College Quarterbacks Trending Up for Miami, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oklahoma and UCF
Nothing quite like watching the maturity of a college quarterback take place during a season. From a player that’s making one, maybe two, post-snap reads before taking off becomes different as the season moves along.
By mid-season, an advancing quarterback will stick in the pocket longer, keep his eyes down the field towards intended targets, and only move when it’s absolutely necessary before launching a pass. The following five players all showed signs of those traits this season.
In alphabetical order of the schools they represent, here are five of college football’s young signal callers that continue to make headway during the 2021 season.
Tyler Van Dyke, Miami, Redshirt Freshman
Of all the signal callers on this list, Van Dyke provides the most evidence of advancing as a pure passer. During the past three games, he’s thrown 10 touchdown passes while being intercepted just once. Of note, throwing for 426 yards, three touchdowns and one interception versus a Pittsburgh defense that’s excellent at rushing the passer is newsworthy. Most veteran quarterbacks struggle with the Panthers’ defense, let alone a redshirt freshman.
Now that Van Dyke has some experience under his belt, he could be the next big-time college quarterback. Remember, this is only his second season removed from the high school football ranks. He has three more games and could push towards the 3,000-yard-passing plateau by season’s end.
Van Dyke has been the Miami starter six times and threw for 1,877 yards so far this year. He also has 15 touchdowns, with just four interceptions. Van Dyke is an absolute rising star in college football, and he could help resurrect the Miami program. Next up for Van Dyke and the Hurricanes will be a trip to Tallahassee to take on the rival Seminoles from Florida State.
Tyler Buchner, Notre Dame, True Freshman
Tyler Buchner, Quarterback, Notre Dame
Matt Cashore-USA TODAY Sports
Buchner has been the most unique from this group, as he’s not often called upon to actually pass the football. Instead, he’s been Notre Dame’s red zone signal caller, and sometimes leads drives as he splits time with starting quarterback Jack Coan. Make no mistake, however, he’s the future of Notre Dame Football and he’s an electric athlete.
Just 14/25 on the season as a passer with three touchdowns and three interceptions, Buchner’s legs create havoc for opposing defenses. When operating the run-pass option plays that Notre Dame has incorporated in their offense, he creates extra running lanes for a talented stable of running backs, including future NFL player Kyren Williams.
He rushed 12 times for 67 yards when the Irish went to Blacksburg to take on the Hokies, also scoring a rushing touchdown. Buchner threw for a score, too. As the Irish continue to give him more and more responsibility, look for Buchner’s statistics to explode. The Irish will be in Charlottesville to take on the Cavaliers this Saturday, and one will see Buchner in the lineup yet again.
CJ Stroud, Ohio State, Redshirt Freshman
Handed the keys to the Ferrari that’s the Buckeyes’ offensive skill talent that surrounds him, Stroud has done a good job for the vast majority of the 2021 season. Additionally, he’s definitely trending upwards with his last five games combining for 17 touchdown passes and just two interceptions.
For the season, Stroud has 2,675 passing yards. During that time, Stroud’s arm strength, accuracy and timing have begun to work better together. Now it’s time to shine when it matters most.
The only thing left to really prove for Stroud will be conquering big moments against teams like Michigan State and Michigan, which the Buckeyes will play in back-to-back weeks starting Nov. 20 with the Spartans coming to Columbus, then the Buckeyes travel to Ann Arbor to take on the archrival Wolverines to close out the 2021 regular season.
Caleb Williams, Oklahoma, True Freshman
After taking over for now backup quarterback Spencer Rattler, Williams has shined as a true freshman. He all but single handedly brought Oklahoma back from a 21-point deficit during the Red River rivalry game against Texas, and he’s also continued to perform at a high level during his three starts since that time.
Those contests produced a 12 to one touchdown to interception ratio, and he also passed for 875 yards. Additionally, Williams will destroy defenses with his legs.
An absurd total of 31 carries for 281 yards and four touchdowns belongs to Williams’ as a runner this season. Just in the Texas game, the Washington, D.C. area product accounted for 88 yards rushing and a rushing touchdown from just four carries.
Williams and Van Dyke are probably the most advanced passers from this group, with Williams being the better all-around athlete that will take apart a defense with his arm and legs. Oklahoma plays at Baylor on Saturday, and it's an absolutely huge game for both teams, with Oklahoma the odds-on favorite to win the Big 12 title.
Mikey Keene, UCF, True Freshman
Mikey Keene, Quarterback, UCF
UCF Athletics
This is the most surprising player from this entire list. With starter Dillon Gabriel out because of an injury to his throwing shoulder since the end of the Louisville contest, Keene has made substantial progress.
Just three games back, Keene was struggling mightily. Then, suddenly, the light came on during a 49-7 victory over Temple. Keene went 15/21 for 229 yards, five touchdowns, and one interception.
For whatever the reason, Keene suddenly looked more comfortable in the pocket, made more decisive decisions, and threw the football with greater accuracy. During last weekend’s game against Tulane, he came through with the biggest play of the game when it mattered most.
Trailing 10-7 in the fourth quarter, Keene threw a line drive to a streaking Brandon Johnson for a 23-yard touchdown pass and it propelled the Knights to Victory over the Green Wave by a final score of 14-10.
While two games could be considered a small sample size, the difference in demeanor, conviction as a passer and being clutch cannot be denied. He’s really taken a step forward. With six starts to his credit, the future is bright for Keene and the Knights. He will be challenged on Saturday as UCF travels to Dallas to take on SMU and an explosive offense.
Final Thoughts
These are five of the rising quarterback talents in college football. There are certainly others, too. Just keep in mind that as the college football season enters the final quarter of the season that the quarterback play is getting better and better, and that includes young signal callers like the five mentioned above.
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