Ryder Flugence moves to QB full time and becomes Rivals No. 1-ranked passer in the 2029 class

Rivals updated its rankings for the 2029 class on Monday, and one of the biggest movers was Boerne (Texas) Champion‘s Ryder Flugence, transitioning from athlete recruit to quarterback and moving up from the No. 7 overall prospect in the country to No. 3 in America and No. 1 at his position.

Five years ago, the now 6-foot-6, 210-pound Flugence made the same transition in his own house. He didn’t start playing quarterback till the seventh grade.

“He’s always been fast, he’s always been shifty, great on defense, but his arm, he always had a strong arm but he wasn’t accurate enough,” Flugence’s father Lawrence said. The elder Flugence was a standout linebacker at Texas Tech, where he led the Big 12 in tackles for three years and the nation with a Division I-record 193 stops in 2002. “I needed to make sure when we put him out there he was going to be accurate. We worked on it and worked on it and by the time he was in the seventh grade I told him the coaches are probably going to put you at quarterback, and he wowed us with his ability to throw the football. He can throw the football naturally.”

College coaches agree. The dual-threat Flugence already holds offers from the likes of Texas Tech, Alabama, Oklahoma, Texas A&M, Georgia, Vanderbilt, Kentucky, Auburn, Baylor and TCU. He is having a breakout sophomore year at the position. In the first seven games Flugence completed 62 percent of his passes for 1,057 yards and 17 touchdowns to just two interceptions with another 711 yards rushing and 10 more scores. The year prior he was a playmaker on defense where he had 36 tackles, an interception and forced fumble, while throwing for 570 yards and rushing for 100 more.

“Last year at this time, I’d never have thought I’d be in this position,” Flugence said, adding this all feels very new. “I’m truly blessed by the Lord. He put me in this position and given gifts to succeed and play for him.”

“We’ve always considered Ryder Flugence one of the top overall athletes in the 2029 cycle,” Rivals Director of Scouting Charles Power said. “Flugence’s size and athleticism are as good as you’ll see for a young quarterback prospect. We’ve seen him take the next step as a passer so far as a sophomore. He’s on track for a sophomore season that could see him eclipse 2,000 yards in the air and 1,000 on the ground. Flugence is still relatively early in his development as a quarterback, but his elite size and athleticism along with the promising growth as a passer give him one of the highest upsides in the 2029 cycle.”

While Flugence may get his arm talent from his mom Shaya who threw the javelin at Texas Tech, he put in countless hours with his dad, a foundation that got him to this point.

“I don’t know how many times my dad showed up for me and he’s been a crucial part in my success,” Ryder said. “He takes me to the field, stands there in the heat, lets me throw to him. Helps me work on little details and him doing that for me I can’t thank him enough. He always said ‘if you want it, I’m going to help you.’”

The elder Flugence always saw the talent and drive in his son.

“Man to me, his love of the game is what makes him special,” Lawrence began. “He loves football. That’s all he thinks about. We talk about it all the time. He always wanted to play quarterback. When he was younger he wasn’t ready. When he was, he took to it like a bird to flight. It was wonderful.”

The next step for Flugence heading into this season was getting better command of the offense, reading the field and becoming someone that makes good decisions throughout the game.

“His mind, he kind of has an engineer’s mindset,” Lawrence said, adding Ryder has hopes of majoring in just that. “He likes to put together Legos and car engines. He has a fine eye for detail and he’s very intricate with how he goes about his processes. I love that about him.”

At his core, Flugence is a football player. Line him up anywhere on the field and he’s happy. But as a sophomore taking every snap, there is nothing better.

“The thing I love most about the position is just being able to have that control of the game,” Flugence said. “I feel like with me sometimes after a game last year, I played defense, I didn’t have that control aspect. At quarterback I have the ability to change a game dramatically and I feel most comfortable with the ball in my hands.”

Flugence has already made game visits to Baylor, Texas and Texas A&M. He’ll be at Texas Tech on Halloween weekend, has plans to get to Notre Dame on Nov. 7 and then get to Oklahoma on Nov. 14. The Red Raiders are the early Rivals Prediction Machine favorite for Flugence.

“First of all I love Coach (Joey) McGuire,” Flugence said. “I think he’s an amazing man and definitely genuinely cares about his players. I want to play for a head coach that wants me there and not you just play for me but having that family aspect. Their offense is very similar to what we run. It has a bunch of the same concepts we run. I like that stuff. I don’t know exactly what I’m looking for but I want to win No. 1 and I think Tech’s recruiting classes coming in their defense is going to be legit the next two or three years and that’s something I want to be part of. But there’s more schools out there.”

The visits to Texas and Texas A&M are giving Flugence a lot to think about.

“I like Coach (Joey) Lynch,” Flugence said of the Aggies. “He’s a great coach. He’s very good at developing. Talking to him, he feels very knowledgeable and a guy who understands the game and understands what you have to do to be successful and he’s going to help you get there no matter what.

“Texas is a huge program. Especially being from Texas, living in Texas and growing up here, just the ability to play on that stage, playing SEC ball and always having a great team around you. Coach (AJ) Milwee is a great coach. He’s very straight-up, straight to the point and he’s going to help you get where you want to go. He’s not going to be satisfied, he always wants more from you.”

Flugence is excited to get up to Notre Dame.

“What stands out is their style of offense,” Flugence said. “It’s way more pro-style than a lot of teams. I talk with their staff and their quarterback does a bunch of pro-style stuff and that’s appealing. My goal is to play on Sundays and with the coaches up there I can learn the mental game and that stands out to me a lot.”

Brent Venables and Oklahoma have already been able to make a big impression.

“Oklahoma is a very traditional program known for winning,” Flugence said. “They’ve produced a bunch of good quarterbacks. The head coach, I got to sit down and talk to Coach Venables and he’s one of the best, amazing head coaches. He genuinely cares about his players and wants the best for them. He understands the aspects of football and what it takes. He’s going to meet you halfway and help you.”

Both of Flugence’s parents obviously went through their own recruiting processes and already have a roadmap for how they plan to help their son go through his.

“Fit is going to be everything,” Lawrence said. “Have the right offensive scheme, the right coaches, a good conference, a place where he’s going to be set up for success. He doesn’t necessarily want to play super early. I know a lot of kids that want to be a starter as a freshman. He doesn’t mind sitting back for a year or two and learning the system and learning the process. It’s really about fit for him and going where he wants to go and be uber successful.

“He’s a very humble kid. He’s a God-fearing kid. He’s more mature than a lot of children I’ve come across. For somebody his age to be able to handle all this attention, I think he’s handled it incredibly well.”