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Joker Phillips did not always believe Morgan Newton knew how to prepare well enough to win consistently as a starting quarterback in the SEC.

Now Phillips believes he does.

Phillips described his junior starter as," a quarterback that is now starting to understand what it takes to play at this level, understand how to prepare to play at this level."

Newton's recent increased dedication led a teammate to earlier in the summer to refer to him as a workaholic. Teammates and coaches have always considered Newton a hard worker but Newton's commitment this off season has been noticeably different, according to his teammates.

"He's been working hard this offseason and he's really trying to bring everyone along with him. If he comes in to do some extra work he's trying to bring receivers to throw to. He's just really trying to work hard to take that extra step," senior offensive guard Stuart Hines said.

Newton credits the change in preparation to the time he spent earlier in the summer at a quarterback camp run by Archie, Eli and Peyton Manning.

The Manning Passing Academy - held every June in Louisiana - has grown to become an unofficial convention for elite quarterbacks. For Newton, the chance to observe and pick the brains of some of the most heralded professional and collegiate quarterbacks was invaluable.

"Being around those guys and some of the top quarterbacks in the country and talking to those guys and seeing how they prepared has only made me that much better of a player," he said.