Leviston growing comfortable at quarterback for John Marshall

It’s a whole new world for John Marshall quarterback Jarod Leviston.

A year ago, Leviston was just learning how to play the quarterback position. He entered his junior season expecting to play safety again, a spot he had started at since he was a freshman.

But at the start of fall camp, Bears coach Rashaun Woods talked to him about moving to quarterback, thinking the 5-foot-11, 200-pound speedster would make a good running threat alongside superstar running back Devonte Lee.

“He was thrown in to the position,” Woods said. “And he wasn’t ready at the time. Early on it was a pretty tough transition for him.”

A first-game matchup with Heritage Hall was no easy task for Leviston. He entered the game nervous, scared.

"I was definitely afraid," Leviston said. "I felt like I had the whole team on my back and I didn't play very well. It was devastating."

John Marshall lost to Heritage Hall 41-20, as Leviston passed for just 29 yards.

“He was still developing his arm at the time,” Woods said. “But he’s a pretty heady kid and really put in a lot of work."

As Leviston improved, he helped steady the ship for John Marshall following that Heritage Hall game. The Bears reeled off 14-straight wins on the way to winning the Class 3A state championship.

"Since then he’s continued to shine and find success," Woods said. “It’s been a phenomenal progression.”

Flash forward a year and Leviston and John Marshall enter this week with another matchup with Heritage Hall, which is coming off a Class 4A state title. John Marshall is 4-0 behind Leviston, who’s thrown for 17 touchdowns and almost 1,000 yards in four games. In all of 2017, Leviston passed for 19 touchdowns and 1,700 yards. The Bears have gone from a ground-and-pound attack that rushed for a combined 7,600 yards in 2016 and 2017 to a more spread passing attack. John Marshall is averaging nearly 250 yards through the air through four games this season.

"Coach has kinda made the offense incorporate around me," Leviston said. "I just put in a lot of work with the receivers and running backs and the offensive line."

Woods said it’s not just Leviston that has helped with the transition, but John Marshall has several talented receivers, including promising sophomore Bryce Stephens, who has seven touchdown catches.

“He has a ton of potential,” Woods said. “He does things that make you say ‘Wow’ already. He’s a rare talent that I haven’t had at that position since I’ve been here.”