Tag: Garrett Greene

5 most underrated QBs in college football ahead of the 2024 season

Looking into five of the nation’s most underrated quarterbacks ahead of the 2024 season, from Garrett Greene to Jalon Daniels

There’s plenty of talk about Carson Beck, Shedeur Sanders and Quinn Ewers with the 2024 season just on the horizon, but they aren’t the only quarterbacks to keep an eye on this fall.

Despite not being heralded nearly as highly as last year’s crop of quarterbacks, there are still several names who could develop into something special, including many who have flown under the radar.

Here’s a look into the five most underrated quarterbacks in college football with the season just around the corner:

1. Garrett Greene, WVU

In terms of quarterbacks who don’t get enough credit for the amount of value they bring to their team, Garrett Greene may be the most overlooked, underrated quarterback of them all nationally.

According to Pro Football Focus, Greene led the FBS in big-time throws  (10.2%), something that is not surprising given how he’s made the most of his opportunities in pivotal moments, even under pressure.

In addition to what he’s able to do as a passer, Greene’s improvisation ability and mobility play a large role into how truly dynamic of a football player he really is.

Greene finished out the 2023 season with a 52.9% completion rate, passing for 2,406 yards with 16 touchdowns and 4 interceptions. He also rushed for 772 yards and 13 touchdowns.

His 91.0 overall PFF grade last season tied him for the sixth-highest graded quarterback among Power Five passers, right there with Heisman Trophy finalist Michael Penix Jr.

2. Brady Cook, Missouri

Cook had his ups and downs early on as the starter, but he developed over time and has quietly become one of the nation’s best quarterbacks and a force to be reckoned with in the SEC.

He put together the best season of his career with a top-10 team in 2023, connecting on 66.1% of his passes for 3,317 yards with 21 touchdowns and 6 interceptions in 2023, adding 319 rushing yards and 8 scores on the ground. When looking purely at the stat sheet, it’s important to note all of Cook’s interceptions came in the first seven games of the season and that he greatly improved in the area as time went on.

Heading into the 2024 season, Cook has made clear he and the Tigers have the lofty expectations of making it to the national championship, though that’s going to mean having to push aside the fortress that is the Georgia Bulldogs.

Cook could very well use this season as an opportunity to send his draft stock  into the stars as he’s already impressed with his abilities both from the pocket and when called upon to use his legs, ball placement and speed of release.

3. Graham Mertz, Florida

There was a time Graham Mertz was looked upon as one of the lower-tier quarterbacks of college football, but those days are over after Mertz burst onto the SEC scene

Mertz completed 72.9% of his passes for 2,903 yards with 20 touchdowns and 3 interceptions in 2023, putting up much-improved numbers individually behind a subpar offensive line. On the ground, he rushed for 4 scores.

The former Wisconsin quarterback’s 80.2% adjusted completion rate is the second-highest among returning Power 4 conference quarterbacks. In addition to how he’s been commended for who he is as a communicator from an intangibles perspective, Mertz has also impressed with the way he’s able to work off-platform, the situational awareness he has and rarely putting the ball in harm’s way (as his stellar touchdown-to-interception ratio from 2023 would suggest).

If Mertz can build upon the new foundation he set at Florida last year heading into the 2024 season, he could quickly fly up the draft boards.

4. Jalon Daniels, Kansas

Daniels has flashed several times, catching some national attention, but the chief question is as to whether or not he can remain healthy long enough to remain in the spotlight. The veteran signal-caller saw action in just three games last season and has yet to put together a 10-game season in his college career.

2022 was his best season, when he completed 66.1% of his passes for 2,014 yards with 18 touchdowns and 4 interceptions. Daniels saw the field for three games in 2023, completing 74.7% of his passing attempts for 705 yards with 5 touchdowns and 1 interception. He also rushed for 74 yards.

It’s easy to get the sense Daniels could be one of college football’s most electric players if he can stay on the field with the true dual-threat presence he brings between the way he’s continuously improved as a pure pocket passer and the pure speed he has on the ground.

5. Garrett Nussmeier, LSU

It’s coming time to give the gunslinger a bit more credit. He’s patiently waited his turn and could show to be the quarterback who had the highest ceiling in the Tigers’ room of signal-callers after all dependent upon how he grows in 2024.

Nussmeier has never lacked confidence in himself, comparing himself to one of college football’s greatest quarterbacks in recent history as just a recruit.

