Hello: Dan Villari
After JD Johnson announced in October that a heart condition would end his football career, Michigan had to scramble to unearth a quarterback in the 2020 class. After a late run at top-100 QB CJ Stroud came up short, the coaches turned to Massapequa (NY) Plainedge QB Dan Villari, who announced his commitment this evening after taking an official visit last weekend and adding an offer earlier this afternoon:
“It feels like a dream come true to be going to (Michigan) because I’ve worked and prayed my entire life for this moment,” he said. “This offense fits my skill set because I ran a few similar concepts and made similar reads in high school.”
Villari was initially ticketed for Fordham before leading Plainedge to an undefeated state championship season in which he surpassed 1,000 yards both through the air and on the ground:
On Monday, the senior quarterback had home visits with Michigan and Wisconsin. He also received a scholarship offer from Kent State on Monday. UMass already has offered a scholarship and Rutgers, with coach Greg Schiano beginning his second stint there, also is showing interest.
Listed at 6'4", 215 pounds, Villari has the size and athleticism to work out as a dual-threat quarterback or potentially move positions down the line like current Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Zach Gentry.
GURU RATINGS
Rivals | ESPN | 247 | 247 Comp |
3*, 5.5, NR QB | N/A | 3*, 85, #40 Pro-QB, #14 NY, #1242 Ovr |
N/A |
Villari was late to pop up on the radar. 247's first article on him is from last month. Rivals gave him a cursory three-star rating but hasn't put him in their positional rankings or written anything about him. ESPN, typically, doesn't even have a profile page for him.
[Hit THE JUMP for scouting, video, and the rest.]
SCOUTING
As you'd suspect, there's not a ton out there on Villari, though we at least have extensive film to watch.
Before Villari's Michigan official, his coach praised his leadership and work ethic before going into a scouting report on his on-field attributes:
“His arm talent, along with the velocity to fit into tight windows and strength to drive the ball down the field he’s able to change the pace on the ball and put it where his receivers can run after the catch consistently.
“His ability to extend plays, work off schedule, and throw from all platforms with velocity and accuracy. His combination of speed, agility, vision, and strength that allows him to turn nothing into something and create explosive plays for the offense.”
Villari's off-platform throws jumped out to me on his senior highlights; his coach isn't just blowing smoke here.
247's Brian Dohn provided a brief evaluation when lodging his Crystal Ball pick:
He is 6-foot-4, 215 pounds, and shows an ability to extend plays by sliding in the pocket. He is strong and tough to bring down and has good arm strength.
For a late get at quarterback with an elite QB already committed for 2021, Villari is an intriguing pickup. His senior film shows good athleticism, a strong arm, the ability to change the speed and trajectory of his throws to fit the situation, and an impressive knack for making throws from odd positions while on the move. He's a physical runner for a quarterback with what appears to be plenty of speed to run a functional read-option/RPO attack and he's got some one-cut elusiveness. If he can make the throws in his highlights on a consistent basis, he's got a chance to be a good college quarterback.
Interspersed in Villari's highlights are some punishing hits from the safety position. While I doubt he'd be a safety at Michigan, he's got the athleticism and physicality to potentially move to tight end or linebacker. That versatility could prove valuable if Villari ends up stuck behind some combination of Joe Milton, Cade McNamara, and 2021 five-star commit JJ McCarthy. In a situation where many quarterbacks would look to transfer, he may be more likely to stick around.
OFFERS
The full list on 247: Michigan, UMass, Albany, Buffalo, Central Connecticut State, Fordham, and Kent State. Wisconsin and Rutgers, as mentioned above, showed some interest. This would certainly count as a scouting win if Villari pans out.
HIGH SCHOOL
Villari is the only Plainview prospect in the Rivals database to sign with a D-I school.
STATS
Newsday has full season stats and even a game log. As a senior, Villari completed 67 of 113 attempts (59.2%) for 1,306 yards (11.6 YPA) with 13 touchdowns and only one interception. Given how many clips in Villari's senior highlights cut off right before the ball hits the receivers hands, I get the sense his passing numbers could've been even more impressive without some untimely drops. Villari also rushed for 1,522 yards and 23(!) touchdowns on 121 attempts (12.7 YPC).
