Big Board – Quarterbacks
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It’s officially April and with the NFL Draft later this month, mock drafts and Big Boards are all you’ll hear about if you’re a football fan. We’re leaning into that with Big Boards. Every Thursday and Friday, we’ll release a new Big Board, ranking the top ten players at their position, regardless of class. Now, similar to our prospect rankings, these rankings are based on who these players are as college prospects. Stay tuned each week for two more Big Boards, ranking and looking at the absolute best players at their respective positions. Today, we continue with a Quarterback group that has a nice mix of solidified stars and guys who have a chance to elevate into that elite tier in 2021 after having breakout seasons in 2020.
1) Carson May Carson May 6'5" | QB Jones | 2022 State OK – Jones – Class of 2022
There is not much else that can be said about Carson May Carson May 6'5" | QB Jones | 2022 State OK that has not already been said over the last few seasons. He was already in the conversation for top QB prospect in the state coming into 2020, and he did an excellent job to solidify that label with his Junior season. May has some of the best arm talent to come out of Oklahoma in recent memory and is a player that will truly elevate his teammates around him. The only question on May right now is why hasn’t the college football world come knocking on his door yet? He checks just about every box for a high-level prospect at the next level and has the on-field production to match the elite traits he possesses. I would be truly shocked if he doesn’t have any new major offers come August/September.
2) Steele Wasel Steele Wasel 6'4" | 210 lbs | QB Choctaw | 2023 State OK – Choctaw – Class of 2023
Coming into 2020 there was a ton of hype surrounding Wasel after impressing coaches as a freshman in 2019, and boy did he deliver. He was not lights out from the get-go, but by the end of the season, it was clear that he was one of the top QBs in the state and has a chance to be special. Wasel already possesses excellent size for his age to go with his cannon of a right arm, but he is much more than just a big body with a strong arm. Steele has shown that he can throw with power and touch to all areas of the field, he has enough athleticism to threaten a defense outside the pocket and down the field as a runner, and he pairs all of that with a unique ability to make something out of nothing when his protection breaks down and forces him out of the pocket. Like many of the greats do, Wasel only improved as the season progressed in 2020, and that has continued into the off-season as he’s gotten better and better each time we’ve seen him whether it is at a camp or 7on7 tournament. He has not received many offers yet but once the first one comes I imagine many, many more will come his way.
3) Kirk Francis Kirk Francis 6'1" | 185 lbs | QB Metro Christian | 2023 State OK – Metro Christian – Class of 2023
After winning a state title in 2019, many thought Metro would take a step or two back without Asher Link at QB among other key players they lost, but that was simply not the case. Kirk Francis Kirk Francis 6'1" | 185 lbs | QB Metro Christian | 2023 State OK stepped in and the Metro offense did not skip a beat, which is even more impressive considering they deploy one of the most pass-heavy offenses in the state. On top of his overall athleticism and great ability to extend plays or get out of trouble with his legs, Francis was among the best in the state in terms of taking care of the football. Additionally, he throws one of the best deep balls in the state and we got to see it often due to the nature of Metro’s offense in 2020. The only complaint I could have on Kirk as of now is that he did not have a ton of intermediate or tight window throws on tape, which is more offensive scheme related as opposed to his abilities as a passer.
4) Austin Havens Austin Havens 6'3" | 205 lbs | QB Bixby | 2023 State OK – Owasso – Class of 2023
Havens is one of a few QBs on this list that we have been up and down on throughout the last year. He began the season splitting reps for Owasso but ended up winning the job and took the Rams all the way to the semifinals against Jenks. However, Havens and the Owasso offense struggled heavily in that game against Jenks which brought up some concerns in Havens’ game that we had not thought to be issues before. Those concerns, or at least a few of them, were pushed to the side for now after seeing him at the USFNT combine in Dallas. At the combine, Havens displayed a much improved deep ball in 1on1’s against some high caliber competition, and showed out in the field drills as well, clocking in at 4.6 in the 40-yard dash. If he can add that extra element to his game in the running attack in 2021, Havens could easily see himself move up a spot or two on this list.
5) Gage Hamm Gage Hamm 6'4" | QB Coweta | 2022 State OK – Coweta – Class of 2022
Gage Hamm Gage Hamm 6'4" | QB Coweta | 2022 State OK is another QB on this list whose recruiting is a question mark to me as he has been one of the most successful and productive QBs in the state over the past 2 seasons. The only answer for that question I can think of is that he does not have the pure arm strength that a few of the guys ahead of him do, but if that is the only thing holding him back then the rest of the country is missing out on this kid. He has a good arm that can win you games from the pocket, but what makes him great is everything else he does. He has great height with frame space to add on weight, he is an accurate thrower in the pocket and on the move, he is dynamic as a runner, he does not make many mistakes, and he can adjust his play style on the fly based on the situation he finds himself in. He may be closer to his ceiling than most on this list in terms of physical abilities, but he also has a much higher floor than a lot of QBs coming out of high school.
