Dylan McCaffrey is a four-star dual-threat quarterback from Highlands Ranch (Colo.) Valor Christian.
To most observers, it wasn’t a surprise when 2017 five-star Michigan quarterback commitment Dylan McCaffrey was chosen to compete at the Elite 11 camp as part of The Opening last weekend. As the nation’s No. 2 pro-style quarterback according to 247Sports, he was not only expected to clinch a spot in the finals, but possibly win the entire event.
The Elite 11 camp judges quarterback play for 12 top high school quarterbacks for what they do on and off the field. Players are given a multitude of challenges that vary from pure play-calling to running a 100-yard sand hill and memorizing certain coverages and plays after completing the hill.
For McCaffrey, he started off slowly on the first day, but came alive once defenses took the field Friday. 247Sports director of scouting Barton Simmons, who watched McCaffrey closely all weekend, says the five-star showcased certain abilities that nobody else in his class possesses.
“He was an upper-tier quarterback at the event,” Simmons said. “The biggest reason for that is the mental grasp he has on the position. He’s a guy that was so decisive with his reads. He knows where the ball needs to go and gets it there quickly. In that setting, knowing where the open man is and connecting with him quickly should be routine and he was able to do it all day.
“He has some slight mechanical issues he has to correct, but he has a coaching staff at Michigan that is obviously fully capable of getting him where he needs to be. The coaches at the event raved about his ability to take coaching and wanting to learn about the game. He’s far beyond your average quarterback in that regard.”
In 2016, U-M recruited one of the top overall quarterbacks in the cycle in Brandon Peters, and were able to build a bridge with he and McCaffrey in the 2017 class. The duo gives Jim Harbaugh a pair of potentially big-time stars at the position, and Simmons says the McCaffrey-Harbaugh combo is a perfect one for the program’s future.
“I really do see them as a perfect match,” Simmons noted. “You know that Jim Harbaugh is going to challenge his quarterbacks as hard if not harder than anybody in the country. McCaffrey has the pedigree and mentality to thrive in Harbaugh’s style. He knows he’s going to be coached hard and knows what it takes to be successful. Because of that, I really think he’s going to absorb everything that the Michigan staff throws at him. I think it’s a great marriage between the two because his skill-set plays into Harbaugh’s strengths.”
With the camp season over, McCaffrey will now travel back to Littleton, Colo., to help try to lead his Valor Christian team to a second straight state championship. The five-star is currently ranked 22nd overall in the 247Sports Composite rankings for the 2017 class.
Steve Lorenz is the editor and publisher of Wolverine247 of the 247Sports Network. You can follow him on Twitter @TremendousUM and give Wolverine247 a try with a free trial until Sept. 3.
Dylan McCaffrey is naturally quiet but still recruits for Michigan