THE SKINNY
Height/Weight: 6-foot-3.5, 201 pounds
Hometown/High School: Orleans, Ontario (The Bullis School)
Ranking: ★★★★ (0.9022 247Sports Composite)
Notable Offers: Clemson, Duke, LSU, Michigan, Tennessee, Virginia Tech
HIGHLIGHTS
THE TALE
Early on in the recruitment of Christian Veilleux, Penn State appeared to emerge as the four-star signal caller’s leader. A Canadian native, Veilleux attends the Bullis School in Maryland, which helped to put him on Penn State’s radar from the get go.
Veilleux camped for the coaching staff in July 2018, but did not earn an offer. He would return in July 2019 to camp again, and that time he walked away with the offer he was looking for. James Franklin went to one of Veilleux’s games last fall, and Veilleux then returned to campus for the victory over Indiana in November.
Maybe the most important visit of his recruitment came on February 1. On this Saturday afternoon, Vellieux traveled to Happy Valley to meet new offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Kirk Ciarrocca. On the visit Veilleux watched film with Ciarrocca and started to form a relationship with him.
This visit was important as it allowed Veilleux to meet Ciarrocca before the coronavirus emergency dead period. Veilleux may not have been willing to commit to Penn State before he could meet Ciarrocca. This visit likely also helped keep the Nittany Lions ahead of Clemson, a school Veilleux visited multiple times, despite a recent offer from the Tigers.
OUTLOOK
Based solely on high school film, not including Justin Fields, Veilleux will be the best quarterback Penn State has landed during the Franklin Era. Veilleux has a great frame for a quarterback, and he is not afraid to stand in the pocket and absorb a hit.
Veilleux’s release is effortless and consistent. Although, his delivery is a tad long which is something he will need to work with Ciarrocca to help clean up.
He is a very accurate passer and puts great zip on the ball in the short to intermediate passing game. Unlike some quarterbacks who put extra zip on the ball, Veilleux’s passes still have good touch on them and are not difficult for receivers to haul in.
Additionally, he is more athletic than people will think. While he’ll never be mistaken for Trace McSorley, much like Sean Clifford, Veilleux can keep plays alive and pick up yards with his legs.
One area Veilleux could look for improvement is the deep ball. While he is accurate, he needs to work on putting less air under the ball when throwing deep. This will allow him to hit receivers in stride, while also lessening the opportunity opposing defensive backs have to intercept the pass. By working to add arm strength, Veilleux will be able to improve in this area.
Had there been a spring camp circuit, Veilleux likely would have become a consensus four-star. This could still happen if he is able to play high school football in the fall.