With the 2025 football season rapidly approaching, The Sporting News is taking a look at the top returning players by region and position.
This list takes a look at the top 20 quarterbacks to watch in South Texas, back in order to help lead their teams to glory. This list includes several signal-callers who were either MVP’s or first-team All-District selections along with some promising underclassmen.
(This list is in alphabetical order)
Quincy Bess, Sinton, So.
Bess saw limited action as a freshman, but did have a few moments. One such instance was an early November win against Robstown in which he rushed for 151 yards and four TDs. Bess now takes over as the starter for a Pirate team coming off a 13-1 season and returning seven other starters on offense, so he will now be tasked with keeping things humming along.
Gavin Cisneros, Brownsville St. Joseph, Sr.
Cisneros enters his third year to start behind center for the Bloodhounds. As a junior, he completed 64% of his passes, throwing for nearly 1,700 yards and 14 TDs as well as garnering nearly 860 yards on the ground with nine more trips to the end zone. His role might be more pivotal this season with St. Joseph having graduated two NCAA Division I signees from its offense.
Kane Coy, McAllen Memorial, Sr.
Last season, Coy passed for 788 yards and 13 TDs for the Mustangs, who went 7-4. He added 250 yards rushing with five TDs. The Mustangs have higher aspirations in 2025, as Coy is one of nine starters back on offense.
Trevin Crowley, Robstown, Jr.
Crowley is one of the top Class of ’27 signal callers to watch in the entire state. He is coming off a sophomore campaign in which he completed 138-of-235 passes for 1,664 yards and 11 TDs while adding six more TDs rushing for the Cottonpickers. He was selected first-team All-District.
Lucian Cruz, Corpus Christi Flour Bluff, Sr.
The past two seasons, Cruz threw for more than 2,100 yards on each occasion playing at Alice before transferring to Flour Bluff in the offseason. He’s now joining a Hornet squad seeking to win their fourth straight district title after going 12-2 in 2024.
Daren Garcia, Pharr-San Juan-Alamo North, Sr.
Garcia has become a threat with both his arm and feet for the Raiders, who are seeking their fourth straight district title. Last season, Garcia passed for 861 yards and 12 TDs while adding 542 yards and nine more scores. He’s also an elite baseball player, finishing his junior year batting .515.
Elijah Garza, Roma, Sr.
It was a transition period for both Garza and the Gladiators last season. He was thrust into the starting quarterback role and was able to generate more than 610 total yards for a squad that saw its run of consecutive postseason appearances come to an end. But with several starters returning on both sides, and a year’s worth of experience behind center, Garza is ready to lead Roma back to postseason contention.
William Goodloe, Mission Pioneer, Sr.
One of the top athletic standouts in the Rio Grande Valley, Goodloe accounted for 1,765 total yards for the Diamondbacks, who finished 8-4 a season ago. He passed for 954 yards and 12 TDs and added 831 yards and nine more TDs running with the ball.
Calvin Harris, Mission Sharyland, Sr.
Harris made quite an impact in his first full season as a starter last season, throwing for 2,947 yards while completing 66% of his attempts (210-of-319) en route to being named the District 15-5A Offensive MVP. He also threw 30 TD passes, 11 of those coming on back-to-back wins in which the Rattlers scored at least 50 points. Harris is one of seven returning starters on offense determined to lead Sharyland to greater heights in ’25.
Jorge Luna, Laredo United, Sr.
As a junior, Luna was named first-team All-District 30-6A quarterback after throwing for 2,256 yards and 25 TDs, highlighted by a 362-yard 5-TD performance in a decisive late October win against Eagle Pass. He also brings back his favorite weapon in receiver Colt Lozano, the district’s Offensive MVP after catching 13 TD passes.
Alexander Manning, Corpus Christi London, Sr.
Manning posted solid numbers in his junior season for the Pirates. He threw for 2,324 yards and 22 TDs and also added seven more scores rushing, gaining nearly 425 yards. Manning is back for a Pirate team that made the playoffs, but is now determined to contend in District 15-3A Division I.
Christopher Mena, Crystal City, Sr.
Mena returns for a Javelinas team that is sporting high hopes. Eight starters are back on both sides of the ball for a team that finished 8-3 a season ago. In that campaign, Mena passed for nearly 1,600 yards and 11 TDs while adding six more TDs on the ground.
Braxton Montalvo, Bishop, Jr.
In his sophomore campaign, Montalvo was named first-team All-District 16-3A Region IV quarterback. He threw for 1,945 yards and 18 TDs to help lead the Badgers to a 6-1 record in district play and their fourth straight trip to the postseason. In a win against Falfurrias which clinched the district title, Montalvo passed for 282 yards and five TDs, completing 66.7% of his attempts. Montalvo will be one of seven returning starters for Bishop, seeking to build off of last season.
Savon Nixon-Thompson, Karnes City, Sr.
Nixon-Thompson is one of seven returning starters on offense back for the Badgers, who missed a postseason berth despite finishing 6-4 a year ago. But Nixon-Thompson posted solid numbers as a dual-threat QB, passing for 1,240 yards and 12 TDs while adding more than 600 yards on the ground and nine scores.
Robert Pineda, Los Fresnos, Sr.
Pineda was the unanimous choice for the MVP out of District 32-6A last season, and with good reason. He accounted for 3,108 total yards and 44 total TDs, 22 each throwing and running. On the passing side, he threw for 1,720 yards and had 1,388 more yards on the ground for a Falcons squad that finished 10-2.
Lane Ranly, Agua Dulce, Sr.
Angela Piazza/Corpus Christi Caller-Times/USA TODAY NETWORK
Ranly completed 63% of his passes his junior season, generating 1,828 yards and 19 TDs while adding three more TDs on the ground. He’s back to help the Longhorns build off of last season’s 8-3 finish as several other key skill position starters return.
Dylan Rodriguez, Pharr-San Juan-Alamo, Jr.
Though he played backup duty as a sophomore, Rodriguez still threw for 360 yards and four TDs. Now, he’s in the role as the Bears’ starting signal-caller, and Rodriguez is tasked with helping PSJA claim a third straight district championship.
Tyler Ruiz, San Benito, Sr.
While Ruiz is the team’s QB1, he can also be used in a variety of other ways on the Greyhounds’ offense. He accounted for nearly 1,100 yards of total offense by passing, running and even catching the football. Ruiz wants to increase those numbers while getting San Benito back into the playoffs in ’25.
RJ Salinas, Odem, Sr.
Last season, the Owls finished 8-3 and Salinas was a key contributor. He threw for 1,336 yards, completing 64% of his passes (113-of-178) and notching 10 TDs, In a decisive October win against Monte Alto, Odem completed 8-of-9 passes for 177 yards and three scores.
Hassan Woolery, Harlingen, So.
This rising star made an immediate impact as a freshman, not with a pass but with his feet. The first time he touched the ball, Woolery dashed 61 yards to the house, and he went on to score four more rushing TDs while accounting for nearly 500 total yards. But that freshman season was cut short due to an ACL injury suffered during the Cardinals’ opening district game. Healthy, though, Woolery is out to take Harlingen to higher places after last season’s bi-district playoff finish.
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