By Kevin Lonnquist
Publisher
Key members of Baylor’s linebacker corps met with the media on Wednesday.
Josh White
(Transition to Baylor) It’s been real smooth. We’ve been working every day, day in and day out, and I feel like I’m getting better.
(Learning defense) My mom always told me don’t be afraid to fail but don’t fail too much. I’m learning, I’m failing, I’m correcting. It will be good.
(Is BU defense similar to LSU) There’s some similarities but we’ve got a lot checks and I’m learning still, but it will be good.
(Any difference in Aranda from LSU to Baylor) When I was at LSU, Coach Aranda had recruited me. Here he’s actually coaching me here. He’s the same guy who recruited me. He wants the best for me and I would do anything for him because I know he wants the best for me. I feel like he has a great track record of putting linebackers into the league, which drew me. I know what he can do, and that’s why I trust him so much. I know what he can make me.
When I was recruited by LSU, he said I have great speed. He laid everything out for me. He showed me the defense, he showed me where I could fit in their defense, and showed me what I could do, and I loved it. That’s what drew me in.
(Where are you playing now) I started off at the will backer and now I’m at the mike backer. I feel like moving me around will help me learn the defense even more, for sure.
(What are you working on) Standing square and knowing when to play fast and knowing when to slow down. Definitely pass drops also.
At LSU, I injured my labrum and was out for a year. But through that time, I attacked rehab and I feel like I came back even stronger. Even in rehab, I was studying the game all day in the training room. So I feel like I bounced back fast.
(In yellow shirt at Baylor for a while) I had a little injury. I was in concussion protocol. I had to have that yellow jersey because it was protocol. But I got out of that thing quick though.
(Dillon Doyle) It’s been great. He’s a good character guy. In summer camp when we were lifting weights, we were always watching film as a linebacker room. I love those guys because they all want to get better. They like to work and I like to work too.
Will Williams
(How’s the competition in the linebacker room) The competition has been insane. We got Matt (Jones), we got Dillon, we got Josh White out here I have to compete against, all of them have experience playing football and are really great athletes. It’s all about knowledge and who knows the playbook the best and executes the playbook to the fullest.
(Is there a chance to rotate guys) Yeah, we’re very deep at each position, especially the linebackers. With Terrel going to the draft, and of course Dillon has his spot secured, but we have me, we have Matt, we have Josh White, we have Tyrone Brown, all these people we can rotate.
(Seeing Terrel score for Bills) Watching Terrel get that scoop and score, I wasn’t surprised. He’s always a ballhawk. He’s always a leader. If he’s not on the field, he’s going to find ways to help people on the field even if he’s on the bench. I wasn’t surprised.
(Josh White) I’ve been staying at Josh’s place for a while. He’s a cool person, he really wants to learn the defense coming from LSU. He doesn’t really know the Baylor defense. But hanging out with Josh, it’s very cool to be around him and the energy he brings.
I’m at the will backer.
With Terrel leaving, we do get pretty worried about how people are going to be in the linebacker position. Obviously, I was right behind Terrel. Now we have Josh White coming in from LSU, we knew we would be deep at the linebacker position.
When I first came to Baylor, I was a safety originally. So I was working out with Grayland and Henry Black, so I knew how experienced those players were. When I moved to linebacker, it was a whole different ballgame. The safeties have their own section, and the D-linemen have their own defense. When you play linebacker, you have to know both sides. Being around Terrel you really learn.
(Move from safety linebacker) I wouldn’t say more physically but more mentally. You have to know the defense at the linebacker position because you’re pretty much the quarterback of the defense.
(What does culture mean to you in this program) When I think of culture, I think of family. I think we build our own family here at Baylor University where we keep pounding the rock. We have jackers and robbers. We find our own little things to motivate ourselves in practice.
(Who started jackers and robbers) That’s something Coach Caleb (Collins) came up with yesterday. We’re like in the midst of fall camp and it’s kind of dead, and it’s like another day another practice. Coach Caleb came up with jackers and robbers like if you take something from somebody you go to jail. So let’s take the football and be like jackers and robbers. I feel like in the past two days, we’ve had more interceptions and more forced fumbles than we had the whole call camp.
