Quincy Patterson, a 3-star recruit from Solorio Academy in Chicago, is one who could surface here. The Virginia Tech pledge presents dual-threat abilities, lives in Big Ten territory and, like Fields, advanced at Elite 11 finals last weekend.
Devin Leary, another member of the 2017 Elite 11 class set to compete at The Opening, doesn’t hold an offer at this time but he might be one of the first prospects to receive a phone call as Penn State works to renew its 2018 quarterback search.
The 6-2, 189-pound prospect set New Jersey high school passing records for yards (3,688) and touchdowns (48) as a junior, leading Timber Creek High to a state championship. The Garden State has been fertile territory, and he is
among Franklin’s most recent follows on Twitter.
Leary, a 4-star prospect in composite rankings who committed to North Carolina State in April, isn’t a rushing threat like Fields or Patterson, but he opened a lot of eyes last weekend in Los Angeles.
“Devin is supremely talented,” Elite 11 coach Quincy Avery told Land of 10. “He was spitting nothing but fireballs out his arm the whole entire time. You walked away from his pro-day performance [Leary posted the best score among 25 competitors[ and knew exactly why he was there. It was impressive to watch.”
Penn State starter Trace McSorley could return for his final year of eligibility in 2018. Behind him, redshirt sophomore Tommy Stevens appears ready to take starting reps when his chance arrives, and he earned 2017 spring game offensive MVP honors.
Sean Clifford, a member of the 2016 Elite 11 class, adds new blood to the quarterback room this summer. He was a top-10 pro-style quarterback in the 2017 recruiting cycle and led St. Xavier (Cincinnati) to a state championship last autumn.
This could be the moment that launches a domino effect across the college football recruiting landscape. If Penn State now pries a passer away from another program, that team also will re-enter the hunt for a player at the position, and so on.
You don’t need to look far back for an example in State College.
Penn State lost grips on a pledge from Elite 11 when QB Brandon Wimbush flipped to Notre Dame in 2014. The Nittany Lions responded by flipping Stevens from Indiana.
Recruiting is cyclical, and this chain of events seems to occur every year. Quarterback is simply too important in this sport to remain status quo, and top talent isn’t easy to hold on to as things evolve and other suitors rise.
Sometimes you’re the beneficiary of such developments. Other times, you get bitten by them. On this occasion, Penn State suffered the latter fate