The LetterWinner Podcast

Jeremy Jarmon

Get inside the huddle to talk about the game, our way, no fluff, raw and unfiltered. We’re breaking down player performance, position matchups, and diabolical details you won’t hear anywhere else. This is the Letterwinner Podcast. Get in the huddle with Jeremy Jarmon, a former All-SEC defensive end and former UK QB1(unapologetic truth teller), Morgan Newton. Think you know ball, come see about it…

  1. 2d ago

    The LetterWinner Podcast: Episode 130 - It's Camp Season

    The LetterWinners open with a brief discussion on Kentucky’s spending on leadership changes, including Mitch Barnhart’s retirement details and Jay Batt’s discounted buyout from Michigan State, plus skepticism about “private money” claims. They touch on a court ruling affecting eligibility, the Protect College Sports Act and fears of Power Two consolidation and private-equity super leagues, and SEC/UK Media Day takeaways centered on new coach Will Stein’s confidence, roster turnover, new training/analytics and facilities, and his staff choices, including QB coach/OC Joe Sloan. The episode mixes nostalgia about football camp culture with algorithm-driven topics (WNBA vs hs boys teams debate, Kerr Kriisa’s FBI wire-fraud indictment, Aaron Rodgers/Fauci, Kentucky politics, local Lexington staples, and other viral sports clip)s before closing with what to watch heading into fall camp.   00:00 The LetterWinner Open 01:20 Lexington Marriott City Center Home Base 02:17 Episode Preview 02:53 UK Buyouts Breakdown 06:25 High School Camp Memories 10:24 Two A Days Then Now 13:37 College Camp Transition 17:10 WNBA Debate 22:11 Kriisa FBI Case +Rapid Fire Algorithm Hits 34:40 Rich Brooks Coaches For The Kids 36:30 OSU/Chase Bank 43:46 Bud Dupree Storytime 47:24 Heidi Klum Quote 51:06 Congress And Super Leagues 54:57 Will Stein Media Days 57:16 Sloan Playcalling Debate 01:05:48 Program DNA Focus 01:07:34 RB Room And Bateman 01:10:48 Wrap And Next Episode

  2. Aug 4

    The LetterWinner Podcast: Episode 129 - Playcaller Blues

    Will Stein Won’t Call Plays? Kentucky’s New Era, Tough SEC Slate, NBA/WNBA Draft Cats & Ja Morant’s Fresh Start This episode dives into Kentucky football’s coaching change from Mark Stoops to new head coach Will Stein and the realization that Stein won’t call plays, exploring why fans expected his play-calling prowess, how Joe Sloan may fit, and how early games like Youngstown State and a Sept. 12 home matchup with Alabama will reveal the offense. The hosts discuss the difficulty of Kentucky’s schedule and what success could look like, plus the money involved in buyouts and athletic department changes, including Jay Batt and Mitch Barnhart’s ongoing role. They also cover NBA Draft outcomes for UK Basketball's JQ and Oweh, Kenny Brooks’ WNBA draftees, the Knicks’ title and White House visit controversy, and reflections on Memphis, Ja Morant’s move to Portland, and a call for mental health coverage in the Protect College Sports Act. 00:00 Marriott City Center Spotlight 01:06 Intro 03:06 New Coach Era Begins 03:51 Will Stein Hype and Fit 06:56 OTAs and Early Impressions 11:34 CEO vs Play Caller Debate 14:42 Play Calling Is an Art 17:08 Alabama Week Two Vision and Beyond 19:37 Buyouts and Budget Questions 21:25 Mitch Barnhart Role Debate 25:01 NBA Draft Week Check In 25:47 Drafted Cats Spotlight 27:27 Knicks Win It All 30:35 White House Visit Debate 35:15 World Cup And Football Name 38:59 Memphis + Ja Morant In Portland 45:25 Mental Health In College Sports 46:31 Episode Wrap And Next Up