When you go to practice, you’re like I don’t want to mess up. But when you give yourself jackers and robbers, it makes you look forward to wanting to do something. You want to try to get the ball, and of course there’s a prize after. You get a pick, you get candy or a T-shirt or a bracelet. It’s more competition. So far the prizes haven’t been established, but I’ve got candy. I enjoy the candy.
Garmon Randolph
(the benefit of playing so much last year) Most definitely. Last year, I didn’t get to do a lot of the fall camp stuff. This is probably the most in-tune, up-to-speed with everything that I’ve been. So, I think it’s helped a lot.
(are you the tallest LB in college football) Probably, I would like to think so. I probably am.
(benefits and the downsides to being such a tall linebacker) Hypothetically speaking, it could be maybe pad level because I’m taller than everybody and I’ve got to get lower than everybody else. Other than that, that’s all I’m going to say. And then, the benefits? Length. You can’t teach length, it’s a God-given thing.
(play any D-end) Actually, when I first got here, freshman year, I did. And then, they moved me to Jack. But yeah, I could.
(Is Jack a good spot for you) Yeah, definitely. We’ve still got calls where I can get in a three-point stance. I still get in a three-point stance. It’s basically a hybrid. Get down, get up, either one.
(when you lose leaders like JT, Terrel, Jalen) We’ve got to raise the bar. Me, Matt Jones, Dillon (Doyle), everybody that came back, we’ve got to make up for what’s gone. We’re going to do it.
(does that come easily to you) I probably talked a lot, but not in the sense of leadership. So, I guess you could say it’s different, but it’s helped a lot.
(Is that a thing that's come easily to you? Or did you have to kind of get into the meat of it been a little more of a vocal guy)
I probably talked a lot but like, not in the nonsense of leadership. So I guess you could say it's different. But it's helped a lot that I had all of them here to help me with it.
(who else is at Jack) Tony (Anyanwu), we’ve got Jackie (Marshall), we’ve got (Victor Obi), we’ve got Bryson (Jackson). We’ve got a stacked Jack, I’m not even going to lie.
(makes you bring it every day) Oh yeah, most definitely.
(what separates this group from other teams) We’ve got so many people returning, it’s not like a new system for everybody. So, we’re kind of like: install, install, install, install. We just got it all from last year. I think experiences, that’s what I was looking for. That’s the difference between last year and this year. There’s new people coming in and it’s my first time.
Just we got it all from last year. I think experiences that's what I was looking for experiences helping us a lot of difference between last year it was new people coming in and it's my first time. I think it’s going to be good.
(working with OLB coach Caleb Collins, nice to have someone closer to your age) Most definitely. I don’t look at him like he’s my dad or something. We’re real close. We talk about real stuff on and off the field. So, he can relate to us. Not too long ago, he was in our position. So, it’s good.
(what did he do so quickly to come into this position group and form that body, that bond) You know, it was just him talking to us man-to-man. And like now, during this fall camp, during the meetings, we do this like, everybody grab a chair and sit down, and we talk about some real stuff. And it doesn’t have to be football, it can be anything, so we can become closer. We’ve got to know each other to play for each other.
(Jackers and Robbers) We had Take 3 when Coach Joey (McGuire) was here, so that was more of his thing. And him going to Texas Tech, we said we had to come up with our own them, our identity. So, Jackers and Robbers, I think that’s going to be staying around here at Baylor as long as Coach Caleb (Collins) is here.
Matt Jones
(how different was this for you coming into this camp after playing so much last year) I don’t see it as being anything different. I just see it as coming in and getting better and taking it day by day, new step. The only different thing I would say would be just moving back to inside linebacker. That would be the only difference. But yeah, just coming in here day in and day out working. Nothing really different. It doesn’t really feel different to me. It’s just me doing me.
(you’ve played Jack and inside LB, what do you like the best) Yeah, I believe inside is my home and that’s where I belong, that’s where I’m at my best. I’ve always been down at Jack, just because I knew we were weak at it in the past two years. I’ve been playing it, and we needed help, but I really feel like inside is my home, and I’ve never had that true opportunity or shot just to show everyone what I’m capable of doing at inside. So, I just feel like this year is going to be the true Matt Jones.
(what position) I’m full-time at Will (weakside backer).
