Top Pro Style QBs of Years Past-

[Knight Shift]

2010-
#1- Jake Heaps- did not do well at BYU, transferred to Kansas. Left Kansas for Miami. Don't recall him playing for Miami

#2- Philip Sims- Drafted by Bama, finished his career at Winson Salem State.

#3- Connor Wood- enrolled at Texas, transferred to Colorado, and ended his career early. Lost starting job to 3 star QB.

#4- After losing starting job at Stanford, transferred to Columbia. Lost starting job to 3 star QB Kevin Hogan.

#5 - Jesse Scroggins--Left USC. At Arizona now as backup QB

2011

#1 - Jeff Driskel- As a freshman, at Florida-5 games-- 16 of 34 passes for 148 yards with two interceptions. Started in 2012- leading the Gator to 11-2 record. 2013- Driskel broke his right fibula in a football game against the University of Tennessee. Driskel was granted his release from Florida and he transferred to Louisiana Tech.

#2- Cody Kessler- starting QB for USC.

#3- Max Wittek- after seeing limited action at USC and getting beat out by Cody Kessler, transferred to Hawaii.

#4- Christian LeMay- saw limited action at UGA and transferred to Jacksonville State.

#5- Brandon Allen- started for Ark in 2013 and 2014. ESPN adjusted QBR is 68.7

2012
#1-Gunner Kiel- After spending the 2012 season on the depth chart behind Everett Golson, Tommy Rees and Andrew Hendrix, Kiel announced his decision to transfer from Notre Dame. ESPN Adusted QBR is 70.

#2 -Zach Kline- After redshirting in 2013, he was unseated by Jared Goff from the 2013 class and transferred to Indiana State.

#3- Tanner Mangum--Hasn't started since going to BYU. Projected 2016 starter. Taysom Hill was the starter in 2014 (a 3 star recruit and an early season Heisman candidate). When Taysom Hill was injured, a 2008 no-star QB, Christian Stewart, took over as the starter.

#4- Chad Voytik-- 2014--started for Pitt. ESPN Adjust QBR is 71.3

#5- Jake Rodrigues-- transferred from Oregon after some 3 star punk Mariotta beat him out.


2013
#1- Max Browne-
Browne redshirted the 2013 USC season after not beating out Cody Kesler and Max Wittek. Still backup to Kessler.

#2 Christian Hackenberg- Meh

#3- Hayden Rettig--???

#4- Shane Morris- Has seen limited action at Michigan. He played with a concussion in 2014, which led to a host of problems for Michigan.

#5- Jeremy Johnson- 1 start so far at Auburn.

 

[ScarletKnightRider]

 

[KaKaKen]

Case closed!

 

[Knight Shift]

Look, I'm not trying to make any "case". Maybe more research needs to be done going back a few more years--I don't have the time. But what is the % of the top 5 that have panned out to something special?

#LMAO; #WAITING FOR THE ATTACK

 

[Lion8286]

Wonder why colleges continue to offer these 4/5 star QBs when obviously evidence shows none of them are any good.

 

[Knight Shift]

Wonder why colleges continue to offer these 4/5 star QBs when obviously evidence shows none of them are any good.

Well, if you are USC, they seem to lock up 3 or 4 every class, and it works out for them.

I am in no way advocating that teams should not go after 4/5 start QBs.

But some folks need to relax when we don't get one of the top 5 prospects--it is obviously not the end of the world.

What do you think Hack will do this year for the Nits?

 

[Lion8286]

What do you think Hack will do this year for the Nits?

If he has a decent OL, he will have a good to very good year. If he has an OL like last years it could get ugly again.

 

[knightfan7]

Well, if you are USC, they seem to lock up 3 or 4 every class, and it works out for them.

I am in no way advocating that teams should not go after 4/5 start QBs.

But some folks need to relax when we don't get one of the top 5 prospects--it is obviously not the end of the world.

What do you think Hack will do this year for the Nits?

I think Hack will have a better year IF the OL problems are straightened out. He'll declare for the draft after the season.

 

[Knight Shift]

If he has a decent OL, he will have a good to very good year. If he has an OL like last years it could get ugly again.

He seems like a good kid and a trooper for hanging tough. I hope he does well, except on September 19. ;)

 

[LotusAggressor]

Well, the obvious mistake those programs made was not recruiting lower rated talent.

