The unofficial online home for fans of the Western Michigan University Broncos. Part of Collegiate Sports Nation (CSN).

So, it appears that we have a commitment from a young man named Chris Riddle. He was originally a 2015 class QB, however, he broke his leg before his junior year, and got reclassified, whatever that means. Anyway, it looks like some teams were willing to give him a walk on in 2016 but he kind of disappeared over the past year or so.

It appears he was legitimately being recruited by teams like Georgia, LSU and Florida before the broken leg.

I'm guessing he is 20 or 21 right now, and has four years eligibility.

If he's healthy, this might actually be a huge steal for the Broncos and Lester.

https://twitter.com/chrisriddleqb/status...6317161472

He threads some difficult passes in last years highlight reel. Also shows ability to throw on run. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=mTHJ3Vy_h8w

Lester definitely has a lot to prove in recruiting compared to PJ. But, my guess is QB is not going to be a problem. He knows a little sumpin sumpin about QB and I'm sure QB prospects will quickly learn that.

Maybe the leg healed in a freak way that allows him to punt up to 99 yards at an angle. Maybe he's been practicing that the past few years.

Citation:

Rookie of the Year

According to 247sports he attended 4 different high schools then most recently the Atlanta Sports Academy. Besides the broken leg it seems like a tough road but it explains what he's done after finishing HS in '16.

The Atlanta Sports Academy is a rigorous post-graduate academic-athletic program for students who wish to continue their desire to earn a four-year scholarship at an accredited four year college.

The mission of The Atlanta Sports Academy's Post-Graduate sports program is to provide young men and women the opportunity to continue their education and to obtain a college degree, while participating in collegiate sports.

http://247sports.com/Player/Chris-Riddle...ion=156735

Interesting. So is he technically in the class of 2017?

How similar is this to Lester's injury and recruitment? This could be something...

(04-04-2017 09:40 PM)ColinApocalypse Wrote:  Interesting. So is he technically in the class of 2017?

According to his Twitter account and the 247sports site he's a 2017 commit.

Hey Bronco Nation! I'd like to introduce myself, I'm Jon Riddle (yup, Chris is my son). After Chris committed to WMU earlier this week, I started doing some one-off research and ran across this site. First, I know Chris is amp'ed to report in June and to move on to the next chapter of his life. For anyone interested, below is some info to fill-in most of the blanks noted above;

1) Chris is currently 19 and will be till the end of the summer. Unlike many recruits these days, Chris was actually 17 when he graduated high school.

2) Regarding early recruitment, Chris had quite a bit of interest from various schools. Going into his junior year the most significant interest was from programs such as Maryland, North Carolina, Florida, UCF and North Texas. He had additional interest from Georgia and LSU - although he wasn't their tier 1 target.

3) One week before his junior year a scout DE thought he would get overzealous during walk-throughs and horse-collared Chris on a designed roll-out. While he was cutting back in 3/4 speed, the effect was a splinter fracture of his right fibula, resulting in 3 plates and 8 screws to fix. Needless to say this was a season ending injury. Almost all recruitment interest dropped at that point as most programs try and lock their QB recruits in the junior year.

4) Between financial hardship early on for the family in Chris' underclassman years and then my job moving me, Chris endured multiple high school moves. This undoubtedly impacted his recruitment as well.

5) Chris felt that since he sat out the all too critical junior year, he wanted one more opportunity to highlight and refine his skills and opted for one year of prep school. Hind sight, I would have been much more selective with the institution Chris ended up joining. I'll just say that the majority of prep schools just are not worth the investment.

edit: Although his 247 profile hasn't been updated in a while, it does link his senior highlight reel, if you're interested.

http://247sports.com/Player/Chris-Riddle-16496

Anyhow, I wanted to fill in the gaps for you guys as I know these programs are only as strong as their supporters. Now I'm looking forward to sitting back and watching some Bronco football.

