After the quick turnaround of the hiring of Head Coach Alex Golesh on November 30th, he had to turn around and close out his first signing class as the leader of Auburn football. 15 guys (listed at the bottom of the post) signed the dotted line out of high school. Expect more guys to come over via the transfer portal starting January 2nd.
Coach Golesh spoke with the media today to discuss his first class and more.
Opening statement…
“I appreciate everybody being here. We’ve had just about an incredible week. We’re six days, seven days in. Just to give you what we’ve done here in the last week, it’s been a combination – priority being meeting with the guys who are here. When I got here Sunday a week ago, that was what I told the team, that’s what we’ve done. I’ve got a couple of guys left in terms of the entire roster, but I’ve spent endless amounts of time meeting with each guy individually. A lot of these guys I’ve known through the recruiting process, and then there’s a handful that I didn’t. The ones you know, it’s kind of a rekindling. The ones you don’t know, it takes time. You’re trying to build a relationship as quickly as you can. Spent time watching through every single guy. They’ve played here, you’ve watched that film. If they didn’t, you’re watching high school film. That’s been the ultimate priority.
From there, working on putting a staff together. We’re close. Fortunate to be coming from a place where we had elite level coaches, elite level support staff. I’ve brought a handful, going to bring some more. And then the opportunity to go and hire the absolute best. The way we’ve approached this hiring process is really, really simple. There’s a standard of how we’re going to do things here, I spoke about it a week ago today, and that goes with bringing elite people in. Every conversation I’ve had has been literally, ‘Man, this person’s really good, this person’s really great, that’s awesome. I want elite.’ We want elite at every single spot. That goes from on the field to the support staff to the personnel to the scouting to the training room to the nutrition side to the strength and conditioning side. Every single aspect of the program. We’ve got the resources to go hire the best people in the country, and that’s exactly what we’ve tried to do as we’re continuing to fill this staff out. It’s going to take a minute to get everything filled. There’s a ton of people who are still playing, a ton of people in the playoffs, and you’re working through all of that. Again, credit to our administration for giving us the resources to do that part the right way.
Then right in the middle of all that was signing day. And that process was fascinating. Getting here, getting on the phone with all of those kids while trying to do the priority which was meet with our kids, the priority also being the signing class. We tried to go after the very best players, tried to build as fast of relationships as possible, and it’s helped with having some retention in terms of the on-field staff to be able to go finish that. There’s a couple of guys who were committed to us at the previous place that we knew were big-time players, and we knew if this was to happen we would want. It just so happened to be that a couple of those guys were local. As we spent time in this state recruiting pretty heavily over the last couple of years, it worked out that those guys wanted to be part of it. We felt like they could help us as we lay a foundation for the future of the program. So really excited about how that finished up.
Now we’re headed into this three-week period where we’re continuing to build relationships with our guys, getting people in the building that are going to be part of this staff permanently, and then head into January full steam ahead. Getting out on the road, attacking what’s needed through the transfer portal, and more importantly than anything else, getting these guys back on campus and starting to build what will be the foundation for the fall.”
On approaching the transfer portal and retaining players on the current roster…
“Priority would be the retention of the guys that you feel like fit, the guys you feel like can help, and ultimately, guys that want to be here. We’re still a couple of weeks away from truly knowing if there is a match there of (both) we want this guy here and he wants to be here. We’re trying to get to that decision as fast as we possibly can to know if there is a hole there or is there not. We’re a couple of weeks away from that. The intent coming in, and I said this a week ago, is not to run guys out of here but to make sure we find that guys that, again, want to be here, we want them here, and that match can happen. Then you don’t have a hole. Every situation’s absolutely different. It’s the depth in the room, has the young man played or not, are you retaining him off potential, are they wanting to stay off of giving us a chance. Each spot is completely different. So to say how we’re totally attacking the portal today, I could give you some thoughts that I would probably want to keep private, and those thoughts will drastically change in the next three weeks.
Our intention is always going to be, moving forward, to recruit high school kids, develop them, and honestly, develop them better than anybody else in the country, and have these guys here for three, four, five years. The expectation from me, as well as our fanbase, as well as our administration is to have the very best football team you can this fall as well. So those have got to meet in the middle somewhere. The way we attack it in our process from pre-portal to the portal will look like to the recruiting of those young men, those processes are established. In terms of who we’re actually going after and where are the positions of need, some are glaring. You could tell me some of those. Those are pretty simple. But there’s some where, what’s going to determine it is who’s staying and who’s not. So that’s why it will change. There’s a couple that you and I both could sit there and be like, ‘You need some help.’ Matter of fact, I’ve gotten a lot of calls about that. I’ve tried to come in genuinely without passing judgment until I was able to truly evaluate the roster, watch the film. What’s awesome coming in is you’ve got practice film. You can see the progression of these guys, and I’m counting on my own evaluation in a lot of ways, but I’m counting on our staff, too, to sit here and dig and do this research. I think this calendar, the way it is right now, although crazy in a lot of ways, is an advantage to a staff coming in because you do have time before January when it actually opens up.”
On the recruiting plan and building a roster…
“To me, it starts with the high school guys. I know I’ve said that already. This is a place where you should be able to recruit elite, high-level talent, elite, high-level people and develop them all the way through. That expectation also has to meet the expectation of, in order to be able to do that you have to have proof on concept and have something to be able to recruit to. That something to recruit to is Auburn University, the investment that’s been made in the facilities and the investment that’s been made in personnel here. On the flip side of that, you want to be able to show proof of concept of what you’re going to do from a football side. There’s obviously some with me coming from a situation where we can say, ‘This is what we are offensively.’ There’s proof of concept here defensively with DJ (Durkin) and what he’s been able to build and do. So, you’re trying to match those two to be able to have proof of concept with us at Auburn University this coming fall. That’s where the balance is. You want to be the very best version of us this fall that you possibly can be while recruiting and building for a sustainable long-term program at the same time. Without sacrificing the long-term piece, we’re going to go and recruit through the portal pieces that we feel like we’re missing and guys that can come in and help us. There’s going to be some instant-impact guys. There’s also going to be some young guys that there’s relationships with throughout the staff that are somewhere (where) they’re either minimal contributors or just young guys that maybe contribute a lot that would kind of fill those slots of some high school spots that we didn’t get last Wednesday. It’s going to be a mix there of both. Ultimately, to your question of are you guys going to get top-10 classes here. Well, man I would certainly hope that we would go and recruit at the elite of the elite level. Whether that quantifies to a top-10 class on Rivals or On3 or 247 or whatever, I would assume those would match. We’re going to go get the very best football players that fit what we do, that fit our culture, that can enhance our culture. Whether that equates to a top-10 class or not I don’t know, but we’re going to recruit at the highest level you possibly can. The ultimate expectation would be that within this 250-mile radius we’re going to do everything we can to keep these kids home. We’re going to go national in some spots that we may not be able to get locally here, and then at the end of the day we’ll supplement, especially through this first year or two, with the portal. I think the portal is always going to be real. It’d be silly not to, especially when guys from this area have left and there’s an opportunity to bring them back that are high-level players for a multitude of different reasons. I think that’s why this job is so attractive, too, is because you look at whether it’s 250 or 300 miles around here, this is the best high school football in the entire country in that area. Guy will inherently, people come down here and recruit. Guys will leave, and we want to be a place they can come back to if they fit what we’re doing. Longterm, you want to recruit high school, develop high school and supplement with the portal. That would be the perfect formula as we go.”
On building a coaching staff…
“I think it’s a balance of both. As you come into a place, inherently, there’s two situations that you walk into. There’s situations where guys walk into jobs where there was a high-level of success and that person had moved on. That’s one situation that you walk into that you have to evaluate in one way. Then there’s situations you walk into where there wasn’t a level of success or the standard wasn’t met so there’s a coaching change. In my lifetime, for whatever reason, I’ve kept walking into the latter. So you walk in understanding that there wasn’t a level of success, but were there areas that there was success? Those are the first ones you want to look at, so you’re like, ‘Who was in charge of that?’ In the media world, you hire, you fire and you move. It’s just kind of like you keep people moving along, but these are human beings that have families, that have careers, so there’s an emotional element to all of it. In my mind, you try to treat people and deal with people just like you would want to be treated. I’ve been on the other side of it, too. I think if you’ve coached long enough you’ve been on both sides of it. My intent coming in here was to figure out where the areas are that are elite or are at a standard that we would want it at. Now, with those people I look at why they’re doing what they’re doing at an elite level and maybe there’s an opportunity to retain and continue to be a part of our staff. You look at areas that weren’t successful and you look at those a little bit differently.
On the flip of it, there’s certain people that have helped you build through your time, whether it’s as a coordinator or as a head coach, where you’re like ‘I’m not doing this job without that guy.’ There is that human element of that as well. You’re trying to mix both. Ultimately, you have to have a group of men and women that you know will do it the right way at your standard every single day that you do this. The right way for us is really simple – the best things you can possibly do for the young men in your program – you want to be able to keep those people around. They’ve given us full reign to do whatever we have to do to build it from the ground up. There is some high-level people here that have been here and have answers to a lot of questions that I’ve sat down with and said, ‘I have to feel you out.’ I’m not really quick to trust, either. I also understand the magnitude of what this job is, I also understand the magnitude of the expectations here, and I also understand that you get one shot at this. Ultimately, I’m going to hire and bring people in here that I know will do what’s right by the young men in this program, will do what’s right by the recruiting process in this area, and ultimately give us the best chance to go be successful and win, both in recruiting and the actual football games that matter. It’s a huge mix. The loyalty, to me, and I told our staff before I left at South Florida, the reason why we’re getting this opportunity is because of them. I also told them that I’m going to make sure that everybody there, in some way, shape or form, ends up in a good situation or in a good place. I think everyone that’s done this job is aware that you can’t ultimately bring everybody, and there are some people that just don’t feel like a fit. That may be regional. That may be things that happened there that just don’t fit. At the end of the day, you’re trying to find a balance. There’s also people I’ve worked with over the years or have admired from afar who like, ‘Man, if I get an opportunity to hire this guy or this girl, I’m all in on this person.’ It’s a mix of all of it. The balancing of getting people here quickly but also getting the right people here has been the most important part of what we’re trying to do. It’s also not just putting a bunch of people in a building and saying ‘Go’. There has to be fit, and that’s fit in every aspect of the program, from the on-the-field staff to the support staff around them to the young coaches, to then the sports medicine, to creative, to strength, to nutrition. It’s every single person who touches these guys. Ultimately, you’ve said the word ‘loyalty’. I think loyalty is absolutely critical, but loyalty doesn’t mean that this person would never leave you. I think loyalty is doing the very best job you can day in and day out, doing the very best by the guys in the program, doing right by the people you work with as hard as you can every single day. That doesn’t mean you never leave. There have been a lot of people I’ve worked with, that have worked with us or for us, that have left and are sitting upstairs right now working. They left for a better opportunity for them and their families.
I say all of that with the last people of what I’ve done in terms of our staff is, there have been some positions that we’ve let go simply because we have people that we’re bringing in. But there’s also a bunch of people in the building that I’m meeting with this week to truly gage where they are, whether they fit what we do or not, that I have to sit down with and have conversations, continue to do background to make sure that at the end of this whole process we end up with the best group of men and women that are going to help us successful at every aspect of our program.”
On retaining DJ Durkin on his staff…
“I’ve known DJ since I was in college, coached against DJ, admired watching (his teams). You can flip the film on and know what DJ Durkin is about. I think being around him now every day for over a week has reinforced for me what I thought all along going into it. It’s also different when you’ve coached against them as a coordinator, and you’re sitting there, and you’ve got a week to know every single thing about this guy and how he’s going to call a game and tendencies and how he thinks. When I was an offensive coordinator, I would spend every living moment as you game plan trying to figure out a guy’s tendencies, what makes a guy tick, what pisses him off, you know, where can you find that edge to score one more point than these guys? And so for me being around DJ here for over a week now, again, we go so far back, we know so many of the same people. We’ve been in touch. And as I was going through this process, whether I’m supposed to say this or not, but DJ, in my mind, as I was going to go through and put a staff together, DJ was the defensive coordinator I wanted to hire. So for me, how fortunate I think I am to be able to get a veteran guy that’s, in my opinion, the best in the country right now, with experience in this conference playing these same teams that we’re going to play. And as you sit and talk to these guys that have played here for him defensively, the sentiment is all the same – organized, thorough, detailed, incredible motivator, and above all of that just a really good human being that cares about the young guys in the program, because I think sometimes that gets lost too. It’s like there’s these guys are still young men that need mentors, that need guidance, that want to be cared about, that want to be told the truth. All of those things are critically important to me, are critically important to DJ. We continue to have conversations throughout every single day of personnel, scheme, practice planning, calendars. DJ’s so eager to get going because I think there’s this breath of fresh air for him as well. But to answer your question, that decision’s really easy, because I do truly believe that that’s one of the best football minds in the country. I truly believe that’s one of the best, not just defensive coordinators of the country, but one of the best football coaches. He’s done it at a high level for a really, really long time for a reason because he is one of the best to do it, and for me to be able to partner with someone like that is special. I think we’re going to grow through this process here, and my hope is as we put this roster together, as we build this team, as we build this foundation, as we put the defensive staff together, too, that it’s as in sync as it’s ever been and all moving in the same direction. That would be the expectation and the standard for us as a staff moving forward. He’s going to lead the defense. He’s going to be a huge part of my decision-making in terms of how we move forward with the recruiting sides, going to be a huge part of my decision making as we move forward through the offseason plan and into the season, as will Coach (Joel) Gordon, and as will, from a special team side, as will Coach Geo (George Courides) and our strength staff. I’m excited to have him. I’m excited to be a part of this program with him leading the defensive charge.”
On turning down a bowl invitation…
“I think if it all had happened a week ago and our guys were all here, the staff that was previously here was still here and intact for the most part, I think that would have been realistic. I think you go through the week and when that question was posed to us, there was multiple things that go into it. One, there’s so much staff turnover that it would be hard to truly be able to put it all together and be competitive to where you have a chance to go win a football game. If you’re going to go play a game, you’re wanting to win the game. The other part of it is, our guys, there are so many of them that are done with finals that were able to get out and go home and be with their families for a little while. So to be able to get everybody back together, figure out who the heck is going to coach them, how you would actually do that? The timing of it all was not practical. It just wasn’t realistic. I think would you love to go play a game? Absolutely. Would you love to go compete and win a game? Absolutely. But the timing of it all was just not realistic. And John (Cohen) and I talked about it at length twice. To be able to get the guys back here. To be able to do what we have to do to go field a football team that could go win. With so many conversations happening right about roster management and all of it combined with, I would tell you that 75 percent of the guys aren’t here. I think that would be really unrealistic and not fair to the kids more than anybody else. So it just didn’t make any sense.”
