SoCal QB a hidden gem

A quarterback that is flying well below the radar but shows Div I talent is Palos Verdes Estates (Calif.) Palos Verdes' Andrew Trudnowski. Trudnowski, 6-2, 205 pounds rebounded from a slow start as a junior and finished strong and is now poised for a breakout senior campaign.

Trudnowski has earned all-league honors the past two seasons and put up solid numbers as a junior. He threw for 1,815 yards and 18 touchdown with 11 interceptions, nine of which came in the first four games of the season.

"He started a little shaky but was very efficient the rest of the season for us," PV coach Pat Fresch said. "Andrew has really come in to his own heading in to his senior season and made a total commitment in the off-season to improve all of his skills. I think we'll see a tremendous prospect on the field this season."

Trudnowski looked solid at the NIKE Camp at Stanford in May and shows well on film. He has a live arm and throws with touch as well. He throws a nice deep ball, is quick on his drops and does a nice job finding his second or third option. His release can be a little long at times but it's nothing that can't be fixed and it already looked much tighter when we saw him at the NIKE camp.

On the recruiting front, Trudnowski camped at a host of schools and a fast start this year could result in an offer or two.

"Cal, Washington State, Fresno State, Boise State, San Diego State and Central Florida are all showing interest," Coach Fresch said. "Cal already has one quarterback committed but they're taking two this year and Andrew did really well at their camp. He also camped with Washington State, Fresno State and Boise State and all three have shown a lot of interest. Andrew threw really well at each of the camps so they're all watching him.

"Central Florida is new on the list but I know of the coaches there and Andrew has some ties to Florida as well. All of those schools have said they want to see his film after the first couple of weeks of the season. My take is they want to see him play on the field the way he showed at the camps. He has improved and grown tremendously since last season. I think we will all see a bigger, faster and stronger player who is also a great leader on the field this fall.

"Andrew really is the complete package. He has the size, strength and quickness as well as great awareness on the field in his ability to read defenses and make decisions. He's a natural leader and the team really rallies around him. I think by the middle of the season, there is going to be a lot of schools coming hard after him."