Power Ranking the Top 25 Quarterbacks Through 6 Weeks
The college football season is almost at its midpoint, which means we've seen enough to reassess our player rankings at every position. And what position is more fun to talk about—if not more excessively talked about—than quarterback?!
The QB hierarchy hasn't undergone major changes since the preseason, but enough has happened to warrant a new batch of rankings. We haven't seen a freshman come out gangbusters a la Johnny Manziel in 2012 and Jameis Winston in 2013, but a couple of underclassmen (and even some upperclassmen) have come close.
These rankings are a reaction but not an overreaction to what has happened in the first six weeks of the year. In other words, we haven't forgotten how a quarterback played in 2013 (or 2012 and 2011), but his 2014 performance was weighted as a pretty big data point.
Also keep in mind that these rankings are a pure construction of the 2014 college football season. They do not project how a quarterback will translate to the NFL or even how he projects to next year. They are a subjective answer to the question, "Which QB would you pick to lead your team into a must-win game next weekend?"
Sound off below, and let us know what you think.
Note: Total QBR refers to the quarterbacking metric compiled by ESPN.com. All other numbers come via cfbstats.com.
Honorable Mentions
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Below are two different types of honorable mentions: five healthy players who came closest to making the list and three injured players who would have made the list at full strength. For the first type, keep in mind that these rankings are fluid and that any (or all) of those names could grace the Top 25 by the end of the year.
First Five Out
- Jacoby Brissett, NC State
- Garrett Grayson, Colorado State
- Connor Halliday, Washington State
- Kevin Hogan, Stanford
- Anu Solomon, Arizona
Injured Reserve
- Taysom Hill, BYU
- Chuckie Keeton, Utah State
- Braxton Miller, Ohio State
25. Trevone Boykin, TCU
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QB Rating: 140.9 (50th)
Total QBR: 69.9 (33rd)
Trevone Boykin was a bit of a mess last season, throwing two interceptions in a tight win at Kansas and three interceptions in a loss at Oklahoma State before closing out the year at receiver.
When Johnny Manziel's former backup, Matt Joeckel, transferred to TCU this summer, it seemed like Boykin would remain at receiver—especially since Joeckel had experience running a spread offense similar to that which TCU was planning to implement in 2014.
But the strides Boykin has made as a passer were enough to earn him the job, and four games into the season, he has been one of the most pleasant surprises in the country. TCU is undefeated, most recently beating Oklahoma 37-33, and ranked No. 9 in the AP Poll. Boykin had 395 total yards in the upset of the Sooners.
Last season, we watched Auburn become a national title contender on the strength of Nick Marshall's development as a passer. Marshall was a former defensive back who relied on his athleticism early but slowly learned to trust his arm. Is it really so crazy to think that Boykin, a converted receiver, might find the same success?
24. Sean Mannion, Oregon State
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QB Rating: 129.7 (66th)
Total QBR: 50.0 (83rd)
Sean Mannion appears to have regressed a little bit, but it hasn't been bad enough to knock him out of the Top 25.
He finished No. 2 in the country and first among power-conference quarterbacks with 358.6 passing yards per game last season, helping facilitate Brandin Cooks' run to the Biletnikoff Award. But with Cooks gone to the NFL, he and Oregon State's offense have struggled to find a new go-to target, which has led to deflated numbers.
Mannion still does enough good to be considered among the best quarterbacks in college football. His arm strength is above-average, and he throws an accurate deep ball. He is also a senior who makes smart reads and has experience in big games. You can win with him, but it's starting to look like you can't win because of him.
That is what separates the top 25 from the top 10.
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23. Maty Mauk, Missouri
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QB Rating: 138.6 (52nd)
Total QBR: 47.1 (88th)
Like Mannion, Mauk has taken what appears to be a big step back this season. His 2014 numbers do not look good.
Unlike Mannion, however, Mauk is only a sophomore. It feels like he has more experience because Missouri was in the national spotlight last season, but Mauk is still learning on the job. And he's doing it with a rebuilt offense.
