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Who has the best QB group in the ACC?
Aug 3, 2015, 2:09 PM
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http://espn.go.com/blog/acc/post/_/id/83755/take-2-who-has-the-best-qb-group-in-the-acc
Take 2: Who has the best QB group in the ACC?
By Matt Fortuna
It’s the year of the quarterback in the ACC. But while the league has a number of elite starters, it’s also worth remembering that five teams started their No. 2 QBs at some point last year, and two of them — Syracuse and Louisville — started three different quarterbacks. In other words, depth matters, too, and as we kick off our series examining the best position groups in the ACC, the Plan B options weigh into our top choices.
David Hale says North Carolina’s QB situation is the ACC’s best: I’ll happily concede that Brad Kaaya is more talented, Justin Thomas is a better fit with his team, and Deshaun Watson perhaps has the highest upside of them all. But Marquise Williams is knocking on the door of the elite category, too, even if most of the college football world hasn’t taken notice.
Here’s a quick look at stats for two QBs from last season:
Player A: 3,799 yards of offense, 32 total TDs, 12 turnovers
Player B: 3,856 yards of offense, 35 total TDs, 13 turnovers
The first player is UCLA’s Brett Hundley, who entered last year with Heisman hype and ended it as one of the country’s elite QBs. The second player, whose numbers are nearly identical, is Williams. So why isn’t the UNC QB getting any Heisman hype now?
That’s probably a question for another day, but the point is Williams has been as dynamic as any quarterback in the ACC, and he’s still getting better. What sets North Carolina’s situation apart, however, is the guy behind the starter.
Mitch Trubisky showed enough in practice last fall that he was getting routine playing time early in the year. He was hyped as a recruit, and his upside as a dual-threat QB is probably higher than Williams’. In other words, UNC could plug Trubisky in as the starter, and from a skills standpoint, it wouldn’t miss a beat.
Trubisky also got some key reps last year, including a game-winning TD throw against Virginia when Williams was sidelined after his helmet popped off. With Williams injured this spring, Trubisky got the bulk of the first-team reps, again, and while Williams now says he’s as healthy as he ever has been, it’s safe to say Larry Fedora feels awfully good about his options even if the injury bug bites again.
Matt Fortuna says FSU's is the best: Even without Jameis Winston, Florida State was probably going to be my choice for this debate based on two simple factors: Recruiting at the position and the genius of coach Jimbo Fisher, who has had his last three starting quarterbacks drafted in the first round.
Now? All the Seminoles do is add in a player with national title game experience, one who was on the Heisman Trophy short list for much of last season and who went toe-to-toe with Winston last year in one of the best games of the season.
No, Everett Golson is not Winston. And yes, the fact he is transferring from Notre Dame for his fifth and final season is not exactly the best of looks, but given the number of ups and downs Golson had experienced both on and off the field in South Bend, he was probably in need of a fresh start. And what better place than Tallahassee?
Everyone knows what Fisher is capable of getting out of his quarterbacks. And he has a great talent at his disposal now in Golson, a dual-threat signal-caller whose ridiculously strong arm belies his 6-foot, 199-pound frame. For all of his faults last year — and there sure were plenty down the stretch — Golson still threw for 3,445 yards and 29 touchdowns, and he ran for eight more scores. He also, for the record, led Notre Dame past Marquise Williams and North Carolina in a back-and-forth 50-43 affair.
Of course, Golson still needs to win the starting job. But he has a great opponent to push him in Sean Maguire. Remember him? As a redshirt sophomore thrust into the starting role because of Winston's suspension, Maguire overcame the eventual No. 1 defense in the country last year to beat Clemson, effectively keeping the Noles' division, league and College Football Playoff hopes alive. He also had the benefit of being the No. 1 guy for FSU this past spring, giving him more time than Golson to absorb all of the demands of a Fisher offense.
The guess here is that Golson will be the guy. But the fact we need to even ask that about a player with the resume Golson has speaks to the kind of QB depth at FSU.
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