Fab 50 Breakdowns: The Quarterbacks
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South Carolina produced a large number of high-end quarterbacks in 2022. We had pass-happy players who fit into their systems like a glove. Some forced defenses with their legs. And a very small number of them were true dual-threat guys…
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Continue ReadingSouth Carolina produced a large number of high-end quarterbacks in 2022. We had pass-happy players who fit into their systems like a glove. Some forced defenses with their legs. And a very small number of them were true dual-threat guys who opposing teams couldn’t slow down while they were on the field.
Each of the three quarterbacks selected to Prep Red Zone’s Fab 50 list this fall fit into that last category, sure, but they did so in spectacular fashion. What’s more, they were the undeniable leaders of three of the best teams in South Carolina this year.
Combined, their squads went 34-7. One ended the year with a state championship while the other two were still playing in the third round of the playoffs. All three were picked for the Shrine Bowl of the Carolinas and two of them were Mr. Football finalists. These guys exceeded expectations that were already lofty in their own unique ways.
Suderian Harrison, Woodland
Woodland received a small number of votes in the state’s preseason media poll in Class 2A. By Sept. 6, the Wolverines were inside the top 10 and there to stay. There might not have been a bigger reason than Harrison.
Week by week, the electric senior was a highlight reel waiting to happen in all three phases of the game. While he returned kicks (including one for a touchdown) and picked off a few passes (yes, he also had a pick-six), Harrison’s arm and legs meant no play was over until the whistle.
The likely college receiver or defensive back threw for 2,018 yards and 26 touchdowns and rushed for another 21 scores and 1,185 yards. All told, he accounted for 49 touchdowns, pushing the Wolverines into the third round of a very congested Class 2A playoff bracket.
Maybe none of his highlights showed his breadth like his performance against Cheraw in the second round of the playoffs. It only solidified his value in 2022.
Raheim Jeter Raheim Jeter 6'3" | 220 lbs | QB Spartanburg | 2023 State SC Spartanburg
There might not be a better indication that the trial-by-fire approach can work with young quarterbacks more than Jeter.
During the 2019 season, Greer made the decision to put their then-freshman onto the field and let him feel his way into the game. He did OK, throwing for 700 yards amid way too many interceptions for his liking. But after a transfer to Spartanburg, Jeter took the reins and then took off.
His high-profile high school career ended with 7,000-plus yards and 58 touchdowns passing and 900 yards and 23 touchdowns on the ground. Obviously, most of that came last year – when he finished just shy of a 3,000-yard passing campaign – and this fall, when he added another 2,700 total yards and 23 touchdowns to his career figures.
None of that can be put into the big picture, though, until you factor in that he was part of a road-rage incident that left a bullet needing to be removed from his leg during the offseason.
And, yet, we still got this.
LaNorris Sellers LaNorris Sellers 6'3" | 215 lbs | QB South Florence | 2023 State SC South Florence
Thanks to some terrific off-season access, we got eyes on a re-built quarterback – one that was squatting 500 pounds just months removed from an emergency surgery to repair bones in his shoulder and chest.
By June, he was spinning it better than he did pre-injury, and by August he had a fire in his eyes.
Boy, oh boy, did he ever unleash fury on the rest of the state.
Sellers’ senior season looked like something out of a video game, and he was a lock for a finalist spot for Mr. Football. He threw for 2,949 yards and 45 touchdowns, ran for another 1,337 yards and 18 touchdowns. What’s more, he had just two interceptions in 258 pass attempts and lost only two fumbles in 144 carries. He didn’t flinch in the Class 4A state championship, either.
In that win over Northwestern, he passed for 261 and five scores and rushed for another 191 yards and a touchdown. It was a perfect bow to a perfect season.