BleedGopher
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Per Morales:
All Jon Kromenhoek wanted was the truth.
Was his son Luke actually a quarterback?
The Kromenhoek’s roots are firmly planted on the defensive side of the ball. Jon is a former defensive lineman at UMass. His older son, Mac, is currently a D-lineman at Massachusetts Maritime Academy. And for the longest time, Luke was groomed to play linebacker.
But about five years ago, when Luke’s youth team in Savannah, Ga., needed someone to run the offense, he stepped in at quarterback. Playing in a single-wing system, Luke’s responsibilities consisted mostly of running QB sweep, QB power and handing the ball off.
Sometime between Luke’s seventh- and eighth-grade years, though, an assistant coach got into Jon’s ear: Luke is going to be a quarterback.
Naturally, Jon was hesitant so he reached out to an old teammate at UMass who referred him to Ken Mastrole, a former quarterback at Maryland who is now a private QB coach in Naples, Fla.
So here was Jon Kromenhoek on a fact-finding mission, making the nearly 500-mile drive from Savannah to Naples with Luke. He believed Luke was a good player — good enough to play collegiately — but before he dove into that world, he needed to know: Was his son a quarterback?
“I told Ken when I dropped him off, ‘Listen, he’s yours for the next two days. I just want an honest opinion, man,’” Jon said. “Luke had two workouts on the first day, which were about an hour and a half each, and then another workout on the Sunday. Ken was like, ‘This kid’s a quarterback. He’s going to be a good quarterback.’”
Mastrole was right.
Luke developed into a top-100 national prospect in the Class of 2024 who signed with Florida State last December. It’s dangerous to project in today’s volatile college football landscape, but Kromenhoek has the potential to emerge as a multi-year starter at one of the sport’s premier programs.
His journey began, in earnest, after that initial meeting with Mastrole. And like so many blue-chip quarterbacks who came before him — and will come after him — Kromenhoek’s path to prominence was not cheap. Thousands and thousands of dollars were spent on quarterback training, private schooling, unofficial visits, college camps, 7-on-7 squads and NIL representation.
“I could’ve sworn my wife was going to divorce me a few times,” Jon Kromenhoek said.
Dan Sayin acknowledges he received a great deal.
His oldest son, Aidan, was the first client of San Diego-based quarterback coach Jose Mohler in 2014. Dan estimates he paid $50 per session before working out a deal with Mohler: $200 per month for unlimited sessions.
“We did that for years and they would work out five or six days a week,” Dan said.
It was productive. Aidan is now the starting quarterback at Penn.
Dan’s youngest son, Julian, was the No. 1 quarterback in the 2024 recruiting cycle. Julian signed with Alabama but transferred to Ohio State in January after Nick Saban retired.
While Dan was fortunate to save on private sessions for Julian — the $200 per month was an ever bigger bargain a decade later — he invested heavily in other areas.
Julian attended Winner Circle Academy — a private middle school/training facility in Corona, Calif., about 70 miles from the Sayin’s home in Carlsbad, Calif. — where he received athletic and quarterback training four days per week.
“At the time, that school was $10,000 a year,” Dan said. “Four of the top five high school football players in California were all part of Julian’s class.
“If you don’t think (athletic) middle school is a good investment, it is.”
Go Gophers!!
All Jon Kromenhoek wanted was the truth.
Was his son Luke actually a quarterback?
The Kromenhoek’s roots are firmly planted on the defensive side of the ball. Jon is a former defensive lineman at UMass. His older son, Mac, is currently a D-lineman at Massachusetts Maritime Academy. And for the longest time, Luke was groomed to play linebacker.
But about five years ago, when Luke’s youth team in Savannah, Ga., needed someone to run the offense, he stepped in at quarterback. Playing in a single-wing system, Luke’s responsibilities consisted mostly of running QB sweep, QB power and handing the ball off.
Sometime between Luke’s seventh- and eighth-grade years, though, an assistant coach got into Jon’s ear: Luke is going to be a quarterback.
Naturally, Jon was hesitant so he reached out to an old teammate at UMass who referred him to Ken Mastrole, a former quarterback at Maryland who is now a private QB coach in Naples, Fla.
So here was Jon Kromenhoek on a fact-finding mission, making the nearly 500-mile drive from Savannah to Naples with Luke. He believed Luke was a good player — good enough to play collegiately — but before he dove into that world, he needed to know: Was his son a quarterback?
“I told Ken when I dropped him off, ‘Listen, he’s yours for the next two days. I just want an honest opinion, man,’” Jon said. “Luke had two workouts on the first day, which were about an hour and a half each, and then another workout on the Sunday. Ken was like, ‘This kid’s a quarterback. He’s going to be a good quarterback.’”
Mastrole was right.
Luke developed into a top-100 national prospect in the Class of 2024 who signed with Florida State last December. It’s dangerous to project in today’s volatile college football landscape, but Kromenhoek has the potential to emerge as a multi-year starter at one of the sport’s premier programs.
His journey began, in earnest, after that initial meeting with Mastrole. And like so many blue-chip quarterbacks who came before him — and will come after him — Kromenhoek’s path to prominence was not cheap. Thousands and thousands of dollars were spent on quarterback training, private schooling, unofficial visits, college camps, 7-on-7 squads and NIL representation.
“I could’ve sworn my wife was going to divorce me a few times,” Jon Kromenhoek said.
Dan Sayin acknowledges he received a great deal.
His oldest son, Aidan, was the first client of San Diego-based quarterback coach Jose Mohler in 2014. Dan estimates he paid $50 per session before working out a deal with Mohler: $200 per month for unlimited sessions.
“We did that for years and they would work out five or six days a week,” Dan said.
It was productive. Aidan is now the starting quarterback at Penn.
Dan’s youngest son, Julian, was the No. 1 quarterback in the 2024 recruiting cycle. Julian signed with Alabama but transferred to Ohio State in January after Nick Saban retired.
While Dan was fortunate to save on private sessions for Julian — the $200 per month was an ever bigger bargain a decade later — he invested heavily in other areas.
Julian attended Winner Circle Academy — a private middle school/training facility in Corona, Calif., about 70 miles from the Sayin’s home in Carlsbad, Calif. — where he received athletic and quarterback training four days per week.
“At the time, that school was $10,000 a year,” Dan said. “Four of the top five high school football players in California were all part of Julian’s class.
“If you don’t think (athletic) middle school is a good investment, it is.”
Go Gophers!!
