Newcomers In The CFB Saturdays College Football QB Rankings: 2021 Preseason

February 15, 2021 CFB Saturdays Staff

With the 2020 season in the books we have removed the quarterbacks who have moved on and updated the College Football QB rankings. A few notes before we discuss the rankings themselves.

The rankings will be updated throughout the season.
Players who have not played college football are not eligible for the rankings.
Players are graded on their college ability, not their pro potential.
We are judging players on their film, production and physical tools.

You can view the College Football QB Rankings here.

Here is a look at a few of the quarterbacks that have debuted in the rankings after a promising 2020:

DJ Uiagalelei – Clemson

Uiagalelei was a five star recruit who arrived at Clemson with great expectations, but with Trevor Lawrence entrenched at quarterback for one more year, most thought DJ would have to wait a year to make an impact. That all changed when Lawrence tested positive for Covid, thrusting Uiagalelei into the starting lineup. He led the team to a come from behind win over Boston College and played very well in an overtime loss to Notre Dame. In those two starts, fans got a glimpse of the future as Uiagalelei completed 59 of 85 passes for 781 yards with 4 touchdowns and no interceptions. His play against those two teams gives Clemson hope for a smooth transition to the post Trevor Lawrence era.

On the field, Uiagalelei is a big quarterback who is physically imposing and athletic. He is a surprisingly effective runner who can make plays with his legs to escape the pocket and buy more time to throw or run for needed yardage. When it comes to throwing the ball, there are few if any quarterbacks in the college game who have the arm strength Uiagalelei has. There is almost no where on the football field that he cannot reach with pace and accuracy. Despite the big arm, he throws a catchable ball and is fairly accurate. He still needs to become more comfortable in the offense and get better at reading college defenses quickly, but it’s clear Uiagalelei has the tools to be a star in college. He showed us a little bit of that in 2020 and more is on the horizon in 2021.

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Dorian Thompson-Robinson – UCLA

Thompson-Robinson and UCLA had a disappointing season in 2019. The team struggle through a 4 – 8 season and Thompson-Robinson completed less than 60 percent of his passes, had less than 8 yards per attempt and a 21 to 12 touchdown to interception ratio. He was not efficient and needed to improve his decision making and his throwing mechanics. The Pac 12 played the shortest season of the major conferences and Thompson-Robinson missed two of UCLA’s games with an injury. In the five games he did play Thompson-Robinson was a much improved quarterback who showed he was ready to approach the expectations he arrived with.

Thompson-Robinson has always been a dynamic athlete who can make game changing plays with his running ability. In 2020, he appeared to be more comfortable in Chip Kelly’s offense, making good decisions with the football and finding easier throws that resulted in a more consistent passing game. His footwork and release were both improved, with better balance and a more compact release, resulting in Thompson-Robinson making a marked improvement in his accuracy. The result was a 65.2 percent completion percentage with 8.1 yards per attempt and a 12 – 4 touchdown to interception ratio. The improved passing coupled with his dynamic running (60 yards per game, 5.5 yards per attempt) made him one of the more dangerous quarterback’s in the country.

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Skylar Thompson – Kansas State

Unfortunately Skylar Thompson only played in three games in 2020, but he was excellent in that short stretch. Thompson has always been a tough quarterback who shows excellent leadership skills, but his ability to be effective in the passing game has been a question mark. He only played two full games during the 2020 season, but he showed an improved ability in the passing game. The most impressive part of Thompson’s short season was his performance in a memorable comeback win over Oklahoma. He completed 18 of 25 passes for 334 yards with a touchdown and also ran for three touchdowns.

Thompson has improved incrementally as a passer over the past three seasons. His yards per attempt, yards per game and pass attempts per game have all gone up. As Thompson has improved his ability to make reads in the passing game and his efficiency as a passer the coaching staff has trusted him more in the passing game. There was a time when Thompson was primarily a running threat, but now he is a complete quarterback who can beat a defense with his arm as well. It looks like Thompson was on his way to a special season in 2020 and will look to pick up where he left off in 2021.

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Desmond Ridder – Cincinnati

Ridder is another example of a quarterback who had some good tools but had not put it together before the 2020 season. In 2019, he completed just 55 percent of his passes and averaged 6.7 yards per attempt. He was a dangerous runner and showed flashes as a passer. but was not consistent in the passing game. In 2020, Ridder showed the progress Cincinnati fans were looking for and became a complete quarterback. He improved his decision making, became a more accurate as a passer. The improvement in his passing game, also opened up more space for Ridder as a runner. He completed 66 percent of his passes and averaged 8.2 yards per attempt, while also averaging 6 yards per carry in the run game.

The Bearcats followed Ridder’s lead to a 9 – 1 season that saw them win the AAC and come up just short against Georgia in the Peach Bowl. Ridder has always had the tools to be a good quarterback. He has the height and stature teams look for at the position. He is a tough player who has the competitive spark to be a difference maker. Ridder has a strong arm and can make all of the throws needed to be successful in the passing game. He has improved his accuracy and decision making to become a complete quarterback. Ridder will go into the 2021 season as one of the top quarterbacks in the country and should only get better.

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Brennan Armstrong – Virginia

There’s nothing pretty about Armstrong’s game, but he is very effective as a college quarterback. The lefty has a longer release and needs to be more consistent as a passer, but he has a good understanding of the offense and just makes plays. Armstrong is a good runner, who is very good at avoiding pressure and extending plays that should be over. This ability to evade the rush and make a positive on otherwise busted plays is frustrating for defenses and uplifting for his team.

In 2020, Armstrong completed 59 percent of his passes and averaged 7.9 yard per attempt with 18 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. His never quit on the play attitude can lead to some mistakes, which he will have to limit going forward. Nonetheless, that fire to make a play is evident and is a big part of what makes Armstrong such a dangerous quarterback. Though the Cavaliers were 5 – 5, they were 5 – 3 in games Armstrong started and finished. He clearly makes his team better and with some progression going into the 2021 season, he will be a dangerous quarterback next season.