An Early Look at the QBs
A few reminders about the process:
Making Offers: Outside of the very top QBs in the country, the Wake staff doesn’t give out committable offers to QBs before coach Ruggiero has seen them throw. Coaches around the country don’t seem to BS the QBs with non-committable offers nearly as often as other recruits. So if a QB reports an offer, there is a very good chance it is committable. As a result, QB offer sheets look really different from players at other positions. They really aren’t comparable at all. Much shorter.
Recruiting Territory: There really isn’t one. Forget that Baltimore-to-Jacksonville stuff that typically applies. It’s a national search (or at least east of the Mississippi). Last year the staff looked at a lot of guys on the West Coast. That may have been due to their being a reportedly weak crop of QBs in the eastern U.S.
Timing: QBs generally commit much earlier than other positions. Most schools only take one QB per year. It becomes like a game of musical chairs once the offers start getting made. Everyone wants to grab their seat. I had been assuming that the Ruggiero National Tour of Throwing Sessions would take place during the spring eval period (April 15 to May 31), but then I read a quote from a QB saying that Ruggiero was coming to watch him throw in December. So maybe it will happen earlier this year.
Here are some of the key guys that I think will be on the Ruggiero throwing session tour (no order):
Austin Scott (6’0) – Spartanburg HS / Spartanburg, SC
Rating: Unrated
Offers: None
Camps: Wake, Penn State and Tennessee. Also attended the Manning Passing Academy.
Overview: SC Varsity ranks him as #1 QB in SC for 2016. Was busy this summer leading his 7-on-7 team deep into the National Select 7-on-7 championship. Broke his HS’s all-time record for career passing yards midway through his junior year.
Recruitment: He told Scout after a summer visit to Wake that he was the number one QB on the staff’s board for 2016. Visited Wake for the Army game. He told Scout that he is talking to Wake Forest, Clemson and Charlotte the most.
Peyton Ramsey (6’3) – Elder HS / Cincinnati, OH
Rating: Unrated
Offers: Illinois
Camps: Illinois, Michigan State, Northwestern and Tennessee
Overview: Runs a spread offense in high school. Pro-style QB that is effective running the ball when necessary. As a sophomore he had 2,000 passing yards and 500 rushing yards.
Recruitment: Visited Wake Forest for the Syracuse game. He is most involved with Illinois, Wake Forest and Northwestern. West Virginia may be involved as well.
Skylar Thompson (6’1) – Fort Osage HS / Independence, MO
Rating: 3-star, #5 player in Missouri
Offers: None
Camps: Mizzou and Arkansas
Overview: Thompson gained notoriety after a strong showing at the Elite 11 Chicago regional where he competed as a rising junior.
Recruitment: Mizzou, Arkansas, Wake Forest, Iowa State and Nebraska appear to be the most involved. Has visited Mizzou, Iowa State and Nebraska this fall. He told Scout that he has more frequent contact with Wake Forest than any other school. Plans to throw for Coach Ruggiero in December. If Wake Forest offers, then he will probably make an unofficial visit to Wake early in 2015 (he wants to visit for a basketball game).
Jamie Newman (6’3) – Graham HS / Graham, NC
Rating: 3-star, #26 player in North Carolina
Offers: Duke, NC State, Boston College, and West Virginia
Camps: Duke, UNC, Clemson, Wake Forest and NC State (also Elite 11 regional as a rising junior)
Overview: More of a true dual-threat than other QBs on this list. Built like a LB. As far as I know all 4 offers are to play QB, but may ultimately end up at LB or S. How high teams are on Newman will depend on how they rate his pocket-passing and/or his willingness to switch to defense if QB doesn’t work out. Might be a situation where teams tell him that they view him as an ATH, but also commit to give him a trial at QB first. Has a 3.8 GPA and wants to major in kinesiology.
Recruitment: Already very competitive. Has already visited NC State, UNC, Maryland and Duke this fall. Told Scout in July that he felt that he had a really good camp at Wake and that he had a really strong connection with the coaching staff. He says that the Wake coaches told him that an offer is coming soon. West Virginia appears to be making him a top target (Lonnie Galloway reaches out to him daily).
Clay Bolin (6’2) - Bourbon County (!!!!) / Paris, KY
Rating: Unrated
Offers: None
Overview: Younger brother of Louisville QB Kyle Bolin
Recruitment: Told Scout that Wake Forest and Purdue have told him that he is at the top of their respective boards. Kentucky, Louisville, Nebraska and Illinois are also reportedly in contact with him. He has visited Kentucky for a game. He is hoping to attend games at Wake Forest, Purdue and Illinois.
Other Possibilities
Deuce Wallace (6’1 / Sevierville, TN) – 3-star. Rivals #24 pro-style QB. Camped at Wake in July. Vanderbilt, Kentucky and Tennessee appear to be the schools most heavily involved right now, but Wake might be in there as well. Tweeted last month that he had a good phone conversation with Coach Ruggiero. Kentucky told him that he was one of the top 4 QBs on their board. He visited UNC and interest may be picking up from them.
Jack Abraham (6’0 / Oxford, MS) – Camped at Wake in July.
Miller Forristall (6’4 / Cartersville, GA) – Rivals #22 pro-style QB. Visited Wake in July. This will be an interesting guy to follow whether Wake Forest gets involved or not. He has been a top performer at some high profile camps, and obtained a high rating from Rivals as a result, but he has not started many games at QB at the high school level. Was the backup his first two years behind a D-1 recruit and now has been passed on his HS team’s depth chart by a freshman that is potentially the top 2018 QB in the country. Is currently playing WR. Some reports have him at 6’6 already.
Eli Peters (6’3 / Jacksonville, FL) – Has an offer from Illinois. Article from mid-September said that he had phone contact with Wake. Camped at Alabama, Penn State and Florida last summer. In addition to Wake, Penn State, Nebraska and Wisconsin are involved.