Young QB Steele Wasel Looks Good and Making Progress

We saw him last fall for the first time as a freshman and now Steele Wasel is ready to take command of the Choctaw offense and push toward being a major college prospect.

TULSA -- Steele Wasel has looked the part since he first lined up at quarterback in little league. When we saw him for the first time last August as a freshman playing in a scrimmage for Choctaw in Broken Arrow it was hard not to envision the tall, slender, and athletic young man becoming a bonafide star. Lots of work has to come at that position to realize potential, so when we caught up with Wasel in Tulsa at Derek Rasmussen's F3 Quarterback Training we were not disappointed. 

We saw a young quarterback that has grown physically, matured in the game of football, and matured in his speaking to a reporter on camera. Wasel is making the strides to become one of the top high school quarterbacks in Oklahoma. 

"When all the quarantine stuff started, I moved in with my Grandpa and he fed me steak and chicken for like three weeks straight and I used some creatine and protein and, really, my body started blowing up," explained Wasel. "Really over this whole off season Derek (Rasmussen) and Coach (Jake) Corbin fixed my arm and my entire delivery."

Rasmussen does a good job developing quarterbacks and part of his training is not just doing the things the way you expect to or want to. He builds in a lot of what ifs and just in case scenarios physically into his training and workouts. He has his quarterbacks deal with the expected and the unexpected. Wasel gets to do it against defensive backs that play in college and throwing to receivers that play in high school, college, and even Super Bowl winner Darwin Thompson of the Kansas City Chiefs and formerly of Jenks High School and NEO A&M Junior College. 

"Yeah, I like coming out here and working out with college and really some high level dudes," Wasel said of the Rasmussen Quarterback Training workouts. "I really like working out with Derek because he actually works us on thing that are going to happen in the game. It's not like three step drop and to the corner but it's like three step drop and get off with an off balance throw."

He does all of that well. He adapts well, but he also does the fundamentals very well too. He has a strong build and throws the ball pretty effortlessly, kind of flicks it. 

Last season Wasel played behind a senior at quarterback and got a chance to show his talents. He played in seven games for the Yellow Jackets and completed 7-of-22 passing for 141-yards and two touchdowns. He did throw three interceptions and will work on that. We described him as athletic. He is and he rushed 25 times for 132-yards and a touchdown. He also ran in a two-point conversion. Now, he can't wait for this season as the starting quarterback. 

"I'm really looking forward to it and we have a lot of great weapons (offense at Choctaw)," Wasel said. "We're going to have a great team this year and I'm really looking forward to it. Yes, it's really like we're having success that Choctaw hasn't seen in a long time and we're not done."

If you go to his Twitter home page you will find a picture of former Oklahoma quarterback Baker Mayfield. That would be discouraging for an Oklahoma State fan. It was Oklahoma State that reached out and showed interest early and OU followed quickly. The truth right now is that Wasel isn't thinking recruiting and college. There is lots of time for that. He is appropriately keeping his eyes on the prize and not trying to speed his life up.

"Yeah, I just think if I go do my thing and let it happen and go play, I'm going to take advantage and have fun with my time in high school," Wasel said of the recruiting pressure and process."

He's going to be fun to watch this fall and you can bet Pokes Report will make it out there to check his progress.