Kentucky HSFB: 35+ Freshmen (2029) Quarterbacks to Know in 2025

After a year of finding prospects, evaluating them in person and on film, speaking with different coaches and sources throughout the state, the Prep Redzone Next Kentucky Class of 2029 Rankings and Watchlist is complete. This list contains nearly 400 prospects that are set to make their high school football debut this upcoming fall—and the talent is immense.   A few things to remember:   <ul class="wp-block-list"> <li>EVERY SECTION IS LISTED ALPHABETICALLY BY FIRST NAME</li> </ul>   <ul class="wp-block-list"> <li>This list is NOT final and will be updated by Prep Redzone Kentucky as HS careers progress</li> </ul>   <ul class="wp-block-list"> <li>Things change quickly on this level and there may be incorrect information that I simply missed/wasn't aware of</li> </ul>     <figure class="wp-block-image aligncenter size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepredzone.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/08/Eli-Jarrell-bODY.png?w=875" alt="" class="wp-image-1760757" style="width:524px;height:auto" /></figure>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading has-text-align-center">Top-20 Watchlist Quarterback Prospects</h2>   **Listed Alphabetically By First Name**    A tall, lean Southpaw with good fluidity and mobility for a prospect as lean and young as he is. With his ability, combined with the weapons the Purples currently have (and will continue to have) Davis has the potential to put up insane numbers. His size lends itself to playing Defensive Back as well. Should be noted he's also a very talented basketball player.     The Tigers of St. Xavier are a perennial powerhouse and while renowned QB incumbent [player_tooltip player_id='1311244' first='Mason' last='Trimble'] has the keys to the car, incoming frosh [player_tooltip player_id='1668011' first='Austin' last='Jacobson'] will get a chance to learn. Jacobson is a strong pocket passer that can put some serious mustard on the ball when he gets the time. He comes from Silver Creek Middle School in Indiana, where he was the team's Offensive MVP last year.     Any school or program that has gone 28-1 over the last two seasons, likely has a lot of things figured out and in place already. Incoming Paducah Tilghman freshman QB [player_tooltip player_id='1645843' first='Avery' last='Gates'] is exactly the type of player that will thrive in a locker room like that. Checks all the boxes with intangibles--leadership, toughness, moxy. Led Paducah Middle to State Championship Game and then finished 5th in the state wrestling tournament, a year ago.     The success of the Corbin High School and Middle School football program(s) over the last 20 years, can't be stated enough. The Redhounds will continue to reload with an incoming freshman group that won the State Championship a year ago, with QB1 [player_tooltip player_id='1664958' first='Brett' last='Estep'] leading the way. A poised, three-sport athlete (baseball and basketball) he moves around well and should be a big reason why Corbin continues to have success.     There is soon to be another Smith shining brightly under the bright Friday night lights of Ryle High School, as [player_tooltip player_id='1790293' first='Brody' last='Smith'] will be a freshman this year. Brody is the younger brother of University of Louisville freshman Defensive Lineman, Dillon Smith. While Dillon terrorized Quarterbacks at Ryle, Brody will be doing the terrorizing as a signal caller. He features of the most beautiful throwing motions and releases in the state of Kentucky for this 2029 class. Arm strength is exception for this age and level, as his highlight film features him accurately throwing the ball nearly 40-yards with a simple flick of the wrist.     Under Luke Pennington the Spartans went 27-1 over the last two seasons. However, with Pennington now graduated and playing at Dayton, [player_tooltip player_id='1668020' first='Brooks' last='Perry'] enters his hat in the ring for a shot at the future QB1. Sayre will have Gage Pennington (2027) and others on the roster, but Perry is the bet for the future. He'll enter HS with incredible arm strength, in addition to familiarity with the program, as he's played in the feeder program for years.     Armstrong was nothing short of outstanding on both sides of the ball last season, as Campbell County Middle School brought home a Northern Kentucky Middle School Athletic Association Large School Championship. Physically strong for his age and level of play. Brings a dual-threat style that holds the opposing defense accountable for him on every play. Built more like a Linebacker, but his vision as a QB made him a ball-hawking Safety. He's also a stud on the basketball court.     As an eighth-grader last year, [player_tooltip player_id='1692236' first='Caleb' last='Spann'] put himself on the map for the whole state to see. The eventual West Jessamine Middle School Male Athlete of the Year led his football team to the State Championship and then capped off a 40-1 middle school basketball career record. Spann is muscled up and more than athletic enough to come in and play early in high school. Physically, he looks like he could walk into a varsity locker room in the state and not look out of place.     