Entering his senior season, Darius Joseph is 10th in SMU history with five games in which he has caught 10 or more passes, ninth in 100-yard receiving games (5) and tied for ninth with 165 receptions (photo by SMU athletics).

Two years ago, then-sophomore Darius Joseph enjoyed a breakout season, finishing second on the team ΓÇö and in SMU history ΓÇö with 103 receptions. In 2014, his receptions were cut nearly in half, to 54, although he did establish a new career high with 13 catches against East Carolina.

But as he gets ready for his senior season, Joseph finds himself in uncharted territory. His 165 receptions through three seasons tie him for the ninth-highest total in SMU history; he also is ninth in school history in 100-yard receiving games (with five) and second in games with 10 or more catches (also five). But the arrival of new head coach Chad Morris means a new offense and a new role. Joseph visited with PonyFans.com to discuss how his role in the teamΓÇÖs new offense will differ from what was asked of him before, and what he expects for in his senior season on the Hilltop.

PonyFans.com: Ever since Chad Morris was hired as SMUΓÇÖs new head coach, there has been constant talk about tempo, about how everything will be done at a fast pace. From your perspective, how is practice most different?:

Darius Joseph: ItΓÇÖs a lot different. As you said, theyΓÇÖre pushing the tempo ΓÇö you get from Point A to Point B as fast as you can. (Morris) is very progressive with everything he does. He wants us to get better every single day, and if we do something wrong, make a mistake going 100 miles an hour. So everything is speed, speed, speed.

PonyFans.com: In the previous offense, there were four receivers on the field all the time. In this offense, at least in the practices we have seen, there are four receivers a lot of the time, if not all the time. How different is your job, your role within this offense?

Joseph: For the most part, IΓÇÖm pretty much the ΓÇ£occupy guy.ΓÇ¥ The outside guys are the big playmakers, so IΓÇÖm doing my best to try to open those guys up on the outside ΓÇö IΓÇÖm trying to catch the attention of the safeties, and stuff like that, trying to give them the one-on-ones on the outside, because Coach Morris loves to take shots, and heΓÇÖs trying to take shots to those (outside) guys.

PonyFans.com: A couple of years ago, you caught (over) 100 balls. How weird is this new role for you?

Joseph: Yeah, itΓÇÖs something IΓÇÖve got to adjust to (in) my last year. Whatever IΓÇÖve got to do to get the team to win, you know? I wonΓÇÖt catch as many balls, I wonΓÇÖt score as much as I did in the past, but as long as the team wins, IΓÇÖm fine.

PonyFans.com: Everyone wants the ball, right? Are you alright with that?

Joseph: Definitely. You know, I canΓÇÖt have another 1-11 season, trying to be selfish and wanting the ball to get to me all the time. Whatever it takes to get everybody open and get us the win, thatΓÇÖs what IΓÇÖll do.

PonyFans.com: Your new receivers coach, Coach (Justin) Stepp … what’s he like as a teacher?

Joseph: Oh, heΓÇÖs a real cool guy. He has a really different approach. HeΓÇÖs young, he can relate to us a lot, and he has a lot of energy. Every position coach has a lot of energy. WeΓÇÖre in meetings all day, every day, and heΓÇÖs always teaching us something new. ItΓÇÖs like weΓÇÖre hitting the ΓÇ£resetΓÇ¥ button, so itΓÇÖs like being a freshman again, and heΓÇÖs really understanding and patient with us. But at the same time, itΓÇÖs ΓÇ£we need to get better,ΓÇ¥ because heΓÇÖs very optimistic about this season. He wants to be where he envisions us to be ΓÇö you know, you canΓÇÖt really take your time and say, ΓÇ£Coach, I got this wrong, I need to take my time.ΓÇ¥ No, you need to get this right. You know, we only have each other for a short time before we have Baylor and weΓÇÖre opening the season.

PonyFans.com: You mentioned his energy. (In the first week of spring practice), he was on the field, giving instruction to one of the other receivers … while standing in as a defensive back, covering him. Have you ever had a coach cover you in drills like that?

