Jimbo Fisher's National Signing Day Press Conference
Feb 02, 2022 | Football
Jimbo Fisher addressed the media Wednesday afternoon as the Aggies wrapped up National Signing Day.
A transcript, audio and video are posted below.
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Jimbo Fisher Press Conference Quotes
(transcript courtesy Caption Pros)
COACH FISHER: Yeah, welcome, good to see y'all. A long break. It's good to get back to some normal things, what's going on. But today, of course, a great day. Trying to put the finishing touches on our signing class for the future of our organization, which I think is extremely bright in what was going on.
We had a new signee today already, who's already announced, which was Shemar Stewart, which is another great addition to our class. I mean, big, strong athletic guy. Those guys who put their hand in the dirt, especially on that edge and inside, that can change the game, and offensive and defensive linemen. But he is a guy that can rush, he can play the run, he can play the pass, he can overpower you, he can outspeed you. Just tremendous athlete and tremendous addition to our class.
And on top of that, he's a better person than he is player. I mean, great fun to be around, great personality, very intelligent young man. Has got a great future ahead of him, and he will be a huge part of what we're doing going forward. Really excited about him, getting him, along with all the other signees which we've had. This class has turned into a heck of a class, in my opinion.
Like I say, that's still on paper. They still have to go play. They have to get developed, they have to -- some guys develop really quickly. Some guys may take a little time. That's just part of it. Wait and see the production and the things they do. They are the guys that we went after, the guys we wanted, a lot of people in this country wanted.
And not only is there great athletic ability, I think there's great intelligence, I think there's great character, and I think there's guys who want to compete and have the same common goal which we have here at Texas A&M is to be the best in everything we do. And be a well-rounded person, be a great student, represent this university with a lot of pride in the athletics and get developed. And one day, hopefully, make it in the NFL and let the Aggie Network take care of them when they're done, the 12th Man and the things that go on.
But really excited about it. Again, we keep adding to -- it's a well-rounded -- probably as well-rounded class I may have ever had as far as every position is hit. I think there's guys that can make a difference in all those different positions. That's what you gotta have, which creates the competition within your own team, which creates the competition within your own organization, which makes you a better team. Because that's the guys you practice against each and every day.
We keep increasing the talent levels as we go and where we're going. Very excited about that and the future of things that are going on right now at A&M, and very excited about it for sure.
Anybody have any questions?
Q. I know it's been on your mind. You stacked top ten classes together now for four years in a row. I don't think there was ever even two before that. So do you kind of consider it a slap in the face or whatever, when there's these thoughts out there that --
COACH FISHER: Very.
Q. -- because a lot of money is being spent and --
COACH FISHER: Here's what I'm going to say, and this is point-blank. Here's my problem. There is no $30 million fund, there is no $5 million, there is no $10 million -- this is garbage. And it does, it pisses me off that people -- and it comes from a site called BroBible by a guy named Sliced Bread, then everybody runs with it. So it's written on the Internet as gospel. How irresponsible is that?
There are some very reputable writers in college football and sports that wrote it, and that have said it and have done things. That's unbelievable to me. When I first heard it, I laughed. I said, "Oh, yeah, what a clown." I didn't even think anything of it, because I don't have social media. Then it kept building, and lately I've heard more about it.
To me, it's insulting to the players that we recruited that that's why they would come here. Have you ever been to a game here? Have you ever come to school here and see the education? You ever talked about the 12th Man and Aggie Network when you're done? There ain't a better university in this country. And it's insulting to what you say.
All these -- we've got writers who have said it and done it off Sliced Bread, who made it up. I'd love to see who Sliced Bread is. Put it out there with Sliced Bread, let me find out where it comes from. And to have coaches in our league and across this league that say it? Clown acts. Irresponsible as hell. Multiple coaches in our league.
The guys griping about NIL, griping about transfer portal, are using it the most and bragging about it the most. That's the ironic part. You want character? I'll take it with any of y'all. It's a joke. It does piss me off.
The other thing, when you look at -- I got another one. Vice President of Notre Dame. Supposed to be a reputable university, right? Heck of a person leading a reputable university. I would be real proud if I hired that guy. Read it off Sliced Bread. But they say it because it's written on the Internet.
We worry about the kids and social media and Internet? How about grown-ups? How about the guys that are supposed to be setting an example? How about writers who are supposed to be writing the right thing? How about coaches supposed to be doing the right thing? And I tell you what, I know how some of those guys recruit, too. Go dig into that. I know the history, I know the tradition, and I know things. Trust me, you don't want to go down that avenue.
