Vote for top quarterbacks in Greater Cincinnati high school football

With Joe Burrow leading the Cincinnati Bengals in Paycor Stadium on Sundays, the talent level of high school quarterbacks in the area will continue to rise as they try to emulate one of the best players in the game.

Even as some of the top passers in Greater Cincinnati history graduated in 2026 (Matt Ponatoski, Nathan Verax and Cam O'Hara to name a few), the position group is just as talented this fall.

Here are the top quarterbacks in the Queen City.

Make sure to vote for the top quarterback in the city in the poll at the bottom of the story. The poll will close at 4 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 7. The USA Today Co. network is debuting a new polling service that allows readers to vote more often while protecting against fraudulent voting methods. User experience feedback can be sent to mlaughman@enquirer.com.

Bryce Armstrong, Highlands

Armstrong spent his freshman season as Mario Litmer's backup but will be in the limelight on Friday nights going forward. He's shown tremendous potential moving through the grade school and junior varsity ranks and will be more than ready to lead one of the top teams in Class 4A. Plus, he has a last name tailor-made for a quarterback. He had 208 yards and four touchdowns as a freshman and already holds offers from Southern University and Austin Peay.

Devlan Daniel, Indian Hill

Capable of slicing through the defense at either position out of the backfield, Daniel will try to lead the Braves to a third Cincinnati Hills League title in the last four seasons and another state tournament appearance. With an early-season trip to Beechwood, their regular-season winning streak will also be tested. As a junior, Daniel threw for 1,192 yards and 13 touchdowns and ran for 1,116 yards and 21 scores. He threw five of his seven interceptions in the postseason; if he reverses that trend this fall, it could be another special season for the Braves.

Kaden Estep, Elder

Estep was the centerpiece in the Panthers' emergence as one of the best teams in the state in 2025. While they graduate 32 seniors, they are still primed to compete for Greater Catholic League-South and regional titles. Entering his third year as a starter, Estep threw for 2,430 yards, including a career-high 315 in a win over Princeton, and 15 touchdowns. The Miami RedHawks commit was named the GCL-South co-offensive player of the year and was named to the all-district and all-state first teams.

Roman Garr, Colerain

Week 6 of the 2025 season saw Colerain win its first game in nearly three years. In Jordan Stevens' second season, the expectation is that the Cardinals will continue their upward trajectory. Garr was the third-leading passer in the Greater Miami Conference last year with 1,938 yards. His 10 touchdowns and nine interceptions as a sophomore showed he has a lot to learn, but his athleticism has already attracted a lot of college attention. He currently has seven Division I offers, including from Maryland, Wake Forest and Kent State.

Crue Gilmour, Lawrenceburg

Gilmour can do it all out of the backfield for the Tigers. As a junior, he threw for 1,897 yards and 26 touchdowns to just three interceptions, and ran for 764 yards and 11 touchdowns. Even though Lawrenceburg returns just two receivers who registered more than 100 yards last season, Gilmour will find a way to get the ball to the right teammate.

Levi Guttman, Cincinnati Country Day

He returns as one of the top returning passers in the Miami Valley Conference as the Nighthawks go for their fifth straight Gray Division title. His 206.5 passer rating led the entire conference while his 1,879 yards were third. He threw for 27 touchdowns and had multiple passing scores from week 2 through the end of the season. Guttman was also in the top five in the conference as a rusher, totaling 969 yards and eight touchdowns.

Nile Knutson, Lakota East

Starting at quarterback as a sophomore in the GMC isn't easy. Leading the league in passing yards is even tougher. But Knutson did both, throwing for 2,486 yards and 22 touchdowns as the Thunderhawks went 8-4 and advanced to the second round of the playoffs. The league will once again be very competitive, and with the graduation of running back Ryder Hooks, Lakota East's success could hinge on Knutson's performance.

Emmett Queen, Beechwood

At. 6-foot-3 and 215 pounds, the Wake Forest University commit has real poise in the pocket. He will once again have several elite options at receiver and running backs out of the backfield, but his 2025 completion percentage of 71.6 proves he can get the ball to any open teammate in a multitude of scenarios. As the Tigers advanced to the Class 2A state semifinals, he threw for 2,710 yards and 39 touchdowns to just two interceptions.

Owen Scalf, Anderson

An Anderson quarterback has led the Eastern Cincinnati Conference in passing yards in five of the last six seasons. That trend should continue as Scalf takes the field for his senior season. He threw for 4,961 yards and 41 touchdowns in 2025, including two 400-yard performances and four games with four touchdowns or more. He will face a tough test right off the bat as the Raptors host Louisville Trinity, but Anderson still looks like the top dog in the ECC.

Jackson Smith, Lakota West

Smith was part of a rotating cast of quarterbacks for the Firebirds in 2023 and 2024, including starting the first two games of the season as a freshman, but he took over the starting role as a junior. While Lakota West went 7-5 and advanced to the second round of the playoffs, Smith threw for 1,959 yards and 20 touchdowns. He had five interceptions but never more than one in a game, displaying his mature decision-making. He has seven offers, including from the University of Kentucky and Miami RedHawks, and is receiving attention from a host of high-major schools.

Additional quarterbacks to watch in 2026

Deon Bradford, Western Brown; Lucas Cannady, St. Bernard-Elmwood Place; Sean Clore, Loveland; Dylan Courtney, Covington Catholic; Sa'Vion Davis, Withrow; David Dupee, Wyoming; Brian Ferguson, Holy Cross; Garrett Fraley, La Salle; Josiah Jones, Winton Woods; Charlie Kantz, Taylor; Ar'Neil Khar, North College Hill; Brady Lawhon, Harrison; Gregory Marlow, Waynesville; Jayden McClain, Hamilton; Kemmarion McCray, Cincinnati College Prep; Hunter McLaughlin, Moeller; Max Miller, Springboro; Kolby Morgerson, Middletown; Lincoln Schreiber, Oak Hills; Tink Sellers, Deer Park; Landon Spaulding, Bishop Brossart; Grant Webb, Simon Kenton; Brady Young, New Richmond

Vote for the top quarterback in Greater Cincinnati high school football

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Vote for top quarterbacks in Greater Cincinnati high school football