Fulmer, Willingham among Brohms calls

To no surprise, the nation’s top uncommitted pro-style quarterback is getting quite a bit of attention this week as college coaches resume flooding prospects with phone calls.

Four-star Louisville (Ky.) Trinity quarterback Brian Brohm has some of the nation’s top programs ringing his line.

“Coach (Ty) Willingham from Notre Dame, coach (Phil) Fulmer from Tennessee, coach (Bobby) Petrino from Louisville and coach (Ron) Turner from Illinois have all called me,” he said. “I also heard from Alabama and Penn State’s coaches. I was a guest of Kentucky at the Louisville game on Sunday, so I got to talk to them, too.”

The Cardinals and Wildcats have been among Brohm’s top four schools since he entered the recruiting process. Louisville won the battle for the Governor’s Cup by handing Kentucky a 40-24 loss with Brohm in the Commonwealth Stadium stands.

Asked about his observations from that game, he said: “I was really impressed with Louisville’s offense. It was a balanced attack and they did a lot of good things. Their quarterback (Stefan LeFors) looked really good in his first start. Kentucky did some interesting things, too. Their quarterback is really the show in that offense. I liked watching (Jared) Lorenzen play.”

Since returning home, it’s been a blitz of phone calls. With so many head coaches taking time to make personal contact, what impact does that have on Brohm’s recruitment?

“It’s an honor and a real plus in their favor because it lets you know how important you are to them, and they’re the guys who are calling all the shots,” he said.

Any of those conversations leave an impression?

“Coach Willingham kind of laid out their quarterback situation and told me that I’d have a real good chance to come in there and compete for the job,” Brohm said. “He also tried to sell me on their tradition and academics, which wasn’t very hard because I’ve known about those things for a long time. Notre Dame is such a great school.

“Coach Fulmer kind of said the same thing about their quarterback position. He told me there’s a good chance whoever they sign this year will come in and start at quarterback if things went well. That’s really got my attention because they have a great program.

“Coach Petrino was just checking in with me. We didn’t get into much because I talk to them quite a bit through my brother (Louisville quarterback coach Jeff Brohm). He just asked how I was doing and wished me luck this week in our game.

“Coach Turner was trying to sell me on their offense. I’ve been up there for a couple of camps, and it’s a great offense. It’s a pro-style offense with pro terminology. And they’ve got a real good reputation of developing quarterbacks.”

Brohm’s current top five consists of Notre Dame, Tennessee, Louisville, Kentucky and Illinois. He said he hasn’t determined the order of his favorites yet.

A couple of possible visits are in the mix, including an official visit to South Bend for the Fighting Irish’s game against either USC or Florida State. He also plans to make an official visit to Tennessee, but has not determined a date.

“I’ll got to a few Louisville games and maybe some others if my schedule allows me to,” he said.

Alabama appeared to be making a push with Brohm late this summer, but he said the Crimson Tide have some ground to make up to catch his leaders.

“I like them. I think they’re still in the picture,” he said. “But they’re just not as strong as the other ones right now.”

Brohm (6-3, 200, 4.65) is coming off a junior season which saw him pass for 3,777 yards and 47 touchdowns with only one interception in leading the Shamrocks to the Kentucky Class 4A state championship. With only two returning starters on offense, Trinity is off to a rough start (0-2) this season, but has played one of the top teams from Tennessee in Montgomery Bell Academy and one of Ohio’s best in Cincinnati St. Xavier.

“We’re treating it as a learning experience,” he said. “We only have two starters back on offense – myself and the center – so we’re really mixing in a lot of new people against some great teams. Nobody’s happy with our record right now, but we feel like it’s going to help us when we get into the Kentucky part of our schedule. Our goal is to go undefeated from here on out.”

Brohm has completed 53 of 83 passes (64 percent) for 597 yards and two touchdowns. He’s also rushed for a touchdown, and is coming off a career-high 13-carry, 57-yard rushing game against St. Xavier.

Academically, he maintains a 3.7 GPA and has scored a 26 on the ACT.