On preparing for this opportunity:
“I try to prepare myself to get ready for situations like this. Coach Neuheisel I don’t know why this is happening, but you’re getting this op, so take advantage. That’s what I’m trying to do – don’t let the offense skip a beat, make it look like Kevin’s not even gone. I’m with the ones, we’re rolling on, and everything is all right.”

On what he learned most last year:
“I’ve learned a lot in a year’s time about the preparation it takes. Coming out here last year, I thought I was prepared, but I learned being in there that there’s a lot more that I need to know and take care of. That’s what I’ve tried to work on. Coming out of high school, I thought I was ready, but that’s what year will do for you. I’m sure a year from now, I’ll know that much more.”

On truly grasping the offense:
“The first time I really felt that grasp was this past spring. Being in here a full year, and yeah we put some new stuff in during the spring, but I think now it’s that much better. Right now, I feel really good about everything. I’m starting to anticipate stuff, and that’s what Coach Neuheisel talks about. Once you have that anticipation, your reads are that much easier. You can skip your first read because you already know it’s not going to be there and just go right onto your second.”

On his conditioning:
“I lost some body fat, and I’ve definitely been on a constant loss of body fat since I’ve been here. When I came in the spring after I graduated, I had two months off from when I was on the regimen. I don’t think I was in the best shape I could’ve been in. But Coach Linn has got me right now, and I think I’m doing all the right stuff. I’ve tried to get faster, and I can feel myself having a better step than I’ve had in the past.”