Latest / Cocaine Willie / Avery Johnson + a LOADED Backfield | K-State Football 2026 QB + RB Preview (S5//E5)

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Avery Johnson + a LOADED Backfield | K-State Football 2026 QB + RB Preview (S5//E5) · Cocaine Willie

0:02
What's up everybody? You're listening to yet another
0:04
edition of Cocaine Willie, the official K State representative
0:07
on the college Huddle. I am your commissioner, Bob
0:10
Trollsby and I will be joined by my Co host, the good chef Andre
0:14
Napier here shortly, but wanted to give you a quick preview of
0:17
what you're going to be listening to here.
0:19
We recorded an entire two hours on every single offensive
0:25
position group from quarterback to offensive line to tight end,
0:29
wide receiver, running back and everything in between.
0:32
And we decided to split that up because two hours is a lot of
0:35
content. So Episode 1 is what you're
0:38
about to listen to that's going to cover the quarterbacks and
0:41
running backs. Episode 2 will cover wide
0:44
receivers and tight ends, and then episode 3 will cover the
0:48
offensive line. And then our view of the big
0:51
picture of this K State offense and how they stack up against
0:56
the rest of the Big 12. So get excited.
0:58
We've got a lot of content coming your way.
1:01
Again, Part 1 is what you're about to listen to quarterbacks,
1:04
running backs and we'll take you from there.
1:07
But check out our sponsors, Auntie Maze Parlor and Heartland
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Beef Connection. We will stop mid pod for AD
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reads and I spliced it in. It might be well done.
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It might be horribly done, but you'll know when you hear it.
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But we're we're going to get our ad reads in there, but check out
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our sponsors, support our sponsors.
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We love Auntie Maze and Heartland Beef Connection here
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at Cocaine Willie, and you should too, but that's going to
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do it for me. I'm going to throw it over to
1:31
myself and Chef to get into the quarterbacks and the running
1:35
backs. What's up everybody?
2:25
You're listening to yet another edition of Cocaine Willy, the
2:28
official K state representative on the college huddle.
2:31
I'm your commissioner, Bob Trollsby.
2:33
And as always, I'm joined by my Co host, the good chef Andre
2:37
Napier. Hold on.
2:39
I've got to shut my door. Those dogs are.
2:40
Those dogs are barking. Dogs is barking, baby.
2:46
Tonight, tonight, we are doing our annual position group
2:51
previews. We're going to be recording a
2:52
few episodes of this. We're going to start tonight
2:56
with offense. We'll chop this up as we go, but
2:59
we're going to go through each individual position group.
3:01
We're going to talk too deep what we know, strengths,
3:04
concerns, position battles in some cases, newcomers, things of
3:09
that nature, players to watch and start with some, you know,
3:13
some big questions and bold predictions for each one.
3:16
But before we get into that, Chef, how you doing man?
3:21
Doing fantastic. This is obviously one of the
3:24
most fun podcast that we have throughout the year.
3:27
It's full of optimism. Everybody's, you know,
3:31
everybody's on top. We got a team full of all
3:34
Americans. We got 22 starting all Americans
3:37
on the team. I see nothing wrong that could
3:39
go wrong with this podcast. Looking back, it's going to be
3:42
100% correct, I guarantee it. And I see nothing that could go
3:47
wrong with this team that I think every position is is at
3:50
its highest strength and and there's nothing to be worried
3:53
about here before we get into the episode itself, this beer
3:58
crack. Not at all.
4:00
It is it is a, it is a Stella. So not quite a beer crack.
4:03
This beer crack in a in a Stella is is brought to you by Auntie
4:10
Maze Parlor, located at 616 N 12th St. in the heart of
4:13
Aggieville in Manhattan, KS. Auntie Maze has been in business
4:18
for 70. Well, no, not 74.
4:21
I keep always messing that up. They've been yours since 74.
4:25
They've been going for 52 years running now and they're the top
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destination in Aggieville on game days and school nights
4:32
alike. Just taking a quick peek at
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their events page here. Got trivia smack down tonight,
4:37
Wednesday August 12th. Just keep in mind they're doing
4:39
this on a regular basis, so if you missed it tonight you can
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always go another time. Nathan Page's underground guitar
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pole tomorrow, Thursday August 13th as we record this on
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Wednesday the 12th. And then we've got Red Kate with
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delicious Friction on Thursday, August 20th.
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And then the the Monthly Now Pie and cocktails with their pie.
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Tuesday, August 25th. That one is sold out.
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So if you're trying to get in that you are a little too late.
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But always check out Auntie maze.com if you want to see a
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full list of their upcoming events.
