QB Magazine Athlete Feature

Before Donnovan Porter ever played quarterback, he was a competitive gymnast.

Gymnastics demands body control, balance, and the ability to stay composed while everyone is watching. It turned out to be good preparation for a sport he hadn’t tried yet. About five years ago, Donnovan wanted to add something new, and his dad gave him the idea. His dad had played football for years and was still playing in a league on Sundays, with Donnovan watching from the sideline. Soon Donnovan wanted to be on the field himself.

Now he’s a Class of 2029 quarterback at Centennial High School in Las Vegas, and from the beginning he has usually been the youngest player on the field. He was younger than most kids in flag football. He was younger again when he played up in tackle football. When he reached high school, he played his first JV game as a 13-year-old freshman.

That game turned into a big debut. Donnovan scored three touchdowns against Bishop Gorman, one of the best-known programs in Las Vegas, in his first high school game. He calls it one of his favorite moments in football.

Being younger meant he couldn’t rely on size, so he focused on what he could control. “I worked on my craft relentlessly and became a student of the game,” he said. That approach has paid off. Now that his growth spurt has started, the size gap is closing, and he still has all the knowledge he built while he was catching up physically.

That focus on the mental game shows in how he describes the position. “A lot of people can throw a football 50 yards,” Donnovan said, “but the mental side is what separates good from great.” For him, that means reading the field and having strength when things go wrong. It also explains what he enjoys most about quarterback: leading, controlling the flow of the offense, reading and beating defenses, and improvising when a play breaks down. That ability to improvise and adjust on the move may be where his gymnastics background shows up most.

Of course, a student of the game picks a favorite quarterback who was known for his preparation. Donnovan admires Peyton Manning for the way he broke down defenses and studied film, and for the leadership he showed on and off the field.

Donnovan has worked hard to develop his game. He trains with Brycen Blankenship of QB Formula and Vince Womack, known as Coach Whoa. He has also attended camps at USC, UCLA, San Diego State, Utah Tech, and UNLV. He was named MVP at QB Universe, another honor he counts among his favorites.

Through all of it, one person has been there. “My dad,” Donnovan said when asked who has helped him most. He credits his dad for taking him to games, training sessions, and camps, and for coaching him. “He is my best friend.”

His goals are clear. In the short term, he wants to become Centennial’s starting varsity quarterback as a sophomore. Long term, he wants to earn an offer to play college football. For a player who scored three touchdowns against Bishop Gorman at 13, those goals are ambitious but grounded in what he has already done.

Follow Donnovan: @donny_dimes_8

The Mental Side, On Display

Donnovan believes the mental side of the game separates good quarterbacks from great ones. That’s also the hardest part of a quarterback’s game for anyone outside his team to see. Stats can show a three-touchdown debut, but they don’t show a young player who studied his way past being the youngest on the field. An upgraded QB Magazine membership gives him a way to tell that part of his story.

Feature articles are where that happens best. Practice Squad includes one article each year, and Starter includes two. Each one gives Donnovan room to share the details that make his story his own: the gymnast who became a quarterback, the 13-year-old who opened his high school career against Bishop Gorman, the QB Universe MVP, and the dad who drove him to every camp. As a sophomore, he could have a new article during this season and another next year, following his progress toward the varsity starting role.

Each month, he also receives a custom graphic. Donnovan has already had plenty of moments worth highlighting, and more are likely as his high school career continues. A varsity snap, a big throw, a camp honor, or another step in his growth can become a graphic made for him and ready for family, teammates, and coaches to share.

Those graphics can reach a larger audience through QB Magazine. Practice Squad includes two story reposts each month on X or Instagram. Starter includes four story reposts every week across both platforms, plus a monthly wall collab that appears on Donnovan’s page and QB Magazine’s at the same time. That puts his work in front of the magazine’s national community of quarterbacks, coaches, and football families. Many of them follow the magazine specifically to learn about young quarterbacks.

Starter also includes several benefits that fit Donnovan’s path. Social media consulting can help @donny_dimes_8 show the same leadership and film-room mindset he admires in Peyton Manning. Top 50 QB Mag Watchlist consideration gives a camp MVP a chance to be featured among the quarterbacks QB Magazine is watching. Priority for the QB Mag College Bus + Camps TOUR offers another opportunity to experience college campuses, building on his visits to USC, UCLA, San Diego State, Utah Tech, and UNLV. Both tiers also include camp access, giving him more chances to learn from new coaches alongside his work with Brycen Blankenship and Coach Whoa.

He also has time on his side. He’s still young for his grade, and the growth spurt that is closing the size gap is still underway. Everything from these early high school seasons, including the articles, graphics, reposts, and collabs, will still be there as he gets bigger and stronger. When college conversations start, people will already know the quarterback who was studying the game before he could win it on size.

Donnovan’s football career started with Sundays watching his dad play, and his dad is still the one he calls his best friend. A membership helps the family keep a lasting record of the journey they’re building together, from his first days in the sport to the goals still ahead.

More info: quarterbackmagazine.com/memberships