FAKE 40 TIME
247 lists verified results from an Opening regional in April that appeared to be using the zero-FAKE radar gun. Villari posted a 5.01 40-yard dash, 4.34 shuttle, and 25.7-inch vertical. Despite his high school rushing production, he may be more Shea Patterson than Dylan McCaffrey.
VIDEO
Senior highlights:
Junior highlights and single-game reels can be found on his Hudl page.
PREDICTION BASED ON FLIMSY EVIDENCE
Villari should get his shot at quarterback, most likely after a couple years of McCaffrey at quarterback. That'd mean an open competition with (if all QBs on the roster stick around, which is far from a guarantee) a senior Joe Milton, redshirt junior Cade McNamara, and redshirt freshman JJ McCarthy in 2022, when Villari would probably be a redshirt sophomore. If Milton and/or McNamara leaves, I wouldn't rule out Villari making the two-deep with his arm talent.
Though he'd have to improve on his testing numbers, he could be an interesting fit at tight end or linebacker if he moves on from quarterback.
UPSHOT FOR THE REST OF THE CLASS
It's got a quarterback. The class is mostly wrapped up outside of waiting for four-star CA CB Darion Green-Warren, whose Crystal Ball favors Michigan over USC, and 3.5-star VA OT James Pogorelc, who's also considering Stanford and took officials this month to Michigan and Virginia. Any other commitments would come from late-emerging targets.
December 18th, 2019 at 7:52 PM ^
I know he's a Fordham decommit, but watching this guy's film, he's really good. Michigan might have gotten a legit sleeper here. His team went 12-0 and won the state title or Long Island title, or whatever they play for over there.
I think scouts do a poor job of rating QBs because they don't fit into the height, weight, speed parameters like other positions. They pump up the guys who start on good teams as sophomores, but those guys usually are just dumping it off to great receivers, who are wide open and run for 70-yard TDs.
So I like this move. He might turn out to be better than McNamara
December 18th, 2019 at 8:07 PM ^
Also, does every smart kid from Long Island either go to Penn or Michigan still, or did that trend fade after the 80s?
December 18th, 2019 at 8:39 PM ^
It definitely was still happening in the late 90s.
December 18th, 2019 at 9:48 PM ^
Oh it's 100% still happening. The amount of rich New Yorkers and especially Long Island kids at Michigan right now is insane
December 19th, 2019 at 10:36 AM ^
From Ann Arbor, went to Penn. Can confirm.
December 19th, 2019 at 1:26 PM ^
The Long Island Schools have their own championship in football, but they compete for state titles in every other sport; it's kinda weird. NYC has their own thing they do, as well as all the private schools in the NYC/LI region. Most private schools in the rest of the state compete along with public schools, except for the Buffalo private schools, which also have their own thing......it's quite simple
December 19th, 2019 at 5:52 PM ^
His highlights are great. I love that run where he ended up leaping over the defender and landing in bounds! Definitely a good late signing.
December 18th, 2019 at 7:52 PM ^
I watched Villari's highlight reel and he's great! Can pass, has a nice touch, also has a gun arm as well. Can run; scores TDs, and has the requisite hurdle in there. "Volare" Villari!
December 18th, 2019 at 9:18 PM ^
Ricardo Montalban approves. So does Tattoo
December 18th, 2019 at 10:37 PM ^
Salute to Pasadena. I lived there in the late 80's early 90's.
Also, I think you are absolutely correct about Villari. His highlights looked great to me.
December 18th, 2019 at 8:04 PM ^
Honestly though, if you watch this kid's tape without knowing what his ranking is, I really would guess he'd be at least a top 500 player. He's athletic and makes some pretty impressive throws
December 18th, 2019 at 9:02 PM ^
You’d say that about any d1 kid. They are almost always clearly the best player on the field
December 19th, 2019 at 9:43 AM ^
Which is part of the reason, in my opinion, that recruiting rankings get pretty blurry outside of the top 500. The next 500 kids are usually all the best players on their team, but some develop early and get on the recruiting sites and big program radars, some go to camps, some live in recruiting hotbeds and get easy exposure, some have injuries in their junior year and some interest gets lost, etc...lots of big time variance in the general 3 star range.
It appears to be a solid late pickup for this class, and I think that is just about the most anyone can conclude at this point.
