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Top 5 QBs 2008
Top Young Guns 2009
Top 5 QBs 2022
Something different this time. After the Great Quarterbacks Draught of 2019-2020, the OSFL has had a steady influx of highly celebrated QB talent. You know the names: Oglethorpe, Covington, Shedleski, DeJesus.
Instead we're going to take a look at some of the lesser known names. The guys who fell deep in the draft, or were just overshadowed by the names above, but are nonetheless beginning their starting careers. These are some of the potential rising stars in the OSFL QB landscape.
6. QB Ted Pleasant - R - 34/58
Portland #3
Portland turned heads by making Pleasant the surprise 10th overall pick in this past draft. Pleasant will forever be compared to the draft's headliners - top 5 picks Shed and DeJesus, both of whom are widely considered to have the better upside.
Pleasant, however, is all about the now. He comes in more pro-ready than either of those guys, despite being a 6'4, 246-lb scrambling behemoth a la Cam Newton. The size-speed combo is impressive, as is his sharp knowledge of the pro game and surprising awareness in the pocket. If he doesn't grow up fast, though, the 1-4 Phantoms are going to hand Denver a very high first round pick, and that does not make me happy.
5. QB Austin Cash - 2 - 33/54
Los Alamos #2
Cash is a 2nd-year player picked early in the 2nd round whose talent far exceeds what his current production is capable of. Los Alamos is going to need to find him some targets to throw to, so it's a perfect opportunity for Cash to iron out his game in a no-pressure, no-spotlight environment.
If there's one thing Cash isn't, it's polished. He has tremendous throwing ability and a nose for running the ball - having been an option QB at Penn State - but a woeful lack of pocket presence. Nonetheless, he has plenty of ability in every other aspect of the game and the talent to take a team places, provided they have the line to protect him. Quite a find for Los Alamos in the draft.
4. QB Austin Austin - 4 - 44/44
Washington #16
For our second Austin in a row, we go with Wash Bombers starting man Austin Austin. Selected in the mid-2nd in 2021, Austin has been the bright spot of recent JHS QB draftees not named J.T. Eisenbart. We last profiled him in 2022, when he was off to a blistering start. He's cooled some since then, but has had extremely solid production for a consistently successful, bowl-contending franchise.
If there's a knock on AA, it's that he is a system QB. But if he is, it's one hell of a system. His career 91.1 QBR in the playoffs should bode well for Washington's hopes for the near future. However, he's currently signed to only a 1-year deal, which means he is headed to unrestricted free agency next year. If AA performs, he'll be in for a nice little payday. It seems like the Bombers are not quite sold on him yet.
5. QB Donovan Priar - 3 - 52/52
Memphis #4
The Water Gun is back! This early 2nd round pick took over the starting job in year 2, and is off to a fantastic start in 2024 - a 97.2 rating, 7 tuchdowns, 1299 yards, and 0 picks in 5 games. kosar19's all-out offensive is in good hands for many years to come if the well-rounded Priar can keep this up.
Priar is also one of the OSFL's most prolific scramblers. He carried 75 times in 2023 for 270 yards, and is already close to halfway there on the carries count in 2024. Memphis runs one of the most unique, unconventional attacks in the OSFL, and Priar is the perfect guy to do it. Sharp, accurate, athletic, and while he can't sling it deep, he is deadly in the intermediate range. Runs a mean no-huddle as well.
2. QB Albert Garner - 3 - 51/51
Yuma #3
Garner was a spectacular find for the Aces in the bottom of the first round in 2022, and had perhaps one of the most outstanding rookie seasons ever. He threw 31 touchdowns to just eleven picks that year, but has followed a sophomore slump with a very slow start in 2024 (4 INT:1TD).
Garner's still skilled and productive, however, and his current struggles are tied perhaps to Yuma's precarious injury situation at receiver. Their top three guys are all out - two of them for a quite extended period of time - and the Aces are having to break in the New Guard on-the-go. The young Garner has been a steadying presence in the transition, and has the Aces nonetheless at the top of their (very competitive) division in the early going.