“I think I bring a very Joe Burrow-like mind to the table for LSU,” Nussmeier told me in 2020 before officially committing to LSU. “I see a lot of similarities in the way we play. I’d like to think that we think the same. I know that’s saying a lot. He did an unbelievable job. I’d like to think that I can learn and get to the point to do things the way he did.”

Over six appearances during the 2023 season, Nussmeier completed 61.5% of his passes for 591 yards with 4 touchdowns and 1 interception. There’s no question that he’s got superior arm strength in his toolbox, but he also seems to be improving in decision-making from the pocket and has proven his ability to come in clutch.

In his only start at LSU, the 2024 ReliaQuest Bowl, Nussmeier led the Tigers on a late fourth quarter touchdown drive to beat Wisconsin, 35-31, passing for 395 yards and 3 touchdowns. Nussmeier was named the MVP for his efforts, with his 31 completions and 395 passing yards against the Badgers ranking as the most in LSU history for a quarterback making his first start.

 

Jackson Arnold outside the top 10 in ESPN’s 2024 spring quarterback rankings

Oklahoma quarterback Jackson Arnold just outside ESPN’s 10 ten QBs for the 2024 season ahead of spring ball.

Anytime you have turnover at quarterback, there are bound to be questions about how the offense will perform the following season.

The Sooners are one of the teams across the country that will be starting a new quarterback in 2024. [autotag]Jackson Arnold[/autotag] takes over for [autotag]Dillon Gabriel[/autotag], who transferred to Oregon. And while there may be some uncertainty, the Sooners have one of the best young quarterbacks in the country.

The former five-star prospect isn’t one of the favorites to win the Heisman in 2024 and at this point. At this point he’s just outside the top-10 of ESPN’s quarterback rankings heading into the spring. And a lot of where Arnold is ranked is likely related to his inexperience at the collegiate level.

The only player without much experience that’s ranked ahead of Arnold is Tennessee Volunteers quarterback [autotag]Nico Iamaleavea[/autotag].

Arnold has a lot of talent and is a highly-regarded quarterback, but he and Iamaleava have a lot to prove still. But they’ve got all the talent in the world, and both former five-star quarterbacks were able to get their first start during bowl season.

Arnold and Iamaleava will likely provide the fireworks in the Oklahoma Sooners first conference game in the SEC when they welcome the Tennessee Volunteers to town. That could be the start of a fantastic quarterback battle over the next several years. In the offenses they run with the talent that both schools possess, both former five-star quarterbacks could be dark-horse Heisman contenders in 2024 and frontrunners in 2025.

For the Sooners, everything is set up for Arnold to find himself ranked much higher in these quarterback rankings by the end of the season. The offensive line will come together and the Sooners have a deep pool of skill talent for Arnold to work with.

Here’s a look at ESPN’s top 10.

Danny Stutsman’s return revitalizes Oklahoma Sooners’ defense

Danny Stutsman returned on Saturday and the defense quickly returned to its early season form.

The [autotag]West Virginia Mountaineers[/autotag] started with the ball on Saturday against the Oklahoma Sooners. Fans waited in anticipation to see what Oklahoma team would show up.

Was it the team from the first seven games or the team from the last two? It took the Mountaineers four minutes and eight plays to go 75 yards and score a touchdown. They faced one third down on the entire drive, and it was a third and short.

Now, the anxiety grew. But the offense went right down the field to tie it up and the defense allowed 13 points and 255 yards the rest of the game. It was the team we saw earlier in the year as they routed the Mountaineers 59-20.

The defense was flying around and making plays. They only allowed 330 yards, had two interceptions, and held West Virginia to 4 of 14 on third down. A big reason for their success was getting their leader back. [autotag]Danny Stutsman[/autotag] finished with a team high eight tackles.

He spoke with the media after the game about what changed after that first drive. “Really, just stop the run,” Stutsman said. “They have such a good o-line. We knew that going into it. They do a lot of motion and stuff. You really just want to keep that quarterback contained in the pocket. He’s a really big threat when he’s running the ball, so we had to cage the quarterback.”

They did just that, holding [autotag]Garrett Greene[/autotag] to 10 carries for 24 yards and no touchdowns. He only got free one time for a gain of 15 yards, otherwise the front seven shut Greene down.

Stutsman and [autotag]Kip Lewis[/autotag], who finished tied for second in tackles with seven, were the two who got the start at linebacker. Jaren Kanak still played quite a bit and finished with five tackles.

