North Jersey football: 11 quarterbacks to watch during the 2023 season

North Jersey will again feature more than its share of standout quarterbacks.

Here are 11 to watch for the 2023 season.

Dominic Campanile

Bergen Catholic junior

Campanile is the full-time starter this season after last year sharing duties for the Non-Public A champions. He completed 86 of 127 passes for 1,163 yards and 15 TDs as a sophomore, and he ran for 167 yards and two scores. The coach’s son has added more than 25 pounds and stands at 6-foot-1 and 188 pounds.

“That added dynamic of having that year under your belt, he’s engineering the offense at a great rate,” said Vito Campanile, Dom’s father and the Crusaders’ coach. “We’re moving at a really good pace, and he understands protection about as well as any kid I’ve been around.”

Robbie Carcich

Westwood senior

Carcich enters his third year as the starter, and last year led the Cardinals to the North 1, Group 2 title. He completed 94 of 130 passes for 1,302 yards and 10 TDs last year, and he also ran for 991 yards and 11 scores. The 6-foot-1, 185-pounder’s ability to turn a potential sack into a big gain makes him dangerous.

“He has a natural ability to, when things don’t go right, create things on the run,” Cardinals coach Bobby Guy said. “He does such a great job of extending plays and keeping us out of bad third-down situations. And even when we get in those situations, he gets us out of them.”

Landon De Prima

Ramapo senior

De Prima is the full-time starter after last season playing extremely well as an injury replacement. He completed 60 of 89 passes for 751 yards and eight TDs for the North 1, Group 4 finalists. The 6-foot-2, 200-pounder has deceptive speed and ran for 273 yards and three scores, and caught four TD passes.

“He’s a stouter kid than people may realize,” Green Raiders coach Mike DeFazio said. “Landon has very unique experience in addition to his very unique skill set. He’s an elite runner, a very, very good thrower and has a tremendous football IQ.”

Patrick Grusser

St. Joseph senior

Grusser is a transfer from DePaul, where he started last season before being sidelined with an injury. The 6-foot-1, 185-pounder completed 74 of 106 passes for 1,047 yards and five TDs in seven games. Grusser, whose older brother Jack starred at Ramapo, also ran for 253 yards and three scores.

“He’s athletic, a good pocket presence,” Green Knights coach Danny Marangi said. “He has the ability to throw on the run and run the ball. People think of him as a pocket passer, but he’s a true dual threat.”

Cole Hughes

Park Ridge senior

Hughes enters his third year as the starter and is the top QB in the small-school NJIC. The 6-foot-3, 220-pounder passed for 1,008 yards and 11 TDs last year, and ran for 1,226 yards, 14 scores and five 2-point conversions. The two-way standout is committed to Lehigh.

“He’s a tremendous leader, a great player for us for the past three years,” Owls coach Tom Curry Jr. said. “And he’s got all the makings of not only a great quarterback, but he’s also a great defender as well. He plays safety for us.”

Nate Johnson

Northern Highlands junior

Johnson is half of North Jersey’s premier QB tandem, one that led the Highlanders all the way to last year’s Group 4 state championship game. He completed 107 of 170 passes for 1,513 yards and 11 TDs last year. The 6-foot, 200-pounder also ran for 523 yards and six scores.

“He has the laid-back mindset where nothing phases him: ‘OK, I made a mistake, and it’s on to the next play',” Highlanders coach Dave Cord said. “He’s a little bit more of a runner, and he’s a sneaky physical runner.”

Alex Orecchio

Old Tappan junior

Orecchio takes over under center one year after coming off the bench as a mid-game injury replacement and lifting the Golden Knights to the Group 3 state title. In that 24-14 win over previously-unbeaten Delsea, the 5-foot-9, 165-pounder completed 3 of 8 passes for 55 yards, including a win-clinching 30-yard TD pass.

“That kind of fit his personality, because he’s a tough, fearless kid,” Golden Knights coach Brian Dunn said of Orecchio being thrust into a high-pressure situation. “But now he’s dealing with all the refinements of playing the position, and everything else.”

Romelo Tables

Clifton junior

Tables started as a sophomore for North Jersey’s largest public school and gained valuable experience last year. He threw for 582 yards and eight TDs, and also ran for more than 200 yards and five scores. The 6-foot-1, 180-pounder will bring stability to an offense that has an inexperienced line.

“Not only is he the quarterback, he’s a heck of a track athlete, so it tells you what type of athlete he is,” Mustangs coach Ralph Cinque said. “He’s also a National Honor Society student, so that tells you the kind of head he has for the game.”

Ma’Kao Taylor

Passaic Tech senior

Taylor took the reins last year during the regular season and guided the Bulldogs all the way to the Group 5 state championship game. He completed 38 of 78 passes for 583 yards and three TDs for Passaic Tech's run-heavy, ball-control attack. The 5-foot-10, 175-pounder also rushed for 142 yards and two scores.

“He’s very talented throwing the ball. He can spin it really well,” Bulldogs coach Matt Demarest said. “He’s a student of the game. He watched a lot of film, wants to get better, and he grew up so much in one year.”

JR Walley

Northern Highlands senior

Walley joins Johnson as the other half of North Jersey’s best QB combination. He is a stellar drop-back passer who last season completed 87 of 130 passes for 1,110 yards and 13 TDs. The 6-foot-1, 200-pounder also ran for 175 yards.

“He’s a phenomenal pocket passer, a natural thrower,” Cord said. “He’s a great decision-maker, and the best part of JR’s game is his ability to stay calm. It’s his natural demeanor.”

Derek Zammit

DePaul sophomore

Zammit will be more polished after stepping in last year as an injury replacement and leading the Spartans to the Non-Public B title. He completed 80 of 122 passes for 1,194 yards and 11 TDs as a freshman. The 6-foot, 185-pounder also ran for 66 yards and two scores.

“Last year was insane – we put him in there and he got by on pure athletic ability,” Spartans coach Nick Campanile said. “Now he’s going through the process of becoming a great quarterback, knowing where to go with the ball, making the right reads, and getting through his progressions.”

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: NJ football: 11 quarterbacks to watch in North Jersey in 2023