Up next in 10
#TCU press conference with OL Ben Taylor-Whitfield, DL Ansel Din-Mbuh and Coach Sonny Dykes
Aug 27, 2026
#GoFrogs #ForTheWorthy
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0:00
Then it's, you know, third year with
0:02
TCU. You get a new offensive
0:03
coordinator. How how does it feel new?
0:09
>> Yeah, I definitely think it's uh new.
0:12
Been under a different, you know, type
0:15
of scheme for the last three years. Now,
0:17
this year, being here for, um, I like
0:19
what he brings. I like what he does. Um,
0:22
just the way he is, the standard that he
0:23
sets for the team and the offense
0:25
specifically. um just the way he does
0:27
things and uh just the scheme itself I
0:29
think is going to be really effective
0:31
you know going into this year and then
0:32
um just it's not many it's not something
0:35
that many teams seen before so
0:37
especially in the college college
0:39
football realm.
0:41
>> Yeah. Anfield um you guys have obviously
0:45
I mean I know it's quite warm in Texas.
0:47
Uh this probably is a little bit
0:48
different what you're expecting. I
0:50
promise it's been nice all summer on the
0:53
wrong day. Um, but how are you kind of
0:55
preparing to play in these conditions?
0:57
It's supposed to rain on that game today
0:59
as well.
1:00
>> Well, you know, rain, sleep, snow, sun,
1:02
whatever it is. You know, we got a job
1:04
to go out there and do. And, you know,
1:06
regardless of what it looks like
1:07
outside, inside, that job's got to go
1:09
and be done. And so, you know, being out
1:11
there a little bit right now and just,
1:13
you know, since we've been here, it's
1:14
been nice to get accumulated to the
1:15
weather cuz it is very different. It's
1:17
like literally half as many degrees here
1:19
as it is in Texas, you know. But it's
1:21
definitely also nice. You know, we've
1:22
been practicing a lot in the heat and so
1:24
to come here where it's cold, you know,
1:26
you feel a little bit fresh when you
1:27
play. And you know, the weather with the
1:29
rain, you know, you can't really change
1:31
that, but it makes the game more fun.
1:33
>> Did it kind of wake you up once you got
1:35
off the plane and getting hit with it?
1:37
>> Yeah. I'm not going to lie. I was like,
1:38
"Wow, it's actually really cold." And it
1:39
was raining, so I'm like, "Okay, a
1:42
little bit different."
1:44
You know, coach was talking about how
1:45
for these for the players, coach was
1:47
talking about how well that, you know,
1:49
how well he thought the fall camp went.
1:52
Now that you're in game week, is there a
1:55
different mindset? Is there like what's
1:58
kind of the vibe right now with you guys
2:00
as you're actually preparing for an
2:01
opponent?
2:02
>> One thing I would definitely say is it
2:04
feels really good to be able to, you
2:05
know, hit somebody that's not my
2:07
teammate. And so, um, the the vibe is
2:10
really it's really great. you know,
2:11
we're all excited to go and play
2:13
somebody else and to to show what we've
2:15
been working on all fall camp, you know,
2:17
versus somebody else. And I feel like
2:19
right now we have high energy, you know,
2:20
we got a lot of juice. We're excited to
2:22
go play and we're just very blessed to
2:24
be here. And so that's just the way
2:26
we're approaching it and practicing
2:28
every opportunity we get.
2:30
>> Yeah. Yeah, I think for me um just I
2:33
think fall camp was just kind of like
2:35
fine-tuning and sharpening that sword
2:36
versus now it's just kind of getting the
2:38
nooks and crannies out of it, you know,
2:40
as we're preparing, you know, for uh
2:42
UNCC. But yeah, I think fall camp was
2:44
great. I second coach on what he said.
2:47
You know, it's been a a grueling fall
2:49
camp, you know, just physically with uh
2:51
the the practice and mainly just the
2:53
heat. It's been extremely hot in Texas.
