QB CREDENTIALS: Mater Dei's Matt Barkley gets high marks from Steve Clarkson, who says the senior-to-be "doesn’t have any physical weakness. He’s as polished as they come." STEVE K. ZYLIUS, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER |
Quarterback Q&As: Clarkson evaluates the next wave
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Some of the county's top arms were put to the test at his Quarterback Academy.
More than 100 quarterbacks from 36 different states attended Steve Clarkson’s Quarterback Academy this past weekend at Glendale College. The group, made up of middle school and high school players, included Mater Dei’s Matt Barkley, Dana Hills’ Sean Schroeder, Pacifica’s Raymond Huizar and Edison’s John DeLuca.
Clarkson, a former college and professional quarterback who is recognized as one of the top quarterback coaches in the nation, shared his thoughts on how the weekend went, the brilliance of Barkley and other topics.
Talk about the program you run.
"What we did was try to give the kids a sampling of different components that are extremely important to the position of quarterback. They varied from classroom lecture to film study to vertical core training, everything I think is essential for the making of a quarterback. They got an opportunity to see that and surround themselves with the top players at the position. We had quite an attraction of players from all over the country.
"The goal is to give these kids something they may not have been taught. It’s also an educational program for the parents. We took them through what the recruiting process is all about. We hit certain target areas. There’s so much that’s involved with the quarterback position and how you get recruited. This is our opportunity to share our secrets.
"There’s 10 different categories we put the kid through, how you interview with the coach, thins you should do, places you should attend. For the most part, kids were invited or nominated by their coach. We sent out the information packs to the different coaches across the country. We have a certain criteria they’re aware of. No. 1, can this kid play college football? Does he have that type of potential? Because of the camp and what it is, it’s not for everybody. It’s not a camp where we’re going to have a basic kid showing up."
How do you determine which of the younger QBs to invite?
"With the younger kids we’re a little more flexible because you don’t know. But we treat them exactly the same. We put them through the mental process and if they can retain an eighth of that information, they’ll be better than most high school quarterbacks.
"A lot of this (quarterback training) goes back to Prop 13, where a lot of the state funds were taken away from high school athletics. There’s not enough jobs to train these kids year around, so you have full-time coaches doing other jobs and coming to the school after work. That’s why programs like ours have sprouted all over the country. It was voted in in 1979, and it took effect in ‘80. A lot of the property tax money that was going to education was swiped out. When I played in 78, we had nine coaches and all of them taught. It (Prop 13) took all of those positions away. Now you have a lot of volunteer assistants."
Matt Barkley was at the camp on Saturday. What was your impression of his play?
"Well, he doesn’t have any physical weakness. He’s as polished as they come. He’s extremely accurate. Probably his biggest attribute is his intellect and his knowledge of the game. Those things are superior. He was really the top quarterback this year, even though he was a junior."
What areas can you help Barkley the most?
"Basically, we’re working to get more efficient. Work on his footwork, just trying to eliminate things he doesn’t need, and be more consistent. We’re really gearing his training toward the next level. Fortunately, he has such great coaches at Mater Dei. It makes my job easy. When they send their kid, they know exactly what I’m working on. When a high school coach is acceptant of what I’m doing, it makes it a heck of a lot easier."
How advanced is he for his age?
"He can play at ‘SC right now. Physically and mentally, he doesn’t need another year of high school football. Its like doing trigonometry for him, he’s already in calculus."
Barkley is rated the top recruit in the nation in the class of 2009. Have you seen another quarterback that compares favorably to him or might be better?
"I couldn’t imagine anyone’s better, from what I’ve seen. Right now it’s too early in the process. Kids are going through the gauntlet of training camps. I wouldn’t have a good idea until the middle of summer."
What were your impressions of Dana Hills’ Sean Schroeder?
"I loved him. He has great accuracy. He reminded me of a kid I had in Orange County, Justin Vedder. He played at Saddleback College and Laguna Hills and started two years at Cal Berkeley. He’s (Schroeder) was very efficient, great throwing motion. I like him a lot."
What areas can you help him in the most?
"He’s still a young kid. He needs to get a little bigger and stronger. But he’s where he needs to be. He’s taking the right steps. You’re only looking to see, Can he play at the next level. He definitely can."
(Clarkson said he would need a chance to look at film from this past weekend before being able to evaluate Edison’s John DeLuca and Pacifica’s Raymond Huizar.)
Were there any young county quarterbacks of note?
"There was a great kid, Chase Forrest, he’s out of Newport Beach. He’s a youth. And a kid form Dana Point, Acusio Divona. Those are names you can look for down the road."
Contact the writer: amaya@ocregister.com
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