MN's Top QB Standouts from Week 1

With the conclusion of the first official week of high school football in MN, there have already been some explosive numbers from big-name players across the state to open the season, including some big performances from QBs who have either been highly anticipated starters or players who have built a strong following over the course of the offseason that have stepped up to high expectations and are taking a big step toward stardom within the high school football landscape in MN. We take a look at 8 QBs who have immediately garnered attention with strong performances in week 1 to kick off the high school football season in MN!    One of the most hyped QBs of the offseason following a very promising sophomore showing, [player_tooltip player_id='1543013' first='Reed' last='Creighton'] put up nearly a perfect week of football under Center on Thursday night as he completely gashed a strong NYA Raiders' unit. Creighton finished 16 of 20 for 312 yards and 6 TDs over the air. Creighton looked fully confident commanding the offense, making great progressions, and was consistently slinging the ball all night, hitting TD passes of 56, 62, and 35 yards at points during the night. If anything comes from this performance, the hype is real for Creighton, and Belle Plaine will be a force to be reckoned with over the course of this season if Creighton continues to put up numbers like that.     [player_tooltip player_id='1194605' first='[player_tooltip player_id='1194604' first='Jett' last='']' last='Feeney'] gave a familiar sight for the Spuds, delivering another dazzling performance as the Spuds dashed past Rogers on Thursday night. Feeney finished 13 of 22 for 378 yards and 5 TDs while adding 19 rushing yards and an additional score on the ground. Maybe not the best game in terms of accuracy, but Feeney stretched the field with ease, showing great poise and timing on his release and placing the ball exactly where it needed to be on his completions, being able to generate the maximum value out of his completions he made. The future Gopher begins his final trek through high school football with the goal of walking off with a state championship belt to his already incredible legacy.     After an incredible run as a freshman, [player_tooltip player_id='888363' first='Brayden' last='Hartmann'] got off to an electric start to his sophomore campaign as Hill-Murray opened their season with a 49-0 shutout over Chisago Lakes. Hartmann threw for a whopping 290 yards and 5 TDs before being pulled early in the 3rd quarter during the completely one-sided win. The growth in Hartmann's frame was evident, he looked a lot bigger when he stepped foot onto the field, and he looked much stronger with his throws while also improving on his progressions and overall confidence as he looked much more present in the pocket. With this level of performance, the Pioneers will have big expectations this season as they looked to progress toward become a frontrunner for the 4A title in 2026.     After guiding Wabasso to an unprecedented turnaround to 8-2 in 2025, [player_tooltip player_id='2152796' first='Drew' last='Kemp'] immediately started off his junior campaign on a hot note. Though taking on a winless Buffalo-Lake-Hector-Stewart team, Kemp was almost completely on point, finishing 10 of 11 for 248 yards and 4 TDs as he guided the team to a 63-0 romping over the Mustangs. Kemp showed great poise as he looked fearless in the pocket, and that gunslinger mentality from when I first watched him as a sophomore continued to show itself as he was stretching the field very well, and the Mustangs' secondary was simply unable to keep up with him. It's a good boost for the the Rabbits' confidence, and it will mark as a stepping stone for Kemp to build off of through his junior season.     [player_tooltip player_id='1633417' first='Parker' last='Kuehn'] got his senior campaign off to a great start as he led Springfield to one of the most lopsided wins of the week. Taking on Canby, Kuehn finished the game with 207 passing yards and 4 TDs as the Tigers completely gashed the Lancers' defense. Kuehn's performance wasn't the most spectacular in terms of his athletic talent or strong arm, but he got the ball exactly where it needed to be, and let his talented receiving corps work their magic after the catch, which provided the brunt of Springfield's production over the air. Kuehn did show great poise and mechanics, including one particular play where he rolled out to his left, set his feet, and hit a strong throw down the field to move the chains. With his future already set to play at Dordt at the collegiate level, Kuehn will look to finish off his high school run with a Class A Championship title for the Tigers.     In his first start for Brainerd, [player_tooltip player_id='1654786' first='Malik' last='Lauer'] led the Warriors to a thrilling 38-32 OT win in a shootout over Buffalo. Lauer finished the night 18 of 33 for 298 yards and 3 TDs while adding a rushing TD. Lauer provided some electric plays for the offense, hitting TDs from 61 and 65 yards out at points through the Bison' defense. Lauer looked impressively comfortable throughout the night, even under duress and pressure through the different blitzes that Buffalo sent, but he showed quick delivery and great accuracy on his passes flashing the strong arm that has wowed our scouts over the course of this offseason. Possibly a sign of things to come for Lauer, but he could not have asked for a more thrilling debut to open his full-time starting tenure for Brainerd.     Tracy-Milroy-Balaton starts off their 2026 season with a bang as they look to recapture the energy they showed between 2018-2023 when they won 34 games during that span. For [player_tooltip player_id='1716426' first='Jackson' last='Kruse'], Kruse took over the starting reigns for the Panthers' under Center, and in his first start, he was outstanding. Kruse finished 14 of 21 for 253 yards, 3 TDs, and an INT while adding 95 yards on the ground on 17 carries (5.6 YPC) and a rushing TD. He also scored on a 91 yard kick return TD in the first half, further showcasing his impressive athleticism and versatility. Kruse looked dangerous out of the pocket, being able to scramble effectively and throw accurately on the run. The Panthers should feel confident going forward with Kruse managing their offense, and TMB may have a bright future with this stepping stone for their offense.     [player_tooltip player_id='1704256' first='Karsen' last='Herman'], the soon-to-be Tommie QB showed his D1-caliber talents on Thursday night against Northfield. Herman finished 18 of 27 for 261 yards, 3 TDs, and 1 INT while rushing for 27 yards on just 3 carries. Herman delivered some great strikes through the Raiders' secondary, showing that he is not afraid to attack vertically and was able to place some nice passes over the DB's head and into his WR's hands in stride, particularly on a 29 yard TD he threw in the 2nd quarter where he found his WR on a corner route in perfect stride. With Herman under Center, Waconia should be a strong force in the 5A conference to reckon with in 2026.

With the conclusion of the first official week of high school football in MN, there have already been some explosive numbers from big-name players across the state to open the season, including some big performances from QBs who have either been highly anticipated starters or players who have built a strong following over the course of the offseason that have stepped up to high expectations and are taking a big step toward stardom within the high school football landscape in MN. We take a look at 8 QBs who have immediately garnered attention with strong performances in week 1 to kick off the high school football season in MN!