RELATED: Madilyn Nickles wins Gatorade National Softball Player of the Year

MORE: Madilyn Nickles talks pet cockatoo, Guam and conquering anxiety

Aaron McLaughlin is only 14, but he already sounds the part of a seasoned quarterback.

McLaughlin, who is finishing up seventh grade, received an offer from Missouri on Thursday, the first of many expected Southeastern Conference offers before he reaches National Signing Day in February 2021. He first offer overall came from Georgia State this week.

“With all the attention this brings, I’m just going to stay humble and remain the person I am on and off the field,” McLaughlin told USA TODAY High School Sports, sounding much more like a pro than a junior high schooler.

McLaughlin repeated seventh grade this year and reclassified from the Class of 2020.

RELATED: Meet the eighth grader with a scholarship offer from Alabama

He is already 6-4 1/2, 205 pounds and will play at North Gwinnett in Suwanee, Ga. He is not new to those who follow youth football around the nation. You can find highlights from his 12U games on YouTube. He has played for one of the top traveling teams in the state of Georgia and in events such as the Florida/Georgia Future Stars Game.

“For me being noticed at such a young age really means schools see the potential I have and they recognize how hard I work,” McLaughlin said.

He also has been working for quarterback tutor Steve Clarkson for several years. McLaughlin got national television exposure when he was part of the “60 Minutes piece” on Clarkson as a sixth grader.

McLaughlin traveled from Atlanta to Los Angeles monthly with his father for lessons with Clarkson at about $400 an hour.

“My son is now going into the sixth grade and he had always shown talent in his position as a quarterback, but I really wanted to understand how talented he was and get someone that had national exposure and the experience that Steve has with quarterbacks and see how Aaron evaluated,” Craig McLaughlin told “60 Minutes.”

Clarkson told USA TODAY High School Sports on Thursday that he saw McLaughlin about a week ago and works with him an average of two or three times a month.

Clarkson says McLaughlin is “a super, super freaky athlete.”

“With his overall size and structure, he’s physically he’s very imposing. He can make all the throws and he’s got the body of a 25-year-old. He’s easily going to put on another 20 to 25 pounds before he sets foot as a freshman in college. … He’s an extremely athletic, guy. If he was a basketball player, he could tomahawk slam dunk a ball. If he was a baseball pitcher, he could throw 90-plus. He’s an amazing athlete.

“I don’t think I’ve seen any quarterback come along this early and this imposing in 30-plus years of training quarterbacks.”

And he only figures to get better.

“We’re going to work on all aspects of his game and coordinating with the high school that he’s with as well,” Clarkson said. “We want to continue to develop and become more well-rounded. The demands for somebody this young will tend to be a lot. Because of his notoriety and being featured on ’60 Minutes,’ it’s a lot more controllable.

“He understands where he’s is, the task at hand and what still lies ahead. He’s very focused. But He’s still a kid and enjoys kid-like things and I want to encourage him to do those things as well.”

Among the other Clarkson students featured on the “60 Minutes” piece was current Bishop Gorman QB Tate Martell, who took to Twitter to congratulate him.

Lonzo Ball led Chino Hills (Calif.) to a undefeated season (35-0), a CIF Open Division championship and the No. 1 spot in the final Super 25 rankings. He also was named the American Family Insurance ALL-USA Player of the Year.

A virtually automatic triple-double, he averaged 23.6 points, 11.5 rebounds and 11.4 assists per game and was the Gatorade State Player of the Year.

Take a look at highlights from the UCLA-bound Ball’s senior season in this BallIsLife.com mixtape:

La Costa Canyon (Carlsbad, Calif.) center fielder Mickey Moniak was selected No. 1 overall by the Phillies. (Photo: Heather Joy Flannigan Moniak)

The Philadelphia Phillies selected La Costa Canyon (Carlsbad, Calif.) outfielder Mickey Moniak with the first overall pick in the Major League Baseball Draft on Thursday night.

Here are some things you should know about him:

Position: Outfielder

Height, weight: 6-2, 200

College: Signed with UCLA

Stats: Led his team with a .478 batting average, 47 RBI, 40 runs and seven homers and 12 triples. Also helped lead Team USA to a gold medal last fall at the 2015 WBSC U-18 Baseball World Cup in Nishinomiya, Japan.

MORE: ALL-USA Watch, Mickey Moniak

What he says:

• “The one thing I try to do is stay within myself. Obviously playing with all the tough competition this summer helped me. I think think playing with all the top guys, reassured me that I could play with those guys. Over the summer, there would be 50, 60 scouts at every event you went to. It’s good to have an experience like that. The main thing I’ve learned is you have to have fun. It’s called play ball, not work ball, my USA (Baseball) coach said. You have to enjoy yourself.”
• “I like to work on all aspects of my game. The main thing I’m working on now is to put on muscle and get more power in my swing.”
• “I just want to help my team win. If I have a bad at-bat. I still have to go to center field and make a good play. It definitely puts things in perspective.”

What they say:

• La Costa Canyon coach Justin Machado: “He will be a leadoff guy and a center fielder wherever he goes. His first step as a defender is amazing. He has a nose for the ball and can read swings pretty well.”
• Jim Callis, MLBPipeline.com: “He is someone who can stay up the middle in centerfield. He’s a plus defender, he can really run and he’s one of the best hitters in the draft. He doesn’t have big-time power, but he’s also not just a slappy guy. He can hit 12-15 homers. For a high school guy, he’s very polished and provides positional value and hitting ability. You’ve got a solid regular. His floor is very high and his ceiling is very high.”
• Melissa Lockard, Scout.com:  “Every time scouts came out to see him, they seem to love him more. You always got the same level of play. He can do everything pretty well. There’s not one super standout tool, but he gets good marks in pretty much every category. He looks like he can stick in centerfield, hit around .300, hit double digits in home runs and stolen bases and be a good defender. He’s shown more and more than he’s got the skill set to stay in that position and provide that kind of offense.”

Contributing: Jim Halley

The first round and the Lottery A round of the Major League Baseball draft were in the books Thursday. Here’s a breakdown of what high school the first 41 picks attended.

Here are the states with the most players selected:

California, Georgia — 6

Tennessee — 4

New York, Illinois, Florida — 3

Alabama, Kansas, New Jersey, Ohio, Texas — 2

MORE: No. 1 pick Mickey Moniak: What you should know

FIRST ROUND

1. Phillies, Mickey Moniak, OF, La Costa Canyon (Carlsbad, Calif.)
2. Reds, Nick Senzel, 3B, Tennessee, Farragut (Knoxville, Tenn.)
3. Braves, Ian Anderson, RHP, Shenendehowa (Clifton Park, N.Y.)
4. Rockies, Riley Pint, RHP St. Thomas Aquinas (Overland Park, Kan.)
5. Brewers, Corey Ray, OF, Louisville, Simeon (Chicago)
6. Athletics, A.J. Puk, LHP, Florida, Washington (Cedar Rapids, Iowa)
7. Marlins, Braxton Garrett, LHP, Florence (Ala.)
8. Padres, Cal Quantrill, RHP, Stanford, Trinity (Port Hope, Ontario)
9. Tigers, Matt Manning, RHP, Sheldon (Sacramento)
10. White Sox, Zack Collins, C, Miami (Fla.), American Heritage (Plantation, Fla.)
11. Mariners, Kyle Lewis, OF, Mercer, Shiloh (Snellville, Ga.)
12. Red Sox, Jason Groome, LHP, Barnegat (N.J.)
13. Rays, Joshua Lowe, 3B, Pope (East Cobb, Ga.)
14. Indians, Will Benson, OF, The Westminster Schools (Atlanta)
15. Twins, Alex Kirilloff, OF, Plum (Pittsburgh)
16. Angels, Matt Thaiss, C, Virginia, Jackson Memorial (Jackson, N.J.)
17. Astros, Forrest Whitley, RHP, Alamo Heights (San Antonio)
18. Yankees, Blake Rutherford, OF, Chaminade High (Canoga Park, Calif.)
19. Mets, Justin Dunn, RHP, Boston College, Gunnery School (Freeport, N.Y.)
20. Dodgers, Gavin Lux, SS, Indian Trail (Kenosha, Wis.)
21. Blue Jays, T.J. Zeuch, RHP, Pittsburgh, Mason (Ohio)
22. Pirates, Will Craig, 3B, Wake Forest, Science Hill (Johnson City, Tenn.)
23. Cardinals, Delvin Perez, SS, International Baseball Academy (Puerto Rico)
24. Padres, Hudson Sanchez, SS, Carroll (Southlake, Texas)
25. Padres, Eric Lauer, LHP, Kent State, Midview (Elyria, Ohio)
26. White Sox, Zach Burdi, RHP, Louisville, Downers Grove South (Downers Grove, Ill.)
27. Orioles, Cody Sedlock, RHP, Illinois, Alleman (Rock Island, Ill.)
28. Nationals, Carter Kieboom, SS, Walton High (Ga.)
29. Nationals, Dane Dunning, RHP, Florida, Clay (Green Cove Springs, Fla.)
30. Rangers, Cole Ragans, LHP, North Florida Christian (Tallahasee, Fla.)
31. Mets, Anthony Kay, LHP, UConn, Ward Melville (Stony Brook, N.Y.)
32. Dodgers, Will Smith, C, Louisville, Kentucky Country Day (Louisville)
33. Cardinals, Dylan Carson, OF, Elk Grove (Calif.)
34. Cardinals, Dakota Hudson, RHP, Mississippi State, Sequatchie County (Dunlap, Tenn.)

