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PFF Season Grades for FBS QBs
Posted on 1/15/20 at 4:39 pm
Posted on 1/15/20 at 4:39 pm
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[PFF Editor's note: These rankings are based heavily on the individual player's PFF grades for the season. The avoidance of negatively graded plays, the propensity for positively graded plays, the strength of competition and value towards a team victory are all heavily factored, as well. A player's effect on their team's offense, their expected points added per dropback (or rushing attempt) and overall accuracy from our advanced ball-charting data are also considered among other factors.]
121. RILEY NEAL, DEUCE WALLACE – VANDERBILT
Preseason Rank: 85; Week 6 Rank: 92; Week 12 Rank: 124
Neal wasn’t quite what Commodores fans thought he could have been as he transferred over after several successful years at Ball State, but Wallace was perhaps even a bigger disappointment in 2019. Neal was a step below average in all facets in SEC play this season, but Wallace finds himself at the absolute bottom when it comes to overall and passing grade among the 177 quarterbacks who dropped back to pass at least 100 times. It didn’t matter the situation or the scenario in which Wallace was in the game either as he struggled to complete passes from a clean pocket just the same as if he was pressured. Neal’s final year of eligibility didn’t go quite as planned himself, but Wallace’s redshirt-junior season was a disaster.
117. BEN HICKS, NICK STARKEL – ARKANSAS
Preseason Rank: 102; Week 6 Rank: 78; Week 12 Rank: 111
What could have been for Arkansas this season was completely undone when former quarterback Ty Storey ventured into Fayetteville with his new team and outdueled the Razorbacks in a game that ultimately saw head coach Chad Morris fired. Still, neither Hicks nor Starkel was the answer at quarterback for the Razorbacks in 2019, and even with John Stephen Jones (28 dropbacks), K.J. Jefferson (38 dropbacks) and Jack Lindsey (32 dropbacks) taking their turns in the backfield, this team couldn’t field a viable answer at the position. They all combined to average just 5.7 yards per attempt, and fewer than 50.0% of their passes were completed a year ago.
104. RYAN HILINSKI, JAKE BENTLEY – SOUTH CAROLINA
Preseason Rank: 33; Week 6 Rank: 86; Week 12 Rank: 114
Bentley is now with Utah, but in his first (and only start) of the season, he did not look anything like what we had come to expect from the long-time starter. Hilinski stepped right in for the Gamecocks against a top opponent as his second game saw him take on Alabama. Hilinski made some dramatic throws in the game against the Crimson Tide even if it was out of reach, giving hope for the South Carolina team in 2019. However, that was false hope as the team rattled off just four victories all season long, and Hilinski finished with just the 120th-ranked passing grade among quarterbacks. There were some moments to give hope for a better year in 2020, but his 23rd-lowest grade when attempting passes at least 10 yards downfield give pause to that as he’ll certainly have to get better at those chain-moving throws.
101. BO NIX – AUBURN
Preseason Rank: 96; Week 6 Rank: 88; Week 12 Rank: 96
The SEC Freshman of the Year was certainly not in the running to win such an award from us at PFF, as Nix continually didn’t grade well all season long, finishing with 18 turnover-worthy passes (T-28th) to just 17 big-time throws (T-47th). His highlight-reel plays were something, but he was far too often inaccurate with the ball, throwing an uncatchable, inaccurate pass on 26.5% of his throws. He finished as just the 105th-ranked quarterback in passing grade while his 63.0% completion percentage from a clean pocket ranked just 128th. He did some things well, however, as he was rather sharp on throws across the middle of the field, seeing an 81.5 passing grade and completing 93-of-133 passes for 1,036 yards and eight scores on throws targeted between the numbers last season.
93. TOMMY STEVENS, GARRET SHRADER – MISSISSIPPI STATE
Preseason Rank: 63; Week 6 Rank: 76; Week 12 Rank: 103
Famous from his helicopter flip on a failed fourth-down conversion attempt, Shrader gave the Bulldog faithful a brief moment of hope when he energized the Mississippi State offense. However, as the season wore on, neither Shrader nor Stevens seemed to take control of the offense as a legitimate downfield passer. Both quarterbacks threw more turnover-worthy passes than they did big-time throws, but both also added a dimension with their rushing ability as well, just not enough to bring them into the top half of quarterbacks.
80. JARRETT GUARANTANO, BRIAN MAURER – TENNESSEE
Preseason Rank: 21; Week 6 Rank: 115; Week 12 Rank: 87
Someone with all the talent in the world, Guarantano couldn’t quite get things rolling in a consistent fashion in 2019. He all too often followed up an amazing game with a dud, and not once this season did he have a repeat performance of the two game grades above 66.0. His highs were among the best in the country with two games above 90.0 overall, but some of his lows rivaled those among the worst in the nation, as he saw four single-game grades lower than 48.0. He’s a career 60.0% completion percentage kind of guy, and that was similar in 2019, but he’s yet to finish a season with a passing grade in our elite grade range despite teasing it in multiple games during his career. If he plays a full season at his highest capacity, Guarantano breaks the top 10 among all quarterbacks. Can that happen in 2020, please?
78. KELLY BRYANT – MISSOURI
Preseason Rank: 29; Week 6 Rank: 29; Week 12 Rank: 67
Doing what was asked of him in the Missouri offense, Bryant actually targeted just 95 passes further than 10 yards downfield as the Tiger offense dictated him to keep things short and simple in 2019. The trouble with that was, of all quarterbacks to attempt at least 100 passes within 10 yards of the line of scrimmage, Bryant’s adjusted completion percentage ranked just 69th out of 110. He wasn’t nearly as accurate with his passes as he was in 2017 with Clemson during the year he broke the PFF ACC record for adjusted completion percentage, but he was much better on downfield throws. His final season certainly didn’t amount to what he and the Missouri faithful thought it probably could or should have, but he did showcase an ability to find his receivers downfield that he hadn’t before.