Cheers,
Jon

(04-06-2017 01:54 PM)RiddleMeThis Wrote:  Hey Bronco Nation! I'd like to introduce myself, I'm Jon Riddle (yup, Chris is my son). After Chris committed to WMU earlier this week, I started doing some one-off research and ran across this site. First, I know Chris is amp'ed to report in June and to move on to the next chapter of his life. For anyone interested, below is some info to fill-in most of the blanks noted above;

1) Chris is currently 19 and will be till the end of the summer. Unlike many recruits these days, Chris was actually 17 when he graduated high school.

2) Regarding early recruitment, Chris had quite a bit of interest from various schools. Going into his junior year the most significant interest was from programs such as Maryland, North Carolina, Florida, UCF and North Texas. He had additional interest from Georgia and LSU - although he wasn't their tier 1 target.

3) One week before his junior year a scout DE thought he would get overzealous during walk-throughs and horse-collared Chris on a designed roll-out. While he was cutting back in 3/4 speed, the effect was a splinter fracture of his right fibula, resulting in 3 plates and 8 screws to fix. Needless to say this was a season ending injury. Almost all recruitment interest dropped at that point as most programs try and lock their QB recruits in the junior year.

4) Between financial hardship early on for the family in Chris' underclassman years and then my job moving me, Chris endured multiple high school moves. This undoubtedly impacted his recruitment as well.

5) Chris felt that since he sat out the all too critical junior year, he wanted one more opportunity to highlight and refine his skills and opted for one year of prep school. Hind sight, I would have been much more selective with the institution Chris ended up joining. I'll just say that the majority of prep schools just are not worth the investment.

edit: Although his 247 profile hasn't been updated in a while, it does link his senior highlight reel, if you're interested.

http://247sports.com/Player/Chris-Riddle-16496

Anyhow, I wanted to fill in the gaps for you guys as I know these programs are only as strong as their supporters. Now I'm looking forward to sitting back and watching some Bronco football.

Cheers,
Jon

Thanks for all the great info on your son. I wish him the best. You guys will love Kalamazoo & game days @ Waldo. It's a great day to be a Bronco.

(04-06-2017 01:54 PM)RiddleMeThis Wrote:  Hey Bronco Nation! I'd like to introduce myself, I'm Jon Riddle (yup, Chris is my son). After Chris committed to WMU earlier this week, I started doing some one-off research and ran across this site. First, I know Chris is amp'ed to report in June and to move on to the next chapter of his life. For anyone interested, below is some info to fill-in most of the blanks noted above;

1) Chris is currently 19 and will be till the end of the summer. Unlike many recruits these days, Chris was actually 17 when he graduated high school.

2) Regarding early recruitment, Chris had quite a bit of interest from various schools. Going into his junior year the most significant interest was from programs such as Maryland, North Carolina, Florida, UCF and North Texas. He had additional interest from Georgia and LSU - although he wasn't their tier 1 target.

3) One week before his junior year a scout DE thought he would get overzealous during walk-throughs and horse-collared Chris on a designed roll-out. While he was cutting back in 3/4 speed, the effect was a splinter fracture of his right fibula, resulting in 3 plates and 8 screws to fix. Needless to say this was a season ending injury. Almost all recruitment interest dropped at that point as most programs try and lock their QB recruits in the junior year.

4) Between financial hardship early on for the family in Chris' underclassman years and then my job moving me, Chris endured multiple high school moves. This undoubtedly impacted his recruitment as well.

5) Chris felt that since he sat out the all too critical junior year, he wanted one more opportunity to highlight and refine his skills and opted for one year of prep school. Hind sight, I would have been much more selective with the institution Chris ended up joining. I'll just say that the majority of prep schools just are not worth the investment.

edit: Although his 247 profile hasn't been updated in a while, it does link his senior highlight reel, if you're interested.

http://247sports.com/Player/Chris-Riddle-16496

Anyhow, I wanted to fill in the gaps for you guys as I know these programs are only as strong as their supporters. Now I'm looking forward to sitting back and watching some Bronco football.

Cheers,
Jon

Wow, welcome Jon! You and your family will love WMU. Did Coach Lester talk to you much about his own personal recruitment as a HS QB? He had a leg injury too and schools like Florida backed off. Could be the basis of a great bond with that shared experience.

