woolybug25
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Found this article pretty interesting. You would think that a '6"3 kid that threw for 4,567 yards and 49 touchdowns with only six interceptions this season, carries a 3.75 GPA and became the state's all-time leader in passing yards would have at least one scholarship offer. But here we are, a week before NSD and this kid is still on the board. Pretty crazy.
The Best Football Prospect Nobody Has Ever Heard Of | Bleacher Report
Easton Bruere should be having the time of his life right now.
He just finished his senior season as quarterback at Rio Rancho (New Mexico) High School by leading it to a 13-0 record and a 6A state title.
According to MaxPreps, Easton threw for 4,567 yards and 49 touchdowns with only six interceptions this season. In the process, he became the state's all-time leader in passing yards.
Easton should be getting ready to enjoy his final semester of high school before heading off to college to resume his playing career.
But there's one small problem.
He has zero scholarship offers less than a week before national signing day.
How could he find himself in this situation?
The primary reasons for his present circumstances are largely beyond his control.
Given that he checks in at 6'3", 200 pounds—measurements that place him bigger or equal to 24 of the nation's top 50 pro-style passers in the 2015 class—his measurables aren't an issue like they were for Desmon White last year.
According to his father, Carl, Easton attended numerous camps—including those held at schools in the Big Ten, Big 12, Mountain West and the Pac-12—prior to his senior season.
"They've all really loved him," Carl told Bleacher Report. "They showed him a lot of love when he visited. They thought he had great size and a good arm and things of that nature. They all said he's definitely a Division I quarterback."
Carl said that at first, Easton would get excited when mail would arrive from colleges. That joy faded over time, when he realized there was nothing of substance enclosed.
"He's got tons of letters," Carl said. "It's funny, because he stopped opening them because he knew it was filler mail. He got letters from 20 or 30 colleges, and once in a while, there would be a handwritten letter from a coach. But it's really strange, because they came from places all over the country. But he knew what they were. He was excited at first. But then, it's like, 'OK, I know what this is.'"
There aren't any off-field concerns for schools to ponder, either.
Easton is carrying a 4.0 GPA during his senior year and has a cumulative average of 3.75. He and Carl—who doubles as the offensive coordinator at Rio Rancho—have started a quarterback camp designed to mentor younger kids in his hometown.
It certainly can't be because of his performance.
En route to winning the state title, Easton outdueled 4-star quarterback, fellow New Mexico native and Michigan commitment Zach Gentry by throwing for 554 yards and three touchdowns in a 64-43 win over El Dorado in the state semifinals, according to James Yodice of the Albuquerque Journal.
He plays in his state's biggest classification, and his team has beaten teams from Arizona and West Texas during his high school career.
The answer to his conundrum has several layers, starting with his home state.
New Mexico's state nickname is The Land of Enchantment.
However, for college recruiters, the entire state might as well be Area 51.
Since 2005, the state has produced just four players who have earned a 4-star rating and another 11 who were ranked as 3-stars by 247Sports.
In the same time frame, only six quarterbacks from New Mexico earned a star rating.
Only two prospects from New Mexico have been rated a 3-star or better in the 2015 cycle—with Gentry being one of them.
With the perceived lack of talent in the state, players such as Easton are grossly underexposed when compared with prospects from other states.
"I think being in New Mexico has hurt him, because there are so many players elsewhere and not enough here," Carl said. "For instance, Texas or Ohio State or any school can go to one little area in Texas where there are 20 or 30 prospects in the same place. Whereas in New Mexico, you're only really looking at one or two players, so they don't really come out here a lot."
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The Best Football Prospect Nobody Has Ever Heard Of | Bleacher Report
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