Getty Quarterback Dwayne Haskins #7 of the Ohio State Buckeyes throws in the third quarter against the Michigan Wolverines.
Dwayne Haskins will be one of the first quarterbacks taken in the first round of today’s NFL Draft. While most projections have Oklahoma’s Kyler Murray going before him, CBS Sports has the former Ohio State Buckeye being the next quarterback taken at No. 3 overall.
Haskins has lived near two of the teams that are going after him. SB Nation reported several rumors saying that the Redskins are interested in trading with the Jets to snag the the 6-foot-3, 231-pounder. They play in Landover (Md.), just miles away from Haskin’s former high school in Potomac.
His real hometown is Highland Park (N.J.), as Haskins refers to himself as “Jersey-born.” USA Today New Jersey also refers to him as a South Brunswick native, which is just 12 miles from Highland Park.
Much like Haskins dreamed up playing for Ohio State, he also grew up wanting to run down the “old wind tunnel that was Giants Stadium,” according to Ian O’Connor of ESPN.com. If the Redskins don’t pull the trigger on the move, New York could be the team for Haskins.
Let’s take a look at his path from New Jersey to Columbus to today.
Dwayne Haskins High School, Recruitment & Ohio State Career
Ohio State QB Dwayne Haskins is in his native New Jersey to meet with the Giants today. He got into town late yesterday.
Tomorrow’s the last day for ’30’ visits, and the Giants will have had all four of the top QBs in the class in. Haskins will meet team CEO John Mara today.
According to NJ.com, Haskins moved to Gaithersburg, Md. as he transitioned to 9th grade, and took up football at the Bullis School. He threw for 3,066 yards, 36 touchdowns and just 11 interceptions over 2 seasons for the Bulldogs.
This earned him a 4-star ranking per 247 Sports in the 2016 class. The recruiting service ranked him No. 62 overall, the No. 5 pro-style quarterback and the No. 2 player in-state behind Penn State defensive end Shane Simmons.
His recruitment saw a few twists and turns. At one point, it looked like lowly Rutgers had a chance at him due to connections from his Pop Warner football days in New Jersey. Per NJ.com, he also was interested in the school’s academic profile:
Haskins has always had a high opinion of Rutgers football, a program he grew up paying close attention to. But now, he gets to assess the program from the perspective of a big-time recruit.
“I feel good about Rutgers,” he said. “It’s my home school. My family in New Jersey can come watch me play. It’s a great business school and I definitely want to study business or broadcast journalism.”
While the Knights ended up in his top-4, Haskins chose Maryland in May 2015. College Park is just a short drive from Bullis. By Jan. 2016, he has switched his commitment to Ohio State. Per ESPN.com:
“It has been a dream of mine to play for Ohio State,” said Haskins, the No. 3 quarterback in the 2016 class. “This prestigious university best represents my family values, and playing under Urban Meyer’s strong leadership abilities and a person that I can have a relationship with after football was important.”
His first defining moment for Ohio State is when he took over in the 3rd quarter of the Michigan game in Ann Arbor. He led the Buckeyes from a 20-14 deficit to win 31-20, completing 6-of-7 passes for 94 yards.
He torched Big Ten and school records last fall. He tossed for 4,831 yards, 50 touchdowns and just 8 interceptions. In the rematch with the Wolverines, he fueled a 62-39 thumping with a 396-yard and 6-touchdown explosion. He topped it off with a Rose Bowl MVP showing against Washington.
While he lost out on the Heisman to Murray, he possesses the prototypical frame and arm to possibly be the better fit as an NFL quarterback.
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