(04-06-2017 02:18 PM)Hiller4Hyz09 Wrote:  

(04-06-2017 01:54 PM)RiddleMeThis Wrote:  Hey Bronco Nation! I'd like to introduce myself, I'm Jon Riddle (yup, Chris is my son). After Chris committed to WMU earlier this week, I started doing some one-off research and ran across this site. First, I know Chris is amp'ed to report in June and to move on to the next chapter of his life. For anyone interested, below is some info to fill-in most of the blanks noted above;

1) Chris is currently 19 and will be till the end of the summer. Unlike many recruits these days, Chris was actually 17 when he graduated high school.

2) Regarding early recruitment, Chris had quite a bit of interest from various schools. Going into his junior year the most significant interest was from programs such as Maryland, North Carolina, Florida, UCF and North Texas. He had additional interest from Georgia and LSU - although he wasn't their tier 1 target.

3) One week before his junior year a scout DE thought he would get overzealous during walk-throughs and horse-collared Chris on a designed roll-out. While he was cutting back in 3/4 speed, the effect was a splinter fracture of his right fibula, resulting in 3 plates and 8 screws to fix. Needless to say this was a season ending injury. Almost all recruitment interest dropped at that point as most programs try and lock their QB recruits in the junior year.

4) Between financial hardship early on for the family in Chris' underclassman years and then my job moving me, Chris endured multiple high school moves. This undoubtedly impacted his recruitment as well.

5) Chris felt that since he sat out the all too critical junior year, he wanted one more opportunity to highlight and refine his skills and opted for one year of prep school. Hind sight, I would have been much more selective with the institution Chris ended up joining. I'll just say that the majority of prep schools just are not worth the investment.

edit: Although his 247 profile hasn't been updated in a while, it does link his senior highlight reel, if you're interested.

http://247sports.com/Player/Chris-Riddle-16496

Anyhow, I wanted to fill in the gaps for you guys as I know these programs are only as strong as their supporters. Now I'm looking forward to sitting back and watching some Bronco football.

Cheers,
Jon

Wow, welcome Jon! You and your family will love WMU. Did Coach Lester talk to you much about his own personal recruitment as a HS QB? He had a leg injury too and schools like Florida backed off. Could be the basis of a great bond with that shared experience.

I'm not sure what I can and can't say about the recruitment process but that similarity was noted in Chris' meeting with Coach Lester. :)

(04-06-2017 02:18 PM)Hiller4Hyz09 Wrote:  

(04-06-2017 01:54 PM)RiddleMeThis Wrote:  Hey Bronco Nation! I'd like to introduce myself, I'm Jon Riddle (yup, Chris is my son). After Chris committed to WMU earlier this week, I started doing some one-off research and ran across this site. First, I know Chris is amp'ed to report in June and to move on to the next chapter of his life. For anyone interested, below is some info to fill-in most of the blanks noted above;

1) Chris is currently 19 and will be till the end of the summer. Unlike many recruits these days, Chris was actually 17 when he graduated high school.

2) Regarding early recruitment, Chris had quite a bit of interest from various schools. Going into his junior year the most significant interest was from programs such as Maryland, North Carolina, Florida, UCF and North Texas. He had additional interest from Georgia and LSU - although he wasn't their tier 1 target.

3) One week before his junior year a scout DE thought he would get overzealous during walk-throughs and horse-collared Chris on a designed roll-out. While he was cutting back in 3/4 speed, the effect was a splinter fracture of his right fibula, resulting in 3 plates and 8 screws to fix. Needless to say this was a season ending injury. Almost all recruitment interest dropped at that point as most programs try and lock their QB recruits in the junior year.

4) Between financial hardship early on for the family in Chris' underclassman years and then my job moving me, Chris endured multiple high school moves. This undoubtedly impacted his recruitment as well.

5) Chris felt that since he sat out the all too critical junior year, he wanted one more opportunity to highlight and refine his skills and opted for one year of prep school. Hind sight, I would have been much more selective with the institution Chris ended up joining. I'll just say that the majority of prep schools just are not worth the investment.

edit: Although his 247 profile hasn't been updated in a while, it does link his senior highlight reel, if you're interested.

http://247sports.com/Player/Chris-Riddle-16496

Anyhow, I wanted to fill in the gaps for you guys as I know these programs are only as strong as their supporters. Now I'm looking forward to sitting back and watching some Bronco football.

