Ben Olson

After criss-crossing the nation for three months and interviewing all of the nation's top 500 prospects, in my mind Ben Olson is not only the country's top signal-caller but also the No. 1 overall prospect.

On film this 6-5, 210-pounder from Thousand Oaks, Calif., shows a live arm, a smooth drop, a quick release and great decision-making ability. "He has a voracious appetite for football knowledge," says his coach, Mike Sanders, "and is the best quarterback I've ever coached or coached against."

Not only is this left-handed signal caller a tremendous drop-back passer, he's also an outstanding runner. He shows terrific footwork, exceptional escapability and outstanding football sense. When I watched No. 7 on film I saw a great athlete who's an exceptional thrower from the pocket and who is extremely dangerous when rolling out either as a passer or as a runner. In 2000 he completed 59 percent of his passes, throwing for 2,907 yds and 17 TDs, and was picked off just six times. He earned his league's MVP honors and was also voted All-County First Team.

Olson also averages 17 points and 7 rebounds a game as a small forward in basketball but would prefer to just stick with football once he gets to college. Another major plus is his work ethic. Coach Sanders says Olson is the hardest-working player on the team and is always striving to improve his game.

It looks like Olson's hard work has really paid off, as he has been offered a scholarship by every passing school in the country. However, he has narrowed his list down to seven schools: UCLA, Michigan, USC, BYU, Tennessee, Stanford and Oklahoma. He recently told me that he has no clear-cut favorite, although I believe the Bruins of UCLA have a slight edge over BYU, USC and the rest.

Like so many of the nation's great players, Olson is in no hurry to commit and will look for the perfect fit before deciding on a school. During a recent conversation I had with Ben, he said he believes that the perfect fit could be a school that has a junior quarterback who will play his senior year while Olson is redshirted his freshman year. That way he is in position to become a four-year starter and develop his passing skills to the point where he should be in a position to become a very high draft choice in either his fourth or fifth year. A wildcard in this mix is BYU, as Ben is a Mormon and the Cougars are known for developing great quarterbacks.

Tom Lemming is editor of Prep Football Report. For information on how to subscribe to Prep Football Report's three yearly magazines and five newsletters ($60 for the magazines and $90 for both magazines and newsletters), fax your name, address and fax number to 847-842-1313 or write to P.O. Box 59113, Schaumburg, Ill. 60159. For year-round recruiting updates, call Tom Lemming's Prep Football Hotline at 900-860-9888. Calls are $1.79 per minute, and callers must be 18 years old or have parents' permission.