Haha I lied! Welcome everyone to our week 15 quarterback prospect rankings for the 2025 NFL Draft! I know I know, in last week's blog post I went on and on about how I was sad that the college football season was ending, that it had been a fun run, and that that was the final blog post. Though that was my thought process at the time, in reality, I just couldn't help myself!
This wasn't my original plan. Again, I fully expected to be done writing these blog posts after the last week in the regular season, thus starting to focus more on the draft as a whole, i.e. creating mock drafts. The problem with that was that we had a fantastic slate of games this past weekend with some of the draft's top quarterbacks taking part (some even facing off against each other).
So again, I couldn't just leave it, I had to publish at least one more blog post before bowl season truly kicks off. Does that make sense? If not I truly apologize, and if you don't trust me anymore or don't view me in the same light because of what I said last week I can't say I blame you, so I apologize again.
All in all I do hope you enjoy this week's blog post (and I won't say it'll be the last)! That being said I, Logan Blackman, host of the Logan Blackman Show and self proclaimed draft "expert" am proud to present to you my officially official week 15 quarterback prospect rankings! Enjoy!
Note: Garrett Nussmeier has decided to return to LSU for his senior season
Podcast Links
Pictured: Drew Allar, Penn State; Dillon Gabriel, Oregon; Quinn Ewers, Texas
1. Cam Ward, Miami (FL)
Wk 15 - BYE
Season - 293/435 4,123 yds 36 touchdowns 7 interceptions/58 carries 196 yds 4 touchdowns
Preseason - 8
Wk 1 - 5
Wk 2 - 5
Wk 3 - 4
Wk 4 - 4
Wk 5 - 2
Wk 6 - 1
Wk 7 - 1
Wk 8 - 1
Wk 9 - 1
Wk 10 - 1
Wk 11 - 1
Wk 12 - 1
Wk 13 - 1
Wk 14 - 1
Wk 15 - 1
Bowl Game - v no.18 Iowa State (Pop-Tarts Bowl)
2. Shedeur Sanders, Colorado
Wk 15 - BYE
Season - 337/454 3,926 yds 35 touchdowns 8 interceptions/91 carries -16 yds 4 touchdowns
Preseason - 2
Wk 1 - 1
Wk 2 - 2
Wk 3 - 1
Wk 4 - 1
Wk 5 - 1
Wk 6 - 1
Wk 7 - 2
Wk 8 - 2
Wk 9 - 2
Wk 10 - 2
Wk 11 - 2
Wk 12 - 2
Wk 13 - 2
Wk 14 - 2
Wk 15 - 2
Bowl Game - v no.17 BYU (Valero Alamo Bowl)
3. Drew Allar, Penn State (+3)
Wk 15 - 20/39 226 yds 3 touchdowns 2 interceptions/5 carries 54 yds 1 touchdown v no.1 Oregon (45-37 L) (Big Ten Championship)
Season - 224/324 2,894 yds 21 touchdowns 7 interceptions/72 carries 279 yds 6 touchdowns
The best games from conference championship weekend came in the evening slate, as this match-up between then third ranked Penn State and top ranked Oregon definitely lived up to the hype. My preseason prediction for the Big Ten Championship, this game had everything. It had scoring, a comeback, and even late game drama, literally everything you could've asked for in a conference championship game. That being said, in recent years the Big Ten Championship has been something of a write off, as the last six games have seen the winner(s) come out on top by double digits. Whether it be Michigan beating Iowa 42-3 in 2021, or Ohio State beating Northwestern 45-24, the Big Ten Championship is rarely a close encounter. Like, even before the last single digit victory (which came in 2017 and was a 27-21 win for Ohio State) this game had some ass kickings, like when Ohio State beat Wisconsin 59-0 or when Wisconsin put up 70-points on Nebraska in a 70-31 win. Again, this game is usually the most predictable when it comes to conference championship weekend. This year though would be different, as both Oregon and Penn State put forth very strong seasons on both sides of the ball. Both teams had very good quarterback play, solid rushing attacks, talented tight ends, and had defenses that could really get after the opposing quarterback. In some ways, this was the most like-for-like game from this past weekend as the Ducks managed to hold of the Nittany Lions by a score of 45-37. Though it always sucks to come out on the losing end of these games Penn State quarterback Drew Allar put forth a solid performance, throwing for 226-yards with three touchdowns (and two interceptions) with 54-yards on the ground and another touchdown to boot. Like I said in last week's blog post, I was intrigued to see how Allar would handle Oregon's relentless pass rush (40 sacks this season, most in the Big Ten), and after being sacked zero times in this game, I'd say he handled it fairly well. As for the game itself things started off pretty good for the Nittany Lion offense, as a 41-yard run by Nick Singleton helped set up an eventual 33-yard field goal by Ryan Barker to make the score 7-3 after Oregon scored on their first possession of the game. Though field goals are nice, in a game against one of the nation's top offenses you would rather like to see your team score touchdowns. That being said that didn't look likely their next time out as they found themselves in a third and 15 situation. Thankfully Allar would be able to find Harrison Wallace III for a 16-yard gain to pick up the first and get them closer to the Oregon side of the 50.
