West Spotlight: Top five available 2022 QB prospects
The timeline for quarterback recruiting plays out earlier in high school than other positions because of the value of the position and because most schools only take one per class. While quarterback recruiting in the 2021 class is largely complete, it is just starting to heat up for the class of 2022. Here is a look at the top five 2022 quarterback prospects still available in the West.
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MORE: Five top Midwest 2022 quarterbacks | Southeast
CLASS OF 2021 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Position | Team | State
CLASS OF 2022 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Position | Team | State
COVERAGE: Rivals Transfer Tracker | Rivals Camp Series
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Recruitment: Michigan and UCLA are two schools that have made Murphy a major priority in the 2022 class, but there are so many others that he’s talking to on a regular basis. That list includes, but is not limited to, Ohio State, Louisville, Oregon, Georgia and Auburn. With a big junior season coming back over the winter and into the spring, Murphy should be able to showcase his abilities as the full-time starter at Gardena (Calif.) Serra and even more schools could get involved.
Evaluation: Even though he has split time as a high school quarterback with other talented players at Serra, it’s finally time for him to take over, and he should have a dominant season. Murphy is all of 6-foot-4 and 220 pounds, he prefers to sit in the pocket and pick defenses apart, but he can easily throw on the run and pick up yards with his feet if needed. He’s a smart decision-maker, he has a big arm and Murphy has all the tools and training to be really special.
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Recruitment: Miami, Penn State and Arizona State are three schools to watch for Duffy, who has more than 30 offers and is planning to significantly cut down his list soon. The reason those schools have started to emerge is because his relationships with those coaches have taken off and that could be a major factor when he’s ready to decide.
Recently back from a trip to Penn State, Duffy has also seen Miami and Arizona State. Those three look best right now in his recruitment, but Duffy has a long list to work through, with Oregon and many others in the mix.
Evaluation: As a sophomore, Duffy threw for 3,000 yards and 40 touchdowns, so he showed complete command of Rancho Verde’s offense and he was outstanding. Duffy is the son of a football coach, so he grasps the game quickly, understands what is needed from the offense and then goes out and executes. Rarely does he force a throw. Rarely does he make a bad decision. If the deep ball is there, Duffy delivers it. If Duffy has to check down or go underneath, then that’s what he does. And if things are falling apart, Duffy has the athletic ability to pick up yards with his feet.
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Recruitment: In September, Marchiol trimmed his list to Florida State, USC, Arizona State, LSU, Michigan, Ole Miss, TCU and Florida. Visits are going to be important to the new Chandler (Ariz.) Hamilton quarterback this offseason before he makes a decision.
Evaluation: The four-star lefty prefers staying in the pocket and finding open receivers but he’s also adept at dodging pressure, not locking his eyes on a receiver and then coming back when something breaks open the other way. Marchiol put up huge numbers as a sophomore in Colorado, and while that’s not the case yet at Chandler Hamilton, he also doesn’t have a loaded group of receivers there. Marchiol can pick up yards with his feet and escape the blitz and he has no problem throwing on the run, but he’s best in the pocket.
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Recruitment: Two Pac-12 schools - Arizona State and UCLA - have been heavily involved with Martin, and both are interesting to him because he likes the idea of playing in coach Chip Kelly’s offense and he has a similar playing style and frame to Jayden Daniels for the Sun Devils. Michigan State and many others are staying involved as well.
Evaluation: The comparison to Daniels might be a little extreme, but Martin is a very talented quarterback who has similar size and playing ability. He likes to sit in the pocket and dissect defenses and then if things break down Martin can escape and gain yards on the ground. He will need to add some weight to his frame, but that will come with time. In terms of running an offense and looking the part, Martin has a lot going for him.
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Recruitment: Ohio State, Michigan State, Utah and Arkansas have been the most consistently involved with Denegal, who said Alabama and UCLA have also been picking it up in his recruitment.
Evaluation: Denegal is big at 6-foot-4 and 215 pounds, he is filled out and already looks like he has the physical presence of a college quarterback. He also has a big arm, but he needs to work on his footwork and mechanics to take that extra step as one of the elite quarterbacks in the 2022 class. Everything is there for Denegal to be special because he can throw from the pocket, roll out and throw on the run. So there are no issues there, but if he was just a little more mechanically sound then his ranking could go even higher.