Interview: Everyone Excited to See 4-Star 2023 QB Jaden Rashada Sling It This Season
Written by Ryan Wright
Twitter: @RyanWrightRNG
After a freshman year learning on the varsity sidelines with Liberty High School, the coaches at Pittsburg now have a rising star in the pocket with Jaden Rashada. The recruiting world is as excited as it can possibly be about the 6-4, 183-pound, field general. Watching reel on Rashada from Liberty’s pre-season scrimmage and game action against Division I California defenses, Rashada enters his sophomore season with four-star recruiting status and seven offers in his drawer.
To cover ground on the offense with his new team, preseason workouts, and recruiting, Rashada stopped by the RNG Lab for a first-look confab.
Interview
Jaden, you have a really smooth stroke on your release. When you breakdown your throws tying with your footwork, what do you specifically work on to get that desired result?
I try to get my hips ahead. I have been working with Coach Danny Hernandez. I have been listening to him a lot. He’s telling me I need to get my hips ahead to jerk my upper body. It all starts with my legs. The more I work out more with Coach Danny, the better I will get.
With the Lions last season, how was your season split up between the different levels?
I played varsity at Liberty, and I will be at Pitt too. I played varsity my whole time at Liberty. Last season I was soaking everything in. They never moved me down to JV or freshman, they wanted me to learn for next year. Things changed, and I ended up at a new school. I had that backup role last year. Now I am at a new program competing, trying to win the job. We will see how that goes. I am way better than last year. I have increased on the physical side, mental part, and with my arm strength.
Running the Spread, how did you see your game grow throughout your freshman year?
Running the Spread, I liked it. It was super fun. Running the Spread, and we ran some pro-style, we were trying to get teams to bite on the run to go to the pass. In the Air Raid offense I am going into, I will get more opportunities to show the reads and shots I can take. It lines up better with me. I like the Air Raid offense. It should open a lot up for us this year.
How have you pushed your knowledge of the game forward this offseason?
I have been on an ESPN series called “Detail” with Peyton Manning. If I am not breaking down teams on our schedule, I will break down film on NFL and college QBs. It is the small details the separates the good ones from the great.
What is Detail, and can you give an example from “Detail” that you’re putting into your game or that has impressed you?
It is the small details the separates the good ones from the great. For example, it breaks down hiding your hand on play-action and how that makes a defense bite. That bite gives two more seconds to throw. The end sees the hand open and keeps rushing, but if he doesn’t see it, he hesitates. That’s one example of the differences in the details. I replay an episode five times all night with a notebook full of notes when I have free time.
What have you worked on with your receiving corps this offseason to prepare for the 2020 season?
I’ve been working with my receivers on the route tree and on some of the plays that we’ve learned so far online in Zoom meetings. We go to the field to try to run it in-person. Working on the field, we’ve tried to get that timing down. It is a new system. We are trying to get it down so in January there is no excuses because we have our timing down, great communication, and chemistry.
What are some of the routes in the playbook that you are throwing to this season?
Everything. You name it, we have it in the playbook. We have routes we can add to it depending on who we are playing. We run everything here. The offense is not limited to certain routes defenses can key on.
Are there any upcoming camps you may compete at as you gear up for the season?
Yes, I thought about going to the Elite 11. I’m not sure yet if I will attend that one or not. There is a QB Collective Camp coming up I may attend. I like competing and being around other QBs to see what they are doing. With COVID, you know how that goes getting in the way of camps and recruiting. I should find out soon if I am going to any of these camps.
Let’s talk recruiting. Which schools are showing interest?
Michigan, Georgia, Tennessee, Oregon, and USC. There’s been a lot of recruiters following me on Twitter. The ones I listed, those are the ones I heard their coaches are looking at me and their head coaches are following me. I know they are waiting for me to play this year.
How many offers do you have already?
Seven.
Which program was the first to offer?
San Jose State. They did it in-person in the eighth grade.
Very cool. Which programs were the last couple to offer?
My most recent offers were from Oregon State and Utah. Before that, it was Utah, Arizona State and San Diego State.
Rashada’s Offer Sheet: Arizona State, Auburn, California, Oregon State, San Diego State, San Jose State, and Utah
When the 2020 season gets going with the Pirates, what are you ready to showcase to the fans and college scouts?
I want everyone to see my humbleness on the field, my accuracy, the way I deal with pressure and how it brings out the best in me. I want them to see my arm strength, my leadership and how good of a teammate I am. That’s what I cannot wait for them to see, and who I am as a person. I look forward to that.
Jaden, it was great getting the interview in with you today. I appreciate your time and wish you success as you prepare for the 2020 season.
Thank you, sir.
Photo credit: LA Dimes; Jaden Rashada