<html> <head> </head> <body> <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" border="0"> <tr> <td><font face="verdana" size="2"><u>Russell Shepard</u></font> <font face="verdana" size="1">Dual-Threat Quarterback</font> <font face="verdana" size="1">Houston (TX) Cypress Ridge</font></td> </tr> </table> <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" border="0"> <tr> <td align="center"> </td> </tr> </table> <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" border="0"> <tr> <td><font face="verdana" size="1">Ht: 6'2" Wt: 183 lbs Forty: 4.4 secs Bench Max: n/a Squat Max: n/a Vertical: n/a GPA: n/a Class: 2009 (High School) <font color="#000000">2009 SportsTwo Quarterbacks Rank: 3</font> Other Profiles: <font color="black">Rivals</font>, <font color="black">Scout</font>, <font color="black">ESPN</font></font></td> </tr> <tr height="17" bgcolor="#c5c5c5"> <td><font face="verdana" size="1"><u>Offer List</u></font></td> </tr> <tr> <td><font face="verdana" size="1" color="#FF0000">LSU (verbal commitment)</font> <font face="verdana" size="1">Michigan Notre Dame USC Tennessee Texas Texas A&M Florida</font></td> </tr> <tr height="17" bgcolor="#c5c5c5"> <td><font face="verdana" size="1"><u>Player Evaluation & Analysis</u></font></td> </tr> <tr> <td><font face="verdana" size="1">The number 3 rated quarterback in the Class of 2009, Russell Shepard committed to reigning National Champion LSU on March 3, 2008. He is considered the best overall athlete in the country for the class of 2009. He threw for 794 yards and 8 touchdowns, while rushing for 1,525 yards and 18 touchdowns as a junior. Unbelievable. Ridiculous. Insane. Unbelievably, ridiculously insane. All perfect descriptions for the play of Russell Shepard in high school. There is little doubt that he is the most explosive playmaker in the country. Anytime the ball is in his hands, he can take it to the house. He is very "Pat White-like" in the sense that his play almost seems like it comes stright out of a video game. His acceleration is unmatched and his running-ability rivals that of the best RB's in the country. Don't be fooled, though. Shepard isn't just an athlete playing quarterback. He does throw an adequate ball, especially on short plays, and his footwork is very impressive. He is quite similar to Terrelle Pryor, though nowhere near as big. Whether or not he remains at quarterback at LSU remains to be seen, however. He could end up as an elite wide out. Rest assured, he'll get the ball in his hands one way or another.</font></td> </tr> </table> </body> </html>
You think he projects as a QB in college? I personally don't, but I know many people think that's where he'll end up.
I think he might be given the option to. It depends on where he ends up as well. Obviously, he's going to have to show improvement on his comp % this yr. Which could be a deciding factor. Unless, schools tell him otherwise. I read he is trying to work hard on being a better passer though. He's probably going to get a Texas offer this weekend. I've heard in the past he would jump at the offer, but with Gilbert's committment, I wonder how much that changes.
One thing's for sure, he's ridiculous with the ball in his hands. <div><object width="425" height="350"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/I2Zqqz1zSZs&"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/I2Zqqz1zSZs&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="350" /></embed></object></div>
2009's TERRELLE PRYOR?: Dual-threat QB Russell Shepard has U-M at the top of his list | Detroit Free Press <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'>If the U-M football team strikes out in the Terrelle Pryor sweepstakes, it may have an early lead in the race for next year's highly touted dual-threat quarterback. 2009 recruit Russell Shepard (Houston (TX) Cypress Ridge), a five-star quarterback much like Pryor, has U-M very high on his list. Shepard, a lifelong University of Texas fan, visited the Longhorns over the weekend. But even though he got a scholarship offer from his favorite team, he told the Austin American-Statesman that he may have a different favorite than many would think. “I would say Texas is still up there, but Michigan is really at the top of my list, especially if they don’t get Terrelle Pryor,” he told the paper. “I feel like I could go there and play right away. I’m also looking at Florida and LSU. Both of those schools have pretty good depth-chart situations for me.” Texas recently got a commitment from another five-star signal caller, Garrett Gilbert. That commitment might be enough to make Shepard look elsewhere. Shepard is listed by the recruiting service Rivals.com as an athlete, but his top preference is to play quarterback. With Gilbert already in the Longhorns' fold and starting quarterback Colt McCoy having two years of eligibility remaining, Texas' depth chart can't look too appealing for Shepherd, who told Texas coach Mack Brown he wants a fair chance at quarterback. “I said that really all I wanted was a shot,” Shepard told the Austin American-Statesman. “Honestly, if I get a shot at quarterback and I don’t win the job, I’ll move to another position. I have no problem being an All-American wide receiver or an All-American defensive back. I just want a chance to play quarterback.”</div>
Per TigerBait, Russell almost committed to LSU on their Junior Day today. They are obviously the favorite at the moment.
Cy Ridge's Shepard says he's going to LSU | The Chronicle <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'>Cypress Ridge quarterback Russell Shepard, regarded as the top high school player in the area, announced on Monday night that he would commit to defending national champion LSU. "LSU is a good school and a good fit for me," Shepard told Scout.com. "The recruiting stuff was getting hectic, so I wanted to get it out of the way early so I could focus on my upcoming season. I know LSU is where I want to go."</div>
Nation’s top athlete gives word to LSU football | The News Star <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'>BATON ROUGE — LSU coach Les Miles took a giant step toward his quest to follow a national championship on the field with one in the recruiting rankings Monday night as the No. 4 prospect in the country committed to the Tigers. He is Russell Shepard of Cypress Ridge High in Houston. Rivals.com lists him as an athlete, but Shepard (6-1, 183) mainly plays quarterback. He is the No. 1 athlete listed and would be the No. 2 quarterback if that was his designation. Shepard, who is listed as the No. 4 overall prospect, rushed for 1,525 yards and 18 touchdowns last season while passing for 794 yards and eight touchdowns for Cypress Ridge.</div>
LSU Gets Head Start On Class Of 2009 <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'>The Tigers’ class is headlined on offense by Leesville running back Michael Ford (5-10, 200 pounds) and Houston quarterback Russell Shepard (6-2, 183 pounds).</div>
Football: Five-star commitment persuades others to join Tigers | Shepard makes mark on and off field <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'>A recruit like Russell Shepard comes around once in a blue moon. At 6 feet 2 inches, 185 pounds, the Houston native has all the intangibles of a dual-threat quarterback. With his feet, Shepard can make up 40 yards of ground in 4.33 seconds. With his arm, he hits his Cypress Ridge High School receivers in stride with passes ranging from 5-yard dump offs to 40-yard fades. Playing high school football in Texas, the comparison's to former Longhorn Vince Young come daily. "If you go back and look over the last five years, the only quarterback that even comes to close to comparing to what Russell Shepard does is [Virginia Tech quarterback] Tyrod Taylor," said Sonny Shipp of Scout.com. "You could use [Shepard] at quarterback, receiver or running back and he is going to be a playmaker. He is a touchdown waiting to happen when he has the ball in his hands." But Shepard, the nation's No. 2 rated quarterback prospect according to Scout.com, has grown into something more than just a phenomenal football prospect. Shepard, 18, has become not only the nation's most talented athlete, but possibly the NCAA's best recruiter. "I know that all I can give right now is my verbal commitment," Shepard said. "But my word is my bond. When I say that I am going to do something, I am going to do it. That doesn't mean just play football. That means I am committed to other things, and recruiting is one of them." With LSU storming out of the 2009 recruiting gates with 11 commitments, Shepard said he has continued to try and do his part to help the Tigers stay atop not only the Southeastern Conference but all of college football. "I am trying to talk with everybody that LSU has on their board," Shepard said. "I am talking with [Rueben] Randle, [Chris] Davenport, [Craig] Loston, [Jamarkus] McFarland and a ton of other guys. I want the best class in the nation. I want this class to be better than LSU's in 2003."</div>
The buzz on LSU commitment Russell Shepard <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'>What do colleges like LSU, Notre Dame, Michigan, USC, Texas and Florida have in common beyond housing football teams with a rich tradition of excellence? Each wanted Russell Shepard to verbally commit to them. Of course, they couldn’t all have him. Thus, he had to choose. And he picked defending champion LSU. The rich just keep getting richer, don’t they? Shepard is a 6-foot-1, 179-pound dual-threat quarterback from Cypress Ridge High School in Houston. While he has good size, it's not exactly perfect, now is it? With that said, he also possesses 4.4 speed. What’s more, Shepard managed 1,336 yards rushing and 20 touchdowns as a sophomore in high school. He’s been anything but inconsistent, as he also racked up 1,525 yards and 18 touchdowns on the ground as a junior; it’s no wonder, then, that Rivals considers him the best 2009 scrambler in the country.</div>
Football camps give players shot at scholarships | chron.com <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'>"There are camps for anyone," Malatesta said. "You can go out of town, or you can stay in town. The prices are generally affordable for one-day camps with no travel." But like anything else, you get what you pay for. Stack's Elite camp last week didn't boast any big-name college coaches or athletes — it was local high school coaches running drills on the field. Xavier Brown, who worked with some of Hastings staff at the camp, said although it wasn't like some of the university camps, he took something from it. "I got some confidence out of this one because other coaches from different schools said that I was good enough to play for them," he said. "That confidence, that I am as good as my peers, goes a long way." A few area athletes go a long way to learn. Cypress Ridge quarterback Russell Shepard, who has committed to LSU, was invited to the Steve Clarkson Quarterback Camp in Los Angeles this summer. It's considered the top quarterback camp in the nation by most recruiting services. "We all pay attention to that one," Malatesta said. "The good thing about that camp is that Shepard will become better for his team." Because Texas is such a football state, area players are under even more pressure to take advantage of the summer months to rise above the competition. Mack Brown said players have to do what they can to separate themselves. A few skills camps can't hurt.</div>
Recruiting Insider: State appears set for another crop of top QBs | Star-Telegram.com <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'>Best storyline to watch in Texas this fall? The quarterbacks. Texas will take center stage in America for the abundance of top-flight recruits at the position. Leading the way are Austin Lake Travis' Garrett Gilbert (Texas), Russell Shepard of Houston Cypress Ridge (LSU) and Sulphur Springs' Tyrick Rollison.</div>
Depth chart, competition among reasons for influx of early QB commits | ESPN <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'>LSU-bound athlete Russell Shepard (Houston, Texas/Cy-Ridge): "I felt like it was crazy that for a school that just won the national title had only two QB's on scholarship and not one of those two have started a college game or played in a college game before," Shepard said, "so the depth chart was a consideration." "I felt like I could go to a national program and not have to compete against five or six QBs, and I felt like the earlier I committed, the more I could scare away other recruits that had LSU as an option. There could be an opportunity to come in and be a three- or four-year starter. Lastly, I wanted to focus on my senior football season of high school, and by committing early, I would not have to worry about missing workouts to travel to all these schools."</div>
