Updated 2023 Rankings: It’s the Year of the Quarterback

If 2021 was the Year of the Offensive Linemen in New Mexico – and it was considering 10+ OL signed letters of intent to play college football – then 2022 is unequivocally the Year of the Quarterback. Four of the top six prospects in our updated 2023 rankings are quarterbacks, all from the Albuquerque metro region. And for good reason as all four (<strong>[player_tooltip player_id="137861" first="Aden" last="Chavez"]</strong>, <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="137862" first="Aidan" last="Armenta"]</strong>, <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="139521" first="Evan" last="Wysong"]</strong>, <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="137885" first="Paul" last="Cieremans"]</strong>) will play at the next level. Wysong, possibly the fastest player in the state, has already committed to New Mexico while Chavez and Armenta, both of whom are competing in the prestigious Elite 11, have Division I suitors. Armenta recently competed against some of the nation’s top quarterbacks at the Elite 11 Regional in Las Vegas while Chavez is headed to Nashville this weekend for the Elite 11 Regional and a scheduled visit to Vanderbilt, one of the programs that has expressed interest in the 6-foot-5 Chavez. Cieremans, who has been quiet about his recruiting, joined the 1,000-1,000 club in 2021 by rushing for 1,544 yards and passing for 1,347 yards. He’ll spearhead Los Lunas’ maiden voyage into Class 6A after leading the undefeated Tigers to the 5A title last November. Two more quarterbacks are ranked in the Top 50 in our updated 2023 rankings: <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="137884" first="A.J." last="Rivera"]</strong> (Albuquerque Academy) and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="269564" first="Ashton" last="Aranda"]</strong> (Lovington), arguably the top QB in southern New Mexico based on the numbers from the 2021 season. Six of the Top 10 quarterbacks from last season in terms of passing yardage return in 2022 – Chavez, Armenta, Rivera, 2025 prospect <strong>C.J. Perea</strong> (West Las Vegas), Aranda and Wysong. <strong>TOP 10 QUARTERBACKS IN UPDATED 2023 RANKINGS</strong> 1. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="137861" first="Aden" last="Chavez"], Cibola</strong>: Only QB in New Mexico to throw for more than 3,000 yards last season. Power 5 schools USC, Florida State, TCU and Washington State have extended camp invitations. 2. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="137862" first="Aidan" last="Armenta"], La Cueva</strong>: Nearly 2,700 yards and 28 TD passing to lead La Cueva to 6A semifinals. He was impressive at the Elite 11 Regional in Las Vegas, NV. 3. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="139521" first="Evan" last="Wysong"], Cleveland</strong>: Dynamic dual threat QB is FAST. But he’s also a very good passer and knows how to utilize the weapons around around him. The Storm will be a 6A title threat again. 4. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="137885" first="Paul" last="Cieremans"], Los Lunas</strong>: After joining the 1,000-1,000 club, he’ll challenge Wysong for the title of the No. 1 dual threat QB in the state. 5. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="137884" first="A.J." last="Rivera"], Albuquerque Academy</strong>: His 2,531 passing yards in 2021 were fifth highest in the state. His 70.4 completion percentage was second highest. He recently visited Washington University in St. Louis. 6. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="269564" first="Ashton" last="Aranda"], Lovington</strong>: Threw for 2,180 yards and an impressive 29 TD in leading the Wildcats to the Class 4A title in 2021. Lovington shouldn’t miss a beat with new crop of promising young receivers. 7. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="137890" first="Alejandro" last="Sapien"], St. Pius X</strong>: Threw for nearly 1,500 yards and completed 60 percent of his passes in 2021. The Sartans might throw the ball mor ein 2022 with bulldog RB Marcos Ybarra graduating. 8. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="208748" first="Ryan" last="Sharpe"], Bloomfield</strong>: Battled injuries last season but he’ a very heady quarterback. If he stays healthy, he could have a big senior season. 9. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="137916" first="Dane" last="Naylor"], Carlsbad</strong>: As the Cavemen prepare for their first season with a new head coach, Naylor will be the engine that drives the Carlsbad offense. He has some nice weapons to target in 2022. 10. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="269571" first="Elliot" last="Paskett-Bell"], Volcano Vista</strong>: Threw for 900 yards as Volcano Vista’s backup QB in 2021. He also rushed for 373 yards and caught 20 passes for 417 yards and 3 TD. The Hawks’ full-time QB gig should be his in 2021. https://twitter.com/AdenChavez08/status/1524098669523390465 https://twitter.com/AidanArmenta/status/1521987923528192001 https://twitter.com/WysongEvan/status/1520423218506436610 https://twitter.com/CieremansPaul/status/1466513962141315073 https://twitter.com/AndresAJRivera1/status/1516163252744601604 &nbsp;