Photo via Noah Grubbs, Instagram (@noahgrubbs13)
As Fighting Irish fans collectively hold their breath, waiting to see if a certain Quarterback commit will be leaving for more navy blue and burnt orange pastures, it's important to remember that all hope is not lost at the position. After dipping into the transfer portal to grab a signal caller for the second year in the row, Riley Leonard will be one and done in South Bend, but the cupboard will not be bare. Redshirt Sophomore Steve Angeli, who will likely serve as Leonard's back up this season, has flashed potential. Behind him, a group of highly touted prospects in Kenny Minchey and CJ Carr await the opportunity to compete for future playing time. Unfortunately, in today's college football, the likelihood of all that talent staying without looking to speed up their timeline of becoming a starter by transferring elsewhere is slim to none. In order to fill that potential void, lets look to the future - 4 star 2026 Lake Mary, Florida prospect and current Notre Dame commit, Noah Grubbs.
At 6'4", Grubbs possesses the type of elite height you like to see for the position, and once he adds some more mass, he'll have a college-ready frame. With a background in scouting, I'd like to breakdown some of the key components of a quarterback's makeup that go a long way in telling you what type of player you can expect. Each trait will have a grade of 1 through 7, with 1 being poor, and 7 being elite.
Athletic Ability: Good (5)
Grubbs definitely fits the mold of a pocket passer more than a true dual threat, but that doesn't mean he can't make plays with his legs. He shows good acceleration when he gets into stride, and has solid balance. His coaches are not afraid to use him on read option plays near the goal line, and with some added weight to an already solid frame, he will not be easy to bring down on short yardage plays.
Mental Processing: Good (5)
Grubbs does a good job post snap, quickly identifying whether the defense is in man or zone coverage. With safeties split in a Cover 2, he does a very good job attacking the middle of the field and knows how to locate where the one on one mismatches are. He will occasionally predetermine where he wants to go with the ball and stare down receivers, which is expected for a younger talent. His mental processing and understanding of the game is still largely ahead of his peers, which is encouraging. Under Gino Guidugli and Mike Denbrock, expect to see Grubbs take a massive leap forward in this area.
Competitive Toughness: Solid (4)
Grubbs displays a willingness to push the ball downfield vertically when he finds matchups he likes, and as a runner, he is not afraid to put his shoulder down to try to pick up a few extra yards or get across the goal line. One thing he needs to work on is when facing pressure, he tends to drift backwards in the pocket and throw off his back foot instead of stepping into his throw and absorbing the hit. This leaves the ball hanging in the air for too long, and at the next level will undoubtedly lead to interceptions against better athletes. Luckily for Grubbs, his aforementioned frame should allow him to absorb these hits quite easily, so for him, it will just be a matter of continuing to build that confidence in the pocket.
Arm Strength: Good (5)
Grubbs shows good velocity on shorter route concepts, and presents the zip to fit the ball into tight windows. Does lack top end arm strength which leads to some inconsistency with ball placement on his deep throws. Thankfully, arm strength is one of the easier quarterback traits for coaches to develop, so when all is said and done, Grubbs could very well possess the type of throwing power that will strike fear into defensive coordinators.
Accuracy: Very Good (6)
Grubbs is excellent in the short to intermediate game when it comes to ball placement. Has very good timing on out breaking routes and consistently hits receivers in stride, leading to major yards after catch opportunities. Referring back to arm strength, if he can continue to develop that, it will greatly improve his deep throw placement, which would turn accuracy into an ELITE trait for him, and this is something to be very excited about.
Entering his high school Junior season in 2024, Noah Grubbs currently grades out as a 90 for me. He still has plenty of room to develop, both physically and with the mental aspects of playing the Quarterback position. He has a high ceiling as a pocket passer, and by the time he hits Notre Dame's campus in 2026, may possess the traits to make him another viable option in a talented QB room.
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