By John Peres / Special contributor to PonyFans.com

Westlake High School in Austin has a storied tradition of producing quarterbacks who go on to enjoy considerable success at the college — and in some cases, professional — level. SMU commitment Jordan Severt is hoping to be the next in a long line of decorated Westlake passers, a list that includes the likes of New Orleans Saints star Drew Brees, Nick Foles of the Philadelphia Eagles and former Wake Forest star Tanner Price.

Severt is an under-the-radar score for the Mustangs who currently holds offers from SMU and Central Arkansas. Severt stands 6-4 and weighs 225 pounds. He has been clocked at 4.7 in the 40-yard dash, but Westlake offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Jeff Rhoads said Severt's speed is deceptive.

Quarteback Jordan Severt said that playing basketball has helped his mobility on the football field (photo by Westlake HS).

“When Jordan takes off with the ball, it looks like he’s not running fast," Rhoads said. "He’s kind of like Eric Dickerson — not that kind of speed, but if you remember Eric Dickerson, he looked like he wasn’t moving that fast but raced right by defenders. Jordan doesn’t look like he’s moving that fast, but he can really cover some ground.”

Severt is also a power forward for Westlake’s basketball team. He attributes part of his success on the field to his play on the court.

“Basketball definitely helps me with my feet," Severt said. "It helps me move around in the pocket and I am able to extend plays further.”

However, Severt is a pocket passer through and through, throwing for 2,713 yards and 21 touchdowns during his junior season, including a season-best performance in Westlake's 38-7 rout of Austin's Bowie High School, a game in which he threw for four touchdowns and 486 yards.

"The best thing he does is lead our football team," Rhoads said. "He’s not quite a quiet ‘lead by example’ guy, but he leans on that side. We’ve got some good people around him, but where Jordan goes is where we go on offense."

Rhoads said Severt often gets compared to the standout quarterbacks who preceded him at Westlake, but said Severt also reminds him of another one of his former players who ended up playing in college and the NFL, in part because Severt's intelligence and understanding of the offense allows him to improvise when he needs to.

"I have personal experience with Andy Dalton — I coached him at Katy (High School); now he’s with Cincinnati," Rhoads said. "Andy is very quiet. Jordan is pretty quiet, too, but kids just follow him. Andy understood our concepts and what we’re trying to do, and Jordan’s kind of in that same mode. He’s going to get everyone in the right place at the right time.

"Andy had the ability to put the ball … not just on the (receiver’s) left shoulder or right shoulder, but high on the left shoulder or high on the right shoulder. Jordan might be able to do that yet, but he will, and he might be a little smarter than Andy, to where we can call a play, and if something goes wrong, he needs to come up with a solution … and he does. We can run a play and not have a route called for one receiver, and he’ll call the route for that receiver, too, and sometimes that’s where the ball ends up going. Sometimes we can have a play called, and we don’t know if it’s going to go to the right or to the left. The thing about Jordan is that if the defense does something to change it up, he never misses it — he’s very smart. That’s why I think he’s going to be a very successful college quarterback — because he doesn’t take many steps back.

Severt uses his athleticism to extend plays, but is always looking for the open man.

“Jordan does a great job of moving around, either in the pocket or out to one side, keeping his shoulders square, keeping his eyes upfield and then planting and throwing quickly and accurately," Rhoads said. "He’s excellent (at play-action passes). (In 2012), we kind of went under center, and Jordan’s very comfortable there, but we’re in shotgun most of the time, and that’s what Jordan likes best. He’s got a big body, and he’s very good at using his hands. When his back is turned, and his back is to the (line), he hides the ball very well, so the defense has to guess whether he’s going to hand off, turn and throw a pass or take off and run with it himself. He can do all three.”

Severt stays calm in the pocket. He shows excellent poise in the pocket, keeping his eyes downfield while quickly resetting and releasing the ball. He can make any throw on the field with good touch. Whether it’s a quick out route or a deep ball, Severt makes it look easy. Physically, the natural comparison is to current SMU starter Garrett Gilbert, another Austin native who is listed on the SMU roster at the same height and two pounds lighter than Severt. But Severt’s style is more reminiscent of former Texas Tech star and current Green Bay Packers backup Graham Harrell.

“My best attributes as a quarterback," Severt said, "would be a good sense of anticipation and reading the field.”

Rhoads said he thinks Severt will be a perfect fit at SMU. He said that other schools might have passed on him because of a changing trend in some offenses, but said those schools that sought other quarterbacks might well end up regretting their decisions to bypass Severt.

“I think there’s a lot of (schools) missing out," Rhoads said. "I don’t know how you can go wrong, as a quarterback, with June Jones and Hal Mumme and Dan Morrison — they’re great coaches. Honestly, I don’t think a lot of schools are looking for a pure (pocket) quarterback anymore. I think a lot of teams are looking for kind of a running back who can throw a little bit. I think Jordan’s ability, going into the system up there, is going to be an unbelievable marriage. He can run a lot better than people realize, and he can move around to get away from pressure, and he can throw it as well as anyone.”