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Other cocktail of the week as well this week.
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What do we have? Give it to me.
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Give it to me. It is the Nashville Brown Derby.
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Oh. 4 rows of. Urban grapefruit juice and
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Nashville hot honey, OH. I don't know.
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Hold up. I don't know.
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That sounds great. Doesn't.
5:39
It whiskey sour. Yeah, the grapefruit juice a
5:43
little too sour for me. That's like on the far end of
5:46
the sour spectrum. OK.
5:48
That's the tangiest of the Tang Shout out to Coach Tang.
5:52
Well, we do not give him shout outs on this podcast anymore.
5:55
We no longer subscribe to him and his Baylor ways.
5:59
Anyway, check out Auntie Mays. They're doing all sorts of crazy
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stuff during the during the school year, during the academic
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year, during football season and basketball season.
6:09
They're riding with us through another academic and in sports
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year here. So we're super stoked to have
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our friend Jeff and Auntie Maze back on board.
6:17
But give them a look. Auntie maze.com, 616 N 12th St.
6:22
in Aggieville. Be sure to tell them cocaine
6:25
Willie sent you. You can get these koozies there
6:27
still. I think they've had them for
6:29
about a year now and we've not gotten any requests for back
6:34
ordering. So there's I'm sure there's
6:36
plenty in stock there. All right, so for position group
6:40
previews, we are going to start off with quarterback, not
6:45
exactly a position battle this year.
6:48
We know who's going to be the number one quarterback.
6:50
We all know that's going to be Avery Johnson.
6:52
But what we don't know is who QB 2 is going to be.
6:56
And we also don't know, you know superlatives wise what what is
7:00
Avery going to be working towards this year?
7:01
What are what are some of his statistical numbers and things
7:03
going to look like this season. So thinking about the the
7:07
projected 2 deep right now and yesterday coach Klein had his
7:11
first press conference for fall camp where he chatted and, and
7:15
obviously Avery is is the bonafide QB one.
7:18
He's going to go into his third year as the starter.
7:21
But QB 2 right now is a bit of a position battle between Blake
7:25
Barnett and Jacob Knuth based on what coach Klein said yesterday
7:30
in his press conference. Obviously Dylan Duff has been
7:32
talked about. He was a fairly highly touted
7:34
recruit Matt Wells guy, for whatever that's worth.
7:38
So maybe more of a scheme fit for Matt Wells, whereas Blake
7:41
Barnett was originally recruited by Coach Klein alongside Jacob
7:45
Knuth as well-being recruited by Coach Klein.
7:48
But thoughts on the 2D? But you know, when you think
7:51
about that QB two spot, are you more of a Barnett guy, Knuth
7:55
guy? Are you even maybe more of a
7:57
Dylan Duff guy? No, I I'm for sure, I'm
8:01
definitely not a Dylan Duff guy. I mean, mind you, I think he
8:04
could have a, a great future. I mean, he could, but I don't
8:08
want my backup quarterback technically.
8:10
I mean, he was a Steve Korda and he was good.
8:14
He was a good regional quarterback, but he wasn't like
8:17
some five star, you know, guy that we got to get in here
8:20
that's got to see the field. So I think he needs time to
8:23
develop and I think Jacob Knuth is the guy that I would be
8:27
looking for. I think, I mean, I mind you,
8:31
this is this is levels of progression that Barnett has
8:35
gone through where he had his own package last year.
8:38
He was definitely more of a runner.
8:41
He's got the physicality to do it.
8:43
We've never seen him throw a ball, which is also a problem
8:46
that I want for somebody that, God forbid, knock on wood, Avery
8:51
Johnson goes down. You want somebody that can lead
8:54
the offense through the air and on the ground.
8:58
And I think Jacob Knuton does that.
9:00
I think he's been in contention really ever since he's been on
9:05
campus for the number two spot, whether he's held it down or he
9:09
hasn't. We brought in Taekwon Roberson a
9:14
couple years ago to do that and I think he's at the age in
9:19
seniority where it's kind of his job to be the guy that at any
9:24
given moment needs to have his Cape on to be ready to go and
9:30
play the position. So I'm more of that.
9:33
I, I think Blake Barnett has an opportunity to, if he, if he can
9:39
show himself throughout fall camp that he can throw the ball
9:43
at a proficient level. Consistency is like the main
9:45
word with Coach Klein. And if you're not consistent,
9:48
then there's really no point for you to be on the field.
9:51
Because if you're if you're going to give me a boom, it's
9:54
the boom or bust thing. And sometimes that's a good
9:56
thing. But at quarterback, we don't
9:58
want a lot of busts. So give me Jacob Knuth.
