Pro Player Comparisons for College Football's Next Class of Star Quarterbacks
Long-term quarterback assessment entails far more than just an overview of how teenage passers perform against their peers. The ceiling of a prospect depends on his ability to adapt and evolve in an elevated competitive landscape.
Few true freshman quarterbacks will excel during the 2016 college football season, and those who do will be challenged to further improve as opposing defenses adjust. Many young talents, including some of the most lauded in this recruiting cycle, must wait their turn for starting reps, and it's a process that could last multiple seasons.
When the dust settles three, four or even five years from now, the ultimate goal for a vast majority of these passers will be to transition into a professional career. Though they each remain in fledgling phases of promising football journeys, here's a look at every quarterback considered a Top 100 overall talent in the 2016 cycle and the NFL players they could ultimately emulate based on skill set and style of play.
Noted: Prospects ordered by appearance in 247Sports' composite rankings.
4-Star Dwayne Haskins
1 of 8247Sports Composite Ranking: No. 7 pro-style quarterback; No. 83 overall
High School: The Bullis School (Potomac, Maryland)
Size: 6'3", 198 lbs
Recruitment Status: Committed to Ohio State
Pro Player Comparison: Derek Carr, Oakland Raiders
Dwayne Haskins possesses the polish, poise and moxie to challenge for starting snaps as a true freshman, though that's far less likely to happen following his transfer from Maryland to Ohio State. There's an effortless element to his passing mechanics and release that remind of Derek Carr, along with an ability to decimate defenses with well-timed and expertly placed passes that are only accessible to teammates.
Haskins, who's thrown 56 touchdowns and 15 interceptions over the past three seasons, keeps things simple in his progression and won't waste precious seconds or motion while working toward a release. He's decisive after the snap and doesn't get flustered if defenders threaten to invade the offensive backfield.
His ability to supply both touch and zip on the ball extends from close range to long-distance shots. Wide receivers covet quarterbacks like Haskins, who routinely manages to hit his targets in stride and set up large gains after the catch.
4-Star Jarrett Guarantano
2 of 8247Sports Composite Ranking: No. 1 dual-threat quarterback; No. 75 overall
High School: Bergen Catholic (Oradell, New Jersey)
Size: 6'4", 201 lbs
Recruitment Status: Committed to Tennessee
Pro Player Comparison: Colin Kaepernick, San Francisco 49ers
It's a shame we weren't able to see Jarrett Guarantano at 100 percent capacity for a sustained stretch in high school, because the highlight tape would've been much longer. Injuries cost him multiple games during his two seasons as a full-time starter but didn't derail his meaningful maturation behind center.
Guarantano, the son of former all-time leading Rutgers wide receiver James Guarantano, always impressed onlookers from an athletic standpoint and earned his first scholarship offer (from the Scarlet Knights) before high school. He seemed like an athlete first and quarterback second throughout much of his Bergen Catholic career but truly began to blossom as an upperclassman, using extensive training and national Elite 11 finals as a springboard.
Guarantano is best described as a slinger who uses his long limbs to unleash plenty of pepper on pass attempts, and he shredded a star-studded IMG Academy (Florida) defense for 30 completions and four touchdown tosses in September. The long-striding runner is unquestionably the most dangerous dual-threat QB among 2015 Elite 11 finalists and presents enough burst to tally several monster rushing efforts in college.
4-Star Brandon Peters
3 of 8247Sports Composite Ranking: No. 6 pro-style quarterback; No. 68 overall
High School: Avon (Avon, Indiana)
Size: 6'4 ½", 209 lbs
Recruitment Status: Enrolled at Michigan
Pro Player Comparison: Jameis Winston, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Brandon Peters, a multisport standout in high school who also shined on the basketball court, played easily his best football in 2015. The biggest strides occurred as a result of sharper mechanics, particularly when it came to foot placement while working through progressions and evading pocket pressure.
He's a tough, physical athlete who becomes a fearless rusher in the open field. Like Jameis Winston, Peters is able to shrug off opponents and gain significant yards without earning many style points as a runner, and those efforts are almost always fall-back options after passing plans break down.
Peters stands tall in the pocket and delivers darts at every level of the field, hitting receivers in stride even when he's being chased laterally toward the sideline. He led Avon to state semifinals in 2015, collecting 3,103 passing yards and 41 total touchdowns, showing plenty of poise in dramatic playoff victories over two defending state champions.
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4-Star Malik Henry
4 of 8247Sports Composite Ranking: No. 5 pro-style quarterback; No. 54 overall
High School: Long Beach Poly (Long Beach, California)
Size: 6'3", 185 lbs
Recruitment Status: Enrolled at Florida State
Pro Player Comparison: Jay Cutler, Chicago Bears
Malik Henry has a skill set that can kill defensive game plans in a variety of ways. He fires the football with a lot of heat, exhibiting tremendous confidence in where he can squeeze the football (a trait we've become accustomed to during Jay Cutler's productive NFL career).
His velocity is in an elite tier among 2016 quarterbacks but isn't quite yet matched by his level of accuracy. Henry completed 56 percent of passes as a three-year high school starter, according to MaxPreps, and is coming off arguably his finest season (16 touchdowns and one interception in seven games) despite a late transfer to Long Beach Poly.
Henry maintains quality downfield vision when flushed out of the pocket and can also do damage on the ground, where he racked up 314 yards and six scores as a junior. His collegiate offensive coaching staff is sure to implement an occasional designed rushing attempt in order to further free things up for Henry's live arm across the middle.
4-Star Feleipe Franks
5 of 8247Sports Composite Ranking: No. 4 pro-style quarterback; No. 49 overall
High School: Wakulla (Crawfordville, Florida)
Size: 6'5 ½", 210 lbs
Recruitment Status: Enrolled at Florida
Pro Player Comparison: Joe Flacco, Baltimore Ravens
Feleipe Franks is arguably the proverbial "high ceiling" prospect of this quarterback class due to his elite physical attributes and raw technique. It took Joe Flacco, a Super Bowl champion, three years and two universities before he finally secured a starting role at Delaware and emerged as a first-round NFL talent.
Franks, a former LSU pledge, can fling the ball far downfield with a flick of his wrist and possesses similar length to Flacco. This size advantage makes it difficult for defenders to bring him down even without significant speed or agility, and it also enables Franks to survey things downfield with ease.
The development of refined, consistent lower-body mechanics will ultimately make a world of difference for Franks, who completed 57 percent of passes for 7,380 yards and 87 scores in high school, according to MaxPreps. His first look at SEC defenses may prove mighty difficult, but the future looks bright if he can put key pieces together during college development.
4-Star KJ Costello
6 of 8247Sports Composite Ranking: No. 3 pro-style quarterback; No. 46 overall
High School: Santa Margarita Catholic (Rancho Santa Margarita, California)
Size: 6'4", 213 lbs
Recruitment Status: Committed to Stanford
Pro Player Comparison: Sam Bradford, Philadelphia Eagles
KJ Costello has all the physical tools you look for when piecing together a pro-stye passer. Physical stature, arm strength, above-average accuracy and smooth mechanics have made him an alluring talent for college scouts across the country, while that combination once sent Sam Bradford surging to the top of an NFL draft.
That polish should help him prepare to compete for early reps at Stanford, though he's far from a finished product at this stage. Costello has thrown 33 interceptions over the past three seasons, according to MaxPreps, and Cardinal coaches will seek increased consistency in the short-to-intermmediate passing game, where he can still capitalize at a higher rate.
Costello won't command much defensive attention as a runner, but he manages to maneuver out of tight spots within the pocket when necessary. He does his finest work when letting air underneath the football on long-distance attempts, hooking up wide receivers with tight spirals that hit their mark from 50-plus yards out.
5-Star Jacob Eason
7 of 8247Sports Composite Ranking: No. 2 pro-style quarterback; No. 5 overall
High School: Lake Stevens (Lake Stevens, Washington)
Size: 6'5 ½", 208 lbs
Recruitment Status: Enrolled at Georgia
Pro Player Comparison: Matthew Stafford, Detroit Lions
Jacob Eason arrives in Athens with immense expectations in place. Throw in widespread comparisons to former Bulldogs star quarterback Matthew Stafford, a No. 1 overall NFL draft pick, and the bar is set even higher.
Eason presents prototypical size in the pocket and flashes an immensely strong throwing arm, though his mobility behind the line of scrimmage shouldn't be undervalued. He isn't a serious rushing threat but manages to extend plays when facing pressure and does some of his best work while rolling out and firing a laser beyond the reach of an overstretched defense.
Never afraid to take a shot downfield, Eason is capable of ending his team's drive with a long-bomb touchdown pass from anywhere, and he'll exploit lagging secondaries at their weakness. He threw for 3,585 yards and 43 touchdowns as a senior, leading Lake Stevens to state semifinal action and earning Gatorade Player of the Year honors.
5-Star Shea Patterson
8 of 8247Sports Composite Ranking: No. 1 pro-style quarterback; No. 4 overall
High School: IMG Academy (Bradenton, Florida)
Size: 6'1 ½", 192 lbs
Recruitment Status: Enrolled at Ole Miss
Pro Player Comparison: Drew Brees, New Orleans Saints
Neither Shea Patterson nor Super Bowl champion Drew Brees wow analysts based on physical measurements, but they blow them away based on attitude and intelligence. While Patterson added quality muscle during his senior year at IMG Academy, he measures in as the shortest quarterback on this list.
Height wasn't an issue for him throughout his high school career, which included two state titles, 140 total touchdowns and just 14 interceptions. Patterson picks apart opponents with savvy decision-making that is augmented by rare improvisational ability to create more time in the pocket with sharp footwork and keen awareness of how things are developing around him.
Patterson, an absolute gamer who dials in like a veteran during competition, is very precise in locating intermediate-range receivers and puts consistent touch on deep passes downfield. He doesn't throw 60-yard fastballs but accounts for just enough loft to leave defenders grasping for air as tosses reach his intended targets.
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