The Quarterback Board: Overview of Hinshaw's 2018 QB offers
Darin Hinshaw has been a busy man lately. Kentucky's quarterbacks coach has been on the road, evaluating players and offering scholarships.
Cats Illustrated has a detailed breakdown of what's transpired.
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In a given recruiting class schools might "offer" upwards of 300 players. It's impossible to keep track of the names, even if you're a coach on the staff. Of course, because the NCAA has prohibited early written offers, many of those "offers" are worth the paper they're printed on (i.e. they're not really offers in the committable sense).
But quarterback recruiting is different.
Quarterback offers are like gold. Quarterbacks want to be class leaders. They commit early. They command attention. It's the most important positional evaluation a coach and a staff will make and it's the part of recruiting that a staff has to get right if they're going to survive.
There's no wide net approach to quarterback offers. Usually a school will offer several quarterbacks, but most of those offers are early in the process while the player is still trying to sort everything out.
Rest assured that Hinshaw's recent offers to 2018 quarterbacks have been thoughtful decisions and the product of plenty of evaluation, including recent in-person stops at the high schools of those players.
Yes, Hinshaw has been on the road, watching players throw, talking to their coaches, learning about their strengths and weaknesses, and mentally (perhaps scribbling on a pad, too) taking notes and imagining how each player might fit into his system.
With two 2017 quarterback commitments on board some might assume the position is less important in the 2018 recruiting class. But that's not true. Hinshaw inherited a woeful depth chart situation and although he's done his best to patch a position group together -- adding Stephen Johnson II and keeping Mac Jones and Walker Wood on board following Shannon Dawson's ouster -- there's no rest for the weary.
Kentucky could take upwards of 30 players in the 2018 class and at least one of those spots, and possibly two, will belong to a quarterback. Johnson's eligibility is limited. Davis Mattingly is a walk-on and so is Luke Wright. Gunnar Hoak is unproven. Walker Wood and Mac Jones won't be on the roster for more than a year and both will have to prove themselves, with Wood having the long-term option of playing quarterback or changing positions. Drew Barker isn't getting any younger, so 2018 quarterbacks are taking center focus. Those are the most important offers the staff has been sending out.
Hinshaw's travels of late have been the product of his prior research into 2018 quarterbacks. His schedule of visits to high schools across the country followed what was assuredly a detailed and grinding series of film evaluations, conversations with private quarterback coaches, and research into how each player's high school fared.
At some of his stops he was likely disappointed or left needing to see more. But Hinshaw seems pleased with a lot of the players he's seen so far. It's fairly rare for a staff to send out quarterback offers at the rate Kentucky has recently. That could be a testament to Hinshaw's eye for quarterbacks on film and what he knew about these 2018 stars heading into the spring evaluation period. Or it could be that he's just offered a lot of players who are bound to become very popular with many other schools.
With all that as our context, lets turn to the players recently offered by Kentucky's new co-offensive coordinator. And he's the coach in charge of this most important duty.
Jarren Williams, dual-threat, Lawrenceville (Ga.) Central Gwinnett
There's no doubt that Williams passes the eye test. Only a high school sophomore, as are all others listed here, he's already 6-foot-3 and 215 pounds, possessing the athleticism to beat a defense with his legs as well as his arm.
Florida State and Louisville were Williams' first offers. He actually visited Kentucky and Louisville on a recent tour through the Commonwealth State with several other Georgia prospects, and that's when the Cardinals offered him.
Kentucky didn't offer right away, but when Cats Illustrated caught up with Williams on Sunday (full update coming today) he wasn't bothered by the slight delay. In fact he appreciated Hinshaw's thoroughness and has even taken up some of the advice Hinshaw has given him on how to polish his mechanics and throwing motion.
Although Williams was one of the younger players at the Rivals QB Challenge finals in Baltimore, Md., simply making the cut says something about his ability.
"Jarren Williams had some tough moments through the event but the 2018 prospect from Lawrenceville (Ga.) Central Gwinnett was really good on the timing routes," the Rivals.com team of analysts collectively noted following the event. "His mechanics need work but Williams has good arm strength, spun it well during that session and was accurate."
But more on those mechanics later today.
Forecast for UK: Williams enjoyed both his trip to Kentucky and his stop at Louisville. One of the players he traveled with said he preferred Louisville, but Williams hasn't hinted that he agreed. It's a good sign for both schools that they got into the mix so early. That could make it easy and enticing for him to visit both places more, even while the process is still young. Hinshaw has made a good impression on him so far and built a lot of trust when he gave Williams some pointers on his throwing motion that have already made him a better passer, the player told Cats Illustrated.
