The M2 Quarterback Academy held its annual showdown at Bryant University. The top quarterbacks in the region were on hand including: Tabor Academy’s Peter Bourque, St. John Prep’s Chris Vargas and Xaverian’s Will Wood. All three impressed but there several other quarterbacks that got my attention as well.
Here are some of the quarterbacks both Mike McCarthy and myself thought really stood out.
Peter Bourque, Tabor Academy, MA- The highest point total on the weekend and the highest pro day score. Bourque had a dominant performance coming off of the Elite 11 finals. He has competitive greatness, the bigger the moment, the better he gets.
Chris Vargas, St. John’s Prep, MA- Second highest point total on the weekend. Extremely impressive throwing to all three layers of the field. Showed why he is ranked #1 in the country in the Class of 2028. A great leader with a relentless work ethic.He showed off all of his skills both days.
Hudson Garrity, Milton Academy, MA- 2026 Showdown MVP. Garrity edged out Peter Bourque in the final 7v7 portion of the camp. He was extremely consistent throughout the weekend in a variety of drills, showcasing great accuracy & anticipation.
Lukas Prock, Hun School, NJ – The 4 star was only was able to attend Sunday but made a splash, earning the highest Day 2 score in the camp. Prock displays polished footwork, is a high level mover inside & out of the pocket, and controls tempo of his ball very well. He will continue to collect offers.
Matt Caissie, Natick- One of the top scorers of the weekend. Extremely smooth and fluid passer that throws with great touch. A quarterback that has made massive strides this offseason.
Jack Spear, Pingree, MA- Spear’s stock continues to rise. Great lower body twitch, live arm, infectious energy and was voted a top performer for the weekend. I was very impressed with the way he threw the ball on the move.
Jack Cullinan, Wellesley, MA- Cullinan was the AM Showdown MVP. He is a name to keep an eye on over the next few years. One of the hardest workers in our program, and he put on a show in the Finals of the AM camp
Nelson Martinez, Wyoming Seminary, PA- A Rhode Island Native that attends Wyoming Seminary in PA. Start to finish was consistently placing the ball in the right spot and earning a top performer award from the staff
James Smith (Brunswick, CT) – Smith threw the ball well with good timing and anticipation. He did a good job layering throws as well. Showed good arm strength as well.
Matt Pangaro (Taft, CT)- Really like Pangaro’s size and athleticism. He moves well out of the pocket and shows good touch and anticipation when throwing on the run. His ball placement and ability to put the ball in the right spot vertically also stood out.
Leo Puopolo (St. Paul’s, NH)- Impressive young quarterback who I thought moved well in the pocket during drills and showed good touch and anticipation on his throws.
Jace Lyons, Waltham- Really liked Lyons movement in the pocket drills and I thought he did a good job of driving the ball and placing it in the right spots.
John Stadler, Andover- Stadler has a solid weekend and built on a strong off-season. He moves well in drills, throws on the run on time and can add and subtract from his ball vertically.
Liam Polis, Boston College High School – I was again impressed with Polis. I saw him throw at the Catholic Conference Showcase and I liked his mechanics, arm talent and ability to manipulate the pocket. He dissent of the same things at the M2 Showdown.
Brody Zolak, King Philip- Zolak’s size stands out as he is a big pocket passer who can locate the deep ball and shows good timing and anticipation. Missed a couple of throws he should have made but overall a solid performance.
Caden Smith, Central Catholic- I just like the way Smith carries himself with poise and confidence. Threw the ball well and moved well in drills, a strength of his game as a passer.