There have been 140 quarterbacks in the history of recruiting who were dubbed ‘5-Star QBs.’ While only 1 of those won a Super Bowl (as a QB) and only 20 were drafted in the first round all of those signal callers can offer brilliant insight and advice. Some may be deemed busts by fans, some are transitioning out of football and some are currently playing on Saturdays and Sundays but all have a story and over 50 of them have shared with us some of their most intimate insights into their path from high school to retirement, and everything in between.

In addition, another 50 ambassadors of the game have offered their advice to anyone going through the process of recruiting and quarterback play and their expertise is second to none.

Each week we will take you inside the minds of those who play quarterback, coached quarterbacks or covered quarterbacks at the highest level and our goal is that the stories shared will impact how you view the game. After all, the goal of Y-Option is to bring thoughtful conversation to the world of college football, through the lens of the West Coast.

This week’s contributor of “5-Star Advice” is former Oregon and Auburn quarterback Bo Nix. The #1 dual threat QB in the Class of 2019 signed with Auburn, the same school where his father Pat was a signal caller in the 1990s. Bo started the season opener as a true freshman and spent 3 seasons with the Tigers before transferring to Oregon. In his 2nd season with the Ducks, Nix was named a Heisman finalist and the 2023 Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Year. The #12 overall pick of the 2024 NFL Draft by the Denver Broncos leads all rookies this season (through Week 14) in passing yards and pass TD.

From the book “5-Star QB: It’s Not About the Stars, It’s About the Journey”….

When did you get your first scholarship offer?

My first scholarship offer was from Cincinnati. It was after my freshman season of high school, and I remember it so well because it was the first time that I realized that no matter what, I could play in college. Before the offer it was only a goal.

What schools offered you prior to being ranked 5-Star?

I had already narrowed down my top 8 schools before I was a 5-Star. They were Auburn, LSU, Ohio State, Clemson, Georgia, Alabama, Florida, and Florida State.

What was your body of work as a player before being ranked a 5-Star QB?

I had started since I was in the 8th grade. I threw for 2,000 and rushed for 1,000 my sophomore year and led my team to a 12-1 record. I won the state championship my junior year after going 15-0. I was the MVP at the Elite 11 camp in Atlanta as a junior and I was an Under Armour Future 50 invite.

Did you know how the recruiting services came to the conclusion on your ranking?

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There have been 140 quarterbacks in the history of recruiting who were dubbed ‘5-Star QBs.’ While only 1 of those won a Super Bowl (as a QB) and only 20 were drafted in the first round all of those signal callers can offer brilliant insight and advice. Some may be deemed busts by fans, some are transitioning out of football and some are currently playing on Saturdays and Sundays but all have a story and over 50 of them have shared with us some of their most intimate insights into their path from high school to retirement, and everything in between.

In addition, another 50 ambassadors of the game have offered their advice to anyone going through the process of recruiting and quarterback play and their expertise is second to none.

Each week we will take you inside the minds of those who play quarterback, coached quarterbacks or covered quarterbacks at the highest level and our goal is that the stories shared will impact how you view the game. After all, the goal of Y-Option is to bring thoughtful conversation to the world of college football, through the lens of the West Coast.

This week’s contributor of “5-Star Advice” is former Oregon quarterback Travis Jonsen. The #4 dual threat QB in the Class of 2015 out of Servite High School in Orange County changed his name from Travis Waller to Jonsen, his mother’s maiden name, at the end of his high school career before signing with the Ducks. After 2 seasons in Eugene without seeing action, Jonsen decided to transfer after the spring of 2017. After a season at Riverside City College where he got benched, he arrived at Montana State where he showed off his versatility as both a quarterback and a receiver in 2 seasons. Undrafted out of college, Jonsen caught on with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as a free agent, where as a member of the team’s practice squad, won a Super Bowl ring from the 2020 season.

From the book “5-Star QB: It’s Not About the Stars, It’s About the Journey”….

When did you get your first scholarship offer?

The morning of my last game of my junior season, I received an offer from Steve Sarkisian and the University of Washington. I was excited but my emotions weren’t too high because we were playing the number one team in the nation, St. John Bosco, with their number one quarterback Josh Rosen.

What schools offered you prior to being ranked 5-Star?

Oregon, Washington, Tennessee, Alabama, Ole Miss, Arizona, Colorado, Penn State, Cal, Vanderbilt, Ohio State, Fresno State, Maryland, Notre Dame, Northwestern, Utah, Wake Forest.

What was your body of work as a player before being ranked a 5-Star QB?

Army All-American, Elite 11 Finalist, Trinity League MVP. Sophomore Year: 6 Varsity Starts.

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There have been 140 quarterbacks in the history of recruiting who were dubbed ‘5-Star QBs.’ While only 1 of those won a Super Bowl and only 20 were drafted in the first round all of those signal callers can offer brilliant insight and advice. Some may be deemed busts by fans, some are transitioning out of football and some are currently playing on Saturdays and Sundays but all have a story and over 50 of them have shared with us some of their most intimate insights into their path from high school to retirement, and everything in between.

