Fisher Addresses Media on National Signing Day

Jimbo Fisher addressed the media Wednesday afternoon as the Aggies neared completion of day one of the early signing period.

A transcript is posted below.

Jimbo Fisher Signing Day Press Conference

COACH FISHER:  First of all, our day's not over.  We still got quite a few guys that are out there.  So some guys I won't be able to speak on.  So far, today has went really well.  I think we've hit a lot of needs and what we want to do with a lot of great players that can really be difference makers. at any level. Hit a lot of states, a lot of areas, and also did a great job in Texas. 

First of all, our assistant coaches did a tremendous job staying on top of this. And our recruiting staff, led by Marshall, and the guys have done an unbelievable job off the field in recruiting of keeping the lines of communication open and recruiting. And like I say, it's not any one thing.  It's everything.  It's everybody encompassing.  And every time they come here that they see what A&M can be, they feel the love of the people, how they're going to be treated, and what they can see in themselves in future, not only as an athlete but as a student. 

Life after ball, using the Aggie Network and everything going about being at Texas A&M. It's got a tremendous place to sell.  Saying all that, we've done a great job in my opinion.  Got most of the guys that we need.  Don't get everybody you ever want, but got quite a few guys left. Still got five or six guys left that will announce that we can't talk about. But the class is coming together, hitting a lot of needs, a lot of areas, offense, defense, skill guys, big guys, everything across the board.  And just very happy and pleased.  And hopefully we'll develop these guys the right way that we can climb to top of college football the way we want to get to.  So very excite about this class.  And be anxious for the next couple hours too.  So questions?

Q. Seems like we say this a lot, it's the way of the world, but how much has NIL and open transfers and things like that changed the recruiting process in the past year?

I told you, and I joke about this, NIL has been going on for a long time. It hasn't been above board. So now it is. I think it does affect things.  Because the other people, they don't have the advantages they used to have. And how they did things and the way they did things.  So I think that's a big part of it, but it's something you don't promise. You can't promise it.  It's not a thing you guarantee.  It has nothing to do with the recruiting processes.

All you can do is vouch off the players in past and where you've had it.  Which has only been going on for six months, what they've received.  You can't say you're getting an NIL deal.  That's totally illegal.  You can't say I'm going to pay a player or how much money or $50,000 or $100,000 or whatever it is, that's illegal.  Transfer portal is a big part of it.  Guys leaving, coming, going, affect your roster in and out.  But it's here to stay.  That's the new times. You either evolve and change with the times or you get passed up.  It is what it is, whether it's good, bad, indifferent, it's all part of the process now. Big part of it. 

Q. Seem to just absolutely fill the cupboard with tight ends with this period.  What can adding three more tight ends to that room --

Well, I think a dozen guys can make a difference.  You create mismatches.  Tight ends now can split out and play like receivers.  And those guys that can do that are very versatile and create mismatches across the board.  And get high-quality players, you can't pass them up.  And you get the best players available in what we got.  I think we got a lot of diversity, a lot of physicality, a lot of athleticism, a lot of ball skills. And I think they're hard matchups.

Q. And as you move on from here, would you look to add another quarterback via transfer portal? 

I think you always got to look to add. I think you got to have three.  We have two.  So we'll look in future where we're going to go with that when that time comes. But I think it's something that's very important.  I think eventually you have to do because, as you see, theoretically two of them should have been hurt this year, and that's a position you can't just stick anybody in. So I think it would be important to try to see if we can fulfill that need.

Q. Jimbo, one of the guys you went after really late in the process was Jake Johnson.  For him and Brad's [Johnson] ties with Florida State and your ties with Florida State, was it kind of a connection between you two from the get-go? 

I've known him since he was in the eighth grade.  Used to be in my camp.  I've known those guys for a longtime and where he went.  And Brad, I have tremendous respect. If you ever meet Brad, you'll know. He's not only a tremendous player and athlete but a tremendous person and very blessed to have his son for sure.

Q. And you look at some of the names that you were able to add across the last couple weeks and with the coaching carousel moving on and other coaches leaving programs, do you think it helps you that you solidified your status, that you are going to be here for the long term? 

