Prep Redzone WI Showcase: Top QB Performances

Coming into these showcases it is always interesting to see where there is an uptick in talent or where we saw a lot of new faces. The QB position did both of those, between bringing out many of WI's best and also giving us a chance to watch several athletes in person that we haven't been able to see yet. The group absolutely crushed it in 1 on 1s. From freshmen to juniors, the ball was zipping around the indoor facility with accuracy. By the end of the day it was clear that we were going to have several athletes to talk about during this position recap. Leading the way was MVP [player_tooltip player_id='998519' first='JJ' last='Chapman']. You can read about his day in the <a href="https://prepredzone.com/2024/12/prep-redzone-wi-winter-showcase-mvps/#:~:text=JJ%20Chapman,-WI&text=Winter%20Showcase%20MVPs-,I%20would%20have%20to%20go%20back%20through%20past%20events%2C%20but,took%20it%20home%20for%20himself.">MVP Article</a>. For everyone else, continue on and enjoy!    One of my favorite QBs in the Class of 2026 is Mount Horeb's [player_tooltip player_id='1570839' first='Brooks' last='Hendrickson']. The junior QB has the prototypical size of a college QB a 6'3" 195 lbs with a very well developed skill set. The lefty demonstrated crisp, consistent mechanics from his feet to his hips to his release. He was comfortable throwing on roll outs in QB drills, and once we got rolling vs DBs Brooks really hit his stride. Brooks is a QB that can get the ball everywhere on the field and always has a great sense of the touch needed to drop the ball into spots he wants it. His command of where to put the ball is outstanding. The junior is going to have a big year ahead of him as things turn towards 2026s more and more.     The QB I couldn't wait to get a good look at was 2026 Whitnall QB [player_tooltip player_id='1570957' first='Tanner' last='Effertz']. The junior can go down the list and check off a lot of boxes. Elite size at 6'4" 210 lbs and arm strength to match. I am confident in saying that Tanner had the strongest arm at the Showcase. The ball jumps out of his hand as he is able to naturally use his full body mechanics and size to put a lot of velocity behind the ball to get it deep downfield on a rope. Even at his size, Tanner impressed me with his smooth mechanics. Everything works together and fluidly. That not only helps with arm strength, but even more so accuracy. Tanner could put it on a dime the moment he wanted it to be there. Between his size and arm talent the 2026 has put himself in the race for QB1. I believe he has a D1 ceiling.     College recruiters need to look into stealing this senior QB. Jackson is an outstanding natural athlete. Both in the testing and the QB drills, Jackson looked so comfortable when we got the QBs on the move and throwing on the run. Since Jackson was last at a Showcase he has clearly made strides in his game. His mechanics looked more fluid and efficient and that turned into a noticeable increase in his accuracy. It was fun watching him in 1 on 1s as he could attack every level with accuracy and the senior didn't have to back off the power to ensure he was accurate either. Jackson looked at the top of his game in Oak Creek. Give the senior a well deserved look.     An underclassman who impressed me with his development since this past spring Showcase is Menomonee Falls sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='1570822' first='Anishka' last='Amarasinghe']. The sophomore's arm talent has taken a step forward and so has his confidence. No doubt a big part of that comes from spending the year as the varsity starter. The confidence is what first stood out. Anishka was stepping up and standing out in the drills and seemed to attack each rep and opportunity. When we started throwing against DBs the sophomore QB went out and showed off the arm. He has gotten stronger overall and it is translating to more velocity in his throws deeper down the field. Where he set himself apart from the crowd was that the 2027 consistently accurate with his passes and it caught the eyes of our coaching staffs. His performance earned Anishka a spot in the Best vs Best reps to end the day. Keep an eye on this kid's development going forward.     Another member of the final Best vs Best group at QB was junior [player_tooltip player_id='1570901' first='Jarrett' last='Hall']. The multi-year varsity starter came to play in Oak Creek. Jarrett is a smooth pocket passer. He is able to quickly set and throw. Hall impressed with consistent accuracy and ball placement. Over and over the junior was delivering passes that his man could easily track down without putting it in harms way. I went to his junior film to check him out some more and it was more of the same. A quick release, quick decisions, and smart ball placement. It was a good day for the 2026 QB.     Bryson is an exciting dual threat QB who caught my attention multiple times throughout the camp. He had an impressive 9'3" broad jump and was one of the best in the roll out drills that I watched. Bryson is able to easily flip his hips, run, and reset himself on the move. Schmid has a strong frame too and that has allowed him to really uncork it when he wants to fire it downfield. He has a sidearm throwing motion, but that doesn't take away from his accuracy or velocity. I recommend checking out the small school, dual threat talent. He is a versatile athlete that will be able to help a college program.     