Student of the game Whitmer draws notice

Downers South quarterback Chandler Whitmer throws against York.
(Patrick Gleason/For the Sun-Times News Group)

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Downers Grove South coach John Belskis describes quarterback Chandler Whitmer as a ‘‘football gym rat.’’ The 6-1, 190-pound junior watches as much film as Steven Spielberg and is always striving to improve his game — physically, mentally and mechanically.

‘‘That's a compliment,’’ Whitmer said. ‘‘I watch a lot of film, not just people we play but college film, more complex defenses and different coverages. I’m trying to pick up on more advanced defenses. I'm always trying to get better and bigger. You can’t put on enough weight to take the hits of 250-pound linebackers at the next level.’’

Whitmer believes intangibles are the difference between a great quarterback and a good one, not size and arm strength. He is a noted gunslinger, but he lacks Peyton Manning’s size.

However, college coaches are impressed with his leadership, competitive spirit and tenacious attitude.

‘‘If you are a big guy who can’t make plays, it doesn’t matter,’’ he said. ‘‘I have been told that I have what separates me from other quarterbacks — footwork and accuracy, being able to hit a 10-yard out, knowing where to go with the ball, being tough, making your playmakers make plays.

Recruiters say I’m a gamer, that I can lead my team to victory.’’

College coaches are impressed with his accomplishments. Last season, he completed 102 of 190 passes for 1,430 yards and 13 touchdowns for a 7-3 team. In two years, he has thrown only six interceptions. At the All-American Bowl combine last January, he lifted 185 pounds 18 times. In February, he was rated the top performer and most accurate passer among 70 quarterbacks at the Elite 11 regional camp in Orlando, Fla.

‘‘He has one of the best arms I’ve seen in 29 years, in a class with [former Schaumburg and Illinois star] Kurt Kittner,’’ Belskis said. ‘‘He wants to be perfect all the time. He has the ability to understand what the defense is doing and find the best way to attack it.’’

Whitmer has scholarship offers from Illinois, Arizona, Stanford and Iowa State. He is close to a decision and probably will commit to one of those schools, likely during the May evaluation period ‘‘when I see which schools really want me.’’

He also has attracted considerable interest from Oregon, Nebraska, Purdue, LSU and Mississippi.

Illinois made the first offer, and Whitmer hasn't forgotten. It came before his junior season. On the last day of Illinois’ camp, coach Ron Zook called the youngster by his nickname, C-Whit, and said: ‘‘We like the way you play. We will do everything to keep you in Illinois.’’

‘‘I was very excited,’’ Whitmer said. ‘‘I realized that all of my hard work had paid off.’’

He was raised in Canton, Ga., near Atlanta, and grew up cheering for Florida State. But neither Georgia nor Florida State has expressed any interest — Georgia already has two quarterback commitments to replace NFL-bound Matthew Stafford — so Whitmer has moved on. He still has some worlds to conquer.

He plans to attend a Nike quarterback camp in Athens, Ga., next week and is eagerly awaiting an invitation to the Elite 11 national camp in California on July 21-25, the top QB event in the nation. Eleven quarterbacks from six regional events will be invited and Whitmer, as the top performer at Orlando, would be disappointed if he is snubbed.

‘‘Every event I go to I try to be the best I can be,’’ he said. ‘‘The Orlando camp was a good one for me. I was able to put my name on the map. I don’t worry about lack of size. Drew Brees is 6 feet tall, and he does it in the NFL. I don’t think 6-1 matters in football. This is what God gave me, and I have to work with it.’’