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- Thread starter BuckNutty
- Start date
Hiney is dead on, as he was in the Smith thread. Zwick could've packed it in...he didn't. He didn't cower and collapse when he pulled his hamstirng in the Alamo Bowl...instead, he showed his true grit and played as much as the staff let him, and still played well at that. While there is no question as to who is the best QB on the team, Justin still is a very capable backup QB, and that is very important.
Folks also need to remember his efforts for his recruiting class...he was very active in selling Ohio State to other prospects. He has been a class act, ever since his commitment.
Folks also need to remember his efforts for his recruiting class...he was very active in selling Ohio State to other prospects. He has been a class act, ever since his commitment.
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I agree 110% with everything said except about making an NFL roster...I just don't think it happens, but I'm not trying to hate on the kid or even start a debate regarding the particular topic.
I thought his performance in the Alamo Bowl was GREAT! guts and effort, and I still have the clip of his peel back block on that D Lineman (we called those 'slobber knockers' on my high school team) saved on my computer.
He was (as already pointed out) a fantastic leader during his recruitment, and for that reason alone, along with the many others already mention I'm proud to have JZ on our team and call him a Buckeye.
Good call, Hiney.
I thought his performance in the Alamo Bowl was GREAT! guts and effort, and I still have the clip of his peel back block on that D Lineman (we called those 'slobber knockers' on my high school team) saved on my computer.
He was (as already pointed out) a fantastic leader during his recruitment, and for that reason alone, along with the many others already mention I'm proud to have JZ on our team and call him a Buckeye.
Good call, Hiney.
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Captain Hindsight
The Hero of the Modern Age
I can see why you'd be relatively pessimistic about him not making an NFL roster. However, Tom Brady was Drew Henson's backup at scUM, and is arguably one of the best QB's in the NFL. I'm not saying that Zwick is going to have a great NFL career, or Brady-esque NFL career (assuming he makes the NFL, of course), but he has prototypical NFL size, and tons and tons of heart.
Zwick could be a steal to any team, if he's coached well and put around some decent role players, which would further develop him into a better QB.
*knock on wood*
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Zurp
I have misplaced my pants.
Two guys who have been given the stinky end of the stick are Scott McMullen and Justin Zwick. Both are quality quarterbacks who are forced to stay on the sidelines while a superior player is on the field. Normally, the player can wait his turn. The guy on the field will graduate, and then he gets his turn. But when the guy on the sideline has no more elligibility left than the guy on the field, "waiting it out" isn't going to work. But those two guys didn't go to the media to bitch and moan about it. Zwick, especially, has behaved well, since we know that the media would just love to take something he says, twist it around, and blow it WAY out of proportion. Since we haven't heard anything like that, we know that he's still practicing hard, and doing anything he can to help his team.
I have no insider information. In fact, I get most of my information from you guys. But I can believe that, if something happens to smith *knock on wood*, no one (coaches, staff, players) would feel that Zwick can't get in the game and lead his team to victory.
I have no insider information. In fact, I get most of my information from you guys. But I can believe that, if something happens to smith *knock on wood*, no one (coaches, staff, players) would feel that Zwick can't get in the game and lead his team to victory.
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Taosman
Your Cousin In New Mexxico
I'm pissed about the whole"Justin Zwick Rule" thing! 
So what if he got beat out by a better player.
The kid has proven he can QB at the major conference level of college football.
I just think those Elite 11 guys are just piling on because he wasn't one of their own!
I'm curious if some one could look at every guy in that particular camp and see how many have become starters? For perspective.
So what if he got beat out by a better player.
The kid has proven he can QB at the major conference level of college football.
I just think those Elite 11 guys are just piling on because he wasn't one of their own!
I'm curious if some one could look at every guy in that particular camp and see how many have become starters? For perspective.
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Taosman
Your Cousin In New Mexxico
I found this from 2001.
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Many of our early top-rated quarterbacks have continued to establish themselves as the top quarterback that we originally thought they were, but some others have been highly impressive at recent camps and they need to be updated. The Student Sports Super Elite 12 quarterbacks camp will be later this month and this camp will be a lot of fun to watch to see who can be the most impressive. I'm sure that there will be a surprise or two.
Justin Zwick (6-4, 210, 4.67) of Washington in Massillion, Ohio, is still my No. 1 rated dropback passing quarterback. In what looks like a sensational quarterback class, Zwick is still considered to be one of the best, if not the best dropback quarterback in the country.
His three-year career stats are very impressive as he has 7,209 passing yards and 75 touchdowns. As a junior, Zwick passed for 2,460 yards and 24 scores as he was selected as the All-Ohio quarterback.
On film, he demonstrates a strong arm and field presence. He is also a tremendous leader who brings his teammates to a different level around him. He is tough and polished at the same time. I believe that Zwick, along with Tyler Palko, will be two of my favorite players in this recruiting class.
I recently conducted a quarterback poll on my Web site message board to see who most everyone thought was the No. 1 quarterback in this recruiting class.
In the first 24 hours of the poll, Zwick had 80% of over 600 votes that were cast, indicating that 80% of the voters agreed with my assessment that he is the best in the country. Either that or there were a whole lot of Buckeye fans that took part in the poll. At any rate, he is still perceived to be the best.
Zwick rating: 7.50
Tyler Palko (6-2, 205, 4.55) of West Allegheny in Imperial, Pa., may be best two-way player in the country. Consider these stats: On offense, this southpaw quarterback threw for 3,428 yards and 41 touchdowns as a junior. He also ran for another 1,112 yards and 24 touchdowns. And if this wasn't enough, I just saw him run a fake punt 70 yards for another touchdown.
This sensational athlete has recently committed to the University of Pittsburgh. Now the big question is just what side of the football will he play for the Panthers.
On defense, he is just as sensational, as he logged 156 tackles and recorded 12 picks. Now remember, this was only as a junior.
