Interview: Skipping football camps turns into snub against talented Arizona QB Cade Knox

Written by Ryan Wright

While it takes 11 guys on offense to execute a play, at least in theory, for Brophy College Preparatory three players stood out at the end of a 10-4 campaign last season, wide receiver Isaiah Oliver, running back Ryan Velez, and quarterback Cade Knox. Unfortunately for the Broncos Oliver is off taking his skill set to the Colorado Buffaloes but top running back Velez is back as is the main man under center Knox.

For those of you who did not see the Broncos play last year the one-two punch of Knox and Oliver was arguably as good as any in the nation. Very few of the Class of 2015 recruits had the game speed of Oliver and even fewer had the ability to sling the rock around the yard the way Knox did last season.

The 6’4”, 205 pound, gunslinger passed for 2,306 yards connecting on 24 touchdown passes but also showed he has a little bit of giddy up in his step. He rushed for 439 yards with another three scores proving to be more of a dual-threat, perhaps out of necessity, than most others under center with designed plays called to feature their running abilities.

When Knox was airing it out there was a good chance Oliver was pulling it down. He ended up with 1,352 receiving yards on 50 catches with 12 scores. Many of those 1,300-plus yards were thrown with Knox showing the fortitude to not only deliver a dart under duress but lay it out beautifully in stride for the one guy who could out run just about every defensive back on Brophy’s schedule in 2014.

Knox took hit after hit running plays from under center or out of the shotgun but kept on delivering. Many of the plays one can see on Knox’s highlight reel are back foot throws some 40-yards down field with a facemask on his.

Offers have come down the line but not as many as one would expect considering Knox’s proven worth. Bowling Green, Fresno State, Tulane, UNLV and Ivy League schools Yale, Princeton, and Cornell have all offered with many other schools on the fringe showing various levels of interest. Those schools include Washington, Arizona, Arizona State, Cal, Colorado, and Northwestern.

Among the many questions asked, like why have I not heard of Knox before, why is there not more publicity of Knox, or why does he not have more offers… the reason is simple, he has bypassed nearly all football camps over the past two years. No camps, no extra evaluation, no national media coverage, and no bump in the “star” rankings.

Skipping football camps has not been necessarily unwillingness on his behalf to compete or showcase his skill set in front of college coaches at one-day camps. He also plays baseball which has overlapped many top camps across the country. But believe one thing, this kid can play.

 

In a Recruiting News Guru exclusive interview I sat down with Cade to go over his 2014 season, his offseason workouts leading into the 2015 season, and got a recruiting update in the process.

 

Cade, Brophy had an auspicious start to the 2014 season going 1-3 in your first four games including a very tough opening game loss to eventual national champs Bishop Gorman (44-0 in Las Vegas) before reeling off nine straight wins into the third round of the playoffs. How did the season go for you last year and how will the early season adversity from last year help the 2015 squad?

“Last season, to start off especially, we lost our middle linebacker. He tore his ACL in a scrimmage the week before Bishop Gorman. The team definitely felt that, he was the heart of our defense. It took us a couple of weeks into the season adjusting without him and how we would play without him. We had to move on and replace that spot on the team.

“After we got that done, we had a 9-game win streak. There were a lot of tough teams we went through to win those games. I still feel like if we could go back and play those first four games again we would be 2-2 or 3-1. Definitely Bishop Gorman was a tough team to play against. Those guys were doing things we did not see for the rest of the season. We were able to adjust, were not able to see a better team the rest of the season. They were our toughest game and biggest environment game. I’ve never played in a state championship game but that crowd and environment was in sane.”

How do the Broncos look heading into the 2015 season?

“I think we look great. We lost a few guys. We lost our best wide receiver but we have a few young guys stepping up. I think we’ll have more depth at all positions. I think we’ll be one of the best in state with an opportunity to play for a championship. I hope we win it.”

Will top running back Ryan Velez and his 1,087 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns coming back to Brophy in 2015?

“Yes.”

You mentioned you lost your best receiver from last season, Isaiah Oliver. How will the team replace his production in 2015?

“Isaiah is one of the guys that is pretty hard to replace obviously, almost impossible. Robert Brooks (Class of 2017), he was a young guy that played well for us last year. He’s a guy that I feel can fill in the shoes of Isaiah. Isaiah did a great job of teaching him things. He took him under his wing and taught him things. R.J. has always been a really fast kid and a deep threat. Isaiah also taught him how to get his body under control and run shorter routes. He’s even a little bit quicker now.

