Arkansas churning out top QB prospects, Logan Hart is up next
Written by Ryan Wright
Twitter: @RyanWrightRNG
When thinking about high school quarterback prospects, California, Georgia, and Texas are states that immediately come to mind. In the Natural State, the development of quarterbacks has taken a big leap forward producing more than one elite gunslinger every three to four years. The state of Arkansas is becoming a hub for next level scouts seeking a difference maker in the pocket. As everything is shaping up, Logan Hart will keep named offensive coordinators and quarterback coaches heading to the Northwest part of the state for years to come.
Hart being part of the 2029 recruiting class may be tough for some to get excited about, but his path forward is on par with those just ahead of him: 2024 Walker White (Auburn), 2024 Drake Lindsey (Minnesota), 2025 Grayson Wilson (Arkansas), and 2026 Kane Archer.
During the 2023 season with Grimsley Junior High (Bentonville), Hart put on a show against defenses in his age group compiling 2,378 yards with 26 touchdowns. Showing off early dual threat abilities, he rushed for 823 yards with 13 trips into the end zone.
“The season went pretty well,” Hart said. “One key factor for our school football team, we needed to be more disciplined. We need to lock in more before games.”
The Grizzlies locked in for an 8-2 campaign running a Spread attack with pro style concepts.
“We ran screens, bubbles – our concepts that we ran the most were mesh concepts with spacing; corners and hitches, and scissors,” Hart stated.
Asked how his understanding of the game grew last fall with the live-action reps, Hart replied, “My coach, he helped me a lot last season. He gave me a lot more pre-snap and post-snap reads. At the beginning of the season, I would snap the ball before reading the field, but by middle of the season I was reading the field and knowing where to go with the ball. D.J. Jones out of Bentonville West, he is their high school offensive coordinator, I was in the room with him learning.”
Hart continued talking about the strengths to his game, “I feel like my strengths are seeing the field. Most QBs want to run the ball when they scramble; I want to throw to get more yards. If I do have to run the ball, I will run the ball. Reading hard flat corners, like on screens, knowing when to hand it off is a strength. Sometimes it is a combo coverage; a Cover 9 on one side and Cover 3 on the other. They have a third; the safety and on the right side the cornerback is playing the hard flat.”
NFL gunslingers are helping Hart learn more about the position.
“I watch Aaron Rogers, Tom Brady, and Josh Allen; I love his mechanics,” Hart shared. “People think about Tom Brady and Patrick Mahomes as the best players, but if you watch Josh Allen, I think he has the best mechanics in the league. Mahomes has pretty good mechanics, but not as good as Josh Allen. When he first came into the league, Mahomes had no mechanics. Josh Allen has always had really good mechanics.”
Working to get to that level, Hart is putting in time this offseason.
“I’m working on how I open to the right and keeping my front shoulder level,” Hart said. “All the coaches that I have been around tell me the timing of my drops are perfect; the coaches at Elite 11 and QB Impact. I look at my shoulder and the opening, when I throw to my right, sometimes I open my hips too much. I have a tight spin on it, but it is not as tight and as fast as it can go.”
The Grizzles’ coaching staff is working with Hart on better understanding the game.
“Every day I go to my coaches, we work on concepts, the coverages we will see, and we work on where I will hit,” Hart shared. “Say they run a Cover 4, we run a scissors route, post at seven yards instead of 10 yards. I need to hit him faster and lower in that coverage, right in between the safety and the corner.”
In addition to all that he is doing throughout the week, Hart is getting extra tutelage under QB coaches TJ Fleeton and Brayden Scott. That extra work will help as Hart prepares to showcase his development at high-profile camps.
“I’m going to Under Armour, FBU (Football University), and I think we are going to the QB Universe in Dallas, 3DQB, and the Manning Passing Academy,” Hart stated.
Hart spoke about getting to compete against other top quarterbacks at the Under Armour event in Dallas.
“I will be competing with really good quarterbacks, but what has me really excited is competing against kids my age that are really good instead of having to go against high school quarterbacks,” Hart shared. “I love to compete. Competition is my favorite thing.”
To compete at his best, Hart is preparing for the camps now.
“We go to a QB coach two to three times a week, we train every day, and we work out five times a week,” Hart said. “We are outside constantly throwing and working on plays. We get receivers so I can work with them, and we work with a travel team (OU Grizzlies). We have morning practices for our school team, we throw 120 to 140 balls.”