Sean McVay is one of the best offensive minds in the NFL, a top coach, a culture builder, and he’s been a boon when it comes to the Los Angeles Rams recruiting players in all phases.
It’s known that McVay helped convince Davantae Adams to join the Rams’ offense last year, and Adams found success as he led the NFL in receiving touchdowns.
In 2026, McVay kept up his ability to recruit as he helped the Rams land two massive free agent corners in Trent McDuffie and Jaylen Watson.
Recruitment and football is likely more synonymous in high school and college, but it happens at the NFL level too, and to hear McDuffie talk about it, there may not be another coach he wanted to play for more in 2026 than McVay.
McDuffie made it clear he’s been watching McVay for some time, and has nothing but respect and admiration for his new head coach.
Said McDuffie on McVay,
“How he carries himself, how he holds himself, and also just how he treats his players, you know, you can tell there’s genuine love, you can tell he really cares about you as a human-being and cares about your future and success and being able to play for a coach like that is everything.”
McDuffie even leaned into some history when he talked about first seeing McVay on HBO’s Hard Knocks:
“I feel like I remember Hard Knocks training camp, when they first got in here, I think Jared Goff was there, and that was the first time me, and my mom and my dad were on the couch, and we listened to Sean McVay and I remember just being like, ‘Dang, I would love to play for that guy’…fast forward all these years and now I’m here.”
Considering that McDuffie just spent his last few seasons with Andy Reid, another top coach in the league, it’s highly complementary for him to speak so well of McVay.
Watson had his own chance to talk about his interactions with McVay, and he wasn’t as wordy as McDuffie, but sometimes less can be more.
Said Watson on his first call with McVay:
“Oh man, he got super high energy, I loved it…he was like ’I hope you excited to come’, I was like ‘Yep, sir, I’m excited’, ‘Well you’re not as excited as I am!‘ (replied McVay) …yeah he’s just full of energy I love it man.”
McDuffie and Watson know Sean McVay has an infectious personality, and the consensus among players (as far as we know), is he has an uncanny ability to make his guys believe in themselves in all moments.
Does this belief always lead to the results that the Rams want? No, of course not, but in order to get where you want to go you have to have belief, and McVay has the ability to instill that.
Not only can McVay make you believe in yourself and those around you, he gives you the tools to succeed. McVay isn’t just a motivator, he’s literally an x’s and o’s guy. He knows ball.
Is McVay the reason that players go to the Rams? He is likely not THE reason, but he is A reason, and as long as McVay continues to resonate in a positive way around the league, players will want to the play for L.A. and specifically McVay, and that gives the Rams another selling point when it comes to recruitment, and an edge.
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