“I don’t think anybody in the state knows about Chad McClanahan. He’ll be a senior this year and I think he’ll be one of our top wide receivers. He’s going to be really good. He had a few catches for us last year but I think he’ll be great this year.”

What were some of the main things you learned as a starting quarterback going through the ups-and-downs of last year?

“Definitely helping guys stay on the same page. Throughout those first three losses you could see the team moral going down and the confidence started to go. But if you make sure people stay the same path and stay the course you can really continue to work through the adversity. I hope we don’t have any injuries this year but if we do I want to be able to help the next guy step up into that role. I want to know everyone’s role on the team to help them adjust.”

You’re listed as a pro-style quarterback but you have some wheels on you, do you see yourself a dual-threat?

“I don’t really know. I know a lot of people say I am true pro-style. I’m not quite sure about that because I feel like I can get out on the edge and out run a lot of defenders. At the same time I’ll stay in the pocket and take the hit. I’m not just quick to scramble out right away. I can do both but right now I am considered a pocket passer.”

That’ll be the best kept secret to your game then. Now, you have a gun for an arm. How far can you throw it?

“Farthest I’ve ever thrown it – this is a big thing Isaiah and I used to do. He would always say I could never out throw him. I’d go out there after about every practice – I think the farthest I’ve thrown it was about 78-yards in the air, that was a big accomplishment.”

Wow. We’ve talked about your wheels and your arm. Now let’s talk about your strengths on the field as a quarterback under center.

“You talked about it a little bit. I feel like I am able to take my drops and keep my eyes down field. If there is a guy that has bust through the line I’m able to avoid him really quick and still be able to throw it. I can set up right away and make the necessary throw. If a guy that gets in my face that won’t necessarily faze me. I can make the throw I need to make if I see my guy open. That’s the biggest thing, you want to feel the pressure not see the pressure and keep your eyes down field.”

Most of your snaps appear to be out of shotgun, how many snaps do you take from under center in a game?

“We run about 25 times, mainly spread shotgun but we definitely go pro-style under center every game.”

What are your goals for the 2015 football season?

“Definitely just improving across the board with all my stats. I want to get my interceptions down (eight). I felt like I did pretty well and came back from my injury. Being able to know everyone’s role on the team, all the offensive linemen, what their blocking scheme is so we can checkout of any play I need to checkout of. Being able to control the game in every aspect and have the game slow down in my head.”

Do you have any stat line goals you are looking to achieve?

“I’ve never looked into my stats. I’m hoping for like 3,500 all-purpose yards and like 35 to 40 all purpose touchdowns. I want to stay under six interceptions.”

You mentioned your injury previously. What injury did you have?

“Last year I was injured at the end of the year. I think it was the eighth or ninth game of the season against Chaparral. I got tackled after a throw and broke my left hand, my non-throwing hand.”

Did you break your hand bracing yourself on a tackle?

“No, it was actually a face mask in my hand.”

What was your best game in 2014?

“My best game was against Desert Ridge. We were playing them for the first time in the regular season. That game I won the state player of the week for that game. I had like 300 something passing yards and another 100 on the ground. I think I was around 14 of 19 with no picks.

“That game was a huge game for us as well. That was a team that kicked us out of the playoffs last year. To go out there and beat them and it was a shootout too. It was a close game. We needed every single yard we got. It was a close game to the end and a big win for the team.”

What honors did you earn at the end of last year?

“I was First-Team All-Section and I was Honorable Mention All-State. During the season I got two games where I was the Scholar Athlete (of the week).”

Let’s talk a little bit about recruiting and camps. You have seven offers and a lot of schools like Arizona, ASU, Cal, Colorado, Northwestern, and Washington showing interest, have you gone to any camps so far for the schools that are showing interest in you?

“No I haven’t actually.”

Is that an intentional miss on your part to not go to the camps or have some of the camps you want to go to just not come around yet?

“They’ve had some of the camps but I’ve been really busy. I play football and baseball. This past week I’ve been playing in baseball tournaments. I’m trying to balance those.”

What position do you play in baseball? Is it a good guess you pitch some?

“Yeah, I play outfield and pitch.”

What type of pitcher are you?

“I’m a power pitcher. The fastball, that’s my best pitch, and I throw a change up.”

How did Brophy do this year in baseball?

