The Best QB in Every College Football Conference for 2018
No matter the level, the quarterback is the most important player on the field. A football team that lacks strong quarterback play isn't likely to win much and certainly will struggle to contend for a national championship.
Just ask Alabama, which saw its fortunes turn in the national title game against Georgia when it made a change at the position at halftime and saw true freshman Tua Tagovailoa lead the Crimson Tide to an overtime victory.
Tagovailoa did not start once for the Tide during the 2017 season but now heads into the offseason as the player to beat for that job. Is he the best passer in the SEC?
Find out who we chose as the top quarterback in every FBS conference heading into 2018.
ACC: Ryan Finley, North Carolina State
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2017 Highlights
Ryan Finley piloted North Carolina State to its best record since 2010, going 9-4 with a 6-1 start that included wins over Florida State and Louisville. In three of the Wolfpack's four losses, he threw for at least 300 yards, including going for a career-best 415 yards and two touchdowns on 45-of-64 passing in the season-opening loss to South Carolina and throwing for 338 yards and three TDs against Clemson.
For the year, he threw for 3,518 yards as a redshirt junior, second-most in the ACC behind Louisville's Lamar Jackson. His 65.1 percent completion rate was second to Clemson's Kelly Bryant (65.8) but came on 81 more pass attempts.
Finley and Heisman Trophy winner Baker Mayfield were the only QBs in FBS last season to throw it at least 400 times and have a completion percentage better than 65 percent while throwing fewer than seven interceptions.
Why He'll Star in 2018
The 2018 season will be Finley's third at NC State after spending 2014-15 at Boise State. The Wolfpack lose leading rusher Nyheim Hines and versatile weapon Jaylen Samuels, but Finley's top two receivers will be back.
Kelvin Harmon and Jakobi Meyers combined for 1,744 yards and nine touchdowns on 132 receptions as sophomores, while Stephen Louis (37 catches, 583 yards, two TDs) will also be back.
Top Competition
Clemson's Kelly Bryant wasn't asked to do much in his first year as a starter in 2017, but he could be in line for a big year, assuming he's able to hold onto the job. The Tigers signed the No. 1 overall player in the 2018 recruiting class in pro-style quarterback Trevor Lawrence.
Virginia Tech's Josh Jackson had the most passing yards of any freshman quarterback last year, with 2,991. He cooled off in the second half of the season but figures to only get better with more time in coach Justin Fuente's system.
American: McKenzie Milton, UCF
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2017 Highlights
Coach Scott Frost was the architect of UCF's perfect season, but it wouldn't have all come together without a master craftsman like McKenzie Milton. He threw for 4,037 yards and 37 touchdowns with a 67.1 percent completion rate, topping the 300-yard mark seven times.
Milton also ran for 613 yards and eight TDs, including a 116-yard performance in the Knights' Peach Bowl victory over Auburn to wrap up the unbeaten campaign. His mobility made it so he was only sacked 11 times all season.
According to Pro Football Focus, Milton had a passer rating of 147.3 on play-action passes, tops among Group of Five quarterbacks.
Why He'll Star in 2018
Frost may be gone, but UCF's offensive scheme shouldn't be much different under new coach Josh Heupel. As offensive coordinator at Missouri in 2017, he oversaw a unit that averaged 7.1 yards per play and got 44 passing touchdowns from quarterback Drew Lock.
Two of Milton's top targets, receiver Tre'Quan Smith and tight end Jordan Akins, both declared for the NFL draft. But Dredrick Snelson, who had five of his eight TD catches in UCF's final three games, is back along with several young pass-catchers who got ample playing time last year.
Top Competition
SMU's Ben Hicks threw for 6,499 yards and 52 touchdowns the last two seasons with Chad Morris as his coach. In 2018, the Mustangs will be led by Sonny Dykes, who in his previous gig at California developed some guy named Jared Goff.
Houston's D'Eriq King began 2017 as a wide receiver but in late October became the Cougars' third different starting quarterback and ended up as the most productive one with 1,260 yards and seven touchdowns (along with eight rushing TDs). The Cougars' other two QBs won't be around next year, so it's his show to run.
