Aedan McCarthy is a 6-foot-5, 215-pound Class of 2026 quarterback who stars for the Bluffton High School Bobcats.

McCarthy recorded 3,166 yards and 36 touchdowns starring under Lowcountry Friday Night Lights. The dual-threat product recorded 2,529 yards and 29 touchdowns through the air and 637 yards and seven touchdowns on the ground in 2024. His efforts earned him First-Team All-Region accolades.

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Aedan is a big-armed gunslinger who moves well in the pocket. He is a quick decision-maker who operates his offense well from the shotgun in the spread formation.

McCarthy steps up to make the big throws. He does this with precision, oftentimes evading defenders. He extends plays with his legs and executes tough completions in the corner of the end zone and elsewhere on the field.

Another undderated quality for McCarthy is his physical, speedy, running. With a prototype build for a quarterback and long, lean legs, he picks up momentum as he goes, like a freight-train. McCarthy can be a home-run threat with his legs when he is flushed out of the pocket.

McCarthy tends to turn a negative play into a positive play. He finds his way to get out of bad situations when the pocket collapses. McCarthy is capable of doing this on foot.

But he is a methodical, patient, and disciplined quarterback. McCarthy often waits for just the right moment, finding an open receiver for a well-timed throw on a mid-range or long-yardage pass. He has a strong, accurate arm.

Moving vertically up the pocket or outside of the tackle box towards the sidelines, logical progressions are a trademark of McCarthy's. His thought process in those instances suggests a strong Football IQ.

McCarthy goes through his progressions before doing anything else. He also likes to take off and run, but the process often ends in Aedan finding a receiver for a throw on the dime.

He puts good arc on his throws. This includes deep passes. He is accurate when backpedaling or moving horizontally towards the sideline. This suggests an impressive passing ability from several perspectives. McCarthy's completion percentage was 68% this season.

McCarthy is an intelligent quarterback who demonstrates a good knowledge of concepts.

Another great quality of Aedan's is his nature to be cool in the clutch. He makes the big throws count when it matters, whether that be in the red zone or near the goal line. Again, McCarthy showcased impressive passing ability from a number of perspectives, whether that be dropping back deep or when running towards the sideline.

McCarthy's coaches at Bluffton expect big things from him during his senior season.

Recruitment

Aidan has a big-ticket camp slate this offseason, where he seeks to have his recruitment grow. He camped at Virginia Tech in June and was at North Carolina and North Carolina State for unofficial visits this fall. McCarthy attended the Tar Heels' game against Wake Forest on Nov. 5 and the Wolfpack's game against Syracuse on Oct. 12.