SPEAKER_04 0:00

Welcome back to another episode of the Heisman Hopefuls podcast, where every week we talk to the best players in the country, regardless of program, regardless of position. I'm your host, Chris Houston, and today we're taking a trip into the American Conference to check on the emergence of two of the best quarterbacks in the country, Marcus Stokes of Memphis and Taven Jackson of North Texas. Both are near the very top of the national leaderboard in all the key passing categories, and both are the field generals for their team's explosive offenses. Further, both are where they are now after overcoming a fair amount of adversity, doubts, and the intense pressures of playing the quarterback position in this era of college football. Their stories once again touch on a theme that's as relevant as ever. It's not always how you start, it's how you finish. And as this year's Heisman races towards its finish, we're seeing a configuration among the contenders that is as rare as you can get. Namely the fact that there are at least three receivers with a pretty good shot at making it to New York. There's never been more than one receiver at a Heisman ceremony, and just eleven in total since 1982. And this year we could get three strange days indeed. But still, there's time yet for more quarterbacks or even a running back or two to leap into contention. No doubt we'll have a lot more clarity after this weekend's games. We'll start talking to a couple of those potential quarterbacks right after the music. Every program.

SPEAKER_05 1:34

Every position, every player.

SPEAKER_04 1:39

They are all Heisman hopeful. All right, up next is Memphis quarterback Marcus Stokes, who is quietly having one of the best seasons in the country through nine games. The six foot two, 210-pound juniors tied to the nation's lead with 25 touchdown passes. He's third nationally in passing efficiency with a mark of 178.5, fifth in passing yards with 2,532 big ones. He's also got 261 rushing yards to go with three scores on the ground. His 28 combined touchdowns are second best in the country. And all these great numbers have contributed to the Tigers having one of the best offenses in the country. Welcome, Marcus, to the Heisman Hopefuls podcast.

SPEAKER_05 2:19

Yes, sir. Thank you, Chris.

SPEAKER_04 2:21

Well, look, before we get to the rest of the interview, we always do this. We kind of start out by giving our viewers a little taste of what our guests can do. So we're going to look at a couple clips for you. The first one we're going to queue up. Our producer Owen's going to cue this up and we're going to have a look at it. I know you're on your phone right now, so this might be a microscopic view for you.

SPEAKER_03 2:39

No, I can see it.

SPEAKER_04 2:40

Yeah, you see it? Okay. So tell me about this play because uh I have some thoughts about this play.

SPEAKER_05 2:46

All right. Well, what's your thoughts first? Because you know, I can't really give away the sauce of our offense. You know what I'm saying?

SPEAKER_04 2:52

That's a good point. Well, I, you know, when I first saw you this play, I thought, oh, that looks like a little bit of Timmy Tebow right there, the what the stuff you're doing there. Like the little the lean in and the back and the little almost almost a jump pass. You didn't jump, but but tell me about that point.

SPEAKER_05 3:06

Um, no, yeah. I uh you know I took my slice gate and and went down the field. It's RPO. Uh it doesn't really look like it, but it's RPO. If I see the backers commit to the run, then I'll throw it right over their head. That you did too.

SPEAKER_01 3:19

Nice little nice little floater. Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 3:23

So on that play, you could have also felt like you could have also just gone just taken it to the left here, but it was an easy touchdown.

SPEAKER_05 3:30

Yeah, possibly. I I I probably I probably could have been able to run that in, but I mean I see JC pop wide open, so I was like, it's a no-brainer.

SPEAKER_04 3:37

Yeah, nice. How often how often do you guys run plays like this?

SPEAKER_05 3:41

Um every now and then, like whenever we get the chance, you know? Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 3:46

Yeah. All right. Well that's we saw that. I just wanted to show kind of a little bit of your style here. We're gonna go to the the next play. Owen, why don't you cue up our next play, which I think from what I first when I first saw it, it's kind of like correct me if I'm wrong, this is like a four verticals type play.

SPEAKER_05 4:02

Yeah, yeah, it it definitely is. Um we we use a lot of tempo, right, in our offense, and and we feel like that has an advantage to certain defenses, or if not every defense. And so whenever we get a chance to kind of just catch the defense on on their heels or anything like that, we're gonna take it. And um, you know, we tell our receivers to run a go until you can't no more. So um Stonker took a great route here. He's seen the opportunity to get behind the the DB. I looked off the safety, and I guess the rest is history, you know.

SPEAKER_04 4:32

That was a beautiful pass right there. Right in stride.

SPEAKER_05 4:34

Yeah. It can't do it without the O-line either, dude. They're back there, the running back's back there helping protect and too. Like that's a beautiful pocket. So everything kind of just clicked that play.

SPEAKER_04 4:44

Well done. You know, uh, so I gotta say, like I mentioned earlier, when I first saw you play, I thought you had a little bit of Timmy Tebow in you. And then of course I found out later that it made a whole lot of sense, giving that you went to Nice High, which is Tebo's alma mater. Uh, what do you think about the comparisons between you and the legendary Heisman winner?

