Stat Line: 10/18 passing, 397 passing yards, four touchdowns.

Cruz by far is my favorite South Dakota Big Dog of the Week on our list. In his first game back in 673 (nearly two full years) he sparked the Chamberlain Cubs offense for 10/18 passing, 397 passing yards (Chamberlain school record) with four touchdowns. He showed off reactive awareness that could work quickly around the pocket and even in his first game back, did not fear contact nearby in higher traffic areas which shows off Cruz’s excellent demeanor. Cruz showed off that big arm strength I remember at the Augustana and SDSU camps this summer, as Cruz consistently fit the ball into a bucket with his precision allowing his WR Levi Miller amongst others to catch and go on multiple occasions. I certainly believe Cruz can make a case for more Division II attention as a late-bloomer in his senior season. Twitter 

Cruz is a South Dakota 2024 quarterback prospect I have been waiting to see in live QB reps as he missed his junior season with the Cubs. What did I see in Brookings on Thursday? I saw a QB prospect that at 6’4 200 pounds plays with much more mobility than you would expect and also brought good poise in the reps I caught from him at SDSU on Thursday. Cruz shows off some fiery arm strength with great precision on his deep ball and has solid technique in the pocket to buy himself more time if he needs it. Cruz is likely a prospect that college programs will need to see senior tape out of however, based on what I saw on Thursday, I think this young man has healed nicely from his injury and is one you could take a chance on sooner rather than later based on the skillsets we saw in Brookings out of Cruz.