Bob Palko almost had me fooled on the highlight tape that he sent to me. I knew that Tyler played defense, but for the first 15 minutes, I saw nothing but Tyler throwing and running for touchdowns.
Coach Palko had told me earlier that Tyler was a great defensive player so I was hoping that there would be some defensive highlights of him. After waiting and watching the defensive highlights, it's really hard to believe that a kid playing quarterback on offense, could be this hard-nosed of a safety on defense, but Palko is that tough. I think he could become an All-American linebacker or safety for Pittsburgh if he only played defense.
In the recent poll on my Web site message board, Palko finished second in the poll behind Justin Zwick.
Palko carries a great 3.3 GPA in college prep courses and has already scored a 970 on his initial SAT test.
Palko rating: 7.50
Ben Olson (6-5, 205, 4.65) of Thousand Oaks, Calif., is probably the biggest quarterback surprise in the country. I'm not sure that any other signalcaller in the country has put on such impressive performances as Olson has in various camps this spring and summer.
He was considered the top quarterback at the Nike Camp at Stanford and he also has been sensational in recent 7-on-7 passing tournaments. Olson has demonstrated that he has all of the tools to become a college All-American. He has unbelievable arm strength and excellent pinpoint accuracy. He has the kind of arm strength that my two favorite quarterbacks, Brent Rawls and Brodie Croyle, had last year.
At Palo Alto, Olson ran a 4.65 in the 40, 4.14 in the shuttle and did an impressive 35-inch vertical jump. "After completing 11 Nike camps thus far, Olson might be the most talented quarterback we've seen this year," said Student Sports Super Scout Greg Biggins.
Olson has constantly said that he wants to look around before making a decision, but he has always had a love for Brigham Young and their passing game. Olson, who is a Mormon, recently camped at BYU and they may have the slight lead over Stanford to sign him. All of the passing powers have been mentioned, including Stanford, UCLA, Oklahoma and the Florida schools, but can they really beat BYU on a Mormon All-American quarterback?
Olson rating: 7.50
Trent Edwards (6-4, 190, 4.7) of Los Gatos, Calif., may be the No. 1 dropback quarterback in the country. If he is not No. 1, then there are only a couple or three that are in his league. Absolutely no other quarterback in the land has his type of stats to back up his top billing. Only a handful of quarterbacks, such as Zwick, Pako, and Ben Olson are in his league.
Edwards had a phenomenal pass completion record as a junior when he completed an absolutely incredible 78% (125-160) of his passes for 2,529 yards and 29 touchdowns and had only four interceptions.
Edwards has all of the tools to be the best quarterback in the country. He has the size, uncanny accuracy, and tremendous arm strength.
"Trent has everything that you need as a quarterback, but his field presence is his biggest asset," says high school coach Butch Catallico. "I've never seen a high school quarterback with more poise in the pocket."
"Trent never gets rattled in the pocket and he is always looking downfield for that receiver to break into the clear. Even if the pocket protection breaks down and he gets sacked, he's always back on the very next play with the same poise that he had on the same play that he just got sacked."
Edwards is also a pretty good athlete for a big guy, averaging almost 16 points a game in basketball.
Every college in the country has made contact with Edwards, but Stanford, UCLA and possibly California and Southern California have the best chance to sign him. All have made offers, along with another 30 or more schools
Edwards was a sensation at both the recent Southern Cal and UCLA camps. Because of his size, accuracy, arm strength and velocity, he has been compared favorably to a young Troy Aikman. He also has a very quick release. At the recent UCLA camp, Edwards really put on a passing clinic and coach Bob Toledo gave him a lot of attention because of it.
He has taken several unofficial trips this spring to some schools of interest, including Stanford, California, UCLA and Southern California. He is also looking at Notre Dame and Michigan.
Edwards rating: 7.50
Vince Young (6-5, 195, 4.38) of Madison in Houston is a definite cross between Tyler Palko and Justin Zwick because he displays the talents of both of those great quarterbacks. I recently saw film on Young and the first thing that you notice is that he is a tremendous physical specimen and that he would be a "once in a lifetime" player for any coach.
This kid could be the second coming of another Michael Vick. He has all of the tools that Vick had coming out of high school and he is also hearing the same things from coaches. Some uninformed sources already have him moving from quarterback to either the secondary or wide receiver in college.
At the recent Nike Camp at College Station, Young displayed some amazing skills. He had great touch and he also threw with great velocity when he needed to. Young ran a 4.49 in the 40 at the College Station Nike Camp, but he also ran a 4.38 in practice this spring.
As a junior, he completed 78 of 135 for 1,309 yards and 16 touchdowns. As a mere sophomore, he threw for 1,006 yards while rushing for another 760 more yards.
Back in the spring, there were eight big-time college coaches standing on the sidelines hoping that Vince would see their monogrammed shirt. These coaches were all in complete awe to see how gifted a quarterback that they were able to see practicing on the Houston Madison practice field.
Those coaches were not only highly impressed with this great physical specimen, but also at the way he handled himself and the way he threw pinpoint spirals to his many receivers. At 6-5, he is the perfect dropback quarterback, but when you can run a 4.38 in the forty, you could play any position on the field. All who have seen this kid are in total shock as to his unbelievable potential.
Young could play wide receiver in college, and he would be an exceptional player at that position, but I believe that he can become another Michael Vick-type of college quarterback. Right now, the college coaches also feel the same way.
Every college scout and coach who has seen Young, feels that he can lead their college team to the national championship. Young told me that his early top five schools included Florida State, Texas, LSU, Miami and Oklahoma. He has over 50 offers, but it looks like it will come down to a three-team fight between Florida State, LSU and Texas. The Seminoles may have taken an early lead.
Young rating: 7.50
Reggie McNeal (6-2, 190, 4.4) of Lufkin, Texas, is another "player of a lifetime" for any coach. The amazing thing is that I can not remember two better athletic quarterbacks like McNeal and Young ever coming out of Texas, period, muchless, two athletic quarterbacks like these two in the same recruiting class.
