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The Draft "Expert" - Wk 14 Quarterback Prospect Rankings

Welcome everyone to the final quarterback prospect rankings of 2021! We have now entered bowl season, which means you probably won't see another one of these until after the national championship, depending on how far Cincinnati goes in the Playoff.


Now, with this list more than likely being the last Draft "Expert" quarterback prospect list of 2021, we may have some movement. We may see Kenny Pickett take the mantel as the QB1, we could see Desmond Ridder move back up the list, we may even see someone drop out of the top 10 all tougher. The only way to really know...you've got to read through the list.


So, without any further delay, here is the (more than likely) final Draft "Expert" Quarterback Prospect Rankings of 2021! So sit back, read through, and enjoy! (note: with only about half of the quarterbacks playing this past weekend, their isn't as much to read, so it won't even take you that long the read through the whole gosh darn thing)

Pictured: Desmond Ridder, Cincinnati; Kenny Pickett, Pitt; Sam Hartman, Wake Forest

1. Kenny Pickett, Pitt (+1)

Wk 14 - 20/33 253 yds 2 touchdowns 0 interceptions/6 carries 20 yds 1 touchdown v no.16 Wake Forest (45-21 W)

Season - 334/497 4,319 yds 42 touchdowns 7 interceptions/97 carries 241 yds 5 touchdowns

  • After an amazing season that cumulated with an ACC Championship, Kenny Pickett now finds himself at number one in the Draft "Expert" quarterback prospect rankings, and it's very well deserved. After never throwing for more than 3,100 yards and never reaching 15 passing touchdowns in a season, Pickett went nuclear, ranking fifth in the nation in passing yards with 4,319 and ranking second in passing touchdowns with 42. Not only did he put up some godly numbers and help win Pitt it's first ACC Championship, he became one of four invited to the Heisman Trophy ceremony in New York, becoming Pitt's first Heisman finalist since Larry Fitzgerald in 2002, where Fitz finished second behind Oklahoma's Jason White. Though the chances of Pickett winning the Heisman are slim, that doesn't take away from his amazing season. Though he was elite through the air, Pickett showed that he was more than capable at running the ball, rushing for a career high 241 yards and five touchdowns, with one of those coming off an insane 58-yard run against Wake Forest in the ACC Championship, which saw Pickett drop a nasty fake slide to completely fool the defenders. This has been a magical season for Pickett and I feel he is more than deserving of taking the top spot in the Draft "Expert's" Quarterback Prospect Rankings!

  • Pre-Season - 16*

  • Wk 1 - N/R

  • Wk 2 - N/R

  • Wk 3 - 9

  • Wk 4 - 9

  • Wk 5 - 7

  • Wk 6 - 6

  • Wk 7 - 6

  • Wk 8 - 5

  • Wk 9 - 5

  • Wk 10 - 3

  • Wk 11 - 3

  • Wk 12 - 2

  • Wk 13 - 2

  • Wk 14 - 1

  • Bowl - v no.10 Michigan State (Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl)

2. Matt Corral, Ole Miss (-1)

Wk 14 - BYE

Season - 260/380 3,339 yds 20 touchdowns 4 interceptions/145 carries 597 yds 11 touchdowns

  • I always feel bad for doing this, when a player drops down the rankings after not playing, but Pickett put on a very nice display both through the air and on the ground which saw Pitt win their first ACC title. Though I think Pickett has passed Corral, that shouldn't take away from Corral's amazing season at Ole Miss. Like we said last week, Corral is the only quarterback in the FBS with over 3,300+ passing yards and 500+ rushing yards while also totaling 30+ total touchdowns playing in the toughest conference in college football with a top 10 strength of schedule. I think Corral has every chance to pass Pickett and reclaim the top spot, but for now, I think we have to say Kenny Pickett is the number one quarterback in the upcoming draft (for now).

  • Pre-Season - 8*

  • Wk 1 - 6

  • Wk 2 - 5

  • Wk 3 - 4

  • Wk 4 - 3

  • Wk 5 - 2

  • Wk 6 - 2

  • Wk 7 - 1

  • Wk 8 - 1

  • Wk 9 - 2

  • Wk 10 - 1

  • Wk 11 - 1

  • Wk 12 - 1

  • Wk 13 - 1

  • Wk 14 - 2

  • Bowl - v no.7 Baylor (Allstate Sugar Bowl)

3. Malik Willis, Liberty

Wk 14 - BYE

Season - 194/315 2,626 yds 24 touchdowns 12 interceptions/189 carries 820 yds 11 touchdowns

  • Pre-Season - 3*

  • Wk 1 - 2

  • Wk 2 - 2

  • Wk 3 - 1

  • Wk 4 - 1

  • Wk 5 - 1

  • Wk 6 - 1

  • Wk 7 - 2

  • Wk 8 - 2

  • Wk 9 - 1

  • Wk 10 - 2

  • Wk 11 - 2

  • Wk 12 - 3

  • Wk 13 - 3

  • Wk 14 - 3

  • Bowl - v Eastern Michigan (LendingTree Bowl)

