05-13-2023, 08:04 PM
* In my view Lamson, Patu, Daniels, and Jackson are all on somewhat even footing in a QB competition so high school recruiting rankings are totally irrelevant, but I know some will wonder about high school profile so I'll say a few words. In the 247 composite, Patu was #405, Jackson was #424 before reclassifying and #460 after reclassifiying, Lamson was #936, and Daniels was #995. Lamson was not generally regarded as much of a Power Five prospect in high school with his top offers being Syracuse, Louisville, and Boise State. Compare that, for instance, to Jackson having 15+ offers that significant including a handful much more significant (e.g., Ole Miss, Oregon, Washington).
* I may watch Lamson's spring games at Syracuse at some point just out of curiosity, but I cannot bring myself to thinking spring games matter. It's not real football. Of more interest is watching the one season of football at either the high school or college level in which Lamson has been the QB. The season highlights aren't very long or mindblowing. Seems to throw a nice ball and have decent escapability and improvisation. Not much to show big arm strength. The first game tape to watch is of of course against Troy Taylor's old stomping grounds of Folsom, which of course was also Patu's team though Patu rode pine. Against a talented defense (Cal DB Kaleb Higgins, Arizona State WR Elijhah Badger, Sacramento State DL DeShawn Lynch), Lamson had a nice game in a losing effort, passing for 296 yards and 2 touchdowns with no interceptions. Lamson got sacked six times in that game, which typically doesn't speak well to pocket presence but in this game probably had something to do with Folsom being so good. Lynch was especially disruptive, though one of his two sacks came on a low shotgun snap Lamson couldn't cleanly handle. Higgins (yes, Elijah's brother) had a pass defended at the goal line on a pass from Lamson that seemed to have been under thrown and/or ill-advised under pressure from Lynch. There was a big yard after catch play where a relatively quick release by Lamson allowed the receiver to race past Higgins and the other defenders as well as a nicely thrown slant on Higgins that went for about a 15 yard gain. The most interesting mano-a-mano game of Lamson's life came against Monterey Trail, as they featured USC borderline whale DB Prophet Brown, although there aren't many clips to judge as Lamson and Oak Ridge elected to do work on the ground rather than pass much. Lamson only attempted nine passes in that game, well below his norm (he had one game with 13, although it was a blowout, and averaged 24 pass attempts per game). That may have been influenced by Brown being on the other side but also a function of what was working - Lamson rushed for 129 yards and three touchdowns, his all time best rushing game by a lot and deep in the playoffs at that. Lamson's highlights include a play where he did a nifty spin move to avoid a sack and out of the spin threw a dart across the middle while getting hit by two other rushers, completing a 9 yard pass to a receiver matched up against Brown. Otherwise it's mostly runs and throwing where Brown isn't, though there is a nine yard completion where the receiver Brown was covering ran a comeback route. For his part, Brown put on tape a pass breakup where he locked up a receiver in press coverage and had the athleticism to dive and break up a short route to a totally different receiver at the next level of depth (both routes within seven yards of the line of scrimmage)....Brown liked that play so much he put it on the highlight twice in different parts of the reel (come on, man!). In the Lincoln game, San Jose State DL Grady Manley didn't put anything on tape against Lamson (though Lincoln as a team had four sacks) whereas Lamson evaded a pass rush with his athleticism to scramble for some yards and also connected on a pass in the face of a pass rush by Manley. Against Rocklin, Air Force DL Bobby Piland was only a sophomore at the time and wasn't a notable nuisance for Lamson (though it wasg another game with four total team sacks). Against Grant, OL/DL Isaiah Tupou, who signed with BYU but then matriculated to junior college after his LDS mission, didn't seem to bother Lamson much in the highlights, but it was a three interception game for Lamson so clearly not that clean of a performance. Elk Grove's prominent linemen, including Stanford's Simione Pale, were younger than Lamson (two years behind in Pale's case), so they didn't get a chance to square off. Similarly, Eastern Washington DB Amani Pressley was still another year away from being a factor for Inderkum. Last but not least, the last game Lamson played at any level was the Northern California I-AA championship against Fresno Central. Lamson had a solid game against the eventual state champion at that level (and top 25 team nationally according to Maxpreps), passing for 210 yards on 7.78 yards per attempt, two touchdowns, and one interception while getting sacked five times. Lamson's highlights include a skinny post where he threaded an opening past some defenders, including Cal Poly LB Jekob Jones, and a long run up the middle, which in that game was intimidatingly manned by big Cal DT Ricky Correia. Jones' highlights showed a big game spying on Lamson to limit the damage Lamson can do on the ground, sacking Lamson (albeit with a big assist from Lamson fumbling the snap), and defending a pass over the middle where Lamson must not have seen Jones in front of the route (or didn't have enough air on the ball.
