On Tuesday June 5, Calzada announced that he received an offer from Georgia. He showed well at the Elite 11 Finals in Los Angeles, but did not make the cut for Nike’s The Opening, despite earning better offers than some who did. An offer from Georgia carries weight with prospects from the Peach State, so this will be a development to watch.
Zach Calzada of Georgia might be 2019’s best sleeper QB recruit
In a year lacking in good QB recruits, Calzada has a chance to shoot up the rankings.
Since the publishing of this article on April 30, Calzada has earned offers from Pitt, Northwestern, West Virginia, Missouri, Vanderbilt, North Carolina, Oklahoma State, Iowa, Maryland, Purdue, and Texas A&M. He has also been invited to the Elite 11 Finals in Los Angeles, which takes place in early June.
Can we still call Calzada a sleeper?
So far, the 2019 class of QB recruits seems to be lacking compared to prior years, and especially when compared to the special crop that just graduated in the class of 2018.
The words “so far” are key, because prospects emerge at different times each cycle, for a variety of different reasons.
Take Baker Mayfield, for instance. The No. 1 overall pick was 5’2 as a freshman and only 5’10 as a varsity QB. He kept growing in college and is now listed at 6’1.
Sunday at the Under Armour All-America Game camp in Charlotte, I saw a QB with no star rating throw the heck out of the ball. Winds gusted north of 20MPH, and Zach Calzada, of Sugar Hill (Ga.) Lanier had no problem driving the football, as the throws of other QBs fluttered.
Why does Calzada have zero recruiting stars?
“I was 5’10” a little over a year ago, the 6’2.5, 195-pound Calzada said. His dad confirmed, he’s had a huge growth spurt.
And suddenly it made sense. Compared to most top QB prospects, he became good relatively recently.
Quarterbacks no longer have to be 6’5, but 5’10 is short. It makes sense that many haven’t heard of Calzada. With his late growth spurt came arm strength, and Calzada rips the ball. He can also grip it with 10-inch hands.
Schools have very recently started to take notice.
In the last week, Calzada has picked up offers from N.C. State and Northwestern.
“(Offensive coordinator) Eliah Drinkwitz saw me throw and offered,” Calzada said. “I have a good relationship with him. N.C. State was a game changer, they were my first Power 5 offer.”
Calzada said that he likes the way he could fit into the Pack’s offense, and is impressed that NC State has a lot of QBs in the NFL. He visited Saturday and liked the vibe.
This coming week will be big for his recruitment, as Pitt, Northwestern, North Carolina, Notre Dame, and Georgia will be swinging by his practice to see him throw. It’s a good bet that he’ll come away with more offers.
Visits are on hold until after spring, and Calzada wants to make sure he is making the right decision. But he is also cognizant that schools want to get their QBs committed early.
“As soon as I find a place I love, I’ll take it,” he said. “QB spots go quickly.”
