Power 5 Opportunities in the 2020 Recruiting Class for Quarterbacks is Narrowing
Written by Ryan Wright
Twitter: @RyanWrightRNG
With the shift in college football moving from a pro-style set to a spread attack, the demand for a top-flight quarterback has never been higher. The adoption of the pliable spread can be tweaked to include pocket passers with limited mobility but can also be expanded for dual-threats putting even more pressure on the opposing front seven to contain while applying pressure. The importance of finding a talent who can sling it and extend plays with their legs has pushed the timeline for Division-I programs to identify the next prospect who can put points on the board and win games as early as possible.
As summer nears, the spring evaluation period is in full-swing with college camps around the corner. The time for quarterbacks to commit, staking their claim at a top school, is heating up and the time for said programs to find that field general desired is dwindling. Of the Top 10 pro-style 2020 quarterbacks, only four remain uncommitted – No. 1 ranked DJ Uiagalelei, No. 4 Jay Butterfield, No. 8 Shane Illingworth, and No. 10 Michael Alaimo. Worth noting Uiagalelei announces his commitment on Sunday. In total, there are just five four-star pro-style quarterbacks still on the open market.
Six of the Top 10 dual-threats remain available, but if the 24/7 recruiting rankings mean anything, the last four-star in the bunch is No. 9 Jalen Suggs of Minnehaha Academy in Minnesota. The four-star cutoff among pro-style extends to No. 16, Michigan commit JD Johnson of Pinnacle High School in Arizona.
Among the 64 Power 5 Conference schools, 33 open spots for a quarterback remain; assuming all programs take a quarterback in 2020.
ACC
Boston College – open
Clemson – open
Duke – Luca Diamont – Venice (CA) – pro-style No. 19
Florida State – Jeff Sims – Sandalwood (FL) – pro-style No. 15
Georgia Tech – Tucker Gleason – Plant (FL) – pro-style No. 28
Louisville – Tee Webb – Cartersville (GA) – pro-style No. 29
Miami – Tyler Van Dyke – Suffield Academy (CT) – pro-style No. 9
North Carolina – open
North Carolina State – Ben Finley – Paradise Valley (AZ) – pro-style No. 33
Pittsburgh – open
Syracuse – open
Virginia – open
Virginia Tech – Tyler Warren – Atlee (VA) – dual-threat No. 21
Wake Forest – Mitch Griffs – Broad Run (VA) – dual-threat No. 28
Big 12
Baylor – open
Iowa State – Aidan Bouman – Buffalo Senior (MN) – pro-style No. 20
Kansas – open
Kansas State – open
Oklahoma – open
Oklahoma State – open
Texas – Hudson Card – Lake Travis (TX) – dual-threat No. 2
Texas Christian (TCU)
Texas Tech – open
West Virginia – Garrett Greene – Lawton Chiles (FL) – dual-threat No. 19
Big Ten
Illinois – open
Indiana – open
Iowa – Duce Hogan – Faith Christian (TX) – pro-style No. 18
Maryland – open
Michigan – JD Johnson – Pinnacle (AZ) – pro-style – No. 17
Michigan State – open
Minnesota – open
Nebraska – Logan Smothers – Athens (AL) – dual-threat No. 17
Northwestern – Aidan Atkinson – Fairview (CO) – pro-style No. 11
Ohio State – Jack Miller – Chaparral (AZ) – pro-style No. 2
Penn State – Micah Bowens – Bishop Gorman (NV) – dual-threat No. 15
Purdue – open
Rutgers – open
Wisconsin – open
Pac-12
Arizona – Will Plummer – Gilbert (AZ) – pro-style No. 37
Arizona State – open
California – open
Colorado – open
Oregon – open
Oregon State – open
Stanford – open
UCLA – Parker McQuarrie – St. Paul’s School (NH) – pro-style No. 14
USC – Bryce Young – Mater Dei (CA) – dual-threat No. 1
Utah – open
Washington – Ethan Garbers – Corona Del Mar (CA) – pro-style No. 16
Washington State – open
SEC
Alabama – open
Arkansas – open
Auburn – Mekhi Hagens – Cardinal Ritter (MO) – dual-threat No. 22
Georgia – Carson Beck – Mandarin (FL) – pro-style No. 3
Florida – Anthony Richardson – Eastside (FL) – dual-threat No. 7
Kentucky – open
LSU – Max Johnson – Oconee County (GA) – pro-style No. 6 and TJ Finley – Ponchatoula (LA) – pro-style No. 13
Mississippi – open
Mississippi State – Will Rogers – Brandon (MS) – pro-style No. 31
Missouri – Brady Cook – Chaminade Prep (MO) – pro-style No. 27
South Carolina – Luke Doty – Myrtle Beach (SC) – dual-threat No. 3
Tennessee – Harrison Bailey – Marietta (GA) – pro-style No. 5
Texas A&M – open
Vanderbilt – Ken Seals – Weatherford (TX) – pro-style No. 22
Independent
Notre Dame – Drew Pyne – New Canaan (CT) – pro-style No. 7
Group of Five QB Commits
Cincinnati – Evan Prater – Wyoming (OH) – dual-threat No. 16
Fresno State – Jaden Casey – Calabasas (CA) – dual-threat No. 11
Ohio – CJ Harris – West Bloomfield (MI) – dual-threat No. 49
South Florida – Jordan Smith – Columbia (FL) – dual-threat No. 40
Southern Miss – Derohn King – Deerfield Beach (FL) – pro-style No. 51
Temple – Matthew Duncan – Ashley Ridge (SC) – pro-style No. 59
Photo credit: Raymond Joyce Photography