Narrowing down 10 to spotlight is very hard, as the area has many experienced and talented players under center who should have great seasons.
The calendar turning to August means the high school football season is around the corner. Teams start scrimmaging next week, and the first regular-season games in Ohio, Indiana and Kentucky are three weeks away, on August 22.
With that in mind, here is another of the Enquirer's position previews, the quarterbacks. Special teams standouts are coming next week. Here is a running list of previous position outlooks, features and league previews that will frequently be updated.
Here are the top QBs in Greater Cincinnati this fall. Narrowing down 10 to spotlight is extremely difficult, as the area has many experienced and talented players under center who should have great seasons. You can vote for your favorite at the end of the article once an hour until 4 p.m. August 7.
Bryshawn Brown, Winton Woods
The 6-foot-6 senior committed to Northern Illinois in June. He helped the Warriors finish 10-2 as they fell to St. Xavier in the second round of the Division I playoffs. Playing for a defense-oriented Warriors team, Brown threw for 1,461 yards and 14 touchdowns. He completed 60% of his passes and only had four interceptions. He also rushed for five scores and has added 40 pounds to his frame.
Devlan Daniel, Indian Hill
The junior was one of the top running backs in the city, if not the state, last season, but he is now in this list as he will be starting under center for the Braves.
He rushed for 2,260 yards and 34 touchdowns last season, helping the Braves to a 9-4 record and the third round of the playoffs. An explosive playmaker, he had several long TD runs during the season. He has at least six Division I offers in football: Bowling Green, Cincinnati, Liberty, Miami (Fla.), Miami (Ohio) and Toledo.
Head coach John Rodenberg has decided to have him use his strong arm on the football field the same way he does in baseball, where he is ranked the No. 1 player in Ohio and the No. 54 player nationally for the class of 2027, according to Prep Baseball Report. Daniel pitches for the Braves and played outfield and shortstop in 2025, helping Indian Hill to the Division IV state semifinals. He was clocked throwing 100 mph with a crow hop from the outfield in February. Off the mound, he was clocked at 91 mph just under a year ago.
Time will tell what his statistics look like this season, but Daniel’s talent should give Indian Hill another shot at the Cincinnati Hills League title and a long DIV playoff run. IH lost in the third round of the playoffs last season.
Luke Faler, Lebanon
The three-year starter completed 65.6% of his passes, helping the Warriors finish 7-5 and win a playoff game for the first time in 22 years. He threw for 2,007 yards and 17 touchdowns, and also rushed for 302 yards and five scores. Faler, 6-foot-1, 185 pounds, was first team Eastern Cincinnati Conference, and honorable mention all-district. Micah Faler, Lebanon's head coach, said Luke is an accurate passer who can also use his legs, but his best attribute might be his football IQ, especially where the quarterback position is concerned.
Cash Harney, Covington Catholic
An All-NKY first teamer, Harney led the Colonels to 11 straight wins between two season-opening losses and a loss in the Class 4A state semifinals. He also showed off his athleticism on the hardwood, averaging 15.8 points per game for the Covington Catholic basketball team this past winter.
He threw for 1,303 yards, 13 touchdowns and only two interceptions, completing 58 percent of his passes. On the ground, he rushed for 1,476 yards and 19 TDs. Running an offense also led by senior running back Dylan Gaiser (1,378 yards, 15 TDs), Harney and the Colonels were a top-20 offense in Kentucky.
Carson Harris, Batavia
The 6-foot, 195-pound senior led the Bulldogs to their best season in more than a decade, finishing 8-3 and second place in the Southern Buckeye-American. He led the Bulldogs to their first eight-win season since 2012, earning first-team all-district and second-team all-state honors in Division III.
Harris directed the offense to 43 points per game. He completed 63% of his passes, totaling 3,623 yards and 42 touchdowns. He also rushed for 550 yards and six TDs.
Batavia head coach Wayne Stacy said Harris is an extremely accurate passer with the legs to extend plays and the mind to make the right throw. He is getting interest from Division III schools.
Mario Litmer, Highlands
The 6-foot, 180-pound senior had a breakout season in 2024, his first as the full-time starter for the Bluebirds program which is known for outstanding QBs. He threw for 33 touchdowns and 2,791 yards, completing 68% of his passes and leading the Bluebirds to an 11-3 record. Highlands lost to Cooper in the 5A regional finals after also falling to the Jaguars in the regular season.
