| 01 February 2012
Already enrolled in school, Jake Rodrigues is Oregon's first commit of the 2012 class.
A 6-3, 215-lb. quarterback from Whitney High in Rocklin, California, he accounted for 84 touchdowns in two years as a starter, passing for 47 and running for 39. Rivals.com called him "the best dual-threat quarterback on the West Coast." In his senior year he threw for 2,036 yards and 26 touchdowns with just five interceptions while leading his team to a 10-3 record.
In 2010 as a junior, he passed for 2,039 yards and 21 touchdowns with nine interceptions and rushed for 1,300 yards and 22 touchdowns.
Photo left: Rocket-armed California signal caller Jake Rodrigues enrolled early at Oregon, and he'll compete this spring for the starting job (maxpreps.com photo).
Rodrigues had offers from offers Michigan, Nebraska, USC, UCLA, Utah, Washington, OSU, ASU. Over the summer he made ESPN's Elite 11 passing camp and Nike's "The Opening" testing himself against the best competition in the country. He committed to Oregon last May and remained steadfast despite the loud innuendos of the Will Lyles investigation and overtures from college football's most beguiling recruiters.
In the last game of his senior year, a playoff game early in December, Jake dislocated his ankle and broke his fibula hurdling a defender. A walking boot was removed just last week, and he expects to be ready for spring practice.
Rodrigues has a cannon for an arm, able to zip the ball on a line into the seams and throw the deep out. He's poised, accurate and a good leader. Running the football he's not super fast like Marcus Mariota, but he runs with power and executes the zone read very well, having run the same basic offense at Whitney.
His early enrollment makes Rodrigues the leading candidate to travel as the number three quarterback this fall, and he'll compete for the starting job with Bryan Bennett and Mariota. Though it's not likely a true freshman can unseat Bennett, a player with six games of experience and a start, or Mariota after a full year head start, the competition will make all three quarterbacks better.
To view video of Rodrigues' high school highlights, click here.