“We did pretty well. We lost in the second round of the playoffs. We are pretty much a good team every year but we had a streak of being upset in the first round the last three years. It was good for us to get a first round win but we definitely wanted to get further.”

What was your record as a pitcher this year?

“I think I was 2-0. I was more of a closer.”

How many saves did you have?

“I want to say six.”

Getting back on track, when you’ve talked to the different college coaches what type of feedback have you received from these colleges?

“They like that I have a strong arm. When I am on the move I keep my eyes up and I can see down field. They like that I can go from under center to shotgun, so I can run any offense. They like that I am a tough guy. They all know that I’ve taken a lot of hits and still make the throws that I need to make.”

What is your time frame on making a decision?

“To be honest, I really don’t know. I want to commit before the season hopefully. I want to take some visits before I make any decision. I want to make sure I like the school that I am going to before I commit.”

What are the main factors you will consider in choosing a college?

“First and foremost is education, that’s huge for my family. Second is finding a school that really wants me. I want to feel like the coaches want me there and want me in their system and truly want me to be a starter one day. I want a place where I feel like I can compete and start almost right away or within the first couple of years then have a chance to compete for that starting job.”

Have you taken any unofficial visits yet?

“I’ve been to ASU. Other than that, that’s it. I’m going out to Harvard and Yale in two weeks. I want to get out to UNLV and Fresno State as well.”

Most of the college camps are drawing to an end. Do you plan on attending any camps this summer?

“I’m going to the Harvard and Yale when I am up there but other than that no.”

What are you doing in the offseason to prepare for the camps and your senior year?

“I’m working a lot on my strength, I want to be strong and my speed as well. I can stay back there and take it but it definitely takes a toll on your body. Your body feels it. My goal is to be bigger and more durable. I don’t want to get injured this season. I want to be as strong as possible to go up against the big linemen and the big linebackers that we are going to face and maybe give them a hit as well.”

I’ve interviewed your teammate Connor Murphy before. He said he goes in his backyard and works out knocking around hot water heaters. Do you go over there and participate in workouts with Connor?

“I’ve been over there before, the water heaters, that’s a tough workout over there. Him and his dad, they’re crazy over there.”

When you watch football games during the season on Saturday or Sunday which quarterbacks do you watch to learn more about the game?

“I love watching Andrew Luck (Indianapolis Colts). He’s one of the guys I’ve liked watching over the past few years. He can take a hit, keeps his eyes down field, and run the ball. I think he’s a great quarterback. I love to watch Cam Newton as well. Cam Newtown, talk about a tough guy, he’s running power runs up the middle.”

Who has made the biggest impact on your football career?

“Probably my brother (Chase Knox). Growing up, he’s older than me by four years. Growing up he would always have me catch for him, he’s a quarterback. I was always around him and his coaches. I was learning by being by him. He was always making sure I was learning. Making sure everything was good for me as well. Talk about someone who has been with me overall through everything, it’s definitely my brother.”

Where is Chase at right now?

“He’s at a junior college, not sure where he’ll be going. He was at college up at Wisconsin, when Coach (Bret) Bielema (Arkansas) left he left as well.”

What is your favorite part of playing football?

“Playing football, I love being out there having fun with my friends and controlling the game. The quarterback controls the game, I think, more than anyone else in the game. My favorite part of the game is lining up before you call the snap count, look out at the defense and you are able to recognize, because you’ve done the film work, you know the play they are going to run on their side knowing the play you called will work against it.”

 

Beyond the physical attributes Cade has going for him on the field he also has a lot going for him off the field. He is carrying at a 3.75 GPA and scored 1980 on his SAT.

College coaches at the various Division-I programs may want to see film after three or four games of Cade’s senior year before making a final decision on whether to drop an offer or not. Perhaps they want to see how well he commands the game with Isaiah Oliver gone? Either way his seven offers are sure to hit double-digits soon assuring him of opportunities at the next level.

As for the 2015 season, with Ryan Velez, Chad McClanahan, and Robert Brooks on offense and Connor Murphy heading up the Broncos defense this Phoenix area team appears to be on the verge of something big in 2015. Through it all, win or lose, Brophy has a well seasoned leader commanding the game from under center.

The 2015 season should be a fun year of football for the Broncos and their fans.

 

Photo credit: yourwestvalley.com; No. 11 Cade Knox

Photo credit: Cade at Arizona State