[PFF Editor's note: These rankings are based heavily on the individual player's PFF grades for the season. The avoidance of negatively graded plays, the propensity for positively graded plays, the strength of competition and value towards a team victory are all heavily factored, as well. A player's effect on their team's offense, their expected points added per dropback (or rushing attempt) and overall accuracy from our advanced ball-charting data are also considered among other factors.]
121. RILEY NEAL, DEUCE WALLACE – VANDERBILT
Preseason Rank: 85; Week 6 Rank: 92; Week 12 Rank: 124
Neal wasn’t quite what Commodores fans thought he could have been as he transferred over after several successful years at Ball State, but Wallace was perhaps even a bigger disappointment in 2019. Neal was a step below average in all facets in SEC play this season, but Wallace finds himself at the absolute bottom when it comes to overall and passing grade among the 177 quarterbacks who dropped back to pass at least 100 times. It didn’t matter the situation or the scenario in which Wallace was in the game either as he struggled to complete passes from a clean pocket just the same as if he was pressured. Neal’s final year of eligibility didn’t go quite as planned himself, but Wallace’s redshirt-junior season was a disaster.
117. BEN HICKS, NICK STARKEL – ARKANSAS
Preseason Rank: 102; Week 6 Rank: 78; Week 12 Rank: 111
What could have been for Arkansas this season was completely undone when former quarterback Ty Storey ventured into Fayetteville with his new team and outdueled the Razorbacks in a game that ultimately saw head coach Chad Morris fired. Still, neither Hicks nor Starkel was the answer at quarterback for the Razorbacks in 2019, and even with John Stephen Jones (28 dropbacks), K.J. Jefferson (38 dropbacks) and Jack Lindsey (32 dropbacks) taking their turns in the backfield, this team couldn’t field a viable answer at the position. They all combined to average just 5.7 yards per attempt, and fewer than 50.0% of their passes were completed a year ago.
104. RYAN HILINSKI, JAKE BENTLEY – SOUTH CAROLINA
Preseason Rank: 33; Week 6 Rank: 86; Week 12 Rank: 114
Bentley is now with Utah, but in his first (and only start) of the season, he did not look anything like what we had come to expect from the long-time starter. Hilinski stepped right in for the Gamecocks against a top opponent as his second game saw him take on Alabama. Hilinski made some dramatic throws in the game against the Crimson Tide even if it was out of reach, giving hope for the South Carolina team in 2019. However, that was false hope as the team rattled off just four victories all season long, and Hilinski finished with just the 120th-ranked passing grade among quarterbacks. There were some moments to give hope for a better year in 2020, but his 23rd-lowest grade when attempting passes at least 10 yards downfield give pause to that as he’ll certainly have to get better at those chain-moving throws.
101. BO NIX – AUBURN
Preseason Rank: 96; Week 6 Rank: 88; Week 12 Rank: 96
The SEC Freshman of the Year was certainly not in the running to win such an award from us at PFF, as Nix continually didn’t grade well all season long, finishing with 18 turnover-worthy passes (T-28th) to just 17 big-time throws (T-47th). His highlight-reel plays were something, but he was far too often inaccurate with the ball, throwing an uncatchable, inaccurate pass on 26.5% of his throws. He finished as just the 105th-ranked quarterback in passing grade while his 63.0% completion percentage from a clean pocket ranked just 128th. He did some things well, however, as he was rather sharp on throws across the middle of the field, seeing an 81.5 passing grade and completing 93-of-133 passes for 1,036 yards and eight scores on throws targeted between the numbers last season.
93. TOMMY STEVENS, GARRET SHRADER – MISSISSIPPI STATE
Preseason Rank: 63; Week 6 Rank: 76; Week 12 Rank: 103
Famous from his helicopter flip on a failed fourth-down conversion attempt, Shrader gave the Bulldog faithful a brief moment of hope when he energized the Mississippi State offense. However, as the season wore on, neither Shrader nor Stevens seemed to take control of the offense as a legitimate downfield passer. Both quarterbacks threw more turnover-worthy passes than they did big-time throws, but both also added a dimension with their rushing ability as well, just not enough to bring them into the top half of quarterbacks.
80. JARRETT GUARANTANO, BRIAN MAURER – TENNESSEE
Preseason Rank: 21; Week 6 Rank: 115; Week 12 Rank: 87
Someone with all the talent in the world, Guarantano couldn’t quite get things rolling in a consistent fashion in 2019. He all too often followed up an amazing game with a dud, and not once this season did he have a repeat performance of the two game grades above 66.0. His highs were among the best in the country with two games above 90.0 overall, but some of his lows rivaled those among the worst in the nation, as he saw four single-game grades lower than 48.0. He’s a career 60.0% completion percentage kind of guy, and that was similar in 2019, but he’s yet to finish a season with a passing grade in our elite grade range despite teasing it in multiple games during his career. If he plays a full season at his highest capacity, Guarantano breaks the top 10 among all quarterbacks. Can that happen in 2020, please?
78. KELLY BRYANT – MISSOURI
Preseason Rank: 29; Week 6 Rank: 29; Week 12 Rank: 67
Doing what was asked of him in the Missouri offense, Bryant actually targeted just 95 passes further than 10 yards downfield as the Tiger offense dictated him to keep things short and simple in 2019. The trouble with that was, of all quarterbacks to attempt at least 100 passes within 10 yards of the line of scrimmage, Bryant’s adjusted completion percentage ranked just 69th out of 110. He wasn’t nearly as accurate with his passes as he was in 2017 with Clemson during the year he broke the PFF ACC record for adjusted completion percentage, but he was much better on downfield throws. His final season certainly didn’t amount to what he and the Missouri faithful thought it probably could or should have, but he did showcase an ability to find his receivers downfield that he hadn’t before.
