In todayβs college football recruiting landscape, several factors go into a playerβs school choice.
Which school offers the earliest playing time? Which program can help with monetization of name, image and likeness (NIL)? Which school wins and plays on national TV the most?
There are other considerations, too.
Four-star quarterback Brayden Dorman said the combined years of NFL coaching experience on Arizona’s staff outweighed everything else when it came time to pick a school. The 6-foot-4-inch, 206-pound pro-style gunslinger from Colorado Springs, Colorado, is the Wildcats’ top-rated commit for 2023, according to 247Sports.com. Dorman will sign with Arizona on Wednesday, part of early signing day, and plans to enroll in school next month.
βThe main difference from Arizona and the other schools was just the NFL experience and the direction of the program. I donβt think you can get that at a lot of other schools,β Dorman said. βItβs just Coach (Jedd) Fisch, but Coach (Brennan) Carroll and the rest of the staff. Youβre one phone call away from Bill Belichick, Pete Carroll, etc. ...
βThatβs where I want to end up in the future. When youβre going through the program, you have the NFL experience, NFL playbook and all of the athletes around you. When youβre in a position like that, youβre one phone call away from all of the other NFL head coaches. Being put in that position, in my eyes, thatβs the biggest part to reach my goals.β
Fischβs calm demeanor on the sideline and his quarterback-coaching prowess were also factors, Dorman said. Dorman chose the UA over scholarship offers from Mississippi State, Colorado, Wisconsin and Iowa State, among others.
Dorman said Fisch is βnot a coach thatβs going to straight-up just yell at you when youβre on the sideline. Heβs a coach thatβll sit with you on the sideline and make sure everything is all right, talk you through things, be supportive through everything thatβs going on.β
βThat really stands out to me, and then just having that NFL experience, elevate your IQ and your game overall,β he said.
Dorman threw for 10,285 yards over four seasons at Vista Ridge High School, putting up 116 touchdowns against 37 interceptions. As a senior, Dorman completed 71.4% of his passes for 3,783 yards and 49 touchdowns against nine interceptions.
Vista Ridge coach Mike Vrana, who has mentored Dorman since the quarterback was a middle schooler attending VRHS football camps, runs a pro-style offense thatβs similar to Fischβs. Dorman had free rein to audible just before the snap.
βHe does more at the line of scrimmage than any quarterback in our state, and we let him do that because heβs that smart and sees things that a lot of people couldnβt,β Vrana said.
Appearance-wise, Vrana compared the tall, redheaded Dorman to Todd Marinovich, the βRobo QBβ who played for the USC Trojans and the Los Angeles Raiders. On the field, Dormanβs skillset and presence on the field is akin to someone else.
βHis drops in the pocket are more similar to Tom Brady than anybody,β Vrana said. βHe wonβt take off and run 65 yards, but his feet and eyes in the pocket is Brady to a T.β
Vrana called Dorman βthe perfect kid.β On Sunday, the QB traveled to Denverβs Empower Field at Mile High, where he was presented with the Gold Helmet, given annually to the top high school performer in Colorado.
βHe doesnβt do anything wrong, he does what you tell him to do, heβs smart,β Vrana said. βIβve done 100 interviews and I always have to think twice whenever someone asks, βWhat does he need to work on?β Heβs going to work, that part of his game has never changed. Heβs never satisfied with where heβs at and he always wants to evolve.
βHeβs a coachβs dream, really. Heβs got it all. He will spend his time at Arizona refining all of that and that wonβt ever change. Heβs the hardest-working guy in the room, has a high football IQ and is a fantastic leader.β
Dorman plans to graduate early so he can participate in spring ball.
βGetting rolling early was always the plan,β he said. βGetting a head start, thatβs the most beneficial thing to do, especially as a quarterback. Getting a head start on the playbook, getting a head start in the quarterback room. Thatβs the most beneficial thing an athlete can do. Obviously my mom isnβt all for it and she doesnβt want me to leave too soon, but theyβre fully supportive of it and theyβre behind it.
βEvery high-schooler wants to finish their high school career, because you only go to high school once, but Iβm looking at the long-term goals. Football is a job to me now. Itβs not going to high school practices and hanging out with all of my friends. Now itβs the real deal. Itβs gonna take full effort going forward.β
Dorman will join a quarterback room that includes returning starter Jayden de Laura and freshman Noah Fifita, who Fisch called the βclear-cut backup.β With de Laura under center, the Wildcats rose from 69th nationally in passing to seventh. The UA put an average of 318.4 passing yards per game.
βJayden is a great quarterback and I love watching him play. Heβs more of an athletic guy than I am and he can extend plays. Iβm able to do the same stuff, but itβll be a little more balanced, 50-50 balance, whether itβs under center or in gun,β Dorman said. βGoing over the spring install they already have, being able to know what I can do on the field, I feel pretty confident going into the spring.β
Whether Dorman gets his shot as Arizonaβs starter next season, in 2024 or β25, he wants to leave the UA as βthe top program in the Pac-12.β
βWith Coach Fisch being able to go from 1-11 to 5-7, with a Cal game they shouldβve won, I think it already speaks for itself and thatβs exactly what I saw when I made my decision,β Dorman said.
βThe direction of the program caught my eye, along with the NFL experience as well. β¦ Weβre going to be a top program in the Pac-12 going forward.β