By: Junior Baker
Meet Aaron McLaughlin, The 8th Grade Quarterback with 5 college scholarship offers
I had the pleasure of meeting and specking with the phenom 8th grade quarterback Aaron McLaughlin.
Aaron stands at an impressive 6 foot 4 ½ inches to be only be in middle school, which means he isn’t done growing yet. He currently weighs in at 206 pounds and has a 40-yard dash time of 4.81 seconds.
He really caught my eye with how he stood the tallest QB out of the bunch. Aaron is currently an 8th grader, which makes him class of 2021. He already holds 5 college scholarship offers from Ole Miss, Missouri, Indiana, Georgia State & Florida Atlantic. Those numbers will grow as the years progress, I expect him to hold over 30 offers by his Junior year in high school.
I was mainly impressed by his smooth throwing motion and his high release of the ball. It soars right over the defenders heads, right in the hands of his receivers. I watched his highlight tape and it is as impressive as a high school seniors tape. He makes all throws like a college ready QB and also scrambles and runs very well. “My best best attribute is his athleticism”, he stated. He is very sharp in the pocket, keeps his eyes down field, and isn’t afraid of pressure. He reads defenses and picks them apart with his eyes, and makes the throws you see at Varsity games on Friday Night. McLuaghlin has trained with quarterback guru Steve Clarkson for a few years now, during his off season.
I briefly spoke with Aaron and I asked him “what were his Top 5 Schools as of today, and which was his favorite?” He said, “he really doesn’t have a favorite right now.” But he did tell me that Alabama, Clemson, Georgia, Michigan, and USC (University of South California) stood out to him.
“Alabama & Clemson of course”
“Georgia, of course, because they are the home state team.”
“Michigan, because I just took a trip up there, and I loved it.”
“USC, because I love Clay Helton and what he’s doing with the Trojans right now.”
He does love his hometown Atlanta Falcons, although Cam Newton of the Carolina Panthers is his favorite player in the NFL right now. He says, “My game is a lot like Cam’s. I can throw it and make all the good runs.”
Expect to hear McLaughlins name a lot, if you follow Georgia High School Sports at Buford High School this fall.
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