QBC Week in Review 10/15: Top Performers

QBC Week in Review 10/15: Top Performers

 In Featured News, Latest News

It was another strong week for QB Country trainees, with the following players turning in notable performances across the NFL, NCAA and high school ranks: 

Devlin Hodges, Pittsburgh Steelers
A week after his impressive NFL debut in relief of injured starter Mason Rudolph, Steelers quarterback Devlin Hodges made the most of his first NFL start. Devlin went 15-for-20 for 135 yards and a touchdown to help lead Pittsburgh to a 24-17 win over the Chargers and earned a Sunday Night Football Player of the Game ball. Over two weeks of action, he’s gone 22-for-29 for 200 yards and captivated Steelers fans with his impressive play and inspiring story. The FCS all-time passing leader and a world-champion duck-caller, Devlin went undrafted out of Samford, got cut after preseason with the Steelers and was later signed to the practice squad, then made the jump to starter after injuries to Ben Rothlisberger and Mason Rudolph.

It’s been quite a ride for the QB with the nickname, “Duck”:

“Since I was 5 years old, since I threw my first touchdown pass, that’s always something I’ve kind of dreamed about,” Hodges said. “It’s been a bumpy road, especially the past couple of months. It’s been wild to think about. I’ve always had belief in myself. I’ve had other people behind me, and it’s just amazing.”

Among Devlin’s biggest fans and proudest supporters is his QB Country coach, Ben Neill (QBC Birmingham), who handled Devlin’s NFL Draft prep:


Jack Abraham, Southern Miss
Jack Abraham continues to prove why he is one of the nation’s top quarterbacks. Jack threw for 421 yards with three touchdowns in a 45-27 victory over North Texas last Saturday and earned his second Conference USA Player of the Week award. He was also named a Manning Award Star of the Week and Davey O’Brien “Great 8” Player of the Week. He ranks fourth in the nation in passing yards and ranks among the top ten FBS quarterbacks in QBR, yards per attempt and completion percentage. He leads Conference-USA in passing yards per game and yards per attempt.

Jack is one of 20 semifinalists for the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award, which recognizes the nation’s most outstanding senior or fourth-year quarterback.

Said Southern Miss offensive coordinator Buster Faulkner:

“It’s been a long time since I’ve been around one like him. He’s like I’ve said before, he’s one of the smartest human beings I’ve ever been around first of all, not just in football. I mean he’s a high GPA guy, wants to be a dentist. So he studies all of the time, I think that carries over.”

Tyler Johnston, UAB
Tyler threw for 294 yards and two touchdowns to lift UAB to a 33-14 victory over UTSA. Over the past two weeks (both victories), he’s amassed 576 passing yards and five touchdowns. The Blazers are now 5-1 and Tyler is an important reason why. He currently ranks among the nation’s top 25 quarterbacks in passing efficiency (#16), touchdowns (#25) and yards per completion (#5) and passing yards (#23).

Luke Anthony, Abilene Christian
Luke returned from injury to throw for 280 yards and three touchdowns in ACU’s 45-20 victory over Houston Baptist. Despite missing a week of action, Luke currently ranks among the top FCS quarterbacks in passing yards (#22), completions (#15) and completion percentage (#26). In the win against Houston Baptist, Luke drew praise from teammate Kobe Clark for igniting ACU’s offensive attack:

“I felt a lot of energy from our offense tonight. I feel like Luke does a good job of getting all the receivers involved. We knew they were a high scoring offense and we knew we were going to have to put up a lot of points.”

Luke Altmyer, Starkville HS (MS)
Luke Altmyer has been on a roll in Starkville’s (MS) recent four-game winning streak. Last week, Luke finished 11-of-16 for 237 yards and three touchdowns in a 49-26 victory over Greenville as the Yellowjackets improved to 6-2. For the season, he’s completed 123 of 183 passes for 1,687 yards, 17 touchdowns and four interceptions. A junior with multiple FBS offers, Luke’s midseason highlights can be viewed here.