2:55
Um but yeah, just us getting accustomed
2:58
to that and like being able to push
3:00
through that. And I think we've started
3:02
to get a lot more um mentally and
3:04
physically tough, you know, that's one
3:06
thing he's mentioned a lot just
3:07
throughout camp and then now us being
3:09
able to come into this way like Hansel
3:11
said. It kind of, you know, allows us to
3:13
be able to take a step like away from
3:15
just the heat and get in get in some
3:17
different, you know, conditions and
3:18
being able to still focus in that. Um
3:21
yeah, I'm definitely grateful for it.
3:23
And um yeah, I think just as we're now
3:25
preparing for this team, I don't think
3:26
it's definitely I don't think it's a
3:27
switch that we're doing, but I think
3:29
it's just now us being more intentional
3:31
with preparing for UNCC versus just
3:34
going out practicing every day just
3:35
banging against each other.
3:38
>> Um you guys have obviously talked about
3:40
already like the different climates like
3:42
how different is it to play in like
3:44
Ireland compared to the US? Cuz I can
3:46
imagine that some of you guys, some of
3:47
your teams may have never even been in
3:49
Europe or anything like that. So, we're
3:51
kind of at the challenges we're
3:52
reviewing with what's different.
3:59
>> Honestly, I don't think it's that much
4:01
of a difference. I think I think what we
4:04
just kind of mentioned just the climate
4:06
like it's not hot here. I guess maybe
4:08
just on this these last next couple days
4:10
or just mainly today, it's not hot. So,
4:12
when it just comes to the climate, I
4:14
mean, it's like 110.
4:16
>> Yeah. in Texas 110° versus what is like
4:19
58 already 50 what is it somewhere
4:22
around there
4:22
>> like 60
4:23
>> 60 yeah so I mean it's not I think just
4:25
the climate itself is different so that
4:27
allows us to be able to you know like I
4:29
said get out of the heat a little bit
4:31
and but I think the conditions of you
4:33
know the field and everything like that
4:35
is nothing different for us I mean we're
4:36
still going to get the work done we're
4:38
still going to go out there and produce
4:39
like we usually do so it's nothing
4:40
different for us
4:42
>> oh I I think you know definitely with
4:44
the rain you know it might change
4:46
schematics a little bit, you know, maybe
4:48
throwing the ball a little bit less,
4:49
which to me, you know, I'm not mad about
4:50
that. They can run the ball game. We
4:52
could do that, you know, but uh
4:55
definitely for us, shoot, you know,
4:56
coach talked about it before we left. He
4:58
told us, you know, we've known for a
5:00
while now how the conditions were going
5:01
to be our year. But like I was saying,
5:03
like we're just so excited and just
5:05
happy to be here that shoot, we just
5:07
playing ball. You know, it's the same
5:08
game we've always played. So rain, sle,
5:11
snow, whatever it is, like grass, turf,
5:13
like we just ready to go play.
5:18
>> Uh I suppose a lot of players like never
5:21
get to play, you know, in a different
5:22
country, you know, let alone come all
5:24
the way to Ireland. What was the general
5:26
feeling around, you know, the team when
5:28
you found out and then kind of in the
5:30
weeks leading up to kind of landing
5:31
here? Well, we found out I think like
5:34
January of maybe LA like it was late
5:38
last year we had found out. And so we've
5:40
been waiting for a while now, but the
5:42
fact that we're actually here now is
5:43
like very, you know, surreal, you know,
5:46
coming off the plane and just seeing
5:48
people drive on the left side and stuff
5:50
like that. It's just like it's cool, you
5:53
know, cuz you know, back home it's a
5:55
little bit different. And so it's always
5:56
awesome to just get in a new environment
5:58
and, you know, see how other people live
6:00
their lives, their daily routines. And
6:02
so it's it's been a lot of fun, you
6:04
know, since we've been here so far and
6:05
we haven't even really done anything. So
6:10
>> yeah. Um I think I just kind of second
6:13
what he said. I mean I think the biggest
6:15
thing when I got off uh when we really
6:16
just got on the bus and on the road, it
6:18
was like the steering wheel was on the
6:20
right side of the bus and then we're
6:22
driving on the left side of the road. I
6:24
think that was just like a big
6:26
difference for just what I'm used to.