I think it did.  And I think the rest of our staff did. I think they did a great job, even when Mike [Elko] took a head job which was inevitable, we didn't lose anybody from it. We were able to keep guys in intact and where we went.  So I think it was a strong tribute to where we're going and what we're doing and how people see the future.

Q. Can you talk about the size in the trenches?  You guys got some really big guys on the defensive line and also on the offensive line? 

Got to play that way.  Little guys get hurt.  You get knocked around.  It's hard to play up there like that. You can move quick, but eventually that gets to you. And the wear and tear in this leg and the physicality of this leg I think is very important.  But the thing we didn't give up was athleticism.  There's tremendous athletes that can run and play.  The key is the guys that put their hand in the dirt, the physicality of game. You've got to have those guys on both side of the ball. And if you don't, it's a long Saturday, I promise you.

Q. I know you say you still have some work to do, but what does this class say about the continuous growth of this program and the direction you're going? 

And I think the people see it. They see where we're going, what we're doing, and how we're doing it.  And we got to finish up, and be able to finish some games, and win on the road when we need to, and do those kind of things. I think you get guys that can make a difference and hopefully make those other plays and what you need. But I think they see the vision which we have.  I think they see the commitment which we have. And I think they see the staff that can get them there and the things that go on. And the past recruiting classes. You live in vision, you live in circumstance.  And I think we're living in vision.  And we see it.  And I think it's right there.  We just got to finish it.

Q. You mentioned Mike Elko. I'm sure you're happy for him? 

Extremely happy.  That's what you always want to be. I was in that position one time.  That's what you strive for.

Q. And then do you have any kind of defensive coordinator updates on that? 

No, we're really good.  I think [Tyler] Santucci will call the bowl game and do that. I think he's an excellent guy. And I think he has the ability to be a coordinator, co-coordinator for us in the future.  And wherever we go with this thing is very big.  And I think he's a heck of a young can coach.  And I think he's doing a great job.  And our staff is doing a great job. Elijah's [Robinson] doing a great job.  TJ's [Rushing] doing a great job.  TP's (Terry Price) doing a great job. So keep the status quo. And they practice very well. And things have been going very well.  And we'll make an additional hire here in future. 

Q. How important is it to have one of your guys that you're signing to help you recruit other guys to come here as well? 

I think two things.  You have to have guys in your class that become, I say, bell cows.  And Bobby Taylor was a huge part of our class, in my opinion.  Getting guys out.  And they all started and they just all came together.  And listen, guys understand you got to have a bunch of guys in football to go win.  And they're all local. A lot of these local guys started that nucleus of guys, and they expanded out, going to get great players across this country.  And I think that's what you got to do.  And I think that's very important. 

But also your current players.  I think your current players sell your program.  You can recruit all you want.  And those guys can do it.  But when your current players believe in what you're say, those guys get to campus and they get around them, they tell them in two seconds if it's true or not or if it's a good place to be.  And I think those guys, Bobby [Brown] and those guys and that class did a great job. And I think our current players did a tremendous job along with the staff.

Q. So a follow-up on that.  How did you keep all of those defensive guys after losing [Mike] Elko who has been here four years recruiting all those guys?  Because I figure people would use that against you.

The year I won the national championship in 2013, lost six guys.  We lost six coaches in 2012, won the national championship in 2013. Because the system doesn't change.  I'm still involved in defense.  I'm still going to be involved in what we run on defense, how we run it, and the systems aren't changing.  And as the head coach, the offense and defense that's why, nothing -- defensive coordinators don't bring in new schemes. 

You ain't changing everything. We're going to run what we run, how we run it, the way we run it. And we'll make additions and things from it.  They know the system is going stay the same.  And four of your assistant coaches are staying the same.  So they see everything in status quo just like we were recruited.  So there's nothing to change. 

Q. Coach, you had your quarterback locked in in this class for a while in [Conner] Weigman.  What makes him a special, unique talent? 

