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CFB Catch All Thread -- 2022


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Breaking Down the 'New Guys' Likely Starting at QB for Top 25 Teams

DAVID KENYON         JUNE 9, 2022

The most important player on any football team is the quarterback. And in 2022, nearly 40 percent of college football's early Top 25 teams will have a new signal-caller.

Most notably, projected Top 10 programs Texas A&M, Notre Dame and USC each have a vacancy behind center for next season. While most players here are reasonably familiar thanks to recruiting status, previous QB competitions or otherwise, at least a couple of them likely need an introduction to much of the CFB world.

To create a minimally biased Top 25, we used offseason polls at Pro Football Focus, 247Sports, ESPN, Athlon and The Athletic to create a composite ranking.

From there, we've highlighted the programs that do not return their starting quarterback in 2022.

Cincinnati Bearcats

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Ian Johnson/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Composite team ranking: 25

For the last four seasons, Desmond Ridder guided the Cincinnati offense. He capped an excellent college career with a trip to the College Football Playoff.

The school's next quarterback might be an old friend.

Ben Bryant served as the third-stringer in 2018 and backup for two years before transferring to Eastern Michigan. Last season, he threw for 3,121 yards and 14 touchdowns while helping the MAC squad make a bowl game. Bryant returned to Cincinnati this offseason.

The other option is Evan Prater, who arrived as the highest-rated recruit in program history two cycles ago. He's logged 11 pass attempts and 14 carries over the last two seasons.

As spring practice ended, per Keith Jenkins of the Cincinnati Enquirer, UC coach Luke Fickell noted he doesn't see a leader in the competition yet.

Texas Longhorns

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Tim Warner/Getty Images

Composite team ranking: 24

The highest-profile QB battle is at Texas.

Casey Thompson started for most of the 2021 season but has since headed to Nebraska. He had replaced Hudson Card, who initially won the starting job—which he's trying to do again opposite Quinn Ewers, the high-profile transfer from Ohio State.

Once committed to Texas, Ewers reclassified into the previous recruiting cycle and flipped to OSU. He served as the fourth-stringer and entered one game.

Ewers, nevertheless, seems to have become the consensus choice. That's not a surprise, considering he was the No. 1 overall prospect of the 2021 class.

But this competition won't be decided until fall camp.

Ole Miss Rebels

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Michael Urakami/Getty Images

Composite team ranking: 22

Ole Miss has the inglorious honor of replacing Matt Corral, one of the most productive QBs in school history.

In his place, the Rebels will probably be turning to star transfer Jaxson Dart. He made six appearances for USC last season, throwing for 1,353 yards and nine touchdowns to five interceptions. Dart rushed for 43 yards and two scores, as well.

However, the position isn't being gifted to him.

Luke Altmyer, the backup in 2021, earned more praise from Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin following the spring game. Altmyer is familiar with the offense as a returning player, which is surely beneficial for him.

As with Cincinnati and Texas, this competition remains undecided—and might even linger into September.

Pitt Panthers

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Harry How/Getty Images

Composite team ranking: 16

In one corner, Pitt has Nick Patti. He's a longtime backup with two career starts, though his most recent—last season's Peach Bowl against Michigan State—ended abruptly when Patti broke his collarbone.

The challenger is USC transfer Kedon Slovis, who enjoyed a breakout year as a true freshman in 2019 but struggled to match that performance in 2020 and 2021.

Slovis is expected to win the right to replace Kenny Pickett, but Pitt coach Pat Narduzzi hasn't tipped his hand, either.

One extra note: Pitt added Dartmouth transfer Derek Kyler on Wednesday. Although he's not likely to start, Kyler won a pair of Ivy League titles and threw 42 touchdowns to six interceptions. Tuck that one away, perhaps.

Oklahoma Sooners

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Brian Bahr/Getty Images

Composite team ranking: 13

Isn't it great when a coaching staff doesn't pretend to have a pseudo-competition when the answer is obvious?

Oklahoma had a massive void at the position after Caleb Williams transferred to USC and Spencer Rattler went to South Carolina. New coach Brent Venables hired Jeff Lebby as the offensive coordinator, and the Sooners swiped UCF transfer Dillon Gabriel from his commitment to UCLA.

