When Piedmont’s Jack Hayes takes the field on Friday night, it will mark the beginning of what could be a special 2022 season for the Bulldogs senior quarterback. The multi-year starter enters the year with 7,757 career passing yards, which happens to be a little over 3,000 yards away from the top of the list of all-time leading passers in Alabama high school football history.
Only three Alabama high school quarterbacks have eclipsed the 10,000-yard career passing mark. Could Hayes be next to join that list – and possibly even reach the top by season’s end? It’s certainly a possibility. Following is a look at the five players ahead of him in all-time passing yards.
JaMarcus Russell (Williamson)
Russell threw for 10,774 yards from 1999-02 and is the all-time leading passer in Alabama high school football history. Prior to playing collegiately at LSU – and later professionally, having been the No. 1 overall pick in the 2007 NFL Draft – the Williamson product was rated as a four-star prospect, as well as one of the state’s top players in the 2003 class.
Bo Nix (Pinson Valley)
While Russell holds a sizeable lead in yardage for the top spot, the gap separating the Nos. 2 and 3 spots is only one yard. No. 2 among the top all-time passers in Alabama high school football is Nix, a five-star prospect from the 2019 class who threw for 10,386 yards from 2015-18 at Pinson Valley. He took his talents to Auburn before transferring after the 2021 season to Oregon.
Chris Smelley (American Christian)
The No. 3 spot is held by Smelley, who passed for 10,385 yards for American Christian from 2002-05. Rated as a three-star prospect in the 2006 class, Smelley played collegiately at South Carolina following his high school career.
Jeremy Yates (Colbert Heights)
Of Alabama high school quarterbacks who have not eclipsed the 10,000-yard mark, Yates holds the highest career total. Sitting at No. 4 all-time, Yates threw for 9,580 yards for Colbert Heights from 2004-07.
Brodie Croyle (Westbrook Christian)
The final name on the list of top 5 Alabama high school passers is Croyle. A five-star prospect and top-five player nationally in the 2001 class, Croyle threw for 9,321 yards for Westbrook Christian from 1996-00 before taking his talents to play at Alabama.
top all-time passers Alabama high school
