2024 Recruiting Thread

[Mdot21]

Are we pretending UGA hasn't recruited numerous 5* QBs under Smart?
The real question is where he'll be transferring to.

that’s actually a good point….

Jacob Eason, Justin Fields, JT Daniels, and Brock Vandagriff we’re all 5*’s. Daniels was a transfer, but still very highly rated. None of them did anything at UGA. Vandagriff still has a shot maybe, but sounds like he’s lost the starting job to Carson Beck.

UGA didn’t go next level as a program til a 30 year old walk on took over. 

[Cincydawg]

Folks seem to think Riola is "special" beyond being a five star.  The Dawgs have a 4 star commit that same class (Puglisi?).  And they have as noted two sophomores, one 4 and one 5, and a junior, Carson Beck, a 4, who is the likely starter.  So, they are stacked, for now, and yes, some of those guys will portal.

Vandagriff is from just outside Athens, he might think being QB2 at UGA is fine with him.

If we presume Riola is the best thing since Matt Stafford, he could come in and red shirt year and be ready to start in year two presuming he can beat out Puglisi and Vandagriff, or maybe V leaves.  Some Dawgs think Riola will bring in other 5 stars, who knows.  

[Mdot21]

Folks seem to think Riola is "special" beyond being a five star.  The Dawgs have a 4 star commit that same class (Puglisi?).  And they have as noted two sophomores, one 4 and one 5, and a junior, Carson Beck, a 4, who is the likely starter.  So, they are stacked, for now, and yes, some of those guys will portal.

Vandagriff is from just outside Athens, he might think being QB2 at UGA is fine with him.

If we presume Riola is the best thing since Matt Stafford, he could come in and red shirt year and be ready to start in year two presuming he can beat out Puglisi and Vandagriff, or maybe V leaves.  Some Dawgs think Riola will bring in other 5 stars, who knows. 

there are definitely levels to the 5* ranking. Raiola is atop that 5* ranking food chain. Justin Fields was basically rated just as high, he was a 1B to Trevor Lawerence's 1A. Fields wound up being a phenomenal college player and top 10 NFL draft pick....just not at Georgia.

[Cincydawg]

Georgia lands Dylan Raiola: No. 1 recruit in 2024 class hopes to continue trend of successful top-ranked QBs - CBSSports.com

Nice summary of how recent highly rated QBs have fared, it's more hit or miss than one might expect with a lot of transfers.

[Mdot21]

Georgia lands Dylan Raiola: No. 1 recruit in 2024 class hopes to continue trend of successful top-ranked QBs - CBSSports.com

Nice summary of how recent highly rated QBs have fared, it's more hit or miss than one might expect with a lot of transfers.

Sheesh. Jury is obviously still out on Drew Allar and Arch Manning as they are still so young, but aside from Trevor Lawerence and Bryce Young, that list is a whole bunch of MEH. 

Quinn Ewers is one the jury is still out on. He was pretty underwhelming last year and obviously in '21 he was backing up Stroud at OSU. He could make a leap this year. 

But yeah, most of those #1 QBs have not been all that. 

[Cincydawg]

UGA's previous highly touted QB was Stafford, who was thrown into the fire as a freshman and had ups and downs, but anyone could see the talent.  He had a decent college career, folks like Aaron Murray put up much better stats, so did Jake Fromm and even Stetson and DJ Shockley.  A LOT of apparently really good college QBs hold clipboards in the league and nothing else.  It would be interesting to understand what facet is missing in them, and present in the Staffords.  Some could just be opportunity and the right fit.

[Mdot21]

It would be interesting to understand what facet is missing in them, and present in the Staffords.  Some could just be opportunity and the right fit.

Lol that one is easy. Size/arm talent. Stafford was around 6'3ish with ridiculous arm strength. 

[Cincydawg]

If every great NFL QB was 6'3"ish with ridiculous arm strength, I might buy that.  And why doesn't an apparently great college QB make for a great NFL QB?

Raiola is 6'3"ish with ridiculous army strength, so is he an NFL lock?

[EastAthens]

UGA's previous highly touted QB was Stafford, who was thrown into the fire as a freshman and had ups and downs, but anyone could see the talent.  He had a decent college career, folks like Aaron Murray put up much better stats, so did Jake Fromm and even Stetson and DJ Shockley.  A LOT of apparently really good college QBs hold clipboards in the league and nothing else.  It would be interesting to understand what facet is missing in them, and present in the Staffords.  Some could just be opportunity and the right fit.

The answer is the ability to throw deep outs, that is to stand between the hash marks and throw a ball 25 yards deep to the sidelines on a line which is a throw of 50 yards or so.   Mere mortals cannot throw a ball 50 yards on a line. Deep outs are why Matt Stafford and Jay Cutler are millionaires and Aaron Murray and Tim Tebow are standing behind microphones even though Tebow and Murray were much better college qbs.

[Cincydawg]

Do you think every very good and better NFL QB can throw those deep out patterns?  Does it matter if they are 6'3"ish?  

I'm more familiar with baseball where the ability to throw 100 mph is "nice", but plenty of HoFers never got near that speed.  Probably not a good analogy.

But if NFL QBs can be assessed using a single metric, or nearly so, it should be simple to draft the right guy.  I agree that the ability to throw a deep out is a key ingredient, but perhaps not the sole ingredient, we can all note failed NFL QBs who had enormous arm strength.

[Cincydawg]

A reason I find this interesting is how many of the "top QBs in the past" have flammed out.  It's not a majority, but it's a significant minority.  It's pretty easy to assess arm strength and height, those two attributes are apparently not enough.  A third factor would be intelligence, perhaps the kind that is quick rather than deep, they need not be top calculus students, but they need to think quickly "on their feet".  I gather this NFL test they score relates to that, somewhat anyway (Wonderlic).

But we still see 6'3"ish recruits with high arm strength and good grades not pan out in college, or the pros.  At least in baseball you can note a 100 mph pitcher and see that he has poor control and can't master a second pitch and figure he needs more work.  But then there is Greg Maddux.

[Cincydawg]

Let's stipulate these "rankings" are correct, do you think folks on this list who are fairly tall will be starting NFL QBs?  (I think some will of course, I wouldn't say all.)

[FearlessF]

there's something to be said for the biggest brains and biggest hearts

also agree with fit and opportunity

[FearlessF]

A day after decommitting from Missouri, Bellevue West quarterback Daniel Kaelin announces he’ll be a Husker.

Nebraska’s most recent quarterback commit for the 2024 class, Daniel Kaelin, joins some great company in being invited to the Elite 11 Finals in Los Angeles.