Let me tell you something, I don't need to talk about his physical ability. Unbelievably intelligent, highly competitive, affects his teammates and raises the play of his teammates unbelievably, as much as anybody I've been around for a longtime.  Has a chip on his shoulder to compete and play, and I don't mean it in the bad way.  He can do anything, and loves to play ball.  He's a football junkie. 

And he can run like heck.  He's big. He's athletic.  He can make every throw in the book. He throws every catchable ball.  He can throw RPOs, he can throw drop-back, he can throw play action.  And I've said from the get-go, everybody bragging about all that? That's my guy.  Has been my guy.  I think he's the best guy out there.  Period.

Q. And he plays baseball as well?  A couple of these kids play basketball too. 

He's going to play baseball here.

Q. Do you look at guys who play two sports as an advantage? 

I love them.  I think your overall athleticism, your development, your competitive development, I think you learn to compete in different ways.  Some games are transitional, like basketball, you set up a mistake, they scored six points and you're behind.  Baseball is a game of failure.  The guys who play baseball don't get frustrated as easy. 

So in football, you make a mistake, they can process it, and move on.  You learn to think and play in different ways. Track, you get one shot at it.  I got one play to make a game.  You got one race to win a race.  You run one bad race and you're done.  There's a lot of things you learn from other sports that when you apply them all, and I think football encompasses all of them, I think it can be very beneficial.

Q. Looking at the list so far, just one running back in the class.  What was it about [Le'Veon] Moss that jumped out?

Size, speed, competitive, athleticism, toughness, great hands, blocking, and a tough son of a gun.  He's ran .10 400 meters before.  He can fly. He's 200 pounds. He can catch the ball. He can make you miss. He can run over you. He's got a competitive edge to him.  He's a tough sucker.  Love everything about him.

Q. When you look at how NIL is changing the game, you're recruiting outside of just the state of Texas and the southeast.  You've got guys from Washington and Arizona. But you also got a kid internationally [Theodor Melin Ohrstrom].  Does that help that you're now recruiting outside of the United States?

Well, I mean, we always did.  We did it when I was at Florida State.  One of the best guys I ever had was Bjorn Werner from Germany, exchange student, first-round draft pick.  Players are everywhere.  NIL doesn't do that; that's just always been that way. You got to expand your footprint. You got to have the home base and naturally go to where the best players are that can change your program and what you have to do, and you have to have something to draw them here, which A&M does. 

You have to have a staff that has won national championships. You can talk about it all you want. There's only four active coaches coaching in college football that have won a national championship. So you want guys that can do it, how they've done it, coaches that have been there and done it. 

So all that is encompassing in what you're doing. If you don't build your brand and brand yourself -- we're in a global world now.  We're not in a regional world, and that's great.  But you got to have your home base, which we want all these guys right here in Texas we can get.  We can win championships with. Then we got to put our footprint across the states.  I think we've done that. I think we'll be in eight or nine states when this class is all said and done.  Then plus going international.  Players are everywhere.

Q. Zach [Calzada] elected to transfer. What does he mean to the program after this year?  And what's the game plan for the Gator Bowl?

Zach did a tremendous job. I think he played his heart out this year. I think he's one competitive, tough guy. Won big games. Led us to victories in two-minute offense. I think he's going to have a great career.  We loved him.  We understand guys change and move.  But he competed with injuries.  He competed behind the eight ball with other guys on the team being hurt. 

Remember, we lost five or six of our top receivers, or six or seven.  We had a center miss before the season.  We had a tackle.  And he comes in a tough situation on the road.  I have the utmost respect for him.  Wish him nothing but the best.

Q. Was he [Zach Calzada] hurt?  Did he have surgery or something? 

No, he hasn't had surgery yet.  Sometimes they have to have it, sometimes they don't and the shoulder pops out. Waiting to see what the doctor says. I think he will have it. I don't know that for sure.  I'm not -- what will happen, probably will.  But listen, he is a competitive, tough son of a gun, boy.

Q. And did you have a plan for the Gator Bowl quarterback-wise? 

Blake [Bost] will be our guy.  Haynes [King] has gotten back in practice. We're just getting him out there just to get reps. His body can't -- you can't bring a guy back and do all that. But we'll get through it and play. Blake will do a good job.

