2024 Young Guns – Part I

If you like watching guys throw the deep ball – you need to get out and watch some Minnesota high school football the next two seasons. The 2024 class has a lot of talent who can get the ball deep down the field and come into their junior seasons with plenty of varsity experience and success. Here is part one of a look at the young guns from the Class of ’24. [player_tooltip player_id="105379" first="Tanner" last="Zolnosky"] <strong>East Ridge</strong> I was first impressed with Zolnosky at the Minnesota Showcase, where he stood above every quarterback at the camp. Looking at his sophomore season highlights only enhanced my first impression. The Raptors’ quarterback has a cannon for an arm and can get the ball downfield even under pressure or on the run. He not only has the arm strength, but his accurate deep balls are just as impressive as his arm strength. His three-to-one touchdown to interception ratio shows his decision-making – even at a young age – is right where it should be. [player_tooltip player_id="105380" first="Darius" last="Jordan"] <strong>Rochester John Marshall</strong> To label Jordan as just a quarterback doesn’t encompass his entire value to his football team. While he has a strong arm and can make the throws, he is a multi-threat weapon. He has the mobility to throw on the run and to pick up yards with his legs. Jordan plays in the slot as a pass catcher and is a hard-hitting corner on defense. Assuming he settles in at quarterback, he already throws a good ball on intermediate routes. [player_tooltip player_id="242401" first="Milos" last="Spasojevic"] <strong>Minnetonka</strong> Like Zolnosky, Spasojevic has an impressive deep ball. He has the arm strength to get the ball downfield even when he is being hit and cannot step into his throws. Spasojevic’s accuracy on shorter routes -and his nearly 60 percent varsity completion percentage - shows he has some touch as well. He split time on varsity and JV but looks ready to take over full-time. He has good mobility in the pocket. He seems to move to buy time more than tuck the ball and run, but his feet allow him to find throwing lanes when a play starts to break down. [player_tooltip player_id="105394" first="George" last="Bjellos"] <strong>Woodbury</strong> The potential for some impressive bombs away shootouts in the metro area is high over the next two years. Bjellos is another young gun with the arm strength and accuracy to connect on the deep ball. He can make all the throws – short and mid-range – but his arm strength appears to be his strength. Bjellos moves well in the pocket but moves to find time and passing lanes more than he looks to run. That arm strength allows him to get a lot of velocity on the ball while on the move. With nearly a 60 percent completion rate and almost a six to one touchdown to interception rate, look for big things from the Royals’ sophomore. [player_tooltip player_id="241903" first="Charlie" last="Brandt"] <strong>Mahtomedi</strong> This might be getting redundant, but Brandt is another young guy who can load it up and get it down the field. He is not afraid to throw the deep-outs – he knows he has the arm strength to get the ball there on time. He doesn’t look as big as some of the other guys on this list, but his mobility in the pocket is not just to create time and space – Brandt ran some option last year and has the speed and instincts to hurt defenses with his legs.