The Film Room: 2026's Top Five Ohio Quarterbacks

With our recent rankings update completed for the 2026 class, I will be starting a series spanning several months that will put an emphasis on film that athletes have put out. For the first few rounds of coverage, I will be covering the top five players from each position group, then diving deeper. Today, we will be covering the top five quarterbacks in our current 2026 rankings, so let's dive into the film room.    [player_tooltip player_id='402349' first='Nathan' last='Bernhard'] is a name you must know if you are a fan of a P4 program. Bernhard had a monster junior season as he led Ashland to a historic season. Bernhard has a great arm and has good zip in the short and intermediate games. He works with great mechanics and is accurate at every level of the field. He has a good pocket presence and can evade rushers while scanning the field to make a play. When he does take off, he isn't afraid to use his size to gain extra yards and can get up to a good top speed. While Bernhard had a monster junior season as he led Ashland to a historic season, I know he will want to take Ashland to another level and stand as Prep Redzone Ohio's top quarterback by the end of the season.      [player_tooltip player_id='926009' first='Jarin' last='Mock'] committed to Wisconsin before his junior campaign kicked off, and he followed his commitment up with a regional final appearance and a great season. Mock works with a great base and great body torque when he throws. He doesn't have the biggest cannon of an arm you've ever seen, but his timing and mechanics help him a lot on timing throws and tight windows. He is a weapon with his legs. Mock possesses great top end speed and can bend the corner well. Mock works well within the Pickerington North offense that utilizes a fair amount of play action and RPO's that Mock looks very comfortable in. Mock was a big riser in our latest rankings update, so I will be excited to see what his senior season holds.      [player_tooltip player_id='1084960' first='Matthew' last='Ponatoski'], Ohio's Mr. Football and Gatorade football player of the year, slots in as our third-ranked quarterback for 2026. Ponatoski throws absolute ropes. His ball velocity would fit in with P4 level quarterbacks and he does it with controlled accuracy. He has an aggressive and active processor, and he loves to hit boundary hole shots against cover 2. He looks for up to three progressions per play when he has time and can roll out well to buy time to get the ball downfield. He can get "happy feet" at some times, but he throws well off balance and can make up for his pocket movement. I know a state championship runner up result will fire Ponatoski and Moeller up, so I look forward to seeing him lead Moeller for one last time in 2025.      We covered one great Pickerington quarterback, so let's cover the other great one. [player_tooltip player_id='402357' first='Rocco' last='Williams'] is a southpaw who happens to have a cannon attached to his hand. He has touch down the field to lead his receivers, but he can also throw a rope into a closing window. His ability to run a vertical offensive scheme is a huge asset at the high school level and his vision of the field will translate to the next level. He isn't an elite athlete, but he has athleticism that helps him step up in the pocket well and evade incoming defenders. He can get loose at times and can run the option run game. Williams had a good junior campaign for Pickerington Central, but I know they will be starving for more in Rocco's senior season.      [player_tooltip player_id='402329' first='Donovan' last='Moorhead'] is already breaking records at Hawken as a junior. Hawken is a true pocket quarterback and has the awareness required to succeed. He has great posture in the pocket and stands tall at 6'4''. He has a high and quick release which can make the ball explode down the field. He has good touch down the field and can zip a ball to his target in the quick read game. He does very well with pressure, using his footwork to weave and bobble through lanes in the pocket to extend the play. When he does get outside of the pocket, he looks to pass downfield. He does a good job at using every square inch of the field and can stretch you out either way. I haven't gotten the opportunity to see Moorhead in person, but I think that will change in 2025.

With our recent rankings update completed for the 2026 class, I will be starting a series spanning several months that will put an emphasis on film that athletes have put out. For the first few rounds of coverage, I will be covering the top five players from each position group, then diving deeper. Today, we will be covering the top five quarterbacks in our current 2026 rankings, so let's dive into the film room.