Scouting Report: Florida Gators QB Commit Marcus Stokes
Photo: Marcus Stokes; Credit: Zach Goodall
It took some time due to selective recruiting and missing out on their top target, but the Florida Gators were able to secure a quarterback of the future to headline their 2023 class on Thursday with the addition of Marcus Stokes.
Now, it's time to look forward to what Stokes can bring to the Gators offense with another trip to AllGators' film room.
We've previously covered Stokes' performances during the 2022 offseason camp circuit, including his showings at the Elite 11 Finals and Swamp Shootout 7-on-7 tournament, which you can read here.
We'll factor those workouts into this scouting report, however, our analysis will primarily be drawn from what Stokes has shown on the gridiron in high school.
Background
High school: Ponte Vedra (Fla.) Nease
Size: 6-foot-2, 185 pounds
Career stats: 241-of-420 (57.4 percent), 3,192 yards, 26 touchdowns, 13 interceptions, 666 rushing yards, six rushing touchdowns
Rankings: No. 29 QB, No. 539 overall per the On3 Sports consensus rankings
Scouting report
While analyzing Stokes' game alongside peers in the recruiting industry, a label consistently applied to his game is "backyard football."
There isn't a ton of cadre to Stokes' game, and that is in part due to the system in which Nease operates its offense. It's an RPO-heavy scheme that designs plenty of roll-outs for Stokes to move the pocket, giving him the option to play freely as he scans the field as well as tuck and run when needed.
Stokes' film is littered with deep shots and off-platform throws that he has a tendency to nail, as such, but not so much rhythmic, West Coast-style passing concepts with three-to-five-step drops and more than one or two reads.
He's flashed the burst required to break into the second and third levels of the defense when he opts to run, but in a more structured offense, Stokes might be critiqued for abandoning progressions by making that choice often.
To clear up the negatives that come from these quick notes: Stokes' traditional pocket presence is underdeveloped, his footwork is unpolished and his ability to progress through his reads is undetermined at this point in his career.
But none of that really matters right now.
Stokes has all of the natural talent required to not only play winning football at his current level, but at Florida as well once his technique is thoroughly evolved. And it's reasonable to believe Stokes can make massive strides in that department, as the 2021 season was his first as a starting quarterback at the prep level.
He displayed everything he needed to in his debut campaign to emerge as a Power 5 QB recruit. The arm power coaches covet is there, his deep ball placement is typically ideal, his mobility as a passer to escape pressure and make throws on the run is high-quality, and he plays with ample confidence considering these skills.
There probably isn't a better clip from Stokes' junior season tape that encompasses each of those qualities than the one below — although there are several similar throws scatted throughout the reel.
We'll give you another example to showcase his pure arm talent and ability to perfectly place a deep ball.
Consider that Stokes backpedaled away from pressure here and never set his base, significantly reducing his throwing power due to the lack of drive created by his back foot, yet made a picture-perfect, 45-yard bomb in the opposite direction of where he was rolling.
You can't teach this.
Stokes' moxie, an intangible more than a prowess, trickles into his game more than ever on throws like the ones above. He's not afraid of pressure, instead, he looks it in the face and remarks that a flick of his wrist can defeat it.
He can vary his throwing motion to toss darts from different angles and in different positions, which is a necessity given Nease's designed roll-outs.
Need a ball squeezed in low and outside by the right boundary? Stokes can zip it from a three-quarters release and put the ball where only the receiver can play it? A pass across his body? Stokes will keep the motion tight to his body and release the ball over his shoulder.
He's even flashed a near-sidearm throw into the middle throwing window to navigate incoming rushers and enclosing coverage defenders, leading his receiver to the ball where only they can get a hand on it.
Stokes' anticipation for throwing windows opening, only to make a beautiful pass that defenders don't realize is there, is notably impressive. We've seen him split four defenders in a near-five-yard radius to complete a left-rolling out-route, and miraculously, there was still room for yards after the catch up the field.
Back to the point technique though, this doesn't mean that Stokes has a perfect motion when it's all said and done. His windup from a set throwing base is noticeably inconsistent and can sometimes be far too elongated, to the point where the ball has dropped to his hip.
There are times, however, when Stokes' windup is clean and compact — his velocity and accuracy have both proven to be pristine in these scenarios.
Stokes has admittedly focused on forming a more consistent motion this offseason and progress has certainly been made.
Drastic improvement was shown at Florida's Swamp Shootout 7-on-7 tournament, although it was clear at Elite 11 that there was work still in progress as he reverted to his old mechanics a bit during the pro day and accuracy gauntlet. His showing in the stationary circuit was promising, however, and his mechanics seemed much cleaner at that workout.
The biggest umbrella question remaining, composed of several things to ponder, is what will Stokes' game look like within the more organized Florida offense under Billy Napier?
How comfortable will Stokes become on a traditional drop-back in the pocket, going through his reads without breaking off and running, and consistently utilizing his base to maximize his potential as a pure passer?
It's hard to answer the question at this time, as Stokes will surely need a couple of years to work on these areas of his game.
What helps, though, is that Napier's offense is also RPO-heavy and allows its quarterbacks to play outside of structure when needed. This will surely aid Stokes' comfort while his technique undergoes some tweaks, as he's used to and thrives at the "hero ball" aspect of manning the position.
Look no further than former Louisiana quarterback Levi Lewis, who Napier developed over the last four years with the Ragin' Cajuns. Napier called designed roll-outs aplenty as Lewis got used to playing at the college level while developing his pocket presence over time, and he finished his career as UL's all-time leading touchdown passer.
Final thoughts
Well-noted above, Stokes is far from a finished product as a passer, having only one season of starting experience under his belt and requiring some technical development once he makes his way into the program.
But, assuming his progression goes as planned, Stokes should one day be able to lead the Gators' offense onto the field and put up some points. He's got the type of skill-set that coaches look for in the modern game: A big arm and mobility to pair.
Add in some improved accuracy that will come with technical development, and the sky suddenly seems like the limit for Stokes considering his big-play ability at this point in his young career.
This evaluation is similar to Max Brown's from the 2022 class, the last-second quarterback Napier and Co. identified from a small private school in Oklahoma in January. Brown's offense similarly allowed him to play hero ball, and against middling competition at best, he thrived despite a lack of experience.
Stokes' game is quite similar, although his junior season competition level at Nease was much tougher in Florida's 7A classification. Districts are being reshaped in the Sunshine State ahead of the 2022 prep season, but Nease's schedule remains formidable entering Stokes' senior year.
Florida's quarterback situation remains an interesting one moving forward, though, as neither Stokes nor Brown are expected to take starting snaps any time in the near future.
And if starter Anthony Richardson succeeds enough in 2022 to declare for the NFL Draft, the Gators might need to make another signal-caller acquisition before the cycle wraps up or via the transfer portal.
But rest assured, Stokes is talented enough to one day take hold of the reins to the Gators' offense.
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