A name that continually gets brought up as a potential star and one of the reasons Iowa City Liberty will be competitive once again next fall, Emerson Berner Emerson Berner 6'2" | 180 lbs | QB Iowa City Liberty | 2027 IA has a chance to continue the legacy of elite QB play for the Lightning. With a coaching change at Liberty this offseason following the departure of Scott Chandler for other opportunities, Berner doesn’t have the luxury of having a former NFL player as his head coach, as was expected.

At the same time, Berner was sensational, all things considered, when he was thrust into the state championship game last fall following an injury to Liberty’s all-state starter, Reece Rettig. He stood in the pocket, made throws on time and on target, and even layered a ball between Dowling defenders to a receiver in the endzone that went off his finger tips. He completed 8-of-12 passes for 54 yards, in total.

Berner is more physically gifted than prior Liberty QBs, and if he can consistently do some of the things he did in the state title game, the Lightning will be in good hands.

Why not take a shot in the dark? Well, it’s not really in the dark, per se.

Under Scott Chandler, quarterbacks out of Iowa City Liberty have been amongst the best in the state. Just this year, Reece Rettig Reece Rettig 5'10" | 160 lbs | QB Iowa City Liberty | 2026 State IA was nominated for the award, along with taking home All-State honors for the second year in a row. The Lightning under the former NFL tight end have been incredible offensively year in and year out.

Next season, they’ll likely have Emerson Berner Emerson Berner 6'2" | 180 lbs | QB Iowa City Liberty | 2027 IA as their starter — he’ll be in the role for the first time in his fourth year of high school ball. Though we haven’t seen much of the 6-foot-2 and 180-pound gunslinger to this point in his career, Berner was stellar in his the limited snaps he got against Dowling Catholic in the state championship game this fall, finishing 8-of-12 for 54 yards and throwing a perfect ball to  Pryor Reiners Pryor Reiners 5'10" | 175 lbs | DB Iowa City Liberty | 2027 State IA  , that went just off his finger tips, but was perfectly layered over two Dowling defensive backs. Berner has the traits — and a full offseason with Reiners to get throws like that right — to be the next great QB for Liberty. If he’s that, he should be in the thick of this conversation.

The last two starting quarterbacks at Iowa City Liberty have had one thing in common – they delivered consistent production with their arms and legs. During his limited number of reps for the Lightning in 2025, when it reached the state title game for the first time in the young program’s history, Berner operated like he could keep that trend going. The junior completed 65.5 of his passes for 236 yards and three touchdowns with one interception. He picked up five yards on his only carry. Berner might be more of a pure passer than his predecessors while still having the mobility to pick up ground yards and keep plays alive off schedule. His Hudl page houses a few clips from this season and a highlight video from his sophomore campaign. Berner owns a strong arm capable of fitting the ball through tight windows and a quick release. With another offseason of development ahead, he’s a prime breakout pick for 2026.