6:28
Um, and which is crazy, I was thinking
6:29
about this is like that's their normal.
6:31
Like that's y'all's normal out here. So
6:33
when y'all go to the US, it's like we
6:35
drive on the right side of the road with
6:37
the steering wheel on the left. What are
6:38
they doing?
6:38
>> So it's just a it's just a big
6:40
difference. Um, but
6:42
>> I think
6:44
I don't even remember exactly how the
6:46
excitement was. Like I can't really
6:47
pinpoint last year when we found out,
6:49
but I think it was definitely like some,
6:51
oh, we're going to play in Ireland.
6:52
That's kind of that's kind of cool. Um,
6:55
but now like kind of what Ezel said,
6:57
just now as being here is definitely a
6:59
little bit more, you know, we definitely
7:00
feel a little bit more excited like now
7:02
that we're here. And I think even the
7:04
plane experience that was amazing as I
7:06
would say just for the guys in person.
7:09
>> Yeah.
7:11
>> But that plane, that plane was nice. Um,
7:14
but just now it's being in this
7:16
situation, actually being here and
7:18
seeing what it's like to be out here and
7:20
experiencing the culture a little bit
7:21
like um, and that we'll be able to do
7:23
that more over the next couple days. But
7:25
yeah, we're definitely grateful and we
7:27
really appreciate the opportunity for
7:29
you guys and allowing us to be out here.
7:31
So, we're grateful.
7:32
>> Some of the UNCC guys were saying they
7:34
got, you know, maybe 5 hours sleep on
7:36
the way over you had a longer flight.
7:38
Kind of how how have you how did you
7:40
deal with falling asleep on flights? you
7:42
know, some things are difficulties with
7:44
that.
7:44
>> Um, you know, our nutrition staff and
7:46
our strength staff, you know, they're
7:48
amazing. They do a great job, uh, taking
7:50
care of us as long as well as our
7:51
medical staff. And so things like, you
7:53
know, um, melatonin and just like sleep
7:55
wipes and just making sure you're
7:57
comfortable and at least able to rest
7:58
your body, you know, cuz of course it's
8:00
hard to sleep, you know, on a plane, 9
8:02
hour flight, but just being able to get
8:04
as much rest as you can. So then when we
8:05
get here, we're able to adjust to the
8:07
time switch cuz I think it's like 6
8:09
hours. I had texted somebody from back
8:11
home and I'm like, "Wait, they're
8:13
definitely not awake right now." And so
8:14
it's like just the time switch
8:16
definitely a little bit and just getting
8:17
adjusted to, you know, the schedule here
8:20
and how things roll here. And I think
8:21
it's also a cool experience. You know,
8:23
it challenges you to to have discipline
8:25
and kind of do things a little bit
8:27
differently and helps you grow. So,
8:29
>> and then I'm sure you guys don't lead
8:32
any differently, but being voted as
8:34
captains,
8:35
>> what does that mean to you guys that
8:36
your team thinks that so much of you
8:40
guys?
8:41
>> Yeah. Um, that was one thing I actually
8:45
I thought about maybe a week or two
8:47
before. I just kind of had this feeling
8:49
that, you know, it'll be coming up soon
8:50
and then when coaches mentioned it in
8:52
the team meeting, it was like, whoa.
8:54
Like, I wasn't even s thinking about it.
8:57
Like for me it's I don't I don't want to
8:59
I don't want it just to be a name for
9:01
me. I want to lead in a different type
9:02
of way. Um like it's like of course it's
9:05
great to be captain and stuff. Like you
9:07
hear you know so many different guys get
9:09
it and they you know take it as I was
9:11
just I get to walk out and go to coin
9:13
tosses and all these different things.