SPEAKER_05 5:01

Yeah, I think it's cool um to be able to be in that, you know, part of history or in that conversation. It's definitely a blessing. Um, but at the end of the day, you know, just like anybody else, you want to create your own story. You want to create your own name. And um, you know, it's not like like not to sound like cocky, but I wanted the school to remember my name and not just be in like Tim Tebow. You know what I'm saying? And so um it's just kind of it's it's a blessing to be in that type of conversation in history, but at the same time, you I think you need to work on a pose, like maybe like the Stokes pose or something. Yeah, I haven't I haven't came up with anything yet, but it could be it could be in beta.

SPEAKER_04 5:38

Your high school coach called you the supreme leader. How did you earn that title?

SPEAKER_05 5:44

Um, I guess just from being there all four years. Um, being with him, and I think I was the first quarterback that he's coached in high school, uh coached drafts. I think I was the first quarterback that he coached in high school for all four years, like through freshman year all the way up to the senior year. Um and most of those kids, you know, stayed at the school. And and so we were all on a team and we were all very connected and everything like that. Like I wasn't the only leader on those teams, you know. Um, but at the same time, like when you're the quarterback, I guess, I guess when stuff goes wrong and when stuff is going good, like you get the blame and you get the praise. And so um, you know, that could be could be why he said it. But at the same time, my parents always told me that I guess I had natural like leadership abilities. And so um, you know, why not use them at the one of the most hardest positions, you know, in football? And so um I guess I guess that's where that's where I got it from.

SPEAKER_04 6:37

Have you always been that way, going back to little kid? I mean, even just playing pickup games in the schoolyard.

SPEAKER_05 6:44

Um, I would say so. Uh, like just organizing the schoolyard games, but it wasn't just always me, you know, like everybody would come together and everything like that. But um, no, I definitely had a voice when I was younger. So Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 6:57

You started your college career at Division II West Florida, had a great career there. You were named the Gulf South Conference Offensive Player of the Year last year, and you became a Harlan Hill trophy finalist, which is the, of course, the Division II version of the Heisman. Uh, tell me about what it was like being being named a finalist for that prestigious award.

SPEAKER_05 7:17

It was a blessing. Uh, I could only give thanks. And it was just, you know, to even be in that conversation and to even be on this podcast right now is just like a dream. You know, it's like a dream come true. And, you know, um not all dreams have uh have came true yet. You know, we're still we're still working there. But um at the same time, it's just all I can say is that it's been a blessing. Um, you know, I learned from my wrongs in my past and I could only move on from them. And, you know, not one thing, you know, um can kill a person. And so it's just um just moving forward, I guess, just all I can say is that it's been a blessing, you know.

SPEAKER_01 7:53

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_04 7:54

You know, not many people have heard uh too much about West Florida outside of Pensacola. What was it like going to school there?

SPEAKER_05 8:00

It was awesome. I it was actually, believe it or not, it was actually really hard to leave that school. Uh like I mean, I was there for three years, my you know, my true freshman year, I redshirted. Um, and then my redshirt freshman year and then my redshirt sophomore year, which was last year. Um, and it was just like, to be honest, it was really hard to leave that school because I felt rooted there. You know, I laid I laid down some roots with like my teammates and the coaches and and stuff like that. And um, but you know, I still stay in contact with all of them. I still keep up with them. Now that they're D1, I can watch them on ESPN, you know. Um, and so it's just it's really cool and it's it's definitely been a blessing to be able to be a part of, you know, uh West Florida's journey and have them a part of my journey as well.

SPEAKER_04 8:40

Yeah, you know, we're seeing more and more examples of D2 players coming up and playing well at the at the FBS level. It seems like for quarterbacks at least, just playing and getting reps, no matter where you are, is just incredibly beneficial for development. Uh so how would you rate your readiness for big time college football coming into this year versus how you were coming out of high school?

SPEAKER_05 9:02

Um, well, out of high school, you know, I'm still a kid. I mean, yeah, I'm 18 years old or whatnot, but um, I guess I didn't really get crazy developed until college, you know, like to where it's like, all right, now when you're in college, you got to start kind of getting prepared for the pros and stuff like that. And then everybody else in college football is trying to prepare for the pros. So everybody's playing at like almost a pro level in their head. You know what I'm saying? And so um, I guess that's the difference. Um, and then as a kid, it's like you're just you're in high school, you're a highly recruit or highly recruited, stars, whatnot, and and it's it kind of uh it gets to a high school kid. Like you're just you're just a kid at the end of the day. Um, but once you get to college and you realize that you're playing with grown men, like, you know, that's when it starts to like click and it's like, all right, now I gotta really like catch up to these guys because um now I'm playing with seniors. I'm I'm back at the bottom of the totem pole when I become a freshman in college. And so that's kind of like I guess how I took it. You know what I'm saying?

