2024 Stat Monsters: Passing Leaders in Illinois

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Quarterbacks play a pivotal role in an offense's success. As we've seen recently elite quarterbacks can take a team from good to great. One of the key ways to identify a great quarterback is by looking at their stats, and seeing how productive they are on the field. After that, their mechanics and leadership will seal the deal on whether they can claim an elite status. Here are some of the quarterbacks who dominated the stat sheet last season:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["271286"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"u003cstrongu003e2022 Season Stats:u003c/strongu003ernrnu003cstrongu003e2500 Passing Yards - 67% Completion - 758 Rushing Yards - 36 Total Touchdownsu003c/strongu003ernrnWith one of the most impressive stat lines that I have seen in Illinois, [player_tooltip player_id='271286' first='Robert' last='Battle'] is truly a stat monster in the pocket. After looking through his film and stats, it is no wonder why he was able to lead East St. Louis to a State Championship. With him completing over 3,000 yards of total offense, it is fair to say that Robert is an offensive machine. With an incredibly high completion percentage, Robert has proved that he is a strong decision-maker and elite passer. The most impressive stat is the 36 touchdowns he accounted for throughout the season. On film, Robert is capable of taking the ball anywhere on the field. From the deep ball to quick game, Robert can seemingly do it all. On the ground, Robert is a blazing-fast runner with the athleticism to break ankles and break away at the same time. Just from what I have seen, Robert is going to be one of the biggest prospects to come out of Illinois next year. I wouldn't be surprised to see him lead the Flyers on another deep playoff run next season.","_player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_1_player":["333919"],"_player_evaluations_1_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_1_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_1_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_1_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_1_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_1_evaluation":"u003cstrongu003e2022 Season Stats:u003c/strongu003ernrnu003cstrongu003e2687 Passing Yards - 66% Completion - 500 Rushing Yards - 24 Total Touchdownsu003c/strongu003ernrnOn paper, [player_tooltip player_id='333919' first='Caden' last='Casimino'] from Crystal Lake South High School dominated defenses through the air and on the ground. With him compiling over 3,000 yards of offense throughout the season, it is fair to say that he was a nightmare for defensive coordinators to prepare for. With Caden completing his passes at such a high clip, he proved that he was able to make good decisions on the field and wasn't going for the big play if it wasn't there. His tape showcased that he was able to make good decisions and place the ball perfectly on all parts of the field with a smooth release and great body control. On the ground, Caden was fearless with the ball in his hands when he ran between the tackles. From everything I saw from his junior campaign, it is clear that he will be an absolute force going into his senior year. The Fox Valley better watch out for the Crystal Lake South's high-powered offense led by Caden, big things are coming.","_player_evaluations_1_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_2_player":["161346"],"_player_evaluations_2_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_2_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_2_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_2_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_2_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_2_evaluation":"u003cstrongu003e2022 Season Stats:u003c/strongu003ernrnu003cstrongu003e2651 Passing Yards - 67% Completion - 109 Rushing Yards - 38 Total Touchdownsu003c/strongu003ernrnDennis Mandala is another quarterback who enjoyed a big-time season in 2022. Throwing for a big 2651 passing yards throughout a football season is no easy feat. What's more impressive than that is Dennis completed his passes at a very high clip throughout the season. Between these two stats alone, it is clear that Dennis can drive his offense down the field and not force the ball into bad situations. Dennis also accounted for almost 40 touchdowns over the season. Looking at his stat line, Dennis was good for almost three touchdowns a game, making him the major player in his team's success. Dennis moves with poise in the pocket and has no problem setting up his receivers with easy passes. From everything I have seen from Dennis, I am not surprised that he was named a member of the 2022 3A All-State Team. With a big off-season, I am sure that Dennis is going to set himself up for another big season this year.","_player_evaluations_2_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_3_player":["353997"],"_player_evaluations_3_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_3_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_3_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_3_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_3_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_3_evaluation":"u003cstrongu003e2022 Season Stats:u003c/strongu003ernrnu003cstrongu003e2241 Passing Yards - 57% Completion - 36 Total Touchdownsu003c/strongu003ernrnMt. Zion's [player_tooltip player_id='353997' first='Makobi' last='Adams'] is another stat monster at quarterback. Coming off of a big junior season, Makobi has shown the potential to dominate defenses at an impressive clip. With Makboi averaging almost 230 yards a game, it is clear that he can get the ball moving at a high clip. With a solid completion percentage, Makobi proves to make good decisions and can get his receivers the ball effectively. The most impressive stat out of all of this is that Makobi threw for 32 touchdowns and rushed for another four. This stat