We are less than 50 days away from the 2016 college football season, meaning that FanBuzz is back with its annual countdown of Top 5 players and position groups.
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Today we are tackling the Top 5 quarterbacks in college football, headlined by names like Deshaun Watson and Baker Mayfield. We also have some honorable mentions in addition to the first five, as well as some new names that everyone should look out for.
5. Chad Kelly, Ole Miss
2015 stats: 13 G, 4,042 pass yards, 65.1% completion, 31 TDs, 13 INT
107 rush attmempts, 500 rush yards, 4.67 YPC, 10 TDs
Chad Kelly is currently the top quarterback in the SEC, and it is a pretty big gap between him and Tennessee quarterback Josh Dobbs. Maybe it will get closer after some of the quarterback battles get solved, but for now, Kelly reigns supreme in the nation's top conference.
Kelly was somewhat underrated in 2015, partially due to his status of transferring from JUCO after being dismissed from Clemson. In 2016, he won't have that luxury of flying under the radar, nor will he have such an elite defense to lean on like he did in 2015. However, he is still talented enough to help keep Ole Miss relevant, and he should have a great season.
4. Josh Rosen, UCLA
2015 stats: 13 G, 3,669 pass yards, 60.0% completion, 23 TDs, 11 INT
This may be a little high on Rosen right now, but what he did in his freshman season last year at UCLA is impressive enough to believe that he can improve to a Top 5 quarterback in his sophomore season.
Rosen's problem in his freshman season was the problem that most freshman have: he couldn't find consistency game-to-game. Some games he looked perfect, and other he looked like he was going through the motions against tough competition. In 2016, he will need to step up against the tougher opponents, which is something I think he has the ability to do.
3. J.T. Barrett, Ohio State
2015 stats: 11 G, 992 pass yards, 63.3% completion, 11 TDs, 4 INT
115 rush attempts, 682 rush yards, 5.93 YPC, 11 TD
I was on the "J.T. Barrett should be starting" train all of last year, so suffice to say that I'm happy he isn't in a competition this year with the now departed Cardale Jones. Nothing against Cardale, I just felt that Barrett's game fit better with what Ohio State should be doing on offense.
Of course, Urban Meyer has won national titles as a coach and I haven't, so maybe I shouldn't second-guess his decision that much.
Barrett was fifth in the Heisman voting in 2014, leading the Buckeyes to the Big Ten title berth before suffering an injury. Hopefully the injury and the quarterback battle are behind him, because the Buckeyes will need him to take on a large load on offense this year. If he stays healthy, I think he will have no problem taking that challenge.
2. Baker Mayfield, Oklahoma
2015 stats: 13 G, 3,700 pass yards, 68.1% completion, 36 TDs, 7 INT
Assuming Joe Mixon is around full time and that Samaje Perine is great again, Baker Mayfield will have plenty of weapons around to help maximize his talents. They did lose their top receiver in Sterling Shepard, but I think that is something the Sooners can work around without too much of a detriment.
Mayfield is sort of in the same boat as Chad Kelly. Everyone knew they were talented players, but they both came out of nowhere in 2015 to establish themselves as top quarterbacks. Will an extra year help them more, or will defenses start to figure them out a little bit? I guess we will have to wait and see the answer to that, but judging by their places on this list, you can correctly assume that I think they will both be fine.
1. Deshaun Watson, Clemson
2015 stats: 15 G, 4,104 pass yards, 67.8% completion, 35 TDs, 13 INT
207 rush attempts, 1,105 rush yards, 5.34 YPC, 12 TDs
Watson's freshman season in 2014 was limited by a knee injury, but he showed extreme promise in the eight games he was able to play. In 2015, he was able to play in all of Clemson's 15 games, and he led the Tigers to a berth in the national title game with his historic season. Watson became the first player ever to throw for 4,000 yards and rush for 1,000 yards in one season, and his performance helped earn him third place in Heisman voting.
Clemson might have to lean on Watson a little more in 2016 than they did last year, but there is nothing to show that he isn't up to the challenge. The junior quarterback should have another amazing season in 2016, and if you are a college football fan, it will be a joy to watch.
Honorable mentions: Deshone Kizer, Notre Dame; Brad Kaaya, Miami; Luke Falk, Washington State; Greg Ward Jr., Houston
Potential players to watch
These are guys that haven't won their quarterback competitions yet, but could definitely open some eyes if they are capable.
Jacob Eason, Georgia
Eason is currently being hailed as the savior of the Georgia program before even taking a snap in a regular season game. Everyone loved what they saw in the team's spring game, and even Kirby Smart has said that he is impressed. However, the Bulldogs have yet to name him as the starter, and he clearly has a lot to prove before becoming a top college football quarterback.
Still, the kid has the potential, and he could break out as a game-changer over the next couple of years.
Dakota Prukop, Oregon
Prukop may be a new name to a lot of people, but he definitely isn't a rookie to college football. Prukop spent the last few seasons at Montana State before moving to Oregon as a graduate transfer over the offseason.
The obvious hope is that Prukop works out just like Vernon Adams, who had transferred to Oregon last season from Eastern Washington. Prukop might have more work cut out for him, though, as he is still battling Travis Jonsen for the top job. If Prukop does win the job, it should mean good things for Oregon, as his experience should allow him to acclimate quickly to the Pac-12.
John Franklin III, Auburn
Remember the Auburn quarterback battle last season? It left a lot to be desired.
Auburn quarterbacks Jeremy Johnson and Sean White will battle it out once again this season, but a newcomer has joined them in the race: John Franklin III, a JUCO transfer that was once at Florida State.
Auburn's coaches have reportedly been extremely excited with what Franklin has been doing this offseason, and he would definitely give coach Gus Malzahn the dynamic quarterback that he desperately wants to run his offense. If Franklin can win the job, then Auburn might be closer to improving on the 7-6 2015 season than they would be with the other two quarterbacks.
