Michigan State football has had tremendous success developing quarterbacks, Dwan Mathis could be the future under center for the Spartans.
Michigan State has been one of the most successful programs in the country at identifying and developing quarterbacks since head coach Mark Dantonio arrived in East Lansing. The Spartans have produced NFL quarterbacks such as Brian Hoyer, Kirk Cousins and Connor Cook under Dantonio, and have Heisman candidate Brian Lewerke under center currently.
Spartan coaches identified 2019 quarterback Dwan Mathis from Oak Park High School in Michigan as the guy they wanted early in the recruiting process. They were able to secure a commitment from Mathis on Sept. 23, 2017.
Michigan State quarterback coach Brad Salem is one of the best in the business at teaching his guys how to read defenses and make the right throws on time. His quarterbacks have done a great job at keeping their turnovers low, while not being to conservative with the ball.
Mathis is 6-5, 200 pounds and is listed as a four-star pro-style quarterback in the 247Sports composite rankings. To me, Mathis is a prospect that is a true dual-threat quarterback who can beat you with both his arm and his legs.
The Michigan-native has a very strong-arm and is able to really flip his wrist to zip the ball out quickly. He shows good touch on the deep ball putting the ball high and on the far side shoulder of his receiver. He does a good job extended plays with his legs while keeping his eyes downfield scanning for an open receiver.
Though he has a strong arm, Mathis’ legs are an added weapon to his game. When he decides to tuck away the ball and take off running he has great speed and athleticism to get out of the pocket. Mathis is a lanky quarterback who takes large strides covering a lot of ground quickly. As he matures physically and adds good weight, I envision him being a mobile 6-foot-5, 235-pound quarterback.
Mathis is a versatile quarterback similar to Lewerke for whom the coaches can open up the entire playbook. One play you could see him under center, and the next one he could be running RPO. Michigan State coaches are excited about the potential he will bring to program.
Next: Way-too-early 2019 NFL Mock Draft
Michigan State loves finding guys who come from great high school programs and Mathis fits the bill coming from one of the top in-state schools: Oak Park. It is a program that wins a ton of games, and challenges for championships. They routinely produce Division 1 players as well.