With the anticipation for the upcoming 2023 Alabama high school football season continuing to build, we at ITG Next are beginning a new series that will look at some of the state’s top players as we enter the fall. We begin this week on the offensive side of the ball at one of the most important positions on the football field – quarterback – and rank the top 10 players at the position entering the year. (Rankings according to 247Sports Composite)
10. John Paul Head (Vestavia Hills)
We begin the top 10 here at No. 10 with John Paul Head, who returns for his senior season as the starter for a Vestavia Hills team that reached the 7A quarterfinals last season. One of multiple names from Class 7A on this list, Head accounted for 1,984 passing yards and 38 total touchdowns last season, along with rushing for 1,104 yards.
9. Roman Gagliano (Opelika)
Another name from Class 7A sits at No. 9 in Roman Gagliano, who enters his senior season returning as the starter at Opelika. Gagliano is a three-star prospect in the 2024 class.
Thank you @RivalsCamp and @WilsonFootball for being named MVP!!! Can’t wait to get back to it tomorrow!!! pic.twitter.com/DsGILnS5T3
— Roman_Gagliano (@RomanGagliano) March 19, 2023
8. Gabriel Benton (Benjamin Russell)
Coming off a junior season in which he helped lead Benjamin Russell to an 8-3 record, Gabriel Benton sits at No. 8. Benton completed 60.1% of passes last season for 2,761 yards with a 31:6 TD:INT ratio, while also rushing for 338 yards and two touchdowns on 66 attempts.
7. Eric Handley (Pleasant Grove)
The No. 7 spot goes to Eric Handley, who returns for his senior season coming off a strong 2022 at Class 5A’s Pleasant Grove, which reached the state semifinals. Handley, a three-star prospect, threw for 2,921 yards and 40 touchdowns last year.
https://t.co/vhP2YZrvG1 Junior Year! 13 games. 2,921 Yards 40 td’s. 170/250. 68% completion. pic.twitter.com/KhiCqiTeEx
— Ëric Handley ✞ (@EHANDLEY06) November 29, 2022
6. Trent Seaborn (Thompson)
Coming off a breakout 2022 season in which he helped lead Thompson to their fourth-straight 7A state title as an eighth-grader, Trent Seaborn enters 2023 in the No. 6 spot. The other half of the talented Warriors quarterback room alongside honorable mention selection Zach Sims, Seaborn completed 70.5% of passes last season for 1,177 yards with a 15:3 TD:INT ratio.
5. Josh Flowers (Baker)
We begin the top five at No. 5 with one of the state’s top dual-threat quarterbacks in Josh Flowers, who enters his senior season for Class 7A’s Baker. Flowers, a four-star Mississippi State commit, completed 63.9% of passes for 1,453 yards and a 10:2 TD:INT ratio a year ago, as well as rushed for 1,367 yards and 15 touchdowns on 158 attempts.
After this past visit with @HailStateFB, welcoming my family with open arms; I'm blessed to say I am committing to…. Mississippi State University
LETS GET TO WORK!!! @CoachZachArnett @Coach_Barbay #HailState pic.twitter.com/m2WKpVXNT9— Josh Flowers (@JoshFlowers2024) March 9, 2023
4. Peyton Floyd (Hewitt-Trussville)
The highest-ranked quarterback from Class 7A entering the 2023 season is Peyton Floyd, who returns as the starter for Hewitt-Trussville this fall. Floyd helped lead the Huskies to the Class 7A state quarterfinals a year ago, completing 70.1% of passes for 2,413 yards with a 25:8 TD:INT ratio, while also rushing for 726 yards and 16 touchdowns on 190 attempts.
Congrats to QB @peyton_floyd7 on breaking the single-season school record with 41 total TD’s! (25 Passing, 16 Rushing) pic.twitter.com/EmYfYYkSRl
— Hewitt-Trussville FB (@HuskyFast) December 9, 2022
3. KJ Jackson (St. James)
The first of two quarterbacks from the Montgomery area to make the top three is KJ Jackson, who returns for his senior season as the starter for defending Class 3A state champion St. James. The four-star Arkansas commit completed 64.4% of passes for 2,813 yards with a 42:7 TD:INT ratio a year ago, while also rushing for 171 yards and six touchdowns on 77 attempts.
Capital City Conference POY
1st Team All-Metro
2nd Team All-State#Blessed pic.twitter.com/CenqKvlayt— KJ Jackson✝️ (@KJ_Jackson_25) December 28, 2022
2. Caleb McCreary (Montgomery Catholic)
A player who could very easily sit in the top spot as well, Caleb McCreary, the ITG Next Alabama Male Athlete of the Year, comes in at No. 2 entering his senior season for Montgomery Catholic. The three-star Troy commit led the Knights to a 13-1 record, as well as an average of 50 PPG, a year ago by completing 60.9% of passes for 2,809 yards and a 43:1 TD:INT ratio, while also rushing for 802 yards and 10 touchdowns on 80 attempts.
1. KJ Lacey (Saraland)
Sitting in the No. 1 spot as we enter the 2023 Alabama high school football season is KJ Lacey, who enters his junior year as the returning starter for defending Class 6A state champion Saraland. A four-star Texas commit, Lacey helped lead the Spartans to a 14-1 record last season, along with an average of 42.9 PPG on offense, by completing 63.7% of passes for 3,177 yards and a 40:5 TD:INT ratio, while also rushing for four more scores.
Great way to end the season off @GoSaraland #StateChamps
Stats: 12-20 130 yards and 1 td.@tjkelly17 @QBCountry @HankSouth247 @CoachBooSmith @Brett_Boutwell @coachTigg @GCoastAthletics @shanec_y #bluemap @SaralandSchools pic.twitter.com/KX1u42Jc36— Karle (KJ) Lacey (@kjlacey7) December 3, 2022
Honorable Mention
Jared Hollins (Mary G. Montgomery), Zach Sims (Thompson), Brandon Musch (Westminster Christian), Jack Lathrop (Andalusia), Harrison Burch (Russellville), Kamari McClellan (Clay-Chalkville), Keiland Baker (Holtville), Jim Ogle (Jacksonville), Jaxon Williams (Headland), Parker Adams (Charles Henderson)
