Recruiting Window Narrowing on 2022 Quarterbacks and College Football Programs
Written by Ryan Wright
Twitter: @RyanWrightRNG
A two-way window for both recruit and college program is closing in a hurry. The one spot in each recruit class that fills the fastest is in the pocket, and the 2022 class is no different. Even though the early signing period is roughly six months away, there are few Power Five teams without a QB commit and even fewer highly ranked players to fill the vacancies.
The race was on early in the recruiting cycle for 2022 quarterbacks seeing the SEC gobble up the vast majority of top-tier talent. Of the Top 10 ranked quarterbacks, five are headed to SEC programs including four of the Top 5. Of the 14 Southeastern Conference teams, only three programs have not added a verbal commitment under center; Arkansas, Kentucky, and Mississippi. But the team that got the top dog in this class was Ohio State stealing away Southlake Carroll (TX) five-star Quinn Ewers.
Where the recruiting battles are the biggest outside Group of Five teams is in the ACC where five programs are still searching for their gunslinger. Where the pavement hits the proverbial road, there are only two Top 25 ranked recruit still available, and that is four-star Apple Valley (CA) talent Jayden Denegal and four-star St. Thomas Aquinas (FL) standout Zion Turner. Expanding the list, only six quarterbacks in the Top 50 remain untethered.
With the 2021 recruiting cycle being an odd one, an abundance of players in the transfer portal, Super Seniors returning, an extra year of eligibility granted to players, and an unknown for college programs on having to whittle down their rosters back to 85, some programs may pass on an arm this go around adding an extra sense of urgency for this group of seniors.
Where it was normal seeing two quarterbacks sign with the same school in a class, so far that is the anomaly. Only Virginia Tech, Marshall, Maryland, Penn State, and Coastal Carolina have accepted two quarterback commits to this recruiting class.
The positive for Class of 2022 quarterbacks, only 14 Group of Five teams have a field general attached.
Power Five Conferences without a Committed Quarterback
ACC – five openings
Big 12 – four
Big Ten – four
Pac-12 – three
SEC – three
Power Five Programs with Committed Quarterback
ACC
Boston College – Peter Delaportas – Jefferson Township (NJ) – No. 30 overall
Clemson – Cade Klubnik – Westlake (TX) – No. 6 overall
Duke –
Florida State – AJ Duffy – IMG Academy – No. 7 overall
Georgia Tech –
Louisville – Khalib Johnson – Clay-Chalkville (AL) – No. 38 overall
Miami – Jacurri Brown – Lowdes (GA) – No. 12 overall
North Carolina –
North Carolina State – MJ Morris – Carrollton (GA) – No. 18 overall
Pittsburgh –
Syracuse –
Virginia – Davis Lane – Liberty Christian (VA) – No. 72 overall
Virginia Tech – Alex Orji – Sachse (TX) – No. 29 overall and Devin Farrell – Milton (GA) – No. 48
Wake Forest – Brett Griffis – Broad Run (VA) – No. 60 overall
Big 12
Baylor – Zach Pyron – Pinson Valley (AL) – No. 35 overall
Iowa State – Rocco Becht – Wiregrass Ranch (FL) – No. 78 overall
Kansas –
Kansas State –
Oklahoma –
Oklahoma State – Garret Rangel – Lone Star (TX) – No. 34 overall
Texas – Maalik Murphy – Junipero Serra (CA) – No. 8 overall
