Predicting the Winner of Every Major 2015 Spring QB Battle
There are quarterback battles, and then there are major quarterback battles. And some of college football's most notable programs are going through a major competition this spring.
Let's say spring practices ended tomorrow and coaches had to pick a winner. Which one would it be. That's what we're here to decipher.
You'll notice that not every quarterback battle across the country is listed. These are the big storylines, based on who's leaving (think Marcus Mariota and Jameis Winston) or who's returning on shaky ground (think Trevor Knight and Everett Golson). In Ohio State's case—spoiler: The Buckeyes are listed—it's about a compelling quarterback race for positive reasons.
Along those lines, keep in mind that the projected winners of the following competitions aren't guaranteed to be the Week 1 starter.
Alabama
1 of 12
Who's Leaving: Blake Sims
Who's Competing: Jake Coker (RSr.), Alec Morris (Jr.), Cooper Bateman (So.), David Cornwell (RFr.), Blake Barnett (Fr. early enrollee)
Everyone is competing for this job, even you and me. Don't get ahead of yourself, though, we don't have a chance.
Who does? Coker might be the best option. The Florida State transfer didn't catch on quickly enough to win the starting job over Sims last season, but he's had a year to work under offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin. He'll also have built chemistry with many of the players who will be on the Tide's new-look offense next season.
Projected Winner: Jake Coker
Baylor
2 of 12
Who's Leaving: Bryce Petty
Who's Competing: Seth Russell (Jr.), Jarrett Stidham (Fr. early enrollee), Chris Johnson (So.)
Russell has played well as a backup to Petty over the past two years. Though mostly he's contributed in garbage time, Russell made one start a year ago against Northwestern State and put up Baylor-type numbers (438 passing yards, six total touchdowns).
He's never been truly tested, but Russell has been in Baylor's system for a few years. That's one advantage he does have over Stidham, who enrolled in January with blue-chip status. Russell also has shown a command of the offense in limited time and has nice mobility.
"Somebody is going to have to beat out Seth Russell for the QB job," Bears coach Art Briles told media members last week.
Projected Winner: Seth Russell
Florida
3 of 12
Who's Leaving: Jeff Driskel
Who's Competing: Treon Harris (So.), Will Grier (RFr.), Skyler Mornhinweg (RJr.)
Who wins Florida's starting quarterback job may come down to a matter of fit. Unless Harris rapidly develops as the best passer in spring—he finished last season with a 49.6 completion percentage—he could be out of a job.
But who takes it from him? Redshirt freshman Will Grier has been getting the most pub, notably from B/R colleague Barrett Sallee. Mornhinweg is a dark horse, but Grier has everything head coach Jim McElwain should want: decent size, arm strength and mobility in the pocket.
The only thing he doesn't have is experience. But this is a new coaching staff, which means everyone's willing to start over.
Projected Winner: Will Grier
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
Florida State
4 of 12
Who's Leaving: Jameis Winston
Who's Competing: Sean Maguire (RSo.), J.J. Cosentino (Fr.), De'Andre Johnson (Fr. early enrollee), John Franklin III (Fr.)
Maguire should be the early front-runner since he's the only quarterback on the list with—warning: Chris Traeger moment ahead—literally any game experience. He started one game a year ago—a 23-17 overtime win over Clemson—racking up 309 passing yards and a touchdown with two picks against one of the best defenses in the country.
Does that mean Maguire ends the spring with the same title, though? Winston, after all, was a redshirt freshman when he was declared the starter in 2013. Cosentino was a 4-star member of the Seminoles' '14 recruiting class, did not play last year and is a bit of an Instagram sensation.
Projected Winner: Sean Maguire
LSU
5 of 12
Who's Leaving: N/A
Who's Competing: Anthony Jennings (Jr.), Brandon Harris (So.)
Does anyone want to win LSU's starting quarterback job? Anyone? Anyone?
It's been well-documented that LSU has had an awful time developing quarterbacks lately, with the lone exception being Zach Mettenberger in 2013. Neither Jennings nor Harris did much to separate themselves from the other.
Jennings was almost the textbook definition of average, completing just under 40 percent of his passes for 11 touchdowns and seven interceptions. Even then, average felt like a stretch at times. The problem is Harris couldn't do better when given his big shot against Auburn.
Maybe Harris is the answer, but he hasn't shown enough yet.
Projected Winner: Anthony Jennings
Michigan
6 of 12
Who's Leaving: Devin Gardner
Who's Competing: Shane Morris (So.), Wilton Speight (RFr.), Alex Malzone (Fr. early enrollee)
It's no secret that Michigan has to get more out of the quarterback position. The question is who steps up; first-year coach Jim Harbaugh is treating spring practice as a clean slate (as he should). In other words, previous playing experience doesn't mean Morris is the automatic front-runner, according to Nick Baumgardner of mlive.com:
"Right now, Michigan doesn't have anything close to a clearcut starter at quarterback. And, in Harbaugh's eyes, the only way to change that is to put as many arms in the pot as possible and see who scratches his way out the quickest.
"The more good ones you have, the better," he said.