Allar is just an effortless thrower of the football. On third and 15 with the pocket collapsing around him he's able to deliver a strike to Wallace for a 16-yard gain. He did an excellent job at climbing the pocket and keeping his eyes down the field before firing it to his receiver for the aforementioned first down. Allar would come up with another big throw for Penn State a couple plays later, hitting Tyler Warren on a slant for a 28-yard gain to get them all the way down to the Oregon 22-yard line.
With the linebacker crashing down to stop the run, Allar knows he's got an opening to hit his favorite target on the slant. But with the defender looking like he was going to jump up and swat the pass, Allar does a nice job at staying calm and is able to deliver a quick and nice ball to Warren for the eventual 28-yard gain. A play later, Allar would hit a wide open Nick Singleton out of the backfield up the middle for a 22-yard touchdown to bring the Nittany Lions back to within four with less than a minute and a half to go in the first quarter. Penn State would be forced to punt the ball away after going three and out on their next drive before Allar would be picked off by Dontae Manning on the second play of their following drive that would help set up a one yard rushing touchdown by Jordan James to put the Ducks up 28-10 with 10-minutes left in the second quarter.
Initially, Allar does a nice job at making the defense think he's throwing left, hopefully causing something to pop open either to the right or down the middle. Though he has his tight end in the middle of the field the ensuing throw is behind, leading to an interception and a near pick six for the Ducks defense. To be honest, I've watched this play like a hundred times or something (from this angle) and I still can't really tell where this ball got intercepted. Regardless, it was an off throw from Allar that again helped set up a one yard Oregon score to put them up 28-10 early on in the second quarter. That being said Allar would come up big for Penn State on their next drive. Following a 24-yard run by Kaytron Allen and a 17-yard run by Nick Singleton, Allar would hit Omari Evans on a rope for a 22-yard touchdown to bring them back to within 11 midway through the quarter.
An absolute strike here from Allar to hit Evans in the end zone for the aforementioned 22-yard score. Like I've brought up numerous times before (including earlier on this blog post) Allar is arguably the most effortless thrower in this draft class. Again, just an absolute rope to hit his receiver for his second passing touchdown of the game. Allar would connect with Tyler Warren for a 19-yard gain on Penn State's next offensive possession following an Oregon punt before taking it in himself from seven yards out to get them back to within four with less than two minutes to go in the second quarter.
Nice read here by Allar to pull the ball from his running back after the Oregon linebacker decides to commit. With that, Allar has a gap and he hits it for an eventual seven yard touchdown run. Allar may not be the most athletically gifted quarterback out there but he's always able to make plays in the run game when he's asked to, battling through a few Oregon defenders for his first rushing touchdown of the game. The Ducks would register a field goal at the end of the first half to make the score 31-24 at the break. On their first drive of the third quarter Penn State would drive all the way down to the Oregon 23-yard line, but after stalling out on offense they'd be forced to settle for a 40-yard field goal, which Ryan Barker would miss to keep the score at 31-24 midway through the quarter. Penn State would be forced to punt the ball away after five plays on their next drive, but after starting their following drive at their own six yard line Kaytron Allen would pick up gains of 32 and 26 before eventually punching it into the end zone himself from a yard out to make the score 38-30 at the start of the fourth quarter (they failed on the two point conversion). Allar would flash the athleticism on the opening play of Penn State's next drive, picking up 22-yards on the ground and getting the offense close to the midfield marker.
Again, he may not be a plus plus athlete or anything, but he's always able to make plays when he's required to. With pressure coming free from the right side of the offensive line, Allar does an excellent job at climbing the pocket and keeping his eyes down the field before deciding to tuck it under his arm for the eventual 22-yard pick up on the ground. Just a very solid play from Allar to again help get Penn State closer to the 50-yard line. A few plays later Allar would hit Harrison Wallace III for 16-yards on third and 16 to get them to the Oregon 43-yard line before picking up another first down with his legs (this time for 13-yards) to get them down to the Oregon 14-yard line. Then, on fourth and 10, Allar would deliver a strike to Harrison Wallace III from 14-yards out to make the score 45-37 with less than four minutes to go in the game.
