Georgia rich in elite quarterback talent
Georgia has never been so rich in elite quarterback prospects in one season. Of the 20 highest-rated players at the position this century, six will be returning Georgia starters in 2023.
Two are five-star recruits. Buford’s Dylan Raiola and Hughes’ Prentiss “Air” Noland are the first five-star QB senior pair in Georgia since Cartersville’s Trevor Lawrence and Harrison’s Justin Fields. The latter two became Heisman Trophy finalists and first-round NFL Draft picks.
Calvary Day’s Jake Merklinger and Benedictine’s Luke Kromenhoek are four-star seniors. Both are from Savannah.
A third four-star is Antwann “A.J.” Hill, a Houston County junior.
The sixth player isn’t officially rated, as 247Sports doesn’t issue its composite for sophomores until the spring, but Carrollton’s Julian “Ju Ju” Lewis is an almost certain future five-star. ESPN recently rated him the nation's No. 1 college prospect regardless of year in school.
This is the first in a series of 10 feature articles that recognize the state’s best players by position. They are chosen based primarily on high school production, though college potential also is considered. These players are the first official members of GHSF Daily’s Georgia Power 100.
*Reece Fountain, Rome, Sr.: Fountain (6-0, 185) passed for 3,028 yards, completing 75% of his passes (218 of 292), and 28 touchdowns for a 12-2 Class 6A semifinal team. He passed for 2,312 yards and 19 touchdowns as a sophomore. He’s 27-5 as a starter. Fountain has seven offers and Ivy League attention.
*Jeremy Hecklinski, Walton, Sr.: Hecklinski (6-1, 175) passed for 3,520 yards and 37 touchdowns while leading Walton to a 10-3 record and Class 7A quarterfinal finish in 2022. He threw a TD pass in every game. He passed for 315 yards and three touchdowns in a 42-35 victory over No. 1 Buford. He has 5,572 yards passing and 55 TD passes for his career. Hecklinski is a top-50 QB prospect nationally and Walton’s top QB prospect in history. He committed to Wake Forest in December.
*Antwann “A.J.” Hill Jr., Houston County, Jr.: Hill (6-5, 215) passed for 3,663 yards and 40 touchdowns as a sophomore while leading the Bears to a 10-3 quarterfinal finish in Class 5A. He is the consensus No. 4 quarterback among juniors, according to 247Sports. Hill is a cousin of former Georgia player and current Cincinnati Bengals center Trey Hill.
*Jake Merklinger, Calvary Day, Sr.: Merklinger (6-3, 195) is a three-year starter with 6,607 yards passing and 75 TD passes. Calvary Day is 32-7 (11-1 last season) with two quarterfinal and one semifinal finish in those three seasons. Merklinger plays varsity basketball and lacrosse. He’s the consensus No. 7 quarterback nationally. Rivals.com ranks him No. 5. Merklinger committed to Tennessee in March.
*Luke Kromenhoek, Benedictine, Sr.: Kromenhoek (6-4, 185) committed to Florida State in the spring of his sophomore season before becoming Benedictine’s starter. He had played behind current Auburn redshirt freshman Holden Geriner. In his first season behind center, Kromenhoek led the Cadets to the Class 4A title and a 13-2 record and earned first-team all-state. He was 171-of-263 passing for 2,576 yards and 24 touchdowns and rushed for 453 yards. Kromenhoek is the consensus No. 8 QB prospect nationally and rated No. 3 nationally by 247Sports.
*Julian “Ju Ju” Lewis, Carrollton, So.: Lewis’ 2022 season was the best for a freshman quarterback in state history. He was 283-of-432 passing for 4,118 yards and 48 touchdowns and led the Trojans to the Class 7A championship game. He began getting major Division I offers in the fall of his eighth-grade year. Lewis (6-1, 185) is a candidate to become the No. 1 recruit for the class of 2026. He has more than 30 offers, including those from Alabama, Georgia and Ohio State.
*Luke Nickel, Milton, Jr.: As a first-year starter as a sophomore last year, Nickel (6-2, 205) was 197-of-337 passing for 2,507 yards and 24 touchdowns on a 10-4 Class 7A team. He’s the consensus No. 26 QB prospect nationally among juniors. His brother is Jack Nickel, a former all-state tight end who is a redshirt freshman at Michigan State. Luke’s reported favorites are Florida State, Pittsburgh and Penn State.
*Prentiss "Air" Noland, Hughes, Sr.: The left-handed Noland, the consensus No. 4 QB prospect nationally, directed the highest-scoring offense in state history last season. Hughes, the first team to score at least 35 points in every game, scored 792 points over a 15-0 season. Noland threw 55 TD passes, one short of K’hari Lane’s state record, and passed for 4,095 yards, completing 73% of his throws (236 of 323). He has thrown for 8,024 yards and 104 touchdowns in his career. If his senior season is similar to his junior campaign, he’ll finish in the top seven all-time in yards and top five in TD passes. Noland (6-3, 195) committed to Ohio State in June.
*Aaron Philo, Prince Avenue Christian, Sr.: Philo (6-2, 195) became the first quarterback in state history to pass for 4,000 yards in consecutive seasons (4,540 as a sophomore, 4,598 as a junior) last year while leading the Wolverines to the Class A Division I championship. He threw 54 TD passes, two short of the state record, after throwing for 47 as a sophomore. His six TD passes in a 52-34 victory over Swainsboro is the all-class state finals record. He ranks 12th in career passing yards with 9,326, which is 4,576 short of Trevor Lawrence’s record. He rushed for 361 yards last season. Philo is a consensus three-star recruit. He committed to Georgia Tech in May.
*Dylan Raiola, Buford, Sr.: Raiola (6-2, 220) is the consensus No. 1 recruit in the country. He transferred to Buford from an Arizona school in June just weeks after committing to Georgia. Raiola passed for 2,435 yards as a junior and 3,341 as a sophomore, each time in 12 games. His father is Dominic Raiola, a former Detroit Lions center.