KENNESAW, Ga. - For 22 years,
Matt Dickmann coached high school football in Palm Beach County, which -
along with neighboring Dade and Broward counties - sent more players to
the NFL draft than any metropolis in the country the past three years.
For
decades, that tri-county area has produced at least as many talented
athletes as it has oranges. Two years ago, though, Dickmann came to
Harrison High north of Atlanta looking for a more manageable life for
his family.
In the process, he found "probably the most athletic skill position kid I have ever coached," he said.
Meet
Lorenzo Nunez, the Hoyas' 6-foot-3, 195-pound quarterback who plans to
sign with South Carolina on Wednesday and arrive in Columbia on June 1
with plans to win the starting quarterback job by his first fall.
"He
can play it all," Dickmann said. "He can play defense. He can play
defensive back. He played a lot of corner for us this year and safety.
He could play wide receiver. He could play slot receiver."
What Gamecock fans want to know: Can he play quarterback?
"He
definitely can play quarterback," Dickmann said. "He's just that
talented. He's got a gift of quickness, agility, speed, the way his hips
move. He's just that dynamic."
Nunez threw for 803 yards and
rushed for 1,193 as a senior at Harrison. The Gamecocks have never
signed a quarterback who threw for so few yards as a high school senior
during the Steve Spurrier era. The average senior season passing yards
of the 13 quarterbacks signed by Spurrier at South Carolina is nearly
three times Nunez's total - 3,021.
In 2011, Brendan Nosovitch
threw for 3,809 yards and 39 touchdowns as a high school senior, and he
was moved to tight end before his sophomore season. However, no one
needs to worry about Nunez's numbers, Dickmann said, because they were a
result of necessity and environment and not his ability to throw the
football.
"The kids that he threw to would be Division III wide
receivers at best," Dickmann said. As a junior "he threw for 1,200
yards, but he had a kid that went to Valdosta (State, Division-II) to
throw to. This year, we just had a lot of drops, and we just had to have
his hands on the ball."
Nunez stopped all recruiting
conversations that included talks about a position change, and the
Gamecocks sold him on the idea of being the next Connor Shaw, a threat
with both his arm and his legs.
"He's a zone-read type of guy,"
Scout.com national recruiting analyst Chad Simmons said. "He's a guy
that defenses have to account for because of his legs and his arm. He's a
much more natural runner right now, but he does have some tools you
like as a passer."
Nunez rushed for 1,504 yards in two seasons as
Harrison's quarterback and is ranked the nation's 10th-best dual threat
quarterback by 247Sports.com, but he wants to be known as a passer
first.
"I had a live arm when I was little," he said. "I never
liked playing quarterback then because you never threw the ball when you
were little, but in eighth grade, I transferred from running back to
quarterback. I like having the ball in my hands and making decisions."
Nunez
believes he can make all the throws he needs to make, and that
adjusting to the speed and complexity of the college game will take "one
week or two weeks because I pick that up really fast." That optimistic
outlook is common among standout high school players, Simmons said.
Quarterbacks, in particular, often underestimate how long the transition
to college football will take, he said.
"I don't know if any kid
really understands where they are at as a prospect and what they have to
work on and improve on to be a college starter," Simmons said. "I think
all kids have a hard time understanding they are not quite there yet.
Once (Nunez) gets on campus and sees other guys, I think Spurrier has a
chance to bring him back down to reality."
Spurrier already has worked with Nunez at South Carolina's summer camp last year.
"I
noticed that he was watching me a lot when I was throwing," Nunez said.
"He gave me a few tips. He took me to the side and told me to do
certain things."
Spurrier asked Nunez to hold the football higher
and keep the ball's tip pointed forward rather than down on his drop
back and to load more weight on his back foot before throwing the ball.
Nunez has tried to work on those points since, he said. Nunez will excel
under Spurrier's style of coaching, Dickmann believes.
"He's
harder on himself than anybody else," Dickmann said. "He likes to do
things at a high level. He's going to go there and he's going to listen,
and he's going to give (Spurrier) his best effort."
Simmons has seen that at several camps for high school standouts.
"He
is more mature than many others I cover in this class, so I do think he
will go in there with an open mind," Simmons said. "I do think he is
more on that side that is really willing to learn and go to work."
Nunez
watched South Carolina's games on television this year and took note of
the types of pass routes Spurrier favors and practiced those throws at
home, he said. Still, Dickmann believes Nunez would benefit from a
redshirt season.
"It is a lot at the college level to handle, but
athletically, he can handle it no problem," the coach said. "He'll have
so much fun when he gets there, because he'll be surrounded by kids like
him. Whatever he ends up playing, he's going to be happy playing
college football, but he wants to play quarterback and I believe he can
play quarterback. He's the best quarterback I've ever coached."
