Prolific Bluegrass QB has first offer
Louisville Trinity’s Brian Brohm was the marquee name when it came to quarterbacks in the Bluegrass State last season.
There was another signal caller, however, whose junior season made even the remarkable Rivals100 member’s numbers look almost ordinary by comparison.
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Elizabethtown standout Chris Todd had one of the most prolific seasons in Kentucky history, completing 303 of 476 attempts (64 percent) for 4,595 yards and 50 touchdowns. His performance helped lead the Panthers to a 12-3 record and a state runner-up finish in Class 2A.
His 4,595 yards fell just 35 yards short of the all-time state record for passing yardage, and Todd’s career yardage now stands at 7,586, No. 13 on a career list that includes names like Tim Couch, Chris Redman, Jared Lorenzen, Gino Guidugli and Brohm.
Asked what makes Todd such a productive passer at this stage in his career, E-town coach Brett Burnett said it’s a combination of several factors.
“For starters, Chris is a student of the game,” he said. “His dad is the offensive coordinator, so he’s had good teaching. He does all the little things right, and he’s a hard worker. He’s always trying to get better.
“On the field, he does a great job of reading defenses and making the right decisions. For such a young kid, he really does a nice job of going through progressions and finding the open receiver.
“He throws with great touch on the ball, whether it’s the short, quick stuff we run in our West Coast offense, or the deep ball. We don’t throw it long a whole lot, but he’s got the arm to do it. Plus, he’s got really nice mobility when he gets in sticky situations. He’s got real good pocket presence.”
Colleges are already flooding Burnett’s mailbox and answering machine at E-town.
“We’ve had a ton of interest in Chris since the end of the season,” Burnett said. “With the stats he put up and the success of the team last year, everybody wants to see his film. I’ve sent them out to everybody in the SEC, Louisville, Indiana, Notre Name, USC, North Carolina…
“North Carolina got back to us real quick and offered. I think that’s just the first of many for Chris. He’s got the potential to be a great one.”
Todd (6-2, 185, 4.65) took an unofficial visit to Louisville this past week. He’s scheduled to attend Kentucky’s junior day event on March 7.
“He likes those in-state teams,” Burnett said. “I think they’ll both be on his list. But he’s pretty open-minded about the whole thing. He’ll probably keep his options open to see how things develop.”
Todd is also a well-rounded student-athlete. He maintains a 3.8 GPA and has scored a 24 on the ACT.