I'm losing track of the number of former high school quarterbacks are now on this roster (or hopefully will be soon) and you can add Snyder QB/ATH Keenon Ward to that list, as well as QB/ATH Reginald Davis. Austin Zouzalik, Cornelius Douglas, J.J. Gaines, Desimon Green, Cooper Washington and LaDarrin Robertson are all off the top of my head and I'm sure that there's someone else I'm forgetting. The theory being that a high school team's quarterback is probably best athlete. And Ward really isn't a slouch when it comes to being a productive quarterback, but I think that he's going to be looked at as an inside receiver and/or cornerback. Let's get to it.
The Measurables:
KEENON WARD
Position: ATH/QB
DTN Profile
Video: Clip 1 | Clip 2
Rivals N/A
Scout N/A
ESPN N/A
24/7 Sports N/A
Ht: 5'9" | Wt: 176 lbs | Forty: 4.45
High School: Snyder (Snyder, TX)
More good-strong, after the jump.
The Player Speaks: When Ward committed with the others after the Red-Black Spring Game, LAJ's Don Williams spoke with Ward and his high school coach:
"Tech was probably my first choice anyway," the Snyder standout said Monday. "I really wasn’t looking for anything else."
Snip.
"He’s an outstanding athlete," Snyder coach Chad Rogers said. "He’s got great lateral movement and very, very good speed. He threw the ball well for us. He has a real quick release and a real strong arm. He makes great grades, too, so he’s an all-around (prospect)."
The Video: Film don't lie:
Keenon Ward 2010 Football (via wware2167)
Keenon Ward 2010 Football Part 2 (via wware2167)
Scouting Report: This really isn't fair, but consider that the Aggies received a commitment from 4-star QB/ATH Matt Davis. From all accounts, he's a terrific athlete, may not end up at quarterback, but he's got great measurables (6-2/200 -- 4.40 40-yard dash). Davis was injured all of last year, except for maybe 2 games. So how much difference is there between Davis and Ward? That's tough to say. Ward threw for 2,366 yards, 18 TD's and 13 INT's while rushing for 1,206 yards and 19 TD's. That's not bad, no matter how you dice it up, while Davis threw for 1,393 yards, 14 TD's, and 7 INT's and rushed for 1,427 yards and 22 TD's as a sophomore. That's impressive, but I just wonder how much difference there is between the two. Davis is in the Houston area, while Ward is in West Texas. Is it the 3 or 4 inches (247 Sports has ward at 5'11") and 20 pounds? I'm not a professional talent evaluator, but they seem to be comparable athletes in terms of production and Davis' commitment is headline news while Ward's commitment went with little fanfare.
I'm not sure what Ward will end up being, but he's bound to be, at the very least, a 3-star player, and by the time it's all said and done, I'd be a little surprised if he's not a 4-star player by the start of the season.
Keenon, welcome to Texas Tech and Git Your Guns Up!
The 2012 Class: No tables until more rankings appear.