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Today was a big day in quarterback recruiting in the class of 2014. A number of high-profile prospects and the schools chasing them were waiting for the first domino to fall -- where top-ranked prospect David Cornwall was going. Once he committed to Alabama (nice to see them finally catch a break in recruiting), everyone started making their decisions.
The ripple effect continued, and it led to dual-threat Quinton Flowers verbally committing to USF. Flowers is from Miami's Jackson High School, and he made his decision one day after Willie Taggart and the USF coaches held a traveling camp in Miramar for high school players. Flowers is a four-star prospect on 247Sports, rated as the third-best dual-threat quarterback in the country and 197th nationally among all players.
Flowers talked to Corey Long of Bulls 247 about his choice: ($)
"I really wanted to go to a place that wanted me to come in as a quarterback," Flowers said. "I loved what the USF coaches were about and how excited they were about my talent. I think I can help get their program to the next level."
Long has a very strong opinion of Flowers...
Quinton Flowers to USF is a major coup. He has program-changing ability.
— Corey Long (@CoreyLong) June 14, 2013
Nice.
At 6'0" and 205 pounds, he's almost the exact same size as B.J. Daniels, and their skill sets are similar. And since I don't mind asking an obvious question:
@usfvoodoo5 @CoreyLong @jmnpb Yes, definitely
— SB Nation Recruiting (@SBNRecruiting) June 14, 2013
How would Taggart would use a QB like Flowers? Would he use more sets from the shotgun or pistol, like what the 49ers run with Colin Kaepernick? (So far Taggart's offense has been like the Stanford offense, with more plays run under center and less read option and quarterback running.) I doubt someone as dynamic as Flowers would be brought in to just hand off and throw the ball. Steven Bench isn't quite as fast as Flowers, but he's hardly a statue, so if Bench ends up starting this year, we may get a preview of what Taggart might do with someone like Flowers.
This is a big get for USF, but I will say this. It's only June, and Flowers has a long list of suitors. I don't think he's going to end up at Alabama because Cornwall could be a three- or four-year starter and keep everyone else off the field. But Illinois, TCU, Tennessee, and West Virginia (among others) have offered Flowers, and none of them picked up a quarterback today. So Taggart and Telly Lockette still have some work to do between now and February to make sure this potential stud makes it to campus.
P.S. Flowers' nickname is Winky.
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Here's a 10-minute highlight reel of Flowers in action. (If you're watching at work, maybe turn the sound down.)