10 Starting Quarterbacks Most Likely to Lose Their Job Before the End of 2015
There is no more important position in college football than the starting quarterback. Great programs begin with the quarterback and build a foundation around him. A great quarterback can win you games with steady play and nerves of steel in the clutch.
A bad quarterback can lose you games with shaky play and ill-timed pick-sixes. And if you have two quarterbacks, as the adage goes, you really have none. Multiple programs face interesting quandaries this spring and fall. Many teams are set with their signal-caller, but many more have serious questions.
Here is a look at the 10 quarterbacks most likely to lose their jobs before season’s end.
Michael Brewer, Virginia Tech
1 of 10
Big things were expected of Michael Brewer after transferring from Texas Tech, but his first season as the Hokies’ starter was often inconsistent. He started all 13 games and threw for 2,692 yards with 18 touchdowns against 15 interceptions. Brewer needs to improve his overall consistency, but it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him pushed by the Hokies’ backups.
A lower back strain has sidelined him this spring, with junior Brendan Motley taking first-team reps, as Mike Barber of the Richmond Times-Dispatch notes. Motley pushed Brewer before settling in as the backup, but he threw just three passes last fall, completing one for 17 yards. He’ll likely push him hard again this fall, and if Brewer’s inconsistency continues, offensive coordinator Scot Loeffler could try him as a spark for an improving offense.
Everett Golson, Notre Dame
2 of 10
On the surface, Everett Golson’s 2014 numbers don’t look so bad. Golson threw for 3,445 yards with 29 touchdowns against 14 interceptions, solid numbers following a season away for an academic suspension.
Break them down a little further, however, and you see why Golson is fighting for his job during Notre Dame’s spring practices. In Notre Dame’s 6-0 start, Golson threw 16 touchdowns against four interceptions. In the season’s final seven games—13 touchdowns against 10 interceptions.
His struggles with turnovers cost him the job late in the season, with Malik Zaire getting the start in a Music City Bowl win over LSU (Golson also played, completing six of 11 passes for 90 yards). A new offensive coordinator in Mike Sanford gives him a clean slate, but even if he wins the job, Sanford doesn’t have any accumulated loyalty to Golson. If he struggles again with turnovers, Notre Dame would quickly turn to Zaire to fix the issues.
Treon Harris, Florida
3 of 10
As a freshman, Treon Harris was an upgrade over Jeff Driskel as Florida’s starting quarterback, but that’s not saying much. He led the Gators to a 4-2 record, including an upset of Georgia in his first career start. But while Harris threw nine touchdowns against four interceptions, he completed only 49.6 percent of his passes and threw for over 200 yards only once, in a win over Vanderbilt.
He is the returning starter, but with a new coach and offensive coordinator in Jim McElwain and Doug Nussmeier, nothing is guaranteed for Harris. He is competing with former 4-star recruit, Will Grier, in spring practice, and even if Harris is able to hold him off, he won’t have a ton of wiggle room for poor efforts with a new staff and Grier sure to push him.
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Anthony Jennings, LSU
4 of 10
LSU has plenty of elements for a College Football Playoff team. The Tigers have a nasty defense, a bevy of talented receivers and a Heisman Trophy candidate in tailback Leonard Fournette. What they don’t have is a quality quarterback to hold everything together.
Following Zach Mettenberger’s graduation, Les Miles and his staff hoped Anthony Jennings would be that guy, but it hasn’t quite worked that way. Jennings was unimpressive as a sophomore, throwing for 1,611 yards with 11 touchdowns against seven interceptions while completing just 48.9 percent of his passes.
He lost his job briefly to freshman Brandon Harris, but Harris was even worse. In his lone start, he completed three of 14 passes for 58 yards in an ugly 41-7 loss at Auburn. The two have continued to compete in spring practice, but Jennings is expected to hold onto his role. However, you can’t imagine that Miles has much confidence in Jennings, and his grip on the job will be shaky entering 2015.
Cardale Jones, Ohio State
5 of 10
Ohio State has one of the most fascinating quarterback situations in recent memory. Cardale Jones is the Buckeyes’ starting quarterback in spring practice, but he is no lock to start the season under center despite leading the College Football Playoff title push last fall.
Jones told SI.com's Pete Thamel that his life has changed since the national title run, but he thinks his opportunities this spring will pay off.
"Very valuable, getting time with these young guys emerging, who will be a part of the program, big part of the offense, having that understanding of what they go do. All that timing will roll over into off-season workouts in the summer and into camp and hopefully it helps me with the quarterback battle.
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Senior Braxton Miller will be cleared soon following shoulder surgery that forced him to redshirt last season, and sophomore J.T. Barrett is working his way back from a broken ankle that ended his 2014 season in the regular-season finale.
