College Football

COLLEGE FOOTBALL

CONVERTING TO GOLD

PREP QBs HAVE BECOME MORE VALUABLE THAN EVER TO COLLEGES—AND NOT FOR THEIR PASSING.

By LaRue Cook him shift his hips for a split second, the receiver cut sharply to the wide-open middle. Stanzi rifled a quick-slant dart for a score, stunning the enemy crowd.

The clock read all zeroes.

It was a snapshot of two quarterbacks, one in name, the other in spirit, reading and reacting in perfect sync. McNutt often sees what Stanzi sees. Because he too was a star high school quarterback.

In fact, McNutt is one of 19 players—six starters—on No. 13 Iowa’s roster who played quarterback in high school. Iowa WR Derrell JohnsonKoulianos, the Big Ten’s active receiving leader, and CB Micah Hyde were both All-Ohio passers in high school. Fullback Brett Morse holds the Illinois prep record for the longest touchdown pass (98 yards) ever thrown, and LB Jeff Tarpinian was an All-Nebraska option quarterback.

THEY KNEW THE BLITZ WAS COMING.

“You’re looking for the best athletes,

It was Oct. 24 of last season, and the

no matter where they play,” says Iowa

Iowa Hawkeyes, trailing Michigan State

wide receivers coach Erik Campbell.

13-9 with two seconds remaining, had

“That usually means you’re looking at

the ball at the Spartans’ 7-yard line.

a lot of quarterbacks.”

Iowa quarterback Ricky Stanzi

Illustration by Mateusz Kołek

Iowa is not alone in loading up on

noticed the MSU linebackers creeping

QBs. Kentucky, for instance, has 22

forward. Receiver Marvin McNutt

prep quarterbacks on its roster. USC’s

noticed it too. And at the snap, when

depth chart features 12 high school

McNutt saw the cornerback in front of

passers, including prize freshman

ESPN The Magazine

Nov. 29, 2010

53

know where the receivers are and

quarterback,” Phillips asks and answers.

of his passes as a senior at San Diego’s

where you want them to be, what

“Guys who have that experience and

Mission Bay High. And some of college

reads you’re going through.”

can learn their new position through a

football’s best individual players, from

Kentucky coach Joker Phillips

quarterback’s eyes will be even better

on Oct. 9 almost ended the Tigers’

football players.”

title dreams. And his 24-yard TD grab

Florida safety Will Hill to South Carolina

knows the feeling. “I see making a

cornerback Stephon Gilmore, fall into

move in college as a positive,” Phillips

this category too. The truth is, out of

says. “Heck, you’re talking to a guy

Cobb, is a former QB who has emerged

gave Kentucky its first win over a

the past three recruiting classes, 24 of

who did it.”

as one of the nation’s most explosive

ranked team since 2007. “I really just

weapons. The 5'11", 186-pound

wanted a chance to play quarterback

the 90 top-rated (three-star or above)

Phillips’ best player, junior Randall

Phillips won two state titles as

against South Carolina a week later

players held the QB title as preps but

a prep QB in the Bluegrass State,

wideout actually started four games

in college, but that wasn’t where I fit,”

dropped it once on campus.

then switched to wideout at UK. Twenty

under center as a freshman before

he says. “I had to learn how to line up

years later, the rookie coach has a

making the full-time switch last year,

again like I was playing football for

offense. Ten years ago, players who

talented Wildcats roster loaded with

when he led UK with 39 catches for

the first time.”

were so-so throwers would have

players just like him. Five offensive

447 yards and 4 TDs. This season,

The good news, though, for a

been funneled toward wideout or

starters—and even long-snapper J.J.

he tops the SEC in receptions and

successful convert like Cobb: He’ll

the defensive backfield. But the spread

Helton—are former prep QBs. “Who is

all-purpose yards through 10 games.

likely be playing football there for a

is about running with the ball and

the leader of a football team? The

His four touchdowns against Auburn

long time, too.

What’s caused this? The spread

distributing in the passing game.

As the system seeped down from college, more and more high school teams took their most talented athlete and put him under center. “This entire shift of

RAHIM’S BIG BOARD

QBs being recruited so heavily to

As the season wraps up, expect many opinions on the prospects of

play other positions clearly shows

college’s best QBs. But nobody has as much cred as UCLA safety Rahim

how the spread has affected the

Moore, a likely first-rounder who’s played an A-list of star passers. To aid

game,” says ESPNU’s national

5. MATT BARKLEY USC SO “He’s the only one here who can’t enter the draft, but he’s probably the most ready to. You want a captain and a leader, and he’s exactly that. His best assets are the way he uses play-action and throws the deep post. He’ll only get better.”

bowl-game foes, NFL GMs and Mel Kiper Jr., Moore offers recon on each.

recruiting director, Tom Luginbill.

“You want every play to begin

1. ANDREW LUCK STANFORD SO “He’s Peyton Manning in college—Luck puts the ball where you can’t imagine. I broke on a route, knowing exactly where the ball would be. He still fit it in somehow.”

with the ball in the hands of your best athlete.”

That’s produced a wave of Cameron Newtons and Taylor

5 1

Martinezes—but also lots of McNutts. At St. Louis’ Hazelwood Central, he passed for 3,308 yards and 31 TDs. At Iowa, he spent a year and a half languishing on the sideline and scout team as a QB. Then he tried wideout. By the end of 2009, McNutt had 674 yards,

2

a team-best 8 TDs and the coaching staff’s Appreciation Award, given annually to players who work the hardest and come the furthest. Through nine games of 2010, he had 34 catches for 588 yards. “Being an ex-QB really helps you be a better wide receiver,” McNutt says. “You

54

ESPN The Magazine

Nov. 29, 2010

2. JAKE LOCKER WASHINGTON SR “If you don’t attack Locker, he’ll attack you. But that’s not easy to do because of his speed and mobility. Pressure him, he’ll tuck and run. He’ll be an NFL guy who makes players around him better.”

4 3

3. CASE KEENUM HOUSTON SR “I call him Drew Brees. Every time he comes to the line, he has five plays ready. Toughest to prepare for, too, because if your CBs sit on the ball, he’ll put it over your head.

If you play off, he’ll hit WRs quick.”

4. NICK FOLES ARIZONA JR “He’s struggling a little, but Foles has a great arm and can sit back and deliver the ball. Not sure if he’ll land in the right place in the NFL. But he’s made his team matter the past two years without a lot of other big-name guys.”

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: AARON M. SPRECHER/GETTY IMAGES; KIRBY LEE/IMAGE OF SPORT/US PRESSWIRE; CHRIS MORRISON/US PRESSWIRE; THOMAS CAMPBELL/US PRESSWIRE; OTTO GREULE JR./GETTY IMAGES; KIRBY LEE/IMAGE OF SPORT/US PRESSWIRE

RB Dillon Baxter, who completed 61.4%

The Edenbridge Bonfire Society set a 30-foot Wayne Rooney effigy aflame at its annual gathering. The slumping EPL soccer star was depicted with Shrek ears and carrying a bagful of cash.

THE WORLD ACCORDING TO US

COLLEGE FOOTBALL