Don’s Top 10 Quarterbacks: 2019 Midseason College Football Rankings

On July 23, 2019, I released my preseason rankings for QB’s here and now I’m back with an updated ranking. We’re seeing four new faces, and a little shifting up and down the list. This list is based off stats, team performance, and my opinion. Let’s get into it.

Honorable Mention: Dillion Gabriel, UCF; Kaleb Barker, Troy; Chris Robinson, Florida Atlantic; Cole McDonald, Hawaii; Jacob Eason, Washington

10. Jamie Newman, Wake Forest

via Andrew Dye, JournalNow.com

Starting off this list is the man leading the UNDEFEATED #19 Wake Forest Demon Deacons. Jamie Newman currently has 1,521 passing yards, 14 touchdowns, and 3 interceptions. Along with this, Newman is a top dual-threat QB with 262 rushing yards and 3 touchdowns on 78 rushes. Wake Forest is not only making themselves a name in the ACC, but also nationally. After defeating Utah State week 1, and North Carolina week 3, Jamie Newman will continue his push for the Heisman along into Wake Forest’s big game against Clemson November 16th.

9. Justin Herbert, Oregon

via GoDucks.com

Justin Herbert was my 3rd ranked QB entering the season and has not impressed me thus far. The Ducks suffered a hard loss to Auburn week 1 and since then, Oregon has not been able to put together a good offensive performance (excluding Nevada). Herbert looks great on the stat sheet with 1,341 passing yards, 15 touchdowns, and 1 interception. However, I would like to see Herbert be able to dominate the Pac-12 and compete for a national title, but that loss to Auburn and the games against Stanford and Cal were a little to close for comfort for Herbert, who is a top QB prospect in the upcoming 2020 NFL draft. Herbert has a chance to prove me wrong with the games against Washington and Washington State approaching in a few weeks.

8. Anthony Gordon, Washington State

via Michael Wyke, AP

At number 8 is my top Pac-12 QB, Anthony Gordon. Gordon takes over the Washington State offense after Gardner Minshew being taken in the 6th round by the Jacksonville Jaguars. I rank Gordon above Herbert because of how explosive WSU’s offense is. They do have losses to UCLA and Utah, but they are putting up 45 points per game. Gordon himself has 2,146 passing yards (most in NCAA), 22 touchdowns, and 6 interceptions. As mentioned before, Washington State is going to Oregon for a big Pac-12 matchup which should be a great game to see how well Gordon and Herbert compare to one another.

7. Sam Ehlinger, Texas

via Joe Robbins, Getty Images

Texas football is back? Sam Ehlinger thinks so and I do as well. Ehlinger is leading the 4-1 Texas Longhorns with 1,448 passing yards, 17 touchdowns, and 2 interceptions. As Jamie Newman was mentioned to be a dual-threat, Ehlinger is also with 236 rushing yards and 3 touchdowns on 51 carries. The Longhorns only loss is to LSU, which was one of the best games of the season this far. Texas has a big game against Oklahoma this weekend, which will be a true testament of who is the best team in the Big-12.

6. Jake Fromm, Georgia

via 24/7 Sports

The first of the three SEC quarterbacks comes in a #6 with Jake Fromm. Fromm is in his junior season now with the Georgia Bulldogs, who are in contention for a National Championship. Fromm has thrown for 1,076 yards, 8 touchdowns, and 0 interceptions. Fromm was able to beat Notre Dame two weeks ago which was his only close call this season. At this rate, an interesting matchup between Alabama and Georgia for the SEC title is setup for the end of the season. Before that, Georgia must take care of Florida and Auburn, two teams that are going to test Fromm and the Bulldogs.

5. Trevor Lawrence, Clemson

via CBS Sports

Five games in and Trevor Lawrence has been incredibly underwhelming for people, myself included, who believed he was the best quarterback in the nation. Lawrence is sitting at 1,131 passing yards, 8 touchdowns, and 5 interceptions. Furthermore, Clemson is coming off a narrow victory against North Carolina a week ago. I still believe Trevor Lawrence is one, if not the most, talented QB in the nation. Look for him to shine as the season goes on and Clemson makes their way to another College Football Playoff.

4. Justin Fields, Ohio State

via Kevin Allen, USA Today

I mentioned in my initial rankings that I’d expect Justin Fields to make this list come mid season and here he is in the top 5. After transferring from Georgia and not being able to beat out Jake Fromm as the starting quarterback for the Bulldogs, Fields is leading a Buckeyes team that looks to be the best team in the country. Fields is at 1,293 passing yards, 18 touchdowns, 1 interception, 283 rushing yards, and 8 touchdowns. Incredible numbers as the first year starter is leading the undefeated, #3 ranked Ohio State Buckeyes who are almost a certain team to reach the playoffs. Fields is coming up against the top teams in the B1G-10 with Wisconsin, Penn State, and Michigan all left on their schedule. If Fields is able to keep this up, look for him to rise on my rankings at the end of the season.

3. Joe Burrow, LSU

via Brody Miller, The Athletic

Joe Burrow has shocked the nation after leading an LSU team that most thought would be centered around their defense. Burrow led the Tigers past their win against Texas, while averaging 55 points a game. Burrow has thrown for 1,864 yards, 22 touchdowns, and 3 interceptions in 2019. LSU still has Florida, Auburn, and Alabama left on their schedule. We have witnessed what Auburn’s defense is able to do, as they defeated Justin Herbert and the Oregon Ducks week 1. Alabama is the number one team in the country. If LSU gets through this schedule undefeated, Joe Burrow has a chance to lead this team to a national championship.

2. Jalen Hurts, Oklahoma

via SoonerSports.com

Jalen Hurts is another shock to the country, but not as much as Burrow considering how we saw him lead Alabama as a freshman. After losing his job to Tua Tagovailoa, Jalen Hurts stayed on Alabama for a year before transferring to the team that sent consecutive #1 overall draft pick QB’s to the NFL. Jalen Hurts is considered as the front runner for the Heisman trophy, which will also be the third Oklahoma QB to win the Heisman in the third consecutive year. Jalen Hurts is sitting at 1,523 passing yards, 499 rushing yards, 21 total touchdowns, and 2 interceptions. Hurts is leading an Oklahoma team that is battling against Texas for the B1G-12 title, as well as also competing for a national championship. Just as I said with Ehlinger, the Texas/Oklahoma game will be crucial for both teams to reach the College Football Playoff.

1. Tua Tagovailoa, Alabama

via RollTide.com

Just as I ranked him in the preseason, Tua Tagovailoa is still the number one QB in the nation. Tua has been near perfect with a 76.4% completion rate, 1,718 passing yards, 23 passing touchdowns, and 0 interceptions. Alabama has the top receiving group in the nation and Tua is making great use. As of now, he is the top QB prospect in college while also leading the Heisman race. As Alabama begins the tail end of the season, they will be looking forward to showcasing their talent against the likes of LSU and Auburn along with a possible SEC championship game against Georgia. It is a criticism of Alabama that they play a weak schedule, however, they have to overcome great teams to reach the National Championship game once again.

Talent Disparity in College Football: Inner Monologue Vol.6

As we make our way into the 2019 season of college football, the CFP rankings currently sit as Alabama, Clemson, Georgia, Ohio State, LSU, and Oklahoma. Familiar teams continue their dominance, most notably Alabama and Clemson. This goes all the way back to when the College Football Playoff began in the 2014-15 season. Alabama has played in the playoffs every year. Clemson missed the inaugural playoff, but has made every playoff after. Oklahoma has made the playoff 3 of the 5 years. These three teams are seemingly dominating their respected conferences and schedules with relative ease. Sure, they may have a game each year that goes to the last few minutes or OT, but they always prevail. Then you have the likes of Ohio State and Georgia who always get so close, yet OSU has made the trip twice and Georgia once. So what gives?

If you go back and look at who has been dominating the recruiting game, it’s easy to guess. From 2016 to 2019, Alabama has 58 Five Star recruits, Georgia has 47, Clemson has 26, Ohio State has 34. Now if you look at a team like Michigan, they have 12. Notre Dame has 2. Florida has 8. The drop off is incredible. Now, people like to come back with the argument of having four and three star recruits. Sure, let’s have that argument.

2019				2018
	5-Stars	4-Stars	3-Stars	5-Stars	4-Stars	3-Stars
Alabama	11	58	13	12	51	18
Ohio State	13	47	25	11	55	17
Georgia	14	45	25	14	47	24
Clemson	7	33	33	9	37	24
Michigan	4	36	38	4	40	39
Florida	1	39	35	2	33	43
Notre Dame	1	46	35	1	43	38

The disparity is clear. Then the question becomes, why is this happening? Well, as I mentioned before, who has been competing for National Championships? Kids want to win rings, and they are going to the schools that are giving them the best chance to. With a four team playoff, there are not many teams to pick from. As you can see, Alabama and Georgia are the top teams in the SEC, Ohio State is the best team in the B1G 10, and Clemson is a sure winner of the ACC.

Then we look at which teams are putting players in the NFL. In the 2019 NFL Draft, Alabama led the country with 10 players drafted, Ohio State being second with 9 players, and fifth being Georgia with 7. As far as conferences go, SEC is dominating recruiting, which in turn, the SEC is dominating the draft year in and out with 64 players being drafted last year alone. The numbers speak for themselves.

Is there a problem with this? Alabama has created a dynasty. Clemson may be creating a dynasty. Georgia is giving Bama a run for their money. Ohio State looks like the best team in the country, and has been the best team in the B1G 10 the last few years. Oklahoma has nobody keeping up with them in the B1G 12. With these trends continuing, I don’t see much of these teams dropping out of the playoff race. Rather, I think they will just continue to grow putting themselves into a whole other tier of college football, leaving the “have-nots” playing for nothing. Is this discouraging? Sure. Is it fair? I don’t see what’s wrong with the principles of this. This is the consequence of giving the people what they wanted, the college football playoff.

If there was to be a solution to this, it would have to be an expansion in the college football playoff. Moving to 8 teams would allow for recruits to have a better chance of getting their ring, while being on a team that they have an immediate impact. These five star recruits are waiting an extra year or two to see the field because the five star recruits at their position from the year’s prior are in their spot. Some people have been proposing that expanding to a 12 or 16 team playoff would be even better, but then it becomes teams are playing that don’t belong. If the playoffs were to start today, would people really want to see a game between #1 Alabama vs #16 Boise State. I mean, let’s be honest, the spread would be about 31 points. With an 8 team system, we would be looking at #1 Alabama playing against #8 Wisconsin (Jonathan Taylor). That would be far more interesting, especially seeing how JT handles himself against a stout Alabama defense.

My case is that disparity in college football is a reality. These broadcasters and analysts that are saying that the amount of 5-star recruits a team has compared to another doesn’t matter are absolute idiotic. The same teams are landing the big name recruits, and these same teams are playing in January. I just want to bring to light that recruiting is a big factor in how teams are playing, coaching aside. It’s easier to go out on the field on Saturday with a 5-star team than it is coaching up a team of 3-star players. Of course not all five stars pan out, but I’m not considering the outliers because, well, they are outliers. The college football system is among the most exciting brand of sports, but the disparity is making the game predictable and repetitive.

Don’s Top 10 Quarterbacks: 2019 College Football Rankings

While doing the Top 10 Running Backs and Wide Receivers, I struggled with the lists because of how much talent there is in college in those positions. While making this list, I found that the top 3 QB’s are no doubt in my mind. However, after that, no QB really gave me the definite, concrete evidence on why they are top 10. I did not include QB’s that are going into their first starting season because they do not have tape for me to really judge. At the end of the season, I do expect Justin Fields and Jacob Eason to crack the top 10. Let’s get into it.

Honorable Mention: Jordan Love, Utah State; Adrian Martinez, Nebraska; Ian Book, Notre Dame; Justin Fields, Ohio State; Jacob Eason, Washington 

10. D’Eriq King, Houston

via Houston Athletics

D’Eriq King comes in at the 10 spot after an incredible first season at Houston. Throwing for 36 touchdowns and rushing for 14, King might be the best dual-threat QB in college. King has a chance to solidify himself as a top QB this year when he opens the season against Jalen Hurts and Oklahoma week 1. I expect that game to be the typical, exciting, high-scoring game that all fans need and love. Week 1, Houston vs Oklahoma, get ready.

9. K.J. Costello, Stanford

via Grant Shorin, Stanford Athletics

Stanford is coming off an 8-4 season with a bowl win against a tough Pittsburgh team. Leading this is QB KJ Costello, who threw for over 3,500 yards and added 29 touchdowns with that. The problem I see with Costello is his 11 interceptions. Costello is a 2020 NFL prospect, so I’m expecting him to bring those interceptions down. With Whiteside now playing on Sundays, Costello needs to find a way to lead Stanford past a tough schedule.

8. Mason Fine, North Texas

via North Texas Athletics

Mason Fine is heading into his senior season at North Texas with almost 10,000 yards under his belt. He’s been the CUSA Player of the Year for the past two seasons, and has only progressed forward. Look for Mason Fine to have a terrific year, with NFL scouts eyeing him. A 4,000 yard season with 35+ touchdowns is expected, and I think will be the bar for Fine.

7. Shea Patterson, Michigan

via Michigan Athletics

Out of everyone on this list, everybody’s job is relatively safe. Shea Patterson, on the other hand, must deal with two promising QB’s behind him on the depth chart, Dylan McCaffery and Joe Milton. Patterson’s numbers do not jump off the sheet, but, with Josh Gattis now leading Michigan’s offense, I’m hoping, as all Michigan’s fans are, that Patterson lights it up this season.

6. Sam Ehlinger, Texas

via Texas Athletics

When talking about dual threats, Sam Ehlinger is in that conversation. Over the last few years, critics have talked about whether “Texas Football” is back. Well, Ehlinger has made Texas relevant again. In 2018, Ehlinger threw for nearly 3,300 yards with 25 touchdowns and 5 interceptions. Along with that, Ehlinger rushed for 480 yards and 16 touchdowns. Texas and Ehlinger’s true test this season will be week 2 when LSU comes into town.

5. Jalen Hurts, Oklahoma

via Alonzo Adams-USA TODAY Sports

What a roller coaster Jalen Hurts and his story has been over the course of his college career. He went from being the 2016 SEC Player of the Year and leading the Crimson Tide to two national championship games (2016 & 2017) to being benched in the 2017 National Championship, to then end up transferring to Oklahoma. This story is one that I will be most intrigued with this season, just because I want Oklahoma to take down Alabama because of this whole situation. Hurts has some big shoes to fill as well, with Baker Mayfield and Kyler Murray being the last two QB’s that have played for Oklahoma.

4. Jake Fromm, Georgia

via Jeff Sentell/DawgNation

Jake Fromm broke out during his freshmen season, leading Georgia to the National Championship. Many believed he would be the next face of college football, and although he has not played poorly, he hasn’t been what everyone once believed. Regardless, Fromm is still a top 5 QB, with a Georgia team that should make some noise in 2019. Look for Fromm to make or break his NFL draft stock this season.

3. Justin Herbert, Oregon

via Oregon Athletics

Justin Herbert may have been the number one overall pick if he would have entered the 2019 NFL Draft. However, Herbert decided to return to the Oregon Ducks with hopes of leading them to the title game. Physically, Herbert may be the most gifted of all NFL Draft prospects. However, he needs to improve his completion percentage and interception rate to really bring this Oregon team to the next level.

2. Trevor Lawrence, Clemson

via Sports Illustrated

Here is what is going to bring the argument to the table. Lawrence vs Tagovailoa. At first, I had Lawrence ahead of Tua, no questions asked. That’s just from what I watched during last year’s national championship game. I think Lawrence is a heisman favorite this year, and he will lead Clemson to another national championship. He threw for over 3,000 yards with 30 touchdowns and only 4 interceptions. Along with this, he is returning Tee Higgins and Justyn Ross to his weaponry. This offense has the possibility of being an all-time great unit.

1. Tua Tagovailoa, Alabama

via Alabama Athletics

Tua Tagovailoa is the best QB in college. He was just shy of throwing for 4,000 yards last season and added 43 touchdowns to that number. It’s easy to hate Alabama, and I love seeing them down, but I can’t bet against Tua. He throws to three of the best college receivers in the nation. Me saying that should take away some sort of acknowledgement because it could be said that they make him look better than he is, but I think that Tua would excel with anyone catching his ball. The Tua vs Lawrence argument is going to be a fun thing to watch.

Don’s Top 10 Running Backs: 2019 College Football Rankings

With the 2019 CFB season right around the corner, I wanted to see which players I should be on the lookout for. After digging around, I decided that I should just watch the top players, write some notes about them, and put them in my own order. For the first edition of this mini series, I decided to start with running backs. I conducted a list of 30 backs from numerous sources. I then committed a cardinal sin of only watching their highlight tapes. I then narrowed that list down to 15 players, watched a few games of each, and then made my final judgement. Enjoy!

1. Jonathan Taylor, Wisconsin

via AP PHOTO/NATI HARNIK

Jonathan Taylor is the best running back in college football, period. In his two years at Wisconsin, he has 4,174 yards with 29 touchdowns on 606 carries. Those yards and touchdowns are quarterback stats. Unfortunately, the Heisman has been taken from him due to record breaking quarterbacks. Regardless, look at his film. Look at his highlights. Jonathan Taylor runs harder than anyone I have looked at heading into the 2019 season. He isn’t much of a threat in the passing game, which I am not a fan of, but he doesn’t need to be. Wisconsin just hands him the ball and lets him do his business. Mind you, he is also playing in the Big-10, these aren’t Big-12 defenses. Look for Taylor to make a push for the Heisman once again this season.

2. D’Andre Swift, Georgia

via Joe Robbins

I could make an argument for Etienne being here at two as well, but I’m putting Swift ahead of him based on the fact that Swift is both quick and powerful. His numbers do not reflect those of Swift’s, but that’s due to the loaded backfield that Georgia has each year. I’m looking forward to the 2020 Draft to see the Swift vs Etienne arguments to be the number one back taken. Even though Taylor is the best running back in college, Swift and Etienne should and, most likely, will be taken before him due to the fact that they can be a weapon in the passing game.

3. Travis Etienne, Clemson

via Carl Ackerman Jr

Out of the three, Travis Etienne is definitely the most dangerous in open space. Even more so, Etienne has the ability to find open space regularly. He doesn’t have to bulldoze defenders like Taylor, he just out runs them. Like Swift, he has a predominant role in Clemson’s passing game. I would not be surprised if Etienne ends up being at the top of this list once the 2019 season ends, he’s that good. Last year, Etienne accumulated over 1,600 yards with 24 touchdowns. That is one season alone. Again, this is based on limited film review, but 24 touchdowns in one season should be enough for him to be at the top of this board. This should be another great season for Etienne and the Clemson Tigers.

4. Ke’Shawn Vaughn, Vanderbilt

via USA Today

Go on YouTube, type in Ke’Shawn Vaughn vs Baylor, and enjoy the show. Vaughn is a top tier talent stuck on a terrible team with terrible offensive-line. Honestly, his situation is like Barry Sanders’ in a way. Vaughn is also the truth because he is in the SEC, where they do send plenty of defensive players into the draft. In the two games I watched from last year, Vaughn is an asset in the pass game, however, Vandy’s QB is utter garbage and can’t get him the ball. I’m looking forward to see what he’s going to bring heading into this season.

