8 Preseason Names To Watch: 22' QBs

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="20863" first="Mark" last="Forcucci"] Wheaton North <a href="https://twitter.com/ForcucciMark">Twitter</a> <a href="https://www.hudl.com/video/3/608779/608876084deb1e09607b7b34">Highlights</a> Mr. Forcucci is from Wheaton North, he stands at 6’1 190 and currently holds two offers from The College of the Holy Cross as well as Valparaiso University. He finished the spring season going 60/109 for 920 yards 13 TDs and 1 INT which is impressive in itself doing all of that in a 6 game shortened season, with that being said I’m excited to see how he produces during this full fall season that is approaching. What I like most about this young man is his quick release when he’s throwing the ball, there’s no hitch on his technique rather it’s one fluid motion and this goes for his pocket passing as well as his throw on the run which is one of the smoothest I’ve seen. This goes hand in hand with his pocket footwork which he uses to step up in the pocket avoiding the pressure and escape the pocket to throw on the run delivering the ball into the receiver’s hands downfield. While he does this, he looks to pass first as his eyes are constantly downfield to find an open man as well as reading the defense, if nothing is open he will pull the ball down to scramble as a last resort. This young man is a three-year Varsity starter for Wheaton North that has consistently produced for his team game in and game out, look for another strong season from Mr. Forcucci as he aims to close out his high school career on a high note. [player_tooltip player_id="65707" first="Keegan" last="Glover"] Benton <a href="https://twitter.com/GloverKeegan">Twitter</a> <a href="https://www.hudl.com/video/3/10581963/605ba62904284a0f980a4986">Highlights</a> Mr. Glover is from Benton, he stands at 6’0 170 and man can he play. This young man can make the level 3 throws, with and without pressure in his face, and can get it done on the ground game as well. There are a few instances in his spring highlight tape where he scrambles for a huge gain and touchdowns, but I want to highlight one specific play that really caught my eye and turned my head in awe. Mr. Glover snapped the ball dropping back into the pocket, as he surveyed the field nobody was open. The pocket was collapsing and pressure coming from all sides, it sure looked as if he was going to get sacked, BUT to my amazement, he was able to slip out of the pocket rolling right trying to extend the play and find an open man downfield. As he did this the pursuit of the defense was coming for him again, he plants his foot into the ground and starts scrambling to the left in a big backward loop so he doesn’t get tackled for a loss. As he does this, he makes not one, not two, not three, but FIVE. Yes, FIVE defenders miss and then continued to fight for extra yards after contact. This is just one example of the eye-opening plays that this young man can make and he also is able to make each level throw (1 2 & 3) as well as puts the ball in the receiver’s basket when in tight coverage. He currently has no offers after an impressive spring season and has showcased what he can do during the summer camp circuit as well to help get his name out there. Whoever gets this young man is not only getting a heck of a football player, they’re also getting a high-quality young man that can have an immediate impact in the locker room for the better. [player_tooltip player_id="153409" first="Tommy" last="Ulatowski"] St Rita <a href="https://twitter.com/TommyUlatowski">Twitter</a> <a href="https://www.hudl.com/video/3/11991206/608759ee1763531c301e1c6a">Highlights</a> Mr. Ulatowski is from St. Rita, he stands at 6’2 185 and showcased what he could do this past spring season. He has poise in the pocket that allows him to not get rattled under pressure to make the throw downfield into his receiver’s hands putting right on the money. He makes level 1 2 & 3 throws, can put zip on the ball making those throws in tight windows, and when he extends plays he constantly looks for his man downfield before scrambling as a last resort. What excites me the most about this young man is that he still has room to hone his craft further and develop himself as we head near the start of the fall season. As he continues to do so, I’m interested to see how he produces this fall as well as how far St. Rita makes it in the post-season. He plays alongside Ohio State Commit [player_tooltip player_id="155283" first="Kaleb" last="Brown"] and high sought after [player_tooltip