Middletown Press
Stop us if you’ve heard this story before: Syracuse is one of the earliest schools recruiting a top-ranked quarterback. The question is whether that will be enough to once again beat away a blue-chip program like Florida.¬†Connecticut‚Äôs best passer in the Class of ’13 is Tim Boyle. He has won two straight state titles at Xavier HS (Middletown, CT), and is the consensus best squad in the Nutmeg State again this upcoming season.
A year ago, SU offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett saw Boyle play. It didn’t take long for an Orange offer to follow. Since then, scholarships have arrived from Boston College and UConn. More recently, Pitt extended a letter to Boyle. Finally, the Gators sat down at the table with an offer of their own. 
The Orange is¬†also early to the party on Class of ’14 signal caller A.J. Long, who has an offer from UCLA as well. And SU has offered DeShone Kizer, another elite junior-to-be quarterback, who has garnered interest from Ohio State. The future under center for Doug Marrone is murky at best, so Syracuse has gone full guns ablaze at some of the nation’s most intriguing prospects as early as possible.
An offer from a top BCS school like the Gators would seem to be the trump card for a Connecticut kid, but Boyle’s coach Sean Marinan tells The Fizz all his offers are on an even playing field.
“At this point, he’s considering Syracuse, Boston College, Florida, and Pittsburgh fairly equally.”
Of course, that may change. But the proximity to home might help the Orange. And a career in the ACC at SU might sway him away from his home-state Huskies. SU has already made plenty of rumblings this spring with some key pickups like Quinta Funderburk. A Boyle commitment would be enormous for stability at the position.
The Orange has at least one remarkably talented¬†quarterback in “Syracuse Slash” Ashton Broyld. But he’s barely taken any snaps under center.¬†At 6‚Äô4‚Äô 215 lbs., Boyle has got the potential to add some serious size to an already big frame, which is important for a pocket passer who will face quick, physical defenses at the next level. Marinan recognizes his QB has big-time potential written all over him.
“Number one would be his work ethic. There’s not a lot he can’t do from the quarterback position as far as making all the different kinds of throws. That’s a big asset to find a kid who can step up and make those big time throws.”
ESPN, Scout and Rivals all give Boyle 3-stars, but that rating may be misleading for a kid who has played in the shadow of older, more experienced teammates. It’s hard to own the spotlight when there are only so many snaps to go around at the best football school in the state.
“We’ve had a very strong senior presence as far as leadership goes. [Boyle] never really got the opportunity to step forward, nor did he have to. So, he’s just beginning to do that now.”
But it’ll be all Boyle this year at Xavier. Entering his senior season, TB will have the reins of the offense. Marinan thinks he’s fully loaded physically, and colleges will start to notice when he tears up the gridiron this year.
“There’s no question of his athletic ability at the next level. He’s throwing the ball very well. If anything, he’ll need to get used to the speed of the game, which is to be expected of any young quarterback. Physically, though, he’ll be good. He’s got nice velocity. TYhe ball gets there in a hurry, which is nice. He’s really everything you look for physically.”
When Boyle does start taking regular snaps this year, Marinan thinks the offers will start pouring in.
“If he played in Ohio, I think he’d have about 50 offers by now. He can make every throw that there is. He’s probably a little underrated right now. I take my hat off to Coach Hackett who recognized that a year ago. I think there are going to be some more offers that are going to fall pretty quickly.”
If and when the competition for Boyle becomes a multi-horse race, Orange Nation can only hope TB remembers Syracuse, which recognized his natural talent from day one.
Posted: Jake Moskowitz