On his approach to NIL and using it to build a roster…
“Andrew (Warsaw) coming in is huge for me. He’s been in this league for a long time. He’s got a unique background with being in the operations side, being in the front office side, being in the chief of staff world in terms of overseeing the entire staff from a structure standpoint. A huge resource for me. This is now our third staff together and as the NIL side has grown in terms of relevance, importance, the fundraising that goes into some of that, he’s grown with it. He’s cutting edge. He’s high-level intelligent. He’s also somebody that I trust dearly and the staff that has been with him trusts dearly. I think that part is as critical as anything because you know that those two sides are working together. They have to. That general manager roll is working in the same exact direction as the head coach and the coaches and staff that work with him. In terms of the approach, it’s a unified front in a sense that I’m using every resource we have here to make decisions. We’ve got a structure and a, hate to use the word template, it’s not really a template as much as a layout of where the funding within a roster should be. When you look at it, if you were to just start from scratch, it would be really, really simple. If you were to start at ground zero and also if you were drafting rather than recruiting, it would be really really simple. It would look very similar to an NFL structure. When you walk into a situation like this where there’s obviously a roster, there’s some high, high level players here and there’s some guys that haven’t played. And then there’s everything in the middle. You’re going to have to adjust to what the roster is and where guys are currently at for a lack of a better term. So it’s going to take a couple of years to get to what we feel like is the right structure for what it should look like. Right now, the key emphasis is retention as well as recruiting. So, we’re working hand-in-hand in both of those areas. The retention and recruiting side. I think ultimately that relationship that Andrew has with me, with our staff and as he’s working so incredibly hard to build with everybody else that touches the program from an administrative standpoint to the NIL efforts here to obviously the rev share construction that’s been done by the administration, which our administration is as cutting edge and thorough with how they’ve built it. It’s really fascinating. And partnering with them to make sure that we’re continuing to grow. We’re continuing to build relationships. We’re continuing to do everything in our power to be the most competitive in the country. Andrew is overseeing those efforts for me. In a lot of ways is my right hand in every aspect of that. I think what’s really unique and what’s hard to quantify and explain is when you bid around, as much as these guys are getting paid as they should, they’re still young men that are growing, developing both as men and as football players. They’re still in college. They’re still college kids in a huge way. It’s hard in year one when a good chunk of them don’t know who you are and so you’re trying to explain a vision, trying to explain a plan for each of these guys. And at the same time, you know that a year from now, there is going to be a culture set and a program that they’re going to feel like they’re a part of and the money piece is still going to be important, but not as important because they’re going to be a part of something that they helped build. So there’s juggling a lot of it. At the same time, trying to make the best decisions one decision at a time. To be honest with you, that’s what the last seven days have been in every imaginable way. It’s a series of decisions at every minute of every day that ultimately, I’m sitting there making and you’re trying to surround yourself with the very best people you can that know who you are, know what you like, know what makes you tick. And you asked about Alex Fagan, and Alex has been with me for so long. And he’s grown into one of the best personnel guys I’ve ever been around that is also helping us make decisions from a scouting side. From overseeing from a personnel standpoint. As much as Andrew is the general manager and is helping in every imaginable way from a roster management standpoint, we’ve got a team and Alex is one of them, we’ve got a team that we brought. We’ve got a team that we’re hiring. There’s in some ways people here that have helped and will continue to help and I think as a team, between the scouting, the personnel, the advance scouting side and ultimately our coaches, we’ll put together the very best roster we can with the resources allotted here in as fast of a time span as we can.”
On assessing his recruiting class given the short time to build it…
“I’ll give you the true answer on signing class questions in general; I think you’ll know in a couple of years. Some positions faster than others, but I’ve never thought that ‘winning’ signing day was critically important. I think if you try winning signing day, you’re probably barking up the wrong tree in a lot of ways. I think if you win football games it probably helps you a little more, you probably appreciate it in a lot of ways. That’s not a copout, don’t take it this way for what the class was. I think for having 72 hours to piece it together we got high-level guys, and just as important, high-level character to come in here and lay a foundation for what this culture is and what it’s going to be. There were some guys we got that I didn’t think we could get. There were some guys we didn’t get that I really wanted to get. I try not to judge it in any way until, at a minimum, this fall. To where at least you’re like ‘physically that guy’s got the traits, mentally that guy’s got the traits,’ but in reality, especially at this level when you’re playing against the best talent in the country, I think you evaluate the class at least 24 months from now and see where those guys are at. But the reception was incredible. Every single guy, whether they were committed here or I reached out to, was receptive, and listened. Some guys were just too deep somewhere else, some guys were just like, ‘You know what, I believe in you, but I just didn’t want to come play for you where you were at before because it wasn’t big enough for me, but now here we go on the biggest stage in the country.’ I would tell you I left Friday morning feeling like, ‘I actually can’t believe we got that done, now let’s see what they look like.’ Positive in every imaginable way there.”