It's ridiculous. And it's irresponsible and it's unbelievable. I ain't just talking about one. Multiple people got NIL issues. It's funny, when Nick Saban said his quarterback got an $800,000 deal, it was wonderful. Now it ain't wonderful no more, huh? We ain't got that. Ours are on record what comes up. We ain't doing all them big deals. Ain't none on our place that we know of. That's funny when you do it.
And then we gripe about the transfer portal? You guys take more than everybody. What's about that? What goes on? The hypocrisy is a joke. It's an absolute joke. And it's insulting to our staff, how hard we work, to how we do things, and it's insulting to Texas A&M, because there ain't a better place to go to school and play ball. If you don't like what we're coming on, get used it to. All right? We're not going anywhere.
It's an absolute joke, and the people who put the hard work in and do it. It's irresponsible. But it's funny when they get it, it's all okay. Ball game's are changing, man. And it ain't because of NIL and what goes on. It's pretty irresponsible of all of them. They're clowns.
They got a problem with it, come see me. I ain't a hard guy to find. We'll be in some meetings. You can say anything you want. We can do anything you want. I ain't got no problem with it, I promise you that.
Q. With the three five-star defensive linemen, I know a lot of it starts with defensive line for you. How important was that part of this class?
COACH FISHER: The guys who can control the game. The guys who put their hand in the dirt are the guys that matter, as far as can change the game (snapping) immediately.
It gives you so much freedom if you've got legitimate guys all the way across the board that can create double teams and pass rush. Can create big double teams and run. They're getting a lot of one-on-ones, and you don't have to be vulnerable in the secondary to create and out. You can also blitz and create unbelievable packages.
But it lets the multitude of things you have up front when you can control the front. Just like San Francisco did. You watch San Francisco's front in the playoffs. They were unbelievable how they did things up front and in their secondaries and limited how great defense they played.
Hopefully we've got them: The big guys across the board, the ends on the edge, the athleticism, the size, the power, the guys, the multitude of positions they can play and be moved around and matched up. Very excited about every one of them. Extremely excited.
Q. A couple of things. First of all, just for clarification for myself, Shemar [Stewart] is an edge player?
COACH FISHER: Yes. Just an extra big one. And that's the size. These guys have the uniqueness of size, power, and speed.
Q. Have you contacted or plan to contact any of the coaches that you were just talking about reacting to --
COACH FISHER: No, because I don't really care what they think. Just want to make comments, they can come see me if they need them. I ain't got a problem with it, I promise you.
Q. How do you feel about the possibility of adding to this class?
COACH FISHER: Possibly. I mean, you got more guys you could, but also we've got a roster that's getting full pretty much where we're at. And there will be guys who get in the portal, do things, we understand that. But we'll see. Could be more.
Q. Two-parter. You got a few local guys that are accepted, some preferred walk-on roles.
COACH FISHER: I'm not allowed to talk about them.
Q. Okay. Never mind.
COACH FISHER: I wish I could. It's illegal.
Q. Just in general, what do preferred walk-ons add to your program, and how do you go about selecting who those guys are?
COACH FISHER: Guys we think can have an impact. A lot of those guys could possibly have scholarships at other institutions, other things. We just didn't have a place at the plate. Maybe they could earn one down the line. They play a huge role. As I say, that's what the 12th Man is about.
And all the walk-ons in which we have. We take a lot of pride in walk-ons here. I've had some great ones. And guys that come on and get scholarships, playing in the NFL right now, it's amazing.
Listen, we sure don't have the book on predicting every guy and recruiting every guy and evaluating them perfectly. There's a lot of guys that do that and have the will to do it, and God bless them for doing it.
And they're a huge part of our team and not only they like to practice, they develop your players, the things that go on, and also can have a chance to be a 12th Man here.
Q. When you look at the totality of this class and all the -- I don't want to call it holes, but places you were able to fill --
COACH FISHER: No, there are. There's always holes. You go across the board, we got a great quarterback, three great receivers, size, speed, athleticism, ball skills. Listen, today's game, you have to hit big plays. You've got to have skill guys that you can't coach every yard. I say it's between them and God.
Coaches take credit for it, but them guys that jump over guys, run around guys, out-run guys, you you've got to have guys that do that. backs that can make plays, run over people, make the crucial yards, the red zone yards. We've got that. And Le'veon [Moss] and those three receivers, size up front, defensively he can create sacks and negative plays.
