College Football 2011: Power Ranking the Nation's Top 10 Quarterbacks
Quarterback is the most analyzed and scrutinized position on the football field. When a team loses, a quarterback gets too much blame, and when a team wins, a quarterback gets too much credit.
In addition to having the right physical makeup, an outstanding quarterback must possess the football IQ, leadership and toughness to guide his team down the field.
Every quarterback in division one college football has these qualities to some extent, but some signal callers stand out amongst the masses.
Here are 10 quarterbacks that possess all the aforementioned qualities. These are the top 10 signal callers in college football today, and each one would be a welcome addition to any program.
10. Kyle Padron (SMU)
1 of 10
Kyle Padron was not the most highly touted prospect coming out of (Southlake) Carroll High School in Texas.
SMU was the only school that offered Padron a scholarship coming out of high school according to Rivals.
Nevertheless, Padron has flourished in head coach June Jones’s run and shoot offense. He threw for 3,828 passing yards and 31 touchdowns as a sophomore. In addition to his passing prowess, Padron amassed four rushing touchdowns last season as well.
As rewarding as last season was for Kyle Padron, there is reason to believe that he can have an even bigger season in 2011.
Wide receiver Aldrick Robinson has moved onto the NFL, but Cole Beasley had over 1,000 receiving yards last season and will be Padron’s top wide out. Junior wide receiver Darius Johnson’s return will also bode well for Padron. Johnson will complement Beasley on the outside.
Kyle Padron will be much more of a marked man next fall, nevertheless expect Padron to continue to improve as a junior in June Jones’s system.
9. Nick Foles (Arizona)
2 of 10
If Arizona has any aspirations of making legitimate noise in the PAC 12 conference next season, the Wildcats will need to get another great season out of quarterback Nick Foles.
Foles is Arizona’s top talent offensively. He leads an offense that relies on a fast paced passing attack to get them into the end zone rather than a methodical rushing game.
One of Nick Foles’s greatest assets as a quarterback is his powerful arm strength. Foles uses this arm strength to hook up with wide receiver Juron Criner for big plays down field.
Arizona ranked ninth nationally last season in passing yards compared to 88th in rushing yards. As I said earlier, it is apparent that Head Coach Mike Stoops will be counting on a big season out of Foles next fall.
Nick Foles gets overshadowed by Stanford’s Andrew Luck and USC’s Matt Barkley in the Pac-12, but he is still deserving of being on this list.
8. Taylor Martinez (Nebraska)
3 of 10
Nebraska’s 2010 campaign ended with a thud. The Cornhuskers lost to Washington in the Holiday Bowl. This is the same Washington team that Nebraska blasted 56-21 in the beginning of the season.
Despite the Holiday Bowl loss, Nebraska fans had to be impressed with the play of dual threat quarterback Taylor Martinez. Martinez gained 2,596 yards and 22 touchdowns last season. He was lethal both through the air and on the ground, and added another dimension to Head Coach Bo Pelini’s offense.
Martinez will be without running back Roy Helu Jr. and wide receiver Niles Paul, so expect even more pressure to be placed on the sophomore signal caller.
Taylor Martinez will be tested next season by the defenses of Wisconsin, Ohio State and Michigan State. Nevertheless, expect Martinez to be highly explosive as he leads Nebraska into the new look Big 10 conference.
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
7. Aaron Murray (Georgia)
4 of 10
Aaron Murray played his high school football at one of the country’s premier programs at Plant high school in Tampa, Florida.
Murray was a highly sought-after recruit coming out of Plant, and ultimately chose to sign with Head Coach Mark Richt and Georgia.
Murray was immediately thrust into the starter’s role as a freshman. He performed admirably during his opening campaign throwing 24 touchdowns and only eight interceptions.
Wide receiver A.J. Green has moved onto the NFL, but there is no reason to think that Murray will not continue to flourish during his sophomore season.
The return of wide receiver Tavarres King and tight end Orson Charles will provide Murray with a pair of reliable receiving options. Five star recruit Isaiah Crowell should immediately contribute to the rushing attack and help the Bulldogs stay balanced on offense.
The SEC conference is dominated by elite running backs, but Murray still stands out as one of the top quarterbacks in the country for Georgia.
6. Brandon Weeden (Oklahoma State)
5 of 10
Head Coach Mike Gundy runs an offense that is similar to many of the other teams on this list in that the passing game takes precedence over the running game. In order for this offense to run at peak performance, Gundy needs to have a talented quarterback under center.
Luckily for Mike Gundy, quarterback Brandon Weeden has the talent to run this spread passing attack with utmost efficiency.
The senior put up big time statistics in 2010, and developed one of the top pass catching combinations in all of college football with wide receiver Justin Blackmon.
Brandon Weeden has great arm strength and will not hesitate to take chances downfield on offense. Blackmon is usually Weeden’s receiver of choice in these situations.
There are big expectations for the quarterback as he enters his senior season. Weeden showed off his impressive skill set last season, and with the return of Blackmon, a subpar season for the quarterback seems highly unlikely.
