K-State QB Commitment Rubley Impressive at Elite 11 Atlanta
CARROLLTON, Ga. -- The Elite 11 quarterback camp tour kicked off over the weekend and upon receiving the roster of participants, SI All-American was surprised to see so many prospects from across America expected to get work in.
One of the competitors who logged the most miles in order to compete on Saturday also happened to be among the most impressive in Jake Rubley.
The Kansas State commitment out of Littleton (Colo.) Highlands Ranch had something to prove and forced his hand with consistent success in each setting designed to push passers outside of their comfort zone.
"It was the first Elite 11 camp and we wanted to get out there fast," Rubley told SI All-American. "I wanted to be the first one out there and I knew it was going to be great competition.
"It feels great, too. I think Colorado is the most slept on state in the country and I have a lot of Colorado pride. I just wanted to come out here and prove myself with some of the best guys in the country -- it's a pretty great feeling."
The rising senior recruit, who has combined for 45 touchdowns over the last two football seasons, assessed his own performance and game at the critical point of his development.
"Being mentally the best on the field," he said. "I like to know everything about the defense that I'm preparing myself for. I think my accuracy and my base are my two best traits, also being a good teammate.
"I need to get better...I think I choke the ball a little more so I lose spiral sometimes. That's one thing I've got to get better on."
Rubley picked up well over a dozen scholarship offers in 2019 but kicked off the New Year with the pledge to K-State. He says several programs continue to attempt to communicate with him but he respectfully clarifies his solidity to the Big 12 program.
"It was a big weight off my shoulders," he said. "I felt very at home there when I took a visit a couple months before, when they beat Iowa State. I was looking at pros and cons and I just didn't see many cons with Kansas State.
"So it was like, 'shoot, let's go be a Cat!' It just felt good."
Several Wildcat coaches have made a strong impression on Rubley both on and off the field, especially considering the history of success and the direction the program and offense is heading towards.
"Coach (Chris) Kleiman is the best," he said. "Obviously he was at North Dakota State so he knows what it is, what it's like to win. He's basically a legend there. Then with Coach (Collin) Klein, he was second in the Heisman race and brought them to number one in the country. I love Coach (Courtney) Messingham, I love the offense, they put guys in the NFL so it kind of all clicked together.
"I think they're going to be more pass-first. They say you can't beat everyone on your feet but you can always beat people in the air."
How soon may the Colorado native make an impact in Manhattan? Skylar Thompson is entering his senior campaign in 2020 and there isn't considerable quarterback experience remaining on the KSU roster.
"They just felt like I'd be a perfect fit for their offense and he said I'd have a pretty good shot at competing for the starting job as a freshman," Rubley said. "That's huge for me. I look forward to it."
The rock solid right-hander will be back on the camp circuit in mid March when the Under Armour camp hits Dallas. He will be back at K-State for another visit March 19 with no additional college campus visits planned elsewhere.
"I'm a Cat," Rubley said.
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