Junior Standouts: Passing Yards Leaders

During the 2021 season, plenty of players stood out for their team on a statewide basis. Perhaps, one of the most exciting categories to track is that of passing yards, which is also the QB’s who have managed to dominate their competition through the air, while also proving that they are a force to be reckoned with. Last season, plenty of Junior QB’s stepped up for their teams, making even bigger strides from what they had achieved as Sophomores, and have further delivered on any previous expectations that fans may have had for them. Below, we have listed the top 5 passing yards yards leaders in Georgia’s 2023 class. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="34009" first="Dylan" last="Lonergan"]-</strong> <em>Brookwood</em> Without surprise, [player_tooltip player_id="34009" first="Dylan" last="Lonergan"] comes in as the top returning Junior passer in the state, as well as the biggest standout at the QB position last year. Lonergan finished the season with a total of 3,392 yards in the air, along with 32 TD’s. With this, Lonergan only saw 3 interceptions all season, which is very impressive considering the high level of talent in which his team faced all season long over the span of 13 games. By the end of the season, he not only led his class in passing yards throughout the state, but he also had an impressive total of 260.9 yards a game in the air, as well as a total of 234 completions by the end of the season. Going into next year, we fully expect Lonergan to continue to be the top QB in the state within his class, as well as be able to perform to a level that helps him climb the charts nationally, providing him with incredible opportunities to play at the next level. <strong>Jai’que Hart-</strong> <em>Lithia Springs</em> When it was all said and done, Hart came in at the 2nd ranked passer in his class last season. By the end of the year, Hart had passed for 3,082 yards, proving that he was one of the best talents in his class at the QB position in the state of Georgia. Hopefully in 2022 he will receive the proper attention to reflect such things. Regardless, Hart also had a very solid season, as he threw for an average of 256 yards a game, and 30 TD's all season long. Hart also completed around 207 passes last year, making him a legit threat in the air. Next season, due to the 11 turnovers he had, we would like to see him take strides of development in his decision making. <strong>Armar Gordon Jr-</strong> <em>Perry High School</em> The third leader in passing in the 2023 class, Armar Gordon, managed to pass for over 2,990 yards last year, and continued to be a big piece of his team all season. By the end of the year, he threw for around 230 yards a game, further contributing to his success in the air all season. By the end of the year, Gordon managed to complete 207 of his 362, and witnessed himself pass for around 32 TD's. Due to the fact that Gordon threw 14 TD's, we would like to see him improve in the way he processes the game. If he can do this going into 2022, we don't doubt that he will have a great season. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="34071" first="Owen" last="Brooker"]-</strong> <em>Northwest Whitfield</em> Brooker had a silently successful season last year for Northwest Whitfield as he totaled 2,902 yards in the air, with an average slightly over 241 yards a game. In addition to this, he also passed for 25 TD’s, to only 7 interceptions, making him a productive QB, with a great amount to learn.  By the time the year ended, Brooker totaled 224 completions out of 362 attempts, passing for a percentage of .619. Because the 2022 season will be his senior year, we fully anticipate him to be able to take a stride in progression, and to take full advantage of it being his last season to make a playoff run, or push. <strong>Geimer Latimer-</strong> <em>Sandy Creek</em> Sandy Creek has been known for years to produce very high levels of talent, so the fact that Latimer made this list in itself is very impressive. As a Junior, he was not only one of the top passers in the state, but he was the fifth ranked passer in his class. By the end of the year, Latimer had accumulated a total of 2,792 yards in the air, with an average of 253.8 yards a game. In addition to this, Latimer had also achieved 169 completions throughout the duration of the season, out of 283 attempts. Along with this, it should also be noted that Latimer managed to do so over the span of 11 games. He also had a high level of success in the air, which resulted in 30 TD’s, to only 10 interceptions. Due to the fact that this is a 1/3 ratio, we would like to see this improve as he returns for his senior year.