The long wait is finally coming to an end as the NCAA football season is about to kick-off. The 2014 season served up some memorable performances, especially from the quarterbacks who are continually changing the landscape of how the position is being played.
And yet, in spite of the run-heavy trend that these phenomenal playmakers are akin to these days, our list below still features a pocket passer at heart atop the cream of the QB crop. Read on to find out who’s at the summit of our countdown, and who are the other gunslingers aiming to take their team to new levels of success.
Afterwards, check out who else will be torching the fields this renewed college football season with our list of the best running backs and wide receivers.
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Top 10 Quarterbacks of the 2015-16 NCAA College Football Season
10. Connor Cook (Michigan State)
[sc:NCAA240banner ]After leading the Spartans to a Big Ten title and three Bowl victories (including one win at the Rose Bowl), Connor Cook has some sweet accolades to merit a spot on our list indeed. His ranking on our list could’ve been higher, though, if it wasn’t for his subpar 58 percent completion rate.
Still, for all of the talk surrounding his seemingly erratic play, Cook really only gave up 14 interceptions over the past two seasons. With a solid Michigan State offensive line to back him up this season, expect the senior QB to post even better numbers than his 3,200-yard, 24-touchdown showing from 2014.
9. Gunner Kiel (Cincinnati)
As his name would suggest, Gunner Kiel proved to be the rifleman he was expected to be for the Cincinnati Bearcats. The five-star recruit who transferred from Notre Dame had a phenomenal debut by passing for 3,254 yards, 31 touchdowns and just 13 picks last season.
Kiel also proved that he could hang in there with top-flight competition, throwing for more than 300 yards and no less than three TDs in each of the two games against coveted programs in Ohio State and Miami. And with a solid Cincinnati supporting cast all set to excel this 2015, the sky’s the limit for Gunner.
8. Justin Thomas Jr. (Georgia Tech)
You can be certain that Justin Thomas Jr. is not content with simply winning the ACC’s Coastal Division and the Orange Bowl over Mississippi State this past season. A heartbreaking 37-35 loss to Florida State in the ACC title game should serve as a proper motivation for him to fare even better this year.
Thomas was quite a force on the ground, rushing for 1,086 yards and eight touchdowns in 190 carries. If he wants to take the Yellow Jackets to the upper echelon of the national rankings, though, he has to work on his passing game. Last year, Thomas had just 1,719 passing yards including 18 TDs and six interceptions. If the junior playmaker can break the 2,000 passing-yard mark or beyond this season and work on his turnovers, Georgia Tech will likely have more reason to celebrate than just another division title this 2015.
7. Deshaun Watson (Clemson)
An obstacle-laden 2015 lies in wait in front of Deshaun Watson. As if missing three games last season due to a broken hand wasn’t enough, the loss of Clemson offensive coordinator Chad Morris to conference rival SMU this offseason is another sign that a down season is in the making.
Still, Watson has so much upside that his potential to break out rather than regress is almost inevitable. In just eight games played in 2014 (five as a starter), he passed for 1,466 yards with 14 touchdowns and just a couple of picks. While those numbers aren’t really gaudy on paper, his 67.9 percent completion rate certainly is. Watson even bested last year’s Heisman Trophy winner Marcus Mariota with his 188.6 passer rating.
6. Dak Prescott (Mississippi State)
Who would’ve thought that the Bulldogs would be the No. 1 team in the nation by October of last year? Mississippi State has its quarterback Dak Prescott and his dual-threat skill set to thank for that.
Prescott was a beast on both sides of the offense, throwing for 3,449 yards and 27 touchdowns as well as garnering 986 yards and 14 trips to the end zone on the ground. He’ll have his work cut out for him in his senior year, though, as a revamped O-line and the loss of running back Josh Robinson will serve as tough tests in boosting his value for the next NFL draft.
5. Christian Hackenberg (Penn State)
Speaking of the NFL draft, Penn State’s Christian Hackenberg is one of the top pro prospects in college football today. However, that draft stock took a major hit after a disastrous sophomore season that saw him average just 6.2 yards per attempt, with 12 touchdowns, 15 interceptions and a 109.4 passer rating.
This season should be a much better one for Hack, though. His shambles of an offensive line should be better (because it can hardly get any worse) and he’ll have a full year’s worth of reps with his receiving corps and coaching staff. Don’t be at all surprised at the end of the season, when Hack will be back atop mock drafts thanks to a stellar junior year.
4. Trevone Boykin (TCU)
Ever wonder why Trevone Boykin is the clear-cut +500 favorite to win the Heisman trophy this season? Well, he just turned TCU all the way around from a 4-8 record in 2013 to 12-1 in 2014. Of course, part of the credit goes to Texas Christian’s stellar co-coordinator tandem of Sonny Cumbie and Doug Meacham in extracting the most out of the team’s quarterback, but it’s Boykin’s sheer athleticism on display that truly powered the team to its current glory.
And what’s not to like about his 3,901 passing yards and 33 touchdowns from last season? Try adding 707 more yards and eight scores from the ground, and yes, Boykin is certainly Heisman-worthy alright.
3. Cardale Jones (Ohio State)
Three games were all that Cardale Jones needed to prove that he’s no ordinary third-string quarterback. Those three games also happened to be the final matches that sealed Ohio State’s fate as the best college football team in the nation.
Jones and his rocket of an arm had thrown for just 742 yards in the air to go with five touchdowns and a couple of interceptions last season, but he was the most pivotal player in the Buckeyes’ Big Ten Title win over Wisconsin, the Sugar Bowl victory over ‘Bama, and the national title-clinching win over Oregon.
2. J.T. Barrett (Ohio State)
If you ask us who’s truly the most deserving starting quarterback for Ohio State this 2015, we’d have to side with J.T. Barrett.
Before going down with a broken ankle against Michigan, Barrett exhibited better passing skills than that of Miller’s and quicker footwork on the run than Jones. Just take a look as his stats from last year: 2,834 passing yards with a 64.6 percent completion rate and 34 touchdowns, and 938 rushing yards with 11 TDs on the ground.
If only Barrett had gotten to play the entire season last year, he would’ve been on pace to throw for over 3,000 yards in the air, rush for over a thousand yards on the ground and tally more than 50 TDs in all. If Barrett is in tip-top shape entering this new season, he’s truly the Buckeyes’ best bet as the team’s starting QB in justifying their +175 odds of repeating as national champs.
1. Cody Kessler (USC)
Nothing can top sound pocket passing skills in the NFL, so USC’s Cody Kessler looks like a franchise quarterback in the making after his fantastic showing in 2014.
Just how good was Kessler? Try a jaw-dropping 69.7 completion rate for 3,826 passing yards and a whopping 39 touchdowns to just five picks all of last season. Let’s not forget that he even put on a six-TD beat down on Notre Dame in the final game of the season – the most touchdowns allowed by the Fighting Irish against a single opposing quarterback in their 127-year history.
What’s even better is that Kessler will have all five starters from the Trojans’ O-line from last season to protect him once more, further solidifying his state as a solid +1,000 favorite to take home the Heisman Trophy this year.
Create a betting account now to place your wagers on any of these Heisman Trophy hopefuls and all of the other NCAA college football futures before the regular season begins.
