Under the Radar QBs

As a Jets fan (no pun intended), I hear a lot of folks talking about the crop of draft eligible QBs in College Football today.  This year's "Big Three", Darnold, Rosen and Allen will likely be high draft picks next year but, given that this space is dedicated to efficiency and value, we rather discuss our  "Potentially Big Three" who are not well known now, but may be once we get to Bowl season.

Tanner Lee - 6'4" 220lbs Nebraska

When looking at QBs for the 2017-18 season, I was especially interested to see who would be taking over for long time Husker Tommy Armstrong.  When I saw Tanner Lee's name on the depth chart I immediately said, "who?" - Lee sat out  the 2016 season after transferring from Tulane in his home state of Louisiana.  A former all-State (Honorable Mention) QB who led his team thrice to the state playoffs, winning the championship his junior year.  On paper, he has two of the three attributes I like most in prospects:  State honors/championship experience and pedigree, given both his father and grandfather were college football players (I cannot confirm he was a multisport athlete, a third positive attribute).  Tulane wasn't exactly a house afire during his tenure at QB but his performance was most likely indicative of his surrounding cast more than his own potential.  Based on one account, there might not have been anything left of him to transfer if he HADN'T left Tulane.
Watching his high school reel, it is clear he understands defense enough to use leverage to his advantage. Checking out his interview during the Husker Spring game...his teammates obviously think highly of him.  That brotherhood translates over onto the field on Saturdays.  He appears to be strong, smart and has been using a lot of advanced on field analysis skills since HS.  I am a huge fan and am going to be watching what he does this year.

Jacob Park 6'4" 205lbs Iowa State

Once upon a time, a kid from a town called Goose Creek, South Carolina picked up a football.  By the time he was wrapping up high school, he had lead his team to the state championship game, had two All-State (first team) honors and was named South Carolina's "Mr. Football".As a senior, he threw for 3,665 yards and 33 TDs...that's one year, folks.  He also found time to letter in basketball (see Bonus QB Attributes, above).   Bama, ND, Tennessee, Auburn, Florida and even Florida State, the team that won the national championship the year he graduated, extended offers. But, he decided to stray not far from home and enroll at the University of Georgia.  He took a redshirt his first year but in 2015,he decide to move on and embark on an odyssey that would land him to transfer to a school without a football team, before eventually being tracked down and recruited by ISU (In this video, Park talks about his relationship with then UGA coach Mike Bobo who left for the HC position at Colorado State, which may have had a hand in Park's decision making). .  Having dusted off the rust, Park split time in 2016 before nailing down the starting QB spot in the second half of the season.
Not many ISU games floating around the internet, so here's some solid HS footage that shows his general understanding of the game.  He has a second chance to make it happen and with stud WR Allen Lazard and beast-like (and former HS QB) RB David Montgomery , I am very excited to see what Park can do.

Richard Lagow 6'6" 240 lbs Indiana

Sloth is a deadly sin and I am guilty of this crime as I should have written this piece before Lagow and Indiana had THE Ohio State University on the ropes for the first half of their game. Had I gotten off my butt and written this article, I would have told you about this kid from Plano High School in an area that is near the epicenter of high school football.  He led his team to the state playoffs and for his efforts, was not widely recruited, ending up at basketball mecca Connecticut.  But in his first year there he transferred to QB friendly Oklahoma State and had to sit out a year.  After a redshirt season there, he ends up at ...Cisco Community College?  Here are the gory details of his wandering.  He went on to produce at CCC to a level worthy of recognition as a top Juco QB (#2 according to the four letter network).
Typically, Boombear flushes a prospect once he gets to his second transfer.  But, naturally, Lagow had one more transfer in him and ended up at Indiana where he has had a chance to be "the guy" unlike at Okie State. When scouting out Indiana WRs Simmie Cobbs and Nick Westbrook,  I got to see a lot of Lagow and found him to have poise, strength (which can support durability) and he seems to have a head for the game.  He put up some big numbers in 2016 and has started 2017 off similarly so last week was no fluke (here he is in 2016 vs. Michigan with its dominant secondary).  He's a big dude with a big arm - we are all about second (and third...and fourth) chances.  We'll see what that means for the Hoosiers this year.

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