From Heisman or bust to intriguing non-Power 5 battles: The 25 tiers of college football QBs
This year's quarterback class should be a deep, talented and ridiculously fun crop. But why stop at just the top tier of QBs? We're sifting through all 131 quarterback situations.
Per ESPN,
Tier 9: Veterans with moxie (seven players, six jobs)
Penn State's Sean CliffordStanford's Tanner McKee
Minnesota's Tanner Morgan
Oklahoma State's Spencer Sanders
Florida State's Jordan Travis
Oregon State's Chance Nolan and Tristan Gebbia
Call them game managers if you must. Their stats -- and often simply watching them run an offense -- would support the theory. But last year's list of "game managers" might've also included guys like Hartman, Armstrong, Bennett and Hooker, and those players all blossomed into stars. Perhaps there are one or two breakout candidates, too.
Clifford played in 12 full games last year. His six best performances were excellent (67% completions, 16 TDs and three picks). In his six worst, not so much (57% completions, five touchdowns and five picks). ... Sanders in two games vs. Baylor last season: one touchdown, seven interceptions. Sanders in his other 11 games: 25 TDs and five picks. ... Over the past two seasons, the Seminoles have averaged 6.5 yards per play with Travis on the field and 4.5 when he's off it. ... In Morgan's first 21 games at Minnesota, he threw for 39 touchdowns with 13 picks and averaged 9.9 yards per pass. In the 20 games since, he has thrown 17 TDs with 14 picks and averaged 7.9 yards per pass. ... McKee's first five starts showed serious promise (65% completions, 7.2 yards/attempt, 11 TDs, 0 INTs, 7 sacks, 80.3 TQBR), and his final five (with an injury mixed in) suggested Stanford's offense might be hopeless (5.8 yd/att, 4 TDs, 7 INTs, 17 sacks, 47.4 TQBR). In seven wins, Nolan threw 14 TDs and three picks with a 174 passer rating. In six losses, he had five TDs, seven interceptions and a 127 passer rating. Nolan only got the starting job when Gebbia went down with injury, and Beavers coach Jonathan Smith insists starting reps are still up for grabs.
