Year of the Quarterback profile: Upland's Tyler Hilinski (VIDEO)
At one point in his high school career, Tyler Hilinski was a backup quarterback at Sherman Oaks Notre Dame. The QB in front of him? Older brother, Kelly. Quarterbacking runs in the Hilinski family. Kelly is now at Riverside College after starting four games for Columbia last season as a freshman. Tyler is in his second season as a starter for Upland. And there's younger brother, Ryan, who'll likely be appearing at a high school near you in the near future. Bigger bro has the bigger arm but Tyler is no small fry, standing 6-foot-3 and weighing just under 200 pounds. When it comes to accuracy, Tyler's one of the best in the CIF Southern Section.
Strengths: Hilinski's vision is special. With pressure coming from either side, the quarterback has a good feel for moving around the pocket and even rolling out if flushed by the defense. Through all of this, however, Hilinski has the ability to keep his eyes down field to find the open man. Rolling right or left, his accuracy doesn't miss a beat. He has the ability to extend plays when things break down in order to hurt defenses with a big play down the field. He's also tough as he showed during the playoffs last season against Corona Santiago. Hilinski left the game early with a knee injury but returned in the second half to finish with 284 yards and four touchdowns in a win.
Weaknesses: His delivery is a bit long. Hilinski has a bit of a windup but it didn't affect his accuracy at all. Footwork was an area he focused on during the offseason and getting his hips and shoulders turned around in order to be squared up on every throw.
Key stat: 68. Highly accurate, Hilinski completed 68.1 percent of his passes in 2013.
Quotable: "He has a pretty open vision, so even though he might be reading the safety, he can still see what the corner is doing," Upland head coach Tim Salter.
Final thoughts: Hilinski built a buzz for himself during the spring and summer of 2013 but the offers didn't pour in immediately because all of his film was in shirts and shorts. He didn't have any game film. That quickly changed and Hilinski added his name to the list of top 2015 quarterbacks in the state. He's a natural leader who is extremely accurate. After completing 68.1 percent of his passes in 2013, he's hit 78.1 percent of his passes through the first two games of 2014 with seven touchdowns and no interceptions. The Washington State commit can spin it and he's a huge reason Upland is the early favorite to win the West Valley Division.
