Coming out of big-school Illinois power Lincoln Way-West, Louisville baseball commit Cole Crafton is gaining a ton of steam on the recruiting trail as a 6’3, 205 lb. quarterback prospect. Crafton committed to the Cardinals baseball squad in late September of 2020 and was even ranked as the #1 baseball product in Illinois for his class by a third-party site, but an array of football programs have kept in contact and he even received an offer from UNI last May. Things are really starting to heat up this fall though, and Purdue, Notre Dame, and Illinois have all gotten game-day visits from the junior with Kansas State up next and a slew of other FBS and P5 programs continuing to send graphics, mail, and contact. I feel like he’s right on the cusp of that first major offer, and with obvious athleticism and arm talent coming from the baseball background, his junior film also displays a QB with great accuracy who does a good job of making his reads, staying patient if needed, and allowing the route to develop so he can make a good decision and put the ball right in the WR’s hands. I also like his ability to extend plays with his legs and his toughness to stand in the pocket through a big hit. Crafton’s gone 141-237 (59%) for 1,944 yards and 17 TDs through the air during the regular season and rushed 58 times for 283 yards and 8 more TDs with his legs. He’s been all over the recruiting space in 2022 and you couldn’t miss the attention and talent even if you tried!

rnMr. Crafton is currently committed to play D1 Baseball at Louisville and his skill set there translates well to the gridiron. This young man is able to add good zip on the ball and to the eye has impressive spin rate – I’m interested to see exactly what that number looks like. He can also add a touch on the deep ball and fit the ball in tight spots only where his receivers can go up to get it. Throughout countless plays Friday night, his receivers had to high point the ball to secure contested catches to keep drives going. What stands out the most about this young man is his awareness to avoid pocket pressure by either sliding to get the ball off or pulling the ball down to scramble. When he does scramble, he’s not afraid to lower his shoulder to run defenders over. This was on full display late in the game as he added two rushing TDs to his two passing TD performance to finish with four on the night. If you don’t know about Cole Crafton Cole Crafton 6'3" | 210 lbs | QB Lincolnway West | 2024 State IL , you do now. This young man has a very bright future in both baseball and football, be sure to get a look now before all the football offers come rolling in. Twitter