Underclassmen Passing Leaders to Know

Mississippi was dominated by senior quarterbacks last season, but there were several underclassmen that were big time passers. Per Maxpreps.com’s stat collection, 5 underclassmen placed in the top 12 statewide. [player_tooltip player_id="108932" first="Will" last="Loy"] | Wesson Sophomore QB [player_tooltip player_id="108932" first="Will" last="Loy"] was quite the player to watch last season. He finished top 5 in the state in passing with over 2700 yards and 39 touchdowns. What may have been more impressive was that he only threw 3 total INTs. Loy will enter this year as the starter for his third season and we expect him to continue to be a dominant passer. Loy has impressive movement in the pocket and has the mobility to make plays with his legs when things break down. The ball comes out of his hand quickly with good velocity on it. An accurate passer at all levels of the field, Loy is capable of throwing his receivers open and letting them make plays in the open field. Big time potential. Should be a guy that takes over some camps this summer. Loy currently lists no offers, but that should change with yet another productive season. <strong>Tyler Fortenberry</strong> | Brookhaven Academy We highlighted junior quarterback Tyler Fortenberry earlier in the year, but this guy is just a flat out baller. Another top 5 finisher last season, Fortenberry threw for 2698 yards and 28 touchdowns while also putting some major work in on the ground. Fortenberry is a tall and long athlete with good speed in the open field. When he’s not playing quarterback, he plays defensive back! His skillset on offense allows him to completely take over games. He runs the option well and throws on the run exceptionally. Fortenberry operates from the pocket as well and throws accurately downfield. He’s best fit for the next level in an offense that utilizes RPOs heavily. Reminds me of Garrett Shrader who played at Mississippi State for two seasons. Love what he brings to the table. Expecting him to pick up some offers soon. [player_tooltip player_id="108931" first="Kaden" last="Irving"] | Gautier Finishing 8th in the state last season, sophomore quarterback and current Ole Miss baseball commit [player_tooltip player_id="108931" first="Kaden" last="Irving"] threw for 2400 yards and 15 touchdowns in seven games. There’s a good chance he would’ve been the top dog of the state last year if he played a full season. Irving was also a productive runner on the ground. What’s exciting about this season for Irving is he will be playing in an air raid system, allowing him to completely dominate as a passer while putting up ridiculous numbers. He has a strong arm with a quick release and is accurate as a vertical passer. Irving’s athleticism helps him make plays when the pocket collapses. Throwing well off platform, Irving can throw at a variety of arm angles Pat Mahomes style. Exciting athlete to continue watching. Will have a ridiculous junior season if all goes as scheduled. [player_tooltip player_id="104068" first="Kabe" last="Barnett"] | Oak Grove Junior quarterback [player_tooltip player_id="104068" first="Kabe" last="Barnett"] was the ultimate dual threat quarterback last season at Oak Grove. While winning a state championship was his most impressive accomplishment, Barnett also threw for over 2300 yards and 36 touchdowns. Barnett is a great athlete who had a ton of big time runs last season too. Barnett has great lower body mechanics and operates well from the pocket. He can roll out and deliver accurate balls downfield to his receivers, but can also hang tight in the pocket and go through his progressions well. As a runner, Barnett has the athleticism to play any position on the field, making him a dangerous threat if he takes off. Really surprised he has no offers right now. This is the type of guy that teams will look back on and be confused why they didn’t get in on him early. Will be a Division 1 athlete soon. [player_tooltip player_id="108935" first="Christian" last="Turner"] | Harrison Central Sophomore quarterback [player_tooltip player_id="108935" first="Christian" last="Turner"] finished 12th in state last season with 2248 yards and 27 touchdowns. He didn’t make many mistakes either, throwing only 3 INTs in a full season. Turner has smooth overall mechanics that allow him to be a big time passer. He has good feet and a quick release. Turner throws the ball well and can fit it into some tight windows in the intermediate levels of the field. A total package of a quarterback, he can also pull the ball and run in the open field. Turner has good quickness in the open field and can make guys miss easily. When throwing, you can see he has total control over the field as he scans through his reads. Really like his potential and should have another big season as a junior. Expect his recruitment to pick up this season.