St. Peter’s Prep (Jersey City) quarterback Brandon Wimbush, who has said he will sign with Penn State, has thrown eight touchdown passes in two games.
As we get ready for the ALL-USA football team at the end of the season, we periodically will check on how American Family Insurance ALL-USA candidates are doing. This week, a look at quarterback Brandon Wimbush of St. Peter’s Prep (Jersey City).
Wow factor: The 6-1, 212-pound senior needed only the first quarter to set the tone in a 49-20 defeat of a good team in Bergen Catholic (Oradell) last week. He was 9-for-10 with 136 yards and three touchdowns en route to 348 yards and five touchdowns through the air and one rushing touchdown. For the season, he has completed 26 of 34 passes for eight touchdowns and no interceptions. His team is No. 7 in the Super 25 football rankings.
Recruiting rankings: No. 2 pro-style quarterback with Rivals.com; No. 5 dual threat quarterback with 247Sports.com and ESPN/Scouts.com; and No. 11 overall quarterback by Scouts.com
Coach’s take: “I think he’s totally familiar with the offense. He understands the nuances. Out of his first eight drives, seven were scores. He had us in the right play. He’s always had the physical skills, but now he’s matured and takes what the defense gives him. He’s been one of those kids, because he has such a great arm, he has a little bit of a gunslinger mentality. He’s grown from that. I expect him to make a poor decision here and there, but overall, he’s smart enough to understand you can’t just chuck it. That was a problem last year. He has the great ability to extend a play and make chicken salad out of chicken soup.” – St. Peter’s Prep coach Rich Hansen.
MORE: ALL-USA Watch on running back Jacques Patrick
On video: Though Wimbush can run, he’s more of a pro-style quarterback than a dual threat because he’s comfortable in the pocket with a cannon for an arm. He has nice, steady feat with a quick release. Appears patient in waiting for his reads and doesn’t seem to panic.
Others take: “St. Peter’s Prep has a lot of reasons to love him. One, he’s a smart kid. I thought he did a great job of making great decisions against us. He gets the ball out fast, he’s accurate and great with his feet. At times last year, his delivery was a little long, but he’s been working hard to improve that.” – Bergen Catholic coach Nunzio Campanile