SPEAKER_04 9:59

Yeah. Helps to be a grown man now playing against other grown men, right?

SPEAKER_05 10:03

But yeah, yeah. Experience, I I will say, like, I feel like experience helps a lot, you know. Um being able to, you know, I get I get different levels of football or whatnot, but at the end of the day, in my mind, football is football. You know, if you can go out there and command an offense um like a pro or or or like a uh college quarterback, like you're gonna be all right at the end of the day.

SPEAKER_04 10:21

Last I checked, the football weighed the same over at uh West Florida as it does up at Memphis.

SPEAKER_05 10:26

So yeah, exactly. It's the same, it's different. I mean, we play with GSTs, but I mean, you know, at the end of the day, it's the same width, same, like you said, same weight and everything.

SPEAKER_04 10:35

So Yeah. So when it came time to move move up to the FBS, what were you looking for in a school?

SPEAKER_05 10:40

Um, I wanted to be, I wanted to be at a, you know, a like a great fit for me. Like the way I put it and the way I put it to my agent was like fit over financials any day. Like I don't I don't care how much, you know, money is being thrown at me or whatnot. Like I need to be in the best fit for me as possible. And when I came here and took my visit, it was kind of like a no-brainer. Like the head coach, personalities, like um, the just the coaches in general, like personalities like clicked instantly, just like with how I act and and how I am and with my family as well, you know. Like all my parents want is just for me to be safe because at the end of the day, I'm still in their eyes, I guess I'm their little boy, you know what I'm saying? But um uh nah, they just it's just it clicked when it came here. And um I knew I was gonna love my visit, but I didn't know I was gonna love it as much as I did when I got here, you know. Um, and so when I finally took the visit um with the dinner, the you know, just going over the offensive plays with Coach Deck and then just finally sitting down with Coach Huff and meeting all the coaches, like it was it was wonderful. The love was insane. So I just it felt real like Coach Huff was selling selling me reality instead of trying to sell me a dream, you know. And so that was like really important for me.

SPEAKER_04 11:47

You must have been so excited uh to get to uh uh the opener, right? Early in the UNLV opener, you you missed some throws early, but you finished strong in that game. Were you feeling nervous? What was going on uh through your head?

SPEAKER_05 11:58

Yeah, no, no, I definitely I definitely was. I definitely was. I mean, I'm not gonna hide it. You know what I'm saying? Like first big game, and it was on a national stage, like nobody was really playing that week because it was week zero. And no, so I definitely had some nerves, but once I got them out of the way, I think we were rolling.

SPEAKER_04 12:13

So Yeah. What was going through your head on that first FBS snap?

SPEAKER_05 12:18

Uh believe it or not, I was like, please, like somebody hit me this play just so I could get that out the way. You know, like I guess I'm one of those quarterbacks. Like um, me and Coach Deck on the sidelines, he'll pat my shoulder pads and then hit me on the helmet just to like, I guess, get me ready. But I guess I'm one of those quarterbacks, you know.

SPEAKER_04 12:33

Yeah, you like to give and take contact, huh?

SPEAKER_05 12:36

Yeah, yeah, I like the physicality. I mean, I played all positions before. I mean, not like in high school, but you know, in in little league and stuff like that. So uh I never ran away from physicality.

SPEAKER_04 12:46

Yeah. You know, you've been remarkably consistent all season. Five of your nine games with a sterling efficiency rating of 190 or better. You did struggle once in a loss to Tulane. You threw three picks, but you bounced back in a big way the following week against East Carolina with five total touchdowns. Give me three tips that you have for bouncing back and overcoming adversity.

SPEAKER_05 13:06

Um, owning your mistakes. Um, I feel like taking responsibility for that game was probably the biggest part um of bouncing back. Um, and then kind of taking responsibility with myself, taking responsibility with the team, and then um learning and and watching the film and seeing how you can just improve from that. And all it came down to was just doing my job. You know, I tried to, and when things got tough, I felt like I tried to I had to do more for my team. And we talk about doing our 111th here, and at the same time, if you're doing more than one-eleventh, then at the end of the day, you're doing zero. And that's the type, or I guess that's the uh um how we kind of look at things over here. And um, I would say that's like really the process for it. So yeah.

SPEAKER_04 13:49

You uh had another big game against Army this past Halloween night, another five touchdown game and a 49-22 victory. How'd you guys celebrate afterwards? Did you get into costume?

SPEAKER_05 13:59

No, I actually I went home, turned on, I actually turned on the game to re-watch it um with my family and um kind of just just chilled the rest of the night. I I I didn't really do nothing. The game ended late too, so we I think I got home around like 11:30 or 12. So I was just chilling. I was inside for the rest of the night. And it was pouring rain, you know what I'm saying? So it was what what what better night not to just stay in the house?

SPEAKER_04 14:23

Yeah. Not a good time to trick or treat in the rain for sure. Uh if you could dress up as any quarterback in football history, who who would it be?

