School soccer's high quarterback battles heading into the 2025 season

Michael Cohen

School Soccer and School Basketball Author

With a set of blue-blood applications sending quarterbacks into this 12 months’s NFL Draft, the stage was set for a spring and summer season of noteworthy battles throughout faculty soccer on the sport’s most necessary place. Will Howard and his nationwide championship ring left a high-profile void at Ohio State. Jalen Milroe and his dual-threat abilities departed Alabama regardless of leaving some eligibility on the desk. And Riley Leonard, the superb Duke switch, bid farewell to Notre Dame after 14 wins and a powerful run by the School Soccer Playoff that fell only a few factors quick in opposition to the Buckeyes.

Elsewhere, the signal-caller storylines acquired even richer when Shedeur Sanders moved on from Colorado and legendary head coach Invoice Belichick assumed management at North Carolina, the place each transfer he and his interior circle make will now generate headlines on sports activities web sites and popular culture havens alike. Whomever the Tar Heels choose as their starter in 2025 will undoubtedly be talked about in the identical breath as seven-time Tremendous Bowl winner Tom Brady, ill-advised and ill-fitting as these comparisons could be.

And there are a lot extra big-name applications nonetheless sifting by their choices forward of the 2025 marketing campaign: from current nationwide champions like Michigan and Georgia to the reigning Large Ten kings from Oregon. In order spring turns to summer season and the thrill of a brand new season attracts ever nearer, right here’s a contemporary take a look at the place issues stand in a few of faculty soccer’s most necessary quarterback battles:

Contenders: Julian Sayin, Lincoln Kienholz, Tavien St. Clair

Julian Sayin

Class: SophomoreMeasurables: 6-1, 203 poundsCareer stats: 5-of-12 (41.7%) for 84 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT in 27 snapsRecruiting rating: No. 6 total, No. 1 QB in 2024

Lincoln Kienholz

Class: JuniorMeasurables: 6-3, 207 poundsCareer stats: 10-of-22 (45.5%) for 111 yards, 0 TD, 0 INT in 68 snapsRecruiting rating: No. 194 total, No. 15 QB in 2023

Tavien St. Clair

Class: FreshmanMeasurables: 6-4, 225 poundsCareer stats: N/ARecruiting rating: No. 7 total, No. 3 QB in 2025

For the third time in as many seasons, Ohio State will enter fall camp with its quarterback hierarchy undecided due to a nip-and-tuck competitors throughout spring apply. Julian Sayin and Lincoln Kienholz are the first contenders to switch former Kansas State switch Will Howard, who guided the Buckeyes to a nationwide championship and was chosen by the Pittsburgh Steelers within the sixth spherical of final month’s NFL Draft. The 2 candidates current appreciably totally different physique sorts and ability units, with the previous considered among the finest pure passers within the nation popping out of highschool, whereas the latter was a profitable multi-sport athlete (soccer, basketball, baseball) who presents extra of a dual-threat choice and continues to be studying the finer factors of taking part in quarterback. Sayin, whom many anticipate to in the end win the job, appeared to have stepped ahead with a robust efficiency in Ohio State’s spring sport, however Kienholz was reportedly the steadier participant throughout the staff’s 15 practices underneath new play caller Brian Hartline. The third man within the competitors, albeit a long way behind, is Tavien St. Clair, a extremely touted early enrollee with prototypical measurement and arm energy. An in-state prospect, St. Clair accomplished 166 of 224 passes (68%) for two,536 yards, 29 touchdowns and 4 interceptions as a senior at Bellefontaine Excessive Faculty final fall. He additionally ran for 254 yards and 9 further scores.

Contenders: Bryce Underwood, Mikey Keene, Davis Warren, Jadyn Davis

Bryce Underwood

Class: FreshmanMeasurables: 6-4, 208 poundsCareer stats: N/ARecruiting rating: No. 1 total, No. 1 QB in 2025

Mikey Keene

Class: Graduate studentMeasurables: 5-11, 200 poundsCareer stats: 793-of-1170 for 8,245 yards, 65 TDs, 28 INTs in 2,233 snapsRecruiting rating: No. 819 total, No. 57 QB in 2021

Davis Warren

Class: Graduate studentMeasurables: 6-2, 195 poundsCareer stats: 139-of-223 (62.3%) for 1,288 yards, 7 TDs, 10 INTs in 532 snapsRecruiting rating: Unranked, zero-star prospect in 2020

Jadyn Davis

Class: SophomoreMeasurables: 6-1, 205 poundsCareer stats: No passes tried on one snapRecruiting rating: No. 112 total, No. 9 QB in 2024

