When Sawyer Anderson committed to Purdue on Tuesday afternoon, you saw the offers, the impressive stats, and the steam he had picked up on the recruiting trail. What you didn't see was the Dallas natives' rise to becoming one of the top quarterbacks in the country and a priority Boilermaker target. Parish Episcopal head coach Daniel Novakov breaks down his signal caller and shares what Purdue will be getting in Anderson.
Anderson came to Parish Episcopal as a freshman in 2021, where the consensus surrounding the program was that it was going to be a rebuilding year for the Panthers. The team had just won its second straight TAPPS Division I State Championship, but was losing star quarterback and four-star prospect Preston Stone.
In stepped a 135-pound soaking wet freshman at the start of summer workouts. By the time the season opener rolled around, Anderson had beaten out two upperclassmen for the starting job and was given the keys to the offense by Novakov.
Novakov admitted that some of his players were weary of a freshman quarterback coming in and getting the reins from day one, but Anderson quickly won them over. The level headed freshman showed leadership and composure during his first year as a starter, leading the Panthers to a fast start. Fast forward to December, Parish Episcopal had secured a third straight state title, with Anderson under center.
After proving himself to his teammates, you'd be hard pressed to find anyone in the Parish Episcopal program that has something negative to say about him.
"I mean, he was a really good leader his freshman year and he was a captain his sophomore year, so that kind of tells you what the other kids think of him," Novakov said. "I think it's hard to really put into words how good of a teammate he really is. He's probably the most beloved kid in our football program for the last couple of years."
Parish Episcopal and Anderson added another state championship since then, which boosted the stock of the 2025 quarterback even further amongst college coaches. That's where Purdue entered the picture.
Like Anderson's rise at Parish Episcopal, Purdue securing one of its top priorities in the class of 2025 happened in the blink of an eye. While defensive line coach Brick Haley was in Dallas visiting now 2024 commit and Anderson's Parish Episcopal teammate Caleb Mitchell Irving, Novakov told Haley to take a look at Anderson.
Soon thereafter, Harrell paid Anderson a visit to watch him throw in person and quickly offered the Texas signal caller. After watching the tape on each of the quarterback prospects Purdue was pursuing, Harrell invited Anderson up to West Lafayette for an unofficial visit at the end of July.
Accompanied by his parents, Anderson made the trip north and felt an instant connection with the coaching staff, ultimately leading to his commitment on Tuesday.
Despite the quick rise from that skinny freshman in 2021 to becoming a sought after quarterback by Power 5 coaches across the country, Anderson hasn't changed the person that got him to this position, according to Novakov.
"I think that's the hardest thing and sometimes you know, when you become highly ranked or whatever you might call it; It can become about you and you lose sight of the team and you start seeing a whole bunch of 'me, me, me.' You never see that with Sawyer at all, it's pretty unique, because he's been able to stay grounded, always keep the team ahead of everything else," Novakov said.
Anderson staying humble in the face of all the hype and buzz surrounding him on the recruiting trail is just another part of his maturation over the last two years at Parish Episcopal. The newest Boilermaker commit has continued growing as a field general.
"Learning to be a killer and to be an assassin is a part of playing quarterback. Figuring out how to win games, you know, that's the name of the game," Novakov said.
That discipline and mindset has led to success for Anderson as a player and the Parish Episcopal program as a whole.
"Anytime you get a kid that wins state championships, it tells you a lot about their psyche and their ability to do what you need them to do when the chips are down," Novakov said.
On the field, Novakov shared that Anderson has raw talent he's never seen before. The 6'0" quarterback has an unorthodox throwing motion, but gets the ball out quickly and hits his target with regularity.
"He's a gunslinger. He's the best quarterback I've ever seen at getting the ball out of his hand quickly," Novakov said. "He's a deadly accurate passer. He's the best passer I've ever seen. I mean, that doesn't mean he's got the strongest arm I've ever seen, but his arm is ridiculously strong. His hands are huge. The way he just is able to flick that ball and put it where he wants to put it. I've never seen anything like it."
As he prepares for his final two years of high school before ultimately coming to West Lafayette in 2025, Anderson will be prepared for the collegiate level in Novakov's eyes. The system Parish Episcopal runs, similar to many other Texas high school programs, resembles the Air Raid offense Anderson will join with the Boilermakers.
"I mean, there's not a whole lot people are doing that's different than everybody else. Especially Texas. Everybody is essentially Air Raid at this point, in some way, shape or form. It just depends on what version but I don't anticipate him having a lot of trouble conforming to whatever it is they ask him to do," Novakov said.
Purdue and Graham Harrell went back down to Texas to secure their third priority quarterback since arriving to campus in December, as Anderson joins Hudson Card and Marcos Davila.
