Tuesdays with Gorney: Breaking down the top committed QBs
After a splurge of quarterback commitments in the last few weeks, there are now 21 four-star or higher QB pledges in the 2024 class. Here is a breakdown of each one with thoughts from Rivals national recruiting director Adam Gorney in this edition of Tuesdays with Gorney:
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The only non-Power Five quarterback on this list, Aronson does a great job finding receivers all over the field, throwing them open and not forcing receivers to slow down to get the ball in their hands.
After the snap, the SMU commit is a split second slow to get started with the offensive play as there’s a slight delay that could be an issue in college but he can throw on the run, he can run on his own and he has great accuracy all over the field.
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The Hollywood (Fla.) Chaminade Madonna four-star quarterback might be the only one on this list who will have more elite receivers on his high school team than in college since he’s playing with five-stars Jeremiah Smith and Joshisa Trader right now.
NC State has some talented playmakers but that’s a pretty elite duo for Bailey, who is all of 6-foot-6 but will need to add mass to his frame in college. Even at that size, Bailey’s release isn’t too long and as he gets stronger, there will be more zip on his passes.
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Listed at 6-foot might be a touch generous but the new Virginia Tech commit will give the Hokies a level of playmaking ability and dynamism that has been lacking in Blacksburg. Belfort’s stats came from only eight games last season but in terms of ability the four-star does an excellent job of throwing it only where his receivers can get it and he has the confidence to put it into tight windows.
Sometimes on the deep ball there’s too much air under it and ACC defensive backs will have the speed to step in and compete for those passes but that can be changed. His father, Vitor, is a mixed martial arts champ so the four-star QB comes from good stock.
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Notre Dame took a risk and took a commitment from Carr last summer basically turning off five-star Dante Moore in the 2023 class but it was a risk worth taking for the Irish because Carr is incredibly special.
The grandson of former Michigan coach Lloyd Carr, the Saline, Mich., prospect is not a dynamic athlete but he picks apart defenses with laser accuracy, always hits his receivers in stride and almost never throws a bad ball. He can escape pressure and move around, reset and deliver strikes, and it’s why he will be under five-star consideration.
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Davila doesn’t force bad throws to chase a highlight-reel play. The Purdue commit who had been committed to TCU would rather scan the field and then check the ball down to gain extra yards rather than throw into a crowd or take a shot only to turn the ball over. He can zip it between defenders but Davila is usually going to make the smart play instead of one with a lot of risk.
That being said, sometimes having the confidence to put it on the money downfield is something special and so maybe he can do that a little more often.
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The Charlotte (N.C.) Providence Day standout is a five-star prospect so we think highly of him but sometimes he’s lost in the discussion over Dylan Raiola and Julian Sayin. It should not be that way. The new Michigan commit has been very good at every event we’ve seen him at over the years. He’s consistently throwing a nice, catchable football, he is a playmaker and someone who should thrive in Michigan’s offense.
Davis isn’t the biggest or flashiest quarterback but he gets the job done and consistency is key with him.
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It should be considered to move Hammond to dual-threat since he ran the ball 120 times for 828 yards and nine touchdowns last season, many of them designed runs, but even if he stays at pro-style quarterback there is a lot to work with there.
I wish his completion percentage was higher than 59 percent and the ball doesn’t come out as smoothly as some other quarterbacks. But he’s a playmaker, someone who likes to throw on the run, and he can provide a real spark to the Texas Tech offense in a variety of ways.
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Hawkins was impressive at the Rivals Camp Series last offseason as he showed off a strong arm and clear dual-threat capabilities. Those will give him a lot of opportunities in Oklahoma’s offense as assistant Jeff Lebby puts Hawkins in position to succeed.
However, I’m not crazy about only 56 percent completions last year at Allen, Texas, and I’d like to see him set his feet before throwing sometimes. Still, Hawkins has a lot of talent and a ton of upside with his senior season coming up at Frisco (Texas) Emerson.
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Other than Raiola, Hurley might be the most physically ready to take the pounding of SEC football. The LSU commit is big and thick, but also athletic enough to escape pressure or deliver some hits himself when running for yards.
I didn’t love his stats this past season and some deep balls did sail at OT7 Phoenix, but he has tons of arm talent and upside. Reclassifying to the 2024 class makes sense since he has the physical tools to run coach Brian Kelly’s offense in Baton Rouge.
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The offensive line at Montgomery (Ala.) St. James is not great so Jackson is running for his life a lot of times but the lefty quarterback can throw on the run, keep his eyes downfield and throw under pressure well. Sometimes he needs to zip it more to receivers down the field.
Arkansas beat out North Carolina this past weekend for his commitment. Behind a better offensive line, when Jackson has time to scan the field and then deliver the ball, the four-star could be a lethal weapon in the Razorbacks’ offense.
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The Florida pledge continues to be one of the most-debated prospects in the 2024 class. Lagway has all the physical tools to be elite in the SEC. He has all the arm talent, as he can zip it all over the field, he has great vision down the field and his dual-threat capabilities make him an even bigger weapon.
