Dual-threat QB Carlis Parker commits to Hokies
Virginia Tech added another quarterback to its 2013 class, two days after securing a commitment from Bucky Hodges.
Carlis Parker, a 6-foot-4, 187-pound prospect from Statesville, N.C., said he’d sign with the Hokies in 2013, according to his high school coach Randall Gusler.
Parker is a three-star recruit by both Rivals and 247Sports. The latter ranks him as the No. 54 athlete nationally and No. 25 recruit in North Carolina.
Parker had seven offers, according to Rivals, including North Carolina, N.C. State, Wake Forest and East Carolina.
He did not play last year after tearing the lateral collateral ligament of his right leg in the season-opener. It required surgery. As a sophomore in 2010, he accounted for more than 3,000 yards.
Kevin Sherman was Parker’s primary recruiter.
Parker is the sixth 2013 commitment in the last three days, giving the Hokies 10 in the class. He is the first out-of-state commitment in the group.
He’s the second quarterback, joining Hodges, although 247 Sports also lists him as an athlete.
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I had time a little later in the night to talk with Gusler for a few minutes and he gave me some more insight on Parker.
Gusler raved about Parker’s athletic ability, saying, “I think the selling point is the fact that coach [Frank] Beamer feels like Carlis is going to be the next Michael Vick.”
I’m sure Beamer has heard that a lot — in fact, he joked about it at the Sugar Bowl — but Parker appears to have some impressive athletic credentials (and he’s left-handed, to boot).
Parker was Statesville’s freshman quarterback in 2009, running a Wing T offense, but he was so impressive that he displaced the starting quarterback on the varsity team by midseason. The following year, Gusler switched to a spread offense. Parker threw for 1,800 yards and ran for 1,200.
Primed for a big junior season, Parker got injured after only nine plays, tearing the lateral collateral ligament of his right leg. He was only recently given full clearance to participate in all football activities. Gusler said Parker looks like he was never hurt.
“He comes off that injury and actually his 40 times are just as good, if not better,” said Gulser, noting Parker’s 4.45-second time in the 40.
Parker has a good relationship with Sherman, his primary recruiter, but also quarterbacks coach and play-caller Mike O’Cain. With Hodges also on board for 2013, it will be interesting to see where Parker ends up position-wise. Gusler said there will be some packages this year in which Parker plays wide receiver. He’ll even dabble at free safety some.
“He’s a very, very versatile young man,” Gusler said.
Gusler said Parker had talked about graduating early to enroll at Virginia Tech next winter. He’s not certain if that’s still the plan but spoke highly of Parker as a person.
“Great character young man,” Gusler said. ‘That’s what impresses me more than anything.”
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Here is an updated commitment list for 2013:
- Charles Clark, DB, 5-11, 180, Suffolk (King’s Fork)
- Holland Fisher, DB, 6-2, 205, Midlothian (Manchester)
- Bucky Hodges, QB, 6-5, 225, Virginia Beach (Salem)
- Cequan Jefferson, ATH, 5-11, 167, Richmond (Henrico)
- Andrew Motu’apuaka, LB, 6-0, 210, Virginia Beach (Salem)
- Parker Osterloh, OL, 6-7, 268, Williamsburg (Warhill)
- Carlis Parker, QB/ATH, 6-4, 187, Statesville, N.C. (Statesville)
- Braxton Pfaff, OL, 6-5, 290, Lynchburg (Liberty Christian)
- David Prince, ATH, 6-0, 175, Roanoke (Patrick Henry)
- Anthony Shegog, DB, 6-2, 195, Stafford (North Stafford)
April 23, 2012 - 5:25 PM
This is a question regarding the 2014 commitment of Vincent Mihota, brother of former U.Va. center Anthony Mihota. Does anybody know how often that happens here in Virginia, i.e., the sibling of a player at one school signs with the rival school? I can’t myself recall any.
One down and two to go. Greenberg, then Beamer, then Jim Weaver..in that order
This kid will eventually de-commit…
This kid is a beast of a athlete. I don’t like his throwing motion needs to work on that , but this is a good get. I could see him moving to receiver.
Wolff and Weaver need to go. Start with three new people in the program.