4. Carson Strong, Nevada

Wk 14 - BYE

Season - 367/524 4,186 yds 36 touchdowns 8 interceptions/51 carries -208 yds 0 touchdowns

  • Pre-Season - 5*

  • Wk 1 - 6

  • Wk 2 - 6

  • Wk 3 - 6

  • Wk 4 - 6

  • Wk 5 - 6

  • Wk 6 - 4

  • Wk 7 - 4

  • Wk 8 - 3

  • Wk 9 - 3

  • Wk 10 - 4

  • Wk 11 - 4

  • Wk 12 - 4

  • Wk 13 - 4

  • Wk 14 - 4

  • Bowl - v Western Michigan (Quick Lane Bowl)

5. Desmond Ridder, Cincinnati

Wk 14 - 11/17 190 yds 3 touchdowns 0 interceptions/7 carries 19 yds 0 touchdowns v no.21 Houston (35-20 W)

Season - 234/355 3,190 yds 30 touchdowns 8 interceptions/100 carries 361 yds 6 touchdowns

  • I think the margins between the fourth, fifth, and sixth quarterbacks are incredibly slim, with Carson Strong, Desmond Ridder, and Sam Howell easily being the "best of the rest" after the top three of Pickett, Corral, and Willis. That being said, though Ridder and Cincinnati defeated Houston this weekend, not only taking home the AAC Championship but also punching their ticket into the College Football Playoff. Though Ridder and co. came away with a big victory, did he do enough to pass Nevada's Carson Strong for the fourth spot? I'm not sure. Yes, Desmond Ridder is 100x the athlete Carson Strong is, but I think Strong is more precise with his throws and, like we said last week, I think he's the best deep ball thrower in the upcoming draft. Now, if Ridder balls out against Alabama in the Cotton Bowl it'd be very hard for me not to pushing him up the list, but for now, Ridder keeps his spot at number five.

  • Pre-Season - 4*

  • Wk 1 - 3

  • Wk 2 - 4

  • Wk 3 - 5

  • Wk 4 - 5

  • Wk 5 - 5

  • Wk 6 - 3

  • Wk 7 - 3

  • Wk 8 - 4

  • Wk 9 - 4

  • Wk 10 - 5

  • Wk 11 - 5

  • Wk 12 - 5

  • Wk 13 - 5

  • Wk 14 - 5

  • Bowl - v no.1 Alabama (CFP Semifinal at the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic)

6. Sam Howell, North Carolina

Wk 14 - BYE

Season - 205/327 2,851 yds 23 touchdowns 9 interceptions/170 carries 825 yds 11 touchdowns

  • Pre-Season - 2*

  • Wk 1 - 4

  • Wk 2 - 3

  • Wk 3 - 3

  • Wk 4 - 4

  • Wk 5 - 4

  • Wk 6 - 5

  • Wk 7 - 5

  • Wk 8 - 6

  • Wk 9 - 6

  • Wk 10 - 6

  • Wk 11 - 6

  • Wk 12 - 6

  • Wk 13 - 6

  • Wk 14 - 6

  • Bowl - v South Carolina (Duke's Mayo Bowl)

7. Hendon Hooker, Tennessee

Wk 14 - BYE

Season - 180/261 2,567 yds 26 touchdowns 3 interceptions/148 carries 561 yds 5 touchdowns

  • Pre-Season - N/A*

  • Wk 1 - N/A

  • Wk 2 - N/A

  • Wk 3 - N/A

  • Wk 4 - N/A

  • Wk 5 - N/A

  • Wk 6 - N/A

  • Wk 7 - N/A

  • Wk 8 - H/M

  • Wk 9 - H/M

  • Wk 10 - 8

  • Wk 11 - 7

  • Wk 12 - 7

  • Wk 13 - 7

  • Wk 14 - 7

  • Bowl - v Purdue (TransPerfect Music City Bowl)

8. Dorian Thompson-Robinson, UCLA

Wk 14 - BYE

Season - 176/283 2,409 yds 21 touchdowns 6 interceptions/130 carries 609 yds 9 touchdowns

  • Pre-Season - 13*

  • Wk 1 - H/M

  • Wk 2 - 10

  • Wk 3 - 7

  • Wk 4 - 7

  • Wk 5 - 8

  • Wk 6 - 8

  • Wk 7 - 7

  • Wk 8 - 7

  • Wk 9 - 7

  • Wk 10 - 9

  • Wk 11 - 9

  • Wk 12 - 8

  • Wk 13 - 8

  • Wk 14 - 8

  • Bowl - v no.18 NC State (San Diego County Credit Union Holiday Bowl)

9. Bailey Zappe, Western Kentucky (+1)

Wk 14 - 36/59 577 yds 4 touchdowns 2 interceptions/7 carries 5 yds 0 interceptions @ UTSA (49-41 L)