10:02
I think, I think that is where it's at.
10:03
And I think Avery Johnson, obviously the solidified #1 but
10:07
I think Jacob Knuth with his savvy, he's been in games,
10:12
obviously it's just the fourth quarter and he's handing the
10:14
ball off. But he's seen action and I I
10:17
think he would be more comfortable leading the offense
10:20
having seen so many camps over and over again.
10:24
So when we when we had to take Quan Roberson situation a couple
10:27
years ago against Colorado, he came in for to finish out a
10:31
series, right And then Avery came back into the game.
10:34
Do you see a difference here? Well, you probably do.
10:37
Is there a difference for QB Two this year when you think about
10:40
Knuth versus Barnett, as you know what, what do you see is
10:44
the difference between emergency quarterback Avery's helmet
10:48
popped off. We need a guy to finish out a
10:51
series for US versus God forbid there's a season ending injury
10:55
for Avery and you need a guy to finish out the rest of the
10:58
season. Would you rather see Blake
11:00
Barnett be that emergency quarterback for a series, or
11:04
would you rather see Knuth? Or, Or is it the same guy for
11:07
you no matter what? I guess it just depends on when
11:10
this happened. At the beginning of the season,
11:14
let's say. God forbid.
11:16
Knock on wood, again, Avery's cooked.
11:21
Would I want the reins handed over?
11:24
Because I still think there's a lot of season to be had.
11:28
So I don't know if you necessarily want to punt on the
11:30
season after game one or what, or Game 2.
11:33
So is Blake Barnett the guy? Cuz if if Blake Barnett's the
11:37
guy that you're willing to hand the keys over to, then he just
11:40
automatically quarterback to and it doesn't matter.
11:43
But if he's not ready and this team still wants to win a little
11:47
bit, I think it's got to be Canooth.
11:49
I think, yeah, he might not have the the future label on him.
11:56
Like he's I think this is where like, I don't know what the
12:00
modern quarterback is like this, but this used to be like a guy
12:04
that was constantly in college football or professional
12:07
football at that. They knew that their role, they
12:12
didn't have the ultimate talent to be a starter, but they were
12:16
talented enough to be on a Division One power whenever it
12:21
was power 5, power 4 level quarterback.
12:25
But he just knew that he was not going to be the guy.
12:28
And you kind of live with that. You kind of live with the fact
12:32
that I'm a backup. But I know my role.
12:34
And if Knuth is that guy, I think he can keep the ship going
12:41
for whatever that means for this season.
12:43
If Blake Barnett can't beat him out.
12:46
I don't know if Blake Barnett's the future.
12:47
I'll be honest, I don't know. I don't know if he's got the
12:50
future tag on him. But if he does and he and he
12:54
beats out Jacob Knuth, then it doesn't matter.
12:55
But I don't know if he's the future that we just want to hand
12:58
the reins over and be like, yeah, it's you from here on out,
13:01
Avery's done, so let's go. Where my head goes with this is
13:05
back to 2022 because this that's the last time that this happened
13:09
where we had quarterback go down.
13:11
He was kind of week to week. We didn't really know what the
13:13
future held for Adrian at that point.
13:15
When Adrian got hurt, we put in Will Howard because he's, I
13:19
mean, he was the best available option.
13:21
Yeah, he was kind of coming up towards the end of his career
13:23
felt like at that point, although years were very
13:26
different back then with the COVID year and all that other
13:28
stuff. And I think he ended up playing
13:30
an additional two years after that.
13:32
But he had played at that point in three seasons in 2020-2021.
13:39
And then 2022 was his third season playing football.
13:42
K State. But in that case, we handed it
13:45
off to Will because he knew his role.
13:47
He'd shut his mouth and he'd do his job.
13:50
Whereas Jake Rubley at the time was the guy that was the future
13:54
that everybody was like, why don't we hand it off to to Jake
13:57
Rubley? I think I'm with you on this of
14:00
handed to canoes. He's been in the system for
14:02
what, five years now, Something like that.
14:05
He was a very highly touted recruit out of South Dakota
14:08
going into Minnesota and then transferred in to K State from
14:12
there after one year in Minnesota.
14:14
So I think he's the right guy to go with, But I am a Blake
14:18
Barnett fan. I do want Blake Barnett to be
14:21
the future. I would like for that to happen.
14:22
But I just think if you, if you are going to try to win some
14:26
games this year, it's going to be better to go with a
14:28
consistent guy. But if you're ready, if I mean
14:30
to your point, if you don't think you've got it this year,
14:34
then let's get Barnett the reps, I guess.
14:39
Maybe I mean, but that's the thing.