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Posted on 1/15/20 at 4:40 pm to so_comfort
74. LYNN BOWDEN, SAWYER SMITH, TERRY WILSON – KENTUCKY
Preseason Rank: 46; Week 6 Rank: 130; Week 12 Rank: 122
A tale of three thirds instead of two halves, Kentucky’s quarterback play was a remarkable journey to go on in 2019. Wilson started the season as every bit of a dark horse Heisman contender only to see his injury completely derail the Wildcats season when Smith entered the fold. Smith had the lowest-graded game we’ve ever given to a quarterback at the college level when he became the first player to have double-digit turnover-worthy plays in a game in Week 4 against Mississippi State. Smith’s 14.3% turnover-worthy play percentage ranked as by far the highest percentage among all quarterbacks who attempted at least 100 passes this season. Bowden took the reins not as a passer but as a wildcat quarterback who could also throw, and he had his moments of success, which ultimately led to him receiving the Paul Hornung Award as the most versatile player in the country. Bowden completed just 35-of-74 passes for 403 yards but ran for 1,342 yards on designed carries and another 154 on scrambles. He broke 55 tackles, including back-to-back games of double-digit missed tackles forced in his final two outings as he totaled 13 touchdowns and another 55 first downs on the ground. He was every bit of a dynamic playmaker with the ball in his hands; he just had to catch the ball from the center instead of from a quarterback like he was used to.
66. KYLE TRASK, FELEIPE FRANKS – FLORIDA
Preseason Rank: 43; Week 6 Rank: 58; Week 12 Rank: 65
As much as Florida fans clamored for Franks to be removed for Trask, we may be at a time where those same Gator fans are asking for Emory Jones instead of Trask after his average performance in 2019. Jones’ upside is one thing – and Trask’s play this past season certainly wasn’t terrible as he completed 66.7% of his passes for 25 touchdowns and just seven interceptions. However, Trask launched just nine big-time throws compared to his 22 turnover-worthy passes, a mark that certainly isn’t pleasing on the eyes. Still, when he did find his stride, some of his passes were as pretty as any in the conference, he’ll just need to have more of those big-time throw moments instead of the play above if he wants to quiet Gator fans wanting Jones. Good thing for Trask: he has the arm to do so.
49. JOHN RHYS PLUMLEE, MATT CORRAL – OLE MISS
Preseason Rank: 50; Week 6 Rank: 63; Week 12 Rank: 48
Each quarterback for the Rebels got it done his own way in 2019 as unorthodox as it was for them to have success, however. Corral saw passing game grades above 70.0 in five of his starts while Plumlee was largely ineffective as a passer and instead relied on his incredible rushing ability. For the season, it should go down as no surprise that Corral was the significantly higher-graded passer while Plumlee was the much higher-graded rusher. If the job is Plumlee’s to lose in 2020, he’ll need to improve on his passing ability, but if he can rely on the fact that he broke off 1,067 rushing yards including 45 combined touchdowns and first downs on the ground while breaking 39 tackles, that’s a pretty good fallback. If Corral does stay around and fights for the job in 2020, he can improve on what seemed like an improved feel for the game as his starts started to trickle on early in the year. Seven of Corral’s eight big-time throws this season came across his first four starts as he got better with each insertion into the lineup.
41. KELLEN MOND – TEXAS A&M
Preseason Rank: 25; Week 6 Rank: 42; Week 12 Rank: 37
Owner of one of the best throws of the entire season, Mond had a tremendously difficult schedule to contend with at Texas A&M this season. He still navigated through difficult secondaries fielded from Clemson, Auburn, Alabama, Georgia and LSU to field a completion percentage of 61.3% and 20 passing touchdowns against just nine interceptions. Buoyed by the aforementioned top throw of the season, Mond was incredible when working to his left, completing 39 of his 69 throws to the left of the numbers for 486 yards and four scores. His season started off with a bang against Texas State with this throw.Unfortunately, he needed a few more big-time throws like that to reach a few more victories and a few more spots higher on these rankings.
8. JAKE FROMM – GEORGIA
Preseason Rank: 9; Week 6 Rank: 6; Week 12 Rank: 7
It wasn’t always pretty from Fromm this season, but he just simply got the job done when he needed to (save for one outing against South Carolina). Sure, he threw away the game, literally, against the Gamecocks, but he was entrusted with every throw and put up a passing grade of 69.0 or higher in all but two contests this year. Outside of the game against SC, he just simply didn’t make many unforced errors in 2019, and that will certainly take him far at the next level. He finished with just seven turnover-worthy throws compared to 24 big-time throws as his avoidance of negatively-graded plays was among the best in the country. He had elite passing grades on throws over the middle just the same as he did on throws outside, finishing with the 10th-most big-time throws on passes outside the numbers. Fromm’s departure to the NFL draft gives way for the Newman transfer as he’ll have big shoes to fill in Athens.
Preseason Rank: 46; Week 6 Rank: 130; Week 12 Rank: 122
A tale of three thirds instead of two halves, Kentucky’s quarterback play was a remarkable journey to go on in 2019. Wilson started the season as every bit of a dark horse Heisman contender only to see his injury completely derail the Wildcats season when Smith entered the fold. Smith had the lowest-graded game we’ve ever given to a quarterback at the college level when he became the first player to have double-digit turnover-worthy plays in a game in Week 4 against Mississippi State. Smith’s 14.3% turnover-worthy play percentage ranked as by far the highest percentage among all quarterbacks who attempted at least 100 passes this season. Bowden took the reins not as a passer but as a wildcat quarterback who could also throw, and he had his moments of success, which ultimately led to him receiving the Paul Hornung Award as the most versatile player in the country. Bowden completed just 35-of-74 passes for 403 yards but ran for 1,342 yards on designed carries and another 154 on scrambles. He broke 55 tackles, including back-to-back games of double-digit missed tackles forced in his final two outings as he totaled 13 touchdowns and another 55 first downs on the ground. He was every bit of a dynamic playmaker with the ball in his hands; he just had to catch the ball from the center instead of from a quarterback like he was used to.
