WI Prospect Tour Preview: Quarterbacks

It is Showcase week! I am jacked up, and I am ready to scout and provide in depth coverage of the best athletes from across WI! We kick off the showcase at 9 am on Saturday in Franklin, WI. You have until Wednesday to register for the event, so don’t miss out if you haven’t signed up. To save 10% use code johnsontour10. Before the event, I want to take the week leading up to it to highlight the top players at each position that I can’t wait to see live, and what I am hoping to see from each athlete. Let’s get it started, and make sure to check back after the event to see who the MVPs and Standouts were from each position! <strong style="font-size: 1rem;">[player_tooltip player_id="119282" first="Evan" last="Herbig"], ’23- Mukwonago (<a href="https://www.hudl.com/video/3/13339098/62436d0bbd6bf313703c203a">Evan’s Junior Highlights</a>)</strong> Evan will be one of the top QBs in attendance on Saturday. He currently sits inside the Top 15 at his position in WI. That is a high achievement as the Class of 2023 looks like it will be the deepest QB class that WI has put out in years. Possible ever. Herbig led Mukwonago to an 11-2 record and to the brink of a State Championship berth. Evan does it with a dangerous blend of arm talent and athleticism. He takes what the defense gives him and makes them pay. On Saturday of course I want to see him tear up the 1 on 1 battles, but where I will be tuned in first is to see how the athletic signal caller tests. He has run a reported 4.59 in the past, so if he can match or beat that he will have the place buzzing. Between the 40, broad jump, and pro agility we will get a good feel for what we can expect to see this fall when he keeps it on the ground. I’m expecting Evan to have a performance that pushes him up the rankings during our next update, and grabs a lot of attention from the next level. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="245940" first="Ben" last="Hanson"], ’23- Edgewood (<a href="https://www.hudl.com/video/3/12831514/6150b5fc4df5910514ce5cae">Ben’s Junior Highlights</a>)</strong> Breakout year incoming, and we get to be apart of it this Saturday. The 6’3" 197 lbs QB saw some varsity action last fall and thrived. With the other major contributor at QB moving on to the next level it is looking like Ben’s time to take over the helm completely. Edgewood is going to be in good hands. Ben has a big time arm, poise in the pocket, and has demonstrated consistent accuracy to every level of the field. Last December Hanson attended our Showcase in Elkhorn, WI and stood out with that big arm as he dropped dimes 25+ yards downfield. This Saturday I am going to be looking to see how he has developed this offseason. If he can build on his December performance, and junior film, you can bet he will continue to climb the rankings, and earn more attention from the next level. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="205778" first="Andrew" last="Mirek"], ’25- Oconomowoc (<a href="https://www.hudl.com/video/3/16205286/616c6cb3ab9c5603ac3b5d70">Andrew’s Freshman Highlights</a>)</strong> The freshman out of Oconomowoc attended our December Showcase, so I’m most looking forward to seeing how the freshman has grown and developed over the past 5+ months. This is going to be a player I follow closely at the camp and afterwards. The underclassman should be in the battle for QB1 this fall at Oconomowoc as the two leading passer from 2021 graduate at the end of this school year leaving the job open for the taking. One thing that Andrew has on his side, and something i will be following this Saturday is the athleticism to be a dual threat weapon. He runs a reported 4.65 40. That is game changing speed at the high school level. If he can hit those numbers on Saturday, as well as test well in the rest of the testing portion, there will be plenty of attention on the young man. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="217203" first="Luke" last="Novotny"], ’23- Milwaukee Marquette (<a href="https://www.hudl.com/video/3/13290002/6188790da680d70b843258ab">Luke’s Junior Highlights</a>)</strong> I’m pumped to see Luke in person for the first time. He currently sits on the doorstep of the Top 10 at his position and Top 50 overall. The 6’5" 190 lbs lefty pocket passer has a strong arm that allows him to attack 40+ yards downfield with velocity. The best part is that he isn’t just a big arm. He can control it. He completed 61% of his passes this past fall, and his film illustrates the touch needed to drop the ball into a pinpoint location. This Saturday I am excited to see Luke in the QB drills. I’m looking forward to watching his footwork, how well his lower and upper half work together, and to see the power and touch in person for the first time. I think Luke kicks off a productive camp season this Saturday. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="104992" first="Cade" last="Palkowski"], ’24- Oak Creek (<a href="https://www.hudl.com/video/3/14326601/6175eba8bed6e408542a4330">Cade’s Sophomore Highlights</a>)</strong> Another lefty I’m pumped to see live for the first time is the sophomore out of Oak Creek. It is my first live action, but I have heard about and watched Cade since his first varsity start in Week 1 of his freshman season when our Midwest Director of Scouting raved about him after watching him live. Cade has a compact, powerful 5’11" 180 lbs frame. He is able to create an eye opening amount of velocity on his passes with that powerful body and quick release. He is also a dangerous runner who will run past, around, or through defenders. Cade’s footwork in the pocket and outside it is so quick, and effortless. He is a natural athlete, and a gifted passer. That combination has earned him our QB2 spot in the Class of 2024. On Saturday, I have a feeling I am going to be seeking him out during each portion of the day. I want to see how he tests athletically. I want to watch that smooth footwork in drills, and I want to watch that arm work in the 1 on 1 battles. I think Cade has a great chance of being an MVP of the day if he comes out and does his thing. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="270637" first="Garrett" last="Sexton"], ’24- Arrowhead (<a href="https://www.hudl.com/video/3/14711589/6169bf07bd6b0e0b9cf5e5a1">Garrett’s Sophomore Highlights</a>)</strong> This is an underclassman that has a ton of potential, and I’m expecting to see a breakout this fall. The 6’6" sophomore has built himself up to 225 lbs this offseason. I’m looking forward to seeing how he looks in person, watching how quickly he can get the ball out of his hand, and how well he performs among a talented QB, WR, and DB group. The competition in the 1 on 1 portion of the day is going to be elite as we will see several talented athletes going head to head. I can’t wait to see how he stacks up among his peers in those battles. Garrett is preparing to make the leap to varsity this fall as he works towards taking over the starting spot at Arrowhead High School.