Level Up 7on7 Tryouts: The Gunslingers

IOWA-- The group of quarterbacks we got to watch at the Level Up 7on7 Tryouts were super fun to watch. The massive amount of talent in West Des Moines and Iowa City was off the charts and we found so many college prospects that in my opinion, are deserving of more recruiting attention due to the fantastic arm strength, touch balls, and much more. Here are seven quarterbacks that caught my eye most in our two-day scouting trip to West Des Moines and Iowa City! [player_tooltip player_id="104079" first="Tyler" last="Smith"] | QB | Sergeant Bluff | 2023 <img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-258373" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/redzone/uploads/2021/12/IMG_3985-rotated-crop-1512x993-1640632311-300x197.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /> There was a lot to like how Smith performed in Iowa City. This young man has a massive amount of arm strength it’s just so fun to watch in live action. He has has strong precision on where he is going with the football and has the ability to put the ball where only the pass-catcher can reach. Smith also has some solid mobility and regardless of the balance he has on the move, he still has the strong touch to get the ball where it needs to be. I also love the speed Smith releases the football with as even when he is under duress, he shows solid awareness to get the ball out quickly with defenders incoming. Tyler is being slept-on big time in my eyes, and only has one JUCO offer thus far and should be due for much more in the next 6 to 9 months. <a href="http://www.hudl.com/v/2GLAgX">Jr Tape</a> [player_tooltip player_id="104099" first="Peyton" last="Rottinghaus"] | QB | Urbandale | 2023 <img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-258376" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/redzone/uploads/2021/12/IMG_3966-rotated-crop-1435x943-1640632390-300x197.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /> Now for the last two years I have attended the Level Up 7on7 tryouts, Urbandale’s [player_tooltip player_id="104099" first="Peyton" last="Rottinghaus"] continues to shine. I just cannot get over this young man’s poise inside the pocket as his calm demeanor just sinks in so well before releasing the football. Peyton is a certified field general to say the least. His release is very fluid and he releases the ball with a great understanding on how much zip or touch needs to be on the football. Rottinghaus does a great job by having a plethora of throws he can make, short, medium, and long. He has the ability to extend the play with his legs and can be utilized in short yardage and late down situations. This young man is special, and should gather more Division I attention over the next few months because of his QB confidence, great poise, and leadership for the J-Hawks. <a href="http://www.hudl.com/v/2GHZk1">Jr Tape</a> [player_tooltip player_id="245608" first="Jack" last="Wallace"] | QB | Iowa City West | 2025 <img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-258383" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/redzone/uploads/2021/12/IMG_3974-rotated-crop-1435x943-1640632453-300x197.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /> Sometimes I watch so much film, I don’t even pay attention to the class some prospects are in, but once I found out that [player_tooltip player_id="245608" first="Jack" last="Wallace"] was just a freshmen I was super stoked to watch him in West Des Moines last Saturday. Wallace has excellent touch on the football and I would be willing to bet is the best Class of 2025 QB in the state of Iowa based on what I had watched on film. Not only does his upside outplay his age, he also has the measurables of a future Division I QB standing at 6’3 205 pounds with I’m sure plenty of strength that will continue to get developed over the next three seasons. Jack also has a strong, quick release that really gets the ball out quickly. Plus, if you like seeing a quarterback that will do whatever it takes to throw blocks at the second level of the field, I suggest all high level college coaches to take a look at this young man. I certainly think Wallace will be one of the first prospects in the Class of 2025 in the state of Iowa to get a scholarship offer as Jack already plays high level varsity football so college coaches already have a glimpse of where his talent level is. <a href="http://www.hudl.com/v/2GAZYn">Fr Tape</a> [player_tooltip player_id="104098" first="Jaxon" last="Smolik"] | QB | Dowling Catholic | 2023 Talk about a cannon for an arm, holy smokes was [player_tooltip player_id="104098" first="Jaxon" last="Smolik"] of Dowling Catholic slinging in last Saturday in West Des Moines. This young man has an arm that has so much juice in it whether it’s the touch, the ball placement, etc. that it looks so natural yet looks effortless. Smolik shows a great step-up motion when going over the middle of the field as he owns his pocket presence at such a high level. His vision all over the football field is what makes this young man Division I ready as his film shows little to no blemishes as far as touching all avenues going to either his right or left as far as his throws go. Plus, not to mention Smolik completed 65% of his throws in a shortened season in which I’m sure that percentage will grow higher going into his senior season for Dowling Catholic. <a href="http://www.hudl.com/video/3/12898680/619aa1f95ef7660b980c99e5">Jr Tape</a> Beau Bush | QB | Pella | 2023 <a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/redzone/uploads/2021/12/IMG_3963-rotated-crop-1435x943-1640632508.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-258385" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/redzone/uploads/2021/12/IMG_3963-rotated-crop-1435x943-1640632508-300x197.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /></a> One of the best lefty quarterbacks I have watched in-person in the Midwest in 2021, belongs to recent Pella transfer Beau Bush. Bush is a prospect I enjoyed watching his eyes maneuver in 1on1s as he showed a quick reaction to adjusting where he was going to throw the football without over reading the secondary. Bush does a great job of getting the ball out quickly when extending plays with his legs. The biggest development I can see with Bush on tape vs. in-person is to focus a little more on his precision and giving his wide receiver a solid window of opportunity to run and catch the football. His medium length throws show a good amount of touch, and he does hit his mark giving his wide receiver more of a cushion. He will need to develop more arm strength on his short throws as those fall a little under the radar as far his strength goes. Beau is another 2023 prospect that has scholarship-level measurables you do not have to worry about (6’3, 215). I will be intrigued to see how Bush makes the adjustment from playing 1A football to 4A this season. <a href="http://www.hudl.com/v/2GRVXw">Jr Tape</a> Vincenzo Gianforte | QB | Cedar Rapids Kennedy | 2025 Another prospect that showed a herd of upside bigger than his Class, was Cedar Rapid’s Kennedy’s Vincenzo Gianforte. He showed a great amount of skill when I watched his touch ball go to work in 1on1 drills. Watching his film, you see that consistently of him having terrific touch on the football. He will need to work on his footwork and getting better balance from what I watched on tape, however he looked to show improvement live and in-person and can bring that development into the offseason. Vincenzo also does a solid job of just hitting his spots where they lie, finding the gaps on the inside of the field and creating 6-12 yard passes that will where the secondary down. Gianforte also shows good leadership and can read the defense well and communicate with his wide receivers to make adjustments on the fly. <a href="https://www.hudl.com/video/3/16056693/617ef56034531601789f7f39">Fr Tape</a> [player_tooltip player_id="252224" first="Jett" last="Each"] | QB | Ankeny | 2025 In the limited reps I watched, I was a big fan of how well Jett threw the football with excellent touch in very tight windows. This young man shows on film, that he’s not afraid to air it out deep and has good arm strength for his class that can fit the ball in small areas. Each has only gotten his reps on the freshmen team for Ankeny, but I like this kid’s potential to come around even more for Ankeny in the coming years. <a href="http://www.hudl.com/v/2FjXXD">Fr Tape</a>