9:15
Um versus me it's like I want to be able
9:17
to lead my guys in a way of like serving
9:19
them as well, you know, by my actions,
9:21
the way I you know do things on and off
9:23
the field and that kind of way. And it's
9:25
um you know I was sitting there the day
9:28
coach D talk thought about it and I was
9:30
actually praying. I was like God is if
9:31
this is something you want me to do then
9:32
you know open the door for it and not
9:33
then whoever's picked you know I'll
9:35
follow them and then you know the next
9:37
day I find out they actually selected me
9:39
to be the captain. So just trying to
9:41
figure out how he wants me to step into
9:43
this and do it his way you know. So I
9:45
think it's just a different you know
9:46
it's a different challenge and a healthy
9:48
burden I would say for me.
9:50
>> Thanks guys. We got to move on to coach
9:52
now.
9:53
>> Thank you guys.
9:55
action.
9:55
>> Good job, fellas. Appreciate y'all.
9:57
>> Okay. Yeah. So, thanks, buddy.
10:05
>> Question. Coach says,
10:07
>> thank you.
10:08
>> Thank you.
10:10
>> Cool. I mean, how are you? Welcome to
10:12
Ireland. Obviously, you've been here a
10:14
few hours at this stage. Um, how do you
10:16
think, well, you yourself are
10:18
climatizing and how do you think the
10:19
team kind of looked? Yeah, you know, um
10:23
you know, when you have a a long flight
10:24
like we did and you've got a lot of
10:27
potential distractions, I was really
10:28
proud of our guys. Thought we had, you
10:30
know, tremendous focus today and and uh
10:32
you could tell that they're excited to
10:33
play and and you know, understand it's
10:36
going to be a big challenge and I
10:38
thought they did a really good job just
10:40
kind of not uh not paying attention to
10:41
all the potential distractions because I
10:43
mean, look, this is a different
10:44
experience. Most of our guys have never
10:46
done anything like this. I've never done
10:47
anything like this really. Um and so it
10:50
is um it's different and you know you
10:53
don't want to change your mindset, lose
10:55
your focus, let things, you know, kind
10:57
of take you out of um you know what what
11:00
you need to pay attention to and I
11:01
thought our guys handled it really well.
11:02
>> Speaking of handling it now that you got
11:04
to get on the field after the playing
11:07
staying up like what do you think about
11:09
you know the walk through?
11:10
>> Yeah, it was good. Like I said I thought
11:11
it was really good. I thought our guys
11:12
were dialed in. I thought we executed
11:14
really well. Um, you could tell they
11:16
were in a really good place mentally and
11:18
you know the schedule makes sense for us
11:19
to have a walk through today and then do
11:21
our typical fast Friday where we run
11:23
through tomorrow and you know I don't
11:25
think that would have been necessarily a
11:27
great thing for us to do today. Just you
11:29
know it needed to be more of a mental
11:30
day than a physical day just coming off
11:31
of that um that trip and you know wanted
11:34
to make sure the guys are hydrated and
11:36
and have good nutrition and all the
11:38
stuff tomorrow before we uh you know try
11:40
to go a little bit of game speed stuff
11:42
tomorrow. So I thought they handled it
11:43
really well. I thought it was a good
11:44
day.
11:47
>> Coach, I was wondering what do this is
11:49
the fifth year we've had of this game,
11:51
you know, consecutively. You've you
11:53
probably talked to other coaches about
11:54
it. What's the general feeling around
11:56
college football and other coaches?
11:58
>> Yeah. Yeah. I think I you know, I think
12:00
the everybody that's come that I've
12:02
spoken to had a really positive
12:03
experience. You know, it felt like it
12:05
was um a first class event. U it's it's
12:09
a fantastic facility. Um, you know, I
12:12
know that the the game is well attended
12:14
and supported. So, you know, I I think
12:17
from a from that standpoint, it's it's
12:19
been, you know, everybody's really
12:21
appreciated, you know, the opportunity
12:22
to come do it and think it's been a, you
12:25
know, something good for the program.
