College Football 2012: Most Difficult QBs to Replace

Spring is the time of renewal and replenishing. The time where the new growth replaces the old and our sport of college football is no different. With spring ball comes the new guys to replace the old who will grow into the spot left vacant when the older players' eligibility has withered away or the pruning shears of the NFL have plucked off the best blooms.

Here at Your Best 11 we are looking at this new growth as new players look to step into spots left vacant. Every Friday we'll look at the toughest spots to replace, starting today with the field general.

Quarterback is the glamour position on the field. It gets all of the glory and we are about to see two quarterbacks go back to back at the top of the NFL draft. Here we're going to take a look at five teams—all of whom finished 2011 in the Top 13—that are tasked with replacing their signal- caller. While the No. 2 team LSU is also replacing their starter, it is safe to say that the Jordan Jefferson-Jarrett Lee situation is one that folks are glad to see over with.

The five quarterbacks we are going with were integral to their team's success and filling their void will be no small task. 

Kellen Moore

The Boise State Broncos lose the guy who was not only their all-time winningest quarterback but is the FBS level's all-time big winner as well. With Moore, the Broncos went to a BCS Bowl and defeated TCU, beat the likes of Oregon, Georgia, TCU and were truly one of college football's elite teams. Now Moore has used up his eligibility and looks to find his way in the NFL, head coach Chris Petersen is hoping a quarterback finds his way into the starting spot. 

Joe Southwick entered as the lead dog after spending the last few seasons as the backup. Southwick has experience on his side compared to his competitors because in the last two seasons he's thrown 54 passes, completes 40 of them and has a pair of touchdowns to boot. The biggest competition for Southwick is Grant Hedrick—the third team quarterback this season who threw three passes and completed two of them in 2011. 

Nick Patti and Jimmy Laughrea, both freshman, are also in the mix hoping to get a shot to show what they can do for the Broncos. No matter who wins the job one thing is for certain: We will get to see how much of the Boise State magic was thanks to Kellen Moore and how much can be attributed to Chris Petersen.

Russell Wilson

I've hit on Wisconsin replacing Russell Wilson a couple of times here on YB11, but the more I look at the options the more I truly believe Joe Brennan will be the guy, at least in the spring, for the Badgers.

The walk-on Joel Stave and the oft injured redshirt senior Curt Phillips both have a chance, but Brennan is the only truly viable option that will let Bret Bielema get any sleep at night. Jon Budmayr is not able to go, so even if Brennan does come out the winner by a landslide, the actual "filling of the shoes" will be wide open again come fall if Budmayr is healthy.

Wilson really was a dynamic force for Wisconsin and he was able to take this offense to another level that Scott Tolzien was not capable of doing. The run-pass-scramble to buy time element of Russell Wilson was a one-season affair in Madison and now the team and their fans are back to game managing play at quarterback. 

Brandon Weeden

When Zac Robinson left Oklahoma State, most folks expected the offense to take a step back. Instead, the unit got better. A lot better.

Brandon Weeden and Justin Blackmon took everything that Robinson and Bryant had done so well and revved it up a notch. Now the pair are gone and while the Cowboys can rely on a committee of capable young receivers to get the job done, there is only one quarterback. Clint Chelf and JW Walsh are battling to be the next cog at the quarterback spot for Mike Gundy.

The good thing in Stillwater is that running back Joseph Randall is back in the fold and that will help take a little bit of pressure off the newly crowned starter. Throw in emerging talents at wide receiver like Tracy Moore, Isaiah Anderson and Josh Stewart, and the Pokes have got some able bodies on the edge who can make plays. Someone has to win the job and Chelf is the man with experience.

If he is capable of stepping into the role, Oklahoma State can compete for a Big XII Championship. 

Andrew Luck

As Mr. Everything for most of last season—until RGIII took the Heisman—most folks had given Luck in August, and he is now gone from the Cardinal. The poised quarterback led Stanford to two BCS Bowls and put the Cardinal on the map with recruits all over the country. David Shaw now must face life after Andrew, and that means Brett Nottingham is due up to fill the Stanford icon-sized shoes left vacant.

Nottingham was the fourth ranked quarterback coming out of high school and he has played in spots already, according to Rivals. To be fair, "played" is a generous term as in his six games of action Nottingham has thrown only eight passes. Much like Andrew Luck is set to go to Indianapolis and attempt to replace a legend in Peyton Manning; so too is Nottingham when he pushes to become the next Cardinal starting quarterback. 

Robert Griffin III

While RGIII might not supplant Andrew Luck as the No. 1 pick, when it comes to being difficult to replace he's the leader in the clubhouse. The kid is a world class athlete who was also an exceptional quarterback, players like him do not grow on trees. There is no similar commodity on the Baylor roster to Griffin. There is no guy who can run a 4.4 40-yard dash at the quarterback position.

That means Art Briles' system must again shift to accommodate the players that he does have. 

Nick Florence stepped up in the Texas Tech game to ensure victory for Baylor, and he is the elder statesman. When RGIII went down in 2010, it was Florence who stepped in to be the Bears' starting quarterback.

The experience is definitely on his side.

However, Bryce Petty is physical specimen that will have a shot at stealing the job from Florence. Petty is not built in the same vein athletically as Griffin, but the 6'3" 230-lb quarterback is an athlete himself. He's capable of being mobile and he is a big body that is comfortable carrying the football.

This battle should be interesting as the more talented, bigger-armed Petty looks to out duel the rising senior.