Sophomore Standouts: QB’s
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Young QB prospects are some of the most fun players to track in the entire game of football. Specifically, within the state of Georgia, there have been plenty of Sophomore QB Standouts from the 2021 season. Some of these players,…
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Continue ReadingYoung QB prospects are some of the most fun players to track in the entire game of football. Specifically, within the state of Georgia, there have been plenty of Sophomore QB Standouts from the 2021 season. Some of these players, we predicted would be successful, and others, managed to make a name for themselves amongst the very talented Juniors, and Seniors in the state. Despite their competition, these players also found ways to make their way up the Passing Yards Lists, as well as additional QB Passing categories. Going into the 2022 football season, we fully expect them to take the next step in their playing careers, and to advance as players, potentially putting themselves in position to receive offers.
Aaron Philo- Prince Avenue Christian
Statistically, Aaron Philo was one of the biggest standout players in the entire state, regardless of position. In 2021, he led the entire state in passing with 4,540 yards in the air. This came with an average of 324.3 yards a game and a passer rating of 133.2 by the time the season concluded. With this, by the end of the year, he had also passed for 47 TD’s, and 14 interceptions within the span of 14 games. While this high volume of interceptions came with the great amount of passing attempts that he threw, we also expect him to take a step forward in decision making next season when paired with the explosiveness of his offensive weapons.
Jake Merklinger Jake Merklinger 6'3" | 180 lbs | QB Calvary Day | 2024 State GA – Calvary Day
Merklinger is perhaps one of the most fun prospects to watch in the 2024 class. Going into this year, we had high expectations for his season with Calvary Day, and we were not disappointed. In 2021, he led his team to a 12-1 record, in which his first loss of the year came in the playoffs to Fellowship Christian, in which they lost 24-14. Despite this loss, this does not discredit the fact the fact that he passed for an average of 193 yards a game, thus contributing to a season total of 2,513 yards. This same kind of success was also translated in the fact that he passed for 25 TD’s, and 8 interceptions. With the 2022 season on the way this upcoming fall, look for Merklinger to take a step forward in his game, and to become one of the most talked about players in his class.
Prentiss Noland Prentiss Noland 6'2" | 180 lbs | QB Langston Hughes | 2024 State GA – Langston Hughes
Many sites, including our own have had eyes on Prentiss Noland Prentiss Noland 6'2" | 180 lbs | QB Langston Hughes | 2024 State GA going into this year. Not only is he a young player that has plenty of tools and intangibles to be desired by scouts, but he has the growth potential to be a star player at the high school level in the years to come. This past season, he passed for 2,581 yards, with an average of 172 yards a game. More impressively, by the end of the year, Noland had not only led his team to the playoffs, but he had thrown for 34 TD’s, to only 7 interceptions. As the 2022 offseason is here, we would like to see him take steps in his progressions, decision making, as well as his arm strength on specific intermediate passes.
Jay Kanazawa– Schley County
In 2021, Jay Kanazawa passed for 2,478 yards, with an average of 206 yards a game. As a young player, he not only took steps to lead his team into battle, but his efforts helped his team to make it to the playoffs as well, in which they eventually lost to Metter High. In this season, he had thrown for a total of 27 TD’s, and 8 interceptions. proving that he is capable of leading his team efficiently. Next season, paired with his arm talent, we would like to see him work on his decision making, and accuracy.
Reece Fountain Reece Fountain 6'1" | 175 lbs | QB Rome | 2024 State GA – Rome
Going into this season, we expected Reece Fountain Reece Fountain 6'1" | 175 lbs | QB Rome | 2024 State GA to be one of the more successful young players in his class. He not only stepped up for Rome, but he had a strong season, passing for around 2,300 yards in the air, with an average of around 210 yards a game. In addition to this, Fountain also threw for 19 TD’s, to only 5 Interceptions. While many fans may view this as a small amount of TD passes compared to others in his class, we have kept in mind the efficiency of his game, and the running game surrounding him. Next season, we expect him to be able to take a big leap in his progression, physically, and in the way that he processes the game.