* I may watch Lamson's spring games at Syracuse at some point just out of curiosity, but I cannot bring myself to thinking spring games matter. It's not real football. Of more interest is watching the one season of football at either the high school or college level in which Lamson has been the QB. The season highlights aren't very long or mindblowing. Seems to throw a nice ball and have decent escapability and improvisation. Not much to show big arm strength. The first game tape to watch is of of course against Troy Taylor's old stomping grounds of Folsom, which of course was also Patu's team though Patu rode pine. Against a talented defense (Cal DB Kaleb Higgins, Arizona State WR Elijhah Badger, Sacramento State DL DeShawn Lynch), Lamson had a nice game in a losing effort, passing for 296 yards and 2 touchdowns with no interceptions. Lamson got sacked six times in that game, which typically doesn't speak well to pocket presence but in this game probably had something to do with Folsom being so good. Lynch was especially disruptive, though one of his two sacks came on a low shotgun snap Lamson couldn't cleanly handle. Higgins (yes, Elijah's brother) had a pass defended at the goal line on a pass from Lamson that seemed to have been under thrown and/or ill-advised under pressure from Lynch. There was a big yard after catch play where a relatively quick release by Lamson allowed the receiver to race past Higgins and the other defenders as well as a nicely thrown slant on Higgins that went for about a 15 yard gain. The most interesting mano-a-mano game of Lamson's life came against Monterey Trail, as they featured USC borderline whale DB Prophet Brown, although there aren't many clips to judge as Lamson and Oak Ridge elected to do work on the ground rather than pass much. Lamson only attempted nine passes in that game, well below his norm (he had one game with 13, although it was a blowout, and averaged 24 pass attempts per game). That may have been influenced by Brown being on the other side but also a function of what was working - Lamson rushed for 129 yards and three touchdowns, his all time best rushing game by a lot and deep in the playoffs at that. Lamson's highlights include a play where he did a nifty spin move to avoid a sack and out of the spin threw a dart across the middle while getting hit by two other rushers, completing a 9 yard pass to a receiver matched up against Brown. Otherwise it's mostly runs and throwing where Brown isn't, though there is a nine yard completion where the receiver Brown was covering ran a comeback route. For his part, Brown put on tape a pass breakup where he locked up a receiver in press coverage and had the athleticism to dive and break up a short route to a totally different receiver at the next level of depth (both routes within seven yards of the line of scrimmage)....Brown liked that play so much he put it on the highlight twice in different parts of the reel (come on, man!). In the Lincoln game, San Jose State DL Grady Manley didn't put anything on tape against Lamson (though Lincoln as a team had four sacks) whereas Lamson evaded a pass rush with his athleticism to scramble for some yards and also connected on a pass in the face of a pass rush by Manley. Against Rocklin, Air Force DL Bobby Piland was only a sophomore at the time and wasn't a notable nuisance for Lamson (though it wasg another game with four total team sacks). Against Grant, OL/DL Isaiah Tupou, who signed with BYU but then matriculated to junior college after his LDS mission, didn't seem to bother Lamson much in the highlights, but it was a three interception game for Lamson so clearly not that clean of a performance. Elk Grove's prominent linemen, including Stanford's Simione Pale, were younger than Lamson (two years behind in Pale's case), so they didn't get a chance to square off. Similarly, Eastern Washington DB Amani Pressley was still another year away from being a factor for Inderkum. Last but not least, the last game Lamson played at any level was the Northern California I-AA championship against Fresno Central. Lamson had a solid game against the eventual state champion at that level (and top 25 team nationally according to Maxpreps), passing for 210 yards on 7.78 yards per attempt, two touchdowns, and one interception while getting sacked five times. Lamson's highlights include a skinny post where he threaded an opening past some defenders, including Cal Poly LB Jekob Jones, and a long run up the middle, which in that game was intimidatingly manned by big Cal DT Ricky Correia. Jones' highlights showed a big game spying on Lamson to limit the damage Lamson can do on the ground, sacking Lamson (albeit with a big assist from Lamson fumbling the snap), and defending a pass over the middle where Lamson must not have seen Jones in front of the route (or didn't have enough air on the ball.