1. QB Moe Spencer - 2 - 48/48
Anchorage #1
The #1 man on the list wears it as his jersey number. This is my favorite guy on the list and he's every bit deserving of the spotlight!
Spencer is a 5'10 pocket passer picked in the mid/late 3rd round in the year the Gladiators traded Jay Nori. He was tasked to start very early in his rookie season. Now that's a lot of odds to overcome.
He's made a quantum leap by many accounts in his first offseason, and is getting ready to bring the Gladiators back to prominence. Despite his small stature, he has one of the finest deep balls in the league. With superstar TE Subby Franklin at his side, Spencer is going to give teams some real fits as he continues his development -- starting this week, as they host Utah in the October Alaskan night.
The Anchorage management pulled a fast one by securing their next franchise QB with zero wait time, in the third round, immediately after losing their previous guy to injury.
So that's the list!
But whatever happened to...?
1. LVS QB Herb Bowers.
Picked #3 overall, Bowers has clear talent and LVS is clearly a very powerful, loaded team. Despite never missing a start in his career, though, he's also never broken out to what you'd expect from him. While 2021 and 2023 were very solid jobs, he's off to a limping start again in '24. Something about even numbered years?
2. BOS QB Cary Money.
Money's probably the most perplexing QB story the OSFL has ever seen. Never has a guy been the kind of combine warrior he was, and then followed it up with as much ratings disappointment. Still, Boston put together three perfectly solid seasons with Money at the helm and no true #1 receiving option. This season, however, he was benched for the first two games of the season and has come back with a mere 54.1 rating. Are the fightin' Irish beginning to re-evaluate?
Closing words...
Columbus and Bobby Tubbs ushered in an era of some of the most dominating passing attacks ever seen. As he begins his swan swong, it's rather fitting that the landscape could be shifting back in the other direction...
Who can forget the two obscenely stacked defense/secondary classes that have just graced the OSFL? Ever since the passing explosion of 2022, a number of high-profile passers have fallen on harder times. It bears keeping an eye on, to see if these new, developing defenders are going to turn the tide on offenses in the years to come.
Top Young Guns 2009
Top 5 QBs 2022
Something different this time. After the Great Quarterbacks Draught of 2019-2020, the OSFL has had a steady influx of highly celebrated QB talent. You know the names: Oglethorpe, Covington, Shedleski, DeJesus.
Instead we're going to take a look at some of the lesser known names. The guys who fell deep in the draft, or were just overshadowed by the names above, but are nonetheless beginning their starting careers. These are some of the potential rising stars in the OSFL QB landscape.
6. QB Ted Pleasant - R - 34/58
Portland #3
Portland turned heads by making Pleasant the surprise 10th overall pick in this past draft. Pleasant will forever be compared to the draft's headliners - top 5 picks Shed and DeJesus, both of whom are widely considered to have the better upside.
Pleasant, however, is all about the now. He comes in more pro-ready than either of those guys, despite being a 6'4, 246-lb scrambling behemoth a la Cam Newton. The size-speed combo is impressive, as is his sharp knowledge of the pro game and surprising awareness in the pocket. If he doesn't grow up fast, though, the 1-4 Phantoms are going to hand Denver a very high first round pick, and that does not make me happy.
5. QB Austin Cash - 2 - 33/54
Los Alamos #2
Cash is a 2nd-year player picked early in the 2nd round whose talent far exceeds what his current production is capable of. Los Alamos is going to need to find him some targets to throw to, so it's a perfect opportunity for Cash to iron out his game in a no-pressure, no-spotlight environment.
If there's one thing Cash isn't, it's polished. He has tremendous throwing ability and a nose for running the ball - having been an option QB at Penn State - but a woeful lack of pocket presence. Nonetheless, he has plenty of ability in every other aspect of the game and the talent to take a team places, provided they have the line to protect him. Quite a find for Los Alamos in the draft.
4. QB Austin Austin - 4 - 44/44
Washington #16
For our second Austin in a row, we go with Wash Bombers starting man Austin Austin. Selected in the mid-2nd in 2021, Austin has been the bright spot of recent JHS QB draftees not named J.T. Eisenbart. We last profiled him in 2022, when he was off to a blistering start. He's cooled some since then, but has had extremely solid production for a consistently successful, bowl-contending franchise.