Q. And Jake Johnson, what was his recruitment there? And how much of a surprise or not was it there at the end when he ended up signing?

Not a surprise. I've known him a long time, known Brad [Johnson] and the interaction with us.  And I think he brings a lot to the table with his plays.  Tremendous player.  And that opportunity came.  And too good a player not to do it with.

Q. Jimbo, what did October 9th, the game against Alabama, mean to this class specifically?

I think they've seen what we're capable of being and what we can do and how we can do it, and we can win a national championship.  And the atmosphere and the environment in here on the 12th Man, listen, this is the best place to play in college football, bar none.  And I think all those things together, you always have the springboard moments.  We followed it with consistency. 

We didn't finish like we needed to, but they saw what we're capable of and they understand the circumstances behind all the things that went on and see the vision we have and saw what we did the year before. Not just that. You saw the year before, the final four finish, I thought we were the second-best team in the country at the time at the end of the year, that particular time and they saw us play with Alabama.  And they see us in that realm.  And they want to be somewhere. Listen, you want to be another guy that does it somewhere, or you want to be the first to do it somewhere?  Makes a big difference. 

Q. And follow that up with Walter Nolen, just the big kid out of Tennessee? 

Let me tell you something. That's the skinniest 335-pound guy I know. The guy is 335 pounds and thin. I tease him about that all the time. You are talking about guys, when they put their hands -- him and (Gabriel Brownlow) Dindy, Anthony Lucas, when they put their hand in the dirt, they make a difference. They see all those guys. That was the key.

You have those interior guys, you see the push of those tackles, those interior guys not only when they don't make plays, they take up two, three blockers, they push the pocket. Change the line of scrimmage. Collapse the pocket on the quarterback. Push it back and make the balls bounce so those other guys can make plays. Those guys just disrupt.

Big guys like that do more on accident than a lot of guys do on purpose. I say that wholehearted with speed, power, the athleticism they have. He's a tremendous, tremendous talent and tremendous player. 

Q. What does it mean to be able to have somebody locally, Jarred Kerr from Lexington, come to the program and keep the local kids?

Listen, keep them here, as many as we can keep. There are some outstanding teams going out here right now. Jarred is an outstanding player, plays the ball, can tackle, physical, tough, athletic and bright. Watching him play on offense, very, very natural football player. I think he'll have great career here, I really do. 

Q. You talked about wanting to add more explosive assets on the outside. With the receivers, tight ends, and [Jacoby] Mathews signing this class, do you feel like these guys are capable of upping the explosion?

I sure do. The guys we have in there with Noah [Thomas] and Chris Marshall, the guys are big, athletic, 6'4", 6'5" guys. I think Noah caught 21 touchdowns. Chris had 13 or 15, can run. Chris is going about 35 a game in basketball about every night he's playing. I watched him play the other night. He can go. Just athletic, the ball skills, athleticism, the size. Hopefully we will continue to add to the class.

Q. Another evolving world for you. What's your approach on the opt-outs? Also with the idea if the younger guys are getting more time in a bowl game, it's a springboard into the next season as well?

Opt-outs are here to stay. I'm a believer, if you are a high, high pick and you know you're going, I get it. Here's what I would say. If you are third round or below, NFL doesn't have a lot of money invested in you. You have your signing bonus and if you're not -- I think the more you see that, the more you play, it's better. But guys have their own opinion on that. That's just me personally. If I was drafting a guy, that's what I would see. 

That's just part of it. It's opportunities for young guys to go play. Listen, those guys that opt out, they have done a tremendous job for us. I have no disrespect for that at all. They make their own choices in what they do. That's just the way of the world. Transfer portal is like that. That's just what we're into now. That's another reason the playoffs to expand, to entice guys to stay in school.  You get more quality bowl games. Guys stay and win national championships and it helps that whole process.

Q. A lot will be said about how big this class is. Was this year any different for you? Harder? Not easier? This day, was it a little bit longer, shorter? What was this experience?

