There are some unusual storylines when looking at the quarterback situations at Livingston County football teams heading into the 2026 season.
Howell will go with a quarterback who hasn’t started a varsity game in three years. Pinckney has two quarterbacks who have had 1,000-yard passing seasons.
Three quarterback battles appear to be settled, while two are open competitions as teams prepare for the official start of practice on Aug. 10 and season openers on Aug.27.
Here’s a look at the quarterback scenarios for the county’s five teams:
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Brighton
Brighton’s quarterback position is settled for not just this season, but next year as well.
Dom D’Agosta was in a battle for the starting job as a sophomore going into the 2025 season before senior Tayden Plave got the start for the opener against Dexter. When Plave sustained a season-ending injury in that game, D’Agosta’s growth was accelerated as he took over as the Bulldogs’ QB1 the rest of the season.
D’Agosta started 10 games, including two playoff games, while putting up some of the best numbers by a Livingston County quarterback. His 1,679 yards rank 11th in county history and his 15 touchdown passes are in the top 20.
He’s put on some size after playing at 5-foot-9, 150 pounds last year.
“Physically, he’s starting to fit the part,” Brighton coach Brian Lemons said. “He’s got some tools he possesses now and his body is getting into the right spot. He’s going to have a pretty good year.”
D’Agosta didn’t run nearly as much as past Brighton quarterbacks last year, carrying the ball only nine times, but he didn’t have to with classmate Dom Nauss in the backfield.
Senior Sam Alamat, who threw one pass for five yards last year, is expected to be D’Agosta’s backup.
Fowlerville
It will be a daunting task for Fowlerville to replace Sam Shrader, who broke a school record set in 1967 when he threw for 20 touchdown passes last season. He also threw for a school-record 1,507 yards, despite missing one game with an injury.
The battle to replace Shrader is between juniors Jaxon Murray and Kellen Douglass. Freshman Larson O’Neil is a promising passer (and, yes, a wrestler like his older brothers) who will likely start the season on the junior varsity and come up to varsity as a fifth-quarter player.
The Gladiators lack varsity experience at the quarterback position. Murray was 2-for-2 for three yards in limited action backing up Shrader last season. Douglass sustained a broken collarbone in Fowlerville’s preseason scrimmage.
“They’re two different types of quarterbacks,” first-year Fowlerville head coach Zack Douglass said. “Jaxon is more of a pocket passer. Kellen is more of a dual threat, very mobile, a very capable passer as well. We may use both in games or it may be a situation where we have one quarterback in the end, because both do bring different attributes to the game.”
Whoever wins the starting job will be throwing to an entirely new set of receivers. The Gladiators’ returning cast combined for only six catches for 24 yards and no touchdowns last year, while Fowlerville graduated 128 catches for 1,514 yards and 20 touchdowns.
Hartland
Senior Logan Morrish was Hartland’s backup quarterback last season and the presumptive favorite to take over behind center this year, but junior Matthew Ross is also pushing to be the starter. Ross was the junior varsity starter last season.
Morrish, who was Hartland’s punter last year, saw little action at quarterback behind 2026 graduate Michael Elliott. Morrish threw two passes, completing one for zero yards. He ran three times for minus-one yards.
One major intangible Morrish has going for him is the respect of the locker room as a team leader. He assumed the leadership role on the basketball team last winter when star Parker Sundman suffered a season-ending injury, leading the Eagles to KLAA West and district championships as the primary ballhandler and scorer.
“He has good vision,” Hartland coach Aaron Metz said. “Just like in basketball where he sees the floor, he sees the field in football. He’s really worked on becoming a leader and just stepping up.
“He’s been showing up all offseason with his busy AAU basketball travel schedule. He’s a basketball-first kid, which is great. He’s doing everything football wise to help make us competitive. He’s a quality person and good leader who has pressure experience from basketball.”
Metz describes Ross as “a good athlete, very athletic. He’s a baseball player, a multi-sport kid. He’s more of a dual-threat quarterback probably.”
Also in the mix is senior Coen Chwalek, who played receiver last season and who led the team in tackles and interceptions at safety. Chwalek also plays basketball and lacrosse.
“Just another competitor, another darn good athlete,” Metz said.
Howell
Palmer VanDeven looked like Howell’s quarterback of the future when he got some starts as a freshman three years ago.
And he was the Highlanders’ future quarterback. It just took longer than expected.
Preston Barb, one of four quarterbacks to start games during the 2023 season, won the starting job in 2024 and won a school-record 21 games during his career. He led Howell to two KLAA championships and three playoff victories.
VanDeven found a role as a running back in Howell’s crowded backfield while waiting for the opportunity to return under center for his senior year.
It’s now VanDeven’s time to shine after becoming only the third Livingston County freshman to start at quarterback. He was joined in that group by Pinckney’s Jax Raymond later that year and Pinckney’s Easton McGlothin last season.
VanDeven was 11-for-19 for 128 yards as a freshman and 4-for-6 for 76 yards the last two years in Howell’s run-first offense. He ran 46 times for 234 yards and a touchdown last season, with 114 of those yards coming against Salem.
He is expected to run the ball much more than Barb did the last two years.
“This is a kid that’s just battled,” Howell coach Brian Lewis said. “It hasn’t always been the easiest path for him. There were a lot of moments of doubt, I’m sure. The kid really persevered and showed some real toughness and grit and some real team qualities being able to move positions and go play.
“Calvin University loves him and other colleges see value in Palmer. This is just the beginning for him in football. All of these experiences will make him better at the next level.”
Junior Gavin Allen and sophomore Levi Racey, who split time on J.V. last season, will back up VanDeven.
Pinckney
It’s an extremely rare situation when a team brings back two quarterbacks from within who have had 1,000-yard seasons during their careers.
Jax Raymond threw for 1,035 yards in 2023 and 1,486 in 2024 before suffering a broken collarbone in the third game of 2025. With 2,887 yards and 26 touchdowns in his career, Raymond should break the school records of 3,459 yards and 31 touchdowns set from 2011-13 by current coach Buck West.
Raymond will get the opportunity to do so because he will remain the starting quarterback, despite an impressive freshman season from Easton McGlothin. McGlothin was 95-for-182 for 1,382 yards, 14 touchdowns and 10 interceptions.
“Jax is probably going to come out and start,” West said. “A little difference between last year and this year is we will probably have packages put in for Easton. We’ll see him more in a defensive role and maybe some at receiver this year.
“It makes it super easy to not have to fill such an important position as quarterback. We’re really blessed at Pinckney to have such a strong tradition of quarterbacks. Jax is super easy to teach, super coachable, really eager to not just play football at this level but the next. He has graduate-level thinking. Easton is a classic example of a gamer. He’s going to go out there and give it his best and not be afraid to take advantage of opportunities.”
As is the case at Fowlerville, Pinckney’s quarterbacks will be throwing to a completely revamped receiving corps. The Pirates graduated players who combined for 125 catches for 1,770 yards and 19 touchdowns and bring back only two players who caught a pass, combining for eight catches and 96 yards.
Contact Bill Khan at wkhan@livingstondaily.com. Follow him on X @BillKhan
This article originally appeared on Livingston Daily: How are Livingston County football quarterback battles shaping up?
Reporting by Bill Khan, Livingston Daily / Livingston Daily
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By Bill Khan, Livingston Daily | USA TODAY Network
