Jump to content

Starting QB Rankings for 2018


aubiefifty

Recommended Posts

Athlonsports.com
 
Top 10.  See link for rest
 
 

10. Nick Fitzgerald, Mississippi State

mississippi-state-bulldogs.png

Fitzgerald was limited in the spring due to a leg injury suffered in the Egg Bowl against Ole Miss. However, the Georgia native is on track to return to full strength for the fall and should thrive under new coach Joe Moorhead. In his second year as the starter, Fitzgerald threw for 1,782 yards and 15 touchdowns and added 984 yards and 14 scores on the ground. The senior is still developing as a passer, but Moorhead should help him take a step forward in his final year in Starkville.

 

9. Jarrett Stidham, Auburn

auburn-tigers.png

Running back Kerryon Johnson will be missed, but Auburn's offense is set behind Stidham and one of the league's top receiving corps for 2018. After all, Stidham’s 3,158 passing yards in his first year on campus ranked second for a single season in program history. He also tossed 18 touchdowns and added 153 yards and four scores on the ground. Stidham’s 10 passing plays of 50 yards or more ranked fifth nationally among FBS quarterbacks last season.

8. Justin Herbert, Oregon

oregon-ducks.png

Herbert was poised for a monster 2017 season but a collarbone injury in late September forced him to miss five games. The Oregon native returned for the final three contests and ended the year with 1,983 passing yards and 15 touchdowns. If Herbert can stay healthy, challenging for first-team All-Pac-12 and All-America honors is within reach for 2018. And with running back Royce Freeman off to the NFL, Herbert will be the focal point of Oregon's offense this fall.

7. Jake Browning, Washington

washington-huskies.png

Washington’s passing game missed John Ross’ big-play ability at receiver last season, but Browning still threw for 2,719 yards and 19 touchdowns over 13 games. Additionally, Browning tossed just five interceptions and his 68.5 completion percentage ranked second among FBS quarterbacks. The senior ranks second in school history in career passing yards (9,104) and owns the program record for most career passing scores (78).

6. Drew Lock, Missouri

missouri-tigers.png

Lock earned first-team All-SEC honors after throwing for 3,964 yards and 44 touchdowns last season. The Missouri native was instrumental in the Tigers’ late-season surge, guiding the offense to an average of 51.3 points in the team’s six games prior to the Texas Bowl. Lock’s 44 touchdowns were the most of any FBS quarterback last fall, while his 521 passing yards in the opener against Missouri State set a new school record.

5. McKenzie Milton, UCF

ucf-knights.png

Milton was the catalyst behind UCF’s high-powered offense last season and is expected to push for All-America honors in 2018. In 13 games in 2017, Milton threw for 4,037 yards (a school record for a single season) and 37 touchdowns. He also finished second on the team with 613 rushing yards and eight scores. Milton posted two appearances of more than 400 passing yards and also led all AAC quarterbacks by completing 67.1 percent of his throws. New coach Josh Heupel should keep UCF’s offense performing at a high level, allowing Milton an opportunity to match or exceed last year’s totals.

4. Khalil Tate, Arizona

arizona-wildcats.png

Tate emerged as one of college football’s most dynamic playmakers last season and should thrive under the tutelage of new coach Kevin Sumlin and coordinator Noel Mazzone. The junior is among the leading candidates to win the Heisman Trophy in 2018 after accumulating 3,002 total yards and 26 overall scores last fall.

3. Trace McSorley, Penn State

penn-state-nittany-lions.png

With Saquan Barkley off to the NFL, Penn State’s Big Ten title and CFB Playoff hopes rest with McSorley. The Virginia native has posted back-to-back prolific seasons as Penn State’s starter and is among the top candidates to win the Heisman Trophy in 2018. McSorley has accounted for 7,184 passing yards and 57 touchdowns over the last two seasons. Additionally, he’s rushed for 856 yards and 18 scores on the ground in that span. McSorley’s 77 career touchdowns are the most by any Penn State player in program history.

2. Tua Tagovailoa, Alabama

alabama-crimson-tide.png

Yes, ranking Tagovailoa is a projection and requires the sophomore holding off Jalen Hurts for the starting job. And sure, he’s got some developing to do and has to prove the second-half performance against Georgia can be counted on for a full year. However, it’s no secret Tagovailoa – a five-star prospect and the No. 32 overall player in the 2017 247Sports Composite – might be the most-talented quarterback signed by Nick Saban since arriving in Tuscaloosa in 2007. In nine games last year, Tagovailoa threw for 636 yards and 11 touchdowns on 49 completions and added 133 yards and two scores on the ground. The Hawaii native has all of the talent needed to rank among the nation’s best at quarterback by the end of 2018. How soon will he reach his potential under new coordinator Mike Locksley and quarterbacks coach Dan Enos?

1. Will Grier, West Virginia

west-virginia-mountaineers.png

The Big 12’s unquestioned No. 1 quarterback resides in Morgantown this season. Grier – a Heisman candidate and a likely All-America pick – is at the controls of one of the nation’s top offenses. After sitting out 2016 due to transfer rules, Grier threw for 3,490 yards and 34 touchdowns in 11 appearances for West Virginia last fall. Additionally, the North Carolina native’s eight completions of 60 yards or more ranked third nationally among all FBS quarterbacks. Grier missed two full games due to a finger injury suffered against Texas on Nov. 18 but will be back at full strength for 2018.

Link to comment
Share on other sites





This Tua hype train seems a little ridiculous to me! I’m I alone here?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I hope it keeps up so we can all sit back and laugh when it goes off the track.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

14 minutes ago, toddc said:

This Tua hype train seems a little ridiculous to me! I’m I alone here?