Cheers,
Jon

Wow, welcome Jon! You and your family will love WMU. Did Coach Lester talk to you much about his own personal recruitment as a HS QB? He had a leg injury too and schools like Florida backed off. Could be the basis of a great bond with that shared experience.

Stay away from this one Hiller, we all know your track record with player's parents.... lol

(04-06-2017 02:36 PM)Bronc33 Wrote:  

(04-06-2017 02:18 PM)Hiller4Hyz09 Wrote:  

(04-06-2017 01:54 PM)RiddleMeThis Wrote:  Hey Bronco Nation! I'd like to introduce myself, I'm Jon Riddle (yup, Chris is my son). After Chris committed to WMU earlier this week, I started doing some one-off research and ran across this site. First, I know Chris is amp'ed to report in June and to move on to the next chapter of his life. For anyone interested, below is some info to fill-in most of the blanks noted above;

1) Chris is currently 19 and will be till the end of the summer. Unlike many recruits these days, Chris was actually 17 when he graduated high school.

2) Regarding early recruitment, Chris had quite a bit of interest from various schools. Going into his junior year the most significant interest was from programs such as Maryland, North Carolina, Florida, UCF and North Texas. He had additional interest from Georgia and LSU - although he wasn't their tier 1 target.

3) One week before his junior year a scout DE thought he would get overzealous during walk-throughs and horse-collared Chris on a designed roll-out. While he was cutting back in 3/4 speed, the effect was a splinter fracture of his right fibula, resulting in 3 plates and 8 screws to fix. Needless to say this was a season ending injury. Almost all recruitment interest dropped at that point as most programs try and lock their QB recruits in the junior year.

4) Between financial hardship early on for the family in Chris' underclassman years and then my job moving me, Chris endured multiple high school moves. This undoubtedly impacted his recruitment as well.

5) Chris felt that since he sat out the all too critical junior year, he wanted one more opportunity to highlight and refine his skills and opted for one year of prep school. Hind sight, I would have been much more selective with the institution Chris ended up joining. I'll just say that the majority of prep schools just are not worth the investment.

edit: Although his 247 profile hasn't been updated in a while, it does link his senior highlight reel, if you're interested.

http://247sports.com/Player/Chris-Riddle-16496

Anyhow, I wanted to fill in the gaps for you guys as I know these programs are only as strong as their supporters. Now I'm looking forward to sitting back and watching some Bronco football.

Cheers,
Jon

Wow, welcome Jon! You and your family will love WMU. Did Coach Lester talk to you much about his own personal recruitment as a HS QB? He had a leg injury too and schools like Florida backed off. Could be the basis of a great bond with that shared experience.

Stay away from this one Hiller, we all know your track record with player's parents.... lol

Ha! That was crazy. I hit it off with Mr. Mussman though.

(04-06-2017 01:54 PM)RiddleMeThis Wrote:  Hey Bronco Nation! I'd like to introduce myself, I'm Jon Riddle (yup, Chris is my son). After Chris committed to WMU earlier this week, I started doing some one-off research and ran across this site. First, I know Chris is amp'ed to report in June and to move on to the next chapter of his life. For anyone interested, below is some info to fill-in most of the blanks noted above;

1) Chris is currently 19 and will be till the end of the summer. Unlike many recruits these days, Chris was actually 17 when he graduated high school.

2) Regarding early recruitment, Chris had quite a bit of interest from various schools. Going into his junior year the most significant interest was from programs such as Maryland, North Carolina, Florida, UCF and North Texas. He had additional interest from Georgia and LSU - although he wasn't their tier 1 target.

3) One week before his junior year a scout DE thought he would get overzealous during walk-throughs and horse-collared Chris on a designed roll-out. While he was cutting back in 3/4 speed, the effect was a splinter fracture of his right fibula, resulting in 3 plates and 8 screws to fix. Needless to say this was a season ending injury. Almost all recruitment interest dropped at that point as most programs try and lock their QB recruits in the junior year.

