Position Rankings: Quarterbacks Breakdown

To kick off the initial Nebraska Class of 2022 rankings, I will be breaking down the quarterback rankings. The initial rankings are subject to change with how the season continues to play out. Players on the initial rankings could rise or fall off depending on play and development. The quarterback was a tough position to rank, many players are candidates to have breakout years after a full off-season of training. With the recruiting dead period now over, quarterbacks from all over the state have begun to talk to colleges and participating in private workouts, meaning it should be a short while before scholarship offers begin to fly in. Here is a breakdown of the top quarterbacks in Nebraska as of July 1st: <hr /> <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Top 10:</strong></span> [player_tooltip player_id="147507" first="Caden" last="Becker"], Omaha Skutt - No. 1 QB [player_tooltip player_id="147507" first="Caden" last="Becker"] is a player that is ready to ball out in 2021.  The dual-threat quarterback for the Skutt Skyhawks has the tools to move the ball with his arm or with his legs. When he decides to keep the ball he is a fast and agile runner, able to break off big runs. Despite a small sample size as a passer, Becker showed that he is a very capable quarterback that can deliver the football with great timing. Becker should see himself improving on last year’s performance considering he’s had a busy spring/summer circuit and another year of knowing the playbook. Having recently committed to Wyoming, it is looking like Becker will ride the momentum into a successful 2021 season. <iframe src="//www.hudl.com/embed/video/3/14224170/5f90ee774206360a441bd1f8" width="640" height="360" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe> [player_tooltip player_id="147508" first="Noah" last="Walters"], Lincoln East - No. 2 QB Walters is a player that has continued to get better and better during summer competitions and camps; he competed at Elite 11 and has worked out for several universities. Many people are starting to open their eyes to [player_tooltip player_id="147508" first="Noah" last="Walters"]’ quarterback talent. He has a big-time arm and can push the ball downfield with accuracy. Walters can definitely take over the top spot if he continues his progression as a passer and can push the Lincoln East offense to the next level. With stud receiver [player_tooltip player_id="191114" first="Cooper" last="Erikson"] returning as well, Walters will have playmakers that he is comfortable with. 2021 could be the year [player_tooltip player_id="147508" first="Noah" last="Walters"] stamps himself as an FBS caliber quarterback. <iframe src="//www.hudl.com/embed/video/3/13197497/5fa85f5cc11b420880e48165" width="640" height="360" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe> [player_tooltip player_id="147831" first="Koa" last="McIntyre"], Archibishop - Bergan - No. 3 QB An absolute baller on the field, Koa is an explosive athlete that can play both sides of the ball very effectively. In 2020, Koa threw for 2,205 yards and 31 while picking up 1,238 rushing yards and an additional 16 rushing scores. Koa is very smart and instinctual when it comes to deciding when is best to throw and when he should tuck and run. Koa, with stud receiver [player_tooltip player_id="164890" first="Gavin" last="Logemann"] and younger brother Kade, could engineer a potentially high-flying offense on a revenge tour after losing to Ord in the state championship... scary stuff! <iframe src="//www.hudl.com/embed/video/3/11425149/5f4e57f30c5e9212f0610cb4" width="640" height="360" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe> [player_tooltip player_id="163780" first="Brodey" last="Johnson"], North Bend Central High - No. 4 QB <span style="font-size: 1rem;">[player_tooltip player_id="163780" first="Brodey" last="Johnson"] is</span><span style="font-size: 1rem;"> o</span>ne of the many players that has been embracing the summer grind as he’s starting to get the recognition his game deserves. Johnson has been tearing up the 7v7 competitions, which have earned him some workout invitations. His accuracy is one of his most underrated traits, finishing the season with 5 games of 70% completion or better (out of 8 games). Expect to see continuous improvement in Brodey’s game, he should develop into a great QB prospect for a D1 prospect. <iframe src="//www.hudl.com/embed/video/3/11430000/5f978f70da514f0a909ad038" width="640" height="360" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe> [player_tooltip player_id="147832" first="Kale" last="Jensen"], Central City - No. 5 QB The returning leader in passing yards, [player_tooltip player_id="147832" first="Kale" last="Jensen"], is coming off an incredible season. As a junior, Jensen threw for 3,033 yards and 37 touchdowns on 68% comp, and there’s reason to believe he will only get better. Jensen is a very talented passer that can also make plays on the ground as well, he rushed for 494 yards and 8 scores on the ground. When you <a href="https://www.hudl.com/video/3/10651752/5fb96e4fab92e6105cdb265e" target="_blank" rel="noopener">watch Jensen on tape</a> the thing the pops out the most is the confidence in his decision-making. He understands the assignment and executes it at a very efficient level. The prolific Central City quarterback is looking to further cement his name in the record books. <iframe src="//www.hudl.com/embed/video/3/10651752/5fb96e4fab92e6105cdb265e" width="640" height="360" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe> [player_tooltip player_id="147833" first="Luke" last="Johannsen"], Bellevue West - No. 6 QB Luke is a quarterback I project to have a big senior year for various reasons. The first being his talent and skillset, he is a very accurate passer that can complete passes at all levels of the field. Johannsen makes smart decisions with the ball and reacts quickly to what the defense is showing him, also doing a good job not committing turnovers. His experience as a starter on a team with high expectations like Bellevue West also plays to his advantage, he showed great composure in high stakes games and kept the chains moving. Also in Johannsen’s favor is the amount of talent around him, with dynamic pass-catchers ( [player_tooltip player_id="147504" first="Micah" last="Riley-Ducker"], [player_tooltip player_id="147505" first="Kaden" last="Helms"], and [player_tooltip player_id="169896" first="Dae’Vonn" last="Hall"]) excellent protection ([player_tooltip player_id="151113" first="Henry" last="Rickels"] and recent transfer [player_tooltip player_id="151115" first="Nate" last="Raymond"]), and youngsters gunning for the starting spot (rising star [player_tooltip player_id="169899" first="Daniel" last="Kaelin"]), Luke should have enough help around him to produce some BIG numbers. <iframe src="//www.hudl.com/embed/video/3/12128301/5fbaa371f31e3811c84725de" width="640" height="360" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe> [player_tooltip player_id="147835" first="Sam" last="Hartman"], Grand Island Northwest - No. 7 QB Hartman had himself a very productive season in which he was consistent in the air and on the ground. Sam threw for 1,840 yards and rushed for 986 during his junior campaign, and scored 21 passing and 8 rushing touchdowns. Northwest looks to boast a pretty talented offense and with Hartman at the helm expect them to move the ball on many defenses. Hartman’s play-action is one of my favorite parts of his game, he has a great sense of how the defense is coming and assesses the play accordingly. His athleticism is astounding, playing free safety at a high level as well, and decision-making makes Hartman such a hard quarterback to play against. <iframe src="//www.hudl.com/embed/video/3/11153407/5fc681c7d45ee413fced4f24" width="640" height="360" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe> [player_tooltip player_id="147834" first="Cooper" last="Hausmann"], Norris - No. 8 QB Norris QB1 [player_tooltip player_id="147834" first="Cooper" last="Hausmann"] is a quarterback prospect that I expect to continue to progress and start lighting up the recruiting cycle. He has very underrated throwing abilities, Hausmann made throws from all angles and managed to deliver while scrambling. Hausmann is tough to bring down in the backfield, he possesses a very slippery elusiveness that drives defenses mad. A strong summer circuit will provide him the opportunity to polish his game and step up his game in 2021. <iframe src="//www.hudl.com/embed/video/3/6867736/5fc50a94d21c9b0874881a60" width="640" height="360" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe> [player_tooltip player_id="147837" first="Kolby" last="Brown"], Omaha Westside - No. 9 QB Brown will have some big shoes to fill as he takes over for Westside legend Cole Payton. Brown definitely has the arm talent and playmakers around him (WR/ATH [player_tooltip player_id="157566" first="Grant" last="Guyett"] and RB [player_tooltip player_id="147817" first="Dominic" last="Rezac"]) to continue the Warriors’ winning ways. Although Brown only played sparingly last year, he does look to be a promising quarterback prospect. One thing that I saw from his tape was that he threw into tight windows outside of the numbers very accurately. The Warriors quarterback will be well-equipped to lead Westside on the road to back-to-back titles. <iframe src="//www.hudl.com/embed/video/3/11436335/5fc5565d2aa6590b7c353f11" width="640" height="360" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe> [player_tooltip player_id="164350" first="Dylan" last="Amick"], Battle Creek - No. 10 QB Dylan is another quarterback that has taken advantage of the spring and summer circuits to improve his game and grow his following. Amick’s participation has allowed him to work on his mechanics and pick up on the small parts of being a complete quarterback. The presumed QB1 for Battle Creek this year has shown flashes of being a dual-threat. He can place the ball in the perfect position for his receiver to catch it or he can tuck the ball and make the play on a QB run. Amick is very athletic, speedy (4.7 - 40 yard time) and great size at 6’3" he has the making of a top-tier quarterback. <iframe src="//www.hudl.com/embed/video/3/11490176/5f9e5d3634535603d8dca6f1" width="640" height="360" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe> <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Quarterbacks 11 - 15:</strong></span> [player_tooltip player_id="147836" first="Carter" last="Sintek"], Fremont - No. 11 QB [player_tooltip player_id="147838" first="MJ" last="Nelson"], Nebraska City - No. 12 QB [player_tooltip player_id="157850" first="Joshua" last="Duitsman"], Lincoln Lutheran - No. 13 QB [player_tooltip player_id="164479" first="Caden" last="Leach"], Omaha Central - No. 14 QB [player_tooltip player_id="157849" first="Jareese" last="Lott-Buzby"], Lincoln High - No. 15 QB &nbsp;