14:40
Is he the future guy? I don't, I don't know.
14:43
I, I, I think they like him a lot.
14:45
They wouldn't keep him around if they didn't.
14:47
But I just, you know, you just kind of get that feeling with
14:49
guys and Will Howard was kind of that way.
14:52
I don't want to go down a whole memory lane to hear, but he beat
14:56
out Jay Grubley and we might have not liked him all that much
15:01
and you know, he might have turned the ball over and he had
15:04
his bonehead moments and all these things, but he was going
15:08
to be K State's quarterback eventually.
15:11
Like we didn't over recruit him. We couldn't we didn't find
15:14
anybody to, you know, we didn't out recruit him.
15:17
We didn't just keep going somebody over top of him.
15:20
We tried to do that with Adrian Martinez.
15:21
And then it was Will Howard's turn.
15:23
So and then Avery Johnson came. So I guess it, I guess he was in
15:28
that perfect sandwich where he found his lane and he had one
15:33
solid season and it lets him, you know, going where he went.
15:37
So yeah, the the number 2 is going to be wide open, but I'm
15:41
open for anybody. I just, I think it's just going
15:44
to be the news. Yeah, yeah.
15:46
So pivoting back to the headliner here, not to bury the
15:49
lead, but Avery Johnson, he's obviously the unquestioned
15:53
starter heading into 2026. The bigger story here is whether
15:57
another year of experience and another season in Manhattan and
16:00
the return of Colin Klein can finally produce the version of
16:04
of Avery that K State fans envisioned when he was
16:08
originally recruited to K State. I feel like we got a really
16:10
great glimpse into what that could look like in 2024.
16:14
And we obviously had the flashes in 2023.
16:17
But then last year under the Matt Wells regime, if you will,
16:21
we saw a regression and, and how much of that was Matt Wells?
16:24
How much of that was Avery having some things coached in
16:29
that that maybe shouldn't have been?
16:31
I don't know what that what what all that is at the root of it,
16:35
but for 2026, can Avery get back to and then exceed that level
16:40
that he set for himself back in 2024?
16:44
For sure. I mean, he's got all the talent
16:46
in the world. I don't, I'm not selling my
16:48
stock on Avery Johnson. Like that's just not going to
16:51
happen. He he did regress and, and, but
16:55
I think he made it was regression in a way that
16:59
statistically it showed, but he also didn't turn the ball over
17:03
nearly as much. And this is kind of what we were
17:07
saying. Well, I had said previously on a
17:10
bunch of different podcasts that, you know, we kind of had
17:14
thought that the season that we just had was going to be the
17:18
season, But I had, I had questions that maybe the season
17:22
that he had in 2024, that might have been the best team that he
17:26
was ever going to be able to play with.
17:29
And, you know, it just so happened that Matt Wells takes
17:34
over in the play. Calling was a little funky.
17:36
Everything was just a little bit off.
17:39
But he cut down on the turnovers, which we wanted.
17:42
He just didn't produce enough. It just wasn't we didn't finish
17:47
enough. So can he get back at that?
17:50
Can Colin Klein, you know, calling the plays if he can get
17:56
the red zone numbers that we had when we won the Big 12
18:00
championship? I think Avery Johnson's that
18:03
kind of weapon that you want. Like if you're throwing those RP
18:06
OS and those read options in the red zone, you're going to be
18:09
very successful and you're going to lead to a lot of good
18:12
numbers. So yeah, I'm I'm not selling my
18:16
stock on Avery. And I think it, and it's the
18:19
chicken or the egg kind of thing where it's like, is it Colin
18:23
Klein that brought Avery Johnson back or is it Avery Johnson
18:26
always had this potential and it's just he kind of got the,
18:30
the chains let off of them. So it's it's, it's one of the
18:34
other you, you can never know. You'll never know really what it
18:37
was. But I mean, the common
18:39
denominator is Colin Klein. And I think if he can do that
18:42
with Avery Johnson, bring him back for another year, why not 5
18:46
do one more year? Why not?
18:49
I'm with Scott Wildcat from Bosco's boys on this and that
18:52
had had Connor Riley not followed up Colin Klein, people
18:56
would have loved him as a play caller.
18:58
If he if he had followed up Courtney Messingham instead of
19:01
Colin Klein, people would have fallen in love with Connor Riley
19:04
and and Connor Riley people forget, was the offensive
19:07
coordinator in 2024 when Avery had that crazy good season.
19:11
What was the what was the hate for Connor Riley, though?
19:15
I I still have not understood what the hate was.
19:18
I mean, we ran the ball better than we ever have, You know, I.
19:24
Was breaking ankle? Yeah, breaking.