In addition, another 50 ambassadors of the game have offered their advice to anyone going through the process of recruiting and quarterback play and their expertise is second to none.

Each week we will take you inside the minds of those who play quarterback, coached quarterbacks or covered quarterbacks at the highest level and our goal is that the stories shared will impact how you view the game. After all, the goal of Y-Option is to bring thoughtful conversation to the world of college football, through the lens of the West Coast.

This week’s contributor of “5-Star Advice” is former Ohio State quarterback Justin Zwick. From the legendary Massillon Washington High School, the winningest HS football team in Ohio that’s known for alumni like Paul Brown & Don James, Zwick was the the #3 Pro Style QB in the Class of 2001 and an Elite 11 Finalist. He stayed in state and signed with Ohio State, redshirting as a true freshman as the team won the 2002 BCS National Championship. After sitting behind Craig Krenzel, Zwick began the 2004 season as the team’s starter for the first 6 weeks before suffering an injury and opening the door for Troy Smith to take over as the starter. Following his career with the Buckeyes, Zwick had mini-camp invites with the Colts and Panthers before signing with the Columbus Destroyers of the Arena Football League. Zwick is now an insurance agent in the Columbus area.

From the book “5-Star QB: It’s Not About the Stars, It’s About the Journey”….

When did you get your first scholarship offer?

My first scholarship offer came from the University of Kentucky. My high school (Massillon Washington) did a team camp in Lexington before my junior year. Hal Mumme was the coach and the Hefty Lefty (Jared Lorenzen) was their current QB. I had a great showing throughout the camp and 7-on-7 games, and as the camp came to an end, they told me I had an offer to play there. It was an exciting time in Lexington with the Air Raid offense — Tim Couch had just left, I believe, and it was awesome to get that first one.

What schools offered you prior to being ranked 5-Star?

I’m not exactly sure when I became a 5-Star, but I had most of my offers come in that junior year at Massillon. I eventually committed to OSU in the May of my junior year, so that fall/spring was a busy one with coaches coming into the school to talk. I had narrowed my top 5 down pretty early on in the process after taking a lot of winter visits. Miami, Tennessee, Pitt, Michigan and Ohio State were who I narrowed my focus on and had great relationships with coaches from each school.

What was your body of work as a player before being ranked a 5-Star QB?

I started all 4 years in high school — 2 years at a division 4 school, Orrville, and 2 years at Massillon Washington, which was a division 1 school (largest for Ohio). Pre- internet, so the numbers are hard to be exact on, but my best guesses would be these.

Freshman year: We won a state title and I threw the game-winning TD pass at the end of the game. That is where a lot of my buzz started, I’m sure. I finished with probably somewhere around 1,400 yards passing, 16 or so TDs.

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There have been 140 quarterbacks in the history of recruiting who were dubbed ‘5-Star QBs.’ While only 1 of those won a Super Bowl and only 20 were drafted in the first round all of those signal callers can offer brilliant insight and advice. Some may be deemed busts by fans, some are transitioning out of football and some are currently playing on Saturdays and Sundays but all have a story and over 50 of them have shared with us some of their most intimate insights into their path from high school to retirement, and everything in between.

In addition, another 50 ambassadors of the game have offered their advice to anyone going through the process of recruiting and quarterback play and their expertise is second to none. 

Each week we will take you inside the minds of those who play quarterback, coached quarterbacks or covered quarterbacks at the highest level and our goal is that the stories shared will impact how you view the game. After all, the goal of Y-Option is to bring thoughtful conversation to the world of college football, through the lens of the West Coast.

This week’s contributor of “5-Star Advice” is former USC quarterback Matt Barkley. The #1 overall recruit in the Class of 2009, Barkley was a starter from the jump with the Trojans. In his 4 seasons with the cardinal & gold, the Newport Beach native set the Pac-12 record for career passing yards and touchdowns (both later broken) in 47 career games. Barkley injured his shoulder against UCLA as a senior (after throwing 6 TD against them as a junior) which caused him to miss their bowl game and saw his draft stock drop from the projected #1 overall pick to the 4th round by the Philadelphia Eagles. Over 11 NFL seasons, Barkley was a part of 11 different NFL franchises, mostly as a backup, but did start 6 games for the Chicago Bears in 2016. This season is his first not on an NFL roster but instead with the Big Ten Network having been the analyst on Indiana’s season opener against Florida International.

From the book “5-Star QB: It’s Not About the Stars, It’s About the Journey”….

When did you get your first scholarship offer?

After my freshman season (2006), Coach Dan Hawkins at the University of Colorado at Boulder sent me my first scholarship offer. He sent a Buffalo-themed Monopoly Board with the total value in fake money of how much the scholarship was worth over 4 years. Pretty cool, and still probably the best offer story I received...

What schools offered you prior to being ranked 5-Star?

