GILBERT, Ariz. — Shawn and Carrie Purdy worried more with each day that passed without a scholarship offer. It wasn’t as if the Purdys thought their middle child was Tom Brady. But they knew Brock Purdy had just set Arizona Class 6A single-season records for passing yards (4,405) and touchdown passes (57) while leading Perry High to the state title game. Certainly some FBS team had a need for a quarterback who could do that.



Quarterbacks who had done far less were about to sign scholarship paperwork when the new early signing period opened on Dec. 20, 2017. No one knew exactly how recruits and coaches would handle the earlier signing date, but conventional wisdom suggested most would treat it just like the traditional February signing date. That meant scholarships might be scarce afterward. As Shawn and Carrie’s frustration mounted, Brock stayed exactly the same. “He used to tell us, ‘You need to chill,’ ” Carrie says. “I...