Power Ranking College Football's 10 Best QB Depth Charts for 2015
Star quarterbacks are the most coveted players in all of football. Winning without one is extremely difficult, and that's why programs spend so much time and energy recruiting and developing top players at the position.
But there's something even better than having a star quarterback—having multiple quarterbacks who can lead their offenses to greatness.
As the defending champions showed last season, it pays to have more than one elite signal-caller on your campus.
Injuries and individual slumps can come out of nowhere, so having a talented backup plan or backup plans can be the difference between a season of sustained success or one of complete collapse.
Here are the nation's 10 best quarterback depth charts heading into the upcoming 2015 season. More weight on this list is given to teams with experienced talent at the No. 1 spots and those who have more than enough options from which to choose a new starting quarterback.
Honorable Mention
1 of 11
Louisville: Reggie Bonnafon, Will Gardner, Kyle Bolin and Tyler Ferguson
Michigan: Shane Morris and Jake Rudock
Michigan State: Connor Cook, Tyler O'Connor and Damion Terry
Nebraska: Tommy Armstrong III and Zack Darlington
North Carolina: Marquise Williams and Mitch Trubisky
Oklahoma: Trevor Knight, Baker Mayfield and Cody Thomas
Oregon: Vernon Adams, Jeff Lockie and Morgan Mahalak
10. Baylor
2 of 11
Starter: Seth Russell (Jr.)
Backups: Chris Johnson (So.) and Jarrett Stidham (TFr.)
Art Briles told Sporting News' Matt Hayes he is confident in giving Russell "the keys to the Ferrari"—also known as the Baylor offense, which led the nation in total yards per game and scoring these last two seasons with quarterback Bryce Petty.
While Russell looks to be the starting signal-caller at least for one season in Waco, Texas, Stidham has Bears fans even more excited for the program's future. Stidham was the No. 2 dual-threat quarterback in the class of 2015 and was an early enrollee this January.
Stidham is the co-backup to Russell alongside Johnson, another former 4-star recruit who has spent the last two offseasons in Briles' system. If Russell goes down at any time this season, Briles has two athletic and highly rated passers to keep the machine running at full speed.
9. Georgia
3 of 11
Competing for Starter: Faton Bauta (Jr.), Brice Ramsey (So.) and Jacob Park (RFr.)
Solid quarterback play has been a staple of Georgia's offense, and the Bulldogs have several options who look ready to carry that on in place of 2014 starter Hutson Mason.
Georgia won't make a decision between Bauta, Ramsey and Park until the fall, and that's not a bad thing. Bauta and Ramsey look like the leaders so far in the race, with each one creating separation with their distinct abilities—Bauta's powerful dual-threat style and Ramsey's strong arm—during Georgia's spring game.
The Bulldogs offense in 2015 will most likely be based on the elite talents of running backs Nick Chubb, Keith Marshall and Sony Michel. But the winner of this quarterback battle is going to add another element to an offense that consistently has great leadership at the position.
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8. Texas A&M
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Competing for Starter: Kyle Allen (So.) and Kyler Murray (TFr.)
Backup: Jake Hubenak (So.)
A pair of 5-stars are set to duel it out in the Texas heat this summer and early fall as 2015's No. 1 dual-threat quarterback Murray arrives in College Station to battle returning starter Allen.
The Aggies started last season with Kenny Hill as their starting quarterback, but class of 2014 star Allen took over the job following a 59-0 loss to Alabama in Tuscaloosa. Allen threw for 13 touchdowns in the final five games of the campaign and entered 2015 as Texas A&M's expected starter.
But after Murray decided to enroll at A&M instead of starting a professional baseball career right out of high school, offensive coordinator Jake Spavital said on A&M athletics’ Studio 12 radio show (h/t Houston Chronicle) the talented true freshman "will have his opportunities" to compete with Allen for the starting job. Now, heading into the 2015 season, Kevin Sumlin and the Aggies have their choice of two of the best quarterbacks from the last two recruiting cycles.
7. TCU
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Starter: Trevone Boykin (Sr.)
Backups: Bram Kohlhausen (Sr.), Foster Sawyer (RFr.) and Grayson Muehlstein (RFr.)
When it comes to quarterback depth, it helps to have the top returning player in college football. This season, the Horned Frogs can rely on dual-threat destroyer Trevone Boykin, who was a top-10 player nationally in 2014 for passing yards per game and touchdowns.
Boykin was held out of TCU's practices this spring in order to recover from offseason wrist surgery. That allowed the coaching staff to put more emphasis on developing Boykin's backups and possible successors to run one of the nation's most prolific offenses.
"One of the things we knew [this spring], we had to find a backup quarterback," TCU head coach Gary Patterson told the Fort Worth Star-Telegram's Carlos Mendez in April. "I think we came a long way, as far as running the offense. I would say all of them can do that, and they can do it at a very fast level."
6. Alabama
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Competing for Starter: Jake Coker (Sr.), Alec Morris (Jr.), Cooper Bateman (So.), David Cornwell (RFr.) and Blake Barnett (Fr.)
For a second straight offseason, Alabama has to find a new quarterback. The good news for the Crimson Tide is that they have a wealth of options to choose from—it's now just a matter of finding the right one to lead Lane Kiffin's offense in 2015.
Coker received a ton of hype upon his transfer from Florida State last year, but he was unable to beat Blake Sims for the No. 1 job. While Coker seems like the favorite heading into fall camp, he has a lot more competition this season from experienced backup Morris, 5-star true freshman Barnett and former 4-stars Bateman and Cornwell.
Having five potential starting quarterbacks means the Crimson Tide will have immense depth at the position once a decision is made later this year. It's a good problem to have for one of the deepest rosters in all of college football.
5. Mississippi State
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Starter: Dak Prescott (Sr.)
Backups: Damian Williams (Jr.), Nick Fitzgerald (RFr.) and Elijah Staley (RFr.)
After recording 41 touchdowns and almost 4,500 yards of total offense in Mississippi State's 10-win 2014 season, Prescott enters 2015 as the SEC's top quarterback and one of the most-feared dual-threat weapons in the game.
"Dak is back in 2015 and hopes to continue the success he had as a junior," Bleacher Report's Barrett Sallee wrote. "With massive roster turnover on both sides of the ball, even more pressure will be on Prescott's shoulders than last year. After what we saw from Prescott last year, it seems the Haughton, Louisiana, native can handle it."
Behind Prescott, Dan Mullen has experienced No. 2 option Williams and two redshirt freshmen who have tremendous size for the position. Fitzgerald (6'5") and Staley (6'6") give Mullen even more weapons in an offense that loves to use big, physical quarterbacks through the air and on the ground.
4. Stanford
8 of 11
Starter: Kevin Hogan (Sr.)
Backups: Ryan Burns (Jr.) and Keller Chryst (So.)
Stanford boasts one of the nation's most experienced quarterbacks in Hogan, who has started more than 30 games for the Cardinal—including a pair of Rose Bowls. The Stanford offense took a step backward this season, and Hogan decided to stay in school for one more year in order to get the Cardinal back on the path of contention for Pac-12 titles.
Behind Hogan, Stanford has two former 4-star recruits who have already been established in its offensive system. Burns and Chryst are still battling for the No. 2 job and a head start for the starting job in the 2016 season.
"They’re both showing why we recruited them," Stanford head coach David Shaw told the San Francisco Chronicle's Tom FitzGerald. "Both have talent, ability, size, athleticism, arm strength, accuracy — all that you’re looking for."
3. Florida State
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Competing for Starter: Everett Golson (Sr.) and Sean Maguire (Jr.)
Backups: John Franklin III (So.), J.J. Cosentino (RFr.), Deondre Francois (TFr.) and De'Andre Johnson (TFr.)
Before Golson transferred from Notre Dame to Florida State, Maguire had already emerged as the No. 1 quarterback in a crowded depth chart. Now the former Irish star, who threw for almost 3,500 yards last season, is the new favorite to be Jameis Winston's successor in Tallahassee.
Despite his well-documented turnover issues, Golson is still a talented signal-caller with experience in leading a national title contender. Golson will be the expected favorite heading into fall camp, but Seminoles head coach Jimbo Fisher sounds like he has faith in all one of the quarterbacks on his roster.
"Controversy and competition [are] two different things. It's competition," Fisher said, according to the Associated Press. "And players on the team, when a guy is a competitor and he does well—whether it's Sean, it's Everett, it's De'Andre, it's J.J., it's Deondre Francois—whoever is on our team, they'll follow the guys who play the best, respond the best and lead them the best."
2. USC
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Starter: Cody Kessler (Sr.)
Backups: Max Browne (So.), Jalen Greene (RFr.) and Ricky Town (TFr.)
Kessler should get some preseason Heisman Trophy hype as heads into his senior season for a USC team that has the potential to be a national title contender once again. He was fourth in the nation last season with 39 passing touchdowns and only threw five interceptions.
The quarterback talent on USC's roster continues down the depth chart with Browne, who was a 5-star prospect out of high school. Browne made big strides in his development this spring and threw for 251 yards in the Trojans' spring game.
Greene redshirted last season and brings an extra dual-threat element to the position group, and Town arrived on campus in January as a 4-star early enrollee. With one of the nation's top passers, a highly rated backup and two promising freshmen, the Trojans are set at quarterback for 2015 and beyond.
1. Ohio State
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Competing for Starter: Braxton Miller (Sr.), Cardale Jones (Jr.) and J.T. Barrett (So.)
Who else was it going to be? Last season, Ohio State basically wrote a book on how important it is to have talented depth at quarterback.
When Miller missed all of 2014 due to a preseason injury, Barrett stepped up and had an incredible regular season leading the Buckeyes offense. And when Barrett went down with an injury of his own, Jones came off the bench to lead Ohio State to a Big Ten Championship, Sugar Bowl and a national championship in three straight games.
Now Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer has a big decision to make as all three potential Heisman contenders appear to be staying in Columbus for 2015. Meyer can't go wrong with any of these three star quarterbacks, and everyone knows the defending champions are well prepared in case the injury bug bites again.
Recruiting information courtesy of 247Sports.
Justin Ferguson is an On-Call College Football Writer at Bleacher Report. You can follow him on Twitter @JFergusonBR.
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