5-Star Advice: Brandon Dawkins
From the book "5-star QB", Q&A with the former Arizona & Indiana QB now working for Adidas
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.