8 Preseason Names To Watch: 23' QB

As we get closer to the start of the Fall 2021 season these young men are practicing with their respective teams getting ready for their Week 1 matchup. With that being said let’s take a look at 8 preseason names to watch as the days are getting closer and closer to gameday. <hr /> [player_tooltip player_id="157706" first="Eli" last="Meier"] Sycamore <a href="https://twitter.com/EliMeier3">Twitter</a> <a href="https://www.hudl.com/video/3/9868457/60915f02f3275e0b3c548773">Highlights</a> Mr. Meier is from Sycamore, he played on Varsity this past spring season which has set him up well for this upcoming fall season. He has a good pocket presence where he can feel the pressure and steps up in the pocket to deliver the ball downfield into the receiver's basket. What's most impressive is how he escapes the pocket once it collapses to deliver the ball downfield as the defender is chasing him from behind. There's a play in his highlight film where this is showcased, he rolls out to the right as the defensive lineman is pursuing. Right before this young man is about to get tackled for a loss, he makes a cross-body level 3 throw putting the ball into his receiver's hands downfield for the completion. That's not all that this young man can do, he's also able to scramble as a last resort where he makes the first defender miss by weaving in and out of the defenders. I wouldn't be surprised if he gets his first offer after the fall season is concluded. If what this young man can do is something that your program would be interested in, go check out his highlights above. [player_tooltip player_id="157699" first="Ryan" last="Dawson"] Downers Grove South <a href="https://twitter.com/ryan_dawson24">Twitter</a> <a href="https://www.hudl.com/video/3/13670912/60849f87a018ca1df4b2de2c">Highlights</a> Mr. Dawson is from Downers Grove South, he played on Varsity this past spring season where he was able to develop good connections with his receiving core and showcased what he has in store for us over the next two seasons. His ability to put the ball into the receiver's basket is one to keep an eye on as this young man is able to place the ball only where his reciever can get it even when it's in tight coverage. These throws are all made with deep shots down the field and use level 3 throws to get the ball downfield. There are countless plays in his highlight tape where this is showcased, his accuracy on these deep shots is impressive for such a young QB and as he continues to hone his craft these next two seasons are going to be a scary sight to see. That being said, this young man can take a hit and still get the ball off as the defender is bringing him to the ground resulting in a completion downfield. He's more of a pass-first QB but as a last resort will pull the ball down to scramble if nothing is open downfield. If this young man sounds like the type of prospect that your program would be interested in, go check out his highlights above. [player_tooltip player_id="135826" first="Jake" last="Stearney"] Loyola Academy <a href="https://twitter.com/jakestearney15">Twitter</a> <a href="https://www.hudl.com/video/3/12824482/6085f8c80c5da201901b7533">Highlights</a> Mr. Stearney is from Loyola Academy, he played on Varsity this past spring season and showcased what he can do. What's impressive about this young man is how put together his skillset is for a 23' quarterback. He has the ability to get the ball out quickly when running RPOs where he puts zip on the ball and has a nice touch on the deep ball putting it in the receiver's basket downfield. This young man can also make level 3 throws, he does all of this with his pocket footwork as he doesn't take any missteps and has a fluid release as well. There are numerous plays in his highlight tape that showcase this, the one that stands out the most is towards the beginning of the highlight film where he's in Shotgun formation. He receives the snap, takes his dropback, and uses his fluid release to deliver a bullet downfield where only his receiver can get it. So much so, that his receiver has to layout to secure the catch for a touchdown. This young man has the potential to become a highly sought-after recruit as he's already a top QB recruit here in IL for the 2023 class. If this is what your program is looking for in a QB recruit, go check out his highlights above to see if he would be a fit for your scheme. [player_tooltip player_id="136475" first="Mark" last="Mennecke"] Neuqua Valley <a href="https://twitter.com/mark_mennecke">Twitter</a> <a href="https://www.hudl.com/video/3/12827919/6089954d4deb1e09607c2cd5">Highlights</a> Mr. Mennecke is from Neuqua Valley, he played on Varsity this past spring season and is going to be a sight to see along with his fellow talented 23' teammates for the next two seasons. He's a lefty QB that does a good job running RPOs, he can beat you with his arm by getting the ball out quickly and with his legs by scrambling. This puts the opposing defense in a tough situation as they have to respect the mobility of this young man which in turn sucks up the defense as the play develops creating a gap in the defense for the receivers to hit. That's not all that this young man can do, he has a touch on the deep ball which he uses when making level 3 throws downfield and puts the ball in his receiver's basket. What I'm most interested to see out of this young man this fall season is how he balances his arm talents with his mobility as he has untapped potential for both attacks. Either way, look for Mr. Mennecke to have a strong fall season and for his stock to rise as a result. If your program is looking for a dual-threat QB that stretches the defense, go take a look at this young man's highlights above. [player_tooltip player_id="141092" first="Tyler" last="Fikis"] Hampshire <a href="https://twitter.com/TFikis5">Twitter</a> <a href="https://www.hudl.com/video/3/12804553/6097fba7a676a70cec3c046c">Highlights</a> Mr. Fikis is from Hampshire, he played on Varsity this past spring season and was a sight to