Brock Huard, Matt Leinart, Todd Marinovich, Colton Nussmeier, Carson Palmer, Chad Pennington, Philip Rivers, Akili Smith and Marques Tuiasosopo are all former NFL quarterbacks with sons currently playing the same position at the high school level.
Akili Smith Jr. is among the second generation standouts. The 6-foot-5, 200-pound senior is starring at
Lincoln (San Diego, Calif.), where his father played, and has committed to Oregon. Akili Smith played two seasons for the Ducks before becoming the third pick in the 1999 NFL Draft after throwing for nearly 4,000 yards as a senior.
Luke Pennington, a Dayton commit, is a two-sport standout who also is coached by his father at
Sayre (Lexington, Ky.). Chad Pennington played 11 years in the NFL veteran and burst onto
the scene at Marshall with Randy Moss in the late 1990s.
Read on for a deeper look at sons of NFL quarterbacks under center at the high school level.
Akili Smith Jr. is among nine other high school quarterbacks who have former NFL standouts as fathers. Smith Jr. is starring at Lincoln in San Diego and committed to Oregon, just like his dad. (Photo: Michael Manzano)
Sons of NFL quarterbacks playing the same position in high school.
The freshman
has spent time on JV and varsity, throwing for 52 yards on 4 of 5
passing. Valor Christian is 7-1 and perennially one of the top programs in Colorado. He already holds an offer from
Stetson. In addition to his father Brock, the athletic family includes his sister Macey, who is a
sophomore basketball player at Oklahoma State.
After a pair of transfers, the junior has played in four games with the Sea Hawks this season after waiting a sit-out period. Leinart has thrown for 573 yards and seven touchdowns. He holds offers from Colorado, Georgia State, Pitt and UNLV. In addition to recent appearances in commercials for Discover Card and Wendy's, his father Matt won the Heisman Trophy at USC and led the Trojans to a national championship prior to playing seven seasons in the NFL.
The Class of 2028 quarterback, free safety and punter is playing freshman ball for the Mustangs. Father Todd Marinovich played two years in the NFL after a high-profile career at USC.
The sophomore son of Philadelphia Eagles quarterback coach Doug Nussmeier has thrown for 1,240 yards and 10 touchdowns this season for the 4-3 Marauders. The elder Nussmeier spent
five years in the NFL and won a BCS title in 2012 as a coach with
Alabama.
The 6-foot-1 freshman hasn't posted any stats for Santa Margarita yet but big things are expected for the son of Carson Palmer, the 2002 Heisman Trophy winner and 15-year NFL veteran.
In leading Sayre to an 8-0 record, the senior has thrown for 551 yards and nine
touchdowns without an interception. In three seasons, the Dayton commit has thrown for 4,575 yards and 81 scores. Father Chad Pennington — Sayre's head coach — is an 11-year NFL veteran with the Jets and Dolphins.
A
MaxPreps Freshman All-American last season, Rivers has thrown for 2,217 yards and 21 touchdowns for the 7-1 Cardinals. Under the tutelage of his father at St. Michael Catholic, he has
already thrown for more than 5,000 yards in his prep career.
Eight games into his senior season, the four-star Oregon commit thrown for 1,432 yards 11 touchdowns on 91 of 153 passing. Smith has added 200 yards on the ground with two more touchdowns. In three seasons at Lincoln, he has thrown for 6,295 yards and 65 touchdowns.
The sophomore has thrown for 252 yards on 20 of 34 passing and five touchdowns in a backup role for 4-4 Manvel. Father Marques is the offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach at Rice, played seven years in the NFL and was a good enough athlete to also be drafted by the Minnesota Twins.