Joseph: Not quite like that. ThatΓÇÖs that youth in him. I donΓÇÖt know how heΓÇÖs going to be doing that in 10, 20 more years of coaching, but right now he has all the energy in the world. He can play DB and coach at the same time. WeΓÇÖre very fortunate to have him as a position coach.

PonyFans.com: Your head coach is an offensive guy, you have an offensive coordinator in Coach (Joe) Craddock, and then your receivers coach is Coach Stepp. How do they break up the teaching assignments for you and your teammates?

Joseph: Coach Stepp has us, 100 percent, and we have to just be on the same page as the quarterbacks come practice time. But you know, back in the day, Coach (June) Jones ran everything, everything ran through him. But here, Coach Morris has really given (the assistant coaches) the freedom to work with us. TheyΓÇÖve been in the offense, they know the offense. Coach Stepp knows the offense, Coach Morris trusts him and we trust him.

PonyFans.com: When SMU hired Coach Jones, he said it would take two or three years before his entire offense would be installed. How fast is this coaching staff teaching the new system? Are they giving you the entire playbook and expecting you to learn it all by August, or are you getting stages now, with more to come during the season and (for the younger players) next year?

Joseph: It felt like they were throwing everything at us, at first, but then we looked in the playbook and we still had about 15 more installs to do. ItΓÇÖs a lot of formations and a lot of new concepts, but itΓÇÖs something you can pick up pretty easily, and like I said, the coaches are very progressive, theyΓÇÖre very optimistic. So theyΓÇÖre working with us and breaking it up as best they can, because we have a very good (Baylor) team coming up in that first game.

PonyFans.com: You mentioned the playbook ΓÇö obviously you have new terminology to learn, but overall, is this one more complex than the last one?

Joseph: In its own right … there’s a lot more formations and a lot more things you’ve got to do and a lot more signals you’ve got to know. In the last offense, there was just a lot more reads. In this one, you have a set route, you just go with it, and you go fast. In the last offense, you take your time and make your reads, and you tried to be fast but it’s kind of impossible to do all that, and sometimes your head was spinning. In this one, they tell you, “you’ve got this one read. So make your read, but do it at 100 miles an hour.” But there’s a lot more formations — that’s the biggest difference.

PonyFans.com: You called yourself the ΓÇ£occupy guy.ΓÇ¥ Do you need to get bigger between now and August in order to take out a safety or a linebacker? Do you want to change anything about yourself between now and two-a-days?

Joseph: ItΓÇÖs not just strength, as far as trying to occupy somebody. ItΓÇÖs just being in the right place at the right time, and being coachable, being able to get off re-routes and get to that secondary so I can open up the 2 and the 9 (outside) guys. So itΓÇÖs not just about strength. IΓÇÖve just got to get more familiar with the playbook and know where I need to be and when IΓÇÖm supposed to be there, just trying to open up those outside guys, and every once in a while, catch the ball when IΓÇÖm supposed to.

PonyFans.com: At quarterback, you know what youΓÇÖve got with Matt Davis coming back, and Garrett Krstich is out, or limited anyway, with an injury. So the young guys ΓÇö Darrel Colbert, Jordan Severt and Ben Hicks ΓÇö are getting a lot of reps in practice. How do they look to you?

Joseph: TheyΓÇÖre good ΓÇö very good. From the outside, looking in, I donΓÇÖt know whatΓÇÖs going on in the quarterback meetings, but everybodyΓÇÖs starting from scratch. So you canΓÇÖt really judge ΓÇö OK, theyΓÇÖve been here this long, so they should be ahead of the learning curve. TheyΓÇÖre starting from scratch and everybody is new to this offense. They all look very well and theyΓÇÖre all progressing.

As a sophomore in 2013, Darius Joseph snared 103 receptions ?ó?é¼?Ç¥ the second-highest total on the team that season .... and the second-highest total in SMU history (photo by SMU athletics).