(why do you feel like you’re better-suited inside) Just because it gives me a better opportunity to be in the box, outside of the box. At Jack, I’m really on the edge, I’m on one side. So, being in the middle, it gives me the ability to just fly to the ball. The ball could go to this side of the field, I’ll run to it, get there. If it goes to this side, I’m there. But at Jack, you’re on the edge, so if the ball goes away from you, it’s hard to get there. So, just being inside, I’m able to involve myself in all the plays.
(some things you could incorporate from playing Jack) Yeah, I would say my pass rush. Just learning all that at Jack, it carried on to inside. Whenever we’re in certain type of fronts, when I’m down on the edge, I just have to bring up that experience from Jack, and I’m able to execute it on a good level from just experiences from the past.
(when you lose a voice like Terrel, is it something that one guy can fill, or do you guys as an older unit just have to come through) Oh yeah, Terrel, he was the man, he was definitely the man, and I know I have some big shoes to fill. But Dillon Doyle, even with Terrel here, he’s done a great job of just taking charge, being a leader, getting to know every single one of the inside linebackers, every single one of them, like deep in the heart. He’s just really good at bringing everyone together, and he’s teaching me a lot, and I’m following off a lot of the things that he’s doing, and just come in and take his place for when he leaves.
(since you’ve been here, is this the best depth you’ve had with the linebacking group) Yes, I say that to Dillon maybe twice, three times a day. Whenever we’re doing drills, I’m like, ‘Geez, bro, we get a big break.’ Last year, we didn’t have this big of a break. We’ve got a lot of linebackers, a lot of depth. Even outside, when you bring the group together, it’s like the wide receivers group, it’s huge.
(how reassuring is it having that depth after losing some big guys) It’s good, especially being able to know that we have a lot of talent deep in the depth. It will be good for down the road, because I know a lot last year, I know Dillon and Terrel, they were getting most of the reps – 60, 70, 80 snaps a game, and later on in the season, it carries on and your body gets tired, you’re lazy, you’re dead. So, I know that having depth, we’re able to just play more than 11 every game on the front side of the ball, so it’ll give us a break and carry on down the road.
Publisher
Key members of Baylor’s linebacker corps met with the media on Wednesday.
Josh White
(Transition to Baylor) It’s been real smooth. We’ve been working every day, day in and day out, and I feel like I’m getting better.
(Learning defense) My mom always told me don’t be afraid to fail but don’t fail too much. I’m learning, I’m failing, I’m correcting. It will be good.
(Is BU defense similar to LSU) There’s some similarities but we’ve got a lot checks and I’m learning still, but it will be good.
(Any difference in Aranda from LSU to Baylor) When I was at LSU, Coach Aranda had recruited me. Here he’s actually coaching me here. He’s the same guy who recruited me. He wants the best for me and I would do anything for him because I know he wants the best for me. I feel like he has a great track record of putting linebackers into the league, which drew me. I know what he can do, and that’s why I trust him so much. I know what he can make me.
When I was recruited by LSU, he said I have great speed. He laid everything out for me. He showed me the defense, he showed me where I could fit in their defense, and showed me what I could do, and I loved it. That’s what drew me in.
(Where are you playing now) I started off at the will backer and now I’m at the mike backer. I feel like moving me around will help me learn the defense even more, for sure.
(What are you working on) Standing square and knowing when to play fast and knowing when to slow down. Definitely pass drops also.
At LSU, I injured my labrum and was out for a year. But through that time, I attacked rehab and I feel like I came back even stronger. Even in rehab, I was studying the game all day in the training room. So I feel like I bounced back fast.
(In yellow shirt at Baylor for a while) I had a little injury. I was in concussion protocol. I had to have that yellow jersey because it was protocol. But I got out of that thing quick though.
(Dillon Doyle) It’s been great. He’s a good character guy. In summer camp when we were lifting weights, we were always watching film as a linebacker room. I love those guys because they all want to get better. They like to work and I like to work too.
Will Williams
(How’s the competition in the linebacker room) The competition has been insane. We got Matt (Jones), we got Dillon, we got Josh White out here I have to compete against, all of them have experience playing football and are really great athletes. It’s all about knowledge and who knows the playbook the best and executes the playbook to the fullest.