6) Max Brown Max Brown 6'2" | 200 lbs | QB Lincoln Christian | 2022 State OK – Lincoln Christian – Class of 2022
Max is another Qb that split time to begin 2020 but had the starting spot locked up by midseason. He looked a little raw at times in 2020 but the potential was there for him to emerge as a top QB once he settled into Lincoln Christian’s offense and sure enough, he looked like a completely different player by season’s end. As a runner, Max was one of the best of this bunch outside of maybe Gage Hamm Gage Hamm 6'4" | QB Coweta | 2022 State OK . As a passer, Max throws with good power and great anticipation, he has shown the ability to rip some lasers on the run, and he is incredibly efficient as he completed over 70% of his passes in 2020. A few questions arose after his performance in the title game against Holland Hall last season, but we don’t think it’s anything he won’t be able to learn from and improve on.
7) Scott Pfieffer Scott Pfieffer 6'3" | QB Edmond Santa Fe | 2022 State OK – Edmond Santa Fe – Class of 2022
One of Santa Fe’s biggest questions coming into the year was how Junior QB Scott Pfieffer Scott Pfieffer 6'3" | QB Edmond Santa Fe | 2022 State OK would perform in his first year as a starter after losing their previous starter to graduation. With a very talented supporting cast around him, Scott stepped in and kept the machine that is Santa Fe’s offense rolling. Scott did a great job of managing the game within Sante Fe’s offensive structure, but he also surprised a lot of people with his ability to create big plays down the field in the vertical passing game. Although, while he improved immensely as the year went on, both as a pure passer and as a facilitator in the offense, there were some concerns in his game that were put on display against Jenks in the state title game. When afforded a clean pocket, Scott made some impressive throws down the field, but when the protection broke down around him, which was often against Jenks, he struggled to get the ball out in a timely manner. If Scott can clean up a couple of these issues there’s not much keeping him from playing at the college level.
8) Cal Swanson Cal Swanson 6'2" | 175 lbs | QB Ardmore | 2023 State OK – Ardmore – Class of 2023
It is not often that a team like Ardmore completely changes their offensive scheme for one player, but we are sure glad they did so in 2020. In Ardmore’s first year running primarily spread concepts, Cal Swanson Cal Swanson 6'2" | 175 lbs | QB Ardmore | 2023 State OK made the transition look easy and as if they had been running the system for more than one year. Cal has one of the strongest arms in the state and pairs that with great size and athleticism. Ardmore had an odd season last year due to COVID canceling most of their games, so we did not get the full picture of what he can become in this offense. What we saw, however, was more than enough to tell us that he has a chance to be a big-time prospect.
9) Luke Adcock Luke Adcock 6'3" | 205 lbs | QB Eufaula | 2023 State OK – Eufala – Class of 2023
Although he was not the focal point of the Eufala offense heading into 2020, a strong case can be made that he was one of if not the most important players in their offense by the end of the year. Luke is another QB on this list with great size at 6’3″ 208 Lbs., and it is obvious that he has a pretty strong arm as soon as you turn on the tape, the ball comes out of his hand in a hurry. Adcock still has a little bit to go in terms of mechanics and accuracy, but the talent and football IQ seem to be there already. We’re really excited to see what Luke can do in year 2 as a starter where he will be the engine that makes this offense go.
10) Carson Laverty Carson Laverty 6'1" | 185 lbs | QB Coweta | 2023 State OK – Putnam City North – Class of 2023
Out of all the QBs on this list, Laverty is the only one not currently ranked on our website after an up and down Sophomore year. However, I think it’s safe to say that he has a good chance to find himself back in our rankings between now and the end of the 2021 season. Our main concerns with Laverty had mostly to do with his size and how he finished down the stretch for the Panthers, but some of those concerns have already been addressed. After seeing him at the USFNT in Dallas this past weekend, it is clear that he has gotten bigger since the end of 2020 and has cleaned up a lot of mechanical issues we had with him. Even though throwing in shorts is a lot different than when you put the pads on, we are confident that Carson will come out looking much improved to start next year with a chance to solidify himself among the top players at his position.