Lebby previously coached the southpaw at UCF in 2019. Gabriel put together back-to-back seasons of 3,500-plus yards and 29-plus touchdowns before a broken collarbone limited him in 2021.

And, as a result, Lebby announced Gabriel as the starting QB in February—you know, weeks before he even took a practice rep.

Two plus two indeed equals four in Norman. How refreshing.

Oregon Ducks

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Abbie Parr/Getty Images

Composite team ranking: T-14

Experience does not always tell the story, but it's hard to observe this sequence and ignore the signs.

Oregon hired former Georgia defensive coordinator Dan Lanning early in December and landed Bo Nix one week later. Nix struggled in all three matchups with UGA, yet Lanning and the Ducks quickly made the Auburn transfer a top priority.

If anyone other than Nix suits up for Oregon in the season opener against Georgia, it'd be a surprise.

Nix has more than 1,000 career pass attempts in college. Ty Thompson and Jay Butterfield have combined for just 18, which all happened in their backup roles last season.

Baylor Bears

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Ron Jenkins/Getty Images

Composite team ranking: 12

Hey, we already know this one!

After spring practice, SicEm365 reported Blake Shapen had earned the QB1 label. He beat out Gerry Bohanon, who totaled 2,517 yards and 27 touchdowns last season.

Bohanon put the Bears on the brink of a Big 12 title, but a hamstring injury sidelined him for the championship game. Shapen led Baylor to that victory, won the competition this spring and ultimately compelled Bohanon's transfer to South Florida.

Shapen completed 72.1 percent of his 86 passes last season, finishing with 596 yards, five touchdowns and zero interceptions.

USC Trojans

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Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images

Composite team ranking: 10

Even though USC coach Lincoln Riley won't admit it, we certainly know this answer, too.

When preseason Heisman Trophy favorite Spencer Rattler faltered early in 2021, Riley and Oklahoma turned to Caleb Williams. The 5-star freshman responded with 2,184 total yards and 26 touchdowns to only four interceptions in the Sooners' last eight games.

Riley bolted for USC, and Williams soon followed. There's no question he'll be the starter this season.

Williams officially needs to beat out Miller Moss in the fall, but that's merely a formality.

Notre Dame Fighting Irish

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Michael Hickey/Getty Images

Composite team ranking: 7

Notre Dame fans are undoubtedly eager to see Tyler Buchner in a full-time role. He was a coveted 4-star prospect who amassed some preposterous numbers—more than 6,000 offensive yards with 81 touchdowns—in his final high school season.

They'll probably get that opportunity in 2022, but it's not finalized.

Buchner needs to separate from Drew Pyne, who logged meaningful snaps against Wisconsin and Cincinnati last season. Pyne also served as Ian Book's backup in 2020.

Because an ankle issue sidelined the dual-threat Buchner in the spring game, we missed a much-anticipated chance for comparison. Clarity will arrive in the fall.

Texas A&M Aggies

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John Korduner/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Composite team ranking: 4

If there's a more intriguing battle on the list, let us know. Our vote is soundly on Texas A&M's competition.

Haynes King initially landed the nod in 2021 before a broken right tibia halted the dual-threat QB's year in the Aggies' second game. Zach Calzada replaced him and sparked the upset of Alabama, but he otherwise had mixed results and transferred to Auburn in the offseason.

Calzada's decision also followed Max Johnson leaving LSU for Texas A&M. The left-hander, who's more of a pocket passer, threw for 2,814 yards and 27 touchdowns with six interceptions last year.

Additionally, the Aggies inked 5-star freshman Conner Weigman in their historic recruiting class. He enrolled early and participated in the spring.

King and Johnson are the leading contenders, and A&M's competition will probably run deep into August.

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JT Daniels left off the list above since wvu is not listed in their Composite Top 25.  

"The move to Morgantown reunites Daniels with Graham Harrell, another important factor in his decision. Harrell is the new offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at West Virginia. Harrell overlapped with Daniels as the offensive coordinator at USC in 2019."

