There are eight players here who were interviewed in large groups. I'm including full unedited transcripts from all eight of them, so you can pick and choose. The eight players are — in order — OL ANTHONIE KNAPP, S XAVIER WATTS, LB JACK KISER, QB RILEY LEONARD, WR JORDAN FAISON, TE MITCHELL EVANS, DL HOWARD CROSS III, AND RB JEREMIYAH LOVE
ANTHONIE KNAPP
Q. How long ago was it that you were 220 pounds?
ANTHONIE KNAPP: Oh, man. I tell stories that I was a little bit heavier than I actually was. My sophomore year, I was about 215. And it wasn't until my offseason, when I started receiving some college attention, I finally reached was 220. So I would say three or four years ago. I wasn't too far behind.
Q. At one point, you were playing some tight end, right, in high school?
ANTHONIE KNAPP: Yeah. I played everywhere, but offensive line. I was quick, but not quick enough for the positions I was playing. I was just a lanky, long, skinny kid. Yeah, so I was playing D tackle, D end, middle linebacker, whatever, you name it. Anything but O-line. They said, hey, O-line is your spot. I hated it at first. I thought I don't want to be an offensive linemen. I want to go make plays. And I realized, you can make plays as an offensive linemen. I stuck with it, listened to my coach, and loved it. Took it on from there.
Q. What year did you finally move over to offensive line?
ANTHONIE KNAPP: Sophomore year. That was my first start.
Q. Were you a tackle or guard?
ANTHONIE KNAPP: I was tackle. I was tackle the whole way through. We were low on depth in high school, and we needed someone to fill it in, and I happened to be that guy.
Q. At that time, when you first moved over to tackle you were about 235?
ANTHONIE KNAPP: I was 215. I played my sophomore year at 215. My junior year was probably about 245, and my senior year got up to 275.
Q. I was reading somewhere that I think your coaches were saying that you put on the weight, but it wasn't necessarily good weight.
ANTHONIE KNAPP: Yeah.
Q. Talk me through that, what you had to do.
ANTHONIE KNAPP: After my junior year, that's when I started getting my recognition, and I was able to commit to a school. I was committed to Notre Dame at that time. I was putting on weight as much as I can and lifting as much as I can. I was lifting a lot of heavy weight and messing up my joints, not
eating right. Looking at the number on the scale basically. That's all I cared about.
I went into my first game. It was a scrimmage game against one of our rival schools, and I just
didn't -- I couldn't move. I couldn't move the way I wanted to. I told coach, my knees were hurting. I'm
too heavy for this. I remember calling Coach [Joe] Rudolph about this. Coach Rudolph said, just play at the weight that's best for your team. All right. I lost 5, 10ish pounds and I was able to play, move and be quick, which I know that's my strength.
Q. When did you first get hooked up with Coach [Joe] Rudolph? When did you first hear from him? Was he at Virginia Tech at the time?
ANTHONIE KNAPP: Yes, it was actually my sophomore year. I only had one offer by UMass at that time. I went to a camp at Virginia Tech. It was like a mega camp that a couple of my teammates got
invited to. We all went. We all drove down. We did this one-on-one drill, and that's when I was able to show myself a little bit in this mega camp. I juts kept going every single rep, and then Coach Rudolph, we exchanged contact information after. And then as soon as the recruiting period, where he was allowed to talk to me hit, and we went off from there. Offered me at Virginia Tech, and then moved to Notre Dame, and the rest is history.
Q. You were already committed to Notre Dame before that?
ANTHONIE KNAPP: I wasn't committed at all. I committed the spring of my junior year.
Q. Gotcha. So what's it like growing up in Georgia's backyard, I guess? Did you ever hear from them or anything like that?
ANTHONIE KNAPP: Yeah. I mean, yeah. It's kind of funny because Coach [Marcus] Freeman was like it's personal this week. I'm, like, it's always personal, Coach.
So my offensive line coach, Coach Vincent Vance, who I have been training for five or six years now, actually played at UGA and was coached by Coach [Stacy] Searels. So we had many connections
there.
But I remember Coach Searels walking in the office, my head coach's office at Roswell High School, and we were kind of talking and all this and whatnot. They never just bit on me. That was always my dream school growing is up. So I just kind of, like, a little chip on my shoulder. I don't know if it was a size issue or whatnot, but excited to play them now.
Q. I bet! So when you start getting caught, and you commit to Notre Dame, did Georgia at that point check in or was it like --
ANTHONIE KNAPP: Yeah, I remember they invited me to a camp.
I don't really want to go to a camp. Notre Dame was my school. I love Notre Dame. As soon as I committed, that was my 100% school. I didn't want to go anywhere else.
Yeah, I wasn't about to go out for a camp for a non-guaranteed offer. I wouldn't switch it. I don't believe in committing and then uncommitting, doing schools like that. I don't think that's the right thing to do.
Q. I live right down the road from you in Auburn.
ANTHONIE KNAPP: Oh, really?
Q. I know how big Georgia is in that area. So what was it like just among your teammates and friends. You are going to Notre Dame? And meanwhile, you have Georgia and Tech and Auburn just down the road all surrounding you, so to speak.
ANTHONIE KNAPP: Well, they supported me. The offensive line program is notoriously pretty famous around here. So I saw an opportunity. I thought I could take it. I wanted to be coached by the best. I want to be around the best. They all supported me, really. They didn't bat at an eye at it. They understood.
Is it far? Is it cold? My dad is from Pennsylvania. My mom is from the Netherlands. So we are used to that cold weather. I was ready for it.
