Western Kansas QB’s in the Spotlight – Round 1

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Slowly but surely we are starting to get more western Kansas coverage and it is way overdue as there are numerous great athletes and a very competitive brand of football being played.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>In this report, which will be the first of several devoted to flushing out the best and the brightest in regard to top quarterbacks in western Kansas, we will take a look at some of the top passing attacks in the state as well as some of the best dual-threat signal callers around.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>So without further adieu, I bring you the initial <em><strong>"Western Kansas QB Five":</strong></em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='716132' first='Eli' last='Jones']</strong><a href="https://prepredzone.com/player/eli-jones-2/"></a>&nbsp;</strong>, 6'2, 205,&nbsp;<strong>Norton</strong>, '25. He is coming off an excellent junior season as one of the most productive QB's in the state, passing for 2,274 yards and rushing for another 858, for 3,137 total yards and 38 touchdowns running and passing. With numbers like that he is among the top dual-threat QB's regardless of class and is primed and ready for a standout senior campaign. He will be looking to really amp things up this fall with top receiver, <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1115036' first='Tyce' last='Melvin']</strong>, returning as well. With excellent size and speed, he is a powerful, dangerous runner with the ball in his hands. He is particularly gifted running the RPO, blowing through arm tackles and demonstrating good burst getting into into the secondary. He sets up strong in the pocket and has a smooth, quick release, but where he really puts the pressure on the other team is when he throws on the move. Get your popcorn out for this kid, he is going to make some significant noise this fall.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1113368' first='Daxton' last='Minton']</strong><a href="https://prepredzone.com/player/daxton-minton/"></a> </strong>, 6'0, 180, <strong>Great Bend</strong>, '26. He is coming off a breakthrough season a year ago when he passed for 1,493 yards, 17 TDs and had a stellar 98.3 QBR. He also gained 663 yards rushing and added another seven touchdowns, averaging 9.5 yards per carry. This fall he is looking to blow those numbers out of the water as he will be throwing to not just the best receiver, but the top-ranked <em>player </em>in the 2026 class in<strong> [player_tooltip player_id='1229117' first='Ian' last='Premer']</strong>. A dangerous dual-threat quarterback, he can make all of the throws, from short timing passes on outs, slants and crossing routes, to the long touch pass. He is very comfortable throwing on the move and is dangerous when extending plays with his legs. He can also throw off platform or from a wide range of launch angles. His pocket presence and throwing motion are getting more fluid with time and practice, as evidenced in the work he has put in over the off season. He is getting ready to go off this fall.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1228459' first='Casen' last='Carroll']</strong>, 6'2, 185, <strong>Colby</strong>, '25. He is coming off a solid junior season when he passed for 1,200+ yards, gained another 120 yards rushing and fired 13 touchdown passes. This fall he will be looking to shatter those numbers as he leads a high-octane passing attack that includes a couple of big, athletic receivers in <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1115462' first='Guy' last='Tubbs']</strong>, 6'3 and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1228445' first='Kasey' last='Giesenhagen']</strong>, 6'3, who are as good a pair as there is in the state. A southpaw with a tight shoulder rotation and quick release, he throws surgical strikes on the short-to-intermediate passing game. He can throw the long ball as well, showing good touch and ball placement. He has good pocket mechanics and throws the timing routes effectively. He is also a dual-threat running the ball, with good quickness and burst getting into the secondary. He is getting ready to put on a fireworks show this fall.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='904445' first='Zane' last='Viegra']</strong><a href="https://prepredzone.com/player/zane-viegra/"></a>&nbsp;</strong>, 6'3, 185, <strong>Hays</strong>, '26. He is coming off a good start to his high school career and is looking to super-charge the potent Hays passing game this fall. Throwing to one of the best receivers in the state in <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='283949' first='Jarek' last='Purdy']</strong>, the two are looking to light things up this fall. An athletic dual-threat quarterback with good size and quickness, he can extend plays effectively on designated runs or when scrambling off the broken play. He has a good arm that he has been fine-tuning in the off-season. Initially I thought his motion was too elongated, but he snaps the ball off quickly and has a good release point on his passes, so it doesn't appear to slow him down on timing routes. He throws well on the move, particularly when squaring his shoulders and throwing to the left. This kid is a playmaker and has a top-end receiver to really take things to the next level this fall.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='868977' first='Keveon' last='Ruiz']</strong><a href="https://prepredzone.com/player/keveon-ruiz/"></a>&nbsp;</strong>, 6'2, 180, <strong>Medicine Lodge</strong>, '25. Coming off a standout junior season when he completed 133 out of 245 passes for 2,029 yards and 19 touchdowns, he is looking to really ramp things up this fall. A dual-threat force on offense, he added another 400+ yards rushing, using his size and quickness to extend plays with his legs. He has a strong arm and throws an accurate ball, especially on rollout passes and on the move, going either direction. He is also adept at throwing from different launch angles and off platform. His passing game is getting more polished with time, as he demonstrated a year ago making key throws, from short strikes over the middle to the long touch pass down the sideline. He is primed and ready for a standout season this fall. Get out and see a dominating force in action while you still can.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>In conclusion, keep an eye on these guys as they will be lighting up all of Kansas this fall. And, as usual, if you know of anyone <em>"flying under the radar"</em> let me know via <em>DM on X</em>.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->