LOTTERY ROUND A

35. Reds, Taylor Trammell, OF, Mount Paran Christian (Kennesaw, Ga.)
36. Dodgers, Jordan Sheffield, RHP, Vanderbilt, Tullahoma (Tenn.)
37. Athletics, Daulton Jeffries, RHP, California, Buhach Colony (Atwater, Calif.)
38. Rockies, Robert Tyler, RHP, Georgia, Crisp County (Cordele, Ga.)
39. Diamondbacks, Anfernee Grier, OF, Auburn, Russell County (Phenix City, Ala.)
40. Braves, Joey Wentz, LHP, Shawnee Mission East (Kan.)
41. Pirates, Nick Lodolo, LHP, Damien (La Verne, Calif.)

DeMatha quarterback Beau English (Photo: Derik Hamilton, USA Today Sports).

Two of the perennial high school football powers in the Mid-Atlantic will face off in late August.

DeMatha Catholic (Hyattsville, Md,), which finished No. 12 in the Super 25 last fall, will visit Oscar Smith (Chesapeake, Va.) on Aug. 26, according to the Virginian-Pilot.

A game for this season initially had fallen through when longtime Oscar Smith coach Richard Morgan left for a job in Georgia. Contracts had not been signed and DeMatha found a replacement against Oxbridge Academy (West Palm Beach, Fla.). But late last month, Oxbridge’s billionaire founder Bill Koch fired the athletic director and football coach amid controversy.

So DeMatha Catholic reached out to Oscar Smith to see if the option to play still existed.

“Their coach reached out to our coach and said they had something come up with one of the teams and they could not play,” athletic director Todd Parker told the Pilot. “That opened up a date and it happened to match our date.”

“When (new coach Bill Dee) came to me and said he thought he had DeMatha back on the board, it was kind of a relief because I didn’t want to go playing nine games two years in a row. It’s not a power ratings factor and it will be a good sell and good competition for us and a good way to introduce coach Dee into our football program.”

DeMatha won the Washington Catholic Athletic Conference championship and finished 11-1 last season. The Stags return quarterback Beau English but lost nearly a half-dozen four-star recruits such as Penn State-bound defensive end Shane Simmons and a trio headed for Maryland — offensive guard Terrance Davis, wide receiver/athlete D.J. Turner and wide receiver Tino Ellis.

Oscar Smith lost the Group 6A state title game last season and are expecting 16 starters back, including quarterback Shon Mitchell.

Josh Jackson has only been on the Kansas campus for a few days, but he already is showing the type of impact he can have.

