23′ Rankings: QB Breakdowns Pt. 1
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Over the next few months we’re going to be diving into our rankings positional breakdowns to highlight every single student athlete received the honor of being ranked. We’ve added over 300+ prospects to our class of 23′ rankings with another…
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Continue ReadingOver the next few months we’re going to be diving into our rankings positional breakdowns to highlight every single student athlete received the honor of being ranked. We’ve added over 300+ prospects to our class of 23′ rankings with another 100+ added to the watchlist. If you feel like you should be ranked fill out our FREE Prospect Player Index which not only gets you on our radar but also college coaches’ radar’s as they can contact you straight off your account as it’s NCAA Approved. Enough said, we’re diving into part one of our positional rankings breakdowns starting with the quarterbacks. Let’s dive into it.
Josh Holst Josh Holst 6'4" | 180 lbs | QB Marengo | 2023 State IL Twitter
Mr. Holst was a name I had on my radar heading into this fall season and one that I was watching closely over the course of the season where he didn’t disappoint. He’s projected as a pro style quarterback at the next level that can, if need be, pull the ball down to scramble if nothing is open downfield. This young man can work both in platform and out of platform to keep the chains moving. When working in platform, he navigates the pocket well as he steps up to deliver a strike downfield and can add a touch on the deep ball while getting the ball off under pressure. When working out of platform, he escapes pocket pressure and makes the throw on the run with his upper/lower half working in unison to keep the chain moving. This young man can add easy velocity across all level throws (level 1, level 2, and level 3) and has the ability to extend plays. He does so by surveying the field while evading pocket pressure where he’s able to find an outlet to keep the chains moving. If there’s nothing open downfield this young man can pull the ball down to scramble to gain a few yards on the play. I believe this young man has a good foundational skill set as he looks towards his senior season campaign. In my eyes, he has the potential to become an FBS caliber prospect as he continues to develop his craft and is currently sitting as an FCS caliber prospect given his current skill set. Highlights
Jake Stearney Jake Stearney 6'3" | 185 lbs | QB Loyola Academy | 2023 State IL Twitter
Mr. Stearney is a name I had circled coming into this fall season as he’s one of the top quarterbacks in the state. I got the chance to scout his 8A Semi Final game online and analyzed his full season highlights. He’s projected as a pro style quarterback at the next level that can, if need be, pull the ball down to scramble. He did showcase glimpses of his mobility when he would pull the ball down to scramble when either the pocket collapsed or nothing was open downfield. That being said, he can work both in platform as well as out of platform. When working in platform, he can add a touch on the ball across all levels and gets the ball off under pressure while he climbs the pocket. When working out of platform, he escapes the pocket pressure and makes the throw on the run with his upper/lower half working in unison. This young man can also add easy velocity across all level throws (level 1, level 2, and level 3) and sells play action well getting the linebackers to bite down leaving a gap in the middle of the field which he takes advantage of. When he’s running RPOs he can get the ball out quickly. His ability to extend plays is one to keep an eye on as he keeps his eyes downfield to look for an outlet and if nothing is open he can pull the ball down to scramble. Here, we get glimpses of his ability to keep his feet driving while fighting for extra yards on the play. In my eyes, he has the potential to become an FBS caliber prospect and is currently sitting as an FCS caliber prospect with his current skill set. Highlights
Tyler Fikis Tyler Fikis 6'0" | 175 lbs | QB Hampshire | 2023 State IL Twitter
Mr. Fikis is a name I had on my radar over the last two seasons and one that I’ve become a big fan of. I didn’t get the chance to catch one of his games this fall season but I did get the chance to analyze his full season highlight and see his development. He’s projected as a dual threat quarterback at the next level that could potentially get transitioned into a different position. I personally, like him as a dual threat quarterback but I wouldn’t be surprised if teams at the next level wanted to try him out at receiver or halfback as he has that next level speed to succeed at either position. This young man’s legs are a legit threat to the defense and once he breaks contain it puts stress on the opposing defense. This, in turn, sucks the defender up to take away his legs thus leaving a hole in the defense which this young man exploits when working out of platform. As he’s working out of platform, he keeps his eyes downfield to find an outlet and once the defense sucks up he delivers a strike downfield while throwing on the run to keep the chains moving. When he’s working in platform, he can make level 3 throws where he adds a touch on the deep ball and gets the ball off under pressure. His mobility comes to light when he runs the option as well as when he pulls the ball down to scramble. Upon doing so, he can bust through the line of scrimmage as well as weave in and out of defenders in open space. This is where his next level gear is showcased as he can outrun pursuit angles as well as blow by 2nd level defenders. I believe this young man would flourish in an RPO heavy style offensive attack where you can utilize both his passing strengths as well as his mobility, he also has room to add to his frame without losing a step. In my eyes, he has the potential to become an FBS caliber prospect and is currently sitting as an FCS caliber prospect with his given skill set. Highlights
Mark Mennecke Mark Mennecke 6'1" | 190 lbs | QB Neuqua Valley | 2023 State IL Twitter
Mr. Mennecke is a lefty quarterback that I’ve been keeping an eye on over the last few seasons and one that continues to impress. I got the chance to catch moments of his games during his team’s playoff run where he gives his all, so much so he’s willing to put his body on the line to help give his team a win. He’s projected as a dual threat quarterback at the next level that gets it done both in platform as well as out of platform. When working in platform, he can navigate the pocket to get the ball off under pressure and add a touch on the deep ball. When working out of platform, he escapes the collapsed pocket where he’ll survey the field and deliver a strike downfield while his upper/lower half work in unison as he throws on the run. This young man can also add easy velocity across all level throws (level 1, level 2, and level 3). His mobility is showcased when running the option as well as when he pulls the ball down to scramble. Here, he fights for extra yards by keeping his feet driving and isn’t afraid to play through contact. What’s most impressive is his ability to make something out of nothing where he can take a broken play and turn it into a net positive gain – both in the air attack and by scrambling. When he’s utilizing quick game, he can get the ball out quickly hitting bubble screens and can add zip on the ball when doing so. In my eyes, he has the potential to become an FBS caliber prospect and is currently sitting as an FCS caliber prospect with his given skill set. Highlights
Ryan Dawson Ryan Dawson 6'4" | 210 lbs | QB Downers Grove South | 2023 State IL Twitter
Mr. Dawson was a name I had on my radar coming into this fall season and one that I was eager to see how he would produce with a full season under his belt. I sadly didn’t get the chance to scout any of his games in person but I did analyze his full season highlights and compare them to where he was at last season. He’s projected more as a pro style quarterback at the next level that can, if need be, pull the ball down to scramble and he can work both in platform as well as out of platform. When working in platform, he navigates the pocket well to get the ball off under pressure and can add a touch on the deep ball. When working out of platform, he escapes the collapsed pocket where he keeps his eyes downfield looking for an outlet and makes the throw on the run by flipping his hips along with his upper/lower half working in unison. This young man can also add easy velocity across all level throws (level 1, level 2, and level 3) and can extend plays. When extending plays, he can either find an outlet downfield to keep the chains moving or pull the ball down to scramble when the play is broken. When he decides to pull the ball down to scramble, this young man isn’t afraid to lower his shoulder to play through contact and has a quick initial burst to him which gives him a step on the defensive lineman that try to bring him down. I believe this young man has a good foundational skill set to him and possesses the ability to make his mark during his senior season campaign. In my eyes, he has the potential to become an FBS caliber prospect and is currently sitting as an FCS caliber prospect with his given skill set. Highlights
Elijah Owens Elijah Owens 6'2" | 200 lbs | QB Jacksonville | 2023 State IL Twitter
Mr. Owens was a name that has been on my radar for some time now and one that has been picking up attention as of late – which is great to see. I sadly wasn’t able to get a chance to scout this young man in person or catch any of his games online but I was able to analyze his full season highlights as well as compare where he’s at now to where he was the previous seasons. He’s projected as a dual threat quarterback that can make his impact felt in both the air attack and the ground game with his mobility. This young man can also get it down both in platform as well as out of platform. When working in platform, he can navigate the pocket to get the ball off under pressure finding his man on a deep shot downfield. When working out of platform, he escapes the pocket pressure and can make the throw on the run with his upper/lower half working in unison. This young man can get the ball out quickly when running RPOs and can add easy velocity across all level throws (level 1, level 2, and level 3). What makes him even more of a threat is his ability to extend plays, where he can deliver strikes downfield or showcase his mobility on, broke down plays. His legs are a legit threat to the defense which forces the defenders to get sucked up leaving a hole in coverage which he exploits to keep the chains moving. Once in open space, he showcases his elusiveness by making the first defender miss as he scrambles for extra yards on the play. This young man has continued to hone his craft and improve season after season, I’m excited to see how he produces during his senior season campaign. In my eyes, he has the potential to become an FBS/FBS PWO caliber prospect and is currently sitting as an FCS caliber prospect with his given skill set. Highlights
Demir Ashiru Demir Ashiru 6'2" | 175 lbs | QB Plainfield North | 2023 State IL Twitter