There are college coaches that swear that McNeal is the best ever in Texas and then there are others that swear that Young is the best ever in that state. We may not know which one is the best for a few years, but it is certainly a great conversation piece for recruiting buffs all around the Lone Star state.
For some reason, it appeared that Young was better than McNeal in the early recruiting, but McNeal has been sensational this spring and has either equaled to Young or even passed him in the eyes of many college coaches. I agree that they are pretty equal in what they can do for a football team and that is excelling in getting the football into the end zone by either running or passing.
As a junior, McNeal had better stats than Young, but McNeal played for a more explosive passing attack than Young. McNeal completed 115 passes of 230 for 2,150 yards and 25 touchdowns. Reggie also ran for another 10 scores. Although he looks great in his passing stats, he will need a little work on his passing mechanics before he becomes a great passing quarterback in college.
When you can run a 10.3 in the 100 meters and still have the passing skills to play the quarterback position, you would be called a "Superman" in most recruiting circles. McNeal obviously could play a lot of positions in college and Michael Vick was also told the same thing when he came out of high school.
Right now, the Texas A&M Aggies may have a slight lead over the rest of the field for this super prospect. Arkansas, Miami, Florida State, Oklahoma and LSU still may be in the mix.
McNeal rating: 7.50
Gavin Dickey (6-0, 188, 4.4) of Lincoln in Tallahassee, Fla., is the fourth athletic quarterback in our Dandy Dozen. He is a running quarterback who runs first and throws second and he is probably the No. 1 player at that position in the country. He reminds us all of another Florida State athlete who played quarterback and his name was Charlie Ward.
Dickey runs a legit 4.4 in the 40 and has great mobility in the pocket while possessing a strong and accurate arm. As a junior, Dickey passed for 1,418 yards and 18 touchdowns and also ran for another 1,086 yards and 10 touchdowns. He caught passes for 187 yards and three more scores.
The Lincoln team is such a talented team, it is amazing to watch how many weapons that they can use in the course of a football game. Even with all of these weapons, none of them can constantly change the outcome of the game more than Dickey. He is their great leader and the team always rallies around him.
In baseball, he throws a 93-mph fastball and he runs on the sprint relay team in track. He has a 10.7 in the 100 meters and his best forty-time is a 4.42.
Virginia Tech thinks that he is a shorter version of another Michael Vick and they were one of the first teams to make an offer. Dickey now has offers from Southern California, Nebraska, Georgia Tech, Florida State, Syracuse, Michigan, Notre Dame, Alabama, Florida, Clemson, LSU and Tennessee.
Southern California has told him that he can play quarterback for the Trojans and he will get a real taste of the West Coast weather and environment at the Elite Camp. Could this give the Trojans an edge over Nebraska, Virginia Tech and Florida State?
Dickey rating: 7.49
Evan Kraky (6-3, 195, 4.5) of Lakeland in Jermyn, Pa., is one of the best pinpoint passers that I have seen lately. He simply does what he needs to do in moving the team down the field for a score. He also rarely comes off of the field and is an aggressive free safety who hits hard and intercepts frequently.
In watching film on Kraky, and seeing him throw the short passes to perfection, it's hard not to remember another quarterback by the name of Ty Detmer who did much of the same. There is a very distinct difference in the two, because Kraky can run with the ball on either an option or scrambling out of the pocket.
On one play in particular, Kraky ran to his left, stopped and hit a receiver back to his right on a misdirection play for about a 30-yard touchdown. He throws the quick outs and quick look-ins with great confidence and he is also very polished on his quick fade patterns.
Kraky's career passing also reads pretty well as he has completed 301 of 535 for 5,782 yards and 64 touchdowns. He only needs about 1,600 passing yards to break the state passing record. He should get it in the first half of the season.
He was very impressive at the recent Tennessee camp. I really like this kid and his leadership abilities. He is also very smart with a 3.2 GPA and a 950 on his first SAT. He averages 15 points a game in basketball and he hit three home runs in baseball.
Kraky tells me that his early favorites are Tennessee, North Carolina State, Penn State and Pittsburgh.
Kraky rating: 7.48
Chris Olson (6-4, 222, 4.76) of Wayne Hills, N.J., is one of the top three or four classic dropback quarterbacks in the country and he recently pulled the trigger and gave coach Bob Davie a verbal to play for the Fighting Irish of Notre Dame. In giving the Irish the verbal, he picked them over the Miami Hurricanes.
As a junior, Olson passed for 1,970 yards and 24 touchdowns. Olson has a very strong and accurate arm and he has been compared to another New Jersey native — former superstar Chris Simms of the University of Texas.
On film, Olson is a real smooth operator as he leads his team down the field. He has a very fast release and he has a great arm with great velocity. He already looks like he could line up as an NFL quarterback.
It's interesting to note that with this verbal, it would seem that the Irish will be changing their offensive style of play to a more classic dropback passing game.
Chris Olson can definitely stretch the vertical passing game for the Irish. This commitment will also help the Irish reel in some more great receivers.
"I loved the Notre Dame tradition and the chance to play in their offensive scheme," said Olson.
Olson rating: 7.49
Will Proctor (6-3, 190, 4.68) of Trinity Prep in Winter Park, Fla., may not be a household name just yet, but he is on his way to being one. This sensational and versatile quarterback was so impressive at the recent Clemson camp, he was offered by coach Tommy Bowden and he accepted.
Will, along with his parents, Rick and Karen Proctor, went to the Clemson football camp with the intentions of developing and learning more about playing quarterback from coach Bowden and his staff. "I had not planned on committing this early, but everything went extremely well for me with the Clemson coaches," said Proctor.
"I knew that Clemson was a great academic school and I thought that it would be a great school for me, but I fell in love with the whole situation. I guess the turning point for me was the Clemson coaches. Coach Mike O'Cain will be my quarterback coach and I really do like him, but coach Bowden was one of the most impressive coaches that I think that I have ever met."
