Notre Dame Football: Ranking the Irish's Opposing Quarterbacks for 2012

Not every college football team will experience the quarterback drama that is likely to ensue at Notre Dame during fall camp. Eight of Notre Dame's 12 opponents will bring back their 2011 starters, while the remaining four have clear-cut leaders coming out of spring practice.

While the list of quarterbacks the Irish defense will face this season is not as deep as it was a year ago, it can be argued that the three best quarterbacks in the nation are all on Notre Dame's 2012 schedule. With a young secondary, the Irish pass defense will be challenged this season.

Let's look at the 12 quarterbacks Notre Dame will face this season and how they stack up, counting them down from No. 12 to No. 1.

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No. 12: Trey Miller, Navy

Miller appeared rather wide-eyed when he made his first career start in Notre Dame Stadium last season, a 56-14 Irish rout. Starter Kriss Proctor had been injured a week earlier, leaving the sophomore in charge of a Midshipmen team on a five-game losing streak.

While still relatively inexperienced with only 29 career passes, Miller had a strong spring and is a more accurate passer than Proctor. He'll be making just his third start for the Mids in Dublin on Sept. 1, having lost to the Irish and to Troy while filling in for Proctor last season.

At only 199 pounds, Notre Dame's size could be again be a major obstacle for Miller.

Career Stats vs. Notre Dame

2011 (L, 56-14): 11 rushes, 57 yards; 5-of-13, 1 TD, 0 INT

No. 11: Brett Nottingham, Stanford

There won't be another Andrew Luck to roll through Palo Alto for a long time, and unfortunately for Nottingham, he has the unenviable task of replacing the No. 1 overall NFL draft pick.

The redshirt sophomore saw occasional mop-up duty last season, throwing eight total passes in five different games, including his only touchdown against San Jose State. He will have to hold off junior Josh Nunes in fall camp, too.

Nottingham has good size at 6'4", and like Luck, he was highly recruited, ranking ahead of Oklahoma's Blake Bell, Tennessee's Tyler Bray and Oregon's Bryan Bennett in the Class of 2010. He'll come into Notre Dame Stadium on Oct. 13 having already been battle-tested with games against USC and Washington in September.

No. 10: Chase Rettig, Boston College

Rettig was thrown to the wolves as a true freshman in a rivalry game with Notre Dame in 2010, losing by 18 in Chestnut Hill. The junior has started 21 straight games going back to that night almost two years ago, but struggled to stay upright during a 2011 season that saw Boston College finish 4-8 and miss a bowl for the first time in 13 years. The Eagles allowed 24 sacks a year ago and struggled to score for most of the season.

Simply looking at Rettig's 2011 statistics from a year ago shows the futility of Boston College's offense. Despite making all 12 starts, he failed to top 2,000 yards passing and connected on only 54 percent of his throws.

Rettig has decent size and adequate mobility, but has lacked the weapons to truly flourish.

Career Stats vs. Notre Dame

2011 (L, 16-14): 18-of-38, 176 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT

2010 (L, 31-13): 5-of-10, 72 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT

No. 9: Tino Sunseri, Pittsburgh

Sunseri has dealt with three coaching changes since taking over the starting role in 2010, but new boss Paul Chryst and his run-heavy offense is a much better fit for the senior than former coach Todd Graham's spread.

A frustrating 2011 season hit rock bottom for Sunseri at midseason when he threw for only 38 yards in a home loss to Utah.

After a modest 16-9 TD-INT ratio in 2010, Sunseri plummeted to a 10-11 ratio in 2011. One of his better performances came in a 15-12 loss to Notre Dame at Heinz Field, in which he connected on 73 percent of his passes.

Sunseri should have a productive senior season with an offense more conducive to his style of play.

Career Stats vs. Notre Dame

2011 (L, 15-12): 22-of-30, 165 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT

2010 (L, 23-17): 27-of-39, 272 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT

No. 8: Andrew Maxwell, Michigan State

Kirk Cousins was a mainstay under center for the past three seasons in East Lansing, capping a great career with a trip to the Big Ten Championship Game and a dramatic triple-overtime victory over Georgia in the Outback Bowl.

Maxwell, a fourth-year junior, is next in line to direct a conservative but productive Spartans offense.

Maxwell threw 26 passes a year ago, including a touchdown against Central Michigan. He missed most of spring practice with a knee injury, but should be fully healthy by the fall.

On pure talent, Maxwell is a step up from Cousins, but Cousins' intangibles are what made him so successful. Before the prime-time showdown with the Irish in Spartan Stadium, Maxwell gets a big test in the season-opener against Boise State.

No. 7: Stephen Morris, Miami (Fla.)

The tumultuous Jacory Harris era is finally over at Miami after three up-and-down seasons in which the Hurricanes went just 22-16.

A junior who has started five games over the past three seasons in place of an injured or suspended Harris, Morris takes over in Al Golden's second year with the Hurricanes. Morris' lone start last year came in a 32-24 loss to Maryland in the season-opener.

Morris was expected to battle with Harris for the job last season, but Golden named Harris the starter upon return from his one-game suspension, and the senior went on to start the final 11 games. 