 

[cRURah]

Now I'm sure glad we struck out on Haskins and the other kid. But this analysis doesn't bode well for Rettig's future at Rutgers. He has already transferred from LSU and so far has not won the starting job at Rutgers.

 

[Abro1975]

Hackenberg is Mel Kiper's pre season pick for Number 1 overall player drafted. I doubt he drops out of the top 10 no matter what.

 

[PaKnight]

He seems like a good kid and a trooper for hanging tough. I hope he does well, except on September 19. ;)

If he does well, PSU does well. Why would you want that?

 

[ScarletStateofNJ]

After reading that I'm so glad we didn't get Haskins and now I'm upset that we have Rettig.

 

[Knight Shift]

Now I'm sure glad we struck out on Haskins and the other kid. But this analysis doesn't bode well for Rettig's future at Rutgers. He has already transferred from LSU and so far has not won the starting job at Rutgers.

Why do you say that? If anything, other than a couple on this list, most are late bloomers, playing in their 3/4 or 4/5 years of college.

 

[cRURah]

Why do you say that? If anything, other than a couple on this list, most are late bloomers, playing in their 3/4 or 4/5 years of college.

Just kidding.

 

[RUchip]

Hackenberg is Mel Kiper's pre season pick for Number 1 overall player drafted. I doubt he drops out of the top 10 no matter what.

Pardon my French but Kiper doesn't know jack sh.

 

[Rokodesh]

Now I'm sure glad we struck out on Haskins and the other kid. But this analysis doesn't bode well for Rettig's future at Rutgers. He has already transferred from LSU and so far has not won the starting job at Rutgers.

lol, he's had all of 1 spring to compete.

 

[RU-Choppin-Ohio]

The point is this..... Many highly ranked Pro style QB's that excelled in HS have failed in college. They get big rankings and teams sign them because of those rankings done by Rivals or Scout.

Does Rivals or Scout employ aný QB experts? Who would you rather see evaluate your future QB....Fridge or McDaniels or a Rivals employee?

 

[Lion8286]

They get big rankings and teams sign them because of those rankings done by Rivals or Scout.

Schools don't offer prospects based upon how Rivals or Scout ranks them.

 

[RU-Choppin-Ohio]

There are a lot of sophomore QB getting high rankings and offers.....meanwhile, guys who get their first start as HS juniors get overlooked because they are only 1 year starters when teams look to get commits at QB.

 

[Nosoj]

The point is this..... Many highly ranked Pro style QB's that excelled in HS have failed in college. They get big rankings and teams sign them because of those rankings done by Rivals or Scout.

Does Rivals or Scout employ aný QB experts? Who would you rather see evaluate your future QB....Fridge or McDaniels or a Rivals employee?

If your coaching staff is signing guys based in their Scout/Rivals ranking, you need a new coaching staff.

 

[jakeknight]

1. Exactly, it's more likely the evaluations (rating services) that make them 4/5 stars is faulty, plus kids need to be careful that they put themselves in the best situations to succeed. Additionally it is a big step from HS to college power 5 college football, there are many intangibles beside sheer physical ability (which generally is good enough for good HS QB's)

 

[Knight Shift]

I posted this in the Virginia QB thread. They have had some great talent--7 QBs leave in the last several years:

Here's a link and a story.

Greyson Lambert, a 3 star recruit and 22nd pro-style QB lost the job to Matt Johns, a 3-star recruit, who was not ranked and in the same class as Lambert.

Since 2012, seven quarterbacks have transferred, including 2012 starter Michael Rocco, 2013 starter David Watford, Ross Metheny, Phillip Sims, Michael Strauss and, earlier this week, redshirt freshman Corwin Cutler.

Rocco was class of 2010 and 2 star ranked. Transferred to Richmond.

Watford was class of 2011, and 3 star ranked and 29th in his class.Watford started all 12 games last season for the Cavaliers in 2013, but wasn’t exactly the definition of successful or productive. Watford finished that year 102nd in the country in passing efficiency while his 15 interceptions were the most in the ACC. As a redshirt sophomore, he barely completed 50 percent of his passes and tossed just eight touchdowns for good measure for the 2-10 Cavaliers.

Ross Metheny- a 3 Star Recruit, was the #24 pro-style QB in the class of 2009. He transferred to the University of South Alabama.

