Regardless of how the transfer portal has transformed college football, at least in the FCS ranks, recruiting the high school level of football remains a vital pipeline for talent.
Sure, FCS programs take their share of FBS transfers, but they’ll also continue to take that undersized young man at 17 years old who grows four inches and packs on 50 pounds of good weight thanks to a professional workout regimen and diet. That’s how so many FCS products go from walk-ons to potential all-conference picks.
Coming into the later signing period for 2025, we decided to look at some of the most coveted prospects who ultimately ended up signing or committing to the FCS so far.
Today, we take a look at the quarterbacks.
Hey, Cam Ward and Shedeur Sanders both started college at this level – could one of these guys end up being a Heisman Candidate one day, or maybe win the FCS’ version of player of the year, the Walter Payton Award?
THE TOP 5
NOTE: These are the incoming freshmen (not transfer portal candidates) who have either already signed during the early signing period in December, or are committed to sign in the next signing period beginning in February.
NO. 1 – Jamar Malone
FCS CHOICE: Sacramento State
OTHER TOP CHOICES: Tennessee, Oregon, Cal, Iowa State, Miami (Fla.), Louisville, TCU, Utah, Virginia Tech, among others
THE BREAKDOWN?: Malone, a dual-threat style quarterback originally from Alabama who some colleges could see manning multiple positions on the field, became Sacramento State’s biggest gem recruit ever when he committed to the Hornets and new head coach Brennan Marion, who knew Malone from the coach’s past stop as the offensive coordinator at UNLV. Marion was recently an OC at the FCS level at Howard and William & Mary and has already had an exciting first offseason with the Hornets – who’ve been one of the more successful post-COVID programs in the FCS. It’s worth noting, again, Malone is committed – not signed.
NO. 2 – Wyatt Horton
FCS CHOICE: Idaho State
OTHER TOP CHOICES: Washington State, Army, Navy, Utah State, 5 FCS schools
THE BREAKDOWN?: Horton, an Arizona product, has already signed with the Bengals and hopes to be one of the big reasons the program busts out of the bottom half of a brutally competitive Big Sky Conference and begins to inch its way into playoff contention. To give you an idea of what Horton has going for him, both Army and Navy – who arguably had their best combined season since the 1940s or 50s – really liked Horton. And if you remember, the academies played very well this year predominantly because of QB play. Horton threw for nearly 8,000 yards in his final three varsity seasons, with 85 TDs, while rushing for 1,376 more and 17.
“Army and Navy were two schools that offered, not so much as an option type but just everything, and the same with ISU,” Horton told HERO Sports. “I’m a QB that can run when I need to.”
NO. 3 – Austyn Modrzewski
FCS CHOICE: South Dakota
OTHER TOP CHOICES: Kentucky, Eastern Kentucky
THE BREAKDOWN?: Modrzewski, a two-time Gatorade State Football Player of the Year in Colorado, chose the Coyotes early, and he has signed early when he had a chance to back in December. He is the gem of an impressive class, which is not surprising when you consider how much South Dakota has emerged in recent years among the FCS elite. This past year, he threw for 3,407 yards and a Colorado state record 57 touchdowns – completing 73.4 percent of his attempts. He finished his career with state records of 11,911 yards and 147 TDs.
NO. 4 – Zander Smith
FCS CHOICE: North Dakota State
OTHER TOP CHOICES: Kansas, Indiana, 3 G5 offers, 5 FCS offers
THE BREAKDOWN?: At 6-foot-3, 220 pounds, Smith looks like a guy who could play linebacker as well as quarterback – but make no mistake, he made his name in Florida at perennial national superpower Lakeland High School while throwing the ball around. He passed for more than 8,000 yards and 80 touchdowns for the Dreadnaughts, and he has brought state championship quality to the Central Florida town.
NO. 5 – Finley Polk
FCS CHOICE: Gardner-Webb
OTHER TOP CHOICES: Georgia Southern, 6 FCS schools
THE BREAKDOWN?: Polk, a South Carolina native from just south of Charlotte who won’t have to drive far to hit GWU in North Carolina, led his high school team to a state championship this past fall. In the final three years of varsity football, Polk threw for 9,871 yards and 121 touchdowns with only 24 interceptions. He’s a great example of where the Runnin’ Bulldogs are heading.
THE NEXT 5
NO. 6 – Ethan Drumm
FCS CHOICE: Wofford
OTHER TOP CHOICES: Georgia State, East Carolina, Florida Atlantic, Ga. Southern, Western Kentucky
NO. 7 – Chanston Crosby
FCS CHOICE: North Carolina Central
OTHER TOP CHOICES: 7 G5 program offers
NO. 8 – Jack Callaghan
FCS CHOICE: Richmond
OTHER TOP CHOICES: Virginia Tech, Western Michigan, Temple, 4 FCS
NO. 9 – Charlie Smith
FCS CHOICE: Harvard
OTHER TOP CHOICES: 7 G5 offers, 6 FCS offers
NO. 10 – River Warren
FCS CHOICE: Montana State
OTHER TOP CHOICES: 7 G5 offers
JUST MISSED:
Jayce Nixon, Northern Iowa; Axel Eason, UC Davis; Jackson Kilburg, Colgate; Kingston Tisdell, Weber State; Anthony Quinones, Eastern Washington
