Arkansas State head football coach Butch Jones has named transfer QB J.T. Shrout as the starter for the Red Wolves as they prepare to travel to Oklahoma to kickoff the 2023 season against the Sooners at 11 a.m. Saturday morning.
Jones made the announcement during his press conference Tuesday afternoon.
Jones said that previous experience playing in games and consistency played a part in Shrout being named the starter.
Shrout spoke with RedWolfReport.com before fall camp began to share some of the things he has learned at both Colorado and Tennessee that he feels can help him at Arkansas State.
“I think being an older guy that has played in a lot of different offensive systems and seen a lot of different defenses, I’ve got a lot of experience under my belt, so I’m just trying to take those past experiences and learn from them to apply them to myself this year to make myself a better player than I was in years past,” said Shrout. “This has been a really good opportunity for me to come in and also help the younger guys to give them some of my wisdom and experience as well, too.”
When Shrout entered the transfer portal he has several options on the table. He shared what made him decide to pick Arkansas State.
“I was coming from a situation where you were pretty much getting forced into a portal situation of finding a place, then having the opportunity to come here and come play right away was super exciting,” said Shrout. “Then coming and getting around the guys and seeing that they were really on the edge of winning a lot of games last year. We have a good team and good roster and good staff that can help us win a lot of football games this year if we execute and do our jobs, so that was really exciting for me to just see I’ve got a lot of good players around me and a good supporting cast.”
He also spoke about some of the things he has seen since he arrived on campus that encourages him about this year.
“I think you just see the connectivity that we all have with each other,” said Shrout. “I think everybody is bought into our goal of going in there and getting better each day, winning a lot of football games, and finishing games out. Just seeing the guys, I have around me in the receiver room, the o-line, the running backs, the tight end room – just everyone around me that can help me elevate my game and make me better just to get the ball in their hands – that’s super exciting for a quarterback.”
“Our defense has been playing fast and trying to create as many disruptions as they can in practice every day,” Shrout continued. “It’s challenging us, so that has been really good.”
Shrout said that he has been impressed with the talent in the wide receiver room since he got here.
“There is a lot of talent in that room,” said Shrout. “From our older guys down to the new freshmen that have come in, I’ve been super pleased with that group. I just want to get the ball in their hands and let them make plays and do what they do best and get the ball in space. I’m just excited to see what they can do when we get on the field this year.”
The wide receiver room is full of guys like Jeff Foreman, Corey Rucker, Adam Jones, and others that have a lot of talent and the ability to create space for explosive plays. Shrout touched on what it is like having them on the field at the same time.
“I think it makes it a lot harder for [defenses] because if you have one good receiver you can dial in on one of them and shut him down and make them throw the ball elsewhere or do other things to hurt them,” said Shrout. “When you have got multiple guys that can do good things when they’ve got the rock in their hand I think it makes things harder for defenses to focus in on one. If you focus in on one, we are going to hurt you with other guys that we have got around us.”
He also described the type of game he plays and what fans can expect to see out of him.
“I’m a pocket passing quarterback that can extend plays a lot, and I’ve got a strong and accurate arm,” said Shrout. “Hopefully I can throw a lot of touchdowns and run a few in as well.”
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