66. KYLE TRASK, FELEIPE FRANKS – FLORIDA
Preseason Rank: 43; Week 6 Rank: 58; Week 12 Rank: 65
As much as Florida fans clamored for Franks to be removed for Trask, we may be at a time where those same Gator fans are asking for Emory Jones instead of Trask after his average performance in 2019. Jones’ upside is one thing – and Trask’s play this past season certainly wasn’t terrible as he completed 66.7% of his passes for 25 touchdowns and just seven interceptions. However, Trask launched just nine big-time throws compared to his 22 turnover-worthy passes, a mark that certainly isn’t pleasing on the eyes. Still, when he did find his stride, some of his passes were as pretty as any in the conference, he’ll just need to have more of those big-time throw moments instead of the play above if he wants to quiet Gator fans wanting Jones. Good thing for Trask: he has the arm to do so.
49. JOHN RHYS PLUMLEE, MATT CORRAL – OLE MISS
Preseason Rank: 50; Week 6 Rank: 63; Week 12 Rank: 48
Each quarterback for the Rebels got it done his own way in 2019 as unorthodox as it was for them to have success, however. Corral saw passing game grades above 70.0 in five of his starts while Plumlee was largely ineffective as a passer and instead relied on his incredible rushing ability. For the season, it should go down as no surprise that Corral was the significantly higher-graded passer while Plumlee was the much higher-graded rusher. If the job is Plumlee’s to lose in 2020, he’ll need to improve on his passing ability, but if he can rely on the fact that he broke off 1,067 rushing yards including 45 combined touchdowns and first downs on the ground while breaking 39 tackles, that’s a pretty good fallback. If Corral does stay around and fights for the job in 2020, he can improve on what seemed like an improved feel for the game as his starts started to trickle on early in the year. Seven of Corral’s eight big-time throws this season came across his first four starts as he got better with each insertion into the lineup.
41. KELLEN MOND – TEXAS A&M
Preseason Rank: 25; Week 6 Rank: 42; Week 12 Rank: 37
Owner of one of the best throws of the entire season, Mond had a tremendously difficult schedule to contend with at Texas A&M this season. He still navigated through difficult secondaries fielded from Clemson, Auburn, Alabama, Georgia and LSU to field a completion percentage of 61.3% and 20 passing touchdowns against just nine interceptions. Buoyed by the aforementioned top throw of the season, Mond was incredible when working to his left, completing 39 of his 69 throws to the left of the numbers for 486 yards and four scores. His season started off with a bang against Texas State with this throw.Unfortunately, he needed a few more big-time throws like that to reach a few more victories and a few more spots higher on these rankings.
8. JAKE FROMM – GEORGIA
Preseason Rank: 9; Week 6 Rank: 6; Week 12 Rank: 7
It wasn’t always pretty from Fromm this season, but he just simply got the job done when he needed to (save for one outing against South Carolina). Sure, he threw away the game, literally, against the Gamecocks, but he was entrusted with every throw and put up a passing grade of 69.0 or higher in all but two contests this year. Outside of the game against SC, he just simply didn’t make many unforced errors in 2019, and that will certainly take him far at the next level. He finished with just seven turnover-worthy throws compared to 24 big-time throws as his avoidance of negatively-graded plays was among the best in the country. He had elite passing grades on throws over the middle just the same as he did on throws outside, finishing with the 10th-most big-time throws on passes outside the numbers. Fromm’s departure to the NFL draft gives way for the Newman transfer as he’ll have big shoes to fill in Athens.
Posted on 1/15/20 at 4:41 pm to so_comfort
5. TUA TAGOVAILOA, MAC JONES – ALABAMA
Preseason Rank: 2; Week 6 Rank: 3; Week 12 Rank: 10
Finishing the year with the country’s fourth-highest and 35th-highest grades at the position, respectively, Tagovailoa and Jones paired to make one of the more compelling stories in sports this season actually one of the best quarterback situations in the country. Tagovailoa was absolutely one of the best quarterbacks in the country when he went down with a season-ending hip injury, and Jones was forced to fill huge shoes as a date with Auburn loomed large over his second collegiate start. Jones finished the Auburn game with a 75.9 passing grade and capped his season by throwing for 275 in each of his three starts to close the year, finishing with a 2-1 record, a win over Michigan and a valiant effort despite the loss against the Tigers in the Iron Bowl. For being thrust into action the way he was, it should come as no surprise that Jones was actually the country’s second-ranked quarterback from a pressured pocket, completing 66.7% of his passes and not committing a single turnover-worthy play when he was under duress. This, of course, comes on the heels of the knowledge that Tagovailoa finished as football’s fourth-ranked passer when kept clean. The duo had their highs this season, and though it didn’t end with an appearance in the playoffs, it still did culminate with a dominant win over Michigan in the Citrus Bowl that proves the Crimson Tide should be in good hands now that Tagovailoa is NFL bound.
1. JOE BURROW – LSU
Preseason Rank: 17; Week 6 Rank: 1; Week 12 Rank: 1
There has never been a season quite like Burrow’s season in 2019. Not Mayfield. Not Newton. Not Tebow. Not Winston nor Mariota. No season in history has a quarterback risen the way that Burrow did in 2019, and his season was capped by a National Championship victory over Clemson. No season in history has been as decorated as Burrow’s. No season has anyone dominated a set of statistics or advanced analytics the way Burrow did in 2019. You have to search long and hard to find a category that Burrow isn’t the highest-graded player in the PFF data. He’s the highest-graded player on throws 10 or more yards downfield, the highest-graded player under pressure, the highest-graded player on horizontal leads, the highest-graded player in the first quarter, the most accurate quarterback we’ve ever charted. The list could go on and on for Burrow and his historic season in 2019 to 2020, but I’ll leave you with the following statement. When the grading criterion for the rest of the quarterbacks went as such: “Where did he rank next to Burrow?” – you know just how special of a season it was for Broadway Jeaux, Joe Burreaux.