12:26
And so, um, you know, we're the only
12:29
game on television that day. So, it's a
12:32
lot of people are going to watch it.
12:33
It's a great opportunity for our program
12:36
to, you know, to make a statement and
12:38
our players to make a statement and and,
12:40
you know, it's going to be a really
12:41
challenging football game. And so, um,
12:45
you know, I'm
12:47
I think it's been a first class event so
12:49
far.
12:50
>> Today, when you walk down to the, you
12:52
know, outside, inside the stadium, the
12:54
tunnel, kind of what's going on in your
12:56
head? Are you thinking about the game?
12:58
You just
12:58
>> Yeah. Yeah. Just Yeah. I just kind of
12:59
want to see what the general atmosphere
13:01
is and what what the stadium's like and
13:02
it's it's a beautiful stadium. You know,
13:05
looked at the grass a little bit. Think
13:06
it's going to be a really good grass
13:07
surface. Um looks like they've done a
13:09
really nice job with the with the
13:10
surface and you know, it looks like it's
13:13
probably going to be wet conditions, but
13:14
you can't control that. You just got to
13:15
go play football and uh looks like the
13:17
surface is going to be, you know, is
13:19
going to stand up and and um you know,
13:21
and be a good surface for both teams. So
13:24
that's really what I was doing more than
13:25
anything else, you know, and you know
13:27
how it is. you think about all the
13:28
different scenarios. Okay, if we're in
13:29
overtime, you know, there's there's a
13:33
lot of fans in in this end zone and not
13:35
many in that end zone, you just kind of
13:36
start going through those scenarios so
13:38
that if you get in that situation and
13:40
you lose the toss in overtime, you got
13:42
to decide which field, you know, which
13:44
side of the field you're going to play
13:45
on. You want to choose the right side,
13:46
just all the different things. So, you
13:48
know, kind of a checklist that you go
13:49
through, a mental checklist when you go
13:51
into a stadium, where's the 25se
13:53
secondond clocks, you know, all the
13:54
different things and and um you know, so
13:57
anyway, that's kind of what what you do.
13:59
>> Coach, would you be remiss if you didn't
14:00
ask? Obviously, there's been a bit of a
14:02
distraction on the team recently. Is
14:04
there anything you want to share about
14:06
that? How you feel your team?
14:08
>> Yeah. Yeah. I mean, look, I think I
14:09
think every team faces challenges
14:11
sometimes and um you know, it's an
14:14
unfortunate thing that happened, but
14:15
like anything else, I mean, our guys are
14:17
resilient. They move on and and move on
14:19
quickly. And um and it was interesting
14:22
just because I do think again this team
14:24
is unusually tight. You know, the guys
14:27
get along more than or better than they
14:31
normally do. I mean, it's just it's a
14:32
good team. The guys, like I said, are
14:33
unselfish. They love each other, care
14:35
about each other. So, it wasn't anything
14:37
that we expected. As I said, I think it
14:38
was something that was certainly out of
14:40
character for the team and and the young
14:42
man that was involved, but you know,
14:45
look, you got 11 and0 football players.
14:48
I mean, things happen sometimes and you
14:49
got to find ways to move through them
14:51
and and these young kids are resilient.
14:53
You know, they they move on quickly and
14:54
and learn from mistakes and, you know,
14:56
it's like anything else when something
14:58
bad happens, it becomes a teaching
14:59
moment. And so we were able to to teach
15:01
our players and and uh I think the guys
15:04
are better off from having gone through
15:05
it.
15:06
>> Thank you.
