my 2 cents
my 2 cents
I would say 99% chance of not being drafted but given Matt Cassels "success"...an interesting QB in the draft is Matt Nordgren of Texas. Extremely highly recruited, smart (3.5+ student), big arm (in the Whitehurst,Croyle range) and 4.59 speed coming out of HS. Has not played very much at all (grand total of 14 passes)....but I would watch for some real FA interest in this guy. You do not get much ink or pub carrying Vince Youngs clipboard. A bio from 2000 Horns fan recruiting pasted below.
QB, Dallas Bishop Lynch, TX, 6'5", 220, 4.6 - Nordgren was rated the the top QB in Texas, and one of the top 10 QB's in the nation by several recruiting services, including Superprep and Prepstar. He's a tall very fast QB that has really impressed in camps, so far. Nordgren missed most of his junior season with a broken collarbone (non-throwing side), but his stock skyrocketed when coaches got to see him throw up close. Geoff Ketchum said in July "Few players in the entire country, let alone Texas, have seen their stock rise in recent months like Dallas (Texas) Bishop Lynch quarterback Matt Nordgren." . Matt has a strong accurate arm, a quick release and lots of athletic abiity. Matt's father George played for the Dallas Cowboys and New Orleans Saints. Nordgren has speant time throwing and talking about QBing with George's friend, Roger Staubach. Nordgren's coach at Bishop Lynch is former A&M WR Gary Oliver. Nordren said “At Texas I’ll red-shirt, but I still have three years of eligibility where I can be the starter. I just have to go in and work hard.†Matt is also an incredible student: he maintained a 4.0 grade point average in Bishop Lynch's competitive academic environment at the same time he led his football team to victories and answered over 300 pieces of mail and 150 calls per month from recruiters. Matt also scored very high on the SAT. Matt is also an FCA member, owns his own lawn mowing business and volunteers to work for the homeless in soup kitchens. Nordgren told Horns Illustrated "I’m big, I’m pretty quick and I can throw the ball. But I think what separates me from most quarterbacks coming out of high school is that for the past three years, I’ve run the same type of offense that UT has run. I’ve done drop back passing, I’ve done shotgun, play action, one back, a little bit of two back. I’ve just been throwing the ball as a drop back passer ever since I can remember. It’s something that just comes real natural to me. Along with that come your reads. The most important thing for a quarterback – everyone can throw the ball or you wouldn’t be recruited anyway – is to be able to read a defense. I’ve been watching video every day for the past three years. We have more than 200 formations. We just have a real complex offense that I’ve been able to work with and use audibles and things that have prepared me for the next level. Most people don’t get that. My goal is to have the whole offense down a year from signing day, which will give me a year after that to get comfortable with it." Nordgren is always focused on improvement and said "I think I’m fairly fast, but I need to be quicker. There’s a difference between fast and quick and I need to have a quicker first step. I can avoid the rush real well because I’m big and have a good stiff arm, but I want to have a quick first step that will help me get away from the pressure." Nordgren also added "I’ll redshirt my freshman year. Chance (Mock) and I will be the backups. Then my sophomore year, whoever plays better or moves the offense better will start for three years. He won’t have any more experience than I will, it’s just going to come down to who’s better at the position. It’s up to me to work harder. If I can’t, then I don’t deserve it. But I think I’m going to be able to work hard enough to earn the position." Member of the National Honor Society and an A-B Honor Rol member.
2000: 3rd Team DCTF Super Team. Nordgren led his team to the State Private School Champ game (they lost to TCA-Addison). MVP of the Dalls Prep All-Star Game (12 of 18, 246 yds and 1 TD). Passed for 1,985 yards, 20 TD's and 10 INT's. Also rushed 37 for 245 yards and 6 TD's.
1999: Despite missing most of the season with a broken collarbone (non-throwing side; now 100% healed), Nordgren threw for 1,270 yards. He was also the TAPPS 5A Offensive Back and Newcomer of the Year.
1998: Threw for 2,688 yards in 12 games.