Preseason Rank: 2; Week 6 Rank: 3; Week 12 Rank: 10
Finishing the year with the country’s fourth-highest and 35th-highest grades at the position, respectively, Tagovailoa and Jones paired to make one of the more compelling stories in sports this season actually one of the best quarterback situations in the country. Tagovailoa was absolutely one of the best quarterbacks in the country when he went down with a season-ending hip injury, and Jones was forced to fill huge shoes as a date with Auburn loomed large over his second collegiate start. Jones finished the Auburn game with a 75.9 passing grade and capped his season by throwing for 275 in each of his three starts to close the year, finishing with a 2-1 record, a win over Michigan and a valiant effort despite the loss against the Tigers in the Iron Bowl. For being thrust into action the way he was, it should come as no surprise that Jones was actually the country’s second-ranked quarterback from a pressured pocket, completing 66.7% of his passes and not committing a single turnover-worthy play when he was under duress. This, of course, comes on the heels of the knowledge that Tagovailoa finished as football’s fourth-ranked passer when kept clean. The duo had their highs this season, and though it didn’t end with an appearance in the playoffs, it still did culminate with a dominant win over Michigan in the Citrus Bowl that proves the Crimson Tide should be in good hands now that Tagovailoa is NFL bound.
1. JOE BURROW – LSU
Preseason Rank: 17; Week 6 Rank: 1; Week 12 Rank: 1
There has never been a season quite like Burrow’s season in 2019. Not Mayfield. Not Newton. Not Tebow. Not Winston nor Mariota. No season in history has a quarterback risen the way that Burrow did in 2019, and his season was capped by a National Championship victory over Clemson. No season in history has been as decorated as Burrow’s. No season has anyone dominated a set of statistics or advanced analytics the way Burrow did in 2019. You have to search long and hard to find a category that Burrow isn’t the highest-graded player in the PFF data. He’s the highest-graded player on throws 10 or more yards downfield, the highest-graded player under pressure, the highest-graded player on horizontal leads, the highest-graded player in the first quarter, the most accurate quarterback we’ve ever charted. The list could go on and on for Burrow and his historic season in 2019 to 2020, but I’ll leave you with the following statement. When the grading criterion for the rest of the quarterbacks went as such: “Where did he rank next to Burrow?” – you know just how special of a season it was for Broadway Jeaux, Joe Burreaux.
Posted on 1/15/20 at 4:43 pm to so_comfort
Other QBs of Note:
2. TREVOR LAWRENCE – CLEMSON
Preseason Rank: 1; Week 6 Rank: 17; Week 12 Rank: 5
There was a high to Lawrence’s game in 2019 and a low to his game in 2019. The unfortunate part for the ACC and the rest of the country is that Lawrence’s lows came in just a three-game stretch to open the season, and the highs came down the back half of the year when he finished Clemson’s final seven games as the nation’s highest-graded quarterback. The highs that Lawrence has seen in his two years in college are unlike anything we’ve ever seen before at PFF as he’s finished each of his two seasons at the helm of the Tigers with historic grades. He has not thrown an interception since the first quarter in Week 8 against Louisville and has unleashed just three turnover-worthy passes over the team’s seven games, the fewest TWPs among full-time starters over the season’s second half. Unlike his first season, where he dominated in a select few categories en route to the highest grade we’ve ever given a true freshman, Lawrence doesn’t have the elite-level grades in once facet but rather has elite-level grades at all but a few facets. He was tremendous when kept free from pressure, in elite company when he was pressured, fielded the nation’s best passing grade when blitzed, the list goes on. He’s the odds-on favorite to win the 2020 Heisman Trophy for damn good reason.
3. JUSTIN FIELDS – OHIO STATE
Preseason Rank: 16; Week 6 Rank: 4; Week 12 Rank: 2
The season didn’t finish how they wanted, but Fields did more than impress in his first season as the man in charge in Columbus. He finished the year with an elite passing grade of 92.5 after completing 238-of-356 attempts for 3,273 yards and 41 touchdowns against just three interceptions, two of which came against Clemson in the Playoff. Fields was head and shoulders above the rest of the nation in several categories this year, and only Joe Burrow ranked ahead of him in most others. He was just behind Burrow in passing grade on a variety of important metrics (vertical lead, horizontal lead, kept clean, 10+ yards, 10-19 yards and more) but was the nation’s highest-graded passer on pure dropback pass attempts. On straight drop concepts, Fields completed 193-of-270 attempts for 2,556 yards and 33 touchdowns. His 24 big-time throws were a near-the-top figure, and his adjusted completion percentage of 78.1% is by far the highest in the country among quarterbacks who averaged at least 10.5 yards per target on straight dropback attempts. He is every bit the downfield, pure passer in the 2021 NFL Draft class, and he should be one of the heaviest favorites for the 2020 Heisman Trophy entering fall camp later this year.