What seemed like a four-man competitors on paper was shortly decreased to a showdown between Bryce Underwood and Jadyn Davis in the course of the spring as Davis Warren, a partial starter final season, continued rehabbing the torn ACL he suffered throughout Michigan’s bowl win over Alabama and Mikey Keene, who transferred in from Fresno State, was sidelined with an undisclosed damage. Underwood’s uncommon mixture of expertise, bodily maturity and dogged work ethic has impressed teammates and coaches on each side of the ball since enrolling early out of Belleville Excessive Faculty in Belleville, Michigan, a half-hour drive from the Wolverines’ campus. His robust debut, coupled with a slower growth curve from Davis, a former five-star prospect whose recruiting inventory slipped towards the tip of the 2024 cycle, has laid the groundwork for what many anticipate to be a two-quarterback battle between Underwood and the veteran Keene throughout fall camp. Keene spent two seasons at UCF (2021-22) and two extra at Fresno State (2023-24) earlier than getting into the switch portal as a graduate scholar with one 12 months of eligibility remaining. He accomplished 22 of 36 passes for 235 yards, one landing and two interceptions in a season-opening loss to Michigan final 12 months, dragging the Bulldogs to inside six factors with 10:06 remaining within the fourth quarter — a efficiency that possible caught the eye of head coach Sherrone Moore. Keene was seen because the No. 966 total switch and No. 66 quarterback within the portal by 247Sports.

Contenders: Ty Simpson, Austin Mack, Keelon Russell

Ty Simpson

Class: Redshirt juniorMeasurables: 6-2, 210 poundsCareer stats: 29-of-50 (58%) for 167 yards, 0 TD, 0 INT in 188 snapsRecruiting rating: No. 26 total, No. 3 QB in 2022

Austin Mack

Class: Redshirt sophomoreMeasurables: 6-6, 235 poundsCareer stats: 2-of-3 (66.7%) for 39 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT in 5 snapsRecruiting rating: No. 230 total, No. 16 QB in 2023

Keelon Russell

Class: FreshmanMeasurables: 6-3, 192 poundsCareer stats: N/ARecruiting rating: No. 2 total, No. 2 QB in 2025

Given the swelling stress on second-year head coach Kalen DeBoer, whose dissatisfying 9-4 total report in his debut season included three losses to unranked opponents, the continuing quarterback competitors at Alabama is without doubt one of the most polarizing in faculty soccer. DeBoer has reunited with longtime operating mate Ryan Grubb, his offensive coordinator at Washington and Fresno State, to enliven a passing assault that ranked 56th total and eighth within the SEC final season. Grubb spent one 12 months as offensive coordinator for the Seattle Seahawks in 2024 however was fired after his unit completed 18th in scoring at 22.1 factors per sport. Collectively, DeBoer and Grubb will select between three quarterbacks with lofty recruiting pedigrees and wildly contrasting ranges of expertise. Ty Simpson, the presumptive chief, is a former five-star prospect who was initially signed by Nick Saban. He’s getting into his fourth season with this system however has spent the final two years backing up Milroe and has by no means thrown a landing cross in faculty. His major competitor will possible be Austin Mack, a former Washington signee who was a member of the Huskies in 2023 after which adopted DeBoer to Alabama forward of the 2024 marketing campaign, finally logging 5 snaps as a deep reserve. After which there’s Keelon Russell, the thrilling true freshman who completed second within the nationwide recruiting rankings behind Michigan signee Bryce Underwood. Russell reportedly made a robust impression as an early enrollee throughout spring apply however would face the unenviable problem of being a first-year participant in arguably the game’s hardest convention.

Contenders: CJ Carr,, Kenny Minchey

CJ Carr

Class: SophomoreMeasurables: 6-3, 209 poundsCareer stats: No passes tried on 4 snapsRecruiting rating: No. 68 total, No. 6 QB in 2024

Kenny Minchey

Class: JuniorMeasurables: 6-2, 206 poundsCareer stats: 3-of-3 (100%) for 16 yards, 0 TD, 0 INT in 17 snapsRecruiting rating: No. 170 total, No. 14 QB in 2023

By counting on one-year switch leases in every of the final two seasons — with former Wake Forest quarterback Sam Hartman operating the present in 2023 and former Duke quarterback Riley Leonard main Notre Dame to the nationwide championship sport in 2024 — the Preventing Irish had been at all times going to be on the lookout for a brand new signal-caller in the course of the spring and summer season months. A powerful aid look by backup quarterback Steve Angeli in the course of the School Soccer Playoff semifinal in opposition to Penn State lent credence to the concept that he would possibly in the end fend off understudies CJ Carr and Kenny Minchey for an additional 12 months. A former four-star recruit, Angeli orchestrated the 52-yard scoring drive late within the second quarter that trimmed Notre Dame’s deficit to 1 possession shortly earlier than halftime, injecting the staff with momentum earlier than Leonard’s eventual return. However in a surefire signal that spring apply hadn’t fairly gone his method, Angeli entered the switch portal on April 17 earlier than finally touchdown at Syracuse. The 2-man battle between Carr and Minchey is anticipated to proceed into fall camp forward of Notre Dame’s high-profile season opener at Miami, although the previous left a wonderful remaining impression because the breakout performer within the staff’s spring sport. Carr, whose grandfather, Lloyd Carr, was a nationwide championship-winning head coach at Michigan, is the seventh-best quarterback prospect to signal with Notre Dame within the recruiting rankings period, behind Jimmy Clausen, Dayne Crist, Gunner Kiel, Brandon Wimbush, Demetrius Jones and Zach Frazer.

