Blue-Grey Football Alumni Update: Patrick Mahomes (2016)

Notre Dame alum Julian Love (left), Michigan alum Taran Higdon (middle), Texas Tech alum and Patrick Mahomes (right) are among many that in the past participated in the Blue-Grey All-American Bowl.

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 level has been about as good as it gets.

Things don’t figure to change anytime soon, either, as the hype continues to build for this year’s games: The first on Dec. 22 at Dallas Cowboys’ AT&T Stadium, the second on Jan. 14 at Jacksonville Jaguars’ EverBank Field and the third on Jan. 21 at Oakland Raiders’ Coliseum.

To gain a better understanding about the rapidly growing direction of things, perhaps 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.

Patrick Mahomes from Whitehouse (TX) is the next topic of conversation. No surprise considering, when as a member of the Class of 2014 and despite a minor injury, he essentially made his name known at the West’s 41-7 victory over the East at AT&T Stadium.

In an effort to prevent any setbacks, at the urging of Blue-Grey Football administrators and doctors alike, Mahomes was largely limited with on-field activities during All-American Bowl Weekend. Nevertheless, there was an undeniable buzz surrounding his every move.

Nowadays, still in the spotlight, the attention will be on the 6-foot-3 and 205-pound junior quarterback for Texas Tech against TCU on Oct. 29 in a Big 12 Conference game at 8 p.m. (EST). Mahomes, as always, figures to be the difference between winning and losing.

What will he do for an encore after last week’s 66-59 conference loss to Oklahoma? Against the Sooners’ Baker Mayfield, Mahomes was 52-of-88 with five touchdowns for an NCAA record-tying 734 passing yards and an NCAA record-breaking 819 all-purpose yards.

Prior to, there were signs that Mahomes could be a more than capable contributor. In seven games as freshman, he finished with 1,547 passing yards and 16 touchdowns. In 13 games as a sophomore, Mahomes ended up with 4,653 passing yards and 36 touchdowns.

Rest assured, the future is bright and talk has started about him being a possible first-round pick in the upcoming NFL Draft. Only time will tell, however. This is much is fairly certain, Mahomes emerged on the national radar during the brand’s All-American Bowl in Texas.