4. JALEN HURTS – OKLAHOMA
Preseason Rank: 11; Week 6 Rank: 2; Week 12 Rank: 3
For the third consecutive year, an Oklahoma quarterback who didn’t start his career with the Sooners ended up in New York and earning Heisman votes. Although Hurts didn’t win the Heisman like his predecessors in Baker Mayfield and Kyler Murray did, he was every bit of the more talented dual-threat quarterback than those two were. He had a dominant season not just on the ground as he was every bit of a downfield passer for what seemed like the first time of his career. He finished 2019 with career-highs in grades, touchdowns, yards, yards per attempt, and just about every other situation you could drum up from the PFF advanced analytics. Hurts connected on downfield pass attempts almost at will and finished the year as the country’s 10th-ranked passer on all throws 10 or more yards downfield. He connected on 99-of-157 pass attempts downfield for 19 touchdowns and 18 big-time throws. Hurts was tremendous when kept clean from pressure, mirroring similar success he saw at Alabama and added a dimension under pressure that saw him complete 54.4% of his pressured pass attempts and nine touchdowns against just two interceptions under duress. This all goes without mentioning the fact that he led all non-option quarterbacks in rushing yards this season with 1,422 rushing yards and 918 yards on 162 designed carries. He broke 47 tackles on the ground and ripped off 20 touchdowns with another 61 first-down conversions on the ground and was every bit of the nation’s top dual-threat quarterback in 2019.
2. TREVOR LAWRENCE – CLEMSON
Preseason Rank: 1; Week 6 Rank: 17; Week 12 Rank: 5
There was a high to Lawrence’s game in 2019 and a low to his game in 2019. The unfortunate part for the ACC and the rest of the country is that Lawrence’s lows came in just a three-game stretch to open the season, and the highs came down the back half of the year when he finished Clemson’s final seven games as the nation’s highest-graded quarterback. The highs that Lawrence has seen in his two years in college are unlike anything we’ve ever seen before at PFF as he’s finished each of his two seasons at the helm of the Tigers with historic grades. He has not thrown an interception since the first quarter in Week 8 against Louisville and has unleashed just three turnover-worthy passes over the team’s seven games, the fewest TWPs among full-time starters over the season’s second half. Unlike his first season, where he dominated in a select few categories en route to the highest grade we’ve ever given a true freshman, Lawrence doesn’t have the elite-level grades in once facet but rather has elite-level grades at all but a few facets. He was tremendous when kept free from pressure, in elite company when he was pressured, fielded the nation’s best passing grade when blitzed, the list goes on. He’s the odds-on favorite to win the 2020 Heisman Trophy for damn good reason.
3. JUSTIN FIELDS – OHIO STATE
Preseason Rank: 16; Week 6 Rank: 4; Week 12 Rank: 2
The season didn’t finish how they wanted, but Fields did more than impress in his first season as the man in charge in Columbus. He finished the year with an elite passing grade of 92.5 after completing 238-of-356 attempts for 3,273 yards and 41 touchdowns against just three interceptions, two of which came against Clemson in the Playoff. Fields was head and shoulders above the rest of the nation in several categories this year, and only Joe Burrow ranked ahead of him in most others. He was just behind Burrow in passing grade on a variety of important metrics (vertical lead, horizontal lead, kept clean, 10+ yards, 10-19 yards and more) but was the nation’s highest-graded passer on pure dropback pass attempts. On straight drop concepts, Fields completed 193-of-270 attempts for 2,556 yards and 33 touchdowns. His 24 big-time throws were a near-the-top figure, and his adjusted completion percentage of 78.1% is by far the highest in the country among quarterbacks who averaged at least 10.5 yards per target on straight dropback attempts. He is every bit the downfield, pure passer in the 2021 NFL Draft class, and he should be one of the heaviest favorites for the 2020 Heisman Trophy entering fall camp later this year.
4. JALEN HURTS – OKLAHOMA
Preseason Rank: 11; Week 6 Rank: 2; Week 12 Rank: 3
For the third consecutive year, an Oklahoma quarterback who didn’t start his career with the Sooners ended up in New York and earning Heisman votes. Although Hurts didn’t win the Heisman like his predecessors in Baker Mayfield and Kyler Murray did, he was every bit of the more talented dual-threat quarterback than those two were. He had a dominant season not just on the ground as he was every bit of a downfield passer for what seemed like the first time of his career. He finished 2019 with career-highs in grades, touchdowns, yards, yards per attempt, and just about every other situation you could drum up from the PFF advanced analytics. Hurts connected on downfield pass attempts almost at will and finished the year as the country’s 10th-ranked passer on all throws 10 or more yards downfield. He connected on 99-of-157 pass attempts downfield for 19 touchdowns and 18 big-time throws. Hurts was tremendous when kept clean from pressure, mirroring similar success he saw at Alabama and added a dimension under pressure that saw him complete 54.4% of his pressured pass attempts and nine touchdowns against just two interceptions under duress. This all goes without mentioning the fact that he led all non-option quarterbacks in rushing yards this season with 1,422 rushing yards and 918 yards on 162 designed carries. He broke 47 tackles on the ground and ripped off 20 touchdowns with another 61 first-down conversions on the ground and was every bit of the nation’s top dual-threat quarterback in 2019.
Posted on 1/15/20 at 4:44 pm to so_comfort
Hilinski will improve. He was playing injured after the Bama game and the injury was exacerbated in the Georgia game. Had surgery after the season was over and will be ready to go in time for practice.
Posted on 1/15/20 at 4:44 pm to so_comfort
16. JAMIE NEWMAN, SAM HARTMAN – WAKE FOREST
Preseason Rank: 37; Week 6 Rank: 7; Week 12 Rank: 11
Newman’s services are headed to Georgia in 2020 and that leaves Hartman as the next man up. He’ll have big shoes to fill with the void of Newman’s transfer. Newman finished the year as the country’s sixth highest-graded quarterback on all throws at least 10 yards downfield, completing passes at a high rate and uncorking 22 big-time throws compared to just four turnover-worthy passes. He stood tall in the pocket and utilized his big arm to squeeze throws into tight windows, seemingly at will. When necessary, Newman took something off the ball and floated passes into his big receivers on the outside. He was the country’s 10th highest-graded passer on throws outside the numbers in 2019, completing 106-of-175 attempts for 1,548 yards, 17 touchdowns and 13 of his big-time throws came on such passes.