Through all of that, Mauk has found a way to guide the Tigers to a 4-1 record. That resume includes an ugly loss to Indiana and a game the offense deserved to lose against South Carolina, but 4-1 is still 4-1. It still puts Missouri in control of the SEC East.
Considering the list of quarterbacks competing with Missouri for the division title—none of whom have been included on this list—it's easy to foresee a scenario where Mauk leads the Tigers to their second consecutive SEC Championship Game, this time playing an even bigger role than he did with James Franklin on the roster last year.
22. Deshaun Watson, Clemson
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QB Rating: 197.9 (2nd)
Total QBR: 91.6 (1st)
The numbers from Deshaun Watson's first two starts have been staggering. He's completed 44 of 65 passes for 702 yards, eight touchdowns and one interception and rushed for 90 yards and another two scores. Clemson has averaged 45.5 points per game.
Having said that, Watson's first two starts have also come against North Carolina and NC State. The week before playing Clemson, neither of those teams held its opponent to less than 56 points.
Watson's most impressive performance of the year might actually have been against Florida State, when he was inserted for Cole Stoudt and almost led the Tigers to a win. They only scored 17 points in that game, but Watson did not play like one expects a true freshman on the road in a night game against the defending national champion to play. He played like he thought he was the best player on the field.
He might not have been too far off.
21. Jake Waters, Kansas State
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QB Rating: 147.8 (37th)
Total QBR: 70.0 (31st)
Jake Waters isn't the biggest, or the fastest, or the strongest or even the smartest quarterback in America. But he always seems to get the job done.
Even in Kansas State's sole loss of the season, a Thursday night home game against Auburn, he did everything he needed to do to put his team in a position to win. It just didn't.
Waters is an accurate passer with good mobility and a sound decision-maker. He isn't an NFL prospect—what Kansas State quarterback ever is?—but he's a leader with a good command of his offense. Against Texas Tech last week, he played the best game of his career, throwing for 290 yards, rushing for 105 more and combining to score five touchdowns without an interception.
20. Cody Kessler, USC
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QB Rating: 153.6 (24th)
Total QBR: 76.9 (18th)
Cody Kessler is in about the same class as Mannion and Waters—the type of quarterback you can win with but probably not because.
That did not appear to be the case at the start of last season, but he slowly improved in the second half of the year and has gotten even better in 2014. His arm lacks a little bit of pop, but he gets the ball out on time, puts it where it needs to be and is capable of throwing on the run.
His performance against Arizona State last week looked ho-hum on paper, but Kessler did steer the offense to 34 points and fought his tail off to score a rushing touchdown at the start of the third quarter. Normally, when a team with a former 5-star quarterback such as Max Browne on the bench starts 3-2, there is a lusty cry from the fanbase for a change to be made under center.
This has not been one of those cases.
19. J.T. Barrett, Ohio State
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QB Rating: 186.3 (4th)
Total QBR: 74.4 (22nd)
Everybody remembers the Virginia Tech game—and rightfully so—but J.T. Barrett has been so good in his other four starts that he still ranks No. 4 in the country in QB rating. His average rating in those games (219.9) would place first by more than 17 points.
Especially against Maryland last weekend, Barrett played with the confidence of an upperclassman instead of a redshirt freshman, picking apart what had been a pretty decent Terrapins defense. Every little pocket of space he was afforded, he took advantage of. It felt a lot like what Jameis Winston did to Maryland last year.
It is hard to move Barrett any higher because (a) he still posted a QB rating of 85.2 against the only great defense he's played, and (b) head coach Urban Meyer's system is a star-maker for quarterbacks. But he's done enough to earn our attention. Chris Huston of Heisman Pundit ranked Barrett No. 7 in his post-Week 6 Heisman Watch.
18. Shane Carden, East Carolina
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QB Rating: 156.8 (15th)
Total QBR: 77.7 (16th)
Shane Carden has led East Carolina to a 4-1 record and a spot on the back end of the Associated Press Top 25 with wins over Virginia Tech and North Carolina. If he and his team were in the ACC Coastal, they would stand a good shot at making the conference title game.
Against SMU last weekend, he set the ECU record for career passing yards, topping the 9,029 mark set by former NFL Pro Bowler David Garrard. "It’s just crazy," Carden said after the game, per Brian Haines of the News & Observer. "I knew I was pretty close to it. I think I knew I passed it, but it's just crazy."
It's not all that crazy, though, when you think about it. Carden has helped ECU become one of the best group-of-five teams in the country the past few seasons, and his leading receiver, Justin Hardy, is within striking distance of breaking the NCAA career-receptions record. You can't accomplish that without a great quarterback.
17. Clint Trickett, West Virginia
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QB Rating: 157.5 (14th)
Total QBR: 80.5 (12th)
Clint Trickett has defied expectations during the early part of this season, looking night-and-day different than he did in 2013.
Based on what we've seen, it seems fair to give Trickett the benefit of the doubt and chalk up last year's failings to a lack of experience in Dana Holgorsen's system.
He transferred from Florida State after Jameis Winston dominated the 2013 spring game, which cost him a valuable chance to learn the offense before getting thrust into the starting lineup. And even then, he was able to "lead"—if that's what you want to call it—an upset of Oklahoma State.
In five games this season, Trickett has already played four that would have qualified as his best of 2013. He's thrown four interceptions in his last three games—a trend that cannot continue during the meat of Big 12 play—but the way he's been willing to test the deep third and the success he's found in doing so is a big step forward from last year.
16. Trevor Knight, Oklahoma
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QB Rating: 128.4 (70th)
Total QBR: 76.4 (19th)
Trevor Knight has been very-good-not-great for Oklahoma this season, which is not what Sooners fans were hoping for but probably what they should have expected based on his resume.
In the 2014 Sugar Bowl, Knight played out of his mind, completing 32 of 44 passes for 348 yards and four touchdowns to beat Alabama. Before that, however, he had been subbed in and out of the lineup due to ineffective play. He only threw 90 passes in the regular season.
Knight has all the tools to be a Heisman contender. His arm is not massive, but his accuracy and his offensive command have improved in 2014. As a runner, he moves a bit like Aaron Rodgers. But he hasn't had enough games like the Sugar Bowl to merit cracking the top 15. At least not yet, he hasn't. He is only a redshirt sophomore.
15. Blake Sims, Alabama
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QB Rating: 172.8 (7th)
Total QBR: 89.0 (4th)
Blake Sims didn't just beat Jake Coker for the starting job out of fall camp; he has played so well in that role that the "quarterback controversy" disappeared. Even after a road loss to Ole Miss in Week 6, no sane 'Bama fans are calling for Sims to be yanked.
Honestly, how could they? The redshirt senior has looked better than his supposed best-case scenario, managing the game to perfection but also making things happen with his legs. His final line against Ole Miss was his worst of the season, but even that performance was hurt by a few costly drops. In a vacuum, he played well enough to win.
Just as he has all season.
14. Taylor Kelly, Arizona State
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QB Rating: 168.1 (n/a)
Total QBR: 84.6* (n/a)
Taylor Kelly hasn't thrown enough passes to qualify for the national stats, having missed the past two-games-and-change with an injury. But for the sake of comparison, his QB rating and Total QBR would both rank No. 11 in the country (albeit against soft competition).
Either way, Kelly earned his spot in the top 15 last season, when he threw for more than 3,635 yards, rushed for 608 more and led Arizona State to a Pac-12 South Championship. He is a more-refined version of Trevor Knight with more experience and more career wins.
It has devalued Kelly's stock a little bit to watch his backup, Mike Bercovici, find great numerical success these past couple weeks. Perhaps Mike Norvell's offense and skill players such as Jaelen Strong and D.J. Foster could make any quarterback look like a star?
But despite how good Bercovici has looked, he was still on the brink of going 0-2 as a starter until Strong pulled down a Hail Mary against USC. Kelly knows how to win games.
*Average of Kelly's three game-by-game QBR scores.
13. Kenny Hill, Texas A&M
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QB Rating: 161.8 (12th)
Total QBR: 85.3 (7th)
I was dubious of Kenny Hill after his "breakout" game against South Carolina where the majority of his numbers came on screen passes, yards after the catch and busted coverages. It seemed like a lot of quarterbacks could have succeeded in Hill's position.
I was swayed, however, during the Arkansas game, when Hill led a furious comeback on a neutral field against an underrated defense. His supposedly all-world offensive line was getting beat in the trenches, but Hill found a way to adapt, sending the game to overtime with fourth-quarter touchdowns passes to Edward Pope and Josh Reynolds before winning the game in overtime with another touchdown pass to Malcome Kennedy.
The wheels came off a bit against Mississippi State, which is enough to keep Hill out of the top 10 but not out of the top 15. His entire team came out flat against the Bulldogs, and a couple of his interceptions were the result of fluky tips instead of poor throws.
12. Bo Wallace, Ole Miss
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QB Rating: 168.6 (11th)
Total QBR: 71.4 (27th)
Bo Wallace was the pregame keystone against Alabama—the player whose performance many thought would dictate the outcome. If "Good Bo" showed up, Ole Miss had a chance at the upset. If "Bad Bo" showed up, Alabama would win by three touchdowns.
It's pretty clear which "Bo" took the field.
Wallace played not the best but the most important game of his career against Alabama, throwing a pair of high-difficulty touchdown passes in the fourth quarter to lead Ole Miss to a 23-17 win. More importantly, he did not commit a single turnover, shirking the modus operandi he had earned with 33 interceptions since 2012.
When he's on, Wallace has the physical tools to place in the top 10 of this list. He is 6'4" and mobile, and he can get the ball down the field. That makes Wallace sound more like an NFL prospect than an occasional CFB punchline—the former being how he looked against Alabama, the latter being what he'd become before that.
If he keeps this up, he might even sneak into the Heisman conversation.
11. Jared Goff, Cal
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QB Rating: 188.5 (3rd)
Total QBR: 89.6 (2nd)
Let's start with the obvious: the numbers.
Jared Goff ranks No. 5 in the country in passing yards per game (375.0) and No. 2 in passing touchdowns (22). In three games against Pac-12 opponents, he has ballooned that passing average to 455 yards per game with 15 touchdowns and just two interceptions.
But look beyond the numbers, and you'll see something even more impressive. Sonny Dykes' offense is quarterback-friendly, but much of what Goff does beyond the call of duty. He throws one of the sexiest deep balls in college football, and he gets better as the game goes on. Here is how his QB rating deviates by quarter:
- 1st Quarter: 179.4
- 2nd Quarter: 184.2
- 3rd Quarter: 194.9
- 4th Quarter: 199.0
- Overtime: 213.3
This progression helps explain Cal's improvement in 2014. The Bears went 1-11 last season but are off to a 4-1 start with a pair of close wins to start the year. Their only loss came on a Hail Mary at Arizona after Goff had staked them to a 45-30 lead with 5:21 left to play.
He is more than just a product of the system.
10. Christian Hackenberg, Penn State
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QB Rating: 122.2 (80th)
Total QBR: 41.5 (99th)
Christian Hackenberg's numbers are a bit of a mess this season. He's thrown four touchdowns to six interceptions, and he's thrice posted a QB rating below 118. Despite having the strongest vertical arm in college football, he is averaging only 7.6 yards per attempt.
But don't let that trick you into thinking he hasn't been good. He has been. He hasn't been great, but he's been good enough to throw for 1,477 yards and win four of five games behind a terrible offensive line. And that is no small feat for anyone.
Before the season, I wrote about wishing Hackenberg could be traded—or rather loaned—away from Penn State for at least one year because I was scared playing in this offense would stunt his development. So far, my fears about the offensive line have been realized, but that doesn't mean I stand by what I said.
Hackenberg is doing the best thing he can do for his development: learning how to win games his team deserves to lose. If he leads a clearly rebuilding Penn State offense to a bowl game—something it is now eligible to do—the year will be considered a success.
He is still in line to go No. 1 overall in the 2016 NFL draft.
