Todd Graham Early Signing Day 2021 Press Conference

excited to add you know six guys to our program today uh and uh you know kind of to give you guys an idea of kind of where we're at as far as um you know obviously all of our seniors got got another year of eligibility we're trying to make sure that we some factors are going into this signing the exciting day as we move forward just so you kind of understand is um we got seniors that obviously we that want to come back and that we want to come back and we'll try to accommodate as many of them as we possibly can so that's been part of in the numbers so that's taken up quite a few numbers uh in in as far as our 85 scholarships because we'll only have 85 scholarships we're not we're not going to be able to add more than 85 and that's as a conference and as a institution so we also got players on our roster that i think are very deserving of consideration uh presently that one of the things i want to build is a great walk-on program so we've got guys that we want to consider as we move forward with those numbers and then obviously we got needs we want to recruit to and so that's where the guys come in today that we added you know our big needs you know offensively we want to make sure that we sign a quarterback in this class and we're going to do that and and think we'll sign a great one and uh uh and then um uh obviously you know our need on offense is you know we're thin at running back uh so uh you know obviously we signed up one running back today and a tight end and really i guess probably the first tied in on our roster so so we're excited about that and a great one there we feel really good about uh kobe and uh uh so uh and then we'll probably probably end up uh probably uh offensively looking at five or six more in in february or in the next few months or whatever that's what we're looking at is where the numbers are kind of depending on kind of how everything else falls is with our existing numbers and then defensively you see uh we signed four guys we obviously need help we were thin in the back end uh so you'll see a focus on defensive backs uh guys that are explosive blitzers you see the two linebackers are very dynamic uh guys as far as pressuring and attacking and then we want guys that can impact the quarterback and you know with tyrique uh being the defensive end so we added four on defense and two on offense uh we're excited about that class obviously our our deal is to get guys that fit who we are guys with great character uh guys that uh have great integrity guys that are smart uh and and guys that are disciplined and tough and so uh you know we felt like this is a great class for us uh in meeting our needs for what we're doing and obviously this is uh probably about half of what we'll do uh just depending on what those numbers the other numbers the other factors that i gave you um and uh we'll kind of go from there so managing the roster is going to be kind of a fluid deal especially this year with all the challenges with everybody getting an additional year which i think you know obviously we're excited about that we got a lot of guys that we get another year out of we're excited about and then uh obviously we want to add guys that we think meet our needs we want to get faster as a football team uh so along with the the the character the smart discipline tough guys we won't get guys with speed we want to increase our speed um obviously we want to offensively uh get those get get time tight ends where we can play with the tight end as well as uh sign what we call three backs that are running back tied in slash hybrid type big running backs and then as well as we wanna we want to uh probably gonna add another couple true running back or tailbacks to the system so uh to our gate and then we're looking always looking for a difference maker at wide receiver place signed two or three offensive alignment as well so that's kind of the outlook offensively and then defensively pass rushers and guys that can can impact the quarterback uh and great blitz building then we need to uh we got we got a very very thin and at safety and in db's that's what we gotta gotta work with and then obviously we uh are in the market uh as far as special teams uh to add difference makers there as well so i'm sorry we have seven guys seven guys yep did i get that right though yeah kobe i had kobe on there so so guys let me just read through the guys we signed that i'll speak a little bit about them jordan johnson from allen high school in texas i actually used to be the head coach there we're excited to have a jordan dynamic running back guy comes from probably one of the best programs uh in the state and in the country uh a guy that's very dynamic big play guy played in the program knows knows what it is to win a great one solomon turner uh solomon went to uh the prestonwood christian academy and then is is a transfer from baylor uh his his dad the former nfl player great man uh great person obviously i know uh the turner's personally and we're very very excited to add him a guy that really fits into our uh giving us great he's a he's that that stud position that's at safety linebacker explosive pass rusher blitzer type guy and a young man with great character and we're very excited about adding him kobe wyatt tied in really excited uh i've got you know to get a guy of his caliber coming from uh university of georgia uh and um another guy man great character all these guys great character uh you know uh disciplined guys that are going to come in i think i think both those guys can come in and have a big impact on our football team and uh and and i know uh colby's excited to i told him i said heck you know you you'll be the first uh true tight end on our roster so he's excited about that so kobe's a heck of a football player heck of a person as well um so really excited about about kobe uh sunny uh linebacker for mililani uh man i mean this guy is you know loves hawaii that's the thing about all these guys that's when i talk about recruiting i tell them we want people that love this place that want to be a part of our culture and who we are and what we're about and and sonny exemplifies that i mean a guy he told me today when i talked to him on the phone and i'm ready to go to work uh coach i'm ready to get after it and so i'm very very excited uh to add him uh to our roster and and a guy that's gonna be a great football player for us from right here in hawaii uh tariq jones uh defensive end out of uh new orleans tariq is a guy that we think uh man he's very young uh to be coming out of high school uh he's a very dynamic pass rusher a guy that we think will be an edge guy for us an edge rusher for us uh and a guy that we think is explosive and i mean he is a he's a he's a physical specimen uh playing in a great league i've had a a lot i've got close ties in louisiana i've signed a bunch of players out of there uh everyone everyone i've ever had has always played and done a great job for it's been a great student so we're excited to have him i think he gives us um you know what we want as far as someone that can impact the quarterback um josiah berthelot is uh a linebacker a will linebacker slash dog backer we can move around he's from landry walker i've signed a bunch of guys from landry walker over the years at tulsa and at asu you know it's been a great school for us and so to get a guy from from that school you you can take one every year uh he's he's a special guy this guy's a a physical player uh thing that stuck out on the field to us is his blitz ability this guy's explosive and all these guys when we look at every single guy that we've signed uh we look at the speed part of it and obviously we've got basically three transfers in there and then obviously assigning their high school players we're excited about how we increased our ability to to be explosive in our team speed