What are some of the biggest things that have stuck out to you with this 2026 group? Is it the quarterback? Is it the defense? The skill guys? What jumps off the page with this group in 2026?

Well, the first thing is 3-0.

And they've won some close ballgames, which last year they did not.

They had a real difficult time winning the close ballgames.

They won five ballgames last year.

They were 5-7.

They went to a bowl game.

What would you say are the weak points that you've noticed so far with this App team?

So what is the state of affairs now entering – I believe this is year three for Major Applewhite –

All right, so let's back it up, and you can cut me off at any time because, as you know, I can talk for a little bit.

All right, so this goes back to Steve Campbell being let go from South Alabama.

Kane Womack came in, and I believe that was the first year of – I think it was the COVID year.

Maybe it was the year after COVID.

And he turned things right around.

He got Jake Bentley, the former quarterback from South Carolina, to come over.

What are some of your – Oh,

Does this make Georgia State a real threat to UCF now that we know Alonzo Barnett is no longer going to play?

Well, I was still looking forward to talking to you about AB3 because I don't know if you know or UCF knows his entire story.

So he won the job at JMU in 2023 for some guy named Kurt Cignetti.

Got stage fright.

Couldn't complete a pass.

So then Jordan McLeod comes in, ends up being the player of the year in the conference.

He ends up transferring to Texas state and AB three sticks around for Bob Chesney struggling again.

How much better is Georgia State this year over last?

Yeah, for

sure.

When I see it's a mismatch, you know, I can't take anything from my Syracuse Orange beating New Hampshire.

All right? That's the way it should have been.

They did cover that, and I made some money on that as well.

But that's what it should look like.

Now they got kale, and it's going to look different because it's kale.

Well, again, we're going to let you get out of here, but I want you to the people in case they want to keep up with what you got going on, tell them how they can follow all the things that you have in your arsenal of coverage of collegiate sports.

Well, he's been there as offensive coordinator, right? Is the current coach?

Yes, yes.

He was there.

They wanted him to take over before, but he didn't.

Ended up at Arkansas State.

He followed the Hugh Freezes of the world.

And let's see, who else did he follow? Some guy named Brian Harsin.

I couldn't, but yeah.

Who cares about all that other stuff? We saw what that turned into with James Franklin and Penn State, that it wasn't good enough.

Well, I would do that when I'm up 30 or 40, but I'm certainly not doing it in the first half against anybody, and I wouldn't do it on a second or third possession.

I got to see what my starters can do, right? They know all the plays that the other side of the ball is having.

We need to go against guys that we don't know exactly what's coming.

So that's an interesting situation.

I hear what you're saying, but I don't think this is your normal – you know, group of five, group of six.

Yeah, let's test the waters.

This team sounds exciting, especially from the offensive side of the football.

Who cares about all that other stuff? We saw what that turned into with James Franklin and Penn State, that it wasn't good enough.

Well, I would do that when I'm up 30 or 40, but I'm certain.

Certainly not doing it in the first half against anybody, and I wouldn't do it on a second or third possession.

I got to see what my starters can do, right? They know all the plays that the other side of the ball is having.

We need to go against guys that we don't know exactly what's coming.

So that's an interesting situation.

I hear what you're saying, but I don't think this is your normal – You know, group of five, group of six.

We'll talk about that next year on this Lockdown CrossFit.

What makes Trent Hendricks so special? And is he the best of the JMU players the Bruins have gotten so far?

Well, he's going to be that quarterback on the defense, right he had over.

He was a Sunbelt player, defensive player of the year.

JMU held opponents to, I think, less than 15 points a game last year, like just under 15 points a game.

And he's that middle linebacker.

He's going to lead the team in tackles, had over 100 tackles.

Not going to get a lot of sacks because that's not what he's going to do from that position, but he did have three, forced a couple of fumbles.

Yes,

Was it, was it exciting for you or was there, uh, was there water coming over the bow for a little while?

In, in ways it was, I will say it was scary because it was, it's uncharted territory.

You know, you're, you're going out and doing something you've never done before and you, don't know what exactly it's going to look like.

You don't have any picture of it in your head where it's like, getting unfortunately bounced between music jobs i know what a music job is i just need a place to do it you just need a gig yeah musicians themselves you're just looking for a gig yeah yeah so that that was new but i kind of fell into it and i kind of took the same attitude that i have because one thing that i did becoming a music teacher when you go through they have a list of basic instruments that you have to learn they want you to learn the basics of And they think those skills are transferable to other instruments.

I decided on my own to take all of them because my thought process was, and one of the things that frustrated me in high school was going to get a clinic from a quote unquote renowned director, but you ask them to do something and they can't do it.

They can't explain it to you.

So I was just like, how can I, as a teacher get up in front of a classroom of students and tell them what to do on their instrument if I can't do it myself.

War games.

Right.

So if the regular season champ has a bad day, their whole two-and-a-half, three-month season is down to two.

Whereas in baseball, you know, they got five teams to the NCAA tournament this year.

So even if Southern Miss was a regular season champ, even if they faltered to the Cajuns in the championship game, they were still going to the NCAA tournament.

And so I think in terms of basketball, I think that's what Texas State is hoping for, you know, that they can ride Gonzaga's coattails, that, you know, if Gonzaga loses in the tournament, they're still going to go, and that gives – you know, other teams more of an opportunity.

It also saves coaches jobs in a big way where it just doesn't come down to one weekend.

That's really tough when it is in Sundell basketball.

yeah