College Football's Pac-10 Arms Race: Jake Locker Vs. Andrew Luck

With apologies to Pac-10 quarterbacks such as Matt Barkley and Nick Foles, attention on the quarterback position in the conference will likely focus on Washington’s Jake Locker and Stanford's Andrew Luck.

Considered to be the two best signal callers nationally in the college game, these two quarterbacks will be first-round draft choices in 2011 (should Luck, who is only a redshirt sophomore, come out).

But which one of these gunslingers is better?

Using 10 different attributes to measure their comparative abilities, this slideshow will attempt to answer that question.

Speed

Of course, speed is a relative thing and objective measures of it often turn out to be subjective.

In terms of straight-ahead speed, Jake Locker’s 4.6 40-yard dash times are certainly better than Andrew Luck’s 4.8. However, given the past history of Locker’s need to constantly run out of trouble (at least prior to the arrival of Steve Sarkisian), broken field running must also be considered, and when taken in its entirety, not only is he faster, but his speed makes him more elusive.

Although Luck is very athletic and would probably win the battle of speed against most of the other Pac-10 quarterbacks, he comes in a distant second to Locker in this attribute.

Big edge to Jake Locker.

Mechanics

Give Steve Sarkisian a lot of credit.

Coming to Washington, Sarkisian found a marvelously talented athlete named Jake Locker who just happened to also play quarterback. Molding Locker into a viable quarterback meant Sarkisian had to develop his ability to understand and implement the nuances of the position, including the mechanical aspects that are so necessary to play at the next level. Sarkisian did such a good job that Locker decided to forgo the riches of the NFL to allow Coach Sark to continue with that development.

But he still has a way to go.

Meanwhile, Andrew Luck is a prototypical pro-style passer. With mechanics that NFL scouts drool over, Luck is ready right now to be successful in the pros. Whether it is a three, five, or seven-step drop, Luck can make all the throws with ease.

Edge: Andrew Luck

Field Vision

Part of being an effective quarterback is the ability to read and recognize progressions in terms of finding viable receivers to throw the ball to. This entails looking at first options and, if unable to make the throw to that receiver, finding the next best available receiver to connect to.

As a comfortable drop back passer, Andrew Luck has had a lot experience going through his progressions and finding the right receivers to throw to. This experience has also required Luck to “look off” sections of the field in order to allow his primary read to uncover. And he does it well. Though he continues to mature as a quarterback, this is an area in which he excels.

On the other hand, Jake Locker has been conditioned to use his athletic ability to get out of trouble if his primary receiver is covered. Because of this, Locker sometimes doesn’t allow himself to read a second or third option before he takes off down the field. While he will improve in this area, he is still in the development stage.

Edge: Andrew Luck

Escapability

The ability to escape from defensive pressure is crucial in the overall success of a quarterback. Whether to buy time for his receivers to uncover, or to make positive yardage out of a negative play, the escapability factor is a critical characteristic to the quarterback position.

Big, fast, and strong, Jake Locker has been known for his ability to turn a broken play into positive yardage ever since his high school exploits playing for his local school in Ferndale, Washington. Though his freelance abilities will be reigned in as he progresses towards a career as a prototypical drop back passer, his athleticism will always be a component that opponents will have to plan for.

Though he doesn’t possess the raw athleticism of Locker, Andrew Luck, nonetheless, is no slouch when it comes to shedding opponents and making something out of nothing. In fact, if it were anyone other than Locker that Luck was being compared to for this attribute, he would probably be as good as or better than any other quarterback in the Pac-10.

Edge: Jake Locker

Footwork

From a classical standpoint, a good drop back passer must possess proper footwork in order to set themselves up to make accurate passes. “Happy feet,” which occurs when a quarterback feels pressure or the inability to properly place their feet often causes a quarterback to under or overthrow their intended receiver. Typically, those quarterbacks who properly place their feet are more accurate than those who don’t.

As a pro-style, drop back passer, Andrew Luck has had more experience than Jake Locker to hone his footwork as a quarterback. In terms of proper fundamentals, Luck’s footwork supports his ability to make accurate throws.

Because Locker is still honing his abilities as a drop back passer, sometimes his footwork suffers. However, he throws better on the run because of his scrambling style. Still, footwork is something he will have to work on as he progresses through the 2010 season.

Edge: Andrew Luck

Release

Surprisingly, this is an area that Andrew Luck needs to work on. Coming out of high school, one of the knocks on Luck was, according to Scout.com, his “odd release.” Though he has improved on his release, he still exhibits a slight hitch which slows his release just a bit.

Though Jake Locker ran a Wing-T in high school, which did not focus on his throwing or embellish his release, he has always had a smooth throwing motion to complement his strong arm. Last year, Locker made strides to improve his release even more and will continue this improvement in 2010.

Edge: Jake Locker

Accuracy

As Jake Locker continues his education on the nuances of drop back passing, his accuracy will continue to improve. Right now, he is still figuring out how to lead his receivers while keeping his feet planted. However, throwing on the run, something Locker has excelled at all his life, continues to be a strength for him.

For Andrew Luck, accuracy in passing has always been his forte. Among his strengths as a drop back passer, accuracy has always been right at the top. Luck will continue to rely on an accurate arm to compliment his many other strengths as a pro-style quarterback.

Edge: Andrew Luck

Deep Ball

Despite his relative inexperience as a classic drop back passer, Jake Locker’s superior arm strength gives him the ability to deliver a very effective deep ball. As he continues to master the accuracy needed to deliver the ball to his receiver, Locker will become an effective “home run” hitter with the bomb both this year and at the next level.

Possessing above-average arm strength and the ability to deliver the deep ball with touch allows Andrew Luck the ability to throw deep effectively. Of course, the ability to complete the deep pass relies on the ability of the receiver to not only get open, but also make the catch. Both Locker and Luck will benefit from better receivers at the next level.

Slight edge to Jake Locker.

Touch

Much like accuracy, touch is an acquired skill that separates great passers from good ones. A quarterback that has a strong, accurate arm and can combine all of that with good touch will be successful at all levels.

For the entire slideshow, it has been noted that Jake Locker is still learning the nuances of being a solid drop back passer in a pro-style offense. With touch being a sophisticated part of passing, this skill is yet to be fully developed in him, but he is making strides in this area. Look for this to continue as he progresses as a quarterback.

In the area of touch, there may be no finer quarterback in the country. Andrew Luck has an uncanny knack for dropping in passes to his receivers at just the right arc and speed. Luck has always thrown a very catchable ball, and the touch he puts on it is a large reason why.

Edge: Andrew Luck

Leadership

Make no mistake about it, Andrew Luck is a fine leader whose command in the huddle captures his teammate’s immediate attention. Luck is not prima donna, and is willing to make sacrifices for the good of the team. Like all good leaders, Luck assumes responsibility and doesn’t point fingers.

In his teammates' eyes, Jake Locker is the consummate leader. Like Luck, Locker takes responsibility for his actions, doesn’t blame other people for his problems, and is a huge presence in the huddle. Add to that the fact that he left millions of dollars on the NFL table to return to his college team, and you will find a collection of players who will follow him to hell and back.

Edge: Jake Locker

Conclusion

So who is better, Jake Locker or Andrew Luck?

In going over these 10 attributes, each quarterback curried favor in five categories. That comes as no surprise because in ability, they are very close.

What separates one quarterback from the other is simply athletic ability and potential. One quarterback, while older, is only just now tapping his potential as a drop back pro-style quarterback, while the other continues to hone his ability in this area.

However, Locker brings greater athletic ability, size, and strength to the position, and for this reason, I give him a slight edge over Luck in a head-to-head competition of great quarterbacks.

Having said that, regardless of which NFL team drafts either Locker or Luck, they will be a very “Lucky” team indeed…