Happy Monday and welcome back to another edition of our high school quarterback recruiting roundup. It was another eventful week in college football, and the high school level didn’t disappoint, either.
Each week, we’ll track how the top 2023 quarterbacks in the 247Sports Composite fared and check in on a top performer in the 2024 class. Here is the last week’s report.
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Let’s get to it.
Arch Manning
School: New Orleans Isidore Newman
Committed to: Texas
Ranking: No. 1 nationally, No. 1 QB (247Sports Composite)
Things didn’t go as planned for Arch Manning’s Longhorns on Saturday — though it was an impressive showing by his future school — but back in New Orleans, the nation’s top recruit played his best game of the season when Newman beat rival Riverside Academy 42-20 on Friday night.
Manning completed 19-of-22 passes for 252 yards and four touchdowns, with two of his three incompletions coming on drops from teammates. The 6-foot-4, 215-pound QB also had this rushing touchdown, which has garnered more than a million views on Twitter:
Little razzle dazzle from Arch. pic.twitter.com/SgjmFppmI1
— Cooper Petagna (@cpetagna247) September 10, 2022
“I’m sure you saw a clip of that,” Newman offensive coordinator Logan Kilgore said, laughing.“It was extremely apparent that he was the best player on the field.”
Kilgore said Manning went 3-of-3 for 60 yards and a touchdown on the first drive of the night, showing off moxie and a comfort level that were hard to miss. Newman knew that it would be up to Manning to control the game with his arm, and he delivered with “exceptionally accurate throws,” Kilgore said.
This Arch Manning fella looks alright. pic.twitter.com/QifjdkL0CL
— CJ Vogel (@CJVogel_TFB) September 10, 2022
“He played well last week. I just think that even by his own admission, it took a little time to settle in,” Kilgore said. “It was exciting to see him jump out from the opening snap and be in complete control of the game. There was never a time where he did not look poised. He was trusting different things in the progressions and the protections and all the things that you love to see from a quarterback.”
The most impressive throw of the night, Kilgore said, came on a corner ball to wide receiver Makai Donaldson that extended Newman’s lead to two touchdowns. The play begins around the 30-second mark of the following video.
Arch Manning now with 3 TD passes
Adding one final minute of the 1st half to Anthony Jones
Then another in opening drive of 2nd half to Kai Donaldson
Newman 21 Riverside 7
3rd Q 5:55 pic.twitter.com/UTrYGy61Rx— Varsity Sports Now (@VSNLouisiana) September 10, 2022
“He came off (the) play-action fake,” Kilgore said. “His first read was not there, (so he) reset his feet, kind of flipped his hips and dropped in a corner ball as nice as you’ll see. That was really exciting.”
Malachi Nelson
School: Los Alamitos (Calif.)
Committed to: USC
Ranking: No. 2 nationally, No. 2 QB
Coming off consecutive losses, Malachi Nelson’s Los Alamitos team was due for a bounce-back performance Friday night against Servite. With a 47-14 victory, the Griffins got just that, with Nelson going 13-of-21 for 311 yards and four touchdowns.
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The most impressive part? He got the job done in the rain.
“Being from Southern California, it doesn’t rain a ton. And with the ball being wet, the ball being slick … it’s just a little bit new or different for us,” Los Alamitos offensive coordinator TJ Fenton said. “The way he was still able to throw it, do all of his reads and just kind of manage the game just as it would be on a normal weather Friday night was really great to see.”
Fenton said Nelson also impressed him with his ball placement on a night when the QB averaged 14.8 yards per attempt.
Nelson linked up with fellow USC commit Makai Lemson for “at least three explosive plays,” Fenton said, including this 70-plus yard touchdown that put the Griffins ahead 7-0.
Malachi Nelson hits Makai Lemon in stride for a 76-yard TD. Los Alamitos takes a 7-0 lead over Servite with 5:50 left in the second quarter. @Sunset_Rewind pic.twitter.com/VkF1K6D1oB
— Eric Ramos • Sports Reporter (@EricRamosZepeda) September 10, 2022
“And then he had another ball — we were doing this concept where he perfectly put it over one of their defenders and dropped it into Gavin Porch,” Fenton said. “That was in the first half.”
