[h=1]Nation's top 10 quarterbacks[/h][h=3]Mariota retains No. 1 spot while Prescott, Wallace climb in rankings[/h]
By [FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]Brock Huard[/FONT] | ESPN Insider
"Volatility, "parity" and "chaos" have been college football's buzzwords to begin 2014, and the season is only now beginning to round the halfway mark. Those same words -- with a mix of "inconsistency" and "immaturity" -- largely define this season's quarterback play as well.
A top-10 list that was difficult to fill out in August has seen the emergence of a Heisman Trophy front-runner as well as the six remaining unbeaten team's passers make this midseason list. Catastrophic injuries, personnel losses, program depth issues and a toughening of the conference schedules have eliminated the pretenders from the contenders, at least for now.
Let the debate begin.
[h=3]1. Marcus Mariota | Class: Jr. | Oregon Ducks[/h]College production: 9.5 (out of 10)
NFL skills: 10
Previous rank: 1
There were no roses thrown around in Pasadena on Saturday afternoon, but if Mariota and the Ducks had any shot to get back to the semifinal playoff game in January, they had to beat UCLA in their home, and they did. Mariota continued to show the poise and playmaking (four total touchdowns) his debilitated offensive line so desperately needs, and if the line of scrimmage can simply play average, Mariota can tip the field and the scales Oregon's way.
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No interceptions through six games begins to tell the story (17 touchdowns/0 INTs) but the top efficiency rating (193.7, on pace to break the record?) and the best QBR numbers finishes the conversation. More importantly, getting healthy and staying injury-free up front will be paramount for an Oregon program that has no margin of error left down the stretch of a difficult conference slate.
[h=3]2. Jameis Winston | So. | Florida State Seminoles[/h]College production: 9.5
NFL skills: 9.5
Previous rank: 3
Chaos, volatility, inconsistency -- the identifying marks of college football through six weeks are really best represented by the quarterback and program in Tallahassee. Yet, through all the storms and turbulence (the majority of which have been self-inflicted), there stands Winston and his overwhelming smile at 6-0, and 20-0 through a season-and-a-half under center.
The numbers are not nearly as gaudy, and the efficiency and difference-making on third down are way off the 2013 pace, but when Florida State coach Jimbo Fisher has needed a key drive to turn momentum at home or on the road, Winston has again delivered. A repeat trip to Manhattan feels unlikely, and off-the-field troubles may once again keep Winston from running on the field, but the size, strength, charisma and will to win between the white lines remains incredibly impressive.
[h=3]No. 3 Bryce Petty | Sr. | Baylor Bears[/h]College production: 9.5
NFL skills: 9
Previous rank: 2
"Products of a system" can score a lot of points, throw for a lot of yards and touchdowns and rewrite school record books. However, that moniker must change to system-changer and game-changer when 21-point deficits are erased in the waning minutes of a fourth quarter against one of college football's most respected defensive minds and defensive programs. Petty's career-high 510 yards and six touchdowns against TCU will get him in the Heisman conversation, but producing two drives of more than 90 yards and throwing all six of those touchdowns from more than 20 yards distinguishes his performance from the rest.
Want to know what "putting a team on your (now healthy) back" and "willing a team to win" looks like? Commit last Saturday's fourth quarter in Waco to memory. In a league that so often comes down to fourth quarters and the ability of QBs to put negative plays behind them, NFL decision-makers loved what they saw from the prototypical passer with an atypical comeback.
[h=3]4. Dak Prescott | Jr. | Mississippi State Bulldogs[/h]College production: 10
NFL skills: 7.5
Previous rank: 9
The quarterback for the most balanced team in college football continues to prove his unrelenting style can carry the way. Part Cam Newton, part Tim Tebow, Prescott is outpacing both from their Heisman-winning campaigns (22 touchdowns through the air and on the ground) and doing so against the highest level of competition (three consecutive wins over top 10 ranked teams).
Much like the two aforementioned stars, Prescott is most importantly elevating the play of everyone around him and making WR De'Runnya Wilson and RB Josh Robinson household names. Prescott showed plenty of glimpses of this promise before, but the ability to put team and individual mistakes in the rearview mirror and continue to step on the gas moving forward is why the Bulldogs are the top-ranked team in the country at the halfway mark.
[h=3]5. Brett Hundley | Jr. | UCLA Bruins[/h]College production: 8
NFL skills: 8.5
Previous rank: 4
The numbers are well-documented and the story has been well told: No other QB in college football has taken the beating Hundley has over the previous three seasons: One hundred and nine sacks against is the most in the FBS from 2012 through 2014. Undoubtedly, the punishment has hurt both Hundley's progression and the Bruins, and it will dominate draft projection and evaluation this spring. Those sacks fall on an underdeveloped offensive line, a lack of explosive perimeter players and Hundley's lack of clock awareness and awareness in the pocket and of his protections.
