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ARIZONA STATE UNIVERSITY FOOTBALL MEDIA CONFERENCE

February 3, 2016

Todd Graham

Tempe, Arizona

TODD GRAHAM: Bring you our recruiting class. I want to start off and thank a real special friend of our program that without him we couldn't do what we do in recruiting, my good friend from Midland, Texas, Bill Kent. Bill allows us to -- transports us around and allows us to use his airplane and I can't tell you the commitment that he makes, and it's a big one. Without him, we could not have done the things that we did in this class. So I want to give a special thanks for Bill Kent, one of my great friends and for what he does for our program.

I want to thank our staff. Our coaching staff did a tremendous job, obviously putting this class together. One of the things that's been really a positive is we were able to put this class together early, and spent a large majority of this month getting ahead for 2017.

I think that's going to really pay off in the future and obviously, you know, with losing a coach to a head coaching job, losing guys to promotions and things like that, it's tough, you know. Even though you want that for your coaches, you want them to be able to reach their goals and aspirations, it's a great reflection on our program, but it does not help in recruiting. It makes it difficult. Especially in the last days.

I want to thank my staff, the guys that came in here. They did a great job, in particular, Chip and Keith in leadership roles, doing a great job with this staff and really holding together a great recruiting class. I want to thank them.

I want to thank all the academic people. Jean Boyd and his team just do a tremendous job working on the weekends, our recruiting staff does a tremendous job in really accommodating our recruits, our players. I think our players are probably our best recruiters, and they do such a tremendous job of really being honest and letting people know, you know, what our program is all about and I want to thank them for their help.

Barrett, The Honors College, they have been so awesome to us. I want to thank them for the time that they spend. We're obviously trying to attract the best and the brightest and we were able toad that and without their help we couldn't have done it. Along with our administration that does a great job of helping us out.

Lastly, I want to thank the parents of all the recruits. I really enjoy recruiting. I really get into going into family's homes and getting to meet all their families and it's just a really neat thing for me. I've had some really interesting, just, inspiring home visits. Had a pretty need one in New Jersey, and Louisiana, all over, meeting great people. I want to wish the kids that went elsewhere the very, very best. I really mean that.

I walk around here and I rub a little -- it's a little silver cross all the time in my pocket and a couple of our new coaches saying, Coach, what is that, is that a good luck charm? And I said, no, it just reminds me that sometimes I really want kids to come here, but my prayer is that they end up where they're supposed to. So I want to wish them the best as well.

And then to the high school coaches and the junior college coaches that really, man, meet us, seven days a week and accommodate our coaches and we're just so thankful for them and, you know, in what they do for young people and the information obviously a lot of research goes in academically and character-wise to all, especially here and what we're about and the Sun Devil brotherhood and the standards we have they do a tremendous job, I appreciate the coaches.

I want to give a special thanks to Patrick Suddes. Patrick has done just a tremendous job. I think he told me I called him 22 times in one day. He's our recruiting coordinator. He and I are going to have a break here for a couple of days, probably much needed. But he's done a tremendous job of not only leading and developing and helping our coaching staff, but when he does with his recruiting staff and the job that he's done in this time, it's been a challenge. And he's done a tremendous job and we would not have kept this class together without him. So really wanted to have a special thanks for Patrick and the job that he does.

I want to start off and go through the PowerPoint of our players and give you an idea of what we were looking for. When we started this thing, obviously some points of emphasis for us and I'll start on the offensive side of the football, obviously we needed to sign some offensive linemen, in particular, you know, we want to make sure we had a couple of guys that could excel at the center position as well as -- we like recruiting offensive tackles that can play both guard and tackle, so signing four in this class we felt like we really met our needs there.