and then um kobe burton a defense back a transfer from mcneese kobe is a guy that man as we got to know him and researching him a great character young man comes from a great family that's other thing man we got guys on here that this is a family deal and every one of these guys are going to fit in great in our family and our our football family our wine family and uh we're excited about kobe kobe is a guy i think can play safety our corner versatility uh big time playmaker a ball hawk and a guy that's physical we want to get be more physical at that position at the safety corner position and he's a guy that that we think helps us big time so um uh that's that's the seven guys uh and then i'll open it up for questions well hey christian coach um what's the common link between all the players in this recruiting class this group of seven i think when it comes to the intangibles you know i'm very very uh um hands-on on making sure that we're citing young men that fit who we are and uh we want young men that are going to represent this state and this university with character honor and class and integrity and so i think that's the common denominator i feel great about uh you know bringing them in here and develop because one of the things we want to do we want to develop a football team that has elite discipline and so every one of these guys i think going to help us that these guys all are coming here because they embrace our values and our culture what we're trying to build and then from just from a a physical standpoint explosiveness you know obviously uh you know we need we want explosive play makers i mean you you look at the impact calvin turner's had and what he'll have moving forward i mean uh you know we we need running backs that like that jordan fits that for us um you know you look at you know tight end position we really you know we got three backs on the roster and riley wilson and people like that that are three backs but we don't have the the the big physical tied in that can run and man i mean kobe is a guy that speed and explosive power is what the common denominator is of these seven guys and and obviously you know the number one thing are the intangibles that i talked about that all of them possess these guys will come in here working i think three of them we're going to get here at semester so we're excited about that and then obviously we're we're we're a long way from being done but it will look different this year because you know we also are just excited about having this group of seniors back and uh as well as there's some guys on our roster that i think are very deserving uh of of of an opportunity and that's something i'm going to be we're going to be looking at evaluating uh through the bowl game jason your question coach um this kind of cures us to the challenges you face trying to put together a recruiting class you know under the conditions that were under with the pandemic and everything um you know i feel bad for the players i feel bad for the recruits and the parents i it's very difficult to you know decide where you want to go to college when you can't even step foot on campus uh and people say well you can do virtual tours and all that are you i mean imagine sending your son or daughter somewhere you'd never seen you never were able to visit and so i really and but on the same hand i do i understand there's nothing we do about it but i'm just saying it's not you know i feel so bad for these kids i got a son at home that's a senior and my heart just breaks because i just know my high school senior year experience was nothing like what these what they've been through and so i feel bad for the recruits i think they're at a great disadvantage uh for us i mean evaluating film one of the big things with us is that when we were very fortunate that we were able to about face we were going really really really hard on recruiting and then whenever the ncaa said okay everybody has another year that really changes all your numbers because that doesn't mean that you're going to have more scholarships because you're only going to have 85 scholarships now you got to figure out how to how does that work you got guys committed that you got to honor you got guys you want to bring back that are seniors how does those numbers balance up and so you know we actually started planning for that and now trying to navigate that and have been very fortunate that i think we're in good shape with that but it will impact i think there will be the fewest amount of scholarships given to freshmen are to seniors out of high school this year then probably any other time i don't know if anybody will research that but i bet there'll be fewer players get scholarships division 1 scholarships this year than any other year in the last 50 years i mean because there's just less scholarships to be had and uh you know with all the you know the coba and the budget and financial strain and all that you can't just add 20 more scholarships and then i know by conference uh you know i don't think ours is i mean i think that's pretty much what the conference is going to say so there's great challenges with all that and uh you know it's been one of the most complicated things like you know i don't like not knowing exactly what the number is and so that fluctuates and and so but you know it's we're sitting in good shape right now i do think that we'll add but it'll be a small class i mean we'll end up you know uh i don't know i mean i would think the most we would sign i'm guessing now i mean somewhere between 10 and 14 more would be the max uh that you would be able to sign uh and and it could be as few as only you know eight more depending on where we end up on the rest of it because i'm going to make sure i take care of our present roster first uh and then and as far as evaluation and then obviously there's guys on our roster that i think are deserving and uh so we'll go through that process once we're done playing and uh but it's been very complicated i think i feel bad for these high school recruits because not only their senior years getting disrupted they can't go to school and their seasons disrupt i sure hope we get to play high school football in the spring in hawaii just for personal reasons and for the and for my the recruits uh uh you know just man it's just been tough to be a senior this year and then you'll put on top of that they can't official visit they can't step on campus you can't i can't go and see them anywhere so so it's really hard to trust someone with your son's future when you don't get to meet him in person so i think it's been one of the most challenging and that might be is is is you know just kind of it's kind of heartbreaking to see that and and our coaches have done a great job to get guys to i mean you know that to sign without ever being on campus that's that's kind of crazy if you think about it so um it's been a challenging deal but uh we're sitting we're in a good spot i feel really good about the guys we've added and obviously i feel great about our team that's coming back and one more for me is um how did the connection with kobe white come along and what kind of dimension can add to the offense having like mentioned about the true tie down well obviously my my my son beau uh first connected with kobe uh and uh uh that's kind of how we found out about him is beau had a connection to the university of georgia and then george's defensive coordinator dan lanning worked for me at arizona state so i'm really close to dan and so uh dan was instrumental in helping you know let him know who we were and what we were about and so uh um so that was our connection with coach lanning and then uh my son beau's connection through their staff

Channel: University of Hawaii Athletics Department - Manoa

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Length: 15min 46sec (946 seconds)

Published: Wed Dec 16 2020