JMU Lands top MD QB (2012)

[JmuSkinsfan]

Very interesting ... very interested to see if this kid keeps his verbal commitment and signs the dotted line after his senior year, but if I've ever heard of a guy who falls in love with a campus, this is him.

Article on commitment.

"When Brunswick quarterback Ian Fisher stepped foot on James Madison's campus for the third time Thursday afternoon he knew it wouldn't be long before he committed. As the 6-foot-6, 245-pound gunslinger strolled around the grounds, saw the dorms, checked out the stadium and met a few players and students, he decided now was the time.

Fisher committed on Thursday

"It just felt right. JMU was my favorite for a long time and I couldn't leave there without committing," Fisher said. "When I [finished my visit] I went over to Coach [Mickey] Matthews and told him I was ready to come play for him. It feels great to have a home."

'Home' is definitely the right word in this instance. Fisher may have taken more campus visits than any other Maryland prospect this offseason, but the only place he felt truly attached to was James Madison.

"It really did feel like home," Fisher said. "The campus is close-knit and very welcoming. Then I know a lot of guys from my home [Frederick County] that go there like Ryan Dixon (Linganore), Jakari Jackson (Tuscarora) and Marquis Woodyard (Thomas Johnson). So I already have friends on the team, and I connected with all the players right away.

"Then I love the coaches and have a strong relationship with them," Fisher continued. "I connected with them right away. They're a hands-on group; they get involved. Coach Mattews is great; he's really good at what he does, and I feel like he can help me develop [as a quarterback]."

There were other reasons Fisher chose James Madison as well, including the "top-notch" facilities, the stadium atmosphere and the football program itself.

"James Madison just has so much upside," Fisher said. "You wouldn't know the difference between them and a major Division-I program."

Fisher's only other offer was from Towson, but he was on the radar of numerous BCS schools, namely Duke, Boston College, Penn State and Virginia. But instead of going to camps and trying to lure in a big-name suitor, he opted for the I-AA Dukes.

"There was no doubt in my mind I would have gotten at least one [major offer] after these camps," Fisher said. "But I figured I didn't need 'em [big schools]. I knew where I wanted to go. It wasn't that important for me to go to a Division-I-A school."

Fisher said the only other schools he was considering were Boston College and Virginia. He wasn't guaranteed an offer from either program, but even if they did extend a verbal neither could compare to JMU.

"I love everything about JMU," Fisher said. "Everything they're doing there is very intriguing. There's no offer I could get that would change my mind."

A few other schools, such as N.C. State and Maryland, may have played Fisher at a position other then quarterback, presumably tight end. That turned Fisher off.

"JMU is letting me play quarterback; that's huge," he said. "I feel like I fit into their spread offense. It's the same offense we run here at Brunswick."

Now that he's committed, Fisher will attend a few Dukes camps to get a better feel for the system and the staff.

He said he'll likely red-shirt his first season before challenging for a spot in his second year.

"I'm two years behind Billy Cosh, who is the youngest quarterback on the roster," Fisher said. "So if you do the math I could be starting by my junior [red-shirt sophomore] year. But if I go in there and do well, who knows? I'm ready for the challenge."

[JmuSkinsfan]

Nice article from back in April before he committed anywhere.

http://www.gazette.net/gazettecms/story.php?id=2823" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Ian Fisher has learned what to look for while sorting through the mail.

Day after day, more and more correspondence from college football powerhouses arrives in the Brunswick High star quarterback's mailbox. Most of the skinniest envelopes are discarded unopened; they are essentially junk mail. Packets, however, always make the cut and usually contain something worth looking over.

The onslaught never stops for a blue-chip prospect like Fisher, but this is only the beginning. On Friday, the recruiting process really begins to heat up with the commencement of the NCAA-sanctioned evaluation period and the arrival of college coaches on high school campuses.

"That's when I'll really know who I'm interested in and who is really interested in me," said Fisher, a junior.

An evaluation period is when a college coach can visit a recruit's school, and athletes and their parents can visit potential college destinations in their turn.

Coaches are permitted to call, or write to, a recruit but cannot conduct any in-person conversations with them, or their parents, off-campus. The upcoming evaluation period expires May 31.

Gridiron blue bloods including the universities of Notre Dame (Ind.), Michigan and Georgia, and Penn State and Florida State universities are amongst the approximately two dozen schools which have expressed an interest in Fisher. Some have done little more than reach out to him on Facebook. Others have been a bit more outgoing.

The Nittany Lions, for example, sent a substantial parcel, containing amongst other things a season highlight reel DVD. Joe Paterno and company also invited Fisher to their spring game, and he will be in Happy Valley on Saturday for the annual Blue and White scrimmage.