Obviously we only have three quarterbacks on scholarship and we wanted to sign a great quarterback in this class, and we were able to do that. Then explosiveness, man, we wanted explosive players especially at the wide receiver position and that's something we feel like we met our needs as well. Then one of the things that we wanted to improve and to get bigger and more explosive, more powerful at the tight end position, and so we signed a great one there. And obviously, you know, we felt like we needed some -- a little bit of -- we recruit big running backs then we have our inside zone runners, and we felt like we needed to add a guy that could be an "every down" back, and we did that offensively, and I think we signed ten guys offensively. That was other focus and our needs that we had and in particular I think Coach Thomsen does a great job, and I'm really pleased with what we did with our offensive line recruiting.

Then defensively, you know, defensively the biggest need that we had, obviously most people are going to be point out is the secondary but really it's our number one need was finding players that can impact the quarterback. And in that way, we can, you know, be able to rush 4 and 5 and have guys that can beat blocks and make plays so that was the number one emphasis and graduating five guys in the back end.

We needed to recruit and bring on some experience there, and, man, I think we really did some great things there defensively when you look at what Coach Patterson and his group were able to put together in the back end as well as guys that can impact the quarterback. I'll start going through them and obviously from a special teams standpoint we got a lot of people back on the defensive line and special teams. We've got a really stellar lineup coming back there, but, you know, we've seen -- and we have researched in the league with what Utah has done with an Australian-style punter.

So we searched and I wanted an Aussie punter. So we got Old Sleepy coming in here, a guy that I think is going to give us another dimension, but we feel strong with where we are from a special teams standpoint.

Starting off on defense, the defensive backwise, one of the things in particular, when we are recruiting we are looking for the best and the brightest with the best character that best fit us, guys with character and discipline and guys that are tough. Obviously we want them to be -- have great explosive power and speed, but it's really, really nice when they come from right here in this valley. To be able to sign two of the top-three players in the state, three of the top-six players in the state, I would like to sign all of 'em.

But we are pleased that we were able to sign Chase Lucas. Chase will play defensive back for us, a guy that can play corner or safety, number three prospect in the state, ranked as the No. 10 athlete on the west coast, in the west. Obviously you can see his pedigree was an All-American. I think Patrick has added fun facts down there. He likes photo shoots and loves life. So we tried to liven it up this year a little bit. Chase is a guy that -- I love his spirit, they call him the CEO of the New Devils Order, and I love his spirit and enthusiasm and a guy that loves his community. I think that says a lot about guys that could go anywhere that choose to say here. That's something they will reap the benefits of.

Mo Chandler, the number two ranked junior college corner in the country, at one time I think he was number one. Mo is a guy from Lawton, Oklahoma. We have roots there and know his family and he comes from a great family and a guy that you look at his size, the size and speed that we added there at the corner position as well as a guy that's a veteran player and ready to come in and play. An All-American junior college corner and a guy that we think is going to be very impactful for us, already on campus.

Next on the other side, his partner here, you can see the same height, length, these guys got great length. He was the number three ranked junior college here in the country and also had All-American honors, and am I saying this right, his fun fact is his nickname is Ice Cream Petey? I wanted to make sure I get that right. Great family from Texas. I loved meeting his mother. Got a great mom. Just a great spirit about this kid. He had a lot of great options to go and play and he's a guy on campus and ready to go and ready to compete. Really liked the size and length of those three defensive backs. Great speed in that group.

Robbie Robinson, you look up there, 5 kickoff returns for touchdowns. A guy that's going to be impactful, I think, in special teams, a Barrett, The Honors College guy, 4.0 student and you talk about smart and is it disciplined and tough this guy embodies it. Led his team to a championship, I think they were ranked fifth or something like this in the country, comes from DeMatha Catholic, one of the best schools over there in Virginia and a young man that has great physicality about him.

Obviously you see the length and the size of the other three guys, he is -- Robbie is a guy that's got great strength and power for his size and a guy that will be a very physical corner for us and so we feel like those defensive backs are going to be guys that are a big need for us and possess great speed and explosiveness. Defensive line-wise, we were looking for guys that could impact the quarterback. This young man, you can see down at the bottom, his fun fact, he almost dislocated my shoulder when I shook hands with him and I was upset about it because I haven't -- the coaches knew that he shook hands like that and I wasn't prepared. So I felt like we could have been a little bit more prepared for that.

