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Top Quarterbacks 2016

This is not the list of Quarterbacks that are the top NFL Quarterback prospects. These are the ones that I think will be the best college Quarterbacks in 2016.

1. Deshaun Watson – Clemson: Not to take anything away from Leonard Fournette, Christian McCaffrey, or Cam Robinson, but Watson may just be the best returning player in the country. It’s a team game and it’s not Watson’s fault that Clemson forgot to cover the Tight End against Alabama. Also, I would love to point out that I called Watson on being who he is when he was at Clemson in the Spring before his freshman season.

Watson really established himself as a top Quarterback in last year’s playoff run where they came up just short against Alabama. I would like to point out again that Watson wasn’t covering Alabama Tight End OJ Howard.

In the 2015 season, Watson became the first Quarterback ever to throw for over 4,000 and to run for over 1,000. The 6-2, 210 Watson threw for 4,104 yards and 35 Touchdowns last season. On top of Top WRs

that, he ran for 1,105 yards and 12 more Touchdowns and he finished third in the Heisman Trophy voting. Watson has a really strong arm and can make any throw. Obviously, he also a very fast guy and runs like a Running Back. He seems to be down to earth and a good leader. He threw for 420 yards against a good defense versus Boston College and he threw for 405 yards against Alabama with two of his best receivers out of the game. Clemson does have some top receivers

The Clemson Tigers really have one more shot at the title with Watson before he leaves for the NFL.

2. Baker Mayfield – Oklahoma: Mayfield helped Oklahoma turn from an average team to a playoff team. Again, I would like to point out that I said Mayfield was the best Quarterback at Oklahoma when he was sitting out a season after transferring from Texas Tech. I blogged about Mayfield earlier here: Mayfield

The 6-1, 210 Mayfield passed for 3,700 yards and 36 Touchdowns. He also ran for 405 yards and 7

Touchdowns.

He did not have the greatest of games against Tennessee, but he helped lead them from behind to go into Overtime and leave Knoxville with a huge win. A loss there and they don’t make the playoffs. His best passing game came against Tulsa when he threw for 487 yards and 4 Touchdowns. He also ran for 85 yards in that game, which was his highest total of the season.

Mayfield returns for another season and he should be one of the nation’s top Quarterbacks.

3. Josh Rosen – UCLA: Freshman sensation of 2015

First Start: Rosen   Next Troy Aikman? UCLA QB

Rosen is a phenom and looks like it all comes natural to him. He is 6-4 and a little on the thin side at 210, but he’s as big as Jared Goff the first guy taken in the NFL Draft. Rosen came in last year and replaced Jerry Neuheisel and then threw for 350 yards and 3 Touchdowns. On the season, Rosen threw for 3,669 yards and 23 Touchdowns. Rosen started off as a media sensation, but as the Bruins struggled to a disappointing 8-5 season the attention dropped off dramatically.

Rosen threw for over 300 yards in six separate games with his best game probably coming in his first game against Virginia. His worst game came against Brigham Young who picked him off 3 times and held him to 106 yards passing. But, he still helped his Bruins to a come from behind 1 point victory.

If he doesn’t have a sophomore slump in 2016, his stock will keep rising and he should be a top draft pick in a couple years.

If a comparison must be made, Jared Goff only better works for me.

4. Brad Kaaya – Miami: Kaaya has been steady and consistent even as a true freshman. Coming from Los Angeles, California as a 4 star recruit, Kaaya started from day one at Miami and he has

impressed. Miami has had a rough few seasons of late in spite of having some talent on the roster. As a true freshman in 2014, Kaaya threw for 3,198 yards and 26 Touchdowns. In 2015, Kaaya threw for 3,238 in spite of missing 1 1/2 games. He didn’t have as good of a season with Touchdown passes only throwing for 16. Hopes are high in Miami again with the hiring of Mark Richt as the head coach. Kaaya will have some better targets to throw to this season with some outstanding talent being added to the roster. Plus, the Offensive Line should be better since they return everyone up front. Brad Kaaya is built like Josh Rosen and Jared Goff at about 6-4, 210.