On Joel Gordon and any other coaching staff members he can announce…
“Joel Gordon and I have been together, we go back to our Iowa State time. We got there at the same time. There’s no substitute for going to battle with guys day in, day out, again and again. Joel’s one of the smartest people I’ve ever been around. Joel’s a much better coach than I am. He is a high-level developer of the quarterback, an elite-level play caller and brilliant in every imaginable way. On top of all that, he is an incredible human, incredible coach who develops relationships on a very real level with guys, and not just a ton of personality when you’re in a setting like this. But in a room, he is one of the funniest people you could ever imagine. He does a great job leading others and has a cool, calm demeanor, which I’ve been known to be the complete opposite. I found a fine balance of guys that can keep me down, the guys that bring me up. But Joel left a situation 3 years ago that was really, good from a football side, to come with me to South Florida, and has helped us build what I guess ended up being the number two offense in the country. And he is a huge part of that. He is one of the best coaches I’ve been around. So I am lucky he decided to come with. I think officially we’re still working through the rest of the hires, but I think there’ll be a release out tonight with at least the guys that are official. Joel, I don’t even know if he’s official or not, but Joel’s one hell of a ball coach and an incredible man. But from a quarterback development standpoint, he is the best I have been around.”
On what he’s learned about the 2025 Auburn roster…
“I think the thing that’s been, and I don’t know if unexpected is the word, more so, I get taken aback, is 100% of the guys that I’ve met with -literally every single guy – and the conversations go where they go, there’s no script to it at all. But, at some point in every conversation, I ask the guys, ‘Hey, do you like it here? Or do you love it? What do you think of this place?’ Because 100% of them have seen more of Auburn and have experienced Auburn more than I have at this point. I think the thing that is really, really cool is every single guy that I’ve met with says, ‘I love Auburn.’ Not like, ‘yeah, it’s cool,’ but ‘I love Auburn.’ I’ve never been at a place where 100% of the guys say that, and some guys have had incredible experiences from a football side, some guys haven’t. Some guys have had incredible experiences with certain coaches they’ve been around, and some guys haven’t. That part is inconsistent as you go through it, but the part that has been as consistent as anything, like I’m energized, every time those guys say that, like for real? It’s that cool, man? It’s real? They all love it, and they all talk about the same things: how the people here have taken them in, every single one of them talks about what game day is like here, every single one of them talks about how the student body treats them as they walk around. My response to all of them is exactly the same, ‘Man, can you imagine what the hell it’s going to be when we actually win?’ If it’s that good now, holy smokes, what about when we win? Like now? And they all kind of look at you like, ‘You can do that for us?’ I can’t because I am not very fast, but you can. There you go, there you have it. But in reality, that’s the part that is energizing. As you sit there and it kind of sits you up in your chair every single time, because you’re like, if you love Auburn, tell me what the problem is, and then tell me what your experience has been here. Each guy has had their own story and their own experience here, but ultimately what we talk about is, and all you can do is tell them who you are, what you’re about, and you give them your vision for what this is, but you talk about your previous experience. For me, you do feel like you are sitting there, and you’re ‘recruiting,’ but ultimately, and I think I’ve gotten to this point in my career by just being who I am, and we talk about what this program is going to be. I refer a lot back to the last couple of places I’ve been in leadership roles, where, man, this is what we built. Not from a win-loss standpoint, a lot of it is a development and culture standpoint. Like, this is what is really important to me. Is it important to you? And then on the flip of it, what is important to you? What makes you go? What makes you the player that you are? Give me your recruiting journey. Why did you come here? And to be honest with you, every single guy, in some way, shape, or form, the conversation leads to the same thing, which is, man, I understand you didn’t choose me. There’s nobody sitting in that team room, nobody I’ve met with that has chosen me, or had chosen me. They chose Auburn. They chose a previous staff. But the truth is, I chose them. And I’m here because I wanted to be here. And I’m here because I want to be a huge part of why we flip this thing to what people here expect it to be. And ultimately, some of those conversations are 15 minutes, some have been an hour, some have been at six in the morning, some have sat there until one in the morning, is what it is. But at the end of the day, I’m energized by the fact that every single one of them loves this place.
I said it the other day in an interview, got one of my closest friends in this profession, and really in life, Kodi Burns. I don’t know if that one is official yet or not, but there’s one for you. But KB, and I’ve known KB forever, KB and my wife are from the same hometown. I’ve watched KB’s career, and I watched his career here, and then I had an opportunity to hire him. And then I had an opportunity to hire him again. And then I had an opportunity to hire him again. And for as long as I have known KB, he continues to say, ‘Man, Auburn is special, Auburn is different.’ And I’ll be honest with you forever, like man, that’s your alma mater, it should be. You had a great run there, man you’ve got a national championship ring, it should be special. And he’s like, ‘No, no, no, no, you don’t understand, it’s different.’ Man, I think my alma mater is different; it’s awesome. He’s like, “No, no, it’s different. You just have to be there to feel it.’ And I’ve always discounted it as KB being KB loves his alma mater. And I’ve been here for a week, and I haven’t been outside of this little area here very often, except to go to the hotel. But as you meet people and you talk to the players, you meet people who this is important to, which is everybody that you touch. I’m like, ‘Man, KB, I am starting to understand why it’s different.’ And I haven’t been a part of a game day, but even the Tiger Walk for my press conference to the welcome that I felt, I can see what he means. I get goosebumps thinking about, man, I get to coach at Jordan-Hare Stadium, I get to do that. But when we get to that point, I think it’ll set in why this place really is different. And I think that unless you’ve been here, you don’t know, and I can’t wait to continue to learn about why. I think KB was right in that way.”
On the quarterback position…
“Yeah, there’s a lot that goes into the QB spot. And you’re right, we walked into a situation where there’s uber-talented guys that we’ve got to continue to work through with them on, ‘This is what we want to do offensively. This is how we feel like you fit.’ And then, you want to make sure you fit them, too. I think the biggest thing at that spot is having guys that are high level, intelligent, playmakers that have a skill set that you can build an offense around. We have an offensive vision of what we want this to be, but as I’ve said this before, we’ve evolved every single year based on what the quarterback’s skill set is, and what your personnel around him is. We’re still working through every single guy that’s still here in terms of whether they’re a fit and whether we’re a fit for them. That does take time. You think about quarterback recruiting, most of the time it takes a year, sometimes two years, to get to a landing spot where a young man and his family feel like they’re a fit for what you do. I’ve met with everyone that’s here and have really grown to appreciate what each one brings to the table. They all have film, they’ve all played, and for us, I’ve said this a week ago, my intent is not to blow the room up at all. Quite the opposite. My intent is to have everybody here that wants to be here. Because I think there’s individually enough talent and enough potential and in a lot of ways, enough production to say we can go win at some point with you, with you, with you, with you. One thing I will say, it’s a room full of really, really good dudes that want to get better and want to know what it’s going to take. And then, when we are done with – as fast as we can – this get-to-know phase, do we need to bring anyone else in? The intent for us to have a one, a two, and a three that are as talented as possible, but also bought into what we’re doing, also able to lead, also can functionally do it to give us the opportunity to go in and win games.”
On positions that stand out on the current roster…
“It’s pretty obvious to say that you watch the defense and there’s depth, there’s an attitude, and there is an effort of guys flying around and making plays, opportunistic plays. There’s an intent with what’s going on with that side of the ball. I would rather not get into the individual positions on that part, but you can tell there’s a culture their scheme fits. There’s an intent to go get the football back and get people off the field. There’s talent all over the place. There are some who have graduated, some guys who are going to get a chance to go play and continue to play as they should and hopefully for a long time. There are a bunch of young guys who played defensively a year ago, and that’s encouraging to see these young guys play on the biggest stage in some critical moments and make a bunch of plays. Some young guys that played that you could tell took their lumps and said I’m excited to go to work this spring. If you look at it offensively, there’s a handful of guys up front who have graduated. There is skill at the wideout positions. Everywhere else, you feel like you have a running back who was uber-productive. There’s just not much behind it in terms of what you can see on film. You flip on the practice film, and you see a lot of promise. Now, we’re still going through the process of what do the numbers truly need to be at each of these spots? There are also guys that are figuring out if they want to be a part of this. It’s some really important guys who are high-level players. To say this is what we have to go get would be unfair until we get to that point at the beginning of January, when you’re like, there’s a true hole, true hole, true hole. Offensively, there are pieces all over the place. What we’re in the middle of trying to figure out is where exactly we need to fill more holes and a lot of depth issues in terms of where we need to create depth. Is it immediate depth, or is it that we can take a young guy, we can develop in a year or two, and ultimately then build an offense around them? Special teams, in the same breath, like the specialist situation, making sure that you’ve got exactly what you need to be able to be elite. I think the expectation for us, and I would imagine it is as we go here, it’s not where we can be really good, it’s where do we need to be? How long will it take to get to that level where we’re playing elite defense, elite level offense, elite level special teams? We’re going to try to get there as fast as we can. We’re continuing to plug through, I think, as we get our staff here totally, like for me, I have a hard time making a decision on a position without sitting there talking to the guy who’s going to coach it. I want his input. I have my own opinion, but I want his input. That’s everywhere across both sides of the ball and really all three sides of the ball.”
On how keeping Durkin and other staffers will help with roster retention…
“I would think so. I tried to keep that out of our decision-making process in general. The neat thing about DJ (Durkin), it’s not just the defensive side. For the time that he was the interim head coach, and even before that, these offensive guys that had the chance to play for him absolutely loved it. Obviously, I wasn’t here, but hearing those guys talk about Coach Durkin, they certainly, as a whole, felt like this is a dude we can play for. This is a dude that is real, that is honest, that is working as hard as he wants us to work. I would tell you on both sides, it certainly is a familiar face that they respect and trust, so 100% it should help on the retention side of it.”