I’m not sure exactly when I got my 5-Star ranking, but I had offers from every single program in the nation.

Did you know how the recruiting services came to the conclusion on your ranking?

Read more

There have been 140 quarterbacks in the history of recruiting who were dubbed ‘5-Star QBs.’ While only 1 of those won a Super Bowl and only 20 were drafted in the first round all of those signal callers can offer brilliant insight and advice. Some may be deemed busts by fans, some are transitioning out of football and some are currently playing on Saturdays and Sundays but all have a story and over 50 of them have shared with us some of their most intimate insights into their path from high school to retirement, and everything in between.

In addition, another 50 ambassadors of the game have offered their advice to anyone going through the process of recruiting and quarterback play and their expertise is second to none. 

Each week we will take you inside the minds of those who play quarterback, coached quarterbacks or covered quarterbacks at the highest level and our goal is that the stories shared will impact how you view the game. After all, the goal of Y-Option is to bring thoughtful conversation to the world of college football, through the lens of the West Coast.

This week’s contributor of “5-Star Advice” is former Miami Hurricanes QB Brad Kaaya. Kaaya is a Southern California native that led Chaminade College Prep to its first ever state championship and a member of the 2013 Elite 11. After winning the starting job in his first fall camp, Kaaya was named the 2014 ACC Rookie of the Year. In 3 seasons at Miami, Kaaya finished his career as the school’s all-time leader in passing yards and completions and 3rd all-time in passing touchdowns. A 6th round pick in the 2017 NFL Draft, Kaaya was a member of 4 different organizations in 3 seasons but did not see action in a regular season game. Once his playing career ended, he returned to Southern California to pursue screenwriting with one of his scripts making the 2022 Black List (a list of the year’s top unproduced movie scripts).

From the book “5-Star QB: It’s Not About the Stars, It’s About the Journey”….

When did you get your first scholarship offer?

Miami’s OC at the time (James Coley) had been in contact with me for several months, towards the latter half of my junior year of high school. I assumed I would have to compete at their rising senior camp before receiving any form of a ‘legitimate offer’, but then there came a day that changed my life forever... I woke up to a message in my Facebook inbox from James, informing me they were offering me a scholarship. I was flustered, ecstatic, nervous, enthused, and ultimately confused as to whether or not a scholarship offer was legitimate if it was extended via Facebook! Little did I know this was only the beginning of a new era of recruiting madness.

What schools offered you prior to being ranked 5-Star?

Miami, USC, UCLA, Washington, Boise State, Virginia, SDSU, probably forgetting a few others.

What was your body of work as a player before being ranked a 5-Star QB?

Played varsity for 3 years, half of which were spent as a back-up QB. STARTER STATS: 5,730 yards, 40 TDs, 8 INTs, 64%. 23-3 as a starter. 2012, 2013, League champions. 2013 district champions. 2013 regional champions. 2013 state champions. 2013 state player of the year, Semper Fi All-American, 2013 Elite 11 finalist.

Did you know how the recruiting services came to the conclusion on your ranking?

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There have been 140 quarterbacks in the history of recruiting who were dubbed ‘5-Star QBs.’ While only 1 of those won a Super Bowl and only 20 were drafted in the first round all of those signal callers can offer brilliant insight and advice. Some may be deemed busts by fans, some are transitioning out of football and some are currently playing on Saturdays and Sundays but all have a story and over 50 of them have shared with us some of their most intimate insights into their path from high school to retirement, and everything in between.

In addition, another 50 ambassadors of the game have offered their advice to anyone going through the process of recruiting and quarterback play and their expertise is second to none. 

Each week we will take you inside the minds of those who play quarterback, coached quarterbacks or covered quarterbacks at the highest level and our goal is that the stories shared will impact how you view the game. After all, the goal of Y-Option is to bring thoughtful conversation to the world of college football, through the lens of the West Coast.

This week’s contributor of “5-Star Advice” is former Michigan and Northern Colorado quarterback Dylan McCaffrey. From a uber-athletic family who’s parents were both athletes at Stanford and 3 brothers that played in the NFL like their dad, McCaffrey was the #5 rated Pro-Style QB in the Class of 2017. Dylan spent 4 years in a Michigan uniform, playing in 13 games before deciding to transfer back to his home state at attend Northern Colorado. In 2 seasons for the Bears, McCaffrey started in all 21 games he played with 17 passing TD and 3,237 pass yards with his dad, Ed, as the head coach and his brother, Max, as the offensive coordinator.

From the book “5-Star QB: It’s Not About the Stars, It’s About the Journey”….

When did you get your first scholarship offer?