This is a big time play from Allar to hit Wallace in the end zone for the score. Again, on fourth and 10 from the 14-yard line with a defender coming around the edge and pulling on his shirt, Allar is able to deliver when it mattered most for the Penn State offense. He does an excellent job at climbing the pocket and remaining calm before firing it to his receiver for the score. Penn State would be given a lifeline as Oregon would go three and out on their following possession, giving the Nittany Lions the ball with two minutes to go in the fourth quarter. That being said, following a nine yard run by Nick Singleton, Allar would throw it down the far sideline and would be picked off for the second time in the game.
Just an insanely unfortunate way to end the game for Allar and co. as that interception would ultimately seal a 45-37 conference championship victory for the Oregon Ducks in their first season in the Big Ten. With his receiver on an island, Allar again decided to take a shot down the sideline, unfortunately he just led his receiver a little too far down the field and it was intercepted. I know it's easy to say sitting on the couch, but this should've probably been a back shoulder ball, as the Oregon defender was matching Wallace stride for stride down the sideline. Again, that's insanely easy for me to say and regardless, Allar put forth a very good effort in this one, registering four touchdowns and nearly 300-yards of total offense in the loss. Like I said before this one of, if not the best game from conference championship weekend, it just sucks that someone had to lose. That being said Penn State still have a shot at taking home a national championship as they had their Playoff spot secured prior to kickoff. Though they didn't get a first round bye they will still be playing host to the 11th seeded SMU Mustangs, who are coming off a rough 34-31 loss to Clemson in the ACC Championship game. Despite SMU coming in with an 11-2 record, I think Penn State should still be able to take care of business at home.
Preseason - 4
Wk 1 - 3
Wk 2 - 4
Wk 3 - 5
Wk 4 - 5
Wk 5 - 6
Wk 6 - 6
Wk 7 - 7
Wk 8 - 7
Wk 9 - 7
Wk 10 - 7
Wk 11 - 6
Wk 12 - 5
Wk 13 - 5
Wk 14 - 6
Wk 15 - 3
Bowl Game - v no.10 (11) SMU (First Round College Football Playoff)
4. Jalen Milroe, Alabama
Wk 15 - BYE
Season - 189/287 2,652 yds 15 touchdowns 10 interceptions/152 carries 719 yds 20 touchdowns
Preseason - 6
Wk 1 - 6
Wk 2 - 6
Wk 3 - 6
Wk 4 - 6
Wk 5 - 3
Wk 6 - 3
Wk 7 - 4
Wk 8 - 3
Wk 9 - 3
Wk 10 - 3
Wk 11 - 3
Wk 12 - 3
Wk 13 - 4
Wk 14 - 4
Wk 15 - 4
Bowl Game - v Michigan (ReliaQuest Bowl)
5. Carson Beck, Georgia
Wk 15 - 7/13 56 yds 0 touchdowns 0 interceptions/2 carries -15 yds 0 touchdowns v no. 2 Texas (22-19 OTW) (SEC Championship)
Season - 290/448 3,485 yds 28 touchdowns 12 interceptions/55 carries 71 yds 1 touchdown
I don't really know where to start when it comes at looking at Carson Beck's most recent game against Texas that saw him and his Georgia Bulldogs take home the SEC crown by a score of 22-19 in the first overtime game in SEC Championship history. The only problem with that is that Beck didn't really have a whole lot to do with Georgia's victory as he got hurt on the final play of the first half trying to launch it towards the end zone before halftime. Despite that I guess you could say Beck put forth a better performance this time than he did the first time these two teams met. Back on October 19th in Austin, in a 30-15 win for the Bulldogs, Beck would register 175-yards through the air with no touchdowns and three interceptions, which would be his second three interception game up to that point in the season (Alabama) and his second consecutive multi-interception game (Mississippi State). Though he may not have had the same number of yards, it's still nice to see that he didn't register an interception, marking the fourth straight game he's managed to do so (though I'm sure he'd rather not have had his elbow ripped off). This season has been really up and down for the draft's preseason 'darling,' as he struggled with turnovers and confidence issues throughout the course of the season. Though he finished the season with solid enough numbers, Beck's season didn't really kick into gear until the last few games of the regular season, where he registered 11-touchdowns and no interceptions in games against then seventh ranked Tennessee, Massachusetts, and Georgia Tech in an eight overtime thriller. Those last three games showed the promise Beck had at the start of the season, it's just a shame that he wasn't able to fully build on that during Saturday's match-up against Texas, and won't be able to play in Georgia's first round playoff game despite them having a first round bye. I know what you're saying, 'Logan, he didn't play good in the first half, what do you mean he wasn't able to fully build on his performances? It's not like he was going to get much better.' But if you look at most of his games this season (including the loss to Alabama) he would get better as the game went on, so it's not absolutely crazy to assume Beck would've put up