QB Country begins 2022 NFL Draft Prep with Howell, Zappe, Eleby
The QB Country NFL Draft Prep Class of 2022 features three talented, record-breaking college quarterbacks. Sam Howell (UNC), Bailey Zappe (Western Kentucky), and Kaleb Eleby (Western Michigan) will spend the next several months with QB Country preparing for the transition from college to the professional ranks. Bailey and Kaleb are training in Mobile with QB Country founder David Morris. Sam is training with his longtime mentor and QBC North Carolina coach Anthony Boone. Sam and Bailey will both be in Mobile for the 2022 Reese’s Senior Bowl. Here’s a brief look at the college credentials of all three players:
Sam Howell
Sam, a longtime QB Country North Carolina trainee, departs the University of North Carolina as the program’s most prolific quarterback, establishing 21 career records, including yards passing (10,283) and total offense (11,292) as well as passing touchdowns (92) and total touchdowns (111). His career passing yards and touchdown marks are the most for an ACC quarterback in just three seasons of play.
Over the course of his decorated college career, Sam was a three-time All-ACC honoree, a Manning Award Finalist, Davey O’Brien Award Semifinalist, an ACC All-Academic honoree and was named a freshman All-American and ACC Offensive and Overall Rookie of the Year.
This season he was one of three Power 5 quarterbacks to throw for 20+ touchdowns and rush for 10+ touchdowns and placed third nationally among FBS quarterbacks with 828 rushing yards. He became just the third QB in the playoff era with five games with 300 passing yards and five games with 100 rushing yards in a season.
Bailey Zappe
Bailey went 442-of-639 passing (69.2%) and an FBS-leading 5,967 yards and 62 touchdowns in his lone season with Western Kentucky. He broke Texas Tech’s B.J. Symons’ single-season FBS yardage record (5,833) from 2003 and LSU Joe Burrow’s single-season touchdown record (60) from 2019. He leaves WKU as the career leader in passing yards among all NCAA divisions with 15,971 yards.
Named C-USA MVP and First-Team All C-USA in 2021, Bailey capped his stellar season by leading WKU to a 59-38 win over Appalachian State in the Boca Raton Bowl.
He is the winner of the Ninth Annual Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award honoring the top offensive player in Division football who also exhibits the enduring characteristics that define Earl Campbell: integrity, performance, teamwork, sportsmanship, drive, community, and tenacity; specifically tenacity to persist and determination to overcome adversity and injury in pursuit of reaching goals.
Bailey transferred to WKU from Houston Baptist, where he was named Southland Co-Offensive Player of the Year in 2020.
Kaleb Eleby
A two-time All-MAC selection, Kaleb led Western Michigan to an 8-5 record and its second bowl victory in program history, a dominant 52-24 win over Nevada in the Quick Lane Bowl. Kaleb completed 230-of-364 passes (63%) for 3,277 yards (252 per game), 23 touchdowns and just six interceptions during the 2021 season.
In the pandemic shortened 2020 season, he threw for 18 touchdowns and two interceptions, was third in the nation in passer rating and tied for most yards per attempt (11.2) with another QB Country trainee, Mac Jones.
In games against Power 5 opponents this season, Kaleb excelled – leading the Hilltoppers to a 44-41 upset over Pitt by completing 23 of 35 passes for 337 yards and three touchdowns. Against Michigan, he completed 20 of 37 passes for 191 yards and a touchdown.