Mr. Ashiru was a new name to me this season and is one of a few prospects in the Top 100 that has a very high upside with their potential which is why he’s ranked so high. I didn’t get the chance to scout this young man in person but after analyzing his full season highlights it’s evident he can become a hot name on the rise after his senior season campaign. I personally like him as a quarterback where he puts stress on the opposing defense when he works in platform as well as out of platform. When working in platform, he does a good job of navigating the pocket well where he can step up to get the ball off under pressure just in time to avoid a sack. When working out of platform, he escapes the pocket pressure and keeps his eyes downfield to keep the chains moving by making a throw on the run. What’s most impressive is his ability to make something out of nothing where he has pressure coming from all sides and showcases his elusiveness to not only escape but come away with net positive yardage on the play – both with his legs and finding his man downfield. There are a few question marks on his arm strength and ability to consistently hit the deep ball downfield as it wasn’t showcased much on his highlight tape, however, there is a strong case to be made that upon a full season of production we could be having the conversation of how this young man was overlooked. I believe he’s going to have a breakout season during his senior campaign and will end up on a lot of radars as a result. In my eyes, he has the potential to become an FCS caliber prospect that is currently sitting as a D2/NAIA caliber prospect given his current skill set and limited film. Highlights
Robert Jones Robert Jones 6'3" | 180 lbs | QB Oswego East | 2023 State IL Twitter
Mr. Jones was a name I was keeping an eye on heading into this fall season as he was making a start for a new team. I got to catch the end of his playoff game and analyzed his full season highlights. I personally like him as a quarterback where he makes his impact felt in both the air and ground attack adding versatility to his offense. When he’s working in platform, he can navigate the pocket to get the ball off under pressure and when he works out of platform he can escape pocket pressure to find his man downfield by surveying the field as he makes the throw on the run. This young man can add easy velocity across all level throws (level 1, level 2, and level 3) and can get the ball out quickly when running RPOs. His mobility is showcased when running the option as well as quarterback design runs where he showcases a quick initial burst through the line of scrimmage. Upon doing so, he can weave in and out of defenders in open space and if nothing is open downfield he can pull the ball down to scramble. What I’m interested to see out of this young man heading into next season is how consistent he can be with making throws on the run when working out of platform because, at times, during his postseason game I caught a glimpse of he was just a tad bit off target. Highlights
Teegan Davis Teegan Davis 6'2" | 170 lbs | QB Princeton | 2023 State IL Twitter
Mr. Davis was a newer name to me heading into this fall season and one I’m happy I came across. I didn’t get the chance to scout any of his games in person or online but I did get a chance to analyze his full season highlights. He’s projected as a dual threat quarterback at the next level that can get it done in both the air attack and the ground game. His legs are a legit threat to the defense as he has that next level gear to outrun pursuit angles as well as blow by 2nd level defenders and can use his lateral quickness to turn the corner. Once he clears the first level, he showcases his elusiveness by making defenders miss in open space as well as weaving in and out of defenders. This young man can also pull the ball down to scramble if nothing is open downfield. When he’s working out of platform, he can escape pocket pressure. This puts the opposing defense in a bind as they have to decide are they going to stay in coverage downfield or are they going to get sucked up to stop this young man’s legs. If they get sucked up, this young man is able to find his man downfield to keep the chains moving as there’s now a hole in coverage. When working in platform, he can navigate the pocket to get the ball off under pressure making level 3 throws where he adds a touch on the deep ball. I believe with a full season production with him at the helm of this offense he’s going to gain traction to his name. In my eyes, he has the potential to become an FCS caliber prospect and is currently sitting as a D2/NAIA caliber prospect with his given skill set. Highlights
Grant Dersnah Grant Dersnah 6'5" | 190 lbs | QB Palatine | 2023 State IL Twitter
Mr. Dersnah was a new name to me during this fall season and one that I was surprised I missed. I didn’t get the chance to scout this young man in person or catch any of his games online but I did analyze his full season highlight tape and he has some impressive plays on there. He’s projected as a pro style quarterback that can, if need be, pull the ball down to scramble to keep the chains moving and does a good job working both in platform as well as out of platform. When working in platform, he navigates the pocket well where he can step up to deliver a strike downfield while getting the ball off under pressure. When he’s working out of platform, he evades pocket pressure and keeps his eyes downfield to find an outlet on the play. Here, he can either find his man downfield or pull the ball down to scramble. What’s most impressive, is his ability to make something out of nothing on a broken down play. There are a few plays at the beginning of his highlight tape where it looks like he’s going to be sacked for a loss but this young man had a different idea in mind as he showcases his elusiveness to avoid the pressure. As he’s doing so, he keeps his eyes downfield surveying the field and once he does he’s able to make the thrown on the run with his upper/lower half working in unison. I believe this young man still has untapped potential yet to come to light and as we’re in this off season we’re going to get a chance to see some of that potential come to light during his senior season campaign as he continues to hone his craft. In my eyes, he has the potential to become an FCS caliber prospect and is currently sitting as a D2/NAIA caliber prospect. Highlights
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