December 19th, 2019 at 10:56 AM ^
Yeah rankings are better thought of in tiers. Top 10, 11-25, 26-75, 76-150, 150-250, 251-500, 500-1000
December 18th, 2019 at 8:04 PM ^
Villari > Stroud
December 18th, 2019 at 8:07 PM ^
He ran a laser-timed 5.01 40 at 215 lbs. There's no way he develops enough speed to play TE for us. He's going to need to make it happen with his arm.
December 18th, 2019 at 8:18 PM ^
That's a pretty definitive conclusion based on a single data point. His other numbers weren't great either, maybe he was dinged up or sick that day. If he's a legit 6'4" then there's a reasonable chance that he has a frame that can easily handle another 50lb without losing athleticism, and maybe he's really a 4.8 guy.
December 19th, 2019 at 9:43 AM ^
how fast was jay riemersma when he bulked up and moved to TE (and yes i know that an injury was the main reason why he move to TE)? I don't really remember him running past a lot of guys after he caught the ball and it seemed to work pretty well for him, he did play 8 years in the NFL...
December 19th, 2019 at 10:58 AM ^
Yeah in the 90's. The TE position is a little different now than it was
December 18th, 2019 at 8:09 PM ^
Have Patterson and Mazzccua signed their LOI? TTB not reflecting them as having signed, and I recall some speculation they might not be in the class.
December 18th, 2019 at 9:14 PM ^
No, they have not.
December 18th, 2019 at 8:16 PM ^
Love this QB's tape. He has great pocket and field awareness that simply can not be taught. He also has a strong arm and solid frame. He probably has more physical upside than Dylan does.
I see him being the 2023 starting QB at Michigan and future all B1G.
December 18th, 2019 at 8:28 PM ^
"I see him being the 2023 starting QB"
Yeah, if JJ McCarthy gets injured
December 18th, 2019 at 9:11 PM ^
Dan has a bigger frame and stronger arm than McCarthy. Tape does not lie. Recruiting rankings do.
December 18th, 2019 at 10:13 PM ^
BS. QB is one of the most scouted positions in all sports. These kids have been developed and scouted since the start of high school. Stop with the bullshit nonsense.
December 20th, 2019 at 1:21 AM ^
McCarthy has to lean in to every long throw and lacks velocity. He is also thin of frame. How he got his 5th star is because he camped a lot.
Tom Brady...Drew Brees....both lowly rated out of HS. Top 2 QBs of all time in the NFL.
PS: Shane Morris says hello....
December 18th, 2019 at 8:33 PM ^
I will always root for a Massapequa kid. They're the best people. Go, Dan!!
December 18th, 2019 at 10:41 PM ^
I had a pal from Massapequa when I was at U of M. Hail to Bob Cappadona from Massapequa! :)
December 19th, 2019 at 1:21 PM ^
Ron Kovic.
December 18th, 2019 at 8:37 PM ^
The one thing that confused me today is that there are multiple teams out there like OSU and Oregon who got multiple 4* QBs today. Why would a highly rated QB rather battle it out with another highly rated QB at one school rather than looking elsewhere? Like one of you is guaranteed to transfer
December 18th, 2019 at 9:03 PM ^
Because they believe in themselves to win that battle.
December 19th, 2019 at 10:23 AM ^
I can't speak to Oregon, but OSU has nothing on their roster besides Fields. The two kids are going to sit behind him next year and then battle it out for the starting job. That's actually less competition than even Michigan next year, where he'd sit behind McCafferey (presumably) for two years, then battle Milton and McNamara.
Typically OSU is going to have a roster of good QBs he'd have to fight through. But their exodus of the last few years completely depleted them. It's Fields and 2 guys that are terrible.
December 18th, 2019 at 8:41 PM ^
I looked through our class and thought, wow, nice looking class. Wish we had a DT or 2 and maybe a 5*, but impressive.
Then I went over to 247 and looked at OSU’s class, and thought, Jesus, that’s another ridiculous haul for their football factory -online university.
Then I looked at Clemson’s class and thought, holy shit, five 5* commits. The gap between the haves, kind of have, and have nots is growing.
December 19th, 2019 at 6:29 AM ^
Place your bets on OSU, Alabama and Clemson being in the cfp in the next few years. It has gotten stale. Need a new format.
