Who Is Next? Looking Ahead To Class 3A QB Prospects

For the past two seasons, Harlan’s [player_tooltip player_id="104082" first="Teagon" last="Kasperbauer"] has been one of the top quarterbacks in the state. Now, Kasperbauer is set to enter his senior season leading the Cyclones. But he is far from the only standout in the class at the position. Here is a look at the top seniors-to-be in Class 3A on the football field: <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="104082" first="Teagon" last="Kasperbauer"] - Harlan - QB - 6-2 - 185</strong> Harlan experienced perfection in 2021, as the Cyclones went 13-0 to claim the Class 3A state title. Leading the way for a team that posted over 40 points in 11 of those games was quarterback [player_tooltip player_id="104082" first="Teagon" last="Kasperbauer"]. The 6-foot-2 leader is as experienced as they come in the state. And it shows. Kasperbauer threw for over 2,500 yards as a sophomore, but also had 19 interceptions. A year later, he improved his completion percentage by over 15 points and cut the picks down to eight. That all went along with 46 touchdowns in the air and over 3,300 yards. With an incredible ability to quickly read defenses, Kasperbauer flexes a strong arm and perfect touch. He returns two 700-plus yard receivers and should again rank among the best in the state at QB. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="104079" first="Tyler" last="Smith"] - Sergeant Bluff-Luton - QB/S - 5-10 - 180</strong> Dual-threat quarterback [player_tooltip player_id="104079" first="Tyler" last="Smith"] helped Sergeant Bluff-Luton with a deep postseason run last year. Smith threw for over 2,200 yards and ran for another 511, racking up 32 total touchdowns - 24 of which came in the air. He completed 64 percent of his passes and had just five interceptions on 258 attempts. While he might look more the part of an "athlete," Smith has turned himself into a true quarterback. He saw limited action as a freshman before taking over the reins as a sophomore. It has been nothing but improvements with each season, displaying an accurate and strong arm while remaining a threat to run with the ball when the defense forces it. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="104084" first="Blake" last="Timmons"] - Solon - QB/S - 5-10 - 175</strong> For [player_tooltip player_id="104084" first="Blake" last="Timmons"] to take that next step up the ladder as an elite quarterback, the Solon junior will need to improve in one key area: completion percentage. But Timmons already has a leg-up on most of the competition in several other areas. As a junior, he ran for almost 900 yards and scored 10 touchdowns to go along with 1,553 in the air and 19 scores. Timmons threw only five interceptions, but completed just 48 percent of his passes. Solon made it to the state semifinals, and with an experienced Timmons at the helm this coming fall, another deep playoff run should be in order. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="152665" first="Mitchell" last="Johnson"] - Independence - QB/LB - 5-10 - 180</strong> While much of the focus on the Independence offense centered around [player_tooltip player_id="98692" first="Marcus" last="Beatty"], junior quarterback [player_tooltip player_id="152665" first="Mitchell" last="Johnson"] did more than just hand the ball off. Johnson threw for almost 1,500 yards and 22 touchdowns, adding another score with his leg. Beatty graduates and that should leave more of the offense to fall on the arm of Johnson. And he should be ready to deliver after completing nearly 57 percent of his throws. Johnson didn’t run as much as he needed to - or could have - last year, but that should definitely be more of the offense this coming fall. He is very athletic and rolls out nicely to both the left and right. Independence reached the state quarterfinals last fall.