Raymond Cotton has a long way to go to become a polished quarterback. And he has remarkable tools with which to get there.
So says Tom Luginbill, national recruiting director for ESPN.com and Scouts Inc., after watching and evaluating Cotton for four days in the ESPN RISE Elite 11 quarterback camp in Aliso Viejo, Calif.
“He has so much physical ability that is so incredibly raw and untamed right now that he just needs to be coached,” Luginbill, a former college quarterback and coach, told AuburnUndercover.com. "He has to learn the nuances of the position. He needs to learn the fundamentals, mechanics, things that will dramatically improve his accuracy. That was the difference between him and the other guys."
Cotton has no flaws, Luginbill said, that can't be overcome by coaching and hard work.
“He just hasn’t been schooled yet on things like footwork, transferring his weight, following through, what you do with your off shoulder as far as your throwing shoulder," Luginbill said. "All those things, he just doesn’t have any idea about yet. But when he does, look out!”
Cotton, who was an early commitment to Auburn out of Faith Academy in Mobile, will play as a senior this season at Meade High School in Fort Meade, Md.
“When he was throwing the ball well and looked good, there might not have been a guy at the event with more natural wrist snap and arm strength,” Luginbill said. “That ball was spinning so fast you couldn’t see the stripes. The question was where the ball was going to end up.”
Cotton, Luginbill said, bears a striking resemblance to Jason Campbell, who led Auburn to a 13-0 season in 2004, was drafted in the first round and is now the starting quarterback for the Redskins. But there is one significant difference, Luginbill said.
“Raymond if a far better athlete,” Luginbill said. “He is a guy that can create plays and really get out of trouble with his legs. I think one of the reasons he is so raw is he has been allowed to do that. It’s almost the exact same thing with (Ohio State signee) Terrell Pryor. He needs to learn how to be a quarterback and a passer, not just an athlete playing quarterback.”
Cotton, Luginbill said, should thrive in the spread scheme of first-year offensive coordinator Tony Franklin.
“He is an interesting kid to watch,” Luginbill said. “At times, you just go ‘Wow!’. What they are doing schematically, he is perfect for that.”
And, Luginbill said, Cotton has the kind of attitude and work ethic to do what he needs to do what he needs to do to become a polished and accurate passer.
“What a great kid,” Luginbill said. “If that is the type of person they recruit at Auburn, they are going to continue to say on the winning path they’ve been on for the last 10 years.”
