How do they compare?

Yeah, I was a true freshman, so I, I was the third string.

Um, I had, uh, a headset on.

I was taking a ton of notes down.

Um, but I- it was, it was a good, good experience.

Obviously, I kind of took that year, um, as like a good experience just to kind of see a ton of different stadiums and, and get to learn like the flow of a game and kind of just dial into to, to college football, 'cause it was all new for me.

So, I remember it was, it was a good experience there.

... more progress made?

First of all, what was that like? And then can you relate to somebody who doesn't get that many opportunities and then you have this big drop and sort of you've got to wait again?

For sure.

No, yeah, I mean, it's easy to relate.

I mean, my first throw was the last play of 2024.

It was a pick, and I had to sit on it the entire offseason until I got in through another pick.

So it's tough, you know, going a whole offseason.

Like, you know, for sure doubt creeps in your head, but I think it's just knowing that you've been in that situation before, you've thrown picks before, just because it came at the end of a game or it was your – your first opportunity or something like that.

What do you remember about that game and, I guess, How have you grown in the year since playing that game? It's been almost a full year.

How do you feel different as a quarterback? Not only are you talking about the little bit of experience, just like the skill set, like what you feel more comfortable doing than you did a year ago.

Yeah, I think just one thing for me is overall command.

I'd say last year I think I was getting there, but being the backup throughout the year and then starting at the end, I don't think I was able to build that command.

But now having that experience throughout the entire year, I feel very confident and comfortable within the offense.

So I think just like I hear the play, I know my reads right away.

I know if they give me this look, I'm going to throw there.

If they give me that look, I'm going to throw there.

How deep do you think this group can be? Is it Is there enough guys, I think, right now in week one that you can kind of maybe siphon it down a little bit and synthesize who's the top three? Do you think you have, like, six, seven deep right now?

Uh, Trent Fraley, I guess, uh, what have you seen from him relationship wise and everything?

Yeah.

Yeah, he's been awesome.

Uh, Trent's, Trent's an amazing guy off the field, but e- even better on the field.

He, uh, he's, uh, he wor- he works his butt off every day, kinda like all the other six captains that were, or five captains that were, uh, voted with him.

So I mean, just his leadership within that room has been something that stood out to me.

You know, he, he really commands, commands the huddle one, like, 'cause obviously the quarterback's not in there right away.

Yeah.