Hello everybody and welcome back to another Logan Blackman Show blog post! As you can probably tell by the title, this one covers the 2025 NFL Draft, taking a look at the top 10 quarterbacks for the upcoming draft!
I do want to apologize in advance though, as we haven't been as consistent in posting blog posts as we have in the past. That being said we have released our preseason and week one rankings, there's just no blog post attached, which is something we strive for here at the Logan Blackman Show studios.
In this blog post you will see some changes from our week one rankings, as there's new blood atop the board along with someone dropping out someone coming in! All we ask is that you don't hate our rankings too much, we tried to be as fair as possible but hey, we're human and we can make mistakes!
Without any further delay though, I, Logan Blackman, host of the world famous Logan Blackman Show and self proclaimed Draft "Expert," am proud to present to you our officially official week two quarterback prospect rankings for the 2025 NFL Draft! Enjoy!
Podcast Links
Pictured: Carson Beck, Georgia; Quinn Ewers, Texas; Cam Ward, Miami (FL)
1. Carson Beck, Georgia (+1)
Wk 2 - 18/25 242 yds 5 touchdowns 0 interceptions/3 carries 18 yds 0 touchdowns v Tennessee Tech (48-3 W)
Season - 41/58 520 yds 7 touchdowns 0 interceptions/6 carries 37 yds 0 touchdowns
This is one of those games where you can't really write a bunch of stuff about. Like, who in their right mind thought that the Georgia Bulldogs and their quarterback Carson Beck would struggle against Tennessee Tech. No disrespect to the Eagles, but they're obviously nowhere near the level of the Bulldogs and it showed on Saturday. Apart from failing to pick up a fourth down conversion at the end of the first half, Georgia scored on every offensive possession with Beck under center, as he registered a calm cool 242-passing yards with a whopping five touchdowns, the second most out of the draft's top quarterbacks, behind LSU's Garrett Nussmeier who registered six against Nicholls. Regardless of Nussmeier's performance, this was a really solid display from Beck, who finds himself back atop the Draft "Expert's" officially official quarterback rankings for week two. The success he found in this game started very early, as one play after Anthony Evans III returned a Tennessee Tech punt 46-yards to set up Georgia at the Eagle 22-yard line, Beck would hit Dillon Bell in the end zone for their first score of the game.
Again, this was the first play from scrimmage for the Bulldogs offense, and Beck made sure to have the offense leave the field as soon as they got on with a very nice throw to Bell for the score. This was really easy play for Georgia, as Bell had the defender beat and Beck put it in a spot where only his receiver could make a play on the ball. Very solid throw from Beck and a great job by Bell at securing the ball and holding on to it through the ground as well. Georgia's next drive may have been longer than one play, but they came away with the same outcome as Beck would register his second touchdown pass of the game on as many drives. On this seven play drive from the Bulldogs, Beck completed seven passes. Though most of them may have been fairly easy completions, you still want to see your quarterback take advantage of what the defense gives them, especially since four of his seven completions on that drive went 12+ yards. When it was all said and done, Beck would hit Colbie Young coming across the formation from six yards out to double Georgia's advantage midway through the first quarter. Again, just a really easy drive for Beck and the offense, and if the defense is allowing you to constantly hit open receivers, you better take it which is exactly what Beck did. Georgia would have to settle for three on their next drive, as Beck hit on mostly screen plays and handed the ball off as the Bulldogs drove down the field on a 14-play drive but ultimately stalled at the Tennessee Tech four yard line, before a delay of game penalty would push them back to the nine and they had to settle for a Peyton Woodring 27-yard field goal. After Trevor Etienne set the Bulldogs up at the Eagles 35 with a 45-yard run, Beck would find the end zone for his third touchdown of the game, but not before he flashed some athleticism and picked up 11-yards and a first down with legs to get Georgia into the red zone.
I know this isn't the most insane highlight of all time, but I think it sometimes gets lost on people just how good of an athlete Carson Beck is. Like I'm not saying he's a Lamar Jackson type athlete or anything, but the dude can move, he's not a liability on the move or a complete statue in the pocket, so seeing him turn the corner and pick up 11-yards on the ground is nice to see. A few plays later Beck would hit Dominic Lovett from 10-yards out to further Georgia's advantage in the game.
