Fox’s Big Noon Kickoff crew has begun preparing for the 2020 college football season by ranking their top five quarterbacks going into the season. A panel of Urban Meyer, Joel Klatt, Reggie Bush, Matt Leinert, Brady Quinn, and Rob Stone all had their say.
Between the six analysts, 10 different names were mentioned, including Texas’ Sam Ehlinger. Oklahoma’s Spencer Rattler was the only other Big 12 quarterback mentioned.
- Urban Meyer: Justin Fields, Trevor Lawrence, Sam Howell, Kendon Slovis, Spencer Rattler
- Joel Klatt: Trevor Lawrence, Justin Fields, Sam Ehlinger, Spencer Rattler, Kendon Slovis
- Reggie Bush: Justin Fields, Trevor Lawrence, Sam Ehlinger, Bo Nix, Kendon Slovis
- Matt Leinert: Trevor Lawrence, Justin Fields, Sam Ehlinger, Kyle Trask, Sam Howell
- Brady Quinn: Trevor Lawrence, Justin Fields, Ian Book, Sam Ehlinger, Kyle Trask
- Rob Stone: Trevor Lawrence, Justin Fields, Kyle Trask, Bo Nix, Sam Howell
One thing between the rankings was consistent: Trevor Lawrence and Justin Fields will be the top two quarterbacks next season. The two signal-callers met in last year’s College Football Playoff semi-final, with Lawrence getting the last laugh.
Kendon Slovis and Sam Howell are two young names that get mentioned as both showed promise for the next couple of years. Slovis replaced JT Daniels at USC after an injury and thrived under Graham Harell’s air raid offense.
As for Howell, North Carolina head coach Mack Brown tapped into his potential right away, being a top-three quarterback in the ACC last season.
A name ahead of Ehlinger on Rob Stone’s list that brings questions is Auburn quarterback Bo Nix. Coming in as a true freshman, Nix’s expectations were sky high, hoping to lead Auburn to an SEC Championship appearance. He struggled all season, as the Tigers were led by their defense most of the season; all under offensive-minded head coach Gus Malzhan.
Here is a comparison between Ehlinger and Nix’s 2019:
- Ehlinger: 65.2 completion %, 3,663 passing yards, 32 touchdowns, 10 interceptions
- Nix: 57.6 completion %, 2,542 passing yards, 16 touchdowns, six interceptions
Ehlinger has shown his worth over his three seasons playing college football, being one of the best quarterbacks in the Big 12. Leading Texas to a Big 12 championship appearance and even a win against Auburn’s rival Georgia in the Sugar Bowl, Ehlinger’s experience alone should rank him above Nix.
If he has not already, Ehlinger will breakout under Mike Yurich’s pass-heavy offense. Having capable weapons across the field with Jordan Whittington, Jake Smith, and (possibly) Brennan Eagles should help as well.
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