Have you ever wondered what tier every quarterback situation in college football is in and how they rank amongst their peers? Me too! With sickos like us in mind, ESPN’s David M. Hale embarked on the massive project and ranked every FBS quarterback situation into tiers.
Ranked in the 15th tier labeled “This is fine dot gif” are both Iowa quarterbacks Spencer Petras and Alex Padilla. The tier referencing the popular meme of the dog saying “This is Fine” as the house around him burns isn’t really the most glowing endorsement of Iowa’s quarterback situation.
Here’s how Hale described this group of quarterbacks in the 15th tier.
These teams combined to finish 49-19 last year, with all five winning at least nine games. Of those 19 losses, however, 11 came in games when they scored 21 or fewer. The QB play was something akin to driving a 2002 Honda Civic — slow, unsexy, but usually reliable enough to get from Point A to Point B — right up until the wheels fall off and the engine catches fire. – Hale, ESPN.
Other quarterbacks in the tier include Northern Illinois’ Rocky Lombardi, UAB’s Dylan Hopkins, San Diego State’s Braxton Burmeister (remember when Virginia Tech chose him over Hendon Hooker last year?), and all three of UCF’s potential starters. Again, not the most glowing endorsement for Iowa’s quarterback situation.
Looking at some fellow Big Ten quarterbacks, it should be no surprise that Ohio State’s C.J. Stroud is leading the 1st tier of “Heisman or Bust.” Stroud is an early candidate for the first overall pick in the 2023 NFL draft. A bit further down the list in the “Pretty… Pretty Good” third tier is Purdue passer Aidan O’Connell.
The “You might not have noticed, but they’re pretty good” seventh tier hosts a number of Big Ten quarterbacks including the Michigan boys Cade McNamara and J.J. McCarthy, Michigan State’s Payton Thorne, and Maryland’s Taulia Tagovailoa. It should be noted that former Nebraska Cornhusker turned Kansas State Wildcat Adrian Martinez joins this tier as well.
While Petras and Padilla might not have the praises of some of the other Big Ten quarterbacks, Penn State’s Sean Clifford and Minnesota’s Tanner Morgan ranked above them in the “Veterans With Moxie” ninth tier, they at least aren’t the lowest-ranked in the conference.
Northwestern’s Ryan Hilinski, Illinois’ Tommy DeVito and Artur Sitkowski, and Rutgers’ Noah Vedral and Gavin Wimsatt make up the “technically, they’re Power 5 QBs” 18th tier… ouch.
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