Again, the other thing is our secondary. Man, I'm excited about the length, size, and speed of our secondary at corner, at safety. I mean, when you go into it right here, just in cornerbacks, you've got Bobby Taylor, Bryce Anderson, Deyon "Smoke" Bouie, [Marquis Groves] Killebrew, Denver Harris, Jarred Kerr. Those guys can all play.
Ish Harris, Martrell Harris at linebacker can run and cover. Walter [Nolen] and Gabe [Brownlow-Dindy] up front. Enai [White], Shemar [Stewart] , and Anthony [Lucas]. Jadon Scarlett, Malik Sylia, B.J. Williams, Hunter Erb, [Mark] Nabou, [Kam] Dewberry. I mean, on offense, those Offensive linemen. Donovan Green. The tight ends is another group. Donovan Green, Theodor Melin [Ohrstrom], and Jake Johnson. I mean guys have -- they're all 6'5" to 6'6", 6'7", can run, change direction, you're never covered, even when they're covered with size.
You've got Evan Stewart, Chris [Marshall] who looks great right now, Chris Marshall. Tremendous games, athleticism. Killin' it. [Noah] Thomas, great athlete. Le'Veon Moss, [Conner] Weigman, and then Max Johnson. The multitude at quarterback. The guys we have with the college experience, which is the one portal guy we've had. We've only had two portal guys in two years in the things we do.
Just an overall class that's extremely good, I think, in playmaking ability, up front and in skill. Because there's playmakers up front, too, that can create the negative plays or guys you know you can run behind. I mean, I'm excited about it.
But now, they still have to go play. We have to develop them, coach them, and get them in the right spots, and that's our job to do that.
Q. The NIL, what kind of control would you like -- you think there's going to be some kind of control eventually? And what about the transfer portal? You mentioned some coaches bring in eight or nine or ten new guys.
COACH FISHER: Every year. Listen, it's out there. There's no rules that regulate it. I'm not the guy who regulates it. You always want some kind of regulation, but I don't have the expertise to do it. Is it making things different? No doubt.
And there's reasons to transfer. For guys that transfer, you get behind guys, you got a couple years left. Do we want them to fight through adversity, and just because you're in a bad situation, that doesn't mean you're going to stay there and learning to fight through that? I believe in that. That's part of growing up in life, competing in ball, competing in situations in life. I agree with that 1,000%, but there are also times for the guys to transfer.
People have to be smarter than me to figure that out. The NIL, we don't control the NIL. We don't do that. That's outside forces, outside funds, whatever goes on with companies, things that go on. Just like Alabama, $800 million deals, whatever they've got. You know what I'm saying?
There's a lot of issues in that. And it's not used in recruiting and it's not out there. And do people? Yes. How many of those guys that are complaining, their NIL deals weren't the real NIL deals. Them old NIL deals. You know what I'm saying? I'll stand by that, too, and things that go on. But it's here to stay. It's a factor in things.
I think -- to say that some of these things, not just our class, but what goes on, I think there's going to be a fine line of what's reality. It's like anything that's new. It's made-up numbers. If somebody says it, of course if it's on the Internet, it is definitely true. It is guaranteed true. It is 100% true. So I think we'll find out the reality as we go.
Q. Of the early enrollees, how beneficial is that for them to get on campus early and get to work?
COACH FISHER: It is a help. Because you learn how things are done. You use it to get to your teammates. You learn your way around school. Your comfort zone now compared to what you're going to be in fall when everything is new.
You also learn the new languages. Football is a foreign language that they have to come and learn how to communicate so they can apply their abilities.
There is an advantage, but it is not a necessity. A lot of our guys that started last year and played as freshmen didn't come in early, and I've had that happen both ways. But to say that gives you an extra semester of school, helps towards your graduation, you know and the summer school, and you get the lay of the land, I think it's a great thing. I really do.
Tell you what, we've had 12 guys that came in early. All are doing exceptionally well. Fitting in great. I wouldn't throw any of them back, I promise. They could get us for having too many fish in the live well. I ain't throwing them back. They're too good.
Q. This class is going to be the highest ranked class in history. At what point did you kind of realize that this was a special class?
COACH FISHER: You know when I knew it was a special class? They recruited each other every bit that we recruited them. We were coming off that 9-1 year and I thought we were the second best team in this country. I really did. Should have been in the playoff. We weren't. Okay, we lived it. Those kids saw that.
The atmosphere and environment in that stadium last year, is there a better place to go watch a game? The Alabama game, even the game we lost to Mississippi State. The Auburn game, South Carolina game. And they were here seeing that. You know what I'm saying? They knew they wanted to be a part of something and they wanted to be the first to do something somewhere.