Contenders: Kaidon Salter, Julian Lewis

Kaidon Salter

Class: SeniorMeasurables: 6-1, 190 poundsCareer stats: 412-of-702 (58.7%) for five,889 yards, 56 TDs and 17 INTs with 2,006 speeding yards and 21 further scores in 2,043 snaps Recruiting rating: No. 143 total, No. 17 QB in 2021

Julian Lewis

Class: FreshmanMeasurables: 6-1, 190 poundsCareer stats: N/ARecruiting rating: No. 50 total, No. 6 QB in 2025

Late final 12 months, for the higher a part of a month from mid-November to mid-December, it appeared Colorado could be turning to a highly-touted true freshman quarterback as its substitute for Shedeur Sanders, whose two-year run with the Buffaloes redirected the trajectory of this system. Head coach Deion Sanders orchestrated one of many largest recruiting wins of the cycle when he succeeded in flipping Julian “JuJu” Lewis, a Georgia native, after a longstanding verbal dedication to USC. Lewis, who reclassified to enter faculty sooner, completed because the No. 50 total prospect within the 247Sports Composite rankings however spent a lot of the 2024 calendar 12 months within the high 10 nationally, together with a prolonged stretch as a five-star recruit. However the tenor of Colorado’s quarterback competitors modified on Dec. 18, when the Buffaloes added former Liberty standout Kaidon Salter by way of the switch portal. Salter, who started his collegiate profession at Tennessee however by no means performed for the Volunteers, loved a breakout 2023 marketing campaign with the Flames during which he threw for two,876 yards and 32 touchdowns whereas additionally speeding for 1,089 yards and 12 further scores. His manufacturing declined fairly considerably final fall, which undercut any dialogue about Salter getting into the NFL Draft, and he transferred to Colorado with one 12 months of eligibility remaining. Now, Salter will hope to rediscover his high-level play from two years in the past as he battles the gifted underclassman Lewis throughout fall camp and into the common season.

Contenders: Dante Moore, Austin Novosad

Dante Moore

Class: Redshirt sophomoreMeasurables: 6-3, 210 poundsCareer stats: 121-of-221 (54.8%) for 1,659 yards, 11 TDs, 9 INTs in 461 snapsRecruiting rating: No. 4 total, No. 3 QB in 2023

Austin Novosad

Class: Redshirt sophomoreMeasurables: 6-3, 205 poundsCareer stats: 11-of-13 (84.6%) for 59 yards, 0 TD, 0 INT in 42 snapsRecruiting rating: No. 126 total, No. 10 QB in 2023

There was an extended spell throughout Dante Moore’s cleaning soap opera-style recruitment when it appeared the five-star prospect would find yourself at Oregon following his record-setting profession at Martin Luther King Sr. Excessive Faculty in Detroit. He was verbally dedicated to the Geese from July 8, 2022, by mid-December of that very same 12 months earlier than former UCLA head coach Chip Kelly lured him to the Bruins and made him a rookie starter. Moore’s on-field efficiency was respectable at finest and shaky at worst throughout 9 appearances for UCLA, during which he accomplished simply 53.5% of his passes and threw practically as many interceptions (9) as touchdowns (11), in the end falling right into a timeshare with fellow quarterback Ethan Garbers. It wasn’t lengthy earlier than he entered the switch portal and rekindled his reference to Oregon head coach Dan Lanning, who later stated it was a no brainer to welcome Moore again into this system, and offensive coordinator Will Stein, one of many brightest younger minds in faculty soccer. However Moore’s determination to affix the Geese got here roughly per week after former Oklahoma quarterback Dillon Gabriel dedicated to be Oregon’s starter for the 2024 marketing campaign, all however necessitating that Moore spend a 12 months creating earlier than making his full-fledged return to the sphere. He’s now thought-about the favourite to win the beginning job this fall and has drawn rave evaluations from teammates and coaches, although staving off challenger Austin Novosad gained’t be straightforward. Novosad was a blue-chip recruit in his personal proper and selected the Geese over further scholarship presents from the likes of Ohio State, Notre Dame and Texas A&M, amongst others. Lanning was very tight-lipped concerning the state of his quarterback race following Oregon’s spring sport final month.

