Class of 2022 recruit dies after complications from surgery

Robbie Roper, a class of 2022 quarterback recruit, died due to complications from a shoulder surgery, according to a social media message sent from Roper’s personal Twitter account.

Hey everyone, here is the update on Robbie. pic.twitter.com/oZuzCT7czf

— Robbie Roper 6'4 215lb Dual Threat QB / GPA 3.9 (@robbieroper2022) December 22, 2021

A native of Woodstock, Georgia, Roper was scheduled to have shoulder surgery on Tuesday and later suffered from complications from the anesthesia, local news reports said. The star quarterback at Roswell High School passed away shortly after the complications.

Roper was a three-star recruit according to the On3 Consensus, a complete and equally weighted industry-generated average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies. He was ranked as the No. 119 quarterback in the recruiting class and the No. 171 recruit coming out of Georgia. Roper held several offers, including some from Power Five schools like Auburn and TCU, while the new staff at the University of Florida recently made a push and established contact. On3’s Recruiting Prediction Machine had Auburn and TCU listed as the favorites to land the 6-foot-4, 215-pound quarterback, with both schools coming in at 46.5 percent.

Roper completed 190-of-273 passing attempts for 37 touchdowns and seven interceptions in the 2021 season, all while tallying 465 rushing yards and five rushing touchdowns. Roper put together a record-setting senior season at Roswell (Ga.) High School, which created serious recruiting buzz in recent months.

“I think it’s an important time with college football coming close to an end here pretty soon,” Roper said to On3’s Jeremy Johnson on Nov. 24. “My last couple of games have really shown what I can do on the run. I think it has shown my game as a whole.”

Roper recently made visits to two more SEC programs in Georgia and Vanderbilt but did not hold offers from either program.

Ron Veal, Roper’s private quarterbacks coach, recently spoke with On3’s Jeremy Johnson to break down his pupil’s skill set.

“I think he’s right up there at the top (of the quarterbacks in Georgia) of it to tell you the truth,” Veal said. “For some reason, a lot of other people don’t see it that way. He’s playing 7A ball and he’s doing what he’s doing at 7A. You have to give him his respect for playing the way he’s playing… He’s shown that he has the ability to throw the ball with accuracy, throw the ball up the field, he relies on his check downs, and he uses his athleticism.

“The longer you keep playing, the more eyes that you get on you as an individual and as a team,” Veal said. “The numbers are getting shorter and shorter. If you can win a state championship, that’s going to be a big plus for you in the recruiting field… Somebody is going to take a chance with him. You don’t need but one. He can’t control that. All he can do is do what you do on the field.”