Underclassmen Varsity Performers: ‘23 & ‘24 Quarterbacks

The season has come and gone in Illinois and with such a short season, and subsequent turnaround, it was imperative that teams got their youngster feet wet. Recently, I went to Twitter to find more players from the 2023 and 2024 classes that got varsity action this spring. When they hit the field this early in their high school careers, schools at the next level have no choice but to play attention. Here are the quarterbacks that got valuable experience as they head into the fall season. 2023 Warren Township QB Adam Behrens (6’2” and 200lbs) @AdamBehrens Very good size for his age, Behrens also seems a bit more mature in his style of play, he runs a great play-action fake from under center. He throws a very pretty deep ball and has plenty of arm strength. Behrens is sneaky athletic, he can run if needed. Great touch on his throws, Behrens knows when to use his fastball and change-up. 2023 Jacksonville QB Elijah Owens (6’2” and 205lbs) @elijahowens_3 I really like seeing young quarterbacks with high completion percentages and Owens falls into that category completing 68% of his throws this spring. He got very good touch and should be look at as a dual-threat option. Owens has the speed to break big runs and it helps him when he needs to escape from the pocket. He also throws very well on the move and I really liked what I saw on his film. 2023 Palatine QB Grant Dersnah (6’3” and 180lbs) @GDersnah See Dersnah in person getting playing time when the game wasn’t out of hand, then showing he belonged was impressive. He wasn’t just handing off the ball to a group of talented running back, Dersnah was throwing TD passes to one of the best receivers in the state, [player_tooltip player_id="110715" first="Jacob" last="Bostick"]. Seeing his tape backed up what I saw in person, arm strength to fit the ball into tight windows inside 25 yards or throw pretty fades into the endzone. I expect big things in the fall. <img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-116176" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/redzone/uploads/2021/03/491D9637-1787-47A4-AC97-33075921B4D6-225x300.jpeg" alt="" width="225" height="300" /> 2023 Montini QB [player_tooltip player_id="130444" first="Cole" last="Teschner"] (6’2” and 191lbs) @ColeTeschner You can tell Teschner plays baseball also, his arm strength is among the best in the state. It was a leaning year for him at the varsity level, but no doubt in my mind he’s got all the tools you want in a quarterback. https://twitter.com/coleteschner/status/1373440983128506368?s=21 He’s a solid athlete also, but as he continues to gain experience, Teschner will only continue to get better. I think he’s in line for a huge junior campaign. 2023 Harry D. Jacobs QB Sam Deligio (5’10” and 170lbs) @samdelig I’m a big fan of two-sport athletes and Deligio fits that mold. The baseball player uses some of his skill on the diamond that translate over to the gridiron, as he uses his footwork to set himself up to make throws that aren’t always without duress. He turns his shoulders well when passing on the move, the ball getting out of his hands very quickly. Deligio has very effective 5 and 7 yard drops, again his baseball background showing. A bit on the smaller side, Deligio is a name to watch during his junior year. 2023 Nequa Valley QB [player_tooltip player_id="136475" first="Mark" last="Mennecke"] (6’1” and 175lbs) @mark_mennecke The left hander has solid size and sees the field very well. Mennecke uses that field vision to read defenses very well and taking advantages of mismatches. I would like to see him holding the ball a bit higher, but it’s something that he could change during the offseason. A decent runner as well, Mennecke is a very solid player. [caption id="attachment_139929" align="alignnone" width="139"]<img class="size-medium wp-image-139929" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/redzone/uploads/2021/05/ECA10426-5466-4127-AA46-BB27D3E3A72D-139x300.jpeg" alt="" width="139" height="300" /> Photo: Robert Battle, Robert Battle[/caption] 2024 E. St. Louis QB Robert “Pops” Battle (5’11” and 175lbs) @iiampops Starting as a freshman on varsity for a powerhouse will alway bring up big expectations, and Battle has risen to that challenge. Like all young signal callers, the more experience they gain, the better they become and that’s the case here. Battle is more of an athlete playing the position, but has all the tools to become a high-level quarterback. He is a true dual-threat player, one who is just as dangerous on the ground as through the air. Battle shows great touch, and is extremely accurate on short and intermediate routes. 2024 St. Francis [player_tooltip player_id="121350" first="Alessio" last="Milivojevic"] (6’ and 195lbs) @alessiomilivoj1 Not a starter, but getting plenty of run as a freshman sets Milivojevic to start as a sophomore. The arm strength is impressive for his age, and will only get better. Milivojevic has a very good frame, is a solid athlete who can be a threat to run. As a passer he’s got good anticipation skills, he puts the ball in places for his receiver to get good YAC or for them to be the only ones who can catch the ball. As he grows and matures, Milivojevic will just become better. <img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-116179" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/redzone/uploads/2021/03/83F4C18B-CBBB-4907-9F2B-8714C8EA9690-225x300.jpeg" alt="" width="225" height="300" /> 2024 Riverside Brookfield Diego Gutierrez (6’ and 182lbs) @DiegoGu89654875 Another young man who’s got a great frame at this stage is Gutierrez, who competed for the starting job but ultimately ended up as the backup. He’s a good improviser, who leaves the pocket a bit early than he has to sometimes, but with more experience he’ll learn to stay and let plays develop. Guitierrez will get stronger and his arm strength will improve when that happens, he showed that being a freshman and getting varsity time this spring that he wasn’t out of place. 2024 Glenbard South QB Michael Champagne (5’8” and 150lbs) @MichaelChampsQB Although a bit smaller than the other quarterbacks in his class that got some varsity run, Champagne still has a very solid skill set. I saw him live playing early in the second half and the GBS coaching staff didn’t hold him back. Although his first play resulted in a penalty, they had him dropping back to pass. Champagne is a good runner, with solid arm strength. With both other quarterbacks graduating, he should be inline to be the starter in the fall. Champagne is one to keep an eye out for in a few months.