Beyond the Barracks with The Citadel Football Head Coach Maurice Drayton - 9.28.2026

Now that you're four games into it, how is everybody holding up health-wise? Obviously, everybody saw Nick took a pretty good hit in the game Saturday.

What's kind of the update on how everybody is and what kind of shape you're in getting ready for a really tough South Carolina State team?

Yes, well, the good thing is our head athletic trainer is here, and he'll be on the fourth segment with us, Caleb Spencer.

So I don't want to steal any of his thunder, but we have the best sports medicine staff in the business.

I tell you, these guys are, bar none, some of the best to do it.

And so I'm just thankful to have him with us.

But all in all, we're a healthy team for being in week five of a season.

And you come off this Chattanooga game, so you've got two conference games and obviously the two non-conference games.

It's a funny thing in football.

You just never know what to expect from anything.

I always look at a schedule ahead of the season.

Okay, there's a chance to get one here, a chance to get one.

But you can't really do that and really ever know how it's going to play out because every season, every game, every week is different.

Well, you know, to your point, I will say this.

We used to be able to do that.

Now that we're in this new era where the rosters from top to bottom are changing so vastly, you really don't know what your opponents have until you get into the season and you get going.

So let's talk about these are two now, and we'll have Raleigh on in a little bit too, but these are two really good defensive performances back-to-back.

Obviously, as much as it was a couple of difficult losses now back-to-back, you've got a lot of things to hang your hat on to be happy about too.

Now you've just got to go fix some of the other things.

But just some thoughts generally on how the defense has played, and you've really gotten it from all of them too.

Yeah, defense is playing at a high level and the brain trust behind that, Coach Raleigh Jackson, he'll talk more about it, but I think one of the things that helps us out is the way we prepare.

The preparation that goes into getting ready for a defensive game plan, the way that Coach Jackson commands the room, the way that his staff demands excellence out of their players, and they're just relentless in all aspects and everything that we do.

You'll hear me talk a lot about non football things because if you do the right things in your personal life, it will filter over into your football life.

And Coach Jackson and his crew is on top of that.

You guys have really more or less run the ball somewhat effectively.

Now that you're four games into it, how is everybody holding up health-wise? Obviously, everybody saw Nick took a pretty good hit in the game Saturday.

What's kind of the update on how everybody is and what kind of shape you're in getting ready for a really tough South Carolina State team?

Yes, well, the good thing is our head athletic trainer is here, and he'll be on the fourth segment with us, Caleb Spencer.

So I don't want to steal any of his thunder, but we have the best sports medicine staff in the business.

I tell you, these guys are, bar none, some of the best to do it.

And so I'm just thankful to have him with us.

But all in all, we're a healthy team for being in week five of a season.

And you come off this Chattanooga game, so you've got two conference games and obviously the two non-conference games.

It's a funny thing in football.

You just never know what to expect from anything.

I always look at a schedule ahead of the season.

Okay, there's a chance to get one here, a chance to get one.

But you can't really do that and really ever know how it's going to play out because every season, every game, every week is different.

Well, you know, to your point, I will say this.

We used to be able to do that.

Now that we're in this new era where the rosters from top to bottom are changing so vastly, you really don't know what your opponents have until you get into the season and you get going.

So let's talk about these are two now, and we'll have Raleigh on in a little bit too, but these are two really good defensive performances back-to-back.

Obviously, as much as it was a couple of difficult losses now back-to-back, you've got a lot of things to hang your hat on to be happy about too.

Now you've just got to go fix some of the other things.

But just some thoughts generally on how the defense has played, and you've really gotten it from all of them too.

Yeah, defense is playing at a high level and the brain trust behind that, Coach Raleigh Jackson, he'll talk more about it, but I think one of the things that helps us out is the way we prepare.

The preparation that goes into getting ready for a defensive game plan, the way that Coach Jackson commands the room, the way that his staff demands excellence out of their players, and they're just relentless in all aspects and everything that we do.

You'll hear me talk a lot about non football things because if you do the right things in your personal life, it will filter over into your football life.

And Coach Jackson and his crew is on top of that.

You guys have really more or less run the ball somewhat effectively.