Jackson, an American Family Insurance ALL-USA Basketball First Team selection for Prolific Prep (Napa, Calif.), scored 21 points during a KU camp scrimmage Wednesday.

In his first interview with reporters who cover the Jayhawks, Jackson appeared comfortable with the cameras and showed some personality. He also debunked the notion that he is planning on a brief stay in Lawrence.

“A lot of people would say that I’m a one-and-done player, but I don’t really view myself that way,” Jackson said in the video above. “I think I’ll be here as long as I need to be, until I feel like I’m ready to take that next step. While I’m here, I just want to get as good as I can and win as many games as I can.”

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As for the 21 points, Jackson said he didn’t know how many he scored. “If it was 21, it was 21,” he said, but he also understood the expectations that surround him, especially being the No. 1 player in the Class of 2016, according to many.

“I felt like I had a lot of expectations to live up to, not only for the media and the outside world, but also the guys within this team and within the gym that I’m in,” Jackson said. “I just didn’t want to let anybody down. I just wanted to show them I can play and I can be helpful to the team this year.”

As for his first few days in Lawrence: So far, so good.

“I had no idea, but it’s lovely. I love the campus. It’s beautiful. It’s everything I thought it would be,” Jackson said. “Just being here makes me feel even more good about making the choice that I did.”

Being selected by the New York Yankees in the first round of the Major League Baseball Draft on Thursday was a dream come true for Chaminade (Canoga Park, Calif.) outfielder Blake Rutherford.

Rutherford is a lifelong Yankees fan, Derek Jeter is his idol, the game room in the family’s house has Jeter and Yankee memorabilia. But the Yankees had the 18th pick, so that meant waiting through the first two hours-plus of the draft at the end of a life-changing day.

So, Rutherford’s goal was to keep himself “distracted.” Among those distractions: a family whiffle ball game.

“It never really hit me until the draft started,” he said in the video below from the Los Angeles Daily News. “I hit this morning to try to stay busy. We had a big family whiffle ball game. We hung out.

” I didn’t watch any baseball channels for three days. Now I can finally turn the TV back on and watch some baseball. I was more focused on being around family at this time. It got more tense when the draft started, but if want to stay distracted, the best thing is to be with family.”

Myles Brennan has posted big numbers in his two years as a starter at 11,045 yards passing, with 117 touchdowns in two years as a starter at St. Stanislaus in Mississippi. That attracted a number of college recruiters, leading to his commitment to LSU.

Brennan initially did not make the cut for the Elite 11 Finals in Los Angeles, but he was later invited and showed he belonged. Brennan was among the group that was invited to The Opening Finals in Oregon next month, getting better each day of the three-day camp.

Brennan spoke with USA TODAY Sports’ Dave Schmulenson about his Elite 11 experiences, his plans for LSU, and much more in the video above.

Jalek Felton (Photo by Kelly Kline/Under Armour)

North Carolina basketball commit Jalek Felton is transferring from Mullins (S.C.) to Gray Collegiate Academy in West Columbia (S.C.), about two hours from his hometown.

Felton announced the decision on his Twitter and Facebook pages. Felton averaged 24.1 points, 5.4 assists and 5.5 rebounds last season.

Gray is coached by Dion Bethea, who was North Carolina All-American Brice Johnson’s coach.

“I’ve already played with some of the guys and they play a lot harder,” Felton told Scout.com. “I guess they want to win as bad as me and they have the talent to go along with it. With the way Coach Bethea coaches and these pieces around us, I think it’s going to be a beautiful thing.”

Bethea said he urged Felton to stay in his home state rather than attend any of the out of state prep programs that would have been happy to have him. Felton is ranked as the top combo guard and No. 28 play overall in the Class of 2017 by the 247Sports Composite. ESPN ranks him as No. 24 overall.

“I told him, ‘Look, what will be your legacy?’” Bethea told Scout. “’You look at your uncle (Raymond Felton), he led Latta to back-to-back state championships. Sure, you can leave the state, but why not come here, play with other great players and finish your career cutting down the nets at the Colonial Center?’”

The flag flew at half-staff at the Colleen and Gordie Howe Middle School in Abbotsford, British Columbia, following the passing of its namesake, “Mr. Hockey” Gordie Howe on Friday at age 88. The school also observed a moment of silence.

