Northwest Indiana’s Must-See QBs: Part 1

The northwest portion of the state features many elite prospects. This is true at all of the positions, but, in particular, the quarterback position is stacked. Today, we break down some of the top quarterbacks that Indiana’s upper left has to offer. [player_tooltip player_id="322400" first="Dontae" last="Pope"], 6’1, 160 pounds, 2024, Gary West Side https://www.maxpreps.com/athlete/dontae-pope/3v3O27JREeqAzqREozo6lw/default.htm Right-hander [player_tooltip player_id="322400" first="Dontae" last="Pope"] is the playmaker that propels West Side’s offense. Pope gets plenty of air under his throws. Pope is a mobile quarterback, and he uses that mobility to his advantage. He can extend plays and take off with the ball when nothing is there. Pope makes good decisions and protects the football, as evidenced by the fact that he only threw two interceptions last year. During his sophomore season, Pope completed 25 of his 78 pass attempts for 441 yards and eight touchdown passes. He added 33 yards on the ground. [player_tooltip player_id="322400" first="Dontae" last="Pope"] showed last season that he has a high ceiling. This year, Pope will be a prospect to watch. Zack Hanchar, 5’10, 155 pounds, 2024, South Central https://www.maxpreps.com/athlete/zack-hanchar/dgwaQeIuEeqA0ZFtwg1OMQ/default.htm With his good arm talent and playmaking ability, Zack Hanchar has given South Central fans reason to be excited for what the next two years hold. Hanchar is a right-handed passer who throws a good deep ball. He can lead the receiver toward the goal line and hit him in stride. Hanchar is a running-threat, as well. He can extend plays and keep linebackers on their toes for the potential of him running the ball. Last year, Hanchar racked up 594 yards on 36/113 through the air. He threw seven touchdown passes and seven interceptions. Hanchar accumulated 126 rushing yards and one rushing touchdown on 17 carries. Peyton McIntosh, 5’7, 160 pounds, 2023, Lake Station Edison https://www.maxpreps.com/athlete/peyton-mcintosh/-x2EfcDqEemAzfp8ouYFiw/default.htm On top of being an elite passer, Peyton McIntosh contributes to the Lake Station Edison offense by filling multiple roles including as a runner. In 2021, McIntosh found the mark on 45 of his 107 passes, accruing 548 yards in the process. McIntosh threw three touchdown passes and five interceptions. On the ground, he showed that he can make plays any time he has the ball in his hands. McIntosh carried 83 times for 496 yards and nine rushing touchdowns. In three games this past season, he ran for 100 yards or more. McIntosh brings that same energy and effort over to the defensive side of the ball. Last campaign, he totaled 34 tackles with two tackles-for-loss, one pass defense and one fumble recovery. Two of the three phases already covered, McIntosh still finds ways to help the team, this time on special teams. He returned half-a-dozen kickoffs for 90 yards, and he blocked one field goal. [player_tooltip player_id="189136" first="Matt" last="Koontz"], 6’1, 2024, Hanover Central https://www.maxpreps.com/athlete/matt-koontz/zfc7ooc5EeqAzqREozo6lw/default.htm Dual-threat southpaw [player_tooltip player_id="189136" first="Matt" last="Koontz"] finds ways to give his team a spark. Koontz has a good arm, allowing him to work all parts of the field. When he needs to, Koontz has the mobility to escape the pocket and buy time while keeping his eyes downfield. If nothing is there, he is more than capable of tucking it and picking up yardage with his legs. Koontz has good speed, giving him more of an opportunity to create something when the play breaks down. Last year, Koontz amounted over 2,600 all-purpose yards: 1,871 passing and 740 rushing. He threw for 24 touchdown passes and ran for an additional 14 scores while throwing only seven picks. Koontz can also contribute on defense where he recorded a pair of interceptions and a fumble recovery. Nick Davenport, 6’0, 150 pounds, 2024, Whiting https://www.maxpreps.com/athlete/nick-davenport/Sxsi_8zp0U2Z_yXM3JwO0A/default.htm Nick Davenport is a right-hander who can use both his arm and his legs to hurt the opposing defense. Davenport has great mobility, and he can extend plays and make pass-rushers chase him, wearing them out and frustrating them in the process. On designed quarterback runs, Davenport follows his blocks well and exhibits good vision. Once he sees an opening, he can burst through and pick up a big gain. Davenport completed 150 of 249 passes last year. In doing so, he tallied 1,371 passing yards and eight touchdowns. He picked up 315 yards rushing and seven touchdowns. On special teams, Davenport blocked two punts, and he handled the team’s punting duties. He booted 33 punts for 1,061 punt yards with four punts inside the 20-yard line.