Tanner McEvoy: 2013 Wisconsin Football Recruiting Class

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Gary Andersen scored his first major recruiting strike just days before signing day when Wisconsin got a verbal commitment from junior college signal caller Tanner McEvoy, the top dual-threat JUCO quarterback available from the 2013 class, on Monday.

McEvoy's road to Madison was winding, and not always smooth. Originally a 2011 prospect out of Bergen Catholic in Oradell, N.J., McEvoy rose to prominence with a stellar senior season under center after spending his previous years at wide receiver. He signed with South Carolina as a quarterback and redshirted his first season there. At 19, prior to his redshirt freshman campaign, he was charged with speeding and misdemeanor driving after consuming alcohol. Though reinstated by Steve Spurrier after a brief suspension, McEvoy opted to transfer right away in August. He then landed at Arizona Western in Yuma.

Like Joel Stave, McEvoy will have three years of eligibility remaining as a Badger. Because of his immense athleticism and the two years of collegiate coaching already under his belt, McEvoy could conceivably step right in and compete for the starting gig at Wisconsin next fall. If he stays at quarterback, that is, which he is intent on doing.

"He's a very accurate kid. He can run and make plays with his feet," Arizona Western coach Tom Minnick said. "I compare him to the kid at Kansas State, but he's a better thrower and a better athlete than the kid at Kansas State."

The issue with McEvoy is an unorthodox throwing motion, which Minnick said is a result of mechanical problems in his lower body.

"He just has to make sure he's stepping into the throw," Minnick said. "He wheels around a little bit. We didn't have him a long period of time. We worked on it a little bit and got him transferring the weight a little better."

Rankings

Rivals: (#25 ATH - #11 player in NJ)
Scout: (#48 WR)
ESPN: 79
24/7: 90 (#1 JUCO QB-DUAL - #34 JUCO overall - #2 JUCO player in AZ)

Verbally committed February 4, 2013

Coming out of high school as the 20th-rated "athlete" in the country by 247 Sports, McEvoy followed in family footsteps that took him to South Carolina. Two years later, McEvoy was sought after by a handful of the higheset-profile schools looking to fill a void at quarterback.

McEvoy's final four choices this time around were Florida, Oregon, West Virginia and Wisconsin. After a December visit to Morgantown, McEvoy kicked off a four-week tour of official visits, starting with Oregon on January 11. Conventional wisdom had Wisconsin (which hosted McEvoy last week) and Florida (this past weekend) in the driver's seat with his final visits. But as McEvoy explained to the Wisconsin State Journal, being able to compete right away played a big role in UW and WVU being his final choices. Being Andersen and offensive coordinator Andy Ludwig's first real quarterback recruit at Wisconsin helped tip the pendulum in UW's direction.

Video Highlights

See McEvoy's JUCO highlight reel on HUDL.com

Statistics

RS Freshman: 138-218 (63%), 1,943 passing yards, 25 TDs, 6 INTs; 414 rushing yards, 6 TDs (Arizona Western)
Freshman: Redshirted (South Carolina)
HS Senior: 2,264 passing yards, 32 TDs; 1,196 rushing yards, 14 TDs
HS Junior: 35 receptions, 550 receiving yards, 3 TDs; 49 tackles, 3 INTs

Honors

2012 ACCAC Offensive Player of the Year
2010 New Jersey Offensive Player of the Year

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