Photo: FOX San Antonio via YouTube

Eighth-grade quarterback Zadock Dinkelmann, from Somerset, Texas, has made a non-binding verbal commitment to LSU.

Although Dinkelmann has yet to play a minute of varsity football, LSU is smitten with his canon of an arm. Oh, and he’s already 6-foot-4 and has football blood in his veins. His uncle is 1990 Heisman Trophy winner Ty Detmer, who played QB in the NFL for 12 seasons.

Locking down young talent has become a recruiting trend, although many consider it a publicity stunt. But what if it works to the advantage of teams willing to recruit younger kids? They don’t have much to lose.

In 2010, David Sills “committed” to USC as a 13-year-old. He can’t sign his letter of intent until 2015, but it turns out USC has yet to offer Sills a scholarship in any event. The school has, however, promised offers to two other QBs in his class.

It’s hard to predict the outcome of recruiting super young talent since the practice is so new, but many top athletes weren’t discovered until late into their high school careers.

Former UCF QB Blake Bortles was passed over by the big college programs, including Florida and Miami, and he didn’t verbally commit to the Golden Knights until his senior season. He went on to carry his team to a Fiesta Bowl victory and is now a top prospect eligible for the NFL Draft.

We’ll have to follow up on Dinkelmann to see if he lives up to his potential and actually plays at LSU. In the meantime, there’s no shame in the amazement, and maybe even jealousy, we feel knowing that Dinkelmann is a middle school kid chatting it up with top college football coaches.

Check out the video below to see Dinkelmann in action.