QB Draft Rankings: Week 9

LSU QB Joe Burrow continues to make the argument to why he deserves to be considered the best QB prospect in college. Another QB makes a sizable drop out of the top 5 this week.

#1) Tua Tagovailoa – Alabama

• Previous Rank: #1
• Trend: –

Tua unfortunately left the game early against Tennessee with an injury, but that did not stop Tua from showing why he is the current best prospect in college football right now week in and week out. While it is easy to continue to fall back on his mobility and maneuverability, Tua especially showed off his ability to sell the play action, making him even more of a threat in an RPO scheme.

#2) Joe Burrow – LSU

• Previous Rank: #4
• Trend: +2

Burrow continues to impress as this time we got to see his ability to command the passing attack against Mississippi State. His vision, pocket presence, and accuracy were all on point for this week, and coupled with his statistical dominance, it is hard to argue against Burrow being a top 3 prospect.

#3) Anthony Gordon – Washington State

• Previous Rank: #2
• Trend: -1

We already know when it comes to pure passing, Gordon is among the absolute best in the nation at the college level, but this week Gordon showed off his mobility as he took on Colorado. While Gordon will never be in the same conversation as Tua or Hurts in terms of mobility, for a pure passer to be able to maneuver and evade even slightly is a huge positive.

#4) Jalen Hurts – Oklahoma

• Previous Rank: #3
• Trend: -1

Nothing was shown that we have not already seen in Hurts’ game against West Virginia. He is accurate on the deep ball, he is extremely mobile, and he can absolutely slaughter a defense with his playmaking ability. Honestly, I would like to see less running and more passing from Hurts, as I would like to see where he is as a passer.

#5) Sam Ehlinger – Texas

• Previous Rank: #6
• Trend: +1

Ehlinger showed some concerns during his game against Kansas, mainly in regards to his gambling tendency when he is passing the ball. Similar to Gordon and Burrow, Ehlinger showed an increased utilization of mobility and pocket movement that increased or otherwise better showed his playmaking ability.

#6) Mason Fine – North Texas

• Previous Rank: #8
• Trend: +2

Finally utilized in his team’s offensive attack, Fine threw over 40 times in the game against Middle Tennessee. While his decision making was not perfect, Fine did show when he gets the throws, he can for the most part make things happen on offense. If anything, you can be sure he will not gamble the ball away too often.

#7) Nate Stanley – Iowa

• Previous Rank: #7
• Trend: –

Stanley did average, which is not a good look to a former top 5 prospect. As the season goes on, it becomes apparent that not only Stanley, but Iowa as a whole does not perform well against any strong competition. In fact, Iowa has only beaten a single team with a winnng record (Iowa State), so Stanley is slowly becoming that QB who looks good on paper, but only because he gets to beat up on teams like Rutgers and Northwestern. A disappointment indeed.

#8) Jacob Eason – Washington

• Previous Rank: #10
• Trend: +2

Eason performed well against a ranked opponent is Oregon, and is another QB who can potentially shoot up into the top 5 if given enough time. Once concern I have is his delayed pocket presence, often times either seeming late to recognizing blitzes, or not reacting until they are way too close.

#9) Cole McDonald – Hawai’i

• Previous Rank: #11
• Trend: +2

McDonald is one of the more heavily used QBs in college football, but while his numbers are pretty impressionable, they also don’t show his current problems with his game. For now his playmaking ability can open the offense up for Hawai’i to take advantage of, but more often than not, McDonald can be caught playing on rails in regards to what the play is being called. If a play is shutdown, McDonald simply does not show the consistency to look elsewhere to place the ball. Issues with vision are also prevalent as he only really looks at one side of the field when the play does not call for him to look off safeties before going to the intended receiver.

#10) Justin Herbert – Oregon

• Previous Rank: #12
• Trend: +2

Returning to the top 10 after a three week drop, Herbert’s game is extremely similar to McDonald’s in regards to playmaking and passing ability. While Herbert has a quicker release and more command of the offense, his past three games have been questionable in regards to accuracy and decision-making.

#11) Jake Fromm – Georgia

• Previous Rank: #9
• Trend: -2

#12) Kellen Mond – Texas A&M

• Previous Rank: #5
• Trend: -7

#13) Charlie Brewer – Baylor

• Previous Rank: #15
• Trend: +2

#14) Jordan Love – Utah State

• Previous Rank: #16
• Trend: +2

#15) Shane Buechele – SMU

• Previous Rank: #17
• Trend: +2

#16) Jack Coan – Wisconsin

• Previous Rank: #18
• Trend: +2

#17) Stephen Calvert – Liberty

• Previous Rank: #20
• Trend: +3

#18) Brady White – Memphis

• Previous Rank: #21
• Trend: +3

#19) Ian Book – Notre Dame (Bye)

#20) Kelly Bryant – Missouri

• Previous Rank: #13
• Trend: -7

Everyone Else:

• #21) Dan Ellington – Georgia State
• #22) Jack Abraham – Southern Miss
• #23) Jon Wassink – Western Michigan
• #24) J’Mar Smith – Louisiana Tech
• #25) Carter Stanley – Kansas
• #26) Nathan Rourke – Ohio
• #27) Dustin Crum – Kent State
• #28) James Morgan – FIU
• #29) Khalil Tate – Arizona
• #30) Quinten Dormady – Central Michigan
• #31) Kaleb Barker – Troy
• #32) Drew Plitt – Ball State
• #33) Gresch Jensen – Texas State
• #34) Justin McMillan – Tulane
• #35) Jarrett Guarrantano – Tennessee
• #36) Jake Luton – Oregon State
• #37) Steven Montez – Colorado
• #38) Levi Lewis – ULL
• #39) Brandon Jones – UTEP
• #40) Ross Bowers – Northern Illinois
• #41) Kenny Pickett – Pitt
• #42) Anthony Russo – Temple
• #43) Ryan Agnew – San Diego State
• #44) Tyler Huntley – Utah
• #45) Zach Smith – Tulsa
• #46) Brian Lewerke – Michigan State (Bye)