Stephen McCaffery
Find out how the California native is getting on the radar of scouts at the college and pro levels through elite quarterback camps.
Stephen McCaffery, class of 2015, might not be a household name today, but it’ll probably only be a few years before you’re hearing his name on ESPN and rooting for your team to pick him up in the pro draft.
Most youth quarterbacks show some flashes of brilliance now and then—maybe they’ve got a cannon for an arm, surprising mobility in and out of the pocket or the unique ability to read defenses and pick apart coverages in the blink of an eye. When a junior quarterback like McCaffery shows that he’s got a command of all those important skill sets, well, it’s only a matter of time until the recruiters come calling.
2013: A Banner Year For An Elite Quarterback
Stephen McCaffery has been the starting quarterback for his team since his freshman year at Laguna Blanca School. By his sophomore year, he was already voted captain by the team.
That’s unique enough to prove that this kid is a special talent in its own right, but McCaffery’s junior year—which he just completed in 2013—was really a season loaded with the great stat sheet that separates the overhyped prospects from the legit stars of tomorrow.
Over the course of the year, McCaffery completed 156 of 267 passes in just 10 games. That was good for 2,131 total passing yards and 27 touchdowns. Those numbers would put even some starting college quarterbacks to shame, not to mention that the Santa Barbara-based private college prep school faced some pretty stiff competition over the course of the season.
In addition to those passing yards, this dual-threat quarterback also ran 148 times for a total of 860 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns. Not only is this impressive in its own right, but it also shows that McCaffery is both an effective pocket passer in addition to being a legitimate mobile quarterback.
To put those stats in their proper context, McCaffery set school records for the following categories:
- Single-season passing yards
- Single-season average passing yards per game
- Single-season total passing touchdowns
Stephen McCaffery Is Also A Three-Sport Athlete
The fact that McCaffery is both his team’s starting quarterback and plays defense as well might hint at some of his athletic versatility, but it doesn’t tell the full story. In fact, McCaffery is a varsity player on both Laguna Blanca School’s basketball and volleyball teams. Basketball is, obviously, a fast-paced sport that requires a ton of endurance and tenacity. To be a standout defensive player, an athlete needs to take that kind of scrappiness to the next level, which is exactly what McCaffery did in his sophomore year and was subsequently named Best Defensive Player of the year.
In the spring, McCaffery shows his full range on the volleyball court. In another demanding sport, requiring both superb lateral movement and jumping ability along with quick reflexes, McCaffery also distinguished himself since his freshman 
year. He was voted as captain of his team for both his freshman and sophomore years.
In an era when a lot of highly recruited quarterbacks are only willing to focus on a single sport (and a single side of the ball), McCaffery isn’t afraid to develop his athletic talents in a variety of ways, which only helps his development as a dynamic quarterback.
His well-honed instincts for competition and leadership in team sports obviously inspire him to pursue success in these other sports, but an underlying strong work ethic is what really makes it all possible for him. Talent only gets you so far; passion for winning is what takes you the rest of the way.
Off-the-Charts Academics
It’s a fact that’s more of a universal truth than a cliché that the quarterback is typically the smartest player on the football field.
The sport itself is a complicated chess game of reading coverages, reacting to blitzes and looking at formations as you break from the huddle and walk up to the line of scrimmage. So many decisions need to be made in the blink of an eye, and it requires a combination of preparation and effective decision-making. Some quarterbacks are savants on the field, honing their specialized talents on the gridiron alone. In this way, McCaffery also distinguishes himself and stands head and shoulders above most of his peers.
So far in the 2013-14 academic school year, McCaffery is carrying a weighted GPA of 4.52 (4.14 cumulative un-weighted). Just as the three-sport athlete shows an impressive athletic range, Stephen McCaffery is just as dynamic in the classroom. He’s currently enrolled in three Advanced Placement (AP) courses and two honors courses. More than simply being well-prepared for college—and an interest of majoring in physical sciences, engineering or math—McCaffery’s pedigree doesn’t simply suggest that he’ll be able to handle the grueling schedule of a student athlete, it also hints at his potential of being an Academic All-American too.
Poised For The Pro Level, Thanks To QB Coach Steve Clarkson
While McCaffery’s natural athletic ability and intelligence is what provides him with almost limitless potential, refining those talents into elite levels requires the sort of special coaching and guidance that only a specialized mentor can provide. That’s why Stephen McCaffery sought out the incomparable Steve Clarkson. Under Clarkson’s tutelage, the dual threat quarterback is developing into a blue chipper right before our eyes.
When it comes to spotting talent and developing it into pro-caliber levels, few can compete with Steve Clarkson and his legendary quarterback training programs. Clarkson is known throughout the sport for mentoring some of the nation’s most highly touted prospects—many of whom have become household names on Saturdays and Sundays in the fall. He excels in breaking down complicated offensive schemes and the many requirements of a quarterback into digestible lessons designed to help quarterbacks from grades 3 through 12 reach their true potential.
Clarkson’s quarterback camps have been profiled in a variety of media outlets, including ESPN the Magazine, HBO, Men’s Journal, the NFL Network and Sports Illustrated.
For more information on quarterback training and Steve Clarkson’s successful programs, visit steveclarksondreammaker.com.