Texas Christian (TCU)
Texas Tech –
West Virginia – Nicco Marchiol – Hamilton (AZ) – No. 23 overall
Big Ten
Illinois – Donovan Leary – Timber Creek (NJ) – No. 62 overall
Indiana – Josh Hoover – Rockwall-Heath (TX) – No. 36 overall
Iowa –
Maryland – AJ Swann – Cherokee (GA) – No. 33 overall and Jayden Sauray – Wise (MD) – No. 39 overall
Michigan –
Michigan State –
Minnesota – Jacob Knuth – Harrisburg (SD) – No. 54 overall
Nebraska – Richard Torres – Southside (TX) – No. 59 overall
Northwestern –
Ohio State – Quinn Ewers – Southlake Caroll (TX) – No. 1 overall
Penn State – Drew Allar – Medina (OH) – No. 11 overall and Beau Pribula – Central York (PA) – No. 26
Purdue – Brady Allen – Gibson Southern (IN) – No. 17 overall
Rutgers – Gavin Wimsatt – Owensboro (KY) – No. 10 overall
Wisconsin – Myles Burkett – Franklin (WI) – No. 40 overall
Pac-12
Arizona – Noah Fifita – Servite (CA) – No. 50 overall
Arizona State –
California – Justyn Martin – Inglewood (CA) – No. 20 overall
Colorado – Owen McCown – Rusk (TX) – No. 49 overall
Oregon – Tanner Bailey – Gordo (AL) – No. 14 overall
Oregon State – Travis Throckmorton – Simi Valley (CA) – No. 71 overall
Stanford –
UCLA –
USC – Devin Brown – Corner Canyon (UT) – No. 22 overall
Utah – Nate Johnson – Clovis (CA) – No. 51 overall
Washington – Jackson Stratton – La Jolla (CA) – No. 66 overall
Washington State – Adryan Lara – Desert Edge (AZ) – No. 41 overall
SEC
Alabama – Ty Simpson – Westview (TN) – No. 3 overall
Arkansas –
Auburn – Holden Geriner – Benedictine Military (GA) – No. 15 overall
Georgia – Gunner Stockton – Rabun County (GA) – No. 5 overall
Florida – Nick Evers – Flower Mound (TX) – No. 21 overall
Kentucky –
LSU – Walker Howard – St. Thomas More (LA) – No. 2 overall
Mississippi –
Mississippi State – Braedyn Locke – Rockwall (TX) – No. 31 overall
Missouri – Sam Horn – Collins Hill (GA) – No. 9 overall
South Carolina – Braden Davis – Middletown (DE) – No. 13 overall
Tennessee – Tayven Jackson – Center Grove (IN) – No. 24 overall
Texas A&M – Conner Weigman – Bridgeland (TX) – No. 4 overall
Vanderbilt – Drew Dickey – Regents (TX) – No. 60 overall
Independent
Notre Dame – Steve Angeli – Bergen Catholic (NJ) – No. 16 overall
Group of Five
Appalachian State – Zak Rozsman – Walton (GA) – No. 74 overall
Arkansas State – Jaxon Dailey – Southeast Polk (IA) – No. 44 overall
Boise State – Katin Houser – St. John Bosco (CA) – No. 27 overall
Coastal Carolina – Bryce Archie – McEachern (GA) – No. 47 overall
Coastal Carolina – Dontrell Jackson – Marist (IL) – No. 75 overall
Connecticut – Chris Calhoun – Sandalwood (FL) – No. 94 overall
Louisiana Tech – Landry Lyddy – Calvery Baptist (LA) – No. 87 overall
Marshall – Chase Harrison – Centerville (OH) – No. 56 overall
Marshall – Peter Zamora – Westside (SC) – No. 91 overall
Navy – Karson Lopati – West (UT) – No. 96 overall
Nevada – Brayden Fowler-Nicolosi – Aledo (TX) – No. 82 overall
San Jose State – Tyler Voss – Valencia (CA) – No. 80 overall
South Florida – Gunnar Smith – Lake Mary (FL) – No. 88 overall
Tulane – Carson Haggard – Gulliver Prep (FL) – No. 86 overall
UNLV – Jayden Maiava – Kaimuki (HI) – No. 28 overall
Wyoming Caden Becker – Skutt Catholic (NE) – No. 92 overall
Photo credit: RNG; Quinn Ewers