Prep Football

Who are the area’s top quarterbacks of this century?

Posted September 18, 2025 10:47 am

Kevin Schmit

After graduating from St. Viator, Brett Basanez had a record-breaking career at Northwestern. AP

Has it been 25 years already?

We’re already a quarter of the way through the 21st century, so what better time than now to look back on the prep football greatness from our area since 2000?

This is the jumping off point for an ongoing series throughout the season where we’ll analyze the history of various positions.

We start this week with the area’s top 10 quarterbacks of the century, presented in alphabetical order. Current high school players are not eligible (and, sorry, J.J. McCarthy fans … we don’t cover Nazareth).

Brett Basanez, St. Viator

The 2001 graduate played in the first U.S. Army All-American Bowl after throwing for 2,900 yards and 39 touchdowns his senior season with the Lions.

Basanez embarked on a brilliant career at Northwestern, throwing for more than 10,000 yards and breaking two dozen program records. Signed by the Carolina Panthers in 2006 as an undrafted free agent, Basanez spent four seasons in the NFL including two with the Bears.

Jimmy Garoppolo, Rolling Meadows

In his junior and senior seasons with the Mustangs, the 2010 graduate threw for a combined 3,960 yards and rushed for 1,115.

Clearly under-recruited, Garoppolo soared at Eastern Illinois University. He passed for 5,050 yards and 53 touchdowns as a senior while earning the Walter Payton Award as the top offensive player in the FCS.

Garoppolo was drafted in the second round by New England in 2014, winning two Super Bowls as Tom Brady’s backup, but thrived after being traded to San Francisco. In 2019 he passed for 3,978 yards and led the 49ers to the Super Bowl.

Now with the Rams in his 12th NFL season, Garoppolo has thrown for 15,828 yards and 96 touchdowns.

Iowa quarterback Mark Gronowski, a Neuqua Valley graduate, passes during this season’s game against Iowa State. AP

Mark Gronowski, Neuqua Valley

Gronowski, a 2020 graduate, was the DuPage Valley Conference player of the year as a senior after throwing for 1,663 yards and 15 touchdowns against only one interception.

With limited college interest, he went to South Dakota State and became a legend. Gronowski led the Jackrabbits to two FCS national titles and won the Walter Payton Award in 2023. In four seasons he threw for 10,309 yards and 93 touchdowns while rushing for 1,767 yards and 37 scores.

Gronowski transferred to Iowa this off-season. In three games, he’s passed for 306 yards and rushed for 88.

Riley Lees, Libertyville

Perhaps the best dual-threat quarterback of the bunch, the 2016 graduate passed for 3,484 yards, rushed for 3,933 and accounted for 110 touchdowns in two seasons with Libertyville.

Converted to a receiver at Northwestern, Lees caught 111 passes for 1,093 yards in four seasons. He signed with the Bengals as an undrafted free agent but didn’t make the final roster.

Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Aidan O'Connell, a Stevenson graduate, throws a pass during a preseason game in August. AP

Aidan O’Connell, Stevenson

The 2017 graduate started one season at Stevenson, throwing for 2,741 yards and 26 touchdowns. He walked on at Purdue, where he started his last two seasons and finished with 9,219 passing yards.

Picked in the fourth round of the 2023 draft by the Raiders, O’Connell played as a rookie due to injuries. Despite being hampered by his own injuries, he’s passed for 3,830 yards and 20 touchdowns in two seasons.

Reilly O’Toole, WW South

The only player on the list to win an IHSA title, O’Toole actually won two straight while throwing for more than 5,300 yards his junior and senior seasons and guiding the Tigers to 26 straight wins.

The 2011 graduate played 36 games at Illinois, passing for 2,319 yards and 18 touchdowns.

Sean Price, Maine South

The 2005 graduate put together the most-prolific season by a quarterback in IHSA history and carried the Hawks to back-to-back state runner-up finishes.

As a junior, Price completed 342 passes for 4,751 yards — both state records. In two seasons he threw for 8,267 yards and 93 touchdowns before heading to Central Michigan University.

Former Northwestern quarterback Clayton Thorson graduated from Wheaton North. AP

Clayton Thorson, Wheaton North

In his senior year with the Falcons, the 2014 graduate threw for 2,809 yards and 29 touchdowns while rushing for 567 yards and 12 scores.

Despite suffering an ACL tear at Northwestern, he started 53 straight games and passed for 10,731 yards. He went 3-1 in bowl games.

Thorson was drafted by the Eagles in the fifth round of the 2019 draft, then bounced to the Cowboys and Giants before shifting to the USFL.

Scott Tolzien, Fremd

Tolzien, now the quarterbacks coach for the New Orleans Saints, spent seven seasons in the NFL and made two starts with the Packers.

The 2006 graduate set 15 program records at Fremd, throwing for 2,247 yards and 24 touchdowns his senior year. Tolzien then went 21-5 as a starter at Wisconsin.

In two seasons with the Badgers, he passed for more than 5,000 yards and 32 touchdowns.

After graduating from Buffalo Grove as a dual threat quarterback and two-way standout, Tom Zbikowski played defensive back at Notre Dame. AP

Tom Zbikowski, Buffalo Grove

The 2003 graduate led the Bison to two state quarterfinal appearances as a bruising dual-threat quarterback and two-way standout who set program records for career touchdowns, rushing yards and passing attempts.

Zbikowski, hired this season as the head football coach at St. Patrick, became an All-America defensive back at Notre Dame and was taken in the third round of the 2008 draft by the Ravens. He started 25 games in five NFL seasons, snaring three interceptions and notching 126 tackles.