But this young man I am really excited about! You look there and see he's a young man that serves his country, he's in the Air Force, as a matter of fact I think he's on duty right now and, man, I mean, you talk about embodies what we're about, this guy is, you know, integrity, character, toughness, physicality, you can see 6-6, 265. He's a guy that will probably be a 280-pound guy the number two junior college defensive end in the country and a guy that can flat impact the quarterback and just excited about him, giving him an opportunity. I think he's 23 years old and a guy that, man, I couldn't be more excited about and like I told him today on the phone, really grateful to have, you know, we've had guys here in the past that have been a part of our armed forces, and I'm really honored to have him on our football team. He's going to do great things, Christian Hill.

Linebacker, impactful guys, we feel like Christian is a guy -- you see great length and a guy that can impact the quarterback, Doug Subtyl. Doug is a guy, what a great story. Originally from Haiti, international student, young man that has overcome incredible obstacles to be where he's at. Number one college, weak side defensive end or pass rusher, he is known as the best pass rusher in the country and obviously had great opportunities elsewhere.

He had, I think, 22 tackles for loss there you see and 50 total tackles, 22 tackles for loss and 18 total sacks so I think he led the junior colleges in the country in sacks. He loves pizza and has lots of siblings. That's one of his fun facts. But this young man you're going to love getting to know, what a great spirit, what a great story and, man, just -- got really close to Doug and a really short period of time and going to be a special player for us.

So obviously impacting the quarterback, that's two pretty special guys there, this guy, Koron Crump, if you watch him on film, a guy that jumps out at you, could play three different positions for us, spur, devil, and inside linebacker. This guy is an explosive blitzer. You can look at the sacks and TFLs and see that.

A guy that was one of the top defensive ends, sixth in the country, something like that, but this guy when you watch film is extremely versatile. We really like these hybrid-type guys in our system and, again, young man already on campus and will be here in spring ball. Koron is going to have a great impact for us, as far as a guy that can really be versatile and play a lot of positions and impact the quarterback and he loves Drake! (Chuckles.)

STUDENT-ATHLETE: He's a rapper, Coach.

TODD GRAHAM: I know that, I listen to Drake! I know who Drake is. That's defensively, taking you through the defense. Our emphasis was guys that can impact the quarterback and obviously helping the back end out.

Wide receiver. I can't tell you how excited I am about this young man, I can't tell you how much I've worried about this young man, over the time. I mean, this guy is special. To be able to sign the number one player in the state and the number one wide receiver in the country is pretty special.

6-4, 200 pounds, got size, speed, explosive BS, physicality, a guy that can, we think, be very impactful, get on the field pretty quick and just, I love his spirit. His grandmother is absolutely special!

Man, it was all about ASU, it was all about wanting to be a Sun Devil, it wasn't about never -- I called him all the time, as a matter of fact, Coach Lindsey and I were going, you okay? You okay? I think he got tired of us asking if he was okay, because he never even thought about it because, man, he wants to be a Sun Devil and, again, I think that commitment -- this guy is pretty smart, too. You look and see -- a guy of this caliber could have went anywhere in the country, he wants to be part of our program. And I think it speaks volumes about our program and what we have to offer and how he feels about this community. So man, great things ahead for N'Keal. We wanted a difference maker, obviously the wide receiver position and we wanted speed and size and explosiveness and that's exactly what we got and you guys probably remember his top-10 deal on ESPN. He's good at shattering basketball goals. That's his fun fact.

