A two way player, Gonzalez is also quite the ball hawk. (AP Photo)
Anthony Gonzalez may very well be the best Pennsylvania Quarterback not named Paul Jones.
Fortunately for Gonzalez, Jones signed with Penn State way back in January. That puts Gonzalez in the enviable position of being the best unsigned signal caller in the Keystone State.
Gonzalez, a 6'1" 193lbs dual-threat quarterback from Liberty High School (Bethlehem, PA), is fresh off a junior season in which he threw for 1,580 yards and 12 touchdowns while also rushing for 1,670 yards and 24 more scores. It's this combination of arm strength and sheer elusiveness that has caught the eyes of Division 1 schools. Some scouts have gone as far as to say that Gonzalez is a mixture of Tim Tebow and Tyrod Taylor.
Like most great Pennsylvania prospects, Gonzalez has received interest from Pittsburgh and Penn State. However, Gonzalez's talents are not restricted to his home state, as he's also received offers from colleges all over the country, including Missouri, Florida State, West Virginia, Stanford and Illinois.
Considering the success Gonzalez has achieved, both on and off the field, it's no surprise that he's receiving this much attention.
On top of leading his team to the PIAA AAAA State Championship, Gonzalez also garnered AP First Team All-State honors as a quarterback. Gonzalez has also been nominated for a spot in the 2010 U.S Army All-American Bowl.
Gonzalez's speed allowed him to play both ways last year. Starting every game at cornerback, Gonzalez had 96 tackles and four interceptions, including the game saving pick in overtime during the state championship game. While many coaches believe that he could be successful as a defensive back at the Division 1 level, Gonzalez definitely has his heart set on quarterback.
Gonzalez also stood out on the hardwood, averaging 13.1 points per game as a starting forward on coach Chad Landis' league championship team.
As far as favorites go, Gonzalez is far from naming one, but seemed to really enjoy his visit to Penn State. Gonzalez also mentioned how impressed he was with Clemson, as he did not know much about them going into his recruitment process. If he chooses to become a Nittany Lion or a Tiger, he faces stiff competition, as both schools signed huge quarterback prospects in recent years.
Gonzalez's best bet might be to become a Panther, as Pittsburgh offensive coordinator Frank Cignetti Jr, the former 49ers quarterbacks coach, has recently implemented the West Coast offense. Gonzalez has long said that his dream is to play in the NFL, and he views mastering the West Coast offense as a way to achieve that dream.
A couple things are clear: Gonzalez's recruitment is wide open and he's definitely going to be a steal no matter where he goes.
Kyle Gauss is Examiner.com's Philadelphia High School Sports Examiner. He can be reached at kgauss@gmail.com
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