High Talent Level, Low Recognition: QBs

As I have been working my way through the Class of 2022 rankings update I have come across several players who are going to rank highly among their fellow student athletes that don’t have nearly the amount of interest or offers of those around them. It started becoming clear that every position group has a collection of these types of situations so today, as we lead up to the debut of the rankings update in early August, I want to start a series going position by position identifying these players who’s recruitment hasn’t matched their high level of talent. We are going to start this series off looking at some under recruited field generals that I believe have what it takes to lead an offense at the next level. [player_tooltip player_id="118255" first="Michael" last="Mulhollon"], 6’4" 205- Westosha Central Season Stats: 1145 Passing Yards, 405 Rushing Yards, 16 TDs The first QB I want to cover in this article is in a different situation than the rest. That QB is [player_tooltip player_id="118255" first="Michael" last="Mulhollon"] out of Westosha Central. His different circumstance is that he is currently committed to Wichita State to play baseball. Usually when I see that I would just rank them and move on. However, Michael is such a talented QB prospect that I believe he deserves to get brought up here. According to his twitter he hasn’t received any football offers or interest outside of some interest from the Wisconsin Badgers last fall. Teams should definitely check in with Michael. We have already seen one high profile commit flip from baseball to football as [player_tooltip player_id="31219" first="Addison" last="Ostrenga"] made the switch. The tape speaks for itself. There isn’t a spot of the field that the lefty can’t get the ball to with the velocity and accuracy needed to compete at the higher levels of college competition. He also adds a dual threat that could not only make him a weapon as a QB, but also make him an option at other positions if it came to it. Michael is going to be a top five QB when our rankings update debuts. Check him out. <a href="https://www.hudl.com/video/3/13069412/5fa6f9e8ff0c3b1300162331">Michael’s Junior Season</a> [player_tooltip player_id="118301" first="Sam" last="Dodd"], 6’3" 200- Hortonville Season Stats: 1614 Passing Yards, 14 TDs Dodd is another QB that looks poised to be a Top 5 QB in our rankings for the Class of 2022. That’s what brings the Hortonville prospect to this article. Despite his talent level he has yet to start really bringing in the offers. He actually just landed his first offer this past week from Winona State. The 6’3" 200 lbs QB brings one of the strongest arms in the state to the table. Where he separates himself from the rest of the pack is that he has proven to have very good control over that arm strength as he has been able to put the ball right where he needs to for his receivers to go make a play on it. One of my favorite parts of Sam’s game, and another way he has set himself apart from others in his position group, is his pocket presence. While he has the ability to tuck it and run, Sam is at his best feeling the pressure and maneuvering in the pocket to buy time while he keeps his eyes downfield, remains poised, and finds receivers breaking open. I’ve really enjoyed watching Sam’s film because the play never feels dead if he still has the ball in his hands. It always seems like he is going to make something happen. One D2 school has already made the offer. Time for several others to follow and maybe even teams from other levels as he was out in the Dakotas camping the past few days. <a href="https://www.hudl.com/video/3/11285615/5fb4705e0660a2052c6e2cdd">Sam’s Junior Season</a> [player_tooltip player_id="31240" first="Quentin" last="Keene"], 6’3" 205- Waunakee Season Stats: 1,112 Passing Yards, 18 TDs After an impressive spring season Quentin looks to have done everything he needs to do to secure himself a spot in our Top 5 QBs for the Class of 2022. Just like the two other QBs above in this article, that’s why he is a member of this article. The talent in Wisconsin’s Class of 2022 QB group is one of the deeper groups I have seen, so earning a top five ranking is not easy. I’m a big fan of the Waunakee product. He took over the QB job this season and led his team to an undefeated record against some of Wisconsin’s toughest competition. The first thing that jumps out to me on Quentin’s film is the way he understands the leverage that the DB is playing with, and knows where to put the ball to beat the leverage. As a junior in high school he is delivering back shoulder fades, dropping it in a bucket over his receiver’s shoulder, and using differing levels of velocity to hit windows with a natural ease. It is also very apparent that he has received some very good coaching because his footwork and technique never drops off. Quentin is in the argument for this class’s best pure pocket passer. He has made the rounds this summer, but is still looking for that first offer it looks like. The wait needs to end. Check him out. <a href="https://www.hudl.com/video/3/11023452/6090c629c119fb0d50a529a4">Quentin’s Junior Season</a> [player_tooltip player_id="118359" first="Caden" last="Pendleton"], 6’6" 