My first scholarship offer came after a high school 7-on-7 camp at the University of Colorado. This was the spring of my Freshman year. After the camp they told me that the coach wanted to talk to me, and I was invited up into the office overlooking Folsom Field. Walking into a head coach’s office littered with trophies and memorabilia was a slightly terrifying thing for a kid that young. Thankfully, I had some guidance on how to approach a situation like this, but even with all the help I had no idea what to expect. After the conversation, I left the office a little surprised because although I had seen a good bit of minutes that past season, I hadn’t started a single game. I tried to keep it cool on the long walk back to the car, but as soon as I got there, and took the art erasers out of my shoes (not a metaphor or anything, erasers in the shoes help to add a little bit of height), I was greeted with a plethora of emotions. Most of which were shrouded in joy, but looking back there were certainly some feelings of anxiety due to the fact that I hadn’t even started a varsity game yet. I admit I was too young to really take in everything that moment meant, but it was a large weight off the shoulders, just knowing I’d have an opportunity to play football past high school.

What schools offered you prior to being ranked 5-Star?

I’m not really positive exactly when I was ranked a 5-Star, but I remember before I started to get recruited really heavily, I had offers from the Colorado schools (CU and CSU), Northwestern, Duke, and Michigan.

What was your body of work as a player before being ranked a 5-Star QB?

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There have been 140 quarterbacks in the history of recruiting who were dubbed ‘5-Star QBs.’ While only 1 of those won a Super Bowl and only 20 were drafted in the first round all of those signal callers can offer brilliant insight and advice. Some may be deemed busts by fans, some are transitioning out of football and some are currently playing on Saturdays and Sundays but all have a story and over 50 of them have shared with us some of their most intimate insights into their path from high school to retirement, and everything in between.

In addition, another 50 ambassadors of the game have offered their advice to anyone going through the process of recruiting and quarterback play and their expertise is second to none. 

Each week we will take you inside the minds of those who play quarterback, coached quarterbacks or covered quarterbacks at the highest level and our goal is that the stories shared will impact how you view the game. After all, the goal of Y-Option is to bring thoughtful conversation to the world of college football, through the lens of the West Coast.

This week’s contributor of “5-Star Advice” is former Penn State signal caller Christian Hackenberg. In the aftermath of a tumultuous scandal, Penn State’s 2013 recruiting class marked an unofficial turning of the page with the Hackenberg, the #1 QB in that class, as the focal point. The Fork Union, Virginia native started all 13 games in his first season, earning Big Ten Freshman of the Year. In his 3 seasons in Happy Valley, Hackenberg re-wrote the school’s record book, leaving as the all-time leader in passing yards, attempts, completions and touchdowns. A 2nd round pick of the New York Jets in the 2016 NFL Draft, he was on NFL rosters for 3 seasons but did not see any game action. In his post playing career, he’s now re-united with his former college teammate Adam Breneman with The College Sports Company where Hackenberg is the Director, State Media & Athlete Relations.

From the book “5-Star QB: It’s Not About the Stars, It’s About the Journey”….

When did you get your first scholarship offer?

University of Virginia. I was the back-yard kid and it came after my first season starting on varsity, which was my sophomore year.

What schools offered you prior to being ranked 5-Star?

Almost every school that I wanted to offer me. I don’t think I was rated really really high until after I was already committed.

What was your body of work as a player before being ranked a 5-Star QB?

Read more

There have been 140 quarterbacks in the history of recruiting who were dubbed ‘5-Star QBs.’ While only 1 of those won a Super Bowl and only 20 were drafted in the first round all of those signal callers can offer brilliant insight and advice. Some may be deemed busts by fans, some are transitioning out of football and some are currently playing on Saturdays and Sundays but all have a story and over 50 of them have shared with us some of their most intimate insights into their path from high school to retirement, and everything in between.

In addition, another 50 ambassadors of the game have offered their advice to anyone going through the process of recruiting and quarterback play and their expertise is second to none. 

Each week we will take you inside the minds of those who play quarterback, coached quarterbacks or covered quarterbacks at the highest level and our goal is that the stories shared will impact how you view the game. After all, the goal of Y-Option is to bring thoughtful conversation to the world of college football, through the lens of the West Coast.

This week’s contributor of “5-Star Advice” is one of the most highly regarded recruits in the history of Notre Dame football, Jimmy Clausen. The younger brother of 2 former Tennessee quarterbacks, Casey & Rick, Jimmy went 42-0 at Oaks Christian High School in Westlake Village, California and was the #1 overall recruit in the Class of 2007. Clausen came to South Bend with the goal of winning multiple national titles for the Irish and finished with over 8,000 passing yards and 60 passing TD in 3 seasons. The 48th overall pick in the 2010 NFL Draft played 4 seasons with the Carolina Panthers (the last 3 backing up Cam Newton), wrapping up his NFL career with stops with the Bears and Ravens. Clausen retired following the 2015 NFL season but did go back to school while a professional, earning his degree from Notre Dame in sociology in the spring of 2011.

From the book “5-Star QB: It’s Not About the Stars, It’s About the Journey”….

When did you get your first scholarship offer?

It was from Tennessee. Both of my brothers went to Tennessee and when my oldest brother Casey was a freshman, they offered me as well.

What was your body of work as a player before being ranked a 5-Star QB?