Nelson was named player of the game and told Bally Sports in an interview after the victory that the two losses leading into Friday night motivated him.
“It’s the anger buildup. You’ve gotta hate losing more than you like winning, and I think really do,” he said. “Obviously, we took two losses, but it fueled us and we came out with a win (Friday).”
Next up, the Griffins hit the road Thursday to play Santa Margarita, a team that came from behind last season and scored three touchdowns in the first five minutes of the third quarter to beat Los Alamitos 42-21.
Nico Iamaleava
School: Warren (Calif.)
Committed to: Tennessee
Ranking: No. 4 nationally, No. 3 QB
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Nico Iamaleava’s Warren team lost a close one Friday night, falling 16-13 to Serra on the road, also in the rain.
The future Tennessee quarterback threw two interceptions, according to the Los Angeles Times, on a night that belonged to four-star Serra cornerback Rodrick Pleasant.
Iamaleava’s first pick came when his pass appeared to bounce off the helmet of his receiver and into Pleasant’s hands.
Top #USC Cornerback Target RODRICK PLEASANT with Two INTERCEPTIONS Tonight vs Warren❕💰
Pleasant’s Sideline Pick Sealed the @Serra__Football 16-13 Victory 📈
🎥 @On3USC @fredoshotthat @RodrickP16 #FightOn✌🏼 pic.twitter.com/NPH1p8Ry7K
— Scott Schrader (@Scott_Schrader) September 10, 2022
His second interception came late in the game when he was under pressure and threw a pass down the Serra sideline that Pleasant promptly snagged.
It’s over. Rodrick Pleasant second interception. 2:53 left. Serra 16-13. pic.twitter.com/V5bfwBUCLm
— eric sondheimer (@latsondheimer) September 10, 2022
Pleasant, the nation’s No. 82 player and No. 8 cornerback, also had this 90-yard kick return for a touchdown.
Why are they kicking the ball to the fastest high school athlete in America? Rodrick Pleasant 90 yards coasting. Serra 14, Warren 13. pic.twitter.com/KTW4M7royW
— eric sondheimer (@latsondheimer) September 10, 2022
Pleasant announced a top six in July that consisted of Boston College, Cal, Oregon, Penn State, UCLA and USC. Playing against Iamaleava allowed him to shine on a national stage.
“Nico’s like my best friend,” Pleasant told a local television station after the game. “It was like a family reunion. I told him, ‘Don’t throw it at me this week.’ … It was fun.”
Dante Moore
School: Detroit Martin Luther King Jr.
Committed to: Oregon
Ranking:No. 6 nationally, No. 4 QB
Detroit King was back in action after an open date and rolled pastMumford 68-0 on an easy night for the Oregon-bound quarterback.
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Moore was 8-of-10 passing for 70 yards and a touchdown. He added a rushing touchdown to help improve Detroit King to 1-1 overall and 1-0 in league play.
His touchdown pass, which went for 36 yards according to this game recap video, gave King a 14-0 lead.
The five-time state champion Crusaders play at rival Cass Tech this week in a rematch of last year’s division title game.
Jackson Arnold
School: Denton (Texas) Guyer
Committed to: Oklahoma
Ranking: No. 14 nationally, No. 5 QB
Another week, another dominant performance for Jackson Arnold, the five-star Oklahoma commit.
Arnold and Guyer beat Lancaster 50-27, with Arnold completing 14-of-22 passes for 305 yards and three touchdowns, according to The Dallas Morning News.
Arnold’s offensive coordinator, Jordan Johnson, told The Athletic last week that Arnold has always been comfortable in the pocket but is on “another level now.” That was evident again Thursday when Arnold was able to extend plays with his legs and make big downfield throws.
