Spring Preview: The Quarterbacks

AMES, Iowa - In today's spring preview we focus on the quarterbacks. Click on the video link to watch Joel Gordon's zoom call with the media.

Synopsis
There is no doubt that elite quarterback play is one of the primary reasons for a team's overall success. And it is no secret that Iowa State's resurgence nationally is a direct correlation to its leader Brock Purdy (6-1, 212, Sr., Gilbert, Ariz.), who will enter his fourth season directing the Cyclone offense.

You have to go back 19 years for the last time Iowa State had a high-impact player taking snaps. That was when Seneca Wallace, who went on to play 10 years in NFL, was wreaking havoc on Big 12 defenses with his arm and legs.

Purdy, a three-time All-Big 12 signal-caller, who was ISU's first quarterback to earn first team all-conference accolades in 39 years in 2020, is doing the same.

Purdy will likely go down as the greatest quarterback in Iowa State history, and there really is no argument.

Purdy took over as a true freshman in 2018 and has continued to elevate his play every season. His 2020 campaign was just as strong, setting the school record for completion percentage (66.6%) and ending the season with a streak of 11-straight games with a TD pass, the second-best string in school history.

He passed for 2,750 yards and 19 touchdowns and rushed for 382 yards and five touchdowns, capping off the season by earning Offensive MVP honors at the PlayStation Fiesta Bowl.

Purdy's presence helped the Cyclones produce two of the most prolific offensive seasons in school history the last two years: 2019 (32.2 ppg, 3rd; 444.3 total offense, 1st), 2020 (32.9 ppg, 2nd; 436.3 total offense, 3rd).

Purdy owns or shares 25 school records (game, season, career), including the majority of ISU's season marks. He will likely break all school career passing records by season's end: passing yards (2nd, 8,982), completions (2nd, 701) and total offense (2nd, 9,921).

He also has 939 rushing yards in his career.

The bottom line is this: Purdy has all the tools in his bag to make him an elite college football quarterback. He's accurate, smart, a great leader and has the ability to use his legs to get out of trouble.

All this adds up to the most important stat in Purdy's illustrious Cyclone career. He's a winner.

The Gilbert, Ariz., native is the winningest quarterback in school history, and it's not even close. He's 23-11 overall as the Cyclone signal-caller, and owns a 19-6 record vs. Big 12 teams in the regular season.

He has an incredible 12-1 record as the starting quarterback vs. Big 12 teams in Jack Trice Stadium.

With Purdy locked in, the Cyclones will continue to develop a pair of young talents as backups this spring.

Hunter Dekkers (6-3, 234, Fr.#, Hawarden, Iowa) emerged as Purdy's backup in 2020 and showed a ton of promise in limited playing time.

Dekkers saw action in three games, completing 5-of-7 passes for 118 yards and a touchdown. He also rushed for 12 yards and a touchdown.

The lefty and former four-star recruit was a top-300 player nationally after an outstanding prep career where he broke Iowa High School career records in passing yardage (10,628) and passing touchdowns (126).

Another redshirt freshman Aidan Bouman (6-6, 242, Fr.#, Buffalo, Minn.) has a bright future.

Bouman redshirted in 2020 and was a four-star recruit and member of the ESPN300 out of high school. He recorded 9,578 passing yards, 94 touchdowns and was a two-time all-state selection in his incredible prep career.

Campbell On The Quarterbacks
"I know I have said this a bunch, but I really believe we have grown as a program with Brock Purdy. When you talk about consistent growth, you have seen that with Brock's career since his first game at Oklahoma State (in 2018) to the Fiesta Bowl. He's made tremendous growth as a player and a leader. I have said this, and I will continue to say this, every time you walk on the field with that guy as your quarterback, you feel like you have an opportunity to win and be successful, and you know he's done that with his ability to play the game and his ability to lead others. With Hunter Dekkers, you see a guy with that competitive excellence that you see out of Brock. You see a guy that stepped in and got opportunities and maximized his opportunities last year. There is still so much growth out there for him from physically watching his body grow, finding comfort in the system and taking advantage of opportunities when they come his way. Aidan Bouman was slowed a little bit with his health and there was a little bit of a pause with his growth and development a year ago. I really felt like from the middle of the season to the end of the season he made great strides and he's another guy that when you talk about great football awareness, he's got it. Both Hunter and Aidan are exciting young players and two guys that we are really excited about to have in that quarterback room."

Players Mentioned

Aidan Bouman

Hunter Dekkers

Brock Purdy

Sponsors

Iowa State University Athletics