much better numbers had he not gotten hurt. In the end, the dude managed 56-yards through the air with no touchdowns and no interceptions. As for the game itself Georgia struggled to get things going on offense early on, punting on their first two drives while going three out on their first possession. Beck would help get the offense going their next time out as he'd find Ben Yurosek for 19-yards on second and three before hitting Oscar Delp on a roll out a few yards past the line of scrimmage on second and two for an eventual 19-yard gain to get them to the Texas 31-yard line. Unfortunately the drive would end up stalling out as they'd be forced to settle for 44-yard attempt by Peyton Woodring to get them back to within three midway through the second quarter. Georgia would go three and out on their next possession before Beck would try and take advantage of two offsides penalties to end the half, but would end up throwing two interceptions (the second was worse than the first). Beck would then get strip sacked on the final play of the half as the Texas defender would hit his arm while he was trying to launch it down the field before halftime. Penalties or not overall this was just not an ideal way to end the half for the Georgia offense, especially with Beck hurting his arm. With him sidelined for the remainder of the game (apart from the final handoff in overtime for some reason) Georgia would go on to again win the game in overtime by a score of 22-19, with back-up Gunnar Stockton holding his own against the Texas defense. Lord knows what Beck's future looks like for the rest of the season. Already ruled out of Georgia's opening match-up, time will tell if he'll be able to play in the semi-final should the Bulldogs advance after facing the winner of Indiana and Notre Dame. A rough way to end what was a good run of games for Georgia's starting quarterback.
Preseason - 1
Wk 1 - 2
Wk 2 - 1
Wk 3 - 2
Wk 4 - 2
Wk 5 - 4
Wk 6 - 4
Wk 7 - 3
Wk 8 - 5
Wk 9 - 5
Wk 10 - 6
Wk 11 - 7
Wk 12 - 6
Wk 13 - 6
Wk 14 - 5
Wk 15 - 5
Bowl Game - BYE (First Round College Football Playoff)
6. Quinn Ewers, Texas (+1)
Wk 15 - 27/46 358 yds 1 touchdown 2 interceptions/6 carries -27 yds 0 touchdowns v no.5 Georgia (22-19 OTL) (SEC Championship)
Season - 233/352 2,665 yds 25 touchdowns 9 interceptions/42 carries -62 yds 1 touchdown
I don't know what type of game I was expecting, but I can tell you I wasn't expecting this. When the Texas Longhorns took on the Georgia Bulldogs back in October they came out on the wrong side of a 30-15 beatdown sat saw quarterback Quinn Ewers get benched for back-up Arch Manning. In the end, both quarterbacks looked like they were seeing ghosts, as Georgia's relentless pressure on defense caused the pair a lot of problems with Ewers getting sacked a whopping five times. This time around the result was the same, Georgia came out with a 22-19 overtime victory (the first ever in SEC Championship history) and Ewers was sacked a grand total of six times, the most he's been sacked up to this point in the season. After watching their first encounter I had no thought of the Longhorns actually coming away with a win, but Vegas and seemingly everyone in the national media liked what Texas could bring to the table this time against Georgia as it's 'hard to beat the same team twice in a season.' I don't know about you, but that is one of the most annoying phrases in football. I know the game went to overtime, but after watching what Georgia threw at Texas defensively, how did you think they would be able to turn it around? For how good their record is Texas has been a very weird team this season, as ever since that first loss to Georgia they haven't really blown teams out (apart from Florida). They have no wins against the current top 25, with their only two wins against ranked teams (at the time) were against now 7-5 Michigan (10), now 6-6 Oklahoma (18), now 6-6 Vanderbilt (25), and now 8-4 Texas A&M (20). Granted all those wins came on the road (apart from Oklahoma) but still, I haven't been the most sold by Texas this season, and the same could be said for my feelings for their quarterback. Now, I haven't necessarily been the biggest fan of Quinn Ewers throughout his time at Texas as though I think he has some talent, I think it's vastly overblown by the national media. Again, he's good, don't get it twisted, I just don't see the world beating prospect some out there see, that's just my opinion. As for Ewers in this game, he threw for 358-yards with a touchdown and two interceptions in Texas' aforementioned 22-19 overtime loss to Georgia in the SEC Championship game. On the second play on their first drive of the game Ewers would nearly throw an interception while trying to hit Matthew Golden on a slant. That ball was hit at the line of scrimmage and popped straight into the air, thankfully it ultimately fell incomplete. Ewers would respond with a slant to DeAndre Moore Jr. that would go for 22-yards and a 19-yard connection with Golden on a hitch route before throwing an interception on third and nine from the Georgia 41-yard line.
