Quarterback film review: April 13 edition
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A little less than a week ago, we reached out to high school athletes from Colorado to submit their film for a review from Prep Redzone Colorado. A number of athletes shared their highlight films, including three quarterbacks. Today, we…
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Continue ReadingA little less than a week ago, we reached out to high school athletes from Colorado to submit their film for a review from Prep Redzone Colorado. A number of athletes shared their highlight films, including three quarterbacks.
Today, we take a look at the films of three quarterback prospects with a couple years of high school eligibility left that are hoping to become collegiate prospects to consider. Here is a look at those three athletes who submitted film.
Liam Szarka Liam Szarka 6'2" | 190 lbs | QB Grandview | 2024 State CO , 2024, 6’2, 180, Grandview
2021 numbers: 145-264 (54.9% completion), 1,924 yards, 14 TD, 8 INT; 90 carries, 506 yards, 10 TD rushing
The first few throws on film show a nice deep ball Szarka can throw. He does a good job stepping into his throws and putting the ball in a spot where his receiver can run under it in full stride to catch and run for a big gain. These throws show a good mix of arm strength to get the ball down the field and touch on his passes to put it in a great position for his receivers to make some big plays. There seems to be some solid arm talent he has to make passes, especially throwing down the field.
Standing tough in the pocket: All quarterbacks enjoy throwing with a clean pocket, but you want to have a quarterback who will throw the ball just as well when there is pressure in his face. A few throws on the film highlight Szarka standing tall and still stepping into throws with pressure coming at him. Even with the pressure, you don’t see him compensating the throw to prepare for a hit. He still steps into his throws against pressure.
Mobility: This worked in a number of ways for Szarka. On plays where he rolls out, he showed good accuracy on his passing while moving, and he did so going to both his right and left. He does an excellent job keeping his eyes down the field for his receivers and seems to know where they will be crossing or coming to as he moves. That mobility also gives him a great presence in the pocket, knowing where exactly to escape and find room to throw or a running lane to take off. While many of his throws on the run showed him moving from the original pocket, he still does the mobility within the pocket to stay in it, choosing to step up from his drop backs or sliding just a bit to create a good throwing lane.
As a runner, Grandview used Szarka’s legs as well in the read-option game. He showed good speed on tape and looks like a polished runner when called on. Many of his runs saw him breaking free of the defense, but he also displayed the willingness to take contact when trying to reach the end zone as well, so he does have the toughness to take some hits for his team.
Final thoughts: It was a productive year for Szarka under center. I really like his ability to stretch the field with the deep pass, but there is also touch on the throws over the middle or to the outside he can use. And the way he looks throwing on the move, coupled with being an athletic runner himself, makes him a dangerous threat on plays that can take a little bit longer to develop and on plays that break down. If he has as big of a junior season in 2022, there should be a number of schools that will give him a look to play at the next level.
Hudl film: Click here to see more.
Garrett Sauer Garrett Sauer 6'3" | 210 lbs | QB Windsor | 2023 State CO , 2023, 6’3, 200, Windsor
2021 numbers: 14-35 (40% completion percentage), 295 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT; 24 carries, 102 yards, 2 rushing touchdowns
Windsor leans more on the run game with its offense, according to stats for the team from Maxpreps.com, but Sauer gave them some big-play ability in the passing game in 2021.
The throwing motion and quick release of the ball from Sauer is solid. It is a clean and compact throwing motion, and he gets the ball out of his hand quickly. Add a good, high release to his 6-foot-3 frame, and you also won’t see a ton of batted balls because of it. The compact release also give the ball some zip, allowing him to hit the quick slants and other short to intermediate throws over the middle of the field.
Decision making: When running an offense where you could be running the triple-option or dropping back to pass, you have to be able to make quick decisions. Sauer does show a great ability to make a quick read in the option game and make it decisive. He shows a good ability to keep the ball in the belly of his running back for as long as can before he pulls it when the defense collapses on the handoff, giving him a nice running lane to work with. As for facing pressure on drop backs, he knows when he can extend the play and look downfield for a pass or when to tuck the ball and run up the field for yards.
Good arm strength: Sauer shows the power he can put on a throw, tossing a dart into a tight window, including a few deep passes that had good coverage but him being able to make it in the window despite that. The arm strength allows him to throw while a receiver is going into his break on a route to the outside, finding him right when he turns in his break. His throwing arm is not just strong at throwing it to the outside or in the middle on a tight window. He can also push the ball down the field, and he shows good arm strength throwing on the run, too.
Final thought: Sauer has taken visit with FBS and FCS schools so far, so he will be on the radar for schools heading into his senior year. This is a big year, and he is showing to take it seriously with the work he is putting in this offseason. He has some great tools for the quarterback position. In his words when sending the film: ” I think you will see a big jump from my junior year to my senior year, not just with my performance and growth but with what Windsor can accomplish.”
Hudl film: Click here to see more.
CT Worley CT Worley 6'2" | 210 lbs | QB Broomfield | 2025 State CO , 2025, 6’2, 180, Broomfield
Worley played on the JV team for Broomfield as a freshman. He is looking to continue to develop in an already solid frame and some good tools he showcased on his film.
For starters, there were a few plays on the film where he was not lined up at quarterback, but rather at running back, then taking a pitch and throwing it on a trick play. But because he is a good runner, the team put him in different spots to make plays, and that could be useful for him heading into his sophomore season.
He takes a favorable matchup: Nearly every throw on film was to an open receiver, or with a receiver going one-on-one with an opposing defensive back. You rarely saw throws where there was heavy traffic, so he does a good job of taking what the defense gives him. If he went to the receiver in single coverage, he did a good job leading him into an opening on a stop or cut in the route, or he would target a bigger wide receiver against a smaller corner and put up a 50-50 ball that his receiver had the best chance to come down with. You have to like the decision making in not forcing the issue and having the trust in your teammates to beat their guy as well.
Hard but patient runner: If you’re going to run the ball between the tackles, you have to have some toughness and show you can take on contact consistently. Worley shows just that. He is not afraid of taking contact on, and he even won some of the collisions that saw the defender go down but him still standing on his feet. But he doesn’t just run hard. He is a smart runner that will allow his blocks to set up, showing good patience in letting the play develop and then hitting the hole. This aspect was very noticeable on designed quarterback runs he took. You also notice the speed to break tackles in the open field and go for extra yardage.
Final thought: As a young athlete entering high school, you want to show promise and develop into a player who will be a key down the road. So far, Worley looks to be on the path to do just that. He had a productive freshman year, made some big plays through the air and on the ground, and has what it takes to be the next guy at a key position for this Broomfield team. The expectation now will be to build off what he did as a freshman, find areas to key on for improvement, and take on a bigger leadership role, especially if he sees more action on the JV team while working to find a spot on varsity as well.
YouTube film: Click here to see more.