If there's a knock on AA, it's that he is a system QB. But if he is, it's one hell of a system. His career 91.1 QBR in the playoffs should bode well for Washington's hopes for the near future. However, he's currently signed to only a 1-year deal, which means he is headed to unrestricted free agency next year. If AA performs, he'll be in for a nice little payday. It seems like the Bombers are not quite sold on him yet.
5. QB Donovan Priar - 3 - 52/52
Memphis #4
The Water Gun is back! This early 2nd round pick took over the starting job in year 2, and is off to a fantastic start in 2024 - a 97.2 rating, 7 tuchdowns, 1299 yards, and 0 picks in 5 games. kosar19's all-out offensive is in good hands for many years to come if the well-rounded Priar can keep this up.
Priar is also one of the OSFL's most prolific scramblers. He carried 75 times in 2023 for 270 yards, and is already close to halfway there on the carries count in 2024. Memphis runs one of the most unique, unconventional attacks in the OSFL, and Priar is the perfect guy to do it. Sharp, accurate, athletic, and while he can't sling it deep, he is deadly in the intermediate range. Runs a mean no-huddle as well.
2. QB Albert Garner - 3 - 51/51
Yuma #3
Garner was a spectacular find for the Aces in the bottom of the first round in 2022, and had perhaps one of the most outstanding rookie seasons ever. He threw 31 touchdowns to just eleven picks that year, but has followed a sophomore slump with a very slow start in 2024 (4 INT:1TD).
Garner's still skilled and productive, however, and his current struggles are tied perhaps to Yuma's precarious injury situation at receiver. Their top three guys are all out - two of them for a quite extended period of time - and the Aces are having to break in the New Guard on-the-go. The young Garner has been a steadying presence in the transition, and has the Aces nonetheless at the top of their (very competitive) division in the early going.
1. QB Moe Spencer - 2 - 48/48
Anchorage #1
The #1 man on the list wears it as his jersey number. This is my favorite guy on the list and he's every bit deserving of the spotlight!
Spencer is a 5'10 pocket passer picked in the mid/late 3rd round in the year the Gladiators traded Jay Nori. He was tasked to start very early in his rookie season. Now that's a lot of odds to overcome.
He's made a quantum leap by many accounts in his first offseason, and is getting ready to bring the Gladiators back to prominence. Despite his small stature, he has one of the finest deep balls in the league. With superstar TE Subby Franklin at his side, Spencer is going to give teams some real fits as he continues his development -- starting this week, as they host Utah in the October Alaskan night.
The Anchorage management pulled a fast one by securing their next franchise QB with zero wait time, in the third round, immediately after losing their previous guy to injury.
So that's the list!
But whatever happened to...?
1. LVS QB Herb Bowers.
Picked #3 overall, Bowers has clear talent and LVS is clearly a very powerful, loaded team. Despite never missing a start in his career, though, he's also never broken out to what you'd expect from him. While 2021 and 2023 were very solid jobs, he's off to a limping start again in '24. Something about even numbered years?
2. BOS QB Cary Money.
Money's probably the most perplexing QB story the OSFL has ever seen. Never has a guy been the kind of combine warrior he was, and then followed it up with as much ratings disappointment. Still, Boston put together three perfectly solid seasons with Money at the helm and no true #1 receiving option. This season, however, he was benched for the first two games of the season and has come back with a mere 54.1 rating. Are the fightin' Irish beginning to re-evaluate?
Closing words...
Columbus and Bobby Tubbs ushered in an era of some of the most dominating passing attacks ever seen. As he begins his swan swong, it's rather fitting that the landscape could be shifting back in the other direction...
Who can forget the two obscenely stacked defense/secondary classes that have just graced the OSFL? Ever since the passing explosion of 2022, a number of high-profile passers have fallen on harder times. It bears keeping an eye on, to see if these new, developing defenders are going to turn the tide on offenses in the years to come.
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