Update, July 23: Congratulations to Donald Tabron of Detroit Cass Tech for being voted the Detroit Free Press Buffalo Wild Wings Best Quarterback for 2026.
It’s time to vote for the Detroit Free Press Buffalo Wild Wings Best Quarterback for 2026.
Detroit Free Press high school sports reporter Jared Ramsey began previewing the upcoming football season last week by ranking some the state’s top quarterbacks. Now, readers can weigh in by voting in this week’s poll for the quarterback they think will be the best this season.
Voting will close at 3 p.m. on Thursday, July 23.
Here are the nominees:
Bryce Backus, Caledonia
In his junior season last year, Backus had 600 all-purpose yards and nine touchdowns prior to missing the remainder of the season with a shoulder injury. His strength and size at 6 feet 4 and 200 pounds make him a threat both in the pocket and on the run.
Duke Banta, Novi Detroit Catholic Central
Banta led Detroit Catholic Central to a Division 1 state title and a 14-0 perfect season in his first year as a starter last season. He threw for 2,379 yards and had a 30-to-2 touchdown-interception ratio.
Wynn Diegel, Midland Dow
Diegel led Midland Dow to a 10-2 record and passed for 3,085 yard and 33 touchdowns. He’s the school’s leader in pass attempts, completions, yards and touchdowns.
Kendall Franklin, Belleville
It was a year of growth for Franklin in his first year as a starter, taking over for Michigan Football quarterback Bryce Underwood. Belleville went 7-3 but lost in the first round of the playoffs to Woodhaven. Franklin threw for 1,873 yards and 25 touchdowns.
Jabin Gonzales, Orchard Lake St. Mary’s
Gonzales led Orchard Lake St. Mary’s to its second straight Division 2 state title after the team defeated Dexter, 51-14. The rising senior can score using his arm and his legs. He threw 26 touchdowns with over 2,385 yards and rushed for an additional 455 yards and seven touchdowns.
Sam Rouleau, Grosse Pointe South
Rouleau is the No. 2-ranked quarterback on Ramsey’s list and called him “arguably the best athlete under center in Michigan.” The rising senior for Grosse Pointe South led the Blue Devils to a 9-2 record and won a District championship. Rouleau finished with over 2,200 all-purpose yards and 26 touchdowns. He has great speed which allows him to outrun defenses.
Drew Sheridan, Dearborn Divine Child
Sheridan led Divine Child to its first championship in 40 years as a sophomore for the Falcons last year behind a 13-1 record. He completed 82% of his passes for 2,842 yards and 31 touchdowns.
Donald Tabron II, Detroit Cass Tech
Tabron has garnered considerable attention since taking over as Cass Tech’s starting quarterback in 2024. Tabron won 23 straight games before suffering his loss in his career during the Division 1 state title game last year against Catholic Central. He finished last season with 2,819 passing yards and 35 touchdowns.
Grayson Thurston, Warren De La Salle
The rising junior for De La Salle will look to finish what he started last year after leading the Pilots to the Division 3 semifinals after finishing 6-7 on the season. Thurston completed 63% of his passes, throwing 1,9501 passing yards, rushing for 257 and 20 touchdowns.
Alex Waszczenko, Clarkston
Waszczenko enters his third year as a starter and will take on more responsibility following the graduation of twin running backs Griffin and Lukas Boman. Last season, he finished with 2,000 all-purpose yards and 23 touchdowns.
Editor’s Note: We reserve the right to disqualify a candidate or declare a vote “no contest” if tampering such as bots or offering to pay for voting is evident. Please respect the integrity of the vote the way these athletes respect the integrity of the game.
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Eric Guzmán covers youth sports culture at the Free Press as a corps member for Report for America, an initiative of The GroundTruth Project. Make a tax-deductible contribution to support this work.
Contact Eric Guzmán: eguzman@freepress.com; 313-222-1850.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Donald Tabron voted the Buffalo Wild Wings Best QB for the 2026 season
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