December 19th, 2019 at 1:23 PM ^
Yeah, eliminate the playoffs and let debates determine champions.
December 18th, 2019 at 8:54 PM ^
My amateur scouting report:
strengths:
Stature - he looks every bit of 6’4” and stands tall in the pocket to take advantage of it. I would even have him stand up straighter but he gets away with a wider stance because he’s playing New York high school football and most kids on the field can’t see the top of his head.
Mechanics - he looks clean in the pocket and steps into his throws (because he has to). He doesn’t face any pressure in his highlights but it’s a positive sign that he’s not an arm thrower. He seems accurate when he’s in a clean pocket
Vision - he makes really good cuts in the open field and in the tackle box and uses his blockers really well. He’s a good and willing runner which would be killer if he was just a bit faster. Hopefully it translates to pocket presence which he is going to absolutely need to make up for some of his shortcomings.
Throwing on the run. It was said in the main post but he made some nice throws on the run and kept his eyes downfield which is especially nice to see because the way he runs may lead a HS QB to rely on his legs more which he won’t be able to do in college with his speed.
Weaknesses:
Arm strength - he clearly has to step heavily into the harder throws he makes. He will never be able to hit those long outs that were the bread and butter of Michigan’s offense this year unless he knows he’s going there pre snap. Shea’s arm was wildly under appreciated this year. There’s a reason he was a 5 star.
Athleticism - he has great vision and is a willing runner but he’s stiff and only has average speed. He’s not going to make people miss in the open field consistently but hopefully he can fall forward to convert a couple critical 3rd and 6’s.
Speed - 5.0 is pretty slow and he doesn’t look faster than that in the tape.
Player comp: he kind of reminds me of Brian Lewerke? Prototypical height. Pop gun arm. Slow but effective and willing runner. The main difference will be if he can maintain those mechanics. Lewerke got shell shocked out of his good habits and didn’t have the raw talent to make up for it. By the end of his career he was throwing fair catches to Ambry Thomas. But M fans who went to the game in 2017 remember a QB who was annoying to track down in the pocket and made enough plays to win on the road despite a god awful O Line getting man handled by Rashan, Mo Hurst, and Winovich in the rain.
December 18th, 2019 at 9:15 PM ^
Not seeing what you are seeing regarding his arm strength. He can wing it and looks effortless doing it.
December 18th, 2019 at 9:20 PM ^
Also, I have no idea what the guy is talking about when he said "long outs" were Michigan's "bread and butter" this year.
December 18th, 2019 at 9:42 PM ^
Bread and butter might be overstating it but go back and look at (especially early when the offense was struggling) how often they went to that as shea’s First read.
December 18th, 2019 at 9:46 PM ^
his cat distracted him while the hudl tape was rolling....
December 19th, 2019 at 6:30 AM ^
He is the cat. Maybe Bo distracted him?
December 19th, 2019 at 10:29 AM ^
I don't think he means deep outs. He means out patterns to the wide side of the field where Collins and DPJ were almost always open. They weren't 18 yard Henne shots, they were wide open 7-10 yard outs to the sideline. He's correct that was a frequent go-to in the offense, because opposing CBs gave it up almost uncontested (given they had to protect for either going deep).
December 18th, 2019 at 9:46 PM ^
Look at his film vs mccarthy’s or milton’s. I’m not saying it’s a bad arm but you can see a difference.
December 19th, 2019 at 7:56 AM ^
Milton is acknowledged as a cannon on two legs. Without a targeting system.
December 18th, 2019 at 8:55 PM ^
Has the size and athleticsm to be a TE. I could see that.
Other than that, looks like a good depth guy.
December 18th, 2019 at 8:56 PM ^
I wonder why Wisconsin didn’t offer. They ended up with no QB in the class and only have 3 on the roster I think and either Wolf or Mertz is a transfer risk.
Either way welcome Dan!
December 18th, 2019 at 9:41 PM ^
Why didn't Stony Brook offer?
December 18th, 2019 at 8:59 PM ^
Welcome young man! Hail.
December 18th, 2019 at 9:01 PM ^
His testing numbers do not seem like they would support a move to another position but for the situation it’ll work
December 18th, 2019 at 9:04 PM ^
Harbaugh's a good coach
The class is very good
Not concerned about the QB depth
But.... seems like basically a desperation add way late in the cycle.
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