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Vote: Who is the top returning high school quarterback in New Jersey heading into spring of 2025?

These are 10 quarterbacks that we've identified heading into the 2025 spring

John Beisser

DePaul's Derek Zammit (15) looks to pass the ball during the NJSIAA Non-Public B high school football championship game between DePaul and Pope John on Friday, Nov. 29 at MetLife Stadium.
DePaul's Derek Zammit (15) looks to pass the ball during the NJSIAA Non-Public B high school football championship game between DePaul and Pope John on Friday, Nov. 29 at MetLife Stadium. / Julian Leshay Guadalupe/NorthJersey.com / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

New Jersey high school football doesn’t have spring football practices, but regardless the Garden State consistently produces some of the top talent coming out of the Northeast United States.

Let’s take a look into the future with the top passers from New Jersey.

A position that the state has started to produce talent at regularly is at quarterback, with many top-end signal callers now heading to the collegiate level from New Jersey. With the passing game becoming a focal point of many high school offenses around the country, it’s no different when it comes to the Garden State.

The following is a list and voting poll of top returning New Jersey quarterbacks heading into the 2025 spring. Take a look at our nominees and then vote in our poll that’s at the bottom of the page.

Know of another? Send a note to jbeisser86@gmail.com with some details on your nominee.

Voting will conclude Thursday, May 1st, at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time.

Kamai Lowery, Plainfield

A big reason for the Cardinals’ success last year, and optimism for 2025, is due to the two-way talents of Kamai Lowery. As a junior, Lowery offered a glimpse into his potential, passing for 237 yards vs. Woodbridge and 224 yards vs. Perth Amboy. For his career, he’s completed 130-of-237 passes and 18 touchdowns. Also a big-play threat with his legs, he was a top guard on Plainfield No. 1-ranked, state championship basketball team.

Derek Zammit, DePaul Catholic

Zammit has been a known product within New Jersey football circles for three years now. With more than 30 scholarship offers, he has handled the spotlight of leading one of the state’s top programs with poise, consistency and production. His eye-opening career stats include connecting on 363-of-567 (64%) passes for 5,662 yards. As a junior, he passed for 35 touchdowns with just four interceptions in leading DP to a Non-Public B state title and the No. 2 ranking in the final High School on SI State Poll. It’s hard to imagine that even bigger and better things are expected of this savvy leader as a senior.

Lamar Best, St. Joseph Regional

Best is a dual threat quarterback for one of New Jersey’s premier programs and is coming off a junior campaign where he led St. Joe to the No. 7 ranking in the final High School on SI State Poll.  No pun intended, Best has played his best vs. the best, passing for 240 yards vs. Don Bosco Prep, 227 yards vs. New York’s Archbishop Stepanic, and 224 vs. No. 22 St. Peter’s Prep. For his productive three-year career, he has completed 330-of-537 passes (61%) for 5,114 yards and a whopping 70 touchdowns.

Marco Green, Paramus Catholic

Green is a talented quarterback with a bright future ahead. He brings great size and brings physical tools to the position, complemented by a strong academic foundation. As a junior he passed for 876 yards in a run-oriented system but raised eyebrows with a 229-yard passing day vs. No. 2 DePaul Catholic and 215 yards in a thrilling 35-34 victory over St. Thomas Aquinas.

Paul Jones III, Weequahic

Jones is one of the state’s top athletes at the quarterback position. In addition to a strong, accurate arm, he has the ability to strike with his legs from anywhere on the field. He has also displayed tremendous poise, both inside and outside of the pocket, throughout his career. A smart decision maker, he has passed for 1,806 career yards with 29 touchdowns.

Jackson Magley, Randolph

Magley has been a smart and efficient performer throughout his career, where he has completed 143-225 passes (64%) for 1,692 yards and 18 touchdowns. He has also show the ability to pull the ball down and run with it when the necessity arises. A versatile athlete, he is also a top baseball prospect for the Rams.

Sayvien Adams, Rancocas Valley

Adams has been an integral part of a perennial South Jersey prep power where he led the Red Devils to a 9-3 record and the No. 21 ranking in the final High School on SI State Poll. As a junior last season, he connected on 121-217 passes for 2,264 yards and 27 touchdowns. Included in those 27 TDs was an 87-yard strike. As dangerous in the run game as he is with his arm, Adams rumbled for 1,806 rushing yards and eight touchdowns.

John Franchini, Mainland Regional

A savvy and strong-armed pocket passer, Francini is coming off a junior campaign where he was 109-of-193 through the air for 2,221 yards and 21 touchdowns. With Franchini at the helm, the Mustangs went 10-4 and the No. 15 ranking in the final High School on SI State Poll. During his productive high school career, he has gone 208-358 (58%) for 3,994 yards and 52 touchdowns. The bottom line at the QB position is winning and Franchini will be looking to guide his team to its third straight state championship game appearance in 2025.

Robbie O’Connor, Millville

O’Connor struck fear into opposing defenses throughout a junior season where he led the Thunderbolts to a 10-3 record and a semifinal appearance in the State Group IV Playoffs. For the season, he eclipsed the 200-yard passing mark on six occasions, headlined by a 302-yard passing day vs. No. 15 Mainland. He also threw a career-high four touchdown passes vs. Cherokee. Behind O’Connor’s leadership, Millville finished with a 9-3 record and the No. 15 ranking in the final High School on SI State Poll.

Jalen Parker, Winslow Township

Just a junior, Parker built upon his outstanding freshman campaign when, as a sophomore, he guided Winslow Township to its first ever Group IV State Championship and the No. 4 ranking in the final High School on SI State Poll. In the 35-0 state title victory over Phillipsburg, which capped a perfect 13-0 season, he coolly completed 17-of-22 aerials for 238 yards and two touchdowns. With two more seasons to play, he has already passes for 4,427 career yards with a staggering 64 TD passes to go with just 13 interceptions.

Vote: Who is the top returning high school quarterback in New Jersey heading into spring of 2025?
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John Beisser
JOHN BEISSER

A recipient of seven New Jersey Press Association Awards for writing excellence, John Beisser served as Assistant Director in the Rutgers University Athletic Communications Office from 1991-2006, where he primarily handled sports information/media relations duties for the Scarlet Knight football and men's basketball programs. In this role, he served as managing editor for nine publications that received either National or Regional citations from the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA). While an undergraduate at RU, Beisser was sports director of WRSU-FM and a sportswriter/columnist for The Daily Targum. From 2007-2019, Beisser served as Assistant Athletic Director/Sports Media Relations at Wagner College, where he was the recipient of the 2019 Met Basketball Writers Association "Good Guy" Award. Beisser resides in Piscataway with his wife Aileen (RC '95,) a four-year Scarlet Knight women's lacrosse letter-winner, and their daughter Riley. He began contributing to High School On SI in 2025.

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