Very nice job by Beck at extending the play when nothing was originally there. This what I mentioned before about athleticism, it's not always about picking up massive gains with your feet, it can also mean you're able to move around the pocket and break out if need be to find an open receiver in the end zone. As for the throw, again, Beck does a nice job at putting the ball in a place where only his intended receiver can get it, towards the sideline and near the front pylon. With that placement, there's very little chance the defender will be able to make a play on the ball, as we saw there with that touchdown pass. Beck did almost throw an interception on their next drive, though it came about because he heaved it towards the end zone on the final play of the half, so nothing really to report there. Beck would pick up a first down with his legs on Georgia's first drive of the second half, picking up nine on third and seven, before hitting a wide open Arian Smith from 50-yards out for their first points of the half.
Nice play design from Georgia as the pump fake at the start of the play caused the defenders to suck up which freed up Smith down the field. Was this the prettiest throw from Beck? No not really, but when a receiver is that wide open your main job is just to not miss him. There's an old line that says that if you're going to miss the receiver miss him short because they can always work back to the ball. It's a lot harder to slow down from your top speed than it is to speed up, if that makes sense. Regardless of how 'pretty' the pass looked, a touchdown is still a touchdown, as Beck registered his fourth of the game with just two minutes gone in the second half. Georgia would find the end zone on their first play of their next drive, as Beck would hit a wide ass open Lawson Luckie down the near sideline for a 37-yard touchdown.
This was Beck's final play of the game, and he couldn't really have gone out on a better note. Like the previous touchdown, all Beck needed to do on this play was not miss his wide open receiver, and with a defender not within 10-yards of Luckie when he caught the ball, it was a guaranteed touchdown. Like I mentioned before, there isn't a whole lot to write about when it came to this game. Carson Beck and the Georgia Bulldogs thoroughly handled an FCS school at home, with Beck registering five touchdown passes, the most he's ever accounted for in a game. With these first two weeks being as easy as they have been for Georgia, I'm intrigued to see how they handle Kentucky on the road, who are quarterbacked by former Bulldog Brock Vandagriff. The Wildcats usually play the Bulldogs tough, though I don't think Georgia fans should worry about coming away with a loss this Saturday night.
Preseason - 1
Wk 1 - 2
Wk 2 - 1
Wk 3 - @ Kentucky
2. Shedeur Sanders, Colorado (-1)
Wk 2 - 23/38 244 yds 1 touchdown 1 interception/8 carries -30 yds 0 touchdowns @ Nebraska (28-10 L)
Season - 49/72 689 yds 5 touchdowns 2 interceptions/14 carries -13 yds 0 touchdowns
This was a game last year that kind of put Colorado on the map. A week after they beat no.17 TCU, Colorado hosted the Nebraska Cornhuskers and came away with a 36-14 victory, with quarterback Shedeur Sanders throwing for nearly 400-yards with three total touchdowns. Again, this was a game that made everyone turn their attention to Colorado. Sure beating TCU was more impressive at the time, especially since they were essentially 20-point dogs, but that win against Nebraska showed everyone that the result against the Horned Frogs wasn't a fluke, at least for another week or so, then things kind of unraveled but you get my point. This year though, you could almost say the inverse happened, as Colorado's 28-10 loss in Lincoln last Saturday has turned more people off the Buffaloes than on. The scoreline doesn't necessarily show how bad this game was, as Nebraska could've and probably should've won this game by more. Again, a year ago, Sanders threw for almost 400-yards with three touchdowns, this time around he didn't reach 250 and threw only one touchdown and an interception to boot, which was ultimately a pick six for Nebraska. In defense of Sanders, no one looked good for Colorado last Saturday. That being said, what I can't defend is Sanders' comments after the game that were not so subtly aimed at his offensive line. Has Colorado's offensive line been bad? Yes, but that's not something you say into a microphone, especially when you're the starting quarterback. Unfortunately as the quarterback you have to eat all problems on the offensive side of the ball, it's the nature of the position, so asking reporters how many times Nebraska's Dylan Raiola got touched can't fly, I'm sorry. And look, I can understand Sanders' frustrations as he got sacked five times in the loss but again, you cannot, under any circumstances, announce your displeasure to the rest of the college football world. Lord knows how that could effect his draft stock, time will tell I guess. As for the game itself, things started off pretty rough for the Buffaloes, going three and out on their first drive then turning it over on downs on the next. Then, after getting pinned deep in their own territory after a Nebraska punt, Sanders would throw an interception which again, was returned for six.
