Morgan Mahalak probably wasn't attracting much attention going into the 2014 recruiting cycle, but now that he's made his pledge to a playoff-contending program, a few more eyes might take notice. The Kentfield (Calif.) Marin Catholic product is a dual-threat quarterback who is going to be thrown into the maelstrom of the Oregon Ducks offense, as Mahalak committed to Mark Helfrich's crew in late April. Addicted to Quack has more on Mahalak's commitment.
Morgan Mahalak scouting report: Oregon finds its next Marcus Mariota?
The Marin Catholic quarterback could be a huge pickup from the Oregon Ducks.
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Mahalak stands at 6’3 and weighs 190 pounds. A consensus four-star prospect, 247Sports ranks Mahalak as the fifth-best dual-threat quarterback and the 21st-best prospect in California. Scout positions Mahalak as the 21st-best quarterback while Rivals places him as the No. 11 pro-style quarterback. ESPN rates him as the ninth-best dual-threat quarterback.
Mahalak currently holds offers from FBS schools like Duke, Idaho, North Carolina State, Oregon State and South Florida. You can follow Morgan on Twitter at @MorganMahalak and check out his highlight reel on Hudl.
Scouting
Physically, Mahalak carries a slender frame at 6’3” 200 pounds, with plenty of room to add good weight. He’s a good athlete whose mobility will most likely get put to use to some degree at the next level so it would be advantageous for him to eventually work his way into the 215-220 pound range, preferably prior to him seeing any meaningful action.
Mahalak has a classic over the top delivery. He has very good throwing mechanics as he transfers his weight efficiently. He utilizes his core strength and gets his lower body into his throws.
In the pocket Mahalak has very quick feet. Although they can get a bit antsy as he goes through his progressions. When disrupted at the top of his drop, he can quickly shuffle to find an alternate launch point, re-set, and release the ball.
Facing a rush, Mahalak does a nice job adjusting his arm angle to get the ball through and around defenders at the line of scrimmage.
He has pretty good velocity on intermediate throws. This is still probably an area in which he could stand to improve as passing windows will obvious become tighter when facing college defenders. As mentioned before, Mahalak carries nice mobility. He’s a good athlete who’s more quick than fast. He has good immediate burst, but his long speed tends to taper off over longer distances. He’s elusive in the open field, as he makes defenders miss with sudden of direction. In time, Mahalak can be an excellent college quarterback.
