Attention has turned to the 2028 recruiting cycle as many junior blue-chippers are working through their recruitments quickly. That’s led to a slew of notable commitments, a majority of which have come from top quarterbacks.
This weekend, Ohio State landed Lawrence (Mass.) St. John’s Prep five-star QB Christopher Vargas, the No. 7 overall prospect and No. 2 passer in the cycle, according to the Rivals Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all major recruiting media companies.
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Vargas wasn’t the only QB to come off the board on Saturday, as Gadsden City (Ala.) three-star Sam Sollie pledged to Auburn. Detroit Cass Tech four-star Donald Tabron II, the No. 3 QB in the cycle, also announced that he’ll reveal his commitment later this month on Aug. 15.
Of the top 50 QB prospects in the cycle, 13 are now committed, as of Aug. 9. That number will continue to rise throughout the next few months, as these passers want to lock up their spot before all the dominoes fall.
Below is an up-to-date look at the 10 highest-ranked 2028 QB prospects that are already committed before the beginning of their junior seasons:
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Rivals Industry Ranking: No. 5 NATL. (No. 1 QB)
School: IMG Academy (Fla.)
The Los Angeles native has been the top-ranked passer in the cycle for some time and he’s gearing up for a big junior year with one of the biggest prep programs in the nation. Wade was coveted by many programs early, but Georgia jumped out to a lead, grabbed the momentum and swiped his pledge back in November.
“What stood out the most to me with Georgia is coach Kirby (Smart),” Wade told Rivals’ Adam Gorney. “Georgia is a big cultural type of program and they always bring people in and they’re hardworking and everybody is on the same page and everybody wants to be great. When you’re around people that want to be great, that makes you want to be great and it spreads around to everybody.”
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Rivals Industry Ranking: No. 7 NATL. (No. 2 QB)
School: St. John’s Prep (Mass.)
The next elite gunslinger set to emerge from the Northeast, Vargas has widely been known as one of the best QBs in his class, but his recruitment hadn’t mustered too many headlines. It surprised some when he locked in an Aug. 8 commitment date without much warning earlier in the week, but when he did, Ohio State was the program trending. Ryan Day and the Buckeyes have now landed another five-star signal-caller.
“Just the coaching staff and the place they’re at, the culture, they have everything that is great for me and the right fit for me,” Vargas said of his decision when speaking with Rivals’ Steve Wiltfong. “I think Ohio State is the place that can develop me the best.”
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Rivals Industry Ranking: No. 63 NATL. (No. 4 QB)
School: Benjamin Russell (Ala.)
Preyear is line to be the first top-100 overall prospect who’s also a QB in the Yellowhammer State since Christopher Vizzina in the 2023 cycle. The 6-foot-3, 195-pounder considered myriad SEC programs, and while Florida and Vanderbilt pushed, Alabama was the leader for some time and it landed his commitment last month.
“They can develop the crap out of a quarterback,” Preyear told Rivals’ Chad Simmons. “Then you’ve got the rich tradition of winning. They’ve been winning since I was a kid growing up an Alabama fan. Playing for Alabama is every kid’s dream. It all came down to development and the relationships with the coaches.”
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Rivals Industry Ranking: No. 71 NATL. (No. 6 QB)
School: American Heritage (Fla.)
After previously landing Dia Bell, Texas went back into the Sunshine State at the end of June to land a commitment from Lawrence. Multiple trips to Austin helped propel the Longhorns to the top of his recruitment and he opted to come off the board early. Like Wade, Lawrence also plays for one of the best high school programs in Florida.
“The development was the biggest thing,” Lawrence told Rivals. “The quarterback history they have and the level of coaching at Texas really stood out. The ultimate goal is the next level, and I wanted to put myself in the best position to get there.”
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Rivals Industry Ranking: No. 72 NATL. (No. 7 QB)
School: Hun School (N.J.)
