Who are the Top QB's from the 2024 Watchlist?

The sophomore class has a ton of talent throughout its ranks, especially at the quarterback position. There were quite a few programs with sophomore quarterbacks who took the helm for their team's offense this season, with some leading their teams into the postseason. The <a href="https://prepredzone.com/colorado/rankings/2024-rankings/">class of 2024 watchlist</a> is out and it is time to shine the spotlight on the quarterbacks and highlight the top sophomore shot callers. [player_tooltip player_id="143622" first="Blake" last="Barnett"] is Erie's dynamic dual-threat QB who ended his sophomore campaign with a trip to the 4A state championship game. In his first full season, Barnett tallied 2,560 yards and 27 touchdowns through the air and 1,049 yards and 24 touchdowns on the ground. The Tigers hold a record of 16-1 with Barnett as the starting QB with the only loss coming in this past season's state title matchup against Chatfield. Barnett is arguably the best QB in his class and easily one of the top QB prospects in the state. <a href="http://iframe%20src='//www.hudl.com/embed/video/3/14525926/613cfef69a9c4b03d8e20d63'%20width='640'%20height='360'%20frameborder='0'%20allowfullscreen/iframe"><iframe src="//www.hudl.com/embed/video/3/14525926/613cfef69a9c4b03d8e20d63" width="640" height="360" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></a>   Grandview's [player_tooltip player_id="218297" first="Liam" last="Szarka"] is the dual-threat QB who led the Wolves to a 5A semifinal appearance in his first season as the team's varsity starter. He threw for 1,924 yards and 14 touchdowns and rushed for 506 yards and 10 touchdowns. He has a cannon for an arm, perfect for throwing bombs that allow his track star wide receivers to catch the ball in stride. Szarka is a phenomenal athlete who can make plays with his arm and his legs, two of the many reasons why he should be on everyone's radar. <a href="http://iframe%20src='//www.hudl.com/embed/video/3/14786601/616e06f5da5c1d08a4724bd3'%20width='640'%20height='360'%20frameborder='0'%20allowfullscreen/iframe"><iframe src="//www.hudl.com/embed/video/3/14786601/616e06f5da5c1d08a4724bd3" width="640" height="360" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></a>   [player_tooltip player_id="251264" first="Gage" last="Wareham"] found himself leading Montrose's offense to an undefeated regular season and a trip to the 4A semifinals. He threw for 1,069 yards and 10 touchdowns with only two interceptions and a 60 percent completion percentage this season, finishing with a 130.8 quarterback rating. If his stat-line shows anything, it is his ability to do a great job of taking care of the football and managing the game. Palmer Ridge turned to [player_tooltip player_id="251258" first="Derek" last="Hester"] this season and lost one game en route to a quarterfinal appearance. With the amount of speed and talent that the Bears have at receiver, Hester's arm strength makes him a perfect fit. He has the ability to rifle the ball into closing windows with pinpoint accuracy, which is also a testament to his footwork. Hester finished the season with 2,345 passing yards and 25 touchdowns in his first year as QB1 for the Bears. [embed]https://twitter.com/HollywoodDerek1/status/1465083858391502849?s=20[/embed]   Durango reached the second round of the playoffs with [player_tooltip player_id="147555" first="Tyler" last="Harms"] under center as the Demon's starting QB. He has quick decision-making and an even quicker release on his throws. His ability to put a nice touch on his deep passes allows for the ball to fall in the perfect spot for his receivers. Harms threw for 1,113 yards and 14 touchdowns as a sophomore, making him a must-watch player next season. [embed]https://twitter.com/TyHarms8/status/1464280801327996936?s=20[/embed]   [player_tooltip player_id="251263" first="Rylan" last="Cooney"] earned the starting job at Holy Family and finished the season with a trip to the second round of the playoffs. He is a dynamic athlete who uses his mobility to escape the pocket and extend plays with his legs. When scrambling, he keeps his eyes downfield to scan for open receivers and delivers accurate strikes on the run. He threw for 1,865 yards and 19 touchdowns and ran for 316 yards and two touchdowns. Cooney may be a little undersized, but he is a giant sleeper as a potential prospect. [embed]https://twitter.com/CooneyRylan/status/1462959029534490630?s=20[/embed]   Cheyenne Mountain's [player_tooltip player_id="251262" first="Bruce" last="Archambault"] was handed the keys to the offense this season, paying dividends to the program by helping the Red-Tailed Hawks reach the first round of the playoffs. One of the many things that stand out about him as a player is his accurate ball placement, including while on the run. Archambault is a talented young player with serious potential, completing the year with 1,255 yards and 20 touchdowns. <a href="http://iframe%20src='//www.hudl.com/embed/video/3/13347924/618d653c5caa7a0a6c117f57'%20width='640'%20height='360'%20frameborder='0'%20allowfullscreen/iframe"><iframe src="//www.hudl.com/embed/video/3/13347924/618d653c5caa7a0a6c117f57" width="640" height="360" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></a>   Other starting sophomore QB's to know: [player_tooltip player_id="251260" first="Frankie" last="Dardano"] | Denver North [player_tooltip player_id="143623" first="Blake" last="Palladino"] | Mullen [player_tooltip player_id="251261" first="Zjhonoah" last="Trujillo"] | Greeley Central [player_tooltip player_id="147160" first="Joaquin" last="Sandoval"] | Glenwood Springs [player_tooltip player_id="143640" first="Wyatt" last="Sprague"] | Holyoke