Rivals Five-Star: Five QB storylines to follow in Jacksonville

The Rivals Five-Star is back next week in Jacksonville and some of the nation’s top quarterbacks in the 2025 and 2026 classes will be working out.

Here are five storylines we’re watching heading into the premier summer event.

ROAD TO JACKSONVILLE: Roster | Rivals Five-Star set for Jacksonville

RIVALS FIVE-STAR QB ROSTER

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LEWIS COULD SOLIDIFY NO. 1 SPOT

The battle for the No. 1 spot at quarterback has been a heated one between USC commit Julian Lewis and LSU pledge Bryce Underwood with Ohio State commit Tavien St. Clair entering the picture now as well since he was recently bumped up to five-star status.

There is a competition at QB, but also for the No. 1 overall spot in the 2025 Rivals250 – currently held by Lewis – and his performance in Jacksonville could further solidify that.

The USC commit is best in game situations where he can dissect defenses from the pocket and then look equally comfortable throwing on the run while escaping pressure.

Lewis, St. Clair and others will be battling it out at the Rivals Five-Star and Lewis knows all about big situations.

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CAN SMIGIEL GET BACK TO NO. 1 IN 2026?

In the first round of 2026 rankings, five-star Brady Smigiel was ranked as the No. 1 quarterback but through the spring, five-star Ryder Lyons took over that top spot. The two California quarterbacks could battle it out until the end but Lyons, from Folsom, has been given the edge at this point.

Smigiel will be at the Rivals Five-Star as the only underclassman quarterback so he will definitely have a chance to make a big statement against many of the best in 2025. The Newbury Park, Calif., standout is mature beyond his years, a coach’s son and a gym rat who put up huge numbers last season as Florida State and others battle it out for him.

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RUSSELL GETS LOOK ON NATIONAL STAGE

Maybe no quarterback has done more for himself at regional events this offseason than Keelon Russell, who recently flipped his commitment from SMU to Alabama. The four-star from Duncanville, Texas, has also moved up to the No. 6 pro-style quarterback in the class but he’ll have a chance to move even higher in the coming weeks.

Watching Russell, he reminds us a lot of first-round NFL Draft pick Jayden Daniels at the same stage – a lean frame but an arm where the ball pops and he has the accuracy and the instincts to be special.

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WILL ANOTHER FIVE-STAR QUARTERBACK EMERGE?

There are currently three five-star quarterbacks in the 2025 class – Lewis, Underwood and St. Clair – and while we’re not going to force another one it feels like there is another one out there.

It could be Texas commit KJ Lacey, who will be at the Rivals Five-Star, or possibly Notre Dame pledge Deuce Knight, who has been really hot in recent tournaments, or maybe a surprise emerges later in the recruiting cycle. Florida State commit Tramell Jones is as steady as it comes and sometimes that is appealing to NFL teams in the first round.

Not every signal caller who has a chance to move up to five-star status will be in Jacksonville next week but that stage is available for the many big names coming to the marquee events.

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WILL ANY OF THESE TOP QUARTERBACKS FLIP?

Julian Lewis to USC. KJ Lacey to Texas. Deuce Knight to Notre Dame. Akili Smith Jr. to Oregon. Tramell Jones to Florida State. Keelon Russell to Alabama. Tavien St. Clair to Ohio State.

The only quarterback not committed at the Rivals Five-Star is Brady Smigiel, the only 2026 quarterback at the event. But many of the committed quarterbacks – minus Smith, Russell, Lacey, St. Clair and Jones (depending on who you talk to) – are looking at others.

Lewis has been committed to USC since August but is being heavily pursued by Auburn and also Colorado. Knight has been a long-time Notre Dame pledge but Ole Miss is coming hard. And Florida continues to pursue Jones (and other QBs) to get one in its 2025 class. It will be interesting to get a read from many of these players next week in Jacksonville.

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RIVALS CAMP SERIES REGIONAL COVERAGE