Five QB's To Blow Up in 2026

Here's a look at five QB's to really put themselves on the map and explode here in 2026:    Hill is another sure division 1 talent, as the 6'3" 185lb gunslinger put up over 2,500 yards and 23 TD's with just 3 INT's to lead Centennial to a 6A State Championship appearance. Hill displays a good pocket presence with excellent poise, delivering with a smooth and effortless release. Really like his ability to throw off of play action or RPO's, as he gets the ball out with urgency, accuracy, timing, and velocity- making it look easy. He does a great job standing tall and throwing with anticipation for routes to developed, and will step up and drive the ball downfield with authority. A raw arm talent with a ton of intangibles moving forward, as you can expect a huge year from Hill in 2026.     Silver recently made the transfer over to 6A Red Mountain from 4A Eastmark after the coaching change at EHS, and I truly think he's developing into a legit P4 prospect and will have a huge opportunity to showcase his ability against the best competition in the state. Strong, big, and long frame and build at 6'5" 225lbs that already passes the initial P4 eye test. Excellent demeanor and composure in the pocket with smooth, active feet with the ability to climb, slide, or escape accordingly. He delivers with an effortless release with tremendous accuracy to spot the ball in precise places, and has shown the ability to throw with both velocity and touch at all 3 levels of throws. Overall a big time arm with a high ceiling, as he'll be a kid to get on your radar asap if he's not already.     Barjona is a dual threat that possesses a ton of big play potential both through the air and on the ground. Impressive toughness all around and does a great job of knowing when to hang in the pocket and deliver a throw vs when to escape and extend plays, as play #1 on his film really emphasize that toughness. Really good eyes and placement on those intermediate throws to drive the ball into tight windows with velocity (1:27 mark on film). Love his ability to extend plays as he does a great job keeping his eyes downfield to anticipate scramble/levels concepts, but also flashes excellent twitch and change or direction to become an immediate threat when he takes off, and possesses good top end speed as well.     Messan may be the best overall talent in 4A and is prone for a breakout Jr. season. In just 5 games last year due to transfer, Messan put up over 1,000 yards passing with 20 TD's while putting up 160 yards and 5 TD's on the ground. Solid pocket presence with mobility both and outside the pocket, and possesses the natural understanding of throwing with anticipation and to not be rattled by pressure or chaos around him. Quick release with the ability to drive throws into tight windows but also stretch the field vertically with trajectory and touch. A promising player that put up impressive numbers in just that 5 game span, so give this kid a full season with an established team and culture at Maryvale under the Carter brothers- and you got yourself a dangerous player.     Hales was touted with a role last season that nobody expected, and that was to replace the top QB in AZ and Clemson commit [player_tooltip player_id='739440' first='Tait' last='Reynolds'] due to an injury. Hales stepped up though and threw for nearly 1,600 yards and 17 TD's. He'll have to address the turnovers as he heads into his junior year, but I believe he takes a big mental leap with a year under his belt with 6A starting experience as I expect everything to slow down for him a ton. Solid natural arm talent as he delivers with a quick and snappy release, frequently throwing with velocity.

Here's a look at five QB's to really put themselves on the map and explode here in 2026: