Best arm talent, best fit, biggest riser: 2022 Quarterback Superlatives

charles power hsby:Charles Power•12/15/21•

CharlesPower

The vast majority, if not all of the top quarterback prospects put pen to paper today, signing letters of intent with their college choices. The past calendar year has provided us with the opportunity to closely evaluate the group. We’ve seen them in camps and 7-on-7 settings and have watched them extensively throughout the all-important senior season.

With that said, it’s time to hand out some superlatives.

Best Arm Talent

Drew Allar, Penn State
The Buzz: We view “arm talent” as more than being able to throw the ball with distance and velocity. Arm talent also includes the ability to layer throws, delivering the ball with touch and placement. That’s what Drew Allar brings to the table.

The On3 Consensus five-star has the deepest catalog of throws in the 2022 cycle. He has a loose thrower with considerable rotation throughout his upper body. Allar also has a pliable arm, with the ability to deliver from several different arm slots, both on and off-platform. The 6-foot-5, 230-pounder pairs those skills with some advanced spatial awareness and feel for the game, leading to some high-level plays like the ones below.

Also considered: Nick Evers (Oklahoma), Devin Brown (Ohio State), Henry Belin (Duke), Brady Allen (Purdue)

Biggest Gunslinger

Devin Brown, Ohio State
The Buzz: No quarterback in the 2022 cycle was more aggressive in throwing downfield than Ohio State signee Devin Brown. The 6-foot-3, 190-pounder put up some gaudy numbers at Draper (Utah) Corner Canyon after transferring in as a senior from the Phoenix area. Brown threw for 4,815 yards, 57 touchdowns and 14 interceptions in leading the Chargers to the state title game. The 12.9 yards per attempt is the highest we’ve seen n the cycle.

Brown’s deep passing acumen was apparent. He regularly looked downfield, hitting all segments of the field with some high-level throws. The former USC commit looks tailor-made for Ryan Day’s offense.

Also considered: Drew Allar (Penn State), Nick Evers (Oklahoma), Conner Weigman (Texas A&M)

Best Senior Season

Ty Simpson, Alabama
The Buzz: Several top quarterbacks in the 2022 cycle led their teams to state championships, but it would be hard to argue any shouldered a heavier load than Ty Simpson. The Crimson Tide signee led his Martin (Tenn.) Westview team to the school’s first state title. The On3 Consensus five-star accounted for over 4,000 yards of offense and 59 touchdowns.

Simpson proved to be a dual threat, rushing for over 1,200 yards as a senior while showing some of the best improvisational playmaking ability in the cycle. He paired the off-schedule creativity with an accurate passing output, making for a masterful senior campaign.

Also considered: Brady Allen (Purdue), Cade Klubnik (Clemson), Gunner Stockton (Georgia)

Intangibles

Cade Klubnik, Clemson
The Buzz: Cade Klubnik is at the controls of arguably the top high school team in the nation. The On3 Consensus five-star has a 29-0 record as a starter playing 6A football in the state of Texas. He’s a high-energy personality who drew rave reviews from the counselors at the Elite 11 Finals en route to being named the camp’s MVP.

On the field, Klubnik is an accurate, quick decision-maker with the ability to rip off some long runs in the open field. He runs Todd Dodge’s Westlake offense with maximum efficiency, completing nearly 72 percent of his passes for 39 touchdowns and just two interceptions at nearly 12 yards per attempt. He’ll look to keep his senior season and high school career unblemished in the state championship game on Saturday.

Also considered: Walker Howard (LSU), Conner Weigman (Texas A&M)

Best Scheme Fit

Nick Evers, Oklahoma
The Buzz: If you were to draw up an ideal scheme for Oklahoma signee Nick Evers, it would look something like what the Sooners are going to run under new offensive coordinator Jeff Lebby. Evers strengths and weaknesses as a prospect fit Lebby’s scheme like a glove.

The 6-foot-3, 190 pounder is one of the top arm talents in the class. In terms of arm talent and rushing threat combination, he may be the best. Evers is still relatively inexperienced as a two year varsity starter who did not play at a top high school program. His ability to push the ball downfield while also providing a run threat in the RPO game against light boxes fits exactly what Lebby does schematically. Evers was a Florida commit for much of the cycle, but found a great scheme fit late in the process.

Also considered: Devin Brown (Ohio State), Brady Allen (Purdue)

Two-sport Star

Conner Weigman, Texas A&M
The Buzz: Conner Weigman doubles as one of the best college baseball prospects in the state of Texas and will play both sports in College Station. He made news back in August by declaring his intent to enroll early at A&M and forgo the MLB Draft.

Weigman has been a very productive football player over three years at Cypress (Texas) Bridgeland, accounting for over 10,500 total yards and 121 touchdowns. The 6-foot-2, 210-pounder is an intuitive, creative quarterback with dual-threat ability.

Also considered: Tayven Jackson (Tennessee)

Mr. Clutch

Walker Howard, LSU
The Buzz: Walker Howard saw much of his supporting cast from a 2020 state title team graduate and move on. The LSU signee had to shoulder a heavy load, being forced to make individual plays more often than his prior seasons. His Lafayatte (La.) St. Thomas More team found itself facing deficits and got into a few shootouts. Howard drug the team several one score and comeback wins, showing toughness and grit along the way. While it was far from ideal, the experience will almost certainly benefit Howard long-term.

Also considered: Ty Simpson (Alabama)

Biggest Riser

Brady Allen, Purdue
The Buzz: Brady Allen easily had one of the best senior seasons among quarterbacks in the 2022 cycle. He completed 68.7 percent of his passes for 4,253 yards, 58 touchdowns and six interceptions en route to leading his Fort Branch (Ind.) Gibson Southern team to a state title.

That alone doesn’t make Allen a big riser. The 6-foot-5, 215-pounder pairs his prototypical size and that production with a big arm. He easily generates considerable RPM’s on his throws. Allen also has some twitch in his lower body as a mover within the pocket. Those factors contributed to his rise from outside the On300 to No. 126 overall.

Also considered: Drew Allar (Penn State), Devin Brown (Ohio State), Justyn Martin (UCLA)

Most Productive

Gunner Stockton, Georgia
The Buzz: When you break Trevor Lawrence’s records in the state of Georgia, it’s safe to say you’re going to win this category. Gunner Stockton capped off a statistically historic high school career this season. He finished his career with 13,652 passing yards and 177 passing touchdowns against just 17 interceptions. He also ran for 4,372 yards and 77 touchdowns in his four years as a starter at Tiger (Ga.) Rabun County. Stockton is a highly competitive signal caller who combines an aggressive downfield passing mentality with a physical run element.

Also considered: Devin Brown (Ohio State), Drew Allar (Penn State), Ty Simpson (Alabama), Cade Klubnik (Clemson)

Quickest Release

Holden Geriner, Auburn
The Buzz: We quickly identified Auburn signee Holden Geriner‘s release as one of teh quickest in the class at the Elite 11 Finals back in July. The On3 Consensus four-star put his quick arm to good use as a senior, leading his Savannah (Ga.) Benedctine team to a state championship last week. Geriner completed 233 of 343 passes (67.9%) for 3,377 yards, 36 touchdowns and three interceptions on the season.

Also considered: Nick Evers (Oklahoma), Drew Allar (Penn State)

Most Efficient

Conner Harrell, North Carolina
The Buzz: Conner Harrell has statistically been the most efficient quarterback in the cycle over the past two seasons. The four-star prospect plays for one of the top high school programs in the southeast at Alabaster (Ala.) Thompson and has helped the Warriors to state titles the past two seasons. The Tar Heel signee showed a strong arm along with movement skills in and out of the pocket.

Also considered: Cade Klubnik (Clemson), Gunner Stockton (Georgia), Brady Allen (Purdue)

Strongest Arm

Maalik Murphy, Texas
The Buzz: Texas signee Maalik Murphy can heave a football. He’s one of the bigger top quarterbacks in the 2022 cycle at 6-foot-5, 232 pounds with 10-inch hands. The physical tools manifest in a big-armed quarterback who can stretch the field.

Murphy entered this fall relatively inexperienced on the field compared to his peers, but has shown some progress and led his Gardena (Calif.) Serra team to a state title.

Also considered: Drew Allar (Penn State), Brady Allen (Purdue), Henry Belin (Duke), Nick Evers (Oklahoma), Devin Brown (Ohio State), Justyn Martin (UCLA)

Best Athlete

Nate Johnson, Utah
The Buzz: Nate Johnson runs away with this one, both literally and figuratively. The Utah signee is one of the faster prospects in the nation, regardless of position. He posted eight sub-11.0 second times in the 100 meters as a junior with a best of 10.49 seconds. In the 200 meters, he has a 21.34 second best. That’s smoking. Johnson shows off his long speed on the field, with the ability to pull away from defenses with ease.

Also considered: Tayven Jackson (Tennessee), Jacurri Brown (Miami),

Biggest Sleeper

Noah Fifita, Arizona
The Buzz: Arizona landing Noah Fifita may be the biggest steal among quarterbacks in this cycle. Fifita will not blow anyone away stepping off the bus – he’s 5-foot-9, 185 pounds. But don’t let that fool you. Fifita has a bunch of physical talent. He’s a strong-armed, creative playmaker with some high-level improvisational and scrambling ability. Fifita was arguably the top high school quarterback in the state of California this fall, leading Anaheim (Calif.) Servite to one of its best seasons in recent memory. He has the potential to be a difference-maker for Jedd Fisch and the Wildcats.