James Madison (Va.) University, a Football Championship Subdivision powerhouse that plays in the Colonial Athletic Association, was the first school officially to offer a full scholarship.

Letters and other assorted literature only go so far. They're a nice introduction and Fisher admits he's both humbled and flattered by the attention. But a trip to Brunswick carries a lot more weight. Virginia Tech recently indicated to Brunswick head coach Patrick Foster that its representatives will be making a visit.

"The next six weeks will really tell who is actually in the game and who is just driving my mail carrier crazy with all the stuff," Fisher's mother, Amy, said.

A hands-on head coach and the opportunity to play quarterback are high on Fisher's wish list. He said he is turned off by coaches who are little more than administrators or figureheads and wants to play for someone more engaging. Maryland and North Carolina State have both expressed interest in converting him to tight end, but Fisher would prefer to line up under center.

"I want to be a quarterback, and feel I can be a quarterback," the 6-foot-6, 245 pound Fisher said. "I'm not really looking to be a tight end, which is what some of the schools are starting to bring up."

Fisher will return to Penn State to participate in a pair of prestigious recruiting camps April 29-30. He will start with the Nike Elite 11 Quarterback Camp on the first day and then appear at the Nike Football Training Camp (NFTC) to close out his trip. In late May, he'll travel to Duke for another NFTC session.

Fisher admits that at times the process becomes tiresome. Plodding through the deluge on a daily basis can be a bit monotonous. Patient, he recognizes it's a necessary evil and is thankful to be in the position he is.

National Signing Day is Feb. 1. Expect Fisher to make his decision much sooner. He plans on choosing his school before his senior season kicks offs so he can devote all of his attention to the Railroaders.

"I don't want to be one of those kids that waits until Signing Day to make a decision," Fisher said. "I don't want to rush anything, but I want to know what I'm doing by the time the season starts."

Brunswick contended for the first time in a long while last year, finishing 11-2 and advancing to the Class 1A semifinals. Fisher threw for 3,027 yards and 27 touchdowns while rushing for eight more in being named as The Gazette's Offensive Player of the Year.

Having tasted success Fisher, who is running track for Brunswick this spring, is hungry for more. Hardly a day goes by when he isn't out on the field working with teammates. Playing at M&T Bank Stadium in early December, not the fall of 2012, is what he's focused on at the moment.

The rest will work itself out.

"The college thing will happen based on what we do as a team," Fisher said. "Nobody wants somebody who doesn't win. My end goal is to win this season. I want to get further than we got last season, and help all of my teammates accomplish what they want to do. And then all of the college stuff will happen."

[GannonFan]

Very interesting ... very interested to see if this kid keeps his verbal commitment and signs the dotted line after his senior year, but if I've ever heard of a guy who falls in love with a campus, this is him.

Article on commitment.

"When Brunswick quarterback Ian Fisher stepped foot on James Madison's campus for the third time Thursday afternoon he knew it wouldn't be long before he committed.

If he was so in love with the campus, why'd it take 3 visits? Normally something like that happens on you know, the first visit. Just saying.

Fisher's only other offer was from Towson...

Seriously, anyone know how the rest of the article ended? I pretty much stopped reading right about there.

[JmuSkinsfan]

Fisher's only other offer was from Towson...

Seriously, anyone know how the rest of the article ended? I pretty much stopped reading right about there.

Actually, yeah, you should have ... at least the next few sentences. He sounds like one of those guys who gets attention early on from the smaller schools, then gets big time offers after his senior year. He was already getting some significant interest from a lot of bigger programs ... but it sounds like he'll stick with JMU no matter what ... he said no offer could prevent him from coming here ... and he said he expects an offer from at least one of the major schools interested in him.

[andy7171]

Fisher's only other offer was from Towson...

Seriously, anyone know how the rest of the article ended? I pretty much stopped reading right about there.

Brunswick < Harrisonburg, kid made a step up. Good for him. Hope he enjoys playing TE after he plays scout team QB and redshirts for JMU.

[Grizalltheway]

Seriously, how is this guy the (or even a) top Maryland QB if Toddles was his only other offer??

[JmuSkinsfan]

Such negative Nancy's ... you guys are just jealous Just wait til the offers start rolling in for him this fall and he says, "nope, sorry, JMU is my choice."

He did say JMU has nicer facilities than UMD ... interesting, and speaks volumes for the new stadium/athletic center

[andy7171]

Such negative Nancy's ... you guys are just jealous Just wait til the offers start rolling in for him this fall and he says, "nope, sorry, JMU is my choice."

He did say JMU has nicer facilities than UMD ... interesting, and speaks volumes for the new stadium/athletic center

Byrd's field house is fairly old, and the field is an embarrassment. I have no idea why they haven't gone to FieldTurf.

