Added physicality has Giles primed for big sophomore season

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The Texas Tech football team is less than two weeks away from opening its 2016 season against Stephen F. Austin.

Sophomore inside Y-receiver Jonathan Giles is making a big push to become a starting pass catcher, so we sat down with him for a one-on-one to discuss his growth and expectations for this fall.

Q: Well, you've got two weeks of fall camp in the books so far. Where do you feel like you're at with under two weeks left until the season opener?

"I feel like I'm doing a really good job of being more physical than I was last year. That was really one of the things that I needed to pick up on, just being more physical and running more crisp routes. I feel like I've done a good job of that, and coach (Eric) Morris has really helped me out a lot. I feel like I'm doing a good job with all those things."

Q: Speaking of coach Morris, both he and Kliff Kingsbury have talked quite a bit about the jump that you've made as a player from a year ago. What do you think the biggest reasons are for that?

"I feel like I need to give a lot of credit to coach (Rusty) Whitt. I think he did a really good job all summer of pushing me, pushing me farther than I think I ever thought I could do. He pushed me really hard in the weight room, made me stronger, and he also helped me on the field by making me faster. So, I feel like that's a big reason why I've made a big jump from last summer to this summer."

Q: You've been running with the starters at Y-receiver a lot in fall camp so far. How do you feel the competition with Ian Sadler for that starting position is going so far as you head into the first game of the season?

"Man, it's been fun. Me and Ian go at it every day. We compete. We're both super competitive, but off the field we still hang out. It's a brotherhood, so it's fun going against each other in practice. I look forward to it every single day."

Q: Think back to this time last year. How different does it feel for you going into your second year of playing receiver at Tech now after not really playing much receiver in high school?

"It's a lot different. I feel like I'm way more comfortable than I was at any point last year. At this time last year, it was my first time playing receiver in a long while, so I had to really get used to blocking and running routes, because I hadn't done either one of those things in so long. This year I've gotten way more comfortable, and I look way better on film. It makes me feel good to watch film now because I know I look so different."

Q: Where do you feel like you all are as an offense after two weeks of fall camp?

"I feel like we're rolling, especially at receiver. I feel like we have so much talent around. You just look around. I have a talented receiver on my right and two other talented receivers across on the other side of the field, so I feel like the receiver position group is great. I feel like we'll for sure be ready for the first game."

Q: Has it been more competitive this fall with both the talent level and seemingly so many different guys competing for starting jobs?

"It's competitive. Last year, the second or third team, you'd see a difference. now, this year, the second and third team play like the first team because of how much talent is in the mix. It's just so much fun to watch."

Q: Of the rest of the receivers, who do you feel like has had a really good fall camp so far?

"It's fun. I think pretty much everybody has had a fall camp so far, especially Cam Batson. That's one of the guys I work out with, so I pay attention to him. I feel like he's done a really good job at the H position. Also, Tony Brown has done a really good job out at the X position even though he's been banged up a little bit, but he still goes hard every day and makes plays."

Q: The young guy that everyone seems to be talking about on offense is true freshman T.J. Vasher. What is it about him that you think has helped him really make a jump here lately?

"It's so much fun watching him, especially on jump balls. My eyes get big when they throw jump balls out to him because of how tall he is and the crazy wingspan he has. It's fun. When I see him up at the goal line, I start yelling, 'Throw him the fade! Give it to him!' He can always come down with the ball, he's very athletic, and I just love seeing him play."

Q: How much different do you think this offense will play because of the height on the outside at receiver now with guys like Vasher, Derrick Willies, and Dylan Cantrell?

"It's gonna be a lot different. The inside guys will handle the long inside routes as always, but when we get to the goal line, it's going to be much easier for Pat (Mahomes) because of the height. He's gonna be able to throw it up basically any time he wants."

Q: As a receiver, what have you seen from all these defensive backs? What do you think about those guys and where they're at?

"I like them a lot. They're out here making plays. You can tell it's a big difference from what it was last year. They're way more confident than they were last year. I feel like they're making a lot of plays, especially Paul Banks and D.J. (Polite-Bray), so I've really liked it."

Q: And has that made things more competitive between the offense and defense than it's been in the past?

"Oh, it's very much so more competitive than it was last year, especially in one-on-ones. We go at it, talk trash. We're all competitors, even in blocking. It's insane. We all talk trash, but it's in good fun. We're all having a good time."