RELATED: One-on-one with Trevor Lawrence
BALTIMORE -- The Class of 2017 is a terrific year for quarterback talent in the state of Georgia, with four players at the position currently positioned in the Rivals250.
But with all four players already committed, recruiting fans – and college coaches – have turned their attention to a pair of talented 2018 prospects.
Five-star Cartersville, Ga. prospect Trevor Lawrence and Rivals100 Franklin (Ga.) Heard County signal-caller Emory Jones have quickly become hot names on the recruiting trail over the past six months.
Lawrence has collected offers from schools coast-to-coast, with Cal, Alabama, Georgia and Florida all on his list. Jones is just starting to really heat up, but already has Clemson, Georgia, Tennessee and several others in the picture.
This past weekend, both players competed side-by-side at the Rivals Quarterback Challenge Finals Presented by Under Armour in Baltimore, the second time in a month they attended a Rivals Camp together.
And while they will likely end up at different schools, the two have become fast friends.
“He’s a great guy and he’s a really funny dude,” Jones said of Lawrence. “We’ve talked a lot over the past month and gotten to know each other more and I’m sure that will continue.”
While neither of the two came away with the top prize in Baltimore, they didn’t go home empty-handed either. Lawrence was awarded the most “College Ready” award after impressing the event’s coaching staff, which included former Notre Dame quarterback Brady Quinn. Jones won the strongest arm award after out-throwing the rest of the field.
Rivals.com National Recruiting Director Mike Farrell got his first extended look at the pair and came away impressed.
“I think both are very impressive quarterbacks for different reasons,” Farrell said. “Lawrence is much more polished when it comes to drops, footwork and timing but Jones has a cannon of an arm and can get the ball where it needs to be with a flick of his wrist. Lawrence is more accurate overall while Jones throws better on the run. Lawrence is a five-star already in our early Rivals100 release, but Jones is not far behind at all.”
Obviously college coaches have seen the same attributes that impressed Farrell, but what is interesting is the overlap of schools recruiting both Jones and Lawrence. Tennessee, Georgia, Clemson and Florida are both heavily involved with both players. Several of the programs are looking to take two quarterbacks in the class, but is it possible the new friends could end up playing together in college?
“Most of the schools we’re talking to are taking two guys,” Jones said. “It’s possible but I don’t think we’ll end up picking the same school.”
Lawrence also said it was unlikely that the two will play together in college, but said that having Jones or any other quarterback in the class won’t deter him.
“If that’s where I really want to go then that’s where I’m going to go,” Lawrence said. “It’s already hard enough just to figure out where you want to go. If they already have like five or six (QBs) on the depth chart, than (I) probably (would not go there), but I’m not afraid to compete against anybody.”
Both prospects say they plan to make their college decisions sometime over the next few months, and while all signs point to them being competitors on Saturdays sometime down the line, the duo will focus on growing their newfound friendship.
“We’re pretty good friends and I really like him,” Lawrence said. “He’s a good player and it’s good to compete with him.”