I was a backup and played every now and again in blowout situations. I’m not quite sure of the stats, but we played in the championship game and we were down at halftime, and the HC pulled the starter, and I went in to play the remainder of the game and we won.

Did you know how the recruiting services came to the conclusion on your ranking?

No, I had no idea of how they came up with the rankings, but my brothers were both ranked high and I figured because I was the younger brother, they kind of speculated.

When you received the 5-Star rating, did you see an uptick in scholarship offers, phone calls, texts and direct messages from coaches?

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There have been 140 quarterbacks in the history of recruiting who were dubbed ‘5-Star QBs.’ While only 1 of those won a Super Bowl and only 20 were drafted in the first round all of those signal callers can offer brilliant insight and advice. Some may be deemed busts by fans, some are transitioning out of football and some are currently playing on Saturdays and Sundays but all have a story and over 50 of them have shared with us some of their most intimate insights into their path from high school to retirement, and everything in between.

In addition, another 50 ambassadors of the game have offered their advice to anyone going through the process of recruiting and quarterback play and their expertise is second to none. 

Each week we will take you inside the minds of those who play quarterback, coached quarterbacks or covered quarterbacks at the highest level and our goal is that the stories shared will impact how you view the game. After all, the goal of Y-Option is to bring thoughtful conversation to the world of college football, through the lens of the West Coast.

This week’s contributor of “5-Star Advice” is former Arizona quarterback Brandon Dawkins. With Arizona taking on Colorado this weekend, many will remember Khalil Tate’s record-breaking game in Boulder back in 2017. But Tate did not start that day, taking over after Dawkins was hurt on the 9th snap of the game. The Oaks Christian graduate had a solid career with the Wildcats, playing in 23 games and passing for over 2,400 yards while rushing for nearly 1,600 more. He was named the team’s Bob Moran Award (MVP) winner in 2016 after nearly rushing for 1,000 yards as a quarterback with 10 rushing TD and another 8 through the air. Dawkins transferred to Indiana in 2017, but stepped away from football during fall camp that year to focus on his mental health.

From the book “5-Star QB: It’s Not About the Stars, It’s About the Journey”….

When did you get your first scholarship offer?

My first offer was from Notre Dame my sophomore year of high school, and the year after their run to the National Championship. My offensive coordinator was Casey Clausen, and my QB coach was Rick Clausen, who were both brothers of the Notre Dame alum Jimmy Clausen, so they had been scouting me my entire first year of starting. They came out to practice and checked me out, then I received a call from their QB coach at the time telling me how impressed he was, and that Notre Dame would love to offer me a scholarship. I was ecstatic that day with it not only being my first offer, but from such a prestigious university like ND. Never in my life could I imagine myself getting the opportunity to play the game I loved and get a degree debt-free in whatever field I chose. My family and I celebrated that night at one of my favorite restaurants, Joe’s Crab Shack!

What was your body of work as a player before being ranked a 5-Star QB?

Started my complete sophomore and junior season. California State Player of the Year sophomore year. Only lost a total of 6 games in 3 years. Three-time all-conference and all-city honoree for Oaks Christian High School. #7 quarterback (Scout.com). Single- game passing record (389 yards, replacing Jimmy Clausen’s previous record).

Did you ever meet the guys in charge of the actual ranking? Did you ever wonder how and why your rankings changed up of down?

In a competitive class, I was friends with just about every major ranking service team. I believe I was fairly ranked amongst my peers. I got to compete against every QB who was ranked higher than me in camps 7-on-7.

When you received the 5-Star rating, did you see an uptick in scholarship offers, phone calls, texts and direct messages from coaches? How was your social media impacted?

Read more

There have been 140 quarterbacks in the history of recruiting who were dubbed ‘5-Star QBs.’ While only 1 of those won a Super Bowl and only 20 were drafted in the first round all of those signal callers can offer brilliant insight and advice. Some may be deemed busts by fans, some are transitioning out of football and some are currently playing on Saturdays and Sundays but all have a story and over 50 of them have shared with us some of their most intimate insights into their path from high school to retirement, and everything in between.

In addition, another 50 ambassadors of the game have offered their advice to anyone going through the process of recruiting and quarterback play and their expertise is second to none. 

Each week we will take you inside the minds of those who play quarterback, coached quarterbacks or covered quarterbacks at the highest level and our goal is that the stories shared will impact how you view the game. After all, the goal of Y-Option is to bring thoughtful conversation to the world of college football, through the lens of the West Coast.

This week’s contributor of “5-Star Advice” is former Pitt QB (and my former teammate) Tyler Palko. Palko suited up for the Panthers from 2002 to 2006, establishing himself among the all-time greats signal callers in program history. Undrafted in 2007, the left-handed QB signed with the Saints, Cardinals and Steelers before finally given a chance to play with the Chiefs in 2010-11, including 4 starts in 2011 following a season-ending injury to Matt Cassell. After football, Palko still lives in the Kansas City area but stays connected with his school and in fact was the keynote speaker at Pitt’s 2024 Football Kickoff Luncheon. This week, Pitt hosts Cal in an ACC battle and the Panthers QB Eli Holstein, a redshirt freshman who transferred from Alabama, has become the first Pitt quarterback to win his first 5 starts since Dan Marino in 1979.

From the book “5-Star QB: It’s Not About the Stars, It’s About the Journey”….

When did you get your first scholarship offer?

This is a tough one because I was fortunate enough to have about a dozen offers during my freshman year. My father was my head coach and probably sheltered me from all of that stuff. During my time in high school there wasn’t any social media and the coverage that happens now was non-existent. When they offered you a scholarship it was more of a verbal “we want you to be...” when the coaches came to see you. I have to be honest, I don’t know if I would have been able to keep up with all of the social media stuff now. I know those things are important for image and controlling your brand, but as a high school kid I was really happy with the old school way that things happened in high school. That being said, and a long-winded answer, I remember Pitt being the first offer that I got, when Coach Harris had me on campus for a QB/WR camp down on the South Side practice facility.

What schools offered you prior to being ranked 5-Star?

I again was very fortunate in that I could have gone anywhere I wanted. I was an All- State Free Safety as well and some schools wanted me to play on the defensive side of the ball. If I remember correctly, my final 5 schools at the time I committed before my Senior year were: Pitt, PSU, Michigan, Wisconsin and LSU.

Did you know how the recruiting services came to the conclusion on your ranking? Did you ever meet the guys in charge of the actual ranking?

Read more

There have been 140 quarterbacks in the history of recruiting who were dubbed ‘5-Star QBs.’ While only 1 of those won a Super Bowl and only 20 were drafted in the first round all of those signal callers can offer brilliant insight and advice. Some may be deemed busts by fans, some are transitioning out of football and some are currently playing on Saturdays and Sundays but all have a story and over 50 of them have shared with us some of their most intimate insights into their path from high school to retirement, and everything in between.

In addition, another 50 ambassadors of the game have offered their advice to anyone going through the process of recruiting and quarterback play and their expertise is second to none. 

Each week we will take you inside the minds of those who play quarterback, coached quarterbacks or covered quarterbacks at the highest level and our goal is that the stories shared will impact how you view the game. After all, the goal of Y-Option is to bring thoughtful conversation to the world of college football, through the lens of the West Coast.

This week’s contributor of 5-Star Advice is from the 2024 National Champion Michigan Wolverines, J.J. McCarthy. With Michigan visiting Washington on Saturday in a rematch (and with Michael Penix Jr. in attendance) it only seemed fitting to dive back into this McCarthy interview. After being drafted #10 overall in this year’s NFL Draft by the Minnesota Vikings, McCarthy threw 2 TD in the preseason opener against the Raiders but reported soreness in practice and found to have fully torn the meniscus in his right knee. The Vikings placed him on injured reserve after his surgery and the 2023 Big Ten Quarterback of the Year will miss the entire 2024 season.

From the book “5-Star QB: It’s Not About the Stars, It’s About the Journey”….

When did you get your first scholarship offer?

It was when I was in the 8th grade, going into my freshman year of high school. I was at a satellite camp in Chicago, when Iowa State took notice of me. They asked me to come perform at their camp a couple weeks later. When I first got there, they gave me a tour of the facilities and all that wine and dine recruiting stuff, and while we were on the tour the QB coach at the time told my dad that it is very unlikely they were going to offer me, just based off my size and age. I took that and turned it into motivation for the camp. One good throw led to another, and they eventually offered me right after the camp.

What was your body of work as a player before being ranked a 5-Star QB?

Didn’t play a single varsity snap my freshman year, but my sophomore year I started every game and we went 13-1 that year with a state title. Stat wise, I had somewhere around 40 TD, 4 INT, 3,500 yards, and 77% completion percentage.

When you received the 5-Star rating, did you see an uptick in scholarship offers, phone calls, texts and direct messages from coaches?

Read more

There have been 140 quarterbacks in the history of recruiting who were dubbed ‘5-Star QBs.’ While only 1 of those won a Super Bowl and only 20 were drafted in the first round all of those signal callers can offer brilliant insight and advice. Some may be deemed busts by fans, some are transitioning out of football and some are currently playing on Saturdays and Sundays but all have a story and over 50 of them have shared with us some of their most intimate insights into their path from high school to retirement, and everything in between.

In addition, another 50 ambassadors of the game have offered their advice to anyone going through the process of recruiting and quarterback play and their expertise is second to none. 

Each week we will take you inside the minds of those who play quarterback, coached quarterbacks or covered quarterbacks at the highest level and our goal is that the stories shared will impact how you view the game. After all, the goal of Y-Option is to bring thoughtful conversation to the world of college football, through the lens of the West Coast.

