The time we’ve all been waiting for will soon arrive.
High school football is back.
With the 2026-27 FHSAA athletic calendar officially getting underway last week with the start of fall practice, the excitement, sights and sounds from Friday Night Lights will soon follow.
Most teams will play their respective preseason Kickoff Classic games next week before kicking off the regular season the following week. For SSAA teams, the real season begins next week.
As that journey begins, TCPalm is forecasting the players who are expected to shine at their respective positions during that stretch. Whether they’ve put up solid stats in previous seasons or drawn the interest of schools at the next level, these athletes are expected to have starring roles in 2026.
We’ll break down all position groups, from skill positions to the guys in the trenches. Today, we start with the players taking the snaps.
Here are TCPalm’s best area quarterbacks entering the 2026 season, in alphabetical order.
Best Florida high school football QBs on the Treasure Coast for 2026
Drew LaPlante, Sr., Fort Pierce Central
In his first season as the team’s starter, LaPlante helped the Cobras double their win total from the previous season and reach the regional semifinals in 2025. He also made history in the process, setting a program record with 31 passing touchdowns, six of which came in the postseason. LaPlante completed 68% of his passes for just less than 2,400 yards. He threw a touchdown pass in all but one game.
2025 stats: 149-for-219, 2,396 yds, 31 TD, 5 INT
Dre Lott, Jr., Jensen Beach
Lott didn’t open the season as the team’s starter, but he took over the role after just one game. He led the Falcons to their third district title in the last four years, putting together his best performance in the district decider against John Carroll Catholic. Lott, who is also a key player on the school’s basketball team, went 9-for-15 passing with two touchdowns and no interceptions. He also ran in a two-point conversion, which proved to be the difference.
2025 stats: 66-for-123, 1,089 yds, 12 TD, 3 INT, 1 Rush TD
Manny Louis Jr., Sr., Martin County
In his first full season as the No. 1 option, Louis didn’t put up eye-popping numbers as he occasionally gave way to backup quarterback Kellen Cockrell. But the team captain showed up when it mattered most. Louis tossed the game-winning touchdown pass in the final seconds against Heritage to clinch a district title. He did it again one week later, this time against Jensen Beach to clinch the county title.
2025 stats: 73-for-170, 1,083 yds, 10 TD, 6 INT; 61 car, 311 yds, 3 TD
Champ Monds, Sr., Vero Beach
In some ways, 2025 was a year to forget for one of the top quarterbacks in the country. Monds missed the majority of last season with multiple injuries, appearing in just five games and still accountied for eight total touchdowns. Reclassified at the start of the calendar year, Monds will spend just one more season at Vero before heading up to South Bend. The 6-foot-3, 230-pound quarterback committed to Notre Dame on ESPN earlier this spring. He chose the Irish over Ohio State and Florida State.
2025 stats: 45-for-63, 691 yds, 7 TD, 0 INT; 9 car, 33 yds, TD
Champ Smith, Sr., South Fork
In his lone season at Cocoa, Smith had an up-and-down junior campaign, getting off to a slow start while not at 100% percent health. He heated up and rebounded as the season wore on, leading the Tigers to a regional title and to the state semifinals. One of the key transfers to start Eric Kresser’s tenure as Bulldogs head coach, Smith is committed to play collegiately at Harvard.
2025 stats (with Cocoa): 206-for-349, 2,350 yds, 14 TD, 13 INT; 48 car, 193 yds, TD
Patrick Bernadeau is a sports reporter for Treasure Coast Newspapers. He can be reached at 772-985-9692, on X at @PatBernadeau or via email at pbernadeau@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: 5 area quarterbacks to watch for the 2026 high school football season
Reporting by Patrick Bernadeau, Treasure Coast Newspapers / Treasure Coast Newspapers
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Patrick Bernadeau, Treasure Coast Newspapers | USA TODAY Network
