Blue-Grey Football Alumni Update: Nick Starkel
Plenty of prospects, some of them high-profile, others under-the-radar, have come and gone in the past decade or so, since the inception of the Blue-Grey All-American Bowl. Still, the talent level across the board on the national scene has been about as good as it gets.
Things don’t figure to change anytime soon, as the hype continues to build and build for this year’s games: Dec. 20 at Dallas Cowboys’ AT&T Stadium, with an encore at the same venue Jan. 10, also another one Jan. 31 at Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ Raymond James Stadium.
To gain a better understanding about the rapidly growing direction of things, perhaps now it’s best to take some time to reflect on the humble beginnings. Therefore, moving forward, the plan is to more closely examine the brand’s many alumni from all over the country.
The focus this time around is on Nick Starkel from Liberty Christian (TX). The attention is warranted too, when considering, as a member of the Class of 2016, his name was firmly in the conversation for Offensive MVP as West defeated East, 21-14, at AT&T Stadium.
There were several high-profile prospects on the field that day, with Illinois State commit James Robinson, Oklahoma State commit Madre Harper, Princeton commit Kevin Davidson, LSU commit Donavaughn Campbell and Washington State commit Frederick Mauigoa.
Still, all eyes were on Starkel, despite the others. Nothing has changed. The 6-foot-3 and 214-pound graduate student quarterback remains in the spotlight, only now with San Jose State. He’ll be in action against USC on Sept. 4 in nonconference game at 5 p.m. (EST).
Starkel and his teammates enter the showdown with plenty of momentum after last week’s 45-14 nonconference victory over Southern Utah. He finished 16-of-27 with 394 passing yards and four touchdowns. Can’t forget to mention his 1-yard touchdown run, as well.
The production should come as little, or no surprise to those that have followed his journey. What a ride it’s been for him, worth noting in this case. We’re talking about a one-time Oklahoma State commit, turned SEC target, then Mountain West Conference target.
Last year, as a senior, Starkel led the Spartans to an undefeated regular season record, a conference title and their first ranking in the final Associated Press poll (No. 24) since 2012. He was named to the Davey O’Brien Watch List, given to the nation’s top quarterback.
Prior to, safe to say, he was a well traveled young man. As a junior for the Arkansas Razorbacks, Starkel played in eight games and started five of them. As the team’s leading signal-caller, he completed 96-of-179 attempts for 1,152 passing yards with seven touchdowns.
Interestingly enough, during the three previous years, Starkel played for the Texas A&M Aggies. As a sophomore, he played seven games and started five of them. Again, atop the depth chart, Starkel completed 123-of-205 attempts for 1,793 passing yards and 14 touchdowns.
Given the past, the future appears particularly bright. A potential invite to the NFL Scouting Combine could materialize. Or going the undrafted free agent route is a possibility. One thing is certain, not long ago, Starkel lined up in the brand’s All-American Bowl in Texas.