Vote: Who are The Top Returning Tampa Bay High School Quarterbacks for 2025?

We nominate 10 student-athletes who are coming off career years during the 2024 season.

Jesuit (Tampa) 2026 quarterback Will Griffin dropping back to pass in a game against Tampa Catholic in 2023. / Andy Villamarzo (High School on SI)

With the start of the 2025 Florida high school football season is getting closer, it is time to preview the top returning quarterbacks for the Tampa Bay area. The quarterback is the most important position on the field, and each of these nominees has the tools and skillset to lead their teams to the postseason in 2025. This should be an exciting season in the Sunshine State as the nominees will look to lead their teams to tremendous seasons.

As always, we ask you, the fans, to vote on who you think is the top returning high school quarterback in the Tampa Bay area for the 2025 season.

Voting ends on Sunday, August 10th at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time

Here are the nominees:

Will Griffin, Jesuit (Senior)

The future Florida Gator is coming off an impressive 2024 season where he threw for 2,213 passing yards, 24 touchdowns, and four interceptions for the Tigers, where they finished with a 7-4 record and reached the regional semifinals. His best individual performance came on October 4 despite a 35-33 loss to University (Orange City) where he completed 32-of-50 passes for 348 yards, and threw a touchdown pass.

Rhys Brush, Armwood (Senior)

The University of South Florida commit finished the 2024 season, where he threw for 2,256 passing yards, 36 touchdowns, and just two interceptions for the Hawks. His best indivdual performance came on September 13 against Durant High School where he completed 14-of-23 passes for 282 yards and four touchdown passes.

Jacob Mobley, Lennard (Senior)

In just 9 games played last season for the Longhorns, Mobley completed nearly 60% of his passes (127-for-213) with 1,824 passing yards, 21 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions where the Longhorns finished the season with a 6-4 record and didn't qualify for the regional playoffs.

Antonio Balaguer, Sumner (Junior)

The 6-foot-1 junior is coming off a career year for the Stingrays, where he completed nearly 52% of his passes (123-for-236) with 1,815 passing yards, 16 touchdowns, and eight interceptions in 11 games played. Balaguer also had three rushing touchdowns for the Stingrays during the 2024 season.

Cooper Hayes, Berkeley Prep (Junior)

Hayes completed nearly 57% of his passes last season for the Buccaneers, throwing for 1,342 passing yards, 13 touchdowns, and four interceptions. His best individual performance came in the season-opener against Clearwater Central Catholic throwing for 173 yards and had a touchdown pass despite a 28-14 loss to the Marauders.

Nathan Richardson, Spoto (Senior)

The 6-foot-0 senior quarterback had a career season in completion percentage (56%), throwing for 2,227 passing yards, 29 touchdowns, and seven interceptions for the Spartans. Richardson also made havoc using his legs, where he had 62 carries for 376 yards and found the end zone six times on the ground.

Dillon Rose-Bailey, Plant (Senior)

Rose-Bailey comes over to Plant after spending his junior season at Wiregrass Ranch where he threw for 1,569 passing yards, 16 touchdowns, and nine interceptions leading the Bulls to a 12-2 record and reached the regional finals for the first time in program history.

Darryon Jones, Tampa Bay Tech (Senior)

Jones finished the 2024 season, where he completed 53.5% of his passes (92-for-172), throwing for 1,558 passing yards, 22 touchdowns, and nine interceptions, where he led Tampa Bay Tech to a 9-3 record and reached the state semifinals.

Colin Androff, Gaither (Senior)

In limited time for the Cowboys as a junior last season, Androff completed 48.5% of his passes (16-for-33) throwing for 305 yards and five touchdowns.

Kingston Johnson, Bloomingdale (Junior)

In 10 games played for the Bulls last season, Johnson completed nearly 52% of his passes (63-for-122), throwing for just 832 yards and nine touchdowns, as the Bulls had a transition year, finishing with just a 3-7 record. His top performance came on September 30 when he threw for 170 yards, three touchdowns, and an interception despite a 35-21 loss to Bartow.

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.

Follow High School On SI Florida throughout the 2025 high school football season for Live Updates, the most up to date Schedules & Scores and complete coverage from the preseason through the state championships!

Be sure to Bookmark High School on SI for all of the latest high school football news.

Download the SBLive App

To get live updates on your phone - as well as follow your favorite teams and top games - you can download the SBLive Sports app: Download iPhone App| Download Android App

feed