Contenders: Gunner Stockton, Ryan Puglisi

Gunner Stockton

Class: Redshirt juniorMeasurables: 6-1, 215 poundsCareer stats: 57-of-83 (68.7%) for 588 yards, 3 TDs, 2 INTs in 199 snapsRecruiting rating: No. 124 total, No. 7 QB in 2022

Ryan Puglisi

Class: Redshirt freshmanMeasurables: 6-3, 210 poundsCareer stats: N/ARecruiting rating: No. 114 total, No. 10 QB in 2024

Stockton turned a family title final December, in the course of the SEC Championship sport in opposition to Texas, when he was tasked with changing injured starter Carson Beck (elbow) within the second half. To that time in his profession, Stockton, a former four-star recruit, had logged simply 90 snaps in seven appearances throughout two seasons mixed. In complete, he’d accomplished 25 of 35 passes (71.4%) for 283 yards, two touchdowns and one interception. However when his staff wanted him most, Stockton proved regular sufficient to gas an time beyond regulation win that lifted Georgia to the No. 2 seed in final 12 months’s School Soccer Playoff. His efficiency within the Bulldogs’ ensuing quarterfinal loss to Notre Dame was far much less convincing, nonetheless, as Georgia’s offense solely mustered 10 factors in a sport it trailed for the whole second half. Stockton related on 20 of 32 passes (62.5%) for 234 yards and one landing in opposition to the Preventing Irish, however he fumbled twice and solely averaged 3.8 yards per try on 16 dropbacks when Notre Dame blitzed him. With Beck finally transferring to Miami over the winter, Stockton entered spring because the prohibitive favourite to grow to be Georgia’s full-time starter this fall, although the door is actually cracked for counterpart Ryan Puglisi in fall camp. Puglisi’s highschool stats had been far much less eye-opening than a few of his contemporaries within the higher echelon of recruiting rankings — he by no means topped 2,000 passing yards in a season whereas taking part in for Avon Outdated Farms in Avon, Connecticut — however his outstanding arm energy and strong bodily traits nonetheless made him one of the vital coveted signal-callers within the 2024 class.

Contenders: Gio Lopez, Bryce Baker, Max Johnson

Gio Lopez

Class: Redshirt sophomoreMeasurables: 6-0, 220 poundsCareer stats: 247-of-373 (66.2%) for 3,034 yards, 22 TDs, 7 INTs with 617 speeding yards and 9 further scores in 808 snapsRecruiting rating: No. 1,324 total, No. 63 QB in 2023

Bryce Baker

Class: FreshmanMeasurables: 6-3, 205 poundsCareer stats: N/ARecruiting rating: No. 86 total, No. 8 QB in 2025

Max Johnson

Class: SeniorMeasurables: 6-5, 225 poundsCareer stats: 486-of-803 (60.5%) for five,923 yards, 47 TDs, 13 INTs in 1,675 snapsRecruiting rating: No. 256 total, No. 10 QB in 2020

One of many largest fascinations surrounding Invoice Belichick’s determination to grow to be a collegiate head coach was how the septuagenarian — a famous curmudgeon — would adapt to, or maybe embrace, the method of recruiting excessive schoolers. His first order of enterprise relating to North Carolina’s current recruiting class, which had been compiled by predecessor Mack Brown, was to type a relationship with four-star prospect Bryce Baker, a blue-chip quarterback receiving further curiosity from Penn State and LSU. A dual-threat participant and in-state recruit, Baker first dedicated to North Carolina on June 27, 2023. That Belichick succeeded in convincing Baker to take care of his pledge, and even enroll early for the spring semester, was rightfully seen as an necessary step for this system’s future. Baker’s candidacy to win the beginning job as a real freshman has since been difficult by the April addition of South Alabama quarterback Gio Lopez by way of the switch portal. Lopez, who has a number of years of eligibility remaining, accomplished 66% of his passes final season whereas throwing for two,559 yards with 18 touchdowns and solely 5 interceptions for a Jaguars staff that completed 7-5 total and 5-3 within the Solar Belt. He additionally ran for 463 yards and 7 further scores. All indications are that Lopez is now the favourite to win the Tar Heels’ beginning job in fall camp. He’ll be challenged by Baker and journeyman Max Johnson, whose profession contains beginning expertise at LSU, Texas A&M and North Carolina till he suffered a grotesque damaged leg within the opener in opposition to Minnesota. Johnson, a sixth-year participant, has made 23 begins during the last 5 seasons mixed.

Michael Cohen covers faculty soccer and faculty basketball for FOX Sports activities. Comply with him at @Michael_Cohen13.

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