Cole Cubelic on where Kellen Mond ranks among SEC quarterbacks

Key notes from Cole Cubelic interview

• It's been a blessing to have extra time with the family. It's been difficult for a lot of people, but when you have a newborn, and you don't have to go anywhere, spending this time with family has been awesome. Tom Hart and I were supposed to be in Seattle and LA for the XFL when things were canceled. We were going to have only seven days before her due date, but I have had an extra six weeks with my family. I think a lot of us are able to see through the bad. I hope we can keep some of these things after things going back to normal.
   
• Tecmo Bowl is the greatest video game ever invented. I don't think you will ever beat the original. Tecmo Super Bowl was great and had more plays, so different things can happen, but the simplicity of the game is what is so classic to me. The fact it's the original makes it the best for me. I'll even give you Bo Jackson and the Raiders, and I will still smoke you.
   
• I think 100% there will be a football season, but I am about 85% sure it will get started on time. We're going to have a vote by the NCAA on Thursday, and things will begin to open back up with players starting to come back on June 1st. The next week or the week after, I think the SEC will come out and say they are planning to play football in the fall. There's too much that needs to happen before they can determine if it will be started on time, though. That's the plan, but things can change in a hurry. That's what I'm anticipating happening in the next few weeks regarding the NCAA, so we're in a wait and see mode, but with more optimism than before.
   
• I think for this season to get started properly, the football players will need around eight weeks to train. Everyone is dealing with the same things you are, and a lot of guys will come back out of shape and unfocused. It will give you a chance to look at the entire picture and see what needs work. With spring Ball, you miss a period of time where mechanics and systems are taught. In the summer, you use that training to prepare your body for the season, and in the fall, you begin to prepare for hits and the opponents you're getting ready to play. Now all of that will be crammed into one period of time. You'll have to compare players and realistically determine where you are trying to get between now and the season. That will take some time, so I believe if you had eight weeks to prepare, that would put you back on schedule.
   
• I think because of the schedule, Texas A&M is second in the pecking order in the SEC behind Alabama. I think LSU and Auburn will be contenders in the conference this season, but they have a lot to replace from last year's teams. I think LSU has a better roster than Auburn, but Auburn has Bo Nix coming back, so they have the advantage. A&M, to me, is an easy pick for second in the SEC West.
   
• Kellen Mond, in my opinion, is, at worst, the second-best quarterback in the SEC. I think when considering candidates for best in the conference, you have to consider their situation. With Jamie Newman at Georgia, people are already saying he's the best in the league and anointing him as the next big thing, but he's never played in the SEC and never passed for 300 yards against a Power 5 opponent. I'm not quick to pick a guy like him as the best in the conference. If I have to choose a guy with talent and the experience to know what he is bringing to the table, it is Kellen Mond.
   
• I think for the upcoming season, I like Florida over Georgia. I believe they have some excellent young pass rushers and a great defense that will push them over the top and help them break in their new cornerbacks in the secondary. Obviously, Kyle Trask coming back is going to be a huge plus for them as well. 
   
• I think returning starters will matter more than ever before during this season of college football. I've always said it doesn't matter if you have returning starters if teams are more talented than you, but now it is an entirely different situation. I think Florida returning all five offensive linemen is a huge plus for them and will help them put together a great year. They are my pick to win the SEC East