Who are the best quarterbacks coming into the 2019 college football season? Here are the 2019 CFN All-America quarterbacks and 30 top players.
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2019 CFN Preseason All-America Quarterbacks
Who are the best quarterbacks coming into the 2019 college football season? There could easily be another 20+ on this list, and the final All-America team will likely be far different – we see you Washington State starter and, maybe, Justin Fields – but only 30 make the initial cut. Based on projections for this year – and not necessarily based on pro talent and potential ….
Honorable Mention All-Americans
30. Zac Thomas, Jr. Appalachian State
He might not be a big bomber, but he’s a steady and efficient passer who’s perfect for what the Mountaineers need. He completed 63% of his passes with 21 touchdowns and just six picks, and he ran for 504 yards and ten scores.
29. Cole McDonald, Jr. Hawaii
This is all about the stats, and please change this in a hurry to Chevan Cordeiro depending on who grabs the starting gig. The Hawaii quarterback will flirt with 4,000 yards, with McDonald coming off a 3,875-yard, 36 touchdown season. Consistency is the key, and that’s going to be an issue against a brutal schedule.
28. Nathan Rourke, Sr. Ohio
If you’re one of those college fantasy types, here’s your guy. Rourke is the star of what should be the MAC’s best team, rushing for 860 yards and 15 scores after running for 21 touchdowns the year before. He’s not quite accurate enough, but he won’t make a ton of mistakes.
27. Jacob Eason, Jr. Washington
It’s all there for the former Georgia starter to come up with something fantastic. He’s got the tools, he’s got the time in the system, and he’s got the team around him to grow into the pro prospect he was expected to become as a Bulldog.
26. Jake Bentley, Sr. South Carolina
Underappreciated, the four-year starter is a big, steady passer who’s been through it all. He won’t run a lot, and he throws way too many interceptions, but he’s a key veteran in what should be a trying schedule – the schedule isn’t fair.
25. Josh Jackson, Jr. Maryland
Sort of forgotten about in the transfer mix, he first needs to get healthy, then stay healthy, and then build off what he was able to do as a freshman at Virginia Tech a few years ago. He’s the type of do-it-all quarterback who might finally settle an always-shaky situation for the Terps.
24. Alan Bowman, Soph. Texas Tech
He was well on his way to a massive season before getting knocked out in early November. When he was on, he was amazing, hitting 69% of his throws for 2,637 yards with 17 touchdowns and seven picks as a freshman. Under new head coach Matt Wells, the gigantic passing games will keep on rolling.
23. Austin Kendall, Jr. West Virginia
It’s been done to death that he was neck-and-neck with Kyler Murray for the Oklahoma starting job, but … he was neck-and-neck with Kyler Murray for the Oklahoma starting job. He might not be Will Grier, but he’s about to have a massive season under first year head man Neal Brown.
22. Feleipe Franks, Jr. Florida
Call this a bit of a projection and an assumption that he’ll take his game to another level in his third year with the Gators. He’s got the dream size and tools, and he doesn’t throw picks. Now he has to build off his big end to last season and be more of a playmaker.
21. Charlie Brewer, Jr. Baylor
Lost a bit in the shuffle of Big 12 quarterbacks, the 6-1, 202-pound Brewer was able to bomb away with the best of them on the way to a 3,019-yard, 19-touchdown season. He can run a little, too – scoring seven times – and now in his third year, he’s in for a fantastic overall campaign.
20. Brady White, Sr. Memphis
The Tiger running game made the big splash, but White turned in a fantastic season. Now the offense will be more on the former Arizona State Sun Devil’s shoulders after throwing for close to 3,300 yards with 26 scores and nine picks.
19. Mason Fine, Sr. North Texas
Back for what seems like his gajillionth season at the helm, the four-year starter is on pace to finish among the greatest passers – at least in terms of bulk yards – of all-time. He’s not big, and he’s not much of a runner, but he puts up massive numbers.
18. Brock Purdy, Soph. Iowa State
The Iowa State was going nowhere, and then Purdy rose up in his freshman season and turned the 2018 season around. A baller, he’ll do whatever is needed to make something happen, but he has to cut own on his picks – throwing seven – and he has to continue to be 66% accurate.
17. Jordan Love, Jr. Utah State
How will his game and the Aggie offense change with head coach Matt Wells off to Texas Tech and Gary Andersen taking over? Not much, but the Aggies lot most of their top receivers. Fortunately, the 6-4, 225-pound Love is sharp enough and accurate enough – throwing for 3,567 yards and 32 touchdowns and six picks with seven touchdown runs – to make everyone around him better.
16. Ian Book, Sr. Notre Dame
The Irish offense isn’t going away from the high-powered ground game, but with a deadly-accurate veteran passer in Book – completing 68% of his passes – will be the main man for the attack. He’ll start pushing the ball down the field a bit more.
15. Kellen Mond, Jr. Texas A&M
Still just a junior – it seems like he’s been around since the RC Slocum era – Mond is still growing into his skills. With a great receiving corps around him in the Jimbo Fisher attack, he’s coming off a 3,107-yard, 24 touchdown, nine-pick season with seven rushing scores. Expect a whole lot more.15. Steven Montez, Sr. Colorado
14. KJ Costello, Sr. Stanford
The NFL types are going to fall in love with him more and more through the process. Costello is 6-5 and 215 pounds with a deep arm, averaging 8.6 yards per pass with 3,540 yards and 29 scores. He threw 11 picks, but he’ll push the ball and make big things happen.
13. Khalil Tate, Sr. Arizona
One of the most dynamic playmakers in college football stopped running last year under new head man Kevin Sumlin. He wasn’t accurate enough – completing 56% of his throws – but he made a whole lot of big plays and threw 26 touchdown passes. If he gets turned loose, though, it might be Johnny Manziel time.
12. Shea Patterson, Sr. Michigan
The former Ole Miss star had a decent first season at Michigan – completing 65% of his passes for 2,600 yards and 22 scores with seven picks – and now he knows what he’s doing. With a switch to a higher-octane passing game, and with a loaded group of receivers to work with, look out.
11. Nate Stanley, Sr. Iowa
If would be nice if he could be more accurate and consistent – he completed just 59% of his throws with ten picks – and he isn’t going to run, but the 6-4, 242-pounder has NFL upside and big bombing skills. There’s nothing flashy about his game, but he might just be the Big Ten’s best quarterback.
NEXT: 2019 Preseason Top Ten Quarterbacks
10. Adrian Martinez, Soph. Nebraska
Scott Frost’s main man made a whole slew of rookie mistakes, and took too many big shots – that’s not going to stop – but he also showed the flash and upside to become something special. He ran for 629 yards and eight scores and hit 65% of his throws for 2,617 yards and 17 scores, and he’s just getting started. Get ready for the Husker attack to soon go nuclear.
9. Bryce Perkins, Sr., Virginia
The do-it-all star who’s the perfect fit for the Bronco Mendenhall offense, the 6-3, 210-pound Perkins came in from Arizona State and hit 65% of his passes for 2,680 yards with 25 touchdowns and nine picks, and he ran for 923 yards and nine touchdowns. Virginia will be one of the it teams of 2019, and Perkins will be a big reason why.
8. D’Eriq King, Sr. Houston
He’s coming off a knee injury – that’s the only reason why he’s not even higher. He’s only 5-11 and 195 pounds, but he’s a bomber who averaged close to nine yards per throw with 36 touchdowns – and 14 rushing scores – before getting hurt, D’Eriq, meet the Dana Holgorsen era. The stats are going to be jaw-dropping if he can stay in one piece.
7. Kelly Bryant, Sr. Missouri
He’s a better pro passer than you think. His No. 1 negative is that he isn’t Trevor Lawrence, and now he should rise up and thrive in the Missouri offense where he’ll get to take his skills up a notch. He connected on 66% of his passes at Clemson, ran for 11 scores two years ago, and was a terrific leader – he’s exactly what Mizzou needed after losing Drew Lock.
6. Justin Herbert, Sr. Oregon
The pressure is on to be a special talent on a potentially special Oregon team. Had he left early for the NFL, he’s have likely been a New York Giant instead of Daniel Jones, but he’ll do just fine for himself in the 2020 NFL Draft. This year, he has to prove he can be more accurate and win more big games, but as is he’s great, and he can get even better.
5. Jalen Hurts, Sr. Oklahoma
Don’t be so certain he can’t be another Baker Mayfield or Kyler Murray. Nah, he’s not the same sort of passer, but he hit 63% of his throws at Alabama with 48 touchdowns and just 12 picks, and he finished his Crimson Tide career with close to 2,000 rushing yards and 23 scores. Throw in his leadership and experience, and he’s an amazing get for the Sooners.
4. Sam Ehlinger, Jr. Texas
It’s not fair or quite right to call him Texas Tebow, but that’s his style. He’s got the attitude, he’s a lightning rod, and he doesn’t shy away from anything. The face of the franchise threw for close to 3,300 yards with 25 touchdowns and five picks, and he barreled his way for 482 yards and 16 scores. Love him or hate him, he’s going to be a whole lot of fun.
CFN Third Team All-America Quarterback
Jake Fromm, Jr. Georgia
Shhhhhhhhh, but don’t be shocked if No. 11 makes it more of a battle to be the No. 1 overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft than you might think. The 6-2, 220-pounder isn’t going to run, but he’s deadly accurate, has all the tools, and he’s got the franchise quarterback’s mentality. Jacob Eason and Justin Fields were top overall recruiting prospects, and now they’re somewhere else – there’s a reason for that. The problem? Fromm doesn’t have the receivers – at least, he doesn’t have the veteran targets. The stats might dip a bit, but he’ll continue to be ultra-efficient.
– 2019 Georgia Preview
CFN Second Team All-America Quarterback
Trevor Lawrence, Soph., Clemson
There’s no argument here if you want to put him at No. 1 – he’d be an Arizona Cardinal right now if he could’ve turned pro after his freshman season. 65% passing for 3,280 yards and 30 touchdowns with four picks, a rushing touchdown, an ACC title, and a national championship. As true freshman seasons go, that’s not bad. Expect more of the same with another loaded offense full of next-level skill guys to work with.
– 2019 Clemson Preview
CFN Preseason All-America Quarterback
Tua Tagovailoa, Jr. Alabama
The narrative changed late in the season after he got banged up, but that’s part of the puzzle. Between a wrist problem last offseason, to his knee and ankle issues late in the year, he’s having a hard time staying healthy. When he’s right, he’s an all-timer of a gunslinging talent.
With 3,966 yards, 43 touchdown passes and six picks with five rushing scores, he put up one of the most efficient and effective seasons in the history of college football. With the nation’s best receiving corps returning, expect another year of over 11 yards per pass and another amazing run.
– 2019 Alabama Preview
