Ranking the Top 10 Quarterbacks in College Football for 2018
By Henry McKenna
Here’s a look at the top 10 quarterbacks emn college football for the 2018 season. Thems lemst takes emnto account passemng abemlemty, rushemng abemlemty, level of competemtemon and the abemlemty to wemn game.
Honorable mention: Jarrett Stidham, Auburn; Ryan Finley, NC State; Clayton Thorson, Northwestern; Nick Fitzgerald, Mississippi State.
10. Jordan Ta’amu, Ole Miss, Senior
After taking over for an injured Shea Patterson against LSU in 2017, Ta’Amu looked like a man ready to command the Rebels. Conveniently, Patterson transferred this offseason, which freed up Ta’Amu to win the job for the coming season.
“He’s really intelligent and will give you everything he’s got,” Ole Miss offensive coordinator Phil Longo told 247 Sports. “You’ve just got to ask.”
Ta’amu finished his year with 1,682 yards, 11 touchdowns and four interceptions in his six starts. Ta’amu is also a gifted runner with four rushing touchdowns during that span. He even had a higher completion percentage (65.5) and touchdown to interception ratio than Patterson in the same number of games played. With the offseason as the starter, Ta’amu should emerge as a force in the SEC next season.
1. McKenzie Milton, UCF, Junior
Cue D.J. Khaled. All Milton does is win.
He led the 2017 Knights to a 13-0 season which culminated in a Peach Bowl win over Auburn. In that game, Milton was 16 of 36 for 242 yards, two touchdowns and one interception. He also rushed 13 times for 116 yards and a touchdown. That came after he beat 16th-ranked Memphis, 62-55, in overtime in the AAC title game. Milton had 494 passing yards, five touchdowns and three interceptions with 68 rushing yards and a touchdown.
On the season, he completed 67.1 percent for 4,037 passing yards, 37 touchdowns and nine interceptions. He also posted 613 rushing yards and eight touchdown on the ground. He’s an outstanding dual-threat quarterback who wins games. While the knock on him might have been that he wasn’t challenged by a high level of competition, his wins over Auburn and Memphis proved he’s the nation’s best.
9. Shea Patterson, Michigan, Junior
He left Ole Miss after they faced NCAA sanctions, and will be eligible to start immediately for Michigan. He and Jim Harbaugh should make for a good match. Patterson flashed the potential to be one of the best pro-style passers in college football at Ole Miss. But he also suffered an ACL injury after just seven games as starter, and finished the season with 2,259 yards, 17 touchdowns, nine interceptions and a 64 completion percentage.
Consistency will be key for Patterson as he hopes to get his and Harbaugh’s careers back on the right track. There’s plenty of reason for optimism, considering what Harbaugh has done with quarterbacks who have far less talent than Patterson.
8. Jake Browning, Washington, Senior
He didn’t blow anyone away with his statistics in 2017, but he helped Washington get to a 10-2 record and a berth to the Fiesta Bowl. Interestingly enough, Browning might have been more prolific (2,544 passing yards, 18 touchdowns and five interceptions) last season if he hadn’t whopped his opponents so badly. The Huskies won six of their 12 games by at least 16. They had a 63-7 win over Montana, a 42-7 win over Oregon State and a 38-3 win over Oregon. Unfortunately, against Penn State in the Fiesta Bowl, Browning was 18 of 28 for 175 yards and two total touchdowns (one rushing, one passing).
The season was something of a regression for Browning after he threw for 3,430 yards, 43 touchdowns and nine interceptions in 2016. That’s probably why he elected to return to college for another year — he hopes to get another crack at putting up huge numbers and bettering his impressive 2016 season.
7. Will Grier, West Virginia, Senior
He’s got the arm talent, the prolific production but he couldn’t get the wins in the Big 12, in which the Mountaineers went 5-4. They finished the season 7-6.
