QB Challenge: What to watch in Cincinnati

The Rivals Quarterback Challenge Presented by Under Armour stops in Cincinnati on Saturday and will host some of the top quarterbacks in the region. The competition will be heated as prospects from the Midwest and beyond take the field at West Chester (Ohio) Lakota West 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 and objective points system.

The Quarterback Challenge is a new addition to the Rivals Camp Series Presented by Under Armour and featured four events across the country - Los Angeles (Feb. 21), Dallas (March 15), Atlanta (March 22) and now Cincinnati.

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 Rivals100 Five-Star Challenge Presented by Under Armour (June 5-7) 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 Cincinnati.

Committed Quarterbacks

Brandon Peters will be the highest-ranked QB prospect at Saturday's event.

With most Division I programs having their quarterback position accounted for prior to the start of summer, it is no surprise that six prospects at Saturday's event have declared their college intentions. In fact, three of those prospects made their declarations just this month.

Avon, Ind., four-star Brandon Peters is the highest-rated committed prospect who will be participating in Saturday's challenge. He committed to Michigan on April 3 over offers from schools in the ACC, Big Ten and SEC. Dublin (Ohio) Coffman's Gunnar Hoak made his commitment to Kentucky just this past weekend while visiting Lexington, and Sevierville (Tenn.) Sevier County three-star Deuce Wallace flipped his commitment from Northwestern to Vanderbilt on April 19.

The other three committed quarterbacks scheduled to participate on Saturday are three-star Thomas MacVittie (Pittsburgh) of Cincinnati (Ohio) Moeller, two-star Noah Wezensky (Miami of Ohio) of Fort Wayne (Ind.) Bishop Luers and class of 2017 Danny Clark (Ohio State) of Akron (Ohio) Hoban.

Differing styles

Aidan Smith has textbook mechanics.

Just looking at the 32 starting quarterbacks across the NFL tells you that there is no universal mold that a successful quarterback must fill. You have traditional pro-style quarterbacks with textbook mechanics such as Tom Brady and Peyton Manning to very atypical deliveries such as Tony Romo and Phillip Rivers. That quartet is among the NFL starters who do not scare teams with their feet, but then there are others such as Colin Kaepernick and Cam Newton, whose running abilities must be respected.

At the high school level the diversity is even greater, and the list of prospects on Saturday will be bringing their unique styles to try and win the top prize. Peters, the four-star quarterback out of Brownsburg, Ind., is tall with plenty of arm strength and even has the athleticism to make things happen outside the pocket. At 6-foot-1, Wallace, the Vanderbilt commit, really works to make sure he has a higher release point because he does not have the height advantage Peters enjoys.

We will also see classic pro-style quarterbacks. Indianapolis (Ind.) Cathedral's Max Bortenschlager and Fort Wayne (Ind.) Carroll's Aidan Smith have some of the cleanest mechanics in the Midwest. Meanwhile, Detroit (Mich.) King 2018 quarterback El Julian Jordan is sure to draw attention with what should be one of the most athletic and explosive arms at the event. There are many ways to get the job done, and Saturday will showcase a variety of approaches.

Offered underclass passers

Allan Walters is making a long trip from New Jersey to Cincinnati.

Of the more than 70 prospects expected to compete at Saturday's Rivals Quarterback Challenge, nearly 20 will be from the classes of 2017 or 2018 and five of those prospects have already garnered their first college scholarship offers.

The most well-known of the group is likely Akron (Ohio) Hoban 2017 Danny Clark, who has been committed to Ohio State for almost a year and a half. After playing at Massillon (Ohio) Washington High his first two prep seasons, the 6-foot-3, 200-pound Clark has transferred to Hoban for his final two years.

Cincinnati (Ohio) St. Xavier 2017 quarterback Sean Clifford has not committed yet, but holds offers from Pittsburgh and Akron. Lexington (Ky.) Lafayette 2017 Walker Wood, meanwhile, has a Louisville offer. Then, there are a pair of 2018 quarterbacks coming in from New Jersey - Paramus Catholic's Allan Walters and Timber Creek's Devin Leary - who have each received their first offers from Rutgers and Temple, respectively.

Looking for offers

Andrew Bunch could use this weekend to gain an FBS offer.

While many who will be throwing on Saturday already hold Division I offers, there will be others who have shown potential, but remain offer-less and are looking to impress to generate more buzz in their recruitments. Time is running out because the majority of college programs have their quarterback question answered before the summer. Fifty quarterback prospects are committed as of Wednesday evening.

There are several un-offered prospects coming into this weekend that we have seen in the past and could generate the needed momentum to add offers this spring or summer. Cincinnati (Ohio) LaSalle's Nick Watson led his team to a state title in 2014 and throws one of the prettiest balls you'll see, but he was often limited to a half dozen or fewer pass attempts per game as a junior. And, at just 6-foot, coaches could be concerned about his height.

Meanwhile, Thomspons Station (Tenn.) Independence quarterback Andrew Bunch is a three-star, but does not list an FBS offer. Also, 6-foot-6, 215-pound Alec Cromer will make the trek from Beatrice, Neb., for Saturday's event and shows great potential in his arm on film. It is difficult for quarterbacks in Nebraska to attract the widespread attention prospects in more well-traveled regions of the countries enjoy. However, Cromer will certainly be among those looking to raise his star this weekend.

Answering his doubters

When Cincinnati (Ohio) Moeller three-star Thomas MacVittie committed to Pittsburgh in March, he did so without having a varsity start at quarterback under his belt. The 6-foot-4, 205-pound MacVittie did start at wide receiver for the Crusaders, while senior Matt Crable, who signed with Division II Grand Valley State University this past winter, ran the offense.

Although MacVittie did not earn the starting job as a junior, he has shown outstanding potential at early off-season camps. Pitt offensive coordinator Jim Chaney did his homework on the three-star quarterback before offering him a scholarship, having a long-standing connection with MacVittie's quarterback coach. Without junior film at the position, though, Saturday's event will be an opportunity for MacVittie to show his abilities to those who still question him.

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