10 FBS Programs That Still Could Badly Use One of Ohio State's Extra QBs
It's officially April, and Ohio State still officially has three of some of the best quarterbacks in college football: J.T. Barrett, Cardale Jones and Braxton Miller.
Now that's a depth chart.
Because Jones is the only one who's 100 percent healthy, he's been getting a majority of the reps in spring practices. However, the Buckeyes' quarterback race could heat up in preseason camp—assuming all three are still around.
There are, after all, plenty of teams that would love nothing more than to pick up any one of the three. Which 10 FBS programs would take Barrett, Jones or Miller in a heartbeat? The ones with quarterback turnover or an unsettled battle are listed in the following slides. Additionally, we project which quarterback would be the best fit for each school based on scheme and playing style.
Texas
1 of 10
Best Fit: Braxton Miller
According to the latest information out of Austin, incumbent starting quarterback Tyrone Swoopes has been making strides this spring. It would seem, at least for the time being, that he's holding off redshirt freshman Jerrod Heard.
Whether that means Swoopes has really turned a corner or that Heard isn't coming along as expected isn't totally clear yet. Either way, it's safe to say the Longhorns' quarterback situation is anything but cemented or worry-free.
Considering that Texas is moving back toward a more wide-open offense, Miller would be a solid addition if the two sides ever had mutual interest. Another thing to take into account is the fact that the Longhorns are still developing an offensive line.
"I don't care if you had Teddy Bridgewater standing back there last year, people wouldn't have thought he was very good either," Strong recently told Bruce Feldman of Fox Sports.
You don't want a quarterback running for his life on a regular basis, but Miller's mobility would at least help out in that department while forcing defenses to stay honest.
Michigan
2 of 10
Best Fit: J.T. Barrett
Oh, yeah. What better way to add a little more flavor to the Ohio State-Michigan rivalry than for the Wolverines to pick up a Buckeyes transfer?
In the real world, there's 0 percent chance of this happening. But we don't operate in the real world, or so people tell us.
Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh has been loading up on bodies at quarterback because, well, he's still trying to figure out what he has. Beyond Shane Morris, no one has any sort of game experience. There's a lot of youth at quarterback for Michigan and plenty of guys in need of development.
If things fall into place the right way, Iowa transfer Jake Rudock could join the team later this summer, but that hasn't been made official yet.
Barrett showed an uncanny ability to lead the Buckeyes in a tough situation last season. He's not the true dual-threat athlete Ohio State coach Urban Meyer has coached in the past, but he can make plays with his arm and his legs.
What Michigan needs is a proven leader who can move the offense and provide the team with an edge it's lacked in previous years. Barrett fits that description perfectly.
Florida
3 of 10
Best Fit: Cardale Jones
New Florida coach Jim McElwain has a background in grooming quarterbacks. Cardale Jones is a unique physical freak with a ton of upside but not a lot of game experience.
Hello, match made in heaven.
According to Thomas Goldkamp of 247Sports, "Will Grier was not particularly sharp in the sessions open to the media" on Monday. There are legitimate questions about whether Treon Harris is a good fit for Florida's new offense.
Jones' cannon arm meshes perfectly with McElwain's love to throw the ball. At McElwain's former stop, Colorado State, the Rams finished first in the Mountain West in passing offense (4,181 yards) and yards per pass attempt (9.4).
The Gators still need a more developed receiving group, but Demarcus Robinson has blossomed into a nice No. 1 receiving target after catching 53 passes for 810 yards a year ago.
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
Kansas State
4 of 10
Best Fit: Cardale Jones
Of all the fantasy matchups on this list, this is the pairing that could actually be the most fun to watch.
Kansas State has a cool offense. It resembles the spread formation-wise, but it's basically 100 percent power with a nice vertical passing game to boot. That's why Jones would be a perfect fit.
You saw what Jones did in his three-game stretch as a starter in the Big Ten Championship Game, the Sugar Bowl and national championship. Yes, Buckeyes running back Ezekiel Elliott was impossible to tackle, but Jones resembled a runaway 18-wheeler at times too.
Now put him in an offense that loves to run the quarterback out of the shotgun and throw the deep ball.
Joe Hubener has the inside track to succeed Jake Waters as the starting quarterback, according to Ken Corbitt of The Topeka Capital-Journal, but Jones and Kansas State would be a beautiful marriage.
LSU
5 of 10
Best Fit: Cardale Jones
Imagining Jones in the same backfield as LSU running back Leonard Fournette is the stuff of nightmares. Combine Jones' big arm with his power running ability, and he's a perfect fit for the Tigers offense.
The ongoing quarterback battle between Anthony Jennings and Brandon Harris at LSU doesn't appear to be ending anytime soon. Head coach Les Miles told Adam Rittenberg of ESPN.com recently that, while he's frustrated with not having a true No. 1 guy, he has to let the competition play out:
"I would like to have already made the decision because that would mean I’ve got Brett Favre or Tim Tebow or somebody like that, but it takes some time for those guys to grow up. We’re going to allow that to happen. I'm not necessarily pleased with the progress thus far, but I do recognize that there’s some real progress being made.