Miller is a two-time Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year, and Barrett threw for 2,834 yards with 34 touchdowns against 10 interceptions and rushed for 938 yards and 11 touchdowns last fall. Jones is an intriguing prospect who drew comparisons to Cam Newton with his performances in wins over Wisconsin, Alabama and Oregon, but anyone who tells you that they know how the competition will shake out this fall is lying.
Trevor Knight, Oklahoma
6 of 10
This time last year, Trevor Knight was the toast of Oklahoma. And why not? Big things were expected of Knight after the sophomore led a Sugar Bowl romp over Alabama to end the 2013 season. But Knight never really found his groove. He threw for 2,300 yards with 14 touchdowns against 12 interceptions, completing 56.6 percent of his passes, and he missed three games following a scary-looking neck injury.
He returned for the Russell Athletic Bowl against Clemson but completed just 17 of 37 passes for 103 yards, with no touchdowns and three interceptions. Coach Bob Stoops revamped the Sooners offensive staff, hiring East Carolina offensive coordinator Lincoln Riley, a proponent of the Air Raid offense. Knight’s biggest competitor in spring? Texas Tech transfer Baker Mayfield, who was recruited to that very system at Tech.
Unless Knight picks up the system quickly, he’ll be passed by Mayfield, who could be a better fit for Riley’s new scheme.
Sean Maguire, Florida State
7 of 10
With Jameis Winston gone to the NFL, the spotlight trained on Tallahassee this spring is much softer, but Jimbo Fisher and Florida State have a new problem: finding his replacement. The leader is sophomore quarterback Sean Maguire, with Fisher telling ESPN.com's Andrea Adelson he’ll likely anoint him as Winston’s successor following the spring game.
Maguire doesn’t have a ton of experience, but he did lead the Seminoles to an overtime win over Clemson last season when Winston was suspended for yelling a vulgarity on Florida State’s campus. He threw for 304 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions.
That’s much more experience than his competitors, redshirt freshman John Franklin, early enrollee De’Andre Johnson and incoming freshman J.J. Cosentino. However, you can’t imagine that Maguire will have much rope to play with, especially if he struggles early in an offense that is being rebuilt around him.
Cyler Miles, Washington
8 of 10
Cyler Miles had an OK first season as Washington’s starting quarterback. He threw for 2,397 yards with 17 touchdowns against four interceptions and completed 66.6 percent of his passes. But he didn’t have a 300-yard passing day, and the Huskies finished 8-6, with a Cactus Bowl loss to Oklahoma State.
However, his future at Washington is uncertain after the school announced that he would not participate in spring practice for personal reasons. If he returns, he’ll have to hold off Jeff Lindquist, Jake Browning and K.J. Carta-Samuels for the starting role.
Lindquist started the opener at Hawaii last season while Miles was suspended, completing 10 of 30 passes for 162 yards and a touchdown. If Miles doesn’t return, he’d be considered the favorite for the job. And even if he does, he’ll have a spring full of practices to impress coach Chris Petersen and his staff.
Joel Stave, Wisconsin
9 of 10
Entering his senior season, you’d figure that Joel Stave would’ve cemented a hold on Wisconsin’s starting quarterback job. Despite his 20-6 record as the Badgers' starter, that isn’t the case. Stave had an up-and-down 2014, throwing for 1,350 yards with nine touchdowns and 10 interceptions.
He also battled a case of the “yips” that made it hard for him to even throw a ball, he but still held off converted safety Tanner McEvoy to finish the season as the starter.
With coach Gary Andersen gone to Oregon State and replaced by Paul Chryst, Stave is fighting to keep his job this spring, trying to fend off Bart Houston, D.J. Gillins and a pair of freshmen early enrollees in Alex Hornibrook and Austin Kafentzis. ESPN.com's Mark Schlabach notes that he still has the edge.
Stave is leading for now, but if his struggles continue this fall, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Chryst turn to a younger, fresher face to lead the offense.
Tyrone Swoopes, Texas
10 of 10
When concussions forced David Ash to give up football, Tyrone Swoopes was pushed into the spotlight as Texas’s starting quarterback. The results weren’t always pretty. Swoopes threw for 2,409 yards with 13 touchdowns against 11 interceptions, completing 58.3 percent of his passes.
He had three games with 300-plus passing yards, but he had his worst game in a Texas Bowl loss to Arkansas, completing 13 of 25 passes for 57 yards with an interception. He’s being challenged by redshirt freshman Jerrod Heard, and freshman Kai Locksley could also figure into the mix this fall.
Swoopes has great size at 6’4”, 248 pounds and is a dual-threat presence. But he needs to greatly improve his consistency to hang onto the job in 2015.
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