A Look Towards The Future: Ricardo Young

Ricardo Young
Duel-Threat Quarterback
6’1”, 175 lbs, 4.5
H.D. Woodson High School – Washington D.C.
Offers: Virginia Tech (committed), Cincy, UCONN, ECU, Louisville, Maryland, USF, Syracuse, UVA, and WVU

Rankings
Rivals.com: 3 star prospect, 5.5 rating overall
ESPN.com: 3 star prospect, 76 rating overall
Scout.com: 3 star prospect, 48th best QB


ESPN.com Bio and Analysis:

Young has a lot of traits to him that are strong as an undersized, athletic passer that should probably be in the spread working from the shotgun, but he is not. As a result though, he is a guy that is very comfortable dropping from center in the three and five step passing game and has a nice feel for timing.

He has just marginal height and a lean, muscular frame that is built like a wide receiver. He is a good enough athlete to move to another position if need be, but in the right offense should stay at QB. He is very similar to both Detchauz Wray and Malik Stokes in terms of size, ability level and methods. Young has adequate-to-good arm strength and shows very good zip in the short and intermediate ranges of the field. In fact, this is where he is most accurate and efficient and he displays the drop speed, feet and balance in the pocket to provide good timing and get the ball out.

Shows a live arm and quick, whip-like release. He can be a bit robotic and isn't as smooth in his overall delivery as Stokes, but his mechanics are very consistent and he is capable of getting rid of the ball in a hurry. Gets set and can plant and throw on the fifth step without re-setting on timing routes which is becoming rare at the high school level with kids that are always in the shotgun as opposed to under center. Shows very good touch on the deep ball and can lay it in over coverage to the outside shoulder when on time.

His arm has its limits vertically, but it is all about timing for him. He is very athletic and can evade the rush and make plays on the move when things break down. Throws very well on the run when outside of the pocket and can definitely keep a play alive with his feet. When you watch Young you do not see a physically imposing player with a rocket arm, but more of a Pat White-type passer. He is a good prospect, but we are not sure he is a possible great prospect in terms of size and physical tools. We feel the school he picks needs to have some spread elements to the offense to enhance his strengths and mask his weaknesses because we are not convinced he would be a true pocket passer at the next level against top level competition.

Lemming Notes:

The most athletic QB in the region, this guy can get the job done with his arm and his feet. It might be stretching to say he is 6-1 but it not stretching it to say he has the ability to take Virginia tech to an ACC title. On Film–I was impressed with his accuracy, his dominance in short to medium range passes, shows a quick release, and a much stronger arm than I was aware of. He can make all the throws including throwing the deep out with authority. He is a leader on the field, makes very good decisions, is cool under pressure, and can get the job done when it is most needed. Stats–He earned D.C. All-Area honors after throwing for 3,100 yds and 31 TDs. Grades–His GPA is perfect 4.0. He has a 30" VJ. Favorite Schools–Committed to VIRGINIA TECH.

Stats:

2008 season: Threw for 3,089 yards and 31 touchdowns and added 780 yards on the ground to go with 11 rushing TD’s

2009 season: Follow his senior season here: Washington Post - High School Sports


Justin’s Assessment:

There's a reason why I'm starting this "Look Towards the Future" series with Ricardo Young. In my mind, he's easily the Hokies most underrated and most under valued recruit. He has all the tools to be a success in the Hokies current offensive scheme and when you watch him on film, he even reminds me a bit of a high school version of Tyrod Taylor.

Obviously, Ricardo does have a few weaknesses right now. Arm strength is a bit of a concern but can be fixed, more on that later. Also, his max bench press is at 205 heading into his senior year and while that seems like a lot, that would put him close to last place if you compared that to our freshman testing numbers this July. The good news is that Young will enroll early here in a few months (January of 2010) and will get a jump on the rest of the class by participating in spring practice next April. This will really help as Young will more than likely redshirt next fall giving him a full year and a half in the weight room before he challenges JuJu and Logan Thomas in 2011 for the starting job.

If you ask anybody around H.D. Woodson, one of the more redeeming qualities Young possesses is his ability and knowledge of how to examine and break down film. Ricardo spends almost two hours a day in the film room, looking for that extra advantage against the opposing team. Some times its the little things, more so than the physical things, that make a player great.


Videos:

You can see a lot of videos of Ricardo Young in action here