With the only exception being the triple option if your best athlete is at QB you are in trouble (as far as winning the state championship goes). Excluding the triple option team, if you are putting your best athlete at QB it means you have limited options and you are in some form of a gimmicky permanent wildcat offense and if you are a decent team you can go 6-3, 7-2, 8-1, or even 9-0 with a weak enough schedule and win an early playoff game or 2 but you aren’t winning the state championship doing that. The only other exception that comes to mind as I type this is maybe if you have an elite D1 type athlete surrounded by other good solid talent (especially on the line) in one of the smallest classes (1a/2a) then it could be possible. And that is no dig at the smaller schools but they don’t see that “special” player very often and don’t have the horse or horses to offset it. Look at Lena Winslow. They actually have a couple D1 guys and they aren’t even at QB and look at what a cake walk things are for them of recent.
As my original post says, if they're one of the best (if not the) best athletes on the team, it will greatly enhance their ability to win state.
If a QB is Dual Threat, its incredibly impactful Especially at the high school level. (And the NCAA and NFL) And its not just option QB's like MC or other, but rather its true about so many others as well. Have you actually seen JJ Mccarthy play? He's a good throwing QB, but what makes him the best QB in IL, is that he makes plays happen with his legs. Last year, I saw him play a great Batavia D, and he ran around until he found open recievers and ran for many yeards. If you've seen Tyler Macon from ESL..he is a decent thrower, but he's a phenomenal athlete and makes plays with his legs. I saw him play vs. Neuqua and Naperville Central. The QB from DGN who I saw last weekend...He Was a below average thrower, but is a great athlete and made their team competitive. The QB from Batavia...Is a below average thrower, but makes things happen with his athleticism and they are a top 10 team. Yes, they all have a few other athletes that make them top 10 teams, but without their athletic QB's, they all have more losses. (Including ESL)