5. Matt Barkley (USC)
6 of 10
Regardless of whether USC is banned from bowl play, there is no way that this would be a legitimate list without Matt Barkley on it.
Barkley was the No. 1 rated quarterback in the class of 2009 as rated by Rivals.
Since stepping onto campus at USC, Barkley has done nothing but shown why he was so highly touted coming out of high school.
He threw 26 touchdowns and 12 interceptions, which was a huge improvement from the 15 touchdowns and 14 interceptions that he threw as a freshman.
The return of wide receiver Robert Woods and the addition of highly touted prospect George Farmer should help ensure that Barkley continues to improve as a junior.
Matt Barkley does not need to play in a bowl game to prove that he is one of the top quarterback’s in the country. The 6’2" Barkley is one of the best in the game, and is destined to be playing on Sundays in the near future.
4. Landry Jones (Oklahoma)
7 of 10
At one time quarterback Landry Jones was best known as Sam Bradford’s backup. That is no longer the case though as the junior signal caller is now one of the elite quarterbacks in the country.
Landry Jones threw for 4,718 yards and 38 touchdowns last season. He led a dominant aerial assault that helped propel Oklahoma to a top 10 finish and a Fiesta Bowl victory.
The departure of running back DeMarco Murray means that the Oklahoma offense will rely even more heavily on the passing game next fall. Jones returns his top two wide receivers from last season in Ryan Broyles and Kenny Stills. The return of Broyles and Stills is only adding to the buzz surrounding Jones.
Jones has all the skills you need to be a top tier college quarterback. The fact that he is surrounded by great talent and plays in a pass heavy offense, benefits him that much more.
For all the reasons I just mentioned, there is no doubt that Landry Jones deserves to be on this list of the top 10 quarterbacks of 2011.
3. Kellen Moore (Boise State)
8 of 10
Wide receivers Titus Young and Austin Pettis have both moved onto the NFL.
Quarterback Kellen Moore will still be one of the top signal callers in the country next fall though. Moore has thrown 3,000+ passing yards in each of his three seasons under center as Boise’s starting quarterback.
Kellen Moore’s two biggest opportunities to shine next season will come against Georgia and TCU.
The Broncos run a wide open spread offense. In the system, Moore throws the ball with regularity, and will never hesitate to challenge an opposing secondary’s strength downfield.
Running back Doug Martin is back as is wide receiver Tyler Shoemaker. Shoemaker had 582 receiving yards and five touchdowns last season. Expect Shoemaker to be Moore’s No. 1 receiving option next fall.
Boise State’s days in the WAC are over, and the Broncos will try to carry their dominance over to the Mountain West Conference. Expect senior quarterback Kellen Moore to usher Boise State into their new conference with a bang in 2011.
2. Denard Robinson (Michigan)
9 of 10
Denard Robinson briefly contemplated transferring out of Michigan after former Head Coach Rich Rodriguez was fired. Ultimately though, Robinson made the decision to return for his junior season with the Maize and Blue.
As you can imagine, new Head Coach Brady Hoke and the Michigan faithful were pleased with Robinson’s decision.
The dual threat quarterback is capable of making a homerun play any time he touches the ball. Robinson accumulated 4,000 all-purpose yards last season and piled up 32 touchdowns (18 passing and 14 rushing).
Denard Robinson’s Heisman candidacy was moving at breakneck speed during the early parts of last season, but ultimately an injury and too many Michigan losses stalled Robinson’s Heisman hopes.
The return of wide receivers Roy Roundtree and Junior Hemingway will be a welcome sign for the quarterback. Darryl Stonum was also set to return, but he has been suspended indefinitely by Head Coach Brady Hoke for a second-offense drunken driving arrest. Running back Vincent Smith is also back in the fold to bring some balance to the offense. Smith ran for 601 rushing yards last season.
Expect “Shoelace” Robinson to once again put up gaudy statistics next season in Ann Arbor. If only the quarterback could provide some aid defensively as well.
1. Andrew Luck (Stanford)
10 of 10
Was there ever any doubt that Andrew Luck would lay claim to the top spot on this list?
Luck could have declared for the NFL draft last January, and would have likely been Carolina’s selection at pick one.
Instead, the quarterback has decided to come back to Stanford for one more season, and make life miserable on opposing PAC 12 defensive coordinators.
At 6’4", 235 lbs, Luck has ideal size for the position combined with great arm strength. He threw for 3,338 passing yards last season and 32 touchdowns.
The departures of wide receivers Ryan Whalen and Doug Baldwin will have to be navigated around, but Luck will still have an ample amount of returning skill talent left over from last year’s team. The return of running back Stepfan Taylor will ensure that the Cardinal do not become too one-dimensional on offense.
Luck is the preseason frontrunner to take home the Heisman next season. Yes, there will be a giant bulls-eye on Luck’s back. Regardless, most teams will find slowing down Andrew Luck to be a painfully difficult task.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