Jackson Arnold is dealing pic.twitter.com/zFxfcHC2Mv
— solvingfootball (@solvingfootball) September 9, 2022
#BoomerSooner QB commit @_JacksonArnold_ is an escape artist. pic.twitter.com/l4M59K4iDw
— Greg Powers (@GPowersScout) September 9, 2022
With Arnold running the offense, Guyer is now 3-0 and hasn’t scored fewer than 44 points in a game. The Wildcats host Prosper this week.
“His eyes never drop to the rush. He can feel the pocket. He’s gonna keep his eyes downfield. He’s gonna keep a good base,” Johnson said of Arnold’s progress this season. “He’s gonna be able to make a great throw. It’s all those kinds of things that he’s really excelled (at). His feet have gotten a lot better and just the confidence and playing fast and making really good decisions is something he’s continued to progress at.”
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Christopher Vizzina
School: Briarwood (Ala.) Christian
Committed to: Clemson
Ranking: No. 20 nationally, No. 6 QB
Thursday was a tough outing for Christopher Vizzina’s Briarwood team, which fell to Pelham 35-34 after Pelham trailed by 20 points to open the fourth quarter, according to AL.com.
But one week after Vizzina threw two picks and completed just 46.4 percent of his passes against Chilton County, the future Clemson quarterback dazzled with his accuracy Thursday. Vizzina went 22-of-27 passing for 274 yards, three touchdowns and an 81.5 percent completion percentage.
TD Lions!! @BCS_Lions 27, Pelham 7 | Halftime
With 8 seconds left in the opening half, @vizzina2 gets his 3rd passing touchdown of the half and 4th overall on this 14-yard touchdown pass to Sawyer Smith. Briarwood scored 20 unanswered to end the half. pic.twitter.com/GT4PY8YmQF
— Alec Etheredge SCR (@AlecEtheredgeSC) September 9, 2022
He also rushed 19 times for 42 carries and a touchdown.
Pelham is the alma mater of Clemson coach Dabo Swinney, whose jersey was retired at the school in 2019. Briarwood Christian is off this week before traveling to Oak Mountain on Sept. 23.
Jaden Rashada
School: Pittsburg (Calif.)
Committed to: Miami
Ranking: No. 56 nationally, No. 7 QB
Jaden Rashada showed off his efficiency Friday night when Pittsburg beat previously undefeated California High School, 34-14. The final stat line for the Miami commit: 21-of-30 for 360 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions in just three quarters of work.
Nine receivers caught a pass from Rashada, including three-star wide receiver Khai Taylor, who had six catches for 149 yards and two touchdowns.
FINAL: @PittHSFootball 34: California 14
Strong outing for @jadenrashada as the Miami-bound senior went 21-30 / 360 YDS / 3 TD. Rashada is ranked one of the top QB's in the nation. Full highlights this Sunday @49erscalhi @CanesFootball pic.twitter.com/CU52MIA6VT
— Jake Vanderbroek (@JakeVanderbroek) September 10, 2022
“Poise and toughness,” Rashada’s quarterback coach, Juan Corral, wrote in a message about Rashada’s performance. “We lost four fumbles and (Rashada) took some big shots while delivering the ball.”
Pittsburg faces its biggest challenge to date next week, when Folsom comes to town.
Eli Holstein
School: Zachary (La.)
Committed to: Alabama
Ranking: No. 67 nationally, No. 8 QB
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Alabama commit Eli Holstein had another successful week as the Zachary Broncos defeated 27-time state champion John Curtis Christian, 40-21.
Holstein was 15-of-22 passing for 216 yards and four touchdowns, including this quick pass in the flat to wide receiver Tylon Williams, who took it 91 yards for a touchdown.
Great win Friday night Against John Curtis. 6 rec for 129yds – 228 total yds and 2 touchdowns. @_ZHSFootball @RecruitLouisian @KenAnioJr https://t.co/a16QJnMMzL pic.twitter.com/kkfcJ4QWob
— Tylon williams ¹⁷ (@Ty1on7_) September 11, 2022
Holstein also threw a pretty pass in the corner of the end zone as the rain poured down to put Zachary up 20 points, and he impressed with his legs and ability to work through contact.