The new stadium you guys have is very hard to ignore.

[93henfan]

There were other reasons Fisher chose James Madison as well, including the "top-notch" facilities, the stadium atmosphere and the football program itself.

"James Madison just has so much upside," Fisher said. "You wouldn't know the difference between them and a major Division-I program."

Of course, I was scoffed at on GoHens when I mentioned that JMU's facilities have upped the ante in the recruiting battle, but wtf do I know?

[JmuSkinsfan]

Well the guy is 6'5 and weighs about 245 ... if he was an elite passer he would have been getting offers for a long time from the big schools ... because that's Cam Newton/Vince Young size. That being said, he appears to have a tremendous work ethic and nice touch on his passes, plus a strong arm. The kid isn't even a senior in HS yet ... so he has room to still grow. It looks like he also plays at the lower level of Maryland HS football so I'm sure that hurts his stock a bit ... but the fact is ... if he puts up big numbers as a senior he could very well get an offer from the likes of Penn State, Maryland, UVA, Va. Tech, etc to play quarterback ... will be interesting to see how much he loves JMU if that time comes, but right now he seems to be in love with the school. It probably doesn't hurt that we were the first to offer him a scholly to play QB when everyone else (read Penn State, maryland, etc) are talking about moving him to TE (and who would blame them ... he's a monster).

It has been discussed over on the CAAZone about how this reflects the Rodney Landers situation a bit. He was recruited by a lot of BCS schools (including Tennessee, Va Tech) to play safety but he wanted to play quarterback ... thus choosing JMU over the others. Well, he came to JMU and he made an impact. There are a lot of guys who play HS QB that are great athletes and are looked at to play other positions at the elite schools ... who choose to play at a lower level and get experience at QB ... this kid has a great head on his shoulders (based on his quotes) and knows he will have to take his lumps for a few years and learn the system behind Thorpe and eventually Cosh before taking the reigns as a R-so/R-jr.

[bluehenbillk]

Yep, no doubt the upgraded facilities are already/will help JMU. My question though is, is MM going to change the offensive structure at JMU? First Cosh and now a 6'6" 245 QB?? This recruit can't run the offense JMU has used the past couple years - so is MM going to convert to more of a passing offense?? JMU has been a heavy run team for years - even when Rascati was there they rarely got above 20-25 throws per.

[rufus]

This recruit can't run the offense JMU has used the past couple years - so is MM going to convert to more of a passing offense??

You could argue that our quarterbacks from the past two years couldn't really run the offense we have used for the past couple years. Hence the horrendous offensive production. Our best offensive showing last year involved using a wide receiver at QB to put up 30 points on #1 ranked W&M without attempting a pass. Our QBs have produced very little, and I fear it's because Matthews continues to run an offense that was built for Rodney Landers. I just hope to see more flexibility in adjusting the offense the the QB's strengths, whatever those may be.

[JmuSkinsfan]

This recruit can't run the offense JMU has used the past couple years - so is MM going to convert to more of a passing offense??

You could argue that our quarterbacks from the past two years couldn't really run the offense we have used for the past couple years. Hence the horrendous offensive production. Our best offensive showing last year involved using a wide receiver at QB to put up 30 points on #1 ranked W&M without attempting a pass. Our QBs have produced very little, and I fear it's because Matthews continues to run an offense that was built for Rodney Landers. I just hope to see more flexibility in adjusting the offense the the QB's strengths, whatever those may be.

Well, the team was built around the straight running game with Rascatti ... but the coaching staff went to WVU while Rodrigues was still there to study how they utilized Pat White to mold the offense around Landers. Unfortunately we are still stuck in that offense ... but I think it's mainly because the coaching staff knows Thorpe will be just as effective in it. Dudzik was not ... and that showed glaringly last season. However, I think, after Thorpe, the team will move back toward the Rascatti offense ... or at least a little more pass heavy spread offense (since the spread in general is pretty effective, as long as your QB is somewhat athletic). Thorpe apparently has a great arm as well. As does Cosh. Also, this new kid seems to think he fits well into the spread, so while he is big, I'm guessing he has some mobility as well.

I honestly think the excessive run-heavy nature of last year's offense was mainly because DUdzik couldn't throw the damn ball ... or if he could ... he certainly was inept in doing so with the amount of time he was given by our young and hole-filled offensive line. The 2009 season could also be chalked up to inexperience since we had a freshmen playing the last half of the season (after Dudzik got hurt in the first half) ... but the offense certainly showed signs of progress as Thorpe became more and more comfortable. Hopefully this year with a couple years more experience behind Thorpe under center, things will be different.

[ChetSteadman]

Most "big time" programs have offers out to their #1 and #2 prospects already. If the guy doesn't have an offer from anyone besides Towson, then he's not high on their lists. Most top QBs are recruited their junior year.

