I scouted Cole in person for the first time at the Back 2 Ballin High 7v7 Tournament during the middle of April at the UNI-Dome in Cedar Falls. The Marion freshman stood out right away for his smooth operation and easy release. It’s quick and leads to zip on the ball. Cole is a good athlete with the ability to move the pocket. He looks comfortable throwing on roll-outs and when scrambling. Cole cycles through progressions in a timely manner and gets the ball out quickly when spotting an open window. The footwork is smooth and power is generated through the legs. Marion’s passing game struggled finding consistency last fall with a senior taking the bulk of the snaps. Cole saw limited reps on the varsity, but appears to be a guy capable of taking advantage of the opportunity. If he gets a shot, he can run with it.

The offense was a mess for the Wolves, though through their struggles came an intriguing signal-caller who could very much emerge as the varsity starter for Marion entering 2026 in Ethan Cole Ethan Cole 5'9" | 140 lbs | QB/DB Marion | 2029 State IA . Cole only threw 5 passes, completing 4 for 63 yards and 2 TDs, accounting for half of the Wolves’ 4 total touchdowns on the air last season. Cole shows plenty of traits as a gunslinger, maybe to a fault, but Cole isn’t afraid to take a shot down the field, showing plenty of arm strength and depth on his ball placement to find his receivers in stride as well as fitting passes through some difficult windows. Cole has a real shot for the varsity QB job with the Wolves next season, giving him an opportunity to bring Marion back into a contentious role in the 4A conference.

Cole was one of the only freshman to record statistics on the Marion varsity in 2025. The ninth-grader completed four of five passes for 63 yards and two touchdowns against no interceptions as one of the backups to a senior signal caller. QB1 for the Wolves is up for grabs next fall, and Cole has the ability to win it based on his highlight video from this past campaign. It features him getting reps on the varsity, but also his development on a lower level in the program. Cole is comfortable and effective lining up under center or out of the shotgun, not a given these days. He spins a nice ball, proving he can zip it into tight windows or push it downfield. While he prefers operating from the pocket, Cole’s mobility keeps plays alive off of schedule or helps in gaining yards with his legs.