19:26
Ankle I loved I loved what Connor Riley did.
19:29
I honestly did. I don't I don't, I don't know
19:31
the hate. I just I didn't see it.
19:33
I couldn't see it. It if you would have blind like
19:36
blindfolded me and you showed me just like, you know, you just
19:40
told me what was happening. I wouldn't have known Connor
19:44
Riley from a hole in the wall that he's doing something
19:48
outrageous. So I I don't know.
19:50
I never really got the hate. Now the Matt Wells hate.
19:53
You could see the difference. Oh yeah.
19:56
You can see the difference and mind you.
19:57
Know exactly what Texas Tech fans were talking about all
20:00
those years now. Mind you, he didn't have a DJ
20:03
Giddens. So, I mean, generational players
20:07
come around once in a while and if you don't have them, yeah,
20:10
you're gonna be hamstrung a little bit.
20:12
But you had, you know, supreme talent you had, you had talent,
20:17
you had players going to, you got a wide receiver going to
20:21
LSU, you got all this stuff. It is what it is.
20:26
But I think Colin coming back, if he gets his mojo going, it's
20:31
going to be a different dynamic because he has to worry about
20:34
everything. So I think that's another thing
20:36
that we can talk about coaching staff later down the road, but I
20:41
think there's going to be some growing pains with trying to be
20:46
the head coach and the play call at the same time.
20:48
There's going to take some time to get totally in the flow of
20:52
it. But hey, I'm I'm here for Avery
20:54
Johnson for a a 35 season. A well, I think it's going to be
20:59
more like a 30 touchdown, 30 passing touchdowns, 77
21:04
touchdowns on the ground. That's what I'm thinking.
21:07
OK OK 3030 passing 7 on the ground 37 total OK cuz I I had.
21:16
That and if you could have. That question at the end of this
21:18
section of Will Avery approach 40 total touchdowns?
21:22
I don't know if they'll get the 40s a lot, but you know, and it
21:26
and it depending on how long the season is that that's kind of
21:29
just like a regular season, maybe the conference
21:31
championship kind of thing, not including bowl games and
21:34
playoffs and whatever comes with it.
21:36
But yeah, I, I think 3030 passing through the AR 7, I
21:41
think that's just growth in a system that he's comfortable
21:44
with, I think and really the key is if he, if he gets 30, that's
21:50
great. If he gets 7 on the ground,
21:51
that's, that's even better. But if you could just limit
21:54
those turnovers, I think that helps a ton because I think the
21:58
ground game is going to be going and I think that's what we're
22:00
going to be talking about next. Yeah, I, I think he can it, he
22:04
will limit turnovers like he did last year, as long as he's not
22:07
playing scared, so to speak, as long as he he feels like he can
22:11
cut it loose a little bit, you know, because if he, if he's
22:13
having this stuff coached out of them and he's going on the
22:16
record saying that, that's a huge red flag to me.
22:20
And that how many of those, you know, how many, how many
22:24
situations last year was he in where he decided to just like,
22:29
fuck it, but not get me like the Iowa State game.
22:31
Remember that he he had the opportunity to get the to make
22:35
the conversion for first down, but just like didn't have the
22:38
juice to get over the line. I think he got.
22:40
Better throughout the season with that though.
22:44
Yeah, yeah. I mean the Utah game he ripped
22:46
off what like a 58 yard run or something at 1:00?
22:48
He had AI mean he had a long run versus Baylor, but I think the
22:51
toughness aspect, it came it it started going.
22:55
I think the the flow of the season.
22:56
I think he definitely at the beginning of the season was
22:58
told, listen, we can't have you go down this early.
23:02
We're going to try to limit the how many times you're going to
23:04
run the ball. But I think throughout the
23:06
season he started I'm going to get this first down.
23:09
I'm going to do that. And I think if you could start
23:11
that from the beginning of the season, I think it will be
23:15
Golden Boys I. Think we'll be golden?
23:17
Right. So I guess the biggest question
23:20
here, do you think Colin Klein will get the best version of
23:22
Avery Johnson as he enters Year 3 as a starter Year 4 overall?
23:29
Yeah, of course I, I don't see, I'm, I'm not going to go in
23:32
saying, Oh yeah, we're fried. Like, I don't think Colin Klein,
23:36
he's gotten the best out of almost every quarterback that
23:39
he's ever coached. So Marcel reads taking jumps,
23:44
Will Howard took jumps. Adrian Martinez as bad as he was
23:48
versus Tulane, he was Skylar Thompson.
