Breaking Down the 2017 QB Class After 4-Star Davis Mills Commits to Stanford
The Stanford Cardinal football team reached across the country Tuesday to claim a verbal pledge from coveted Georgia quarterback Davis Mills.
The 4-star recruit, rated No. 4 nationally among pro-style passers in 2017 composite rankings, added to a growing collection of committed prospects at the position when he announced collegiate intentions Tuesday morning:
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
The Cardinal land a 6'3", 192-pound passer who also warranted scholarship offers from Michigan State, Ole Miss, UCLA, Georgia and Louisville. Mills, a junior at the Greater Atlanta Christian School, spent an unofficial visit in Palo Alto last month.
Stanford head coach David Shaw adds another impressive young passer to a future arsenal that welcomes 2016 signee KJ Costello later this year. Costello was considered the No. 3 pro-style quarterback in his recruiting cycle, so expect these young talents to push each other for reps in training camps to come.
Mills, who threw for 5,088 yards and 51 touchdowns during the past two seasons, is the latest in a long line of pivotal 2017 pledges at the position. His commitment to Stanford means 15 of the class' top 25 passers have now publicly declared college plans.
As usual, it's getting late early on the recruiting trail when it comes to quarterbacks.
| Ranking | Name | High School | Recruitment Status |
| 1 | Dylan McCaffrey | Valor Christian (Littleton, Colorado) | Committed to Michigan |
| 2 | Hunter Johnson | Brownsburg (Brownsburg, Indiana) | Committed to Clemson |
| 3 | Tate Martell | Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas, Nevada) | Committed to Texas A&M |
| 4 | Jake Fromm | Houston County (Warner Robins, Georgia) | Committed to Georgia |
| 5 | Tua Tagovailoa | St. Louis (Honolulu, Hawaii) | Uncommitted |
| 6 | Shawn Robinson | Guyer (Denton, Texas) | Committed to TCU |
| 7 | Davis Mills | Greater Atlanta Christian School (Norcross, Georgia) | Committed to Stanford |
| 8 | Sam Ehlinger | Westlake (Austin, Texas) | Committed to Texas |
| 9 | Ryan Kelley | Basha (Chandler, Arizona) | Committed to Oregon |
| 10 | Jake Bentley | Opelika (Opelika, Alabama) | Uncommitted |
The table above provides further indication of how far things have already progressed in the 2017 quarterback market, with eight of America's top 10 recruits verbally committed to a university well in advance of their senior season.
However, it's important to anticipate the dramatic ebbs and flows each cycle provides at this position. All pledges are merely verbal at this stage, and those outlooks could ultimately change as the 2016 season unfolds. Another chaotic coaching carousel will inevitably follow.
Among marquee quarterbacks in this class, several altered college plans earlier in the process.
Clemson commit Hunter Johnson previously pledged to Tennessee. Tate Martell, the centerpiece of Texas A&M's latest haul, made headlines with a middle school commitment to Washington. Peach State standout Jake Fromm recently flipped his pledge from Alabama to Georgia.
Expect this multicommitment list to expand considerably en route to national signing day. Last cycle, we witnessed late collegiate audibles from Elite 11 finalists such as Dwayne Haskins (Maryland to Ohio State), Feleipe Franks (LSU to Florida), Anthony Russo (Rutgers to Temple) and Nick Starkel (Oklahoma State to Texas A&M).
While plenty of programs will continue to pursue passers presently considered members of other recruiting classes, a collection of promising prospects approaches their final high school summer break undecided about college. Alabama playmaker Jake Bentley and Hawaii product Tua Tagovailoa, who attends the same high school (St. Louis; Honolulu) as Heisman Trophy winner Marcus Mariota headline this group.
Bentley, rated No. 6 among pro-style quarterbacks in the class, was also weighing an opportunity at Stanford. Cardinal coaches now have their guy at the position, which could prove positive for other suitors.
Miami is a contender, as head coach Mark Richt previously recruited him at Georgia. Alabama extended an offer last week following the loss of Fromm, while South Carolina's coaching staff includes Bentley's father.
Tagovailoa, a longtime target of Pac-12 programs, including UCLA and USC, added SEC offers from Alabama and Texas A&M this winter. Crimson Tide offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin is ardently exploring alternatives at quarterback, so Tagovailoa and Bentley should both be counted among prospects to watch in Tuscaloosa.
Clemson, beaten by Alabama in the College Football Playoff Championship Game, also enters spring with an interesting situation at the position. Along with Johnson, a 5-star recruit, the Tigers also claim a commitment from 4-star Georgia native Chase Brice, rated No. 11 nationally among pro-style passers.
You have to wonder whether other staffs will be successful in deterring either Johnson or Brice from signing with the same team next February. Uncommitted quarterbacks such as Avery Davis, Lowell Narcisse (Louisiana) and Tristian Gebbia (California) are among other 4-star talents who will continue to command increased attention from college recruiting departments as options become increasingly limited.
Mills is the latest passer to plunge into a recruiting class, and others are sure to follow before long. By the time summer training gets underway for these rising seniors, coaches can expect slim pickings while searching for uncommitted top-tier quarterbacks.
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