Rivals Rankings Week: Who could be next 5-star 2022 QB?
Rivals continues to roll out its updated rankings for the 2022 class, and today we look at who could join that elite group of five-star quarterbacks in the future. Ohio State commit Quinn Ewers is the lone five-star signal caller at this time, but the odds are very high that he won’t be the only one with that many stars on his profile when the 2022 rankings close out. We bring you four names to know moving forward who could make a strong case for that coveted fifth star.
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RIVALS RANKINGS WEEK SCHEDULE:
Monday: Five-Star Countdown | New five-stars
Tuesday: New Rivals250 released | Mind of Mike: Farrell's thoughts | How things stand with 2022 five-stars | Players on the five-star watch
Wednesday: Offensive position rankings released
Thursday: Defensive position rankings released
Friday: State rankings released
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CLASS OF 2021 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Position | Team | State
CLASS OF 2022 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Team
COVERAGE: Rivals Transfer Tracker | Rivals Camp Series
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Howard entered his junior season as a household name already, but he wasted zero time establishing that the hype was real. Howard, who committed to the in-state Tigers before the season, has emerged as arguably the state's top passer, completing better than 60 percent of his throws in a pass-dominated offense.
Howard stepped his game up against elite competition, leading St. Thomas More to a fourth-quarter comeback on the road at Baton Rouge Catholic earlier in the year. He has excellent arm talent and attacks downfield. He's mobile and plays with a high degree of confidence, and it would not be surprising to see Howard finish his first year as a starter playing for a state championship. - Sam Spiegelman, Rivals South-Central analyst
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Murphy has been phenomenal on the camp and 7-on-7 circuit for years but he's been behind another talented quarterback at Gardena (Calif.) Serra until his junior season. This will be his opening opportunity to really show everyone on a national level what he can do with the pads on, and Murphy should be outstanding.
From a physical standpoint I find it hard to believe there is anyone else in the class that compares, since Murphy is so tall, so filled out and he's athletic when he needs to be. That's why he's received Cam Newton comparisons. But Murphy is a smoother passer at the same stage, and if that translates to Friday nights, he could be something special. He still has a lot to prove, but Murphy has all the ability in the world and should start showing it off even more this season in California, if there is a season. - Adam Gorney, Rivals national recruiting analyst
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Simpson is a guy who could make that jump to five stars with some refinement. I like the way he feels the pass rush and slides around in the pocket, and he can get outside and throw on the run with above-average arm strength. As he gets bigger and stronger, those passes will zip even more. Like most younger quarterbacks, he needs to work on field vision and accuracy, but he has the tools. - Mike Farrell, Rivals national recruiting director
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Stockton is an elite signal caller, there is no doubt about it. What hurts him a little is the Jake Fromm comparison that has been dished out by a few. Fromm is a former five-star quarterback in the 2016 class, but was he a five-star at Georgia? He definitely had his moments, but then was drafted in the fifth round and is expected to be an NFL backup.
Stockton and Fromm are comparable, but Stockton’s arm strength is much better at this stage, he throws better on the move and he is more athletic than Fromm. Stockton plays in the north Georgia mountains, and he is a natural leader. He is very self-motivated on and off the field, he loves the big moments in a game and he is going to continue to make a strong case for that fifth star. He committed to South Carolina over Georgia early in his junior season due to connections to the staff in Columbia. As a junior, he has thrown close to 3,000 yards and over 40 touchdown passes. He has also rushed for 1,100 yards and added over 20 touchdowns on the ground. - Chad Simmons, Rivals Southeast recruiting analyst