The nation's elite 2013 quarterbacks are almost gone

It's not even June and almost all of the nation's elite 2013 quarterbacks are spoken for.

De La Salle quarterback Shane Morris was the first top signal-caller to pull the trigger last spring, committing to Michigan.

This spring, nearly all of the Top 100 signal-callers made verbal pledges, starting with Tyrone Swoopes, the nation's top dual-threat quarterback, who picked Texas. He passed on offers from Stanford, Alabama and Notre Dame, among others.

Two weeks later, Stanford moved on to its next target, Virginia quarterback Ryan Burns, who made a verbal pledge to the Cardinal.



Notre Dame landed another top dual threat quarterback, Malik Zaire, to complement 2012 recruit Gunner Kiel.

The dominoes really accelerated when the nation's top pro-style quarterback, Max Browne, picked USC.

The 6-foot-5, 210-pound quarterback was pursued by most teams across the country. His commitment allowed Oklahoma to narrow its highly-selective focus and intensify its recruitment of Texas quarterback Cody Thomas, who ultimately committed last week.

Another team left scrambling after Browne's decision was Alabama. The Crimson Tide, which missed on a top quarterback last recruiting cycle, nabbed one of the country's hottest recruits in Cooper Bateman.

Bateman rose from No. 85 to No. 39 in the updated 2013 Top 100. He selected Alabama over Auburn.

Wasting little time, Auburn moved on to its next target, a big one in 6-6 Jeremy Johnson, who gave the Tigers a commitment Sunday.



Another quarterback that caused a trickle effect was New Jersey signal-caller Kevin Olsen.

Olsen selected Miami over South Carolina, Auburn, Wisconsin and others. His commitment paved the way for Johnson-to-Auburn, while South Carolina ended up with prolific passer Connor Mitch, who passed on an offer from North Carolina which in turn allowed the Tar Heels to land Mitch Trubisky.

LSU, which was jolted by Gunner Kiel's 11th-hour defection to Notre Dame over the winter, made a move to secure the quarterback position, nabbing Hayden Rettig, brother of Boston College quarterback Chase.

Perhaps no team in the quarterback carousel made out better than Virginia Tech. Quietly, the Hokies landed two Top 100 quarterbacks in Bucky Hodges and Carlis Parker.

Parker is a bit of a sleeper, coming off a major knee injury that sidelined him as a junior. However, as a sophomore, he was sensational and should see his stock rise with a healthy senior campaign.

Two Top 100 quarterbacks remain uncommitted: Cord Sandberg and Troy Williams.



Sandberg led Manatee to a Class 7A state title as a junior. Also a fine baseball player, he's a gifted southpaw who can throw and run effectively.

Auburn had pursued him intensely, but with Johnson committed the Tigers, this seem like an unlikely landing spot. Sandberg was focused on baseball this spring, which did not allow him to take many visits.

Clemson might be a potential landing spot. However, the Tigers already have a quarterback who they love from the class of 2014: Deshaun Watson.

At this point, there appears to be no clear leader for Sandberg, the nation's No. 97 player.

Manatee assistant coach Chris Conboy told MaxPreps that Sandberg intends to visit LSU, Ole Miss and Mississippi State this summer and has already visited several schools, including Clemson and Tennessee.

Sandberg will try to make a decision before August, according to Conboy.



Also still on the board is Narbonne (Harbor City, Calif.) sensation Troy Williams. Already a three-year starter, Williams has improved each season in Manual Douglas' offense.

Williams told MaxPreps on Tuesday that his five college finalists are Washington, UCLA, Arizona State, Arizona and Florida.

However, Arizona just landed Anu Solomon while UCLA has Eddie Printz in the fold. Florida just offered Connecticut quarterback Tim Boyle, according to his father Kevin. The two are flying to Gainesville this weekend for a visit.

The elder Boyle believes that Oregon, a school with close ties to the Narbonne program, is also close to offering.

Add - or subtract - it all up and Washington could be the likely destination for Williams.

Other uncommitted West Coast quarterbacks to watch include Johnny Stanton, Kelly Hilinski and Tyler Bruggman.



One thing to always keep in mind: Verbal commitments are not binding and National Signing Day is nine months away. Players often change their mind, especially after college coaches are fired.