9. Rakeem Cato, Marshall
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QB Rating: 161.8 (13th)
Total QBR: 72.8 (25th)
You won't see Rakeem Cato on national TV during the regular season. Marshall's always-easy schedule is even easier than usual in 2014, ranking No. 127 (out of 128) in the country, per BCFToys.com.
But Cato has proved enough over his career to earn his spot inside the top 10. He led the nation with 4,201 passing yards as a sophomore in 2012, and he led Marshall to a Military Bowl win over Maryland in 2013. He has combined gaudy numbers with sustained team success.
Bleacher Report's Adam Kramer called Cato "College Football's Most Underrated Player" in a feature this offseason, detailing the meticulous work the 6'0" quarterback puts into his craft. You might not get to see the product of that work during the regular season, but there's a good chance you get to see it on New Year's Day.
8. Nick Marshall, Auburn
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QB Rating: 150.3 (31st)
Total QBR: 85.5 (5th)
Nick Marshall's accuracy continues to be a problem. He has completed only 57.9 percent of his passes this season, tied for No. 79 in the country. Backup Jeremy Johnson looked in many ways like the stronger thrower when Marshall was suspended for the first half of the season opener against Arkansas. This is true.
But Marshall just keeps on winning.
And there's a reason for that: He makes the plays he has to, when he has to. Even against Kansas State, when he and Auburn's offense struggled more than they had since the start of the 2013 season, he came up with a couple of huge throws to D'haquille Williams to win and seal the game in the fourth quarter. And he did it in what can best be described as a Seattle Seahawks-ian road environment.
Marshall has also rushed for 100-plus yards in three of four starts this season—another reason his accuracy flaws can be forgiven. He is a converted cornerback with speed and agility uncommon for his new position, and he plays in the perfect offense to utilize those skills.
7. Connor Cook, Michigan State
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QB Rating: 170.1 (10th)
Total QBR: 82.5 (11th)
The development of Connor Cook has been remarkable. In less than 16 months, he has gone from losing a position battle to Andrew Maxwell—Andrew Maxwell!—to taking over the starting job, leading his team to the Rose Bowl and becoming a first-round NFL draft prospect.
What's more, he has helped turn Michigan State from an all-defense team into one of the most balanced outfits in the country. According to the S&P+ ratings at Football Outsiders, Sparty actually ranks better on offense (No. 8) than they do on the other side of the ball (No. 12). The only other teams with both units in the top 12 nationally are Mississippi State, Alabama, Auburn and Oklahoma.
Cook played his worst game of the year against Nebraska last week but still made four or five throws that jumped off the screen as NFL-caliber. It won't be long before he joins Brian Hoyer, Kirk Cousins and Drew Stanton in the league as the latest alumnus of "QB U."
6. Brett Hundley, UCLA
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QB Rating: 181.4 (5th)
Total QBR: 84.9 (10th)
When he has time to throw, Brett Hundley can make a case for being the best quarterback in college football. Even in last week's loss to Utah, he was Heisman Trophy-good when he was given a clean pocket to throw from. He's even better when he gets going on the ground.
Unfortunately, Hundley can't rise into the top five because he is worse than bad against a decent pass rush. His offensive line is terrible, but there is no excuse for taking 10 sacks in a game, as Hundley did against the Utes last week. A big part of that is on the QB.
Since Hundley became the starter in 2012, the Bruins offense has never ranked inside the national top 105 in sacks allowed per game. It ranked third to last in the country two seasons ago and is tied for the same spot in 2014. Hundley does enough things well to earn a spot in the Top 10, and he's played a massive role in turning around the fortunes of the UCLA football program.
But his Achilles' heel is too big to ignore.
5. Dak Prescott, Mississippi State
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QB Rating: 180.7 (6th)
Total QBR: 85.0 (9th)
If the season ended today, Dak Prescott would probably win the Heisman. He has been that instrumental to Mississippi State's wild success.
If you're a stat nerd, that shouldn't come as too big of a shock. Prescott ranked No. 5 in the country in Total QBR last season, trailing only Aaron Murray and three players to be named later on this list. The QBs who ranked directly behind him were Zach Mettenberger, Johnny Manziel, Teddy Bridgewater and Connor Shaw.