Although Proctor was a camp phenom, he was really not a completely unknown prospect before the camp. As a junior, he passed for 1,407 yards, ran for another 1,150 yards, and had personally accounted for 29 touchdowns. He also had already accumulated 2,665 passing yards and 1,746 rushing yards as a two-year starting quarterback. He also averaged 13 points and seven boards per game in basketball and also had suitors in that sport.
With a 3.0 GPA in college prep courses and an excellent 1140 on his SAT, Proctor should have been one of the most heavily recruited quarterbacks in the country. A small-school stigma is the only thing that I can tell may have not placed his name at the top of all of the top national recruiting lists.
At the camp, Proctor demonstrated an uncanny leadership quality that had every Clemson coach and player in awe. He also showed the ability to throw every single pass on the passing tree. In two other camps, he also ran a 4.68 in the forty and recorded an amazing 4.11 in the shuttle which is a phenomenal time for a quarterback.
Proctor had planned to attend summer camps at LSU, Florida, Notre Dame and North Carolina, but he has cancelled all of the trips, confirming his commitment to Clemson. He had over 50 different college visits or phone calls in the month of May.
Proctor rating: 7.48
Ryan O'Hara (6-6, 190, 4.6) of Muir of Pasadena, Calif., was very impressive at the recent Nike camp in San Diego and again at the Tennessee one-day camp. O'Hara demonstrated some great passing skills and great leadership qualities at those camps and came away as one of the top quarterbacks in the country.
He demonstrated a great touch on the ball, but he also demonstrated a very strong arm with a great deal of velocity when he needed to zip the football.
This kid has been one of the most impressive quarterbacks in at least two recent spring camps and he has now found a home in the Arizona desert.
"I have committed to coach John Mackovic and the Arizona Wildcats," says O'Hara. "Coach Mackovic told me that I would be the cornerstone of this recruiting class in his first full year of recruiting. I really like coach Mackovic and I am already looking forward to working with him. This is a perfect fit for me."
O'Hara is also a very good basketball player and his 4.69 in the 40 and 3.90 in the shuttle attest to his excellent all-around ability.
O'Hara recently transferred from Monrovia to Pasadena Muir and that will immediately made them one of the top passing teams in California. O'Hara is an honor student with a 3.7 GPA and a 1090 on his SAT.
O'Hara rating: 7.48
Drew Olson (6-2, 182, 4.8) of Piedmont, Calif., has a very busy spring and summer baseball schedule to keep, but he was still able to take off a few days and make it to the Nike Camp at Stanford. "I felt a little rusty at first, but I think that I got it all back as the day progressed," said Olson. "I've done a lot better, but I was very excited about seeing some of the other quarterbacks that I have been hearing about."
Olson was very impressive at the Junior Sun Belt Classic in McAlester, Okla., as he is one of two junior catchers on Team California. He has also been invited to the USA Baseball Junior national team trials in Joplin, Mo. This team which will represent the United States in the Junior Pan American Games in Cuba this summer.
"We believe he has been placed, as a catcher, on the same Team USA trials team with Joe Mauer, unless Mauer signs with the Twins," said Drew's dad David Olson. "If Drew doesn't make the Junior national team, then he will go to the Team One National Combine in Tempe, Ariz., in July. He will then compete in two additional national baseball tournaments during the summer."
Drew will continue his football workouts for this summer, and hopefully he will camp for at least a day at UCLA, but that will be dependent on his baseball schedule. Drew has also been invited to the Elite 11 quarterback camp in late July sponsored by Student Sports Magazine.
Drew has received scholarship offers from UCLA, Washington, Colorado, LSU, Oregon State and California. Southern California coach Pete Carroll and Arizona State coach Dirk Koetter visited Piedmont along with coaches from Oregon, Notre Dame, Miami, Arizona, Illinois, San Diego State and Washington State during the evaluation period. Michigan, Tennessee, and Florida State have also shown a lot of interest.
UCLA is where his dad graduated and they have the early lead. "I would like to take some trips, but I could also commit early if things go just right," says Olson.
Olson rating: 7.48
midsummer look: A dandy dozen quarterbacks<TABLE class=sidebar cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=190 align=right border=0><TBODY><TR><TD rowSpan=5>
Many of our early top-rated quarterbacks have continued to establish themselves as the top quarterback that we originally thought they were, but some others have been highly impressive at recent camps and they need to be updated. The Student Sports Super Elite 12 quarterbacks camp will be later this month and this camp will be a lot of fun to watch to see who can be the most impressive. I'm sure that there will be a surprise or two.
Justin Zwick (6-4, 210, 4.67) of Washington in Massillion, Ohio, is still my No. 1 rated dropback passing quarterback. In what looks like a sensational quarterback class, Zwick is still considered to be one of the best, if not the best dropback quarterback in the country.
His three-year career stats are very impressive as he has 7,209 passing yards and 75 touchdowns. As a junior, Zwick passed for 2,460 yards and 24 scores as he was selected as the All-Ohio quarterback.
On film, he demonstrates a strong arm and field presence. He is also a tremendous leader who brings his teammates to a different level around him. He is tough and polished at the same time. I believe that Zwick, along with Tyler Palko, will be two of my favorite players in this recruiting class.
I recently conducted a quarterback poll on my Web site message board to see who most everyone thought was the No. 1 quarterback in this recruiting class.
In the first 24 hours of the poll, Zwick had 80% of over 600 votes that were cast, indicating that 80% of the voters agreed with my assessment that he is the best in the country. Either that or there were a whole lot of Buckeye fans that took part in the poll. At any rate, he is still perceived to be the best.
Zwick rating: 7.50
Tyler Palko (6-2, 205, 4.55) of West Allegheny in Imperial, Pa., may be best two-way player in the country. Consider these stats: On offense, this southpaw quarterback threw for 3,428 yards and 41 touchdowns as a junior. He also ran for another 1,112 yards and 24 touchdowns. And if this wasn't enough, I just saw him run a fake punt 70 yards for another touchdown.
