Monday, April 28, 2008

Looking Back at Class of 2003...Pro-Style QB's

Full Schedule by Position

Five Star QB

1. Kyle Wright, Miami Hurricanes - Wright went to Miami as the #1 QB prospect in the nation (5th overall). After an underwhelming career at the U where he suffered multiple injuries and multiple benchings as the starter, Wright went undrafted in the 2008 NFL Draft. He agreed to a Free Agent contract with the Minnesota Vikings.

Four Star QB's

2. Chris Leak, Florida Gators - Leak took over under center midway through his freshman year (2003). He was a 4-year starter, leading the Gators to a 13-1 season that culminated in winning the 2007 BCS National Championship over Ohio State. After not being picked in the 2007 NFL Draft, he signed with the Chicago Bears as a FA. However, he was cut on September 16th and was not picked up by any other team.

3. Tommy Grady, Oklahoma Sooners - Grady was the backup QB to Jason White during his redshirt freshman year (2004) and saw limited playing time. However, the Sooners signed top QB prospect Rhett Bomar after the season and Grady chose to transfer to Utah. He was the Utes' backup QB the past 2 seasons after sitting out in 2005 due to NCAA transfer rules. He doesn't appear to have been listed as an NFL prospect for the 2008 Draft and has not signed on with any team.

4. Clayton Richard, Michigan Wolverines - After his redshirt year, Richard lost the QB job to Chad Henne. At that time, he chose to focus on his baseball career and was drafted in the 8th round by the Chicago White Sox. He is currently playing for the White Sox AA team in Birmingham, AL.

5. Kevin McCabe, Virginia Cavaliers - Information is hard to find on McCabe. He went to UVA and was their backup QB as recently as 2006. However, he doesn't show up in their 2007 media guide and espn.com lists a QB by the same name as playing for the California (PA) Vulcans, an
NCAA Div II school.

6. JaMarcus Russell, LSU - Arguably the biggest name on this list, Russell was SEC Player of the Year (2006), winner of the Manning Award (2006), and Sugar Bowl MVP (2007). His stellar 2006-07 season lead to his selection as the #1 overall draft pick by the Oakland Raiders in the 2007 NFL Draft.

7. Andre Woodson, Kentucky - A 3-year starter, Woodson's biggest accomplishment was setting a new NCAA mark of 325 pass attempts without an interception. However, as his team's early success turned into a late season swoon, he saw his draft stock fall from potential 1st round pick all the way to the 6th round where he was drafted by the NY Giants.

8. Justin Midgett, Florida - Midgett attended Florida for a short time before academic problems (amongst other things) lead to his suspension and subsequent transfer to 1-AA Eastern Illinois (of Tony Romo fame). However, he remained academically ineligible at EIU and eventually surfaced with the Florida Firecats. He spent time with af2's Lubbock Renegades and Alabama Steeldogs in 2007 before being resigned by the Firecats for the 2008 season. However, the team website doesn't show him to be on the roster at this time.

9. Sam Keller, Arizona State - A backup his first two seasons, Keller played very well as the Sun Devils' starting QB in 2005. However, a broken hand sidelined him after only 4 games and Rudy Carpenter took over the starting job. Keller decided to transfer to Nebraska before the 2006 season and redshirted while having to sit out for a year. Keller fell short of expectations for the Huskers in 2007 and was replaced by backup QB Joe Ganz after breaking his collarbone in the team's 9th game vs Texas. He went undrafted in the 2008 NFL Draft and has yet to be contacted by any teams as a possible free agent pickup.

10. Brady Quinn, Notre Dame - A four-year starter for the Fighting Irish, he helped lead the team back into the national spotlight after Charlie Weis took over as coach in 2005, breaking 36 school passing records along the way. A 2 time All-American, he was a Heisman finalist in 2005 and 2006, and winner of the Sammy Baugh award in 2006. Quinn was drafted in the 1st round by the Cleveland Browns in the 2007 NFL Draft.

11. Blake Mitchell, South Carolina - A three-year starter for the Gamecocks, Mitchell's college career fell far short of expectations. He is the only USC QB to beat Tennessee, Florida, Georgia, and Clemson. He also played a major role in being upset by Vanderbilt 17-6 AT HOME when the Gamecocks were #6 in the country.

12. T.C. Ostrander, Stanford - Ostrander was a backup QB to now Buffalo Bills QB Trent Edwards for most of his time at Stanford. He started 11 games over a 3 year span before suffering a seizure the week before the Cardinal 24-23 victory over #1 USC this past season. He went undrafted in the 2008 NFL Draft but was quickly signed by the New Orleans Saints as a free agent.

13. Michael Affleck, Arizona State - He redshirted at ASU, underwent shoulder surgery, transferred to BYU, was dismissed for multiple run-ins with law enforcement, and transferred to Dixie State before eventually landing at Utah State in 2006. He threw 2 passes (both incompletions) in 2006 and I can't find any information on his whereabouts since that time. He was not on the team in 2007.

14. Drew Tate, Iowa - A highly touted gun slinger out of Baytown, TX (Lee HS), Tate chose the Hawkeyes over his beloved Texas A&M Aggies after longtime A&M coach R.C. Slocum was dismissed from the team. He was the Big 10 Player of the Year in 2004 and MVP of the Capital One Bowl (2005). He signed with the St Louis Rams in May 2007 but was released a few weeks later. He's now a backup QB for the Saskatchewan Roughriders of the CFL.

15. Richard Kovalcheck, Arizona - Kovalcheck graduated from Arizona in 2 years and enrolled at Vanderbilt in 2006 while attending grad school. He was 3-8 as a starter for the Wildcats and served as a backup at Vandy to Jay Cutler in 2006. He did not pursue an NFL career.

16. Matt Flynn, LSU - Flynn served as JaMarcus Russell's backup for 2 seasons before taking over the reigns for 2007. He guided the Tigers to a 38-24 win over Ohio State in the BCS National Championship game and was named the game's MVP. He was also MVP of the 2006 Chick-Fil-A Peach Bowl as he filled in for an injured Russell as the Tigers pounded Miami 40-3. The Green Bay Packers drafted Flynn in the 7th round of the 2008 NFL Draft.

17. Johnny DuRocher, Oregon - DuRocher planned to lead the Ducks to the Rose Bowl and beyond. He wound up transferring to the Washington Huskies. It was then discovered that he had a brain tumor during a routine test following a concussion suffered in a game. Despite limited experience, he was drafted by the Seattle Mariners in the 34th round of the 2007 MLB Amateur Draft. He remained in Arizona for extended spring training and has yet to join a team in Class A for the Mariners.

Other QB's of Note

25. Matt Ryan, Boston College - Ryan was recently chosen as the #1 QB in the 2008 NFL Draft (3rd overall) by the Atlanta Falcons.

39. Joe Flacco, Deleware - Shined in 1-AA and was picked by the Baltimore Ravens 18th overall in the 2008 NFL Draft.

The Tech Factor

24. Phillip Daugherty, Texas Tech - Daugherty originally inked with the Red Raiders but elected to transfer after being buried on the depth chart (amongst other things). He landed at 1-AA Sam Houston State. Tech fans will remember him as the backup QB for SHSU in the Red Raiders 80-21 victory over the helpless Bearkats in the fall of 2005.

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