This week’s contributor of 5-Star Advice is former Stanford QB Tanner McKee who’s now in his 2nd season with the Philadelphia Eagles. While McKee has yet to take a snap in the regular season, he has lead the Eagles in pass attempts and pass yards in both the 2023 and 2024 preseasons. While Philly is playing in Tampa Bay on Sunday, his former Stanford teammates are also on the east coast at Clemson, hoping to go 2-0 in ACC play. With a win, the Cardinal would match their season win total of each of the last 3 years.

From the book “5-Star QB: It’s Not About the Stars, It’s About the Journey”….

When did you get your first scholarship offer?

I was driving in the car, coming back from football practice. I remember I had been getting phone calls from college coaches but I had not received an offer yet. The OC from the University of Hawaii gave me a call while I was in the car and asked how I was doing and how recruiting was going. I told him recruiting was going great and I have been in touch with many coaches but I had not received a scholarship yet. He said, “Well, we would like to change that.” I looked at my Dad and gave him a thumbs up so he knew that they had offered, and we sat in the car pretty excited as the phone call came to an end. After that, we called my Mom and close family members to give them the good news as well.

When you received the 5-Star rating, did you see an uptick in scholarship offers, phone calls, texts and direct messages from coaches? How was your social media impacted?

I believe by then I had already received a decent amount of offers, but I definitely felt like the coaches were keeping in contact with me more frequently.

Did you put some sort of “5-Star QB” in your social media bio? Why?

Yes, I assumed it would be good for recruiting.

What was your most memorable college camp experience and why?

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There have been 140 quarterbacks in the history of recruiting who were dubbed ‘5-Star QBs.’ While only 1 of those won a Super Bowl and only 20 were drafted in the first round all of those signal callers can offer brilliant insight and advice. Some may be deemed busts by fans, some are transitioning out of football and some are currently playing on Saturdays and Sundays but all have a story and over 50 of them have shared with us some of their most intimate insights into their path from high school to retirement, and everything in between.

In addition, another 50 ambassadors of the game have offered their advice to anyone going through the process of recruiting and quarterback play and their expertise is second to none. 

Each week we will take you inside the minds of those who play quarterback, coached quarterbacks or covered quarterbacks at the highest level and our goal is that the stories shared will impact how you view the game. After all, the goal of Y-Option is to bring thoughtful conversation to the world of college football, through the lens of the West Coast.

This week's contributor of 5-Star Advice is former Ohio State and current Syracuse QB Kyle McCord, who leads the ACC and 2nd in FBS in passing yards per game at 367.5 in his first season with the Orange. With an 8-1 TD/INT ratio through the first 2 games, McCord is hoping to make Fran Brown the first Syracuse head coach since 1991 to start 3-0 in their first season with the Orange. Syracuse and Stanford meet for the first time ever on Friday in what is also the Cardinal’s first ever ACC conference game.

From the book “5-Star QB: It’s Not About the Stars, It’s About the Journey”….

When did you get your first scholarship offer?

I was in 8th grade, 14 years old, at the University of Michigan QB camp. It was a one-day camp that had a few other schools there, outside of U of M. I knew that I was going to be a good player in high school, but wasn’t sure how I would stack up against the older kids at this camp, given that I was going to be the youngest QB there. I started in one of the lower groups and coaches quickly moved me up to the highest group that was filled with high school QBs with multiple D1 offers. Even there, I still was throwing the ball better than those kids and looked very polished. After the camp had ended, Coach John Bonamego from Central Michigan introduced himself to me. We talked for about five minutes and at the end of the conversation he said, “I know you will probably end up at a bigger school than Central Michigan, but I want to be the first one to offer you.” Caught completely off guard, I thanked him and went right to my dad. I really was shocked, and didn’t really know what to say. After posting it on social media, my family and friends from back home were blowing up my phone. From that day forward I knew people would view me in a different light, and hold me to a higher standard.

What was your body of work as a player before being ranked a 5-Star QB?

I was ranked as a 5-Star following my junior year. I had started 2 years of varsity football, 34 games, had a record of 32-2, and won 2 state titles. Combined in the 2 years, I had over 5,000 yards, 70 TDs, and won the Philadelphia Catholic League MVP in both years.

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There have been 140 quarterbacks in the history of recruiting who were dubbed ‘5-Star QBs.’ While only 1 of those won a Super Bowl and only 20 were drafted in the first round all of those signal callers can offer brilliant insight and advice. Some may be deemed busts by fans, some are transitioning out of football and some are currently playing on Saturdays and Sundays but all have a story and over 50 of them have shared with us some of their most intimate insights into their path from high school to retirement, and everything in between.

In addition, another 50 ambassadors of the game have offered their advice to anyone going through the process of recruiting and quarterback play and their expertise is second to none. 

Each week we will take you inside the minds of those who play quarterback, coached quarterbacks or covered quarterbacks at the highest level and our goal is that the stories shared will impact how you view the game. After all, the goal of Y-Option is to bring thoughtful conversation to the world of college football, through the lens of the West Coast.