Big 12: Will Grier, West Virginia
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2017 Highlights
Will Grier threw for 3,490 yards and 34 touchdowns in 2017, his first with West Virginia after transferring from Florida. That came in under 11 full games before suffering a gruesome finger injury against Texas in mid-November, causing him to miss the regular-season finale and the Mountaineers' bowl loss to Utah.
Without him, the offense fell apart. In the 10 games he started and finished, West Virginia averaged 39 points and 513.9 yards per game.
Grier likes to open it up more than anyone, connecting on 36 passes that were thrown at least 20 yards downfield to the tune of 1,506 yards, per Pro Football Focus.
Why He'll Star in 2018
Grier opted to return for his senior year, and a similar decision by big-play target David Sills V ensured West Virginia will have the most potent air attack in the Big 12, if not the country, for 2018. In addition to Sills, who had 18 touchdown catches, possession receiver Gary Jennings (97 catches) and rising deep threat Marcus Simms (18.9 yards per reception) will also be back.
If Grier can cut back on his interceptions—12 in 388 attempts, including seven in his final three full games—he could lead West Virginia to its first conference title since moving over from the Big East.
Top Competition
The Big 12 graduated several standout senior quarterbacks, including Heisman-winning Oklahoma passer Baker Mayfield as well as Oklahoma State's Mason Rudolph and TCU's Kenny Hill. The league as a whole will be much younger at the position, but from that group we saw a few guys make major strides in 2017.
Charlie Brewer was one of the few bright spots of Baylor's 1-11 season, throwing for 1,231 yards and nine touchdowns in his four starts. He completed 70.7 percent of his passes, prompting Zach Smith to transfer to Tulsa.
Texas went back and forth between sophomore Shane Buechele and freshman Sam Ehlinger in 2017, with Ehlinger ending up as the Longhorns' leading passer (1,915 yards) and rusher (385).
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
Big Ten: Trace McSorley, Penn State
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2017 Highlights
Trace McSorley has been Penn State's starting quarterback for two seasons, which also happen to be the program's two most prolific passing years ever. He threw for 3,570 yards and 28 touchdowns in 2017 with a 66.5 percent completion rate and added 11 rushing TDs for good measure.
McSorley had three games with four total TDs and seven with at least 300 yards of total offense, and he enters his senior year needing 1,089 yards to become Penn State's career passing leader.
Why He'll Star in 2018
Losing running back Saquon Barkley and key targets DaeSean Hamilton and Mike Gesicki will be significant, but McSorley developed a good relationship with Penn State's many younger receivers. Juwan Johnson and DeAndre Thompkins caught eight of McSorley's 32 completions in the Fiesta Bowl win over Washington.
In that same game, McSorley was 12-of-12 on third-down passing, one of the reasons CBS Sports' Barrett Sallee named him the Heisman Trophy front-runner.
"He's fearless, electric and now the biggest show in town for a Penn State program that should be in the College Football Playoff mix," Sallee wrote.
Top Competition
Michigan State went from 3-9 to 10-3 thanks to Brian Lewerke, who threw for 2,793 yards and 20 touchdowns and ran for 559 yards and five scores. His 3,352 yards of total offense was second-most in school history. In 2018, he returns every one of his targets.
Ohio State will have another quarterback competition this offseason, and if Dwayne Haskins beats out the field, he'll inherit an underrated receiving corps that all comes back in 2018. Haskins looked great in relief of J.T. Barrett last year, including in the Michigan win when he was 6-of-7 for 94 yards.
Conference USA: Mason Fine, North Texas
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2017 Highlights
Mason Fine played much bigger than his 5'11", 180-pound frame in 2017 in leading North Texas to the Conference USA title game and a 9-5 record. He set school records for passing yards (4,052) and touchdowns (31) with seven 300-yard games and seven with at least three TD passes.
Fine put up video game-like numbers in high school in Oklahoma but only got one FBS scholarship offer, with the Mean Green cashing in on the hidden gem.
Why He'll Star in 2018
Fine will be a junior, as will his top three receivers. Rico Bussey Jr., Jalen Guyton and Michael Lawrence combined for 158 receptions, 2,271 yards and 20 touchdowns in 2017.
