Pass first, run second for Tennessee prospect Scroggins

Jesse Scroggins' highlight tape says it all.

For an athletic quarterback, there's little evidence of the 6-foot-3, 195-pounder's running ability on YouTube. As a matter of fact, it takes almost three minutes of highlights before Scroggins finally darts past the line of scrimmage.

Sure, there is mobility but this Tennessee prospect is more Peyton Manning than Heath Shuler.

Scroggins' mobility is all about sliding in the pocket while still surveying the field. He's not looking to sprint into the teeth of a defense just because an opportunity presents itself.

"Pass first, run second," the star quarterback from Lakewood (Calif.) High School said during a phone interview with the News Sentinel.

There are times when it looks as if Scroggins surely will take off and run. A common fake handoff seems to be the first step in a typical zone-read running play. Nope, Scroggins is sitting tight, ready to zing a pass downfield.

"That's been my main thing: Stay in the pocket. And if (I need to), I can get away," Scroggins said.

Such dedication to being a pro-style quarterback has a dozen schools, including UT, interested enough to offer Scroggins a scholarship. The Vols did so last week.

Arizona, Arizona State, California, LSU, Nebraska, Washington and Washington State also have extended official offers. Southern California, Florida and Utah have shown strong interest but haven't offered yet.

"The process is going great," said Scroggins. "All schools are even at this point. I'm keeping my options open and looking at every school."

UT has an advantage on its side despite being two time zones away. Scroggins' mother hails from Tennessee and her family still resides in Memphis.

"I love Tennessee, actually," said Scroggins, who is widely considered one of the top 100 prospects in the nation. "Family is in Tennessee. They're very high in the process."

Scroggins has lived in California his whole life but says he has no issue with leaving the area to pursue his college football career.

"I don't have a preference at all," said Scroggins, who names will to win, great academics and strong tradition as characteristics he's looking for in a college football program.

Still, it's hard to ignore the fact that UT is close to 2,200 miles away and USC is little more than a 20-minute drive from Lakewood.

The Trojans recently offered Scroggins a chance to earn his scholarship. USC will host six quarterbacks for a skills challenge during its upcoming football camp in June. Whoever performs the best will earn a scholarship.

It wouldn't be a shock if Scroggins won the summer showdown. His athleticism is a good match for skills competitions. Also, he was named the camp MVP at a recent USC event.

Also, Scroggins has visited USC on several occasions.

"USC is basically my home town, I'm only 20 miles down the road, so I'd be very pleased to go to USC," Scroggins told USCFootball.com.

As for UT, Scroggins plans to visit Knoxville in June for the Vols' summer camp.

The SEC could help UT. Scroggins said the SEC's reputation will be a "big factor" in his recruitment.

"SEC football is, I think personally, the best conference," Scroggins said. "All the great athletes go to the SEC. All the great schools are in the SEC."

Scroggins is the most intriguing quarterback prospect on UT's board to earn a scholarship offer. While all are considered pro-style passers, Scroggins has more ability to run than his counterparts.

UT has offered three other high school quarterbacks: Jake Heaps from Skyline High School in Sammamish, Wash., Andrew Hendrix from Moeller High School in Cincinnati and Blake Bell from Bishop Carroll High School in Wichita, Kan. Bell is committed to Oklahoma.

Scroggins has posted a 4.8-second time in the 40-yard dash, but he believes he's faster than when he was tested two months ago.

Still, the mobile passer known for his strong arm would rather focus on the nearly 2,500 yards and 23 touchdowns he threw in 2008.

© 2009, Knoxville News Sentinel Co.
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