"
For now, let's say Morris exits spring as the top quarterback, but he needs a lot of development. His physical gifts are there; it's a matter of building up everything else. Good thing Harbaugh is a quarterback whisperer.
Projected Winner: Shane Morris
Notre Dame
7 of 12
Who's Leaving: N/A
Who's Competing: Everett Golson (Sr.), Malik Zaire (So.)
I continue to believe that Golson can be one of the best quarterbacks in the country if he solves his ball-security issues. Maybe that's foolish. Maybe that train has come and gone. But the kid just spins the ball so beautifully.
Zaire doesn't lack confidence and he played well in the Music City Bowl win over LSU, accounting for nearly 200 total yards and two touchdowns. Can he translate that into a strong enough spring performance to exit as the No. 1 guy? He wasn't able to do it last year.
Projected Winner: Everett Golson
Ohio State
8 of 12
Who's Leaving: No one. Yet.
Who's Competing: Cardale Jones (RSo.), Braxton Miller (Sr.), J.T. Barrett (RFr.)
OK, some technicalities are in order. Ohio State's quarterback "competition" may not kick into high gear until the summer—and that's assuming no one transfers. Barrett and Miller should be limited during spring, which means Jones will take a majority of, if not all, the first-team reps.
To Jones' credit, though, there's something to be said for riding momentum. Jones started Ohio State's final three games—the Big Ten championship, Sugar Bowl and national championship—and played well in all three. His case became so compelling, in fact, that there was a discussion about him declaring for the NFL.
Anyway, Jones should win spring easily; it's the summer and preseason that could get interesting for the Buckeyes.
Projected Winner: Cardale Jones
Oklahoma
9 of 12
Who's Leaving: N/A
Who's Competing: Trevor Knight (RSo.), Baker Mayfield (So.), Cody Thomas (RFr.), Justice Hansen (Fr.)
Consider this a continuation of the quarterback battle that wasn't last spring between Knight and Mayfield.
Knight certainly has to prove he's capable of maintaining his status as the starter after an up-and-down (and injury-plagued) 2014 season. Mayfield, the former Big 12 Freshman of the Year at Texas Tech, seems to fit new offensive coordinator Lincoln Riley's Air Raid offense.
It's possible Thomas or Hansen makes a dark-horse push atop the depth chart, but for now this feels like a two-man race. Mayfield is more accomplished as a passer; if he's cured his ball-security problem from his time with the Red Raiders, he becomes a compelling name to watch.
Projected Winner: Baker Mayfield
Oregon
10 of 12
Who's Leaving: Marcus Mariota
Who's Competing: Jeff Lockie (RSo.), Morgan Mahalak (Fr.), Ty Griffin (RFr.), Taylor Alie (RFr.)
The quarterback competition gets a serious jolt when Eastern Washington transfer Vernon Adams Jr. arrives on campus this summer. Until then, Lockie should be the front-runner.
The one player who could make things interesting is freshman Morgan Mahalak, a 4-star member of the Ducks' '14 class who seemed like a natural successor to Mariota at the time he signed. Does Mahalak live up to that potential? Or does Lockie fend off all competition—at least for a couple of months?
Projected Winner: Jeff Lockie
Texas
11 of 12
Who's Leaving: N/A
Who's Competing: Tyrone Swoopes (So.), Jerrod Heard (Fr.)
Head coach Charlie Strong has made it clear he intends on solving Texas' quarterback problem through, shall we say, "aggressive expansion." Strong has offered numerous scholarships to 2016 quarterbacks and received a verbal pledge from 4-star Shane Buechele.
In the meantime, the Longhorns' spring quarterback battle centers on incumbent starter Tyrone Swoopes and freshman Jerrod Heard. (Incoming freshman Kai Locksley will join the team this summer.) Developing Swoopes has taken longer than some might have anticipated. He's shown flashes of being starting material but has failed to move the offense in stretches too.
Heard seems to be a better fit for the more wide-open offense the coaching staff is implementing. The question is whether he's ready to actually lead that offense by the end of his first full spring in Austin. But after Swoopes' woeful 2014 season, it's hard to think Texas doesn't experiment with a different direction.
Projected Winner: Jerrod Heard
UCLA
12 of 12
Who's Leaving: Brett Hundley
Who's Competing: Jerry Neuheisel (RSo.), Josh Rosen (Fr. early enrollee)
Eventually, this might be Rosen's job. For now, let's take into account that he should be finishing his senior year of high school. Even as a blue-chip recruit, he still has to adjust to the speed of the college game, learn terminology and defenses and develop chemistry with teammates.
So let's give him a pass if he doesn't nail down the starting job right away.
Besides, Neuheisel played well against Texas in September, throwing for 178 yards and two touchdowns. And the Longhorns had one of the better defenses in the Big 12.
Is Neuheisel the long-term answer in the post-Hundley era? Maybe, maybe not, but he's not about to yield the starting job over so easily.
Projected Winner: Jerry Neuheisel
Ben Kercheval is a lead writer for college football. All recruiting information courtesy of 247Sports. All quotes cited unless obtained firsthand. School classifications (Fr., So., Jr., Sr.) based on team athletic sites.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
