Grading Every Power 5 Conference's Quarterback Situation for 2015

The state of an FBS conference is anchored to the state of its quarterbacks. Teams with good quarterbacks win more often than teams with mediocre quarterbacks (duh), so leagues with better quarterbacks have an upper hand.

But grading each conference on the state of its quarterbacks is difficult—especially during the offseason. At this time last year, TCU weighed down the Big 12. Now Trevone Boykin is the best player in the league.

To account for this—or at least to attempt to account for this—we have broken each Power Five conference into four sections. Physical tools were considered, but production was the biggest factor. In cases with QB competitions, the presumed "favorite" was included.

From there we had a clearer picture of each league's QB hierarchy, at which point it was time to give grades. The grades were based on how many players fit into each of the four tiers. All of this is fluid, of course, and can change as soon as spring practice.

But for now, here's how the power conferences rank.

5. Big 12

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Alpha Dog

• Trevone Boykin, TCU

For now, Trevone Boykin is the only proven starter in the conference. There is potential for rising below him, though, and the smart money says at least one name will join him. To his own merit, Boykin finished No. 4 in the 2014 Heisman voting, and Zac Ellis of SI.com named him the No. 1 Heisman favorite for 2015. (And for what it's worth, I agree.)

You Can Win With Them

• Trevor Knight, Oklahoma
• Patrick Mahomes, Texas Tech
• Mason Rudolph, Oklahoma State

Patrick Mahomes and Mason Rudolph started last season as backups, but injuries to Davis Webb and J.W. Walsh (and the struggles of Daxx Garman), respectively, opened the door for each freshman to step in and play well. The opposite is true of Trevor Knight, who started last season with Heisman hype and ended without a definite starting job. Texas Tech transfer Baker Mayfield is gunning for him.

Cautiously Optimistic

• William Crest, West Virginia
• Michael Cummings, Kansas
• Jerrod Heard, Texas
• Sam B. Richardson, Iowa State
• Seth Russell, Baylor

Redshirt freshmen William Crest and Jerrod Heard enter 2015 with high expectations. Both have smart offensive coaches and talented players around them, and both could rise as high as alpha-dog status next year. The same goes for Seth Russell, who has been sharp as Bryce Petty's backup the past two seasons. Michael Cummings had a quietly nice year for Kansas in 2014, while Iowa State starter (and personal kryptonite) Sam B. Richardson comes with loads of experience.

Look the Other Way

• Joe Hubener, Kansas State

Joe Hubener does not lack potential: He is a 6'4" dual-threat quarterback with decent enough arm strength. Plus, he has Bill Snyder to develop him. Still, he's thrown just 17 passes in his college career, and almost all of them have come in mop-up duty. Like the other eight guys below Boykin, it wouldn't shock me, necessarily, if Hubener rose a few tiers next season. But for now, this is where he belongs.

Overall Grade: C+

4. SEC

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Alpha Dog

• Dak Prescott, Mississippi State

Dak Prescott faded down the stretch, but his 2014 season was still an aggregate positive. His return ensures that Mississippi State will stay competitive despite losing so many upperclassmen in 2015. "We have a great team coming back," he told reporters in January. "I think we can be better. We don’t want to be a one-hit wonder."

You Can Win With Them

• Brandon Allen, Arkansas
• Kyle Allen, Texas A&M
• Joshua Dobbs, Tennessee
• Jeremy Johnson, Auburn

Brandon Allen is a solid starter with limited upside and downside. The other three names on this tier, however, have the upside of Heisman contenders. Joshua Dobbs rejuvenated Tennessee's offense and ended the year hotter than any QB in the conference. Kyle Allen threw four touchdowns to upset Auburn in Jordan-Hare Stadium...in the second start of his true freshman year. And Jeremy Johnson, Auburn's backup the past two seasons, is a 6'5" freak who carved Arkansas to pieces in the first half of the 2014 opener.

