The recruiting process for a quarterback is like no other position. A team usually takes only one QB commitment per class, and the decision of one signal-caller can have an impact on where others end up.
In the 2015 class, there was a true domino effect. Ricky Town, Blake Barnett, Brandon Wimbush, Travis Waller and a few other big names helped shape the landscape in what ended up being a game of musical chairs for programs needing a QB.
Town started things off by decommitting from Alabama and committing to USC, which sparked a chain reaction with the opening at Alabama. Decommitments aren't unusual in today's recruiting landscape, but a quarterback move sends ripples through the rest of the QB prospects.
"When I was committed to Penn State, I thought I was 100 percent committed because that's what you do when you commit," Wimbush said. "Notre Dame wasn't in my head at the time. If anything, it was probably Miami because that's where my family was. I thought I was solid to Penn State, but I committed quite early and I almost had a year left until signing day, so I knew a lot could change during that time."
Wimbush was right. A lot changed. When Barnett decommitted from Notre Dame and took Town's spot at Alabama, a spot in the Irish's class opened, which is where Wimbush then pledged.
Quarterback prospects tend to grow close and develop a bond given their similarities and the camps they attend. At events like Elite 11, the QBs form relationships and talk to each other about the schools they're considering and what each quarterback is seeing throughout the process.
In fact, when Barnett flipped to Alabama and Notre Dame came calling for Wimbush, the two had a conversation about what the Irish had to offer if Wimbush were to flip.
"I reached out to Blake the day before I committed to Notre Dame and asked him what he did like and what he didn't like about Notre Dame. I got his insight on Notre Dame, and he gave me some good stuff to think about," Wimbush said. "He said you would be earning one of the best degrees in the country, you're playing for one of the traditional programs, a historic program, and you'll make great relationships. It was probably more the negatives that I wanted to hear from Blake, though, but I felt the positives outweighed the negatives, and that's why I made my decision."
The communication with other quarterbacks can start early. ESPN Junior 300 quarterback Dwayne Haskins says he and some of his fellow 2016 signal-callers have already started to tell each other where each is leaning.
"Quarterbacks are a fraternity, and we all keep in touch with each other because we don't want to go to the same school," Haskins said. "It's making sure we know where everyone is going with, [or] I'm getting ready to commit in a few weeks, or what schools do you like, trying to feel each out a little bit."
That fraternity mentality is why Wimbush and a few of the other 2015 quarterbacks were surprised to see Sam Darnold commit to USC despite being friends with Town.
Wimbush knows it's all about competition, and no one is afraid of the competition, but he was taken aback that Darnold committed to a school that already had a top quarterback in tow.
The competition isn't a concern for any of the top quarterbacks, but because they play a unique position and have a unique bond, they all pay attention to the process and where their friends could end up. In the end, it's all about how they can succeed and which program gives them the best opportunity to show their skills.
"You'll always compete with someone, but we all pay attention to what everyone else is doing and where they're flipping from," Wimbush said. "Everyone is going to great schools in this little clique, so they all have great options. We all look out for each other and we all have a good relationship, but at the end of the day you want to be able to go in and get playing time as early as you can, so we watch it."