Vote: Who was the best sophomore quarterback in Florida of 2023?

We’ve got 20 candidates for you to choose from

The 2023 high school football season is complete and we are going around the East Coast, reflecting on the previous few months.

One of the big questions is what newcomers or returners in some cases made the biggest impact to a football program or state even? That’s where a boatload of sophomore quarterbacks that saw extensive playing time come into the mix.

That’s why we ask the question: Who was the top sophomore quarterback of 2023 in Florida? 

We will go state-by-state along the East Coast and once that voting is done, do a final poll including all the sophomores that won going head-to-head. 

We’ve selected 20 worthy candidates and ask you the fan to vote for who you think topped them all.

Voting will end on February 14th, 2024.

Editor’s note: Our corresponding poll is intended to be fun, and we do not set limits on how many times a fan can vote during the competition. This poll is specifically for fans to vote on the players that have been nominated and in no way discredits any other player that may not be mentioned in our poll. 

Here are the nominees:

 Brady Hart, Cocoa: Hart was undoubtedly been not only one of the top sophomores, but best quarterbacks regardless of class. The Class 2S champion signal caller completed 288-of-437 passes for 3,759 yards and 41 touchdowns. 

Noah Grubbs, Lake Mary: Grubbs made a bid for the record books before an injury derailed him during the postseason. The signal caller finished the season throwing 49 touchdowns, completed 208-of-354 passes for 3,670 yards. 

Dia Bell, Plantation American Heritage: Son of former NBA shooting guard Raja Bell, the quarterback has come onto the scene as a first-year starter and played phenomenal. Bell ended up throwing for 1,929 yards, 20 touchdowns and just a mere four interceptions. 

Will Griffin, Jesuit: Already filled out at 6-foot-4, 220 pounds at quarterback, Griffin’s size has colleges wowed all over the country. This past season, Griffin completed 244-of-361 passes for 3,404 yards and 34 touchdowns. 

Ely Hamrick, IMG Academy White: The Ascenders’ quarterback was near perfect this past season. Hamrick did not throw an interception in 2023 as he completed 79-of-134 passes for 1,244 yards and 18 touchdowns.

Caleb Butler, Palm Beach Central: Butler led the Broncos on offense and did a solid job of doing so. The quarterback completed 180-of-306 passes for 2,149 yards and 29 touchdowns. 

Cayden Thomas, Mitchell: One of the Tampa Bay area’s top dual-threat quarterbacks of the 2033 season was Thomas. The quarterback had thrown for 2,175 yards and 24 touchdowns. Also rushed for 271 yards and three scores.

Edward Jordan, Beachside: Can’t deny Jordan had played some of the best football when it comes to quarterbacking of any sophomore on this list. The Barracuda signal caller threw for 2,537 yards and 35 touchdowns through 10 games. 

Dereon Coleman, Jones: We’d be remiss if we didn’t mention Coleman as he established himself as one of the top sophomore quarterbacks in Florida. Coleman threw for 2,224 yards and 16 touchdowns versus some of the state’s elite competition. 

Michael Clayton, Sanford Seminole: Leading Edgewater in the 2023 season had been Clayton, who had taken on more as the team’s starter last fall. Clayton threw for 1,902 yards and 18 touchdowns. He is now at Sanford Seminole after transferring this offseason. 

Trace Johnson, Buchholz: Johnson owns one of the best touchdown-to-interception ratios in the state. The quarterback threw for 2,844 yards, 35 touchdowns and 13 interceptions for the Class 4S state semifinalists. 

Sabby Meassick, Tohopekaliga: Leading the state in passing yardage for sophomores was Meassick. The Tigers’ quarterback threw for 3,843 yards and 39 touchdowns on 466 pass attempts. 

Brogan McNab, Holy Trinity Episcopal: The quarterback had been a threat through the air and on the ground. McNab completed 111-of-171 passes for 1,620 yards and 17 touchdowns. Also rushed for 842 yards and scored 13 touchdowns. 

Keil McGriff, Newberry: The Panthers’ offense was one of the best in Northern Central Florida with McGriff under center. McGriff accumulated 2,386 yards through the air and 26 touchdowns. Also rushed for 365 yards on the ground. 

Mason Mallory, West Boca Raton: Mallory was the conductor of the West Boca offense that produced plenty of points, touchdowns and yards in 2023. The quarterback threw for 1,796 yards and 25 touchdowns for the Bulls. 

Rhys Bush, Armwood: Better get to know this name if you’re someone in the Tampa Bay area. Bush helped the Hawks return the playoffs in 2023, throwing for 1,640 yards, 23 touchdowns and just a mere three picks. 

Devin Mignery, Cardinal Mooney: Though Mignery’s numbers may not be right there with everyone on this list, he’s one of two that led their teams to state championships. The sophomore threw for 1,303 yards and 12 touchdowns for the Class 1S champions. 

Joel Morris, Lake Gibson: Playing in one the state’s toughest counties, Morris impressed throughout the 2023 campaign out of Polk County. Morris threw for 1,214 yards and 10 touchdowns. 

Darryon Jones, Hillsborough: Another Tampa area quarterback that had himself a solid sophomore season was Jones out of Hillsborough. Jones completed 135-of-236 passes for 1,971 yards and 15 touchdowns. 

JT Tipton, Lecanto: When it comes to North Suncoast quarterbacks, Tipton played about as well as anyone. The signal caller completed 140-of-216 passes for 1,908 yards and 18 touchdowns to just three interceptions. 

-- Andy Villamarzo | villamarzo@scorebooklive.com | @sblivefl