We've got a good group of quarterbacks and talent in the room. What about them has impressed you?
I think the group itself is a fun room. It's a room that helps each other. It's a room that pulls for each other. I know, with the quarterback position, there's one guy playing and there's a lot of competition for that spot. We have a healthy relationship in here. That part's so much fun and it's refreshing. They're pulling for each other's success. On the field, we have some guys that are operating the offense really well, making plays and can throw the ball down the field. We're asking a lot of those guys daily and every day they get better at recognizing the defense and making the changes and that's been very exciting.
What have you been emphasizing with this group so far?
You know, that's been just fundamentals. We have to be right with our feet. My job is turning them into a quarterback from the waist down and the neck up. And as long as our feet match the throws that we're trying to make, and then our eyes are in the right place, we have a chance to run a good play. That's been the thing that we probably emphasize the most. Let's be really sharp and clean with our footwork, and then make sure we have proper eye control and eyes on the right things.
Maverick McIvor is back after starting most of the season. How is he and the rest of the returning players progressing?
I've known Maverick for a long time. When I got to Texas Tech in 2020, he was a redshirt freshman. I worked with the quarterbacks there for two years, and now I've been here for two years. So, it's been fun for me to see Maverick's development as a player. He's come a long way and discovered some layers of the game and layers of the quarterback position. Now he's in command and he can get us in and out of plays and make any throw we ask him to make. He's playing with a lot of confidence right now.
Trevor Baker is done a nice job. Good operator of the offense. He's calm under pressure – unflappable. He's got a good arm and he can make the throws we ask him to make. He's come a long way since I've been here.
Riggs McDonald has really taken pride in his work in the weight room and has committed nutritionally and has vastly improved. He has a live arm and now his feet are starting to match what he's been wanting to do. He's been a lot of fun to be around.
Who among the newcomers is impressive?
Quayde Hawkins, obviously, is coming from the University of Troy and has done a fantastic job. He wants to be the best quarterback he can be. He's in here all the time. He does extra and watches a lot of film. He's confident. He's in control back
there. He's a cool customer and he's probably harder on himself than I could ever be, which is always what you want out of the quarterback position, but something you have to keep an eye on, too.
Hut Graham has done a nice job. He played defense at Texas Tech and we offered when he came on campus and ran a 4.4. He's able to do some things that are unique and a little different than the typical quarterback position. He's smart and he's savvy. There's a reason he went 16-0 and won a state championship.
DeAngelo Ponder is the freshman we signed and he has some elite speed. He qualified on his 4x200 team in the State Meet at the 6A level which is pretty impressive. He can really go. He's got a unique talent, too and brings a little different skillset than Hut and the other guys in the room. We like to have a variety of skills at the position and it gives us a lot of tools. He's smart and has picked up things really quickly.
How's the leadership factor?
Mav has some credibility here because he played a lot of games last year and now he's fully grasping the offense. He's playing with a lot of confidence and that's opened the door for him to be more vocal and guys are starting to rally around him and look to him when things aren't quite right.
UP NEXT: Defensive Coordinator Skyler Cassity overviews the defense.
