and been recruiting him. I am really proud of the way he has worked and built that relationship. He knew the whole family, and I think in the end, when Jerrion came back, he felt at home. I think him making the decision to stay in Mississippi makes a statement for a lot of different reasons. Not only is he a great player, but he is also a very good person. He is one of the top players, if not the top player in Mississippi. I am very excited about that decision."

On signing 19 Mississippi Made prospects…
"I think it's big. I want to get them all. I want to get every player in the state of Mississippi, but to get 19 of our 31, I do think that is very important because it will always start there. It will always start in the state of Mississippi and to get the three young men from Mississippi that we got this morning was a big deal. Not only for being Mississippi Made, but it was a big deal for our program and it was a big deal for all of our fans moving forward."

On any unease leading into National Signing Day:
"I was confident because of the positive momentum we had. We had a very, very good offseason. There's a commitment to winning from our administration. We went out and signed Mike McIntyre and Rich Rodriguez. Those were two big signees. We were able to hold on to some of our staff members, that other schools were trying to come in and take some of our coaches. We were able to hold on to that, and hold on to those coaches, and I think that's very, very important as a commitment to winning. There is no more bowl ban, there is no more sanctions, there is no more scholarship restrictions. When you can go into a home, it gives you a lot of confidence, especially when there's that commitment to winning from your administration. So very, very proud and excited about that."

On adding quarterback depth:
"So at every position you want to be three deep plus one. That's the case at every single position. As we're rebuilding this roster and going back to 85 (scholarships), you're able to do that, and we're able to do that with this class. So we do have some depth there that's going to create some competition, and I'm excited about that. I think all three of those quarterbacks that we signed are all different, but they're all special, and that, along with Matt (Corral) is going to be a great competition."

On Brandon Mack and depth at the linebacking position:
"No doubt, I think going into this second signing period, it was important that we get a pass rusher, a defensive tackle, and a linebacker, and we were able to hit on all three of those, so I was very, very pleased with that. I think Brandon Mack's a great pass rusher, LaDarrius Cox gives us that size in the middle, and then obviously signing the number one junior college linebacker in the country is a big deal for us. We've struggled at that position, and to get a guy that can come in and give us some immediate help, I think is a big deal."

On interest in transfer portal and scholarship numbers:
"We do. We have one more initial (scholarship) left, so if there is somebody that's out there, we'll have that opportunity. We're actually at 85, so there will have to be some attrition on our team, but we do have one initial left for a potential transfer if that becomes available after the spring."

On the influence of new coaches in the late recruiting period:
"As soon as they were hired, it just kind of put everybody on notice. Hey, these guys made a commitment to winning, and I think it did that to the recruits as a whole. And then, just getting those guys out there – they're both former head coaches, they have the confidence about them when they walk into a living room. John Rhys Plumlee, he loved what Rich Rod was telling him. Jerrion Ealy, he loved what Rich Rod was telling him. Mingo loved what Rich Rod was telling him. And I think that's important. Lakia, hearing Mike McIntyre talk about his pro-style defense – hey, this is the exact same defense that the Chicago Bears are using, and showing him cut-ups of that. I think that's a big deal."

On Ealy's potential to be selected in the MLB Draft:
"Well, a lot of that has to do with June and the draft. Some of the people that we've had have some success with it before, whether it was Anthony Alford or Senquez Golsan. I just think that's a hope that he's going to play football, that we're going to have that opportunity. I think he loves football, he loves baseball. But I do hope – I think we all hope, that he's going to come in and make an impact on football."

On the 3-4 defense and recruiting:
"Some of our defensive ends from last year are now playing outside linebacker. So it does change a little bit – not much – but a little bit, as far as numbers and who you're wanting to sign. We wanted to sign an outside linebacker with Brandon Mack and a pass rusher obviously with LeDarrius Cox giving us some size and girth up front. And then, at inside linebacker, with Lakia, so we hit all those needs."

On Cox's role in the 3-4:
"Well he can play 4i or nose (tackle). In the 3-4, obviously there's going to be two 4i's (defensive ends) and one nose, and he's going to play one of those three."

On restocking depth at wide receiver:
"You start with the junior college receiver Dontario Drummond, he's a guy that can come in and make an immediate impact. This is a kid who as a tenth grader was the MVP of the state championship game, basketball and football, when he was at Laurel. As a tenth grader. And a national champion in junior college. So he's a guy who can come in and make an immediate impact. And you have four very, very talented freshman, three of those guys being from Mississippi, so very, very proud of that group, and we'll be expecting for some of those guys to play early."

On Jonathan Mingo:
"Mingo – he's been committed for a long time, and there's been a lot of questions about it going back and forth, but he stayed true the whole time and we're excited we have him."

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Players Mentioned

LeDarrius Cox

Dontario Drummond

Jerrion Ealy

Brandon Mack

Jonathan Mingo

John Rhys Plumlee

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