5. J.K. Dobbins, Ohio State

 via AP PHOTO/JAY LAPRETE

Now with Mike Weber gone, J.K. Dobbins enters the 2019 season as the sole ball carrier for the Buckeyes. While watching Dobbins, I noticed a few things. One, he’s super shifty. One he gets passed the line, he can makes linebackers look lost trying to grab him. Secondly, if they do grab him, he is able to shake them off and maintain balance throughout his run. Lastly, he has incredible vision. As he navigates across the line of scrimmage, Dobbins seems to always know exactly where and how he is going to create a big run. I expect Dobbins to be Justin Fields’ best weapon this next season.

6. C.J. Verdell, Oregon

via Twitter @EricEvansPhoto

CJ Verdell is the exact running back you would expect from the Oregon Ducks. He’s fast, he’s elusive, and he can catch the ball. Playing with speed at the tempo Oregon plays with is a tough task, but Verdell has not disappointed me while watching his film. He’s a perfect target for Justin Herbert, usually able to make at least one defender miss. What Verdell lacks is physicality, however, as I mentioned, he makes up in speed. This Oregon team should be able to make a run in the Pac-12.

7. Cam Akers, Florida State

via AP Photo/Chuck Burton

Similarly to Vaughn, Cam Akers is stuck with a garbage team. I actually felt bad for him while watching his film because his QB can’t throw and his line can’t block. He had a down year last year, mainly due to injury issues. Reports came out that Akers is now one-hundred percent and looking to prove a point. Well, I’m hoping that Florida State fixes their line issues because Akers is a special talent. Like most of the other backs mentioned, he has a role in the passing game, but as I said, his QB is trash. If Florida State is back to where they need to be, Akers can show why he is a top back in the NCAA.

8. A.J. Dillon, Boston College

via AP Photo/Michael Conroy

I’ll admit, I was wrong about A.J. Dillon. Initially, I was going to leave him off this list. Luckily, I actually watched some of his tape and thank the lord I did. A.J. Dillon is a big kid, 245lbs at 6’0. That’s fullback size. However, he’s quicker than I thought he would be. The most surprising thing about all of what I saw was that he is actually a weapon in Boston College’s pass game. I am going to be looking at Dillon a lot closer this next season to truly see what his impact is.

9. Kennedy Brooks, Oklahoma

via 24/7 Sports

I was unsure whether or not Brooks would even be on Oklahoma’s roster this season due to some allegations against him, however, it is likely that he will be rejoining the Sooners. Therefore, I believe he belongs on this list. Brooks explodes through the line, which is good and bad. He’s so fast through that his offensive line doesn’t have time to reach the second layer of defense. However, Brooks has the speed and agility to make tacklers miss. While watching his film, he was used in the passing game, but usually as a check down. I’m intrigued on how Brooks and this Sooners team will be without Murray this next year.

10. Najee Harris, Alabama

via rolltide.com

Rounding out the list is Najee Harris. I’ll be honest, if Harris was on any other team in college football, he would probably be a top 5 back right now. However, with the crowded and talented backfield down their in Alabama, Harris still remains in my top 10. Stat wise, Harris isn’t jumping off the sheet for anyone. It’s his film and his size. Najee runs hard, and loves to jump over defenders. Mind you, he’s 6’2 and 230lbs. Similar size to A.J. Dillon, I think Najee is the best back Alabama has had in the last few years. I’m hoping he will be able to shine a bit more this season, however, Alabama has quite the receiving core so I would expect them to utilize them more than their backfield.

Honorable Mention: Zach Moss, Utah; Eno Benjamin, Arizona State; Clyde Edwards-Helaire, LSU