Cautiously Optimistic

• Jake Coker, Alabama
• Will Grier, Florida
• Brandon Harris, LSU
• Maty Mauk, Missouri
• Jacob Park, Georgia
• Patrick Towles, Kentucky

Jake Coker, Will Grier, Brandon Harris, Maty Mauk, Jacob Park and Patrick Towles all look like promising prospects. So do potential challengers Blake Barnett (Alabama), Treon Harris (Florida), Drew Lock (Missouri), Brice Ramsey (Georgia) and Drew Barker (Kentucky). Who wins all of these jobs? And how do those winners play? The answers will define the SEC in 2015.

Look the Other Way

• Chad Kelly, Ole Miss
• Johnny McCrary, Vanderbilt
• Connor Mitch, South Carolina

Ole Miss will look to another JUCO transfer at quarterback; only this time, the guy it's banking on has bigger off-field problems than usual. Still, Chad Kelly has the talent to move up a few tiers if he's properly developed and coached. The same might be said of Connor Mitch, although it's hard to say for sure given his lack of playing time. Johnny McCrary threw five touchdowns against Old Dominion in November but otherwise took a beating as a freshman.

Overall Grade: B-

3. Big Ten

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Alpha Dogs

• J.T. Barrett/Cardale Jones/Braxton Miller, Ohio State
• Connor Cook, Michigan State
• Christian Hackenberg, Penn State

Whoever wins the job at Ohio State is the favorite to win Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year. No one besides an OSU quarterback has won that award since 2011. Connor Cook bypassed the NFL draft to return for his senior season, despite being viewed as a first-round prospect, and Christian Hackenberg, who struggled in 2014, is still a former 5-star recruit with first-round potential. If all goes according to plan, the first three quarterbacks off the board in the 2016 could all come from the Big Ten. How's that for a conference narrative?

You Can Win With Them

• Tommy Armstrong, Nebraska
• C.J. Beathard, Iowa
• Mitch Leidner, Minnesota
• Wes Lunt, Illinois
• Nate Sudfeld, Indiana

The chasm between the alpha dogs and this second tier is massive, but that doesn't mean this group lacks potential. Nate Sudfeld (6'5") and Wes Lunt (6'5") are impressive pocket passers with big arms, and Mitch Leidner (6'4") and C.J. Beathard (6'2") combine size with plus mobility. Tommy Armstrong has been up and down as a starter, to the point where I've predicted he will lose his job, but he's proved he can win some games.

Cautiously Optimistic

• Austin Appleby, Purdue
• Caleb Rowe, Maryland
• Joel Stave, Wisconsin

Joel Stave is 21-7 as a starter, which is hard to ignore. Also hard to ignore: his 44 percent completion rate, one touchdown and six interceptions in the final two games of the season. Austin Appleby played well in the middle of the season but regressed at the end, which has opened up a QB competition at Purdue. And Caleb Rowe, who has never been a full-time starter, averaged 9.4 yards per attempt on 54 throws last season. That at least piques some interest.

Look the Other Way

• Matt Alviti, Northwestern
• Shane Morris, Michigan
• Chase Rettig, Rutgers

Shane Morris is the favorite at Michigan, even though I expect redshirt freshman Wilton Speight to beat him out. Either way, Jim Harbaugh has to work some magic. Chase Rettig was a 4-star recruit who transferred to Rutgers from LSU, but given the quarterbacks he couldn't beat out in Baton Rouge, it's hard to get too excited about him. Matt Alviti, another 4-star recruit, hasn't really been given a chance. If nothing else, recruiting pedigree says these guys all have potential.

Overall Grade: B

2. ACC

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Alpha Dogs

• Jacoby Brissett, N.C. State
• Brad Kaaya, Miami
• Justin Thomas, Georgia Tech
• Deshaun Watson, Clemson

The only power conference with four alpha dogs, the ACC is set at the top until at least 2016. Deshaun Watson and Brad Kaaya were true freshmen last season, and Justin Thomas, who starred in the Orange Bowl win over Mississippi State, was a sophomore. Jacoby Brissett was inconsistent but finished the year strong and has the build of an NFL starter (6'4", 231 lbs, athletic). No ACC quarterback played a better two quarters than his first half against Florida State.