  3. Jul 22

    The LetterWinner Podcast: Episode 128 - Operation Bluegrass Extraction

    Jay Batt to Kentucky, College Sports Power Plays, and a 4th of July Grab Bag (World Cup, LeBron, McConnell, MJ) | LetterWinner Pod The episode opens with a wide-ranging LetterWinner Pod conversation around Independence Day, Kentucky’s 234th birthday, and mixed feelings about July 4th and Juneteenth. Jarmon and Newton discuss Kentucky hiring athletic director Jay Batt away from Michigan State amid reports of a $5 million buyout, his $2.6 million-plus compensation, MSU’s $401 million donation, and what UK leadership (Capilouto/Eric Monday) expects from him ranging from innovation, clear metrics, staffing changes, and a stronger Champions Blue strategy, including debate over big-donor vs grassroots fundraising. They touch on Tom Izzo’s reaction, coaching/AD transitions, and Kentucky basketball culture from the 1995–96 Pitino era to Mark Pope. The show ends with “algorithm” topics: World Cup buzz, LeBron’s future, the Obama Center, political headlines including Mitch McConnell health rumors, NFL turf vs grass, Toy Story 5, and Michael Jackson songs and superstardom. 00:00 Downtown Marriott Spotlight 01:20 Fourth of July Cold Open 02:51 Independence Day Debate 03:31 Michigan St Jabs + Satire 06:22 Meet Jay Batt 10:49 Innovation vs Stability 15:34 Salary and Expectations 17:50 Listening Tour and Culture 23:50 Fundraising Models 26:54 Kentucky MBB Legacy 31:59 Next Coaching Icons 32:30 Algorithm Talk 38:47 McConnell Health Rumors 43:46 Michael Jackson Movie 49:24 Pod Sign Off

  4. May 9

    The LetterWinner Podcast: Episode 126 - Derby Discourse

    Jeremy Jarmon and Morgan Newton kick off Kentucky Derby season with lighthearted talk about betting at Churchill and Keeneland, JJ’s kindergarten Derby float, and what “responsible gambling” looks like. They pay tribute to Lexington Urban League leader PG Peeples and question how UK and its athletics department engaged with him and the Urban League. The hosts discuss top recruit Tyran Stokes’ UK visit and commitment to Kansas, contrasting it with momentum in UK women’s basketball as Kenny Brooks lands Me’Arah O’Neal and other top talent. They cover UK’s Champions Blue developments, including approval of an entertainment district and BCTC vacating by end of 2026, recap UK players drafted into the NFL, and talk leadership dynamics and “psychological safety.” They close with spring football notes, praise for Will Stein’s staff and recruiting, and Stein’s stated coaching values. 02:02 Responsible Betting Talk 03:14 Finding Track Tipsters 04:39 Keeneland College Memories 06:47 Mall Runs and Dillard Loyalty 09:11 Brother Larry Karaoke Lore 10:37 Honoring PG Peeples 12:52 Tyran Stokes Recruiting Drama 15:49 Kenny Brooks and Me'Arah O'Neal 17:48 Champions Blue District and BCTC Exit 19:29 NFL Draft Wildcats Recap 20:38 Jalen Farmer Colts Value 22:46 Team Culture Healthy Conflict 25:18 UK Leadership Trust Debate 31:16 AD Search Listening Tour 33:50 Spring Game Takeaways 35:38 Power K and Nike Buzz 37:22 Will Stein Staff Standards 41:39 Outworking the SEC Gap 44:06 Derby Week Signoff

  5. Apr 20

    The LetterWinner Podcast: Episode 125 - The Southeast Will Rise Again!

    Jeremy Jarmon and Morgan Newton react to Memphis’ FB HC Huff banning practice music, arguing it’s an old-school “splash” that could hurt Gen Z recruiting and game-like preparation. They highlight Oscar Tshiebwe’s big recent G League stat lines with Utah and discuss how production can outweigh measurables, plus whether there’s still an NBA role for his skill set. The conversation turns to their lingering attachment to John Calipari, concerns about Mark Pope’s ability to close “Kentucky-caliber” recruits, and what a successful UK visit should look like. They praise UK football’s recruiting momentum under Will Stein, debate Big Ten vs. SEC recent championship trends, football saturation, dismiss the Lamar Jackson replica Heisman story as media filler, call Clay Travis’ Kentucky-football pessimism clickbait, and close on Trump’s executive order and the NCAA’s attempts to limit athlete mobility amid NIL and looming employee status. 01:16 Memphis Bans Practice Music 05:37 Oscar's G League Surge 07:52 Missing Calipari Era 12:19 Mark Pope Recruiting Worries 16:27 UK Football Recruiting Buzz 20:46 Big Ten vs SEC Debate 24:27 Space Mission Skepticism 28:29 Dinosaur Doubts 30:45 Defining Great Villains 36:13 Mark Stoops Hero Or Villain 37:37 Lamar Heisman at Joe Craft Center 38:40 QB Conviction Ice Cream Test 43:53 Recruiting Psychology And Belief 47:40 Football Saturation And UFL 50:29 Clay Travis Clickbait Takes 51:52 Light Talk NIL Executive Order 56:09 Closing Thoughts And Sign Off

  6. Apr 7

    The LetterWinner Podcast: Episode 124 - It's not Personal, It's Personnel

    UK Basketball’s Rough Finish, Pope Pressure & Transfer Portal Outlook + Kentucky Football Spring Buzz On the LetterWinner, Jarmon, Newton, and Lewellen recap Kentucky basketball’s 22–14 season and round-of-32 exit, roster construction, ball handling, and injuries, debating Mark Pope’s strategy, noting staff changes, including Mo Williams. They discuss UK’s standards, media accountability, revenue, and broader program factors from the Calipari era through NIL, plus concerns about constant transferring and proposed eligibility limits. The episode shifts to Kentucky football spring practice, highlighting Will Stein and Jay Bateman’s energy, new technology (helmet GoPros, upgraded Jugs machine), practice structure, and optimism around QB Kenny Minchey, the offensive line, and overall culture while acknowledging unanswered questions. They close by addressing some negative fan sentiment toward Jasper Johnson and urging resilience, development, and production. 01:22 Season Recap Reality 02:02 Roster Flaws March 02:50 Standards And Pressure 04:34 Pope Under Fire 05:21 Lefty Offense Debate 08:22 Coach Speak Critique 10:16 Media Accountability Gap 14:23 Money Metrics Breaking 16:43 Calipari Admin Rumors 21:00 NIL And Portal Future 24:27 Build Player Infrastructure 26:38 Coolness Factor Return 29:43 Mo Williams Hire 32:20 Antigua Illinois Blueprint 36:39 Trust And Team Building 37:56 Winning Programs Built 38:19 Culture And Cleats 39:37 Spring Practice Buzz 41:02 Coaching Juice And O Line 43:36 Tech Upgrades In Practice 45:44 Spring Game Hype Check 46:41 Defense Questions And Nickel 49:13 Roster Concerns For Fall 50:36 Can Media Evaluate Practice 53:42 Jasper Johnson Backlash 54:35 Handling Hate And Resilience 56:40 Fit Timing And Expectations 01:04:15 Only Answer Is Production 01:06:04 Grind Mindset Closing

  7. Mar 22

    The LetterWinner Podcast: Episode 123 - Choose the Monster

    Jarmon and Newton reflect on forgetting to acknowledge International Women’s Day, sharing how they celebrate the women in their lives and noting Morgan’s 11-year journey with his wife. They pivot to Lexington’s winter weather disruptions again, joking about “warm weather” as a gold standard snow removal process. The conversation turns to Kentucky basketball’s matchup with Santa Clara and links to upcoming UK women’s sports guests, then broadens into a candid assessment of Kentucky’s slipping standards, tournament expectations, Mark Pope’s pressure, donor/roster money chatter, and how Calipari’s era ended amid relationship and fundraising challenges. They discuss the athletic director opening, whether Dwayne Peevy could restore alignment and vision, uncertainty around Champions Blue and JMI, and the need for a forward-looking strategy for AI and insert names into the "listening tour" before closing with excerpts from Barnhart’s original championship-focused introduction. 00:00 International Women’s Day Check-In 01:23 Anniversary and Gratitude 02:43 NTI Day and Snow Chaos 04:31 Santa Clara and UK Connections 06:58 Tournament Expectations for Kentucky 08:38 Pressure on Pope and Program Standards 12:34 Peevy and Athletic Director Questions 14:31 NIL Money and Donor Strategy 20:10 UK Future and Monster Mentality 24:47 Paying More and Culture Fit Risks 26:06 Quick Shift to Cal SEC Tourney Win 26:19 Cal and Winning Matters 27:30 Do Fans Follow NBA Cats 30:30 Cal the Marketing Machine 32:14 Empowering Players to Lead 34:58 AD Search and Leadership 36:24 Modern Era Needs Strategy 38:43 AI and Competitive Edges 44:27 Mitch Barnhart Day One 47:57 Wrap Up and Sign Off

5
out of 5
7 Ratings

About

Get inside the huddle to talk about the game, our way, no fluff, raw and unfiltered. We’re breaking down player performance, position matchups, and diabolical details you won’t hear anywhere else. This is the Letterwinner Podcast. Get in the huddle with Jeremy Jarmon, a former All-SEC defensive end and former UK QB1(unapologetic truth teller), Morgan Newton. Think you know ball, come see about it…

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