23:52
I I think he's he's shown the capability to get every last
24:01
drop out of the quarterbacks that he has under his in his
24:05
room. So I don't think that any
24:07
different of Avery Johnson. And you know, if Avery Johnson
24:13
just with his natural talent alone, if Colin Klein can scheme
24:19
up ways to make it easier for him, it's going to look just
24:25
visibly look like it's it's the game is easy.
24:29
And we're going to be wondering what has happened, what
24:32
happened? How is this happening for Avery
24:34
Johnson all of a sudden? And it's just you're
24:36
comfortable, you're, you're older, you've you, you, you get
24:40
in the scheme specifically for you and you and you're out there
24:43
ripping it. So I'm I'm looking forward to
24:46
it. I love it.
24:48
Yeah. I'm, I'm looking forward to it
24:49
as well. I'm I'm stoked for for Avery to
24:52
be in his third year as a starter.
24:54
I, I'm excited about what's behind him too.
24:56
I think we've got some good talent behind him, but I hope we
24:58
don't have to see them unless it's in mop up duty.
25:01
So I'm going to, I'm going to say that much.
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beef for your moving on running back.
26:37
So projected too deep. As of right now, RB one is Joe
26:42
Jackson. I think we're all in agreement
26:44
that it's going to be Joe Jackson.
26:47
RB2 could be an interesting could be an interesting
26:51
situation. You've got Rodney Fields who we
26:53
brought in. He's a 600 plus yard rusher from
26:56
Oklahoma State was one of the shining spots on a very, very
27:00
turret of a team that they had down in Stillwater last year.
27:04
And then Jay Harris comes in. He was well like RB3 or RB4 in
27:08
Oregon and ended up being their running back for their bowl game
27:12
because they were they were out of running backs.
27:14
So he ended up having some playing time there.
27:18
But at your request here, let me share what Jay Harris is looking
27:22
like right now. He's going to flash this up on
27:25
the screen there. What?
27:27
Look at that thing. What are we talking about?
27:31
Like how, how is he not RB 1 Joe Jackson don't look like that.
27:41
When's the when's the last time we had a running back that
27:45
looked like that? Maybe McCoy in a while.
27:50
So here's here's my question and, and, and the comparison
27:55
that I'm going to make here. And, and we've all I haven't
27:58
heard your Blitz month episode yet.
27:59
I've done mine. Matt Marchini did his.
28:02
So two of the three of us have done our Blitz month episode
28:05
with Scott from Bosco's boys. I'm sure Chefs is coming soon,
28:08
but I think this might be one of the deepest and most talented
28:13
positions on the roster as it currently stands.
28:16
But it reminds me a lot of that 2019 running backroom where it
28:20
was kind of running back by committee but led by James
28:24
Gilbert. Then you had Jordan Brown and
28:25
then Harry Trotter. But I think coming into the
28:28
year, we all thought it was going to be Jordan Brown was
28:30
going to be the guy, But then James Gilbert came in and pretty
28:33
quickly took the mantle as running back one.
28:36
So I'm curious, do you do you think that comparison to 2019 is
28:41
appropriate? Do you feel like this is the
28:43
deepest group in the locker room right now?
28:46
Where do you where do you stand with with running back as it
28:49
stands today? I don't think it's the.
28:52
Deepest I I mean, I love, I love the top three.
28:57
And if you got 3 running backs, you're pretty solid.
29:01
Mind you, I think Joe Jackson. I've I've kind of.
29:08
Gone back and forth on Joe Jackson.
29:10
I've kind of thought, man, I mean, there's no reason why the
29:14
guy that has the the single game record for rushing yards in a
29:18
game can't. Grow and become.
29:22
Even better. But I also think that maybe he's
29:25
reached his ceiling. I don't know, but Rodney Fields
29:29
Young, he's he's explosive. He's a real weapon in the
29:34
receiving game, which I really do love.
29:38
And then just hearing that Jay here, I thought when when we
29:43
brought in Harris, I said, OK, he's a depth piece.
29:46
He's kind of the, you know, the goal line back.
29:49
He's kind of the guy that you just hand the ball off.
29:51
I thought it was, you know, very similar to I'm trying to think
29:57
of like who we had that. There's really after seeing the
30:01
pictures of him, there's really nobody that I could think that's
30:04
he aesthetically, you know how I am aesthetically like he is a
30:09
brick shithouse. He is amazing.
30:12
That is incredible physique. So I I've I he's his stock is
30:17
rising with me. And then when Colin Klein said
30:19
that he's returning kicks, I said, hold up.
30:23
What? Kind of athlete.
30:24
Do we have back here? I don't know.
30:27
And apparently he's built like he can run a four two.
30:32
I don't know, but I'm just these are the kind of things.