You Can Win With Them

• Will Gardner, Louisville
• Terrel Hunt, Syracuse
• Chad Voytik, Pittsburgh
• Marquise Williams, North Carolina

Will Gardner must win his job back in spring and fall camp, but when he's healthy, he's a good fit for Bobby Petrino's offense. Marquise Williams continued to tantalize in 2014, and Chad Voytik continued to fly under the radar. Terrel Hunt missed most of the season with an injury, and Syracuse imploded without him. He, Gardner and Voytik are quarterbacks you can win with, even if they won't win games for you. Williams can win games, but he can also lose them.

Cautiously Optimistic

• Greyson Lambert, Virginia
• Sean Maguire, Florida State

Sean Maguire is the early favorite to replace Jameis Winston; only four freshmen (one redshirt, three true) and a potential graduate transfer stand in his way. He didn't play well against Clemson, but the Tigers had the No. 1 defense in the country, per the F/+ ratings at Football Outsiders. That can be forgiven. Greyson Lambert, meanwhile, lost his job to Matt Johns early in the season but played well after winning it back. He is 6'5" and has the tools to reach the second tier.

Look the Other Way

• Michael Brewer, Virginia Tech
• Thomas Sirk, Duke
• Darius Wade, Boston College
• John Wolford, Wake Forest

Things get ugly at the bottom. Duke and Boston College have both popped up in graduate transfer rumors, and with good reason; neither team can trust its 2014 backup. Michael Brewer started the year with so much promise, but he seemed to get worse every game, struggling most noticeably with turnovers. John Wolford did the best he could, given that he started as a true freshman behind a cellophane offensive line, but he still finished with an ACC-worst QB rating of 108.09.

Overall Grade: B+

1. Pac-12

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Alpha Dogs

• Jared Goff, Cal
• Kevin Hogan, Stanford
• Cody Kessler, USC

Cody Kessler made night-and-day improvements as a junior, finishing the season with a 69.7 percent completion rate, 39 touchdowns and five interceptions. Jared Goff couldn't match Kessler's accuracy, but he also showed well in 2014, averaging 331 passing yards per game and only throwing seven INTs on 509 attempts. Kevin Hogan slogged through the middle of the schedule but ended the year with QB ratings of 222.4 and 182.4 against UCLA and Maryland, respectively.

You Can Win With Them

• Mike Bercovici, Arizona State
• Luke Falk, Washington State
• Sefo Liufau, Colorado
• Cyler Miles, Washington
• Anu Solomon, Arizona
• Travis Wilson, Utah

Anu Solomon played like an alpha dog most of the season but imploded down the stretch. Part of that may have been due to a leg injury, however, so it wouldn't be a shock to see him rise in 2015. Mike Bercovici and Luke Falk showed strong arms when injuries forced them into the lineup, and Travis Wilson and Sefo Liufau, now entering Year 3 as starters, have shown flashes of strong play. The wild card is Cyler Miles, who played neither well nor poorly but should improve after going through spring practice (which he didn't do in 2014).

Cautiously Optimistic

• Luke Del Rio, Oregon State
• Morgan Mahalak, Oregon
• Josh Rosen, UCLA

This is what makes the Pac-12 special: Its third tier might be better than its second. Josh Rosen is the No. 1 quarterback in the 2015 class and enrolled early at UCLA. Morgan Mahalak has the physical tools of an off-brand Marcus Mariota (offered as a compliment). And Alabama transfer Luke Del Rio, son of Oakland Raiders head coach Jack Del Rio, looks like a steady choice at Oregon State.

Look the Other Way

• N/A

Del Rio is the closest thing, but honestly, no Pac-12 team is panicked about its quarterback situation. There's a chance I'm overrating Del Rio—someone who, once upon a time, I thought could start at Alabama—but that's fine. I've seen his tape. He's good.

Overall Grade: A-

Note: All recruiting info refers to the 247Sports composite rankings.