Highland Park quarterback looking to prove worth as Division I prospect
DALLAS (BVM) 鈥� Brayden Schager is the No. 65-ranked pro-style quarterback by, has 16 Division I offers and has yet to start a varsity game.
It鈥檚 not for lack of talent, but rather a void in opportunity.
When Schager arrived at Highland Park High School as a freshman, John Stephen Jones was the Scots鈥� quarterback. Jones won a pair of state championships at Highland Park before signing with Arkansas. His successor was the son of former SMU and Arkansas head coach Chad Morris, Chandler Morris. Chandler would spend two seasons as the Scots鈥� starting quarterback, capturing a state title of his own as a junior, and was Oklahoma鈥檚 only quarterback signing in 2020.
Despite spending Friday nights for the first three years of his prep career on the sidelines relaying signals to the offense, Schager took it all in stride.
鈥淥bviously, it wasn鈥檛 the ideal situation for me but I just kind of took advantage of the learning experience, learned from the mental side of it and got the mental reps,鈥� Schager said. 鈥淚 just made the best of a bad situation I was in and worked extremely hard.鈥�
猬囷笍Full throwing video below猬囷笍
馃摳: @GameOnSportsPro— Brayden Schager (@BraydenSchager)
Last season in a reserve role, Schager completed 30 of just 51 attempts for 473 yards, six scores and two interceptions. But it鈥檚 in the 7-on-7 realm where Schager has made his name.
The Pylon 7-on-7 National Event in Las Vegas, also known as 鈥淭he Mecca鈥� of 7-on-7 tournaments, is a competition that hosts more than 100 teams from around the country. Littered with future Division I stars, two of the squads were led by 2021 five-star quarterbacks in Washington commit Sam Huard and Michigan-bound J.J. McCarthy.
Team Grind, led by Schager, won the whole thing in February. Schager led Team Grind to seven wins, tossed a touchdown on the final play of the championship game to win it and earned a spot on the 247Sports Dream Team from the event.
A 2021 QB to absolutely watch and know. Brayden Schager of Highland Park, TX just led his team to a Championship at over 100 teams in the bracket and he and are the last team standing.
— Pylon 7on7 Football (@Pylon7on7)
The buzz Schager created around his game led to a handful of area high schools recruiting him to step into their starting role, he said. Although the interest was flattering, Schager said Highland Park is not a program he could leave.
After all, he鈥檇 waited long enough.
鈥淚t (transferring) was definitely an option at the time, but at the end of the day, I knew there鈥檚 no program like Highland Park,鈥� Schager said. 鈥淐oach (Randy) Allen is a great man and he鈥檚 built an amazing program here at HP. There鈥檚 really no other place in Texas like it that I could鈥檝e gone to; I wanted to stay here.
鈥淭he guys that I鈥檝e been growing up with, I just felt like I couldn鈥檛 leave them. This 2021 class is really tight-knit and when I leave this year, I think it鈥檚 going to pay off because we have a special team this year.鈥�
Allen became the third coach in state history to win 400 career games last season, but Highland Park鈥檚 quest for a fourth consecutive state title ended in the Class 5A Division I Region II semifinal.
Now, Schager will step into the fold looking to begin a new Highland Park streak. A moment he鈥檚 been waiting for his entire life.
鈥淚鈥檝e been waiting for this moment for, literally, my whole life,鈥� Schager said. 鈥淚鈥檝e been waiting for my senior season. It鈥檚 my time to go out there and prove to everybody that I really am a good quarterback. I can鈥檛 wait to go out there and run on the field. It鈥檚 going to be an amazing moment.鈥�
The start of the football season in Texas has been pushed back into late September for about 500 Class 5A and Class 6A schools, but Schager said he and his coaching staff are optimistic about a season.
What makes Schager even more optimistic is his future at the University of Hawaii.
罢别虫补蝉鉃★笍贬补飞补颈颈
C O M M I T T E D 馃寠馃寛馃
— Brayden Schager (@BraydenSchager)
Seven coaches from Texas on Hawaii鈥檚 staff made a large impact on Schager, but even more so are the three other 2021 commits from the Lone Star State.
鈥淚 think Texas has the best football in the country so why not recruit here? Last year, they (Hawaii) got a bunch of kids from Texas as well and if they keep recruiting this state,鈥� Schager said, 鈥渢hey鈥檙e going to see some success.
鈥淧eople really are built different in Texas.鈥�
