NFL Draft 2011: Which College Football Conference Produces The Best NFL QBs?

Making the transition from college to the pros is a difficult task. Some adjust quicker than others and some just never can quite make it. 

Which conference is the best at producing certain players? The SEC has the most players in the NFL, but what about position by position?

For this article we'll focus on the most important position in all of football—the quarterback. Which conference gives us the best quarterbacks? 

Looking at the current quarterbacks in the NFL, we'll break down which conference is the best. 

Atlantic Coast Conference

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HONOLULU - JANUARY 30: Philip Rivers, #17 of the San Diego Chargers, passes against the NFC team during the 2011 NFL Pro Bowl at Aloha Stadium on January 30, 2011 in Honolulu, Hawaii. (Photo by Kent Nishimura/Getty Images)

Top Quarterbacks in NFL: 

Phillip Rivers—North Carolina State

Matt Ryan—Boston College

Michael Vick—Virginia Tech

Matt Schaub—Virginia

All four of the NFL guys were in the top 11 in quarterback rating for the 2010 season. The first three of them made the Pro Bowl, and you could make the case that Schaub deserved a spot on the roster as well. Rivers led all quarterbacks by throwing for 4,710 yards on the season.

Top Prospects: Christian Ponder, FSU; Tyrod Taylor, Virginia Tech; T.J. Yates, North Carolina 

Big 12

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LANDOVER, MD - DECEMBER 12: Josh Freeman #5 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers scrambles during the game against the Washington Redskins at FedExField on December 12, 2010 in Landover, Maryland. The Buccaneers defeated the Redskins 17-16. (Photo by Larry Frenc

Top Quarterbacks in the NFL:

Josh Freeman—Kansas State

Sam Bradford—Oklahoma

Vince Young—Texas

Colt McCoy—Texas 

These guys had tremendous college careers and look to be on the same path in the NFL. All four are young stars with bright futures ahead of them. Young needs to find a new home, but it won't be much longer until he's the starter for a new team. McCoy played surprisingly well for a guy who wasn't expected to see the field in 2010. Freeman and Bradford are on their way to being the next NFL greats.

Top Prospects: Blaine Gabbert, Missouri; Taylor Potts, Texas Tech; Jerrod Johnson, Texas A&M 

Big East

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EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ - DECEMBER 05: Donovan McNabb #5 of the Washington Redskins looks to throw a pass against the New York Giants on December 5, 2010 at the New Meadowlands Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The Giants defeated the Redskins 31-7. (

Top Quarterbacks in the NFL: 

Donovan McNabb—Syracuse 

McNabb is the only quarterback from a Big East school worth mentioning. He struggled in 2010, but that's because he was traded to a terrible team. He had very little to work with on the Redskins and his stats dwindled. If there is any football in 2011, it will be interesting to see where McNabb is playing. 

Top Prospects: None

Big Ten

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FOXBORO, MA - JANUARY 16: Quarterback Tom Brady #12 of the New England Patriots throws a pass during their 2011 AFC divisional playoff game against the New York Jets at Gillette Stadium on January 16, 2011 in Foxboro, Massachusetts. (Photo by Elsa/Getty

Top Quarterbacks in the NFL: 

Tom Brady—Michigan

Drew Brees—Purdue 

Kyle Orton—Purdue 

Chad Henne—Michigan 

This is a good list of quarterbacks. Brady is arguably one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL today. In that argument, you could make the case that Drew Brees is the best of the best. Orton and Henne are two guys that have had a difficult time winning, but they're hoping they can turn things around in 2011. 

Top Prospects: Ricky Stanzi, Iowa; Scott Tolzien, Wisconsin; Ben Chappell, Indiana 

Pac 10

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ARLINGTON, TX - FEBRUARY 06: Aaron Rodgers #12 of the Green Bay Packers drops back against the Pittsburgh Steelers during the first quarter of Super Bowl XLV at Cowboys Stadium on February 6, 2011 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Ima

Top Quarterbacks in the NFL: 

Aaron Rodgers—California 

Matt Cassel—USC 

Carson Palmer—USC

Mark Sanchez—USC

The Trojans are known for sending great quarterbacks to the NFL. Some of them turn out better than others. Rodgers was one of the best quarterbacks in 2010, and led his team to a Super Bowl victory. Sanchez has a bright future ahead of him as well as Cassel. Cassel wouldn't even be mentioned here if he didn't make the most of his opportunity as a starter. The Pac-10 has sent some good QBs to the NFL. With the exception of Sanchez, all have taken time to develop into strong quarterbacks. 

Top Prospects: Jake Locker, Washington 

South Eastern Conference

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NASHVILLE, TN - DECEMBER 09: Peyton Manning #18 of the Indianapolis Colts throws a pass during the NFL game against the Tennessee Titans at LP Field on December 9, 2010 in Nashville, Tennessee. The Colts won 30-28. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)

Top Quarterbacks in the NFL: 

Peyton Manning—Tennessee 

Eli Manning—Ole Miss 

Jay Cutler—Vanderbilt 

Jason Campbell—Auburn 

Peyton is arguably one of the best quarterbacks in the league today. His brother Eli had a rough 2010, but is a proven winner. Cutler is still trying to win big games, but there is no denying his talent. Campbell has been a decent NFL quarterback, but he is looking to help turn around a talented, young Raiders team. Another guy worth mentioning is former No. 1-overall draft pick Matthew Stafford. He could be special if he ever stays healthy. 

Top Prospects: Cam Newton, Auburn; Ryan Mallett, Arkansas; Greg McElroy, Alabama

Non Automatic-Qualifying Conferences

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ARLINGTON, TX - FEBRUARY 06: Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger #7 of the Pittsburgh Steelers looks to pass against the Green Bay Packers during Super Bowl XLV at Cowboys Stadium on February 6, 2011 in Arlington, Texas. The Packers won 31-25. (Photo by Kevin

Top Quarterbacks in the NFL: 

Ben Roethlisberger—Miami of Ohio

Joe Flacco—Delaware 

Tony Romo—Eastern Illinois 

Brett Favre—Southern Mississippi 

Just because you didn't play quarterback at one of the best colleges in the country doesn't mean you don't have what it takes to be a great NFL quarterback. These guys weren't huge stars in college, but they're making a name for themselves in the NFL. They have all fought hard to get where they are today. With the exception of Favre, who is supposedly never coming back to the NFL, all of them have great futures ahead of them. 

Top Prospects: Andy Dalton, TCU; Colin Kaepernick, Nevada; Pat Devlin, Delaware

The Winner

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ATLANTA, GA - JANUARY 15: Quarterback Matt Ryan #2 of the Atlanta Falcons rolls out to pass against the Green Bay Packers during their 2011 NFC divisional playoff game at Georgia Dome on January 15, 2011 in Atlanta, Georgia. The Packers won 48-21. (Phot

The Atlantic Coast Conference produces the best quarterbacks in the NFL today. There are currently eight quarterbacks from ACC schools in the NFL, and five of them have made the Pro Bowl. 

Phillip Rivers, Matt Ryan, Michael Vick, Matt Schaub and Matt Hasselback are better than any other conferences' top five starters in the NFL. All but Hasselback have long futures ahead of them.

Shaun Hill of Maryland and Charlie Whitehurst from Clemson aren't that bad either. Both are backups and did a fine job of stepping in as part-time starters in 2010. The eighth guy is Thad Lewis from Duke who is a third string QB for the St. Louis Rams.

The ACC may not be winning national championships, but they are producing the best quarterbacks in the NFL right now. Does this now make Christian Ponder the steal of the draft?