Five Quarterbacks that Caught My Eye

As many of you know, I took a full-time teaching position and have not had the time to actively post week in and week out. However, I’ve kept a close eye on the North Carolina high school football scene this fall and there are some guys that came across my radar. In this series (Written over Winter Break) I’ll break down some guys from each position that made an impression this fall. First up, the quarterbacks. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="105939" first="Joshua" last="Jones"], 6’1 190, 2023- Westover</strong> Jones was a guy whose name I heard from multiple sources in the offseason. With a compact throwing motion and a strong arm, Jones is one of the better deep ball throwers in the state. He has speed, but still keeps his eyes downfield when he escapes the pocket. He flew up our 2023 rankings and should see his college prospects improve with a full offseason to hit the camp circuit. <a href="http://www.hudl.com/v/2GUG8H">After putting up nearly 3000 total yards and 36 touchdowns as a junior</a>, he’s firmly on the radar of colleges around the state. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="131246" first="Amari" last="Odom"], 6’3 170, 2023- Panther Creek</strong> Odom took over as starter in the spring, putting up fairly impressive numbers in the shortened season before breaking out this fall. Odom averaged nearly 300 total yards a game and was a touchdown machine, tossing 40 to just 13 interceptions. Odom is raw as a passer, but his arm is as good as -- if not better than -- the best passers in the state. <a href="http://www.hudl.com/v/2Gc6Da">He has a rocket and isn’t afraid to show it off.</a> He has the tools to be an FBS quarterback, and this offseason I expect his recruitment to blow up. <strong>Daylin Lee, 6’3 185, 2023- Shelby</strong> There are several ways to pop up on scouts’ radars, but leading the state in passing, winning a state championship and breaking every school passing record in the books as a first-year starter might be the easiest. Those are just some of the things Lee did during his 3800-yard, 50-touchdown breakout season. I’m most impressed with his composure as no matter the situation or opponent, <a href="http://www.hudl.com/video/3/13082996/61c0c37a7bd33303e0ae06fc">he looks like the calmest player on the field, always in control.</a> He doesn’t make a lot of noise in the pocket and his footwork is relaxed. It allows him to deliver accurate, catchable passes. It’s a big reason why he completed over 65 percent of his passes while still averaging over 15 yards a completion. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="149773" first="Alonza" last="Barnett"], 6’ 195, 2022- Grimsley</strong> Admittedly, I’m a bit late to the party on Barnett. I’d seen him throw in a few spring camps and came away impressed, but was blown away by his accuracy against top competition. <a href="http://www.hudl.com/v/2GKwNq">He made some truly impressive throws against a variety of coverages.</a> He excels on deep throws over the middle, mainly on crossers and seam routes, but he can also throw on the run and outside the numbers. <strong>Luke Harvey, 6’ 185, 2022- Cary Christian</strong> Harvey doesn’t get the recognition he deserves, partly because of the league in which his team plays. He has a really strong arm and can make all the throws. <a href="http://www.hudl.com/v/2GQjhe">He’s shown the ability to go through his progressions and make throws to his second and third reads.</a> He has enough athleticism to avoid rushers in the pocket and throw on the run. Harvey is a guy more people should know about.