The school is the only one named after Howe and the school motto —  “Hope – Opportunity – Wonder – Excellence” — plays off the letters in his name.

The school opened on Sept. 1, 2001. At the time, the Abbotsford School Board determined that it wanted to name new schools after Canadians who were “positive and inspirational role models for their students.”

When the decision was made to name the school after the Howes, chool Board Chair John Smith told the Abbotsford Times, “The Howe name stands for a strong sense of family, the importance of positive adult role models and a commitment to the positive development of children.”

Colleen and Gordie attended the grand opening on Jan. 18, 2002. Colleen, a longtime advocate for many charitable causes, died in 2009.

“He was so proud to have his name and his wife’s name on this school,” teacher Paul Giesbrecht recalled Friday in a video posted by the Abbotsford Times. “He insisted on having his wife’s name on the school because he said without her, I wouldn’t have become who I was. …

“He was real old school. He didn’t act like a celebrity at all. He was just a regular farm boy from Saskatchewan who loved what he did, loved his family, loved being a part of the school, loved children. It was just a thrilling day.”

Among the athletic alumni of the school is Sophie Schmidt, who won a bronze medal in the 2012 Olympics with the Canadian women’s soccer team.

A prominent cheerleading coach in Ohio was shot and killed in southeast Columbus on Saturday.

Gerald Bishop II, 31, who spent more than a decade with the Midwest Magic All-Stars program, was found dead when police and medical personnel responded to reports of a shooting.

According to NBC4, witnesses identified the shooter who fled on foot and was captured him shortly thereafter. Dalon Smoot, 21, has been charged with the murder, police said.

As of Saturday night, there had been five shootings in Columbus this weekend.

In a post on Facebook, the Magic program said:

“Gerald … was a major factor in the success of the gym, but more importantly he had a tremendous impact on all the team members he coached through the years. His dedication to Magic was only matched by his dedication to seeing “his kids” challenge themselves and overcome any fears or doubts they may have had to achieve their goals. The lessons he taught not only helped improve the athlete’s skills but also gave them confidence and the attitude that anything is possible and that is where his legacy will live on.

It’s been a busy weekend for Marvin Wilson, the top defensive tackle in the Class of 2017 and one of the top 10 players overall.

First, he announced his top 10 on Twitter. Wilson is 6-4, 330 and plays for Episcopal in Bellaire, Texas.

As expected, the group is a who’s who of elite programs: Southern Cal, Ole Miss, Ohio State, Oklahoma, UCLA, Texas A&M, Florida State, Alabama, LSU and Texas.

Then, he announced that he was flipping his commitment from the U.S. Army All-American Bowl to the Under Armour All-American Game.

And Wilson, ranked as the No. 1 player in the class overall by Rivals.com, took part in the Rivals 5-Star Challenge on Saturday and was named the defensive line MVP with a dominant performance against other elite players.

Four-star point guard Tre Jones had a little fun with his friend Gary Trent Jr. during the USA Basketball training camp for the USA U17 National Team as captured in this video from Rivals.com.

Young and Trent are among the 38 players taking part in training camp this week before the roster is cut in advance of the FIBA U17 World Championship from June 23-July 3 in Zaragoza, Spain.

Joshua Lowe of Pope (Marietta, Ga.) was selected in the first round of the MLB draft. (Photo: Jeff Burrows, Pope baseball).

The Tampa Bay Rays selected two members of the Lowe family in the Major League Baseball Draft.

The Rays used the 13th overall pick to selected third baseman Joshua Lowe from Pope High (Marietta, Ga.), who was named the Gatorade Georgia Baseball Player of the Year. Lowe hit. 391 with 11 home runs and 39 RBI for a Pope team that reached the Class AAAAAA state finals.

RELATED: ALL-USA Watch, Josh Lowe

The 6-4 Lowe, a Florida State signee, also did some work on the mound as the Pope closer with six saves and 33 strikeouts in 22 innings, although his future seems to be as an infielder. He throws 91-93 mph and can hit the mid-90s with his fastball so it’s not out of the question that the Rays could consider him on the mound.

