Hello, My Name Is: Joe Boisture

Better late than never: Michigan State finally adds a quarterback to the 2010 class, after a drama-filled circus with OLSM’s own Robert Bolden. Joe Boisture is the name, he’s #6.

ANALYST RANKINGS
If you take any stock in Rivals.com rankings, Joe Boisture is the best quarterback Michigan State has recruited since Jeff Smoker, putting him as the #90 player in the nation, and the #4 pro-style quarterback. That means he currently sits as the #2 ranked player in Michigan. And that means Michigan State has grabbed the top two players in the state of Michigan. A first in my lifetime.

They note…”At 6-foot-6 and (202) pounds, Boisture might be considered a true pocket passer, but he does show good athletic ability to move around and create new passing lanes.”

Scout.com has some good things to say about him as well, writing…

Is a tall kid with a good arm and can make all the throws.* Shows nice touch on deep balls and enough zip to get the ball to receivers on outs and other stick throws.* Throws well on the run and shows good ability on play action.* Tends to hold the ball a little low on drop back and needs to develop some consistency. Senior season will be telling as he will face a higher level of competition than he did as a junior.

*Bearing a commitment to the Michigan State Spartans

ESPN.com puts Mr. Boisture on their “Top 150 Watch List” and says…

He is tall, has the size and lanky frame to develop into a strong pocket passer with the ability to see the field and make all the necessary throws. Boisture is a very good ball handler, takes pride in play fakes and buys himself time freezing the rush and enabling himself to go through his progressions. He makes quick reads and gets rid of the ball quickly. Shows good pocket presence, possesses adequate athletic ability and instinctively sidesteps the rush while keeping his eyes downfield in order to find the open receiver. He is not a scrambler or improviser by any means, but he has a nice feel for the rush and he actually squares his shoulders when he gets on the move and throws well on the run mostly due to his arm strength. He can really zip it when his feet are set and he is balanced.

COMPETITION
Had originally commited to Boston College. Also received scholarship offers from UCLA, Wisconsin, Pittsburgh, Kansas State, and others.

PHYSICAL ATTRIBUTES
A 6-6 quarterback? Me likey. Boston College coaches told Joe he could be the next Matt Ryan. Whether that was a prediction or just a recruiting pitch we will find out in the coming years.

Everyone was excited about a big, dropback gunslinger in Nick Foles. We know what happened there. Mark Dantonio likes pro-style quarterbacks, not statues.

Boisture played against some mediocre competition this past high school season, but watching his highlight tapes, he’s obviously athletically superior to a player like Foles, and that’s big.

Has the frame to end up in the 220-230lb range.

MEDIA & LINKAGE
From the Detroit Free Press:

He has been nominated to play in the U.S. Army All-American Game in San Antonio, Texas, in January. Boisture is not the only player from Michigan that may participate in the prestigious game, scheduled to be on NBC-TV.

From the MLive:

His performance earned the 6-foot-6, 200-pound pro-style passer a top-50 national ranking among quarterbacks in the Class of 2010. He was voted the best quarterback in the Class of 2010 at the Purdue Quarterback Camp and he performed well at the Midwest Elite Camp and as one of the few juniors at the prestigious Elite 11 camp in Eugene, Ore.

From the Rivals:

“I love everything about Boston College,” Boisture said. “It just came down to distance and family. I always grew up a Michigan State fan.”

WWHMASI:
(When will he make a significant impact?) Needless to say, Boisture will have to sit it out for the next few years before Cousins and Nichol graduate.

WACRFWTK
(What a common recruiting follower wants to know) Joe Boisture plans to enroll early, meaning he’ll arrive on campus just several months after the arrival of Andrew Maxwell. In other words: Maxwell vs Boisture is shaping up to be the next edition of Cousins vs Nichol.

As a player, he obviously possesses a big arm and impressive accuracy. On the flipside, he has an absurdly long throwing motion, but that’s nothing that can’t be adjusted. Anything more than 1 QB in this class would be shocking.

With the timing of the offer in relation to players like Devin Gardner and Robert Bolden, it’s obvious that the staff was looking for a little diversity at the quarterback position for this class. Still, let’s keep in mind we’re still in June and it would be a shame to bill a player this talented as a “consolation prize”.

His grandfather, Dan Boisture, was an assistant coach for Duffy Daugherty from 1959 to 1966, helping him win two national championships. Earning an offer from MSU has been a dream of his for quite some time now.

Adding a quarterback to the class makes recruiting offensive players that much easier. Joe is reportedly close friends with Tony Jones and Shakim Phillips.