5. Chad Kelly – Ole Miss: Kelly might have the most talent of any Quarterback in this group, but he also might be the most troubled. You don’t want a Quarterback that’s going to get in trouble off the field because if for nothing else he is your team leader. While at Clemson, Watson beat him out and Kelly was booted off the team. Very few Quarterbacks are ever booted off of teams, and that raises an eyebrow, or two, and a lot of questions emerge about his character. When he first got to Ole Miss he was arrested. Hopefully, he has gotten his act together because he has the physical talent to be a really great player at Ole Miss and beyond.

In his first year at Ole Miss, he threw for a phenomenal 4,042 yards and 31 Touchdowns. Surprisingly, Kelly also ran for 500 yards. He is very mobile as well as having a super strong arm.

Kelly is back for his senior season and if he plays well again and keeps his nose clean the sky is the limit for him. He is not ideal in size at 6-2, 215 but he is big enough. If he plays well again he could be a top 10 pick.

Of course, there is the matter of genes and his being the nephew of Pro Football Hall of Fame Quarterback Jim Kelly.

6. Patrick Mahomes – Texas Tech: I don’t usually care for Texas Tech, or Washington State type Quarterbacks because anyone that put out there in the lineup tends to put up the same kind of numbers. But, Mahomes is a little different.

Mahomes is 6-3, 220 with excellent running ability. Mahomes threw for an astounding 4,653 yards and 36 Touchdowns. He also ran for 456 yards and 10 Touchdowns. He has the size, athletic ability and strong arm to possibly become a future star. In 2014, Davis Webb was the starter until Mahomes took over for him and he threw for 1,547 yards and 16 Touchdowns.

7. JT Barrett – Ohio State: Barrett may have gotten something of a raw deal last season being on the sideline with Cardale Jones playing in his place. Barrett regained the starting job late in the season.

As a redshirt freshman in 2014, Barrett passed for 2,834 yards and 34 Touchdowns before going down in the Michigan game to a serious injury. He also ran for 938 yards and 11 more Touchdowns.

Last season, Urban Meyer named Cardale Jones the starting Quarterback. Before the season would end, Barrett was back in the starting lineup and he threw for 992 yards and 11 Touchdowns and he

ran for 682 yards and 11 Touchdowns.

Jones declared for the NFL leaving the job solely in the capable hands of Barrett. The 6-2, 225 junior from Wichita Falls, Texas is a strong runner that throws the ball rather well, also.

The Buckeyes will have to develop another strong Running Back to replace Ezekiel Elliott and find some more talented Wide Receivers. But, Barrett is a tough Quarterback and ready to go.

8. Joshua Dobbs – Tennessee: Dobbs is just what makes the Vols go. Going into his senior season, the pressure is on Dobbs to lead the Volunteers to the SEC East title. He’s done about everything else besides winning the SEC East.Dobbs started playing in the 2013 season when they had hopes of redshirting him. The coaches hoped to redshirt him again in 2014, but he was forced into playing and that’s when the Volunteers started getting better. With Dobbs in the lineup, the Volunteers won 4 out of their last 5 games in 2014. In the 2015 season, optimism was high and the early season was a huge let down when the Vols struggled out to a 3-4 start. But, they recovered to win 6 straight and finish up 9-4. Dobbs is their leader and comes up with the big play when needed.

In 2015, Dobbs threw for 2,291 yards and 15 Touchdowns. He also ran for 671 yards and 11 Touchdowns. Dobbs is 6-3, 210 and he has adequate arm strength. What makes Dobbs special is his quick feet and ability to come up with the big play. Dobbs is just one of those guys that wins.

9. DeShone Kizer – Notre Dame: Most people know all about Kizer’s situation. He was a back up last season to Malik Zaire who was looking really good. Zaire went down with a serious injury in the second game and Kizer came off the bench to lead the Irish to a come from behind victory at Virginia. He was the starter the rest of the season and he looked really good. He completed almost

63% of his passes for 2,880 yards and 21 Touchdowns.

However, Kizer still has to hold off Zaire if he intends to start in 2016. Kizer is more of the prototype Quarterback at 6-4, 230 and he has the intangibles such as the arm, mobility and decision making abilities. Zaire is strong armed as well and he may be more mobile, but he lacks that length that coaches love at 6-0, 225.

Maybe Notre Dame head coach Kelly will make a decision before the season begins, but maybe he also plays both. Both of these guys possess a lot of physical talent.