They recruited each other as much as we recruited them. There was a bond between those guys and a unity that those guys went together and said, "You know something? In football, it takes all of us to win a championship. That's what we want to do." And I think that was a big part of this whole scenario of how it did and how it went together.
Q. I know that you mentioned that talking about the early signing period and you said you'd even like to have it in August. How difficult is it from the early signing period in December until now?
COACH FISHER: See, here's my problem, I understand the coaching changes, but if we were just now signing this class, the wear and tear on our assistant coaches would be -- it's merciless what you go through a year and how you got to hold that together and then changing all this stuff.
And I understand for the coaching changes, those guys can get out and they got a second signing class to get to. But the early signing period, in my opinion, is a great thing. I even like it earlier. I like it where it's at. I don't think we should change it.
I just did a coaching change and had to come and try to put together a class in a two-week period. I understand that. That's part of it. But I think it's beneficial for the coaches, the players, and everyone else involved to have an early signing period.
Q. Coach, with Conner Weigman -- and I know he's a two-sport guy -- how does that process work with you and Coach [Jim] Schlossnagle? I know they said he's going to focus on football.
COACH FISHER: He's in football now. That was his choice. When I first signed him, I assumed he was staying to play baseball, because he's a significant baseball player and could be a very high draft pick.
But he expressed to me from the get-go, "Coach, I want to be a football player first, then play baseball, and I want to do it." He told me his plan of coming in, not fooling with baseball, so he could learn the offense, get the offense, understand things, go through fall ball, and then come back like a normal freshman and be able to do both, which would be great.
Which I've had multiple guys that have done that, whether it's track, which we have here, track guys, or baseball guys at other places I played. Jameis [Winston] was a great example of that, who was going to be a first-, second-round baseball guy just like he was football. Football was always number one, and he could have gone either way. I think it could be the same for Conner.
But he loves football and wants to play baseball. And I respect that. And I like two-sport guys, I really do, getting that worked out.
Q. I don't believe we have talked to you since the hiring of D.J. Durkin and the promotions in the staff as well.
COACH FISHER: I've been very excited about that. D.J. Durkin brings a lot to the table. He and Coach [Tyler] Santucci being co-coordinators, we're going to stay as a four-down team. We're going to keep the things in which we do. And we will add new packages with the new coordinators coming in and create some things and no-huddle and third-downs and different things we'll have.
I think we have two great guys. We kept a great staff intact, which I believe is one of the best staffs in college football offensively, things in which we do.
And then Elijah [Robinson] moving up to assistant head coach and running game coordinator, promotions, what he's done. He's done a great job. And our whole staff.
Other guys get a promotion. There will be a lot of them we want to do that with. Can't get everybody at once.
Offensively, James Coley will move as a co-coordinator for us on offense, and what goes on. He will also be on offense. I think he's done a great job in recruiting in the future of our game and knows us. And he and our offensive staff -- him and Darrell [Dickey] will work closely together in what we do and stay in that relationship and where we go and what we do. I think we've got some great guys.
Coach [Steve] Addazio coming in. Awesome guy I've known for a long time. When he was at Florida, when he was at Boston College, when he was at Temple, tremendous line coach, I thought as good as anywhere anytime, the guys I played against.
I thought his guys were hard, tough, competitive, smart, but were really prepared to play the game and understood how to compete and understood the ins and outs of protection and running stuff. And I think does as good a job as anybody and we're blessed to have him.
Plus, you get another head coach on staff. Other guys have been like Darrell, some other guys have been head coaches. It's really good.
Q. I know the interaction you've been able to have with the guys is probably a lot more limited than it will be in the spring. As far as Max Johnson and the impact he's made since coming onto campus and in the quarterback room.
COACH FISHER: I haven't seen that. We'll start him now this week. We just got back off the road. But our players seem to like him. He fits in really well. The guys, the things I have heard from them have been excellent. The workout room, an excellent athlete. Big, strong guy that's doing really well.
And our players all say he throws it well, plays well, and those guys are doing a good job. I think he's fitting in very well. Very blessed to have Max and that experience and ability in that room.
Q. Looked at some of the old stories. Were you first impressed with D.J. Durkin back to your Florida encounters?
COACH FISHER: Oh, yes.