The rise of Indiana has provided a jolt on the recruiting trail and Prock became Curt Cignetti’s latest win on July 23. Originally from Massachusetts, he plays for an elite program in New Jersey and he now has his sights set on Bloomington. IU beat out Florida, Notre Dame, Michigan and others for the blue-chipper. Comfortability was key in his decision.
“My thought process was, if I feel comfortable enough and the staff feels the same way, then what’s the point of waiting?” Prock told Rivals. “There’s no spot I’d rather be than Indiana, so why would I wait for somebody else to take that opportunity?”
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Rivals Industry Ranking: No. 185 NATL. (No. 12 QB)
School: Hopewell (Pa.)
Matt Campbell and the new Penn State staff have dug their heels in on the local recruiting trail and that paid off with a commitment from Armstrong at the beginning of July. The No. 6 junior prospect in the Keystone State, he tabbed the Big Ten program as a “dream school” and he didn’t feel the need to wait on making a pledge when he knew where he wanted to be quickly.
“I’ve known for a while now that they were my number one school. I took my time because I didn’t want to have any doubts. Now, that’s the kind of mindset I have. I have no doubts about where I’m going to go,” Armstrong told BWI.com. “I have no doubts about what position I’m going to play. My feelings have just solidified my thoughts on the program as a whole.”
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Rivals Industry Ranking: No. 218 NATL. (No. 13 QB)
School: Bergen Catholic (N.J.)
An early frontrunner for the most surprising decision of the cycle, Tagliaferri backed off a week-long commitment to Notre Dame on July 1. It became apparent that he was instead headed for Oklahoma. The Sooners were previously trending, and as Tagliaferri went on to explain to SoonerScoop.com, the decision was more than just a quick change of heart.
“Oklahoma was always my No. 1,” Tagliaferri said. “When I was deciding on where I wanted to go, Oklahoma was my No. 1 and Notre Dame was my No. 2. And I was told some stuff by someone who was trying to help me throughout the process. I was told some stuff that wasn’t true; I was told some information that wasn’t true about Oklahoma.”
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Rivals Industry Ranking: No. 340 NATL. (No. 24 QB)
School: Calhoun (Ga.)
Clemson always moves fast on the recruiting trail and it honed in on Hawkins. He considered the likes of Kentucky, LSU, Duke and Vanderbilt, but the Tigers shot up his list after they got him on campus. The coaching staff in Death Valley was always going to be tough to beat for the Peach State gunslinger.
“The first time I stepped on campus, it felt like home,” Hawkins told Rivals. “The coaches felt like family, all the players talked to me, and I just felt like that’s the place I needed to be … “I’ve always watched Clemson. If you get that offer, it really means a lot because they don’t offer a bunch of people. When I got that offer on June 21, I knew that’s where I wanted to be.”
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Rivals Industry Ranking: No. 491 NATL. (No 36 QB)
School: Huguenot (Va.)
Before Preyear, Alabama went out and landed Scott, an impressive 6-foot-5, 255-pound passer who ranks as the No. 9 junior in Virginia. He committed to Kalen DeBoer and the Crimson Tide one month after landing an offer and has remained rock-solid despite Preyear jumping in the mix, too. Scott got that feeling in T-Town and locked in his pledge.
“I felt like home,” Scott told Rivals. “I knew I could see myself playing there right away. All the quarterbacks came up to me, talked to me and told me it’s the place to be. They laid it all out for me. It felt so comfortable.”
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Rivals Industry Ranking: No. 508 NATL. (No. 42 QB)
School: Mandarin (Fla.)
Miami got out of the gates quick in the 2028 cycle and picked up Annis’ commitment in April. Leading the charge for a touted high school program in Florida, the 6-foot-3 passer currently ranks as the No. 64 junior in the Sunshine State. The chance to play for Mario Cristobal and Co. was too good for Annis to pass up.
“What made Miami right for me is the relationship I had with the staff,” Annis told Rivals. “The pro-readiness from the quarterback position sending quarterbacks to the league … “Coach Dawson as a person he’s amazing person and the offense he runs is an offense I think I fit in very well. Coach Cristobal is a fired up person and great competitor and I want to play for him.”