Kyle Williams, when I think of Kyle, speed, 59 touchdowns in his career, this guy can get it. He was ranked the 14th best wide receiver so the west coast, very underrated guy, I love his character, I love his tenacity, how he approaches everything, a guy that embodies our values as a program, from Vista Murrieta High School, Kyle is going to do great things; and, again, we wanted guys with speed that can stretch the field and he's a guy that is a playmaker and you can see his stats and what he was able to do. He was the Ping Pong champion and he runs track, too, pretty fast track guy!

Okay, Jeremy Smith, a guy from Texas that, you know, I've had a lot of success and we've got a lot of respect for track athletes and guys, you know, some of the best players that I've ever recruited were track athletes, in particular, hurdlers, and so Jeremy is a guy that we've really identified that is a three-sport player. A guy that was on the state championship track team there at his high school, got great size, he played out of position, he was a quarterback in high school, very difficult to project those things. This guy a diamond in the rough, a guy that is going to do great things for us, I think. Great young man, you can see he can dunk and his track and field team was state champions, a fun fact about him.

Obviously the receiver position we felt like we needed to go get speed and explosiveness, and that's what we were looking for.

Quarterback, real excited, obviously this spring is going to be exciting with the talent and the character of the guys that we have in house and then to bring a young man that has this kind of skill. I know you say, well, Coach, you're just saying that. When we went and sat down and evaluated quarterbacks, this guy was my number one pick and that's all over the country. This was the guy that I thought would possess the skills that we were looking for. Tremendous discipline in his footwork. A guy that has rushed for 21 touchdowns, 7,000-yard passer and if you look at the efficiency and the few interceptions he's thrown it's phenomenal, you start watching his film highlight and throwing the ball down the field and you watch N'keal and those guys running down the field, it gets you pretty excited.

But Dillon Sterling-Cole is one of the guys we are really, really excited about and obviously one of the highest ranked quarterbacks in the country and he was our highest ranked guy and a guy that has an opportunity to do great things here and he's joining a great group of quarterbacks and what I like as well is this guy can really throw the football, but he can also really extend plays with his legs. So he's a guy that we're looking forward to seeing him jump in here in the summer and get in this competition.

An All-American, played in the All-American game and he is a cousin of Kyle Middlebrooks, so he has a Sun Devil connection there, and running back, we wanted a back, young man, speed is what we're looking for, 10-500-meter guy, two-sport player, also will play baseball here for our baseball team. So two guys that we've got that are playing on the baseball team and also playing football.

You know, Tre Turner was a great back in high school, top-25 back in the nation. You can see his stats and the things that he has up there, you know, are not even indicative of what this guy's potential is. He's a guy that we think is going to join a very, very talented running back correspond and a guy that process the speed and the break-away speed that we're looking for at the running back position. You can see he also plays on the baseball team, fun fact, he wants to study medicine, he's an expert at New Orleans Cajun cuisine, I hope he can make some char boiled oysters, I like them from Drago's down there in New Orleans. As a matter of fact that was one of my favorite things about recruiting as I visit New Orleans every year. If you haven't been to Drago's, go there.

Tight end, I am excited about big Jared Bubak, the number two player in the state of Nebraska. He's already enrolled early in school. This guy embodies what we're about: Character, discipline, physicality, toughness, smart, I mean, this guy -- I'm so impressed and to be able to go in and get this caliber of player out of Nebraska we were really excited about that. A guy that obviously played in the All-American game and he is a master of Guitar Hero. Isn't that a video game or something? Is that right? Good. I knew that! I didn't know they still have that. I hadn't seen that in a while. Offensive line, but Jared, what we're excited about with the tight end position is we want a guy that can put his hand in the ground and have some physicality and be able to work end line tight end. And Jared is a great athlete. Can be a great receiver for us as well, and I like his size and the last couple of years that we're adding size to that position and we want to be able to utilize those tight ends. So I'm real excited about him. I couldn't -- he's a guy in the class that I really am looking forward to seeing what he does.