All Fine has to do is not force things and he'll continue to shine. His 15 interceptions were among the most in the country last season.
Top Competition
Florida Atlantic had the No. 6 rushing offense in the country and returns touchdown machine Devin Singletary, but when the Owls opt to pass, good things also happen. Jason Driskel threw for 2,247 yards and 15 touchdowns with only four interceptions in 2017. FAU was 10-1 in his 11 starts, including 10 straight wins to end the season.
Louisiana Tech's J'Mar Smith threw for 2,974 yards and 16 TDs with six rushing scores last year, finishing on a high note with four total scores in the Frisco Bowl against SMU. With the Bulldogs graduating their two leading rushers, he may have to tap into his running ability even more in 2018.
Mid-American: Tyree Jackson, Buffalo
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2017 Highlights
A knee injury sidelined Tyree Jackson for four games midway through last season, during which Buffalo went 1-3. Once he return, he piloted the Bulls to a 3-1 finish, including a win over Ohio to gain bowl eligibility, though Buffalo wasn't selected for a game.
That robbed college football fans of seeing Jackson's smooth delivery, which produced 1,363 yards and nine touchdowns during those final four games.
Why He'll Star in 2018
Jackson's redshirt junior season could get him onto NFL teams' radars. At 6'7" and 245 pounds he has a massive frame, one he figures to use more to run the ball in 2018.
When he's throwing, it will often be to main target Anthony Johnson, who had 76 catches for 1,356 yards and 14 touchdowns a year ago.
Top Competition
Marcus Childers took over as Northern Illinois' starter in the fifth game of the season and ended up as the Mid-American Conference's Freshman of the Year. He threw for 1,674 yards and 16 touchdowns and ran for 473 yards and five TDs.
Ohio's Nathan Rourke is the MAC's top returning passer yardage-wise from 2017 with 2,203 to go along with 17 TDs, but he's best known for his legs. He ran for 21 scores and had five 100-yard games on the ground.
Mountain West: Brett Rypien, Boise State
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2017 Highlights
Boise State experimented with a two-quarterback approach last year, alternating between pro-style Brett Rypien and dual-threat Kansas transfer Montell Cozart. The best results came with Rypien on the field, as he threw for 2,877 yards and 16 touchdowns in helping the Broncos win 11 games.
Rypien played his best down the stretch in 2017, averaging 303.4 passing yards in Boise's final five games that included the Mountain West title game victory over Fresno State and the Las Vegas Bowl triumph over Oregon.
Why He'll Star in 2018
Cozart has graduated, so Rypien won't be sharing snaps anymore. That means he's more likely to return to the numbers he had in 2015-16, when he threw for 6,996 yards and 44 touchdowns.
He won't be able to catch Kellen Moore for the school's career passing mark, but he will become the program's second QB to top 10,000 yards.
Top Competition
Fresno State had an incredible turnaround in 2017, going from 1-11 to 10-4 under first-year coach Jeff Tedford. It wouldn't have been possible without Marcus McMaryion, an Oregon State transfer who threw for 2,726 yards and 14 touchdowns and added four rushing TDs.
Nevada struggled to a 3-9 record last year but won two of its final three as Ty Gangi came into his own. His 25 TD passes are the most of any returning Mountain West passer.
Pac-12: Jake Browning, Washington
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2017 Highlights
Even with the departure of Sam Darnold, Josh Rosen and career passing leader Luke Falk, the Pac-12 returns more quarterback talent than any other conference. Jake Browning doesn't have the highest upside of that group, but he gets our nod as the best in the league because of what he's already accomplished at Washington.
Browning has started 39 of the Huskies' last 40 games, winning 25 of the last 30 as they have become the class of the Pac-12. Last year, he ranked second only to Baker Mayfield in completion percentage (68.5) and in his final four games was 72-of-103 for 812 yards with zero interceptions, getting picked just five times all of 2017.
Why He'll Star in 2018
Browning needs 812 yards to become Washington's career passing leader, but he won't have his main target as Dante Pettis has graduated. That will mean the senior must tap into his experience to develop the Huskies' young receiving corps into an effective unit.
Washington also brings back running back Myles Gaskin for his senior year, a big boost that gives it the top pass/run combo in the Pac-12 by a wide margin.
