Texas landing Dia Bell a few cycles removed from Arch Manning is “Sandwich QB” recruiting at its finest

The problem with landing a player of Trevor Lawrence’s or Caleb Williams’ caliber is finding the quarterback who comes next — and even managing the loss of the player who came before him. 

Quarterback management is an art, not a science. It’s great to have Lawrence on the roster, but how do you manage the room behind him? We saw that at Clemson where Lawrence’s 2018 arrival quickly sent Hunter Johnson (a former five-star himself) and Kelly Bryant into the portal.

To combat the Lawrence issue on the recruiting trail, Clemson simply did not sign a QB recruit in the 2019 class. It wouldn’t be until 2020 with DJ Uiagalelei — the No. 2 player in the country — when Clemson would again add to the room, putting a little breathing room between the two five-star passers. The Tigers followed that up with a middling take in 2021. 

This is what I’d consider “sandwich recruiting” at quarterback. It doesn’t always involve skipping a QB cycle. But often it means signing a lesser recruit – either a lower four-star or developmental three-star prospect — to bridge the gap between elite, upper-crust quarterback takes.

We saw another classic example of that Monday when Texas landed Class of 2026 247Sports Composite five-star Dia Bell out of American Heritage High School in Florida.

Texas’ QB room is loaded. Quinn Ewers occupies the top spot and Arch Manning is the future. It’s nice to have the succession plan mapped out, but that type of certainty also creates an issue in recruiting.

With Manning on the roster, how could a 2024 or 2025 QB recruit realistically expect to play quickly? There’s no path. Ewers is going to start this season. Manning will be the starter in 2025 and, if his family history is any indication, perhaps into…

Source link : https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/news/texas-landing-dia-bell-a-few-cycles-removed-from-arch-manning-is-sandwich-qb-recruiting-at-its-finest/

Author : Chris Hummer

Publish date : 2024-06-18 17:28:03

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