4) Between financial hardship early on for the family in Chris' underclassman years and then my job moving me, Chris endured multiple high school moves. This undoubtedly impacted his recruitment as well.

5) Chris felt that since he sat out the all too critical junior year, he wanted one more opportunity to highlight and refine his skills and opted for one year of prep school. Hind sight, I would have been much more selective with the institution Chris ended up joining. I'll just say that the majority of prep schools just are not worth the investment.

edit: Although his 247 profile hasn't been updated in a while, it does link his senior highlight reel, if you're interested.

http://247sports.com/Player/Chris-Riddle-16496

Anyhow, I wanted to fill in the gaps for you guys as I know these programs are only as strong as their supporters. Now I'm looking forward to sitting back and watching some Bronco football.

Cheers,
Jon

Jon -

Thanks for posting!

I wish Chris the best at WMU. Welcome to the Bronco family and welcome to the home of Bell's Beer.

May your travels to and from Kalamazoo be safe and may the next four years be the finest in your son's life!

Blessings,

(04-06-2017 02:07 PM)BroncoMinor Wrote:  

(04-06-2017 01:54 PM)RiddleMeThis Wrote:  Hey Bronco Nation! I'd like to introduce myself, I'm Jon Riddle (yup, Chris is my son). After Chris committed to WMU earlier this week, I started doing some one-off research and ran across this site. First, I know Chris is amp'ed to report in June and to move on to the next chapter of his life. For anyone interested, below is some info to fill-in most of the blanks noted above;

1) Chris is currently 19 and will be till the end of the summer. Unlike many recruits these days, Chris was actually 17 when he graduated high school.

2) Regarding early recruitment, Chris had quite a bit of interest from various schools. Going into his junior year the most significant interest was from programs such as Maryland, North Carolina, Florida, UCF and North Texas. He had additional interest from Georgia and LSU - although he wasn't their tier 1 target.

3) One week before his junior year a scout DE thought he would get overzealous during walk-throughs and horse-collared Chris on a designed roll-out. While he was cutting back in 3/4 speed, the effect was a splinter fracture of his right fibula, resulting in 3 plates and 8 screws to fix. Needless to say this was a season ending injury. Almost all recruitment interest dropped at that point as most programs try and lock their QB recruits in the junior year.

4) Between financial hardship early on for the family in Chris' underclassman years and then my job moving me, Chris endured multiple high school moves. This undoubtedly impacted his recruitment as well.

5) Chris felt that since he sat out the all too critical junior year, he wanted one more opportunity to highlight and refine his skills and opted for one year of prep school. Hind sight, I would have been much more selective with the institution Chris ended up joining. I'll just say that the majority of prep schools just are not worth the investment.

edit: Although his 247 profile hasn't been updated in a while, it does link his senior highlight reel, if you're interested.

http://247sports.com/Player/Chris-Riddle-16496

Anyhow, I wanted to fill in the gaps for you guys as I know these programs are only as strong as their supporters. Now I'm looking forward to sitting back and watching some Bronco football.

Cheers,
Jon

Thanks for all the great info on your son. I wish him the best. You guys will love Kalamazoo & game days @ Waldo. It's a great day to be a Bronco.

(04-06-2017 02:36 PM)Bronc33 Wrote:  

(04-06-2017 02:18 PM)Hiller4Hyz09 Wrote:  

(04-06-2017 01:54 PM)RiddleMeThis Wrote:  Hey Bronco Nation! I'd like to introduce myself, I'm Jon Riddle (yup, Chris is my son). After Chris committed to WMU earlier this week, I started doing some one-off research and ran across this site. First, I know Chris is amp'ed to report in June and to move on to the next chapter of his life. For anyone interested, below is some info to fill-in most of the blanks noted above;

1) Chris is currently 19 and will be till the end of the summer. Unlike many recruits these days, Chris was actually 17 when he graduated high school.

2) Regarding early recruitment, Chris had quite a bit of interest from various schools. Going into his junior year the most significant interest was from programs such as Maryland, North Carolina, Florida, UCF and North Texas. He had additional interest from Georgia and LSU - although he wasn't their tier 1 target.

