2011 College Football: Power Ranking the Top 10 QBs in the NCAA
The quarterback position is undoubtedly the most important position on any football team's roster.
It doesn't matter if the team is a run-heavy offense, or relies on a top-notch defense to come away with victories.
At the end of the day, the responsibility falls on the shoulders of the man under center. More often than not, it's up to him to lead his team to victory.
The departure of top quarterbacks such as Cam Newton and Blaine Gabbert gives opportunity for new talents to steal the spotlight.
Here are power rankings for the 10 best quarterbacks in college football heading into the 2011 season.
10. Dan Persa (Northwestern)
1 of 10
At the 10th spot, it becomes difficult to really differentiate between talents.
There may be some quarterbacks who deserve this ranking, but in these rankings the spot belongs to an up-and-coming talent.
Dan Persa may be a senior, but he is just now getting the opportunity to let his abilities shine.
Northwestern went 7-3 last season with Persa under center. After suffering an injury to his Achilles tendon, Persa needed surgery and missed the final three games of the year.
The team went 0-3 without him.
In his 10 games, Persa threw for 2,581 yards, 15 touchdowns and only four interceptions.
What stands out about Persa is his accuracy and poise under pressure. He finished the year with a 73.5 completion percentage, the highest in college football.
Persa also has the ability to do damage running the ball. He finished last year with 519 yards and nine touchdowns on the ground.
9. Darron Thomas (Oregon)
2 of 10
After quarterback Jeremiah Masoli was suspended prior to the 2010 season, Darron Thomas was given the nod to take over as the starter for the Ducks.
Thomas took advantage of the opportunity, leading Oregon to one of the best seasons in the program's history.
He did so by running an offense that averaged 47.0 points per game.
Thomas is a dual-threat quarterback and will cause just as much havoc in the running game as he does through the air.
Last season he threw for 2,881 yards, 30 touchdowns and just nine interceptions.
He ran for another 486 yards and five touchdowns.
Thomas did this as a redshirt sophomore. Now, with some experience as a junior, he hopes to improve off of his stellar 2010 performance.
8. Ryan Lindley (San Diego State)
3 of 10
It's difficult to get recognition when you play for a team like San Diego State. Let's face it, they don't have the most prestigious program in college football.
However, they do have one of the best quarterbacks.
Ryan Lindley will be entering his fourth year as a starter for the Aztecs, where he has improved every season.
Lindley's 9,537 career passing yards and 67 touchdowns in a pro-style offense will make him one of the top prospects in next year's NFL draft.
Last year, Lindley threw for 3,830 yards and 28 touchdowns, leading San Diego State to their first Bowl Game since 1998.
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
7. Robert Griffin III (Baylor)
4 of 10
In 2008, Robert Griffin came into the season as one of the most highly recruited prospects in college football.
As a freshman Griffin performed well, earning Big 12 Freshman of the Year honors.
In 2009, his season was cut short due to an ACL tear in the third game of the season. Griffin momentarily dropped off the radar.
Then last year, as a redshirted sophomore, he picked up right where he left off. There was a widespread fear that Griffin would not return with the same freakish athletic ability that made him such a threat. That was not the case.
Griffin threw for 3,501 yards and 22 touchdowns in 2010. He remained a threat in the running game, despite the ACL surgery, rushing for eight touchdowns and 635 yards.
6. Brandon Weeden (Oklahoma State)
5 of 10
Last season, his first as a starter, Brandon Weeden threw for 4,277 yards, the third highest in the nation.
For a first year starter that's rather impressive.
Possibly the most memorable moment of the 2010 season was in Week 2 when Weeden suffered a significant thumb injury.
After escaping with a victory, Weeden was quoted saying "Hurt thumb, no thumb, whatever, it doesn't matter. I don't care if I don't have a thumb. You've got to take the snaps."
The following week Weeden threw for 409 yards and six touchdowns. That's the kind of toughness you want to see in a quarterback.
5. Matt Barkley (Southern California)
6 of 10
In 2009, ESPN ranked Matt Barley as the first overall prospect in the nation.
Before his freshman season, Mel Kiper stated that in three years Barkley would be the first overall selection in the NFL draft.
I'm not yet convinced that is the case, but if Barkley elects to stay in college for four years, it could very well become a reality.
Thanks to the NCAA sanctions on USC, the team has not received the publicity that it is accustomed to.
In turn, players like Matt Barkley have basically flown under the radar.
Barkley will be entering his junior year already having 5,526 career passing yards and 41 touchdowns.
4. Terrelle Pryor (Ohio State)
7 of 10
Say what you want about Terrelle Pryor and his off-the-field decisions, but when he is on the field he dominates the opposition.
Last season was a breakout year for Pryor, who struggled to find a consistent rhythm his first two seasons.
He had no troubles in 2010, throwing for 2,772 yards and 27 touchdowns.
The real threat comes when Pryor is on the move. He averaged 5.4 yards per carry last season with 754 yards.
He ended the season with a convincing performance in the Rose Bowl, where he earned MVP honors.
Pryor will miss the first five games of the season for accepting improper benefits, but when he returns to the field he will be a force.
3. Landry Jones (Oklahoma)
8 of 10
Filling the shoes of a quarterback like Sam Bradford is no small task.
However, Landry Jones has done a phenomenal job. Since taking over his freshman year, Jones has 7,916 yards and 64 touchdowns.
His 4,718-yard performance last season finalized him as the second leading passer in the nation.
He was awarded with the Sammy Baugh Trophy, which is given to the nation's best quarterback for his accomplishments.
There are high expectations for the Sooners this season. Many preseason rankings have them as the top team in the country.
There aren't many better quarterbacks to have leading the way.
2. Andrew Luck (Stanford)
9 of 10
When Andrew Luck decided to return to Stanford for the 2011 season, most of the world was shocked. Luck was likely guaranteed to be the first overall selection in this year's NFL Draft.
Chances are, he will still be at the top of all draft boards when this season ends.
Luck really took the college football world by storm this season. There were spurts of brilliance in 2009, but it was unclear what kind of player Luck was.
After 2010, it's pretty obvious. He's one that will throw a team on his back and carry them to victory.
Luck threw for 3,338 yards and 32 touchdowns last season.
What's more impressive is that he did it running a pro-style offense in a world where the spread seems to generate higher stat values.
1. Kellen Moore (Boise State)
10 of 10
All the talk may be around Andrew Luck, but Kellen Moore is the top quarterback in college football.
Sporting News took it one step further, announcing Moore as the top player at any position this upcoming season.
I know there is little respect for the competition Moore has faced, but that doesn't mean his accomplishments should be overlooked.
He is 38-2 as a starter. He has 10,867 career passing yards along with 99 touchdown passes.
He will likely finish this season with the NCAA record for career wins, passing efficiency and touchdown passes.
He could very well win the Heisman Trophy and more importantly, put his team in position to win a national championship.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
