2016 Recruiting Spotlight: Devon Modster

Modster. Where have I heard that name before? Oh that’s right! Sean Modster, currently enrolled at Boise State. Listed as a WR, Sean is the older brother of 2016 QB recruit Devon Modster. At 6’2 and 215 lbs, Devon has the build of a college QB. Maybe he isn’t the ideal 6’5, but you quickly forget that when you watch his tape. I will talk about that later. Modster was offered by the Broncos in late February of this year. Fast forward to today, he’s looking at 11 offers, most of them from the Pac 12. Generally, BSU can compete pretty reasonably with most PAC 12 schools, but when almost of the P12 is onto a kid, it can be tough for the Broncos to reel them in. The catch with Devon, though, is his brother Sean. Despite only being 2 years apart in age, they have never played together. After making the freshman team at Mission Viejo, Devon was "told he should switch to linebacker because he wouldn’t play at the next level as a quarterback" according to BJ Rains in a March 2015 article. This didn’t sit well with Modster, so he transferred to Tesoro high before he ever played with Sean. After a recent unofficial visit, Modster moved the Broncos into his top 3 along side Arizona and UCLA. Apparently Coach Drink pulled out all the stops to woo Modster and it left an impression on him. But it didn’t leave an impression on his father. According to an article yesterday from Rains, Devon’s dad would prefer he and his brother go to different schools and learn to live independently from one other. With that in mind, the decision will be up to Modster, who plans to decide in the next few weeks.

Devon is rated as a 4-star pro-style quarterback by all of the major recruiting sites except ESPN, which has him not ranked. Scout lists him as the #3 quarterback in California and the #15 quarterback overall. Rivals ranks him the #7 QB, the #35 player in the state and #219 nationally. 247Sports has him as the #10 Pro style QB, #39 player in the state of California and the #287 player in the nation. As I’ve said before, take all of these figures with a grain of salt as it is no guarantee he will win.  Well, of course, if he comes to BSU he’ll win because BRONCOS, but I digress.

Maxpreps.com shows an accumulation of 2,602 passing yards for Modster his junior year to go along with 680 rushing yards. He amassed 24 passing touchdowns along with 12 rushing touchdowns, for a total of 36 touchdowns and 3,282 yards. That’s pretty impressive, especially the rushing yards for a quarterback listed as pro-style. His 4.65s 40 helps him out there, though I wouldn’t rely on him to be a running quarterback, like Hedrick, at the next level. He threw 341 times and completed 199 of them for a completion % of 58%. That could be improved for sure, but it’s not the only indicator of accuracy. He had a total of 36 TD , 24 passing, to just 9 INTs. His total TD:INT is 4:1, but pure passing leaves him at 2.3:1, still respectable.

What you will notice in his film is his fairly consistent 3-step drop back and throw. Not a ton of movement in the pocket, which is fine. He can obviously move well enough to avoid pressure as well as rushing when a play breaks down. I did see a few designed runs in there, but mostly throwing. He also has a solid arm. His throws seemed pretty effortless, which is crazy considering the distance some of his throws traveled. A few wobbly ones, but nothing crazy. He has a bit of a tendency to stare down his receivers, which will need to be remedied. Obviously, highlight tapes are named such for a reason, so regardless of any flaws, other factors came in to play that helped hide them. Also, keep in mind that I have no experience playing football, just watching it, so feel free to disagree with my analysis, these are just things I see.

Modster would be a GREAT addition to the Bronco stable of QBs. His size and arm strength would help him make a case for quick playing time as his other issues should be some small technique adjustments. It would, again, be an interesting fall in 2016 were Modster to pull the trigger and commit to the Broncos. Could whomever wins the job this fall solidify themselves enough to stave off Modster and the rest of the QB crew? We will have to wait a few more weeks to find out if that will even be a possibility.