10. Lamar Jackson – Louisville: The most talented athlete in this group and it’s not even really close. Jackson has Michael Vick type of talent with the outstanding speed and really strong arm. Jackson supposedly ran a 4.38 40 yard dash and he claims he can throw the football 95 yards. While probably both of those claims are not accurate, he is still very fast and he does have a great arm. The 6-3, 195 speedster from Boyton Beach threw for over 1,800 yards and he ran for 960 yards as a true freshman.

When Jackson develops a little more consistency, which will happen with experience, he is going to be a really special type of player.

Any opportunity to watch Lamar Jackson in the 2016 season must be taken advantage of and by the end of the season he will probably be rated with the best of them. Jackson is a rare talent but still

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11. Mason Rudolph – Oklahoma State: Going into his junior year, the Rock Hill, South Carolina native is really starting to come into his own. He should have redshirted as a freshman, but was pressed into duty by injuries and poor play by the players in front of him.

Rudolph is 6-4, 220 and is not much of a runner, but he has a pretty good arm and he makes good decisions. Oklahoma State was overrated all of 2015, but Rudolph is a good Quarterback. Last season, he threw for 3,770 yards and 21 Touchdowns in his first full season as the starter. The Cowboys have talent returning and Rudolph is more experienced and 2016 could be a good season for him.

12. Gunner Kiel – Cincinnati: If he could just stay healthy, Kiel is as talented as just about anyone out there. His story is well documented as the former top Quarterback recruit in the country loyalty

Gunner Kiel is a talent, but he can’t stay healthy it seems. He is listed as 6-4, 215 which is a stretch. But, Kiel has a strong arm and throws a beautiful pass. He missed 3 1/2 games due to injuries, but he still threw for 2,777 yards and 19 Touchdowns.

Against Central Florida, Kiel completed 15 out of 15 passes for 319 yards and 5 Touchdowns. His best game yardage wise was in a loss to Houston when he completed 28 passes for 523 yards and 4

Touchdowns.

Kiel has the talent and he has one more season to prove it.

13. Greg Ward Jr – Houston: Very talented athlete that could be rated higher.

Ward is equally adept at running and passing. In 2015, Ward passed for 2,828 yards and 17 Touchdowns while running for 1,108 and 21 Touchdowns. He’s a play maker, but he’s also 5-11, 185 so he is more adept at running a college spread type of offense than the classic Pro Style offense. He’s definitely very athletic and a talented runner.

Ward passed for 308 yards against Navy and he ran for 182 against Tulsa. He even played well against the best team they faced, Florida State.

14. Nate Peterman – Pittsburgh: Peterman was a bust at Tennessee, but he looked really good in his first season as a starter at Pittsburgh. Under new head coach Pat Narduzzi, he beat out returning starter Chad Voytik and Voytik has since transferred out of the program as Quarterbacks so often do. Peterman is 6-2, 225 and from Jacksonville, Florida. What surprised me most last season was his ability as a runner. He is not a Greg Ward, but he did manage to run for 232 yards and a Touchdown. Through the air, he passed for 2,287 yards and 20 Touchdowns. The Pitt Panthers have little talent returning at Wide Receiver since Tyler Boyd left for the NFL, so that may hinder Peterman in 2016. But, he proved last season that he was way better than he showed in Tennessee.

15. Luke Falk – Washington State: A Mike Leach Quarterback is going to throw for a lot of yards, but Falk might be better than most. He is a tall, skinny guy at 6-4, 205, but he has a decent arm and his offense is a set up for success. He returns a lot of talent at Wide Receiver, so he could be in for another huge season like 2015. In spite of missing the Washington game, Falk still threw for 4,561 yards and 38 Touchdowns, but again this offense is suited for Quarterbacks to put up huge numbers.

His best games came against Arizona and Oregon, go figure.

Mike Leach decided he wanted a defense and the Cougars played a little better defensively last year than they have in the past. Good defense gets the ball back in your Quarterbacks hands more often.

16. Chase Litton – Marshall: A very tall true freshman last season with a super strong arm. He throws a very impressive looking ball and he has the potential to be a very good Quarterback in the future. At 6-6, 210, he has a lot of filling out to do, but he’s still really young and he has time to get in the weight room and work at it. He did not play until the 3rd game of the season and he threw for 2,605 yards and 23 Touchdowns.

Litton and Marshall should be one to watch this next season.

CJ Beathard – Iowa: Beathard shared time with Jake Rudock two years ago, but Rudock went to Michigan and both players got better.

Justin Thomas – Georgia Tech: The Yellow Jackets had problems last year after being so good in 2014. There were a lot of injuries. But, could we see the Thomas of 2014 again?

Thomas Sirk – Duke: Very gifted athlete, he’s probably a better runner than passer. But, Duke coach David Cutcliffe has more time to work with him.

Eric Dungey – Syracuse: Excellent athlete that came in a year ago and started as a true freshman. But, he couldn’t stay on the field due to injuries. The reasoning for placing him here is the arrival of new head coach Dino Babers and what he can do for Dungey as a Quarterback.

John O’Korn – Michigan: Harbaugh knows Quarterbacks and O’Korn is supposedly the front runner for the vacant Michigan job. O’Korn threw for over 3,000 as a freshman at Houston.

Trace McSorley – Penn State: If he can beat out Tommy Stevens. Former Penn State Quarterback blames head coach James Franklin for his woes, but I suspect it may be the other way around. McSorley showed great heart in trying to lead the Nittany Lions back against Georgia in their bowl game. Come on, Franklin won at Vanderbilt. Who else can say that? Hackenberg is not a leader if he blames everyone else in the program and time will tell where the fault really was. He did look better under former coach Bill O’Brien, but Franklin won at Vanderbilt.

Khalil Tate – Arizona: Coach Rodriguez is really high on Tate and I suspect he is frustrated with returning starter Anu Solomon. Tate is a 4 star recruit and participated in Spring Drills. The Arizona coaching staff is really high on him and his coach says he has a great arm.

Max Browne – USC: A former top Quarterback has waited patiently for his turn and that is

respectable in today’s game. He is big and has that big arm, but is short on experience. His first game as a starter will come against Alabama. Wow. I feel his pain now. USC has the talent to play with almost anybody, but it doesn’t show on the field.

Chase Forrest – Cal: Should be the replacement for Jared Goff. Has California coach Sonny Dykes ever not had a good Quarterback?

Davis Webb – Cal: Webb was supposed to transfer to Colorado and then he left them  hanging. Now, he will compete with Forrest for playing time at Cal. Both Colorado and Cal campuses are beautiful, but Cal went to a bowl game last season.

Troy Williams – Utah: A former Washington Husky Quarterback that transferred out after playing some in 2014. He is a gifted athlete, but lacks much playing time against the big boys.

Keller Chryst – Stanford: Chryst has also patiently waited his turn behind forever starter, Kevin Hogan. He’s thrown 9 passes in college and he lacks the experience. But, he is big and he should know the game of football since his father and uncle are big time coaches.

He will have to beat out senior Ryan Burns for the starters job. They looked really similar in the Stanford Spring game.

Nick Fitzgerald – Mississippi State:  Fitzgerald will need to win the job, first. But, he looks big time with the size and the arm strength. He is the prototypical Quarterback at about 6-5, 235. Dak Prescott

Jake Browning – Washington:  If not for the arrival of Josh Rosen at UCLA, Browning would have been the best true freshman Quarterback in the Pac 12. Browning is not 6-4, but he is a stronger

runner.

Brett Rypien – Boise State: Surely Brett Rypien is tired of being called the nephew of Washington Redskins Quarterback Mark Rypien. He is a player in his own right and he had a huge freshman season.


Surprise Quarterbacks:

Mitch Trubisky – North Carolina: Very impressive back up last season. Starter Marquis Williams had to come out of the ACC Championship game because his helmet came off. Trubisky came in and completed a pass impressively. When that situation comes up generally, the coaches call a running play. Trubisky completed 40 out of 47 passes in 2015.

Richard Lagow – Indiana: Junior College transfer that is 6-6, 240 and very athletic. Indiana coach Kevin Wilson is a talented offensive coach and Lagow was not as highly recruited as he probably should have been.

Shane Buechele – Texas: The son of former Texas Rangers 3rd baseman Steve Buechele. This guy works his tail off and has a good head on his shoulders. He’s not very big at about 6-1, 180 but he can make the throws and has a better arm than some might think. He will challenge for playing time in their opening game against Notre Dame.

Brady Gustafson – Montana: 6-7, 230 could be this year’s Paxton Lynch. Plays Division 1AA.