Greer has the attention of pro scouts after an impressive junior season. In 11 games, he completed 64.4 percent of his passes for 3,490 yards, 34 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. He was similarly productive for Florida, but he played in just six games when he had 1,202 yards, 10 touchdowns and three interceptions. He transferred to WVU after a one-year PED suspension.
With another strong season, Grier could put himself in the discussion as a first-round pick in the 2019 draft.
6. Jake Fromm, Georgia, Sophomore
Fromm played admirably against the best competition in college football. Not only did he lead the Bulldogs to a 12-1 record during the regular season, but he also helped his team beat Baker Mayfield’s Oklahoma Sooners and nearly Nick Saban’s Alabama Crimson Tide.
Fromm may see a little regression with many of his stars headed to the NFL in the 2018 draft. Running backs Nick Chubb and Sony Michel, tackle Isaiah Wynn and receiver Javon Wims were all draft picks. He’ll have to survive without them, which might mean some growing pains for the youngster.
After throwing for 2,173 yards, 21 touchdowns and five interceptions, he may have yet another humble statistical year, but Fromm is developing quickly and will be in consideration to be one of the best quarterbacks in college football.
5. Justin Herbert, Oregon, Junior
The 6-foot-6, 225-pound behemoth is just as dangerous as a passer as he is a runner, just like so many Ducks quarterbacks before him. The only problem with Herbert is health. He played eight games in 2016 and five games in 2017. When he’s on the field, he’s been impressive with 246.2 passing yards per game with 28 passing touchdowns and six interceptions over the course of his career.
Coming off a fractured collarbone injury, Herbert will look to complete a season as the signal-caller for the Ducks high-octane offense. If he can stay healthy, he may just be the best quarterback in college football. At the very least, he’ll be in the mix as the most productive quarterback.
4. Drew Lock, Missouri, Senior
The national scouting eye has turned its focus to Lock. He’s considered to be the top pro quarterback prospect in college football. He just so happens to be a darn good college football player, too. In 2017, Lock completed 58.2 percent of his passes for 3,695 yards, 43 touchdown passes and 12 interceptions.
He had a gem against Georgia’s defense in 2017 while throwing 15 of 25 for 253 yards, four touchdowns and an interception. Still, his Tigers got pummeled, 53-28. He’ll see Georgia again in 2018. He’ll also get a crack at Alabama. His accuracy and decision-making will need to continue to improve, but he’s an excellent deep ball thrower and Lock is a serious threat in the SEC.
3. Tua Tagovailoa, Alabama, Sophomore
He’s basically played one half of a college football game, but who cares? He showed why he was one of the nation’s top recruits. With Alabama’s study surrounding cast on the offensive line and at skill positions, Tagovailoa will probably exceed the high expectations.
He’s a dual-threat quarterback, who managed to help Alabama nab a comeback win in the national championship game by replacing starter Jalen Hurts at halftime. Saban surely had a sense that Tagovailoa could handle the huge moment, and threw him into the mix on the biggest stage, where he went 14 of 24 for 166 yards, three touchdowns and one interception in the overtime win.
Expect more of the same from Tagovailoa next season.
2. Trace McSorley, Penn State
The undersized quarterback (6-foot, 195 pounds) has flourished and developed in the Penn State pro-style offense. In 2017, he completed 65.3 percent of his passes for 3,228 yards, 26 touchdowns and eight interceptions. He and Saquon Barkley were like a flashback to Matt Leinart and Reggie Bush in USC’s glory days.
McSorley helped Penn State put away the lower levels of competition with strong performances against teams like Georgia State, Nebraska and Maryland. He also had a great game against Michigan when he accounted for 358 yards from scrimmage and four touchdowns (one passing, three rushing). He struggled against Ohio State and Michigan State. But he balled out against Washington in the Fiesta Bowl when he completed 78 percent of his passes for 342 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions. He also had 60 yards rushing on the day.
McSorley will have the weight of the offense on his back in 2018 with Barkley running for the New York Giants on Sundays. McSorely is certainly in the mix to be the nation’s top quarterback, but he’s got to prove as much against the highest level of competition in 2018.