Who are the top quarterbacks in Alabama high school football? Taking an early look ahead to the 2023 season, here are 10 who likely will be among the state’s elite next season.
KJ Jackson (St. James)
Jackson, who helped lead St. James to the Class 3A state title this past season, will return for the Trojans as undoubtedly one of the top Alabama high school quarterbacks in 2023. A four-star, Jackson completed 64.4% of his passes for 2,813 yards with a 42:7 TD:INT ratio as a junior, while also rushing for six more scores.
Caleb McCreary (Montgomery Catholic)
McCreary, who was voted the ITG Next Alabama Male Athlete of the Month in December, is another prominent name on this list. The three-star Troy commit shone for Class 4A semifinalist Montgomery Catholic as a junior last fall, completing 60.9% of his passes for 2,809 yards and a 43:1 TD:INT ratio, while also rushing for 802 yards and 10 more scores.
KJ Lacey (Saraland)
One of the state’s top 2025 quarterbacks, Lacey will return in 2023 for defending 6A state champion Saraland as one-half of one of Alabama’s top QB/WR combinations, alongside five-star Alabama commit Ryan Williams. In 15 games for the Spartans last season, Lacey completed 63.7% of his passes for 3,177 yards and a 40:5 TD:INT ratio, while also rushing for four touchdowns.
Josh Flowers (Baker)
The four-start Flowers is also one of the state’s top 2024 quarterback recruits set to return next season. In 11 games for the Hornets last fall, Flowers completed 63.9% of his passes for 1,453 yards and a 10:2 TD:INT ratio, while also rushing for 1,367 yards and 15 more scores.
Kamari McClellan (Clay-Chalkville)
A four-star in the 2024 class, McClellan will return for his senior season at the helm of what should be a strong Clay-Chalkville offense. In eight games for the Cougars in 2022, McClellan completed 57% of his passes for 1,334 yards and a 15:8 TD:INT ratio.
Peyton Floyd (Hewitt-Trussville)
Another prominent name in Class 7A is Floyd, who will be a senior at Hewitt-Trussville in 2022. In 12 games with the Huskies last fall, Floyd was one of the state’s top passers, completing 70.1% of his passes for 2,413 yards and a 25:8 TD:INT ratio, while also rushing for 726 yards and 16 scores.
Zach Sims (Thompson)
Thompson, the four-time defending Class 7A state champions, will have one of the state’s top quarterback duos in 2023, with rising freshman Trent Seaborn joining Sims, a rising senior. Sims, a three-star prospect, appeared in 10 games for the Warriors in 2022, completing 60.8% of his passes for 1,221 yards and a 6:6 TD:INT ratio, while also rushing for 189 yards and three touchdowns.
Eric Handley (Pleasant Grove)
Handley is another prominent name in the 2024 class who will be one of the top Alabama high school quarterbacks in 2023. The Pleasant Grove signal caller is rated as a three-star prospect.
John Paul Head (Vestavia Hills)
Head is also a prominent name from Class 7A set to return for Vestavia Hills. He’s coming off a season in which he received First Team All-State honors.
Gabriel Benton (Benjamin Russell)
We conclude our list of top 2023 Alabama high school quarterbacks with Benton, who is coming off a strong junior season at Benjamin Russell. In 11 games for the Wildcats, Benton completed 60.1% of his passes for 2,751 yards and a 31:6 TD:INT ratio.
