Inside the Huddle – Florida Class of QB’S 2027

For the longest time the state of Florida was overlooked when it came to the quarterback position. With Carsen Beck (Jacksonville Mandarin) and Fernando Mendoza (Christopher Columbus) playing for the national title that may change. Mendoza was barely recruited out of high school and while Beck was a highly rated quarterback he had to transfer to University of Miami to get his first chance to win the title. Florida has had some very good quarterbacks in the past like Lemar Jackson (Boynton Beach HS), Aaron Murray (Tampa Plant). This year two highly rated quarterbacks Noah Grubb (Signed with Notre Dame) and Dia Bell (Signed with Texas) were both five star prospects. This year looks to be another solid year at the quarterbacks spot. We will break down the top signal callers from Florida and what we expect this upcoming season.

Davin Davidson (Cardinal Mooney) 6’6-200: Davidson performance last year in the state finals put him on the recruiting radar as a player to watch. His performance this past weekend at Elite 11 has made him one of the premier quarterbacks in the country. He has great size and Davidson can make all the throws

Wonderful Monds (Vero Beach) 6’2-225: Monds will fight for the top spot in Florida. He is built like an old-school middle linebacker. Monds has a very strong arm. He will push the ball down the field. He can also beat you with his legs. In the right scheme, Monds will have a very good college career. He has all the tools you look for in an elite prospect.

Logan Flaherty (Port Charlotte) 6’2-190 (Committed to UCF): Logan and Davidson are two prospects that have come up through the ranks together. Here is a kid that will step up in the pocket and throw the ball. He is a guy that the play never seems dead. He will launch the ball. He needs to learn to take what the defense is going to give. He has a strong arm and is athletic.

James Perrone (Miami Central) 6’2-170 (Committed to USF):  James is a prospect we first had the chance to see play last year. He has a good arm. He will trust his arm and try and force some passes into tight windows. He has to learn that not every pass in a touchdown. He has the ability to break down a defense with his legs.

Zach Katz (True North) 6’1-190 (Committed to FIU): Zach has been on our radar since we saw him in youth football. He has a very good arm. He can make the tough throws. He does well with pressure in his face. By the time Zach is done with high school football there may not be a prospect with more starts. His experience should give him a chance to play early in college.

Dorian Fauntleroy (Jupiter Christian) 6’1-190: Dorian is a prospect we feel is only going to climb in the rankings. Good player who has not even come close to reaching his potential. Had the chance to see him at Elite 11 and the following day. He has a strong arm. His upside is as good as any prospect on the board.

Kevin Verpaele (Merritt Island) 6’1-190 (Committed to Pittsburgh): The Panthers do a very good job of identifying quarterback prospects. Kevin may be the next hidden gem they found. He puts the ball on the receivers outside shoulder. He does a good job of putting the ball up and letting his receivers run under his throws. We like that he will stand tall in the pocket and release the ball quickly. He may be the most underrated quarterback on this list.

Joaquin Kavouklis (Gaither) 6’1-180 (Committed to Arkansas): Joaquin will launch the ball down the field. He likes to go for the big play. He has a nice arm. We would like to see him look for the check down more. Those deep passes will not always be there at the next level. We like that when the defenders get up the field. Joaquin will step up in the pocket and make a nice throw.  

Kai Moore (Christopher Columbus) 6’0-180: Moore is a prospect we feel will draw some interest this spring. When he gets in rhythm, Moore throws a nice ball. He does not get rattled. We saw his team struggling earlier this year and Moore settled them down and help make the game competitive. He is a good enough athlete to where you can design some runs for him. The move to Columbus should really help him out.

Tyler Chance (Cardinal Gibbons) 6’0-170: Tyler is a winner. When he played at Chaminade two years ago he played very well as the quarterback. He is going to an offensive scheme that Tyler will shine. He may end up throwing for over 3000 yards this year and 30 touchdowns. Chance is also a great kid.

Champ Smith (Cocoa) 6’1-170: Champ is a prospect that has been known since his freshman season. He likes to throw with different arm angles. He can get the ball off even when under pressure. He is able to make some plays with his legs. Probably best suited to play in an air raid system.

Cooper Hayes (Berkeley Prep) 6’1-180: Hayes played on a team as a freshman that won the state finals. He has an above average arm. You will see him be accurate on the back shoulder throws. He does do a good job of leading his receivers. He finds the open receiver. Probably someone that can go to a smaller program and end up being heavily recruited out of the portal two years later.

Terrance Lewis (Ocala Vanguard) 6’1-170: Lewis is a true dual threat quarterback. He reports over 1500 yards passing last year (27 touchdowns) and 1,023 rushing yards. He is a good athlete who needs time to develop.

Brody Brenneman (Lakeland Christian) 6’2-190: Had the chance to watch Brody earlier this year. Kid can sling the rock. He has a strong arm. He also knows where to place the football. Needs a little more consistency but we expect that change? Well put together quarterback who could end up very well at the next level.

Joseph Allen (Eau Gallie) 6’1-200: Allen has put up some nice numbers over the past couple of seasons. He is someone that can move around the pocket and find the open receiver. He is going to try and make the big play. He will get the football out quickly. He has a short, quick release. Like to see some shorter throws from him.

Cody Conness (Saint Thomas Aquinas) 6’1-190: Cody has one of the strongest arms in this class. His biggest issue is he trust him arm way too much. He needs to learn to anticipate his throws more. He needs to understand that when the receiver starts to make the break that the ball has to be out of his hands already. He throws with some heat.

Jack Spaeder (Western HS) 6’2-180: Jack has the size. He also has a pretty good arm. Now it comes down to the opportunity to run his own team. Western will put the pieces around him to have success next year. Look for him to shine this spring and land some D1 offers.

Jordan Calvin (St Pete Gibbs) 6’4-190: Calvin is one of the bigger quarterbacks on the board. He is raw but you can see the upside. He is someone that will need to work on his throwing mechanics. He is a big, long, athletic quarterback. He moves around well in the pocket. He can throw on the run.

Max Griner(Santaluces HS) 6’2-180: Griner is a kid who has flown under the radar. He has good arm. He can move around the pocket and give himself some time to get the ball off. He does not have a ton of talent around him so at times Griner will force the ball to make something happen.

Others to keep an eye on (Kingston Rust-Columbus, Landon Doughtry-Tallahassee Godby), Caden Osborn (Pensacola Booker T), Brent James (St. Augustine), JD Brown (South Walton), Myler McDonald (Carrollwood Day), Jack Williams (St. Andrews), Trey Moran (West Boca), Sean Hickey (Riverridge), Thomas Hutchinson (Lincoln), Lukas Standberg (Tarpon Springs), Xavier Collins (Lake City Columbia), Zakavius Andrews (Pine Forest) 5’11-170