Sooner State Shootout: Top 18U Quarterbacks

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><em>Get 25% off your subscription by entering Knight25 in the coupon code area. Enjoy!</em></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Sooner State Shootout is in the books and it was a fantastic weekend of football in Broken Arrow! 65 teams from 8 different states came and&nbsp;<strong><a href="https://prepredzone.com/2023/02/sooner-state-shootout-recap/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">four would walk away with championships in their respective divisions</a></strong>. In this post, I'm going to take a look at the top quarterbacks from the 18U division. There were plenty of gunslingers in this division but these guys were the best of the best. Keep it locked in to Prep Redzone for more content on the 18U division as well as the other divisions. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='334118' first='Colton' last='Howard'] - 2024 - Sooner 7 (Sapulpa)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>One of the things we have always liked about the Sooner 7 program is their desire to play as many players as possible. They brought three 18U teams this weekend and all three had multiple quarterbacks that impressed. But [player_tooltip player_id='334118' first='Colton' last='Howard'] helped lead his Sooner 7 squad to the 18U championship on Sunday. Along with Lincoln Christian's [player_tooltip player_id='127357' first='Luke' last='Milligan'], these two were outstanding throughout the weekend. Howard continues to impress us after a fantastic junior season with the Chieftains. His confidence seems to continue to sky rocket every time he steps on the field. Steady improvement in all areas is what we see from Howard. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Drew Paulakovich - 2024 - STFFA (Park Hill South)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>It was hard not to be impressed with 2024 quarterback Drew Paulakovich throughout the weekend while he played for STFFA. In fact, it was hard not to be impressed with that whole organization as they came out and played really well in all of the different divisions they had teams in, including two semifinalists in the 18U division. Paulakovich passes the eye test and that's the first thing that jumps out when you watch him. He's tall, has a strong arm and does a good job of moving the ball down the field. I personally have seen STFFA a few times this offseason now and I'm looking forward to seeing them and this 2024 QB standout in the future. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='242231' first='Grady' last='Adamson'] - 2025 - Northwest Elite (Deer Creek)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>We've made no secret about how talented the 2025 quarterback class in Oklahoma is right now and [player_tooltip player_id='242231' first='Grady' last='Adamson'] is part of that group at the top that continues to impress. Adamson not only earned his spot on this breakdown from what I watched of him this weekend, but he impressed several other writers that we had at the event and was one of the consensus top players at the quarterback position. Adamson has an absolute rifle and had some of the best passes of the weekend when it comes to down the field and keeping that accuracy and staying away from trouble. Fresh off a breakout sophomore year, Adamson is playing really well. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='154215' first='Jackson' last='Bergt'] - 2024 - West Side Elite (Newcastle)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A quarterback I didn't get to see much of myself throughout the weekend but heard very positive reviews was 2024 [player_tooltip player_id='154215' first='Jackson' last='Bergt'] from West Side Elite. The Newcastle standout impressed throughout the two days in Broken Arrow with his ability to stand tall in the pocket and pick a defense apart. He put the ball where only his wide receiver could get it and he showed a really good variety with his passes and was just as happy to throw short to keep a drive alive as he was to pass down field for a big play. Either way, Bergt was making things happen for their offense and he continues to be a 2024 name to know within Oklahoma's QB class.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='211556' first='Jamarian' last='Ficklin'] - 2025 - Sooner 7 (Muskogee)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>I was bouncing around from field to field throughout the two days so I didn't see as much of [player_tooltip player_id='211556' first='Jamarian' last='Ficklin'] as some of the other quarterbacks. But honestly, I didn't have to when it came to the Sooner 7 standout from Muskogee. Everything I did see of Ficklin was outstanding. He might be at the very top of the list when it comes to the best deep ball from a quarterback in attendance this weekend. Ficklin was on absolute fire and his teams were putting up some serious numbers on the offensive side of the ball. This was our first chance to see the Muskogee product in person during the 7v7 season and he did not disappoint. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='432374' first='Kevin' last='Sperry'] - 2025 - C4 (Rock Hill)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>We had some really impressive quarterbacks and specifically 2025 quarterbacks in attendance but the most accomplished of the bunch would be [player_tooltip player_id='432374' first='Kevin' last='Sperry'] from Rock Hill in Texas. While playing with C4, Sperry was putting the ball all over the place and really impressed some of the other media members in attendance. Sperry's offer list continues to grow and one recruiting analyst made the comment that Sperry could be on his way to being one of the top overall quarterbacks in the country for the 2025 class. He definitely impressed every time we saw him in person this weekend and was a no brainer selection for this breakdown. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='110745' first='Knox' last='Dyson'] - 2024 - 918 Elite (Owasso)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>2024 quarterback [player_tooltip player_id='110745' first='Knox' last='Dyson'] has had quite the high school journey and we're looking forward to the final chapter as he enters his senior season with Owasso. Dyson once again played with 918 Elite over the weekend and continued to throw absolute darts all over the field. The arm strength that Dyson has is always impressive and he showcases his accuracy really well with passes down the field. Dyson has always been on our radar since his freshman season and he had a good junior season with Beggs. He seems to have a lot of momentum going right now and is trending in the right direction. His recruitment could take off this summer and fall. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Nate Neal - 2025 - #EAT Elite (Bartlesville)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>We mentioned the 2025 quarterback class in Oklahoma a few times already and one of the names we're keeping an eye on moving forward is Nate Neal from Bartlesville. We've also made no secret about liking Bartlesville and specifically their 2025 class because of the young talent they have. Neal and the Bruins went through some growing pains last fall but we think they are turning the corner. And we like that he's playing with almost all of his teammates with #EAT Elite as they look to get more reps together in the offseason. Throughout the weekend, Neal showcased his arm strength but also made plenty of plays underneath. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='311218' first='Russel' last='Dugger'] - 2023 - OBoyz (Catoosa)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='311218' first='Russel' last='Dugger'] was one of the rare 2023 prospects out in Broken Arrow and getting some run over the weekend. He was playing with the OBoyz and the Catoosa product continued to be really impressive throwing the ball in the 7v7 setting. I watched Dugger quite a bit last offseason and he always impressed us then as well. This weekend, he helped the Oklahoma City-based OBoyz team to a 3-0 start after pool play and on Sunday he shared quarterback reps with two other quarterbacks. Dugger has good feet and showed off an accurate arm every time we saw him. Nothing wrong with the 2023 signal caller getting some competition in. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='188014' first='Shaker' last='Reisig'] - 2025 - Sooner 7 (Union)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Another 7v7 tournament and another stellar performance from 2025 signal caller [player_tooltip player_id='188014' first='Shaker' last='Reisig'] with Sooner 7. The Union standout continues to be one of the best quarterbacks in the state every time we see him in person. As we've mentioned in the past, he is one of the more accurate throwers of the football and never seems to make any mistakes. He has a great understanding of the offense he's running and as several writers mentioned, he does a great job of anticipating where his guys are going to be at all times and puts the ball where they can go make a play. We've seen Reisig a ton over the last year and we rarely have any negative feedback. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->