“I am really excited to get them here, but the signing day is also the end of recruiting for 2013, and it really gives us the opportunity to begin working with our football team, which is one of the things I am excited about. The recruiting class is important, but having the opportunity to get on the grass with our football team right now is probably one of the bigger priorities that we have.”

“It is an exciting day. It is great to be out here and get around a lot of the people for the first time and a lot of the fans here of Louisiana Tech and have the opportunity to interact with them. Overall, it is just a very fulfilling day, but also a very rewarding day.”

On recruiting in New Orleans with Jabbar Juluke:

“Coach Juluke has done a phenomenal job down there when you look at it. Carlos Henderson was the signee from down there in the New Orleans area who I think is a dynamic, exciting, wide-open wide receiver that has a chance to come in and be a difference maker in this program in what we are doing as an offense.”

“I think Coach Juluke opened a lot of doors for us down there, but it is not just the ones that we assigned, but you look at the battles in recruiting and who we lost some of the people to, those are the type of people we want to compete with in recruiting. I think he did an excellent job of opening doors and getting us into homes and really continue to expand on the contact that we have down in the New Orleans area.”

“I think he did a great job for his first year recruiting. I think there were some bumps along the way. I think he learned some things like when you get a commitment and somebody else comes in and takes him from you. Jabbar was like, “I am not taking that. I am going back into that home.” I said, “Just slow down.” He is extremely competitive, and I think he is a huge addition to this staff.”

On it being hard to imagine him not having a full year to recruit in New Orleans:

“It is, especially when he just walked in there and was able to get in some of the doors that he was, but I think that is because of the contacts he has because of the respect people have for him and the great job he has done at Karr High School. I think he is a phenomenal person and when you get around him, you can see why he is so special and why people have such a high opinion of him.”

On Paul Turner:

“Paul Turner is a dynamic, exciting, electric player. When you look at what we were talking about with that I-20 corridor and having Paul Turner transfer in from LSU; I think that is a chance for him to come in and really be a special player and come in as an elite athlete along with Xavier Woods as a freshman coming in. But, I think those two from West Monroe High School are two huge additions. I think that is part of, hopefully, the beginning of building a bridge from here to Monroe with some of the great programs that are over in that area.”

On what stood out when watching Trent Taylor:

“Just his play-making ability. You look at Trent Taylor and it is not about his size. It is not about him being 6-3 or that he weighs 240 pounds, but it is his heart, the energy he plays with, the passion and the attitude, which we talked a little bit about, that he plays with. He is a great competitor, and when you watch his highlight film, it is really rather impressive when you look at what that team was able to do with him as one of the leaders. Hopefully, we can continue to make those strides in the college program as well.”

On the importance of the I-10 corridor:

“There is a lot of great football that is played on the I-10 corridor from New Orleans to Baton Rouge, and it is where the largest population mass is. We have said that I-20 and the northern part of the state would be the first spot we really dug our heels in, but then we have got to get into the I-10 corridor with the population mass and the great programs in the Baton Rouge, Lafayette and New Orleans area.”

“That is one of the reason why a guy a like Jabbar Juluke was so attractive was because of the in-roads he give you in southern Louisiana just because of the success that he has had in the high school program down there.”