Physical Stats and Other Sports: At the Texas relays, Nordgren competed in the shot put (52' = school record and 4th at TAPPs 5A State Meet), high jump (6'5"; also 6'2" = #2 in the State 5A TAPPs meet)) and discus (broke the Soph record in the discuss and 4th in 5A TAPPs State Meet). He played basketball, and made the All-Tourney team in the playoffs in 1999. Clocked a 4.59 40 during the summer before his senior year. Ran and Accutrack 4.61 and a 10.7 100m dash. BP 290, Squat 355 and vertical 34".
Commit to Texas: Nordgren committed to Texas (17th, 10/12/00) over Tenn, LSU, Colorado, Purdue, Kentucky, A&M, Miss St, Missouri, TCU, Kansas, Iowa and others (all offered -- he had over 21 offers). "I think Texas just feels more like home. One big factor was academics. That’s a big issue for me and there’s no question that Texas has great academics. Its business school is rated highly on every list there is.†Matt has been offered by over 21 of the top passing schools in the nation, had visited 10 campuses, and said "It came down to a great list of schools, but I felt at home at the UT campus. It’s a football program that I know I can help lead to a national championship." Nordgren also told Horns Illustrated "This year, they’ve signed another great class so far. Last year was a great class. These past two years, I don’t know if anybody can beat that. I look for the future of a program. With the extension of the football stadium that’s going to be done and the renovations of a new indoor practice facility that they’re going to work on is going to be a great addition. It’s just home and it just feels great." Matt also is very impressed with the Horns OL recruiting class and the WR's from last year. Matt already knows Roy Williams fairly well. The academically-minded Nordgren said that he wants to graduate in 3-1/2 years and earn his MBA before his eligibility expires (5 years with a redshirt). Nordgren is a full qualifier.
2000: 3rd Team DCTF Super Team. Nordgren led his team to the State Private School Champ game (they lost to TCA-Addison). MVP of the Dalls Prep All-Star Game (12 of 18, 246 yds and 1 TD). Passed for 1,985 yards, 20 TD's and 10 INT's. Also rushed 37 for 245 yards and 6 TD's.
1999: Despite missing most of the season with a broken collarbone (non-throwing side; now 100% healed), Nordgren threw for 1,270 yards. He was also the TAPPS 5A Offensive Back and Newcomer of the Year.
1998: Threw for 2,688 yards in 12 games.
Physical Stats and Other Sports: At the Texas relays, Nordgren competed in the shot put (52' = school record and 4th at TAPPs 5A State Meet), high jump (6'5"; also 6'2" = #2 in the State 5A TAPPs meet)) and discus (broke the Soph record in the discuss and 4th in 5A TAPPs State Meet). He played basketball, and made the All-Tourney team in the playoffs in 1999. Clocked a 4.59 40 during the summer before his senior year. Ran and Accutrack 4.61 and a 10.7 100m dash. BP 290, Squat 355 and vertical 34".
Commit to Texas: Nordgren committed to Texas (17th, 10/12/00) over Tenn, LSU, Colorado, Purdue, Kentucky, A&M, Miss St, Missouri, TCU, Kansas, Iowa and others (all offered -- he had over 21 offers). "I think Texas just feels more like home. One big factor was academics. That’s a big issue for me and there’s no question that Texas has great academics. Its business school is rated highly on every list there is.†Matt has been offered by over 21 of the top passing schools in the nation, had visited 10 campuses, and said "It came down to a great list of schools, but I felt at home at the UT campus. It’s a football program that I know I can help lead to a national championship." Nordgren also told Horns Illustrated "This year, they’ve signed another great class so far. Last year was a great class. These past two years, I don’t know if anybody can beat that. I look for the future of a program. With the extension of the football stadium that’s going to be done and the renovations of a new indoor practice facility that they’re going to work on is going to be a great addition. It’s just home and it just feels great." Matt also is very impressed with the Horns OL recruiting class and the WR's from last year. Matt already knows Roy Williams fairly well. The academically-minded Nordgren said that he wants to graduate in 3-1/2 years and earn his MBA before his eligibility expires (5 years with a redshirt). Nordgren is a full qualifier.