This sensational athlete has recently committed to the University of Pittsburgh. Now the big question is just what side of the football will he play for the Panthers.
On defense, he is just as sensational, as he logged 156 tackles and recorded 12 picks. Now remember, this was only as a junior.
Bob Palko almost had me fooled on the highlight tape that he sent to me. I knew that Tyler played defense, but for the first 15 minutes, I saw nothing but Tyler throwing and running for touchdowns.
Coach Palko had told me earlier that Tyler was a great defensive player so I was hoping that there would be some defensive highlights of him. After waiting and watching the defensive highlights, it's really hard to believe that a kid playing quarterback on offense, could be this hard-nosed of a safety on defense, but Palko is that tough. I think he could become an All-American linebacker or safety for Pittsburgh if he only played defense.
In the recent poll on my Web site message board, Palko finished second in the poll behind Justin Zwick.
Palko carries a great 3.3 GPA in college prep courses and has already scored a 970 on his initial SAT test.
Palko rating: 7.50
Ben Olson (6-5, 205, 4.65) of Thousand Oaks, Calif., is probably the biggest quarterback surprise in the country. I'm not sure that any other signalcaller in the country has put on such impressive performances as Olson has in various camps this spring and summer.
He was considered the top quarterback at the Nike Camp at Stanford and he also has been sensational in recent 7-on-7 passing tournaments. Olson has demonstrated that he has all of the tools to become a college All-American. He has unbelievable arm strength and excellent pinpoint accuracy. He has the kind of arm strength that my two favorite quarterbacks, Brent Rawls and Brodie Croyle, had last year.
At Palo Alto, Olson ran a 4.65 in the 40, 4.14 in the shuttle and did an impressive 35-inch vertical jump. "After completing 11 Nike camps thus far, Olson might be the most talented quarterback we've seen this year," said Student Sports Super Scout Greg Biggins.
Olson has constantly said that he wants to look around before making a decision, but he has always had a love for Brigham Young and their passing game. Olson, who is a Mormon, recently camped at BYU and they may have the slight lead over Stanford to sign him. All of the passing powers have been mentioned, including Stanford, UCLA, Oklahoma and the Florida schools, but can they really beat BYU on a Mormon All-American quarterback?
Olson rating: 7.50
Trent Edwards (6-4, 190, 4.7) of Los Gatos, Calif., may be the No. 1 dropback quarterback in the country. If he is not No. 1, then there are only a couple or three that are in his league. Absolutely no other quarterback in the land has his type of stats to back up his top billing. Only a handful of quarterbacks, such as Zwick, Pako, and Ben Olson are in his league.
Edwards had a phenomenal pass completion record as a junior when he completed an absolutely incredible 78% (125-160) of his passes for 2,529 yards and 29 touchdowns and had only four interceptions.
Edwards has all of the tools to be the best quarterback in the country. He has the size, uncanny accuracy, and tremendous arm strength.
"Trent has everything that you need as a quarterback, but his field presence is his biggest asset," says high school coach Butch Catallico. "I've never seen a high school quarterback with more poise in the pocket."
"Trent never gets rattled in the pocket and he is always looking downfield for that receiver to break into the clear. Even if the pocket protection breaks down and he gets sacked, he's always back on the very next play with the same poise that he had on the same play that he just got sacked."
Edwards is also a pretty good athlete for a big guy, averaging almost 16 points a game in basketball.
Every college in the country has made contact with Edwards, but Stanford, UCLA and possibly California and Southern California have the best chance to sign him. All have made offers, along with another 30 or more schools
Edwards was a sensation at both the recent Southern Cal and UCLA camps. Because of his size, accuracy, arm strength and velocity, he has been compared favorably to a young Troy Aikman. He also has a very quick release. At the recent UCLA camp, Edwards really put on a passing clinic and coach Bob Toledo gave him a lot of attention because of it.
He has taken several unofficial trips this spring to some schools of interest, including Stanford, California, UCLA and Southern California. He is also looking at Notre Dame and Michigan.
Edwards rating: 7.50
Vince Young (6-5, 195, 4.38) of Madison in Houston is a definite cross between Tyler Palko and Justin Zwick because he displays the talents of both of those great quarterbacks. I recently saw film on Young and the first thing that you notice is that he is a tremendous physical specimen and that he would be a "once in a lifetime" player for any coach.
This kid could be the second coming of another Michael Vick. He has all of the tools that Vick had coming out of high school and he is also hearing the same things from coaches. Some uninformed sources already have him moving from quarterback to either the secondary or wide receiver in college.
At the recent Nike Camp at College Station, Young displayed some amazing skills. He had great touch and he also threw with great velocity when he needed to. Young ran a 4.49 in the 40 at the College Station Nike Camp, but he also ran a 4.38 in practice this spring.
As a junior, he completed 78 of 135 for 1,309 yards and 16 touchdowns. As a mere sophomore, he threw for 1,006 yards while rushing for another 760 more yards.
Back in the spring, there were eight big-time college coaches standing on the sidelines hoping that Vince would see their monogrammed shirt. These coaches were all in complete awe to see how gifted a quarterback that they were able to see practicing on the Houston Madison practice field.
Those coaches were not only highly impressed with this great physical specimen, but also at the way he handled himself and the way he threw pinpoint spirals to his many receivers. At 6-5, he is the perfect dropback quarterback, but when you can run a 4.38 in the forty, you could play any position on the field. All who have seen this kid are in total shock as to his unbelievable potential.
Young could play wide receiver in college, and he would be an exceptional player at that position, but I believe that he can become another Michael Vick-type of college quarterback. Right now, the college coaches also feel the same way.
Every college scout and coach who has seen Young, feels that he can lead their college team to the national championship. Young told me that his early top five schools included Florida State, Texas, LSU, Miami and Oklahoma. He has over 50 offers, but it looks like it will come down to a three-team fight between Florida State, LSU and Texas. The Seminoles may have taken an early lead.
