I have watched Brayden grow a ton over the last year or so. He is as calm and poised as he has ever been. In week 1, I watched him play extremely well against a stout Saline defense. He made a handful of high level throws that required timing and velocity. He has also developed a ton athletically, making him a real threat on the ground. He gets his number called often, and he has no issue attacking the teeth of the defense and grinding out tough yards. It has helped him in the passing game as well, as his accuracy doesn’t drop off when he’s throwing on the run or off platform. Another underrated aspect of his game, and maybe quarterbacking as a whole, is the play fake. You can’t tell the difference between when he is really handing the ball off or if it’s play action. It freezes the defense for that split second, allowing receivers to get open and giving the offensive line a little extra time to block. Overall, Daniels has made excellent strides in his development, developing into the dual threat guy I had projected him to be a couple of years ago. I’m excited to see what him and the rest of this Rockford team can accomplish in the postseason!

Brayden really lived up to my expectations on Thursday night. Between last year’s week 1 start and this season, he looks like a totally different player. He looked much more calm and confident in the pocket, and was really able to showcase his ability to be a big part of the Rockford run game this fall. Plenty of designed runs, along with some extending plays and buying more time. When he did, he was able to keep his eyes downfield and really only pulled it to run if there was truly no other options. He handled everything thrown at him well and proved his maturity.

For the second year in a row, Brayden Daniels Brayden Daniels 5'11" | 195 lbs | QB Rockford | 2026 State MI will have to square off against one of the best defenses in the state in week 1. Last year, he got off to a solid start against eventual state champion Cass Tech. This season, the Rams will need him to take that next step to avoid the bit of disappointment they felt at the end of last season. He’ll look to do it in week 1 against Saline on Thursday night. Daniels has all of the tools. Live arm, good decisions, extending plays and feeling the pocket. If he can put it all together and do it consistently with poise while handling what should be an elite Saline defense, Rockford could come away with a monumental win to kick off the 2025 season.

The OK Red is home to some of the toughest defenses in Michigan. Last season, Brayden handled them pretty well. Though, his season absolutely had some highs and lows.

Another offseason, and some reported improvements. Brayden seems more mature, more confident, and absolutely ready for a big senior season. According to my Twitter Poll, a plurality of people think Rockford is going to re-take the OK Red. Obviously, the masses are confident in Rockford and Brayden Daniels Brayden Daniels 5'11" | 195 lbs | QB Rockford | 2026 State MI . Now’s his time to lead Rockford deep into the postseason!

Brayden started the season really well and he has continued to impress. Despite the loss last week to Hudsonville, Brayden has been largely a huge plus to this offense. He thrives at getting the ball out quick and accurately, and he has a great amount of ability in the run game. He has good accuracy on short and intermediate routes, and can go deep and lead his receiver. He also shows great decision making on when he needs to throw back shoulder, lead his guy or throw him open. He is starting to get his legs under him as a prospect and I suspect he will see a flurry of offers soon.

-Showed above average poise and maturity in his first start against a tough defense

-Made a couple mistakes early, but was able to settle in

-Big arm-hit multiple receivers for 30+ yard gains

-Willing in able in the QB designed run game- showed good vision and was able to bounce off some tacklers

-Showing all the signs of a solid D2 prospect

From a wide high school football media lens, Brayden is being overshadowed by Donald’s debut on the Rockford turf. I’m not rooting for anyone (though I think Cass Tech is the favorite), but I would LOVE to see Brayden spoil what’s supposed to be a big night for this unique Cass Tech program.

Brayden has been hard at work for quite a while. Last season, he competed for the starting job, and this season, it is his. I watched Brayden a few days ago at a four-way scrimmage and thought he looked solid. He played within the offense and didn’t make mistakes. I watched Brayden a couple other times this offseason, and I’m pretty confident in my evaluation of him. Brayden is a quarterback with consistent fundamentals, but sometimes struggles with accuracy. He’s honestly ranked #128 only based on what he’s done this offseason, and many quarterbacks completely change my opinion while they’re in-season. I truly hope Brayden can come out and play with a ton of confidence, because he has no reason not to!

On the other sideline of that game above, Brayden Daniels Brayden Daniels 5'11" | 195 lbs | QB Rockford | 2026 State MI will also be stepping into the starting job for the first time. It is incredible how Rockford always seems to have the next guy in line for the starting QB role, and everything I hear about Daniels is how ready he is for this. Him and Tabron will duel in week 1 in a clash of young QB talent that I am so excited to see firsthand!

Every year that Rockford has a new QB, they seem to exceed my expectations. When Ahern graduated and Vandenhout came in, I expected the Rockford offense to regress a tad. That obviously didn’t happen. Now that this is presumably Brayden’s team, I expect him to settle into the season quite well. The biggest test for Brayden will right off the bat against Cass Tech. It’s going to be a packed house, with two of the best in Division 1 battling it out. I’ve seen Brayden make good reads and throw the ball with consistent accuracy, but it’s going to be a different animal going against a defense filled with D1 prospects. Week 1 and this season, I’m looking for Brayden to settle into the offense, and only take calculated risks. I know he’s capable, and I fully expect Brayden to lead Rockford to yet another OK-Red title.

Honestly, I’ve seen a mixed bag from Brayden these past few months. There’s no doubt that he’s a capable QB, but time will tell if he’s excellent. If I know anything about Rockford, they’ll give Brayden every tool imaginable to succeed. Also, I’ve literally never seen a below-average Rockford QB. I’m confident that Brayden will run the Rockford offense well, and he should quickly become a college prospect this summer. I’ve seen Rockford develop their players very well throughout a season, and I fully expect Brayden to settle in and improve this Fall. If he can improve his consistency, Brayden is easily a D3 prospect, but may need to stand out a lot more to be a D2 prospect considering his size.