His junior stats were impressive, but last spring at the Steve Clarkson QB Retreat, Lagway struggled and looked at least a step below Dylan Raiola, Julian Sayin and others. Lagway confirmed with our Jason Higdon this week, however, that he was playing through a rib injury during that event.
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On tape, I give the edge to Merklinger over Carr as the top four-star pro-style quarterback in the class. The ball pops a little more, the new Tennessee commit is a little more athletic and really has a dynamic ability about his game. He’s not necessarily a runner but has the athletic ability to make that happen as well.
Plus, the Savannah (Ga.) Calvary Day four-star is going to play in coach Josh Heupel’s offense which means he’ll be posting big stats. Will he see the field before Nico Iamaleava leaves? That’s a tough call but Merklinger has tons of talent.
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The days of Wisconsin’s quarterbacks just turning around and handing the ball off time and time again seem to be over with coach Luke Fickell now in charge. Mettauer could be a perfect addition to the quarterback room in Madison. We have decided to still list him as a pro-style QB even though he led his team with 84 carries last year. In college while running could be an option he’s more likely to be in the pocket throwing the ball. And he’s very good at that, too, since he has size to see over the line of scrimmage and then a big arm to make the throws.
What does Wisconsin’s offense look like and what QB fits best there? That might take some time to figure out.
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There is going to be a healthy discussion of whether there really are 10 better pro-style quarterbacks in the 2024 class because Noland’s junior film – and stats – are outstanding and that should very much be considered in the next round of rankings.
The new Ohio State commit is going to be surrounded by elite receivers, too, which will only make his job easier. The lefty quarterback sometimes has to keep his feet under him but accuracy is not an issue, timing, placement, everything is there to believe Noland could be an elite QB for the Buckeyes.
Losing Raiola hurt in this class for Ohio State but the whispers are the coaches are more than happy with Noland as QB1 now.
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On paper, Owens has everything going from him – prototypical size at 6-foot-5, a 67-percent completion percentage last season, 2,840 yards, 34 touchdowns. He’s also a strong decision-maker – only six interceptions – and has no problem checking to a second or third receiver if that is the safest decision.
The Texas commit is not much of a runner so that threat is taken away but from arm talent, decision-making and size, Owens could be a big weapon in Austin.
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There are times when Puglisi throws an incredible pass right over the top of defenses, puts beautiful pace or touch on the ball and he looks like an elite quarterback in the 2024 class.
There are other times the Georgia commit gets away with some stuff at Avon (Conn.) Old Farms that wouldn’t work in the SEC and it looks like a pass that should be intercepted whether it has too much air under it or takes a split second too long to get to the receiver.
If Raiola picks Georgia it will be interesting to see if Puglisi looks around or if the Bulldogs would load up with two talented players at the spot in this class.
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Miami, North Carolina and others are now trying to flip Reno from South Carolina after striking out on other targets. There is a lot to like in the Cheshire (Conn.) Academy standout, who threw no interceptions last season. Reno is clearly a strong decision-maker, he can dissect defenses from the pocket or step through pressure to find receivers downfield.
I don’t know if he has elite arm talent or elite speed but Reno consistently gets the job done time and again.
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Not many players have the anticipatory skills of Bryce Young or the playmaking ability but Sayin is similar in the sense that he’s incredibly mature for his age, will be trusted by the coaches at Alabama to run the offense and he’s efficient, precise and technical at the quarterback position.
The Carlsbad, Calif., five-star methodically went through the recruiting process and picked the Crimson Tide over LSU, Georgia and others. He’s not a physical freak show but he doesn’t make mistakes. With elite talent at receiver, Sayin should have a field day in Tuscaloosa.
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The Little Rock (Ark.) Christian Academy four-star has nice size, a physical build, dual-threat capabilities that will be utilized at Auburn and a very strong arm where he can effortlessly zip the ball all over the place.
But accuracy is the most important consideration for quarterbacks and a 53-percent completion percentage last season is not ideal. Still, he’s such a great runner and has all the tools so it’s going to be interesting to see Auburn coach Hugh Freeze work with him.
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Williams is a very interesting addition for Ole Miss because his skill set lends to the older ways of coach Lane Kiffin – spread teams out, throw the ball all over the place and really put pressure on defenses in the passing game.
Last season, the Rebels threw it 387 times and ran the ball 614 times so the ground attack is now en vogue in Oxford. Still, quarterback Jaxson Dart ran 128 times so Williams’ feet and arm will be utilized in that offense.
The Chandler (Ariz.) Basha standout is undersized but it should only benefit him as the ball pops incredibly well off his hand and he can be used in designed runs.
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There are things to really like about Williams’ abilities and some things that definitely need to be fixed if he’s going to help Georgia Tech back to relevancy in the ACC.
Last season, Williams carried the ball 171 times for 1,018 yards and 14 touchdowns so his dual-threat ability should absolutely be utilized in the Yellow Jackets’ offense.
When it comes to the passing attack, Williams completed just under 60 percent of his passes and had a 21/11 touchdown-to-interception ratio. That many turnovers is way too much so taking care of the ball better and hitting his receivers accurately must be a focus moving forward.