Will Muschamp was openly excited about starting preseason practice on Friday as he held a press conference on Thursday to kick off the preseason.

The South Carolina coach boasted that his senior class, which was the first one he recruited to Columbia, has more than 200 starts, and is special to him because of the transition the players went through following the coaching change.

As he fielded questions about his lineup, recruiting, injuries and eligibility, one question resurfaced from SEC Media Days. He was asked last month if South Carolina was the “little brother” to Clemson following the arch-rivals championship success in recent years.

The reporter on Thursday referenced that Muschamp’s response last month, when he cut off the reporter at the time, and said bluntly, “No, we’re not the little brother, we’re not, OK? No,” Muschamp said. In the question this time, there was a reference to South Carolina players sharing their support of Muschamp’s response on social media.

“The coach-player relationship is a two-way street. I think the players take the personality of how they’re coached and how they’re dealt with and how they’re taught. We try to be up front and honest with our guys about how we’re going to be. How we’re going to handle our business. … I think as the personality of your team continues to evolve, it takes on your personality as a coach,” Muschamp said Thursday. “When you respond correctly to dumbass questions, that’s what happens.”

South Carolina kicks off its season on Aug. 31 in Charlotte, N.C. against North Carolina, and plays Clemson in Williams-Brice Stadium on Nov. 30.