2023 Stock-Risers: Quarterback Breakdown

Our end of Spring rankings update is upon us, giving us the opportunity to reevaluate and restructure our rankings. The spring update is one of the bigger updates we do, since it follows a time in which we get to watch a large quantity of players. We went to multiple camps, spoke with dozens of coaches and sources and watched hours of film. After all of that, it’s understandable that we have some shakeups in our rankings. Over the next week, we’ll focus on the rising seniors. First up, the quarterbacks. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="117098" first="Connor" last="Clark"], 6’6 210- Cardinal Gibbons (No. 2 QB, No. 29 overall)</strong> The spring evaluation period provides opportunities to players that may play in offensive systems that don’t quite showcase their full potential. For Clark, that’s the case. The 6’6 southpaw has solid film, but his (successful) ground and pound offense limits some of his opportunities. What stood out to me was his body control. He’s obviously got the size, but the way his feet, hips, shoulders and arm work in conjunction is impressive. He moves well and throws accurately on the run. He’s flying under-the-radar, but with his skill, grades and work ethic, it’s only a matter of time before the offers arrive. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="131246" first="Amari" last="Odom"], 6’5 175- Panther Creek (No. 5 QB, No. 42 overall)</strong> Odom isn’t just a standout on the football field, but on the basketball court as well, where he focused most of his efforts this spring. He was a prospect that we discussed at length and eventually decided to completely reevaluate. Upon second look, his film impressed us more than it initially did and his size and athleticism are undeniable. He’s obviously a college prospect, but we’re interested in which sport wins out for the Panther Creek Male Athlete of the Year. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="105939" first="Joshua" last="Jones"], 6’ 190- Westover (No. 6 QB, No. 45 overall)</strong> Every once in a while we fall in love with a prospect and move him up the rankings. Then he puts on a ridiculous performance and we have to go back and admit we didn’t move him up enough. Such is the case with Jones, who we’ve liked for a while. He went to the Elite 11 regionals and put up a region-best 95.70 athletic score. His 4.25-second shuttle and 39-inch vertical would have placed him in the top 15 of all prospects in attendance at the 2022 NFL combine. The athleticism is there and the passing has improved greatly this offseason. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="288313" first="Jack" last="Mercer"], 6’2 190- Northern Guilford (No. 7 QB, No. 52 overall)</strong> Mercer’s name has been tossed around as a stock riser candidate over the last few cycles and while his film is impressive, I wanted to see him throw live. We got that chance at our Stock Up Showcase and were blown away by his arm talent. Mercer has a cannon, and the mechanics are clean enough to eliminate any concerns of being "too raw". He’s accurate, completing 64 percent of his passes and he’s no slouch on the ground, with over 350 yards and six touchdowns as a junior. Watch for him this fall, because he’s added some good weight and has really improved his footwork this offseason. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="144704" first="Sean" last="Boyle"], 6’1 175, Charlotte Catholic (No. 14 No. 91 overall)</strong> I’m still not convinced we moved Boyle up enough on the rankings. If fact, I’m almost positive we didn’t. Still, his talent is undeniable. The Charlotte commit continues to improve his already solid mechanics and accuracy and I’m coming around on his arm strength. He has no issues fitting the ball into tight windows. The main concern on tape is that he isn’t asked to make many "college throws" or read many coverages, but he seems to do really well in that aspect of the game during camps. He’s a guy I may decide needs to move up drastically in the coming months, should he continue to have a strong offseason.