Wichita/Surrounding Area: Top Senior Quarterbacks

The 2024 season produced some standout quarterback play across the state, but in particular the Wichita and surrounding area boasted some of the best gunslingers around.   In this report we will take a look at the top senior quarterbacks in the area and then follow up with reports on the top juniors and then one on top sophomores/freshman later in the week.   So, without further adieu, let's see who made the cut.   Top-7 Wichita Area Gunslingers:   [player_tooltip player_id='1333007' first='Jace' last='Jefferson'], 6'0, 180, Andover Central, led his team to a dramatic 4A state championship over Bishop Miege, 49-42. He also capped off the year by being awarded 4A co-player of the year as well as first-team all-state QB. It was a fitting tribute as at the beginning of the season he was not one of the top QB's projected in the area but changed all that in a hurry. He was a standout all year in getting the ball to his weapons in the high-octane AC offense and lighting up the scoreboard. He has solid mechanics, standing tall in the pocket with a compact shoulder rotation and smooth release. He throws a very accurate ball whether it is on quick strike short-to-medium bullets in the flats or layering the ball over the middle. He has the arm strength to launch the long sideline ball, or make the velocity throws on the deep comeback.    [player_tooltip player_id='1112386' first='Dusty' last='Bannister'], 6'0, 185, Wellington, helped rescue the Crusader season as they started out 0-2 in a brutal start against a couple of highly-ranked teams. He not only led the team back into contention and into post-season play, but was also one of the premier passers in the state, lighting it up for 3,300+ yards, completing 63% of his passes and rifling 36 TD passes. He is a playmaker with a gunslinger mentality who looks to make things happen on every play. He has nimble feet and moves well in the pocket while keeping his eyes downfield and working through progressions. He throws a catchable ball with nice touch going deep and can also fire bullets in the short-to-medium game. He is a good runner who is deceptively fast and is very effective at extending plays, scrambling as needed or keeping it on a called run.   [player_tooltip player_id='282258' first='Tate' last='McNew'], 6'1,195, Maize South, has been one of the most prolific quarterbacks in the state the last couple of years and this year became the career leading passer in the Wichita metro area. For the year he piled up 3,000+ yards and 36 total touchdowns to go along with a sizzling 125.0 quarterback rating. He has excellent passing mechanics, with a compact shoulder rotation and a live arm capable of making all the throws, from short-to-medium surgical strikes, to the velocity throws on deep crossing routes and outs. He doesn't eyeball receivers and is effective at looking off defenders and quickly working through progressions.  He has well-schooled feet and pocket presence and uses his eyes very effectively. He is athletic out of the pocket and throws off-platform and from difficult launch angles with ease.    [player_tooltip player_id='676467' first='Derek' last='Morgan'], 6'3,195, Eisenhower, has committed to Lehigh and after the senior season he put together they should be thrilled with the QB they have on the way. He led Eisenhower deep into the playoffs this year on the strength of 3,000+ yards passing and 39 TD passes and a 66% completion percentage. He also boasted one of the top passer ratings with a sparkling 134.0. An excellent all-around dual-threat QB, he has solid pocket presence, staying focused downfield while he seamlessly shuffles in and out of the pocket. He has polished mechanics, with a consistently quick shoulder rotation and with the flick of the wrist fires bullets at all levels. He throws an accurate, catchable ball, whether it is a long soft pass over the shoulder, or deep velocity passes over the middle. He has excellent feet and can extend plays as needed or on designated runs.   [player_tooltip player_id='570171' first='Josh' last='Burdick'], 6'0, 180, Cheney, after leading Cheney to the state championship and an undefeated season a year ago, he fell short this year but was still more effective than ever. Wrapping up a legendary career, he totaled just under 8,000 total yards and a jaw-dropping 106 touchdowns along the way. This year he was as fine-tuned as ever, totaling 2,600+ yards and 33 touchdowns. He is an excellent all-around passer, demonstrating good pocket awareness with excellent set up and passing mechanics. He has a nice, compact throwing motion and is exceptionally accurate with good ball placement. He slices and dices the defense with quick, lethal strikes and excellent decision making. He sets up the long ball well, and is one of the few QB's I have scouted who has incorporated an excellent pump fake into his game. He is an elusive runner and scrambles well extending plays.   [player_tooltip player_id='1112380' first='Corey' last='Crumrine'], 5'10, 165, Sedgwick, is another versatile, dual-threat ace who has put up some of the best quarterback numbers in the state the last few years. This season it was much of the same, as he was once again one of the best in the state with just under 3,200 total yards and 43 touchdowns. He completed 67% of his passes and only threw six interceptions all year, which helped translate into a top-end 130.0 passer rating. Overall, he has solid mechanics setting up, with calm feet in the pocket while keeping his eyes downfield. He throws an excellent short pass, zipping bullets on gaps in zones and showing good ball placement. He is also a dual-threat, who scored 11 touchdowns on the ground this year. He has committed to play baseball at Friends, but I can see him running Coach Harrison's high-octane Falcon offense. Trust me on this one, coach.   [player_tooltip player_id='354613' first='Drew' last='Kemp'], 6'1,185, Derby, is an excellent dual-threat playmaker who only played 25 quarters in 12 games due to the Panthers routinely throttling the competition (610 points for vs 124 against). On the year, even with limited play time, he still shredded defenses for just under 2,300 yards and 36 touchdowns. He was also extremely efficient along the way, completing 72% of his passes and had one of the top passer ratings in the state with a blistering 142.0. He can destroy defenses with his arm or his legs and can work magic on the run-pass option as well as throw quick strikes on the move. He has excellent quarterback mechanics, with a smooth, tight shoulder rotation that enables his quick release. He is also a threat running the ball and in extending plays, scoring a dozen times on the ground this season.       Top Consideration:   [player_tooltip player_id='1112371' first='Jack' last='Gordon'], 6'1, 185, Salina Central, A polished quarterback who stepped up big time last year and never looked back. Over the pass two seasons he has piled up over 4,000+ yards and 45 touchdowns. He was also an all-Ark Valley quarterback the last couple of years as well as being named all state both seasons. He has excellent mechanics in the pocket, quick feet setting up and processes his reads and progressions quickly. He has an efficient, compact rotation and quick release which enables him to get the ball out in a hurry on timing routes. He throws an accurate ball and has superb anticipation and ball placement. He is also effective in the run-pass option and can extend plays with his legs.    [player_tooltip player_id='1115728' first='Nash' last='Wray'], 5'10, 160, Haven, has been flying under the radar most of the season but deserves some big-time recognition after putting together the kind of year he just had. For the season he ran and passed for 2,200+ yards and 32 touchdowns. He also was very efficient with the football along the way, only throwing three interceptions and posted a solid 114.0 passer rating. He is a versatile playmaker who rushed for just under 900 yards and scorched teams all year extending plays and on designated quarterback runs. He is effective throwing on the move and throwing off platform and from different arm angles.   [player_tooltip player_id='1214913' first='Brady' last='Brack']<a href="https://prepredzone.com/player/brady-brack/"></a> , 6'5, 210, Garden Plain, led his team to an 8-3 record, as well as claiming District and Regional Championships. He didn't pile up big statistics due to four games with limited snaps due to the score, but was effective enough to be all conference the last few years. He is an efficient passer who can throw the short-to-medium strikes effectively and throws well on the move and when extending plays. He has prototype size for the next level and has the athleticism to make him one to watch on Saturdays next year.   [player_tooltip player_id='1552938' first='Carter' last='Allen'], 6'0, 195, McPherson, is another standout quarterback flying under the radar, and has quietly put together a sensational season and continued that into the playoffs. In the Bullpup's opening win over Abilene he completed 16 of 24 passes and fired four touchdown passes. On the year he completed 130 of 223 passes for just under 1,800 yards and 22 touchdown passes to only four picks, for a top-notch passer rating of 109.0.     In conclusion, it was a pleasure covering these guys - best of luck in the future!

The 2024 season produced some standout quarterback play across the state, but in particular the Wichita and surrounding area boasted some of the best gunslingers around.