Pioneer Position Previews: QB
As the 2026 football season approaches, the Warren County Way will be breaking down the Pioneer roster position-by-position. We’ll take a closer look at the quarterbacks, running backs/H-backs, wide receivers/tight ends, offensive line, defensive line, linebackers, secondary and special teams before Warren County kicks off the season at DeKalb County.
Quarterbacks
A year ago, AJ Whitman entered the preseason as an intriguing sophomore learning the quarterback position behind an established senior starter. What a difference a year makes.
Whitman enters 2026 as the unquestioned leader of the Pioneer offense and, perhaps more importantly, a player whose skill set could allow coach Eric Belew to expand what Warren County does in Year 2.
The junior has already provided plenty of evidence this summer.
Whitman showed during 7-on-7 work at Trousdale County that he could distribute the football from the pocket, then provided the complete package once the pads came on against Spring Hill. Whitman accounted for three touchdowns in the first preseason scrimmage, scoring twice on the ground and connecting with Huck Damon for another score.
A holding penalty erased another Whitman touchdown run and he narrowly missed two more potential scoring passes, including a deep wheel route to Marek Sadlon.
The most encouraging thing may be how healthy Whitman looks.
After playing through hip problems last fall and undergoing surgery in the offseason, Whitman hasn't looked limited this summer. Instead, his mobility has become one of the features Belew can build around offensively.
“We’re going to get in really unusual formations and even more so this year with AJ being a runner,” Belew said. “How unusual and how much conflict can we put the defense in with leverage and alignment?”
Whitman may be relatively new to starting at quarterback on Friday nights, but he isn't new to varsity football. Belew has repeatedly pointed to the value of “grass time,” something Whitman gained while starting several games at safety last season.
Behind Whitman, young Brant Damon continues to make strides. Damon impressed during 7-on-7 work at Trousdale County, including connecting with Wesley Romzek for a touchdown, then kept the offense moving during JV action against Spring Hill.
3-2-1 Breakdown - Three Questions
How dangerous can Whitman be as a runner?
This may ultimately be what makes the 2026 Pioneer offense different from Belew's first group.
Warren County isn't abandoning its desire to pound the football. If anything, the Pioneers appear even more committed to establishing a physical running game behind an experienced offensive line.
Whitman simply gives Belew another number defenses have to account for.
Spring Hill got an early look at the problem. Whitman followed a punishing Colton Gater lead block for one touchdown, then later executed a designed keeper in the red zone, racing toward the pylon and fighting through contact to score.
f linebackers and defensive ends have to hesitate because the quarterback may keep it, Warren County's backs could benefit just as much.
Can Whitman consistently make defenses pay through the air?
The matchup against Trousdale County was important because Whitman's greatest weapon was taken away. There was no running in 7-on-7, leaving him to operate strictly as a passer. Belew came away pleased with how Whitman distributed the football and the confidence he showed in his throws.
Then came Spring Hill.
Whitman's touchdown pass to Damon was perfectly placed after the Pioneers returned to a wheel concept that had nearly produced a long touchdown earlier. He also dropped another throw between the linebackers and safety that looked destined for six before a hit separated the receiver from the ball.
There will undoubtedly be nights when opponents load up to stop Warren County's rushing attack. Whitman's ability to punish those defenses may determine just how high the ceiling is for this offense.
What happens if Whitman isn't available?
It's a question every team has to answer at quarterback, especially when the starter is expected to be involved in the running game. That's why Damon's development matters.
The young QB has impressed Belew throughout the summer and has already shown an ability to make throws against varsity-level competition in 7-on-7 before getting additional work with the JV offense against Spring Hill.
Nobody wants to find out how the offense looks without Whitman when the games count, but developing Damon now could give Warren County a legitimate option if that situation ever arrives.
Two Observations
Whitman looks completely healthy
That's probably the best news Warren County could've gotten this summer. Whitman was athletic enough to contribute defensively last season despite dealing with a hip issue. Following offseason surgery, he's now moving without those limitations and the difference has been obvious.
Against Spring Hill, there was no hesitation when Whitman tucked the football. He accelerated through openings, ran through contact and looked comfortable operating designed quarterback runs.
Belew has more toys in the playbook
The biggest difference between Year 1 and Year 2 may be how much less teaching Warren County has to do before it can start expanding. The foundation of Belew's offense hasn't changed - the players simply understand it better.
That familiarity, combined with Whitman's mobility, gives Belew opportunities to make relatively simple concepts look complicated to a defense. Warren County can shift, motion, change formations and create different looks without asking its offensive line to reinvent what it's doing every snap.
Whitman is the player pulling the strings on all of it.
One Simmons Says Prediction
Last year, I nailed it on the Quarterback section. I said Brady Swallows would make a charge at the single-season completions records and he did. Swallows left Warren County after a record-setting senior season and signed with Cumberland University, leaving some big shoes behind center.
Whitman isn't going to fill them by trying to become Swallows - He's going to do it his own way.
I think Whitman will account for 20 touchdowns this season between passing and rushing. With an experienced offensive line, multiple weapons in the backfield and an offense specifically capable of taking advantage of his legs, Whitman should have opportunities to find the end zone in several different ways.
There may be growing pains for a first-year starting quarterback, but after watching Whitman throughout the summer and in his first live work against Spring Hill, one thing already seems clear: The Pioneers aren't easing their new quarterback into the job.
