With seven QBs off early to the NFL draft, and the usual losses by graduation, the herd has thinned out considerably for QBs who competed at the top of the game over the last two seasons. With that in mind, in no exact order, here are the 15 best signal callers to return to college football fields across the nation in 2018, regardless of conference affiliation:
Justice Hanson, Arkansas State
Even if you have never heard of Hanson, he was one of the five best QBs in the nation last season when it came to piling up passing yards per game. In fact, Hanson ranked fourth nationally with 330.6 yards passing per game. His 37 TDs also ranked him in a three way tie for fourth nationally. If he can slow his roll on his 16 INTs, that would only elevate his popularity.
Will Grier, West Virginia
All you have to know about his importance is what happened at WVU when he went down to injury to finish the season. The Mountaineers tanked without him. It would be logical to think that Dana Holgorsen's future is directly tied to where Grier can take the Mountaineers in 2018.
McKenzie Milton, UCF
Milton was one of the greater finds in 2017 under now departed head coach Scott Frost. The Knights jumped from 6 wins to 12 in one season, finishing the season undefeated, and ranked number one in our PRS rankings. Milton finished the year by passing for 4037 yards with 37 TDs and just 9 INTs. He added another 613 yards rushing with an additional 8 scores, making him one of the more dynamic returning players in the game next fall under new head coach josh Heupel, who should be able to get some very good results out of his young QB.
Drew Lock, Missouri
If you need to see evidence of the skills of new UCF head coach Josh Heupel, just look at what he got out of Drew Lock in 2017. Lock was a big surprise, as he passed for 3964 yards and a whopping 44 TDs against 13 INTs. Lock is probably the most dynamic QB returning in the SEC. Remember when the SEC was blasted for their lack of top flight QBs just a couple of seasons ago? The league is loaded with them now, and Lock leads the charge.
Mason Fine, North Texas
Fine was a lightly recruited high school prospect that nobody wanted to take a chance with, and now he has led the Mean Green to new heights under offensive guru and head coach Seth Littrell. UNT won the Western Division in CUSA, and Fine blew up, passing for 4052 yards 31 TDs. He needs to roll back his INT total from 15, but considering what he had to do to get UNT on the map this season, and now that a better foundation is in place, he should be able to develop solidly next fall.
Eric Dungy, Syracuse
If Dungy were at a higher profile program, everyone would be discussing him as a potential Heisman candidate. He is stuck at Syracuse, and the team around him is going nowhere. Still, Dungy can put up numbers like nobody's business. In just nine games last season, he averaged 277.2 yards passing per game, and led the Orange with 595 yards rushing and nine scores. His knock is INTs (averaged one per game on a bad team), and injuries, as he was limited to nine games. When you have to carry as much as he does, injuries are bound to happen.
Trace McSorley, Penn State
Now that Saquon Barkley has moved on, McSorley can finally have a bit of the spotlight at Penn State for himself. One of the better play makers in the game, McSorley delivers week in and week out, even while playing in shadows of others. He passed for 274.6 yards per game last season, and tossed 28 TDs to just 10 INTs. McSorley added another 11 TDs rushing on the season, and maybe it was he, and not Barkley, who deserved the Heisman talk love in 2017
Ben Hicks, SMU
Hicks blasted onto the scene as a freshman who had a bumpy first season while learning the ropes, but he really elevated his game in 2017, passing for over 30 yards more per game, while dropping his INT totals by three on the season. Hicks passed for 3569 yards and 33 TDs (+14 over 2016), and helped lead SMU back to a bowl game. His knock is his accuracy, which should see continued improvement in new head coach Sonny Dykes' system.
Jake Fromm, Georgia
His performance in both the Rose Bowl and the National Championship were something you had to see to believe. The true freshman played like a seasoned senior in both of those games, and it was easy to forget that this was a baby faced freshman out there making plays. Fromm took the job when Jacob Eason was injured in the season opener, and never handed the job back, causing Eason to transfer to Washington. Fromm passed for 24 TDs against just 7 INTs in 2017, and those numbers could improve in 2018 as he becomes even more comfortable in his role. Of course, he has to hold off freshman Josh Fields in camp, so nobody is ever comfortable.
Khalil Tate, Arizona
Tate was the Sam Darnold story of 2017. Once his throwing shoulder was healthy enough for him to actually throw a football, he took off like a rocket, and led Arizona out of the shadows and into a spot where they were actually competing in the PAC-12 South. He had single handidly secured Rich Rodriguez from being fired, until RichRod did himself in with his personal life antics. Tate will never be an upper crust passer, but what he can do as a runner is game changing, as he rushed for 1411 yards and 12 TDs. It will be interesting to see how Kevin Sumlin implements him into his system.
Jake Browning, Washington
While we may still be trying to find a time and space where Browning can be all he can be (we have not seen it yet), he has one more year to put all of the pieces together. While Jacob Eason is transferring to Washington, he will not be available until 2019, unless the rules get changed in June. Look for Browning to have one of his best years to date as he makes one last run at a PAC-12 and national title.
Andrew Ford, U Mass
Nobody can deny how bad the Minutemen are, but most people never see them play, so who would know? The one good thing they have going is Ford playing QB. U Mass showed some serious improvement in 2017 in the later half of the season, and Ford was instrumental in that improvement. He passed for 265.8 yards per game, while tossing 22 TDs to just 4 INTs on the season. That is impressive for a QB on an otherwise bad team.
Jarrett Stidham, Auburn
Stidham had a lot of hype surrounding him as he entered into the starting QB job at Auburn after transferring from Baylor. After all, Auburn has not had a decent QB in some time. Stidham struggled early under the weight of it all, and the offense struggled. Once the Tigers got into October, he shook off the nerves and rust and became what they expected of him. He ended up passing for 225.6 yards per game, a number we could see explode in 2018.
Deondre Francois, Florida State
Francois did not make it through his first game at Florida State for 2017 before a knee injury against Alabama derailed him for the entire season. One has to think that the Seminoles fortunes may have been different with him on the field, but a glaring lack of depth became apparent when the Seminoles tanked without him. He returns to a different head coach, but this coach is very good with QBs during stops at Western Kentucky, South Florida, and a brief stay at Oregon. Look for Francois to make up for lost time, and quickly.
Jalen Hurts or Tua Tagavailoa, Alabama
The clear thing is that no matter which of these guys wins the job this spring and late summer, Alabama is in fantastic shape moving forward. The truth of the matter is that Tagavailoa brings an entirely different dynamic to the team with his ability to throw the football up the field like a laser beam. Hurts does not have that ability. Alabama simply has to make a decision based on what will be best for their scheme moving forward under new OC Mike Locksley.
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