Brian Kelly was made available to the media to talk about the 2024 class.
- Had one signee today, Dominick McKinley, the No. 1 player in the state of Louisiana. Says adding him to this class "really tops it off for us."
- They are going to be intentional with the portal. Want to build this program with their freshman classes. Said it was no mistake that they signed so many Louisiana natives in the portal.
- Said they were looking for experience in the portal, especially on the defensive end. They got that in Jardin Gilbert and Jyaire Brown.
- Thinks they still have needs at the defensive tackle position. They're "vetting" the options at the position.
- Said they had huge needs last year, so they had to dip into the transfer portal to fill the roster, but feels that's not sustainable. Would much rather build through high school recruits that you have a relationship with. The "business plan all along" has been to build a base in Louisiana and develop the high school player. Doesn't mean you don't use the portal, you just need to be strategic with it.
- Said the coaching change at A&M started the opportunity for them to flip McKinley. Says when the other school is going through a coaching transition, it allowed them more time to build relationships with McKinley and his family.
- Only three players they signed weren't from border states. Says those border states are the ones they targeted. Says "they'll go anywhere for a quarterback or a difference maker," but their base recruiting is going to be in the border states.
- Loves the young players they have on the defensive line - highlights the freshman class. Says they're going to be in a really good situation, but feels they're going to need to get more depth there. Says they're still recruiting and says they still have the spring portal.
- Thinks locking down the state of Louisiana is important. Says each of their coaches need to lock down an area of LA and then find ways to connect with border states. Thinks it's a commitment to getting out there and working hard, and thinks his staff did a great job of that.
- Says the new coaches have been well received in the recruiting world because they've been so successful in their careers on the field and recruiting.
- They're considering moving some guys around on the defensive line. Says they don't want to name names yet, but they're going to have some movement at the position. Also says they will test some offensive lineman out of the D-line.
- Talked about how important it was to get recruits from LA, but he said it was intentional that he brought some coaches in from LA. Says it wasn't mandatory for their new coaches that they have experience recruiting in LA, but it certainly helped their resume.
- Has a lot of confidence in the younger players, but says there's nothing like having someone who's experienced. Jardin Gilbert is "a smart, committed player who has experience."
- Thinks the CFB calendar needs to change. With the portal opening while the season's going on among other issues, he thinks something needs to change. Says they have a meeting coming up on the 15th where it'll be discussed.
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