How College Coaches Evaluate Quarterbacks — From a Former Power 4 Coach and NFL Scout

Forget arm strength and highlight clips. A former Virginia, Virginia Tech, and Miami coach — and NFL evaluator with the Saints and Steelers — breaks down the real traits that determine whether a high school QB becomes a college quarterback

Denbigh High School Quarterback Kevin Parker rolls out the pocket vs Norview. / Chris Brown: @breezyshots__

Most of the articles you read that break down the quarterback position don’t truly evaluate it. They focus on the results — not the process, the traits, or the decisions that created them. This one takes you inside the real evaluation process.

Most People Evaluate QBs Wrong — Here’s Why

I’ve been the three-star nationally ranked high-school quarterback, the college coach at Power 4 programs like Virginia, Virginia Tech, and Miami, and the NFL scout with the Saints and Steelers sitting in draft meetings with evaluators such as Sean Payton and Mike Tomlin. I’ve evaluated quarterbacks at every level — from high schools across the country, to Power 4 starters, to NFL draft boards.
And I can tell you confidently: most people are looking at quarterback play through the wrong lens.

It Starts With the Feet: The Truth-Teller of QB Play

When college coaches turn on the film, they don’t start with arm strength. They start with the feet. A quarterback’s base tells the truth — whether he keeps his feet active, whether he maintains balance, how consistent his drop is, and whether he drifts in the pocket. The ability to reset and deliver the ball from any platform matters more than how far he can throw it. Most high school quarterbacks look great in shorts; very few look clean when the pocket begins to collapse. And the ones who stay clean possess a trait that’s hard to teach.

Eye Discipline Separates High School Flash From College Playmakers

From there, college coaches go straight to the eyes. They want quarterbacks who can manipulate defenders — not stare them down. At the high school level, most kids can throw it, but very few can move a defense with their eyes. College evaluators study whether a QB knows his pre-snap keys, understands rotations, anticipates movement, and has a plan for where his eyes go after the snap. Eye discipline isn’t a bonus trait. It’s the job.

The Internal Clock: The Trait That Saves Offenses

Then comes the internal clock — the blend of rhythm, feel, and awareness that separates quarterbacks who survive from those who elevate. Every quarterback has two clocks: the play clock and the life clock. The play clock shows whether a quarterback keeps the offense in rhythm and eliminates pre-snap penalties that kill drives. The life clock is the sixth sense — the awareness of when to climb, escape, extend, or get the ball out all while keeping their eyes downfield. Coaches want quarterbacks who don’t panic, avoids sacks, and protect the football. They want poise disguised as timing.

Hampton High School Quarterback Marcus Champman evades the pocket. / Christopher Hayes: @capturedby._.chris

Why Big Arms and Big Stats Don’t Equal College Success

This is where college staffs separate quarterbacks who put up big numbers from quarterbacks who can truly play. The “flashy” high school quarterback — the one who gets all the attention — is usually a kid with a big arm, big stats, and big confidence on a 7-on-7 field. He wins with athletic advantages and operates a simple read structure. But college-caliber quarterbacks reveal something entirely different. Their feet stay quiet under pressure. Their throws are anticipatory, not reactive. Their bad plays are survivable and not deadly. They firmly step up in the pocket instead of drifting. They throw receivers open rather than throwing to a spot. They win with their mind as much as their arm.

Families often chase the traits that are easy to see. College coaches chase the traits that matter on Saturdays. That disconnect explains why so many parents think their child is being overlooked, when in reality evaluators are watching for things that don’t always appear on social media.

The Traits Parents Overlook — But Coaches Value Most

Most parents look at stats, big throws, viral clips, hype, and rankings. College coaches watch traits: balance, body control, eye discipline, processing speed, operation, situational awareness, and accuracy under duress. The recruiting gap happens because families see football emotionally and coaches see it analytically.

What actually translates from high school to college are the traits most people overlook — and mental toughness is at the top of that list. Not the loud kind, but the steady, absorbing kind. Coaches want to know if a quarterback can take coaching, stay calm in chaos, and remain composed when the plan falls apart.

Next is the type of play making that actually survives at higher levels. Every staff asks the same question: Does his play making hold up when everyone on the field is bigger, faster, and stronger too? Some kids are just athletic. Others are true problem-solvers. The problem-solvers are the ones who play on Saturdays.

Being coachable might be the biggest separator of all. Quarterbacking is about absorbing information, applying corrections, adapting instantly, and owning the locker room. A quarterback who cannot be coached becomes a liability. A quarterback who absorbs coaching elevates everyone around him. Growth capacity — or “upside” — matters too. Coaches rarely choose the kid who looks the best at 16 or 17. They choose the kid who can grow the most at 20. Projection is the name of the game.

Phoebus High School Quarterback Maurikus Banks / Christopher Hayes: @capturedby._.chris

Real Confidence vs. Social Media Confidence

And then there’s confidence — real confidence. Not social media confidence, not 7-on-7 confidence, not star-chasing confidence. Quarterback confidence should be steady, quiet, earned, and consistent. Coaches can spot delusion instantly.

Finding a Quarterback isn’t about the biggest arm, the most stars, or the flashiest highlight reel. It’s about traits that win when the lights get bright and the windows get tight. The quarterback position demands maturity — and most kids are still learning how to grow into that.

The Habits That Actually Get QBs Recruited

If you want to play at the next level, build the traits that matter. Study the game like a coach. Master the boring details. Because college staffs aren’t recruiting quarterbacks — they’re recruiting future problem solvers. They’re looking for the kid who can walk into a meeting room on Monday, get corrected, apply it on Tuesday, and execute it under pressure on Saturday. That’s the separator.

Recruits and parents often think the process starts when the offers come. It doesn’t. It starts in the habits nobody sees — the extra footwork reps, the late-night installs, the discipline to watch film the right way, the maturity to take coaching without excuses. Those traits stack. They travel. They show up on tape long before the touchdowns do. The ones who separate… separate long before the world ever sees it. They don’t need the attention to validate the work. They build themselves into the player college coaches don’t just want — but trust. That’s what gets you recruited. And that’s what lasts.