Matt Dickmann coached high school football in Palm Beach County, which -
along with neighboring Dade and Broward counties - sent more players to
the NFL draft than any metropolis in the country the past three years.
For
decades, that tri-county area has produced at least as many talented
athletes as it has oranges. Two years ago, though, Dickmann came to
Harrison High north of Atlanta looking for a more manageable life for
his family.
In the process, he found "probably the most athletic skill position kid I have ever coached," he said.
Meet
Lorenzo Nunez, the Hoyas' 6-foot-3, 195-pound quarterback who plans to
sign with South Carolina on Wednesday and arrive in Columbia on June 1
with plans to win the starting quarterback job by his first fall.
"He
can play it all," Dickmann said. "He can play defense. He can play
defensive back. He played a lot of corner for us this year and safety.
He could play wide receiver. He could play slot receiver."
What Gamecock fans want to know: Can he play quarterback?
"He
definitely can play quarterback," Dickmann said. "He's just that
talented. He's got a gift of quickness, agility, speed, the way his hips
move. He's just that dynamic."
Nunez threw for 803 yards and
rushed for 1,193 as a senior at Harrison. The Gamecocks have never
signed a quarterback who threw for so few yards as a high school senior
during the Steve Spurrier era. The average senior season passing yards
of the 13 quarterbacks signed by Spurrier at South Carolina is nearly
three times Nunez's total - 3,021.
In 2011, Brendan Nosovitch
threw for 3,809 yards and 39 touchdowns as a high school senior, and he
was moved to tight end before his sophomore season. However, no one
needs to worry about Nunez's numbers, Dickmann said, because they were a
result of necessity and environment and not his ability to throw the
football.
"The kids that he threw to would be Division III wide
receivers at best," Dickmann said. As a junior "he threw for 1,200
yards, but he had a kid that went to Valdosta (State, Division-II) to
throw to. This year, we just had a lot of drops, and we just had to have
his hands on the ball."
Nunez stopped all recruiting
conversations that included talks about a position change, and the
Gamecocks sold him on the idea of being the next Connor Shaw, a threat
with both his arm and his legs.
"He's a zone-read type of guy,"
Scout.com national recruiting analyst Chad Simmons said. "He's a guy
that defenses have to account for because of his legs and his arm. He's a
much more natural runner right now, but he does have some tools you
like as a passer."
Nunez rushed for 1,504 yards in two seasons as
Harrison's quarterback and is ranked the nation's 10th-best dual threat
quarterback by 247Sports.com, but he wants to be known as a passer
first.
"I had a live arm when I was little," he said. "I never
liked playing quarterback then because you never threw the ball when you
were little, but in eighth grade, I transferred from running back to
quarterback. I like having the ball in my hands and making decisions."
Nunez
believes he can make all the throws he needs to make, and that
adjusting to the speed and complexity of the college game will take "one
week or two weeks because I pick that up really fast." That optimistic
outlook is common among standout high school players, Simmons said.
Quarterbacks, in particular, often underestimate how long the transition
to college football will take, he said.
"I don't know if any kid
really understands where they are at as a prospect and what they have to
work on and improve on to be a college starter," Simmons said. "I think
all kids have a hard time understanding they are not quite there yet.
Once (Nunez) gets on campus and sees other guys, I think Spurrier has a
chance to bring him back down to reality."
Spurrier already has worked with Nunez at South Carolina's summer camp last year.
"I
noticed that he was watching me a lot when I was throwing," Nunez said.
"He gave me a few tips. He took me to the side and told me to do
certain things."
Spurrier asked Nunez to hold the football higher
and keep the ball's tip pointed forward rather than down on his drop
back and to load more weight on his back foot before throwing the ball.
Nunez has tried to work on those points since, he said. Nunez will excel
under Spurrier's style of coaching, Dickmann believes.
"He's
harder on himself than anybody else," Dickmann said. "He likes to do
things at a high level. He's going to go there and he's going to listen,
and he's going to give (Spurrier) his best effort."
Simmons has seen that at several camps for high school standouts.
"He
is more mature than many others I cover in this class, so I do think he
will go in there with an open mind," Simmons said. "I do think he is
more on that side that is really willing to learn and go to work."
Nunez
watched South Carolina's games on television this year and took note of
the types of pass routes Spurrier favors and practiced those throws at
home, he said. Still, Dickmann believes Nunez would benefit from a
redshirt season.
"It is a lot at the college level to handle, but
athletically, he can handle it no problem," the coach said. "He'll have
so much fun when he gets there, because he'll be surrounded by kids like
him. Whatever he ends up playing, he's going to be happy playing
college football, but he wants to play quarterback and I believe he can
play quarterback. He's the best quarterback I've ever coached."