[State Line Liquors]

Mickie's next great QB.

[PenthouseClosedEnd]

Mickie's next great QB.

Your post is dripping with sarcasm, but you're really not being fair. Mickie Matthews knows how to develop young quarterbacks. This kid was the top quarterback on Mickie's board, so he just went out and got him.

[BDKJMU]

Well the guy is 6'5 and weighs about 245 ... if he was an elite passer he would have been getting offers for a long time from the big schools ... because that's Cam Newton/Vince Young size. That being said, he appears to have a tremendous work ethic and nice touch on his passes, plus a strong arm. The kid isn't even a senior in HS yet ... so he has room to still grow. It looks like he also plays at the lower level of Maryland HS football so I'm sure that hurts his stock a bit ... but the fact is ... if he puts up big numbers as a senior he could very well get an offer from the likes of Penn State, Maryland, UVA, Va. Tech, etc to play quarterback ... will be interesting to see how much he loves JMU if that time comes, but right now he seems to be in love with the school. It probably doesn't hurt that we were the first to offer him a scholly to play QB when everyone else (read Penn State, maryland, etc) are talking about moving him to TE (and who would blame them ... he's a monster).

It has been discussed over on the CAAZone about how this reflects the Rodney Landers situation a bit. He was recruited by a lot of BCS schools (including Tennessee, Va Tech) to play safety but he wanted to play quarterback ... thus choosing JMU over the others. Well, he came to JMU and he made an impact. There are a lot of guys who play HS QB that are great athletes and are looked at to play other positions at the elite schools ... who choose to play at a lower level and get experience at QB ... this kid has a great head on his shoulders (based on his quotes) and knows he will have to take his lumps for a few years and learn the system behind Thorpe and eventually Cosh before taking the reigns as a R-so/R-jr.

I know Rodney was "looked at" by some BCS schools, but don't know if Rodney had any BCS offers. According to Rivals and Scout he didn't have any:
http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/football/r ... ders-18167" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
http://recruiting.scout.com/a.z?s=73&p=8&c=1&nid=681296" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Like I posted over on the zone right now this kid, who sounds like a great, talented kid with an excellent attitude and good head on his shoulders, has no Rivals rating and only other offer is Towson, so I'm not going to get to excited yet.

He's listed at 6'6", 245 as a HS junior/rising senior (I assume 16-17 yrs old).
http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/football/r ... her-116654" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Chance he puts on another inch or so in the next yr. He could easily be playing his senior senior around 245/250 and come in as a freshman around 255/260, and in a college weight program easily come out 4 yrs later 270-280 without even trying to bulk up. Thats only 25-35 lbs 4-5 years from now, which I on a 6-6 frame isn't saying a lot. I have a hard time believing a kid if he's 16-17 and already 6'6", 245 will be a QB 3-4 years from now.

Is there any QB that was listed as 6'6/245 going into his senior season to compare to? Terrell Pryor was listed at 6'6"/235 as a HS senior, but as a HS senior he was the age of a college freshman, (turned 19 in June 08', the month he gradated from HS).

IF he's that good he will get some BCS offers, with schools on the one hand telling him they'll give him a shot at QB, on the other knowing this kid will likely end up as a TE or DL, maybe even an OL, after a few years in the program.

IF this kid gets any BCS offers then would have to see if he sticks with JMU, as kids break verbals all the time. Then will have to see what position he ends up at. I would be shocked if he was a QB 4 yrs from now.

[BDKJMU]

Seriously, anyone know how the rest of the article ended? I pretty much stopped reading right about there.

Brunswick < Harrisonburg, kid made a step up. Good for him. Hope he enjoys playing TE after he plays scout team QB and redshirts for JMU.

Or DE or DT, or possibly even OL. I'd be shocked with the size & frame of this kid already if in 3-4 years he is still at QB, either at JMU or wherever he ends up.

[ASUG8]

Spooky at 6' 6" 245 he sees himself as a spread QB. He's about like Malcolm Long from SC State, except bigger. That's the biggest QB I've seen play, and he was effective, but not spread - not much of a run threat except for short yardage.

[BDKJMU]

Seriously, how is this guy the (or even a) top Maryland QB if Toddles was his only other offer??

Because MD isn't a big population, big time football state. Rivals doesn't show a single 3 or even 2 star QB for the state. They show one other QB with an offer from Temple.
http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/football/r ... ?year=2011" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Similar with Scout.

This past signing class acording to Rivals only 2 HS QBs from the state of MD signed with full scholly Div I, and those 2 were to W&M and Towson.

Course last yr MD did have 3 star Billy Cosh sign with K-State, and now he's transferred to JMU.