Ramon Robinson: Sky is the limit for Urich
PIEDMONT - Wren High three-star quarterback Jay Urich committed to South Carolina during a ceremony at his school Friday and Urich's personal quarterback coach Ramon Robinson spoke with GamecockCentral.com about the 6-foot-4 quarterback.
Gamecock Central: What makes Jay Urich special?
Ramon Robinson: Just his overall ability, how much he's picked up the system, grown into being a quarterback, just knowing that he was a receiver, basically an athlete as they call it now days. And his whole change in demeanor with maturity at the position. I just saw him go from, as he says, a guy who barely knew how to throw the football, to the point of, now he's one of the elite quarterbacks in the country. I always felt as a quarterback coach, and some people can be a little biased, because that's their kid, but I always thought that he was underrated especially as a kid that's able to run a 4.5 40 at 6-4, and he can spin the ball. All I saw is just his mechanics and his footwork just change over the last year. The weight room, putting on the weight and getting stronger, faster. I can see all of the velocity and being able to reach the ball down the field. I saw all of that change in months.
***INSIDE THE COMMITMENT: Go behind the scenes of Jay Urich's recruitment***
GCC: How excited were you to see the Power 5 schools jump in for him?
RR: I was very excited. Like I said before, I always thought that he was underrated, but I'm a realist too. I'm a South Carolinian. I played quarterback myself in high school. But I've seen, as they say, the hotbeds in regards to the positions that come out of South Carolina. And South Carolina has never been that hotbed for quarterbacks. And that has to do with the perception, but at the same time mechanically, the kids didn't have it, the fundamentals. We've had guys that could play the position, but now a days, colleges want kids that are ready to go, developed.
I had a conversation with a college coach and he told me the reason they always go to the west coast is these kids have had quarterback coaches that are teaching them the basic fundamentals of the position for so long, as opposed to now it's just getting very hot in the south as far as having these position coaches and that's kind of one of the main reasons I started it. When I looked at it, at the history of it, we only had four quarterbacks in one year that signed Division 1 school and this past year, we sent seven, and that's big. The hotbed here is defensive linemen and linebackers. I had to deal with Kelly (Bryant's) recruitment. He put up the numbers and people came in here and I felt like with the history of what he did, that's kind of helped Jay along with a lot of other guys who are dual threat quarterbacks to be in this position that they are now.
***RELATIONSHIPS LEAD URICH TO SOUTH CAROLINA***
GCC: What did you see from the way Mushamp and Roper handled Jay's recruitment?
RR: What I saw with them is once they through the offer out there and showed their commitment that it was a committable offer, I just felt like they were consistent in regards to what they did, in regards to whether it was contacting Coach Tate, contacting me, seeing how the kid is doing, how is he doing with this? Is he improving with this? I just saw the consistency. They saw the videos that I put up of him then and him now. They saw the growth with Jay over the past few months. That's the whole part of recruiting and they made it a point to establish that relationship with Jay and the people around him.
GCC: How good can Urich be?
RR: The sky is the limit. This is a kid that's just now getting into being a quarterback, opposed to someone that's been in the system the whole time. A lot of quarterbacks can tap out early, but you've got a kid now who's just getting excited about the position. The ceiling is very high. He's only going to get better. I look for him in a few years to be 220-something pounds. He can create plays. Everything is about creating plays now. Whether people say pro-style or dual threat, guess what? Pro-style quarterbacks has got to be able to move around a little bit too. Coaches want guys that can make plays and South Carolina is getting a good kid that can make plays, extend the play, and make things happen.
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Ramon Robinson is the founder and owner of Elite Position Training, a non-profit organization in South Carolina that seeks to develop the state's athletes both on and off the field. Robinson, who tutors Urich, has also worked with quarterbacks like Kelly Bryant. Robinson also produces the EPT Football Skills Showcase each year, which promotes the top talent in the Palmetto State. CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT EPTraining.
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