QB Challenge: What to watch for in Dallas
The Rivals Quarterback Challenge Presented by Under Armour
stops through Dallas on Sunday and will host some of the top
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quarterbacks in the region. The competition will be heated as prospects from
Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Oklahoma all take the field at Cedar Hill High
School. The quarterbacks will be asked to demonstrate their skill levels in
accuracy, velocity, ability to throw on the run and downfield vision. There will
be an accuracy competition and other evaluations that will be tracked by our
analysts in a unique points system.
The Quarterback Challenge is a new addition to the Rivals Camp
Series Presented by Under Armour and will feature four events
across the country this spring -- Los Angeles (Feb. 21), Dallas, Atlanta (March
22) and Cincinnati (April 25).
The winner of each Quarterback Challenge -- along with 10 others from
across all four challenges -- will be flown to Baltimore during the weekend of
the Rivals Five-Star Challenge Presented by Under Armour to compete in the finals of the
Rivals Quarterback
Challenge.
The events are attracting top prospects from across the country, giving us
numerous storylines to track at the game's most important position. Here are
five storylines we will be watching in Dallas.
Five-star performer
Shea Patterson earned quarterback MVP honors at the 2014
Rivals250 Underclassmen Challenge Presented by Under Armour.
Five-star Ole Miss commit Shea Patterson will be the highest profile prospect
in attendance, and he is highly decorated. He was a standout at the Under Armour
Elite 50 and won the quarterback MVP at the 2014 Rivals250 Underclassmen Challenge Presented by Under Armour. He is known for his polish and precision. He is a
dual-threat quarterback, but he is as well-rounded as they come.
In addition to his accomplishments on the camp circuit, Patterson has also
helped guide Shreveport (La.) Calvary Baptist Academy to back-to-back state
championships, earning MVP honors of the state championship game in 2014.
Plenty of prospects will be out to prove they are on his level, while Patterson
will be out to show everyone why he is a five-star prospect and one of the most
highly recruited prospects in the nation.
Louisiana invasion
The Quarterback Challenge may take place in Texas, but Louisiana will be well
represented on Sunday. Patterson will not be the only highly regarded Louisiana
quarterback on hand. St. James (La.) 2017 Rivals100 quarterback Lowell Narcisse holds offers from Illinois and LSU and has
earned a reputation as one of the top young guns in the country.
New Orleans Landry-Walker quarterback Keytaon Thompson is another 2017
standout. At 6-foot-4 and 210 pounds, Thompson has great size, a strong arm and
brings some nice athleticism to the table. Shreveport (La.) Evangel quarterback
Connor Curry has also attracted plenty of early interest after starting
as a freshman on the varsity level.
Lafayette (La.) Teurlings Catholic quarterback Cole Kelley will attract
plenty of eyes. He has great size at 6-foot-7 and 235 pounds, and is noted for
his strong arm and athleticism. Covington (La.) St. Paul's Kenny Sears
is another 2016 prospects who has the ability to turn in a strong performance.
Dual-threat domination
Rivals250 quarterback Jalen Hurts has offers from Big
12, Big Ten, Pac-12 and SEC programs.
Dual-threat quarterbacks do not always shine in camp settings, but the
dual-threat group is packing plenty of punch for the Dallas leg of the
Rivals Quarterback Challenge.
Patterson is the nation's No. 1 dual-threat quarterback.
Channelview Rivals250 standout Jalen Hurts has the ability to make all
the throws. Manvel's D'Eriq King is listed as an athlete, but he is
also the quarterback of one of the most high octane offenses in the state of
Texas. Staying in the Houston-area, Braden Letney, out of Conroe (Texas) Oak Ridge, has a strong arm to go along with
the ability to make plays with his feet.
Mississippi will also contribute to the deep dual-threat pool with Laurel
(Miss.) quarterback Keon Howard leading the way. He helped guide the
Golden Tornadoes to a state title and threw for over 3,600 yards and 38
touchdowns as a junior.
Of course the pro-style quarterbacks may have a thing or two to say about who
walks home with what awards and honors. Oklahoma standout Scotty Ray Gilkey
and Chandler Garrett have both attracted attention with their
combination of size and arm talent and could definitely make a run at top
honors. Mississippi's Cameron Bowman is another prospect to watch.
Up and coming
Look for the young talent to make some noise in Dallas. Austin (Texas) Westlake
2017 signal-caller Sam Ehlinger has learned from one of the best in
Todd Dodge and is coming off a strong season as the starter for the Chaparrals.
Lake Travis sophomore Charlie Brewer also knows what it takes to lead
one of Texas' most powerful offensive machines after stepping up in 2014.
Jaylin Nelson and Julon Williams also have experience leading
the way for a couple of the top programs in Texas. Nelson took over for DeSoto
when Tristan Wallace went down with an injury and Williams took over
the reins at Converse Judson. Both have the ability to draw attention on Sunday.
Cedar Hill's Avery Davis will take over the reins for the Longhorns and
he is a big reason why the two-time state championship squad is expected to
contend for another title. Jared Harvey is making a strong run to take
over for Kyler Murray in Allen. Then there is Alan Bowman who
is already turning heads as a freshman at Grapevine.
Who will step up?
There are always a few guys who jump into the spotlight in these type of events.
The question is not if, but who. There are plenty of prime candidates.
Frisco (Texas) Heritage 2016 standout Reece Shaw has good size and an
accurate arm; Mason Fine posted some huge numbers in Oklahoma; and
Brett Hicks has been burning up the South Plains in West Texas.
Houston St. Pius X quarterback Clay Roberts enters with a strong resume
and Lake Dallas standout Dagan Haehn earned district MVP honors for his
efforts as a junior.
Dickinson (Texas) 2016 quarterback Delan Baines is another who could
step up. He has some nice size at 6-foot-5 and 210 pounds and isn't on the radar
of a lot of people.