15:08
>> How do you use uh you know trips like
15:10
this to kind of teach players about, you
15:13
know, more about the world rather than
15:15
just football. So obviously it's a
15:16
business trip, but
15:17
>> Yeah. Yeah, for sure. Yeah. I mean,
15:18
look, focus is winning the game, but at
15:20
the same time, you do want your your
15:22
players to have an experience, and it's
15:24
it's going to be something that they
15:25
never forget. Um and so you got to find
15:27
a way to blend both. And then there's I
15:29
think a way to do it. Um and and the
15:32
good thing is uh the organ organizers of
15:35
the game, you know, make sure that the
15:38
players do have a little bit of an
15:39
experience and I think that's important
15:41
and um and so they're going to get that,
15:44
but you know, both teams are going to be
15:46
focused on, you know, going out and
15:47
playing well.
15:50
>> When it comes to game planning for
15:52
another team with their offensive
15:53
coordinator obviously wasn't there last
15:54
year, what do you resort to the most? Do
15:56
you look at what that offense has
15:57
learned throughout the past?
15:58
>> Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. You know, the good
16:00
thing about about coach Patrino is just
16:02
he's got a significant body of work, you
16:03
know, and the thing that he does well in
16:05
my opinion is, you know, adapts to his
16:09
to um adapts what he does offensively to
16:12
his players and and uh you know,
16:15
features certain guys. Um and he does he
16:18
does a really good job of doing that and
16:19
building the offense around the players,
16:22
not trying to make the players fit the
16:24
offense. And um you know, to me that's
16:26
what great football coaches do. Uh
16:28
they're adaptable and he certainly is
16:30
that way. Um so I expect him to be much
16:33
improved offensively. You know, it's
16:36
there's going to be some, you know,
16:38
players that obviously we've scouted
16:40
that we've taken a look at that have
16:41
been at other schools, but you know, how
16:43
are they going to fit into this scheme
16:44
and what is he going to feature and all
16:46
those things? There are a lot of
16:47
unknowns. I was going to ask how much do
16:49
you balance like watching the game from
16:50
last year versus just
16:52
>> Yeah, I mean, you know, obviously
16:53
defensively you can watch watch it
16:55
defensively now that they changed as the
16:57
season progressed and adapted and and
17:00
you know, we're a much different defense
17:02
late in the season than they were early
17:04
in the season. You know, had some
17:05
differences in scheme, but more than
17:07
anything else, just uh the way that they
17:10
executed what they were doing, I would
17:12
expect they would make a big jump in
17:13
year two.
17:15
>> Anything else, coach?
17:17
for you guys specifically on the
17:19
offensive side of the ball. A couple new
17:20
exciting pieces with Jaden and then
17:22
obviously Gordon coming in. How how have
17:24
you kind of seen them progress
17:25
throughout camp? Where are they?
17:27
>> Yeah, you know, it's funny. I mean, I
17:29
think
17:31
um it has been fun to watch it, you
17:33
know, kind of come together. Um
17:36
you know, I thought I thought we did a
17:38
good job in the spring. You know, you're
17:40
able to to spend so much more time with
17:41
your players now in the offseason and
17:43
working on football things than you
17:44
could in the past. And so I felt like we
17:47
were kind of ahead of the game a little
17:48
bit in the spring because of that. Um we
17:51
came out of spring, I felt pretty good
17:52
about what we were doing and and then
17:54
over the summer, you know, the guys
17:56
really did a good job working together
17:57
and I thought we made another big jump
17:59
before we started fall camp. And so was
18:02
was excited about where we were, you
18:05
know, coming into camp. Now, obviously,
18:07
you know, we have a lot of unknowns with
18:09
a new quarterback and a lot of new skill
18:11
position players that are going to play
18:12
for us. And, you know, we've got some
18:14
experienced guys, you know, with Dwire
18:16
uh in pain and some guys that have
18:18
played a lot, but we also have a lot of
18:19
new faces as well. And so, it's um you
18:22
know, we've got to do a good job of of
18:25
getting those guys comfortable and get
18:27
them playing with a lot of confidence.
18:28
That's going to be really important for
18:30
us is is those guys, you know, being
18:33
focused and and being able to go out and
18:34
execute our game plan.
18:37
Daniel,
18:38
>> thank you.
18:39
>> Okay. Thank you, guys.
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