College Football: 6 Quarterbacks Primed for Breakout Seasons in 2011
Cam Newton and Denard Robinson came out of nowhere last year to have breakout seasons. Although unknown by 95 percent of college football fans, they came in and dominated their opponents.
Robinson shared snaps as a backup his freshman year, but during the summer, he cemented his place as the starter. He became the first player to rush for 1,500 yards and pass for 2,500 yards in FBS history. With big offensive outputs against Indiana and Notre Dame, he became the first player to pass for 200 yards and rush for 200 yards twice in a career. He finished the season by setting the Michigan all time single season offense record with 4,200 yards.
Cam Newton went from winning a title at Blinn Junior College to winning a title at Auburn University. He scored over 51 touchdowns in his only year as starter, including 30 passing, 20 running and even one receiving. He led the SEC in rushing with 1,400 yards while passing for 2,800. Those are some pretty good numbers for guys who were second string and in junior college last year.
But don't expect any surprises this year. I'm going to show you six quarterbacks who will have breakout seasons this year.
Morgan Newton
1 of 6
Going into his third year as a quarterback at Kentucky, Morgan Newton is ready to take the driver's seat. Newton was regarded as one of the top quarterback prospects out of high school. He got quality playing time in the second half of his freshman season and showed promise. He also started in the BBVA Compass Bowl after Mike Hartline was suspended. He struggled at times, but with his first full spring as the starter, he should make some noise in the SEC next year.
Tyler Bray
2 of 6
As a freshman at Tennessee last year, Tyler Bray passed for 1,800 yards and 18 touchdowns while throwing only 10 interceptions. He also nearly led his team to a win in the Music City Bowl against North Carolina. Going into his sophomore season, Bray should have complete control of the offense and put up big numbers in the SEC East.
Brock Osweiler
3 of 6
Standing at 6'8, he looks more like a power forward than a quarterback. But when he gets on the field, there is no doubt that he should be throwing fade routes instead of dunking basketballs. Appearing in five games last year, he threw for nearly 800 yards and five touchdowns with no interceptions. Going into his first full year as the starter, he is ready to wreak havoc on opposing Pac-12 defenses.
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
EJ Manuel
4 of 6
EJ Manuel was probably the best backup QB in the country last year. He's led Florida State to two bowl game wins while filling in for an injured Christian Ponder. His ability to both pass and run the ball make him nearly impossible to stop on third down. Now that he has full command of the offense, don't be surprised if December rolls around and Manuel is in the Heisman talks.
Tyler Wilson
5 of 6
If you saw Tyler Wilson in the Auburn game last season, then you shouldn't be surprised to see him make the list. After Ryan Mallet went down with injury in the first half, Wilson came in and didn't miss a beat. He passed for 332 yards while throwing four touchdowns. Some have argued that he is better than Mallet, and I can see why. This will be his fourth season under Bobby Petrino, and he's ready to make the most of it.
Geno Smith
6 of 6
Geno Smith is probably the best pocket passer in the country after Andrew Luck. He's got great arm strength and accuracy. He stands tall in the pocket and can find the open receiver. He passed for 2,700 yards and 24 touchdowns last year. With Dana Holgorsen coming in, don't be surprised to see him throw for 4,500-plus yards and 35-plus touchdowns.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