On the offensive line, obviously we want to continue to add size. We needed to have depth because, you know, we graduated quite a few guys, four starters there and obviously we've got a talented group that's returning, but Marshal Nathe, I think he was the sixth-ranked player in the state and the number one ranked guard. Marshal is a guy that took him every bit of three seconds when we offered him a scholarship to accept, I like that. I like guys that want to be a part of what we're doing here and a guy that came in mid-semester. He's already here working out and great family, parents, both fire fighters, and just tremendous young man, and one of the things I like about him is you look down there and you see what his team did. This guy came from a team that won a state championship, and he's used to winning state championships, and a guy that embodies all of the things that we are about and brings great size and a guy that will develop quickly for us.

A.J. McCollum, the number one junior college center in the country. It's scary how much he reminds me of Nick Kelly. But he remind me of Nick and a guy that really enjoys the game of football. Loves to play it with great physicality, and a guy that we think is going to be very impactful for us up front and we wanted to get a couple of guys there, obviously losing our center. We wanted to make sure that we created some competition there and some depth and A.J. is a guy that we think is going to be very impactful for us and a guy that I think our fans are going to love watch play. He loves the physicality in football and a guy that I'm really excited about. Then he has a pet rabbit named Chestnut.

Tyson Rising, the ninth ranked offensive tackle in JUCO in the country. A guy that, again, you look at his size, length, physicality, can play tackle and guard and a guy that, we think, obviously when you sign a guy from junior college coming in here on the offensive line we expect them to come in and be impactful for us, very physical, tough guy. I really like this group of offensive linemen because when you're in the room with them, all these guys are tough guys, blue collar, just hard-nosed, tough guys and obviously they got great size and athleticism so real excited. And he's Greek. That's his fun fact.

Cohl Cabral, you can see and when he describe these guys they're all the same, but he was highly recruited, 6'5", deep snapper, broke his hand, snapped it with one hand and it was an interesting thing to watch if you watched it on film. He's a heck of an athlete, obviously had All-American honors, played in the All-American game he's a guy that one of the most developed offensive linemen that I've seen coming out of high school and a guy that I think can compete early for us and that's hard to the on the offensive line. So really excited about Cohl Cabral.

Last but not least, Michael Sleep-Dalton, we call him "Sleepy." Last year looking around the conference and around the country, just being able to have that advantage of being able to have a rugby-style kicker to complement Matt we thought would be big for us, a guy that has three years of eligibility, great story. I think he's 22 or 23 years old, guy that has saved money from Australia and saved money to be able to come to the states and go to school and have a chance to earn a scholarship to punt and has a great story. He thinks I have a funny accent, but I think he does! He was number one junior college punter in the country and a guy that can kick with both feet. He can roll to the right and kick with his right foot, roll to the left and kick with his left foot. A tremendous athlete. So we're looking forward to some things we can do with Sleepy.

With that I will take questions.

Q. Todd, you touched on this in your introduction, but in light of the coaching turnover you kept all your commitments that you had but then also maybe -- do you think you missed out on a couple guys late?
TODD GRAHAM: This is the third year in a row, ESPN, we have had a top-25 recruiting class in the country. You know, I'm just being honest, it's not -- it doesn't help you to lose coaches, even though it's a positive, guy getting a head coaching job, guys getting coordinator jobs. So that's great, you want that for your coaches. But it doesn't help, especially the timing of it and you can't do much about the timing of it.

But, you know, with that, I think it speaks volumes about where our program it is, the respect our program has and being able to hang on to these guys. I think we could have easily had a top-15 class if you don't have that, but that's just part of it.

You want that for your coaches. Both of our coordinators want to be head football coaches; and man, I think that's part of my job is to help them and if you're successful they're going to get an opportunity. So, you know, we think that's a positive for our coaches and we want to help them, but it sure doesn't help recruiting very much.

But I think it's a great testimony of our players, the stability, and the foundation that we've laid here. Because it was a challenge.

Q. What about losing all the guys that you did have?
TODD GRAHAM: That's what I'm saying, and the other thing, too, I'll be real honest with you, because of our graduation numbers, we didn't have as large of a number to work with, we didn't have a full class to sign.

