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MLB Draft Wreaking Havoc On Southern Quarterback Situations

Jun 8, 2010, 8:30 PM UTC

â†µUPDATE: Russell Wilson announced Tuesday he would play baseball this summer and football for N.C. State this fall.â†µ

â†µâ†µEvery year a bunch of recruits sign letters of intent with football programs only to be scooped up by MLB teams and offered signing bonuses worth more than their house, at which point a number of them sign and skip out. â†µ

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â†µâ†µOften teams are prepared for this. During the first Alabama offseason scholarship squeeze, the Tide had a couple of guys who were all but assured to end up in the majors. But sometimes there’s nothing you can do to prepare. This year, especially, has seen a lot of carnage at the most important position on the field. The first round alone saw two guys who would likely have spent six years as starting quarterbacks go, with a third drafted in the fourth:â†µ

â†µâ†µâ‡¥Clemson starter Kyle Parker (pictured left) went 26th to Colorado and is regarded a lock to sign.
â†µâ‡¥The Rockies followed that up by grabbing N.C. State starter Russell Wilson (pictured right) in the fourth. At 5’11”, Wilson doesn’t have much of a pro future as a quarterback and could sign if provided a nice offer. He skipped N.C. State’s spring practice to play baseball. Your author duly checked to see if Rockies GM Dan O’Dowd was a UNC alum, but he went to Rollins College in Florida.
â†µâ‡¥Rivals’ No. 9 QB recruit Zach Lee, LSU’s only QB signee in this recruiting class, went 28th overall to the Dodgers. Dodger fans are skeptical that Lee will actually signreporters are asking if this is a plot to save money by drafting a kid with signability issuesbut the GM is “cautiously optimistic” a deal will get done. If it does, LSU is in trouble at quarterback. Meanwhile, the kid who caught most of Lee’s touchdown passes was drafted 35th by Atlanta and intends to sign. He had signed with Alabama, but for baseball.

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â†µThe tea leaves suggest Wilson and Parker are out the door, stripping the ACC of a freshman All-American (Parker) and a guy who threw for over 3000 yards last year with a 31-11 TD/INT ratio as a sophomore. Jimbo Fisher is walking around like the Enzyte guy today. He doesn't have to face down Parker (242 yards, 4 TDs, 1 INT) or Wilson (349 yards on just 30 attempts, 5 TDs, 2 INTs) for the next three years.â†µ

â†µâ†µElsewhere in news Jimbo Fisher will like: Georgia Tech defensive back signee Jake Skole going 15th overall to Texas. The local paper declares the chance he shows up at GT in August “nonexistent.” By the 50th round the Seminoles could be prohibitive ACC favorites.â†µ

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This post originally appeared on the Sporting Blog. For more, see The Sporting Blog Archives.

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