EXCLUSIVE: With A Michigan State Offer in Hand, Spartan Nation Talks with One of America's Elite 2016 QB Prospects Jake Zembiec

Quarterback is often called the most important position on the field. It’s no surprise that they are aiming high.

The Spartan coaching staff has its sights set on one of the best quarterbacks of his class as well one of the best players in the state of New York – Jake Zembiec.

This 6’2, 205 pound prospect has a wonderful combination of mobility and throwing ability that will make him a centerpiece for any big-time college program. Zembiec has a long list of schools to choose from, but Michigan State is certainly on his mind.

The youngster recently spoke with Hondo S. Carpenter, Sr. on Spartan Nation Radio, talking about the recruiting process, Michigan State, and his bright future.

Jake Zembiec began to turn heads during his second season as a starting quarterback at Aquinas Institute. Using his accurate arm and quick feet, the Rochester native continued to find ways to lead the Little Irish to victory. Even as the season progressed, opposing defenses could not find a way to stop Zembiec. The sophomore led Aquinas to a perfect 13-0 record, recording 1,932 passing yards and 26 touchdowns in the process. He was named the New York Class AA Player of the Year for his efforts.

Letters of interest and then scholarship offers soon flowed into Zembiec’s mailbox. Nebraska, Oklahoma State, Penn State, and Syracuse all extended the dual-threat quarterback a scholarship offer.

Michigan State was among the schools jockeying for Zembiec’s interest as the recruiting process intensified for the class of 2016. The Spartan coaching staff was successful at doing so.

Mark Dantonio and his staff made quite a good first impression with Zembiec.

“I went to their camp a few months back during the summer and did well and got to hang out with Coach [Brad] Salem and Coach Dantonio. Connor Cook was even there,” Zembiec said. I did really well there, and they wanted to watch the film to see what they thought. The thing they told me before I even got there was that they like to take their time with all the recruits in each recruiting class to make sure they make the right choice.”

The MSU coaching staff followed up that good first impression by offering Zembiec a scholarship.

“It was one of the more exciting offers that I’ve had because it came on September 1st, the first day that coaches could tweet me and send me letters,” Zembiec said. “Coach [Mark] Dantonio tweeted me to call him. I didn’t think anything of it besides just talking to him, but he offered me over the phone, so that was really special.

“They must have felt pretty good about how I did in camp.”

It comes as no surprise that Dantonio hopes to land a quarterback of Zembiec’s caliber. Any coach would love to have a player like Zembiec on his roster. But no matter how badly Dantonio wanted a player, the veteran coach would never try to pressure the recruit by forcing him to make an early decision.

“Their process now puts no pressure on me because they’re a big-time program and they know that they’re doing the right thing so that they can get a good guy and a good leader to come in the program,” Zembiec said. “Would they love it to be me? I’m sure they would. But they’ll find someone there to be good. They just want me to find the best place for me.”

Hopefully for the Spartan Nation, Zembiec finds that East Lansing is the best place for him, because this quarterback is the real deal.

Many look at Zembiec and immediately notice his arm strength and poise in the pocket. While Zembiec possesses both of these things, the youngster believes his best skill is something else altogether.

“I take pride in making accurate throws,” Zembiec said. “Especially in high school, you really don’t have to do that, because with an arm, you can get away with throwing the deep ball every time. Challenging myself to make the hard throws when the defender is right on the guy is what is going to prepare me for the next level. So I kind of take it upon myself to do the little things to prepare me for the next level.”

Comparing a high school prospect to an NFLer can be fun, but the comparisons are rarely exact. However, Zembiec sees a lot of Andrew Luck in himself.

“He’s a really good thrower and he’s naturally a leader when he plays … He also likes to lower his shoulder a little bit, and I love that. I think he plays similar to the way I play.”

Zembiec also has all of the intangibles you look for in a quarterback.

Perhaps the most noticeable of Zembiec’s intangibles is his leadership ability. You might think that he is a born leader, but the Rochester native believes God-given leadership skills will only take you so far.

“You can’t just walk onto a football team and start leading the guys. When football players say that it’s a brotherhood, I think it really is,” Zembiec said. “You have to build a relationship with the guys and have them place their trust in you. And once that happens, they’re going to listen to you, especially as the quarterback. They’re going to go where they gotta go, and once you start having success, everyone is going to buy into it.”

Off the field, Zembiec manages to stay remarkably humble. A well-rounded human being, Zembiec has his family to thank for keeping him grounded.

“My parents do a great job and my grandparents do, too, of keeping me humble,” Zembiec said. “They do a lot of the work for getting me recruited and getting me recognized, so I’m thankful for that. We just work together really well and that’s a big part of why I’m here today.”

Any coach would love to have a quarterback with Zembiec’s talent and intangibles. Without a doubt, Zembiec will likely receive many offers from many other coaches as he continues to make plays at Aquinas.

In the meantime, Zembiec has plenty of time to make up his mind. He doesn’t plan on stretching out the process, however. While he acknowledges that it is a “good problem to have,” Zembiec doesn’t like all the attention.

“I’m not sure if it’s going to be a gut feeling one day or after one visit, but I’m kind of leaning towards making a decision before senior season so I can relax and just enjoy my last year of football and my last year of high school altogether,” Zembiec said.

No matter what school he finally picks, Zembiec would certainly look good in Green and White in Spartan Stadium.