Hometown Hero

My series detailing each of the Sooners 21 (and counting) commitments continues today with Quarterback, Justice Hansen

     The boy wonder out of Edmond, Oklahoma has been on OU’s radar for quite some time now. It doesn’t hurt that Hansen has Sooner bloodlines with his father, Dusty Hansen, playing baseball for the university. Whenever you find a player in-state with ties to your program, it’s hard to strikeout, but Hansen’s immense talent and wildly successful junior year brought suitors from around the country that included Texas A&M,  Auburn, Mizzou and Ole Miss. When you consider how patient offensive coordinator and quarterback coach Josh Heupel is when shelling out offers to high school quarterbacks, there was legitimate stress that another division one program might swoop in and take Hansen out of state. But thanks to a strong relationship with Heupel, Hansen would eventually make his decision during a visit promising to help build the 2014 class. Justice has done exactly that convincing wide out Dallis Todd to continue building that California pipeline hours after Hasen himself committed.

Scratching the Surface

In 2012, Hansen’s Junior season, the dual-threat quarterback amassed an eye-popping 3,852 all purpose yards (773 on the ground and 3,079 through the air). So what is it that makes the savior of Sante Fe High so deadly?

     Well first, Hansen, like most division one recruits, displays an elite level of athleticism at the high school level. It almost seems sacrilegious to talk about the running ability of a quarterback before their ability to deliver accurate passes, but the trend is clear at all levels of the game…running quarterbacks are trying to break the mold. When the pocket collapses, this 6-4 signal caller has the ability to elude pressure long enough to extend the pass play, or do damage on the ground as well. Hansen ran plenty of the zone read in high school as well, and when he kept the ball, it was clear that his vision, speed, and competitive nature were on another level. This is a guy who knows where to apply pressure, he takes the right angle when carrying the football, and he’ll even lower his shoulder pads for the extra yards. Ultimately, he flashes a special level of play making ability that springboards off of his ability to use his feet, whether its passing or running, and that’s why he has some scouts daring to compare him to Heisman trophy winner Johnny Manziel.

     Here’s where things get good…Hansen comes off as a coachable and self-aware kind of guy who wants to get better and win games for his team. You can tell that he’s put a ton of work into learning how to become a true quarterback by just watching his technique. It’s easy to fall in love with the Johnny Manziels of the world when they’re running all over the place, and Hansen did some of that in high school. But you see his devotion to his position with how he throws the ball. He has a nice tight motion with a flick of the wrist motion, he’s conscious and deliberate with his hips, and it all adds up to a tight accurate release that can be delivered anywhere from the flat or deep down the field. All the essentials are there and as he develops you can see it all speeding up to become a really dangerous pocket presence for Hansen, who has Drew Brees like plays in the pocket.

     Hansen’s fearlessness and poise is clear as he can make throws under pressure or even with players hanging on his shoulders. His ability to make accurate passes off balance, while rolling out or falling down is a rare talent that you can’t really teach. In fact, this is probably the element of Hansen’s game that I love more than anything…his decision making. When you have a quarterback who is both versatile and self-aware, you can often see them wait to make decisions…Hansen doesn’t wait. If he sees an opportunity, he takes it. There’s no debating that goes on in his head, if there’s a play to be had Hansen is going to have it and that’s a talent that was on display by breakout Sooner QB Trevor Knight throughout the 2013 season.

Fitting In

     Both Stoops and Heupel have put a system in place that takes one quarterback per class, and Hansen is the man in 2014. In a position group loaded with young talent, it would be extremely surprising if Hansen didn’t red shirt, even if injuries popped up. After all, there’s typically only one bright shining star at the quarterback position and right now the Sooners seem to have found that star in Trevor Knight. But expect Hansen to be a name as a redshirt Freshmen to push for back-up duty and a player that will keep Trevor hungry to start.

     Hansen has a world of upside and great intangibles that will help unite not just his class, but future classes as well. This is, without a doubt, a player that has the ability to be a successful starter for the Sooners down the road and maybe even early on, should duty call.

Thanks for keeping up with the blog! Remember I’ll keep going through a prospect each day continuing tomorrow with one of Hansen’s good friends…

Dallis Todd