Pac-12 Football: Power Ranking The Quarterbacks
The Conference of Champions always seems to have some of the greatest quarterbacks in the nation.
And 2011 won't be any different.
This power ranking is based off of both the quarterbacks individual efforts and how well their team does. Because, as you know, a quarterback is the team leader and they're supposed to win games.
12. Tyler Hansen Sr. Colorado
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We start off our list with Colorado's Tyler Hansen.
The senior has had a disappointing career so far at Colorado. Then again, so has the entire Colorado program these past couple years.
Hansen isn't expected to throw much in Colorado's Pac-12 debut season. Instead, the Buffalo's are expected to just run the ball behind Rodney Stewart.
Either way, Hansen is at the bottom of the list because he is inaccurate, he has played poorly at Colorado, he is on a rebuilding Colorado team, and he lost his top lineman Nate Solder.
11. Brock Mansion Sr. Cal
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Brock Mansion will not have many reasons to have his hands raised in 2011.
Not in a good way, anyway.
Mansion, a senior, passed for 646 yards, two touchdowns, and five interceptions after starting quarterback Kevin Riley went down.
Mansion doesn't even have a hold on his starting job right now.
Jeff Tedford knows that he needs a better quarterback than Mansion. Mansion will have to hold off junior Beau Sweeny and freshman Kyle Boehm, a recruit with a great arm and legs.
10. Keith Price So. Washington
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The youngest player on our list.
The freshman played good in limited time last year. He was accurate and has nice legs and he showed poise under center.
Price, however, is not the clear-cut starter; he will be fighting against Nick Montana to keep his starting job.
Price has great potential and could explode onto the scene in 2011. He's ranked at tenth mainly because he hasn't proven anything yet.
But that's because he never really got a chance to prove anything.
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
9. Richard Brehaut Jr. UCLA
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Brehaut showed some flashes of potential last year with Kevin Prince nursing a knee injury.
Brehaut threw for 1,269 yards, six touchdowns and seven interceptions in seven starts last year.
He starts the season as the starter, but he definitely does not have a hold on it. Kevin Prince is coming back from a knee injury and one of the top quarterback recruits. Brett Hundley, is also coming to UCLA.
Brehaut has nice legs and a good arm. If he was playing on a different team, he would be a little higher on my list.
8. Ryan Katz Jr. Oregon State
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Ryan Katz was the death of the Beavers in 2010.
The team had high hopes and there were some expectations of a Rose Bowl, something that the Beavers haven't had since 1965.
But Katz was inconsistent throughout the season and played poorly overall. He even led the Beavers to a loss over Washington State.
You know something is wrong if you lose to Washington State.
But Katz does have some promise. He has a good arm and nice mobility. If he can develop more, and if James Rodgers can stay healthy and return to form, Katz could be higher at the end of the season.
7. Jeff Tuel Jr. Washington State
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Jeff Tuel has to be one of my favorite quarterbacks in the Pac-12, mainly because of what he means to Washington State. Tuel played great for being on a two-win Cougar team last year.
He had 18 touchdowns to 12 interceptions with 2,780 yards.
Tuel continues to develop and is giving Washington State hope, especially after a 31-14 upset over Oregon State, scoring 23 against Oregon, scoring 28 against Stanford and only losing by seven to Washington.
Tuel could do great things in 2011, especially with Washington State getting better.
6. Brock Osweiler Jr. Arizona State
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The 6'8'', 235-pound junior will enter spring as the Sun Devils starting quarterback, and he deserves it after what he did for Arizona State at the end of the season.
In his lone two starts, Osweiler defeated UCLA 55-34, and led the Sun Devils to an upset victory over rival Arizona at the end of the season. Osweiler had 647 yards, five touchdowns and no interceptions in those two victories.
Osweiler does not have a complete hold on his starting job. Steven Threet, who was injuried at the end of last season, is going to come back and do whatever it takes to win his job back.
Something every Pac-12 fan should keep in eye on is that quarterback battle.
Osweiler will also be leading a Top 25 team that is going to come out strong and try to win ball games.
5. Jordan Wynn Jr. Utah
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The 6'1'', 210-pound junior dealt with many serious injuries that will hamper his progress next season. Wynn has Heisman potential, but his injuries are bringing him and the Utes down.
In a new conference, Wynn will have to stay healthy for Utah to prove it is deserving of being in a BCS Conference.
Wynn has a good arm and great legs. If Wynn stays healthy, he will end up much higher on this list.
4. Nick Foles Sr. Arizona
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Foles is one of the six Pac-12 quarterbacks who enters the season as the clear-cut starter. And there's good reason for that.
Foles is leading the Wildcat football program on a resurgence. Unfortunately, the Wildcats seemed to have a late-season drop.
But Foles is still leading the Wildcats and winning some key games, mainly an upset of Iowa last season.
Foles has a great arm and has one of the Pac-12's beast receivers in Juron Carter.
3. Matt Barkley Jr. USC
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Barkley, the only USC quarterback to start on opening day as a true freshman, rebounded quite well in his second season with the Trojans.
Barkley was one of the best passers in the Pac-10 in 2010 and played well for a demoralized USC team.
Barkley would be higher on this list if it wasn't for USC's bowl ban. It's hard to play on a team when you know that, no matter what, you can't make it to a bowl game.
If the Trojans' bowl ban is removed, don't be surprised if you see the Trojans become one of the top team's in the nation.
Barkley is even a preseason Heisman cannidate.
2. Darron Thomas Jr. Oregon
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The sophomore last year led the Ducks to the national championship game, not bad for a team with low expectations after Jeremiah Masoli was kicked off of the team.
Thomas has a good arm and great running ability and he is a perfect fit for Chip Kelly's zone-read spread-option offense.
Thomas puts up great stats and wins ball games. A Heisman cannidate, Thomas is just a few strides behind the only quarterback that tops him.
1. Andrew Luck Jr. Stanford
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This was one of the hardest decsisions I've had to make in writing: Andrew Luck or Darron Thomas.
I decided to go with Andrew Luck. He means just so much more to Stanford than Thomas does to Oregon.
Both are pretty much next to each other however.
Luck, last year's Heisman runner-up, has a great arm and nice athleticism for a pocket quarterback.
Luck is in store for a great season and will still have all of the first-overall pick hype throughout the season.
Hopefully he doesn't pull a Jake Locker.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
