College Football Predictions 2011: 7 Quarterbacks Who Will Burst Onto the Scene

College football had a very high number of standout quarterbacks last season.

Cam Newton, Terrelle Pryor, Jake Locker and Blaine Gabbert are just a few signal callers who ran their respective offenses to perfection.

However, each of those guys are now chasing their professional dreams.

Which quarterbacks will step up and fill their shoes?

Find out as we count down seven quarterbacks who will burst onto the scene this season.

7. Casey Pachall: TCU

With Andy Dalton having moved on to the NFL, it is Casey Pachall's time to lead the Horned Frogs of TCU.

Casey Pachall does not have much experience as he has only attempted nine passes in his career at TCU after redshirting the 2009 season and backing up Andy Dalton last season.

However, Casey Pachall was heavily recruited out of Brownwood (TX) High.

During his senior season at Brownwood High in 2008, Casey Pachall completed 164 of 270 pass attempts for 2,808 yards and 31 touchdowns. He also carried the ball 137 times for 684 yards and 11 more scores.

The offense must replace nine of 11 starters, but head coach Gary Patterson has shown through the years that his program does not rebuild. It reloads.

Casey Pachall is ready to be the leader of that reloaded offense.

6. Keith Price: Washington

Jake Locker had a tremendous run leading the Huskie offense during the last four seasons.

He's now with the Tennessee Titans.

Now it's Keith Price's time to take the reins.

Keith Price beat out Nick Montana, son of Joe Montana, for the starting job in spring practice.

Head coach Steve Sarkisian said that Keith Price "earned the right to be our starting quarterback."

It's great when the new quarterback has the full confidence of his head coach.

In limited action last season, Keith Price completed 19 of 37 pass attempts for 164 yards and two touchdowns.

Washington fans are hoping that he can be just as effective as his predecessor.

5. Jake Heaps: BYU

After taking over as the starter in the last six games of the season, Jake Heaps managed the offense well but was nothing near flashy.

With a season of experience under his belt, that will all change.

2011 should be a major improvement on the part of Jake Heaps.

As a true freshman he completed 219 of 383 pass attempts for 2,316 yards and 15 touchdowns.

With that experience and nine of 11 returning starters on offense, this will be the season that the former number one quarterback prospect will reach his potential.

4. Logan Thomas: Virginia Tech

Logan Thomas takes over at quarterback for the departed Tyrod Taylor who is Virginia Tech's all-time leader in passing yards.

A 4-star prospect coming out of Brookville (VA) High, Logan Thomas was one of the most sought after dual-threat quarterbacks in the 2008 class.

At 6'6" and 245 pounds, Logan Thomas will have excellent sight lines over the line of scrimmage.

With that size and ability, his game will most likely compare to that of former Ohio State quarterback Terrelle Pryor.

The only weakness Logan Thomas has is a lack of experience.

In limited action last season he completed 12 of 26 pass attempts for 107 yards.

Look for Logan Thomas to have success this season behind a veteran offensive line.

3. Seth Doege: Texas Tech

Redshirt junior Seth Doege has spent the last three seasons learning from former Red Raider quarterbacks Graham Harrell and Taylor Potts.

That's why Seth Doege's lack of starting experience shouldn't hurt him this season.

It's his time to shine in Lubbock.

A West Texas native, Seth Doege needs to put what he has learned while being a backup to good use.

Look for Seth Doege to be one of the top quarterbacks in the Big 12 behind Oklahoma's Landry Jones and Baylor's Robert Griffin.

2. Tyler Wilson: Arkansas

Replacing a quarterback such as Ryan Mallett is never an easy thing to do, but it is possible. 

Tyler Wilson is ready to step up and lead the Razorbacks under head coach Bobby Petrino.

He has a decent amount of experience as he completed 34 of 51 pass attempts for 453 yards and four touchdowns last season.

Athlon Sports has named Tyler Wilson to the preseason All-SEC second team.

He and Georgia's Aaron Murray should compete for top quarterback honors this season.

1. Danny O'Brien: Maryland

As a true freshman thrust into the starting role as Maryland's quarterback last season, Danny O'Brien led Terrapins to a 9-4 record including a win over East Carolina in the Military Bowl.

He completed 192 of 337 pass attempts for 2,438 yards and 22 touchdowns a season ago.

Despite his outstanding performances, Danny O'Brien did not get the recognition he should have.

That will certainly change this season.

New head coach Randy Edsall will build his offense around the talents of Danny O'Brien.

The offensive line returns mostly intact which should be a big help to Danny O'Brien on his mission to be the best quarterback in the ACC.