Riley Vanderlinden Riley Vanderlinden 5'11" | 165 lbs | ATH Bondurant-Farrar | 2028 State IA is listed as an athlete for a reason. Though he plays quarterback for Bondurant-Farrar, the 5-foot-11, 165-pound sophomore doesn’t project to the position at the next level, but boy, he shows some encouraging things on the football field. A slippery runner, Vanderlinden was a big play waiting to happen when he took off with the rock. Able to slip through the tiniest of creases and take off for big gains or touchdowns, Vanderlinden shows potential either as a slot receiver or as a defensive back at the next level, assuming he continues to put on weight. As shifty as they come, Vanderlinden can cut on a dime and make a linebacker or defensive back miss, turning a third and long passing down to a back-breaking first down for the offense.

It’s time to check in with Vanderlinden after last evaluating him for the previous update all the way back in June. That means we have a sophomore season to check out. He mostly line up at quarterback, throwing for 447 yards (14.4 YPC) and three touchdowns. Vanderlinden added 169 yards (4.1 YPC) and a score on the ground. All three of his tackles were solo stops. We can view him throwing the football HERE and running with it HERE. Vanderlinden pushes the ball down the field with a fluid delivery and arm strength. He’s capable of dropping it in the bucket, and there’s zip on underneath routes along with a knack for keeping plays alive with his legs. Speaking of which, Vanderlinden gashes defenses on designed runs via burst and top-end speed. It’s easy to imagine the skill sets working at multiple positions on the next level.

(@riley_vandy0)

Bondurant-Farrar’s Riley VanderLinden is an interesting prospect who will likely receive looks to play offense or defense, but for now, he projects best as a receiver. Riley had a tremendous freshman season, in which he not only led the team in receiving yards (39 catches, 617 yards, and five touchdowns) but also was the team’s leading rusher (64 carries, 397 yards, and three touchdowns). Vanderlinden also posted 22 tackles on defense. The biggest thing that stood out about Riley’s tape was his deep threat ability, especially how well he tracks the ball in the air and makes snap body adjustments when going up for the catch. VanderLinden’s explosiveness coming off the snap and his reported 4.49 40-yard speed allow him to eat up cushions from DBs and get vertical in a flash. Very reliable hands at the catch point and always seems to find a way to get his feet inbounds when making tough catches along the boundaries. You also need to be on alert if you see Riley lined up at QB because he was able to break off quite a few big runs, using his vision and burst to explode through running lanes for big gains. If Riley comes out firing like last season, I wouldn’t be surprised to see some offers headed his way!

Vanderlinden is a jack of all trades that doesn’t need to master one of them to remain successful. He paced the Bluejays in catches (39), receiving yards (617) and touchdown receptions (5), while also ranking second in rushing yards (397). He posted 22.0 tackles (19 solo) on defense. He shows a flair for the dramatic during his offensive film, whether he’s winning 50-50 balls or blazing through the secondary. When he’s lined up at cornerback, the backpedal is smooth as is his ability to change direction.