With Marcus Mariota and Jameis Winston headed to the NFL, there's an opportunity for some new blood to step up and write their own chapter in college football history. Will 2015's best QB be one of Ohio State's trio? Will Trevone Boykin or Dak Prescott build on impressive 2014 campaigns? Let's take a look at where things stand:
JUST MISSED THE CUT:
Braxton Miller, Ohio State - we need to see how he looks after a season out before we can put him back among the elite.
Jared Goff, California - fantastic 2014, but Cal's system inflates his numbers and the lack of mobility is a concern.
DeShaun Watson, Clemson - his freshman performances were stunning, but we need to see how a surgically repaired ACL affects his game before we add him to the list.
Cardale Jones, Ohio State - if Jones played a full season like he did in his three starts, he'd be near the top of this list. We need a larger sample size, though.
6. Anu Solomon, Arizona
Solomon surprised plenty of people by leading his team to the Pac-12 title game as a redshirt freshman, and he'll be determined to improve on their slightly disappointing finish to the season (after losing to Oregon 51-13 in the Pac-12 title game, the Wildcats lost the Fiesta Bowl to #21 Boise State). Solomon's accuracy needs to improve, but he'll be even more dangerous when it does.
5. Connor Cook, Michigan State
Cook might have the highest NFL ceiling out of any of these guys, but he's far from the finished article. His stats in 2014 were good, but not amazing - 24 TDs & 8 INTs with 3214 yards and a 58.1 completion percentage - so there's room for improvement. His size, arm strength and vision have NFL scouts watching him closely, though, and he's due for another step up in 2015.
4. Cody Kessler, USC
Kessler might have been the nation's most underrated QB in 2014, but that'll change quickly if the Trojans get back to the top of the Pac-12. Kessler threw 39 TDs and just 5 interceptions last season, and his 69.7 completion percentage ranked third in the nation.
3. J.T. Barrett, Ohio State
Barrett was a legitimate Heisman contender until an injury ended his season, and he finished the year with the nation's second-highest passer rating behind Marcus Mariota. Winning his starting job back from Cardale Jones won't be a cakewalk, but if he does, he'll be back in the Heisman chase.
2. Dak Prescott, Mississippi State
Prescott was phenomenal for much of the 2014 season, but his accuracy let him down during the stretch run. That's the only major knock on his game, though, and we expect him to be a very serious Heisman contender if he can improve that area.
1. Trevone Boykin, TCU
Boykin was better than Prescott through the air, but slightly less productive on the ground. The space separating the two is razor-thin. In 2015, he'll have a tough task as he tries to get TCU into the Playoff after narrowly missing out in 2014...but if he plays as well as he did last season (or better...), the selection committee will have a very hard time leaving out the Horned Frogs again.
MORE:
4 Relative Unknowns Who Could Win The Heisman Trophy Next Season
The 6 Most Disappointing College Football Teams Of 2014
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