Dante Sparaco, Eighth grade qb getting attention from D1 programs

Submitted by Wolfman on

I was going to write about how ridiculous it was that teams were already contacting this kid given the face he's in 8th grade. I was going to write about the difference between he and Damon Bailey and the fact that if Bobby Knight saw enough in this kid to think he had the skill set as an 8th grader to make him an offer, he would definitely be ready by time he came to IN.

 

As Dante's highlight reel-Do they really have these at this level?-or is just games to date in Pop Warner(?), started playing he simply took the snap and started running over people in his way. Afterall he is 6'3" and weighs 205 so you'd expect as much. Then I saw him start throwing the ball, and I think I might have seen in this kid what Bobby saw in Damon. He not only throws darts, but shows some real juice while throwing on the move and has pretty damn good touch on deep balls. I'm certain, given his D1 physical stature now, he'll start picking up more and more interest as the years go by, so we'll here a lot from this kid.

 

You might think, as I did initially, that there is no way to tell how good this kid really is because he's a head taller and a whole lot stronger than all those poor kids attempting to bring him down. But then, as soon as he starts throwing the ball, it's ez to see why people who get paid a lot of money are taking an interest in this kid so very early in the process. Class of '17? WOW. Should be fun to keep our eyes and ears open on this one.

Wolfman

May 29th, 2013 at 7:08 PM ^

but i hop around from site to site to see what they have on their cover pages, content of course which I cannot open. Then I just google the name and it usually takes me to a you tube video when they are featured on prominent sporting sites.  Just type in his name and have fun watching him. But, like I said, it gets interesting when he starts throwing. As someone said, and rightfully so, coaching qb takes a lot of time and effort to make sure these kids are where they belong at a certain age. However, it's easy to see why some get early attention. I've seen lots of qbs get everything wrong except the completion. "It's like my bb coach told me in h.s. I don't care if a player shoots it from his nose as long as it goes through the hoop." But as a former qb, later coach, I could have fun coaching a kid like this.

DISCUSS Man

May 29th, 2013 at 6:26 PM ^

You think that is crazy? Ha. There are already 10 year olds being groomed. Anthony Romphf, Class of 2020.

 

At a QB combine with 2015 kids. You can see 2015 Cass Tech QB Jayru Campbell in the background-

bronxblue

May 29th, 2013 at 6:47 PM ^

Good for him?  At this point, I'm no longer surprised by these young kids getting interest.  What people tend to forget, though, is that more times than not these guys don't work out to any greater degree than your average recruit.  He may be the next Heisman winner or a backup.  Who knows.  Talk to me when Les Miles is cheering on two horny high schoolers after prom to have unprotected sex because Daddy needs a new DT.

natesezgoblue

May 29th, 2013 at 6:50 PM ^

as someone who head coaches a youth football team, I hate this.  Parents are already tough enough to handle as it is.  Ive seen tons of kids with the same or better talent than the ten yr old above.  Tons with better footwork, a bigger arm and quicker throws.  Not to say he wont ever grow up to be anything but QB is prob the toughest position to groom a kid into.  Let the kid be a kid.   

Well...Well...Well

May 29th, 2013 at 7:17 PM ^

Rivals shows his commitment date as 3/5/2012, although the article I posted in the comment above yours confirms the 7th grade commitment in 2010. I'm assuming this is due to the fact that coaches couldn't officially offer until he was in high school, article says his family contacted Kiffin in 7th grade.

LSAClassOf2000

May 29th, 2013 at 7:20 PM ^

...on GridironStuds.com. (HERE).

If anyone is curious, he is listed on this site as having recently turned 14 and at 6'3" and 202 pounds. The link to his YouTube highlights are on the page. For what it is worth, the intro to the clip lists him as playing primarily DE if he's on the other side of the ball. 

Perkis-Size Me

May 29th, 2013 at 9:41 PM ^

NCAA really needs to get this crap on lockdown. There's absolutely no reason for colleges to be contacting a kid before he even sets foot on a high school campus, much less offering them scholarships.



At the rate this is going, I could see schools eventually investing in eugenics programs to create the perfect athletes and offer them scholarships before they even get out of the test tube.

randyfloyd

May 29th, 2013 at 10:46 PM ^

and I quote, "I want to go to Notre Dame." "That's my goal, to get to the NFL and play for Notre Dame."....

Keep in mind the kid is an 8th grader