Senior QBs Shine During Palmetto Combine Lower State

Ian Guerin May 9, 2022 @ 08:45 PM

Saturday’s Palmetto Combine finale at Summerville’s John McKissick Field was packed with highlights and sensational performances, both in the events and the position-specific drills. Maybe none of the garnered more attention than the quarterbacks. A four-pack of Lowcountry signal callers, two from the Pee Dee/Grand Strand and two from the Midlands put on a show throughout, as each of them found a way to stand out among the talented crowd. That was important, but when it comes to selecting a quarterback for the state’s all-star games later this year, the coaching staffs of both the Shrine Bowl of the Carolina’s and the Touchstone Energy Cooperatives Bowl will have a solid crop to pick from. Here’s what we saw with the eight who were in attendance. We’re breaking them down alphabetically, so don’t read any more into the order in which they’re listed. Garret Diemel, May River - Region VII-4A is going to have to adjust to a completely different quarterback at May River. The Tennessee transfer will be replacing Touchstone QB [player_tooltip player_id="259957" first="Garvin" last="Douglas"], a run-first player who rushed for more than 1,600 yards and 20 touchdowns. Diemel, meanwhile, is more of a true pocket quarterback. He shifts his 6-foot-2, 190-pound frame well and can get the ball to the sideline in a hurry. Brooks Lemke, Wando - While Lemke could still move back to the outside, he was working out with the quarterbacks for a reason after starting at receiver a year ago. He’s quicker than he might look and has a good feel for the position. He lacks height at 5-foot-9 and isn’t overly big at just 160 pounds. But he held his own against a much more seasoned group. [player_tooltip player_id="91143" first="Drew" last="Moore"], Goose Creek - We’re not saying that Moore is an NFL-ready quarterback. But we’d be remiss if we didn’t mention that his 9.5-inch hand measurement Saturday didn’t tell us something about where he could be headed. After losing two of his best weapons from last season, Moore will be counted on to do even more this season. And since he’s already a 6-2 and 170 pounds, he’s finding ways to take advantage of his size. [player_tooltip player_id="268432" first="Dylon" last="O’Neal"], Westwood - At 5-foot-9 and 190 pounds, O’Neal had to do a little something extra to make his presence felt. The lefty didn’t disappoint. He rolls his body into his throws and his 72-inch wing span is considerably more than his height. His technique on the run was among the best of the bunch, especially on footwork drills in which he had to navigate blocking pads on the ground. The Richland Northeast transfer could make waves early this fall [player_tooltip player_id="89345" first="Zolten" last="Osborne"], Fort Dorchester - Osborne took home offensive MVP honors after an extremely well-rounded effort. That was a positive sign not just for him - he was nervous about how he’d perform in this setting - but also for a Fort D offense that is losing a ton of its biggest weapons. Osborne is our top-ranked quarterback in the class, and we saw no reason to change that after he excelled in nearly every facet of the combine. [player_tooltip player_id="202739" first="Scott" last="Saylor"], Carolina Forest - This is not the same quarterback who took a beating last fall and ended up missing the team’s playoff game. Saylor has put on considerable weight after his injury. His arms and legs are both stronger, and he had a zip on his throws that wasn’t necessarily there in 2021. He’s also faster and led every player in the position in the broad jump. [player_tooltip player_id="89346" first="Hudson" last="Spivey"], Pee Dee Academy - Spivey is big, and he was considerably bigger than everyone else at the position. Several coaches who don’t watch SCISA ball were asking around about him all day. That made sense after the 6-foot-3, 227-pounder dwarfed several of his position mates and then ran a sub-5 40-yard dash. Every one of his speed drills came in under the average for the quarterbacks. [player_tooltip player_id="199432" first="Tanner" last="Staton"], Brookland-Cayce - Staton looks like he’d be a ferocious outside linebacker. And while we haven’t seen it in person, there’s little doubt he’d be able to thrive there. Staton’s offseason has clearly been spent in the gym. He put up the highest vertical leap of any player in attendance, regardless of position and ran a position-best 4.69 in the 40. Staton could be even better than his eye-popping junior season.