The Rays went back to the Lowe family in the 13th round, selecting Mississippi State junior first baseman Nathaniel Lowe with the 390th pick overall. Nathaniel hit .354, second on the team, with a team-best 49 RBI and five homers.

Nathaniel, selected as a second-team All-American by Louisville Slugger, has a year of eligibility remaining and could return to Mississippi State for his senior year in hopes of being drafted higher next June.

Their father, Dave, was drafted as a pitcher in the fifth round by the Seattle Mariners in 1986, but instead accepted an appointment to the U.S. Naval Academy and played football and baseball for the Middies before becoming a career Navy pilot for 20 years.

Mississippi State first baseman Nathaniel Lowe (Photo: Kelly Price, Jackson Clarion-Ledger)

Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas) quarterback Tate Martell’s visit to Columbus this weekend was expected to be a key moment in his recruitment.

How key? Well, Martell announced on Twitter on Sunday that he had committed to the Buckeyes.

The top dual-threat quarterback in the Class of 2017, Martell announced a top five last week of Ohio State, UCLA, USC, California and Colorado last weekend and then announced his intention to return to Columbus for an unofficial visit. Martell had previously visited in March.

“I loved Ohio State, it’s a phenomenal school and you know they will be competing for a national championship every year you’re there,” Martell told Scout.com.  “I’m excited about the opportunity to play for a program with so much tradition.”

Martell committed to Washington several year ago and then committed to Texas A&M. His decommitment from A&M on May 5 created a firestorm when a Texas A&M assistant coach Aaron Moorehead took to Twitter to criticize his loyalty (although not by name).

He is ranked as the No. 1 player in the state of Nevada and the No. 33 player overall in the class by the 247Sports Composite rankings. Martell expects to graduate from Gorman early and be on campus next spring.

Ohio State already had the No. 1 ranked recruiting class for 2017 before Martell’s commitment. He is the second quarterback commit for 2017, joining in-state prospect Danny Clark of Archbishop Hoban. Clark is more of a passer while Martell can do more with his legs. Clark, who has been committed since he was a high school freshman, has said he was told by the Ohio State coaches that they planned to recruit a second QB for 2017.

“I understand there will be other quarterbacks there and if I have to redshirt thats fine,” Martell told Scout.  “But I’m competitive and will do the best I can.”

Clark tweeted this strong message Saturday:

Ohio State also had been pursuing IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.) quarterback Kellen Mond, who recently decommitted from Baylor. Auburn is considered the leader for Mond, who retweeted Martell’s announcement Sunday.

Among the first to congratulate Martell was longtime friend and elite wide receiver Tyjon Lindsey. Lindsey lived with the Martell family when he was in Las Vegas at Bishop Gorman but has moved back to Southern California.

Martell could head into a crowded situation at Ohio State. If this fall is JT Barrett’s final season at the school, the roster would have Joey Burrow, Dwayne Haskins and Clark along with Martell. Burrow is a former four star. Haskins was a longtime Maryland commit in the Class of 2016 before flipping before signing day in February.

The Waxahachie (Texas) Independent School District has approved a new $500,000 digital scoreboard for the school’s football stadium, according to the Waxahachie Daily Light.

The scoreboard is expected to be in place by the fall and is part of a plan to improve other signage throughout the district in the next three to five years, Clyde Melick, the assistant superintendent of facilities for WISD, told the Daily Light.

The current Lumpkins Stadium scoreboard has been in use since 2004.

“It’s going to be a state-of-the-art, 18×32-foot digital scoreboard,” Melick said. “It will be able to display commercials, advertisements, replays and WISD productions inside of the schools. Daktronics will also replace the sound system. I think in this day and age, where we’re all used to having four screens in front of us, I think fans are used to a more cerebral experience. This is just catching up to the age of modern football and the excellent stadium we have.”

School official plan is to use high school journalism students to run live production during the football and soccer seasons.

