It’s a comp that has caught Ron Gueringer’s attention—especially when he reveals who it came from.

A longtime high school football coach in California, Gueringer’s quarterback this past season at Corona High School was Delaney Crawford. Missouri State was among the schools recruiting the dual-threat passer.

And Missouri State coaches were comparing Crawford… to Lamar Jackson.

Ordinarily, Gueringer would be wary of such comparisons. Crawford had just joined the varsity program at Corona as a senior; Jackson won the 2016 Heisman Trophy and was a finalist again the following season, a first-round pick in 2018 and the NFL’s MVP in 2019.

But Jackson’s head coach at Louisville was Bobby Petrino. His quarterback coach was Nick Petrino, the head coach’s son. They’re now the head coach and offensive coordinator, respectively, at Missouri State.

“And they called and said that’s the first thing he reminded them of,” Gueringer told CavsCorner. “Of Lamar.”

Earlier this month, Missouri State joined Sam Houston State and Morgan State as schools to offer Crawford. A few days later, Virginia became the first Power 5 school to offer the 6-foot-3, 180-pound two-sport standout, who also excels in track.

Crawford wasted no time taking that UVa offer. He committed the weekend before Thanksgiving—less than a week after being offered—and publicly announced that decision on Monday. With that commitment, Crawford joined Davis Lane as quarterbacks among the 16 players in the Cavaliers' 2022 recruiting class.

Crawford plans on making an official visit to Virginia next weekend then sign with the Wahoos on December 15th.

“I feel a lot of people didn’t believe I could do this,” Crawford told CavsCorner, “so it really means a lot to me that I achieved this and was able to announce that I can go to Virginia.”

In addition to his football offers, Crawford also has offers from Michigan and Washington to run track. He’s one of the best high school hurdlers in California, earning all-state recognition from MileStat in the 300-meter hurdles and the 100-meter dash. His 36.64 in the 300-meter hurdles was the best time in the state (and fifth nationally) in 2021. He also ranked in the top 10 in California in the 110-meter hurdles and the 100-meter dash.

Whether he will continue to run track at UVa is still in the works, Crawford said, with no decision made yet. Football “is for sure my first priority,” though he believes his talents on the track have helped him become a better football player.

“I feel I wouldn’t be where I am today without track,” he explained, “because it keeps my speed up, my athleticism up. I just feel that track is a big part of my football life.”

“His track helps him,” added Gueringer, “because he’s electric on the football field.”

Gueringer first hear from UVa coaches regarding Crawford about a month-and-a-half ago. The quarterback caught the Cavaliers’ attention when they saw his film. The UVa staff had coached against Jackson while he was at Louisville, but quarterbacks coach Jason Beck made another comp after watching Crawford: Bryce Perkins, who led the Hoos to a Coastal Division title in 2019.

Once that line of communication was opened, Crawford began hearing regularly from Beck and other UVa coaches. A lot of exchanges on Twitter or via text message, and the occasional Zoom. He spoke with head coach Bronco Mendenhall over Thanksgiving break, and came away from that conversation even more excited about his decision.

Those conversations have centered on “just developing me as a quarterback,” said Crawford, who’s been playing the position since he was five years old. “Keeping my skills up, getting ready. Getting in the weight room. Just developing into a better quarterback, being the best I can be.”

He’s been working to sharpen his throws and get stronger at reading defenses. Gueringer praised that work ethic, plus Crawford’s approach in the classroom and the way he won over his new teammates and emerged as a leader after arriving at Corona as a senior.

And again, not to burden the Cavaliers’ newest quarterback recruit, but Gueringer couldn’t help but refer back to the comp that has been stuck in the back of his mind.

“His story follows Lamar in so many ways,” Gueringer said, “in that a lot of people just didn’t believe in him as a quarterback. They were looking for pure drop-back guys. And he’s a dual-threat guy. He can beat you with his legs as well as his arm. He can do both.”

“I’ve coached some really talented young men, and he fits that mold,” Crawford’s coach added. “He’s working 24/7 at being the best athlete he can be.”

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