Top Competition
Nine Pac-12 schools return quarterbacks who started at least eight games in 2017, with Arizona State's Manny Wilkins (3,270 yards, 20 touchdowns) the most prolific of the group. California's Ross Bowers averaged the most passing yards per game, at 253.3, while Oregon's Justin Herbert tallied 20 total TDs in fewer than eight full games of action, with eight scores coming in the three games after returning from injury.
Of the lot, Arizona's Khalil Tate has the greatest potential for a monster 2018 season after what he accomplished last year. He ran for an FBS quarterback record 327 yards against Colorado in early October despite not starting the game and finished with 1,411 yards on the ground with 12 TDs to go with 1,591 passing yards and 14 scores.
Tate threw for 302 yards and five TDs in the Foster Farms Bowl, and now he will be coached by Kevin Sumlin, who turned Johnny Manziel into a Heisman Trophy winner at Texas A&M.
SEC: Drew Lock, Missouri
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2017 Highlights
Drew Lock led FBS with an SEC-record 44 passing touchdowns last year, one more than Heisman Trophy winner Baker Mayfield (in one fewer game). He threw 25 TD passes against SEC opponents, including four in a midseason loss to Georgia, which allowed only nine scores through the air against the rest of the league.
Lock was the nation's fourth-most efficient passer, and his 3,964 yards were 10th-best. During a six-game win streak that got Missouri bowl-eligible for the first time since 2014, he averaged 328.7 yards with 26 TDs, including a massive 448-yard, five-TD performance in a wild win at Arkansas in the regular-season finale.
Why He'll Star in 2018
Lock no longer has his offensive coordinator, Josh Heupel, who is now UCF's head coach, but he does have most of his top receivers back other than J'Mon Moore. If he can connect with one or more of that group to replace Moore's 1,082 yards and 10 TDs, it won't matter who is calling the plays.
Another season like 2017 would make Lock the SEC career passing leader. He's at 8,695 yards and needs 3,472 to surpass Georgia's Aaron Murray for the top spot.
Top Competition
Tua Tagovailoa came off the bench at halftime to lead Alabama to the national title, prompting many to wonder why he hadn't been starting all along. Jalen Hurts had something to do with that, seeing as he'd started the previous 29 games for the Crimson Tide, including the 2017 championship game.
The battle between that duo will be the most-watch quarterback competition in college football this offseason, and whoever emerges figures to be in line for top SEC honors.
Auburn's Jarrett Stidham threw for 3,158 yards and 18 touchdowns last year, just missing out on the school passing record. With two of the Tigers' top running backs turning pro, the 2018 offense could be even more pass-heavy.
Georgia's Jake Fromm nearly became the first true freshman QB to win a national title since the 1980s before Tagovailoa stole his spotlight. His 2,615 yards and 24 TDs are sure to be topped next year as the Bulldogs graduate their stellar rushing tandem of Nick Chubb and Sony Michel.
Sun Belt: Justice Hansen, Arkansas State
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2017 Highlights
Justice Hansen began his career at Oklahoma but never got on the field. Since coming to Arkansas State, he's hardly left it when the Red Wolves have the ball, starting their last 22 games with 15 victories. Last year he threw for 3,967 yards and a conference-record 37 touchdowns and ran for seven more scores.
Hansen had at least 300 yards of total offense in 10 of 12 games in 2017, throwing for 415 yards against Nebraska and logging 550 total yards against Lousiana-Monroe.
Why He'll Star in 2018
Hansen needs to cut down on his interceptions (16 in 487 pass attempts last year, with 10 coming in Arkansas State's five losses), and he is losing four of the seven receivers who had at least 25 catches.
He doesn't lack confidence, though, so expect him to keep on firing even as the Red Wolves open with a tough non-league slate that includes a Week 2 trip to Alabama.
Top Competition
Six of the top eight passers in the Sun Belt last season have graduated, with Louisiana-Monroe's Caleb Evans the second-most prolific of the returning lot. In 2017, he threw for 2,868 yards and 17 touchdowns with a trio of 400-yard games.
Other challengers could emerge depending on if any Sun Belt teams pick up a graduate transfer quarterback.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