Young rating: 7.50
Reggie McNeal (6-2, 190, 4.4) of Lufkin, Texas, is another "player of a lifetime" for any coach. The amazing thing is that I can not remember two better athletic quarterbacks like McNeal and Young ever coming out of Texas, period, muchless, two athletic quarterbacks like these two in the same recruiting class.
There are college coaches that swear that McNeal is the best ever in Texas and then there are others that swear that Young is the best ever in that state. We may not know which one is the best for a few years, but it is certainly a great conversation piece for recruiting buffs all around the Lone Star state.
For some reason, it appeared that Young was better than McNeal in the early recruiting, but McNeal has been sensational this spring and has either equaled to Young or even passed him in the eyes of many college coaches. I agree that they are pretty equal in what they can do for a football team and that is excelling in getting the football into the end zone by either running or passing.
As a junior, McNeal had better stats than Young, but McNeal played for a more explosive passing attack than Young. McNeal completed 115 passes of 230 for 2,150 yards and 25 touchdowns. Reggie also ran for another 10 scores. Although he looks great in his passing stats, he will need a little work on his passing mechanics before he becomes a great passing quarterback in college.
When you can run a 10.3 in the 100 meters and still have the passing skills to play the quarterback position, you would be called a "Superman" in most recruiting circles. McNeal obviously could play a lot of positions in college and Michael Vick was also told the same thing when he came out of high school.
Right now, the Texas A&M Aggies may have a slight lead over the rest of the field for this super prospect. Arkansas, Miami, Florida State, Oklahoma and LSU still may be in the mix.
McNeal rating: 7.50
Gavin Dickey (6-0, 188, 4.4) of Lincoln in Tallahassee, Fla., is the fourth athletic quarterback in our Dandy Dozen. He is a running quarterback who runs first and throws second and he is probably the No. 1 player at that position in the country. He reminds us all of another Florida State athlete who played quarterback and his name was Charlie Ward.
Dickey runs a legit 4.4 in the 40 and has great mobility in the pocket while possessing a strong and accurate arm. As a junior, Dickey passed for 1,418 yards and 18 touchdowns and also ran for another 1,086 yards and 10 touchdowns. He caught passes for 187 yards and three more scores.
The Lincoln team is such a talented team, it is amazing to watch how many weapons that they can use in the course of a football game. Even with all of these weapons, none of them can constantly change the outcome of the game more than Dickey. He is their great leader and the team always rallies around him.
In baseball, he throws a 93-mph fastball and he runs on the sprint relay team in track. He has a 10.7 in the 100 meters and his best forty-time is a 4.42.
Virginia Tech thinks that he is a shorter version of another Michael Vick and they were one of the first teams to make an offer. Dickey now has offers from Southern California, Nebraska, Georgia Tech, Florida State, Syracuse, Michigan, Notre Dame, Alabama, Florida, Clemson, LSU and Tennessee.
Southern California has told him that he can play quarterback for the Trojans and he will get a real taste of the West Coast weather and environment at the Elite Camp. Could this give the Trojans an edge over Nebraska, Virginia Tech and Florida State?
Dickey rating: 7.49
Evan Kraky (6-3, 195, 4.5) of Lakeland in Jermyn, Pa., is one of the best pinpoint passers that I have seen lately. He simply does what he needs to do in moving the team down the field for a score. He also rarely comes off of the field and is an aggressive free safety who hits hard and intercepts frequently.
In watching film on Kraky, and seeing him throw the short passes to perfection, it's hard not to remember another quarterback by the name of Ty Detmer who did much of the same. There is a very distinct difference in the two, because Kraky can run with the ball on either an option or scrambling out of the pocket.
On one play in particular, Kraky ran to his left, stopped and hit a receiver back to his right on a misdirection play for about a 30-yard touchdown. He throws the quick outs and quick look-ins with great confidence and he is also very polished on his quick fade patterns.
Kraky's career passing also reads pretty well as he has completed 301 of 535 for 5,782 yards and 64 touchdowns. He only needs about 1,600 passing yards to break the state passing record. He should get it in the first half of the season.
He was very impressive at the recent Tennessee camp. I really like this kid and his leadership abilities. He is also very smart with a 3.2 GPA and a 950 on his first SAT. He averages 15 points a game in basketball and he hit three home runs in baseball.
Kraky tells me that his early favorites are Tennessee, North Carolina State, Penn State and Pittsburgh.
Kraky rating: 7.48
Chris Olson (6-4, 222, 4.76) of Wayne Hills, N.J., is one of the top three or four classic dropback quarterbacks in the country and he recently pulled the trigger and gave coach Bob Davie a verbal to play for the Fighting Irish of Notre Dame. In giving the Irish the verbal, he picked them over the Miami Hurricanes.
As a junior, Olson passed for 1,970 yards and 24 touchdowns. Olson has a very strong and accurate arm and he has been compared to another New Jersey native — former superstar Chris Simms of the University of Texas.
On film, Olson is a real smooth operator as he leads his team down the field. He has a very fast release and he has a great arm with great velocity. He already looks like he could line up as an NFL quarterback.
It's interesting to note that with this verbal, it would seem that the Irish will be changing their offensive style of play to a more classic dropback passing game.
Chris Olson can definitely stretch the vertical passing game for the Irish. This commitment will also help the Irish reel in some more great receivers.
"I loved the Notre Dame tradition and the chance to play in their offensive scheme," said Olson.
Olson rating: 7.49
Will Proctor (6-3, 190, 4.68) of Trinity Prep in Winter Park, Fla., may not be a household name just yet, but he is on his way to being one. This sensational and versatile quarterback was so impressive at the recent Clemson camp, he was offered by coach Tommy Bowden and he accepted.