After nearly throwing an interception on their second play from scrimmage Ewers would ultimately register his first interception of the game a few plays later. The football gods demanded a sacrifice, and they got one with this throw. As for the throw itself it's late and Ewers pretty much throws this ball with only his upper body, as he had to get the ball out before the Georgia defenders got to him in the backfield. This is why it's always important to stay calm and tall in the pocket, as this wound up being a fairly easy interception for the Georgia defense. That being said Ewers would respond in a big way on Texas' next drive, hitting Matthew Golden for a 50-yard gain down the far sideline, getting them from their own nine to the Georgia 41.
This is a really gutsy throw to make on third and 13, with Ewers letting this ball go with his back foot on the goal line. But with Golden getting behind the first defender Ewers has a decent window to work with, hitting his receiver before the safety can come over and make a play on the ball. Again, solid throw to pick up a much needed first down with their backs literally against their own end zone. A couple plays later Ewers would find an open Isaiah Bond on the near hash mark for a 22-yard gain on second and 12 following a two yard loss on the ground on first down. Despite registering a couple 20+ yard passes the Longhorns would eventually have to settle for three, with Bert Auburn making a 41-yard field goal to give Texas their first lead of the game with just over five minutes left in the first quarter. Ewers and Golden would connect again on another key third down for the Longhorn offense, picking up 32-yards on third and 14 to get them down to the Georgia 37-yard line.
With Georgia sending pressure, Ewers does a very nice job at getting outside of the pocket and delivering a catchable ball to Golden for the big gain. Like I always say, sometimes you just got to let your playmakers make plays, and that's exactly what Ewers did right here. Right overall the outstretched arm of the Georgia defender and into Golden's hands for the first down as the first quarter came to an end. The Longhorns wouldn't really move the ball much further down the field. The drive would stall out with Auburn ultimately making a 42-yard field goal to extend Texas' lead to six near the start of the second quarter. Ewers would connect with Silas Bolden on a slant route that would go for 20-yards and get them to the Georgia side of the 50 before hitting him again for a further 16-yards with Bolden taking a nice little shot after making the catch.
This is another gutsy throw by Ewers as this isn't exactly the biggest window to work with. Sure Bolden created some separation between himself and the initial defender (as it's damn near impossible to track a receiver with Bolden's speed across the field) but if this throw is off even in the slightest it could've very well been intercepted, as the Georgia safety is screaming down once the ball leaves Ewers' hand. Really solid throw here from Ewers but an even better job by Bolden at holding onto this ball through the massive hit. All that being said, much like the other big hitters for the Longhorn offense it would lead to very little, as they'd be forced to settle for three once again with the ball on the Georgia 24-yard line. The issue is that this time Auburn would fail to convert from 42-yards out, leaving the score at 6-3 with about four and a half minutes to go in the second quarter. The Longhorns would be forced to punt on their next two drives, though on their opening drive of the second half Ewers would connect with Matthew Golden on a well thrown ball towards the near sideline for a 13-yard gain.
I've talked about this maybe 100-times before, but throws from the far hash to the near sideline are far from easy. Though they may not hit the same as a deep ball down the middle or a well thrown crossing route through traffic, they are still difficult throws to make as there's usually not a lot of room to work with between the defender and the sideline, despite Golden creating a decent amount of separation between himself and the aforementioned defender. Just a really solid throw from Ewers though like I mentioned before, Texas would be forced to punt the ball away, only running four plays on their opening drive of the second half. Ewers and Golden would connect again for 12-yards on the opening play of their next drive before they'd ultimately be forced to settle for yet another field goal. Much like the last one Auburn would fail to convert (this one from 51-yards out), meaning Texas would stay behind 10-6 with five minutes to go in the third. Ewers would hit Golden on a hitch that would ultimately go for 25-yards on their first play of the fourth quarter before hitting DeAndre Moore Jr. on a slant that he would take 41-yards to the house to tie the game up at 13 less than two minutes into the quarter. Though that drive ended with a Texas touchdown, their next drive would end with another Ewers interception, with him getting picked off at their own 28-yard line with three and a half minutes to go in the fourth.