There's a few things wrong with this play. First off, why are we calling a curl route from your own end zone? Secondly, Sanders holds on to the ball way too long, allowing the defender to adjust accordingly and make a play on the ball. The thing is with curl routes, if you throw it late at all, there's a very solid chance it's going the other way for six. When the defender drives back towards the ball and picks it off, who's going to catch them? The timing and placement have to be near perfect for this play to work, and it this moment it wasn't, making Colorado's rough start turn from bad to worse, and we're not even out of the first quarter yet. The Buffaloes would go three and out on their next drive, but they would put some plays together on the following drive, with Sanders completing a nine yard pass to Travis Hunter, but the end result was ultimately still the same as Colorado would punt the ball away after six plays. Sanders would make some nice throws on the Buffaloes next drive, hitting Hunter for 28-yards across the middle and Will Sheppard for 19 on second and 15.
This isn't an easy throw from Sanders. Sure Sheppard created some separation in the middle of the field, but Sanders still has to fit this ball past a few Nebraska defenders standing in the way. I also like how Sanders put this ball more on Sheppard's body rather than throwing it in front of him, because if he did there's a chance that it hits the linebacker in the chest (I must admit I haven't seen the back angle so I could be very wrong). Good overall play for the Buffs though, as it extended the drive when they desperately needed to string some solid drives together. That being said they would fail to register any points, as Alejandro Mata's 29-yard attempt was blocked, leaving Colorado down 21 late in the second quarter. Colorado's next couple drives of the half wielded similar results, as they would go three and out on their next drive then Jace Feely would miss a 61-yard field goal as the half expired. Colorado would finally register some points on their first drive of the second half, as Alejandro Mata would make a 27-yard field goal to put the score at 28-3, in favor of Nebraska. On that drive, Sanders would start off by making a very impressive throw to LaJohntay Wester that would go for 14-yards.
With pressure coming around the left side of the offensive line, Sanders does a very nice job at buying time in the pocket, rolling out slightly to his right before delivering a catchable ball to Wester for the big gain. Also, great jumping catch by Wester, Sanders put the ball in a spot where only his receiver could get it, and he went up and got it. Now, I don't like how Wester looked at the Nebraska sideline and signaled first down. Like dude c'mon, you're down 28-points with two minutes gone in the third quarter, this isn't the time to talk shit to the opposing team. Regardless, Sanders would hit Will Sheppard down the far sideline for a 30-yard gain but again, Colorado would have to settle for three as the drive stalled out after the aforementioned 30-yard gain. The Buffaloes would struggle to move the ball on their next two drives, punting after five plays than turning it over on downs after getting it to second and two. That being said Colorado would finally find the end zone on their next drive, as Sanders would complete a 21-yard pass to Travis Hunter before hitting LaJohntay Wester from five yards out to give the Buffaloes their first touchdown of the game.
I don't think some people out there understand how difficult of a throw this is. Standing on the far hash and delivering a strike towards the opposite sideline with a defender in coverage is never easy, though Sanders makes it look as such. Though it was a nice throw, it ultimately didn't really matter in the end as that would be Colorado's first and last touchdown of the game as they came away from this one 28-10 losers. This was a rough game for the Buffaloes as the Cornhuskers just had a day against them on both sides of the ball. Like I mentioned before, this game really could've been a lot worse than what it ended up being. Let's just hope Colorado is up and ready for their game next week, on the road again, against Colorado State. Last year's game was an overtime thriller, the Rams proved they are a tough team to beat and are more than capable of pulling off the upset at home. Hopefully we get a little better game from the Buffaloes, on both sides of the ball, and hopefully Shedeur Sanders can come close to replicating his 348-yard four touchdown performance from a season ago.
Preseason - 2
Wk 1 - 1
Wk 2 - 2
Wk 3 - @ Colorado State
3. Quinn Ewers, Texas (+1)
Wk 2 - 24/36 246 yds 3 touchdowns 0 interceptions/4 carries 0 yds 0 touchdowns @ no.10 Michigan (31-12 W)
Season - 44/63 506 yds 6 touchdowns 1 interception/5 carries -6 yds 0 touchdowns
Texas v Michigan was a game that was much worse than what the scoreline showed. Much like how Michigan beat up on Washington in the National Championship game in January, Texas did the same thing this past weekend in Ann Arbor. Should we have really been surprised though? I mean, Michigan lost a lot of people from this past season's National Championship winning side, mixed with numerous potential scandals and sanctions, not to mention a bunch of question marks surrounding the starting quarterback position. Regardless of what you thought of JJ McCarthy, going from him to a 'combination' of Davis Warren and Alex Orji is a massive downgrade in every sense of the word. On the opposite sideline the further could not be from the truth, as Texas have a vetted starter under center in the form of Quinn Ewers, who may be the biggest Michigan hater outside the state of Ohio. Remember, Ewers was once the back-up to now Houston Texans quarterback CJ Stroud before transferring back home to Texas. That being said, unlike the Buckeyes in recent years, Ewers and the Longhorns were again able to handle business on the road against Michigan. That being said, things didn't start off insanely smooth for the Longhorns, as though they put together a nice 13-play drive, kicker Bert Auburn would miss a 43-yard field goal, leaving the game scoreless midway through the first. With that, we did see Ewers complete some balls along the drive, namely a 33-yard pass to Isaiah Bond that would pick up the first on third and 13.