see as he demonstrated his skillset. He's a dual-threat QB that puts pressure on opposing defenses as he's able to get it done in both offensive attacks. In the passing game, he's able to get the ball off under pressure. This is seen with him delivering a level 3 throw downfield into the receiver's basket as there's a man right in his face as well as staying in the pocket while it's collapsing to get the ball off. In the run game, he runs read options and if nothing is open downfield will pull the ball down to scramble. He puts opposing defenses in tough situations as they have to decide which to limit, his passing or running skillset. This young man also runs a 4.56 40 so once he turns the corner there's no catching him in open space. We got a glimpse of what he has to offer, look for this fall season to truly show what he can do. If this young man sounds like he'd be a fit for your program, go check out his highlights above. [player_tooltip player_id="158666" first="Elijah" last="Owens"] Jacksonville <a href="https://twitter.com/elijahowens_3">Twitter</a> <a href="https://www.hudl.com/video/3/9849453/6089d1e75eeca409e4e5daf9">Highlights</a> Mr. Owens is from Jacksonville, he played on Varsity this past spring season and that has set him up well for this upcoming fall season. What I like most about this young man is the pocket presence that he showcases. As he's being pressured he's going to stay in the pocket to get the ball off completing a level 3 pass downfield by putting the ball into the receiver's basket. If the pocket collapses quickly and nobody is open downfield this young man showed glimpses of what he can do in this situation, which is as follows. One, he can extend the play evading the pass rush and finding the open man downfield for a completion. Or Two, he'll pull the ball down to scramble where he's not afraid to lower his shoulder to play through contact. Either way, he's shown glimpses of what's to come this fall season and I expect his stock to rise after the completion of the season. If this sounds like a young man that would be beneficial to your program, go take a look at his highlights above. [player_tooltip player_id="139972" first="Sam" last="Deligio"] Huntley <a href="https://twitter.com/samdelig">Twitter</a> <a href="https://www.hudl.com/video/3/12154889/6078382f90f9ad01e8931966">Highlights</a> Mr. Deligio is from Huntley, he played on Varsity this past spring season and was a sight to see. What I like most about this young man are the technical skills that she showcased. He has a fluid release getting the ball out quickly and doesn't take any missteps during his dropbacks. Going hand and hand with this is his ability to make level 3 throws putting the ball in the receiver's basket and can make cross-body throws that have some zip to it. This young man also showcased his ability to extend plays, one particular play comes to find in his highlight tape. In this play, the pocket is collapsing and there's pressure coming from all sides. This young man looks for an open lane to escape the pocket and once he finally does he rolls out to his right where he makes a cross-body throw for a completion as there's backside pursuit about to sack him for a loss on the play. Overall, he still has room to hone his craft further and tap into his potential. As he continues to do so, be on the lookout for this young man. If your program is interested in a dual-threat QB that can extend plays, go take a look at this young man's highlights above. [player_tooltip player_id="157707" first="Josh" last="Holst"] Marengo <a href="https://twitter.com/JoshHolst08">Twitter</a> <a href="https://www.hudl.com/video/3/12760520/608435290c5da201901a894f">Highlights</a> Mr. Holst is from Marengo, he played on Varsity this past spring season where he showcased what he can do and what's in store for us over the next two seasons. What I like most about this young man is his ability to extend plays and make the completion downfield. There are countless plays at the beginning of his highlight film that showcase just that. These plays range from getting the ball off under pressure as the defender is right in his face to making a cross-body throw off balance downfield into the receiver's basket to escaping the pocket and delivering a bullet of a pass into a tight window for a touchdown. This young man also makes level 3 throws, can get the ball out quickly when putting zip on the ball, and runs a 4.57 40. He's a QB to watch heading into this fall season as his stock is sure to rise after his fall performance. If this sounds like the type of young man that you'd want in your program, be sure to take a look at his highlight tape above. Notables [player_tooltip player_id="119105" first="Barah" last="Abad"] Taft <a href="https://twitter.com/barahabad02">Twitter</a> <a href="https://www.hudl.com/video/3/12872352/6088552a4deb1e09607b6156">Highlights</a> [player_tooltip player_id="157713" first="Alex" last="Graham"] Marquette <a href="https://twitter.com/alexgra04920206">Twitter</a> <a href="https://www.hudl.com/video/3/12920763/60917fe4bd6b120cdc5ed5e4">Highlights</a> [player_tooltip player_id="158588" first="Anthony" last="Picciolini"] Benet Academy <a href="https://twitter.com/anthonypic2">Twitter</a> <a href="https://www.hudl.com/video/3/12889023/6088a84c02b1890a80ee4bda">Highlights</a> [player_tooltip player_id="158594" first="Jake" last="Hoeppel"] Benet Academy <a href="https://twitter.com/JakeHoeppel">Twitter</a> <a href="https://www.hudl.com/video/3/13245855/6089b0f4b53467144c924b8d">Highlights</a> [player_tooltip player_id="130444" first="Cole" last="Teschner"] Montini Catholic <a href="https://twitter.com/ColeTeschner">Twitter</a> <a href="https://www.hudl.com/video/3/15305318/60c0d1f7688e450f6057204f">Highlights</a> <hr /> These are some of the Preseason Names to Watch at the QB position for the class of 2023. Keep an eye on these young men as they get ready to put the pads on. Be sure to follow @jamaskane regarding news & information for Illinois High School Football, @PrepRedzoneIL, and @PrepRedzone.