ESPN ranks the 10 best college QBs next season

[MikeT14]

https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/35968909/ranking-10-best-college-football-quarterbacks-heading-2023-season

1. Caleb Williams, USC

Upcoming year: Junior
2022 statistics: 4,537 yards passing, 42 touchdown passes, 5 interceptions, 382 rushing yards, 10 rushing touchdowns, 87.6 QBR.
Points: 119 (11 of 12 first-place votes)

Williams will find himself in a rare spot when the Trojans open the season against San Jose State as a reigning Heisman Trophy winner back on campus. It has become more common over the past decade -- Johnny Manziel, Jameis Winston, Lamar Jackson, Bryce Young -- but none of them, or any quarterback before them, accomplished what Ohio State running back Archie Griffin did by winning back-to-back Heisman Trophies. Can Williams buck the trend? The odds are low for a variety of factors, but that doesn't mean expectations for Williams in his second year in Los Angeles won't be even higher than before. The weight of USC's revival rests heavily on his shoulders, and after he led the Trojans back from competitive irrelevance in Year 1, anything short of a conference title and playoff berth could be viewed as disappointment.

2. Michael Penix Jr., Washington

Upcoming year: Fifth-year senior
2022 stats: 4,167 passing yards, 31 passing touchdowns, 8 interceptions, 92 yards rushing, 2 rushing touchdowns, 81.1 QBR.
Points: 97

It's amazing what the right system and just a little bit of good injury luck can do for you. For a while, it looked like a career in reverse for Penix. The player from Tampa, Florida, shined as a redshirt freshman for Indiana in 2019, but his numbers regressed the longer he was in Bloomington. From an 81.6 Total QBR in 2019 (which would have ranked 10th nationally with enough snaps), Penix fell to 67.7 in 2020 (44th) and, after a late-2020 knee injury introduced a heavy layer of rust to his game, 51.1 in 2021 (89th). His completion rate was 69% in his first year as a starter and 54% in his third.

3. Drake Maye, North Carolina

Upcoming year: Sophomore
2022 stats: 4,321 yards, 38 touchdown passes, 7 interceptions, 698 rushing yards, 7 rushing touchdowns, 82.4 QBR.
Points: 93 (1 of 12 first-place votes)

It is remarkable that at this time last year, Maye was in the middle of an unsettled quarterback competition with Jacolby Criswell, considering what unfolded in 2022. Maye -- a player who was not declared the starter until fall camp -- ended up becoming one of the most prolific quarterbacks in the nation, starting 14 games and winning ACC Player of the Year, ACC Offensive Player of the Year, ACC Rookie of the Year and ACC Offensive Rookie of the Year. His firm grip of the Phil Longo offense allowed him to set multiple single-season records, including passing yards and passing touchdowns, and his ability to make plays with his legs also helped. In short, if Maye had been eligible to enter the NFL draft after last season, he would be in the discussion to be the No. 1 quarterback taken.

4. Bo Nix, Oregon

Upcoming year: Fifth-year senior
2022 stats: 3,593 passing yards, 29 touchdown passes, 7 interceptions, 510 yards rushing, 14 rushing touchdowns, 85.1 QBR.
Points: 80

Nix's transfer to Oregon ended up working out as well as it could for both parties. His veteran presence was a major difference-maker for a team that had received mediocre QB play the previous two years after Justin Herbert's departure for the NFL. Nix was one of the most efficient quarterbacks in the country, posting an 85.1 QBR with a career-best 29 touchdown passes (he never had more than 16 in a season in three years at Auburn). Nix was also sacked just five times and ran for 510 yards and 14 touchdowns.

5. Jordan Travis, Florida State

Upcoming year: Redshirt senior
2022 stats: 3,124 passing yards, 24 passing touchdowns, 5 interceptions, 417 yards rushing, 7 rushing touchdowns, 85.8 QBR.
Points: 58

When Travis transferred to Florida State in 2019, he was considered a runner more than a passer, and was used far more as a way to keep defenses off balance during key stretches -- in four games, he had 23 rushes and only 11 passing attempts. His confidence was so low when coach Mike Norvell arrived in 2020 that he asked to switch positions just so he could play. Then-offensive coordinator Kenny Dillingham told him absolutely not. This new staff saw him as a bona fide passer and was going to show him why. That is why his transformation from overlooked to elite is so stark. Travis has put in countless hours working himself into one of the most efficient quarterbacks in the country. Can he still run? Absolutely. But now, he is an elite-level passer, coming off a 2022 season in which he set career bests in completion percentage (64%), passing yards (3,214) and passing touchdowns (24) in his first season as the full-time starter -- putting up numbers not seen in Tallahassee since Jameis Winston a decade ago.