In all honesty, Ewers is kind of lucky this ball wasn't picked off. I haven't seen from the back angle or anything, but from this main broadcast angle it seems that if the Michigan safety went for the ball rather than the hit it would've probably been going back the other way for Michigan. Now, Ewers did do a good job at placing this ball on Bond's outside shoulder, keeping it a little further away from the defender. Also, nice job by Bond at holding on to the ball after taking the hit from the safety, definitely not an easy thing to do. Ewers and Bond would connect on another third down play later, picking up seven yards on a little screen play, before Ewers would pick up a first down with his legs to get them inside the Michigan 25. Though the drive again would end in a missed field goal, Texas did think they found the end zone as Ewers hit DeAndre Moore Jr. from 24-yards out, though it would get called back because of a holding call. One thing Ewers has done a good job at developing is his mobility, whether that be picking up first downs with his legs or extending plays by rolling out of the pocket. It's definitely an area Ewers has continued to improve upon, and it's been really nice to see, despite the holding call. Texas' offense would get things going fairly early on their next drive, with Ewers connecting with Gunnar Helm for a 22-yard gain after the ball was tipped at the line of scrimmage. Ewers and Helm would connect for 21-yards a few plays later, as Texas would find the end zone with around four minutes left in the quarter.
Like I brought up before, very nice job by Ewers at stepping up in the pocket and delivering a nice catchable ball on the move to Helm for the touchdown. Because of Ewers' aforementioned growth in the run game, him stepping up like that actually gives the defense something to think about, sucking them up which leaves Helm even more open in the middle of the defense in the end zone. The funny thing is that Helm wasn't really moving that fast, no one seemed to want to guard him, which is something that you could kind of say throughout the majority of the game for Michigan. He just coasted up the field and Ewers found him in the end zone for six. Ewers and co. would put together another long drive their next time out, though unlike their first drive, this 10+ play drive would actually result in points. Though it started off with Ewers finding Helm for 11-yards and a first down on their first play, this drive was dominated by the run game, as both Quintrevion Wisner and Jerrick Gibson carried Texas to six, giving them a 14-3 lead in the second. Like, Ewers threw the ball three times on this drive, once more to Helm and another time to Wisner on a well designed dump off that went for 18-yards. Just an easy drive for the Longhorns, beating the Wolverines up and down the field. Texas would get the ball back quickly after Davis Warren's pass was picked off by Andrew Mukuba on the third of their next drive. Though Texas would struggle to find the end zone again, they did register a field goal courtesy of Bert Auburn. Ewers would find Matthew Golden for a nice 20-yard gain on their own third play of the drive, which would swiftly move Texas into Michigan's red zone.
Again, this is a very nice job by Ewers at climbing the pocket and delivering a nice ball in a gap in Michigan's defense. What makes this play even nicer is that he threw this ball right as Golden moved past the defender's inside hip, making this an even harder pass to break up. Just an overall good play from Ewers, which again helped set up Texas' field goal attempt. The Longhorns would find the end zone on their next drive after another Wolverine turnover, which would see Ewers find Golden from five yards out to extend Texas' lead to 21 before halftime.
Now, though this throw is only from five yards out, this is still an impressive play by Ewers who does an excellent job at getting depth on the roll out before putting the ball in a spot where only Golden could get it. The placement and the zip Ewers put on this ball is very impressive, despite it only being a five yard touchdown pass. All things considered, that is not an easy throw, despite Ewers making it look as such. Texas would struggle to move the ball on their next drive, despite Ewers hitting Isaiah Bond for an 11-yard gain on their first play of the second half, punting after just five plays. That being said, the Longhorns would find the end zone again on their second drive of the half after a Michigan field goal. On the first play of the drive, Ewers would connect with Gunnar Helm for a 22-yard play that would edge Texas closer to the 50-yard line.
With pressure coming in from the right, Ewers does a nice job at standing tall and delivering a nice catchable ball to Helm for the big gain. With the defender all over Helm's back, Ewers has to make sure to lead his intended receiver and not under throw it in the slightest as it will probably be broken up. Just a nice calm pitch and catch between quarterback and tight end, resulting in another big gain for Texas. Texas would find the end zone after Ryan Wingo took a reverse 55-yards to set the Longhorns up well inside the Wolverine red zone. After taking a loss of five yards after the reverse, Ewers would hit Jaydon Blue in the flat from seven yards out to give Texas a nice 31-6 lead late in the third quarter. Other than a 23-yard pass to Johntay Cook II that was ultimately called back due to a holding call, Quinn Ewers' day would be pretty much done after his touchdown pass to Blue, as Texas would come away with an impressive 31-12 victory against Michigan in the Big House. Like I mentioned before, this game was much worse than the scoreline suggests, Texas absolutely beat the breaks off of Michigan in this one, and Ewers put together a very solid performance from the quarterback position. All in all last Saturday was a pretty good day to be a Texas fan, and they should be able to carry that momentum against UTSA this coming weekend at home. With the Roadrunners coming off a 49-10 loss to Texas State, the Longhorns really should have no issues at home and should be 3-0 before their next match-up against Louisiana Monroe.
Preseason - 5
Wk 1 - 4
Wk 2 - 3
Wk 3 - v UTSA
4. Drew Allar, Penn State (-1)
Wk 2 - 13/20 204 yds 2 touchdowns 1 interception/7 carries 7 yds 1 touchdown v Bowling Green (34-27 W)
Season - 24/37 420 yds 3 touchdowns 1 interception/13 carries 51 yds 1 touchdown
I'm sure this wasn't the game most people were expecting this past weekend. After waltzing into Morgantown and coming away with an impressive 34-12 victory against West Virginia, Penn State came into this game ranked eighth in the nation against a Bowling Green team that they were favored to beat by -35.5-points. Let's just say that didn't happen, as not only did Penn State only come away as seven point victors, they were in fact losing this game 24-20 at halftime which again is something not a lot of people expected when they woke up last Saturday morning. That being said, the most important thing here for the Nittany Lions is that they won, though again it was only by seven points against a MAC school at home. As for individual performances, quarterback Drew Allar has a fairly interesting game under center for Penn State, as he finished with 204-passing yards with three total touchdowns and an interception. The first of his three touchdowns came on their opening drive, as he found the end zone from five yards out with his feet to tie the game up at seven with around 10-minutes to go in the first quarter. Though his five yard keeper is the main talking point of this drive, as it resulted in points, one could say Penn State should've scored two plays earlier as Allar hit Tyler Warren down the far sideline for a 15-yard gain which set them up for the score.
Remember what I said earlier about if a receiver is wide ass open have him come back to the ball so you don't risk missing them? Yeah that's what Allar did here, and that rule still applies, but you can't also lead him towards the sideline, as this play really should've resulted in a touchdown for Penn State. Again, yes, they were able to score a couple plays later, and this was a great back shoulder throw had a defender been in coverage but that's the thing, there wasn't a defender in coverage. Don't get me wrong it's not a horrific throw by any stretch of the imagination, but I'm sure he wanted that play back once he saw Warren's momentum was carrying him out of bounds. Though they scored here, Penn State would go three and out on their next drive after a holding call took back a 16-yard pass between Allar and Harrison Wallace III. To make matters a little worse, Bowling Green would find themselves up 17-7 after Penn State's three and out, making things very interesting for the Nittany Lions going into the second quarter. That being said, Allar would make some very nice throws on their next drive, starting with him hitting Tyler Warren up the middle for 22-yards.
Nice quick throw from Allar after the play fake to find Warren for the big gain up the middle. With three Falcon defenders in the area there's very little room for error when it comes to this throw, but with the outside linebacker cheating to the outside after the ball was snapped, that gave Allar a little more room to work with. What also helps him is that he's got one of the strongest arms in the country, making this a nice pitch and catch between quarterback and tight end. Then after running back Nicholas Singleton picked up 24-yards on the ground, Allar would hit a wide open Omari Evans in the end zone for a 29-yard touchdown.
Just as simple as you'd like really as Evans just cooked the safety to wind up wide ass open in the end zone for six. Nice job by Allar for allowing the play to develop, which can sometimes be easier said then done when pressure is barreling down on you from both sides of the offensive line. All in all, fairly simple play from the Nittany Lions in what was a fairly explosive drive, as they traveled 75-yards in three plays in exactly a minute, exciting stuff from the offensive side of the ball on that drive. Penn State's next couple drives would be nowhere near as exciting as they'd have to settle for back-to-back field goal attempts before halftime, with Allar only attempting two passes on those two drives combined, though one of those passes would go for 30-yards as Allar dumped it off to Warren a few yards past the line of scrimmage which got them to the Bowling Green side of the 50. Allar would also flash the wheels on their second of the two field goal drives, picking up 14-yards and a first down on second and seven to get the Nittany Lions inside the red zone. After punting on their first drive of the second half, Penn State would find the end zone on their second drive which was kicked off by Allar hitting Tyler Warren (again) for a 29-yard gain down the far sideline.
Once Allar saw the linebacker not follow Warren up the field that made this a very easy read, especially with the safety following the receiver, leaving Warren wide ass open down the far sideline for the nice gain. Really couldn't have asked for a better look for this play, and good job by Allar at putting nice touch on this pass which allowed Warren to pick up even more yards after making the catch. The pair would hook up again a couple plays later, this time for 23-yards on second and 14.
This is a very nice example of a quarterback just finding caps in the defense. With Warren going up field and Bowling Green in a zone, Allar places this ball right in the middle of five Bowling Green defenders. Allar also did a nice job at putting this ball more on Warren than not, as with that many defenders in the area one little slip up could see the ball going in the opposite direction. Just a very solid play overall from Allar and Warren, who just had an insane connection this past Saturday. That being said Allar's second touchdown of the game wouldn't go to his favorite target, instead it'd go to running back Nicholas Singleton, finding him for a 14-yard score.
This is a very good throw by Allar, as he lets this ball go right as Singleton reaches the hip of the Bowling Green linebacker, then fits it right in between two other defenders for the simple pitch and catch. That being said it did look like it kind of caught Singleton by surprise, as he did somewhat bobble the pass once it got through to him. Regardless, he came down with it in the end and it counted for six, giving Penn State the lead for the first time in the game, which I'm sure came a lot later than a lot of Nittany Lions fans would've liked. Penn State's next offensive drive would be an emotional roller coaster, as Allar hit Omari Evans on a very well thrown deep ball down the middle of the field that would've resulted in a further six points. The only issue is that Evans got caught pushing off a little bit and was called for the offensive pass interference. Allar and Evans would hook up a few plays later, picking up five on fourth and five that gave the crowd a nice little boost. That being said the boost would be fairly short lived as Allar would throw an interception in the end zone on the final play of the third quarter.
Could the receiver had made a little better attempt on the ball? Sure, but this just a poor decision from Allar. Clean pocket throwing it into double coverage, it's just not a good idea. With the two Bowling Green defenders on the inside, Allar has to place this ball in a spot where only his receiver can get it, which would be to the outside. Instead, he under throws it pretty bad and it resulted in an interception. Thankfully the defender brought it out of the end zone so once Penn State got the ball back they got it with pretty good field position. The issue is that they too also had to punt it away. That being said, following back-to-back Bowling Green turnovers and another punt for the Nittany Lions, Singleton would take it in on the ground from 41-yards out to put the final nail in the coffin, ultimately giving Penn State a 34-27 home victory. Like I mentioned before, not a lot of people saw this game being as competitive as it was, but thankfully for Penn State and their fans they were able to escape a pretty big upset. This game wasn't pretty, and I'm sure they're going to correct a lot of errors this week with it being their bye. The Nittany Lions will be in action on the 21st against Kent State, which should hopefully be an easier game than Bowling Green.
Preseason - 4
Wk 1 - 3
Wk 2 - 4
Wk 3 - BYE
5. Cam Ward, Miami (FL)
Wk 2 - 20/26 304 yds 3 touchdowns 0 interceptions/4 carries 13 yds 1 touchdown v Florida A&M (56-9 W)
Season - 46/61 689 yds 6 touchdowns 1 interception/7 carries 46 yds 1 touchdown
Another week, another good performance from Miami's new man under center Cameron Ward. If you've listened to the show long enough, or have kept up with my blog posts you'd know how much I love Cameron Ward, even before he was at Washington State. The dude has always been immensely talented, the only thing truly holding him back was consistent play. Like he'd make some throws that would be out of this world, fitting the ball into tight windows and making some great plays off platform. But on the other hand sometimes he'd get a little overzealous and force a ball where it didn't need to be, which was something he needed to work on (not that he had horrific interception numbers or anything). This season though, against two in-state schools, Ward and the Miami Hurricanes offense have looked very impressive, with some tipping them to end the regular season with an ACC Conference Championship victory. Sure Florida and Florida A&M aren't necessarily world beaters, but they're killing them, beating both teams by a combined score of 97-26, with Ward accounting for seven total touchdowns in those two games. If he continues to play at this level, I don't see why Miami couldn't push for an ACC title, it wouldn't shock me at all. As for this specific game though, things were just so easy, scoring a touchdown on each of their first three drives with only one of those lasting for more than three minutes. Everything the Hurricanes wanted to do they did, as after an early Florida A&M interception Ward would find Elijah Arroyo from 17-yards out for their first points of the game.
After a nice little glancing fake to the far side of the field, Ward was able to hit a fairly open Arroyo in stride for the score. The linebacker in the middle of the field for A&M was completely frozen, and Ward did a nice job at throwing off of his inside shoulder, which you could see threw him off as he had absolutely no time to react. Just a very easy play for Ward and the Miami offense, putting them up seven less than two minutes into the game. After Florida A&M pinned Miami back at their own one yard line, the Hurricanes were able to drive the length of the field for yet another early touchdown. Despite getting sacked on their fourth play of the drive, Ward was able to make up for it by delivering a nice ball towards the near sideline for 11-yards before hitting a wide open Riley Williams in the middle of the field for a 27-yard gain. Following the big gainer to Williams, Ward would hit Xavier Restrepo down the right hash for a 50-yard touchdown, putting Miami up 15 (they went for two) and capping off an impressive 99-yard drive.
Just an insanely busted play for Florida A&M on defense. Like this might as well have been a practice rep, as Restrepo basically walked into the end zone from about the 10-yard line. I'm not actually sure if he hit top speed or not, this literally just looked like a practice rep. He didn't get touched by anyone, just an insanely easy play for the Hurricane offense which saw Ward register his second touchdown pass of the game. Ward would get his third touchdown of the game on Miami's next drive, but not before he hit some big throws down the field, first to Xavier Restrepo for 33-yard on third and nine.
Then next to Isaiah Horton, which would see Ward flash some athleticism before hitting his receiver for a 27-yard gain.
Let's start off with the first big gain, shall we? This is an excellent seem shot from Ward, who fits it in to Restrepo perfectly for the 33-yard gain. With the safety playing over top this throw had to be perfect, and it was, landing right in Restrepo's bread basket for the big gain. As for the throw to Isaiah Horton, Ward does a great job at buying time in the pocket when seeing that no one was open, before rolling out to his right and delivering a strike to Horton down the near sideline, who did a great job in his own right by coming back to Ward and giving him and option after noticing he was scrambling. Also, it's important to mention the shot Ward took right as he was delivering this ball. That's what you want from your quarterback, able to deliver strikes down the field despite the fact that they are going to take a massive shot from the oncoming defender. A couple plays late Ward would dump it off to Chris Johnson Jr. (which is insanely weird and I don't like it) who would take the ball in from nine yards out giving Miami a 22-3 lead early in the second quarter. Miami's hot start would simmer a little bit on their next couple drives, as they'd be forced to settle for a field goal, where we'd see Ward only throw the ball twice on a nine play drive, and turn the ball over on downs despite being deep in Florida A&M territory. That being said Miami would find the end zone on their first drive of the second half thanks to Mark Fletcher Jr. four yard touchdown run. As for Ward, he would mostly attempt shorter passes, but one throw to Jacolby George showed Ward's quick release, with the receiver taking it 18-yards and setting the Hurricanes up in the red zone.
This wasn't an insane throw or anything, as the ball traveled about two to three yards past the line of scrimmage. But what this play lacks in true 'wow' factor it makes up for by showing Ward's quick release, which is something he was known for throughout his time at Washington State. Right as he pulls the ball from the running back's stomach it is up and ready to fire. With two defenders right in his face Ward is still able to deliver an accurate ball to George, who again is able to drag some defenders for an 18-yard gain. This would again help set up Mark Fletcher Jr.'s four yard touchdown run, putting Miami up 32-6 in the third quarter. Despite a deep ball to Xavier Restrepo was dropped and called for defensive pass interference, Miami would find the end zone again thanks to a 33-yard Damien Martinez rushing touchdown. Ward would join the rushing touchdown party on Miami's next drive, as after a few nice completions he'd take it in from eight yards out on his final play of the game.
Ward is such a good athlete from the quarterback position. After seeing nothing available for him throwing the football, he decides to take matters into his own hands and take it in himself from eight yards out. Not only that, but we see a nice little leap as well from Ward, which made this play so much cooler. Like I said, Ward is a very good athlete, but because he's so deadly with his arm we don't see him run the ball as much. But as we've seen with his movement in the pocket, Ward is one of the best movers in this class. With that score was Ward's last play of the game, capping off a relatively easy outing for the Miami Hurricanes who came out 56-9 victors. I expect Ward and co. to have success this coming week against Ball State who currently sit at 1-0 after a close encounter with the Missouri State Bears last weekend. But again, Miami shouldn't have too many issues, and Ward should continue along his potential Heisman campaign.
Preseason - 8
Wk 1 - 5
Wk 2 - 5
Wk 3 - v Ball State
6. Jalen Milroe, Alabama
Wk 2 - 16/26 194 yds 2 touchdowns 0 interceptions/12 carries 2 yds 2 touchdowns v South Florida (42-16 W)
Season - 23/35 394 yds 5 touchdowns 0 interceptions/22 carries 81 yds 4 touchdowns
Preseason - 6
Wk 1 - 6
Wk 2 - 6
Wk 3 - @ Wisconsin
7. Jaxson Dart, Ole Miss
Wk 2 - 25/27 377 yds 1 touchdown 0 interceptions/6 carries -8 yds 1 touchdown v Middle Tennessee State (52-3 W)
Season - 47/54 795 yds 6 touchdowns 0 interceptions/12 carries 19 yds 2 touchdowns
Preseason - 9
Wk 1 - 7
Wk 2 - 7
Wk 3 - @ Wake Forest
8. Garrett Nussmeier, LSU (+1)
Wk 2 - 27/37 302 yds 6 touchdowns 0 interceptions/2 carries 13 yds 0 touchdowns v Nicholls (44-21 W)
Season - 57/76 610 yds 8 touchdowns 1 interception/2 carries 13 yds 0 touchdowns
Preseason - 10
Wk 1 - 9
Wk 2 - 8
Wk 3 - @ South Carolina
9. Conner Weigman, Texas A&M (+1)
Wk 2 - 11/14 125 yds 2 touchdowns 0 interceptions/4 carries 39 yds 0 touchdowns v McNeese State (52-10 W)
Season - 23/44 225 yds 2 touchdowns 2 interceptions/11 carries 65 yds 0 touchdowns
Preseason - 3
Wk 1 - 10
Wk 2 - 9
Wk 3 - @ Florida
10. Will Howard, Ohio State (NEW)
Wk 2 - 18/26 292 yds 1 touchdown 0 interceptions/1 carry 6 yds 1 touchdown v Western Michigan (56-0 W)
Season - 35/54 520 yds 4 touchdowns 0 interceptions/5 carries 24 yds 1 touchdown
Preseason - N/A
Wk 1 - N/A
Wk 2 - 10
Wk 3 - BYE
Others
Noah Fifita, Arizona
Wk 2 - 18/26 173 yds 1 touchdown 1 interception/3 carries -12 yds 0 touchdowns v Northern Arizona (22-10 W)
Season - 37/57 595 yds 5 touchdowns 2 interceptions/4 carries -2 yds 0 touchdowns
Dillon Gabriel, Oregon
Wk 2 - 18/21 243 yds 2 touchdowns 0 interceptions/11 carries -15 yds 1 touchdown v Boise State (37-34 W)
Season - 59/70 623 yds 4 touchdowns 0 interceptions/14 carries -38 yds 1 touchdown
Riley Leonard, Notre Dame (8)
Wk 2 - 20/32 163 yds 0 touchdowns 2 interceptions/11 carries 16 yds 1 touchdown v Northern Illinois (16-14 L)
Season - 38/62 321 yds 0 touchdowns 2 interceptions/23 carries 79 yds 1 touchdown
Miller Moss, USC
Wk 2 - 21/30 229 yds 1 touchdown 0 interceptions/1 carry 7 yds 0 touchdowns v Utah State (48-0 W)
Season - 48/66 607 yds 2 touchdowns 0 interceptions/3 carries -1 yds 0 touchdowns
Donovan Smith, Houston
Wk 2 - 24/28 260 yds 1 touchdown 1 interception/7 carries -8 yds 0 touchdowns @ no.15 Oklahoma (16-12 L)
Season - 39/58 395 yds 1 touchdown 3 interceptions/19 carries -32 yds 0 touchdowns
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