Big 12 Media Day: Paul Rhoads Highlights

On replacing Leonard Johnson:

“Jansen Watson is in our program, going into his fourth fall, and he’s just now going to start for the first time. That’s a lot of practice time under his belt. Jeremy Reeves is a multi-starter on the other side. Then you have Sam Richardson and Ken Lynn both coming off redshirt campaigns to provide depth, Cliff Stokes, who we signed as a junior college player, and Matt Thomas from right here in Lancaster, in the Metroplex area, giving us a three-deep at cornerback and great competition.”

Biggest impact players on the team going into the season:

“I think the two that are probably gaining the most notoriety as we head into the fall, who are with us here today, A.J. Klein and Jake Knott, a pair of our linebackers, guys like Leonard who played as true freshmen and are starters in a Wally Burnham-coached defense.”

On James White’s importance this sesason:

“I don’t know if we have a guy that works harder. I don’t know if we’ve got a guy on our roster pound for pound that’s more explosive or stronger than James White. …We expect him to be a big component of our offensive football team this fall.”

On the quarterback battle during fall camp:

“It will be easier for us in this fall camp than it was a year ago because we truthfully had three guys competing a year ago, and this year we’ve only got two.”

“Accuracy and throwing a football is going to be a heightened piece of my attention as they go through this battle. We’ll have three scrimmages at that point where I’ll probably make my decision, and those scrimmages play out on a Saturday/Wednesday/Saturday, and it will give those boys ample opportunity to show they deserve to be our starter September 1 against Tulsa.”

Brian Spaen is the lead editor for Clones Confidential, follow the site on Twitter and Facebook. Read his other work on the Oregon Ducks blog, Autzen Zoo, and Watson Talk Lacrosse.