Coach Kingsbury spoke with @C. Level and @A. Dickens on Tech Talk this afternoon. Here's the interview in Q&A format.
UPDATE: AUDIO LINK
First off we have some fun and find out Kliff's opinion on Top Gun 2 and Val Kilmer's return.
"Thumbs up. Huge fan of that movie and Val Kilmer's original character. I don't know how they're going to play him in – he does not look the same as Maverick but he's still got it – he's still got his acting chops so it'll be fun."
Kliff and Kirby visited Amarillo today. One topic brought up – Sod Poodles
"Kirby actually brought that up – didn't know if we'd bring our baseball team to play there because of the name of the team but I didn't know what that was. They said it was a groundhog type thing."
How the staff is utilizing its time now that summer official visits are a thing and how the next two weekends will serve as visit days.
"It really just fell into place ad by request as well. Some of these prospects are looking to take visits during summer vacation when all of their parents, both parents, or family can get away. It just lined up with these two weekends. Makes sense not only for us but the prospects so we're going to bring them in. It's a first for all of us – never had summer visits before and it'll be a unique experience but we're excited about it. Obviously, our gameday atmosphere, Lubbock, Texas, on a game day – the entire city is alive and jumping and that's one of our best attributes to show recruits but in the summer it'll be a little less when you're talking about social life and thigns of that nature but I think we'll be able to put on a good show.
But, baseball hosting a Super Regional helps out in that gameday atmosphere.
"Yeah, no doubt. that's definitely going to help with the Super Regional going on. There will be a ton of people, a ton of energy. So it should help this weekend. Like I said, the gameday is something we like to sell big time but these kids will have a tremendous weekend."
Thoughts on this weekend's visiting group
"I'm excited. It's a defensive laden group. Lots of defensive prospects – this class will be more defensive players than last year's with mainly offense. So it's good. They've been well-recruited. We've targeted guys for a long time and recruiting them hard so this is kind of a big deal to get them here and they can see it firsthand with their parents and hopefully we can pick up some commitments and start picking up some steam in that area."
Preston Gordon officially a Red Raider. Can he help out right away?
"He will. We're really excited about Preston. Graduate of Rice University. which obviously means he knows what he's doing and a hard worker who can rush the passer, can be stout in the run game. Losing Mychealon Thomas is really the only starter we lost on the defensive side of the ball so bring in Preston, Joe Wallace to really replace that spot immediately, which is huge for us. Our guys did a good job recruiting Preston and he's a great young mane and will represent our university well."
Is this the most wide-open the QB spot has been in the offseason during your tenure?
"I think so. Outside of the very first year, I think we've kind of had guys that we felt like were going to be the guy going in to this part of the summer. But, I've had great success when we've had competition – the different places I've been. It brings out the best in everybody. This group's a talented group. It's just one guy has got to separate himself and we're a little short in experience. But, I've liked the way they've worked. I've liked the way they've approached it. They pull for each other. They have a great attitude in the meeting room so we'll be fine at that position. We'll find somebody that's going to play at a high-level."
Safe to say freshman Alan Bowman has a chance?
"No doubt, no doubt. He really did a good job picking things up this spring. I wanted to make this spring more of a 'let's get everybody caught up to speed, get on the same level of knowledge of the offense as we can' so in the fall they can compete on equal footing. I felt like Alan really made big strides in learning the offense and he played in a similar offense in high school. He started four years so he got a ton of reps there and did a nice job coming in and executing at a high-level."
Left guard competition?
"It's been really good. We just wanted to challenge some guys at that position – create competition so we put a lot of kind of the 'next guy up' type lineman in the running for that. I think it made them a lot better. We're anxious to see how they compete during the summer, compete during fall camp to just give us the best answer possible at that left guard spot moving forward.
New uniforms?
"Yeah, I don't think we have too much as far as new. I believe we'll have another throwback uniform. I'm not sure which color, which design yet but we will have a new throwback. I like those (Zach Thomas era) ones. Those are sharp and we won some big games in them so I hope we can keep that trend going."
Cavs-Warriors. Any thoughts there?
"It's been fun watching LeBron and he greatness but at the same time, four years in a row and everybody's sitting there saying 'Golden State's going to win it' and then they basically go win it, outside of the one year. So I'm ready for another team to step-up. I think Boston may have a chance, eventually Philadelphia, wherever LeBron goes but I'm about Warrior-ed out."
Does Justify have a chance to win the Triple Crown?
"No doubt. That's a bad horse right there. I would expect that to happen. It's kind of like when you break the four-minute mile – it hasn't happened in forever and now it might happen year-in and year-out."