The Sooners righted their wrongs for at least one week. Now, they need to keep this momentum and finish the season strong.

Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow Jaron on Twitter @JaronSpor.

West Virginia radio color analyst previews Sooners vs. Mountaineers

Dwight Wallace of the West Virginia radio crew tells us more about Oklahoma’s upcoming opponent.

Once again, it’s almost “football time in Oklahoma.” We are just a day away from the start of the Oklahoma Sooners vs. the [autotag]West Virginia Mountaineers[/autotag]. This is now a must-win game for the Sooners coming off of two straight losses.

The Mountaineers come in with a top-10 rushing attack. They lean on their very good offensive line. The Sooners are going to have to make [autotag]Garrett Greene[/autotag] and that passing attack beat them.

Defensively, the Mountaineers aren’t great at anything, but they also aren’t bad at anything either. They’re simply a solid unit. Due to run fits, their biggest weakness, if you want to call it that, is their run defense, so the running backs are going to have to take advantage of that.

West Virginia Radio Color Analyst Dwight Wallace came on my podcast, Eat. Sleep. Bedlam, to talk about how the Mountaineers went from picked last in the preseason to tied for third in the conference.

“Kind of a work in progress,” Wallace said. “Starting to see some of that come to fruition. I don’t think Coach (Neal) Brown was too happy with that preseason pick, but nevertheless, that’s what it was. So, it’s been a point of motivation, I think.”

You can tell it’s something they’ve been using all season as motivation. “14” has become a battle cry. A reminder of what the media thought of them.

Wallace also spoke about the kind of scheme Oklahoma will see defensively. “We are about like everybody,” Wallace said. “We are going to be in a three-man or four-man down front. Normally you’ll see us with six in the box generally. We do play some two-deep high safety. Just depends on the passing game we’re facing and the running game.”

I’d expect West Virginia to do a lot of six or seven-man boxes against the Sooners’ rushing attack. I’d also expect a lot of two high safeties to take away Oklahoma’s vertical passing game. This is going to be a game where the offense has to be very efficient with the short and intermediate areas. Then when a big one presents itself, don’t miss it.

Something Oklahoma has struggled with the last two weeks.

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Know Your Foe: 5 Mountaineers to know for West Virginia at Oklahoma Sooners

Oklahoma will take on West Virginia Saturday. Here are five players you need to know.

Oklahoma is back home for the first time since their nailbiting win against UCF out of the bye week. The Sooners have yet to lose at home this season. So playing a game with the home crowd behind you could be just what the doctor ordered. Oklahoma is desperate for a win and still has a fighting spirit left to compete for the Big 12 Title. They’ll need some help, but if they don’t finish the regular season on a winning streak, it won’t matter.

Their opponent this week is Neal Brown’s [autotag]West Virginia Mountaineers[/autotag]. After being picked dead last in this year’s Big 12 preseason media poll, they are on a revenge tour. Neal Brown and his team took offense to that and are currently in pursuit of finishing the season in the top half of the Big 12. The Mountaineers are 6-3 (4-2 Big 12) and come in after beating Big 12 newcomers BYU by 30 last week.

West Virginia is a tough team that plays hard, and while they certainly aren’t among the league’s most talented teams, if Oklahoma doesn’t show up, they’ll be on upset alert.

As the Sooners prepare for their primetime contest, we’re highlighting five Mountaineers ahead of the matchup.

2023 Season Preview: Sooners look for revenge versus the Mountaineers

The 2022 season saw a lot of lows but it may have not been lower than the Sooners losing in Morgantown. Can they get it back in 2023?

The 2022 season saw a lot of lows but it may have not been lower than Oklahoma’s loss in Morgantown.

The West Virginia Mountaineers finished 5-7 and 3-6 in the conference. They were ninth in the standings after the tie-breakers and were picked last in the expanded 14-team Big 12 this year by the media.

The Mountaineers return a decent amount from last season, ranking 66th in the nation in returning production, per ESPN (ESPN+). They bring back 60% of their offense, which ranked 57th a year ago, and 68% of their defense, which ranked 98th.

The offense loses starting quarterback J.T. Daniels who transferred out after the season after losing his job to Garrett Greene. Greene provided a spark in the Mountaineers’ win over Oklahoma with his athletic ability.

Greene threw for 493 yards, five touchdowns, and three interceptions while rushing for 276 yards and four touchdowns. He’s someone who struggled with accuracy issues completing only 55% of his passes. But he made enough plays with his legs to give West Virginia a chance down the stretch.

