5 Quarterbacks From the 2021 Class Ready to Breakout This Season
Welcome to Part Two of this series where we highlight five players from each position that are poised to breakout during the 2020 season and begin to collect the offers from college football programs that have eluded them for the…
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Continue ReadingWelcome to Part Two of this series where we highlight five players from each position that are poised to breakout during the 2020 season and begin to collect the offers from college football programs that have eluded them for the most part. In Part One we took a look at offensive linemen. In part two we will look at the quarterback position. For each player we will look into what interest they have currently and then take a quick dive into what their film has shown so far. Let’s get started!
Will Brust Will Brust 6'4" | 195 lbs | QB Greendale | 2021 State WI – Greendale, 6’4″ 195
When reviewing the film, it is apparent that Will has the tools to make him one of the top 10 quarterbacks in the state. This is why it is a shock that he is only holding an offer from Culver- Stockton thus far in his recruitment. In six games last season, Brust put up 864 passing yards and 6 passing TDs. Based off the tape, Brust is at minimum a D3 college prospect and should begin to collect those types of offers throughout his 2020 season if he continues to play how he did in 2019.
When you pop on the film the first obvious trait you see is the prototypical frame that Brust has. He is well put together at 6’4″ and 195 pounds. Once the film starts rolling the next trait you see is his spot on accuracy. It’s not about just being able to a receiver. QBs need to be able to put the ball in exact spots that only his receiver can catch it. Brust has demonstrated that while on the run and in the pocket. He also has the arm to make the majority of necessary throws at the next level. When you combine the arm strength he has with his ability to put the ball in perfect spots you get a QB that should be heavily recruited by the D3 and potentially the D2 levels. I believe that will pick up as he continues to play into 2020.
Josh Bauer Josh Bauer 6'0" | 200 lbs | QB Lourdes | 2021 State WI – Lourdes, 6’0″ 190
Next we have another QB with the tools to continue playing at the next level. Bauer is an impressive QB prospect. Last season, he dominated on his way to being not only the leading passer on his team, but also the leading rusher. He put up 2125 passing yards, 30 passing TDs, 977 rushing yards, and 17 TDs while also leading his team to Level 4 of the playoffs. After a season like that you would expect the interest to be abundant from college programs. However, right now his list of offers is Carthage College and Simpson College. Both of which are strong programs, but the surprise is that there aren’t a handful more offers. I expect that to change if he continues his 2019 play into the 2020 season.
When the film comes on, there isn’t much that Josh can’t do. His passes all have the zip on the ball that you look for that signifies an arm that is ready for the college level. He can deliver accurate passes from the pocket or on the run, and when the play breaks down he can maneuver in the pocket and scramble with great success. Overall, Bauer is a playmaker who can handle the responsibility of leading an offense at the next level and college teams need to start taking more notice to that. Bauer is going to be a player to watch this season.
Nate McLean Nate McLean 6'2" | 190 lbs | QB Menomonee Falls | 2021 State WI – Menomonee Falls, 6’2″ 190
Nate has had an interesting recruiting journey thus far. He currently holds an offer from St. Norbert’s College, and he also received a ton of Junior Day invites from D2 programs. However, to date those haven’t yet turned into offers. It is hard to imagine that not changing over the next few months. As you will read in the film breakdown, McLean is one of the more talented QBs in the state when it comes to raw tools. He has a lot to work with and after another season of play there should be a lot of teams wanting his services.
From the first play on film you see that McLean has one of the strongest arms in the state. He is one of the best I have seen in the class of 2021 at consistently attacking down the field. The thing that separates him from the standard strong arm is that he consistently puts the ball right where it needs to be so the receiver can catch it in stride resulting in a ton of big plays. I have high hopes that Nate will start to see the offers begin to roll. He has received a plethora of Junior Day Invites and I expect those to eventually result in offers. I also expect McLean to put on a show this season ensuring the offers will come.
Ray Zuleger Ray Zuleger 6'0" | 175 lbs | QB Xavier | 2021 State WI – Xavier, 6’0″ 175
Ray is another do it all prospect. He led his team in both passing yards and rushing yards with 2147 passing yards and 711 rushing yards. His film is full of electric moments both as a runner and as a passer, but the college offers have yet to materialize. Currently, Ray has collected a lot of interest from schools and has been invited to several Junior Days. However, he is still waiting on the offers. If he continues creating his big momentous plays in 2020 I believe that the offers could start to appear. Ray’s overall athleticism might even lead to schools asking if he would be willing to play other positions such as defensive back. In the end, Zuleger is a good football player and a good athlete. Teams can never have enough of those.
As for the film study, Ray is an undersized prospect for the QB position, but he makes up for it with an impressive dual threat ability. He has the athleticism to decide to tuck it and run on any play and turn it into an electric moment. When Zuleger does stay in the pocket he has the arm talent to make the majority of throws that he needs while being accurate. He has even shown the ability to not need to have his feet perfectly set while doing it. Even if he can’t find a ton of interest as a QB, Ray could classify himself as an athlete because with his athleticism he could fill a few other roles for a team at the next level.
Gabe Seifert Gabe Seifert 6'0" | 180 lbs | QB New Berlin Eisenhower | 2021 FL – New Berlin Eisenhower, 6’0″ 180
Our final breakout candidate at the quarterback position is Gabe Seifert Gabe Seifert 6'0" | 180 lbs | QB New Berlin Eisenhower | 2021 FL . You can tell he has put in the work in the past offseasons to become one of the more technically sound passers in the state and that should make him one of the more desired QBs of the class. Right now, Gabe holds an offer from St. Norbert’s College and he also has received interest from several other schools. The list of schools offering him right now doesn’t correlate to his natural ability. In my eyes Gabe should be heavily pursued by the division 3 and maybe even division 2 schools. I expect him to put up his best season yet in 2020 and colleges will start to take notice.
When you pop in the tape the first thing you notice is that Seifert is so technically sound for a high school QB. There isn’t any wasted movement in his throwing motion and he has a compact and quick release. It is because of that technique that when you watch his film he generates a surprising amount of velocity on the ball and he is usually able to put the ball where it needs to be as well. The cherry on top of it all is that Gabe also is a decent athlete who isn’t afraid to tuck the ball and gain yards on the ground.
Tune back in for Part Three as we dive into five running backs from the 2021 class who are poised to breakout during the 2020 season!