Arizona Saguaro QB Karé Lyles throwing darts all the way to Wisconsin

Since Barry Alvarez took over the Wisconsin program in 1990 three things have been a constant with the Badgers football team, great coaching, wins, and talent. Alvarez won three Big Ten Championships in the 1990’s turning the Badgers into a winning program by 1996.

Following Alvarez’s win-loss-tie record of118-73-4 during his time as head coach from 1990 through 2005, even with a 1-10 campaign in his first season on the sidelines, the winning ways continued under Bret Bielema. In seven seasons as the Badgers head coach Bielema also won three Big Ten Championships putting up a mark of 68-24.

When Gary Andersen took over for Bielema after he departed for the head coaching position at Arkansas the winning ways continued with a 9-4 record in 2013 and a 10-3 campaign in 2014.

Year after year great talent was coming out of Madison with guys like LB Chris Borland, DL J.J. Watt, OL Chris McIntosh, OL Joe Thomas, OL Gabe Carimi, and TE Travis Beckum catching national attention for outstanding play. But the one thing Wisconsin is perhaps best known for is running the ball. Guys like Michael Bennett, Ron Dayne, Montee Ball, Brian Calhoun, James White, and Melvin Gordon have been the true faces of the program.

Of all the positives from the talent and wins the one thing that has been missing at Wisconsin with the continual success is an All-American or a repeat All-Big Ten caliber quarterback. With Paul Chryst returning to his alma mater after three seasons as Pitt’s head coach all of that is expected to change.

Chryst is an offensive minded coach who likes to sling the ball around the yard. In 2003, as the offensive coordinator for Oregon State, the Beavers were 10th in the nation in total yards with a 463 yard per game average with 328 of those yards coming by air.

In Chryst’s first time around putting together a recruiting class for Wisconsin he signed two signal callers, Alex Hornibrook (Malvern, PA) and Austin Kafentzis (Sandy, UT). In the 2016 recruiting class Chryst has already nailed down a hard Badgers’ commitment, Karé Lyles.

Lyles is 6’1”, 205 pounds, but is expected to grow a few more inches becoming the prototypical sized collegiate and NFL quarterback. He is a true pocket passer with the ability to run if needed. But the two key attributes Lyles will bring with him to Madison is his arm and winning ways.

In his first season as the starting quarterback for Saguaro High School in Scottsdale, Arizona, he threw for over 3,400 yards with 40 touchdowns against just five picks. Even more impressive was his 71 percent completion percentage. Adding to the growing legend of Lyles was his ability to lead the Sabercats through an undefeated season going 14-0 bringing home a state championship title.

In a Recruiting News Guru exclusive interview we sat down to talk about the 2014 season, what the Badgers legacy is working on in the offseason with a look ahead to 2015, and his thoughts on the recruiting process.

 

Karé, first, congratulations on such a great season in 2014. I believe the closet game you guys had all year was a 35-18 win over Queen. Creek Going into the season did you have any idea the Sabercats were going to be this good?

“We knew that we had the potential. We had the biggest, last year we had 26 seniors. The most at the program we’ve had in all of the 2000’s. We knew that everyone had experience and leadership. The only downfall, kind of funny, everyone was questioning the quarterback position. We had Luke Rubenzer in 2013. He broke all of these Arizona records, going to Cal-Berkeley, an Elite 11, and everyone was pressing wanting to know who is the next guy up?

Basically every time someone was talking about the team at the end of the page everyone was questionable at the quarterback position. Our team was inexperienced at that one position but we had a lot of talent. We had athletic talent. Our o-line averaged 6’2”, 300 pounds. We averaged, outside, with the receivers and everything we had guys running 4.3, 4.4. Christian Kirk had something like 45 offers and he was a 5-star. He was the same guy he was before the season as he is now. We had all of these weapons so it was pretty much just a question mark at my position.”

How did you handle that going into the season, the uncertainty everyone had with you? Did you know after spring ball that you were going to be the starter?

“I knew I was going to be the starter, coach pretty much said straight up that I was going to be the starter. I was the scout quarterback. They were impressed with me. All of our coaching staff had confidence in me. I always take my hat off to them for always being in my corner.

“When I came into the year my whole thing was dedication, preparation, and determination. Those are the three things I think you need to be successful, especially at the quarterback position. I know my personality, I am a calm guy. I’m all about weathering the storm. Rating it, from a 1 to a 10, 10 being pumped every single moment of the day, 1 being in la-la land, I’m around the 5 or 6 range. I always knew I was not going to be overwhelmed with the pressure but I also knew I was not going to be so laid back as well. I took everything in as getting better everyday. Every single day I worked on something to get better, a little thing I could make better in my game in order to better the team.

“I’m a team player. I consider myself as the leader of the team, especially this year. Last year I was not picked as one of the four captains but I also knew that Coach (Jason) Mohns was bringing me in to become one of those captains. I really worked on my leadership ability. It’s always hardest in the beginning to get these guys in your corner especially for, it’s a small team, and we have 26 seniors and they just over powered the whole team you have to get them in your corner. You have to have a voice. That’s what I worked on and for this year as well. I have more of a voice this year than I had last year. My confidence level has gone through the roof. Those guys molded me into the leader I have become today.

“Last year it was exciting. If I had to put it all into one word it would be exciting.”

You lost two 1,000 yard rushers Christian Kirk (1,692, 25 TDs; Texas A&M), who also had 1,187 receiving (17 TDs) and Kamron Johnson (1,291 yards, 20 TDs). How will the Sabercats replace them in 2015?

“I believe we replace them with, four guys right now at our starting receivers, all have at least one D-I FBS scholarship offer. We have a transfer named Julian Carter, he’s 6’3” – 6’4”, 190, runs a 4.5. He’s just amazingly athletically gifted. We also have KJ Jarrell. He blew up on the scene like two weeks ago. He has four Pac-12 offers now. He’s 6’4”. They’re all athletically gifted. We have Robert Branch, he has an offer from Louisville. The kid, at this time, it’s actually pretty cool. At this time he has measurables, accept for height and weight, he has a faster 40 and faster 60-yard shuttle than Christian had at this time in his career.

“We also have Byron Murphy. He’s labeled with probably the best hands people have ever seen. Coach Bryant Westbrook, he played at Texas and also with the Detroit Lions. He pretty much said he has never seen a guy with ball skills like Byron Murphy. So you have four guys that pretty much, potentially, have the skill sets to do big things, huge things, after high school. The thing we lost most is probably at the running back position. Just because we don’t have a running back like Kamron Johnson. We have a guy, Stone Matthews, he’s coming from JV. He’s had a pretty good spring ball. We’re expected to throw the ball.

“With the toughness of schedule, the competition will be better, so we’re expected to throw the ball a lot more. Coach is expecting me to get a lot more productive and take a bigger role this year too. We have a great receiver core returning and four offensive linemen. I think we are pretty set on the offensive side.”

Wow, so you are set on offense going into next year. You guys are moving up a class, are you excited about moving up a level?

“I love it. I love competition. I would say that the thing that I love as a quarterback, if you tell me we have one play at the three yard or one yard line, fourth and goal, 10 seconds left, you have to make that touchdown throw that game winning throw, I know for a fact that this year we’ll be in that position and I love it. I love competition. It makes you better. We are working harder than we have ever done before to prepare. I’ve never seen a group of guys that have the same drive and mentality that I have every single day and it’s going to get better. Our whole goal is to get better everyday. I love it.”

What are your strengths on the field at the quarterback position?

“I feel like, I’ve worked at every single aspect of the quarterback position. I feel like I have great arm strength. I feel like if you were to ask someone from the outside after watching our practice 9 times out of 10 you are going to get someone that tells you have a really great arm. Arm strength is one of them. I believe I have great accuracy and great footwork. I also believe from a clutchness standpoint I get the job done.

“I am coachable. You can ask me to do anything and I’ll do it. Also, being in that moment is the moment I love. Being clutch is one of them. I don’t really like talking about the physical traits of the quarterback position the high levels that you go up the more and more people that have that same physical ability. From a physical standpoint, everybody can throw 50 yards at the next level. I like to focus on my mental strength.

“I know that I have been overlooked by a lot of people. My hard work and my dedication has just skyrocketed. My goal every single day is to try to be the best that I can be. I have myself at a higher standard than a lot of other people. Whether it’s in the weight room, throwing with my guys, or watching film, just doing the little things. Even in the huddle and how I break it I am trying to get better every single day.

“Also, every little thing someone has doubted me with I try to work on that. I try to improve and perfect my craft. That’s pretty much what I am as a quarterback. I’m a leader, I’m a hard worker, and I just want to be great.”

You kind of mentioned this in your last little bit there, and I agree with you wholeheartedly that you have been overlooked. I’m confused as to how you only have one offer. Am I overlooking some piece of information out there?

“Wisconsin is my only offer. Yeah… they were my first offer. Got it while on a visit. A few days after I decided to go to my dream school.”