UPDATE: AUDIO LINK
First off we have some fun and find out Kliff's opinion on Top Gun 2 and Val Kilmer's return.
"Thumbs up. Huge fan of that movie and Val Kilmer's original character. I don't know how they're going to play him in – he does not look the same as Maverick but he's still got it – he's still got his acting chops so it'll be fun."
Kliff and Kirby visited Amarillo today. One topic brought up – Sod Poodles
"Kirby actually brought that up – didn't know if we'd bring our baseball team to play there because of the name of the team but I didn't know what that was. They said it was a groundhog type thing."
How the staff is utilizing its time now that summer official visits are a thing and how the next two weekends will serve as visit days.
"It really just fell into place ad by request as well. Some of these prospects are looking to take visits during summer vacation when all of their parents, both parents, or family can get away. It just lined up with these two weekends. Makes sense not only for us but the prospects so we're going to bring them in. It's a first for all of us – never had summer visits before and it'll be a unique experience but we're excited about it. Obviously, our gameday atmosphere, Lubbock, Texas, on a game day – the entire city is alive and jumping and that's one of our best attributes to show recruits but in the summer it'll be a little less when you're talking about social life and thigns of that nature but I think we'll be able to put on a good show.
But, baseball hosting a Super Regional helps out in that gameday atmosphere.
"Yeah, no doubt. that's definitely going to help with the Super Regional going on. There will be a ton of people, a ton of energy. So it should help this weekend. Like I said, the gameday is something we like to sell big time but these kids will have a tremendous weekend."
Thoughts on this weekend's visiting group
"I'm excited. It's a defensive laden group. Lots of defensive prospects – this class will be more defensive players than last year's with mainly offense. So it's good. They've been well-recruited. We've targeted guys for a long time and recruiting them hard so this is kind of a big deal to get them here and they can see it firsthand with their parents and hopefully we can pick up some commitments and start picking up some steam in that area."
Preston Gordon officially a Red Raider. Can he help out right away?
"He will. We're really excited about Preston. Graduate of Rice University. which obviously means he knows what he's doing and a hard worker who can rush the passer, can be stout in the run game. Losing Mychealon Thomas is really the only starter we lost on the defensive side of the ball so bring in Preston, Joe Wallace to really replace that spot immediately, which is huge for us. Our guys did a good job recruiting Preston and he's a great young mane and will represent our university well."
Is this the most wide-open the QB spot has been in the offseason during your tenure?
"I think so. Outside of the very first year, I think we've kind of had guys that we felt like were going to be the guy going in to this part of the summer. But, I've had great success when we've had competition – the different places I've been. It brings out the best in everybody. This group's a talented group. It's just one guy has got to separate himself and we're a little short in experience. But, I've liked the way they've worked. I've liked the way they've approached it. They pull for each other. They have a great attitude in the meeting room so we'll be fine at that position. We'll find somebody that's going to play at a high-level."
Safe to say freshman Alan Bowman has a chance?
"No doubt, no doubt. He really did a good job picking things up this spring. I wanted to make this spring more of a 'let's get everybody caught up to speed, get on the same level of knowledge of the offense as we can' so in the fall they can compete on equal footing. I felt like Alan really made big strides in learning the offense and he played in a similar offense in high school. He started four years so he got a ton of reps there and did a nice job coming in and executing at a high-level."
Left guard competition?
"It's been really good. We just wanted to challenge some guys at that position – create competition so we put a lot of kind of the 'next guy up' type lineman in the running for that. I think it made them a lot better. We're anxious to see how they compete during the summer, compete during fall camp to just give us the best answer possible at that left guard spot moving forward.
New uniforms?
"Yeah, I don't think we have too much as far as new. I believe we'll have another throwback uniform. I'm not sure which color, which design yet but we will have a new throwback. I like those (Zach Thomas era) ones. Those are sharp and we won some big games in them so I hope we can keep that trend going."
Cavs-Warriors. Any thoughts there?
"It's been fun watching LeBron and he greatness but at the same time, four years in a row and everybody's sitting there saying 'Golden State's going to win it' and then they basically go win it, outside of the one year. So I'm ready for another team to step-up. I think Boston may have a chance, eventually Philadelphia, wherever LeBron goes but I'm about Warrior-ed out."
Does Justify have a chance to win the Triple Crown?
"No doubt. That's a bad horse right there. I would expect that to happen. It's kind of like when you break the four-minute mile – it hasn't happened in forever and now it might happen year-in and year-out."
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