The recent run of Australian firsts in American football continued Tuesday [AEST], with Sunshine Coast-born quarterback Tom Huber officially signed to play college football at the University of New Haven.
While the number of Australian punters in major college football programs has been established for years, and a growing number of prospects along the line of scrimmage have emerged more recently, this marks the first time an Australian has received a Division I offer to play quarterback.
Huber, 19, was a two-year high school starter at the Hotchkiss School in Connecticut, after transferring from the IMG Academy in Florida. Prior to his move to the U.S., the young Australian signal-caller was playing for the Sunshine Coast Spartans in Queensland.
Standing at 6'1" and 185 pounds [185cm, 84kg], Huber will look to add collegiate starts to his already ground-breaking career, at a time when Australia's presence in the NFL is reaching new heights, and products from the NFL Academy on the Gold Coast are gaining more attention from college scouts.
The past two Super Bowl champions have boasted Australian starters on their roster, with Jordan Mailata on the 2024 Philadelphia Eagles, and punter Michael Dickson playing a major role in the Seattle Seahawks' dominant win over the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LX this past February.
Those achievements have added to sport's momentum Down Under ahead of the historic LA Rams-San Francisco 49ers Week 1 game at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Sep. 11 later this year.
And while the University of New Haven's latest quarterback recruit will be busy ingraining himself in the Chargers' programme as a freshman come September, Huber's move Stateside is the latest milestone for the growing presence of Australian talent in the American game.