6. Cam Rising, Utah Utes

Upcoming year: Redshirt senior
2022 stats: 3,034 passing yards, 26 passing touchdowns, 8 interceptions, 465 yards rushing, 6 rushing touchdowns, 83.1 QBR.
Points: 38

He swaggers. He rocks long hair and a mustache. And over the past two seasons, only five quarterbacks have ranked higher in Total QBR than Rising: C.J. Stroud, Stetson Bennett, Caleb Williams, Bryce Young and Hendon Hooker. That's the best quarterbacking college football can offer, and Rising has been only slightly off of that pace. He took over as Utah's starter two weeks into the 2021 season, and he has now thrown for 5,572 yards with 46 touchdowns, only 14 interceptions and only 16 sacks. He also has rushed for 953 yards at over 4 yards per carry after contact. He has helped the Utes win a pair of Pac-12 titles, and he has started two Rose Bowls.

7. Sam Hartman, Notre Dame

Upcoming year: Redshirt senior
2022 stats: 3,071 yards passing, 38 touchdowns, 12 interceptions, 276 rushing yards, 2 rushing touchdowns.
Points: 37

Some quarterbacks have college careers that go by in a blink of an eye. Not Hartman. His accomplishments and experiences could fill two or three careers, and he's not done yet. The ACC's career touchdown passes leader started games in each of the past four seasons at Wake Forest and left as the most productive passer in team history. He now embarks on a final go-round at Notre Dame and a potential push for the College Football Playoff. Hartman surged in his final two seasons with Wake Forest, piling up 7,929 pass yards and 77 touchdowns, and last fall finally eclipsing 60% completions (63.1). He operated a distinct and productive scheme, recording 21 career games of 300 pass yards or more, and the second-highest passing yards total in ACC history (12,967, behind only the 13,484 of Philip Rivers). His consistency is a hallmark, as he accounted for a touchdown in his final 34 games with Wake Forest.

8. J.J. McCarthy, Michigan

Upcoming year: Junior
2022 stats: 2,719 passing yards, 22 passing touchdowns, 5 interceptions, 306 rushing yards, 5 rushing touchdowns, 79.1 QBR.
Points: 35

Before last season, the knock against Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh carried a bit of irony: He hadn't found a true difference-maker at quarterback, the position where he starred for the Wolverines. McCarthy arrived with fanfare, as ESPN's No. 25 overall recruit in the 2021 class. Although Michigan returned a starter at quarterback (Cade McNamara) from its first CFP team -- and McCarthy had missed much of the offseason with a shoulder injury -- Harbaugh looked toward the future entering last season. After McCarthy delivered a near-perfect performance in his first career start, albeit against Hawai'i, the QB1 title became his own. He operated a mostly safe passing game with precision, eclipsing 69% completions in each of his first six starts.

9. Jayden Daniels, LSU

Upcoming year: Fifth-year senior
2022 stats: 2,913 passing yards, 17 passing touchdowns, 3 interceptions, 855 rushing yards, 11 rushing touchdowns, 79.2 QBR.
Points: 25

One of the top recruits in the country coming out of high school, Daniels has been around so long he was the 2019 Sun Bowl MVP when he led Arizona State to a 20-14 win over Florida State. The 6-foot-4 QB blossomed into a true dual threat at ASU, where he threw for 2,943 yards,17 TDs and two INTs as a true freshman. After ASU played just four games in 2020, he had a mediocre 2021 season, throwing 10 interceptions to his 10 TDs.

10. Jalon Daniels, Kansas

Upcoming year: Senior
2022 stats: 2,014 passing yards, 18 passing touchdowns, 4 interceptions, 419 rushing yards, 7 rushing touchdowns, 87.9 QBR.
Points: 19

It's been a remarkable rise for Daniels, a late bloomer who was an unheralded recruit (he flipped from Middle Tennessee to Kansas right before signing day) before earning Heisman hype last season while leading the Jayhawks to a 5-0 start after throwing 11 TDs to 1 INT over that span. Daniels, a 6-0, 215-pound soon-to-be senior, arrived in Lawrence from Lawndale, California, in the Los Angeles area, and started as a freshman under then-coach Les Miles.

Also receiving votes: Will Rogers, Mississippi State (14), KJ Jefferson, Arkansas (11), Frank Harris, UTSA (8), Michael Pratt, Tulane (8), Spencer Rattler, South Carolina (4), Cade Klubnik, Clemson (3), Devin Leary, Kentucky (3), Brennan Armstrong, NC State (2), Joe Milton III, Tennessee (2), Austin Reed, Western Kentucky (1), Dillion Gabriel, Oklahoma (1), Kurtis Rourke, Ohio (1), Spencer Sanders, Ole Miss (1).

[Ozzy]

How is Penix ahead of Drake Maye, I have no idea.  Maye did lose a lot of weapons so possibly that is why, he did get some WR transfers so we will see how good they are.  