They had three running backs run for more than 400 yards a year ago, and they return two of them, Justin Johnson Jr. and C.J. Donaldson.

They had three receivers go over 500 yards, but none will return for WVU in 2023. They did add N.C. State Wolfpack transfer Devin Carter caught 25 passes for 406 yards and two scores in 2022.

Defensively they return their top three leaders in tackles Lee Kpogba, Aubrey Burks, and Marcis Floyd, in addition to three of the top five players in sacks for West Virginia. The big loss is the big man in the middle who lead them in sacks in Dante Stills. Stills was also second in tackles for loss with nine. He was a leader for that defense the last several years for West Virginia. His absence leaves a hole in the middle of the defense.

This is a make-or-break season for Neil Brown and Co. He was ranked last by CBS Sports in their head coaching rankings and is in win-or-else mode despite wins over Oklahoma and Oklahoma State last year. If there are not major improvements, this could be his last season in Morgantown.

Score Prediction: 45-10 Oklahoma

Predicted Record: 9-1

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Where did the Big 12 land in College Football News first look 1-131 rankings for 2023?

College Football News put together their early 1-131 rankings for the 2023 season, so how did the Big 12 stack up?

The new Big 12 is going to be a lot of fun, at least for one season. The Oklahoma Sooners and the Texas Longhorns are likely out the door in 2024, which is likely one of the hangups in getting a 2023 schedule.

Until we get an actual schedule to digest, and with just over eight months remaining till the start of the season, we continue to look at early look power rankings for 2023.

This time, it’s College Football News taking an early look at their 1-131 rankings for the 2023 season. Let’s see how the Big 12 stacked up.

Former UGA quarterback JT Daniels enters transfer portal again

Former Georgia Bulldogs quarterback JT Daniels has entered the transfer portal after losing the starting role at West Virginia.

Former Georgia Bulldogs quarterback JT Daniels has entered the transfer portal. Daniels lost the job as starting quarterback for the West Virginia Mountaineers late in the season. West Virginia went 5-7 in a disappointing season for the Mountaineers.

Daniels will have one or two years of eligibility at his new schools depending on if he gets an injury waiver from the NCAA.  This season, Daniels threw 13 passing touchdowns, nine interceptions and 2,107 passing yards for West Virginia.

West Virginia started quarterback Garrett Greene in place of Daniels. The Mountaineers played Greene after Daniels struggled in West Virginia’s comeback win over Oklahoma.

Daniels transferred from Georgia to West Virginia this offseason. The former five-star recruit entered the transfer portal after Georgia won the national championship in January.

Why did West Virginia start Greene over Daniels? It is similar to why Georgia quarterback Stetson Bennett got the nod over Daniels midway through 2021. Greene is more mobile and opens West Virginia’s rushing attack. Greene finished the year with 276 rushing yards. Daniels, in contrast, has never finished a season with positive rushing yards. West Virginia needed a boost in the run game, so it turned to Garrett Greene.

JT Daniels has some impressive starts during his career at Georgia. (Photo by Todd Kirkland/Getty Images)

Daniels finished his career with an undefeated record as the starting quarterback at Georgia, but he lost his starting job to Stetson Bennett early in the 2021 college football season. Daniels battled injuries throughout his time at the University of Georgia and during much of his college football career.

Daniels missed several games during his time at Georgia after he was diagnosed with a strained oblique muscle.

Daniels transferred to Georgia from USC in 2020. He started multiple games for Georgia in 2020 and was expected to be the starting quarterback for Georgia’s 2021 season, but he struggled with injuries early in the season while Stetson Bennett proved himself as a championship-caliber quarterback.

Daniels played in nine games in his Georgia football career from 2020-2021. He threw 17 touchdowns and only five interceptions during his time in Athens.

We will provide updates on where Daniels plans to transfer. The former five-star recruit has a lot of talent, but needs to be in an offense that does not require him to be a rushing threat.

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Former Georgia quarterback J.T. Daniels loses role as starter at WVU

Former UGA football quarterback JT Daniels has lost the job as starting quarterback for the West Virginia Mountaineers

Former Georgia Bulldogs quarterback J.T. Daniels has lost the job as starting quarterback for the West Virginia Mountaineers. West Virginia is starting quarterback Garrett Greene in place of Daniels. The Mountaineers played Greene after Daniels struggled last week in West Virginia’s comeback win over Oklahoma.