Will, along with his parents, Rick and Karen Proctor, went to the Clemson football camp with the intentions of developing and learning more about playing quarterback from coach Bowden and his staff. "I had not planned on committing this early, but everything went extremely well for me with the Clemson coaches," said Proctor.
"I knew that Clemson was a great academic school and I thought that it would be a great school for me, but I fell in love with the whole situation. I guess the turning point for me was the Clemson coaches. Coach Mike O'Cain will be my quarterback coach and I really do like him, but coach Bowden was one of the most impressive coaches that I think that I have ever met."
Although Proctor was a camp phenom, he was really not a completely unknown prospect before the camp. As a junior, he passed for 1,407 yards, ran for another 1,150 yards, and had personally accounted for 29 touchdowns. He also had already accumulated 2,665 passing yards and 1,746 rushing yards as a two-year starting quarterback. He also averaged 13 points and seven boards per game in basketball and also had suitors in that sport.
With a 3.0 GPA in college prep courses and an excellent 1140 on his SAT, Proctor should have been one of the most heavily recruited quarterbacks in the country. A small-school stigma is the only thing that I can tell may have not placed his name at the top of all of the top national recruiting lists.
At the camp, Proctor demonstrated an uncanny leadership quality that had every Clemson coach and player in awe. He also showed the ability to throw every single pass on the passing tree. In two other camps, he also ran a 4.68 in the forty and recorded an amazing 4.11 in the shuttle which is a phenomenal time for a quarterback.
Proctor had planned to attend summer camps at LSU, Florida, Notre Dame and North Carolina, but he has cancelled all of the trips, confirming his commitment to Clemson. He had over 50 different college visits or phone calls in the month of May.
Proctor rating: 7.48
Ryan O'Hara (6-6, 190, 4.6) of Muir of Pasadena, Calif., was very impressive at the recent Nike camp in San Diego and again at the Tennessee one-day camp. O'Hara demonstrated some great passing skills and great leadership qualities at those camps and came away as one of the top quarterbacks in the country.
He demonstrated a great touch on the ball, but he also demonstrated a very strong arm with a great deal of velocity when he needed to zip the football.
This kid has been one of the most impressive quarterbacks in at least two recent spring camps and he has now found a home in the Arizona desert.
"I have committed to coach John Mackovic and the Arizona Wildcats," says O'Hara. "Coach Mackovic told me that I would be the cornerstone of this recruiting class in his first full year of recruiting. I really like coach Mackovic and I am already looking forward to working with him. This is a perfect fit for me."
O'Hara is also a very good basketball player and his 4.69 in the 40 and 3.90 in the shuttle attest to his excellent all-around ability.
O'Hara recently transferred from Monrovia to Pasadena Muir and that will immediately made them one of the top passing teams in California. O'Hara is an honor student with a 3.7 GPA and a 1090 on his SAT.
O'Hara rating: 7.48
Drew Olson (6-2, 182, 4.8) of Piedmont, Calif., has a very busy spring and summer baseball schedule to keep, but he was still able to take off a few days and make it to the Nike Camp at Stanford. "I felt a little rusty at first, but I think that I got it all back as the day progressed," said Olson. "I've done a lot better, but I was very excited about seeing some of the other quarterbacks that I have been hearing about."
Olson was very impressive at the Junior Sun Belt Classic in McAlester, Okla., as he is one of two junior catchers on Team California. He has also been invited to the USA Baseball Junior national team trials in Joplin, Mo. This team which will represent the United States in the Junior Pan American Games in Cuba this summer.
"We believe he has been placed, as a catcher, on the same Team USA trials team with Joe Mauer, unless Mauer signs with the Twins," said Drew's dad David Olson. "If Drew doesn't make the Junior national team, then he will go to the Team One National Combine in Tempe, Ariz., in July. He will then compete in two additional national baseball tournaments during the summer."
Drew will continue his football workouts for this summer, and hopefully he will camp for at least a day at UCLA, but that will be dependent on his baseball schedule. Drew has also been invited to the Elite 11 quarterback camp in late July sponsored by Student Sports Magazine.
Drew has received scholarship offers from UCLA, Washington, Colorado, LSU, Oregon State and California. Southern California coach Pete Carroll and Arizona State coach Dirk Koetter visited Piedmont along with coaches from Oregon, Notre Dame, Miami, Arizona, Illinois, San Diego State and Washington State during the evaluation period. Michigan, Tennessee, and Florida State have also shown a lot of interest.
UCLA is where his dad graduated and they have the early lead. "I would like to take some trips, but I could also commit early if things go just right," says Olson.
Olson rating: 7.48
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Man, I didn't realize how many Olsons were elite QB prospects that year. I kept reading and wondering when Mary Kate and Ashley's names would pop up.
Like I said before...I'm happy to have Justin on the team, but I'm thrilled to have Troy under center.
:osu:
Like I said before...I'm happy to have Justin on the team, but I'm thrilled to have Troy under center.
:osu:
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Captain Hindsight
The Hero of the Modern Age
By no means is/was McNeal a "sensational" quarterback. He may have had "sensational" talent and potential (which may even be a stretch), but it never developed into what he/we thought it could possibly be. At A&M, McNeal was just a little above mediocre, and nothing else.
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You're kidding, right? In his three full seasons as the unquestioned starter, McNeal's A&M squad went 4-8, 7-5, 5-6!
McNeal: 43 games, 1286 plays, 8881 yards, 15 TDs
Young: 37 games, 1175 plays, 9167 yards, 37 TDs
McNeal was never sensational. Herbstreit picked A&M as "his darkhorse" to win the Big-XII South every year, and McNeal was his favorite to win the Heisman every single year too, so in that regard, I'd say McNeal has a lot more in common with Ron Powlus than anyone else.
Anywho, I just found that blast from the past funny in hindsight. Back to Justin ...
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sandgk
Watson, Crick & A Twist
Happy to oblige - actually, let's make that Husker Mike is happy to oblige.
Here is the Link - Husker Mike's Page
Brief quote of 2001 only
The (free) "Rewind" article on the 2002 Elite 11 QBS is on the net.
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Some quotes from Justin on media day.
official.site
Justin Zwick, senior quarterback
On his role for the upcoming season
"I have a different mind set this year. There is no battle for the starting position. We know who our No. 1 guy is. My role is to help Troy (Smith) out as much as I can."
On his career at Ohio State
"Just like anything in life, with football you have your ups and your downs. The ups are never as high as you would like and the downs are always lower. I just try to keep everything somewhere in the middle."
official.site
Justin Zwick, senior quarterback
On his role for the upcoming season
"I have a different mind set this year. There is no battle for the starting position. We know who our No. 1 guy is. My role is to help Troy (Smith) out as much as I can."
On his career at Ohio State
"Just like anything in life, with football you have your ups and your downs. The ups are never as high as you would like and the downs are always lower. I just try to keep everything somewhere in the middle."
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Canton Rep
[FONT=Verdana,Times New Roman,arial,helvetica,sans-serif]Zwick accepts No. 2 role[/FONT]
Friday, August 11, 2006 [FONT=Verdana,Times New Roman,arial,helvetica,sans-serif]By Todd Porter Repository sports writer[/FONT]
COLUMBUS - Justin Zwick looks like a different man, mentally and physically.
At one time, Zwick was thought to be Ohio State’s savior at quarterback. After a well-publicized position battle with Troy Smith the last two seasons, Zwick has taken his place as the backup to a preseason Heisman Trophy candidate.
It would be a mistake to say Zwick is content with being Smith’s backup. It would be on the money to say he has accepted his role.
“It’s tough because you don’t know how things are going to go,” Zwick said Thursday. “You prepare yourself to be there, to be the guy all the time, and all of a sudden you’re not needed any more.
“That’s life. That’s the plan God had for me. That’s something I learned to deal with, and I want to get as many positives out of the situation as I can.
“I’m never going to throw in the towel. You accept things and now you work toward different kinds of goals, whether that is helping Troy break down film or whatever. I will do anything I can to help myself in the future, if there is a future (in football for me).”
Zwick is a fifth-year senior. Perhaps his best performance for the Buckeyes came two years ago, when he led them to a win in the Alamo Bowl. Last season, platooning with Smith, Ohio State lost a nationally televised game to Texas at Ohio Stadium.
Smith emerged as the starter two weeks later. He went on to light up Michigan for the second year in a row, and then did the same against Notre Dame in the Fiesta Bowl.
Zwick fell out of the spotlight, but not off the face of the Earth. He did hit an emotional low after the season. He talked with his high school head coach, former Massillon coach Rick Shepas. Zwick said Shepas got his head in the right place.
“There has been a lot of time when I’ve just been trying to get back to where I think I can be mentally and physically,” Zwick said. “I’m not saying I fell off the Earth, but when you go through something like that — last season was hard on me — you just want to get back. But one day you wake up and realize you can’t sulk about it. You go to the weight room, work hard and work with the guys and have fun with it.”
Zwick is a three-year letterman with 18 games and nine starts. He threw for 318 yards in a game against Marshall in 2004, including an 80-yard touchdown pass to Santonio Holmes. NFL scouts love his size at 6-foot-4, 225 pounds. He has arm strength and a quick release.
“NFL teams love big, tall, strong quarterbacks with a quick release who are intelligent,” Head Coach Jim Tressel said. “Justin has all those qualities.”
[FONT=Verdana,Times New Roman,arial,helvetica,sans-serif]Zwick accepts No. 2 role[/FONT]
Friday, August 11, 2006 [FONT=Verdana,Times New Roman,arial,helvetica,sans-serif]By Todd Porter Repository sports writer[/FONT]
COLUMBUS - Justin Zwick looks like a different man, mentally and physically.
At one time, Zwick was thought to be Ohio State’s savior at quarterback. After a well-publicized position battle with Troy Smith the last two seasons, Zwick has taken his place as the backup to a preseason Heisman Trophy candidate.
It would be a mistake to say Zwick is content with being Smith’s backup. It would be on the money to say he has accepted his role.
“It’s tough because you don’t know how things are going to go,” Zwick said Thursday. “You prepare yourself to be there, to be the guy all the time, and all of a sudden you’re not needed any more.
“That’s life. That’s the plan God had for me. That’s something I learned to deal with, and I want to get as many positives out of the situation as I can.
“I’m never going to throw in the towel. You accept things and now you work toward different kinds of goals, whether that is helping Troy break down film or whatever. I will do anything I can to help myself in the future, if there is a future (in football for me).”
Zwick is a fifth-year senior. Perhaps his best performance for the Buckeyes came two years ago, when he led them to a win in the Alamo Bowl. Last season, platooning with Smith, Ohio State lost a nationally televised game to Texas at Ohio Stadium.
Smith emerged as the starter two weeks later. He went on to light up Michigan for the second year in a row, and then did the same against Notre Dame in the Fiesta Bowl.
Zwick fell out of the spotlight, but not off the face of the Earth. He did hit an emotional low after the season. He talked with his high school head coach, former Massillon coach Rick Shepas. Zwick said Shepas got his head in the right place.
“There has been a lot of time when I’ve just been trying to get back to where I think I can be mentally and physically,” Zwick said. “I’m not saying I fell off the Earth, but when you go through something like that — last season was hard on me — you just want to get back. But one day you wake up and realize you can’t sulk about it. You go to the weight room, work hard and work with the guys and have fun with it.”
Zwick is a three-year letterman with 18 games and nine starts. He threw for 318 yards in a game against Marshall in 2004, including an 80-yard touchdown pass to Santonio Holmes. NFL scouts love his size at 6-foot-4, 225 pounds. He has arm strength and a quick release.
“NFL teams love big, tall, strong quarterbacks with a quick release who are intelligent,” Head Coach Jim Tressel said. “Justin has all those qualities.”
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