High School Spotlight: Standouts from the season’s first month
The first month of the high school football season has yielded numerous highlights across QB Country. Experienced senior stars like Arch Manning (Isidore Newman/LA) and Kenny Minchey (Pope John Paul II/TN) are off to strong starts and there have been several outstanding underclassmen emerging like Antwann Hill (Houston County/GA) and KJ Lacey (Saraland/AL). Here are 25 top performers from recent weeks (listed alphabetically):
Brendon Byrd, Gulf Shores (AL)
Brendon has done it all for Gulf Shores, passing for nearly 600 yards and adding 234 on the ground in leading his team to its first-ever 3-0 start (now 3-1 overall). He’s completed 64% of his passes and has accounted for six touchdowns (five passing, one rushing).
Jackson Byrd, Cleveland HS (NC)
Jackson, a sophomore, has been one of North Carolina’s most prolific QBs through the season’s first three games, accumulating 801 yards passing, 11 TDs and just two INTs and has added four rushing TDs in leading state-ranked Cleveland to a 3-0 start.
Caden Creel, Fairhope (AL)
Caden has thrown for 837 yards and six touchdowns and has added 346 yards and two scores on the ground. He ranks second among Alabama seniors in total yards and earned state Player of the Week honors by going 20-of-30 passing for 324 yards and two TDs with 114 yards on 14 carries and a score in a week two win.
Jadyn Davis, Providence Day School (NC)
Through four games, Jadyn leads the state of North Carolina with 16 touchdown passes, ranks second in yards (1264 yards) and completion percentage (76%) and has already tossed multiple 300+yard passing games. The junior has led Providence Day to a 4-0 start and #1 ranking by the Charlotte Observer.
Cam Enos, Parkwood HS (NC)
A senior three-star prospect, Cam has thrown for 723 yards and six TDs through four games for Parkwood against some of the region’s top teams.
Jeff “JD” Davis, Grayson HS (GA)
A junior, JD has led Grayson to a 3-0 start. Last week he completed 11-of-13 passes for 129 yards and a touchdown and rushed for another score. On the season he’s notched 524 passing yards, a 75.4% completion percentage, and has tossed six touchdowns to just one INT.
Drew Devillier, Plano East HS (TX)
A junior, Drew has led Plano East to a 3-0 start. Last week, he went 19-of-26 for 294 yards and two touchdowns which followed a 13-of-24, 272-yard, five-touchdown performance in week two. On the season he’s thrown for 869 yards and nine TDs. A TCU baseball commit, Drew is now drawing major football interest.
Brock Glenn, Lausanne Collegiate (TN)
The senior Ohio State commit earned the Memphis TD Club Prep Player of the Week Award on September 12. Over the past two weeks, Brock has completed 16-of-27 passes for 262 yards and three touchdowns to help Lausanne to a 2-1 start.
Antwann “AJ” Hill, Houston County (GA)
AJ was perfect last week, going 10-of-10 for 298 yards and five touchdowns in just one half in a Houston County victory. Just two weeks earlier, he passed for 414 yards and four touchdowns in a close win. He currently ranks second in Georgia with 1184 passing yards and leads the state in completion percentage (77.1%). He has tossed 13 touchdowns to just two INTs.
Mack Howard, Oxford HS (MS)
Mack led Oxford to a 43-34 victory last week improving his season passing totals to 31-of-43 for 295 yards, five touchdowns and just one INT. The senior Utah commit is completing 72.1% of his passes through two games.
Tad Hudson, Hough HS (NC)
A senior UNC commit, Tad threw for 196 yards and a touchdown and run for 45 yards and another score in a 45-6 victory last week for state-ranked Hough. Through four games he’s averaging 243 yards passing and completing 69% of his attempts.
KJ Jackson, St. James (AL)
Junior KJ Jackson surpassed the 4,000-yard career mark last week going 6-of-9 for 113 yards and four TDs (three in the first half) in a 41-6 victory. On the season KJ has thrown for 766 yards, 13 touchdowns and zero INTs while completing 66.7% of his passes.
KJ Lacey, Saraland HS (AL)
Just a sophomore, KJ is already one of Alabama’s top quarterbacks and has passed for 933 yards and 12 touchdowns through four games. In a win against rival Spanish Fort last week, he threw for 195 yards and two touchdowns to help lift Saraland to a 4-0 start.