Daniels transferred from Georgia to West Virginia this offseason. The former five-star recruit entered the transfer portal after Georgia won the national championship in January.

Why is West Virginia starting Greene over Daniels? It is similar to why Stetson Bennett got the nod over Daniels midway through 2021. Greene is more mobile and opens West Virginia’s rushing attack. Greene has 212 rushing yards this season. Daniels, in contrast, has never finished a season with positive rushing yards. West Virginia needs a boost in the run game, so it is turning to Garrett Greene.

The Mountaineers (4-6) are looking to make a bowl game. Daniels has 13 passing touchdowns, nine interceptions and 2,107 passing yards for West Virginia this season.

West Virginia Mountaineers quarterback JT Daniels has had an up and down season. Ben Queen-USA TODAY Sports

Daniels finished his career with an undefeated record as the starting quarterback at Georgia, but he lost his starting job to Stetson Bennett early in the 2021 college football season. Daniels battled injuries throughout his time at the University of Georgia and during much of his college football career.

Daniels missed several games during his time at Georgia after he was diagnosed with a strained oblique muscle.

Daniels transferred to Georgia from USC in 2020. He started multiple games for Georgia in 2020 and was expected to be the starting quarterback for Georgia’s 2021 season, but he struggled with injuries early in the season while Stetson Bennett proved himself as a championship-caliber quarterback.

Daniels played in nine games in his Georgia football career from 2020-2021. He threw 17 touchdowns and only five interceptions during his time in Athens.

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Sooners in danger of missing bowl season after loss to West Virginia

Run defense struggles against West Virginia put postseason play in doubt for the Oklahoma Sooners with two games to go. From @john9williams

The 2022 season has been a roller coaster ride for the Oklahoma Sooners. Three wins to start the season, three losses to start Big 12 play after that, a two-game winning streak followed by a two-game losing streak, and here we sit with the Oklahoma Sooners at 5-5 with two games to go.

Hosting Bedlam in primetime followed by a road trip to Lubbock for another night game, the Oklahoma Sooners will have their work cut out for them to get to bowl eligibility. Though they’re favorites this week against Oklahoma State and will likely open as favorites against Texas Tech, nothing is certain with the Sooners at this point.

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They’re as likely to lose both games as they are to win. Coming off another disappointing loss at the hands of West Virginia, Oklahoma headlines week 11’s winners and losers from USA TODAY Sports Paul Myerburg.

Brent Venables’ tough start continued with a 23-20 loss to West Virginia, dropping Oklahoma to 5-5 and in legitimate danger of missing the postseason with games against Oklahoma State and Texas Tech to close the regular season. The Sooners’ laundry list of issues against the Mountaineers included yet another atrocious showing from the run defense, which gave up at least 200 yards for the fifth time this season, and critical penalties that allowed West Virginia to extend drives and rally from a seven-point deficit in the fourth quarter. – Myerburg, USA TODAY Sports

The run defense is a problem, in particular the quarterback run game. Oklahoma has struggled to stop athletic quarterbacks throughout their 5-5 campaign. Adrian Martinez and Max Duggan had huge days earlier in the season, and Garrett Greene continued that trend in Morgantown. Against Baylor, it was the more traditional rushing attack that hurt Oklahoma. Still, on either side of the Baylor loss, the Sooners’ defense did a good job bottling up Iowa State and West Virginia’s running backs.

The traditional run game for Oklahoma State isn’t as good as Baylor, TCU, or Kansas State, but the quarterback run game could certainly hurt the Sooners.

With a banged-up Spencer Sanders expected to play on Saturday night, the Sooners’ defense will need to rebound in the run game to get a win. Sanders may not be 100% heading into the game, but he doesn’t have to be 100% to hurt the Oklahoma defense. With his athleticism and toughness, Sanders will give Oklahoma fits in the quarterback run game. If they don’t correct any of the issues that plagued them from their loss to West Virginia, they’ll have another long day on the defensive side of the ball.

The Oklahoma State Cowboys aren’t a perfect team. They’re not as good as the group that beat Oklahoma a year ago. However, they don’t have to be as good with the issues Oklahoma’s had on defense in 2022.

For Oklahoma to build momentum toward 2023 and close out the season with a bowl appearance, they’ll have to have a strong defensive performance under the lights on Saturday night. Otherwise, playing in the postseason might not be in the cards for the Oklahoma Sooners.

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Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions. Let us know your thoughts, and comment on this story below. Join the conversation today. You can also follow John on Twitter @john9williams.