Top quarterbacks stand out during first full week of high school football matchups

High school football season is finally here, with games taking place in dozens of states across the country. Some of the nation’s top quarterback prospects were in action this weekend, and a handful wasted no time getting their senior campaigns going with a bang.

Every week, Rivals will track some of the top performances from gunslingers across the nation. That includes top national recruits, passers from notable high school programs, and even small-school superstars who put on their own electric stat lines.

Jared Curtis – Nashville Christian (Tenn.)

Result: 56-28 win vs. Davidson Academy

The Georgia commit and Five-Star Plus+ recruit built on a sensational junior campaign with a big opener for Nashville Christian. En route to a four-touchdown victory, Curtis completed 14 of 16 pass attempts for 247 yards and three touchdowns. On the ground, he added another 44 rushing yards and a score.

Faizon Brandon – Grimsley (N.C.)

Result: 28-27 win vs. West Charlotte

In an early-season showcase game at the Carolina Panthers’ stadium, Brandon led Grimsley to a 28-27 overtime win over West Charlotte. The game was a battle of top-10 teams in the state, with Brandon and the Whirlies coming in at No. 1 in the preseason rankings. The five-star passer threw for 171 yards and a touchdown, as well rushing for 67 yards and the game-winning touchdown on a 1-yard score.

Ryder Lyons – Folsom (Calif.)

Result: 51-13 win vs. Grant Union

The five-star quarterback showed exactly why he has earned such a lofty ranking heading into his senior season. Lyons took hits all night — including a number of late ones — but still torched Grant Union’s defense. By the time he was finished, the BYU commit had completed 31 of his 37 attempts for 408 yards and five total touchdowns.

Maika Eugenio – Bishop Gorman (Nev.)

Result: 52-0 win vs. Centennial

Eugenio is the tip of the spear for a loaded Bishop Gorman squad looking to repeat as Nevada state champions and challenge for a national title. The Hawaii commit only played the first half on Friday night and still completed 8 of 9 passes for 234 yards with four touchdowns for Gorman.

Bryson Beaver – Vista Murrieta (Calif.)

Result: 47-25 win vs. Great Oak

The 6-foot-3 senior has been a huge riser in the national recruiting rankings and was a top performer at the Elite 11 Finals this summer. He continued that momentum with a monster season opener, hitting 24 for 34 attempts (77.4 percent) for 313 yards and two touchdowns.

Will Griffin – Tampa Jesuit (Fla.)

Result: 33-14 win vs. Bishop Verot

Griffin, a Florida commit, surpassed Gators legend Tim Tebow for the most career passing yards in Florida high school football history on Friday. Now over 10,000 career yards, he finished the game 18-for-28 for 275 yards and three scores as Jesuit beat Bishop Verot 33-14.

Dereon Coleman – Jones (Fla.)

Coleman picked up right where he left off at the end of the last season as the Tigers raced past Winter Park 35-0. In the process, he racked over 300 yards of offense, two passing touchdowns and a rushing score. The Miami commit threw for only 16 touchdowns as a junior but seems to be on pace for a much bigger senior campaign.

Looking at other top high school QBs and their performances

Jackson (Ala.) quarterback Landon Duckworth completed 14 of 21 for 185 yards with one touchdown and one interception in a 17-6 loss to state powerhouse Saraland. The South Carolina commit was without elite running back Ezavier Crowell, who was sitting out the first game due to a suspension.

Dia Bell, the nation’s No. 1 quarterback, started slow on Friday night with a couple of fumbles in the first half. But even without without FSU wide receiver commit Brandon Bennett, who was out with a hamstring injury, Bell led a furious second half comeback as American Heritage (Fla.) knocked off St. Joseph’s (Pa.) 31-28. Bell finished 19 of 34 for 225 yards and a touchdown.

Notre Dame commit Noah Grubbs helped Lake Mary (Fla.) edge out Miami Norland (Fla.) 30-29 in a season-opening nailbiter. After an up-and-down performance, he finished 12 of 24 for 154 yards with 3 touchdowns and 2 interceptions. On the ground, he added 10 rushes for 41 yards and a score.

Newbury Park (Calif.) star and Michigan commit Brady Smigiel couldn’t keep up with Long Beach Millikan (Calif.), as the Rams fell 49-20 in a blowout. Smigiel threw for 277 yards, but completed only 29 of 46 attempts while tossing two touchdowns and three interceptions.