Top 5 quarterbacks in college football for 2019

In a loaded class of quarterbacks, who will probably dominate the next two NFL drafts, I want to look at who are the top five signal-callers in the nation at this point, while also taking into account the potential I see for them to reach by mid-season because of their talent.

The very top of the list features the guys from the two premier programs in college football, but there are also two QBs from smaller schools, who have really stood out and earned spots on this list. I tried to judge them solely based on individual ability and play.

#1 Trevor Lawrence, Clemson

This former number one overall recruit was inserted into the starting lineup four weeks into the 2018 season and had a freshman campaign for the ages. Lawrence completed 65.2 percent of his passes for 3280 yards and 30 TDs compared to just four INTs on 8.3 yards per attempt. He is special arm talent with much more athletic ability to extend plays and toughness in the pocket as well as on the run than you would give him credit for.

In his first year of college, he also showed some of the anticipatory skills to let the ball go before receivers even get into their breaks and he throws his guy open with perfect ball-placement, letting his playmakers make plays for him. Lawrence seemed to never be fazed as a freshman, which is underlined by a passer rating above 100 when pressured.

He reportedly added muscle to his 6’6” frame that only carried 215 pounds last season. Lawrence should only continue to get better with a full offseason and make Tee Higgins as well as Justyn Ross 1200+ yard receivers with double-digit touchdowns each potentially.

#2 Tua Tagovailoa, Alabama

After coming in at the second half of the 2018 National Championship game and leading the Crimson Tide to a comeback over Georgia, Tua won the battle versus Jalen Hurts and never looked back. As a sophomore, he completed 69 percent of his passes for just under 4000 yards, 43 touchdowns, and six picks. The lefty was the favorite to take home the Heisman trophy until December when he got his ankle banged up versus those same Bulldogs in the SEC title game, and had his worst showing as a college player.

While he was nearly perfect in the Orange Bowl against Oklahoma, Tua completed only 54.2 of his passes for three touchdowns and four picks combined versus Georgia and Clemson in the big game. However, while he didn’t quite look like himself down the stretch, back healthy I would expect Tua to light up defenses once again.

With his ability to operate within the pocket (passer rating over 140 from clean pocket) and the accuracy he throws the ball with combined with all the weapons around him, I would expect huge numbers once again.

#3 Justin Herbert, Oregon

After playing in eight games in each of his first two years, Herbert started all 13 games as a junior. Unlike the previous two guys, the Oregon QB never entered the Heisman race and could not quite measure up to the other guys statistically, completing just under 60 percent of his passes for 29 touchdowns compared to eight picks.

When protected and in rhythm, we have seen what he can do, however. Versus Stanford last season Herbert completed 17 of his first 18 passes and followed that up a couple of weeks later by coming up clutch against Washington’s tough defense.

While he only completed 60+ percent of his passes in only five games last season, he has flashed the ability to make special throws on the run and be that playmaker that can lead the Ducks to a Pac-12 title.

With what I think will be the best O-line in the country and a couple of dynamic backs lining up next to him, Herbert could produce big plays off play-action as well as carving up opponents with quick throws from the pocket.

#4 D'Eriq King, Houston

This guy was one of the premier dual-threat quarterbacks in the country last season. Through their first eight games, they were at a ludicrous 49.8 points and 571 offensive yards per game with the Cougars flying high at 7-1, but over the next two games the 31 and 49 points respectively were not enough to win either game.

The following week, their QB was lost for the rest of the year with a knee injury and Houston ultimately lost four of their final five games. However, I don’t want anybody to forget what kind of a playmaker King was for them, He might not have the NFL prototype size sub-six feet and sub-200 pounds, but he put up a higher PFF grade in 2018 than Tua or Trevor. He scored 50 combined touchdowns last season. With him on the field, it was just bombs away.

On passes that traveled 20+ yards, King completed 21 of them for 778 yards and 11 scores compared to just one pick. However, he was equally excellent in condensed spaces, combining for 20 TDs in the red-zone. His long speed as a runner constantly burns defenders’ angles and despite being so fearless as a ball-carrier, he only fumbled four times last season. The one thing that can be questioned about King is the style of offense he is in, with a lot of simple one-read concepts off RPOs and play-action.

#5 Jordan Love, Utah State

I truly believe this could be that surprise first-round quarterback next year. At 6’4”, 220 pounds with a big arm and quick release, Love looks like an NFL signal-caller. Last season he completed 64 percent of his passes for 3567 yards, 32 touchdowns and six interceptions on 8.6 yards per attempt. He led the Aggies to a school-record 11 wins and had them finishing ranked 22nd in the final AP poll.

Utah State ranked second nationally with an amazing 47.5 points per game and Love had seven 300+ yard passing games, has a chance early on to prove himself versus LSU. If he doesn’t get the ball out quickly, he can throw off his back- foot with a defender in his face, not afraid of attacking the deep middle, especially with Dax Raymond at tight-end.

Without his top three receivers and a dynamic check-down option in Darwin Thompson available, Love will have to step up in 2019 and he will have a chance to prove himself early against LSU. The one things he really needs to stop doing is trying to lob balls into his guys instead of actually throwing.

Wild Card: Khalil Tate, Arizona

What Kevin Sumlin and that Wildcat coaching staff did to Tate last season was absolutely criminal. After going for 2875 combined yards and 26 touchdowns in only nine games, with almost half of it coming on the ground, averaging a crazy 9.1 yards per carry, I expected the explosive dual-threat QB to emerge as a Heisman Trophy candidate and keep Arizona in the Pac-12 hunt in 2018.

I thought the overall philosophy of trying to make Tate a pure pocket passer, the offensive play-calling and situational decision-making in the hands of the Arizona coaching staff were all atrocious. Of course, you want the young guy to develop as a quarterback, but watching most of his tapes through the last two years, it’s not hard to see how much more comfortable Tate gets if he can use his legs early on and let the game come to him.

You saw the talent in late-season wins over Oregon and Colorado as well as a one-point loss versus Arizona State. In those three games, Tate tossed 11 touchdowns compared to three picks, while the offense averaged 42 points per contest. Let’s hope his coaches have learned from their mistakes.

Just outside: Jake Fromm (Georgia), Sam Ehlinger (Texas), Mason Fine (North Texas), K.J. Costello (Stanford), Nathan Stanley (Iowa), Shea Patterson (Michigan) and Jalen Hurts (Oklahoma)