Coach's Take: There is no ceiling for 2026 QB McWhorter
Cass High School head coach Steve Gates has coached some very good quarterbacks in his career, but none quite like Kingston (Ga.) Cass 2026 Rivals250 quarterback Brodie McWhorter even at a young age.
During his coaching career, Gates had had signal-callers go on to play from the HBCU to Power Five level at Auburn and Louisville, but McWhorter is just different.
“I’ve had some very good quarterbacks in the past but the accuracy and the way he throws the ball I’ve never seen anything like it,” he said.
McWhorter, 6-foot-2, 190-pounds, has started for Cass since only a few games into his freshman season where he stepped into the role that all-state sophomore quarterback Devin Henderson had the year before. It was a decision made between Gates and Henderson as the latter understood his future would be at safety and wanted to hand the keys over to McWhorter when he proved himself ready.
“He basically turned the keys over to Brodie game three of his freshman year. That’s when we knew he was ready to take over a program like we have here and take the reins,” Gates said. “We knew early on in his freshman year that he was going to be very, very special.”
While there were the typical freshman jitters at first, McWhorter proved himself more than capable and an even more significant jump during his sophomore campaign this past season.
“There is no ceiling with this kid. He’s probably one of the top three hardest workers on our football team and I say that, and I’ve got eight kids with Division I offers,” Gates said. “The ceiling is just crazy.”
And it isn’t just his head coach that believes that either as college coaches have given rave reviews to his abilities as well.
“They say he has one of the best arms in the country. Spinning it, accuracy, field knowledge and he’s just finishing his sophomore year,” Gates said.
While Gates wouldn’t let McWhorter run much during his first two years, he also brings that ability, and he flashes that toward the end of his second season scoring multiple rushing touchdowns running power read in the playoffs.
And with two years remaining, there is plenty of room for him to continue to grow and develop. As a rising junior, McWhorter can already power clean 275-pounds and has increased his size and strength. The young signal-caller also is becoming a better leader with more experience and has the respect of his teammates.
Gates believes that West Virginia made McWhorter a priority from the start and the way that quarterbacks coach Tyler Allen handled the process made a significant difference. He trusted his high school coaches to develop and instruct him, while doing everything he needed to do to build relationships.
“There’s guys that take the time to do the right things and Tyler did everything right,” Gates said.
“He’s mature beyond his years and I’ve been fortunate to deal with the top recruiters in the country and Tyler Allen is going to be really, really good if he continues on his path of how he genuinely builds and maintains relationships with the players and the coaches out there,” Gates added. “And he’s just a good dude, too.”
And now with McWhorter’s recruitment in the rearview, Gates is excited to see what is next as he continues to improve and develop over the rest of his high school career.
“Fortunately for me, I still have him two more years,” he said.
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