Eye in the Sky: Early Reads on the 2029 Watchlist QBs, Pt. 1

Welcome back to Eye in the Sky, where we slow things down, trust the tape, and take a real look at the next wave of talent coming through Arizona. This week's all about the freshmen — the 2029 QBs who just landed on <a href="https://prepredzone.com/arizona/rankings/arizona-high-school-football-2029-class-player-rankings/">our watchlist</a>.   It's easy to forget how young these guys are when you see some of the flashes they're already putting on film, but that's what makes this group fun. They're raw in spots, polished in others, and every one of them shows something that makes you want to rewind a clip just to make sure you saw it right.     [player_tooltip player_id='793852' first='Crew' last='Zellner'] is the kind of young QB you watch and immediately feel comfortable with because the baseline tools and the baseline habits are already there. The arm is plenty strong, but what stands out more is how catchable the ball is and how fast it gets out — his release is quick enough that he can avoid sacks and hit tight windows in the quick game, and that matters as the competition speeds up. He does drop the arm a bit on some throws, and when the bodies in front of him get bigger that can absolutely turn into tipped-ball headaches, but the flip side is he's genuinely crafty with his arm angles and can still get it into throwing lanes when the picture gets messy. I also loved the pocket movement: his feet stay calm, he slides and resets without the panic steps, and it looks like he expects to have an answer even when things get muddy. Then you add in the runner piece — he's not just a scrambler, he runs with enough toughness that defenders don't get the free tackle they think they're getting, and he's got just enough speed to steal extra yards when everybody's turning their backs in coverage. Put it all together and it feels like a really solid foundation with legitimate ceiling, especially as he keeps tightening the release point and stacking reps.      [player_tooltip player_id='1584186' first='Dylan' last='Cooper']'s tape feels like you're watching a kid who actually understands what the playing the position is supposed to look like. The biggest thing for me is how he manages the throttle — he knows when to drive it and when to layer it, and that's not common at this age. The arm strength isn't the type that screams at you on the first clip, but then he'll zip one into a tight window and you're reminded, “Okay, it's in there,” and the more important part is he's decisive in the quick game and isn't playing scared. His accuracy is solid, and the way he sees the field lets you know he's actually going through his progressions — he's not just chucking to the first color he sees, he's playing quarterback. Now it's about the physical growth, because if the body keeps filling out and the velocity continues to come, the rest of his game is already wired the right way.      [player_tooltip player_id='1585182' first='Bodhi' last='Walker'] is sneaky in the best way — he looks controlled and steady, and then all of a sudden he's on the edge turning a busted rep into real yardage. The athleticism is real, but what makes it dangerous is he's not running just to run; he extends plays with his eyes up and is clearly looking to throw when he gets outside the pocket. The lower half is unusually sound for a young QB, and the pocket awareness feels veteran-ish — he senses pressure, drifts with it, resets, and doesn't melt down when the picture changes. Mechanically, the throwing motion is fluid and strong, and even when the ball doesn't come out perfectly clean every single time, the delivery itself stays consistent, which is a huge indicator of his development. He's the kind of player you trust to make the right play more often than not, but he also has that little “magic” factor where you know a few times a game he's capable of turning nothing into something memorable.   <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">Undefeated Freshman season highlights. <a href="https://t.co/joShSJDEY8">pic.twitter.com/joShSJDEY8</a>— Bo Walker (@WalkerBodhi) <a href="https://twitter.com/WalkerBodhi/status/1984318177845920244?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 31, 2025</a></blockquote>     [player_tooltip player_id='1585417' first='Arnel' last='Ahmetovic'] is a fun evaluation because he wins in a way that usually translates — timing and anticipation. He's not living on pure arm strength, so instead he's beating tough windows by being on time, and when you see a young QB consistently throwing with anticipation, you start thinking big picture fast. The ball is friendly for receivers, and that matters more than people admit because it turns “contested-ish” throws into catches instead of hospital balls. Physically, he's already massive, and the strong base shows up because he's not easy to knock off his spot; he can absorb bodies in the pocket and still keep his eyes/feet connected well enough to finish the play. The deep ball accuracy is impressive too — he gives his guys a chance down the field without needing to muscle every throw. Defensive coordinators are going to hate prepping for a QB with that size and a legit vertical passing threat, and if he keeps gaining experience and arm strength, that timing-based style is only going to get nastier.      [player_tooltip player_id='1111798' first='Jason' last='Haines'] is one of those guys where you're watching freshman tape and thinking, “Yeah… how long are they really going to keep him off varsity?” He plays like he's already comfortable with the spotlight — calm feet, clean posture, and upper-half mechanics that look incredibly polished. The ball comes out smooth and he can put real power on it when he has to, but where he really starts stacking wins is the intermediate area and over the middle — deadly accurate, decisive, and not afraid to fire through a tight window to his guy. That's also the area he's going to have to keep attacking as he moves up levels, and everything about his play says he'll lean into it instead of avoiding it. There's honestly not much about his game that makes you flinch, and the crazy part is he's got three more years to add strength, reps, and command. He's the type of QB you circle now because the “good” already looks obvious, and the “great” feels like it's sitting right there if he keeps at it with the boring daily work.      [player_tooltip player_id='1340803' first='Ryker' last='Scott']'s game has a lot of the ingredients you want, and the separator for him is going to be consistency of composure — not talent. He's athletic enough to extend plays, but what I like is that when he breaks the pocket he's still looking to throw, not bailing into runner mode the second things get uncomfortable. When he's calm and playing within himself, he's got the full package: lightning-quick delivery, good feet, and solid accuracy. Where he gets into trouble is the classic young-QB moment — trying to put a little extra on the ball while also getting it out in a hurry — and that's when the mechanics start slipping; the front side flies open early, and he pulls his head out of the throw right at the release. The good news is that's a fixable problem, and you can already see the version of him that works when he stays cool. If he can make that calm, controlled version his default for four quarters — not just when things are clean — his game will take a massive jump.      [player_tooltip player_id='2067419' first='Kaiden' last='Agbunag'] is the ultimate “small sample, big impression” eval right now, because there's basically only one game of tape to lean on — but man, that one game pops. You can see the runner threat immediately: he's agile, he's stocky, and that combo is a pain because it's not just speed, it's tackle resistance and balance, too. But the bigger surprise is how mature he plays within the offense — he wasn't hunting hero throws all game, he wasn't forcing deep shots that weren't there, and he was totally fine taking the underneath stuff and staying on schedule. Then when the downfield opportunities showed up, you saw the touch and the willingness to push it without turning reckless. Based on that one start, he already looks like a kid who can have success at the varsity level, and what makes it exciting isn't just the tools (effortless arm strength, good size with room to keep growing) — it's the mix of physical ability and on-field maturity. His ceiling is sky-high.   <video controls playsinline preload="metadata" style="width:100%;max-width:900px;height:auto;background:#000;border-radius:12px" src="https://d1l0eyz2lfj4xa.cloudfront.net/playOnPoly/689621ff56ff009544ab673f/venue_hls/hd_hls/hd_hls.m3u8#t=2445,2484"> </video>

Welcome back to Eye in the Sky, where we slow things down, trust the tape, and take a real look at the next wave of talent coming through Arizona. This week's all about the freshmen — the 2029 QBs who just landed on our watchlist.