Southeast Spotlight: Quarterback storylines to follow this spring
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There are more commitments each and every week as we move further into the spring and quarterbacks are at the center of it all. Big decisions are coming with plenty of critical storylines to track when it comes to the quarterback position.
Here are the biggest quarterback storylines in the Southeast Region.
THIS SERIES: Quarterback storylines to follow on the East Coast | Mid-South
RIVALS QB RANKINGS: 2025 Pro-Style | 2025 Dual-Threat | 2026 Pro-Style | 2026 Dual-Threat
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MORE: Breaking down the 10 biggest commitments from the weekend | Recruiting Rumor Mill
CLASS OF 2024 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Team | Position | State
CLASS OF 2025 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Team | Position | State
CLASS OF 2026 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Position | State
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THE FLIP GAME WILL FACTOR IN AT SOME POINT
Many of the region's top quarterbacks made early verbal commitments, and many have been coveted ever since. The odds always suggest a change of heart is in order among the nation's best, but who? And when? You don't have to research deep into the 2025 quarterback rankings to find potential drama, so here is where some of the buzz could soon shift among the very best.
Of course it starts with No. 1 overall prospect Julian Lewis, the longtime USC commitment who continues to field communication with programs closer to home such as Georgia, Alabama, Auburn and plenty of others. Colorado got him back on campus most recently, too, though most of the chatter in the region continues to focus on Georgia as the top threat to the prize of Lincoln Riley's class.
Texas commitment KJ Lacey continues to reiterate how solid he is to Steve Sarkisian even as Auburn, Ole Miss and others continue to push.
Florida has pushed for Florida State pledge Tramell Jones and longtime Miami commitment Luke Nickel has seen multiple programs increase communication since his state title run at Milton (Ga.) High last fall.
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A LOT OF EYES ON ANTWANN HILL
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Whether on the field or on the recruiting trail, top 10 pro-style quarterback prospect Antwann Hill should command considerable attention in the coming weeks and months. It's the time of year quarterbacks make their progress known, in between their junior and senior year, and Hill has started off that offseason campaign strong with his showing at the Under Armour camp in Atlanta. The junior is a towering talent at 6-foot-4 or better and has been as productive as any elite QB in the class, but his offseason work has varied to a degree.
On the trail, the one-time Colorado commitment still has plenty of suitors in SEC country and beyond. Florida is without a signal caller in its 2025 class and Hill is one of the Gators' most familiar top targets at the position. He’ll be back in Gainesville this week.
Georgia Tech has hosted and also been heavily in the mix with the in-state star, who is ranked atop the position in the Peach State among the undeclared. Texas A&M has been in the mix and Memphis is his most recent offer on the table.
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HEWLETT BACK ON THE MARKET
Beyond the USC and Alabama recruiting hype over the weekend, big decisions were made elsewhere, including St. Augustine (Fla.) High School star Locklan Hewlett backing off of his Wake Forest commitment. Pittsburgh immediately offered after the three-star went public with the news and the Panthers could be in line for a visit come April.
South Florida is the other program to keep an eye on at the moment, with the in-state program as consistent with the productive passer as any program is. Hewlett is also beginning to hear from a more national base of programs, with Washington, Minnesota and Tulane among the newer coaching staffs he is connecting with.
This time around, expect Hewlett to be a well-traveled prospect before he decides on a program. Admitting he rushed into the initial ACC commitment last offseason, he will be more diligent this time around. USF has the only trip on the calendar at the moment, but that list will expand not only as he gets more familiar with other programs, but as the spring evaluation period rolls through the Sunshine State.
St. Augustine kicks off its practice schedule in late April and it means droves of programs should be able to see the rising-senior spin it live after throwing for nearly 5,000 yards and 50 touchdowns since taking over as QB1 as a sophomore.
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THE 2026 CLASS LOOKS STRONG IN FLORIDA
Nick Lucero/Rivals.com
The Sunshine State has produced a bit of everything via its growing population and fertile recruiting grounds over the years, but the 2026 class is already being talked about locally as perhaps the strongest group of passers in the modern recruiting era.
From a numbers standpoint, there are already a half-dozen rising-junior quarterbacks with four-stars ratings, including three in the top 50 of the Rivals250. All of them are national recruits and some could be close to making an early college choice to get in front of the curve in what is also a strong group of passers nationally.
So who is No. 1? Right now it's Dia Bell, the NBA legacy who showed great promise and poise as a breakout starter for Plantation (Fla.) American Heritage in 2023. He has a wiry build and plenty of room to fill out as he physically matures, much like fellow mobile passer and state champion Brady Hart of Cocoa (Fla.) High – checking in at No. 3.
Ranked in between is perhaps the most traditional QB with a can't-miss arm in Noah Grubbs of Lake Mary (Fla.) High, who has put together the most impressive body of work by the numbers. The rest of the group will have its own chances to challenge over the next year-plus in Tampa (Fla.) Jesuit star Will Griffin, Orlando (Fla.) Jones dual-threat Dereon Coleman and tall Sanford (Fla.) Seminole arm Michael Clayton.