 

Also Spencer Rattler should be on that list, he was totally on fire last year and should continue this up coming season.  

 

 

Is Zakhari Franklin back on UTSA, with he and Frank Harris back they could be very interesting.  

[THE DUKE]

Whoever wins the Ohio State QB battle (most likely McCord) is going to have a better year than half of this list more than likely.

[catcheryea]

i pretend i do not see it

[Tetsujin]

Jordan Travis should have a dynamite season. We had a net gain on offensive personnel this offseason.

[Tetsujin]

I wish McCall would've transferred to a P5 school.

[beekay414]

Tanner Mordecai's gonna shock some people, I guess.

[malibuspeedrace]

7 hours ago, catcheryea said:

i pretend i do not see it

In case you don’t see it

Spoiler

4. Bo Nix, Oregon

Upcoming year: Fifth-year senior
2022 stats: 3,593 passing yards, 29 touchdown passes, 7 interceptions, 510 yards rushing, 14 rushing touchdowns, 85.1 QBR.
Points: 80

Nix's transfer to Oregon ended up working out as well as it could for both parties. His veteran presence was a major difference-maker for a team that had received mediocre QB play the previous two years after Justin Herbert's departure for the NFL. Nix was one of the most efficient quarterbacks in the country, posting an 85.1 QBR with a career-best 29 touchdown passes (he never had more than 16 in a season in three years at Auburn). Nix was also sacked just five times and ran for 510 yards and 14 touchdowns.

 

[MikeT14]

On 4/10/2023 at 8:18 PM, Ozzy said:

How is Penix ahead of Drake Maye, I have no idea.  Maye did lose a lot of weapons so possibly that is why, he did get some WR transfers so we will see how good they are.  

Was wondering if this was a take just to get people talking because I was baffled by it too. 

 

On 4/11/2023 at 8:05 AM, THE DUKE said:

Whoever wins the Ohio State QB battle (most likely McCord) is going to have a better year than half of this list more than likely.

Very fair. 

[MWil23]

No Ewers Top 10 is a head scratcher for me unless they think that there's actually a QB competition between him and Manning.

[OkeyDoke21]

54 minutes ago, MWil23 said:

No Ewers Top 10 is a head scratcher for me unless they think that there's actually a QB competition between him and Manning.

Who do you take off for him?  

[MWil23]

9 minutes ago, OkeyDoke21 said:

Who do you take off for him?  

There are 4-5 guys I'd consider removing instead of him. If Ewers is able to be consistent and play like he did vs. Alabama pre injury, he's a dark horse candidate for a #1/#2 overall pick in the upcoming draft.

Granted if he plays like he did post injury, he is also in danger of getting replaced by Manning and transferring...again.

[MikeT14]

26 minutes ago, MWil23 said:

There are 4-5 guys I'd consider removing instead of him. If Ewers is able to be consistent and play like he did vs. Alabama pre injury, he's a dark horse candidate for a #1/#2 overall pick in the upcoming draft.

I agree with your point, but it also might not be 1:1 him being a Top 10 college QB next season. Guys like Richardson and Josh Allen where they're drafted for what people think they CAN do rather than what they did. 

I'm surprised Ewers isn't on the list, but I'm also not if that makes sense. 

[MWil23]

14 minutes ago, MikeT14 said:

I agree with your point, but it also might not be 1:1 him being a Top 10 college QB next season. Guys like Richardson and Josh Allen where they're drafted for what people think they CAN do rather than what they did. 

I'm surprised Ewers isn't on the list, but I'm also not if that makes sense. 

No I mean I get it to a degree...but I guess I'd say the same about guys like Daniels and JJ McCarthy. You absolutely see/saw flashes of brilliance with at the same token games of complete mediocrity, and they're projected off of what they think they CAN do as well.

Similarly, I'd argue that the way Spencer Rattler played the last 5 games of the season, he should be above about 6 guys on the list too.

JMHO

[OkeyDoke21]

55 minutes ago, MWil23 said:

There are 4-5 guys I'd consider removing instead of him. If Ewers is able to be consistent and play like he did vs. Alabama pre injury, he's a dark horse candidate for a #1/#2 overall pick in the upcoming draft.

Granted if he plays like he did post injury, he is also in danger of getting replaced by Manning and transferring...again.

I agree.  I had the same thought process, when I saw he wasn't there, but then when I went through the list, it makes sense.  There is more projection with Ewers than what it seems like was used to construct the list.  He's absolutely a better pro prospect than the majority of that 10, but I understand why he doesn't get on just from a production standpoint.  Same with Rattler.  This upcoming season is pretty huge for Ewers.  It could propel him into two extremely different directions, depending on how it goes.