Where does Jacolby Criswell stack up amongst fellow ACC quarterbacks?

If you’ve been watching college football all season long like us, you’ve likely noticed that quarterbacks are shaping their respective team’s success.

That’s particularly true in the ACC, where several quarterbacks have their teams on the edge of CFP contention.

Cam Ward is leading Miami (FL) with his Heisman Trophy campaign, while Kevin Jennings has ACC newcomer SMU undefeated in the conference. Tyler Shough just helped Louisville to a massive upset of Clemson, while Eli Holstein is near-unstoppable for Pitt.

There’s another top ACC quarterback that isn’t getting talked about enough: North Carolina Tar Heels gunslinger Jacolby Criswell, who was recently ranked Top-8 in the conference quarterback by ESPN CFB analyst Tom Luginbill.

For reference, there are 32 qualifying quarterbacks in the ACC – and 17 teams.

Criswell is a spot behind Clemson’s Cade Klubnik, two behind Holstein, three behind Ohio State transfer Kyle McCord (Syracuse), four behind NC State’s CJ Bailey, five behind Shough, six behind Jennings and seven behind Ward.

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For a guy who’s patiently waited his turn to start for UNC – four seasons as a backup, two transfers and two injuries later – Criswell is thriving.

Criswell has 1,871 passing yards, 11 passing touchdowns to just three interceptions, 172 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns. Criswell threw for nearly 500 yards against James Madison, then was lucky to play turnover-free football throughout October.

I saw Criswell primarily as a pocket passer earlier in the season, but he’s grown in the past few weeks, using his legs to extend plays and pick up major first downs. That’s a characteristic that NFL scouts look for, as so much of the professional game today focuses on mobile quarterbacks.