Arch Manning, Isidore Newman (LA)
Arch has been nearly flawless through the first two weeks of the season. The senior Texas commit is 27-of-36 with seven touchdowns, including a 19-of-22, 221-yard, four-touchdown passing performance last Friday (he also added a rushing TD).
George McIntyre, Brentwood Academy (TN)
Just a sophomore, George is off to a strong start for BA and posted a 17/22, 272-yard, four-touchdown performance in last week’s 42-7 victory over Whitehaven. The #2-ranked QB in his class, he’s turnover-free through four games.
Kenny Minchey, Pope John Paul II (TN)
Kenny has led Pope Prep to a 4-0 start and state ranking. He has completed 73.4% of his passes, is averaging nearly 200 passing yards per game, and has thrown for 11 TDs and just one interception through the first four games of his senior season.
Whit Muschamp, Baylor School (TN)
Whit has led Baylor to a 3-0 start and earned SE Tennessee Player of the Week on September 1st after going 23-of-25 for 274 yards and two touchdowns in a 35-17 win.
Tyler Nelson, Gardendale HS (AL)
Tyler Nelson has led state-ranked Gardendale to a strong start, completing 18-of-25 passes over the last two games for 360 yards, rushing for 410 more, and accounting for ten touchdowns. He was named a 6A Player of the Week in Alabama.
Marcel Reed, Montgomery Bell Academy (TN)
Marcel notched 203 total yards and accounted for four touchdowns (one passing, three rushing) in MBA’s most recent 35-10 victory. On the season Marcel, an Ole Miss commit, has thrown for 542 yards and six touchdowns and has rushed for 267 yards and six scores in leading MBA to a 4-0 start and #1 ranking in their division.
Ryan Skinner, Cullman HS (AL)
Ryan has done a little bit of everything for Cullman through the first four games. Last week, the senior completed 21-of-37 passes for 211 yards and two touchdowns and added a touchdown on the ground and accounted for four touchdowns (two passing and two rushing) in Cullman’s previous victory.
Kade Smith, Trion High School (GA)
In his first three games as a sophomore starter, Kade is 29-of-42 for six touchdowns and a 140.8 QBR. He was nominated for GA Preps Player of the Week last week, going 11-of-13 for 173 yards (with most coming in the first half) in a blowout victory for Trion.
Cade Tessier, Lake Creek HS (TX)
Through three games (all wins), Cade – a senior – has thrown for 554 yards and four touchdowns and has completed nearly 65% of his passes. In a 54-42 win last week, he accounted for four touchdowns (one passing, three rushing).
Cameron Vanzant, Farmington HS (AR)
Cameron, a junior, is averaging nearly 350 yards passing and has tossed 12 touchdowns through his first three games of the season. Last week, he went 30-of-42 for 450 yards and four touchdowns. The week before he went 11-of-14 for 284 yards and three touchdowns and was named 5A Arkansas Player of the Week.
Chris Vizzina, Briarwood Christian School (AL)
The senior Clemson commit ranks among the state’s top all-around quarterbacks, throwing for 854 yards and six touchdowns and collecting 207 yards and five scores on the ground through the first four games of the season. Chris has completed 65.5% of his passes against some of the state’s top competition.
Bryce Warriner, Tri County Academy (MS)
A class of 2025 standout, Bryce followed a five-touchdown performance two weeks ago by going 23-of-33 for 283 yards and three touchdowns last week and was named a Prep RedZone top performer for Mississippi. On the season he’s thrown for 916 yards, 11 TDs and just one INT.
Walker White, Little Rock Christian (AR)
Through three games, Walker has thrown for 503 yards and nine TDs (and just one INT) and has added 125 yards and three scores on the ground. In a recent win, he went 15-of-25 for 181 yards and 3 TDs, and rushed eight times for 71 yards and three more scores. A junior, Walker is ranked as the top QB prospect in Arkansas.
Emory Williams, Milton HS (FL)
Through three games, Emory has thrown for 545 yards and has accounted for seven touchdowns (six passing and one rushing). Last week the senior Miami commit accounted for four TDs (three passing, one rushing) in a come-from-behind victory.