SPEAKER_02 14:32

Like for Halloween? Yeah. Um probably Eli Manning.

SPEAKER_05 14:39

I mean, I'm a Giants fan at heart, so uh probably Eli Manning. I think I've dressed as him actually before, like when I was a little kid. I'd have to go find the picture and show y'all sometime, but uh probably Eli Manning though, just because I'm a Giants fan.

SPEAKER_04 14:52

Yeah, we'd love to see that for sure. You send it over. Uh who's your uh who's your favorite player growing up? Was it Eli?

SPEAKER_05 15:00

Um I mean he was up there for sure. I remember me and my dad would always talk about um the year they won the Super Bowl with the helmet catch. And you know what I'm talking about? Uh do you remember that? And then David Correll. Yeah, yeah, exactly. Um we would always talk about that. Um, but no, I always loved watching um, I've always loved watching Aaron Rodgers, uh, Matthew Stafford's great to watch. Um, who else? Drew Brees was one as well. And then uh I did like I did like to watch a lot of Michael Vick too. Michael Vick was just like his running abilities and being able to throw the piss out of the ball, like that's just that was like really what I wanted to be when I grew up, you know, just like a quarterback that's able to extend plays with his legs, but not be a dual threat at the same time. Like, you know, like I look to pass first, obviously. Yeah. Um and like when I scramble and get out the pocket, I'm looking downfield, but um being able to have those two legs is just it's it's a blessing, you know. So I try to use them when I can and and uh at times where it's not gonna try and hurt the team, you know.

SPEAKER_04 16:01

Yeah, yeah, for sure. Uh you know, and this is the Heisman Hopefuls podcast, so I gotta ask, who's your favorite Heisman winner?

SPEAKER_02 16:08

Wow. Uh I don't know. I don't know if I have one.

SPEAKER_05 16:13

I don't know if I have one. I remember in uh in 20 or when we would play NCAA 2014, though, I did love to use RG3's year and Tim Tebow. So like when they did the road to glory or whatever it was, and you could like kind of like sim like a player in college football, I always used those two. It was either RG3 um or Reggie Bush. I also use Reggie Bush a lot, and then uh and then Tim Tebow. I would use those three.

SPEAKER_04 16:37

All right. Well, what's your favorite part about playing college football to close things out?

SPEAKER_05 16:42

I think it's the connections. Like, honestly, all football aside, um I think like I'm a big relationship guy. You know, I love being able to build new connections and new relationships. And um honestly, I don't know how many relationships I'd have if it wasn't for football, you know. And so um I still talk to people that I played with when I was younger, like like kid, kid times, and then I still talk to people that I played with last year. And so that's like, you know, some of those people are gonna be in my wedding when I get older, and some of those people might be at my funeral when I, you know, God forbid, pass away someday. And um, but like at the same time, it's just like I think my favorite part about football is being able to build those connections and relationships because I've seen from experiences like my dad, he's been able to create a bunch of connections and um through football. And I I guess that's just kind of always been rooted in me, you know.

SPEAKER_04 17:31

Yeah. Well said, Marcus. Well, thanks for coming on the Heisman Hopeless Podcast. Congrats on a great season so far, and good luck the rest of the way.

SPEAKER_05 17:38

Yeah, appreciate y'all. Y'all have a good one.

SPEAKER_04 17:41

Our next guest is North Texas quarterback Taven Jackson, who has found a home in Denton, Texas with the mean green after stops in Knoxville, Bloomington, and Orlando. Through eight games, a six foot-four, two hundred and twelve pounder is third nationally in total passing yards with two thousand five hundred and seventy-seven to go with twenty-two touchdowns against just five interceptions. He is completing a sterling 72.3% of his passes and has a passer rating of 176.81, which is fifth best nationally. Thanks in part to Jackson, the Mean Green lead the nation in total offense with nearly 540 yards per game. And they are second in scoring at nearly 44 points per game. It's one of the best quarterbacks in the country, which is why he joins us right now on the Heisman Hopefuls podcast. Taven, welcome to the show.

SPEAKER_00 18:27

Hello, guys. How are you doing? Thank you for having me.

SPEAKER_04 18:30

Thank you. Before we get to the rest of the interview, let's start out by giving our viewers a taste of what you can do. Tell you what, it's not easy to find uh whole lot of clips of you uh with the mean green online, but we I have a couple clips here. We're gonna cue it up. Owen, let's let's see what we got. Okay, so this is a play from last week, I believe. And I really like your ball placement here. Can you set this play up for me and tell me what you guys were looking to do?

SPEAKER_00 18:56

Yeah, it's just a two-man concept here. So if we had so it was an RPO, we had a run run tag here. Um so I told Jaheem to to block the edge here because I knew I was gonna throw it. Uh, we had just a pylon concept, and the ball had to be on the pylon. Um, and Kyle did uh an unbelievable job of getting getting back down to the pylon um and made an unbelievable catch.

