Vote: Who Is the Best Returning Connecticut High School Quarterback in 2026?

Connecticut's 2026 high school football season features an impressive collection of quarterbacks across the CIAC and the state's New England prep programs.

High School On SI has selected 15 of the state's top returning quarterbacks. Read about each nominee below, then cast your vote for the best quarterback in Connecticut entering the 2026 season.

Voting concludes Sunday, Sept. 13 at 11:59 p.m.

Maddox Hoffman, New Canaan

Hoffman quarterbacked New Canaan to a 13-0 record and a state championship last season. In his junior season, he threw for 2,034 yards and 21 touchdowns while completing 68% of his passes and throwing just four interceptions.

Matthew Baer, Avon Old Farms

The 2027 play caller is committed to James Madison University. In his junior season, the Class A Offensive Player of the Year threw for 2,102 yards and 21 touchdowns with just two interceptions. He added 19 rushing touchdowns and 450 yards.

Caedon Afsharipour, Loomis Chaffee

Afsharipour transferred to Loomis Chaffee after spending three seasons as the starter at St. Ignatius College Prep in San Francisco. The San Francisco native threw for 5,500 yards and 57 touchdowns as a three-year starter. He had a combined 26-6 record for St. Ignatius College Prep.

Matthew Witteman, Law

Witteman completed 139 of 213 passes for 2,269 yards and 25 touchdowns with just three interceptions last season.

Matt Pangaro, Taft

In his first season as quarterback last year for Taft, Pangaro had a three-game stretch against Choate Rosemary Hall, Avon Old Farms, and Suffield with no turnovers and three touchdowns. The 6-foot-5 sophomore quarterback already has a Division 1 offer and went 13-of-16 against Williston Northampton in their first scrimmage this year.

Ben Rolapp, Brunswick

Rolapp completed 129 of 191 passes for 2,268 yards and 20 touchdowns in 2025, according to 247Sports. The three-star quarterback received 18 Division I offers before committing to Boston College in early June.

Zachary Mackenzie, Suffield Academy

Mackenzie threw for 1,553 yards and 15 touchdowns as a sophomore captain while adding 568 rushing yards and four scores. He holds nine Division I offers.

Dylan Schorpp, St. Luke's

The 6-foot-2 190-pound quarterback shined in his first year starting at St. Luke's. Schorpp threw for 1,900 yards and 15 touchdowns and added a rushing touchdown.

Lane Clement, St. Thomas More

Clement has recently committed to the University of New Haven. He completed 62% of his passes for 2,220 yards and 21 touchdowns while adding four rushing scores.

Philip Tarantino, Greenwich

Tarantino will return as the starting quarterback for Greenwich after leading the Cardinals to a 45-6 victory over Southington in the 2025 CIAC Class LL state football championship. He threw for over 1,300 yards and rushed for over 600. He had 14 passing touchdowns and six rushing scores.

Jake O'Keefe, Danbury

Last season, O'Keefe led Danbury to its first playoff appearance in 22 years. He threw for 1,616 yards and 14 touchdowns. He also ran for 241 yards and six touchdowns.

Ethan Blaize, Hamden Hall County Day

Despite not playing a full season last year, Blaize had a great season as a sophomore quarterback. The 6-foot-4 215-pound quarterback threw for 545 yards and six touchdowns.

Justin Ocasio, Kingswood Oxford

The 6-foot-2 210 pound signal caller was great last year for Kingswood. Ocasio threw for 1,980 yards and 19 touchdowns last season while totaling 2,110 yards of offense.

Aaron Champagne, Masuk

Last season, the junior threw for 2,580 yards and 33 touchdowns. Masuk won the Class MM championship in 2024 before slipping to 5-5 last season.

Tommy Hussey, St. Thomas More

Hussey enters the 2026 season as one of the best transfers in the state. Playing for Hall last season, he threw for 2,325 yards and 28 touchdowns. He added on 420 rushing yards for seven touchdowns in 13 starts over his last two years. He will play for St. Thomas More next season.

About Our Athlete Voting:
High School on SI voting polls are meant to be a fun, lighthearted way for fans to show support for their favorite athletes and teams. Our goal is to celebrate all of the players featured, regardless of the vote totals. Sometimes one athlete will receive a very large number of votes — even thousands — and that’s okay! The polls are open to everyone and are simply a way to build excitement and community around high school sports. Unless we specifically announce otherwise, there are no prizes or official awards for winning. The real purpose is to highlight the great performances of every athlete included in the poll.

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