I don't ever remember this day being easy. I ain't ever had a recruiting class that was easy. I remember nothing about football was easy. That's what you got to understand. There's nothing easy about any of it. It's hard work, it's dedication, it's relationships. Sometimes it's a two-month relationship. Sometimes it's a three-year relationship. It's all-encompassing. 

It's always hard. You have to understand something, this is a very competitive world. We are in the most competitive leg in ball. You are on the top, top, top players? That's a whole different animal now. You can go get good players. You can go get the top ones, that's a different animal how to recruit them, the time, the commitment, the ups and downs that go through it. You have to have the resources, as far as being able to see themselves winning a national championship, get a great education, you have life after ball. A&M has all those things. 

Q. Do these national signing days, are these really exciting great days for you? Are they hard? Where does that fall?

They are hard days, but they're very exciting for me, because I do see the joy on those kids' faces. So far, their 17, 18, 19-year-old lives, whatever it's been, it's one of the biggest moments they've had so far. Probably one of the biggest decisions they have ever made in their life. To see the look on their face, the vision they have for their future, what goes on, I mean, it's a great time. For those families that have put their young men in that position to be successful, it's very rewarding. 

And I love -- I always remember, when guys go in the draft, I remember the first time I met them, whether it was here in my office or in a home visit or whatever, that young kid, which they all think they are grown men -- when they are not 22 or 21 when they leave here, they are. That's what I always think of. To me, these days are very special.

Q. List of players who won't be playing in the Gator Bowl: [Leon] O'Neal, [Demarvin] Leal, [Isaiah] Spiller, [Jayden] Peevy, anyone else?

I believe that's it. I think that's right. I don't want to say off the top of my head. I'm just going through it right now.  I'm thinking about a whole different group of guys; now you got me thinking about this group of guys. That wasn't a very good question (laughter). 

That was a tricky question. I can't remember. That sounds right.  There could be more, could not be. I don't know that for sure, but we'll see. 

Q. Nine total linemen, five offensively, four defensively. Do, you believe with the way the analytics is turning, the way that college football is turning, that it's important to have as much staff as possible on the offensive and defensive line? 

Ain't nothing about analytics. That's been since I have been in ball 35 years ago. The guys that put their hand in the dirt change the game. You can't have enough of them. The injuries, the banging, the bruising, the ability to develop and go against the other guys on the other side and have guys -- listen, competition is what it's about. You want to be deep everywhere. 

Listen, you want competition. You want to be able to come to practice and here's what you want your team. When I come to practice, if I ain't ready, somebody is going to take my job. That's when you're good. That's when you play real good. When they are scared not to play hard because somebody is ready to take their job, that's -- all the great teams I've had, that's what it's been. You come in with competition within the practice. 

The guys that put their hand in the dirt, the guys, the injuries, the bangs, the bruises and all that stuff that goes with that stuff, that's a physical position. You can't have enough of them.

It's funny -- at the end, they are all used. They all play. 

Q. Brandon Sanders -- 

Let me tell you something, Red is awesome. Our players know him. He has been with me a long time. The knowledge he has and the lifting program, the running program, the things he had, we're going to make some changes and do things a little differently which we want to do. Brilliant guy. He's going to be tremendous and be in this biz a long time. He has been right there to be able to hire him from day one. He's a really, really talented young guy. 

Q. Now that recruiting is going on, you still have to balance that with the bowl game. How excited are you and this program to go back to Jacksonville and play in the Gator Bowl? 

Another Florida bowl. Those are always great bowls to be in. They are big bowls. Great opportunity to go play a great opponent and see some of our young guys play in key situations. It will be a great challenge. They have a heck of a team. 

We've lost some guys here. We have some guys banged up. Listen, you're in a bowl game. You are at that December 31st, January 1 date, you have done some good things. It's an important game for us. We need to play well. Very excited. Gator Bowl is great tradition, great history.

Q. When you look at this class top to bottom, would you call this a program-changing class?

We got some good players. We'll find out how they play. At the end of the day, they're on paper. We got to go play and do what we got to do. I will reserve that comment. I always say it -- like young hunting dogs. They are all great and all got a great pedigree. Can they hunt?  (Laughter).

We got to go find out and see them hunt.