SPEAKER_04 19:22

When you threw that, how'd you feel about that throw once it left your hand?

SPEAKER_00 19:25

Yeah, I I saw him, I saw the guy the defender on his hip, so I knew I had to lead him a little bit, and then you know, I threw it before he got out of his break, so I couldn't really tell where he was going, but it was it was called pylon, so stowed to the pylon, he's got to be there, and and that just goes to our our relationship and chemistry that we have.

SPEAKER_04 19:44

Yeah, are you aiming at a spot there? Are you looking for the pylon? Is that where you're shooting?

SPEAKER_00 19:48

Yeah, right there on the pylon. Um and and so he he technically wasn't right at the pylon, but that's just kind of where the area of the throw needs to be. And I kind of saw him come out of his out of his break and just knew where I had to throw it.

SPEAKER_01 20:04

All right, very cool. Let's see the next play there, Owen.

SPEAKER_04 20:10

All right, this play is I thought this was an interesting play because it's kind of like a half roll out to the right or even almost like a half sprint out, and then you're kind of throwing it back against the grain. Uh set that play up for me.

SPEAKER_00 20:22

Yeah, this is uh this is a boot. This is boot protection. Um, I'm supposed to be on the on the move here. It's just a smash concept uh to the field with a backside drag. Um so they took, I think I can't really see the I I remember that I think they played cover two. Um so they took the hitch and took the corner out of it with the with the safety. And uh Tipton did an unbelievable job of getting to his spot on the drag and um just kind of made the play there. And what a what a fantastic play by him spinning off that. The touchdown dance was better.

SPEAKER_04 20:54

Yeah, I was gonna say this is an excellent touchdown dance here.

SPEAKER_00 20:57

Yeah, that's that's the Texas dance right there.

SPEAKER_02 21:01

The bend.

SPEAKER_04 21:04

Well, look, you know, it seems like after sampling a few schools, uh, you fit really nicely with this mean green offense. What would you say the main differences have been between Tennessee, Indiana, UCF, and now North Texas from the perspective of a quarterback?

SPEAKER_00 21:18

Yeah, I just think it comes with experience. You know, I I've been in a lot of offenses. I've played college for a long time. Um, and so just taking all that in of where I was, uh the schemes and everything, the coach, everything the coach has taught me, and then implementing it into this year, being my last year, has really helped me uh, you know, seeing seeing protection, seeing, seeing defenses, uh, seeing blitz and everything. So it helps me, you know, be calm and and play a little bit faster. Um, but I think the biggest thing about this offense is trust. I think Coach Brown trusts us a lot. Uh you know, we put him in bad situations sometimes, third and long. Um, and so uh he trusts us to go off. there and you know not to not to not to make the uh play worse but you know to to see if we can uh get the first down and and it usually happens so he he he he has a lot of trust in us and I think that's the biggest thing uh with this offense you've had to learn four different playbooks are the terminology amongst the four I mean do they end up being kind of similar what's the biggest difference when you when you compare those schematically it it's all the same um you know route progressions you know it it's all the same progression uh base and and and you know every offense um but you know the thing that we do is we're we're we're high level at everything you know we're high level at the run game our tight ends we we get we get our tight ends in in the pass game and they and they pass for take really well so we're very dynamic in in in all three areas yeah also each school kind of has a different personality right as far as some are maybe like Indiana maybe is a little more defensive oriented at least they are now uh ball control and of course North Texas is just you know dynamic offense what are some of the things you learn from each stop along the way and and the things that you now are able to kind of cobble together when you're playing right now for North Texas Yeah I think I I mean I learned a lot from Tennessee it was almost air raid uh we had wide splits one side of the of the field reading um and so and then going to Indiana with uh uh coach Allen and Walt Bell you know we ran a lot of speed option and so that was new for me but it got me ready for the offense that we ran at UCF you know we were we were pro style uh we ran the speed option a little bit but we also you know drop back pass and so just taking all those things and implementing into this offense that we run um and and and to be frankly honest with you like we run with this offense we run everything that I've ran at Indiana at at Tennessee and at UCF.

SPEAKER_04 24:01

Did that make the install of the offense when you came as far as learning the playbook since it uses so many different concepts was it generally more difficult to pick up?

SPEAKER_00 24:09

Yeah it was a lot easier for me to pick up just being in my fourth offense um but everything that we do I've done before but the terminology is different obviously like with with signals and you know what what type of routes are or what's being called and what they're called so that's the only you know that's the only thing like you you got a con two man concept that might be called bass uh at Indiana but then it's it's called you know rust here. So that's the only thing that you have to and then the the the bad part is when when you have a two-man concept and it's and it's called what it's been called at other schools and and it's like oh jeez. Yeah and then you start you start remembering from your past.

SPEAKER_04 24:51

Yeah I gotta think like this these terminologies like pop up in your head and you have to sort of be like oh no that's not that's not this place.

