​The Coachella Valley has perhaps never had a group of quarterbacks quite as good, collectively, as the group that played during the 2025 high school football season. They were that impressive.Bishop Miller V of Palm Springs High School and A.J. Rivera of Palm Desert were co-Offensive MVPs in the Desert Empire League. Each player accounted for at least 2,500 yards and 33 touchdowns, with Rivera setting the school record for passing yards and touchdowns in a season.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementThen there was the record breaking quarterback at Shadow Hills, Jesse Rodriguez, who threw for a valley-high 2,844 yards to go with 27 touchdowns, and All-DEL first team quarterback Roman Ansley of La Quinta, just to name a few.This season, the crop of quarterbacks could be just as potent, depending on who you ask. With the 2026 season quickly approaching, the guys who return under center should provide a lot of excitement for valley football fans.In this story, we’ll highlight the five who already have our attention entering the season, which begins Aug. 21.First off, you have to look at Rodriguez, who helped turn Shadow Hills from a run-first to a pass-first team last season. At just 5-foot-9, he’s not the biggest quarterback in the valley but he may be the most accurate among those returning. He completed 63.4% of his passes last season and his 27-to-10 touchdown-to-interception ratio is one of the best in the valley among those returning.Shadow Hills quarterback Jesse Rodriguez warms up with a passing drill before their game at Shadow Hills High School in Indio, Calif., Friday, Aug. 22, 2025.Rodriguez could benefit from new head coach Nick King, who enters his first year as a head coach after years starring for and coaching as an offensive assistant at Palm Springs. King said that he will bring some of what worked for Miller at Palm Springs last year with him to Shadow Hills, though he also expects to balance out the Knights offense with more running this season.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementGarza should also be a player to watch closely. A senior, he helped lead the Arabs to a CIF-SS semifinals appearance a year ago, behind a 19-to-4 touchdown-to-interception ratio. He also ran for nearly 500 yards and five touchdowns.The expectation here is that Garza, who has added about 12 pounds to his frame and still increased his speed and jumping ability during the track season, will have an even more productive season this year.Coachella Valley quarterback Ivan Garza looks to pass during the first quarter of their game at Coachella Valley High School in Thermal, Calif., Friday, Sept. 5, 2025.Gallo threw for 1,567 yards with a 29-to-4 touchdown to interception ratio in leading DCA to a perfect, 10-0, regular season in 2025. The schedule is a bit tougher this year as the Conquerors face Yucca Valley and Cathedral City among its non-league schedule. But there’s reason to believe that Gallo will still be very productive, as he has some solid re