So we put the class together early, having 8 early enrollees, if you're going to have turnover that's probably a pretty good plan, which I didn't plan that, but I act like I did.

But that was a deal. We put it together early and we would have liked to have added some guys and we were battling, we were in quite a few battles around and, but, that didn't help any. But I think it also speaks volumes of the character of the young men we are recruiting and how they feel about ASU, none of them, they told us the whole time they never wavered so that was a big positive for us is keeping that class together.

Q. Todd, we get questions from fans about Sterling-Cole, is he going to be in the mix for quarterback this up coming season?
TODD GRAHAM: Obviously we've got three guys that are going to compete this spring and he will be the fourth one added in and will have an opportunity.

Q. Coach, how would you rank this class compared to other classes you've had in your time here?
TODD GRAHAM: I don't know. I mean, I think -- I can tell that you our coaching staff, we feel like we met our needs. We feel like that, you know -- but, every year you always think this is -- each one is the best, especially when you need your needs -- meet your needs. I can tell you we want the best student athletes that best embody our values and what we're about. Guys that -- we're coming off our four best years academically in school history, obviously we lost five games this year, we vowed to quit talking about that, but it's kinda hard for me, but we have had success.

We've been to five straight bowl games, done some pretty positive things so on the field and off the field we have done some good things and to be able to put back-to-back-to-back recruiting classes together that are competitive, and being in the top 25 is competitive, and you always want to be better. The key to recruiting is not what your ranking is, the key is getting the right guys that fit what you're about and I love how our players get involved in that. They get involved and they know how important it is to make sure we get the right guys that fit who we are and fit into the brotherhood and the Sun Devil way.

As a coaching staff we felt like that this, no doubt, we met our needs that we had. Would we have liked to added a few people? You always wish you could add a few people but at the end of the day, man, you want to end up with the once you're supposed to have and we feel really good about this class.

Q. Four years into this local recruiting Chase, N'Keal, Chandler, Marshal, can you give us a big-picture perspective on where you think you're at in that regard?
TODD GRAHAM: I think we've shown great progress, anytime you can land the number one player and two of the top three players, three of the top six, obviously I would like to land all six and we're working our tail off to do that. But, you know, I think that obviously where we've come in four as far as at the end of the day it involves program. Where is your program? How is your program viewed? What do people -- you reap you sew. So I think we're making great progress there.

Q. Todd, if you could go back on Christian Hill, how raw of a prospect is he? He seems like he's untapped potential, on film and --
TODD GRAHAM: Obviously he's got a lot to learn but a guy that is one of the strongest -- he is so physically powerful and strong, he is really strong. Extremely raw, but a guy that has a huge, huge upside. He's going to get better every single day and obviously he's got some development to do but, man, he's full-grown man and he's strong, he's powerful.

Q. Todd, can you talk a little more about what you've done with the changes on your coaching staff to replace the people who left?
TODD GRAHAM: Well, we've hired Coach Lindsey to be our offensive coordinator, Kodi Burns to coach our running backs and obviously we have a defensive line opening and we hired TJ Rushing to coach the defensive backs. We lost good people and I'm very confident that we have hired great people. I have no doubt in my mind that we've, you know, not taken a step back at all, as a matter of fact I feel like we've taken a step forward.

Q. Todd, in light of both the coaching turnover and all these junior college mid-year additions, what's your sentiment going into spring football? It's a different type of a year?
TODD GRAHAM: Yeah, well I'm excited. Anytime you have -- we graduate four of our five up front on the offensive line, but we have a lot of talent. We have a lot of talented young guys, and I'm excited to see them compete. I'm excited to see three really talented quarterbacks competing this spring, I'm excited to see the talent that we have in the defensive backfield come in and compete.