SPEAKER_00 24:57

This is the other place right yeah like a three by one concept that's called I don't know flood um and then it could be called flood here but it could be if it could be different. And so you gotta so every school you go to you just gotta kind of eliminate everything you learned.

SPEAKER_04 25:14

And so that's unlearn you have to unlearn stuff as you're learning right yeah yeah that's the perfect thing to say. You've made tremendous progress as a quarterback this year but it had to be tough to to go from uh place to place and and wait for your turn to shine uh give me three tips that you have for other quarterbacks who are going through the same thing right now.

SPEAKER_00 25:35

Yeah I think the first tip I would give is just you know be in the moment. I remember as a young kid I would always look for the future of like you know when my when's my time coming you know everything has to be aligned perfectly and and I I just I was so focused on the future and so focused on the past that I you know I wasn't in the present. And so if you're in the present all the time the only thing you can worry about is the next play or the play that that you're that you're about to run. And I've really I've really learned that this year. And then another one was just you know stay calm and stay poised. You know you never get too high never get too low because playing quarterback man it's it's tough. People say it's the hardest position in sports and I I truly I truly believe that um because there's a lot of highs and lows and you can't let yourself get low and stay there or you're are you and you know you're done. I mean we've seen it across you know college football and and it's just especially being a quarterback man it's you play bad man your job's taken. I mean we're seeing it around college football so stay in the moment not to think about those things and you know and the the third one I would say just believe in yourself believe in God um and everything is going to work out yeah it's a kind of a dog eat dog world in college football right now at the quarterback position that's for sure it's it's getting ruthless man you you you you click on the TV on Saturday and the quarterback you think that's playing might not be playing I think I know you might be talking about I mean I've been in that situation.

SPEAKER_04 27:03

Yeah you entered the season without a single 300 yard game to your credit you now got five uh you've made the Davy O'Brien midseason uh watch list for that award what what do you think finally clicked for you beyond just being around for so long and being older but like what do you think really clicked for you on the field?

SPEAKER_00 27:21

Yeah I think physically um I really didn't lack anything. Obviously I could work on some things but it was all mental for me. It's back to what I was saying is just being in the present. Like I wasn't I just feel like when I was young I wasn't truly in the moment um at times and I was always you know thinking about other stuff or think thinking about stuff that I couldn't control. And so this past offseason I really dove deep into uh a book called Inner Excellence and it's really it's really has shown me the importance of being in the moment and and being in the present. And so I just try to take those things. I'm still not perfect man I still struggle with you know being high and low so just because I'm a competitor but I I think that's the biggest thing that that that's been you know that I have I've had to work on is just the mental side of the game.

SPEAKER_04 28:09

Yeah. Tell me more about this book. You know a lot of times coaches give a book to a player and I'm sure the player kind of looks at it a little bit and and maybe it helps, maybe it doesn't like what what motivated you to to seek out this book? Did did someone recommend it to you? How did you end up uh reading it?

SPEAKER_00 28:25

Yeah I remember I was we were in a quarterback meeting and then uh coach Brown popped his head in and and wanted to you know have a conversation with with me in his office and he he handed me this book and um I was kind of thrown off a little bit because you know I I don't really read a lot of books if I'm being honest. And he was like man uh the author just came and and spoke to spoke to the staff and I really want you to read this book and he started giving me chapters to read and it wasn't just like hey hey Tay like read this book because we all know like if he would have just done that I probably would have never read read it and he was like hey read this book and the next day give me a summary on each chapter. So I was like okay I I mean I got to read this book because I'm not gonna go come in the coach's office empty handed. And so um I started reading it and I when I I started reading it reading it and I started gaining confidence as I was reading it. And I was like oh so that's what the monkey mind that's what the trickster is in my head that you know sometimes when I'm out on the field I start thinking those negative thoughts and then you get into this you know this shell of trying to save yourself. And and the funny thing is is Coach Brown knew all that before he even gave me that book. He knew everything that I struggled with uh because we had we've had conversations uh one-on-one and so he told me to read this book and and I read it and I and I just take little little parts of it I read them I read it pregame I get my mind uh ready to go uh mentally and then I just kind of let let free let let it loose you know play with love play with wisdom and play with freedom and so and that's what I try to do every game and it it's helped me what's the the one thing that that book tells you like if you want to go read one passage or one line before a game what would you read? I think I would read I think it's chapter three or something it talks about uh the trickster in the monkey mind it talks about your inner your inner conscience um of the way you think and and sometimes uh the stuff that you're saying to yourself and sometimes sometimes the the things that you're thinking aren't true and I and I didn't I didn't know that because I'm still young and I haven't experienced the full life yet and I didn't understand that and I always was questioning myself before this season of like what what why are those negative thoughts happening like what why am I thinking about you know those things because everyone we're human we're always we always you know think negative sometimes and so just mastering and and having knowledge of of what it really is to get a to get a grasp of it and and to use it you know in your benefit and that's that's really helping the trick or monkey mind are are are your is your conscious of what you're telling yourself.

