Beyond the Numbers – Quarterbacks

In this age of the spread offense it can be hard to tell by numbers alone where the elite talent is. Yeah, that QB from Zanadu Prep has 2000 yds this season but it was mostly swing passes and bubble screens, plus he had all day to throw because he has three O Lineman with D1 offers. Some players don’t have the luxury of elite structure and still get it done. Some have the support and shine brilliantly. &nbsp; <span style="font-size: 14pt;">DeAngello Conquest, So., Overbrook</span> 109/169 1585 yds, 17 TDs, 111.2 QBR <a href="https://prepredzone.com/new-jersey/rankings/2024-rankings/">PrepRedzone Position Ranking: #1</a> <img class="size-medium wp-image-228532 alignright" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/redzone/uploads/2021/11/20211030_110151-300x225.jpg" alt="DeAngello Conquest" width="300" height="225" /> I ran into DeAngello at a recruiting event at Temple this weekend, so I can verify the sophomore phenome is all of 6’3 and long limbed. You might expect a young QB to have a long delivery but DeAngello has a pretty quick release and is accurate to all areas of the field. He has a 65% completion percentage with 169 attempts as a sophomore, and were not talking the kind of offense that has him dinking and dunking. He’s averaging over 14 yards per completion on the season. While he has a great arm, the thing that impressed me most about his film was his touch and ball placement. He often put the ball just out in front of his receivers and away from defenders, allowing for ball security and run after the catch yardage. This is something I’d expect out of a senior prospect, putting DeAngello well ahead of the curve. College coaches will be lining up in September to offer this young man as he’s definitely the top QB of the 2024 class in my book. <a href="https://www.hudl.com/profile/15048188/DeAngello-Conquest">https://www.hudl.com/profile/15048188/DeAngello-Conquest</a> &nbsp; <span style="font-size: 14pt;">[player_tooltip player_id="28042" first="Marco" last="Lainez"] III, Jr., Hun </span> 69/88 1349 yds, 16 TDs, 149.6 QBR (7 games) [caption id="attachment_147353" align="alignright" width="300"]<img class="size-medium wp-image-147353" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/redzone/uploads/2021/05/marco-lainez-crop-610x400-1621851254-300x197.jpeg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /> Photo: Player’s Twitter Account[/caption] Marco is #28 in the state with 1349 passing yards as a junior. Well done you say. Well, he’s also done that on only 69 completions, in only 7 games. He also has a completion percentage of 78.4%, which is better than any other QB in the top 50. Do I have your attention? Marco has many attributes to be impressed by (he’s 6’3, 220 lbs by the way) but the one that stand out to me is his athleticism. He has the escapability of a QB 50 pounds lighter and whether on designed rollouts or in the scramble he keeps his eyes downfield for the big completion. As far as his arm goes, of course he can push it down the field as indicated by his over 19 yards per completion. I like the variety of routes he can throw as he can hit more advanced routes like the deep outs and corner routes. Marco is going to make some college OC very happy. <a href="https://www.hudl.com/profile/9825555/Marco-Lainez-III">https://www.hudl.com/profile/9825555/Marco-Lainez-III</a> &nbsp; <span style="font-size: 14pt;">[player_tooltip player_id="28051" first="Enzo" last="Arjona"], Sr., Northern Highlands</span> 91/144 1408 yds, 17 TDs, 120.4 QBR <a href="https://prepredzone.com/new-jersey/rankings/2022-rankings/">PrepRedzone Position Ranking: #14</a> Enzo is just fun to watch. I was especially impressed with his ability to throw on the run. I would say it’s off platform but it isn’t. <span style="font-size: 1rem;">His delivery still looks smooth and deliberate as he </span><span style="font-size: 1rem;">square his shoulders and delivers accurate passes.  Enzo has a short, compact throwing motion a la Michael Vick, which enables him to flick his wrist and push the ball 40 yards downfield while on the run. He’s especially deadly on post throws and has great anticipation to lead his receivers open. He’s also a legit threat to run as he’s had 553 yds rushing and two 100 yd rushing games this season. Click the link and enjoy!</span> <a href="http://www.hudl.com/v/2G1X4y">http://www.hudl.com/v/2G1X4y</a> &nbsp; <span style="font-size: 14pt;">[player_tooltip player_id="207203" first="Brevin" last="Cooney"], Jr., Ridgefield Park</span> 91/145 1636 yds, 21 TDs, 132.3 Brevin is a gunslinger. He’s constantly on the move, either on scrambles or designed roll outs and he still manages complete over 60% of his passes. These aren’t easy throws either. He’s constantly squeezing balls into tights spaces, often for touchdowns. For someone that has thrown 21 touchdowns and throws on the run you’d figure he’s thrown a lot of picks too. He’s thrown 3. 21 TD’s and only 3 picks. Sometimes the numbers do speak for themselves. I was also impressed with his ball placement, which allows for a lot yards after the catch for his receivers. Brevin is able to hit the advanced throws to the outside with accuracy, like deep outs and comebacks.  He’s also a threat to run, as he has two 90 yard rushing games on the season. <a href="http://www.hudl.com/v/2Fw9Ut">http://www.hudl.com/v/2Fw9Ut</a> &nbsp; <span style="font-size: 14pt;">[player_tooltip player_id="135813" first="Dean" last="DeNobile"], Sr., Morris Catholic</span> 109/173, 1568 yds, 17 total TDs, 114 QBR (7 games) <a href="https://prepredzone.com/new-jersey/rankings/2022-rankings/">PrepRedzone Position Ranking: #5</a> Dean is not just agile, he’s slippery as all get out. His film is filled with defenders missing him or having their ankles broken while Dean completes an improbable pass. He’s a heady QB that makes off schedule plays in the scramble like completing shovel passes and come backs that drive defensive coordinators insane. I believe he could legit run for 1000 yards if he wanted to, but he keeps his eyes downfield throwing darts to keep the Morris Catholic offense moving. When he stays in the pocket he has a talent for the deep corner route, a difficult throw for a High school QB but what’s more impressive is that he even completes it on the run. Those out throws tend to sail out of bounds, so he must put a lot of extra work in with his receivers to complete those passes. I think Dean athleticism fits in well with what modern college offense are looking for. <a href="http://www.hudl.com/v/2G1tA5">http://www.hudl.com/v/2G1tA5</a> &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;