The Wests best dual-threats
Today many colleges are opting for a more athletic quarterback that can make things happen with their feet if the pass rush is breaking the offense down.
There is nothing more debilitating for a defense than when they almost get the sack, almost make the play but the quarterback somehow escapes and gets a first down with his feet and instead of punting the chains are moved.
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Though there is still a place for the old-fashioned drop-back quarterback gone are the days where the only type of quarterback who would get a D-I scholarship are the guys who stand in the pocket and take a hit if there was nobody open.
Here are five dual quarterbacks from the Golden State that are destined for an Division I offer.
The first quarterback on our list is somewhat of sleeper to most but the word is getting out.
Keep your eyes on Michael Coleman (6-2, 225, 4.5) from San Bernardino (Calif.) Arroyo Valley.
For his career, Coleman has thrown for 3,046 yards, 35 touchdowns and 13 interceptions. In his career, he has rushed for 1,482 yards and has scored 21 rushing touchdowns.
Coleman is the prototypical is the dual-threat quarterback. As a junior, Coleman threw for 1,171 yards and 15 touchdowns. On the ground, he accounted for 710 yards and 10 more touchdowns.
“Michael is the best player on the field wherever we play him,” Arroyo Valley head coach Tony Di Thomas said. “Michael has the talent to play anywhere on the field, but he wants a shot at quarterback.”
Coleman received a handwritten letter from Notre Dame on March 17th and the Washington Huskies phoned saying they want to be on the ground floor of his recruitment.
Local schools USC and UCLA are also showing interest. Utah and Washington State will also be in the hunt.
One of the hottest prospects on the west coast is quarterback Josh Portis (6-4, 190, 4.57) from Woodland Hills (Calif.) Taft. Portis has three offers on the table and others are imminent.
Utah was the first school out of the gate with an offer and Arizona State and Colorado quickly followed suit and tendered offers.
The Oregon Ducks are handwriting letters and could be one of the next schools to tender an offer. Even schools in the Southeastern Conference are handwriting letters to Portis.
LSU and Kentucky are the latest two to enter the fray with handwritten letters joining handwritten letters from Oklahoma, Oregon State, Michigan and Alabama.
Oregon State and Michigan are close according to Taft coach Troy Starr.
“Josh has an incredible upside,” Starr said. “If he stays healthy and with what we have planned to do with him, he could end being the No. 1 quarterback on the West Coast.
“Josh is going to run the table with offers this spring when the colleges come out and see him. He is without question an upper Division I quarterback.”
As a junior while performing for a running team, Portis threw for 1,881 yards and 21 touchdowns. He also had three touchdowns on the ground. He ran one in from 65 yards out.
Hemet, Calif., is the high school and the hometown for Brandis Dew (6-7, 250, 4.8).
There just aren’t that many quarterbacks that have tight end or defensive end type of size, but Dew does.
Dew has an incredible arm he has thrown the ball through the uprights from the 50 yard line on one knee. He was inspired by stories of former Cal Bear and now Baltimore Raven signal caller Kyle Boller.
Dew heard about Boller’s feat and set out to do it and he did.
The athletic Dew will also see a lot of action on the defensive side of the ball as a senior, but wants a shot on the offensive side of the ball in college.
Dew earned second-team all-state underclass as junior after throwing for 1,931 yards and 21 touchdowns. He also tacked on 250 yards on the ground and scored five rushing touchdowns as a junior.
Dew would love to play for USC and the Trojans are his early favorites. LSU, Michigan, Nebraska, Washington and Hawaii are also very much in the hunt.
Colleges may be looking for Jason Forcier (6-2, 205, 4.55) who played his football at Santa Ana (Calif.) Mater Dei a year ago but he has transferred to San Diego (Calif.) Saint Augustine.
The reason for the transfer is his parents own a business in San Diego and Forcier wants to spend more time with his family.
Forcier was selected all-state, all-league and was his League’s Offensive MVP. That he was the MVP as a junior is impressive indeed. The league that Forcier competed in is one of, if not, the toughest league in all of Southern California.
Forcier rushed for 801 yards and scored eight touchdowns on the ground. He passed for 1,370 yards and threw for 10 touchdowns.
Michigan, Wisconsin, LSU, Virginia Tech, Notre Dame, Nebraska, Washington State and USC are corresponding with Forcier.
The UCLA Bruins took advantage of their summer camp a year ago and landed a quarterback that stood out in Osaar Rasshan (6-5, 215, 4.5) from Pomona (Calif.) Garey.
Rasshan has very high ceiling and his best football is ahead of him. He has a strong arm and extremely athletic.
Rasshan threw for 700 yards and rushed for 500 yards while performing behind a line that had more holes in it than Swiss cheese.
Every one of Rasshan’s rushing yards came on a passing play that broke down and he had to make something happen.
The Bruins are so happy with Rasshan that the word is they aren’t going to recruit another high school quarterback for the class in 2005.
Rasshan is also a standout in baseball and could get drafted in that sport and he’s pretty good in hoops, too. The Bruins landed Rasshan over interest from USC, California, Michigan, and Tennessee.
Northern California is home for one of the west coast’s best quarterback prospects for the class of 2005 in Kyle Reed (6-2, 185, 4.65) from Oakland (Calif.) McClymonds.
Reed was sidelined with an injury and only played in six games. In those six games, Reed threw for 1,500 yards and ten touchdowns.
Reed is working on improving his skills with Northern California quarterback guru deluxe Roger Theder.
“Kyle is a good athlete,” McClymonds coach Alonzo Carter said. “But make no mistake about it, Kyle is a quarterback. Kyle is very coachable and he can make all the throws. He can throw the skinny post, the post corner, the out, you name the throw and Kyle can make it.”
Reed has offers from Cal and UCLA with plenty more on the way. Arizona State, Oregon, Oregon State, USC, Washington State, and Wisconsin is also recruiting Reed.