"
Eventually, though, someone has to step up. That's not just so Miles can choose a starter; LSU has to be better through the air. It's been well-documented that the Tigers had one of the worst passing offenses in college football last year (114th in passing yards per game).
Jones would help improve that passing attack while keeping true to LSU's love of the power running game.
Rutgers
6 of 10
Best Fit: J.T. Barrett
For as inconsistent as he was, Gary Nova was a staple in Rutgers' offense. Now that Nova is gone, though, the Scarlet Knights are looking for a new face to step in and control the offense.
That decision may not be made until preseason camp.
"I wouldn't say that it can't be decided until August," head coach Kyle Flood said, per Ryan Dunleavy of MyCentralNewJersey.com. "We've got 15 opportunities to go out there and practice. The players ultimately decide that much earlier than the coaches do."
Flood tends to prefer experience in quarterback battles, which is where Barrett would have an instant edge. Even though he's only a one-year starter, Barrett would provide Rutgers with the experienced quarterback who can throw the ball with the best of them.
Oregon State
7 of 10
Best Fit: Braxton Miller
There was plenty of chatter earlier this year about Braxton Miller and Oregon becoming a reality. It never really gained traction, though, and the Ducks have since landed Eastern Washington transfer Vernon Adams Jr.
But what about Miller to Oregon State? It actually works well in theory. The Beavers fit the bill as a program in need of some immediate help at quarterback. Senior Sean Mannion is gone, and there's a new coach in town, Gary Andersen.
Andersen loves himself some dual-threat quarterbacks, whereas Mannion was your typical Mike Riley dropback passer. Andersen had the perfect quarterback for his offense at Utah State in Chuckie Keeton. At Wisconsin, he tried to get something going with athlete Tanner McEvoy, but Joel Stave ended up being the default option.
Oregon State's quarterback competition has been open and under the radar. Miller would be an interesting option, though.
Vanderbilt
8 of 10
Best Fit: Braxton Miller
Vanderbilt's offense was at or near the bottom of the SEC in every major statistical category last season. Head coach Derek Mason's decision to bring veteran play-caller Andy Ludwig in from Wisconsin is a big part of the Commodores trying to turn things around.
However, Vandy is now without a front-runner at quarterback. Last week, Patton Robinette decided to end his playing career. The redshirt junior cited health concerns and his desire to enter medical school as the primary reasons for his departure from football.
Miller would fit Vanderbilt's blueprint of being more potent on offense. As a threat to score with his arms and his legs, he embodies the best of what Ludwig has succeeded at in the past in terms of offensive philosophy.
Boston College
9 of 10
Best Fit: J.T. Barrett
Boston College's offense in 2014 may not have been the ACC's finest, but senior quarterback Tyler Murphy was the gasoline that made the engine run. Murphy, a senior, led the team in rushing (1,179 yards) and, obviously, passing (1,623 yards).
With Murphy gone, head coach Steve Addazio is in search of a quarterback who fits Todd Fitch's system. According to David Hale of ESPN.com, Darius Wade is the early front-runner to be Boston College's starter next season. However, there's still a lot of time left in the position battle:
"Wade’s place as the team’s starting quarterback isn’t set in stone just yet, but it doesn’t take much reading between the lines to assume he’ll be the man replacing Tyler Murphy as the Eagles’ offensive show-runner. But while he’ll be stepping into Murphy’s shoes, he’s definitely not stepping into the same game plan.
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Wade is more of a traditional dropback passer, and that appears to be the direction Boston College is going in 2015. Barrett's passing acumen combined with his ability to make just enough plays with his feet would work well in the Eagles offense.
Kansas
10 of 10
Best Fit: Braxton Miller
Kansas is desperate for many things right now, only one of which is a quarterback. New head coach David Beaty is regarded as a tremendous recruiter and has worked in some potent offenses over the years, most recently as a wide receivers coach at Texas A&M.
However, he has a tall task ahead of him with the Jayhawks. This is an offense that has struggled mightily, to say the least, at finding any sort of consistency. The open quarterback competition features, among others, Montell Cozart and Michael Cummings, but there isn't a ton of separation yet, per Matt Tait of KUSports.com:
"I haven't been able to see too much of the offense yet, but what I have seen has included a lot of movement by the quarterbacks. Both Cummings and Cozart have been asked to keep the ball and run, roll out and throw and move the pocket. Even with that, the ball has come out quick and KU really seems to be emphasizing quick passes to easy targets and taking care of blocks down the field to get those guys positive yardage.
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Not only would Miller be far and away the most talented and experienced player at quarterback, he'd fit in with Beaty's aggressive, quick-strike attack. In a way, he'd be the Jayhawks' version of Johnny Manziel.
Ben Kercheval is a lead writer for college football. All quotes cited unless obtained firsthand. All stats courtesy of CFBStats.com.
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