Commitment 101: Bryce Rivers

Frank Wilson made no secret his intentions of recruiting locally when he took over as UTSA head football coach earlier in the year. The former LSU assistant understands the importance of keeping the top talent close to home. The Tigers built a dynasty on it in Louisiana and Wilson hopes to emulate some of that success in San Antonio. One of the first pieces was the commitment of Stevens High School quarterback Bryce Rivers. Here is his Commitment 101.

Skillset:

The numbers Rivers put up as a junior are staggering. He completed 61.3 percent of his 378 attempts, passing for 3,404 yards and 30 touchdowns. Rivers was a first-team all-district choice an honorable mention all-state selection. Rivers is a big kid. He’s listed at 6-foot-3 and over 200 pounds. I stood next to him after UTSA’s Junior Day and he is every bit that big, and has the frame in the shoulders to add weight and strength.

The first thing that jumps out about Rivers is his foot work. Most high school quarterbacks lack in this area, but Rivers excels for a high school athlete. His feet are constantly moving, he rarely steps away from his target and he keeps a strong base underneath him before picking out his receiver. Rivers isn’t a dual-threat quarterback in the true sense of the term, but he is a wiling runner. He’s capable of picking up first downs with his legs and showed in his film the ability to lower his head near the end zone.

Rivers’ arm won’t turn heads at camps. Quarterbacks don’t need rockets to complete passes. Rivers does his damage with a capable arm, high football IQ, anticipation and technique. Rivers is a member of the SA22 and without question a top-5 signal caller in San Antonio.

Immediate Impact:

Rivers’ impact, at least early on, will be felt outside of the football field. If UTSA can hold his commitment through National Signing Day he’ll become the first area quarterback to be on scholarship at UTSA. That means a lot and Wilson knows it. A quarterback is the leader of a recruiting class. It is the most important position on the field and fellow recruits want to know who their quarterback will be in the future. Rivers gives Wilson a jumping point for the rest of the class and gaining Rivers’ commitment shows UTSA is capable of identifying top local talent and securing a commitment. Quarterbacks deserve a year or two to learn the college game and groom before being thrust into a starting role and Rivers will ideally receive a redshirt. He can still help UTSA by being the leader of the recruiting class and helping attract local talent to UTSA in the 2017 class and beyond.

Fitting into the program:

The offense UTSA will run is still fluid and there is no clear answer to whether the offense we see this year is what UTSA wants to do in the future or if it is what it has to do with the current personnel. Rivers is more Dalton Sturm than Jerrod Johnson, but offensive coordinator Frank Scelfo was successful with quarterbacks like Rivers in the past. Scelfo likes left-handed quarterbacks like Rivers. Wilson and his staff know how important the 2017 class is to future success. Rivers fits into the program’s future direction or he wouldn’t have been taken as a commitment this early on in the cycle.

Recruiting at the position:

UTSA isn’t done at quarterback in 2017. All eyes now turn to the recruitment of another local quarterback prospect. Recently, Clemens High School quarterback Frank Harris announced he’ll make his decision soon and listed UTSA as one of the finalist. Many people around Harris’ recruitment feel UTSA is at least the co-leader in the race. A verbal pledge from the third-ranked player in the SA22 would give UTSA two of the top five quarterbacks in the area to build an opening class around.