Patrick Mahomes, the biggest QB talent of this generation, had received just three college offers: from Texas Tech, Rice, and Houston. This despite posting impressive high school stats, earning prestigious awards, and having a famous father.
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Saying Mahomes’ high school resume was impressive would be an understatement. During his senior season, he threw 50 TD passes and tallied over 5,000 passing yards, while also rushing 260 yards and 12 scores. He was awarded the Texas AP Football Player of the Year award. Mahomes also threw a 16-strikeout no-hitter in baseball and played basketball too.
He is also the son of former MLB pitcher, Pat Mahomes. So Patrick was not unheard of either. Yet, the future three-time Super Bowl champ was overlooked by most major programs. In fact, Texas Tech, the school Mahomes ultimately chose, gained national relevance only after Mahomes arrived. Why was he overlooked so glaringly? Well, the answer might be more surprising than you’d expect.
Despite his performance in high school, the colleges had Mahomes rated as a three-star prospect. There were worries about his footwork and decision-making. Because of this, only one Texas school offered him a scholarship.
The Texas Longhorns and Texas A&M Aggies decided to forgo the prospect and never batted an eye towards him. But there were other reasons too.
Mahomes’ college coach, Kliff Kingsbury, said that his dabbling in multiple sports could’ve been a reason he was overlooked. Mahomes was always playing baseball or basketball during showcases in the offseason.
His godfather and former MLB pitcher, LaTroy Hawkins, also had the same theory. Colleges often scout and identify their recruits when they’re freshman or sophomores through showcases. But Mahomes never got the chance to attend these showcases and show scouts what he was about since he was playing other sports.
He also didn’t become the starter for the football team until his junior season. So, Mahomes was somewhat under the radar for many schools. This meant that he didn’t get the chance to establish groundwork with some college scouts and they would have had to find him through QB camps.
Some scouts also pointed to Mahomes’ mechanics as a concern. As a result, he wasn’t considered by major programs like Texas, Alabama, and LSU. But we all know how this story progresses.
Mahomes has taken over the NFL and has already won three Super Bowls in five attempts. He proved everyone wrong.
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In all essence, the Kansas City Chiefs legend changed college recruiting for the better. Today, big schools like Texas don’t overlook juniors and seniors in high school who are producing at the level Mahomes was.
Because no school wants to become the next one to say they didn’t even consider signing one of the greatest players of all time.