What the offer means: Central Gwinnett produces a ton of talent so the offer carried visibility with a lot of other high profile young talents. On another level, it's significant that Hinshaw offered a clear dual-threat. He's one with a ton of upside, but he's clearly a dual-threat. Is that a sign of where he wants to take the offense? Probably not, as he and other coordinators play to their personnel. But it's a sign he won't be afraid to recruit runners, while his predecessor highly valued players geared heavily towards a pocket presence.
Read the full premium update on Williams' trips to UK and Louisville here.
Watch Williams' sophomore highlights below.
Justin Rogers, pro-style, Bossier City (La.) Parkway
Louisiana is unfamiliar recruiting territory for Kentucky but that's where Hinshaw found Rogers. The 2018 quarterback has other offers, but Kentucky's his first Power Five offer. That's surely significant for him.
The 6-foot-3, 197-pound quarterback is leaner in his build than is the aforementioned Jarren Williams, and he's never visited Kentucky.
Although Rivals.com lists Rogers as a pro-style his film reveals a player who does have dual-threat ability. But he's got a live arm and can really spin it. Rogers' deep ball looks especially good, he seems to throw a good spiral and a catchable ball, and he can make the throws all over the field.
Forecast for UK: Before anyone assumes Kentucky's the clubhouse favorite because the Cats were his first major conference offer, a couple of points. Houston's a big offer for recruits these days, and Rogers has that. And this is the time of year when offers come in the form of an avalanche, so it's likely Rogers will bide his time and see what comes his way. The hope now has to be that Rogers will turn the excitement over the offer into plans for a trip to Lexington. Expect the UK staff to remind Rogers that they got on him early, in much the same way that Shannon Dawson took an early chance on Mac Jones.
What the offer means: Here's another run-pass threat at quarterback, and that will be something of a trend, as you'll see moving forward. Kentucky won't recruit many other players in Louisiana, but they'll invest everything they can in the quarterbacks they like.
Connor Noland, pro-style, Greenwood (Ark.)
Noland is a different quarterback than either of the aforementioned players, regardless of their classifications as pro-style or dual-threat. He's not as big (6-foot-2, 185 pounds), but that obviously hasn't been a disqualifying feature for Hinshaw (see: 2017 commitment list).
He's different because Noland may be a more developed passer. He can get into his drops, enjoying quality protection and making the right read. He's got a nice throwing motion and Hinshaw was likely impressed with his mechanics and the ball he throws.
Noland may be a pro-style prospect but he's got the feet and the quickness to get outside the pocket and he seems to throw on the run well enough. He's a player who will keep his eyes upfield when he's on the move. He's a fearless passer, unafraid to throw the ball in tough spots and against tight coverage, and he'll make big plays through the air.
He's also demonstrated a willingness to travel for visits. Last summer he visited Oregon.
Arkansas, North Carolina, UCLA and Texas A&M are among the other schools that have offered Noland.
This is noteworthy: Noland is also an accomplished baseball player who could have a big-time future on the diamond. He's young, so time will tell what sport he leans towards. But he obviously hasn't made a life-long professionally-geared decision yet.
Forecast for UK: When Cats Illustrated spoke with Noland on Sunday he didn't mention anything that jumped out that would make UK an obvious short-list choice, nor did he hint they were running behind the field. Hinshaw did watch him throw and Noland said he likes the Cats' SEC affiliation. He also believes the program is on the rise.
What the offer means: Given the offers to Williams and Rogers, listed above, this offer is a sign that Hinshaw doesn't have a single prototype that he's looking for. Noland is mobile, like the others, but he's mobile in a different way. He can run but he often runs to throw. This offer reinforces that Hinshaw will take a quarterback even if he lacks perfect size (although Noland's size isn't exactly a liability). And it means he's not afraid to take on the Razorbacks in their home state for a player they've offered. The dynamics appear tough for UK with Noland, but they'll give it a go.
Watch Noland's video from Hudl.com below.
Cade Fortin, pro-style, Suwanee (Ga.) North Gwinnett
Here's another Peach State passer on Hinshaw's offer board. In terms of Fortin's build he's fairly similar to Noland.
Cal and Iowa offered Fortin before Kentucky. But it's noteworthy that Kentucky's offer is Fortin's first SEC opportunity. That could prove meaningful, although Cal has the luxury of recruiting quarterbacks on the heels of putting a player at the position into the No. 1 pick in the NFL Draft.
Louisville, Clemson, North Carolina, South Carolina and Florida State are among the others showing interest, according to HawkeyeReport.com.
Fortin passed for 1,475 yards and 11 touchdowns on 130 of 255 pass attempts last year as a sophomore.
Watch Fortin's sophomore film from Hudl.com below.
