It was legitimately shocking when Quinn Ewers left Southlake (Texas) Carroll High School a season early to enroll at Ohio State. Shocking, but understandable.
For one, Ewers was already 18 years old, a single course shy of graduation and, aside from a state championship, he'd accomplished everything a high school quarterback can accomplish. He's the first player since Vince Young to earn a perfect 1.000 score in the 247Sports composite rankings. The No. 1 overall player in the 2022 class became the No. 1 player in the '21 class when he took an equity offer from a beverage brand and joined Ohio State's roster in early August. Since then, he's gotten a deal with a Columbus-area car dealer and a $1.4 million autograph deal.
Again, shocking but understandable.
This, though, this is just shocking.
Owensboro (Kentucky) High School quarterback Gavin Wimsatt is leaving his team midseason to enroll at Rutgers and take a 6-figure NIL deal.
Wimsatt is a 4-star recruit, the No. 147 player and No. 11 quarterback in the class of 2022. And he's going to Rutgers. And he got life-changing money, according to Matt Jones of Kentucky Sports Radio
Source tells KSR that Owensboro HS QB Gavin Wimsatt is leaving Owensboro enroll early at Rutgers
— Matt Jones (@KySportsRadio) September 4, 2021
He is expected to sign a 6 figure NIL deal
If the market for the No. 1 quarterback is in the millions and the No. 11 quarterback is in the six figures, what of everyone else? Is the No. 89 quarterback going to leave next for mid-5 figures? Should every high school with a mid 4-star recruit and higher at quarterback start prepping their backups to start at a moment's notice?
What's more, while Ewers' departure was anything but ideal, it at least came in the early days of August, giving his (now former) team weeks to recalibrate in his absence. (For what it's worth, Carroll is off to a 2-0 start this season.)
But Wimsatt is leaving Owensboro mid-season. In fact, Owensboro played Friday night, a 49-42 win over Daviess County to move to 2-1 on the season -- a game in which Wimsatt played.
NJ.com reports Wimsatt is already listed in Rutgers' online student directory and is expected to enroll next week.
He would then become eligible to play for the Scarlet Knights at Syracuse next Saturday. Noah Vedral returns as Rutgers' starting quarterback for his super senior season, and it's unrealistic to expect an ultra-true-freshman to beat him out just days removed from high school football.
But who knows? Wimsatt will be, without a doubt, the highest-rated recruit in Rutgers's quarterback room the moment he steps on campus. Perhaps the Rutgers staff can work in a package for him once the season goes along, maybe after a month or so.
Like, for instance, on Oct. 2 when Ewers and the Buckeyes come to Piscataway.