After their 28-24 loss Sunday to the Chargers, the Vikings are one of four winless teams remaining in the NFL. And with Minnesota set to face the Chiefs and 49ers in the coming weeks, the season could go from bad to worse in a hurry.
If the season crumbles, Vikings fans will be looking to the future at quarterback as Kirk Cousins will become a free agent and Minnesota could be picking high in the draft which features a loaded quarterback class. We’ve compiled a list of 10 guys who have the most buzz around them, from USC”s Caleb Williams to risers like Duke’s Riley Leonard and South Carolina’s Spencer Rattler.
With the college football season well underway, here’s how the top quarterbacks in the country have done so far this season, according to PFF grades.
Now how did the big name quarterbacks do this past weekend?
Caleb Williams, USC (4-0)
Stat line: 20/31, 322 yards, 3 TD, 0 Int, 10 rush yards, 2 rushing TD
The consensus first overall pick and reigning Heisman winner remained dominant Saturday, throwing three touchdowns and adding two more on the ground in a 42-28 win over Arizona State. The 21-year-old junior continues to lock in his status as the best QB prospect in the upcoming draft.
Drake Maye, North Carolina (4-0)
Stat line: 22/30, 296 yards, 1 TD, 0 Int, 3 rush yards, 2 rushing TD
Maye, 21, was nearly perfect Saturday in North Carolina’s 41-24 win over Pitt. The 6-foot-4 sophomore is thought to be the No. 2 QB prospect in the upcoming draft. Two weeks ago he threw for more than 400 yards against the Gophers.
J.J. McCarthy, Michigan (4-0)
Stat line: 15/21, 214 yards, 1 TD, 0 Int, 51 rush yards
After Williams and Maye, it’s a jumbled mess of talent. Michigan’s junior quarterback is among those in the next tier of guys. McCarthy, 20, wasn’t asked to do much as Michigan ran Rutgers out of the building Saturday, throwing for just 214 yards and one touchdown in the 31-7 win for the No. 2 team in the nation.
Sheduer Sanders, Colorado (3-1)
Stat line: 22/33, 159 yards, 1 TD, 0 Int, -34 rush yards (sacked 7 times)
The biggest climber this season is Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders, who transferred over from Jackson State in the offseason. Deion Sanders’ son has shot up in the QB prospect charts and the Heisman race with an impressive early season. The Colorado hype train hit a big speed bump this weekend in their blowout loss to Oregon. Sanders was hassled all game, getting sacked 7 times, and only managed 159 yards in the air without his best target Travis Hunter.
Bo Nix, Oregon (4-0)
Stat line: 28/33, 276 yards, 3 TD, 1 Int, 9 rush yards, 1 rushing TD
The other highly-touted QB on the field in Eugene this weekend was Oregon’s Bo Nix. The 23-year-old Auburn transfer lit up Colorado, throwing three touchdowns and adding another on the ground.
Jordan Travis, Florida State (4-0)
Stat Line: 21/37, 289 yards, 2 TD, 0 Int, -2 rush yards (sacked twice), 1 rushing TD
Taking over for Anthony Richardson as the Seminoles QB, Travis, 23, has already notched a win against No. 5 LSU but will have to fend off height concerns as the draft process kicks in. The 6-foot-1 QB threw for 289 yards, two touchdowns and rushed for one more in Florida State’s overtime win over Clemson on Saturday.
Quinn Ewers, Texas (4-0)
Stat line: 18/23, 293 yards, 1 TD, 0 Int, 16 rush yards, 1 rush TD
Ewers, 20, has Texas rolling this season, already bagging a massive win against Alabama, in Tuscaloosa. This past Saturday, Texas steamrolled Baylor behind another solid performance from Ewers, throwing nearly 300 yards in a 38-6 win.
Spencer Rattler, South Carolina (2-2)
Stat line: 18/20, 288 yards, 3 TD, 0 Int, 43 rush yards
Rattler was nearly perfect Saturday, throwing 18/20 for 288 yards and three touchdowns. He also engineered a fourth quarter comeback in a 37-20 win over Mississippi State.
Michael Penix Jr., Washington (4-0)
Stat line: 19/25, 304 yards, 4 TD, 1 Int, 5 rush yards
Penix Jr. guided No. 8 Washington to a 59-32 win over Cal, throwing for 304 yards and 4 touchdowns Saturday. The 23-year-old QB has had injury issues that have hampered his career.
Riley Leonard, Duke (4-0)
Stat line: 23/34, 248 yards, 1 TD, 0 Int, 30 rush yards, 1 rush TD
Labeled as an upgraded Daniel Jones, Duke’s Riley Leonard has been steadily rising among draft analysts. Leonard threw for 248 yards and a touchdown, adding another on the ground in Duke’s 41-7 win over UConn last weekend.
The 10 quarterbacks above aren’t the only players making headlines. Washington State’s Cam Ward, Tulane’s Michael Pratt and Tennessee’s Joe Milton III are amongst the 15 best draft eligible quarterbacks in the country, according to PFF (overall rank before player name).
