it's being reported on CycloneFanatic that the Cyclones and Gene Chizik have picked up their eighth commitment for the 08 class in the person of dual-threat QB Jerome Tiller. Tiller is rated as both a three star by Rivals and Scout, and his Rivals Rating of 5.5 ties him with Jake McDonough as the higest-rated recruit we have coming in. Want more rankings? Rivals has him as the #20 dual-threat quarterback in the nation. Scout has him as the #32 quarterback in the nation. The senior out of San Antonio Lee has some love, that's for sure. Tiller had a final three of ISU, Minnesota and Purdue.
His stats last year weren't exactly impressive in the quarterbacking department. 89-181 for 1,323 yards, 10 touchdowns and 12 picks. He rushed 97 times for 450 yards and 12 scores, which looks a little snazzier. Chances are that the coaches like his 4.47 40 time.
Here's what the good people at Scout have to say:
Scout.com Player Evaluation:
STRENGTHS
Ball Handling
Field Vision
Running Ability / MobilityAREAS FOR IMPROVEMENT
Arm StrengthHe is most effective on the run, where he puts so much pressure on the defense with the capability of beating you with his arm or legs. Tiller is at his best throwing on the run. He shows poise and accuracy and can throw effectively rolling to his right or left. Tiller has a good arm and can throw with tough, especially on the deeper routes. He does a nice job with play fakes and shows good ball handling skills.
Biography:
As a junior Tiller passed for over 1,300 yards and 10 touchdowns while rushing for over 450 yards and 12 touchdowns; He bench presses 275 pounds, squats 410 and power cleans 240.Tiller reports a 3.5 core GPA and a 1300 SAT, which he plans to retake.
Tiller: "My strength is that I’m a dual-threat. I can throw and run. I have good field vision and I can make plays under pressure. I want to work on my pocket presence. Sometimes I get a little antsy in the pocket."
He sounds like a freakin' clone of Seneca Wallace, but this crazy glut of quarterbacks we now have is going to have to sort itself out. Both Dustin Land and Josh Jordan are committed as well as quarterbacks. Smart money is on Land moving to a position like safety, but with Arnaud and Bates, how much can these guys see in playing time? Maybe Bates will eventually land on defense or a guy like Tiller could be an option at WR. Either way, this is a position I'd rather have depth at.