Deep Dives: Western NC Quarterbacks

The final leg in our Deep Dive Series will be Western North Carolina! This is definitely an under-recruited area of the state, but there is some great talent in the mountains and foothills!   We will get started with the Top Quarterbacks in western North Carolina, and we will follow the same setup as we did for Mecklenburg County: The top five players will get their own individual breakdown, while our remaining players will get a summarized analysis of their abilities. Let's get started!    This past season, Jaron was impressive with nearly 2400 passing yards and 29 passing touchdowns on the season. As if that wasn't impressive enough, Jaron showed his dual-threat ability with 6 rushing touchdowns to go along with the passing highlights. He's an accurate passer overall with a 68 percent completion percentage, and he's our #1 quarterback in western North Carolina because of those accomplishments. Overall, I like Jaron's arm strength, decision-making, and fundamentals when he's in the pocket throwing the ball downfield. He can make off-schedule plays look easier than they are, and he's a dangerous threat in the quarterback run game.     Elan has had an impressive career for Hibriten already, with another year to go. He's got some good physical height at 6'1, and a good GPA at 3.6, giving him plenty of options to play college football once he makes a choice. This past season, he had over 3000 total yards, accounted for 34 touchdowns, and was named his conference's offensive player of the year. Elan can make accurate throws from inside and outside the pocket and excels at making big throws down the field with a strong arm. Elan also has some dual-threat ability on the run, and he can take it the distance in the open field. His highlight film is a fun one to watch for sure.     Caden has been a really good quarterback for a while now, and I like his listed size at 6'3 and 220 pounds as a potential college football prospect. This past season, Caden threw for over 2400 yards and had 19 passing touchdowns. Caden was also productive in the running game with 8 rushing touchdowns as well. Looking at the film, Caden stands tall in the pocket with confidence, delivering the ball down the field. I like the touch he shows on the deep ball, and he doesn't panic when he's under pressure. That's an important trait that comes from being a 2-time All-Conference player. I can see Caden picking up some college interest with a strong camp season this summer.     Tayvion had a strong season this past year, throwing for over 1700 yards and accounting for 28 touchdowns only as a sophomore. I think he can definitely grow more physically, and I think that performance put him on the radar of some watch lists for college football programs. He's got a 4.25 GPA, and that intelligence shows well in his highlight film. Tayvion makes smart decisions when reading the field in both the passing game and running game. He knows when to take off and run and not force bad throws. He shows some nice rhythm from the pocket when throwing the deep ball, and I think his arm strength will only continue to improve as he grows older.     Deuce is a talented player from a traditionally strong Starmount program, and he's got some good natural talent on his highlight film. He is listed as a defensive back as well, and Deuce shows that athleticism with the football in his hands. This past season, Deuce threw for nearly 1700 yards and had 19 touchdown passes, while adding over 400 yards on the ground and 9 rushing touchdowns on the season. When you look at the film, Deuce remains calm under pressure and delivers a nice, catchable ball consistently to his targets downfield. I'd love to see him in a camp or showcase setting to see his speed and athleticism up close compared to other athletes.    Honorable Mentions   [player_tooltip player_id='1654254' first='Jackson' last='Tolbert'] - Christ School Darin Tipton - Chase [player_tooltip player_id='2112656' first='Karod' last='Harris'] - TC Roberson   Analysis   [player_tooltip player_id='1654254' first='Jackson' last='Tolbert'] is reclassifying to the Class of 2027 and going to Christ School, formerly playing at Sanderson High School in the Raleigh area in Eastern North Carolina. Jackson has some good size at 6'3 and shows nice touch on the deep ball. Darin Tipton from Chase High School had a nice, productive season throwing the football. I like his accuracy both inside and outside of the pocket, and he shows the ability to make plays on the run consistently. [player_tooltip player_id='2112656' first='Karod' last='Harris'] from TC Roberson is a nice-looking 2028 dual-threat quarterback. He's smaller at 5'8, but he's tough and he shows some nice speed with the football in his hands, along with a strong arm when delivering the ball down the field.

The final leg in our Deep Dive Series will be Western North Carolina! This is definitely an under-recruited area of the state, but there is some great talent in the mountains and foothills!