We finally got to meet some of the Arizona Wildcats’ much-ballyhooed freshman recently. Now you can too.
All week long, Star reporters Michael Lev and Zack Rosenblatt have been brighing you a Q&A with a different newcomer.
Today's subject: receiver Brian Casteel, who earned a spot on the two-deep depth chart for Saturday’s opener against Northern Arizona.
BIO BASICS
- Height/weight: 6-0, 214
- Position: Wide receiver
- High school: Charter Oak (Covina, California)
- Rating: 3 stars
Brian says …
On what enabled him to quickly climb the depth chart: “Honestly, football is my passion. So I take it real serious. As soon as I got my playbook, I took the time to sit down and study as much as I could, and watch as much film as possible."
On his playing style: “I have a big body. I like to use my body, be physical. When I get the ball in my hands, I feel like I can make stuff happen out of nothing.”
On playing multiple positions in high school: “Going into high school, my main position was receiver. As I got older and got a better feel for the varsity level, my coaches told me, ‘You’re athletic enough to go both ways and play different positions.’ I did that to showcase my skills and show the coaches, wherever they put me, that I could play it.”
On how playing RB and DB help him as a receiver: “Running back, it helps me understand the playbook more. Defensive back, it betters me as a receiver. I understand what to do, thinking as a DB. If I’m running a route I’ll know, anything the DB does, I’ll have a counter for it.”
On how the older receivers have helped him: “They’re all cool. They took me under their wing and showed me how things work around here. Shawn Poindexter, Cam Denson, TJ (Tyrell Johnson), Shun Brown, Tony Ellison. Just understanding the game of college football. Since they’re more advanced than I am, they’ve been through more situations. Anytime I’m in a situation and I do it wrong, they’ll coach me up.”
On what appealed to him about Arizona: “Off the field, it feels like family. Everybody treats each other like family. It’s not like there’s different groups of people. Everybody’s as one.”
Previous newcomer Q&As