Kevin Doyle, pro-style, Malvern (Pa.) Malvern Prep
Pennsylvania's uncommon recruiting territory for Kentucky, or at least it was in the past. Steven Clinkscale may now recruit the state for the staff but Darin Hinshaw handles the quarterbacks there as he does everywhere else.
The 6-foot-3, 190-pound pro-style passer competed at Rivals Camps recently and Hinshaw had a chance to watch him throw at Malvern Prep. According to Doyle himself, Hinshaw liked three things about his game: His athleticism, his mechanics, and his arm strength.
Pitt and West Virginia were Doyle's first Power Five offers. He's visited both schools before. Doyle has been to Pitt several times but says he has no favorite. He has been to Kentucky three times, but those trips were spaced out over many years and none of those visits were with Hinshaw or Eddie Gran in Lexington.
Forecast for Kentucky: With Doyle declining to name favorites it's tough to tell several key things. How much interest does he have in Pitt, given the fact that he's visited several times and spoke highly of Pat Narduzzi's approach to program-building when Cats Illustrated spoke with him? He also praised Dana Holgorson's more wide-open offense, and the Mountaineers could factor in heavily. Both of those schools are more accustomed to recruiting that area than Kentucky. But Doyle seemed to like having an SEC offer. Getting him on campus again -- a fourth time, but what would be the first time with Hinshaw around -- will be key.
What the offer means: Doyle isn't a sleeper by any stretch of the imagination, but he's not a four- or five-star kid according to the rankings. In other words, Hinshaw's not just dumping off a bunch of offers with kids who everyone else will offer. He's evaluating the player but he's probably also evaluating each player's circumstances. This offer probably means Hinshaw likes Doyle, but also that he feels like he can make a legitimate push for him. Though Doyle is a pro-style by classification, again, note that Hinshaw likes his athleticism. That's a heavy theme with these 2018 offers.
Watch Doyle's sophomore season highlights from Hudl.com below.
Phil Jurkovec, dual-threat, Gibsonia (Pa.) Pine Richland
Most of the offers detailed above went from Hinshaw to players that might have a regional name recognition in recruiting circles, but players who haven't struck it rich nationally with elite rankings and accolades.
Then there's Jurkovec. He's a 6-foot-5, 190-pound dual-threat phenom who's already armed with a four-star 2018 ranking. Oh, and don't forget his other offers. That list includes Alabama, Michigan State, Notre Dame, Mississippi State, Ohio State, Penn State, Tennessee, UCLA and many others.
Jurkovec is one of the most heralded 2018 quarterbacks in the country and he'll be one of the most highly sought-after Pennsylvania prospects in several years. He's a Rivals100 recruit already.
Unfortunately, Kentucky's getting involved a little bit late. Cats Illustrated reached out to Jurkovec for his thoughts on UK's offer and we're awaiting a response. Jurkovec's thoughts on Kentucky may be a mystery for now, but two things are probably clear. First, UK probably has some catching up to do. But, secondly, there's no doubt that Hinshaw sees the same things in him that every other coach and analyst seems to.
Jurkovec's sophomore highlights on Hudl.com already have 30,000 views, which is ten times more than many other very popular player pages.
Forecast for Kentucky: To be determined, although smart money would say that Kentucky's getting involved a little later than some, and "some" includes a lot of the sport's heavy hitters. Quarterbacks look at things a little differently, so UK could impress him on the field. But they'll also need to convince him to visit, and Jurkovec probably has 20 other quarterback coaches chirping in his ear competing for his time and travel schedule.
What the offer means: Not much, except that Hinshaw isn't beyond tossing a bold offer into the wind and seeing how things play out.
Conclusions
Hinshaw's recent offers to 2018 quarterbacks have one obvious thing in common. Every quarterback offered is either best termed a dual-threat, or a pro-style with dual-threat ability. The film on each player shows, without question, that Hinshaw has favorably reviewed quarterbacks who are able runners. Some look to run quicker than others. Some are more defined by their running. Some run to pass. But they can all run.
Geography has been a non-factor in Hinshaw's work so far. The offers range from Pennsylvania (two) to Georgia (two), from Louisiana to Arkansas. Quarterback recruiting is more regional and national, whereas most other recruiting is local or regional. That's not a surprise.
The semi-wide net approach isn't really surprising. Most schools offer multiple quarterbacks in a class. But the rate at which offers have gone out is impressive. This is the time of year for that. It will be interesting to find out which of the players above move most aggressively to reciprocate Kentucky's interest and possibly cement their status near the top of UK's boards.
The UK staff will likely want as many of those players to camp as possible, even with their offers. Mac Jones and Walker Wood are likely to throw in those camp settings in Lexington, and they're committed. How those players fare at camp could further aid Hinshaw in setting the board and preferences with respect to those now-offered players.