Phillip Sims, a four star recruit and #2 QB in his class, transferred from Alabama to Virginia and did not qualify academically, and transferred to Winston-Salem State.

Michael Strauss, a 3 star class of 209 QB and ranked 42nd in his class, transferred to Richmond.

Corwin Cutler, a 3 star class of 2013 and 22nd in his class. Although he wouldn't go into detail, Cutler cited the situation under offensive coordinator Steve Fairchild as his reason for leaving Virginia. At the end of the spring, Cutler was listed behind starting quarterback Matt Johns and his backup Greyson Lambert on the depth chart. Ramspacher reports that Cutler has plans to transfer to Hutchinson Community College, a junior college.

http://espn.go.com/college-football...b-greyson-lambert-transfer-virginia-cavaliers

Shakespeare was right.
"The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars,
But in ourselves, that we are underlings."

All that talent, and no production. . . . . . Coach 'em up!!!!

 

[miketd1]

Or we can change our system to a spread offense and transform relatively unheralded QBs into record-breaking system QBs year after year like Oregon, Texas Tech, & Houston.

 

[RU205]

The jump from HS to a Power 5 conference is crazy. The game is faster, the windows to throw into are smaller, and the defensive schemes are more complicated. Reading blitzes, and coverages is more difficult. Mix in if you have a bad O line, the DLineman are faster and extending the pocket for more time is harder. Add in new terminology, and if the OC changes during your 4 years (or 4 times in 4 years).

These things are hard to judge by looking at a HS game or 7 on 7 clinics. Add in that most teams only play 1 QB so a back up only gets spring and summer practice to show what they have. This is why every school take 1 QB each class. Very few pan out.

 

[sherrane]

Look, I'm not trying to make any "case". Maybe more research needs to be done going back a few more years--I don't have the time. But what is the % of the top 5 that have panned out to something special?

#LMAO; #WAITING FOR THE ATTACK

Good original post. This is why I, along with some others, really don't care about recruiting rankings. Kessler appears to be a 1st round pick next year and it is still too early to comment on the 2013 class. But a lot of the top guys at QB, just like a lot of the top guys at other positions, never achieve the success their recruit ranking suggest they should. I'd rather have a team comprised of overachieving 3 star recruits than a team of underachieving 4 and 5 star recruits.

 

[jiggscasey]

This is the conundrum. Quarterback is the most important position and the most difficult to predict. The NFL has a difficult time with it. Would you rather bet that top 2 picks in the draft both make the playoffs as starters or that neither will? I'm pretty sure more would bet on the second. And think about the sample size we have of them. We don't have more than a highlight tape of the two guys we missed out on and people are all butt hurt about guys who weren't even in the top two. Recruiting for fans is like gambling. The gets don't feel that good, the losses hurt more than they should and no matter how much you follow it, it will never be enough.

 

[Knight Shift]

This is the conundrum. Quarterback is the most important position and the most difficult to predict. The NFL has a difficult time with it. Would you rather bet that top 2 picks in the draft both make the playoffs as starters or that neither will? I'm pretty sure more would bet on the second. And think about the sample size we have of them. We don't have more than a highlight tape of the two guys we missed out on and people are all butt hurt about guys who weren't even in the top two. Recruiting for fans is like gambling. The gets don't feel that good, the losses hurt more than they should and no matter how much you follow it, it will never be enough.

Nice analogy. This is why some fans react like this when the chips are down:

 

[BeantownKnight]

I was about to make the same point that Sherrane just made. We like to think that QB is a "different" position than all the others. But, the truth is that succeeding at that position is no different than succeeding at any other. HS players are becoming considerably more savvy than ever before. They are selling themselves - at camps and clinics - to scouts, recruiting services, schools, and coaches. Thus, suddenly, "such and such" is the #1 ranked QB in the whatever-class. Is he actually the "best player?" How could you even quantify that exactly? Don't the stats in the original post prove that those rankings are not indicators of future success?

Thus, I would not only look at the top 5 players. I would take a much broader approach and look at the top 25 (or so) players at a given position. It's obvious that a number of those players won't develop or be successful in college. So, three or four of the top five not working out doesn't seem so crazy to me. But, if you look at the top 25, I think it would be a much more representative sample size.

Russo - who will hopefully commit to RU today - might wind up being a much more successful than JG or DH. If you haven't already read OnTheBanks post on Russo (comparing him to those two other players), by stats, you should. Good post.