Make a clean sweep and start over in a new direction.
Thanks, Andy. Love the blog. I wasn’t going to say anything last time, but ‘F’ as in “Fisher” comes before ‘H’ as in “Hodges”.
mark… why would you want the AD to leave *after* he’s selected replacement head coaches for both men’s basketball and football?
hokiegrad: well yeah, if you use the English alphabet. OK, pretty much any alphabet.
Hokiegrad, isn’t the ad the same person who approved the building of the room that houses the national title? You know , the kinda thing no major football power does without winning it?
Randall Gusler, his coach, is a former Pulaski County Cougar….great person, so if he says he is a high character guy you can take it to the bank.
Carlis Parker, the “next Michael Vick”, tough comparison, athletically and socially. He will eventually end up playing WR or he decommits when he realizes he won’t get a chance to play QB. He’ll end up at ECU.
Could you define “dual threat QB”? Does that mean someone that runs out of the pocket all the time and is a below average thrower? Just as a “pocket passer” is a QB who is a good passer, but a below average runner. If you are not a good passer, how is it a dual threat? The things people make up.
Well, Stack, he threw for 1,800 yards, so it’s not really something that anybody made up.
Andy, there is no point in responding to Stack. He obviously knows more about football than anyone else.
Really puzzled at why Tech is stocking up on quarterbacks after landing Motley for this fall. It’s almost like Motley is suddenly an afterthought.
Andy, you’re saying that 1,800 yards is great? Denard Robinson threw for over 1,800 yards in high school, are you saying that he is a great passer? Vince Young is in that same boat, QB’s that look at one primary WR and then take off running…yeah, dual threat…all QB’s are “dual threats” by that definition…
I hope he ends up at vt,maybe he’ll may a good WR?
I’d consider 1,800 yards as a sophomore as a first-time starter in a spread offense pretty good. I don’t doubt that he might be a WR at college, but with all due respect, you don’t have a clue whether or not he’s a good passer or not. I’d trust the scouting services about that more than you, Stack.
Really no clue huh…okay
Andy,
Statesville, is an okay high school program, who has had some good players come out of there. The guy is left handed, which is why Caoch Beamer sells him on the Vick comparison. He is a thrower,not a passer and most of his throws are scrambles to the left or play action and he throws the ball as far as he can to the their fastest WR. For a guy who is 6’3, he throws like he is 5’10 because he drops his shoulder, which lowers his arm angle…so with all do respect, no, 1,800 yards by a 1st year starter in a spread offense against mediocre competition is not that great. However, I do hope that is he the starting QB at vt one day, that wouldl be great!
Those guys in the scouting services are computer geeks who never really plays football past the JV level, couldn’t get into coaching and found a way to be part of football through a scouting service.
Not denying that he’s a work in progress. He’s only played one full year on varsity, and that was as a sophomore. But a lot of HS quarterbacks are “throwers.” Heck, you could say Logan Thomas was a “thrower” in high school, just based on how Tech coaches described him once he got here.
I don’t know whether or not he’ll play QB in college, but the fact that most places at least list him as a dual-threat QB (and not strictly as an ATH) tells me he’s not some option quarterback who will be instantly moved to safety if he ends up signing at Tech.
“… The things people make up.”
This, coming from Stack? Hello irony, nice to meet you.
Andy,
He’s not big or physical enough to move to FS. If it doesn’t work at QB, his only other realistic move is to WR, unles of course, he transfers down…
I agree, most HS QB’s are throwers, some more polished than others. However,he relies on his feet to get him out of the pocket where he makes most of his throws. I’m sure he will get better, but there is only so much you can do with someones mechanics…
That’s true. But I think there’s a little more wiggle room in college. I mean, Pat White side-armed everything and didn’t have a strong arm, but he was a pretty good college quarterback. NFL … no so much. But in college, he holds all sorts of yardage records.
Just saying QBs come in different shapes and sizes.
I think since he will have at least 1 full year of development and probably 2 before he is asked to step on the field for a game, any slight sidearm delivery can be corrected. This is not Tebow who went through an entire college career throwing the wrong way. Keep hoping and wishing for VT failure even though most of your dreams won’t come true