Breaking Down the Under Armour Future 50 Quarterback Prospects
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Photo of Ryan Montgomery and Akili Smith, Jr.; credit to Brian Smith
There was a lot of talent on the field at the Under Armour Future 50 event at IMG Academy.
Here are some quick thoughts based on what happened with this morning’s top 2025 quarterbacks, as they worked out with players from across America.
Overall, it’s always hard for signal callers to time up with players they’ve never met before, or at least played with infrequently via seven-on-seven.
That being the case, there were some obvious eye test moments and overall assessments that could be made.
KJ Lacey, Saraland (Ala.) High School
He’s not the biggest signal caller, but Lacey’s arm stood out quite often. Lacey was best when he threw bullets and just let it rip.
When Lacey missed, it was generally more of a timing issue, as it also was with the other signal callers.
Lacey has always been a good guy to be around and was his usual easy going self. Hard not to root for him.
Lacey committed to Texas, but Alabama has not given up on him just yet.
Antwann Hill, Jr., Warner Robins (Ga.) Houston County
He has a plus-arm and the ability to take one gather step and let it go deep, no problem. Seeing Hill earlier this year at the SUP7R 7 in Naples, Fla. and now, the two items that has stood out would be the frame and arm strength. He can absolutely rip a pass whenever he wanted.
That’s some serious velocity from @antwann_jr to @HarlemBerry25 pic.twitter.com/WJ3fvaEynP
— Brian Smith (@fbscout_florida) June 24, 2023
Hill will continue to get better, and he even looked sharper today with his balance and arm motion than five months ago. Good to see the progression that's taken place.
Look for Hill to stay in the ACC or SEC, and he’s looking at a wide range of college football programs.
Ryan Montgomery, Findlay (Ohio) High School
Just a natural throwing motion; that’s what was obvious from the get go. Montgomery showed command with accuracy, especially the quick hitters like slants and hitches.
When he threw passes deep, Montgomery had a pretty solid understanding of how to keep his balance while still gaining momentum forward. He’s on the right track to be an all-around passer. That's probably a good reason he won today’s quarterback competition.
There’s a really long way to go with Montgomery’s recruitment. Michigan, Michigan State, Penn State, or one of a handful of schools down South like Georgia or Miami could end up with his signature. Any school could honestly jump in at this point, but watch out for the Dawgs and Hurricanes, as he wants to see each school.
Akili Smith, Jr., San Diego (Calif.) Lincoln
His long and lean frame was impressive. So was the zip on the ball, when needed. Smith’s release was fairly consistent as well. That’s unusual for a young quarterback, especially one with long arms like he has.
Going to be interesting to see Smith grow into his body. He’s around 6-foot-5 and 200 pounds right now. He could be 230 in a couple of years.
Oregon, Michigan and Florida were the top three schools for Smith.
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Fan Nation High school football recruiting analyst covering the state of Florida, as well as across the Southeastern United States and the state of Texas.
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