Among the most exciting position battles for top-ranked athletes in the high school class of 2026 is quarterback. Five senior QBs are considered five-star prospects, a promising number for the future representation of the class.
Four of the five who are ranked as five-star on the 247Sports composite have played their first game of the season: Dia Bell, Jared Curtis, Faizon Brandon and Ryder Lyons. Here’s a quick snapshot of how each performed in their first games as seniors, with all stats from MaxPreps unless indicated otherwise.
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Dia Bell, American Heritage (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.)
American Heritage got off to a slow start, falling behind by 28 points, but rattled off a 31-point comeback with Bell at the helm. His stat line was 16-for-33 (48.5%) with one touchdown and 42 rushing yards on nine attempts, but some of his completions came at the biggest moments: He completed a pass on fourth-and-10 late and threw a 31-yard touchdown pass with 6:49 remaining. Receiver Jamar Denson had 10 receptions for 120 yards and the touchdown.
Jared Curtis, Nashville Christian School (Tenn.)
The defense couldn’t do a thing against Jared Curtis, who completed 14 of 16 passes for 247 yards and three touchdowns and rushed for 44 yards and another score. He was the primary cog of the Eagles’ 56-28 victory over Davidson Academy (Nashville, Tenn.). Curtis’ primary targets were senior Zane Crampton and junior Kaden Grigsby.
Faizon Brandon, Grimsley (Greensboro, N.C.)
Faizon Brandon was an efficient 11-for-15 with 155 passing yards and a passing touchdown, and 62 rushing yards and a rushing touchdown on 13 attempts in his first game of the season. His most pivotal play came in overtime, when he scored the go-ahead touchdown on an opportunity from 4th-and-1, and the Grimsley defense made the winning stop on a two-point conversion attempt on the following drive to keep the team’s winning streak alive.
Ryder Lyons, Folsom (Calif.)
Ryder Lyons had one of the best stat lines of the night, passing for 408 yards and four touchdowns on 31-for-37 passing and rushing for another score. Of those passing yards, 177 were in the third quarter alone, according to the Sacramento Bee, and Folsom took down Grant Union (Sacramento, Calif.) 51-13 behind Lyons’ play.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY High School Sports Wire: Stats, highlights: How did the top QBs of 2026 perform in Week 1?