player_id="20900" first="Valen" last="Erickson"] among others, with the talent on this team and the talent Mr. Ulatowski presents it’s going to be a sight to see what they accomplish together. He currently holds an offer from Northern Iowa and I expect more to come as he gets a full season under his belt this fall. [player_tooltip player_id="20867" first="Aidan" last="Voss"] Joliet Catholic Academy <a href="https://twitter.com/vossaidan?lang=en">Twitter</a> <a href="https://www.hudl.com/video/3/12741270/6090c1af578dbf0cfcbadc6c">Highlights</a> Mr. Voss is from Joliet Catholic Academy, he stands at 5’11 185 with no offers as of yet but I expect that to change soon. This young man won the ESCC/CCL White Divison Offensive Player of the Year award this past spring season which is a heck of an accomplishment as there is an enormous pool of talent in their division. With that being said, let's take a look into his skill set as to why he got this award. Starting off with the first play of his highlight tape, there's a defender bringing pressure off the edge right as the ball is snapped. Mr. Voss has to react quickly in a split second or else he would be sacked for a loss on the play, he ducks his shoulders to evade the sack and rolls out to his right where he throws a dime on the run into his receiver's hands in the back pylon of the endzone. Keep in mind, this is the FIRST play of his highlight film from the spring season and the rest complement his game very well. He makes level 3 throws putting the ball in the receiver's basket, can get the ball off under pressure as there's a defender in his face, and gets it done on the ground game showcasing his mobility. Mr. Voss is a competitor at heart and will do what needs to be done to win games for his team, if he needs to pass the ball he'll pass the ball. If he needs to run the ball, he'll run the ball. And if he needs to block for his teammates, he'll block for his teammates. I wouldn't be surprised if offers start rolling in after the fall season is completed for this young man as he has the talent and team-first mentality, all he needs now is the opportunity. [player_tooltip player_id="20864" first="Nevan" last="Cremascoli"] New Trier <a href="https://twitter.com/nevancremascoli">Twitter</a> <a href="https://www.hudl.com/video/3/11903459/605fc6695b3e320d146341f1">Highlights</a> Mr. Cremascoli is from New Trier, he stands at 6’4 210 and was at the helm of their offensive attack this past spring. He currently holds no offers, to change this and get his name out there he went to various camps in the summer camp circuit where he showcased what he can do. These included camps at North Central, Cinncinatti, Ball State, Western Michigan, Northwestern, and others. He has a good frame and is one of the taller QB’s on this list, with that size he uses it both in the passing game as well as the run game which is what I like most about this young man. He’s able to see over the lineman as the pocket is collapsing helping him get throws off under pressure by seeing the throwing lanes better. If by chance he doesn’t throw the ball he has the ability to escape the pocket to scramble where he isn’t afraid to lower his shoulder to play through contact, when he does you better look out because he can run defenders over. When he’s in the pocket he’s able to make level 1 2 & 3 throws, puts the ball in the receiver’s basket, and extends plays with his arm as well as his legs if nothing is open downfield. He’s going into this season without All-State ATH [player_tooltip player_id="65563" first="Brody" last="Roth"] so I’m interested to see who’s going to fill that void for Mr. Cremascoli as he was his go-to guy when they needed a play. With that being said, this young man is a name to watch this fall as he looks to get those offers rolling in. [player_tooltip player_id="154776" first="Aidan" last="Pieper"] Nazareth Academy <a href="https://twitter.com/PieperAidan">Twitter</a> <a href="https://www.hudl.com/video/3/15043548/60872f1f0c5da201901c1a88">Highlights</a> Mr. Pieper is from Nazareth Academy, he stands at 6’2 205 and currently holds two offers from Macalaster College as well as McKendree University. He also made rounds during the summer camp circuit to showcase what he can do at the Illinois State University camp as well as the Rise and Fire camp. This young man had a big shoe to fill as J.J. McCarthy headed off to the University of Michigan this past spring and he didn’t disappoint. He can make each level throws ( 1 2 & 3) putting the ball in the receiver’s basket each time and gets the ball off under pressure with the defender in his