Early years
Palmer was born in Fresno, California and attended Santa Margarita Catholic High School in Rancho Santa Margarita, California.
By the time he was in seventh grade, Palmer had remarkable size and arm strength for his age. His father, Bill Palmer, enrolled him in private classes in Orange County taught by quarterback guru Bob Johnson.
Palmer's father was working on the East Coast when Palmer was scheduled to enroll in Santa Margarita Catholic High School as a freshman. Initially, the plan was to move the family to the East Coast but after careful consideration, Bill Palmer realized that the level of competition in California was best for Palmer. Palmer enrolled at Santa Margarita and Bill Palmer commuted home on weekends via airplane.
After a successful stint as a starter his junior year, Palmer started to field offers from USC, Notre Dame, Colorado, and Miami. He followed up a stellar junior season with a remarkable senior season, cementing himself as the most touted player ever to come out of Santa Margarita High School. In his senior season, he led Orange County with a 203.9 QB rating. He was named to the First Team All-League and All-CIF despite suffering a stress fracture in his right foot