This interception is fairly similar to the first one as Ewers is late and doesn't get a whole lot on this ball which leads to another fairly easy interception. What doesn't help is that the Georgia corner was playing an inside shade, so if Ewers is going to throw this ball it has to be more on the outside but again, the throw is late regardless which leads to the interception. Thankfully the Longhorn defense would come away with an interception of their own, bailing out the offense and giving them the ball back at their own 34-yard line. Ewers would hit on a couple short to intermediate passes as Texas worked their way down the field, even connecting with DeAndre Moore Jr. for four yards on fourth and three to help keep their drive alive. Ewers would take a couple shots towards the end zone after picking up that first down but ultimately they'd fall incomplete and they'd be forced to trot out Bert Auburn again for a 37-yard attempt. Unlike the last two he'd convert, tying the game up at 16 and forcing overtime, which again would be the first overtime period in SEC Championship history. Unfortunately for Texas they'd be on the wrong side of history as Georgia would respond to their overtime field goal attempt by punching it into the end zone from four yards out to give them a 22-19 victory. Like I said before, I don't know what I was really expecting from this game but I wasn't expecting this. I thought Ewers put forth a similar-ish performance that we saw the last time these two teams met up, though I thought he took a couple more chances down the field that would help set up Texas scores. The interceptions weren't great, but I don't think Ewers necessarily played a bad game despite the loss. I am intrigued however to see how him and the rest of the Longhorns match-up against Clemson, who are fresh off of winning the ACC Championship. A solid unit against the pass, the Tigers rank in the top five in completion percentage, passing yards per game, interceptions, and passer rating in the ACC. We should be in for a fun one down in Austin.
Preseason - 5
Wk 1 - 4
Wk 2 - 3
Wk 3 - 3
Wk 4 - 3
Wk 5 - 5
Wk 6 - 5
Wk 7 - 5
Wk 8 - 6
Wk 9 - 6
Wk 10 - 5
Wk 11 - 5
Wk 12 - 7
Wk 13 - 7
Wk 14 - 7
Wk 15 - 6
Bowl Game - v no.16 (12) Clemson (First Round College Football Playoff)
7. Kurtis Rourke, Indiana (+1)
Wk 15 - BYE
Season - 202/287 2,827 yds 27 touchdowns 4 interceptions/41 carries -25 yds 2 touchdowns
Preseason - N/R
Wk 1 - N/R
Wk 2 - N/R
Wk 3 - N/R
Wk 4 - N/R
Wk 5 - H/M
Wk 6 - H/M
Wk 7 - N/R (BYE)
Wk 8 - 9
Wk 9 - 9
Wk 10 - 9
Wk 11 - 8
Wk 12 - 8
Wk 13 - 9
Wk 14 - 8
Wk 15 - 7
Bowl Game - @ no.5 (7) Notre Dame (First Round College Football Playoff)
8. Jaxson Dart, Ole Miss (+1)
Wk 15 - BYE
Season - 249/363 3,875 yds 25 touchdowns 6 interceptions/112 carries 452 yds 3 touchdowns
Preseason - 9
Wk 1 - 7
Wk 2 - 7
Wk 3 - 7
Wk 4 - 7
Wk 5 - 8
Wk 6 - 8
Wk 7 - 8
Wk 8 - 8
Wk 9 - 8
Wk 10 - 8
Wk 11 - 9
Wk 12 - 9
Wk 13 - 8
Wk 14 - 9
Wk 15 - 8
Bowl Game - v Duke (TaxSlayer Gator Bowl)
9. Dillon Gabriel, Oregon (NEW)
Wk 15 - 22/32 283 yds 4 touchdowns 0 interceptions/6 carries 17 yds 0 touchdowns v no.3 Penn State (45-37 W) (Big Ten Championship)
Season - 297/406 3,558 yds 28 touchdowns 6 interceptions/63 carries 193 yds 7 touchdowns
I can hear some of you now, "about damn time Dillon Gabriel is in your top 10! You really call yourself a draft "expert?" First off, ouch. Second off, yeah, this is the first time Oregon's Dillon Gabriel has been in one of my top 10s, as crazy as that may seem. Look, it's not like I had some crazy agenda against Gabriel (I had the dude as my preseason Heisman pick), I just couldn't put in him the top 10 forever whatever reason. His stats are good, he can make plays, and his team is undefeated, so on that alone he should be in the top 10, right? Well, in my opinion I somewhat struggled with his age, size, and overall arm talent and how it would fully translate to the next level. It's not that he has a bad arm or anything, far from it, it's just that I thought that players like Riley Leonard, Kyle McCord, and even Will Howard made more 'NFL level' throws and plays (whatever that means) than Gabriel. Again this has not been a dig as Gabriel as a quarterback at the colligate level. Hell, the dude literally just broke the career total touchdown record a couple weeks ago in Oregon's 39-18 win against Maryland. Along with that he ranks second in career passing touchdowns, passing yards, and total yards (he also holds the record for most career starts, passing Bo Nix). He is as consistent as they come, and in Oregon's biggest games of the season against Ohio State and Penn State he put forth his best efforts, throwing for 341-yards and two touchdowns with 32-yards and another touchdown on the ground against Ohio State before putting up 283-yards through the air with four touchdowns in a 45-37 win against Penn State in their first ever appearance in the Big Ten Championship Game. Again, Gabriel usually seems to step up when the lights are the brightest, helping the Ducks finish the regular season undefeated with a conference title, not to mention an upcoming trip to New York for the Heisman Trophy ceremony. Back to the game against Penn State things started off pretty smoothly for the Oregon offense, with Gabriel connecting with Tez Johnson for 17 on a screen and Jordan James out of the backfield for three more before hitting Kenyon Sadiq on a wheel route from 28-yards out to give the Ducks their first lead of the game less than five minutes in.