The schools that I have found showing interest in you are Arizona, ASU, North Carolina, Ohio State, Oklahoma State, and Rutgers, am I missing any?

“I’d say Washington, Louisville, Tulane, Cornell, Harvard, Dartmouth, San Diego State and a lot of smaller schools and Texas A&M. My coach said if I hadn’t committed he believes I would have had over a dozen offers but he felt like that was the best place for me as well at my dream school.”

When you committed on March 15, and this maybe old hat, but what convinced you to commit when you did?

“We’re on my visit and we just got done looking at the facilities, mind blowing breath taking, all of those words to describe something so perfect. The coaches were awesome. I really bonded with Coach (Paul) Chryst, he’s an awesome guy. Coach (Joe) Rudolph (offensive coordinator/offensive line coach), he played with my dad (Kevin Lyles). We get done and they are showing us around the campus. I’m looking around, sitting in the car thinking about my childhood and everything, all I could do is just picture myself there right now. Being in that moment I could image myself at that school. It was something I wanted so bad and nothing was stopping me from going there at that moment. I just felt like “I’m here.” That’s the place I need to go to.

“It’s kind of a weird storybook story but in all honesty that is why I picked the school.”

What makes Wisconsin a dream school for you?

“What makes it a dream school is I love their offense. They have a physical offense, something I can mold myself into and perfect my craft. And seeing all the guys that have come out of there. I used to be a diehard Wisconsin fan. I would watch all the quarterbacks. Growing up I would watch the guys and then Russell Wilson came. I was so excited about how he carried himself and the way that he played. I followed everything that he did and to this day I still follow it.

“I saw how he fit that system and made that team win. I watched a documentary on him about how he became a leader after one month with the team. How quickly he learned the playbook. After that winning the job over the other guys. I watched Coach Chryst and how he coached. I felt like watching that, I fell in love with the program. Coach Bielema left for Arkansas and Coach Chryst went to Pitt. Seeing Coach Christ was coming back it was a no brainer for me.”

Are you going to any one-day college camps this summer?

“No, no.”

Do you plan on taking any official visits to schools other than Wisconsin during the season?

“No sir.”

What individual honors did you earn at the end of your junior season?

“I was All-State, All-City, All-Section, and I think that’s it. Maybe a second team something else. I don’t know I lost track.”

Who has made the biggest impact on your football career?

“My dad. He played at Wisconsin. He pretty much, every since I was little, he always wanted to throw the football around. He taught me the ways of being a complete football player. He gave me all the toughness and all the dedication to the game. He worked my tail off during the summers in Wisconsin where it’s muggy and hot. I just wanted to be a little kid but he took me out and made me run around a little. He made sure I got some work in. He molded me into the guy that I am today. I can honestly say that I feel like he is the greatest dad in the world.

“I wouldn’t be the guy that I am today without him. He’s the guy that really helped me become a football player. I’ve also taken a little bit of game from other guys. I’d watch Warren Moon when he was at the Houston Oilers. A lot of people thought he couldn’t play the position because he was black and at that time they didn’t really have a lot of black quarterbacks in the NFL and he pretty much tore it up. Also guys like Steve McNair, Donovan McNabb, Peyton Manning, I used to watch him a lot and his poise in the pocket, and Russell Wilson. I’ve taken a lot of stuff from a lot of different people and put it into my game.”

What is your favorite part of playing football?

“My favorite part about playing foot ball is winning. Whether it’s a state championship, a national championship, or a Super Bowl. The last game of the season, it’s the same goal as everyone else but if you’re the one winning, that’s what I love about football. It’s the competition. You’re always competing. It’s the ultimate team sport.”

 

Karé still has another year of high school football left to play and another year to help turn all the doubters, be it in the state of Arizona or around the country, around. Saguaro is moving up a classification which will finally help put to rest who is the best team in the state when the clock rolls triple-zero at season’s end.

That same mentality of proving all the doubters wrong, which is ingrained in Karé, will serve him well at the next level. The Big Ten is full of college football giants and perennial Top 25 teams, and Wisconsin just happens to be one of those schools. Part of life is having proving oneself over and over again. After talking to Karé he leaves little doubt that no matter what he does he will be very successful, which bodes well for Coach Chryst and Badger Nation starting in 2016.

 

Written by Ryan Wright

Photo credit: scoopnest.com; Karé performs at a Rivals camp.

Photo credit: sports360az.com; Karé in the shotgun for Saguaro in 2014.