The first of two Quarterbacks headed to Trinity High School on this list, [player_tooltip player_id='1648180' first='Chase' last='Browning'] is a young man that has a ton of upside. While Quarterback incumbent [player_tooltip player_id='374785' first='Zane' last='Johnson'] and his handful of offers should rightfully enter the next two years as QB1, Browning is a major possibility for the future. Last year he wrapped up an excellent pre-high school career with the East Louisville Chargers and has a high school-ready body. How he develops early in HS, will dictate a lot for the future.     Following a stint at IMG Academy last year, [player_tooltip player_id='1686543' first='Cole' last='Presswood'] returns home to the Blue Grass State for his high school career at McCracken County. He starts his Mustang high school career already reporting offers from Eastern Kentucky, Murray State and Nicholls State--which is saying something. The righty is as fundamentally sound as they come in the class. He'll have a year to get acclimated, as he'll sit behind [player_tooltip player_id='401720' first='Maddox' last='O'Neal'] who returns after tossing 41 TDs last year as a Junior.     Pikeville Quarterback [player_tooltip player_id='868214' first='Cooper' last='Scott'] has been on my radar since the fall of 2022 and hasn't left it. While Pikeville High School comes off its "worst" season (7-6-1) in over a decade, the future again looks bright with the freshman group they have coming in--a freshman group that won a State Title a year ago in eighth grade. Scott is the best leader as a QB that I have seen in this Kentucky 2029 class, bar none. Look for him to only improve from his 2,267 yards of total offense and 37 TDs of a year ago.     Knox County High School is home to a QB prospect who has all the potential to end up being one of the best in the state when all is said and done. [player_tooltip player_id='1772150' first='Eli' last='Carey'] enters high school with prototypical size at 6-foot-2 and 190-pounds and has a skill set that immediately translates to the next level. Stands tall in the pocket with a crisp, beautiful and overhand release. Not jut a statue, Carey can move. When escaping the pocket he looks to throw first but has no problem using his legs for a first down. A year ago he helped Knox County Middle School make the KYMSFA state playoffs and was a D2 Player of the Year Honorable Mention.     The only freshman currently listed on the Betsy Lane High School roster right now is Quarterback [player_tooltip player_id='1757075' first='Eli' last='Jarrell'] and he should be the starter this season. Jarrell is big, strong QB entering high school already standing at 6-foot-1 and 180-pounds. He's an athletic QB that has varsity basketball and baseball experience on his resume. A year ago he led the middle school Bobcats to the KYMSFA Division 3 state playoffs, before being eliminated by the buzzsaw that was eventual State Champion, Pikeville. If Jarrell continues on his current trajectory, he could become one of the top signal callers in 2A ball.     A Quarterback/Defensive Back/Athlete with a ton of upside headed to South Oldham. On the middle school level, the Southpaw was the straw that stirred the drink for a Dragons team with an explosive offensive offense. That said, several of his top playmakers from last year have gone on to other schools -- [player_tooltip player_id='1685833' first='Gerius' last='Howard-Bowen'] to Louisville Male and [player_tooltip player_id='1685858' first='Andrew' last='Haskins Jr.'] to Trinity -- just to name two. Schooler doesn't have the size needed for the Varsity level yet, but his ability and athleticism as a Quarterback is there.     For the better part of the last decade, Kentucky Country Day has had success in terms of wins and losses on the varsity level. With some niece pieces coming in with this freshman class--eight listed on the varsity level, to be exact--the future may have continued success. On film three-sport athlete (baseball/basketball/football) [player_tooltip player_id='1686356' first='Harrison' last='Lage'] looks like he could be something fierce. He comes with pistol-like feet in the pocket and a Howitzer for a right arm.     Last season as an eighth-grader, [player_tooltip player_id='1662615' first='Hudson' last='Overstreet'] was named the KYMSFA Division 3 Region 2 Player of the Year, all while helping CAL reach the semi-finals of the State Playoffs. As he's set to begin high school, it's goodbye Centurions and hello Eastern Eagles. By quite literally all accounts, his future seems destined for the baseball diamond, as Overstreet already has varsity experience from last spring. With that said, he's clearly an outstanding athlete and is currently the only freshman listed on Eastern's varsity football roster.     