Very nice quick release here from Gabriel to get the ball to his streaking tight end before the safety could come down and make a play on the ball. Though the throw itself was very nice, the main thing to focus from this highlight is the athleticism shown off here by Sadiq who is able to hurdle the first defender before taking it into the end zone for six. This was very well designed play and as usual Gabriel and co. executed it to perfection to go up seven early. Oregon's next drive would see more of the same as the Ducks' rushing attack would carry them down the field before Gabriel would connect with Sadiq again in the end zone, this time from just two yards out to further extend their advantage with about three minutes to go in the quarter. Oregon would continue to stack touchdowns their next time out, on a drive that was kicked off with Gabriel hitting Tez Johnson on a slant for 24-yards that would get them down to the Penn State 36-yard line. Gabriel would take a two yard sack on the following play but on their first play of the first half him and Johnson would connect again, this time for 31-yards to push them deeper into Nittany Lion territory.
With the safety dropping back right as the ball is snapped Gabriel knows he has a window to work with between the two safeties, fitting it into Johnson who is able to pick up a good amount of yards after the catch. Also, great job by Gabriel at remaining calm in the face of pressure. With a defender jumping right in his face he is able to get the ball around him and again, deliver it to Johnson (a little behind him and more on his body which was also nice) for the eventual 31-yard gain. Two plays later Gabriel would fire it into Terrance Ferguson from four yards out to give the Ducks a 21-10 lead early in the second quarter. Oregon would be forced to punt after going three and out on their next drive but would score quickly on their following drive as Dontae Manning would pick off Drew Allar and return it all the way down to the Penn State one yard line. Jordan James would punch it in from a yard out on their first play of that drive following the interception, extending Oregon's lead to 18 with 10-minutes to go in the second quarter. The Ducks would go three and out again on their next drive following the score, though they would manage to come away with some points before halftime with Gabriel hitting Tez Johnson for 25-yards on a slant before picking up 11-yards with his legs to help set up an eventual 32-yard field goal attempt by Atticus Sappington, which he would make to put Oregon up 31-24 at halftime. The offense would get back to scoring touchdowns on their first drive of the second half, with Gabriel hitting Traeshon Holden for 17-yards on second and 10 to help set up the aforementioned touchdown.
With pressure coming from the right side of the offensive line and up the middle, Gabriel does a nice job at getting outside of the pocket and delivering a nice ball to Holden for a 17-yard gain. Though the stats may not show it, Gabriel is very effective once he gets outside the pocket, especially when he's rolling out to his favored left. Despite a defender giving chase, and another coming from the linebacker spot, Gabriel is able to stay calm and deliver again, a nice ball down the field. Gabriel would flash the playmaking ability outside the pocket once again a couple plays later as he'd roll to his left and hit and open Tez Johnson for what would end up being a 48-yard touchdown.
This is very nice play by both Gabriel and Johnson as they helped Oregon regain their double digit advantage midway through the second half. After faking the handoff to his back, Gabriel is not only able to get around one of, if not the nation's top edge rushers in Abdul Carter, but also able to deliver a nice ball on the run to an open Johnson who is able to make the first defender miss before beating them to the end zone for the score. Overall just a really nice play for the Oregon offense which saw Gabriel register his fourth passing touchdown of the game, the most he's thrown in a game this season (his previous season high was three, which he registered against UCLA, Illinois, and Maryland). Though the Ducks would gain 46-yards on their next drive, they'd be forced to punt the ball away after eight plays, pinning the Nittany Lions at their own three yard line. Despite the rough field position Penn State would register a touchdown, making it 38-30 following a failed two point conversion. Oregon would respond in kind their next time out despite Gabriel fumbling the ball on their opening play from scrimmage (Gabriel would recover his own fumble). Though he very nearly turned the ball over Gabriel would come up big for the Oregon offense later in the drive, hitting Tez Johnson on third and nine for 16-yards to get them to the Penn State side of the 50.
