PRZ Smoky Mountain Summit: Emptying the QB Notebook

*Use code "jackson30" for 30% off your PRZ subscription*   With our inaugural PRZ Smoky Mountain Summit in the rearview, it's a great time to empty the notebook. This time, specifically on some of the intriguing 15U and 18U QBs that caught my attention all weekend.    Giles is a calm, cool operator who will only get better with age. I thought he did a really good job of making the right reads and playing with good timing. His eyes, feet, and hips played in sync. His traits are still developing, and there is plenty of time for him to add more horsepower on the ball. Still, he did a fine job of pushing the ball vertically and even tapped into some different levels of touch. All around, Giles has the intangible and operative traits desired in a younger prospect, especially as their traits catch up with them.     I thought Tyus played with the most confidence of any 15U QB that participated. He is a lean, cut athlete who looks like he has another growth spurt lying ahead of him. He is best as a drive ball thrower, both in and outside of the pocket. He consistently rifled the ball into tight windows and looked more comfortable when he could throw it with more velocity. Still, there were spurts of good touch over the top, and as that part of his game continues to develop, his game should take another step forward.     Luton improved as the tournament went on and led his squad all the way to the championship game. He is a smooth, clean lefty operator who just consistently pushed the ball vertically. His arm strength was solid, and the zip on the ball was decent, but it was his touch that really impressed me, especially in bracket play. I like the size as well. He is tall, lean, and has room to get bigger. With proper exposure, Luton should garner recruiting attention. All tournament, he quietly played just as good, and often better, than several D1 QB prospects in attendance.     Burroughs came all the way down from New Jersey with his team, and came out of the gate firing. He broke a bit off a cold spell regarding QBs on Saturday. Similar to Tyus, I thought Burroughs came out firing and played with confidence. He is a stout, stronger player with easy life on the ball. Too many QBs are scared to let the ball eat in 7v7, but not Burroughs. He was driving the ball into small windows, and played with confidence that bled over into his teammates. He definitely made a solid first impression on Saturday.     Newton is a fresh name to me, and pretty much anybody. He is still creeping onto the radar and waiting for his varsity breakout, but with future growth anticipated, I definitely think he has what it takes to play at that level. He was a calm, cool player who played with good touch, timing, and anticipation. The traits are still developing, and he is in the infancy stages of his development regarding arm strength, but he had just enough to get by and relied on his awareness to do the rest. Similar to Pierce Giles, Newton has the traits from the neck up to get him by as his traits and natural development take the next step.     Cater was one of two QBs on the championship-winning G7 team, and he, too, had a solid performance when given the opportunities, especially on day 1. He is a stout, strong player with easy life on the ball. His quick release and velocity on his throws helped him attack tight windows and put the ball on receivers, while mixing in some more finesse-style throws. He is an underrated rising senior, but what I saw from Cater over the weekend tells me he has college tools.     It was an impressive day 1 for Solley, who is ranked as a top 10 QB in Pennsylvania here in Prep Redzone. I thought he was a well-developed player who stood out from a physical standpoint, built well into his frame. He is already a natural arm talent with the zip on the ball to push it vertically, but his quick release allows him to attack tight windows. Not much to overthink here. He is big, a solid athlete, and has an arm capable of pushing the ball down the field. Definitely see flashes of a D1 QB prospect, both in person and on tape.     Fellow scout Matthew Layton got to watch Hough on day 1, but thankfully, I got some eyes on him on day 2. As far as straight velocity is concerned, I think Hough was in a league of his own over the weekend. He is a stout, strong player with plenty of muscle packed onto his frame. He has an explosive, quick delivery and fires the ball with the speed that could take down a wall. That especially thrives in a 7v7 setting, but when you turn on the tape and watch what he does when the play breaks down, you only walk away more high on him. It was a pleasure to watch Hough throw the football, and there is a reason he is ranked so highly by our scouts in North Carolina.     [player_tooltip player_id='1718122' first='Easton' last='Lee'] was another quiet, yet productive player over the weekend who is worthy of a mention. Lee has a youthful frame with both the time, frame, and space for a growth spurt and to play even bigger. He was good on day 1, but saved his best ball for game 2 when facing elimination. At his best, Lee was surgical. I thought he did a fantastic job of working through his reads, not appearing panicked or losing accuracy when getting to read 3, and not thinking of the clock as another defender. Similar to other younger, still-developing QBs on this list, Lee should grow into an intriguing player as his physical catches up with his mental.     Of all the younger QBs on this list, I think Hyland has a chance to develop into the most intriguing player, at least from a pure traits perspective. He is a tall, long, lean athlete who is going to get a lot bigger. Hyland had an arm on par with most of the high schoolers in attendance and did a fantastic job of bending the ball around defenders. For someone who has yet to grace the halls in high school, there is a lot to like here, and he will only get better.     I would've been fine just standing and watching Tyler throw all day. Tyler came down from Pennsylvania, where he is ranked as one of the premier QBs in the state here at Prep Redzone. From a traits perspective, there is nothing you can argue about here. He is a tall, cut prospect with space to get bigger. He is a natural arm talent with a whippy, elastic release. The ball just jumps out of his hand differently. The finesse was impressive as well, dropping it right over defenders and consistently placing the ball where only his guy had a chance on it. The poise and confidence were impressive as well. At least from a 7v7 exposure, Tyler checked all the boxes, and absolutely validates the several D1 offers to his name.     Evans jumped on the radar late for me in tournament play, but still was worthy of a mention. Evans, who is actually a senior, came out and competed despite still being available. I can say with confidence from this watch that if any small school is still on the lookout for a 2026 QB, give this kid a look. He is a tall, long, elastic thrower of the football with the confidence and will to still go out and compete at these events, even though signing day is way in the rear view.     What a fun watch here. I can say, with respect to others, that McGowan was my favorite player to watch this weekend. Not only were the traits impressive, but he was energetic as well. There's so much to like here. He is a cut player physically with easy horsepower on the ball. He put plenty of heat on the ball, added some finesse, and consistently put the ball right on his receivers, even if the windows were tight or he needed to rifle the ball through the defense. McGowan was a dispenser, and he did it with both drive and touch. The ball certainly came off his hand like a D1 QB prospect.     Bronikowski and Cole Cater formed a QB duo that resulted in a championship win. Both were solid in their own right, and both were worthy of mention. Bronikowski was on par with several other highly touted QBs in attendance, and did so with quiet confidence the entire weekend. The arm talent is evident, showcased with several piercing throws through the defense. His composure and calmness while doing so is what separated him for me. His eyes, feet, and hips stay aligned, and he made tough throws look like high percentage ones.

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