Morris has decent speed, but much like Harris is turnover-prone, throwing 11 interceptions compared to just seven touchdowns. Morris replaced an ineffective Harris against the Irish in the 2010 Sun Bowl.

Career Stats vs. Notre Dame

2010 (L, 33-17): 22-of-33, 282 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT

No. 6: Robert Marve, Purdue

Marve hasn't caught a lot of breaks in his college career, which is about to enter its sixth and final year.

The Miami (Fla.) transfer made his first start as a Boilermaker at Notre Dame Stadium in 2010, but a knee injury three weeks later ended his season. He split time with Caleb TerBush last season and helped lead an upset of Ohio State that sparked the program's first bowl berth since 2007.

The Florida native was very highly recruited before signing with the Hurricanes in 2007. When Jacory Harris was named the starter after the 2008 season, Marve bolted. He has a strong arm and good mobility, having ran for a touchdown against the Irish in 2010.

His final season should be his best yet.

Career Stats vs. Notre Dame

2011 (L, 38-10): 9-of-22, 91 yards, 0 TD, 0 INT

2010 (L, 23-12): 31-of-42, 220 yards, 2 INT, 1 rush TD

No. 5: Riley Nelson, BYU

The southpaw rotated with Jake Heaps the past two seasons for the Cougars before finally seizing the starting role late in 2011. Heaps has since transferred to Kansas, so Nelson is the unchallenged starter for a veteran BYU team that faces a much tougher schedule in its second year as an independent.

Nelson isn't as pure of a passer as Heaps, but is more mobile, adding versatility to the offense. Having spent three years on a Mormon mission, he's also extremely mature.

Nelson threw multiple touchdown passes in six games last season and ran for at least 60 yards in five consecutive contests. He's small at 6'0" and under 200 pounds, but he is a smart, gritty player.

No. 4: Tanner Price, Wake Forest

Much like Riley Nelson, Price is an undersized lefty who is at his best outside of the pocket. While not considered a running quarterback, he throws well on the run.

Price also avoids turnovers (what a concept, right Irish fans?), throwing only one interception over the Demon Deacons' final seven games.

Price will be without his big-play threat this season since Chris Givens left for the NFL, but he will again have the always-reliable Michael Campanaro at his disposal.

The junior threw for more than 3,000 yards and 20 touchdowns last season compared to only six interceptions. He's a competitor who makes opposing defenses earn every stop they get.

Career Stats vs. Notre Dame

2011 (L, 24-17): 17-of-24, 187 yards, 1 TD

No. 3: Landry Jones, Oklahoma

The 2011 season was expected to be the last for Jones at Oklahoma, as the fourth-year junior was the projected No. 2 draft-eligible quarterback behind Stanford's Andrew Luck. 

2011 was, relatively speaking, a disappointment for Jones and the Sooners, and Jones decided to return to Norman for the 2012 season.

Despite throwing for almost 4,500 yards, Jones often struggled at key moments, culminating in a disastrous 44-10 loss at Oklahoma State with the Big 12 title on the line. He failed to throw a touchdown pass in the Sooners' final three games, two of them losses.

Jones also will now be without the Sooners' all-time leading receiver, Ryan Broyles.

No. 2: Denard Robinson, Michigan

Robinson and Al Borges' pro-style offense seemed like anything but a perfect match. However, both put their egos aside and were able to find common ground last year.

Robinson returns for his final season in Ann Arbor, and expectations are sky-high. While his legs will always be his greatest weapon, Borges' system prevented the potential Heisman Trophy candidate from taking as many big hits as in 2010.

As a passer, Robinson is still below average. His receivers (and some Notre Dame cornerbacks) often had to bail him out last season. With less-than-ideal size and arm strength, the Wolverines will have to make do with Robinson in the passing game. Forcing defenses to frequently account for his mobility helps mask his shortcomings as a passer.

Career Stats vs. Notre Dame

2011: (W, 35-31): 16 rushes, 108 yards, 1 TD; 11-of-24, 338 yards, 4 TD, 3 INT

2010: (W, 28-24): 28 rushes, 258 yards, 2 TD; 24-of-40, 244 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT

2009: (W, 38-34): 4 rushes, 21 yards

No. 1: Matt Barkley, Southern California

If there was one player who was snubbed from being a Heisman Trophy finalist last season, it was Barkley. After an up-and-down 2010 season, Barkley had a masterful junior campaign, leading USC to 10 wins, including a 31-17 win over Notre Dame in South Bend after missing the team's loss to the Irish a year earlier.

Barkley again displayed his commitment to the program by forgoing the NFL draft and returning to Los Angeles for his senior season. Two years ago, his loyalty to the Trojans never wavered when the program faced a coaching change and a two-season bowl ban. With the best pair of receivers in college football in Marqise Lee and Robert Woods, Barkley should have a fantastic season and will be the likely No. 1 pick the 2013 NFL Draft.

Career Stats vs. Notre Dame

2011 (W, 31-17): 24-of-35, 224 yards, 3 TD, 0 INT

2009 (W, 34-27): 19-of-29, 380 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT