Alabama Football: Where SEC quarterbacks rank among all FBS teams

Alabama football, QB, Mac Jones and other SEC QBs rated nationally.

A request to Alabama football fans – please don’t shoot the messenger. If today needs to be a major rant day for you, take on the idiots who placed the Alabama football win total at plus-minus, 7.5 wins.

This post considers a recent ranking of the projected starters for all 130 FBS teams. Currently, only 76 teams will compete this fall. Ohio State, Nebraska and a few other schools want to play games, so the number participating could go up – or down.

The data source for this post is Pro Football Focus (PFF). They do more than analysis of the NFL. A recent ranking of the 130 FBS quarterbacks was vaguely described as,

"Taking into account each projected starter’s play-by-play grading profile in addition to several other data points"

In fairness to PFF, they are every bit as entitled to protecting their algorithms as ESPN. Their service cannot offer transparency.

A fair warning – Alabama football fans will not be pleased with the results. Auburn fans will absolutely hate them. PFF is a good data source. We present their analysis without delving into agreement or disagreement.

Not surprising, Clemson’s Trevor Lawrence is rated No. 1.  No. 2 on the list, Justin Fields may not have games to play in. Among the Top 50 rated by PFF, Fields and 12 others will likely miss the 2020 season. Unless they choose to transfer quickly, and the NCAA moves unusually expeditiously and gives them immediate eligibility.

PFF rates the SEC quarterback starters being led by Jamie Newman at Georgia. That conclusion requires a belief J.T. Daniels cannot beat out Newman. In the 130 QB list, PFF has Newman as No. 3.

Here is the complete of SEC QB starters with their national ranking in parentheses.

1. Jamie Newman – Georgia Bulldogs (No. 3 in FBS)
2. Kellen Mond – Texas A&M Aggies (No. 16)
3. K.J. Costello – Mississippi State Bulldogs (No. 18)
4. Mac Jones – Alabama Crimson Tide (No. 24)
5. John Rhys Plumlee – Ole Miss Rebels (No. 29)
6. Jarrett Quarantano – Tennessee Volunteers (No. 36)
7. Myles Brennan – LSU Bengal Tigers (No. 42)
8. Kyle Trask – Florida Gators (No. 48)
9. Feleipe Franks – Arkansas Razorbacks (No. 53)
10. Terry Wilson – Kentucky Wildcats (No. 76)
11. Bo Nix – Auburn Tigers (No. 95)
12. Ryan Helinski – South Carolina Gamecocks (No. 100)
13. Ken Seals – Vanderbilt Commodores (No. 104)
14. Shawn Robinson – Missouri Tigers (No. 110)

Earlier we wrote about Missouri’s Eli Drinkwitz planning to keep his starter a secret and how Shawn Robinson might be glad if it is not him. The Bo Nix ranking will draw howls down on the Plains. According to Auburn fans, Bo will be a Heisman Finalist. A rating of No. 95 out of 130 FBS QBs, does not shout out Heisman.

Maybe Bo will be much better than PFF projects, but it is interesting to see some of the programs PFF believes have better QBs.

• Coastal Carolina at No. 78
• South Alabama at No. 80
• Toledo at No. 81
• Akron at No. 83
• Eastern Michigan at No. 87
• Western Michigan at No. 89
• San Diego State at No. 91

Alabama football fans will remember Iowa State’s Brock Purdy, who is rated No. 8 nationally. Purdy considered joining the Alabama Crimson Tide but appeared destined to buried in the depth chart.