line alone proves that he can finish drives and lean his offense into the endzone at a very impressive rate. On film, Makobi has impressive arm strength and has no problem dropping the ball into a bucket downfield. With him not having to sacrifice accuracy for distance, it is clear that Makobi can manufacture big plays for his high-powered offense. With the trajectory that he is on, I would expect him to finish out his high school career towards the top of the stat boards in Illinois.","_player_evaluations_3_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_4_not_in_database":["not_in_db"],"_player_evaluations_4_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_4_player_details_selected_featured_image":"","_player_evaluations_4_player_details_selected_featured_image":"field_62cca28ffa4e7","player_evaluations_4_player_details_player_name":"[player_tooltip player_id='354273' first='Braylon' last='Grayson']","_player_evaluations_4_player_details_player_name":"field_62aba4c9ecf2f","player_evaluations_4_player_details_graduating_class":"2024","_player_evaluations_4_player_details_graduating_class":"field_62aba4ddecf30","player_evaluations_4_player_details_height":"6'1u0022","_player_evaluations_4_player_details_height":"field_62aba4e8ecf31","player_evaluations_4_player_details_position":"2409","_player_evaluations_4_player_details_position":"field_62aba4f0ecf32","player_evaluations_4_player_details_school":"Althoff Catholic","_player_evaluations_4_player_details_school":"field_62aba4fdecf33","player_evaluations_4_player_details_club_team":"","_player_evaluations_4_player_details_club_team":"field_62d20e723441a","player_evaluations_4_player_details":"","_player_evaluations_4_player_details":"field_62aba4afecf2e","player_evaluations_4_evaluation":"u003cstrongu003e2022 Season Stats:u003c/strongu003ernrnu003cstrongu003e1985 Passing Yards - 61% Completion - 236 Rushing Yards - 20 Total Touchdownsu003c/strongu003ernrn[player_tooltip player_id='354273' first='Braylon' last='Grayson'] is a dual threat stat monster from Althoff Catholic High School. With his season stat line being one of the highest in Illinois for the class of 2024, it is no wonder why his offense was able to do some impressive things in 2022. With him accounting for over 2,000 yards of total offense, Braylon has proven that he can get the ball moving on paper. With his completion rate trending towards the top end of the boards, Braylon shows that he can make good decisions and get the ball moving through the air with ease. Lastly, accounting for 20 touchdowns ina given season is no small task, Braylon proves that he can lead offense down the field and get the job done. From everything that I have seen from Braylon, I would not be surprised to see him have a big senior season. If he continues to follow this trend, he could be one of the most sought-quarterbacks in Southern Illinois.","_player_evaluations_4_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_5_player":["168907"],"_player_evaluations_5_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_5_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_5_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_5_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_5_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_5_evaluation":"u003cstrongu003e2022 Season Stats:u003c/strongu003ernrnu003cstrongu003e1776 Passing Yards - 60% Completion - 292 Rushing Yards - 32 Total Touchdownsu003c/strongu003ernrnComing out of Glenbard South High School, [player_tooltip player_id='168907' first='Michael' last='Champagne'] is another stat monster at quarterback. With over 2,000 all-purpose yards, Michael has proven that he can get the ball rolling by averaging over 200 yards per game. With a stellar completion percentage, Michael seems to rarely put the ball in harm's way. With Michael averaging over 3 touchdowns per game, he is one of the quarterbacks who knows how to finish big drives and get points on the board. On tape, Michael is an artist at placing the ball anywhere on the field. No matter if the ball is thrown deep downfield, or immediately, Michael can hit his targets with ease. With his impressive stat line and big time film, I would not be surprised to see Michael continue to stack up stats going into next year. Big things are coming from Glenbard South and their offense in the 2023 season.","_player_evaluations_5_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_6_player":["271786"],"_player_evaluations_6_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_6_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_6_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_6_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_6_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_6_evaluation":"u003cstrongu003e2022 Season Stats:u003c/strongu003ernrnu003cstrongu003e1492 Passing Yards - 63% Completion- 205 Rushing Yards - 31 Total Touchdownsu003c/strongu003ernrnEdwardsville's [player_tooltip player_id='271786' first='Jake' last='Curry'] is another quarterback who has no problem getting the ball moving on the offense. With him collecting over 1,600 yards over the course of the season, I see a lot of potential in what he is capable of doing next season. The stat that stands out to me the is that he was able to generate over thirty touchdowns this last season. With him being a big play threat, Jake is capable of getting the ball downfield in chunks at a time, giving his offense a chance to score on almost every drive. As a thrower, Jake has a very natural throwing motion that allows him to heave the ball downfield and place the ball accurately for his receivers. On the ground, Jake is sneaky fast, who can take it to the house if you let him. from everything that I have seen from Jake, I wouldn't be surprised if he took Southern Illinois by storm next season.","_player_evaluations_6_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations":7,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"edit","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-63ee5c0d03e55"} /-->