The countdown to the 2026 high school football season is on.
San Joaquin County returns plenty of proven talent, but a new season also means new names, new opportunities and new players ready to break through.
Leading up to Week 0, The Record will highlight 10 players to watch at each position across the county.
We start under center.
Here are the top 10 quarterbacks to watch in San Joaquin County this fall.
Note: Players are listed in alphabetical order by last name.
Brady Brown, Tracy
Three varsity appearances as a freshman gave Brady Brown only a glimpse of what was ahead. Last season, he took over as Tracy’s full-time starting quarterback and showed poise in his first year leading the offense. The 6-foot-2, 165-pound junior threw for 1,199 yards and 15 touchdowns with eight interceptions, but his impact extended beyond his arm. Brown added 649 yards and six touchdowns on 114 carries, earning second-team All-TCAL honors.
Brody Carabello, Manteca
Perfect seasons weren’t limited to Manteca’s varsity team last fall. While Owen Gully threw for 1,557 yards, 27 touchdowns and just two interceptions while leading the Buffaloes to their first perfect regular season since 2006, Brody Carabello was leading the junior varsity team to a 10-0 record of its own. Now, the 5-foot-6, 165-pound quarterback gets his opportunity at the varsity level, where coach Mark Varnum’s “electric athlete” and Division I baseball prospect will take over the offense.
Ronan Carr, St. Mary’s
For two years, Ronan Carr watched and learned behind a starting quarterback who threw for 4,723 yards and 49 touchdowns while helping St. Mary’s bring Stockton its first state championship. His opportunity has finally arrived. The 6-foot-1, 195-pound senior takes over the offense after completing 17 of 33 passes for 95 yards, one touchdown and one interception in five appearances, but coach Tony Franks has seen enough to believe Carr is ready for the job. “He’s a gifted athlete,” Franks said. “He’s super bright, throws a great ball, and very accurate. He understands our offense. He’s going to do an excellent job of running our offense.”
Daryl Carpenter, River Island
Taking over a program coming off a 2-8 inaugural season, Daryl Carpenter gave River Islands a playmaker behind center. The 5-foot-11, 175-pound quarterback threw for 1,579 yards and 10 touchdowns as a junior, then added 413 rushing yards and six more scores as the Riptide improved to 3-6. The record didn’t keep Carpenter’s production from being recognized, either, as he earned first-team All-Mother Lode League honors entering his senior season.
Jake Ferreira, Escalon
Jake Ferreira did a little bit of everything for Escalon last season, rushing for 122 yards, passing for 54 and catching 110 yards. Now, the 5-foot-10, 170-pound junior takes over for Logan Huebner, who totaled 1,650 passing yards, 20 touchdowns, 438 rushing yards and four rushing scores. “He can do it all and do it all with the best of them,” coach Andrew Beam said. “He’s an absolute speedster and one of the fastest players in our program’s history.”
Ayden McClendon, Edison
A new era has arrived at Edison after the departure of longtime coach Booker Guyton and the graduation of two-year starting quarterback Devin Rasmussen, a St. Mary’s transfer who finished with 5,334 career passing yards and 61 total touchdowns. But first-year coach Eric Crocker may already have his next quarterback in sophomore Ayden McClendon. The “pure thrower,” as Crocker describes him, led Edison to the championship in every tournament it entered this summer and flashed his speed at the Rivals camp, clocking a laser-timed 4.53-second 40-yard dash that was the fastest among 88 quarterbacks.
Julian Perez, Lincoln
After a breakout junior season, Julian Perez returns for one more year leading Lincoln’s offense. The 6-foot-1, 180-pound senior enters his third season as the starting quarterback with 4,862 career passing yards and 50 touchdowns, including 2,981 yards, 33 touchdowns and 13 interceptions last year. That production caught the attention of Fresno State, Idaho, Sacramento State, Cal Poly and Eastern Washington, and another big season could turn some of that interest into offers.
Andrew Shaw, Ripon
Coach Cole Williams expects big things from Andrew Shaw in his final season at Ripon. The 5-foot-11, 175-pound quarterback threw for 1,080 yards and 10 touchdowns with five interceptions last year, enough for Williams to say Shaw should be in the “running for TVL League MVP if all goes as planned for him.” But his arm tells only part of the story. Shaw used his speed to rush for 525 yards and 12 touchdowns.
Josiah Van Vliet, Ripon Christian
The first glimpse of Ripon Christian’s next quarterback came in last year’s CIF Sac-Joaquin Section Division VI championship game. Josiah Van Vliet went 2 of 3 for 5 yards after three-year starter Mason Tameling went down with an injury. Now, the 6-foot-2, 185-pound senior takes over after finishing last season 6 of 7 for 99 yards and a touchdown, replacing a quarterback who totaled 5,216 career yards and 72 touchdowns.
Elijah Walker, Chavez
Elijah Walker took over Chavez’s offense as a freshman and hasn’t stopped winning since, guiding the Titans to back-to-back league titles and the first undefeated regular season in program history. Now entering his junior year, the 5-foot-10, 155-pound quarterback already has 4,745 career passing yards, 66 touchdowns and just 13 interceptions. Walker threw for 2,738 yards with only five interceptions last season while accounting for 36 total touchdowns.
This article originally appeared on The Record: San Joaquin County high school football 2026: Top 10 quarterbacks
Reporting by Dylan Ackermann, The Stockton Record / The Record
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Dylan Ackermann, The Stockton Record | USA TODAY Network