 

Edited by LTtxfan
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Pretty weak effort on B12 transfers in this article

Big 12 football transfers: New QBs at Texas, West Virginia among additions poised to make impact in 2022

Shehan Jeyarajah  3 days ago

The wildest transfer offseason in the history of college football has mercifully come to a close, and the Big 12 has been transformed as a result. Five Big 12 programs rank among the top 26 in the 247Sports Transfer Rankings, including flagship programs Oklahoma and Texas at No. 4 and No. 5 respectively. 

Perhaps more than any other league in the nation, transfers will dominate Big 12 quarterback battles. Four new transfers are considered favorites to win starting jobs in the fall. Former transfers at Texas Tech, Kansas and TCU are still involved in quarterback battles. 

All that to say, which transfers hit could play a major role in winning the Big 12 championship. Here are five transfer players who will have the biggest impacts on the 2022 Big 12 season, along with a key transfer from every Big 12 squad. 

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Texas QB Quinn Ewers

The case for Ewers is simple. When Ewers flipped from Texas to Ohio State as the No. 1 overall recruit in the nation, it doomed the Tom Herman era. Now, Steve Sarkisian will get a second life as Ewers returns to his home state for the 2022 season. While the quarterback battle remains open, Ewers is a heavy favorite to eventually take over the job and try to capitalize on top-five rankings in both high school and transfer signing classes. 

Baylor DL Jaxon Player

The Bears already returned virtually every contributor in the trenches on both sides of the ball, but the Tulsa transfer Player ranked among the most disruptive defensive linemen on the market. Player accumulated 31 tackles for loss and eight sacks in four seasons with the Golden Hurricane, including 15 tackles for loss as a senior while playing primarily on the interior. Whether he lines up inside or outside, Player will pair with Siaki Ika to form a dominant defensive line duo in the Big 12. With key players gone at safety and linebacker, Player gives Baylor a new way to produce dominant defensive results. 

Kansas State QB Adrian Martinez

Martinez ranks as one of the most productive quarterbacks in college football over the past four years at Nebraska, but also ranks as one of the most unpredictable. He had strong games in near upsets of Michigan and Michigan State, but threw a combined six interceptions to cost the Cornhuskers games against Purdue and Wisconsin. Luckily, K-State coach Chris Klieman has made a career of creating favorable situations for quarterbacks, and Deuce Vaughn is the best player Martinez has ever played with. If Kansas State can reel in Martinez's worst habits, don't be surprised to see the Wildcats become a dark horse Big 12 contender. 

Oklahoma LB T.D. Roof

Sooners quarterback Dillon Gabriel could easily make this list, but offense hasn't been the primary issue in Norman. Oklahoma, over the past half a decade. Roof has been a journeyman over his collegiate career with stops at Georgia Tech and Indiana. However, Roof finally found his rhythm at Appalachian State, accumulating 67 tackles, 10 tackles for loss and a pair of interceptions. The Sooners lost five defensive players to the NFL Draft, but Roof should slide in and provide immediate disruption in a reloading unit. It doesn't hurt that Roof should know the system well – his father is defensive coordinator Ted Roof. 

West Virginia QB JT Daniels

The Mountaineers have been looking for a quarterback since the instant Neal Brown joined the program, and Daniels ranked as one of the more proven options on the market. Daniels has thrown for nearly 5,000 yards in his career on 610 pass attempts at USC and Georgia combined, but teaming up with former offensive coordinator Graham Harrell at WVU gives him a chance to recapture his old form. The Mountaineers need to make major strides at receiver and on the offensive line, but Daniels raises the floor dramatically relative to the struggles of previous years. 

Top transfers for remaining Big 12 teams

Iowa State -- LB Colby Reeder 

The Cyclones lost numerous key defenders to graduation, but perhaps none bigger than star middle linebacker Mike Rose. Luckily, Iowa State might have his replacement in the productive Delaware transfer who posted 56 tackles, 3.5 sacks and two interceptions in just eight games. 

Kansas -- RB Ky Thomas

The Minnesota transfer took over for Mo Ibrahim after the latter's season-ending injury and rushed for 824 yards and six touchdowns, including five 100-yard games. Thomas should fit perfectly next to Devin Neal to form one of the most intriguing backfields in the conference. 

Oklahoma State -- OL Casey Collier

The Cowboys took a small transfer class after reaching the Big 12 championship game in 2021, but nabbed a strong piece in ex-USC lineman Collier to add some much-needed depth on the offensive line. 