18. JACOB EASON – WASHINGTON
Preseason Rank: 36; Week 6 Rank: 11; Week 12 Rank: 25
Eason flipped back and forth from near-elite to shaky almost on a whim. Fortunately for him and his projection at the next level, his peaks completely outweighed his valleys in 2019. He had 10 games with game grades above 70.0 but had three game grades lower than 60.0. Eason was a completely different quarterback when pressured, again fortunately for him and his NFL projection, that is an incredibly unstable metric from one year to the next. When he was kept clean, he was the nation’s ninth-ranked quarterback by passing grade, completing 227-of-315 passes for 2,741 yards and 20 of his touchdowns. His 81.4% adjusted completion percentage when kept clean from pressure ranked the 10th-best in the country as he was absolutely dominant when given time to throw.
22. ANTHONY GORDON – WASHINGTON STATE
Preseason Rank: 95; Week 6 Rank: 22; Week 12 Rank: 13
You don’t reach 5,563 passing yards and 48 touchdowns without exploiting all levels of the field like Gordon did this season. He was the highest-graded quarterback on all throws within 10 yards of the line of scrimmage and led all quarterbacks with 3,217 yards and 22 touchdowns. He topped 300 yards in all but one game this season and even surpassed 400 yards in nine outings with multiple 500-yard performances to boot. Gordon was tremendous on all throws over the middle of the field and was the 21st-ranked quarterback all throws between the numbers. He led the country with 34 touchdowns on such throws and even had 14 big-time throws over the middle which also led the country.
26. LAYNE HATCHER, LOGAN BONNER – ARKANSAS STATE
Preseason Rank: 126; Week 6 Rank: 108; Week 12 Rank: 42
The season changed for the Red Wolves when Hatcher took over following the Georgia game as he was absolutely dominant and looked every bit like the former Alabama quarterback he was. In just nine starts, Hatcher threw for 2,899 yards and 27 touchdowns with six games surpassing 300 yards in the air. His ability to find his receivers downfield was remarkable as he finished with the country’s ninth-highest grade on throws at least 20 yards downfield. He completed 29-of60 attempts for 1,099 yards and 12 touchdowns with 21 big-time throws on deep shots. Those 21 big-time throws were the 10th most this season as he found his talented receivers outside on go routes for 699 yards and nine touchdowns, each ranking as ninth-most in the country this season.
44. CHRIS ROBISON – FAU
Preseason Rank: 81; Week 6 Rank: 35; Week 12 Rank: 41
Robison came into his own in Year 2 at FAU, completing 61.5% of his passes for 3,705 yards and 28 touchdowns. He was incredibly sharp on throws downfield, ranking 24th in overall grade on all throws targeted at least 10 yards past the line of scrimmage. He completed 94 attempts for 2,181 yards and 15 of his touchdowns on such throws and just four interceptions to boot. Pressure certainly seemed to faze him as much as the next guy, but he had an elite overall grade when kept clean and threw for 3,149 of his total passing yards and 24 of his scores when not under duress. If the improvement in his second year at FAU can be expected to repeat itself in Year 3, the sky is the limit for the Owls.
Preseason Rank: 37; Week 6 Rank: 7; Week 12 Rank: 11
Newman’s services are headed to Georgia in 2020 and that leaves Hartman as the next man up. He’ll have big shoes to fill with the void of Newman’s transfer. Newman finished the year as the country’s sixth highest-graded quarterback on all throws at least 10 yards downfield, completing passes at a high rate and uncorking 22 big-time throws compared to just four turnover-worthy passes. He stood tall in the pocket and utilized his big arm to squeeze throws into tight windows, seemingly at will. When necessary, Newman took something off the ball and floated passes into his big receivers on the outside. He was the country’s 10th highest-graded passer on throws outside the numbers in 2019, completing 106-of-175 attempts for 1,548 yards, 17 touchdowns and 13 of his big-time throws came on such passes.
18. JACOB EASON – WASHINGTON
Preseason Rank: 36; Week 6 Rank: 11; Week 12 Rank: 25
Eason flipped back and forth from near-elite to shaky almost on a whim. Fortunately for him and his projection at the next level, his peaks completely outweighed his valleys in 2019. He had 10 games with game grades above 70.0 but had three game grades lower than 60.0. Eason was a completely different quarterback when pressured, again fortunately for him and his NFL projection, that is an incredibly unstable metric from one year to the next. When he was kept clean, he was the nation’s ninth-ranked quarterback by passing grade, completing 227-of-315 passes for 2,741 yards and 20 of his touchdowns. His 81.4% adjusted completion percentage when kept clean from pressure ranked the 10th-best in the country as he was absolutely dominant when given time to throw.
22. ANTHONY GORDON – WASHINGTON STATE
Preseason Rank: 95; Week 6 Rank: 22; Week 12 Rank: 13
You don’t reach 5,563 passing yards and 48 touchdowns without exploiting all levels of the field like Gordon did this season. He was the highest-graded quarterback on all throws within 10 yards of the line of scrimmage and led all quarterbacks with 3,217 yards and 22 touchdowns. He topped 300 yards in all but one game this season and even surpassed 400 yards in nine outings with multiple 500-yard performances to boot. Gordon was tremendous on all throws over the middle of the field and was the 21st-ranked quarterback all throws between the numbers. He led the country with 34 touchdowns on such throws and even had 14 big-time throws over the middle which also led the country.