I see Ben, and I say, ΓÇ£oh, man, this is a young quarterback, and heΓÇÖs doing great.ΓÇ¥ JordanΓÇÖs a big guy with a big arm, and heΓÇÖs throwing it a lot better than he did last year, and Darrel is doing well, in his own right, making reads and looking more comfortable out there every day. So I see a lot of progress in all of the, and IΓÇÖm very optimistic about the quarterback position, because we can do all kinds of rotations at the quarterback position. But MattΓÇÖs going to be our guy.

PonyFans.com: June Jones used to talk about young players, saying ΓÇ£their heads are swimmingΓÇ¥ as they get used to an offense or defense, learning plays, learning to play with new teammates. Are the young guys a little lost now? Do you see guys whose heads are swimming as they adjust to what Coach Morris and his staff are teaching?

Joseph: I canΓÇÖt really say that, because IΓÇÖm a little dizzy, too. My head is kind of swimming, too, so I donΓÇÖt really know. But I can tell you this: weΓÇÖre all on the same page, as far as where we want to be, come August. Right now, weΓÇÖre all trying to get better, so I canΓÇÖt really judge the other guys off their performance in practice. WeΓÇÖre learning so much every day, and we have to be optimistic about what weΓÇÖre going to be in August.

PonyFans.com: Receivers play a position that a lot of us ΓÇö non-players, non-coaches ΓÇö think we can evaluate because either you catch the ball or you donΓÇÖt. There obviously is a lot more to your job than that, a lot that people outside the team donΓÇÖt always realize. But one guy who seems to be making a lot of plays is (redshirt freshman) Courtland Sutton. You understand the offense and the assignments that are asked of the receivers ΓÇö does he look as good to you as he does to those of us who watch practice?

Joseph: Oh yes ΓÇö probably better. He has become more polished at that outside receiver spot, and heΓÇÖll keep getting better. You know, he was really raw last year, you know. Last year, it was ΓÇ£how much can we throw at this guy?ΓÇ¥ without having to coach him on different techniques. But right now, everybodyΓÇÖs starting from the beginning. WeΓÇÖre all learning different techniques. HeΓÇÖs picking it up really well, heΓÇÖs looking more comfortable at his position.

PonyFans.com: Last year, he didnΓÇÖt play a lot, but he destroyed a couple of people with blocks. At this point, is he a better blocker or receiver?

Joseph: Both. When heΓÇÖs not lost on a play, just like me, when we know our assignments, heΓÇÖll go 100 miles an hour, heΓÇÖll get to his block and itΓÇÖs easy. HeΓÇÖs a big, physical receiver, and of course I trust him to run any kind of screen. I donΓÇÖt even have to look at him, and I know heΓÇÖs going to make the block.

PonyFans.com: When you sit and watch film, is anyone else jumping out at you among the younger receivers, as guys who have a chance to make a significant impact, either this year or down the road?

Joseph: Oh, man … A.J. Buffini, Shelby Walker — even though we’re playing the same position, I’m so proud of the progress he has had — and Ryheem Malone. All of the young cats that I’ve seen last year kind of struggling, with what’s going on in the classroom and what’s going on on the field … Coach Morris has really rubbed off on them a lot. A.J. — I knew A.J. was going to be good. He just has to stay healthy, and he has stayed healthy, for the most part. Courtland is looking amazing, Shelby is looking really good, and Ryheem, as well. So I’m really optimistic … and Jeremiah Gaines — he’s ridiculous. I’m so proud of all the young guys, and I can’t wait to see them, come August.

PonyFans.com: WhatΓÇÖs the best thing about the progress Jeremiah has made, or what impresses you the most about him?

Joseph: HeΓÇÖs very versatile ΓÇö he does everything well. HeΓÇÖs one of our better blockers, he has great hands, great speed and great size. ItΓÇÖs hard to judge him on any one particular thing. TheyΓÇÖve got him at the ΓÇ£threeΓÇ¥ (slot/tight end/fullback) spot because he can block really well, but heΓÇÖll surprise a lot of defenders who think heΓÇÖs just a blocker. HeΓÇÖll go out there and catch a long touchdown.