Q. You said Vincent Vance is who you train with still?
ANTHONIE KNAPP: Yes, picked me up my freshman year, and we've trained ever since.
END KNAP/NEXT XAVIER WATTS
ANTHONIE KNAPP
Q. How long ago was it that you were 220 pounds?
ANTHONIE KNAPP: Oh, man. I tell stories that I was a little bit heavier than I actually was. My sophomore year, I was about 215. And it wasn't until my offseason, when I started receiving some college attention, I finally reached was 220. So I would say three or four years ago. I wasn't too far behind.
Q. At one point, you were playing some tight end, right, in high school?
ANTHONIE KNAPP: Yeah. I played everywhere, but offensive line. I was quick, but not quick enough for the positions I was playing. I was just a lanky, long, skinny kid. Yeah, so I was playing D tackle, D end, middle linebacker, whatever, you name it. Anything but O-line. They said, hey, O-line is your spot. I hated it at first. I thought I don't want to be an offensive linemen. I want to go make plays. And I realized, you can make plays as an offensive linemen. I stuck with it, listened to my coach, and loved it. Took it on from there.
Q. What year did you finally move over to offensive line?
ANTHONIE KNAPP: Sophomore year. That was my first start.
Q. Were you a tackle or guard?
ANTHONIE KNAPP: I was tackle. I was tackle the whole way through. We were low on depth in high school, and we needed someone to fill it in, and I happened to be that guy.
Q. At that time, when you first moved over to tackle you were about 235?
ANTHONIE KNAPP: I was 215. I played my sophomore year at 215. My junior year was probably about 245, and my senior year got up to 275.
Q. I was reading somewhere that I think your coaches were saying that you put on the weight, but it wasn't necessarily good weight.
ANTHONIE KNAPP: Yeah.
Q. Talk me through that, what you had to do.
ANTHONIE KNAPP: After my junior year, that's when I started getting my recognition, and I was able to commit to a school. I was committed to Notre Dame at that time. I was putting on weight as much as I can and lifting as much as I can. I was lifting a lot of heavy weight and messing up my joints, not
eating right. Looking at the number on the scale basically. That's all I cared about.
I went into my first game. It was a scrimmage game against one of our rival schools, and I just
didn't -- I couldn't move. I couldn't move the way I wanted to. I told coach, my knees were hurting. I'm
too heavy for this. I remember calling Coach [Joe] Rudolph about this. Coach Rudolph said, just play at the weight that's best for your team. All right. I lost 5, 10ish pounds and I was able to play, move and be quick, which I know that's my strength.
Q. When did you first get hooked up with Coach [Joe] Rudolph? When did you first hear from him? Was he at Virginia Tech at the time?
ANTHONIE KNAPP: Yes, it was actually my sophomore year. I only had one offer by UMass at that time. I went to a camp at Virginia Tech. It was like a mega camp that a couple of my teammates got
invited to. We all went. We all drove down. We did this one-on-one drill, and that's when I was able to show myself a little bit in this mega camp. I juts kept going every single rep, and then Coach Rudolph, we exchanged contact information after. And then as soon as the recruiting period, where he was allowed to talk to me hit, and we went off from there. Offered me at Virginia Tech, and then moved to Notre Dame, and the rest is history.
Q. You were already committed to Notre Dame before that?
ANTHONIE KNAPP: I wasn't committed at all. I committed the spring of my junior year.
Q. Gotcha. So what's it like growing up in Georgia's backyard, I guess? Did you ever hear from them or anything like that?
ANTHONIE KNAPP: Yeah. I mean, yeah. It's kind of funny because Coach [Marcus] Freeman was like it's personal this week. I'm, like, it's always personal, Coach.
So my offensive line coach, Coach Vincent Vance, who I have been training for five or six years now, actually played at UGA and was coached by Coach [Stacy] Searels. So we had many connections
there.
But I remember Coach Searels walking in the office, my head coach's office at Roswell High School, and we were kind of talking and all this and whatnot. They never just bit on me. That was always my dream school growing is up. So I just kind of, like, a little chip on my shoulder. I don't know if it was a size issue or whatnot, but excited to play them now.
Q. I bet! So when you start getting caught, and you commit to Notre Dame, did Georgia at that point check in or was it like --
ANTHONIE KNAPP: Yeah, I remember they invited me to a camp.
I don't really want to go to a camp. Notre Dame was my school. I love Notre Dame. As soon as I committed, that was my 100% school. I didn't want to go anywhere else.
Yeah, I wasn't about to go out for a camp for a non-guaranteed offer. I wouldn't switch it. I don't believe in committing and then uncommitting, doing schools like that. I don't think that's the right thing to do.
Q. I live right down the road from you in Auburn.
ANTHONIE KNAPP: Oh, really?
Q. I know how big Georgia is in that area. So what was it like just among your teammates and friends. You are going to Notre Dame? And meanwhile, you have Georgia and Tech and Auburn just down the road all surrounding you, so to speak.
ANTHONIE KNAPP: Well, they supported me. The offensive line program is notoriously pretty famous around here. So I saw an opportunity. I thought I could take it. I wanted to be coached by the best. I want to be around the best. They all supported me, really. They didn't bat at an eye at it. They understood.
Is it far? Is it cold? My dad is from Pennsylvania. My mom is from the Netherlands. So we are used to that cold weather. I was ready for it.
Q. You said Vincent Vance is who you train with still?
ANTHONIE KNAPP: Yes, picked me up my freshman year, and we've trained ever since.
END KNAP/NEXT XAVIER WATTS