Big things are ahead for the 6'1" 170 lbs freshman QB out of Catholic Memorial. The young passer is well ahead of the curve in his development. He has quick feet in his drop and demonstrated that he can get out on the move and get the ball out without sacrificing form, accuracy, or velocity. I really liked watching him navigate the 1 on 1s. It is clear that when Dalton can stand in the pocket and deliver passes he has the refined tools and mechanics to be surgically accurate to every level of the field. The sky is the limit for Steinke as he has years ahead of him to grow, continue to build up his arm strength, and start to gain varsity experience. This is a need to know 2028.     A 2027 who came out and made a name for himself is [player_tooltip player_id='1570854' first='Collin' last='Grass']. The 6'2" 190 lbs sophomore was one of the athletes who impressed me with his frame during warm ups of Session 2. The underclassman has already built up a prototypical frame that should only continue to grow and get stronger over the coming years. Collin's best trait right now is his arm strength. He can easily place the ball 30+ yards downfield on a rope and doesn't need his feet set to get velocity into the ball. Where he is going to make the biggest stride over this next year or two is his mechanics and accuracy. He is still getting comfortable at his current size and as that improves so will the consistency in his mechanics which will boost his accuracy further. The tools are all there for the talented 2027 QB. I'm excited to watch him continue towards putting it all together.     Jayson just hit my radar during the Showcase, and I have quickly become a fan of his skill set. The 5'11" 160 lbs freshman is a natural passer. Clean mechanics, his entire body works together from his feet to his hips to his shoulders to the release of the ball. The freshman has a smooth, over the top throwing motion with a quick release that gets the ball out quick. I was also surprised at the velocity that the freshman was able to put on the ball while not being the biggest athlete, yet. I had to go check out some of his game highlights and was again impressed. The 2028 is poised in the pocket and a quick decision maker. I'm very excited to watch him grow and see that arm get even stronger.     Another uncommitted senior who came out to highlight the steal that he is was [player_tooltip player_id='1570816' first='Aiden' last='Throgmorton'] out of Baraboo. The senior has excellent size for the position with plenty of size packed onto his frame at 6'2" 210 lbs. Aiden was one of the QBs who came in to help throw to RBs during Session 1 so we got an extra long look at him, and he took the opportunity and ran with it. Aiden delivered excellent throws all over the field. He showed touch as he dropped it in a bucket down the sideline. We saw the velocity on slants or quick routes out of the backfield. Aiden always gave his man a chance and looked the part standing in the pocket delivering darts.     Barrett is a dual threat QB and an overall impressive athlete. To demonstrate that, the junior went from balling out at the Showcase to balling out on the hardwood the next night where he scored 30 points for Horicon. The junior's natural athleticism shined at camp. He had quick feet through drills and was able to quickly snap his hips around to be ready to throw quickly. Barrett wins with that athleticism and with accuracy. His ability to place the ball in pinpoint spots with touch is how he beats DBs on the field. Barrett is an athlete to keep your eyes on. He also plays safety for Horicon, so there may be some valuable position versatility there too.     Another freshman on the radar is Kettle Moraine's [player_tooltip player_id='1570860' first='Cooper' last='Walker']. The 5'9" 155 lbs athlete is undersized for now, but the throws he was making had me going to the roster to see who Bib #87 was. The arm strength will come as he grows and is able to spend the next few years in the weight room, but his accuracy on deep passes were what caught my eyes. Multiple times he dropped it over a receiver's shoulder perfectly or put it up high for his man to go high point it. The mechanics and the touch/accuracy he has are pillars he can build his game around.     Jack is a raw prospect, but he has tools and traits that could turn into an impressive prospect by his senior year if he puts the work in. Jack is 6'2" 200 lbs and that big frame comes loaded with a big arm. Both at the camp and in his JV film Jack is able to let it rip deep downfield with ease. That big frame is able to create plenty of torque to rip the ball downfield with his feet set or not. I'm excited to see the strides the sophomore is able to make over this offseason.     Keep an eye on the junior QB out of Madison West this offseason. The has solid size at 6'3" 170 lbs, and I was pleasantly surprised at the arm strength and velocity that Michael is able to play with while not being the biggest athlete. Over and over the junior delivered the ball on a rope with smart ball placement. The entire field was available for Michael to target in Oak Creek. I want to see him continue to develop his footwork and mechanics because as they get cleaner and more consistent it is going to translate to Friday nights.

Coming into these showcases it is always interesting to see where there is an uptick in talent or where we saw a lot of new faces. The QB position did both of those, between bringing out many of WI's best and also giving us a chance to watch several athletes in person that we haven't been able to see yet. The group absolutely crushed it in 1 on 1s. From freshmen to juniors, the ball was zipping around the indoor facility with accuracy. By the end of the day it was clear that we were going to have several athletes to talk about during this position recap. Leading the way was MVP JJ Chapman JJ Chapman 6'1" | 195 lbs | QB Oak Creek | 2028 State WI . You can read about his day in the MVP Article. For everyone else, continue on and enjoy!