30:35
So the top of the depth. Montario Ellis.
30:39
This is where that's where the depth really is when you're
30:42
talking about four and five because most teams run 3 running
30:46
backs. Most teams do that.
30:48
They most, most teams, they 3 running backs get carries
30:52
throughout the season. Maybe not in a game, maybe it's
30:55
usually one or two quarterback gets some run, a wide receiver
30:59
gets a jet sweep, whatever. But we have three solid running
31:03
backs I think that are explosive and that can do things.
31:07
And I think Joe Jackson, if he can get his vision together at
31:13
the beginning of the season, I think he couldn't have a solid
31:17
season. But I just don't know how the
31:18
touches are going to be devied up because if we're, if we're
31:21
going 11 carries, 9 carries, 7 carries for our running backs, I
31:28
don't think necessarily anybody's stat sheet is going to
31:31
pop. And I and I don't.
31:33
Think that's a problem, but it can visually we can look at it
31:38
be like, oh man, we didn't have a a running back over 800 yards
31:43
and but in the aggregate we moneyballed this thing and where
31:48
he got 2000 yards rushing from our running backs, I don't know,
31:51
see that that's where that's where I'm at.
31:54
Do you? Do you?
31:55
View the top three as all legitimate starting caliber
32:00
running backs. Including Jay Harris.
32:03
No. Yeah, absolutely.
32:04
I mean, obviously the top two, I mean, Ronnie Fields started at
32:09
Oklahoma State, so we got those. Now it just depends on what we
32:12
think of Jay Harris. And brother, I'm growing, I'm
32:15
growing. He's growing on me.
32:18
So yeah, I, I think if Jay Harris is as is as explosive as
32:25
people are talking, as physical as people are talking, then
32:30
there's no reason why as a third running back, you're he's not
32:35
stable enough to get 2 full drives on offense, 2 full drives
32:40
where he's getting 6 carries on a drive and let him go.
32:45
That's 36 carries and he's got 35 yards on each one of them.
32:49
He's got 12 carries for 70 yards as our third down back, our
32:52
third third running back, that if your run, if your third
32:56
running back has 12 carries for 70 yards, you're kicking ass.
33:03
Well, also think about, think about you're in the red zone,
33:06
you're doing some goal line work.
33:08
You've got Avery, maybe a design running play for Avery and
33:11
you've got Jay Harris freaking lead blocking for the guy.
33:14
I mean, yeah, it's going to be it's.
33:16
It's insane. And they got him listed at
33:19
61225. I don't believe it.
33:22
I don't believe that. I don't believe it.
33:25
There, you couldn't make me believe it.
33:27
His arms are 225 lbs by themselves.
33:30
Do you see the sides? Pull the picture back up and
33:32
he's. Dude and arms are.
33:33
Huge. He's built like Arthur.
33:35
Brown, for Christ's sake, built better.
33:38
Than Arthur Brown. This dude is nuts, man.
33:41
He looks like what he looks like Ronnie Coleman, Mr. Olympia.
33:47
His his stomach is he's he's not flexing.
33:51
There's the stomach is extended with ABS, like it's extended
33:57
outwards with ABS. That's crazy.
34:00
Like he's breathing out and his ABS are on top of the his
34:04
diaphragm. That's crazy.
34:06
Look at the size of his. Neck.
34:08
His neck is sticking outside of his ears.
34:13
What are we talking? His arm.
34:16
Look at his arms. He's got more veins.
34:20
Than Bill Snyder. Whose hand you can see?
34:26
In the top left of that photo, by the way.
34:28
Oh my God. I can't recover.
34:32
I can't recover from that. That's that's too good.
34:35
So OK, you're kind of you're slotting in.
34:38
Jay Harris is like he's he's the third down back.
34:41
Joe Jackson's the starter between between Fields and
34:46
Harris. Who do you think gets to 15
34:48
carries in a game first? It's.
34:52
A good question I. Honestly, the way Colin Klein
34:55
described how he wants to run the offense because Kellis
34:59
Robinette asked a great question.
35:01
What's the pace that you want to go to?
35:03
What's what are we thinking about for pace?
35:06
And he's and he basically told and, and, and no uncertain
35:11
terms. We're going to.
35:13
Hold this. Ball like he wants the he wants
35:16
to control the tempo. And that leads to me and with
35:21
Derek Young. And Derek Young is an insider
35:26
amongst all insiders. He knows what is going on with
35:29
this program. He's being told things.
35:31
And when Derek Young tells me and on his podcast says that
35:35
they want to run the piss out of the ball, I don't necessarily
35:38
believe that one guy is going to get all of them.
35:42
So 15 carries. 15 carries could be a lot.
