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SEC coaching changes create movement for 2016 quarterback prospects
By Corey Long
Published:
As the great coaching swap of 2015 begins to slow down it’s time to address some of the players left in the wake of the movement – namely the quarterbacks.
It’s no secret that quarterback play in the SEC has been less-than-inspiring lately, and with a fresh crop of young promising arms available in the 2016 recruiting class, now is the time for the conference to change the narrative.
However with some coaches moving out of the conference (i.e., Mark Richt) and others, like South Carolina’s Steve Spurrier and Missouri’s Gary Pinkel, retiring altogether, it’s been a task to keep track of which programs are targeting what quarterbacks.
Here’s an update on where certain SEC programs stand with the top quarterback prospects.
Georgia
The Bulldogs still have a commitment from Jacob Eason, the No. 6 overall prospect in Rivals’ most recent rankings.
The 6-foot-5, 216-pound pro-style passer from Lake Stevens, Wash., is the son of former NFL quarterback Tony Eason. He has been committed to the Bulldogs since July 2014 but Richt’s departure has him reconsidering.
We’ve tracked the Eason’s recent movement as he prepares to make a decision between Georgia and Florida over the next week or two after his official visit to Georgia this weekend. New Georgia coach Kirby Smart planned to hop on a plane to Washington and visit Eason on Monday after his introductory press conference.
Florida
The Gators are reaping the benefits of some of the coaching unrest. They recently flipped former LSU commitment Feleipe Franks, a 6-foot-5, 220-pounder with a big arm from Wakulla High School, just south of Tallahassee in the Florida panhandle.
Franks committed to LSU last summer, but whether it was the heat surrounding Les Miles’ status or the fact that the Tigers have a reputation of not developing quarterbacks, Franks switched to Florida after taking an unofficial visit to Gainesville.
Franks might take an official visit to Florida this weekend after he plays in the Florida Class 5A state championship game against Orlando Bishop Moore.
The Gators are also maintaining their hard push for Eason, with an in-home visit planned for Wednesday.
All this makes one forget that Kyle Trask, a 6-foot-6, 210-pound pro-style quarterback from Manvel, Texas, has been been committed to the Gators for months.
LSU
The Tigers aren’t giving up Franks without a fight.
LSU offensive coordinator Cam Cameron will have an in-home visit with Franks on Wednesday – his second with Franks in the past week — but who knows if Cameron will be around to coach Franks.
The main reason LSU put Miles on the hot seat was because of the offense’s failure to adjust with the times and throw the ball in a situation other than 3rd-and-impossible.
Franks’ commitment to Florida is a little shaky, and if Eason decides to spurn the Bulldogs for the Gators, Franks may end up back in Baton Rouge.
If Franks takes his official to Florida this weekend – the final weekend to take an official before the dead period begins – that could be a telling sign on where Franks (and Eason) are headed.
Missouri
The Tigers new coach Barry Odom is trying to hire former Oklahoma offensive coordinator Josh Heupel. Odom was the Tigers’ defensive coordinator, so hiring an innovative offensive mind is essential. If Heupel goes to Missouri he’s likely to install an offense with a higher volume of passing.
The Tigers have no quarterback commits in their 2016 recruiting class.
The key, unanswered quarterback question in Columbia is: Will Maty Mauk return?
South Carolina
Gamecocks new coach Will Muschamp, another former defensive coordinator, is bringing in Kurt Roper as his offensive coordinator.
Roper was the offensive coordinator at Florida in 2014 under Muschamp who also worked on David Cutcliffe’s staff at Duke. He will bring in his up-tempo read-option offense suitable for dual-threat quarterbacks.
The Gamecocks have a commitment from Brandon McIlwain, a 6-foot, 200-pound dual-threat QB from Newtown, Pa. Rivals ranks him as a four-star prospect.
McIlwain has been committed to South Carolina for nearly a year and was named Pennsylvania’s Gatorade Player of the Year last week.
His commitment since the coaching change has gotten shaky, especially when his primary recruiter, G.A. Mangus, was not retained by Muschamp.
The Gamecocks have an in-home visit with McIlwain this week, but Penn State is coming hard after McIlwain and trying to keep him in the Keystone state.
Tennessee and Ole Miss
The Volunteers and Rebels are sitting pretty and watching the carnage from afar. Tennessee has a solid commitment from 6-foot-4, 190-pound dual-threat quarterback Jarrett Guarantano from Oradell, N.J., and the Rebels have a solid commitment from 6-foot-2, 200-pound pro-style quarterback Shea Patterson.
Patterson is the top-ranked QB in the class of 2016, ranked No. 3 overall by Rivals. He played this season at prospect-laden IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla., after winning two state championships in Louisiana.
IMG is an independent school and not eligible for the state playoffs in Florida.
Corey Long is a freelance writer for SaturdayDownSouth.com. Follow Corey on Twitter @CoreyLong.
