As we continue to examine the top up-and-coming college football teams to look out for this fall in our "College Football Countdown Team Spotlight" series, the crew at NextGenSports.net will bring you information on the top freshmen to look out for not only this year, but throughout their college careers.
The series will be broken down into positions, and for our first edition, Edgar Walker will discuss the top 10 quarterbacks in the incoming class. A highlight video will be included with each player if available. Remember that these are the 10 players who will make the most impact over their college careers, not necessarily a ranking of how good they are. Multiple QBs are unfortunate enough to be behind other top recruits or already-established signal callers on their team's depth charts.#10: James Franklin, Missouri-
Right when you take a look at him, you'll instantly think Franklin (left) knows what he's doing. With a 6-foot-3, 215 pound frame, the Lake Dallas HS (Texas) product has great size and has a nice feel for the QB position to go along with it. He runs a 40-yard dash in 4.7 seconds and can make a whole lot of something out of nothing if his passing options break down. In addition to the foot speed, he's got a big arm, which will be perfect for the Big 12. After drawing interest from Baylor, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Oregon, LSU and Nebraska, Franklin picked Mizzou in the March after his junior season.
#9: Bryan Bennett, Oregon-
While he's rated a bit lower on several recruiting sites, I'd like to bump Bennett up from the 15-25 range to the top 10. With Jermaine Masoli being kicked off the team, the Ducks' QB spot is up for grabs, and Bennett could win it with a strong summer. Another 6'3" guy, Bennett bests Franklin's 40 time, as he clocks in with a 4.6-second time. While he's got the invaluable speed for Oregon's offense, the Encino (CA) native sees the field very well and with some strong receivers, he could blow up the stat sheet both in the air and on the ground. With 25 passing touchdowns and only 5 interceptions last season in a very tough league, Bennett should be up to the challenges the Pac-10 throws at him.
#8: Barry Brunetti, West Virginia-
Brunetti is an interesting case. I've seen him ranked in the top 5 of some QB rankings, and as low as the mid-thirties in others. You can say what you want about his size (barely 6 feet), but you have to agree that he has all the tools to be a great college quarterback. A big-time threat both on the ground and in the air, Brunetti could be the second coming of Pat White for the Mountaineers. The main difference is that Brunetti is a much, much better passer. Scary, huh? He's built a bit like a running back, which helps him avoid injuries and break off big runs in the open field. He should be a force to be reckoned with in Morgantown for the next four years.
#7: Scotty Young, Texas Tech-
If you just take a look at his high school stats from the last two seasons, you can tell that Young was a prospect whose scouting report Mike Leach salivated all over before he was terminated in Lubbock. With 8,962 passing yards, 129 touchdowns and only 24 interceptions in his junior and senior seasons, the former Ryan High School QB looks like the heir apparent to Taylor Potts. With one year of Potts left, the Red Raiders may redshirt Young to preserve his four years of eligibility and have him learn the prolific system for a year before taking over the starting job. And just for what it's worth, he runs a 4.8-second 40-yard dash.
#6: Paul Jones, Penn State-
Jones' toughest competition in college may have already started, as rising sophomore Kevin Newsome and fellow blue-chip prospect Robert Bolden are both gunning for the Nittany Lions' starting spot with Jones this season. Coming in at a nice 6'3" and 226 pounds, Jones has the size and build of an NFL quarterback and the big arm that comes with it. Boasting what could be the biggest arm of the class and great accuracy to boot, the only knock on Jones is that he's not much of a dual threat. The pass-only quarterback is a dying breed among major college programs, but Jones should be good enough to overcome that hurdle.
#5: Brett Nottingham, Stanford-
Nottingham is a bit like Tim Tebow as a quarterback, but I have this peculiar suspicion that ESPN won't say the name "Nottingham" over 1,000 times in a telecast like they did with the former Heisman winner. He's 6'4" and possesses great passing accuracy. Also a Divison 1 baseball prospect, Nottingham is a top-notch athlete, as his 4.7-second time in the forty would suggest. After committing to UCLA during the Fall, the Monte Vista High School (CA) product changed his mind in January, after deciding that his athletic pedigree and 3.9 GPA would be better suited in Palo Alto than Westwood.
#4: Devin Gardner, Michigan-
Devin Gardner is the ultimate dual-threat quarterback. Not only can he run the ball better and faster than most of the running backs in the class (4.5-second forty time), Gardner's as legitimate of a passer as they come. With a tall 6'4" frame, instant comparisons to Terrelle Pryor emerge. Gardner is a great leader on the field and has a great feel for passing the football. He'll undoubtedly face some tough competition from Tate Forcier and Denard Robinson for the starting job, but it's possible he could feature in a custom-made formation or just be the outright starter on a Michigan offense that gets much scarier with Gardner behind center.
#3: Connor Wood, Texas-
Why is it that the rich just keep getting richer? After graduating campus legend Colt McCoy, the Longhorns add a blue chip recruit in Wood to battle rising sophomore Garrett Gilbert for the starting spot. Wood has the ability to win the job, as he combines great physical gifts with a ton of maturity, both of which are always evident on the field at all times. While being 6'4" and over 210 pounds may suggest that he's a slow, immobile pocket passer, Wood has great scrambling ability and can keep a defense guessing.
#2: Philip Sims, Alabama-
As for the rich getting richer, this is just flat out unfair. After winning the BCS Championship last season and returning most of their weapons this year, the Crimson Tide land the consensus #2 quarterback in this class. The all-time leader in passing yards in Virginia high school history, Sims is the complete package. He's built like a linebacker and can throw the ball like a young Peyton Manning. The only knock on the Chesapeake (VA) native is that he doesn't scramble as well as people might like for a guy who runs a 40-yard dash in 4.7 seconds. Regardless, he'll be a stud once Greg McElroy graduates.Highlight Reel
#1: Jake Heaps, BYU-
Now for what everyone's been waiting for. The top quarterback (right) in this freshman class, a guy who's been there from the start and hasn't lost his place in the process, is going to....BYU? Heaps is a polished quarterback already, and can make any pass, no matter the degree of difficulty, look like a pass any QB could complete. His accuracy is unheralded and he has outstanding poise under center. With questions lingering about when he'll complete his Mormon mission and whether a freshman will be ready to step into the veteran-friendly BYU offense and succeed, Heaps does have his doubters. Despite these questions, Heaps is just too good not to succeed as a Cougar. 2009 Highlights
Now for what everyone's been waiting for. The top quarterback (right) in this freshman class, a guy who's been there from the start and hasn't lost his place in the process, is going to....BYU? Heaps is a polished quarterback already, and can make any pass, no matter the degree of difficulty, look like a pass any QB could complete. His accuracy is unheralded and he has outstanding poise under center. With questions lingering about when he'll complete his Mormon mission and whether a freshman will be ready to step into the veteran-friendly BYU offense and succeed, Heaps does have his doubters. Despite these questions, Heaps is just too good not to succeed as a Cougar. 2009 Highlights
Best of the Rest:
-Jesse Scroggins, USC
-Blake Bell, Oklahoma
-Tyler Bray, Tennessee
-Zach Lee, LSU
-Robert Bolden, Penn State
-Edgar Walker
-Edgar Walker
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