This is once again a very nice play by Gabriel who is able to step up in a crowded pocket before delivering a strike down the field to Johnson who is able to pick up the first and more on third and nine. Also, really nice job by Johnson at shaking his defender and giving his quarterback someone to throw to in the middle of the field. Again, Gabriel stays calm, steps up in the pocket, and delivers a pass that would ultimately pick up 16 and a much needed first down. Gabriel would be forced to come up big for the Ducks again a few plays later, this time on fourth and two where he'd hit Terrance Ferguson for 20-yards to get them down to the Penn State 15-yard line.
Like I alluded to before, Gabriel may not be the biggest quarterback in this class, but here he's able to stay calm and tall in very crowded pocket (while getting hit) and deliver a nice ball to Ferguson who's able to get it down to the aforementioned 15-yard line. This is where Gabriel's experience really comes into play as he's seemingly not at all fazed by the incoming pressure. This play would again help extend the drive and eventually lead to another Oregon touchdown with Jordan James taking it in from three yards out to make it 45-30 midway through the fourth. The Ducks would go three and out on their following possession after a Penn State touchdown made it a one score game again. Despite this, Drew Allar would register his second interception of the game, thus sealing a 45-37 victory for Oregon in their first Big Ten Championship game appearance. This game was so much fun to watch, which cannot be said for most of the recent Big Ten title games. Both quarterbacks put their respective teams in positions to win, that's what sucks as someone always has to come out on the losing side of things. Thankfully for Gabriel and co. the Ducks were able to survive the Nittany Lion comeback, again moving to 13-0 and locking up the top seed in the College Football Playoff.
Preseason - N/R
Wk 1 - H/M
Wk 2 - H/M
Wk 3 - H/M
Wk 4 - H/M
Wk 5 - H/M
Wk 6 - H/M
Wk 7 - H/M
Wk 8 - H/M
Wk 9 - H/M
Wk 10 - H/M
Wk 11 - H/M
Wk 12 - H/M
Wk 13 - N/R (BYE)
Wk 14 - H/M
Wk 15 - 9
Bowl Game - BYE (First Round College Football Playoff)
10. Kyle McCord, Syracuse
Wk 15 - BYE
Season - 367/558 4,326 yds 29 touchdowns 12 interceptions/63 carries -58 yds 3 touchdowns
Preseason - N/R
Wk 1 - N/R
Wk 2 - N/R
Wk 3 - N/R
Wk 4 - N/R
Wk 5 - N/R
Wk 6 - H/M
Wk 7 - H/M
Wk 8 - N/R
Wk 9 - H/M
Wk 10 - H/M
Wk 11 - H/M
Wk 12 - H/M
Wk 13 - H/M
Wk 14 - 10
Wk 15 - 10
Bowl Game - v Washington State (DirecTV Holiday Bowl)
Others
Will Howard, Ohio State
Wk 15 - BYE
Season - 227/314 2,860 yds 27 touchdowns 8 interceptions/72 carries 131 yds 7 touchdowns
Kevin Jennings, SMU (NEW)
Wk 15 - 31/50 304 yds 3 touchdowns 1 interception/10 carries 35 yds 1 touchdown v no.17 Clemson (34-31 L) (ACC Championship)
Season - 227/344 3,050 yds 22 touchdowns 8 interceptions/93 carries 379 yds 5 touchdowns
Haynes King, Georgia Tech
Wk 15 - BYE
Season - 171/236 1,910 yds 11 touchdowns 1 interception/114 carries 578 yds 11 touchdowns
Cade Klubnik, Clemson
Wk 15 - 24/41 262 yds 4 touchdowns 0 interceptions/14 carries 21 yds 0 touchdowns v no.8 SMU (34-31 W) (ACC Championship)
Season - 282/443 3,303 yds 33 touchdowns 5 interceptions/106 carries 458 yds 7 touchdowns
Riley Leonard, Notre Dame
Wk 15 - BYE
Season - 194/293 2,092 yds 16 touchdowns 5 interceptions/124 carries 721 yds 14 touchdowns
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