26. LAYNE HATCHER, LOGAN BONNER – ARKANSAS STATE
Preseason Rank: 126; Week 6 Rank: 108; Week 12 Rank: 42
The season changed for the Red Wolves when Hatcher took over following the Georgia game as he was absolutely dominant and looked every bit like the former Alabama quarterback he was. In just nine starts, Hatcher threw for 2,899 yards and 27 touchdowns with six games surpassing 300 yards in the air. His ability to find his receivers downfield was remarkable as he finished with the country’s ninth-highest grade on throws at least 20 yards downfield. He completed 29-of60 attempts for 1,099 yards and 12 touchdowns with 21 big-time throws on deep shots. Those 21 big-time throws were the 10th most this season as he found his talented receivers outside on go routes for 699 yards and nine touchdowns, each ranking as ninth-most in the country this season.
44. CHRIS ROBISON – FAU
Preseason Rank: 81; Week 6 Rank: 35; Week 12 Rank: 41
Robison came into his own in Year 2 at FAU, completing 61.5% of his passes for 3,705 yards and 28 touchdowns. He was incredibly sharp on throws downfield, ranking 24th in overall grade on all throws targeted at least 10 yards past the line of scrimmage. He completed 94 attempts for 2,181 yards and 15 of his touchdowns on such throws and just four interceptions to boot. Pressure certainly seemed to faze him as much as the next guy, but he had an elite overall grade when kept clean and threw for 3,149 of his total passing yards and 24 of his scores when not under duress. If the improvement in his second year at FAU can be expected to repeat itself in Year 3, the sky is the limit for the Owls.
Posted on 1/15/20 at 4:45 pm to Carolina_Girl
quote:
Hilinski will improve. He was playing injured after the Bama game and the injury was exacerbated in the Georgia game. Had surgery after the season was over and will be ready to go in time for practice.
What was the injury? Shoulder?
Posted on 1/15/20 at 4:46 pm to so_comfort
quote:
80. JARRETT GUARANTANO, BRIAN MAURER – TENNESSEE
Preseason Rank: 21; Week 6 Rank: 115; Week 12 Rank: 87
Someone with all the talent in the world, Guarantano couldn’t quite get things rolling in a consistent fashion in 2019. He all too often followed up an amazing game with a dud, and not once this season did he have a repeat performance of the two game grades above 66.0. His highs were among the best in the country with two games above 90.0 overall, but some of his lows rivaled those among the worst in the nation, as he saw four single-game grades lower than 48.0. He’s a career 60.0% completion percentage kind of guy, and that was similar in 2019, but he’s yet to finish a season with a passing grade in our elite grade range despite teasing it in multiple games during his career. If he plays a full season at his highest capacity, Guarantano breaks the top 10 among all quarterbacks. Can that happen in 2020, please?
Tennessee fans have screamed this the past 4 years. Now, we'd take just playing ok and not doing something as stupid as whet he did during the Bama game ever again.
JG has to be the most uneven, up and down, QB in CFB. His lows are as low as his highs are high and they both come within minutes or even seconds of one another.
This post was edited on 1/15/20 at 4:48 pm
Posted on 1/15/20 at 4:48 pm to so_comfort
So Newman (now at UGA) is the #2 rated returning QB in the SEC in 2020, according to PFF?
Posted on 1/15/20 at 4:49 pm to deeprig9
quote:
So Newman (now at UGA) is the #2 rated returning QB in the SEC in 2020, according to PFF?
Both QBs you ran off for Fromm are in the top 20.
Posted on 1/15/20 at 4:49 pm to so_comfort
Posted on 1/15/20 at 4:49 pm to Prof
quote:
Both QBs you ran off for Fromm are in the top 20.
So is Newman...
Posted on 1/15/20 at 4:50 pm to deeprig9
quote:
So is Newman...
Newman has never played in a legit conference. He may be great or he may be awful.
He's also coming from the Clawfense which is specialized to say the least.
This post was edited on 1/15/20 at 4:53 pm
Posted on 1/15/20 at 4:52 pm to Prof
quote:
Newman has never played in a legit conference. He may be great or he may be awful.
Neither has Fields or Eason.
(actually, Eason did in 2016 but that's not graded, and probably good that it isn't, because he didn't do too well. And Fields did get alot of snaps in 2018 but that was mostly garbage time vs backups, and also not being graded by PFF.)
This post was edited on 1/15/20 at 4:54 pm
Posted on 1/15/20 at 4:52 pm to deeprig9
quote:
So Newman (now at UGA) is the #2 rated returning QB in the SEC in 2020, according to PFF?
To be fair, these grades are for '19 and may not necessarily reflect PFF's future projections. I bet there will be some shake up when they release their pre-season projections.
Posted on 1/15/20 at 4:54 pm to deeprig9
quote:
Neither has Fields or Eason.
Say what? Both took snaps at UGA and OSU is in a legit conference. Eason was your starter until you threw him away post-injury.
Posted on 1/15/20 at 4:55 pm to so_comfort
quote:
To be fair, these grades are for '19 and may not necessarily reflect PFF's future projections. I bet there will be some shake up when they release their pre-season projections.
To be fair, PFF has him graded ahead of every other returning SEC QB except Tua. That would make him the #2 returning QB in the SEC, to be fair.
Is that fair?
Posted on 1/15/20 at 4:55 pm to Prof
quote:
Newman has never played in a legit conference. He may be great or he may be awful.
One note relevant here is that Wake Forest's talent level is considered the worst in the ACC as measured by 24/7's total team talent calculations. I find it interesting that Newman is able to be as effective as he was with relatively less talent surrounding him than his opponents.
Posted on 1/15/20 at 4:55 pm to so_comfort
Great. Now we get to hear an entire offseason about how Kellen Mond is the "Best Returning Quarterback in the SEC" based on those rankings.
Posted on 1/15/20 at 4:56 pm to Prof
quote:
OSU is in a legit conference
We'll just have to agree to disagree. You vs Everyone else. What's sad is you are willing to look like an idiot just to get a dig into UGA.
quote:
Both took snaps at UGA
Yes and I addressed that in my edit.
This post was edited on 1/15/20 at 4:57 pm
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