35:46
That could be a lot for one running back.
35:48
I don't know if we might not get to one guy get 15.
35:51
I could see 131313. That's 36 carries.
35:55
How many plays do you want to run in a game?
35:57
Colin Klein? Do you want to run close to 100?
36:01
Do you want to run close to 90? Because if you got your running
36:06
backs with, you know, 3036 carries, that's half your almost
36:09
half your plays plus Avery's going to get maybe, you know,
36:13
1010 in a game 88 designed and two scrambies or maybe even less
36:20
6 carries designed and four scrambies.
36:24
You're going to be running the hell out of that ball.
36:26
So I mean, maybe 15 is a good number.
36:28
That maybe is a really good number.
36:30
I love that number. Actually, now I think about it,
36:32
who get who gets who gets their first?
36:38
I would. Say Joe Jackson or Harris,
36:42
because I feel like just because I haven't seen them be as
36:46
explosive as Rodney Fields. Now, mind you, Joe Jackson, when
36:49
he has, you know, a mile in between his blockers and he just
36:55
has a lane to run through, he's pretty explosive then.
36:59
But just between the tackles, I think those guys get more of
37:02
that and then Fields can get onto the outside and maybe make
37:07
somebody miss. So that's less carries because
37:08
he's getting more yards. I don't know.
37:10
That's how I think of it. And when and when you.
37:13
Got a room like this, or at least like a top three like
37:16
this? How?
37:16
How much do you put into riding the hot hand?
37:20
Let's say I I mean, if you've got a bona fide starter in Joe
37:24
Jackson, but say Rodney Fields is starting to rack it up for
37:28
like he pops off yards of. Carry.
37:30
Yeah, he pops. Off a 12.
37:31
Then a 17, then a four, then a, you know, a six.
37:34
Kind of like Joe Jackson. Against Utah last year, I guess
37:37
you. You've got to keep feeding them
37:39
the rock, but it's just like the for the longevity.
37:43
Why have so much depth with talent that you know, you want
37:46
to see the field? Why load them up on carries?
37:50
Because if, if, if they're all bought into this notion that
37:53
we're going as a unit, as us three being merged Megatron
37:59
style into one running back and our numbers together is, you
38:04
know, incredible. Why keep?
38:07
Why? Load them up.
38:08
Why do that? Why have somebody take 23
38:12
carries when you don't have to? If they're all efficient and
38:16
they're all going now, I mind, mind you, I do want I mind you,
38:21
I'll say this now, but like Rodney Fields busts off a 15,
38:25
then a, a an 8, then a another 12 and whatever.
38:28
And then they take them out and I'd be like, whoa.
38:31
And then Joe Jackson gets a a gain of two.
38:34
I'm be like, why the fuck is Rodney Fields out of the game?
38:37
So you yeah, it's that's just the.
38:40
Fan brain in me. But for me, I think I would love
38:45
to think that it's communist style.
38:47
Everybody gets a little bit of everybody gets a little bit of a
38:51
share. Nobody gets too much.
38:53
We're all we're all comrades. All right, all right.
38:58
Just like college football. Conferences are all right.
39:01
My last question, buying or selling?
39:04
This bold prediction? All three finish with meaningful
39:07
roles. Are you buying or selling?
39:10
Oh, I'm buying that. I'm buying, yeah.
39:12
I, I I just don't think there's a way that one.
39:15
I just don't think there's a way that Rodney Fields drops off.
39:18
I don't think there's a way that Joe Jackson is talked about the
39:22
way he's talked about as a leader on this team.
39:24
And he doesn't have a role now. Harris, if he is just, you know,
39:29
if he's just a bodybuilder in pads and he's not very good at
39:33
running the ball, then yeah, I could see him dropping off.
39:36
But I don't think that's the case.
39:38
I think that he can get it done. So I don't, there's no reason
39:42
for my height to die down and say that there's not a role for
39:45
them. But like I said, if they're if
39:49
their strategy is a Deuce Von DJ Giddens type of thing where
39:55
there's only room for 2 running backs, then Harris might be the
39:59
third guy cut out. I just don't.
40:01
I just can't see that that happening because I think that.
40:04
You have so much quality in those three that.
40:10
You know, I don't think that. There's a way I, and you asked
40:13
the question earlier that I think I just completely skated
40:15
by. Is this the deepest room on the
40:17
team? I think there's one.
40:21
Other room. On offense.
40:24
That can compete, that is. Going to do it for us today.
40:29
Thank you for listening to all the position group previews.
40:32
If you're listening to this, you're either listening to one
40:34
of them or the wrap up episode. But we're breaking all these
40:37
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