Q. Or did you even know him before then?
COACH FISHER: I knew him as an assistant before he was a coordinator, a young guy. The guys in the business, Dan Quinn and those guys -- I've heard Dan speak. He was very high on him, other guys I know. And they coached against him. Very well-prepared, did a great job, not only at Ole Miss but back to the Florida days.
And watched him at Michigan. He had taken over Michigan the year before we played them in the Orange Bowl and kind of put that -- orchestrated that defense together and did some things. We looked at film for two years. We were looking at bowl games and trying to go back. But everywhere he's been, he's done a tremendous job with the defenses.
Q. When you bring in these highly rated guys, five stars, four stars, who have been told they're so great and everything like that, how do you then turn and rein that in? But also now knowing they can leave without penalty in their --
COACH FISHER: Listen, you're getting an opportunity to play. Best player is going to play. Be able to compete, be able to deal with adversity and understand that you want to be on a team. And to get a team, it takes time to work.
I think the character of these guys, could there be some? Yes, in any class right now, guys leave everywhere. That's what you've got to have. The guys that embrace the competition will be the guys that play great and the guys that work their way through. I plan on all of them doing it.
Q. A little off recruiting, but the quarterback battle, Coach, this spring, with those guys, what do you expect that to be like?
COACH FISHER: Just like you said, quarterback battle, competitive. Haynes [King] is a tremendous player. I thought he played an excellent game in the first game. He had three turnovers. You got to forget, the first two had nothing to do with him. That was on the people around him. He played a heck of a game. threw basically 300 yards, ran for 100 yards, scrambled, made plays. I think has a tremendous future. I think he's a great player.
Max [Johnson], you know what kind of player he was. I remember recruiting him out of high school. I had him in camp when he was a young kid. Big, strong, can throw. And I'm going to tell you what, you don't realize how athletic he is. He can run and move. He really can. He's a really good athlete. Tremendous mind.
Both of those guys, tremendous competitors and tremendous minds.
Same thing out of Conner Weigman, but I know what I got. I know what is out there. I love everything about him.
All those guys play with a chip on their shoulder. I don't mean it in a bad way. I mean they play hungry, they play hard. They are all hard-nosed. They are all competitive. I think it's going to be a lot of fun. I think their personalities match mine pretty good.
ALAN CANNON: Just FYI, spring practice starts Monday, March 7. NFL Pro Day Tuesday, March 22. And Maroon and White Game Saturday, April 9, 1:00 p.m.
Q. Did you just get a recruit?
COACH FISHER: (checking phone) No, not yet. (Laughter.)
Q. I'll ask you my annual question about being centrally located to, I think, five of the largest 13 cities in the nation but also being able to go outside the state's borders as well.
COACH FISHER: Yeah, we have eight different states and two different countries. I guess that's nine outside.
Listen, we're going to recruit -- listen, we're in as good a recruiting base as there is in the country. Why shouldn't we have the number one class?
Houston, those guys can't drive up an hour and come to school here? I guess that's illegal, huh? And what they do, I mean, Houston is a tremendous city. Dallas, San Antonio, Austin area, East Texas, I mean, there's not a better situation.
And we're going to recruit all those kids that we possibly can that we can get, we can win national championships with, we can win SEC championships with, can be pro players and want all that.
But also, guys have always come into Texas and taken players. We have to go nationally. You're in a global world right now. The ability to go to Florida, to go to Georgia, to go to Mississippi, to go to New Jersey or go to Pennsylvania, go to Tennessee, they are always in our footprint.
You have come here, the education you get, quality of life, go watch a ball game in there. Like they said, none of those guys have seen a ball game like that, not just an Alabama game, every week they come to.
Our 12th Man and our fans, they're not better in the country than what they do. For us, we have to go out and be able to, as I say, chair up and take the top players across the country that fit in here that make us the program we can be. We're very happy.
It's amazing now we're branding ourselves nationally. And when kids get here, they fall in love with the place. Listen to them when they talk and the relationships they have.
I'm going to tell you something, A&M -- I say it 100 times, the people is the key to A&M. All these buildings, it ain't that. It's the people. The relationships that are here, the genuineness that is here, and sincerity that is here in this organization. And this is -- these are 50-year commitments, not four or five-year commitments.
You're in that Aggie family, you're in it for life. That's what it's about. For us to up and do that is tremendous. And the people that come here, they love it. It's an absolute blessing. Like I said, we've got eight states and then we went across the country and found one. Or I think he came over here and found us when he came to camp.
Amazing guys. Those guys, it's blessed. And we're going to continue do that. We want the homegrown guys as much as we possibly can because there's great football here. But we also got to get the best players in this country.