So it's, you know, it's just part of it. You're going to graduate players. You're going to have that and, but, I do feel good about what we did in this class as far as meeting our needs and where our talent level it. I think we finished on ESPN fourth in the league and top-25 in recruiting and you gotta stay there, you gotta keep recruiting in that upper echelon to keep, you know, the talent level where you want it.

So I feel good about that. I'm excited! I'm excited about this spring and excited about our coaching staff and I know our players are excited to get rolling on March 14th.

Q. How much do you think it helped having Bryce Perkins here for getting the other Chandler kids and just sort of the momentum from one class to the next as far as in-state guys go?
TODD GRAHAM: I think, you know, the key to anything that you do, with a team, is relationship. So do those relationships help? Of course they do. Especially someone like Bryce. Bryce is a tremendous leader, well respected with our players and a guy that -- he was another one of those guys that didn't take long to figure out he wanted to be at Arizona State. So relationship is the key to everything for us, it's the first thing they hear when they walk in the door so I think Bryce's relationships, of course, had an impact there.

Q. Todd, if you were to talk about the development of the stadium and dirt being turned and how that helped you in recruiting to give them the vision of the program moving forward?
TODD GRAHAM: Obviously I'm ready to get it finished. It will help even more but this is a transformational time in our program. I mean, I sat there the other day, Ray and I looking out the window in his office going, wow! One, we're going to play a game there first week in September, which is pretty amazing, but just what's happening right now, when you look at the support that we have in our program right now, you look at where we're at, it's just an unprecedented time and really not only that, in a larger scale the university and what's happened to this university under Dr. Crow's leadership and what's happening with Ray and athletics and in particular with football. It's a game changer for us. This new venue that's going to be out here is going to be a game-changer for us. Not only there that, we're going to have a new student athletic football complex in the north end zone that is going to be -- put us in a -- give us an advantage that is very, very valuable and shows commitment, shows where our program -- it's a visual for players to see the commitment we have here to be the best.

So that's something that's helped, it has helped, it's going to help even more when it's done because it's going to be extremely impressive.

Q. Do you walk players through that?
TODD GRAHAM: We can't take them out there in that construction.

Q. You show them?
TODD GRAHAM: We show them the plans and we're not talking about something that might get done or on the planning stages it's going to be done. We will move in in the next year or two to our complex and then, you know, we'll obviously have 75% of our stadium will be finished before next fall and the entire stadium before 2017.

So, you know, just think from programmatically around the country, how many programs and especially as a coaching staff to be here at this place at this time with the leadership that we have in place and the transformational time that's happening with the facility and with the program. It's not just about the facilities, it's also about what we're doing academically, what we're doing as student-athletes and in developing this program, what we are doing in all aspects of our programs and it's a transformational time in our university's history and it gives us -- it's going to be a game-changer for us obviously. When we bring those facilities on they're going to help us tremendously.

Q. Coach, did you say that Christian Hill was currently serving right now?
TODD GRAHAM: Patrick, how do I -- I don't know -- how do I word that? Christian Hill? Yes, he's serving? He's finishing up his duties. He's finishing up his duties, his military obligation. Yeah, he works out, I didn't know how to answer that.

Q. Where would you (Away from mic.)?
TODD GRAHAM: Wow, boy, I eat a lot of 'em. Ate four dozen charbroiled oysters at Drago's in New Orleans, which is pretty good. Kinda hard for me to --

Q. Home cooked!
TODD GRAHAM: Home cooked. Let me see, let me answer this question, I'm trying to think of where the best meal was. (Chuckles.) I don't know. Cohl Cabral was probably the best, homemade enchiladas that were pretty good. I didn't talk a lot so I ate a whole bunch.

Q. So are you done with these 18 players? Do you think there will be anybody else? Anyone else down the road?
TODD GRAHAM: We're never finished! Last year we added a couple of guys that were fairly impactful late. You know, like I say, we are looking for the best and the brightest with the best character that fit our program and we feel good about this group here and we feel like we met our needs today so we'll see what happens moving forward. All right. Thanks, guys.

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