BISMARCK QB CANNON GOES BIG TIME WITH BIG TEN
by Jon Stamose | Jun 11, 2012 9:30 am
Bismarck High School senior quarterback Cade Cannon had his choice of a handful of colleges and could have waited until after the high school football season to make a decision on where he was going to play next year. However, Cannon decided to end the suspense and has verbally committed to the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minn.
“It’s good to get the whole recruiting thing out of the way,” Cannon said. “That way I can focus on my senior season coming up. We’re looking to do what we did last year again obviously.”
Cannon was also looking at Nebraska, Wyoming, Boise State, Northwestern, North Dakota State and “a few others”, but, after three visits to the Golden Gophers campus, his decision was made.
“I love Minnesota,” Cannon said. “I’ve been up there three times, and I just really liked it. I really have a good connection with [quarterback] coach [Jim] Zabrowski. I really like what the coaching staff is going to do there. I think they are going to turn the program around and have a winning program in the next couple years, and I want to be part of it. I’m pretty fired up about it.”
Bismarck head coach Mark Gibson said Minnesota is a good fit for Cannon, who he considers one of the best players he has ever coached.
“It’s a good fit for him,” Gibson said. “I think he’s happy to get it over. … He’s probably one of the best players I have had in my coaching career. He’s a natural born leader. He’s got that ‘it’ factor.”
This past year at Bismarck, the 6-foot 5-inch, 205-pound Cannon threw for 26 touchdowns and about 2,500 yards, rushed for 17 touchdowns and ran for about 1,000 yards while leading Bismarck to the AAA state championship. Because of his athletic ability, the coaching staffs at some of the other schools hoped to play him at receiver or even on defense, he said.
“I really want to bring my athletic ability at the quarterback position,” Cannon said. “Some of the schools said they were looking for a quarterback that was not only a good passer and runner but could also play different positions.”
With the decision behind him, Cannon said he is looking forward to his last season playing for the Demons.
“I’m pretty fired up,” Cannon said. “Two-a-days are a month away. I think we have a great team. We have a lot of guys coming back and we know what it takes to win the championship. A lot of us know what it's like to lose one too so that helps I think. We need to play like we know we can and keep getting better.”
Cannon was a reserve receiver and backup QB when Bismarck lost the state championship to Fargo South in 2010. He dressed but did not play on varsity during the 2009 state championship season.
Cannon, who has been a key player on both the basketball and baseball teams the past two seasons, says he knows he won't be playing baseball in the spring as he intends to enroll at Minnesota early. He indicated that he intended to play basketball this winter.
Cannon will receive a full scholarship and has not decided a course of study at this time.