SPEAKER_04 31:19

Yeah. And the monkey mind is that like the like your your instinct like the your you're the monkey like the in the evolutionary aspect of things?

SPEAKER_00 31:28

Yeah it's like if you if you would make a mistake um and it it your mind would give you your path like you making that mistake in the past of and then what have what has happened. So all the mistakes that I made in the past if I would throw a pick and then I would throw a pick this year it would show you that exact moment of where you were in that moment um in the in the past oh here we go again like oh here we like you're not gonna be able to get out of this or oh you threw a pick like you're always gonna throw picks or you're always gonna make a bad decision. And so I had to master that of hey you know that's not true. Like let's worry about the next play um and let's do everything that you can and let's do everything that you can control. And so when you kind of master that you kind of play with freedom a little bit and I know that every game um my dad always comes up to me and it's like hey man you look poppin' out there you look like you're playing free and I'm like I am dad like I I don't I don't care what happens because I'm not in control. Like I'm not in control of the the the result if we win if we win or lose because it's football and everything has to go perfect to to win. It's not just all one guy. And I feel like when I was younger I always thought man like I had to be the guy that that made the big play or or I had to be the guy that that won the game and I was not giving any trust in the other people around me. I was being selfish. And so when you eliminate all those things and you go out there and you just you're with your boys and you're just playing and you're playing free and you're just letting you're letting your conscience just do its thing it it it's it's a beautiful thing. Honestly I I can't wrap my head around it of what's happening uh but all I know is I just try to focus on the moment how I can be in the present and you know what's the next play very interesting you know speaking of your dad let's go back to Greenwood Indiana for a second come from a family of athletes your dad uh played cornerback for a great 1997 Washington state team uh your sister played volleyball uh aerial played volleyball for uh Indiana your brother of course trace starred for the Hoosiers is now in the NBA what kind of competitive environment did you have growing up who was the most competitive person in that group um man that's a hard question because you know they're they're both high level athletes uh I would I would probably say I am because I'm I'm the youngest um and I've seen everything um but man yeah you go back to say you said all the stuff that they've done like it it it it was tough for me when I was younger um because I had so much you know I had big shoes to fill and so having that pressure uh was was tough for me um but it was it was great because um I got to learn how to be competitive I got to learn like not everything is gonna get you know be handed to you like you might have to be you know you might have to take an ass whooping to to get a W. And so that I I've learned I learned that from a young age and just being around them and their knowledge um of sports and you know the the the mental side of it uh has really helped me with everything maybe saving saving the best for last year right that's the plan does dad still bring up that Rose Bowl loss to Michigan you have no idea you have no idea he brings it up all the time uh Washington State yeah um he always brings up the stories about how Tom Brady was the third string quarterback on the on the Michigan team and and we all know how that panned out so yeah uh they had a good team they just yeah they they let it they let one slip away I mean they have a I mean they had Charles Woodson too so he always about guarding Charles Woodson and I I know those aren't good stories.

SPEAKER_04 35:26

Well yeah uh Ryan Leap was a pretty good player at his own right for sure on the Washington State. So what has your brother taught you about handling yourself as an athlete now that he's in the professional ranks and dealing with all the attention dealing with all the spotlight.

SPEAKER_00 35:41

Yeah he he's taught me a lot dealing with pressure and what what comes with um what comes with playing good and playing bad. Obviously I have been in the situation where playing bad most of the time and so he he's taught me a lot a lot of a lot of calls that we've had uh after bad games of him just you know trying to build my confidence up and and telling me that it you know it's gonna be okay because you know he's been in that those situations um but I feel like we learn me and my brother's relationship we learn um from each other and so he he's done a lot he he'll probably go down on the hall of fame of Indiana basketball and that was that was incredible to see a player playing at that high of a level and the status and everything that that you know that came with that just being being a younger brother and seeing that has really helped me through this process that's going on right now.

SPEAKER_04 36:35

It sounds like you guys have like to kind of browse each other a bit when he left Indiana you you publicly asked him to stay one more year and and uh he called you a troll do you still like to troll each other or stuff like that?

SPEAKER_00 36:46

Man all the time he he texts me all the time like every hey man why you miss that throw hey you need to run a little like it's always it's always something with us where we're you know it's it's all love though. Um I mean I watch his games all the time and I'm always like Tracy need to shoot the ball more man you need to score like it's just all it's all love and you know I want the best for him and it's always been that way.

SPEAKER_04 37:10

Could you beat him one on one in basketball if he played left handed?

SPEAKER_00 37:14

He is lefty okay if he played right handed my bad um uh that people ask me that question all the time and it's um I always say can he has to be out of the paint if he if he if he plays in the on the perimeter I have a chance um yeah I don't know the percentage of that chance but I have a chance uh but I always told a lot of people that he he he's uh they always they always say that he can guard uh he can guard well against guards you know point guards and shooting guards and I always told people you know that's that's because he had to guard me his whole life yeah you were a pretty good guard in your day right yeah I was I was uh I was a pretty good basketball player um I love basketball but you know football was the route to take out of high school and so I still play all the time.

