Stoops talks Barion Brown, Brock Vandagriff, tablets on SEC Teleconference

Today was the first SEC Coaches Teleconference of the season and even though it’s 2024, four years after the pandemic, the conversation has only now moved to Zoom. Mark Stoops came in loud and clear during his turn on the call, fielding questions from reporters on his staff, his offense, and the new technology the team will be able to use in games this season.

After a long talking season, we’ve already heard most of what Stoops said in some form or fashion before. It was nice to once again hear him praise Barion Brown‘s maturity and Brock Vandagriff‘s leadership. On the heels of Southern Miss coach Will Hade saying Brown is the best player he’s ever coached against, including Tyreek Hill, that gets me excited for year three of the speedy wide receiver/returner.

Check out the complete transcript below.

Opening Statement

MARK STOOPS: I have not listened to the previous coaches, but I can imagine each and every one of them talked about the excitement that we all feel. I know we certainly do here about getting Game One going. It feels like a very long offseason. Really appreciate the hard work that our coaches have done and our players. I think we had a really good summer. Guys worked very hard.

Camps has, I felt like, gone very well. We need all the practice reps we can get. I feel like we continue to push as I evaluate and look at what we’re doing in the summer and our capacity to handle more. It was certainly a year where we needed more reps, certainly on the offensive side of the ball, with a new offensive coordinator again this year, and new quarterbacks. So we needed the reps.

I think it’s also important during game week for the new players and new coaches to get used to the game week routine and the rhythm at which we operate around here. Each year feels new because there are so many new people and there’s a lot to go through and make sure we’re very diligent and detailed in in what our routine and rhythms are around here during game week.

Obviously, looking forward to playing at home, a night game against Southern Miss and a team that very much, a lot of unknowns, with many newcomers, certainly on the offensive side of the ball, new coordinators. There’s been a lot to look at, but it’s been nice to have extra time to put quite a bit of film study in and be prepared for a lot of different things. And we’re excited to get rolling.

On Chase Heuke’s role as Director of Recruiting/General Manager

MARK STOOPS: Chase is a guy who can wear a lot of hats and has done an awful lot of different jobs for me during his time here. He’s a guy that’s grown up through our system and grown up very fast, so he does a great job with me, helping with roster management and on the player evaluations and all that stuff.

I’m fortunate to have Eddie Gran with me as well. That really is a direct special assistant, or whatever you want to call him. I work with Eddie quite a bit on everything from raising money to NIL to again, managing the roster, and all those things. So I have some good people around me in and we certainly need it. And yes, we do, as head coaches, have to prioritize because your time gets limited with all the different hats you have to wear.

On Barion Brown’s development

MARK STOOPS: I think Barion would be the first one to tell you that he’s worked really hard and just maturing and growing and that’s just a natural progression for players. I think everybody has such high expectations for him, as do we, because he’s so talented but he is just going into his third year.

He was a true sophomore a year ago, and you just see that normal maturation process in what he’s doing and I appreciate the consistency that he’s had because he’s definitely maturing and growing and getting bigger, stronger, physically and mentally, more consistent. And so very excited about Barion and what he’s capable of.

On the new in-game communications with headsets and tablets

MARK STOOPS: With us, we had the opportunity — we were one of the teams that experimented with the tablets in the bowl game a year ago. I felt like that was a relatively easy transition. We felt like it was helpful. I communicated with the SEC head coaches in the offseason on that. It is a different system, and we did spend quite a bit of time on that, just making sure everybody was comfortable. And during our scrimmages and during certain practices where we actually went to our position on the bench and went through the tablets, went through the series, and made sure everybody was comfortable with it. So I think that’s important.

Obviously, the headset communication, we’ve been doing that every day in practice, from the spring through all fall camp and through scrimmages. So we’ve tried to head off as many problems as we can and get comfortable with how we’re dealing with that communication, and then with the two-minute warning, that’s just another variable that we have to take into consideration. I think it’ll just depend on the situation there.

On the chemistry between Brock Vandagriff and his wide receivers, tight ends, and running backs

MARK STOOPS: I think it’s been very good, very smooth. Anybody who talks to you about Brock will tell you that he’s a great human being. His father’s a high school coach, and he grew up in that. He just wants to work hard. He’s in the facility all the time, and he works at it. Great young man and great personality. He’s very easy to get along with, but yet has the comfort level to demand things from the receivers and take over from the leadership role in the summer and organize throwing sessions and 7-on-7s and things of that nature. So I feel like it’s been good, and we’ll continue to keep growing in that area as the season goes on.