Brad Birch Brad Birch 6'0" | 190 lbs | QB Gateway | 2024 State PA is a legit quarterback prospect. He shows off a good arm and knows exactly where he wants to put the ball. He throws a beautiful deep ball. He knows how to put a touch on the ball. Birch is not afraid to rip the ball in tight windows. He has improved greatly as a pocket passer at reading the defense and making plays downfield. Birch is also a good athlete who can scramble around and make plays. Birch’s biggest issue is his size since he is only 6 feet tall. Birch is a talented quarterback who should have a chance at playing college football.

Brad Birch Brad Birch 6'0" | 190 lbs | QB Gateway | 2024 State PA takes a bit of a tumble on our ranks simply because of a lack of recruiting traction, hardly because of his game. I have a difficult time ranking passers ahead of him, even passers with FBS offers under their belt. If we are talking pure talent, Birch will remain at the top with the best names in the state until he proves he’s not worthy. I have a good feeling he’s going to prove otherwise this coming Fall at Gateway. Rarely do you see a prospect meet his ceiling and floor within a span of three years, we think that’s happened here with Birch. This rank is most likely his floor, a high floor at that. He very well might’ve reached his ceiling as well.

A surprise at our camp and a real pleasure to watch as per usual. It’s been almost two years since the last time I had the opportunity to see Gateway’s Brad Birch Brad Birch 6'0" | 190 lbs | QB Gateway | 2024 State PA , formerly out of Jeannette HS. Nothing at this camp was new or too much for Birch to handle. Advanced in all things quarterback, Birch showed up and flashed exactly what I brag to others about who haven’t seen him thrown in person. He flashed the natural arm talent that not many in his state rival. An effortless, mechanically sound release that requires little lower body torque to get the ball from mid-field to end zone. You’d have a tough task finding a prettier passer than Brad Birch Brad Birch 6'0" | 190 lbs | QB Gateway | 2024 State PA , so coaches and media alike had a blast watching the kid spin it to wideouts all morning. Birch was named MVP, the top man among a legitimately solid quarterback group. Birch has Prep Redzone in his corner.

I’m sure Brad was everyone’s favorite QB1 at the Future Freaks camp. He showed the ability to be accurate with good ball placement and anticipation on several throws. He has good QB mechanics and knows how to adjust the velocity of his passes accordingly. Brad definitely displays FBS ability and competitiveness. I’m excited to watch Birch drop dimes to his bevy of dangerous targets this season.

Brad presently has two D1 offers from Oregon and Akron. He’s an experienced pocket QB that makes good decisions. He is poised in the pocket and is skilled at keeping his eyes downfield under pressure. Birch doesn’t lock onto one target and distributes the ball evenly amongst his receivers. Gateway will go as far as Brad Birch Brad Birch 6'0" | 190 lbs | QB Gateway | 2024 State PA can take them this year.

Touted by many like myself as the best arm talent in Pennsylvania, his tape backs up that notion at times. Brad Birch Brad Birch 6'0" | 190 lbs | QB Gateway | 2024 State PA flexes one of the best two-year tapes you can find out of a Western PA quarterback, He’s led Gateway to back-to-back 7-4 seasons, performing in a Spread-Option system that is chock full of RPO sets that allow Birch to make multiple post-snap decisions before he even makes a throw. 6’2, 190.

Despite the fanfare, recruitment has been fairly quiet. Brad Birch Brad Birch 6'0" | 190 lbs | QB Gateway | 2024 State PA acquired an Oregon offer early into his career. That Oregon offer then turned into an Akron offer via Coach Moorhead. Both opportunities came in 2021. It isn’t up to me to speculate as to why, his ranking isn’t hurt by a relative lack in recruitment, primarily because of how good he looks on tape.rn

SCOUTING REPORT: 

Plays in a system that isn’t entirely a spread attack. I see some Gateway sets on tape that deploy multiple tight-end sets, with an occasional heavy set sprinkled in. Much of Birch’s highlights do reveal themselves when in a Spread formation, allowing the passer to work a defense vertically. Brad Birch Brad Birch 6'0" | 190 lbs | QB Gateway | 2024 State PA checks off arguably more boxes than either Erby or Jones. Arm strength and arm talent are near elite. This is the type of prospect to wow scouts both in person and behind a computer. Special tight-window throws are littered throughout his tapes dating back to his days at Jeannette. He displays an impressive release, again, a mechanically sound, efficient release that not many outside of Stone Saunders Stone Saunders 6'1" | 205 lbs | QB Bishop McDevitt | 2025 State PA can rival. This flashy arm has bred an overtly confident quarterback who is willing to test any DB deep. His overall accuracy is a plus, especially downfield. Incredible depth perception. This kid can lead his players and keep them in stride like the best of them outside of PA. Anticipatory throws are seen on tape, especially when plugging in his latest junior tape. He can layer the football, I think he can be better in this area, yet he displays some kind of touch. Most of Birch’s throws are heaters, however. There are several off-kilter throws made on tape that wowed me. Say what you want about his slight frame, he is willing to stay in the pocket and deliver passes downfield while getting licked in the chops. This is proven when the young man is running RPO sets with an unblocked man bearing down. His improvisational skills seem better than in years past. Decisive, this is a passer who has an idea of what he wants to do with the ball before the snap. Not saying every decision he makes is a good one, just that every decision is made without much hesitation, which can be both a blessing and a curse depending on the prospect. Birch is going to win his program games with his arm, no doubting that. I will say he moved better this past Fall than in years past. I don’t think Birch will ever be deemed a true dual-threat athlete at quarterback, yet he certainly isn’t a statue behind center.

I cannot speak on any intangibles regarding the young man, I am not familiar with the coaching staff to provide those answers. There are questions regarding his slight frame. I generally shake those questions off when talking to those in the know. Plenty of slight quarterbacks can put on 10-15 pounds in an off-season. Birch has done that, at least it’s showing in self-reported measurables. His frame is hardly an issue. There are questions surrounding some of his decision-making that is warranted. Again, this is one of the more confident passers in the state, for good reason. Many coaches will have to take the good with the bad. The bad can be worked on. When you dissect this young man’s tape from afar, it’s a bit of a head-scratcher as to why he isn’t seeing some of the opportunities that those around him are receiving.

The throws that Birch completed looked precise with good technique. Birch led Gateway with 2 rushing TD’s on the night.