face. What I like most about this young man is his poise in the pocket where he doesn’t let pressure rattle him, this goes hand in hand with his technically sound pocket footwork on dropbacks and avoiding the pressure to throw on the run. This young man is on a deadly offense with weapons all over with [player_tooltip player_id="20878" first="Tyler" last="Morris"], [player_tooltip player_id="20839" first="Kaleb" last="Miller"], [player_tooltip player_id="20882" first="Quentrell" last="Harris"], [player_tooltip player_id="159033" first="Justin" last="Taylor"], [player_tooltip player_id="127311" first="Nolan" last="Morris"], and company. There’s going to be a lot of eyes on this young man this fall season to see how he produces and how his team does, I have no doubt that he’s going to rise to the occasion and showcase what he can do. [player_tooltip player_id="133261" first="Jimmy" last="Makuh"] Hersey <a href="https://twitter.com/jimmy_makuh">Twitter</a> <a href="https://www.hudl.com/video/3/12223264/6085b685a018ca1df4b36a65">Highlights</a> Mr. Makuh is from Hersey, he stands at 6’3 185 and finished the spring season going 119/188 for 1,384 yards with 18 TDs. Currently, he holds no offers but I expect that to change once he showcases what he can do during the full fall season as he has the skill set to play at the next level. He’s able to make level 3 throws consistently where he puts the ball in the receiver’s basket and can get the ball off under pressure as there is a defender in his face. His pocket footwork is another item in his toolbox to keep an eye on as he utilizes it to time his throw to the routes of his receivers delivering the ball in tight coverage as well as an over-the-top deep ball. He also took his talents to various summer camps in the circuit where he was able to get his name out there at camps such as the North Central College camp and the Rise and Fire camp. This young man looks to finish what he started with his highly sought-after teammate [player_tooltip player_id="20884" first="Ben" last="Clawson"] this fall and I look forward to the show that they put on with their team. [player_tooltip player_id="65709" first="Chris" last="Perez"] DePaul College Prep <a href="https://twitter.com/chrisperez_07?lang=en">Twitter</a> <a href="https://www.hudl.com/video/3/9715277/60894e4dff0d161510796071">Highlights</a> Mr. Perez is from DePaul College Prep, he stands at 6’2 205 and currently holds no offers. What I like most about this young man is the elusiveness that he has with evading the pocket pressure as it collapses with defenders coming from every direction trying to tackle him. You’d think he would get tackled but you would be mistaken, he dips his shoulders lowering himself under the defender’s arms as they try to sack him. He then escapes the pocket where he will look for an open man downfield for a quick second, if nothing is open he keeps the ball and scrambles for a net positive gain on the play. This is only one part of his game, he’s also able to make level 3 throws putting the ball in the receiver’s basket downfield and gets the ball off under pressure with a defender right in his face. Mr. Perez was at Grant High School this past spring, he transferred to DePaul College Prep where he joins Dominic Covington and Cole Ceravolo as they look to make a name for themselves this fall season. Notables [player_tooltip player_id="132515" first="Jovan" last="Butts"] Morton <a href="https://twitter.com/qb_butts">Twitter</a> <a href="https://www.hudl.com/video/3/11097680/6083c4a34debb114cc2d3c2e">Highlights</a> [player_tooltip player_id="119189" first="Danny" last="Chung"] Marmion Academy <a href="https://twitter.com/DannyChung__">Twitter</a> <a href="https://www.hudl.com/video/3/11170162/609f2fc8ab92e30e5ce134ae">Highlights</a> [player_tooltip player_id="155033" first="Caige" last="Williams"] Bradley Bourbonnais <a href="https://twitter.com/CaigeWilliams">Twitter</a> <a href="https://www.hudl.com/video/3/7724576/6089d6fc2348d71058f10997">Highlights</a> [player_tooltip player_id="155032" first="Alec" last="Ponder"] Moline <a href="https://twitter.com/AlecPonder">Twitter</a> <a href="https://www.hudl.com/video/3/14570225/607722150dc00019c0da591d">Highlights</a> [player_tooltip player_id="155555" first="Hayden" last="Timosciek"] Lockport Township <a href="https://twitter.com/18Timosciek">Twitter</a> <a href="https://www.hudl.com/video/3/3062470/60882c3790f9ad18e4ba60a4">Highlights</a> <hr /> These are some of the Preseason Names to Watch at the QB position for the class of 2022. 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.