“It will be a huge plus to be able to project our graduation on a screen,” district athletic director Greg Reed told the Daily Light. “Right now, it’s a fixed, numbered scoreboard with a monochrome video attachment out there, which has become more expensive to maintain than replace. A scoreboard’s there to keep score, but when you add video to it, there are endless possibilities.”

The plan is to use money from the district’s general fund, which will see an increase because of higher enrollment, school officials said.

Darnay Holmes from Calabasas (Calif.) didn’t become the No. 1 cornerback in the Class of 2017 by not being able to catch the ball.

Holmes, who also plays wide receiver for his high school team, lines up in the video below at receiver during the Saugus 7 on 7 tournament, makes a one-handed grab, does a back flip, loses his helmet and then smiles as he takes it all in.

Holmes is ranked as the No. 10 prospect overall in the Class of 2017 by the 247Sports Composite rankings and has 24 offers.

It’s not often that a largely inconsequential pinch runner elicits much of a crowd reaction, but the situation at Saturday’s Texas 6A state championship game was different.

Cameron Dobbs, a senior at Dallas Jesuit and Oklahoma State commit, starred as a junior shortstop in 2015. But two ruptured discs in his back sidelined him for his senior season.

Kellen Mond (Photo: Brian Perroni, 247Sports)

With Tate Martell’s commitment to Ohio State, the quarterback landscape for the Class of 2017 again shifts because Martell is generally ranked as the No. 1 dual-threat quarterback.

While it is still a long way from now until National Signing Day in February and more decommits abound, quarterbacks are always among the first to commit and often serve as ambassadors to urge other players to follow them. Many quarterbacks also are early enrollees and head to campus to take part in spring practice.

Among dual-threat quarterbacks, 12 of the top 15 in the 247Sports Composite rankings are committed, and 22 of the top 25 pro-style quarterbacks are announced a college choice. Most of the teams in the Power Five conferences have quarterbacks commits, and in some cases such as LSU, Clemson and Ohio State, schools have two commits at the position.

“In most cases you can only get one quarterback,” said longtime quarterback tutor Steve Clarkson. “It’s unlike wide receiver or offensive and defensive linemen where you can recruit multiple players there. What schools try to do is recruit the best available quarterback for their system each and every year and let the best man win.”

With Martell off the board, the focus turns to IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.) quarterback Kellen Mond. Mond, a Texas native, recently decommitted from Baylor and is ranked as the No. 3 dual-threat QB.

He told USA TODAY Sports at the Elite 11 Finals that he was down to Auburn, Ohio State and Texas A&M. He had made visits to Auburn and Ohio State and hoped to see Texas A&M.

Auburn is the favorite with Mond saying that he saw the Auburn system as the “perfect fit.” He wants to get his mother to campus after having traveled with his father during his previous trip.

“(It’s a) spread offense, and Coach (Gus) Malzahn is one of the best,” Mond told AL.com in late April. “I definitely feel like I could run the ball in the offense, throw the ball down the field in the offense so it’s definitely a perfect fit.”

Next among uncommitted dual threats is Jason Shelley from Lone Star (Frisco, Texas). He is ranked No. 12 and has 11 offers with Utah considered the favorite. Jaylen Gipson from Mexia (Texas) is No. 14 and his offers include Texas, Texas Tech, Baylor and TCU.

The biggest name remaining among the pro-style passers is Jack Sears from San Clemente, Calif. He told USA TODAY Sports recently that he didn’t have a favorite, but was looking at a number of schools. He was scheduled to attend a camp at Tennessee last weekend.

Texas A&M, Duke, USC, UCLA, Washington, and Utah are among the contenders. He said he hope to make a decision in July.

“For me, I’m looking for the best fit and how I see myself in their offense,” he said. “Everyone has something different to offer. A lot of them run similar offenses, so it’s more the coaching staff and how I see myself there.”

Chase Garbers from Corona Del Mar (Newport Beach, Calif.) returned for another visit to Washington, where many predict he will eventually land. He is ranked as the No. 18 pro-style QB.

Nick Sipe from Villa Park (Calif.) is No. 24. Purdue is his long Power Five conference offer reported to this point and he is scheduled to visit this weekend. Sipe could see interest increase after a strong performance at The Opening Regionals.