On his approach to the transfer portal given the calendar changes…
“There is no pressure at all in my chair. This is a pressure-less job, so I feel no pressure at all. All joking aside, the pressure is on making decisions really quickly. For years – by that, I mean the last three – it’s about seeing this guy through spring or wanting to see this group off of game film, practice film, which wasn’t your own practice film, in a different scheme than what you’re running, at least offensively. Defensively, you feel like there’s continuity there. But you’re trying to make decisions off a young man that you’ve never been able to work with, put your hands on. You’ve never been able to work with these guys, so the pressure is definitely on to make the right decisions. You’re trying to gather as much information as imaginably possible to make real, authentic decisions, and it’s not so much about who I ask to move on, it’s more so about, is this guy ready to help us. The pressure to make decisions really quickly is real. It’s certainly easier in year two and three and four, and I think in year two, three and four, your development of the guys that are redshirting, your young guys, or maybe guys that aren’t redshirting but just aren’t playing a ton, that development has become so much more critical because you’re going to have to make a decision in the same breath that winter on them rather than in the past when you’ve been able to make it in the spring. Evaluations have got to be elite. You’ve got to go with your gut on a lot of things. I think that the gathering of information, more than ever, is so critical right now. That’s why I say you’re using every minute of every day to try to gather every piece that you can to make elite level decisions because once you get to the end of January, your roster is your roster.”
Adam Balogoun-Ali
LB, 6-2, 215
Palm Beach, FL / Cardinal Newman HS
Prepped for coach Jack Daniels at Cardinal Newman High … 94 tackles as a senior … two-time South Florida Sun-Sentinel first team honoree … Under Armour and Rivals MVP … No. 1 rated inside linebacker in the country … four stars by ESPN and 247 Composite … No. 20 player in Florida … No. 142 on ESPN 300 … also played basketball and ran track.
DJ Broughton
TE, 6-5, 225
Mobile, AL / Mary G. Montgomery HS
Standout for coach Zach Golson at Mary G. Montgomery High School in Semmes, Alabama … finished high school career with 751 receiving yards on 46 receptions with 11 touchdowns … selected for Mississippi-Alabama All-Star Game … also played baseball and basketball … Rivals rates as three stars … No. 23 in Alabama … No. 45 tight end in the country … 247 Sports rated him three stars … No. 48 in Alabama … An ESPN three-star prospect … No. 46 in state … No. 43 tight end in nation … 32 receptions for 497 yards and seven touchdowns during senior season.
Rhys Brush
QB, 6-2, 187
Tampa, FL / Armwood HS
Starred at Armwood High School for coach Evan Davis … holds school records for passing yards and passing touchdowns … also set single-season touchdown mark … finished junior season with more than 2,500 passing yards and 37 touchdowns … also rushed for 110 yards … helped team to three district titles and one region championship … also starred in baseball … rated three stars by 247 Sports … No. 151 in Florida … As a junior, led Armwood to an undefeated regular season and the regional finals of Florida’s 6A playoffs … 2,127 total yards and 33 total touchdowns as a senior … three-star prospect according to Rivals … No. 87 in Florida … ESPN rates as a three-star prospect.
Wayne Henry
S, 5-10, 160
Baltimore, MD / St. Frances Academy
Prepped for Messay Hailemariam at St. Frances Academy … Polynesian Bowl selection … 60 tackles … two interceptions … five pass breakups … one forced fumble … helped team to No. 1 national ranking … three-star prospect.
Mykall Lundy-Foster
OL, 6-4, 320
Tallahassee, FL / Chiles HS
Prepped at Chiles High School in Tallahassee, Florida for coach Bill Ragans …. Team captain … Two-year starter for Chiles … also competed in track and field … rated three stars by ESPN … No. 130 in state … earned a three-star rating from Rivals … No. 143 in Florida … No. 144 in Florida according to 247 Sports.
Parker Pritchett
OL, 6-5, 310
Fort Mitchell, AL / G.W. Carver (Ga.) HS
Prep standout for coach Jarvis Jones at George Washington Carver High in Columbus, Ga. … ESPN rates as a four-star prospect … No. 39 in Georgia … No. 40 offensive tackle in country … three-star prospect according to 247 Sports … No. 79 in Georgia .. No. 55 offensive tackle … Rivals rates as three stars … No. 73 in Georgia … 2024 Super 7 Macon Touchdown Club … 2024 Rising Senior Bowl … 2024 Class AA Georgia State Champion … also ran track.
DeShawn Spencer
WR, 5-11, 165
Mobile, AL / Saraland HS
Prep star at Saraland High for coach Jeff Kelly … posted 76 receptions for 1,385 yards and 20 touchdowns as a senior … added 444 rushing yards and five touchdowns … Alabama vs Mississippi All-Star Game participant … Alabama Class 6A Player of the Week pick … helped team to three straight region titles … had 54 catches for1,220 yards and 16 touchdowns as a junior … all-region honoree.
