He got off the road last week and are back with the players now and back in meetings and catching up.
Less than a month away and spring football starts up.
They moved practice up in some of that is retention of what they learned last fall and during the bowl prep.
They can break up Spring practice and schedule it around spring break. There is a little built-in break with that.
He said with the calendar changing a lot they will always modify and look to make changes to what's best for the schedule.
Looking back on the ball game he is proud of the players how they battled through that and coming from 23 down. He said they don't always get into moral victories but where they were at halftime and how they came back he was proud of them.
He said the players have a lot of pride in playing with great effort no matter what the score is.
He talked about Daniel's performance in the bowl game early on was pressing but he regrouped after making a couple bad throws and had good past protection. He said they had to throw the ball because the run game wasn't there.
He said people will remember the season different ways. He said he will remember games like Arkansas and West Virginia because those are games they battled back.
He said it looked like Arkansas would just be able to run out the clock and when the game. Then they ran the reverse and Grant had the big hit that caused a fumble. He said right there on that play you could feel the momentum changing.
He said there is good momentum heading into the next season with continuity with coaching staff and a lot of returning players. He said things are a night and day difference from a year ago because players have been through this and they can help out with the newcomers and everybody is bought in.
He used getting the practices for the bowl game as an example James Livingston hurt his leg early in the year but was cleared to practice for the bowl. So since they got those practices he was able to come back and get 14 practices in.
Leipold said with the transfer portal they did not lose a lot of players.
He said in this day and age you have to find a way to keep your players in your program with the transfer portal and he said one of the keys is interacting with them all the time so you get to know them and they won't leave.
He talked about Jason Bean after the last play in the bowl game a lot of guys would have packed their bags and got out. But he said Bean didn't do that and did not want to end his college career that way and came back to the program.
Gildersleeve has been working with the players for a couple weeks although the coaching staff was able to see them today for the first time. They said 19 guys hit their PR in miles per hour yesterday. He said they are way ahead of where they were a year ago.
Gildersleeve said he was asked by someone how they plan to sustain the culture and he told this person they don't plan to sustain it they plan to build on it.
He said they can't be complacent and he doesn't sense that anyone is in the program.
He said something that I have never heard before. He said the 40-yard dash came a long time ago from the NFL when a special teams coordinator came up with it because the normal punt was around 40 yards so he wanted to see how fast his guys could get down there. That's where the 40-yard dash came from
On their timing when they clocked miles per hour Jason Bean was the fastest.
Gildersleeve said they started a new leadership curriculum this season. It is all voluntary and they had 51 guys come at one of their recent meetings. He said they want to have a player-led program which isn't always easy to do.
Leipold said they are taking a look at how to change some of the rules or the recruiting calendar just because of the time that it is taking now to recruit. It has put a different strain on coaches and things are sped up and now you are seeing high school players commit faster and quicker because spots aren't open later.
Leipold talked about they did a Junior Day in December and two more in January. The recruiting is always moving.
He said they are at 113 players on the roster is the number he put out there going into the spring.
He said the only time recruiting pauses anymore is the month of August when they are getting ready for fall camp and the high school players are also starting their High School practice.
They signed a punter and kicker to create competition within the special teams.
Leipold was asked how they know what they're going to recruit and he mentioned Ianello and Grant Murray and the rest of the department have all of it laid out on a grid on a board with their current situation and then what they need to go fill the roster with.
When looking at the signing class he said there are a couple people you can look and think they're going to be captains at some point. He didn't mention the name specifically.
Logan Brown had a connection to him because Matt Gildersleeve was close with the high school strength and conditioning coordinator from Brown's high school.
Less than a month away and spring football starts up.
They moved practice up in some of that is retention of what they learned last fall and during the bowl prep.
They can break up Spring practice and schedule it around spring break. There is a little built-in break with that.
He said with the calendar changing a lot they will always modify and look to make changes to what's best for the schedule.
Looking back on the ball game he is proud of the players how they battled through that and coming from 23 down. He said they don't always get into moral victories but where they were at halftime and how they came back he was proud of them.
He said the players have a lot of pride in playing with great effort no matter what the score is.
He talked about Daniel's performance in the bowl game early on was pressing but he regrouped after making a couple bad throws and had good past protection. He said they had to throw the ball because the run game wasn't there.
He said people will remember the season different ways. He said he will remember games like Arkansas and West Virginia because those are games they battled back.
He said it looked like Arkansas would just be able to run out the clock and when the game. Then they ran the reverse and Grant had the big hit that caused a fumble. He said right there on that play you could feel the momentum changing.
He said there is good momentum heading into the next season with continuity with coaching staff and a lot of returning players. He said things are a night and day difference from a year ago because players have been through this and they can help out with the newcomers and everybody is bought in.
He used getting the practices for the bowl game as an example James Livingston hurt his leg early in the year but was cleared to practice for the bowl. So since they got those practices he was able to come back and get 14 practices in.
Leipold said with the transfer portal they did not lose a lot of players.
He said in this day and age you have to find a way to keep your players in your program with the transfer portal and he said one of the keys is interacting with them all the time so you get to know them and they won't leave.
He talked about Jason Bean after the last play in the bowl game a lot of guys would have packed their bags and got out. But he said Bean didn't do that and did not want to end his college career that way and came back to the program.
Gildersleeve has been working with the players for a couple weeks although the coaching staff was able to see them today for the first time. They said 19 guys hit their PR in miles per hour yesterday. He said they are way ahead of where they were a year ago.
Gildersleeve said he was asked by someone how they plan to sustain the culture and he told this person they don't plan to sustain it they plan to build on it.
He said they can't be complacent and he doesn't sense that anyone is in the program.
He said something that I have never heard before. He said the 40-yard dash came a long time ago from the NFL when a special teams coordinator came up with it because the normal punt was around 40 yards so he wanted to see how fast his guys could get down there. That's where the 40-yard dash came from
On their timing when they clocked miles per hour Jason Bean was the fastest.
Gildersleeve said they started a new leadership curriculum this season. It is all voluntary and they had 51 guys come at one of their recent meetings. He said they want to have a player-led program which isn't always easy to do.
Leipold said they are taking a look at how to change some of the rules or the recruiting calendar just because of the time that it is taking now to recruit. It has put a different strain on coaches and things are sped up and now you are seeing high school players commit faster and quicker because spots aren't open later.
Leipold talked about they did a Junior Day in December and two more in January. The recruiting is always moving.
He said they are at 113 players on the roster is the number he put out there going into the spring.
He said the only time recruiting pauses anymore is the month of August when they are getting ready for fall camp and the high school players are also starting their High School practice.
They signed a punter and kicker to create competition within the special teams.
Leipold was asked how they know what they're going to recruit and he mentioned Ianello and Grant Murray and the rest of the department have all of it laid out on a grid on a board with their current situation and then what they need to go fill the roster with.
When looking at the signing class he said there are a couple people you can look and think they're going to be captains at some point. He didn't mention the name specifically.
Logan Brown had a connection to him because Matt Gildersleeve was close with the high school strength and conditioning coordinator from Brown's high school.