Season - 442/639 5,545 yds 56 touchdowns 11 interceptions/49 carries 22 yds 3 touchdowns

  • After rattling off seven straight wins, Western Kentucky fell short in the Conference USA Championship game against UTSA, 49-41. Though the lost the game, Zappe put forth another decent performance. Tossing 577 yards with four touchdowns, but did throw two interceptions, with one leading to a UTSA touchdown one play later. This season has been a lot of fun for Zappe. A season that has seen him lead the nation in both passing yards and passing touchdowns. With his performance on Friday, he is only 288 yards behind BJ Symons for the all time passing record for yards in a season and is now only four touchdowns away from breaking Joe Burrow's record of 60 in a season. If you've been following Zappe enough this season, you know those numbers are easily within reach, especially since he hasn't thrown less than four passing touchdowns in a game since Western Kentucky's win against FIU back on October 23rd. Now, that being said, Appalachian State does have a decent pass defense, giving up just 206.6 yards per game, and have only given up 12 touchdowns through the air as opposed to 15 interceptions. This'll be a tough game for Western Kentucky, but with how Zappe's been playing this season, I could easily see him break both records. Time will tell.

  • Pre-Season - N/A*

  • Wk 1 - N/A

  • Wk 2 - N/A

  • Wk 3 - N/A

  • Wk 4 - N/A

  • Wk 5 - N/A

  • Wk 6 - N/A

  • Wk 7 - N/A

  • Wk 8 - N/A

  • Wk 9 - N/A

  • Wk 10 - N/A

  • Wk 11 - 10

  • Wk 12 - 10

  • Wk 13 - 10

  • Wk 14 - 9

  • Bowl - v Appalachian State (RoofClaim.com Boca Raton Bowl)

10. Sam Hartman, Wake Forest (-1)

Wk 14 - 21/46 213 yds 2 touchdowns 4 interceptions/11 carries 0 yds 1 touchdown v no.15 Pitt (45-21 L)

Season - 276/469 3,924 yds 36 touchdowns 14 interceptions/111 carries 342 yds 11 touchdowns

  • After being up 21-14 after the first quarter against Pitt in the ACC Championship, things were looking up for Hartman and the Demon Deacons. After a quarter that saw Hartman throw two touchdowns and rush another one, that game really flipped on it's head, with Pitt scoring 31 unanswered points to come up 45-21 winners. Along with the scoreline changing, Hartman's play went down as well, seeing him throw four interceptions, with one of them being returned for a touchdown with 11 minutes left in the fourth quarter. All and all, what looked like a good game at the start changed for the worst for Hartman and co., with the quarterback getting sacked five times, two off his season high of seven against Clemson. This was also the first time this season Hartman had thrown more interceptions than touchdowns, the last time coming in Wake Forest's bowl game loss against Wisconsin on December 30th, 2020. Hopefully, in this year's bowl game, Hartman doesn't put forth the same performance. Now, that's easier said than done against a very solid Texas A&M defense, but hopefully Hartman and the Deacons pull through, for their sake.

  • Pre-Season - N/A*

  • Wk 1 - N/A

  • Wk 2 - N/A

  • Wk 3 - N/A

  • Wk 4 - N/A

  • Wk 5 - N/A

  • Wk 6 - N/A

  • Wk 7 - N/A

  • Wk 8 - N/A

  • Wk 9 - 10

  • Wk 10 - 7

  • Wk 11 - 8

  • Wk 12 - 9

  • Wk 13 - 9

  • Wk 14 - 10

  • Bowl - v no.25 Texas A&M (TaxSlayer Gator Bowl)

*out of 20

Others

*in order of last name

  • Brennan Armstrong, Virginia

    • Wk 14 - BYE

    • Season - 327/501 4,444 yds 31 touchdowns 10 interceptions/97 carries 256 yds 9 touchdowns

  • Dustin Crum, Kent State

    • Wk 14 - 11/21 128 yds 1 touchdown 2 interceptions/15 carries 68 yds 0 touchdowns v Northern Illinois (41-23 L)

    • Season - 228/355 2,922 yds 16 touchdowns 6 interceptions/147 carries 633 yds 11 touchdowns

  • Aqeel Glass, Alabama A&M

    • Wk 14 - BYE

    • Season - 259/414 3,568 yds 36 touchdowns 7 interceptions/50 carries -90 yds 1 touchdown

  • Jake Haener, Fresno State

    • Wk 14 - BYE

    • Season - 303/449 3,810 yds 32 touchdowns 9 interceptions/68 carries 3 yds 3 touchdowns

  • Devin Leary, NC State

    • Wk 14 - BYE

    • Season - 283/431 3,433 yds 35 touchdowns 5 interceptions/54 carries -73 yds 2 touchdowns

Thank you for taking the time to read through the list! Hope you enjoyed it! If you did, give the article a like and comment down below how you felt!


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