Checking In On the Top Junior QB’s

The 2021 regular season has already reached the half-way point. Their have been some phenomenal performances thus far and some of the state’s best have put their skills on full display. Not excluded from this are the quarterbacks in the Class of 2023. Today we will take a look at how some of the top QB’s in the class have done so far. Spoiler alert, these prospects have been exceptional this season. [player_tooltip player_id="107277" first="Carson" last="Parmer"], 6’3, 195 pounds, South Decatur [player_tooltip player_id="107277" first="Carson" last="Parmer"] has been very efficient through the first half of the season at South Decatur. On film this season, Parmer has shown that he can navigate the pocket well and he can get outside of the pocket to buy himself some time. Parmer has shown good command at the line-of-scrimmage. He has done very well operating run-pass-option plays. Parmer has done very well finding the underneath targets, but he had a beautiful, down the field, fourth quarter touchdown pass against Lapel. So far this season, Parmer is 45/92 for 521 yards. He has thrown five touchdown passes to go along with three interceptions. [player_tooltip player_id="107015" first="Cameron" last="Tilly"], 6’3, 185 pounds, Castle In the earlier portion of the season, [player_tooltip player_id="107015" first="Cameron" last="Tilly"] has displayed the great arm talent that he possesses. He can hit receivers in all levels of the field and he can still make solid throws while on the move. Very impressive is his ability- as a right-handed passer- to throw while moving to his left. In spite of the awkward motion that presents, he puts the ball exactly where it needs to be. Tilly does an outstanding job of surveying the field and going through his progressions. He does not get careless with the football. Tilly throws a great deep ball that has just the right amount of touch. So far this year, Tilly is 49/76 through the air for 725 yards. He has 13 touchdown passes and just one interception. Tilly has also tacked on three rushing touchdowns this term. [player_tooltip player_id="107258" first="Christian" last="Johnson"], 6’1, 195 pounds, Parke Heritage [player_tooltip player_id="107258" first="Christian" last="Johnson"] is a quarterback who is solid in the pocket and also demonstrates the ability to make plays with his legs. Johnson has good pocket presence. He goes through the reads and does not get flustered. He is an accurate passer who makes good, on-time throws while on the move. Johnson has put together some outstanding numbers this year. He is 94/149 for 1,250 yards with 15 touchdowns and five interceptions. Johnson has also ran it in once. But [player_tooltip player_id="107258" first="Christian" last="Johnson"]’s contributions are not just limited to the offensive side of the ball. He has also played well at free safety. Johnson has 14 solo tackles and 16 total tackles. He has also defended against one pass. [player_tooltip player_id="107258" first="Christian" last="Johnson"] is an exciting player who can help the team in several different ways. [player_tooltip player_id="185177" first="Blake" last="Herdes"], 6’3, 185 pounds, Evansville Central [player_tooltip player_id="185177" first="Blake" last="Herdes"] has shown toughness at quarterback this season. Not only does he possess the ability to make the difficult throws. Herdes shows great calm when under duress. His highlight film shows several instances of him taking a hit but still delivering a good ball. Herdes has a good arm and he delivers the deep ball well. He sees the field nicely and can read the defense. Through four appearances, Herdes has 473 passing yards. Herdes came up with a touchdown this season using his legs. [player_tooltip player_id="107220" first="Nicholas" last="Patterson"], 6’2, 275 pounds, Mooresville The Mooresville Pioneers have gotten off to a great start to the season at 4-1. A large part of the reason why would be the play of their starting quarterback [player_tooltip player_id="107220" first="Nicholas" last="Patterson"]. Patterson enters week six sitting third in passing yards in the state, but the attributes that he has shown on film show that he could continue to climb the charts. Patterson is an accurate passer who looks poised at all times. He has the ability to throw an accurate and on-time ball, with a great spiral, to any part of the field. His down the field throws are excellent as receivers seldom have to break stride or adjust to the ball. Patterson is outstanding at making good throws while in motion. [player_tooltip player_id="107220" first="Nicholas" last="Patterson"] checks all of the boxes that a coach would want in their quarterback. So far this year, he is 93/135 with 1,442 yards. Patterson has tossed 20 touchdowns and thrown only four interceptions. He also has a 79-yard completion this season. Patterson has also added two rushing touchdowns, making his resume that much more impressive. [player_tooltip player_id="185194" first="Riley" last="Buroff"], 6’4, 175 pounds, Churubusco [player_tooltip player_id="185194" first="Riley" last="Buroff"] matches discipline with skill when out on the field for Churubusco. Buroff does well going through his reads to find the right receiver. He is a mobile quarterback who can extend plays and buy time. Buroff’s running ability is a huge asset. He has four rushing touchdowns and has recorded a 54-yard carry this year. Through the air, Buroff is 27/41 for 387 yards. He has thrown five touchdown passes to three interceptions. [player_tooltip player_id="185194" first="Riley" last="Buroff"] is a quarterback that I can see making a big push in the second half of the season.