Atlanta QB Challenge: Five ready for primetime

The third regional Rivals Quarterback Challenge Presented By Under Armour was held at Northview High School outside on Atlanta on Sunday and five prospects stood out as being college ready, for different reasons, including two already committed to Power Five schools.

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Recruiting Wrap: Brice is committed to Clemson.

Performance: Brice has good size and has filled out since last year when he finished second nationally in the Rivals Quarterback Challenge Finals Presented by Under Armour. On Sunday he showed off his excellent mechanics from smooth drops when required to excellent footwork and a quick, compact release. His accuracy was especially evident on the mid-range passes.

Recruiting Wrap: Jones has early offers from Tennessee, Georgia, Florida, Mississippi State and others.

Performance: Jones is tall and still needs to fill out his frame, but he doesn’t look skinny or gangly despite being a 2018. And he can throw the ball, especially on the run. Throwing for the second day in a row, like many others on this list, he showed no signs of slowing down and was consistent with his velocity. He’s more comfortable on the move and struggles at times with sailing the ball or not striding enough when stationary, but he won the Mobile Marksman Award for his ability outside the pocket.

Recruiting Wrap: Jones is committed to Kentucky.

Performance: Jones may not look physically ready for college like some of the others on this list, but he throws the best ball of everyone. His ball always comes out smoothly and in a near-perfect spiral, especially on short and mid-range throws. His arm strength wasn’t as evident as it was the day before when he took home the RCS Quarterback honors, but he certainly wasn’t skipping any stones either. He won the Perfect Spiral Award for the most catchable ball for a reason and he’s just a fluid, accurate and smart quarterback.

Recruiting Wrap: Lawrence has early offers from nearly 20 schools with Tennessee, Georgia, Alabama, Clemson, Oklahoma, Michigan and a few others standing out early.

Performance: Lawrence is only a sophomore but as a 2018 quarterback he is very well developed despite needing to fill out his tall frame. In fact, his strong arm sometimes worked against him as he overshot a couple of his long ball attempts and was hitting some targets on the high side. The ball comes out with a nice, over-the-top release with an excellent launch point and it comes out with authority. As he gets bigger and stronger, and you can tell he’s going to be a 235-pounder at least by the end of his college career, the ball will have even more zip. He showed excellent mechanics in the pocket and was also impressive on rollouts even though that’s not his strength. He won the Rocket Arm Award for his arm strength in a group with some good arms.

Recruiting Wrap: Free has an offer from Louisville and some smaller schools and is on the radar of many Power Fives.

Performance: Free stood out for his size and is clearly ready for college physically, although he’s not quite as accomplished a passer as the others on this list. He checked in at 6-foot-4 and 203 pounds, and had a couple of very nice throws on the run. He has a strong arm but his accuracy could use a little work. However, as a big, strong kid who can hang in the pocket I think he could be an early impact guy if he chooses the right school.