Paul Petrino landed his first quarterback of the 2014 recruiting cycle, when Jake Luton committed to the Vandals via Twitter.
Luton’s measurables are nice. Hailing from Marysville-Pilchuck high school in Marysville, Wash., he stands at 6-foot-6 and 220 pounds. He’ll join the 6-foot-3 Matt Linehan in Idaho’s quarterback group next season, so it’s pretty clear what Petrino is going for at the position as he moves forward.
If the commitment sticks Idaho may be as set as it needs to be at the position with three scholarship quarterbacks slated to return next season.
Scout and Rivals list Luton as a two-star prospect.
Luton has only thrown for 818 yards through the time of his commitment, on only 101 pass attempts. His offense is very run heavy, but has helped Luton orchestrate an 8-0 record so far. The lack of numbers might have contributed to his lack of interest from bigger schools.
UNLV, Wyoming, Portland State and Idaho State have inquired, Luton said, but it was Idaho that pulled the trigger first. Paul Petrino offered the quarterback in July when Luton attended an Idaho football camp.
“I called him (Paul Petrino) and he just talked to me about how impressed he was with me at camp, he wanted to let me know that I have an offer from Idaho. I’ve kept in close touch with the coaches since then, they’ve been patient and supportive and it seemed like the right fit to make my decision,” Luton said.
Luton said the other schools recruiting him have cooled off. Luton was on campus for an official visit on Sep. 14 when Idaho took on Northern Illinois. He said he really enjoyed his time meeting with the coaches.
“I just feel like Idaho would have been the pick in the end anyways.”
Here is a Hudl video of Luton’s highlights.
Here is the rest of my interview with Luton earlier this week:
Sean Kramer: How do you feel your high school offense will translate to when you get to Idaho?
Jake Luton: “When I was talking to him they just told me it’s a high-paced offense, and it’s an explosive offense and I like that a lot. I think with myself and my bigger frame I can exploit that, I can hit all areas of the field. I saw that when I went there, they ran more of the read-option stuff. Even when I can get there I can run the ball here or there. I’m more of a pocket passer, I think the offense there at Idaho.”
Kramer: What has been the biggest reason you’ve heard from bigger schools as to their lack of interest?
Luton: “I don’t know. I don’t know if even I know the answer of that. A lot of that has to do with numbers, most of the guys who get big time offers get big time numbers. Without a doubt if I was in a system where I was throwing the ball 30 times a game I’d have the numbers. I’ve stayed completely true to my hometown and my team, we’re having a good season, we’re undefeated.”
Kramer: Have they talked to you about redshirting?
Luton: “I haven’t heard redshirt from them so far, no talk at all about redshirting. Talked a little bit about coming in and being able to compete with coach Bryce Erickson. I’m just going to come in and compete as hard as I can and compete early but if I have to redshirt as hard as I can I’m fine with that too.”