Will Grier is one of the top quarterback recruits in the class of 2014. Out of Davidson (N.C.) Day School, Grier holds offers from Florida, Arkansas, Auburn, N.C. State, North Carolina, Tennessee and Wake Forest. As of May 16, he is committed to the Gators.
Grier is a consensus four-star recruit and is regarded as one of the two- or three-best pro-style passers nationally. Grier threw for almost 6,000 yards, with 69 touchdowns and only six interceptions. Greer is 6'2 and 180 pounds, which is OK for a pro-style passer, and just out of the range in which people will question his height.
Bud Elliott, National Recruiting Analyst: To start, I should note that Grier's competition is weak, and it makes evaluating him difficult. It's not a question of whether Grier is a top recruit, but rather of just how good he is.
Grier looks to be a dual threat on tape, but given that a) he's certainly not as fast as his competition makes him seem and b) he's fairly slight of build, his college team may not elect to run him quite so much. Still, it's nice to see he has the ability to scramble around if need be. His footwork in the pocket is very quick and nimble, and that bodes well for the next level.
As a passer, Grier looks good. He delivers the ball accurately, which is the most important thing a QB must do. Some of his passes show excellent touch, and he is able to vary his angles to fit the ball over defenders.
Grier's release is quite quick, which helps him compensate somewhat for a motion with a low arm angle and a tendency to push the ball. This is somewhat similar to Phillip Rivers of the San Diego Chargers.
Grier's arm strength looks fine, but it's not special. He will have to make his living throwing receivers open as opposed to waiting and firing bullets.
With his talents, including his plus mobility and accuracy, he should be a good BCS quarterback. Look for his college team to use him on bootlegs, play action and roll outs.
In some ways, Grier reminds me of Kellen Moore or Colt McCoy, only taller, right-handed (in the case of Moore) and with better physical tools. Another comparison could be a shorter Rivers, but with mobility. Sometimes, I'm able to come up with the perfect comparison, and other times I dance around it, unable to put my finger on the right one. This is the latter. In any case, I hope you get the general picture.