Kentucky QB a rising junior-to-be

The Bluegrass State has been home to some of the nation's elite quarterback prospects in recent years, and another is rising quickly through the ranks.

Lexington Catholic signal caller Justin Burke still has two years remaining with the Knights, but is already establishing a reputation as one of the best young players at his position.

"We feel like he may be the best sophomore quarterback in America," LexCath coach Bob Sphire said. "It would be hard to convince me there's anybody better at this point. And that's not just me talking, it's what we're hearing from people all across the country who have seen his film from last season.

"He's already receiving interest from Notre Dame, Purdue, Stanford, Tennessee, Boston College, Michigan, Kentucky, Louisville… just to name a few. They all love what they've seen of him so far. I just recently talked to coach Diedrick at Notre Dame and coach Washington at Tennessee, and think he's going to be up high on their lists for next season."

Burke (6-3, 190, 4.75) was the most pleasant surprise in Lexington last season. Taking the reins from Jacob Doss, who went on to sign with Wyoming after breaking several school and state passing records, all Burke did was complete 65 percent of his passes (170 of 261) for 2,656 yards and 34 touchdowns with only four interceptions.

His performance helped lead the Knights to a 10-2 record and earned him honorable mention all-state honors behind the likes of high-profile quarterbacks like Louisville Trinity's Brian Brohm (a Rivals100 Team member and Louisville signee), Mason County's Dustin Grutza (a Cincinnati signee) and Elizabethtown's Chris Todd (who passed for almost 4,600 yards and 50 touchdowns as a junior).

Several opposing coaches told Sphire that they believed Burke was on par with what Brohm, the 2003 Kentucky Mr. Football and U.S. Army All-American Bowl selection, displayed at the same stage in their careers.

In Lexington Catholic's first-round Class 3A playoff game, Burke threw for a "Brohm-like" 430 yards and six touchdowns, giving an indication of what lies ahead for the future.

"He's got it all," Sphire said. "The size, the speed, the arm, the intelligence… he's got the whole package. I'd say the No. 1 thing is his feet and the way he moves. He makes a lot of things happen when the pocket breaks down or whenever we roll him out. He can buy himself time, elude people, and he's very good at throwing on the run.

"He can make all the throws – the short stuff, the intermediate, the deep ball – and he's incredibly accurate on all of them. He has great touch. He throws a very 'catchable' ball, almost always puts it in a position for the guy to make something happen after the catch."

Sphire was amazed at how quickly Burke learned the Knights' complex system and executed it as a sophomore.

"He's a 4.0 student, and that's not just 'book smart,'" Sphire said. "He has a tremendous understanding of the game for a kid his age… for any age at this level. And he's good at thinking in the heat of the game. He makes good decisions, as you can tell from that 34-4 touchdown/interception ratio.

"He's just a real talented, versatile kid. He could run just about any offense a college program would ask him to."

Burke has already made several trips to prospective colleges. He was the sophomore MVP of one of Purdue's camps last summer, and he took an unofficial visit to the Florida State-Notre Dame game in South Bend on Nov. 1. He has also made unofficial visits with the hometown program, and was recently a guest of the Wildcats for the Kentucky-Tennessee basketball game at Rupp Arena.

Sphire said Stanford is pushing hard for a camp appearance this summer, along with the other schools involved. He's also expected to attend one of the NIKE Football Training Camps, possibly the Atlanta showcase.

"We've heard he's one of the guys already getting considered for the Elite 11 camp," Sphire said. "I don't know what role juniors have in that, but they've mentioned him coming out for that. He should definitely be one of the guys participating in that next year."

A versatile athlete, Burke also plays basketball. He is a reserve for the Knights, who are ranked No. 1 in the Bluegrass State.