(Is there a chance to rotate guys) Yeah, we’re very deep at each position, especially the linebackers. With Terrel going to the draft, and of course Dillon has his spot secured, but we have me, we have Matt, we have Josh White, we have Tyrone Brown, all these people we can rotate.
(Seeing Terrel score for Bills) Watching Terrel get that scoop and score, I wasn’t surprised. He’s always a ballhawk. He’s always a leader. If he’s not on the field, he’s going to find ways to help people on the field even if he’s on the bench. I wasn’t surprised.
(Josh White) I’ve been staying at Josh’s place for a while. He’s a cool person, he really wants to learn the defense coming from LSU. He doesn’t really know the Baylor defense. But hanging out with Josh, it’s very cool to be around him and the energy he brings.
I’m at the will backer.
With Terrel leaving, we do get pretty worried about how people are going to be in the linebacker position. Obviously, I was right behind Terrel. Now we have Josh White coming in from LSU, we knew we would be deep at the linebacker position.
When I first came to Baylor, I was a safety originally. So I was working out with Grayland and Henry Black, so I knew how experienced those players were. When I moved to linebacker, it was a whole different ballgame. The safeties have their own section, and the D-linemen have their own defense. When you play linebacker, you have to know both sides. Being around Terrel you really learn.
(Move from safety linebacker) I wouldn’t say more physically but more mentally. You have to know the defense at the linebacker position because you’re pretty much the quarterback of the defense.
(What does culture mean to you in this program) When I think of culture, I think of family. I think we build our own family here at Baylor University where we keep pounding the rock. We have jackers and robbers. We find our own little things to motivate ourselves in practice.
(Who started jackers and robbers) That’s something Coach Caleb (Collins) came up with yesterday. We’re like in the midst of fall camp and it’s kind of dead, and it’s like another day another practice. Coach Caleb came up with jackers and robbers like if you take something from somebody you go to jail. So let’s take the football and be like jackers and robbers. I feel like in the past two days, we’ve had more interceptions and more forced fumbles than we had the whole call camp.
When you go to practice, you’re like I don’t want to mess up. But when you give yourself jackers and robbers, it makes you look forward to wanting to do something. You want to try to get the ball, and of course there’s a prize after. You get a pick, you get candy or a T-shirt or a bracelet. It’s more competition. So far the prizes haven’t been established, but I’ve got candy. I enjoy the candy.
Garmon Randolph
(the benefit of playing so much last year) Most definitely. Last year, I didn’t get to do a lot of the fall camp stuff. This is probably the most in-tune, up-to-speed with everything that I’ve been. So, I think it’s helped a lot.
(are you the tallest LB in college football) Probably, I would like to think so. I probably am.
(benefits and the downsides to being such a tall linebacker) Hypothetically speaking, it could be maybe pad level because I’m taller than everybody and I’ve got to get lower than everybody else. Other than that, that’s all I’m going to say. And then, the benefits? Length. You can’t teach length, it’s a God-given thing.
(play any D-end) Actually, when I first got here, freshman year, I did. And then, they moved me to Jack. But yeah, I could.
(Is Jack a good spot for you) Yeah, definitely. We’ve still got calls where I can get in a three-point stance. I still get in a three-point stance. It’s basically a hybrid. Get down, get up, either one.
(when you lose leaders like JT, Terrel, Jalen) We’ve got to raise the bar. Me, Matt Jones, Dillon (Doyle), everybody that came back, we’ve got to make up for what’s gone. We’re going to do it.
(does that come easily to you) I probably talked a lot, but not in the sense of leadership. So, I guess you could say it’s different, but it’s helped a lot.
(Is that a thing that's come easily to you? Or did you have to kind of get into the meat of it been a little more of a vocal guy)
I probably talked a lot but like, not in the nonsense of leadership. So I guess you could say it's different. But it's helped a lot that I had all of them here to help me with it.
(who else is at Jack) Tony (Anyanwu), we’ve got Jackie (Marshall), we’ve got (Victor Obi), we’ve got Bryson (Jackson). We’ve got a stacked Jack, I’m not even going to lie.
(makes you bring it every day) Oh yeah, most definitely.
