Who are Nevada’s 2024 QBs You Need to Know About?
Nevada’s 2024 class has no shortage of talent on offense. While there are talented skill players in the 2024 class, I think evaluators need to revisit the film of senior quarterbacks in the desert. Below, I have identified six quarterback…
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Continue ReadingNevada’s 2024 class has no shortage of talent on offense. While there are talented skill players in the 2024 class, I think evaluators need to revisit the film of senior quarterbacks in the desert. Below, I have identified six quarterback prospects who have the potential to send their recruitments skyrocketing with a dominant senior season.
Dakota Dunlap
Dakota Dunlap
Dakota Dunlap is set to have his best season yet as a senior for Reed High School. I have not seen much social media attention for Dakota, but as we say the film doesn’t lie. Watch for Dakota’s recruitment to rise as he helps Reed build off of last year’s playoff success.
Dakota’s speed as a ball carrier shows breaking into the open field on designed quarterback runs. Good touch shows leading receivers vertically in the face of pressure. Dakota’s anticipation shows in well-timed underneath throws that avoid defensive linemen attempting to bat his balls down.
Alonzo Balderrama Alonzo Balderrama 6’1″ | 180 lbs | QB Arbor View | 2024 NV is one of many prospects out of Arbor View High School. Alonzo visited UNLV in April. Look for him to visit more colleges in the region this summer.
Coaches like Alonzo’s combination of strength, size, and toughness displayed in his poise in the pocket. Alonzo’s accuracy and anticipation shows putting the ball in between holes in defenders’ zone coverage. Arm strength shows leading receivers over the middle and using velocity instead of touch to squeeze the ball into tight windows.
Jack Thow Jack Thow 6’1″ | 195 lbs | QB Green Valley | 2024 State NV has been busy this summer attending five camps in June alone. Jack has visited Rice University in the past and is in Texas for another one of their camps this weekend. Be on the lookout for schools closer to Nevada to invite Jack to campus before 2024 gets here.
Next level anticipation shows leading wide receivers in stride on double moves and horizontally in between tight windows in zone coverage. Good mobility shows evading pressure, while next level speed shows turning short scrambles into chunk plays. Coaches like Jack’s ability to escape pressure with his legs, but next level extend ability shines when Jack’s eyes find the open man outside of the pocket in the face of pressure.
Gunner Cortez Gunner Cortez 6’0″ | 160 lbs | QB Virgin Valley | 2024 State NV is a relatively unknown QB out of Mesquite, Nevada. Gunner recently attended the Northwest Showcase and may be at Northern Arizona sometime this summer. Expect the good-sized prospect to receive more regional attention this fall.
Gunner’s next level arm strength shows leading receivers vertically while on the run. Next level accuracy gets displayed firing the ball into receivers’ chests while evading pressure on the run. Coaches love seeing Gunner’s displays of poise and mobility that allows him to extend plays both inside and out of the pocket; Good size and athleticism shows escaping pressure prior to surveying the field.
Highlights
Micah Alejado Micah Alejado 5’10” | 160 lbs | QB Bishop Gorman | 2024 State NV is one of a few talented quarterbacks for Bishop Gorman. Micah committed to Hawaii on April 2nd. According to Twitter, Micah holds five separate scholarship offers. Look for more to come in before it comes time to fly to campus in Hawaii.
Quickness and athleticism allows him to be mobile behind the line of scrimmage, but good poise allows Micah to extend plays with his arm in the face of pressure. Next level arm strength shows using velocity to split safeties in hole shots versus zone coverage. Flashes of accuracy and anticipation show when Micah delivers fastballs to receivers running vertically up the seam versus tight zone coverage. Micah’s dual-threat ability gets displayed in speed & elusiveness that shakes linebackers at the second level.
Tyrese Smith Tyrese Smith 6’2″ | 210 lbs | QB Liberty | 2024 State NV led Liberty on a playoff run in his first year as their quarterback. Since then, he has been busy visiting several PAC-12 and Mountain West schools. Most recently, Tyrese visited Portland State, UNLV, and the University of Nevada. It is surprising to see one of Nevada’s most talented quarterbacks have no scholarship offers on his Twitter account. Expect that to change before his senior season ends.
Next level arm strength shows leading wide receivers over the middle when scrambling and throwing without proper footwork. Tyrese’s anticipation gets displayed delivering the ball in between zones over the middle, but poise and great ball placement shows standing tall and squeezing the ball into smaller holes near the sideline. Mobility shows evading pressure on bootlegs, while good decision-making shows as Tyrese consistently chooses the proper times to run or throw out of the pocket. Athletic ability and size suggest dual-threat potential in college, however Tyrese’s combination of arm talent, mobility, and eyes on the run suggest great extend ability at the next level.