Scouting Profiles: Top 2024 Georgia QBs, Part I

Here at Prep Redzone, we pride ourselves on widening our coverage and providing readers with the most in-depth and analytical information on the market. That means taking a look at each player we highlight and dive into what makes them such a good prospect.   Here, we kick off a multi-part series where we take a look at each 2024 Georgia QB that we have ranked here at Prep Redzone and see what makes them special.   [player_tooltip player_id='165716' first='Jake' last='Merklinger']   High School: Calvary Day   Height/Weight: ~6'3 200~   Offers: Florida, Auburn, Arkansas, Georgia Tech, UCF, Louisville, Duke, and others.   Scouting Report   Widely considered one of the best QB prospects in the country. Last season, completed 70% of his passes while throwing for 2500 yards and 25 TDs-8 INTs. He also rushed for 300 yards and scored 11 times on the ground. When comparing his 2021 numbers to his 2020 numbers, Merklinger greatly improved as a decision maker and took care of the ball extremely well. A dual-threat QB that is a touchdown threat every play with his arm and his legs. As a passer, he has an incredibly strong arm and delivers the ball with tons of accuracy. Merklinger is more of a drive ball thrower but does show the ability to put some touch on the ball and attack all levels of the field. Still, he is best when he is rocketing the ball into tight windows and getting the ball to open receivers quickly. In the pocket, he shows the ability to stand tall in the face of pressure and does a great job of keeping his eyes downfield when extending the play. He shows great mechanics in the pocket and does an outstanding job of setting his feet and bringing his hips through to add more velocity on his passes. In the running game, he is athletic enough to be used in the designed run game and is not afraid of contact. In fact, I would say he welcomes it. Merklinger has the physical tools, but he also sees the field extremely well and makes quick decisions. Merklinger is a bonafide P5 football prospect that has the tools and mental awareness to develop into an NFL prospect in the future.   Player Comparison   Derek Carr - Las Vegas Raiders   [player_tooltip player_id='321436' first='Jakhari' last='Williams']   High School: First Presbyterian Day School   Height/Weight: ~6'3 190~   Offers: Boston College, Pitt, Virginia Tech, Coastal Carolina, Troy, Georgia Southern, and Georgia State.   Scouting Report   Athletic signal caller coming off a breakout season where he finished with around 2000 total yards of offense and 20 TDs. He also protected the ball exceptionally well. Following his breakout season, Williams has picked up some traction on the trail and is considered by some as one of the best QB prospects in the 2024 class. On film, you could definitely argue that Williams is one of the most athletically gifted QBs in the class. Not only does he have elite running ability, but he also has tons of arm talent. In the passing game, he has one of the best deep balls in the state and does an outstanding job of making the touch throws and hitting his receivers in stride. He has outstanding mechanics in the pocket, but he can also throw on the run and off-platform extremely well. He can occasionally throw without setting his feet, but most of the time his receiver is open enough to get away with it. Most of the time, he is calm and in complete control of the game when he can stand in the pocket. In fact, I would say that is one of his best qualities. He has a longer over-the-top release and the ball flies out of his hand very naturally. As a runner, he is able to go through, over, and around defenders almost effortlessly. He is also able to extend the play when things break down and keep his eyes downfield. Williams has a great frame with room to fill out. As he gets stronger and continues to add more arm strength, Williams should continue to develop into a major P5 QB prospect with NFL-type potential.   Player Comparison   Jalen Milroe - Alabama   [player_tooltip player_id='321460' first='Aaron' last='Philo']   High School: Prince Avenue Christian   Height/Weight: ~6'2 195~   Offers: UCF, Arkansas State, and Toledo   Scouting Report   Had big shoes to fill as he had to replace UGA QB signee Brock Vandagriff. Even with that added pressure, Philo had an unbelievably productive season where he threw for 4500 yards, 47 TDs, and 14 INTs. Philo led the state in passing yards. Even with the sheer volume of passing attempts, Philo was extremely accurate and efficient as he completed 72% of his passes. When you turn on the tape, Philo is blessed with the ability to attack all levels of the field. He has a quick release and is a quick decision-maker who has tons of confidence as a passer. When you watch his film, he makes some unbelievable throws into really tight coverage and puts the ball to where only his receiver has a chance of catching it. Occasionally this means that he will force some throws and turn the ball over, but more often than not his play style and confidence works in his favor. In the pocket, Philo can get a little flustered under pressure, but he shows the ability to extend plays with his legs and is not afraid to sacrifice his body to make a big play. When he sits back in the pocket and has time to throw, he can deliver any throw right on the money. However, I would argue that his best quality is the ability to create outside of the pocket and make throws on the run. With another huge season, Philo should continue to see his stock rise and should put himself in position to play at a high level of college football.   Player Comparison   Bo Nix - Oregon   [player_tooltip player_id='332440' first='Judd' last='Anderson']   High School: Jones County   Height/Weight: ~6'6 215~   Offers: Ole Miss, Pitt, and Toledo   Scouting Report   Anderson is a physically impressive prospect who has a high ceiling. Played last year in a predominately run-based offense, and will now get a shot to showcase his arm even more as he transfers over to Jones County. At 6'6 210, there are few QBs at any level that can match his size, and Anderson still has room to grow. When you compare his spring film to his game film from last season, it is clear that Anderson has grown a lot as a passer and just overall looks better. Anderson throws a very catchable spiral and does an outstanding job of hitting his receivers in stride. He possesses a fluid, over-the-top release which allows him to put nice touch on the ball and layer the ball over the top of defenders. His tall frame also helps with his ability to survey the field and attack all levels. For his size, he is fairly athletic and is able to move around in the pocket very well. He shows decent footwork in the pocket and has an elite ability to throw on the run. On film, he shows the ability to make some crucial throws like the back shoulder and the fade route, as well as attack the short and intermediate game. Anderson has two years to get bigger and stronger, and with that, he will continue to add strength and elevate his game to another level. He has multiple P5 offers, and chances are he will add a lot more over the next few seasons.   Player Comparison   Trevor Lawrence - Jacksonville Jaguars

Here at Prep Redzone, we pride ourselves on widening our coverage and providing readers with the most in-depth and analytical information on the market. That means taking a look at each player we highlight and dive into what makes them such a good prospect.