Wednesday, Rutgers signed 26 freshmen to the football program, adding depth to multiple position groups along the way. Now that national signing day 2017 has come and gone, NJ.com will break down Rutgers' 2017 class by position group. And lets start the the single most important position on the football field: Quarterback.
Most FBS teams look to sign at least one quarterback per class and potentially add a couple more as preferred walk-ons -- insurance policies covering the team in case the No.1 option falters for whatever reason. In Rutgers' case, it added one quarterback in the class via scholarship, while the preferred walk-on it had hoped to secure -- Camden (N.J.) quarterback Drew Harris -- signed to Sacred Heart after committing to Rutgers in the days leading up to signing day.
Johnathan Lewis, QB, St. Peter's Prep (Jersey City, N.J.)
Standing 6-4, 225 pounds, Lewis has the frame of a quarterback who will potentially be tasked with running the ball as much as passing it in Jerry Kill's new offensive scheme. He proved his durability in returning from what first appeared to be a serious neck injury against Lincoln in 2016 to play against rival Don Bosco Prep (Ramsey, N.J.) the very next weekend. And that's probably one of the most overlooked traits when projecting whether or not a young quarterback will flourish in a power spread system... because those big strong college defenders will be looking to hit him. Often. And hard.
When Lewis has his feet set and can rip it in rhythm, he delivers the ball with accuracy and great velocity. Even when on the run, he has a knack for altering his release point in order to get the ball off to receivers while distressed. It's when his mechanics become out of sync that he can miss his targets. But Lewis made tremendous strides in this area from his junior to senior year, and really ripped some great throws into tight spaces as a senior.
He certainly has a live arm -- a rocket launcher strapped to his shoulder and is terrific at making one read out the gun and if it's not there, taking off to run. But he will likely have to get further through his progressions at the next level, one of the main tings that lengthens the learning curve for young dual-threat quarterbacks. But there will certainly be a number of one-read plays (read option) and called quarterback runs in the playbook for him, as well.
Pocket awareness and ball security are also paramount at the next level, and are things he will also look to improve.
And he will benefit from Kill's affinity for utilizing tight ends and h-backs as quick-read targets within the power spread -- a combination of a quick passing game with gap schemes like the power run.
For such a big sturdy guy, Lewis is rather light on his feet, can elude defenders and deliver the boom to finish off the run, with that forward lean, usually good enough to pick up first downs on short yardage conversions in itself.
Lewis has a high developmental upside and played in a similar offense at St. Peter's Prep, but will have to learn the many nuances of Kill's system, terminology and be prepared to lead grown men, some four to five years his senior. So it would be a tall task to say that he will start at any point throughout his freshman campaign, although not impossible.
But I would've felt more confident about his chances if he'd been able to get to Rutgers as a mid-year enrollee and become acclimated earlier, not only with the offense, but the overall FBS college football grind, including settling into being a college student, which in itself, can be daunting for an 18-year old no longer under the thumb of his parents for the first time in his life.
That said, I can certainly see him being one of three guys in the mix competing for playing time -- along with veterans Gio Rescigno and Tylin Oden. Then it would be up to the staff to decipher where he stands, how dire the situation is in the quarterback room and if he's far enough along to warrant burning his red-shirt. But the fact that the power spread can put quarterbacks in harm's way more so than a pro-style offense sometimes presents the need to have multiple guys available and ready to contribute.
Grade: B-: Rutgers did a good job early identifying a prospect perfect for its scheme and securing his pledge. And it doesn't hurt that he's also an in-state guy at one of N.J.'s perennial powers. It was certainly a blow to lose Harris to Sacred Heart, which affected the grade a bit, but Lewis himself is a strong enough haul to justify the B-.
Next up: Running backs
Todderick Hunt may be reached at thunt@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @TodderickHunt. Find NJ.com Rutgers Football on Facebook.
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