Hayden Johnson Hayden Johnson 5'10" | 190 lbs | LB Trinity | 2027 State PA had a great season and led Manheim Township to the District Final where they lost to Harrisburg.  Johnson threw a game-tying touchdown pass that looked it tied it up in Overtime but a penalty wiped it out. Johnson in 3 playoff games was one of the best quarterbacks in District 3 and almost led his team to a District Championship. Ultimately, Johnson and Township fell short and couldn’t win a District Championship game. Johnson still had a fantastic season and Lehigh is getting a good player.

Hayden Johnson Hayden Johnson 5'10" | 190 lbs | LB Trinity | 2027 State PA was his usual stellar self for Manheim Township on Friday. He threw for 283 yards and 3 touchdowns. He also rushed for 90 yards in the victory. He is now up to 47 touchdown passes with 0, yes 0 interceptions. An incredible season by Johnson.

Hayden Johnson Hayden Johnson 5'10" | 190 lbs | LB Trinity | 2027 State PA is special. That is the only way to spin it. The kid is having an amazing season as he helped lead Manheim Township to a 37-27 win to improve to 12-0 on the year. He threw for 283 yards and 3 touchdowns on the night. He also became Manheim Township’s all-time leading passer on the night. Johnson can do it all at quarterback. He can sit in the pocket and pick you a part or scramble around and make plays with his legs. Several times on Friday night Cumberland Valley seemed to have him sacked and he escaped to make plays down the field. Johnson next week will try to lead his team to a District Championship against Harrisburg.

t
• 206 passing yards, 94 rushing
• 5 TDs in a win

This Hayden Johnson Hayden Johnson 5'10" | 190 lbs | LB Trinity | 2027 State PA tape was a bit different than what I’m accustomed to, I usually say nothing this kid does with the football surprises me, that’s the case with the ball in the air. On the ground, Johnson nearly eclipsed the century mark against Cedar Crest. The tape starts off with a ridiculous 20-second scamper that went for 55 yards, dodging pretty much the entire defense at some point. Don’t get me wrong, the kid is far from a statue, I know that much, but this a break from the downfield dots is a welcomed sight. Johnson took off on more occasions in the tape I attached below. You can find the usual jaw-dropping throws in there as well.

HUDLSTATS: 102-for-132, 1,676 Yards, 28 TD, 0 INT

Johnson is somebody that we talk about a lot but still probably don’t give enough. Now with half the season gone, I think its very fair to say that Johnson is in the conversation for being the state’s top quarterback in 2023. He’s been nothing short of dominant for a Mannheim Township team that looks destined to make a deep run in the state playoff race this fall.  He’s on pace to eclipse his career highs in passing yards and has already set a career high in touchdowns with 28.

Johnson shows a lot of what Zollers shows as a quarterback. He not only has a great arm with good accuracy and touch, but he’s also a very good scrambler and improviser with the ball in his hands. With the ball in his hands, he’s a very dangerous ball carrier with great vision and good athleticism. He’s not afraid of contact and is willing to deliver blows to defenders as well. Throws the ball with a good zip but also with anticipation and often leads his wide receivers while showing the ability to throw balls into tight windows routinely. His athleticism is very good as well as he clocked a 4.62 forty-yard dash at a Penn State camp this summer. I believe Johnson is firmly an FCS quarterback with the potential to be a walk-on at least at the FBS level.

He’ll be a top-five quarterback in this 2024 cycle for me during our next update.