1. Spencer Rattler – Oklahoma
Developing under Lincoln Riley in Norman, Rattler is next in line to join a series of Oklahoma QBs highly drafted into the NFL. Rattler possesses many of the top end traits one looks for in a passer; he has the arm strength to throw the ball deep coupled with the mobility to escape the pocket. In addition, Rattler excels at combining both strengths into throwing on the run. Rattler also does well using multiple arm angles to get passes past defensive rushers. The 2020 season was Rattler’s first as a starter, and while he got off to a shaky start, he continued to develop throughout the year and eventually led the Sooners to a Big 12 Championship and Cotton Bowl win. Looking forward, Rattler should be a top five pick in the 2022 NFL Draft and quickly given the opportunity to lead an NFL team.
2. Sam Howell – North Carolina
Howell has made a name for himself over the past two years after winning North Carolina’s starting gig as a freshman. In fact, Howell completed 61% of his passes for 3,641 yards and 38 touchdowns with just 7 interceptions as a freshman in 2019. In 2020, Howell took another step forward in both completion percentage and yards per attempt. However, Howell saw many of his UNC compatriots leave for the NFL this year – including Javonte Williams, Michael Carter, Dyami Brown, and Dazz Newsome – so it will be interesting to see if Howell can continue his strong run with a less star-studded cast. On tape, Howell shows a strong base and elite ability to read the field, constantly getting to his third or even fourth read. He will need to improve his accuracy during his final year with the Tar Heels, but he should be in consideration alongside Rattler near the top of the 2022 NFL draft.
3. Jayden Daniels – Arizona State
Similarly to Howell, Daniels also saw success as a freshman starter in 2019, where he completed 60.7% of his passes for 2,943 yards and 17 touchdowns while only throwing two interceptions. However, playing in the Pac-12, Daniels didn’t have much of an opportunity to show improvement in 2020 the Sun Devils played just four games. Daniels has a quick and compact throwing motion, and he does well attacking the deep areas of the field both in the pocket and on the move. In addition, Daniels is a good runner with the football, which compliments his arm ability in the RPO game. Hopefully, Daniels can continue his growth – both on the field and in the weight room – in what should be a full season for him in 2021 and become a complete QB before possibly entering the league.
4. Malik Willis – Liberty
After the big 2 prospects in Rattler and Howell, the race for number 3 likely comes down to Daniels and Willis. Willis possesses elite physical tools, both as a runner and as a passer. However, Willis wasn’t given an opportunity to showcase his tools early in his career as he sat behind Jarrett Stidham after beginning his career at Auburn. Willis wasn’t content with life as a backup, and he entered his name into the transfer portal where he eventually ended up alongside former Ole Miss head coach Hugh Freeze at Liberty. The redshirt Junior is crushing it with the Flames, as he amassed 2,260 passing yards, 944 rushing yards, and 34 total touchdowns in just 10 games last season. On tape, Willis lacked some necessary polish last year as he often made mistakes with his footwork and sometimes missed easy throws. Looking forward, Willis and Liberty have one of the easiest schedules in all of college football in 2021 with their only true test being Ole Miss near the end of the season. With this in mind, it is likely Willis can put up more monster numbers on his way to becoming a possible Heisman candidate and first-round NFL draft pick.
5. Matt Corral – Ole Miss
The 4th ranked pro-style QB in the 2018 class, Matt Corral has had a rollercoaster of a career for the Rebels over the past three years. After redshirting as a freshman, Corral was named starter heading into week 1 of the 2019 season. However, after starting out 2-2, Corral suffered an injury and John Rhys Plumlee stepped in for Mississippi. Plumlee played just well enough for there to be a bit of controversy and the two both played significant snaps throughout the final games of the season. However, when head coach Lane Kiffin joined the fold prior to the 2020 season Corral seized the opportunity. He won the starting job and completed 70.9% of his passes for 3,337 passing yards alongside 24 passing touchdowns. In addition, Corral is no slouch in the run game, where he ran for 506 yards and 4 touchdowns. On tape, Corral isn’t as toolsy as some other prospects that have been on draft-boards in recent years, but he usually makes smart decisions and has great touch and feel on his throws. The one area where the NFL would probably like to see improvement is in his ball-security. Corral threw 14 interceptions last year, and 11 of them were in just 2 games. He’ll have to cut down on his turnovers and improve his consistency before he can truly be considered among the elite QB prospects.
Names to Watch:
J.T. Daniels – Georgia
As a 2018 QB recruit, Daniels was often pushed to the side in comparison to Trevor Lawrence and Justin Fields. However, Daniels was rated as the only other 5-star QB recruit in the class. Daniels began his career at USC, winning the starting job as a Freshman. Daniels was solid but not spectacular as a freshman, but he was showing promise in a subpar offensive system. However, Daniels suffered a torn ligament early in the season as a sophomore and saw the Trojans’ starting job taken by the aforementioned Kedon Slovis. Because of this, Daniels transferred to Georgia before the 2020 season and showed his ability after finishing his recovery from injury. Despite only playing four games for the Bulldogs, Daniels completed 67.2% of his passes for 1,231 yards with 10 touchdowns and just 2 interceptions while averaging 10.3 yards per attempt. If Daniels can keep up such a pace for the Bulldogs in 2021, he should catapult his draft stock towards the first round.
Desmond Ridder – Cincinnati
Before Ridder announced his return to college, he was my QB6 in the 2021 class. Ridder is a three-year starter for Cincy and has gained 1,759 yards on the ground in that time in addition to some impressive passing numbers. On tape, Ridder flashes excellent arm-strength and deep accuracy alongside great movement in and around the pocket. His dual-threat ability and raw upside make him a very interesting prospect.
Dillon Gabriel – UCF
Had former UCF coach Josh Heupel not left for Tennessee, Gabriel would likely be challenging for the fifth spot in my 2022 rankings. However, with Heupel out of town, Gabriel may not put up the gaudy numbers he’s had since taking over for McKenzie Milton. However, Gabriel still has a very solid arm and other likable traits like his mobility and decision-making which could make him highly-coveted in scouting circles leading up to next year’s draft.