Hayden Sphire, an assistant coach for Highlands, said Litmer possesses dynamic traits necessary for a modern day spread quarterback. He's efficient with his arm, , and a nightmare for opposing defenses with his legs.
Cam O’Hara, Cooper
The senior quarterback threw for a whopping 3,617 yards and 52 touchdowns as a junior, leading the Jaguars to the KHSAA Class 5A state championship game. Cooper averaged 44 points per game last year.
He took over the Northern Kentucky records for career passing yards (8,998) and touchdowns (120). In 41 career starts, O'Hara has seven 300-yard games and 25 games with at least three touchdowns.
O’Hara has committed to Western Kentucky University.
“He understands the offense; he understands what we want. As far as mechanics, we really haven't taught him anything in four years. He was such a natural, gifted quarterback from the beginning," Cooper head coach Randy Borchers said.
The Jaguars will have a new-look offense in 2025 as seven of nine Jaguars who caught a pass in 2024 were seniors.
Matt Ponatoski, Moeller
The reigning Ohio Mr. Football and University of Kentucky two-sport commit (along with baseball) was always going to be a lock for this list.
The one thing Ponatoski has not accomplished in a Moeller uniform is winning a state championship in either sport. Crusader football was Division I state runner-up last season after falling in the semifinals in 2023. The baseball team has been shut out in the regional finals the last two seasons.
“I don't want to be the guy who came through Moeller and was really good but never won a state championship," Ponatoski told the Enquirer in July. "At the end of the day, it's about the team."
He threw for 4,217 yards, 57 touchdowns (both single-season school records) and three interceptions last season, and on Sept. 20 last year he became Moeller’s all-time leader in career passing yards and TDs. He threw for four or more touchdowns nine times last season, including five on three different occasions, and a school-record six against St. Xavier in the regular season and Centerville in the state semis.
Moeller graduated its top three receivers from last season but Ponatoski will still have talented targets, led by future DI tight ends Cooper McCutchan (North Carolina) and Sam Hamilton (West Virginia).
Griffin Ridner Richard, CHCA
At 6-foot-5, 191 pounds, the senior is one of the tallest QBs in Greater Cincinnati. He led the Eagles to a 9-2 record as a junior, throwing for 1,909 yards and 23 touchdowns, completing 64% of his passes and throwing only six interceptions. CHCA averaged 44 points per game.
CHCA coach Calvin Renfroe said Ridner Richard is a rare combination of size, athleticism and intelligence. He is a true competitor who is only beginning to show what he is capable of being on the football field.
Monsanna Torbert, Taft
The junior led the Senators to a 12-3 record and their first trip to the Division IV state semifinals last season. Torbert threw for 1,885 yards and 23 touchdowns as a sophomore.
Torbert, who is being recruited as an athlete, already has seven Power Four offers from schools including Cincinnati, Indiana, Iowa and Kentucky. Last season, he completed 71.1% of his passes for 23 touchdowns to just two interceptions. He also rushed 69 times for 824 yards (11.9 YPC) and 10 touchdowns, all of that while missing three games in the middle of the season.
“He's elite with the ball in his hand,” said Taft head coach Tyler Williams. “His vision is top level, top notch. He'll be very exciting to watch this year. Great motor. He’ll be playing three or four different positions this year just because he's so vital. You want the ball in his hand. You want him on defense. You want him making plays.”
Other quarterbacks on the radar for the 2025 season
Colton Abner, New Richmond; Elijah Barhorst, Pendleton County; Brayden Behymer, Blanchester; De’Angelo Birch, Mason; Lucas Cannady, St. Bernard-Elmwood Place; David Dupee, Wyoming; Kaden Estep, Elder; Kaleb Evans, Lloyd Memorial; Mason Fields, Dixie Heights; Roman Garr, Colerain; Crue Gilmour, Lawrenceburg; Charlie Kantz, Taylor; Nolan Maple, East Central; Gregory Marlow, Waynesville; Brian McGrady, Shroder; Emmanuel Miles, Newport Central Catholic; Grant Nurre, Kings; Jax Pryor, Bethel-Tate; Emmett Queen, Beechwood; Owen Scalf, Anderson; Tink Sellers, Deer Park; Bubba Smart, Roger Bacon; Jackson Smith, Lakota West; Andre Underwood, Aiken; Nathan Verax, Ryle; Braeden Wallace, Madeira; Kaden Zantene, Clinton-Massie.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: The top quarterbacks in Greater Cincinnati high school football
Category: General Sports
