Ward has gone from a “recruitable guy” to a true D2/FCS prospect as a senior. He’s using his athleticism more than he ever has, not just to scramble, but also to create time and space in the pocket. On occasion, he’ll get “arm-heavy” and throw from a clean pocket without getting his lower half involved. That’s both correctable and shows how impressive his arm is, given that he’ll still deliver downfield. The progression we’ve seen this season has turned projectability into reality.

This past season, Jaron was impressive with nearly 2400 passing yards and 29 passing touchdowns on the season. As if that wasn’t impressive enough, Jaron showed his dual-threat ability with 6 rushing touchdowns to go along with the passing highlights. He’s an accurate passer overall with a 68 percent completion percentage, and he’s our #1 quarterback in western North Carolina because of those accomplishments. Overall, I like Jaron’s arm strength, decision-making, and fundamentals when he’s in the pocket throwing the ball downfield. He can make off-schedule plays look easier than they are, and he’s a dangerous threat in the quarterback run game.

Another multi-sport athlete, Ward’s upside is tremendous. He’ll be looking for a step forward as a junior after he seemed to take a slight step back as a sophomore for Hendersonville. He has some athleticism and the ability to break off big runs, but he’s at his best as a pure dropback passer, someone who can dice up a defense.