WSU Football: Connor Halliday Has Gained 20, Considers Himself to be NFL Caliber QB
By Josh Davis
The Washington State Cougars are going to be looking to their fifth-year senior leader this upcoming season to lead them above and beyond expectations again, Connor Halliday is up to the challenge. Not only is he finally mentally ready to compete at a top level, but he has also beefed up physically to handle the grind of the Pac-12 season.
In and interview with the Pac-12 Blog on ESPN, Halliday laid out why he’s more ready this year than any other so far.
"I think my biggest deal was gaining a little weight. I think I have a good concept of the offense now and I think I know what coach [Mike] Leach wants from me. So my biggest deal was gaining a few pounds. I was about 180 pounds last year, and I’m 200 to 201 pounds now. That has been nice to have that extra weight on."
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When asked about how it felt to be part of such a great conference of quarterbacks right now, Connor seemed to put himself in a position to be a top guy, which would put him in a position to be an NFL quarterback.
"I think it’s cool to be a part of that. Most of us are looking to have a shot at the next level and I think the guys, it’s fun to compete against each other. I know Sean Mannion and I were always bumping back and forth against each other in [Pac-12 leading] passing yards last season. So that was always kind of cool to check up on, see how he did. Obviously, Marcus Mariota should be a top-five pick next year and [Brett] Hundley‘s another great guy. You can go down the list. It’s a privilege to be a part of a conference that has such great depth at the quarterback position like this. I also don’t remember the last time a conference in college football has had six guys that have a chance to play at the next level all playing at one time."
So look out Pac-12 DB’s! The Cougars have a confident and able kid back there leading the Mike Leach offense this season.
For the rest of the interview, you can read the Q&A from ESPN.