Shadarius Toodle
LB, 6-3, 235
Mobile, AL / Cottage Hill Christian Academy
Standout defender for coach Carvel Jones at Cottage Hill Christian Academy … finished high school career with 492 tackles, eight interceptions and 12.0 sacks … two-time first team All-State honoree … three-time all-region pick … Optimist Club Player of the Week six times … Bryant Bank Player of the Week … Adidas All-American Bowl selection … also played basketball and ran track … consensus four-star prospect … 247 Sports ranked No. 13 in Alabama and the No. 13 linebacker in country … four-star prospect … No. 248 in nation … Rivals’ No. 13 player in Alabama … four-star rating … No. 184 in ESPN 300 … No. 8 in Alabama … No. 3 inside linebacker.
Shadrick Toodle Jr.
S, 6-4, 210
Mobile, AL / Mississippi Gulf Coast CC
Played for Jack Wright at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College … 26 tackles, one interception and five PBU in MGCCC career … helped team to 9-2 record in 2025 … two-time south division champions … three-star prospect … first team All-MACCC South selection … prepped at Cottage Hill High School in Mobile, Ala. … also played basketball.
Travis Wakefield
LS, 6-2, 210
Nashville, TN / Lipscomb Academy
Standout for Jamie Graham at Lipscomb Academy in Nashville, Tenn. … five-star long snapper prospect according to Kohl’s … No. 7 snapper in the nation … rated three stars by 247 Sports … No. 3 in the nation … All-American selection … Rivals rates three stars … All-State honoree … 2022 TSSAA State Champion … Mr. Lipscomb Academy winner.
Chris Wells
DL, 6-3, 225
Petal, MS / Petal HS
Standout for coach Marcus Boyles at Petal High School … finished senior season with 39 tackles, 7.0 TFL and 3.0 sacks … added two forced fumbles … rated three stars by 247 Sports … No. 56 Mississippi … ranked No. 44 in Mississippi by Rivals … three-star prospect … ESPN’s No. 49 player in Mississippi … had 42 tackles, 10.0 TFL and 3.0 sacks as a junior … also played basketball.
Corey Wells
DL, 6-5, 330
Petal, MS / Petal HS
Star defender at Petal High School for coach Marcus Boyles … 36 tackles, 8.0 TFL and 2.0 sacks during senior season … member of the Clarion-Ledger’s Dandy Dozen … finished junior season with 21 tackles and 3.0 TFL in 10 games … xxx … also threw the shot put … rated four stars by 247 Sports … No. 7 in Mississippi … No. 26 defensive lineman in nation … No. 190 overall in the country … four stars according to Rivals … No. 11 in Mississippi … No. 32 defensive lineman .. No. 278 in nation … Member of ESPN 300 … four-star rating … No. 200 in the nation … No. 10 in Mississippi … No. 14 defensive tackle.
Jaquez Wilkes
LB, 6-4, 245
Wadley, AL / Wadley HS
Standout performer for Dake Rivers at Wadley High School … helped team to 2024 Class 1A State title … voted team captain … 2024 AHSAA Super 7 Championship MVP … 2024 AHSAA State Super 7 Records Tied (most rushing attempts, most rushing touchdowns, most points scored) … 2024 All-State First Team … 2024 All-Region MVP … 2024 All-County Player of the Year … 2024 MaxPreps Junior All-American … 2023 All-Region … 2023 All-State First Team … 2023 All-County Co-Player of the Year … 2022 All-State Second Team … rushed for more than 5,000 yards in high school career with 60 touchdowns … 287 total tackles … 16.0 career sacks … also played basketball and baseball … member of track and field team … rated a four-star prospect 247 Sports … No. 5 in Alabama … No. 6 linebacker in nation … No. 67 player overall … Rivals’ No. 5 player in Alabama .. four-star prospect … No. 15 Edge nationally … No. 104 overall … No. 132 in ESPN 300 … No. 6 in Alabama … four-star rating.
Brian Williams, Jr.
WR, 6-4, 190
Orlando, FL / The First Academy
Standout at The First Academy in Orlando for coach Jeff Conaway … 34 receptions for 555 yards and seven touchdowns … played junior season at Lake Mary HS … helped team to 12-3 record and spot in state 7A finals … caught 23 passes for 359 yards and five touchdowns … also competed in track and field … state qualifier and district champion in the long jump … three-star prospect … ranked No. 107 in Florida according to ESPN … Rivals ranked him No. 64 in Florida and the No. 81 receiver in America … No. 111 in Florida according to 247 Sports.
Wilson Zierer
OL, 6-6, 295
Munich, Germany / Rabun Gap-Nacoochee School
Played for Derek White at Rabun Gap-Nacoochee School in Rabun Gap, Georgia … team captain … helped team to 2024 NCISAA State title … four-star prospect according to 247 Sports … No. 38 in Georgia … No. 315 nationally … No. 31 offensive tackle in country … Rivals rated four starts … No. 39 in Georgia … No. 290 nationally … No. 26 offensive tackle … ESPN’s No. 44 player in Georgia … four-star rating … No. 42 offensive tackle in nation.