(what separates this group from other teams) We’ve got so many people returning, it’s not like a new system for everybody. So, we’re kind of like: install, install, install, install. We just got it all from last year. I think experiences, that’s what I was looking for. That’s the difference between last year and this year. There’s new people coming in and it’s my first time.
Just we got it all from last year. I think experiences that's what I was looking for experiences helping us a lot of difference between last year it was new people coming in and it's my first time. I think it’s going to be good.
(working with OLB coach Caleb Collins, nice to have someone closer to your age) Most definitely. I don’t look at him like he’s my dad or something. We’re real close. We talk about real stuff on and off the field. So, he can relate to us. Not too long ago, he was in our position. So, it’s good.
(what did he do so quickly to come into this position group and form that body, that bond) You know, it was just him talking to us man-to-man. And like now, during this fall camp, during the meetings, we do this like, everybody grab a chair and sit down, and we talk about some real stuff. And it doesn’t have to be football, it can be anything, so we can become closer. We’ve got to know each other to play for each other.
(Jackers and Robbers) We had Take 3 when Coach Joey (McGuire) was here, so that was more of his thing. And him going to Texas Tech, we said we had to come up with our own them, our identity. So, Jackers and Robbers, I think that’s going to be staying around here at Baylor as long as Coach Caleb (Collins) is here.
Matt Jones
(how different was this for you coming into this camp after playing so much last year) I don’t see it as being anything different. I just see it as coming in and getting better and taking it day by day, new step. The only different thing I would say would be just moving back to inside linebacker. That would be the only difference. But yeah, just coming in here day in and day out working. Nothing really different. It doesn’t really feel different to me. It’s just me doing me.
(you’ve played Jack and inside LB, what do you like the best) Yeah, I believe inside is my home and that’s where I belong, that’s where I’m at my best. I’ve always been down at Jack, just because I knew we were weak at it in the past two years. I’ve been playing it, and we needed help, but I really feel like inside is my home, and I’ve never had that true opportunity or shot just to show everyone what I’m capable of doing at inside. So, I just feel like this year is going to be the true Matt Jones.
(what position) I’m full-time at Will (weakside backer).
(why do you feel like you’re better-suited inside) Just because it gives me a better opportunity to be in the box, outside of the box. At Jack, I’m really on the edge, I’m on one side. So, being in the middle, it gives me the ability to just fly to the ball. The ball could go to this side of the field, I’ll run to it, get there. If it goes to this side, I’m there. But at Jack, you’re on the edge, so if the ball goes away from you, it’s hard to get there. So, just being inside, I’m able to involve myself in all the plays.
(some things you could incorporate from playing Jack) Yeah, I would say my pass rush. Just learning all that at Jack, it carried on to inside. Whenever we’re in certain type of fronts, when I’m down on the edge, I just have to bring up that experience from Jack, and I’m able to execute it on a good level from just experiences from the past.
(when you lose a voice like Terrel, is it something that one guy can fill, or do you guys as an older unit just have to come through) Oh yeah, Terrel, he was the man, he was definitely the man, and I know I have some big shoes to fill. But Dillon Doyle, even with Terrel here, he’s done a great job of just taking charge, being a leader, getting to know every single one of the inside linebackers, every single one of them, like deep in the heart. He’s just really good at bringing everyone together, and he’s teaching me a lot, and I’m following off a lot of the things that he’s doing, and just come in and take his place for when he leaves.
(since you’ve been here, is this the best depth you’ve had with the linebacking group) Yes, I say that to Dillon maybe twice, three times a day. Whenever we’re doing drills, I’m like, ‘Geez, bro, we get a big break.’ Last year, we didn’t have this big of a break. We’ve got a lot of linebackers, a lot of depth. Even outside, when you bring the group together, it’s like the wide receivers group, it’s huge.
(how reassuring is it having that depth after losing some big guys) It’s good, especially being able to know that we have a lot of talent deep in the depth. It will be good for down the road, because I know a lot last year, I know Dillon and Terrel, they were getting most of the reps – 60, 70, 80 snaps a game, and later on in the season, it carries on and your body gets tired, you’re lazy, you’re dead. So, I know that having depth, we’re able to just play more than 11 every game on the front side of the ball, so it’ll give us a break and carry on down the road.
