Who Are The Top Iowa High School Football Quarterbacks In 2026?

Mack Heitland, Reece Wheeler among elite QBs back this fall.

Waukee Northwest's Mack Heitland runs the ball during a football game at Waukee Northwest High School on Friday, Oct. 17, 2025, in Waukee. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

As we close the books on the Iowa high school baseball season, we open a new chapter with Iowa high school football on the horizon.

Preseason camps and practices will reveal plenty of information before Week 1 is here, but we know quite a bit thanks to what happened in the fall of 2025.

Several teams will enter the new season with high hopes thanks to top returning quarterbacks in the fold for their respective programs.

High School On SI Iowa has released an early preseason Top 25 for the state, and team outlooks on some of the top-ranked teams. Here is a look at just the top quarterbacks expected to return in 2026.

Top Iowa High School Football Quarterbacks

Mack Heitland, Waukee Northwest, Senior

Heitland and the Wolves will be on the hunt for a Class 5A state championship in 2026. Waukee Northwest lost a strong senior class to graduation, but with the Western Illinois commit back, they will be contenders again. Heitland threw for 2,962 yards and 28 touchdowns, and did not have an interception among his 254 attempts, as he completed nearly 80 percent of his throws overall.

Reece Wheeler, Iowa City West, Senior

Wheeler stepped right in and performed well as the starter for the Trojans. He threw for 2,280 yards and had 22 touchdowns against just five interceptions. Wheeler completed nearly 61 percent of his throws on the season.

Mack Murdock, Centerville, Junior

As just a sophomore, Murdock was one of the best quarterbacks in Iowa high school football. He completed 66 percent of his throws for 2,250 yards and 27 touchdowns with just five interceptions among 198 attempts.

Xavier's Cash Parks (2) throws a pass Nov. 20, 2025 during the Class 4A state football championship against the Pella Dutch at the UNI-Dome in Cedar Falls, Iowa. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Cash Parks, Cedar Rapids Xavier, Senior

The defending Iowa high school football Class 4A state champions will be primed for a repeat thanks to the return of Parks, who was a dual-threat as a junior. Parks threw for 2,220 yards and 28 touchdowns with just two interceptions. He completed nearly 73 percent of his passes.

Colin Willis, Roland-Story, Junior

The Norsemen had a big summer on the baseball diamond, and Willis will try to keep that momentum going on the gridiron. He threw for 2,217 yards and 25 touchdowns as a sophomore, completing nearly 58 percent of his throws.

Jadyn Burton, Keokuk, Junior

Burton racked up just under 2,220 yards and 25 touchdowns, completing over 61 percent of his throws.

Jackson Verschoor, Woodbury Central, Senior

Verschoor, a veteran at the position, is back for one final season with Woodbury Central. He had 2,178 yards and 13 passing touchdowns last year. He added 342 yards rushing and 12 more touchdowns

AJ Harder, Tri-Center, Senior

One year after taking the state by storm, Harder settled in as an elite signal-caller, completing 59 percent of his passes for 2,009 yards and 16 touchdowns.

Eli Harpenau, MMCRU, Senior

All Harpenau did as a junior was lead the Royals to a state championship, throwing 29 passing touchdowns and racking up nearly 2,000 yards. He completed over 63 percent of his passes, averaging over 18 yards per completion, rushing for 447 yards and 10 more TDs.

Brooks Weber, Mid-Prairie, Senior

Weber hit the 30-touchdown mark as a junior last fall, completing 63 percent of his passes for 1,973 yards. He had just nine interceptions among his 217 attempts.

Johnston's Trevin Helming (15) throws the ball to a receiver downfield on Nov. 7, 2025, at Johnston High School. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Trevin Helming, Johnston, Senior

The Dragons will look to compete with the best of the best in Class 5A thanks to having Helming back. As a junior, he had a 20-to-3 touchdown-to-interception ratio, throwing for 1,895 yards while completing 61 percent of his passes.

Neil Brown, Davenport North, Senior

Brown not only completed 63 percent of his throws in 2025, but he had just under 1,900 yards in the air and 21 passing touchdowns.

Brody Heifner, Belmond-Klemme, Senior

Heifner recorded 20 passing touchdowns last year as a junior, completing just under 59 percent of his throws for 1,856 yards.

Ben Carlo, Glenwood, Senior

Carlo had 13 touchdowns and just three interceptions among his 241 attempts last year, throwing for 1,758 yards. He added 244 yards and eight touchdowns on the ground.

DCG's Chase Engel (15) looks to throw late in the fourth quarter against Dowling Catholic on Sept. 12, 2025, at Dallas Center-Grimes High School. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Chase Engel, Dallas Center-Grimes, Senior

Engel finished his junior season with 1,740 yards passing and 17 touchdowns, completing over 56 percent of his passes.

Nathan Moon, Clarksville, Senior

Listed as the quarterback for the Indians, Moon is more of a runner than anything. Last year, he had 250 carries for 2,268 yards, scoring 41 touchdowns. His yardage total ranked second among all players in 2025. Moon had just 34 pass attempts, but racked up 288 yards and five touchdowns.

Nolan Kriegel, Iowa Valley, Senior

Kriegel ranked seventh in Iowa with 1,880 yards rushing, scoring an incredible 43 touchdowns. And he did all of that while also throwing for 788 yards and 13 touchdowns with just one interception on 55 attempts.