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Georgia offers 4-star QB Jake Merklinger out of Savannah

On3 imageby:Jake Rowe•02/07/23•

JakeMRowe

Jake Merklinger
Photo from Chad Simmons/On3

Georgia has tossed its hat into the ring for one of the top quarterbacks in the 2024 class. Calvary Day (Savannah, Ga.) signal caller Jake Merklinger tweeted Monday night that the Bulldogs have extended an offer.

Merklinger is a three-year starter at Calvary Day. He completed 97 of 145 passes for 1,987 yards and 32 touchdowns as a junior. It was his lowest season in terms of yardage but his best in terms of touchdowns. He has 6,607 passing yards and 75 passing touchdowns in his high school career to go with almost 700 rushing yards and 20 rushing touchdowns over the past three seasons.

At 6-foot-3 195 pounds, Merklinger is the nation’s No. 97 overall prospect according to the industry-generated, equally-weighted On3 Consensus. There he is ranked No. 8 at his position and No. 17 in Georgia.

The On3 stand-alone rankings, however, have Merklinger ranked No. 63 overall, No. 5 at quarterback, and No. 8 in the Peach State. Either way you look at it, he is the No. 1 quarterback in Georgia for the 2024 cycle.

Accurate, mobile passer with a strong feel for the game early on in his high school career. Among the more accurate top quarterbacks in the 2024 cycle, completing over 70 percent of his passes as a sophomore. Comfortable navigating the pocket. Sees the field well, finding open receivers while under pressure. Shows the ability to quickly react and escape from pass rushers. Functional mobility both in and out of the pocket is among the best among top 2024 quarterbacks at this juncture. Can pick up chunks of yards with his legs on designed runs and scrambles. Has shown a good arm to this point, but can continue improving his velocity as he gets stronger, in addition to tightening his release. A multi-sport athlete who also plays basketball and lacrosse. — On3 Scouting

Merkinger’s offer means what, exactly?

There’s a lot to unpack when it comes to Georgia’s quarterback situation. The Bulldogs didn’t sign a signal caller in the 2023 class and they seem pretty adamant about bringing in two for the 2024 class.

Ryan Puglisi, a four-star prospect from Connecticut, is already committed to Georgia. He has also indicated that he doesn’t plan on removing his name from the Bulldogs’ commitment list — even if they add another signal caller.

That’s where Merklinger could come in but the Bulldogs are also in hot pursuit of the nation’s No. 1 overall prospect, Dylan Raiola. He’s on the market after de-committing from Ohio State in December. Georgia is a major player for his signature but it is also battling USC and Nebraska.

As for Merklinger, Tennessee is currently the team to beat per the Recruiting Prediction Machine. The Vols sit at 36.6 percent.

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