This week's contributor of 5-Star Advice is former Oklahoma and USC star Caleb Williams, who just picked up the win in his first career NFL game with the Chicago Bears. In fact, the 2022 Heisman winner became the first starting rookie QB selected #1 overall to win in Week 1 since 2002.

From the book “5-Star QB: It’s Not About the Stars, It’s About the Journey”….

When did you get your first scholarship offer?

First scholarship was from my hometown team UMD (Maryland). And Coach calls me up and I actually have one of my best friends with me, and I’m sitting on the phone just talking to coach. And then the coach says, “Hey, just wanted to let you know you have an offer from UMD.” And I got very excited, being that I had worked years for moments like that one. So I was very excited and ended up telling my mom and dad and they were also excited. And for a while there I was the kid that was very excited to post all the offers I was getting at the time. But that ended up changing.

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Years ago during the Elite 11, myself and good friend Joey Roberts were sitting down for a cup of coffee and in that meeting we realized that over the course of our time around quarterbacks most, if not all, were asking the same questions year after year. So were their parents and guardians. So we set out to write a book to serve as a tribe of mentors for anyone going through the process of recruiting. During our time researching for the book, we learned that the wisdom directly from these quarterbacks' life experiences was absolute gold. 

We then began to ask the people we respected most in and around the game to offer their advice as well. It was NFL coaches, college coaches, NFL GMs, parents and broadcasters. 

When we came up for air we had about 600 pages of advice!

After starting Y-Option we decided that we wanted to share that advice, in small parts, each week in a new column titled 5-Star Advice. 

Each week we will take you inside the minds of those who play quarterback, coached quarterbacks or covered quarterbacks at the highest level. 

We hope you enjoy our new column within the Y-Option community.

To start, we want to share with you more about the origins story behind 5-Star QB with an excerpt from the Amazon Best Selling book, 5-Star QB.

Excerpt from the book, 5-Star QB

Imagine: you’re in 10th grade, walking through the halls of your high school. You’re looking left, looking right. And you see friends, classmates and teachers, engaged in conversation, planning school activities or the movie they hope to see this weekend. You, meanwhile, cut straight to your locker, open it and grab your phone: 17 missed calls, 95 unread text messages. Plus alerts on social media that read 32 unread direct messages. All because of an awkwardly shaped ball. A football.

You also have 35 scholarship offers. Coaches with names like Carroll, Saban, Shaw, Petersen, Swinney, Riley and Day are calling you constantly, reminding you that you can be the next special player within their program. It’s your dream come true. It’s your vision manifesting. And it’s your life, changing before your very eyes before you can even process what’s happening.

You’ll get a free education, possibly even a master’s degree, and you’ll learn football in facilities that cost over 100 million dollars and you’ll have fans chanting your name at every pass. Your potential, on the field and in your bank account, seems limitless.

This is the life of an elite high school quarterback prospect, or in sports vernacular, a “5-Star QB.” On one hand, wild to think of. On the other, even wilder to think of. How does a teenager manage that type of attention, expectation and hype? How incredible is it that a teenager gets all of this newfound attention, expectation and hype for how he throws a ball? Those dueling questions and individual journeys are the subject of this book, 5-STAR QB. 

Joey Roberts and I have been involved in high school recruiting, college football, the NFL and the Elite 11 in some form since 1996. We’ve seen the first rankings come out, the first bust, and over the last 15 years, the top quarterbacks in the most intimate settings in the Elite 11 camps. There we began to notice one transcendent aspect of each QB experience every year: their love for the game. As their star shone brighter, their joy grew dimmer. As their hype intensified, their game fell apart. Simply stated, the recruiting rankings may have elevated their persona, but it led some QBs to crumble as young men. They, and often their families, struggled to manage the weigh of that ranking and would seek counsel from us. After a decade, we recognized that we were often answering the same questions and with the growth of the transfer portal and Name, Image and Likeness (NIL), there were so many things that parents and players were evaluating outside of the X’s and O’s.

So... Joey and I met at a coffee shop to brainstorm. When the caffeine kicked in, we decided it was time to do something. That something is in these pages.

We present an oral history of the 5-Star QB, in which over 50 of the best high school recruits share their paths as recruits and college players. They each answer the exact same questions, but with strikingly different responses. Our one goal: to help those going through the recruiting process now, as we give each 5-Star QB a platform to share who they are and what they experienced. And each chapter will include two letters from Ambassadors of the Game, giving their advice to 5-Star QBs and 5-Star parents, along with some key takeaways and advice from us.

We hope you lean in, take notes in the margins, and snap quotes to text to your friends. But most importantly, we hope you appreciate that the names in this book, as well as the names that could be in this book, represent human beings. They each have a heart, a mind, a soul. They love a game and at times, may hate the same game. They are perfect on some weekends, yet drastically miscalculate on others. Each one has had his own life journey set out in front of him, and will realize only later that his actual lived life doesn’t always follow that path.

We hope you enjoy, learn from and grow to respect the oral history of the 5-STAR QB.