3) One week before his junior year a scout DE thought he would get overzealous during walk-throughs and horse-collared Chris on a designed roll-out. While he was cutting back in 3/4 speed, the effect was a splinter fracture of his right fibula, resulting in 3 plates and 8 screws to fix. Needless to say this was a season ending injury. Almost all recruitment interest dropped at that point as most programs try and lock their QB recruits in the junior year.

4) Between financial hardship early on for the family in Chris' underclassman years and then my job moving me, Chris endured multiple high school moves. This undoubtedly impacted his recruitment as well.

5) Chris felt that since he sat out the all too critical junior year, he wanted one more opportunity to highlight and refine his skills and opted for one year of prep school. Hind sight, I would have been much more selective with the institution Chris ended up joining. I'll just say that the majority of prep schools just are not worth the investment.

edit: Although his 247 profile hasn't been updated in a while, it does link his senior highlight reel, if you're interested.

http://247sports.com/Player/Chris-Riddle-16496

Anyhow, I wanted to fill in the gaps for you guys as I know these programs are only as strong as their supporters. Now I'm looking forward to sitting back and watching some Bronco football.

Cheers,
Jon

Wow, welcome Jon! You and your family will love WMU. Did Coach Lester talk to you much about his own personal recruitment as a HS QB? He had a leg injury too and schools like Florida backed off. Could be the basis of a great bond with that shared experience.

Stay away from this one Hiller, we all know your track record with player's parents.... lol

(04-06-2017 02:42 PM)GullLake Wrote:  

(04-06-2017 01:54 PM)RiddleMeThis Wrote:  Hey Bronco Nation! I'd like to introduce myself, I'm Jon Riddle (yup, Chris is my son). After Chris committed to WMU earlier this week, I started doing some one-off research and ran across this site. First, I know Chris is amp'ed to report in June and to move on to the next chapter of his life. For anyone interested, below is some info to fill-in most of the blanks noted above;

1) Chris is currently 19 and will be till the end of the summer. Unlike many recruits these days, Chris was actually 17 when he graduated high school.

2) Regarding early recruitment, Chris had quite a bit of interest from various schools. Going into his junior year the most significant interest was from programs such as Maryland, North Carolina, Florida, UCF and North Texas. He had additional interest from Georgia and LSU - although he wasn't their tier 1 target.

3) One week before his junior year a scout DE thought he would get overzealous during walk-throughs and horse-collared Chris on a designed roll-out. While he was cutting back in 3/4 speed, the effect was a splinter fracture of his right fibula, resulting in 3 plates and 8 screws to fix. Needless to say this was a season ending injury. Almost all recruitment interest dropped at that point as most programs try and lock their QB recruits in the junior year.

4) Between financial hardship early on for the family in Chris' underclassman years and then my job moving me, Chris endured multiple high school moves. This undoubtedly impacted his recruitment as well.

5) Chris felt that since he sat out the all too critical junior year, he wanted one more opportunity to highlight and refine his skills and opted for one year of prep school. Hind sight, I would have been much more selective with the institution Chris ended up joining. I'll just say that the majority of prep schools just are not worth the investment.

edit: Although his 247 profile hasn't been updated in a while, it does link his senior highlight reel, if you're interested.

http://247sports.com/Player/Chris-Riddle-16496

Anyhow, I wanted to fill in the gaps for you guys as I know these programs are only as strong as their supporters. Now I'm looking forward to sitting back and watching some Bronco football.

Cheers,
Jon

Jon -

Thanks for posting!

I wish Chris the best at WMU. Welcome to the Bronco family and welcome to the home of Bell's Beer.

May your travels to and from Kalamazoo be safe and may the next four years be the finest in your son's life!

Blessings,

...and thank you for my next beer recommendation! Rest assured, I will be the new guy at the tailgate with a cooler full of Bell's!

Hey Jon, welcome to Bronco nation!

WMU is a world class institution and Kalamazoo is a great city. I hope your son enjoys his time here and I wish him all the best.

Btw, WMU has produced some great QBs over the years, as I'm sure our coach can testify! Chris will be right at home.

This is awesome.

Welcome to Bronco Nation!

WMU Class of '08

Awesome! Welcome.