A lot of Tulane fans are upset that we haven’t signed a high school QB that has stepped to the fore. But, that’s hard to do. Three years ago (2016 signing class), and well before hardly anyone had committed, I posted my views on the top nine QB’s in Louisiana for that class. I thought the best was Shea Patterson, who eventually left Louisiana for the IMG Academy and subsequently to Ole Miss and Michigan. And, at least to this point, he is the best college QB from that class.
Of the other eight I identified, four received Division 1A scholarships: Lindsey Scott (LSU), Keondre Wudtee (Oklahoma State), Cole Kelley (Arkansas), and John Randall Belton (LaTech). Three others, Bladrick Veal (Southern), Austin Guy (NW Louisiana) and Kenny Sears (also NWLA) signed with FCS teams. My final pick, Matthew Beck chose instead to accept a baseball scholarship at LSU. He’s still there as a pitcher.
I failed to include Jared Sparks (Purdue), Tyriek Starks (Kansas) or Jake Arceneaux (ULL) in my “top 9 “ list, nor any of the other six players who signed with FCS schools.
How have these kids done from a football perspective? Well, we all know the travails of Lindsey Scott, a sad tale from almost any perspective, at least to this point. Wudtee has played sparingly at Oklahoma State and recently announced his plans to transfer. The same with Kelley at Arkansas. Belton did not play his first two years at LaTech, was moved to wide receiver, and played in eleven games this past year but didn’t receive a pass. He’s playing special teams. Veal gave up football and left Southern after one year and Guy left NWLA to a JC after two years of not playing. He became a tight end, didn’t show much, and is out of football.
As for the ones I “missed on,” Sparks has been moved to wide receiver at Purdue where he is in the regular rotation and caught 46 passes over two years. After showing nothing at Kansas, Starks left to perform poorly at Iowa Western JC and is likely done. And Jake Arceneaux is still at ULL, though somewhere between 3rd and 4th string at QB.
Of the six other QB’s who signed with FCS schools Chase Fourcade is probably the only one who, in my opinion, has had a solid career to date at that level.
Anyway, my point is that a lot of kids who look really good in high school don’t make the grade in Division 1 college football. Identifying those who do is a tough job. There are probably many more "failures" (not meant to be pejorative) than successes.
Roll Wave!!!
Of the other eight I identified, four received Division 1A scholarships: Lindsey Scott (LSU), Keondre Wudtee (Oklahoma State), Cole Kelley (Arkansas), and John Randall Belton (LaTech). Three others, Bladrick Veal (Southern), Austin Guy (NW Louisiana) and Kenny Sears (also NWLA) signed with FCS teams. My final pick, Matthew Beck chose instead to accept a baseball scholarship at LSU. He’s still there as a pitcher.
I failed to include Jared Sparks (Purdue), Tyriek Starks (Kansas) or Jake Arceneaux (ULL) in my “top 9 “ list, nor any of the other six players who signed with FCS schools.
How have these kids done from a football perspective? Well, we all know the travails of Lindsey Scott, a sad tale from almost any perspective, at least to this point. Wudtee has played sparingly at Oklahoma State and recently announced his plans to transfer. The same with Kelley at Arkansas. Belton did not play his first two years at LaTech, was moved to wide receiver, and played in eleven games this past year but didn’t receive a pass. He’s playing special teams. Veal gave up football and left Southern after one year and Guy left NWLA to a JC after two years of not playing. He became a tight end, didn’t show much, and is out of football.
As for the ones I “missed on,” Sparks has been moved to wide receiver at Purdue where he is in the regular rotation and caught 46 passes over two years. After showing nothing at Kansas, Starks left to perform poorly at Iowa Western JC and is likely done. And Jake Arceneaux is still at ULL, though somewhere between 3rd and 4th string at QB.
Of the six other QB’s who signed with FCS schools Chase Fourcade is probably the only one who, in my opinion, has had a solid career to date at that level.
Anyway, my point is that a lot of kids who look really good in high school don’t make the grade in Division 1 college football. Identifying those who do is a tough job. There are probably many more "failures" (not meant to be pejorative) than successes.
Roll Wave!!!