That is pretty good company to be in.
Prescott has gotten (and will continue to get) Tim Tebow comparisons because he is built like a tight end and plays for Dan Mullen, Tebow's former offensive coordinator at Florida. That comparison is a little reductive but ultimately fair. Tebow has become a punchline for his sizzle-over-steak journey in the NFL—a league he never belonged in as a quarterback—but he was, in fact, one of the best college players of this generation.
Prescott isn't there yet, but if he leads Mississippi State to the playoff, his name will at least be entered into the discussion.
4. Everett Golson, Notre Dame
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QB Rating: 150.1 (33rd)
Total QBR: 78.6 (14th)
Everett Golson led Notre Dame to the BCS National Championship Game as a redshirt freshman in 2012 then missed the 2013 season with an academic suspension. Coming back in 2014, the Irish would have happily accepted the same quarterback they had two years ago.
Instead, they got a wildly improved version.
Golson has been among the most impressive players in the country this season. The full-year numbers don't back up that claim, but they are deflated from a rain-soaked game against Stanford—the best defense in the country—last weekend.
And even in that painfully ugly game, Golson registered a potential "Heisman Moment" when he found tight end Ben Koyack in the back of the end zone for the game-winning touchdown on a 4th-and-11 at the end of the fourth quarter.
Before that Stanford game, an NFL scout told Bucky Brooks of NFL.com: "There's not an area of Everett Golson's game that hasn't improved, from footwork to arm talent to decision-making."
Considering where Golson started, a full-scale improvement cannot be ignored. He gives Notre Dame a chance to beat anybody.
(And that includes Florida State.)
3. Bryce Petty, Baylor
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QB Rating: 151.8 (28th)
Total QBR: 74.6 (21st)
Baylor's offense "slumped" through its second conference game of the season, only scoring 21 points in a 28-7 road win at Texas.
But that is not enough to move Bryce Petty out of the No. 3 spot, especially considering the circumstances. Almost every starting skill player on the team missed nonconference play with minor injuries, including Petty, who missed a game with a fractured back. The Longhorns were Baylor's tuneup for the heart of Big 12 play.
(How weird is that one to write?)
Art Briles' offense will be back to clicking when it needs to, and Petty will be the engine that makes it run. He has a huge arm, good accuracy and underrated mobility, especially using his thick frame in short-yardage situations. Eighteen of his 60 career touchdowns have come on the ground.
2. Jameis Winston, Florida State
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QB Rating: 153.2 (26th)
Total QBR: 78.7 (13th)
Jameis Winston has never lost a college football game. He's come too close for comfort in a couple games this season, but as it stands, he is still 18-0 with a Heisman Trophy and national title to his name. He also led the nation in QB rating by more than 10 points last season.
And he did it all as a redshirt freshman.
Winston's efficiency has regressed this season, but that has been a product of his entire offense's regression. The offensive line has inexplicably looked terrible, and the losses of Devonta Freeman and James Wilder Jr. at running back and Kelvin Benjamin and Kenny Shaw at receiver have been difficult for this team to paper over.
Through all of that, Winston still places No. 13 in Total QBR and has his team ranked No. 1 in the polls. When his team has needed him most—assuming he wasn't suspended—he has come up with the types of plays one expects from a former Heisman winner.
1. Marcus Mariota, Oregon
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QB Rating: 202.4 (1st)
Total QBR: 89.0 (3rd)
Oregon dropped to 4-1 after a home loss to Arizona last Thursday, a result that could cripple its chances of making the playoff.
Without Marcus Mariota, however, the Ducks would have crippled those chances long earlier. Replace him with almost any other quarterback on this list and there's a good chance Oregon would have lost to Michigan State and Washington State along with Arizona.
Oregon's offensive line has been exhausted by injuries and hasn't had the depth to compensate. Mariota stood on his head to keep the offense afloat for five weeks, and the fact that he leads the nation in QB rating—a stat that does not factor in his opponent, his rushing stats or his offensive line—is a true testament to his greatness.
Even with one loss, he was an easy call for the No. 1 spot on this list.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
