Jon Budmayr is something of a quarterback prodigy.

When he was in seventh and eighth grades, his older brother, Brody, was the quarterback at Marian Central Catholic High School in Woodstock, Ill.

Ed Brucker was the new football coach at Marian, moving across town after a long career at Woodstock High School.

"Jon was the ball boy," Brucker said. "He would go to our passing leagues in the summer and I noticed some of the receivers would go to Jon to find out what they had to do when they broke the huddle."

Brucker expected a junior to start at quarterback the following year, but Jon Budmayr was so advanced a freshman, he clearly won the job. The school had a policy against freshmen playing on the varsity, so Brucker went to officials to get it waived.

"In the summer, Jon had the poise, even with the older kids, (future) Division I (college) kids in the huddle," Brucker said. "He just demanded their respect. He's not one of these guys who are going to grab your facemask or anything, he just demands respect."

For the second straight year, the University of Wisconsin football team got its quarterback shopping wrapped up early with a commitment from one of its top targets after Budmayr picked the Badgers over Notre Dame on Tuesday.

Last year, Curt Phillips, of Kingsport, Tenn., committed to the Badgers in June. Although not recruited by a lot of top schools at the time, Phillips was ranked as the No. 7 dual-threat quarterback in the nation by Rivals.com after a stellar senior year.

The only knock against Budmayr (6-foot-1, 200 pounds) appears to be his height. He is from the same school that produced Iowa quarterbacks Chuck and Jim Hartlieb.

Budmayr's approach to the critics who think he is too short has never changed.

"Since the first time I've heard it, I tell them, 'That's what God has given me,' " he said. "I'm going to take that and make the absolute best of it.

"I feel if I work hard enough and prepare myself, things will work out. That's the way I've taken it and it's worked out so far. I'm going to keep going with it."

Budmayr threw for more than 2,000 yards last season, with 15 touchdowns and five interceptions, despite missing five games with a hamstring injury. He has thrown for more than 5,000 yards, with 37 TDs and 28 interceptions, in his career. The team was a combined 23-4 the past two years, losing in the state title game two years ago and by one point in the state semifinals last year.

"He's a great player and he's a better person," Brucker said. "He's just a top-notch kid, a great competitor, very knowledgeable of the game. I like to think we run a sophisticated offense for high school. He knows the defenses and knows how to throw different throws. (He's) very mechanically sound and a winner."

Brucker thought Notre Dame's young talent at quarterback, with sophomore Jimmy Clausen and highly regarded freshman Dayne Crist, tilted the odds in UW's favor.

"I think he wants to play (early)," Brucker said. "He thinks he can play."

But Budmayr, who has a 3.6 grade-point average, simply thought UW was a better fit overall for him.

"Like I said from day one, anywhere you go you're going to have to compete," he said. "That wasn't at the top of my list. It was more the spirituality and the education I would receive. At both schools it was fairly even. After a lot of prayer and stuff, I just felt in my heart, Wisconsin was the place I needed to be."