You are not and I firmly believe that his OC will marginalize what ability he has, because the previous guy was a died in the wool, 3 yards and a cloud of dust OC, and Locksley, who CO-OCd with him last year is a Big 10 guy whose previous OC experience is at Maryland and Illinois, neither of which ran powerhouse offences. In fact, more often than not, in his tenure, it appears he'd rotate QBs.

Tua will get plenty of carries and could light things up with his wheels, but I don't see him lighting up the record books as a passer. After Kiffen left, Hurts threw nearly 130 fewer passes for over 700 fewer yards and a lower completion percentage than he did as a freshman. Daboll was a big step down and I don't see Locksley as a move in the right direction.

All that being said, he's got more talent than bama has seen in a long time, and even if he's just a successful game manager, he'll be treated as the second coming by the sports media because he's bama's QB.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Big fan of Grier. Ultimate competitor and glad he has taken off with his second chance and wow Tate with Sumlin. That should be very interesting.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

57 minutes ago, toddc said:

This Tua hype train seems a little ridiculous to me! I’m I alone here?

No you are not. This is the perfect example of how the media runs amok. Up until a busted coverage by the UGA secondary the guy had a nice second half. He had just taken a huge sack that pretty much sealed the game for them as a loss. UGA bust a coverage and now due to that one play he is the best QB situation in college football?!! 

He may have a good year, he looks to be accurate but he does not extend plays with his feet. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, toddc said:

This Tua hype train seems a little ridiculous to me! I’m I alone here?

Nope. Although they did preface it by saying this is based on a projection of his ability, How they can put him 2nd is ridiculous. He's in a system that doesn't rely mostly on the QB. Its D and a strong running game that Saban operates off of.

Tua's limited stats also don't show how he will fair against all of the SEC teams in a grueling season.

Their rating is based on the strength of the Alabama program not on a QB's history or stats. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, toddc said:

This Tua hype train seems a little ridiculous to me! I’m I alone here?

Nope. you're not alone. Reminds me of a certain Jeremy Johnson hype train? I mean, maybe he could actually start a game and win a game before being ranked top 5?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Scroll through this list real fast on your phone or tablet and see if it doesn't get hot.

;)

Also, glad to see JS recognized highly.  Behind either QB at Bammer? C'mon man!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

41 minutes ago, steeleagle said:

Their rating is based on the strength of the Alabama program not on a QB's history or stats. 

As are the ratings and reviews of bama QBs during and after the season. They get a serious bump because of the team that they play on.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

If you delete the images of the logos it looks a lot nicer and doesn't take up so much space.

 

Not overly impressed by this list to be honest. I don't think Tua deserves anymore hype than Jeremy Johnson did. I think Lock for Mizzou is okay but he mostly benefits from their offense. Milton from UCF will struggle without Frost there. Not excited about who UCF hired...they have the money down there to be much more than they are.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Ole Tyler Watts could throw the out pass better than most NFL QB's could back when he was in high school

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Bryant won't be starting at Clemson after 4 games... 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

5 minutes ago, AU64 said:

Bryant won't be starting at Clemson after 4 games... 

Really? Who you think will out best him? Sunshine was looking very shaky during their spring game. He is not ready.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The kid from Georgia.....Bryant is limited... The HS kid is the real thing...needs a little time..but not much IMO.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

4 hours ago, AUsince72 said:

Scroll through this list real fast on your phone or tablet and see if it doesn't get hot.

;)

Also, glad to see JS recognized highly.  Behind either QB at Bammer? C'mon man!

It got hot ?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • WarTiger changed the title to Starting QB Rankings for 2018
11 hours ago, lionheartkc said:

The big question I have is who is hating life more over the Will Grier situation, McElwain or Mullen?

? Mullen?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

If Stidham stays healthy and puts up similar or better numbers then last year (I expect better numbers) he will be one of the top 2 QBs taken in next years draft.  For all the discussion of Gus and his QBs that will be 2 in the Top 10 picks in 7 total years at AU.  

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I’m really excited to see what Stidham can do in year 2 of Chip’s system. As good as his numbers were last year, I think a lot of fans and media forgot the context of his situation. Transfer QB who sat out from football a whole year, coming into a new system with a new OC, into the toughest division of the toughest conference, and playing against 3 of the 4 playoff teams. I think both he and Chip are going to outperform in year 2.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

15 hours ago, DAG said:

Really? Who you think will out best him? Sunshine was looking very shaky during their spring game. He is not ready.

Image result for sunshine remember the titans

Great movie.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, Gowebb11 said:

I’m really excited to see what Stidham can do in year 2 of Chip’s system. As good as his numbers were last year, I think a lot of fans and media forgot the context of his situation. Transfer QB who sat out from football a whole year, coming into a new system with a new OC, into the toughest division of the toughest conference, and playing against 3 of the 4 playoff teams. I think both he and Chip are going to outperform in year 2.

New OC who participated in a major re-shuffling of the offensive staff midseason. Then there was the LSU situation where he, his boss and his QB seemed to have somewhat conflicting versions of what happened. A lot of inexperience and shuffling on the OL including the guy making the reads and handing him the ball on every play, tons of youth in the WR corps, no TE........

I agree. Stidham (and Chip) had lots of excuses this past season. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

8 hours ago, corchjay said:

If Stidham stays healthy and puts up similar or better numbers then last year (I expect better numbers) he will be one of the top 2 QBs taken in next years draft.  For all the discussion of Gus and his QBs that will be 2 in the Top 10 picks in 7 total years at AU.  

That's wonderful!  I'm still eager to see him evaluate a high school QB, get him to sign with AU and then build him into a to the Top 10 draft pick.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

×
×
  • Create New...