Film Don't Lie | Noah Grubbs
A recruiting class doesn’t always start with a quarterback leading the way, but it’s not a coincidence that most of the best classes have one committed early in the process. It’s as simple as them being able to attract other great players to want to team up with them.
Notre Dame had CJ Carr and Deuce Knight in the fold early to help them recruit the 2024 and 2025 classes. They now have their guy to help them recruit the 2026 class now that Noah Grubbs has committed to the Irish.
Coming off a prolific sophomore season where he threw for 49 touchdowns, Grubbs is a classic pocket passer who can drop back and sling it.
Height: 6’4.5”
Weight: 197
Projected Position: Quarterback
ISD Grade: 92 (4-star)
National Average Grade: 91.5 (4-star)
What he does best:
The number one thing that stands out about Grubbs is arm talent. He throws some lasers. He’s not afraid to attack the middle of the field to fit the ball into a tight window because he knows he has the arm to get it there.
His completion percentage went up from 51.2% as a freshman to 58.1% as a sophomore. I bet we’ll see a similar jump as a junior with him closer to the 65% range as a junior. The main reason I believe that is his ball placement on several of his touchdown throws. His accuracy in the red zone on a throw like this is special.
That ball has to be right where it was thrown to be a touchdown. It makes sense that someone would rack up 49 touchdowns because of throws like this.
He does a really nice job of throwing with anticipation. When the ball is let go here, this receiver is not open. Heck, he is barely open when the ball does arrive. There’s a variety of throws like this from Grubbs hat I don’t see from many blue-chip quarterback recruits as sophomores.
What he needs to improve:
He’s lost over 20 pounds since his sophomore season and that matters because it wasn’t good weight. He clearly looks better moving around in the spring than he did in the fall and I’m hoping to see him show more as an athlete.
He’s not a dual-threat, but it’s become an essential quality for quarterbacks to be able to escape the rush and I haven’t seen that from Grubbs. I’d like to see that from him as a junior and senior.
It’s notable that his 40 time dropped from 5.35 (2.03 10-yard split) at 218 pounds in the spring of 2023 to 5.09 (1.9 10-yard split) with some of that excess weight gone this spring.
There’s a lot of one-read stuff in the offense he plays in from what I’ve seen and working through progressions is something I haven’t seen a lot of. It’s an important part of winning from the pocket and it will be interesting to track his growth there.
What’s his ceiling?
It all depends on whether or not he can become truly elite from the pocket with his accuracy and decision-making. If the athleticism piece of it doesn’t improve, that part will matter more than anything for Grubbs going forward.
I think it’s very important to note that he is on pace to be a four-year starter in high school. That amount of reps and the obvious dedication he has to playing the position is something that can't truly be quantified. The only way to become elite from the pocket is to put in the amount of hours that Grubbs has and will put in the years to come.
There have been very few true pocket passers who have developed into elite quarterbacks in college football and the only one who has won a national championship in recent years is Mac Jones at Alabama (he’s a notch above Grubbs as an athlete).
Grubbs’ frame and arm talent reminds me of former Stanford quarterback Tanner McKee, a multi-year starter who was a good player in a not great situation during the end of the David Shaw era. I always felt McKee could have been a lot more successful surrounded by better talent and coaching. We’ll get to see that with Grubbs at Notre Dame.
Who he could be:
Former Stanford QB Tanner McKee
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