205- Kimberly Season Stats: 1030 Passing Yards, 12 TDs, 0 INTs Our next QB is coming off a spring season that saw his team go 6-1, and he personally earned a spot as a Top 10 Finalist for our Player of the Year Award. The exceptionally well built Kimberly product went through the entire seven game spring season without a single turnover through the air or on the ground, while also completely 70% of his pass attempts. That ability to protect the ball, and be able to place it in pinpoint locations is not easy to find. That’s why I’m very surprised that after going through his twitter account I haven’t been able to find any official offers. He has received interest from the D2 level, but we are still waiting for an offer to come through. When you turn on the film the first thing I always check for when I see a prospect with his type of size is how well do they handle that size. It’s easy for Caden. His impressive size doesn’t get in the way of his technique as he has shown to be light on his feet and displays smooth footwork. That shouldn’t be a surprise because you don’t complete 70% of your passes if you don’t have your technique and footwork dialed in. I’m really looking forward to seeing how Caden performs this season. If he can take another step forward from where he was this spring I believe the Top 10 in our QB rankings is just the beginning for him. <a href="https://www.hudl.com/video/3/11231411/6099f2e2da5b3f10d8210872">Caden’s Junior Season</a> Sam Lagowski, 6’3" 185- Green Bay Notre Dame Season Stats: 276 Passing Yards, 3 TDs Sam is set to make his debut in our rankings when the update goes live early August. Not to spoiler it too much, but he will be making the debut as a member of the Top 10 at his position. The stats from this spring aren’t mind-blowing, but the film shows off a lot of potential. The first thing I noted was that he has the frame to handle the size he will most likely need to add to handle playing at the next level. The junior’s film shows off very sharp technique that makes the ball jump out of his hands with just a flick of his wrist. His film shows that he dominates in the short to intermediate range of the field and when he has to he can pull it down and take off. Call me old school, but I also really like seeing him play under center in his film and showing off his smooth footwork as he goes through his drop and delivers the ball. This is a big season coming up for Sam as he continues looking for his first offer. Take a look at his junior film. <a href="https://www.hudl.com/video/2/17711/609232abf3275e15882b55c3">Sam’s Junior Season</a> [player_tooltip player_id="31235" first="Luke" last="Haertle"], 6’3" 200- Lake Country Lutheran Season Stats: 1,677 Passing Yards, 26 TDs, 489 Rushing Yards, 9 TDs, 65 Tackles, 2 INTs We have an impressive athlete next up in [player_tooltip player_id="31235" first="Luke" last="Haertle"]. The 6’3" 200 lbs playmaker was first team All- Region as a QB and a DB, and a state champion as a sophomore. With his size, athleticism, and talent as a passer I can’t believe a team hasn’t come forward with an offer. As I go through his twitter it is very clear that he is also a very accomplished and talented basketball player, so there will be some competition from another sport on the recruiting trail. That shouldn’t scare off teams from taking a look. Luke has the talent to make an impact on either side of the ball at the D2- D3 levels. His film is very fun to watch. It’s like watching a backyard game as he scrambles around, jukes or stiff arms tacklers, and chucks the ball deep for big plays. When things go off script Luke shines. He is a natural playmaker that has no problem leaning on his athletic abilities to make things happen. Once you get past those flash plays it becomes clear that he is a naturally gifted passer as his arm strength is a big positive in his game along with his playmaking abilities. I highly recommend checking him out. There is a lot to work with here. <a href="https://www.hudl.com/video/3/6493671/5f90bbd34206360a441b7abb">Luke’s Junior Season</a> Drew Mears, 6’ 175- Fox Valley Lutheran Season Stats: 2145 Passing Yards, 25 Passing TDs, 4 Rushing TDs The final QB I want to highlight today is another athlete that will be making his debut in the rankings update. While Drew doesn’t have the prototypical size you can’t argue the production, and when you check the tape it’s hard to understand how the D3 level hasn’t been knocking down his door this summer with offers. His first few plays on film proves that he can attack down the field with accuracy. As he continues to add size I believe you will start to see more and more velocity start to be added onto those passes. The velocity does show up far more on his short to intermediate passes. His mechanics and quick release allow him to really fire the ball to those ranges with the same accuracy and touch that you see on his deep passes.This kid is going to put on a show this fall. Make sure you keep up with him. Check out the film too. He needs to be on far more radars because from what I can see his twitter doesn’t show any offers or interest. Mears is too talented for that to be the case. <a href="https://www.hudl.com/video/3/11274252/5fd0ff07d21b710828a3daeb">Drew’s Junior Season</a>