The Aces of Owensboro Catholic are coming off consecutive 14-1 seasons, and will now get set to welcome 6-foot-5, 180-pound Quarterback [player_tooltip player_id='1752575' first='Peyton' last='Morris']. As one could imagine, Morris is extraordinarily long and very lean--he needs the weight room and all the protein he can find. The 2023 season ended with a KYMSFA State Championship for the Aces, while 2024 saw them again reach the championship game, but came up short. Morris also plays basketball for Owensboro Catholic.     As an eighth-grader last year, [player_tooltip player_id='1650972' first='Tanner' last='Stutler'] was the catalyst of an Ashland Middle School Team that reached the semi-finals of the KYMSFA playoffs. For his effort, Stutler was crowned the Division 2 Region 3 Player of the Year. Stutler has posted some varsity film and looks like he's picking up exactly where he left off last year. With star prospect [player_tooltip player_id='463134' first='Maverick' last='Ashby'] shouldering much of the load for the Tomcats, Stutler will team up with one of the best in the state.     It's not every day that an incoming freshman already has two seasons of varsity experience under his belt, but that's the case with [player_tooltip player_id='1662612' first='Ty' last='Burwash'], who has played varsity baseball since seventh-grade. While Campbellsville may only be a 1A school, Burwash is a prospect with a lot of talent in both football and baseball. Though his future looks to be on the baseball diamond at this point, Burwash was named the Division 3 Region 1 Player of the Year on the football a year ago. With the varsity Eagles finishing 11-3 a year ago, they "welcome" a familiar face in Burwash.     After Quarterbacking Somerset to the semi-finals of the KYMSFA Division 3 state playoffs, [player_tooltip player_id='1613001' first='Xavier' last='Gregory'] is set to being his high school career at Southwestern High School. In Gregory the Warriors are getting a stud multi-sport athlete who, like others on this list, already has varsity baseball experience on his resume. On the gridiron last year as an eighth-grader, the 6-foot-1, 175-pounder accumulated 2,735 total yards with 29 touchdowns, four rushing touchdowns and just two INTs. That's a ton of production from a young gunslinger with a very live arm.      <figure class="wp-block-image aligncenter size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepredzone.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/08/Gabe-Varney-Body.png?w=875" alt="" class="wp-image-1760650" style="width:525px;height:auto" /></figure>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading has-text-align-center">The Best of the Rest Quarterback Watchlist</h2>   **Listed Alphabetically By First Name**   [player_tooltip player_id='1221570' first='Brady' last='Steward'] | Union County High School - An exciting dual-threat kid who can really make the defense pay with his legs--specifically the Linebackers and Secondary if they get stuck with their eyes in the backfield. Steward doesn't play the most convention style of Quarterback, but the results are the same. He can make some really impressive short to intermediate throws. Throwing motion and downfield arm strength can improve, but he's on his way.   [player_tooltip player_id='1781083' first='Brayden' last='King'] | Raceland High School - Listed at 5-foot-11 and 160-pounds, King has promising size and the arm talent to go along with it. Brings dual-threat ability from the QB position but is pretty balanced overall. On film he looks good in the pocket and delivers strikes to the playmakers around him. Finished last season with 1,651 yards of total offense (699 - rushing and 952 - passing). Like several others in this write up, he is also a very accomplished baseball player.   [player_tooltip player_id='1757037' first='Braydon' last='Wallis'] | Woodford County High School - A slender righty who is can't-miss TV with the ball in his hands. He's very fundamentally buttoned up in his drops, but also adds his own flare once one the move. He has impressive feet and sudden quickness for a QB. There's certainly some Baker Mayfield in his game with the way he escapes and can follow it up with a beautiful ball.   [player_tooltip player_id='1232241' first='Eli' last='Boone'] | Hart County High School - Boone is an interesting prospect to watch entering Hart County High School this upcoming season. He's exceptionally strong for his 5-foot-9, 160-pound frame -- already benching 225-pounds for reps and squatting over 400-pounds. Broke the state record for bench press in his age group. While he'll likely sit behind [player_tooltip player_id='1176936' first='Jacob' last='Shoulders'] this season, he also plays Linebacker on the defensive side of the ball. He'll get his shot.   [player_tooltip player_id='1757057' first='Gabe' last='Varney'] | Belfry High School - For as long as I have been finding middle school football prospects in the state of Kentucky, which I started doing in 2010, the Varney last name has been associated with the Belfry program. Fittingly enough, incoming Pirates QB [player_tooltip player_id='1757057' first='Gabe' last='Varney'] is a prospect to know about, but...he'll likely sit at least a year behind QB incumbent [player_tooltip player_id='212334' first='Chase' last='Varney']. The younger Varney is a slender QB who also plays hoops, and with time in the weight room, should be just fine.   [player_tooltip player_id='1145692' first='Jayden' last='Guzman'] | Frederick Douglass High School - There has been significant "hype" and/or chatter around Guzman for the better part of the last two seasons. After playing freshman ball as an eighth-grader last season, he traveled all around the country participating--and standing out--at a number of 7v7 tournaments, QB camps and other events. From this summer's film it looks like his accuracy has increased a bit and he's still humming the rock to his playmakers.   [player_tooltip player_id='1756951' first='Jonathan' last='Despaigne'] | DuPont Manual High School - Despaigne is coming out of, more or less, a two-Quarterback system with the Lyndon Lightning youth program last year. He's up nearly two inches and over 20-pounds in the last calendar year, so there's been significant physical growth. He has some arm talent and enters a program that has been pretty tough over the back half of the last decade.   [player_tooltip player_id='1650817' first='Pacey' last='Howard'] | Johnson Central High School - At first look Howard doesn't have the eye-popping height or size that some of the other QBs in this writeup do, but he's a thick kid that plays much bigger than he actually is. Brings toughness and attitude to the position and doesn't shy away from contact. There isn't much film out there from his middle school days, but having watched him in person, he's a dual-threat guy who doesn't overcomplicate things on the field.   [player_tooltip player_id='1269715' first='Peyton' last='Duckwall'] | Bullit East High School - One of only three freshman to be listed on the varsity roster of the Chargers this upcoming season, Duckwall enters Bullit East High School having guided the eighth-grade team to the no.1 seed in the KYMSFA playoffs a year ago. Despite not being able to go all the way, Duckwall did a great job getting the ball to the talent around him and separated himself a bit. For his efforts he was selected for the All-Star Classic and the Battle of the Regions.   [player_tooltip player_id='1757007' first='Truett' last='Turner'] | Allen County-Scottsville High School - Dating back to his time with the youth Patriots, [player_tooltip player_id='1757007' first='Truett' last='Turner'] is a promising prospect who has been turning heads along the Kentucky/Tennessee border. Eighth grade was a banner school year for Turner, as he was named a Conference All-Star in both basketball and football at Bazzell Middle School. The three-sport athlete (football/basketball/baseball) has a big wind up and can really fire the football to all three levels of the football field.   [player_tooltip player_id='1756960' first='Tyus' last='Boston'] | Trinity High School - As mentioned above, Trinity High School is welcoming a pair of promising QBs in this freshman class, as [player_tooltip player_id='1756960' first='Tyus' last='Boston'] will be there. Boston comes from more or less a two-QB system with the Lyndon Lightning (alongside [player_tooltip player_id='1756951' first='Jonathan' last='Despaigne']) so competing for reps is nothing new for him. I don't have an official size on Boston, but he looks to be on the smaller side. However, his film from last year shows me a QB with better arm strength than some bigger QBs in the state.     <figure class="wp-block-image aligncenter size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepredzone.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/08/eli-lunz-body-1.png?w=875" alt="" class="wp-image-1760656" style="width:524px;height:auto" /></figure>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading has-text-align-center">Additional Watchlist Quarterbacks</h2>   **Listed Alphabetically By First Name**   <ul class="wp-block-list"> <li>[player_tooltip player_id='1776601' first='Bryce' last='Blackerby'] | Lexington Christian Academy</li> </ul>   <ul class="wp-block-list"> <li>[player_tooltip player_id='1756976' first='Dillon' last='Cruver'] | Danville High School</li> </ul>   <ul class="wp-block-list"> <li>[player_tooltip player_id='1657036' first='Eli' last='Lunz'] | North Hardin High School</li> </ul>   <ul class="wp-block-list"> <li>[player_tooltip player_id='1666444' first='Miles' last='Owen'] | Tates Creek High School</li> </ul>   <ul class="wp-block-list"> <li>[player_tooltip player_id='1776592' first='Parker' last='Penix'] | Lexington Christian Academy</li> </ul>   <ul class="wp-block-list"> <li>[player_tooltip player_id='1666762' first='Ryan' last='Noe'] | Garrard County High School</li> </ul>   <ul class="wp-block-list"> <li>[player_tooltip player_id='1790176' first='Sawyer' last='Stinson'] | Mayfield High School</li> </ul>   <ul class="wp-block-list"> <li>[player_tooltip player_id='1756971' first='Zach' last='Kostopoulos'] | Cooper High School</li> </ul>

After a year of finding prospects, evaluating them in person and on film, speaking with different coaches and sources throughout the state, the Prep Redzone Next Kentucky Class of 2029 Rankings and Watchlist is complete. This list contains nearly 400 prospects that are set to make their high school football debut this upcoming fall—and the talent is immense.