A BUFFdated Look at Some of Colorado’s Top 2028 Quarterbacks
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With the youth football season all but wrapped up, outside of a few post-season all-star games or tournaments, the view of this 2028 class is starting to come into shape. In the state of Colorado there are a number of…
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Continue ReadingWith the youth football season all but wrapped up, outside of a few post-season all-star games or tournaments, the view of this 2028 class is starting to come into shape. In the state of Colorado there are a number of stud signal callers that are getting set for high school. Here’s a look at some of the prospects that deserve some attention and love for what they’ve done up to this point. Take a look!
The HIM’s
In my mind, Rubley has been the top 2028 quarterback prospect in the state for at least the last two years. Furthermore, I don’t think there is anyone who could, whole-heartedly and in good faith, argue for another signal caller to sit atop the list. Watching him on film is great and looking at pictures on social media is cool, but when you actually see this kid play the game–it’s impressive. I don’t know how else to really say it, but the ball just looks and sounds different when leaving his hand. Of all the quarterback’s I’ve seen around the country, I can’t think of too many others that are in the same tier as Rubley when it comes to arm strength. Everything slant he threw would break my fingers and every deep ball could be dropped in a bucket. I’m not breaking any news here, but this kid is going places.
Highlights
On paper Lee is one of the biggest 2028 quarterback’s in the country, listing himself at 6-foot-3 and 205 pounds. For reference, Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders is officially listed at 6-foot-2 and 216 pounds, while Colorado State’s Brayden Fowler-Nicolosi is just 6-foot-1 and 205 pounds. Lee also possesses a very strong arm and is your traditional pocket-passer that looks at home standing and scanning the field.
Highlights
Hirstine is a prime example of why capturing and posting film is such an important element of the exposure/recruiting game. In mid-September, I was told about Hirstine by a couple people I trust, but I couldn’t put him on any type of list or in any writeup’s with a clear conscious–because I was yet to see him play. Fast forward to earlier this month (December, 2023) and he now has film up—let me tell you, the wait was well worth it. I love the way this kid plays the game of football. He holds the ball high and drop backs with quick, choppy feet a la Peyton Manning and makes quick decisions. If he decides to throw the ball, it’s a quick release and follow through; If he decides to run the ball, I quickly get Tim Tebow (while at Florida) vibes with his ability to rack up yards with his legs.
Highlights
Weeks Jr. is a quarterback that I personally think, is going to really surprise some people when it’s all said and done when it comes to the position in this 2028 class. He lists himself at 6-foot and 145 pounds, which is a decent size for a quarterback at this point. Where Weeks Jr. differentiates himself a bit from the other quarterbacks, is his athletic ability. He is pretty fleet of foot and looks very comfortable throwing on the run or up flirting with the line of scrimmage when scrambling. His legs aren’t the only weapon, either. While he doesn’t have the staggering arm strength of Rubley or Lee, he can throw a very nice ball if his feet are set and he has the time.
You’ll never sit there and read things I write, where I pretend like I know the hierarchy of pre-high school football in each state. Colorado is a perfect example of this; I couldn’t tell you what high school most youth programs feed into…but I can gage talent. To me, Neese looks like a big fish in a small pound when looking at the competition he lined up against this season in western Colorado. The multi-sport athlete does appear to be a little raw when it comes to fundamentals–footwork in drop backs, where he holds the ball and weight-shifting while throwing, to name a few. If he works to sharpen the raw fundamentals and continues to reach the results he has throughout youth ball, Neese has a ton of upside. For the results I’m speaking of, look no further than the 40-0 victory that him and his teammates had in the Grand Valley Youth Football League championship this season.
The Next Guys In line
Outside the college or professional level, I take all statline’s with a grain of salt since most are self-reported and/or aren’t formally kept by a statistician. With that said, if you take a look at what Powell reports over the last three years—it’s scary impressive. He boasts 107 touchdown passes against just four interceptions, 5,370 passing yards and a 73.5 completion percentage. Perhaps the best stat he has, is a 55-4 record playing year-round football. While he has grown a decent amount and started to add some good muscle over the last calendar year, he still needs to come a good ways physically.
Unruh is another quarterback in this 2028 class from The Box State, that has done some nice things during his pre-high school career. Watching some clips of him this year, what immediately jumps out to me, is that he’s calm in the face of pressure. It’s human nature to move or get out of harm’s way when you’re staring it in the face, but Unruh shows the ability to hang in there–even if he has to take a hit–and deliver a good ball. Fundamentally he checks a lot of boxes, too. Not sure how else to spin it, but he’s a smooth operator at QB1 and gives off a sense of being under control at all times, while back there.
Highlights
Once this kid starts to grow taller, don’t say this writeup didn’t warn you about what potentially lays ahead. Kieschnick plays the game with an attitude that lets other people know he thinks he’s the best on the field at all times. He’s muscular and ripped up right now for being a 2028 prospect–looking the part. He also brings leadership to the field in terms of body language and attention to details, from what I can spot on film. Brings more than ample dual-threat ability and delivers the ball accurately to his open receivers, specifically in the red zone, and the short/intermediate passing game.
Highlights
Additional Names To Know
Colton Jantz Colton Jantz 6'1" | 180 lbs | QB CO – A big kid that is continuing to make strides in terms of improving footwork, pocket presence and athleticism. Has a big, strong arm and looks to be one of the better 2028’s in the greater Ft. Collins area.
Angel Chavez Angel Chavez 5'9" | 155 lbs | QB CO – Has average to below average height, but he’s a winner. Chavez helped lead the 13U Mile High Thoroughbreds to a league championship. Moves around well enough in the pocket and didn’t try to do much when a play wasn’t there, as they expected. I like his decision-making a lot, from the clips I’ve seen.
Jonathan Coulson Jonathan Coulson 5'7" | 135 lbs | QB CO – Another quarterback that has a ways to go when it comes to physical development, but has shown promise throughout his pre-high school career. Coulson was QB1 of the Colorado Springs Vikings this year and had some nice weapons around him. He’s very much on the small side right now, so how he grows will be a big factor to watch.
Ryder Hoeffner Ryder Hoeffner 5'8" | 120 lbs | QB CO – Hoeffner makes a lot of likable plays on the football field from the quarterback position. What jumps off the film at me, is just how well he throws on the run. He does a great job of gaining ground and squaring his shoulders when “attacking” the line of scrimmage and making a throw. Had 15 touchdowns and four interceptions in just five games this season.