2026 Rankings Update: Breaking Down the QBs

[player_tooltip player_id='473002' first='Cameron' last='McMillon'] first joined our rankings in 2022. [player_tooltip player_id='1025784' first='Roper' last='Wentzky'] [player_tooltip player_id='284134' first='Jayvon' last='Gilmore'] and [player_tooltip player_id='402509' first='Trevor' last='Kalisz'] were in there by October of 2023. [player_tooltip player_id='1394988' first='Aedan' last='McCarthy'] added his name to the list a little over a year ago.   Point being, our top signal callers in the Class of 2026 are known commodities, and not just within their local communities.    But among the 496 overall players now ranked in the class, 42 of them are quarterbacks. And that means the talent level is significantly higher than what what we would have predicted when McMillon helped kick things off with this group nearly three calendar years ago.    Pocket passers, run-first dudes and true dual threats - 2026 has them all. No, they're not the only reasons their teams will or won't be hoisting any hardware this fall. But as the de facto faces for their programs, we're seeing a positional cluster rising together.   It's continued near the top, as the likes of [player_tooltip player_id='1166986' first='Messiah' last='Jackson'] (South Florence), [player_tooltip player_id='1639712' first='Triston' last='Lewis'] (Greenwood), [player_tooltip player_id='1165108' first='Zori' last='Pierce'] (Lamar) and [player_tooltip player_id='1165148' first='Jachin' last='Davis'] (Stratford) have all put themselves in a position to continue playing this game long after their high school days are done.   This class as a whole has so many defining characteristics to hang its hat on during 2025. And what we're seeing out of the quarterbacks has us as optimistic as we've been for a highlight-reel inducing football season.   Before we get into some of the nitty gritty, let's start by showing you the positional class in its entirety.     RANKINGS BUSTERS?   [player_tooltip player_id='1267347' first='Alex' last='Sandt'] St. James   Sandt has a cannon. We've seen it in games and practices and scrimmages and 7-on-7s and combines. When looking at his numbers, though, the Sharks' losing ways and a significant injury to another offensive player sort of hamstrung the whole thing last fall. If Sandt cuts down on his 12 interceptions from 2024, his individual success and that of St. James will improve.    [player_tooltip player_id='1395094' first='Jaylen' last='Augustus'] Darlington    Augustus has a much better arm than most give him credit for. But when the Falcons decided to see how much damage he could do with his legs, the entire offense responded unlike any other Darlington team in the last nine seasons. That knowledge is now firmly in place and the Falcons have used the  offseason to build around his skill set.    [player_tooltip player_id='1592521' first='Kason' last='Canupp'] Nation Ford    Canupp, while playing for Rock Hill last fall, had a good junior season that included two monster games in particular. In one of those, he threw for 250 yards and five touchdowns against Indian Land. In the other, he went for 339 and four against - wait for it - Nation Ford. The one-year pairing between him and new coach Jake Bentley is sheer potential.   [player_tooltip player_id='1639782' first='Jayden' last='Johnson'] Ware Shoals    Ware Shoals is one of those sleeper Class 1A teams that could make some noise in the postseason, and Johnson (pictured) is the top reason why. As a junior, he threw for just shy of 1,500 yards and 16 touchdowns while only throwing five picks. Did we mention that over the course of the last two years, he's started checking off school records?   [player_tooltip player_id='1639886' first='Banks' last='Wickersham'] Fort Dorchester   While some big pieces transferred out of Fort D in the offseason, the program's designs for their quarterback are clear as day. He took over the starting job near the end of last year and has has the entire offseason to get used to his one and only year doing so. The College of Charleston baseball commit will have every chance to show off his stuff while he can.   [player_tooltip player_id='340230' first='Meek' last='Slydell'] Dorman    Our evaluation of Slydell and his abilities stemmed from his time at Asheville (N.C.), where he was a starter for the majority of the last three years while putting up some solid numbers. We didn't want to go too nuts with him (or any transfer, really). But the pieces for him being one of the centerpieces of a Dorman team primed for a big jump are all there.   [player_tooltip player_id='1734471' first='Davidson' last='Lynch'] Trinity Collegiate    Lynch's prospects for 2025 started to change well in advance of freshman Cade Amell transferring out of the program with his dad in the spring. Lynch threw for 1,346 yards and 12 touchdowns (four interceptions) while completing 56 percent of his passes last year. He also ran for 476 yards and two more scores. Now, his “part-time” status has been elevated.   [player_tooltip player_id='1734561' first='Carrington' last='Carter'] Westwood    We've already seen evidence of how quickly quarterbacks can improve under coach Stephen Burris from his time at Lamar. Now at Westwood, he's taken a liking to Carter and has been scheming for ways to further accentuate his abilities. Now add in transfer receiver [player_tooltip player_id='1580947' first='Jayden' last='Boyd'] from Fairfield Central and things are looking even more up for Carter.      [player_tooltip player_id='1734478' first='Cooper' last='Kafina'] and [player_tooltip player_id='1734517' first='Max' last='Stafford'] Summerville   We'll wrap up this section with a two-for-one in the form of Kafina and Stafford. Head coach Ian Rafferty has been adamant that he's not looking to rotate quarterbacks. But in Kafina he's got a long-term Green Wave backup who knows the ins and outs of the system and in Stafford he's got a signal caller who has been soaking up coaching from various sources. Whomever is the primary quarterback will excel; you can take that to the bank.   SMALL SCHOOL PLAYER TO WATCH   [player_tooltip player_id='1395087' first='Reid' last='McCollum'] Hilton Head Christian   The Navy commit is almost assuredly swapping sides of the ball once he get into the college ranks. HHC didn't need that excuse to go all-in on McCollum's physical traits. After all, he threw for 2,443 yards and 21 touchdowns as a junior while tacking on another 845 yards and 16 scores on the ground. His 2024 figures weren't a fluke. And if and when he tops all those numbers as a senior, he'll be able to hang up his offensive wrist band for good with his head held very, very high.   FILM REVIEW   [player_tooltip player_id='1165153' first='Gavin' last='Thoma'] Seneca   The Bobcats started 6-0 last year and finished the season with eight overall wins. But among the biggest reasons they're a trendy Class 4A team this fall is Thoma. He's got a bonafide backfield mate in [player_tooltip player_id='1667450' first='Amari' last='Verner'] (1,379 yards, 13 touchdowns) and a stud WR in the making in 2028 [player_tooltip player_id='1615026' first='Jeremiah' last='Hunter'] (553 yards, seven touchdowns). Thoma doesn't hurt his own cause, either. He's frequently the recipient of designed runs for himself. Packaged nicely with that his own quick his release is. Opponents don't have much time pre-snap to dissect everything he can do, and when he starts changing it on the fly, it only confounds defenses that much more.     WILD CARD   [player_tooltip player_id='1429140' first='Christian' last='Royals'] Socastee    When looking for a player in this positional group who could produce at a clip he's never before touched, Royals is a strong candidate. On top of some added size from his sophomore season, Royals also has what appears to be the strongest and most experienced group of offensive playmakers around him. Don't forget that he lost his two biggest weapons early in 2024, so much of what he was able to accomplish was a freelanced version of what was expected. Royals can easily be one of those names that puts an imprint on the season, from the south end to Horry County and beyond.