JC muffs the punt Zachary recovers, first play from scrimmage Alabama Commit Eli Holstein with the perfect fad pass to Junior Luke Wisham in the endzone 34-14 (extra point good) 11:43 left in the game. pic.twitter.com/SMTIBwrNcT
— Recruit Louisiana® (@RecruitLouisian) September 10, 2022
Alabama Commit – Zachary Bronco 2023 QB Eli Holstein showed some nifty moves Friday night including this spin cycle run on his way to a 289 yard offensive night – 199 passing, 90 yards rushing and four total touchdowns. pic.twitter.com/0lFk8sAJmS
— Recruit Louisiana® (@RecruitLouisian) September 10, 2022
This week is homecoming for Zachary, which hosts St. Augustine on Friday. St. Augustine is led by four-star offensive tackle Tyree Adams, who is committed to LSU.
Dylan Lonergan
School: Brookwood (Ga.)
Committed to: Alabama
Ranking: No. 81 nationally, No. 9 QB
Lonergan was off this week and likely spent the open date preparing for the most high-profile matchup on Brookwood’s schedule. The Broncos travel to Las Vegas to play Bishop Gorman on Friday night. The game kicks off at 10:30 p.m. (ET) and will be carried live on ESPNU.
Lonergan’s offense will have to keep pace with powerful Bishop Gorman, which is headlined by USC commit Zachariah Branch, the top receiver in the nation.
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In addition to Branch, the Gaels have 13 other players who rank in the top 25 of Nevada’s state rankings, including four-star safety Kodi Decambra (committed to Oregon), four-star cornerback Justyn Rhett (Georgia), three-star cornerback Jeremiah Hughes (LSU), three-star offensive lineman Zak Yamauchi (Stanford), three-star wide receiver Trech Kekahuna (Wisconsin) and three-star linebacker Palaie Faoa (Boston College).
JJ Kohl
School: Ankeny (Iowa)
Committed to: Iowa State
Ranking: No. 101 nationally, No. 10 QB
Ankeny beat its rival last week, and Iowa State beat Iowa this week. But in between those rivalry wins, Kohl’s Hawks picked up their first loss of the season Friday night when Dowling Catholic knocked off Ankeny, 17-10.
The Hawks played from behind all night and scored their only touchdown on an 80-yard run by running back Jazan Williams.
𝙃𝙊𝙐𝙎𝙀 𝘾𝘼𝙇𝙇 🏠
Jazan Williams (@_jazanwilliams_) takes it 82 yards to the end zone 🔥
Dowling still leads 14-10 in the third quarter 👀
🎥: @CISNtv pic.twitter.com/zOZy9Yt9AN
— Bound Iowa (@Bound_IA) September 10, 2022
Ankeny kicked a field goal in the first quarter and went scoreless in the second and fourth quarters. Penn State commit Jaxon Smolik quarterbacked Dowling Catholic, scoring a 1-yard rushing touchdown, according to the Des Moines Register, and throwing this screen pass for another score.
Smolik’s touchdown pass. Quick screen that goes the distance. pic.twitter.com/mbCtQBAJAS
— Ryan Snyder (@RyanSnyderOn3) September 10, 2022
Ankeny has a big one this week against Southeast Polk.
2024 highlight
Four-star Notre Dame commit CJ Carr, the nation’s No. 33 prospect in the Class of 2024, is off to a 3-0 start with Saline (Mich.) High School. Carr did throw an interception in a 42-7 victory against Ypsilanti Lincoln on Friday night but was otherwise efficient, going 9-of-12 for 91 yards, two touchdowns and the pick.
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His best play of the day? Scroll to the 10-second mark of this game recap video. Carr sprints out wide to the edge, keeps his eyes downfield and launches a ball off balance that goes 48 yards. Despite Notre Dame’s stunning loss to Marshall, Carr was on social media over the weekend, sharing content from fellow Notre Dame recruits. This week, he’ll play at Dexter High School, looking for his fourth consecutive victory.
(Photo of Nico Iamaleava: Jason Armond / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
