AYF Nationals Notebook: Ironman QBs Who Played Multiple Positions

Some of the teams down at AYF Nationals had the luxury of having a kid who exclusively played Quarterback, but many did not. Below is a look at some Quarterbacks that I saw do much more than simply line up behind center. The guys below either played additional positions on offense, and/or on defense and special teams.    <ul class="wp-block-list"> <li>After watching him throw the ball in warmups, I was very surprised to hear that he didn't play Quarterback full time. Everything checked on from footwork, to arm strength, to throwing motion and everything in between.</li> </ul>   <ul class="wp-block-list"> <li>He was throwing the ball when I watched them warm up due to the windy conditions at AYF Nationals, but he's naturally a Wide Receiver--and that was evident too. Has the Wide Receiver build you want--long, lean and a vertical advantage when looking at his ability to jump.</li> </ul>   <ul class="wp-block-list"> <li>Defensively he was lined up at Safety. Again, with his height and length, he's an ideal body type for that Free Safety position and the ability to play Centerfield. Should be noted that his vision stood out to me, likely due to him being able to see the field through the eyes of several different positions.</li> </ul>     <ul class="wp-block-list"> <li>Watching the Detroit-based 13U Westside Cubs warmup, Forris quickly emerged as an apparent team leader. He was dressed and ready before the majority of his teammates, was pressing everyone else to hurry up and started throwing the ball around.</li> </ul>   <ul class="wp-block-list"> <li>A true dual-threat at the Quarterback position. On top of a very polished arm and an excellent throwing motion, he did a great job of feeling pressure and moving outside of the pocket with his eyes downfield to keep plays alive. Played the QB position with Running Back vision and Slot Wide Receiver quickness.</li> </ul>   <ul class="wp-block-list"> <li>Ironically enough, Forris did line up as a Wide Receiver in the Cubs semi-final victory over the Springfield Tigers (Massachusetts) and caught a point-after attempt. It should be noted that he can also play Cornerback at a high level on defense too.</li> </ul>     <ul class="wp-block-list"> <li>Coming into the 2024 AYF National Championship tournament, I thought of Finlaw as strictly a Quarterback. However, after getting a chance to watch him play live for multiple days, I realized he's much more than "just a Quarterback".</li> </ul>   <ul class="wp-block-list"> <li>Don't get it twisted: Finlaw is a QB first and foremost. He threw some nice passes to the flat and on the intermediate levels. His accuracy was pretty good (room for improvement here) and he threw the ball with some nice spin on it too. He was everything I thought he was as a signal caller.</li> </ul>   <ul class="wp-block-list"> <li>The part of his game that really showed itself to me, is what he brought defensively. He has more of a muscular, broad Linebacker build, but played some Safety. Loved the way he came down hill into the box and laid the wood. He has another year left of youth football and I look forward to seeing how he grows/develops physically, which should help make what position(s) he plays going forward--much clearer.</li> </ul>     <ul class="wp-block-list"> <li>While I did not get to see all 80+ 12U - 14U teams play during the 2024 AYF National Championships, I would need some very strong convincing that there was a more valuable player to their team than [player_tooltip player_id='1583412' first='Cylas' last='Sherrod'].</li> </ul>   <ul class="wp-block-list"> <li>In the three games the West Texas-based 12U Black & Gold All-Stars played, Sherrod accounted for 17 total touchdowns--including have a part in all four in the championship game against New Jersey. </li> </ul>   <ul class="wp-block-list"> <li>Simply put, he was nothing short of elite. On a team comprised of just 17 players, he shined at Quarterback and as a Safety. He claims an 11.6 100M and I can absolutely see that, with his speed. Despite falling short against New Jersey in the title game, Sherrod was worth the price of admission alone. One play that stands out (though it did come back due to penalty), he took the snap at Quarterback and fired it out to a Wide Receiver for a designed double pass. When the WR saw nothing was open, Sherrod rolled out and put his arm up as an eligible receiver, proceeding to make the reception and pick up 30 yards.</li> </ul>     <ul class="wp-block-list"> <li>Perhaps no other state opened more eyes than Idaho at the 2024 AYF National Championship tournament. The Gem State saw both a 13U and 12U team win a Natty in their respective divisions. The 12U team was led by the play of QB Tyriq Reese </li> </ul>   <ul class="wp-block-list"> <li>Reese showed off his toughness and dual-threat ability throughout the tournament. Keeping plays alive with his legs, breaking out of poor tackles and throwing dimes to his weapons on the outside.</li> </ul>   <ul class="wp-block-list"> <li>When he wasn't playing Quarterback, Reese also did a solid job on the defensive side of the ball. Looked at home playing Linebacker and used quickness to alertly drop into passing lanes</li> </ul>     <ul class="wp-block-list"> <li>It's a bit of a stretch to call 14U Blackstone Valley All-Star Matthew Phelps a Quarterback. The Rhode Island-based team had at least four different kids take direct snaps in the three quarters I watched them play and Phelps was one of them.</li> </ul>   <ul class="wp-block-list"> <li>Blessed with eye-test passing size in terms of height and weight, he was one of the kids that caught my eye quickly. When lined up at Quarterback, he didn't throw the prettiest ball or have the prettiest motion, but there was some power behind his ball.</li> </ul>   <ul class="wp-block-list"> <li>Again, the BSV All-Stars had several different kids receive direct snaps behind center. When Phelps wasn't at the Quarterback position, he was lined up as an H-Back to the strong side. On the other side of the ball, he was the starter at Middle Linebacker.</li> </ul>     <ul class="wp-block-list"> <li>Playing shorthanded due to some players not being able to make it down, injuries and in the toughest bracket at AYF Nationals, the Sun Devils' 2024 AYF Nationals trip didn't go as well as they would have hoped. That said, [player_tooltip player_id='1583497' first='Jacoby' last='Davis'] and others were impressive as individuals.</li> </ul>   <ul class="wp-block-list"> <li>On a team with a bunch of size, Davis was one that passed the eye test right away for me. A big, jacked up kid that looked like a created player in Madden. As a Quarterback he did what he could with the time he was given, but couldn't get much of a spark going. However, his physical attributes popped while both running and throwing.</li> </ul>   <ul class="wp-block-list"> <li>Defensively, it looked like Davis was playing a few different positions depending on situation, but I liked his play at Linebacker. His physique and body structure lends itself to the position. Additionally, he showed the necessary speed to chase down guys from behind, after they made a catch in the secondary.</li> </ul>

Some of the teams down at AYF Nationals had the luxury of having a kid who exclusively played Quarterback, but many did not. Below is a look at some Quarterbacks that I saw do much more than simply line up behind center. The guys below either played additional positions on offense, and/or on defense and special teams.