SPEAKER_04 38:05

Your first start at North Texas came against Indiana the defending champion on Big Newton kickoff what was that like coming back to play in Bloomington against your old teammates?

SPEAKER_00 38:15

Yeah it was a surreal moment. It was uh I think it was a turning point for my career. Um I just remember all the the hatred that I had toward coach Signetti uh because he didn't give me a chance and um it was it was killing me inside and until about two weeks before that game I I I had to I had to really dive deep and and do some soul searching and and really forgive uh coach Signetti because ultimately it's it's like I was I was I was being mad for no reason because he gave me an opportunity uh to play in some games when I was there and you know the cards didn't fall uh the way I wanted and that's and that's totally fine and and I had no I had no hard feelings. And so when I when I did that and I truly let go of the path um it helped me in that game. And I I truly feel like if I if I didn't do that um I would I would have I would have spiraled in that game just because of all the you know tension and and pressure that was on that game of coming back home. But again I just I just played free in that game and it it was very it was very freeing in that game and that was that was a turning point and we had 70 new guys playing the the defending national champion champions and so that was it was a very you know mentally going into that game it was it was like oh we're gonna see you know who's about it. And so after that game it really opened up our eyes that you know we could be who we say we we we want to be.

SPEAKER_04 39:46

Yeah. Did you say anything to Coach Signetti afterwards?

SPEAKER_00 39:49

Uh no I didn't uh but he he he sent me a text message and uh he congratulated me and the way I played and so that was that was good uh good to to hear and see. Yeah seems like the the book Inter Excellence probably helped you uh you know kind of deal with all that as well right yes it did yes it did well Denton Texas seems like worlds away from your other stops what were the main factors that led you to choose North Texas coming out of the portal yeah I just remember I don't like thinking about this because it's the past but I remember uh sitting on my couch and I had zero phone calls from any coaches um and I didn't know what I was gonna do um I didn't know if I was gonna play football ever again uh because no one was no one wanted to take a chance on me and so my uncle he's a receiver coach for Texas he uh he coached with uh coach Brown and the whole staff at Texas last year and uh I remember my dad was on the phone call and he was like I'm gonna uh reach out to Coach Brown um and see what he thinks and he reached out and Coach Brown watched watched the tape on me um and called me and said he wanted me to come here he said the job's not yours you got to you gotta win it and I was okay with that I just wanted a chance and so coach brown was the only person that gave me a chance when I was in the portal and and so you know there's a lot you could say like I didn't have a a choice of where I wanted to go um but I know that God God did this on purpose and and God knew where where he wanted me you know to be so I couldn't thank Coach Brown and Coach Allen enough for just the opportunity to even come and you know be on scholarship and and just be on the team.

SPEAKER_04 41:30

Well it's worked out great so far. One thing that Texans do that still confuses a Hoosier like yourself.

SPEAKER_00 41:37

Oh man I I don't think there's anything confusing um I think it's all the same maybe maybe the you know the boots uh if you wore boots in Indiana where I'm from you kind of like people give you a little second look it's not it's not normal. But you know just the the culture here that you know that that Texas has it's it's you know everyone's nice everyone's so you know so kind and so reassuring and so you know the the the brisket and and the barbecue here is a little bit better.

SPEAKER_04 42:12

All right uh a couple more we'll get you out of here uh if you could go back in time and throw a touchdown pass on your dad in his prime or dunk on your brother which one would you rather do?

SPEAKER_00 42:23

I would for sure dunk on my brother I was I was I can I've never done it before just because I haven't really had the opportunity to because I know that if I go up I might I might not come down yeah he's blocked way better people than me so I would definitely choose to to you know to put him on a poster I feel you I feel you and finally who's your favorite heisen winner that's a hard question I think you know Johnny Manzel and Joe Burrow gotta be my favorite ones just as Johnny just to be a like the way he makes plays with his feet um um and the running aspect but Joe man he was just a killer like he just had the killer mentality every game he was he had a chip on his shoulder um and he went out there and did it um and so I I I think I I'd pick Johnny Manzel and and Joe Burrow if I had to.

SPEAKER_04 43:24

Taven thanks for uh taking the time to share so many thoughtful uh details about your about your career it's uh been really fascinating to listen to uh good luck against uh Rice uh next weekend and good luck the rest of the season thank you sir I appreciate you guys well that does it for this week's episode of the Heisman Hopefuls podcast be sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel and to our social media platforms at Heisman Trophy and don't forget to make your voice heard by participating in the Heisman fan vote or just go to hopefuls dot Heisman dot com to vote for your favorite player. We'll be back next week with another snap link of the best of the best or perhaps a player or two who could yet make it to New York. I'm Chris Houston and this is the Heisman Hopeful podcast