TCU -- OL Alan Ali

Ali followed Sonny Dykes across the Metroplex and immediately stakes his claim as the Frogs' most proven offensive lineman. The sixth-year senior from Fort Worth, Texas, has started 39 games on the interior offensive line in his career, and should allow returner Steve Avila to shift out to guard full time. 

Texas Tech -- TE Baylor Cupp 

The Brock, Texas, product was once the No. 1 tight end recruit in the nation at Texas A&M, but struggled to deal with injuries and fell behind Jalen Wydermyer in the rotation. However, if he can stay healthy, Cupp gives offensive coordinator Zach Kittley a scary, versatile weapon to help build the intermediate passing game around. 

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Oh. My. God. Trickeration simply cannot be allowed in football. Defining Fake slides and making them illegal is a wonderful place to start, protecting the poor, fragile quarterbacks from the potential results of their attempted dishonesty. 

And keeping those kneecaps covered has to be a high priority for the officiating crews. The massive damage that has been happening to so many short-pants players must be stopped, as soon as possible, if not even before.

Not addressed at the meetings, but must be considered soon: another bit of guile that makes a mockery of our favored game, namely the Pump Fake. This disgusting bit of double-dealing has been robbing honest defenders of their right to cover receivers closely, for many years now. Any arm motion toward the LOS that is not completed by releasing the ball, will be declared an incomplete pass, and penalty will be loss of down and LOS shall be at the spot if the infraction.  A pass motion away from the LOS (AKA "lateral") that is not released will be declared a fumble, with the passing team recovering at the location of the fake receiver. Penalty will be loss of down and a thirteen-second runoff of the game clock. These calls of Pump Fakery will not be subject to review.

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Report: Nearly half of FBS schools could start transfers at QB this fall

The data explains why quarterbacks can be picky when coming out of high school.

ZACH BARNETT         JUL 13, 2022

Mike Huguenin of On3 crunched the numbers and found that 58 schools are expected to start transfers at quarterback to begin the 2022 season. 

That number could grow or shrink as various competitions declare winners over the month of August, but chances are the final number as Week 1 arrives will be somewhere in the neighborhood of 58.

Is that.... more than you expected? Less? Put the sports gun to my head, and I'd have guessed less than 58 anticipated starters, which equates to 45 percent of the 131 QB1 jobs.

One trend that did surprise me, and likely you, was that fears of Power 5 schools using the Group of 5 as their farm systems are overblown, at least at the quarterback position.

According to Huguenin's research only two schools are projected to start transfers from the Group of 5 or FCS level, and one comes with an asterisk. The FCS transfer is Washington State's Cam Ward, who followed his coach Eric Morris to the Palouse. Morris was Ward's head coach at Incarnate Word and will be his offensive coordinator at Wazzu.

The only "true" mid-major to high-major transfer is Virginia Tech's Grant Wells, who arrived in Blacksburg after starting the last two seasons at Marshall.

Don't get it twisted: plenty of Power 5 schools will still start transfers. They just happen to choose almost exclusively from other Power 5 schools.

The data says that Group of 5 schools also prefer Power 5 transfers to the alternative, in news that likely doesn't surprise anyone. 

Of the 30 projected transfer QB1s at the G5 level, 19 came from Power 5 schools.

If anything, the numbers underscore the importance of signing with a Power 5 school out of high school.  The elevator makes far more trips down a level than up. 

Read the full story here.

Quote

From link above, B12

Big 12

Overview: Five teams could have transfers who start, including four who transferred this offseason. Four are from Power 5 schools, and the other is from a Group of 5 program.

The transfers
Kansas State: *Adrian Martinez (from Nebraska)
Oklahoma: *Dillon Gabriel (from UCF)
Texas: *Quinn Ewers (from Ohio State)
Texas Tech: Tyler Shough (from Oregon)
West Virginia: *J.T. Daniels (from Georgia)

Note: Max Duggan returns as TCU’s starter, but Chandler Morris – who began his career at Oklahoma before entering the transfer portal and picking TCU last season – could win the starting job in summer camp. … Daniels is on his third school – USC first, then Georgia and now WVU.

 

Edited by LTtxfan
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