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How top 2025 quarterback prospects are playing as seniors

charles power hsby:Charles Power09/25/24

CharlesPower

Tavien St. Clair, Bryce Underwood, Keelon Russell

The senior season is one of the most telling evaluation points for high school quarterback prospects. The season typically presents the largest and most current sample size we have for most signal-callers. It’s the most translatable environment to college football, perhaps outside of all-star game settings. Certain statistical thresholds are helpful in understanding the quality of play on a snap-to-snap basis.

With that said, it’s extremely important to understand each individual situation for every quarterback and how their physical talent stacks up within the group, along with their on-field skills. Through watching film on each quarterback over the course of their senior season, we’re able to get a better feel for how the group stacks up before they head into college football.

Now that most blue-chip quarterbacks have several games under their belt, it’s a good time to check in on how the top 2025 signal-callers are faring this fall.

Bryce Underwood – LSU

On300 ranking: No. 1
Stats: 43-57 (75.4%), 803 yards (14.1 YPA), 14 TD, 2 INT, 14 carries, 263 yards, 4 TD

Bryce Underwood is playing at a very high level four games into his senior season at Belleville (Mich.) High. For starters, the 6-foot-4, 214-pounder continues to look like the top physical talent at the position with his elite arm and plus athleticism. Underwood, who turned 17 years old in August, continues to make improvements to his game. He’s sped up his delivery, especially while working the quick game, and has thrown with a great deal of accuracy thus far. We’ve also seen him flash some deadly rushing ability, particularly in his team’s first game, against their best opponent to date. Underwood’s top-notch physical talent as a passer and athlete, along with his quality of play and hyper efficiency, puts him in clear pole position as the top quarterback and top overall prospect to this point.

Tavien St. Clair – Ohio State

On300 ranking: No. 15
Stats: 63-96 (65.6%), 1,151 yards, (12.0 YPA), 14 TD, 3 INT, 20 carries, 133 yards, 3 TD

Tavien St. Clair has shown progress early on in his senior season, particularly as a playmaker. The Ohio State pledge looks to be more comfortable in extending plays when pressured and has done a good job working to find receivers downfield once the play breaks down. He continues to show good arm strength and the ability to deliver throws to multiple levels. There’s more confidence to his play to this point, just based on the film. There is still room for St. Clair to improve with his ability to quickly process and deliver throws with timing. With that said, he’s playing well for Bellefontaine (Ohio) High. St. Clair left his last game with a lower leg injury — he returned to the sideline in full pads, but did not re-enter the game with his team having a big lead.

Matt Zollers – Missouri

On300 ranking: No. 18
Stats: 54-92 (58.7%), 611 yards (6.6 YPA), 3 TD, 3 INT, 29 carries, 233 yards, 3 INT

Matt Zollers had an up-and-down start to his senior season at Royersford (Pa.) Spring-Ford High before sustaining a broken ankle in his team’s fourth game. The Spring-Ford passing game was unable to get on track over the first month of the season and struggled much more than what we saw in Zollers’ junior season. The Missouri pledge was able to show his high-end movement skills and functional athleticism as a run threat and improvisor.

Husan Longstreet – Texas A&M

On300 ranking: No. 23
Stats: 46-78 (58.9%), 699 yards (9.0 YPA), 7 TD, 4 INT, 30 carries, 303 yards, 4 TD

Husan Longstreet has shown explosive arm talent that is only rivaled by Bryce Underwood in the 2025 cycle. The ball continues to jump out of the Texas A&M commit’s hand. No quarterback we’ve watched has made more tight-window throws over the middle of the field to this point in the season. Longstreet missed his team’s first game of the season and was not full speed in the second contest, but looks to be fully healthy over the past two weeks and has had big games against two top out-of-state teams. The 6-foot-0.5, 195-pounder had a huge game last week, making impressive throws while ripping off some long runs, racking up 367 total yards. There are times where Longstreet has perhaps trusted his arm strength too much, putting the ball into harm’s way. With that said, there are certainly few who can match his ability to make high-level throws.

Keelon Russell – Alabama

On300 ranking: No. 25
Stats: 63-88 (71.5%), 941 yards (10.7 YPA), 14 TD, 1 INT, 15 carries, 120 yards, 1 TD

Keelon Russell has put together a great start to his senior season at Dallas area power Duncanville High. The Alabama pledge is playing the best football of his prep career through three games. Russell is making good decisions and getting the ball out quickly to his talented supporting cast, which includes Five-Star Plus+ wide receiver Dakorien Moore. He’s shown the ability to deal with pressure while facing top competition, while the pocket feel and movement looks improved. There have been several occasions where the 6-foot-3.25, 182-pounder has slid up in the pocket, quickly reset his feet and fired an accurate pass downfield. We’ve also seen Russell show more as a playmaker and improvisor when pressured. Russell was an upward mover in the recently updated On300 and could continue to rise with sustained high-level play in his push for a three-peat of state championships at Duncanville.

Deuce Knight – Notre Dame

On300 ranking: No. 32
Stats: 23-35 (65.7%), 516 yards (14.7 YPA), 7 TD, 0 INT, 14 carries, 134 yards

No quarterback showed more off-season improvement than Deuce Knight. The 6-foot-4.5, 208-pounder made impressive strides from February to July after working with a private quarterback coach. Knight has always been an elite physical talent and one of the top athletes in the cycle, regardless of position. This comes on the heels of a disjointed junior year that saw Knight leave Nashville (Tenn.) Lipscomb Academy to head back to Lucedale (Miss.) George County mid-season. With the off-season improvements in mind, we were incredibly eager to see if those strides would show up on Friday nights. To this point, Knight has shown some positive signs in what has been a small sample size, as he’s missed one and a half of his team’s four games with injury. Though there is still ample room to improve with his consistency and accuracy, Knight put together a few good games before missing time. We’ll have a much better feel for how he’s playing once he returns to action.

Julian Lewis – USC

On300 ranking: No. 44
Stats: 101-132 (76.5%), 1,377 yards (10.4 YPA), 21 TD, 3 INT, 16-42-2 17 rushes, -17 yards, 2 TD

Julian Lewis is doing a nice job working as a distributor for nationally-ranked Carrollton’s high-octane offense, which is heavy on RPO’s and the quick passing game. The 6-foot, 186-pounder is showing the benefits of continued experience in his third year as a varsity starter. Lewis has a strong understanding of the Carrollton offensive scheme and is able to get the ball out with proper timing. He’s accurate when working in the short and intermediate areas and does a nice job delivering catchable balls to his receivers. The USC pledge still projects as an in-structure quarterback and incurs more sack yardage than you’d like from a top quarterback prospect, but he has shown improvement with his ability to extend plays and pick up some yards on the ground when the play breaks down.

KaMario Taylor – Mississippi State

On300 ranking: No. 71
Stats: 60-100 (60%), 925 yards (9.25 YPA), 7 TD, 3 INT, 35 rushes, 362 yards, 5 TD

KaMario Taylor‘s physical talent and playmaking ability are on display early on in his senior season for Macon (Miss.) Noxubee County. The 6-foot-3.5, 205-pounder has made impressive plays on a weekly basis while keeping his team competitive in games against good programs from higher classifications. Taylor is the shiftiest runner of the quarterbacks inside the top 100. His burst, change of direction and contact balance make him very difficult for defenders to bring down. Taylor has a play-style that at times resembles backyard football. He has a strong arm to go with the natural athleticism, but will need to add polish as a passer once he gets to the college level in order maximize his considerable upside.

George MacIntyre – Tennessee

On300 ranking: No. 87
Stats: 83-125 (66.4%), 1,083 yards (8.7 YPA), 4 TD, 3 INT, 14 rushes, 2 yards, 1 TD

George MacIntyre has had an up-and-down start to his senior season at Brentwood Academy (Tenn). After a tough first game, he looked to settle in for weeks two and three before facing a top team in Chattanooga (Tenn.) McAllie last week. A new scheme has MacIntyre operating more under center than in the past. When everything is aligned, he’s shown the ability to make some nice throws downfield. As the season progresses, we’ll be watching to see if MacIntyre can consistently show more zip on his passes along with producing touchdowns at a higher rate.

Bryce Baker – North Carolina

On300 ranking: No. 99
Stats: 79-100 (79%), 1,288 yards (12.9 YPA), 14 TD, 1 INT, 17 rushes, 52 yards, 3 TD

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Bryce Baker has made strides as a pocket passer since transferring to Kernersville (N.C.) East Forsyth prior to his junior season. As a senior, Baker is playing quite well to this point. The game looks to have slowed down for him some. Baker is intent on playing from the pocket and looks incredibly relaxed. He’s done a good job delivering accurately-thrown downfield passes with nice touch. The North Carolina pledge has also shown the willingness to stand in and take a hit. While he hasn’t rushed a ton, Baker has shown his mobility, primarily as a run threat inside the red zone.

