The Commander-in-Chief of the Jefferson offense, everything starts and ends with Vernon Benda Vernon Benda 6'0" | 185 lbs | ATH Cedar Rapids Jefferson | 2026 State IA for the J-Hawks. An experienced leader under center, Benda has a command of the offense that few have had in a long time at Jefferson, and he does a little bit of everything.

As a runner, Benda is smart, finds holes in the defense and slides down before taking any punishment. Through the air, he throws a tight ball and trusts his receivers — like Lloydson (LJ) Nyenow to go get it.

Though things got a bit out of hand for the Jefferson defense in the fourth quarter, Benda is a measured, calm presence at quarterback for the offense.

Set to captain the offense for the second straight season, Vernon Benda Vernon Benda 6'0" | 185 lbs | ATH Cedar Rapids Jefferson | 2026 State IA is one of the more polished and experience quarterbacks in the Cedar Rapids metro. Leading the J-Hawks with poise and confidence of a second-year starter, Benda throws a tight ball and is looking to improve off his 116 completions for 1,840 yards and 20 touchdowns last fall.

In an offense that runs the RPO, Benda will need to be confident in his ability to take off and run as well, and with his sturdy frame, he should be a threat to sneak the ball on third and fourth downs with a yard or less to go.

The lone returning starter in the Cedar Rapids 5A school area, Vernon Benda Vernon Benda 6'0" | 185 lbs | ATH Cedar Rapids Jefferson | 2026 State IA is back under center for Jefferson after leading the J-Hawks to their first winning season since 2015. The rising senior QB could easily be ranked higher on this list after completing 55.8% of his passes in 2024 and finishing the year with 1,840 yards through the air. Facing the issue of dropped passes by teammates, Benda can make some tough throws, though they occasionally end up on the ground when they should be caught.

With a D1 receiver back on the outside as well in Llloydson Nyenow Jr., Jefferson’s passing game has a chance to make a major leap forward this season, potentially catapulting the J-Hawks back to relevance and the playoff hunt.

Vernon Benda Vernon Benda 6'0" | 185 lbs | ATH Cedar Rapids Jefferson | 2026 State IA proved to be quite a breakthrough for the J-Hawks this season, and it culminated with the team posting their first winning record since 2015. Benda finished with 1840 passing yards, 20 touchdowns, and 7 picks, while adding 4 touchdowns on the ground. Benda showed great touch and accuracy on his horizontal passes, and while he still has room to grow on his deep ability, Benda proved to be nimble eluding defenders, and he looked confident holding his own under Center in his first year as a starter. Cedar Rapids Jefferson could be an underrated contender to watch out for 2025 with Benda leading the way.

Cedar Rapids Jefferson posted their first winning season in 2024 since 2015, largely thanks to the unexpected breakout campaign for Vernon Benda Vernon Benda 6'0" | 185 lbs | ATH Cedar Rapids Jefferson | 2026 State IA under Center. Benda finished with over 1800 yards, 20 touchdowns, and 7 interceptions over the air, along with 4 rushing touchdowns. Benda was not afraid to air the ball out, taking a lot of shots down the field, and he was largely successful in the process, giving plenty of touch and depth on his deep ball to allow his receivers to get ahead of the defenders and burn them deep. Benda will look to lead the J-Hawks to greater heights in 2025.