Behind the Rankings: 2023 QBs

<strong>Get 25% off your subscription by entering AJ30 in the coupon code area. Enjoy!</strong> With our new rankings update out, it is time to start breaking down the position groups. Today, we will start with quarterbacks. This could be one of the deepest QB classes in recent Mississippi High School Football history from top to bottom, and we intend to cover everybody. Check out the rankings breakdown below. 1. [player_tooltip player_id="106161" first="Mack" last="Howard"] | Oxford After a dominate junior season at Heritage Academy, QB [player_tooltip player_id="106161" first="Mack" last="Howard"] elected to transfer to 6A state title contender Oxford High School. The gunslinging Utah commit threw for 3,475 yards and 47 touchdowns in his final season at Heritage Academy, cementing himself as our QB1 in this recent rankings update. Howard has a powerful arm capable of making all the throws downfield and flashes some athletic ability outside of the pocket. His accuracy is top of the class, completing 73% of his passes last season. It is hard to find many flaws to Howard’s game. The new Oxford quarterback is set to take 6A by storm. 2. [player_tooltip player_id="108938" first="Bray" last="Hubbard"] | Ocean Springs The 6A Mr. Football winner of 2022 checks in at the 2nd spot in our quarterback rankings this update. Hubbard entered the season as our 4th ranked QB, but his play on the field elevated him closer to the top. Hubbard is one of the best dual threats of the class, passing for 2069 yards and 30 touchdowns while rushing for an astounding 1259 yards and 22 touchdowns. Hubbard makes the Ocean Springs offense go with his huge arm and elite rushing ability. He thrives off creating off script plays and running the zone read game to near perfection. There might not be a more dangerous quarterback with the ball in their hands in the 2023 class. Hubbard is currently committed to Southern Mississippi for baseball, but lists football offers from Troy, Georgia State, Nichols State, and others. 3. [player_tooltip player_id="108930" first="Vic" last="Sutton"] | Madison Central Leading his team to a 6A state title as a junior, [player_tooltip player_id="108930" first="Vic" last="Sutton"] has proven to be a winner in Mississippi high school football ever since taking over the starting job. Sutton is a polished pocket passer with incredible rushing ability to pair with. He operates well off of play action and sets up huge deep shots to his speedy wide receivers. Making some jaw dropping throws downfield, it is easy to see that Sutton could have the most powerful arm in the state. He has elite deep accuracy and can thread the needle on passes over the middle. His game play is reminiscent of former South Panola and current Arkansas quarterback KJ Jefferson. While Sutton isn’t committed anywhere yet, he currently lists offers from Arkansas, Bowling Green, Memphis, and Virginia Tech among others. 4. [player_tooltip player_id="108931" first="Kaden" last="Irving"] | Gautier [player_tooltip player_id="108931" first="Kaden" last="Irving"]’s first year in the Air Raid offense felt like a week-by-week video game stat show. The 5A Offensive Player of the Year totaled 4,221 yards and 49 touchdowns in his junior season, shattering school records across the board. Irving is an impressive talent with a huge arm capable of throwing from a variety of angles. When scrambling in the backfield, Irving does a great job at keeping his eyes downfield and letting the ball zip to an open receiver. Irving showed great anticipation and threw into some hard to complete windows as well. Committed to play baseball at Ole Miss, only Central Arkansas has offered him to play quarterback at the next level, but that list should continue to grow. 5. [player_tooltip player_id="114386" first="Deljay" last="Bailey"] | Petal After finishing his season at Biloxi High School, rising senior [player_tooltip player_id="114386" first="Deljay" last="Bailey"] moved north to Petal High where he will play out his final season of high school ball. Bailey flashes some impressive physical tools as a pocket passer, equipped with a big arm and fast release. He operates well off of play action and has a smooth drop back to his game. What stands out most about his game is his ability to process the field and stay calm in the pocket. Bailey enters this coming season as yet another premier passer in a deep 6A class. He currently lists offers from Akron, Southern Miss, South Alabama, Austin Peay, and Tennessee State. 6. [player_tooltip player_id="108932" first="Will" last="Loy"] | Wesson Starting since his freshman season, QB [player_tooltip player_id="108932" first="Will" last="Loy"] has put up big time numbers every year he has played. Although his junior season wasn’t as dominant as his sophomore season, Loy is still one of the top passers in the state. He has great arm strength and anticipation downfield, and has smooth lower body mechanics to him. Loy threw well downfield this past year, but showed overall improvement to his abilities in the quick and intermediate game. Loy currently lists an offer from hometown Copiah Lincoln Community College with lots left to prove as a senior. 7. [player_tooltip player_id="294539" first="Grey" last="Hale"] | Newton County A new addition to the rankings, quarterback [player_tooltip player_id="294539" first="Grey" last="Hale"] came on in a big way during his junior year. The Newton County product completed 66% of his passes for 2126 yards and 18 touchdowns in his first full season starting. Hale is a confident passer in the pocket who shows the ability to stay in the pocket until the last second while the rush gets in his face. He does a great job at leading his receivers to open grass and delivering accurate strikes downfield. In addition, he has some added mobility that make him a threat in the run game. While he currently lists no college offers, Hale should turn some heads during his senior campaign. 8. [player_tooltip player_id="340775" first="Paxton" last="Thompson"] | Jackson Prep One of the top passers in the MAIS, rising senior [player_tooltip player_id="340775" first="Paxton" last="Thompson"] completed 65% of his passes 2885 yards and 26 touchdowns in his first year starting for Jackson Prep. Thompson is a pro style passer who does a great job at reading the field and finding his open man. He throws the ball with a lot of power behind it and can make all the throws in the book. Although he isn’t a runner by design, Thompson has some mobility to him and can pick up a first down or two with his legs. Currently listing no offers, Thompson is a candidate to watch this upcoming season to draw college attention. 9. [player_tooltip player_id="340822" first="Ty" last="Davis"] | Itawamba Agricultural Completing 62% of his passes for 2,570 yards and 25 TDs, [player_tooltip player_id="340822" first="Ty" last="Davis"] was one of the top stand out passers in 4A this past season. Davis has prototypical frame at 6’3" 205 and has great control of his offense. A 2 time MVP, Davis has made the Itawamba offense go for two years straight now. He has a great presence in the pocket and understanding of route concepts, as well as great accuracy downfield to go with it. Davis currently lists offers from Northwest, Coahoma, and East Mississippi Community College, but that list should continue to grow with time. 10. [player_tooltip player_id="108937" first="Ty" last="Murphy"] | Euphora One of the most efficient passers in 2A, Euphora’s [player_tooltip player_id="108937" first="Ty" last="Murphy"] checks in at number 10 in our new rankings. The gunslinging quarterback had a dominant season last year and will look to replicate success this year as a senior. Murphy has a live arm and knows how to read a defense. He shows off impressive ability to stand in the pocket and escape when needed. Murphy has value as a runner as well when the pocket breaks down and can create big plays on his own. He currently lists an offer from Holmes Community College.