Meet Cardinal Ritter's Carson Boyd, an 'electric' QB prospect for Missouri football

Three weeks ago, Carson Boyd walked around the sidelines of Faurot Field. He was taking in the sights on a visit to the University of Missouri as a recruit in the class of 2025.

However, Boyd is familiar with Faurot at this point. On Friday night, Boyd was back in Memorial Stadium winning more championships.

Boyd, a Missouri recruit, led Cardinal Ritter to a second-straight MSHSAA state title with a 38-25 win over Republic to claim the Class 5 title.

That cemented Boyd's status as a winner, which is a reason he's become a coveted college prospect. It's how he got on the University of Missouri's radar.

"I was telling the guys all week, 'Just play for your seniors.' You know, I'm a junior, I'm an upperclassman, but I'm not all the way there yet," Boyd said. "So it felt good coming out, playing (here) again."

Boyd doesn't start for Cardinal Ritter. Senior quarterback Antwon McKay, a Western Illinois commit, is the starter. He opened the game's scoring with a 49-yard pass to Dejarrion Miller in the first quarter and furthered Cardinal Ritter's lead with a 59-yard laser of a pass to Elijah Abdullah.

McKay threw 22 touchdown passes in his senior season. He's a college-bound quarterback, through and through. The level of talent Cardinal Ritter has is a luxury most programs never see.

"We got two of the best quarterbacks in the state across the board," McKay said.

Boyd, however, threw 29 touchdowns of his own. The junior has 12 offers so far, including offers from Illinois, Missouri, Texas A&M and Cincinnati. Two Illinois coaches were in attendance as the Lions won their second-straight title.

It's easy to see why coaches want Boyd, too.

This season, Boyd has completed 81% of his passes to go with his 29 touchdown passes. His mobility in the pocket provides him the escapability that makes his feet a dangerous weapon.

That dual-threat type of quarterback fits Missouri's offense. Brady Cook has found more success this season as a passer, but his mobility has lifted MU to some key first downs that moved the ball when it couldn't afford to stay stagnant.

Boyd can be that quarterback for Missouri. When asked to describe himself as a player, he said electric. Against Republic, Boyd rushed the ball just twice. His first rush gained 37 yards, the second gained 4 yards on a play where he eluded multiple pass rushers.

That's the running ability on display.

"I like to consider myself a dual-threat quarterback," Boyd said. "Being able to use my legs and being able to throw the ball is a great combination to have as a QB."

Boyd is already a Missouri target in the Class of 2025 as a three-star prospect. That star rating could rise by the time next season rolls around.

When he visited MU during the weekend of the Tennessee game, Boyd took a photo with Tigers head coach Eli Drinkwitz. The interest in Boyd is clear on Missouri's end.

"Patience is key," Boyd said. "Not jumping a gun too early, but also not waiting too late. It's been a fun process, but I look forward to narrowing my list down schools before next season

Now, Boyd will take the reins as Cardinal Ritter's starting quarterback. He'll have the chance to build on what he's already learned from going 28-0 in the past two years.

Much like in his recruiting process, the biggest lesson Boyd learned was patience. That will carry through to how he approaches his senior season.

While splitting time at quarterback won the Lions two state titles, there came moments where that style of play can wear on a player. Especially Boyd, who's tasked with keeping an offensive rhythm at quarterback.

It's hard to keep a steady pace when a player is consistently coming out of the game, but it's hard to argue with the results for Cardinal Ritter.

"Learnt a lot, being able to persevere through having to split time but still being able to play well," Boyd said. "Head down, keep working. Same motto as this year."

In a perfect world for Boyd, he'll have the chance to come back to Faurot Field at least one more time a year from now.

Not many teams have the chance to win three titles in a row. Ritter will have that chance, and Boyd especially is looking forward to the opportunity to make a personal stamp on Missouri high school football history.

"We have the opportunity to go back to back to back," Boyd said. "We plan on getting it done."

This article originally appeared on Columbia Daily Tribune: Meet this Missouri football target: Cardinal Ritter's 'electric' Carson Boyd