Yet, Hundley is still the sixth-rated passer in college football and has been at his best in second halves (over 200 passer rating, 75 percent completion rate) digging out and from behind the physical beatings he has taken. While the Bruins' playoff chances may have perished Saturday, Jim Mora's teams have perennially played their best ball down the stretch, and the Pac-12 South is anyone's race into November.
[h=3]6. Bo Wallace | Sr. | Ole Miss Rebels[/h]College production: 9
NFL skills: 7
Previous rank: NR
The state of Mississippi is the belle of the ball at the midway point, and it's no surprise that QB play and defense are the signature staples of both teams' success. Hugh Freeze and Dan Mullen place a premium on QB run, decision-making and controlling tempo from the QB spot, and while Bo is not the physically imposing athlete of his in-state counterpart Dak, his ability to limit mistakes and play his best in the second half and fourth quarter in particular (six TDs/six INTs in first halves, nine TDs/0 INTs in second halves) is why the Rebels are unblemished.
In fact, Wallace's fourth-quarter efficiency (269.2) is tops in the country. Freeze told me in Week 2 that his defense was title-worthy, and if Bo and the Ole Miss offense could stay healthy up front, they could compete for the ultimate prize. So far, so good in Oxford.
[h=3]7. Everett Golson | Sr. | Notre Dame Fighting Irish[/h]College production: 8.5
NFL skills: 7
Previous rank: 7
South Florida wasn't pretty for Golson and the Irish to conclude 2012, but Saturday night in Tallahassee will be miles away from South Beach. More important are the miles Golson has traveled in both his career and as a quarterback, in particular. While the turnovers have re-emerged over the last three wins (interceptions in all three and nine total giveaways), the pressure he continues to place on a defense every single snap in the run, pass and play-action game is exhausting opposing fronts.
While Golson's play has been erratic at times in October, he is the clear leader and identity of a No. 5-ranked Irish team. If the Golden Domers can pull off the upset Saturday, you can reasonably expect them to be favored in their remaining five games down the stretch, including trips to ASU and USC.
[h=3]8. Connor Cook | Jr. | Michigan State Spartans[/h]College production: 8
NFL skills: 8
Previous rank: 6
Credit Mark Dantonio and his senior quarterback for steadying the Spartans' ship after a Week 2 loss at Oregon. Sparty has moved itself in front of the Ducks in the polls (eighth in the AP poll and sixth in the coaches' poll) and back into playoff contention and conversation. Cook's ability to lead a balanced attack (248 yards per game on the ground and 254 yards per game through the air) is a big reason Michigan State is the fourth-highest-scoring offense in the FBS.
That said, Cook's efficiency numbers for Cook have dipped in recent wins, and while the 13-4 TD-INT ratio is winning football, the 58 percent completion rate must improve, especially with games back out on the road in the weeks ahead. Take care of business against Indiana and Michigan, and the Nov. 8 home showdown with Ohio State will have career and playoff implications for Cook and Co.
[h=3]9. Shane Carden | Sr. | East Carolina Pirates[/h]College production: 8.5
NFL skills: 7
Previous rank: 10
Carden cracked the top 10 at the quarter pole, and he and the Pirates remain in the pole position at the halfway turn as the highest ranked non-Power 5 team that could find itself playing in one of the six New Year's bowls. Seemingly every season we have seen the rise of the stat monster QB from outside the Power 5 (Derek Carr, Fresno State in '13, David Fales, San Jose State in '12, Case Keenum, Houston '11) and this season, Carden is clearly that passer. He's strong, sturdy, tough and he has a chip on his shoulder that benefits his entire team.
[h=3]10. Rakeem Cato | Sr. | Marshall Thundering Herd[/h]College production: 9
NFL skills: 6.5
Previous rank: NR
Cato, with 38 consecutive games with a TD, joins Russell Wilson on an elite list that speaks to the availability and accountability of Cato week in and week out, and year in and year out. A four-year starter that will re-write record books in Huntington, West Virginia that include some former high profile NFL quarterbacks like Chad Pennington and Byron Leftwich. The rise of some of the undersized passers in the NFL (Wilson, Drew Brees, Chase Daniel, Tyrod Taylor) will afford Cato some opportunities and looks he wouldn't have received even a decade ago. Stay undefeated, and Marshall will get some looks their program hasn't had in just about the same amount of time.
By [FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]Brock Huard[/FONT] | ESPN Insider
"Volatility, "parity" and "chaos" have been college football's buzzwords to begin 2014, and the season is only now beginning to round the halfway mark. Those same words -- with a mix of "inconsistency" and "immaturity" -- largely define this season's quarterback play as well.
A top-10 list that was difficult to fill out in August has seen the emergence of a Heisman Trophy front-runner as well as the six remaining unbeaten team's passers make this midseason list. Catastrophic injuries, personnel losses, program depth issues and a toughening of the conference schedules have eliminated the pretenders from the contenders, at least for now.
Let the debate begin.
[h=3]1. Marcus Mariota | Class: Jr. | Oregon Ducks[/h]College production: 9.5 (out of 10)
NFL skills: 10
Previous rank: 1
There were no roses thrown around in Pasadena on Saturday afternoon, but if Mariota and the Ducks had any shot to get back to the semifinal playoff game in January, they had to beat UCLA in their home, and they did. Mariota continued to show the poise and playmaking (four total touchdowns) his debilitated offensive line so desperately needs, and if the line of scrimmage can simply play average, Mariota can tip the field and the scales Oregon's way.
<offer></offer>
No interceptions through six games begins to tell the story (17 touchdowns/0 INTs) but the top efficiency rating (193.7, on pace to break the record?) and the best QBR numbers finishes the conversation. More importantly, getting healthy and staying injury-free up front will be paramount for an Oregon program that has no margin of error left down the stretch of a difficult conference slate.
[h=3]2. Jameis Winston | So. | Florida State Seminoles[/h]College production: 9.5
NFL skills: 9.5
Previous rank: 3
Chaos, volatility, inconsistency -- the identifying marks of college football through six weeks are really best represented by the quarterback and program in Tallahassee. Yet, through all the storms and turbulence (the majority of which have been self-inflicted), there stands Winston and his overwhelming smile at 6-0, and 20-0 through a season-and-a-half under center.
The numbers are not nearly as gaudy, and the efficiency and difference-making on third down are way off the 2013 pace, but when Florida State coach Jimbo Fisher has needed a key drive to turn momentum at home or on the road, Winston has again delivered. A repeat trip to Manhattan feels unlikely, and off-the-field troubles may once again keep Winston from running on the field, but the size, strength, charisma and will to win between the white lines remains incredibly impressive.
[h=3]No. 3 Bryce Petty | Sr. | Baylor Bears[/h]College production: 9.5
NFL skills: 9
Previous rank: 2
"Products of a system" can score a lot of points, throw for a lot of yards and touchdowns and rewrite school record books. However, that moniker must change to system-changer and game-changer when 21-point deficits are erased in the waning minutes of a fourth quarter against one of college football's most respected defensive minds and defensive programs. Petty's career-high 510 yards and six touchdowns against TCU will get him in the Heisman conversation, but producing two drives of more than 90 yards and throwing all six of those touchdowns from more than 20 yards distinguishes his performance from the rest.
Want to know what "putting a team on your (now healthy) back" and "willing a team to win" looks like? Commit last Saturday's fourth quarter in Waco to memory. In a league that so often comes down to fourth quarters and the ability of QBs to put negative plays behind them, NFL decision-makers loved what they saw from the prototypical passer with an atypical comeback.
[h=3]4. Dak Prescott | Jr. | Mississippi State Bulldogs[/h]College production: 10
NFL skills: 7.5
Previous rank: 9
The quarterback for the most balanced team in college football continues to prove his unrelenting style can carry the way. Part Cam Newton, part Tim Tebow, Prescott is outpacing both from their Heisman-winning campaigns (22 touchdowns through the air and on the ground) and doing so against the highest level of competition (three consecutive wins over top 10 ranked teams).
Much like the two aforementioned stars, Prescott is most importantly elevating the play of everyone around him and making WR De'Runnya Wilson and RB Josh Robinson household names. Prescott showed plenty of glimpses of this promise before, but the ability to put team and individual mistakes in the rearview mirror and continue to step on the gas moving forward is why the Bulldogs are the top-ranked team in the country at the halfway mark.
[h=3]5. Brett Hundley | Jr. | UCLA Bruins[/h]College production: 8
NFL skills: 8.5
Previous rank: 4
The numbers are well-documented and the story has been well told: No other QB in college football has taken the beating Hundley has over the previous three seasons: One hundred and nine sacks against is the most in the FBS from 2012 through 2014. Undoubtedly, the punishment has hurt both Hundley's progression and the Bruins, and it will dominate draft projection and evaluation this spring. Those sacks fall on an underdeveloped offensive line, a lack of explosive perimeter players and Hundley's lack of clock awareness and awareness in the pocket and of his protections.
Yet, Hundley is still the sixth-rated passer in college football and has been at his best in second halves (over 200 passer rating, 75 percent completion rate) digging out and from behind the physical beatings he has taken. While the Bruins' playoff chances may have perished Saturday, Jim Mora's teams have perennially played their best ball down the stretch, and the Pac-12 South is anyone's race into November.
[h=3]6. Bo Wallace | Sr. | Ole Miss Rebels[/h]College production: 9
NFL skills: 7
Previous rank: NR
The state of Mississippi is the belle of the ball at the midway point, and it's no surprise that QB play and defense are the signature staples of both teams' success. Hugh Freeze and Dan Mullen place a premium on QB run, decision-making and controlling tempo from the QB spot, and while Bo is not the physically imposing athlete of his in-state counterpart Dak, his ability to limit mistakes and play his best in the second half and fourth quarter in particular (six TDs/six INTs in first halves, nine TDs/0 INTs in second halves) is why the Rebels are unblemished.
In fact, Wallace's fourth-quarter efficiency (269.2) is tops in the country. Freeze told me in Week 2 that his defense was title-worthy, and if Bo and the Ole Miss offense could stay healthy up front, they could compete for the ultimate prize. So far, so good in Oxford.
[h=3]7. Everett Golson | Sr. | Notre Dame Fighting Irish[/h]College production: 8.5
NFL skills: 7
Previous rank: 7
South Florida wasn't pretty for Golson and the Irish to conclude 2012, but Saturday night in Tallahassee will be miles away from South Beach. More important are the miles Golson has traveled in both his career and as a quarterback, in particular. While the turnovers have re-emerged over the last three wins (interceptions in all three and nine total giveaways), the pressure he continues to place on a defense every single snap in the run, pass and play-action game is exhausting opposing fronts.
While Golson's play has been erratic at times in October, he is the clear leader and identity of a No. 5-ranked Irish team. If the Golden Domers can pull off the upset Saturday, you can reasonably expect them to be favored in their remaining five games down the stretch, including trips to ASU and USC.
[h=3]8. Connor Cook | Jr. | Michigan State Spartans[/h]College production: 8
NFL skills: 8
Previous rank: 6
Credit Mark Dantonio and his senior quarterback for steadying the Spartans' ship after a Week 2 loss at Oregon. Sparty has moved itself in front of the Ducks in the polls (eighth in the AP poll and sixth in the coaches' poll) and back into playoff contention and conversation. Cook's ability to lead a balanced attack (248 yards per game on the ground and 254 yards per game through the air) is a big reason Michigan State is the fourth-highest-scoring offense in the FBS.
That said, Cook's efficiency numbers for Cook have dipped in recent wins, and while the 13-4 TD-INT ratio is winning football, the 58 percent completion rate must improve, especially with games back out on the road in the weeks ahead. Take care of business against Indiana and Michigan, and the Nov. 8 home showdown with Ohio State will have career and playoff implications for Cook and Co.
[h=3]9. Shane Carden | Sr. | East Carolina Pirates[/h]College production: 8.5
NFL skills: 7
Previous rank: 10
Carden cracked the top 10 at the quarter pole, and he and the Pirates remain in the pole position at the halfway turn as the highest ranked non-Power 5 team that could find itself playing in one of the six New Year's bowls. Seemingly every season we have seen the rise of the stat monster QB from outside the Power 5 (Derek Carr, Fresno State in '13, David Fales, San Jose State in '12, Case Keenum, Houston '11) and this season, Carden is clearly that passer. He's strong, sturdy, tough and he has a chip on his shoulder that benefits his entire team.
[h=3]10. Rakeem Cato | Sr. | Marshall Thundering Herd[/h]College production: 9
NFL skills: 6.5
Previous rank: NR
Cato, with 38 consecutive games with a TD, joins Russell Wilson on an elite list that speaks to the availability and accountability of Cato week in and week out, and year in and year out. A four-year starter that will re-write record books in Huntington, West Virginia that include some former high profile NFL quarterbacks like Chad Pennington and Byron Leftwich. The rise of some of the undersized passers in the NFL (Wilson, Drew Brees, Chase Daniel, Tyrod Taylor) will afford Cato some opportunities and looks he wouldn't have received even a decade ago. Stay undefeated, and Marshall will get some looks their program hasn't had in just about the same amount of time.
