PFF Ranks all 130 Div. 1 QBs

I know everyone will want to know first where Shea Patterson is ranked:

13. Michigan: Shea Patterson

That seems low to me. But the offense seemed repressed last year, really, the last two years. So maybe this ranking is affected by that.

But! PFF had some good things to say about Shea Patterson, especially in regards to him being careful with the ball:

The first of the Big Ten quarterbacks to land on the rankings, Patterson uncorked 22 big-time throws last season with the Wolverines. He returns a talented cast of characters to get the ball to this season and that number of 22 BTTs should only go up. Perhaps most importantly, he limited himself to just nine turnover-worthy passes a year ago as well, demonstrating that he can take care of the ball among the best in the nation.

Here's some highlights from the list:

1. Clemson: Trevor Lawrence

No true freshman has put forth the kind of grades we saw from Lawrence last year as he dominated game in and game out. He took remarkable care of the football with just five turnover-worthy plays to his credit, the fewest among quarterbacks with at least 250 dropbacks. He also was a maestro with the ball, unleashing 27 big-time throws, a true freshman record and the fifth-most among active quarterbacks. His 27 BTT to 5 TWP is one of the best ratios we’ve ever seen from any quarterback, let alone a true freshman and he did it all with a media circus following him around since high school. He’s the face of college football for a reason and he’ll remain there for at least two more seasons.

2. Alabama: Tua Tagovailoa

 Tagovailoa’s emergence is well documented and he’s set up with the nation’s best receiving corps this season with Jerry Jeudy, Jaylen Waddle, DeVonta Smith and Henry Ruggs. He makes all the throws and makes them all look easy. Tagovailoa routinely squeezes balls into tight windows just as he throws with anticipation as he leads the nation in several passer rating categories. His marks of 141.6 from a clean pocket (first), 110.0 under pressure (fifth), 144.7 with play action (first) and 130.7 without play action (first) showcase just how dominant he was a year ago. He and Lawrence will battle it out for top QB honors this year in as spirted of a race we’ll get to witness in some time.

 

Pick Six Previews tweeted this about Trevor Lawrence and Tua Tagovailoa. It shows pretty clearly that Lawrence is the better QB:

11. Oklahoma: Jalen Hurts

I only list him because of all the talk that he's going to be the third QB in a row at Oklahoma to win a Heisman. But with players like Trevor Lawrence, Tua Tagovailoa, and Jonathan Taylor, who should be in the running for the Heisman, I don't think there's any way Hurts wins it. He's a great runner, granted. But his passing accuracy leaves something to be desired. He's not the passer that Baker Mayfield and Kyler Murray are.

16. Ohio State: Justin Fields

18. Notre Dame: Ian Book

24. Nebraska: Adrian Martinez

25. Texas A&M: Kellen Mond

I only list the Texas A&M QB because I think Texas A&M will be showing clear improvement over last year, and I think they have a real shot at upsetting Clemson on September 7.

31. Penn State: Sean Clifford

39. Maryland: Josh Jackson

48. Northwestern: Hunter Johnson

51. Iowa: Nate Stanley

54. Indiana: Peyton Ramsey

65. Army: Kelvin Hopkins Jr.

Hopkins is the top returning quarterback from an option offense, rushing for 1,041 yards, 600 of which came after contact a season ago. He’s fresh off the heels of one of the highest-graded performances from a quarterback in recent memory, toasting the Houston defense in their bowl game a year ago with a 96.9 overall grade. He’s lost just three fumbles in his career as well and has actually put forth plus passing grades in almost every game he attempted five or more attempts in.

67. USC: JT Daniels/Jack Sears

I list this one because it's a bit of a stunner. JT Daniels was the #2 Pro QB coming out of high school:

I remember his visit to Michigan, and the pictures of him wearing Brandon Peters number.

Because of the good things he had to say about Michigan, and Jim Harbaugh, for a very short time it looked like he was going to choose Michigan. He even tweeted this:

But shortly later, he committed to UCS, and even announced he was passing up his senior year in high school to go there.

He had ridiculous numbers in high school: 152 TDs, only 14 INTs.

But things have not worked out well so far in college:

Last year’s starter in Daniels has not quite received all the first-team reps one would imagine a starter would have by now but it’s still likely he enters the year as the Trojans’ No. 1. Daniels was a lucky guy a year ago, uncorking 22 turnover-worthy passes compared to just 10 interceptions as he made more mistakes than big-play moments. He is the 120th-ranked returning quarterback by overall grade and Sears showed some solid play on very few snaps last year. A quarterback controversy is brewing as they install Graham Harrell’s Air Raid offense and if Sears can push Daniels to get better quick, USC would be in a better place.

I think this very low ranking has more to do with the coaching at USC than his abilities. If the rumors that Urban Meyer is going to be hired as head coach at USC next year are true, then, is JT Daniels his kind of QB? When I think of Urban Meyer type QBs I think of Tim Tebow and JT Barrett.

76. Michigan State: Brian Lewerke

This low? Boy, this seems harsh. Here's what they have to say:

Over the past two seasons, Lewerke has thrown the most turnover-worthy passes in the country at 34 and that only gets compounded by the fact that he’s only thrown 21 big-time throws in that span. His 66.3% adjusted completion percentage over the past two years really tells a tale of the struggles he’s seen when throwing downfield. The arm talent is there, he just needs a season of putting it all together.

86. Minnesota: Tanner Morgan

106. Wisconsin: Graham Mertz/Jack Coan

They don't see much good in Wisconsin's QBs too:

Early impressions are the Coan lands the job to start the season but the Badgers’ quarterback situation would be better with Mertz in the fold after what we saw from Coan in 2018. Among quarterbacks with at least 100 dropbacks last season, Coan’s grade was only higher than Sitkowski at Rutgers. Mertz for the win in the post-Hornibrook era.

107. Illinois: Isaiah Williams/Brandon Peters

At just 5-foot-9 and 170 pounds, Williams is embracing the ‘too short’ mantra for a quarterback as Illinois has promised to give him a shot at the position. A 4-star recruit and the second-ranked player out of the state of Missouri, he’ll have a lot to prove in the Big Ten at his short stature but he has all the skills to show off his athletic ability if he scrambles. That athletic ability gives him the leg up on Michigan-transfer Peters who had just a 50.0 overall grade in his extended time with the Wolverines in 2017. 

110. Kansas: Thomas MacVittie

A very low ranking for Les Miles' first QB.

121. Middle Tennessee State: Randall Johnson/Asher O’Hara

If Johnson is to win and keep this job, it’ll be his junior college prowess that earns him the nod just as much it will be his 6-foot-5 frame. He had some gaudy JUCO stats but it’s mere projection at this point at how he’ll fare after entering the Blue Raiders recruiting class as a 3-star athlete from our friends at 247Sports. O’Hara had just a 48.8 passing grade in his only worthwhile action last season.

Michigan's defense might be giving him a nightmare of a day.

130. Rutgers: Artur Sitkowski

It’s not easy starting at the bottom but that’s where we begin. Sitkowski put forth the lowest grade we’ve ever given to a full-time starter at any level as the Rutgers passing offense was a disaster by all accounts last year. Good thing for the Scarlet Knights is that they have nowhere to go but up. If McLane Carter can displace him as the team’s starter, it wouldn’t come as that much of a surprise. 



Link to article: https://www.pff.com/news/college-pff-rankings-starting-quarterback-rankings-for-2019