Luke Nickel – Miami

On300 ranking: No. 102
Stats: 63-98 (64.3%), 1,114 yards (11.4 YPA), 9 TD, 4 INT, 9 rushes, 69 yards, 1 TD

Luke Nickel helped navigate his nationally-ranked Alpharetta (Ga.) Milton team through a tough few games to start the season. The Miami commit is a seasoned and polished passer who’s at his best when operating from a set platform inside the pocket. Nickel continues to show strong passing mechanics and good zip on intermediate passes. While Nickel has thrown some uncharacteristic interceptions, he’s also made some high-level throws over the middle of the field that should translate to Saturdays.

Alex Manske – Iowa State

On300 ranking: No. 132
Stats: 47-72 (65.2%), 974 yards (13.5 YPA), 10 TD, 0 INT, 33 rushes for 188 yards, 7 TD

Alex Manske, who recently rose within the On300, is putting together one of the better starts to his senior season among the quarterback group. The Algona (Iowa) High standout is averaging 290 yards per game along with 4.25 touchdowns per contest and has yet to throw an interception. Manske is a functional athlete with a quick arm. He’s able to generate considerable rotation throughout his upper body, which leads to the ability to deliver without having his feet set. We’ve seen the arm strength show up, as Manske has been able to attack all areas of the field. He’s also a tough, nimble runner who’s a threat on scrambles and designed runs. We also see the Iowa State pledge line up on defense, showing his toughness and physicality.

Ty Hawkins – SMU

On300 ranking: No. 190
Stats: 45-70 (64.2%), 649 yards (9.2 YPA), 8 TD, 0 INT, 25 carries, 215 yards, 5 TD

Ty Hawkins made the move from San Antonio (Texas) Johnson to IMG Academy (Fla.) for his senior season. The transition to IMG isn’t always the easiest for quarterbacks, but Hawkins was able to make a fairly quick transition. The SMU pledge has shown his dual-threat ability, making some notable plays with his legs this season. In terms of passing, he’s been at his best when operating in the short and intermediate areas. Hawkins will need to improve his lower body mechanics, particularly his weight transfer with his front leg, to better his accuracy as a downfield passer.

Lloyd Jones – Texas Tech

On300 ranking: No. 192
Stats: 50-91 (54.9%), 828 yards (9.1 YPA), 13 TD, 2 INT, 35 carries, 221 yards, 3 TD

Lloyd Jones is leaned on as a rusher and playmaker in big games. The Hitchcock (Texas) High signal-caller is at his best when he can use his legs to extend plays and find open receivers downfield. He’s a good athlete and also provides value on designed runs. The Texas Tech pledge shows flashes of passing ability, but will need to add polish and consistency at the next level.

Carter Smith – Michigan

On300 ranking: No. 195
Stats: 63- 105 (60%), 828 yards (7.9 YPA), 9 TD, 0 INT, 53 carries, 304 yards, 8 TD

Carter Smith is the highest usage quarterback inside the On300, carrying a significant load as a passer and ball carrier for his Fort Myers (Fla.) Bishop Verot offense. Smith is a competitive player who plays fast. He’s able to attack defenses with his mobility. The Michigan commit looks to have made some strides with his throwing mechanics, shortening his motion a bit. As a passer, Smith looks to be most comfortable in the short and intermediate areas and is effective on RPO’s and working the quick game.

Additional quarterbacks of note

+ Georgia commit Ryan Montgomery (No. 200) sustained a torn ACL in week one of his season.

+ TCU commit Adam Schobel (No. 222) is playing at a high level with his Columbus (Texas) High offense averaging 62.5 points per game through four weeks. He’s a big pocket passer with underrated athleticism.

+ Liberty pledge Ethan Houck (No. 259) is the top-ranked Group of Five quarterback commit for On3. Houck has high-end physical traits at 6-foot-4, 205 pounds with plus athleticism and a live arm. He’s put together some impressive film early on during his senior season at Brunswick (Md.) High.

+ Cal pledge Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele (No. 288) made waves with a breakout showing at the Elite 11 Finals and has carried that positive momentum into his senior season at Ewa Beach (Hawaii) James Campbell. Sagapolutele is having a fantastic senior year as a passer, throwing for 1,316 yards (12.2 YPA) and 20 touchdowns against one interception in four games. The recent On300 entrant has been magnificent as a downfield passer, showing one of the stronger arms in the cycle.