David Sills is the kid that got a scholarship offer, at quarterback, from USC (Lane Kiffin) when he was just 13 years old. I remember hearing about this kid (on this site even) back then but really have never thought about it again until I found out he was now one of the top receivers in the entire country. His story is freaking insane.
So, you have a kid hear who is a pretty talented athlete and his dad has tons of money. So, he sends him to a QB Guru that works with some of the top NFL QBs in the country. The result is a 13-year old kid that is wowing college coaches on tape.
Kiffin was so impressed that he offered him a USC scholarship at just 13 years old, which Sills accepted and verbally committed to USC at just 13.
Fast forward a couple of years and he starts at his high school as an eighth grader at Red Lion Academy. As a freshman, he throws for over 2,300 yards and 28 TD and was named a U.S. Air Force All-American.
Then, things get crazy. His school actually stops having a football program, so his father actually co-founds his own high school (Eastern Christian Academy). Every signle enrolled boy in the school that first year was on the football team. It was an online-only school with all teachers being virtual teachers. It got at on of controvery (think of it as being a virtual IMG Academy).
Anyway as a sophomore, the school was unable to get accredited by the state until late in the year, so they only played three games.
As a junior, Sills ends up breaking his knuckle on his throwing hand early in the season but kept playing. As a result, it completely ruinined his throwing mechanics. The QB guru he had been working with, Steve Clarkson, said that Sills had the best mechanics of any QB he had ever worked with before the injury (including NFL QBs) but the injury absolutely ruined his mechanics and he was never able to be retaught.
He started relying on his athleticism after the injury and then heading into his senior season he breaks his ankle and missing almost the entire season.
After Lane Kiffin was fired, Steve Sarkisian told Sills that he would honor the scholarship offer but Sills go thte filling he wasn't Sark's man (especially because he was recruiting both Ricky Town and Sam Darnold at hte same time). Sills decommitted from USC and ended up going to West Virginia.
As a freshman, he competed for the starting QB job but ended up getting beaten out. West Virginia planned to redshirt him, so they ended up moving him to the scout team as a receiver (because of his athleticism) but were so impressed that they burned his red shirt and put him on the field as a receiver.
He ended up showing flashes of greatness as a receiver, despite never playing the position, and ended up scoring the game winning touchdown catch in the bowl game for West Virginia that year.
West Virginia gave him a chance to win the starting job again in the spring but after losing the coaches told him they wanted him to play at WR. He said that he still wanted to play QB and wasn't ready to give that up yet. So, he transferred to El Camino Junior College. Dana Holgerson told him that, no matter what, a spot would be open for him at receiver if he changed his mind.
At El Comino, Sills started at QB in 2016 but he only threw for a little over 1,600 yards and 16 TD and was much more reliant on his running ability because of the injuries to his hand and regression in his mechanics over the years. Not a single DI school offered him a scholarship.
Dana Holgerson called Sills and told him that he still had a spot at WV at receiver for him and Sills agreed.
As a junior, Sills caught 60 passes for 980 yards and 18 touchdowns in the first year he was ever a starter at receiver. He led the entire country in receiving touchdowns, was a finalist for the Biletnikoff Award and was a second-team All-American.
He's coming back in 2018 as a senior with a chance to possibly become an NFL receiver.
Dont want to read all that, check this out:
So, you have a kid hear who is a pretty talented athlete and his dad has tons of money. So, he sends him to a QB Guru that works with some of the top NFL QBs in the country. The result is a 13-year old kid that is wowing college coaches on tape.
Kiffin was so impressed that he offered him a USC scholarship at just 13 years old, which Sills accepted and verbally committed to USC at just 13.
Fast forward a couple of years and he starts at his high school as an eighth grader at Red Lion Academy. As a freshman, he throws for over 2,300 yards and 28 TD and was named a U.S. Air Force All-American.
Then, things get crazy. His school actually stops having a football program, so his father actually co-founds his own high school (Eastern Christian Academy). Every signle enrolled boy in the school that first year was on the football team. It was an online-only school with all teachers being virtual teachers. It got at on of controvery (think of it as being a virtual IMG Academy).
Anyway as a sophomore, the school was unable to get accredited by the state until late in the year, so they only played three games.
As a junior, Sills ends up breaking his knuckle on his throwing hand early in the season but kept playing. As a result, it completely ruinined his throwing mechanics. The QB guru he had been working with, Steve Clarkson, said that Sills had the best mechanics of any QB he had ever worked with before the injury (including NFL QBs) but the injury absolutely ruined his mechanics and he was never able to be retaught.
He started relying on his athleticism after the injury and then heading into his senior season he breaks his ankle and missing almost the entire season.
After Lane Kiffin was fired, Steve Sarkisian told Sills that he would honor the scholarship offer but Sills go thte filling he wasn't Sark's man (especially because he was recruiting both Ricky Town and Sam Darnold at hte same time). Sills decommitted from USC and ended up going to West Virginia.
As a freshman, he competed for the starting QB job but ended up getting beaten out. West Virginia planned to redshirt him, so they ended up moving him to the scout team as a receiver (because of his athleticism) but were so impressed that they burned his red shirt and put him on the field as a receiver.
He ended up showing flashes of greatness as a receiver, despite never playing the position, and ended up scoring the game winning touchdown catch in the bowl game for West Virginia that year.
West Virginia gave him a chance to win the starting job again in the spring but after losing the coaches told him they wanted him to play at WR. He said that he still wanted to play QB and wasn't ready to give that up yet. So, he transferred to El Camino Junior College. Dana Holgerson told him that, no matter what, a spot would be open for him at receiver if he changed his mind.
At El Comino, Sills started at QB in 2016 but he only threw for a little over 1,600 yards and 16 TD and was much more reliant on his running ability because of the injuries to his hand and regression in his mechanics over the years. Not a single DI school offered him a scholarship.
Dana Holgerson called Sills and told him that he still had a spot at WV at receiver for him and Sills agreed.
As a junior, Sills caught 60 passes for 980 yards and 18 touchdowns in the first year he was ever a starter at receiver. He led the entire country in receiving touchdowns, was a finalist for the Biletnikoff Award and was a second-team All-American.
He's coming back in 2018 as a senior with a chance to possibly become an NFL receiver.
Dont want to read all that, check this out:
