That doesn't make any sense. If he is that good, his name would have been generating buzz, as in 'will he or won't he'. Please show me something showing the consensus is that people thought he'd be the #1 pick next year. I call complete bs.
What qualifies as a good enough source? The guy was being talked about last year as QBs for 2012, I think thats as much as you can ask for. I have tried to find the old mock drafts, and I will continue (just tough now as all the articles and mocks are now about him NOW because of Luck pulling out...so Luck going #1 next year and Gabbert going as high as #1 this year, according to SI today)
http://www.nfldraftbible.com/NFL-Insider-Insider-info/scouting-the-quarterbacks-class-of-2012.html
(Back in May of last year they had him just behind Mallet for 2012)
http://insider.espn.go.com/nfl/draft2011/insider/columns/story?columnist=kiper_jr_mel&id=5546721
(In September #3 QB behind Luck and Mallett)
Gabbert- Strong arm, good mobility, prototype in terms of physical skills.
Ranked all year in my top QBs. Jumps with draft declaration (Kiper 1/4/11)
This entire year when he was playing, he wasn't going to get any hype over Newton (all time year), Luck (#1 even if he decided to play punter this year), Mallet (can a 6'7 QB be successful in the NFL), Locker (all the talent in the world but got worse each year), and possibly even Andy Dalton (undefeated TCU)....that is why you wouldn't hear about him from ESPN (where I am guessing you got your info from).
Had Mizzu made a run at the title then for sure it would have been Gabbert v Newton and made it out to be a prizefight....but Gabbert wasn't coming out in 2010 with Luck unless he had a 99% 1st round guarantee, although a Locker repeat worried him, at least that was his plan with his agent as recently as mid-Dec.
Sadly cause of stuff like this, I don't often post inside info (Cardinals contacts, NFL contacts, sports agents comments) often on this board because too many people would rather call BS than ask questions or at worst wait to see if what I am saying is right. But if you feel that this too is "complete bs" there are plenty of posters here who can vouch for information regarding the Cardinals and football in general that I have known prior to the public. But I am more than happy to pass on info to my friends when we discuss the Cards. So in the future, I'd appreciate that if you are just gonna call my post BS and question my integrity because you hadn't heard of him and say he wasn't being pimped till "out of nowhere" was just wrong. But maybe if you took the time to see if perhaps you don't know everything and that maybe you were just enjoying an amazing season from Newton and the dreams of Luck as our future QB...thats fine. But don't start singling out my posts to question my integrity....I just ignore you when you're wrong or when I think you are at least, I'd appreciate if you would do the same or at worst, ask a question.