Many thought the coronavirus pandemic and recruiting dead period would slow the recruiting process down for most recruits. Instead, it has had the opposite effect. Commitments started coming at an exponential rate, with many top prospects deciding they wanted to end their recruitments. Of the 19 quarterbacks in the Rivals250, 17 are committed.
Here is a look at the top five uncommitted quarterbacks still looking for a home.
HELMHOLDT: Five Midwest prospects on flip watch
Top contenders: Oklahoma, Maryland, LSU
Recruiting outlook: Oklahoma is in a great position to land Williams' commitment. It's possible his commitment could come as soon as a month from now, and the Sooners seem like the prohibitive favorite. Maryland won't stop recruiting him until he signs his National Letter of Intent and he does have outstanding relationships with coach Mike Locksley and offensive coordinator Scottie Montgomery. LSU was the favorite until earlier this year when the Tigers lost their momentum following the departure of passing game coordinator Joe Brady for the NFL.
Farrell’s take: This one seems to be clear: Barring a big surprise, we are just waiting for him to officially commit to Oklahoma. LSU is probably out and Maryland would be a bit of a shocker. Lincoln Riley will get his QB.
Top contenders: Purdue, Iowa, Indiana, Ole Miss, Missouri
Recruiting outlook: McCulley doesn't talk about his recruitment much, but he did put out a top five that included Purdue. The Boilermakers like where they stand with this outstanding in-state passer, but it's hard to get a good read on McCulley. He wants to commit before the season and Purdue and Indiana could have the inside track because both have hosted him multiple times.
Farrell’s take: McCulley is quiet and very hard to read but I like where Purdue stands and it has my FutureCast selection. The Boilermakers' wide-open offense plays to his strengths and Jeff Brohm being a former quarterback doesn’t hurt. Could it be Indiana or someone else? Yep, nothing would shock me, but Purdue has done a nice job with him.
Top contenders: Oregon, Mississippi State, Tulane, Alabama, Florida State, Indiana, Colorado, Syracuse
Recruiting outlook: The spring evaluation period was going to be a big opportunity for Keyes to make an impression on college coaches since he hasn’t taken many visits. Alabama and Florida State were excited to get a closer look at him. Oregon is in contact through its new offensive coordinator and former Mississippi State head coach Joe Moorhead. Indiana and Tulane have prioritized Keyes, and Colorado and Syracuse are in the mix as well.
Farrell’s take: Keyes is waiting to see if he gets more offers and it’s not clear which ones are committable right now. Oregon appear done at quarterback, and a program like Louisiana seems like a more likely destination. I see him as a Group of Five prospect who could have an excellent career. Someone could jump in here once visits are allowed again and a lack of summer camps hurts him as many offers are contingent on throwing in person.
Top contenders: UCF, USF, Syracuse, Texas Tech, Ball State, Indiana, Illinois.
Recruiting outlook: Kelly was also in for a big spring with many college coaches excited to see where he is in his development. UCF was really high on him and felt like they were in a great position for him, but now Kelly seems like he's hit the reset button on his recruitment. USF is hoping to capitalize on this lull in Kelly’s recruitment and Syracuse and Texas Tech are keeping tabs on him.
Farrell’s take: USF is a possibility here and he could end up in the Big Ten at Illinois or Indiana. The spring shutdown has hurt him like it has with Keyes. It wouldn’t be a shocker if he ends up at Ball State and puts up huge numbers. When more offers come, in the picture will be clearer.
Top contenders: Georgia Tech, Louisville, UCF
Recruiting outlook: Lewis could be on commitment watch in the next few months with three schools really battling it out. Plenty of programs were excited to check him out this spring, but obviously that hadn't that hasn't happened with the recruiting dead period shutting down the evaluation period. Unless another school turns up the heat on Lewis, look for him to end up at Georgia Tech, Louisville, or UCF.
Farrell’s take: Like most on this list, it’s unclear which schools Lewis could commit to as most wanted to see him throw in person. He’s a Plan B option for Louisville and I’m not sure about Georgia Tech. It appears to me UCF has the edge here.
