2028 Quarterback Newcomers

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>We released our updated <a href="https://prepredzone.com/north-carolina/rankings/2028-rankings/">2028 class rankings</a> on Monday, which included 58 newcomers from the sophomore class, pushing our total ranked players to 281. I looked at some of the numbers driving the update in my <a href="https://prepredzone.com/2026/01/behind-the-scenes-of-the-2028-rankings-update-january/">Behind the Scenes</a> piece, then looked at some <a href="https://prepredzone.com/2026/01/january-stock-risers-2028-qbs/">QB stock-risers</a> (Players already in the rankings who moved up). Now, it's one of my favorite pieces, the newcomers. Here, we're evaluating every new quarterback in the rankings.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Newly-Ranked 2028 Quarterbacks</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["2078902"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6978cd21100be"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Sometimes teams ease their young signal-callers into their varsity careers, and sometimes, out of necessity, they throw them in the deep end. Casteel averaged almost 28 attempts per game, including a three-game stretch of 114 attempts in October. He rose to the occasion, throwing 18 touchdowns on the year and adding two more scores on the ground. He's already on of the best in the state at changing his arm slot to fit the ball around defenders from different platforms.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["2112035"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6978cd211015e"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Harrington's name popped up on my radar a couple of times last offseason, but to be honest, in the craziness of the season, I lost track of the sophomore. After jumping back into his film, however, it's obvious he belongs with the best in the class. He's absolutely fearless as a passer, unfazed by pressure, and he has the arm strength to compete. He has the frame to add more good weight, so I'm looking to see if he puts on 15-20 more pounds this offseason. Statesville is set at the quarterback position for at least a couple more years.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["2112034"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6978cd21101dd"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Jackson is a standout baseball player, but he's not so bad on the gridiron either. He put up over 2,800 total yards and 28 touchdowns as a sophomore. He takes care of the football, with just six interceptions last season, and has tremendous arm strength for his size (He's a left-sided infielder on the diamond, and that shows up on the football field). Perhaps most impressively, he was highly accurate in his first year as a starter, completing nearly two-thirds of his passes on the season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["2112654"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6978cd2110259"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Sanderson isn't a high-volume passing team, but Bowie was efficient as a thrower, averaging over eight yards per attempt on around 15 attempts per game. What actually drew us to Bowie, though, was his prowess as a runner. He was among the state leaders in rushing at the quarterback position. He has good vision on called runs and makes smart decisions in the RPO and option games.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["2076054"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6978cd21102d3"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Daughtry doesn't have a ton of varsity film after sitting most of the year behind one of our favorite 2026 quarterbacks, but if the early returns are any indication, Cape Fear should be just fine at the quarterback position next season. Daughtry throws a tremendous deep ball with a simple throwing motion and excellent arm strength. He doesn't run a ton, but has ample athleticism to escape and fire downfield.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em>There's plenty to come from Matt Morrow, Joshua Graham, and me on the 2028 rankings over the next week. Stay locked in with Prep Redzone for more insights, evaluations, and rankings updates. Want to share Prep Redzone with a friend? Promo code Helms30 will get them 30% off their first billing cycle for any subscription.</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->