The college football season is nearing its end. Week 13 proved to be completely chaotic, as game results completely shook up the College Football Playoff picture and the matchups in conerence championship games.
It just so happens that some of the top quarterback prospects participated in these wild games. Did they hurt their NFL Draft stock? Or did they do enough to prove they are worthy of taking a shot on in late Day 1 or early Day 2? Let’s take a look at their performances.
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The Colorado Buffaloes had control of their own destiny when it came to the Big 12 Championship. All they needed to do was win out. The problem was that they ran into the red-hot Kansas Jayhawks, who had just handed the BYU Cougars their first loss of the season.
Well, Colorado lost 37-21 to Kansas. This was a case of Colorado’s defense being unable to stop Kansas running back Devin Neal, who 207 yards and three touchdowns on 37 carries. Quarterback Shedeur Sanders had a solid game, but couldn’t do much to keep up with Kansas’s offense. It certainly didn’t help that he was pressured and hit hard by Kansas’ defense.
Sanders completed 23-of-29 pass attempts for 266 yards and three touchdowns. When under pressure on 11-of-32 dropbacks, Sanders completed 7-of-10 pass attempts for 108 yards and two touchdowns, per Pro Football Focus.
Next week is a must-win game for Colorado if they want to make it into the conference championship game. Despite this loss, Sanders didn’t hurt his draft stock. He’s still in contention to be a Top 5 pick.
Next Game: vs. Oklahoma State, Friday, Nov. 29, noon ET
Last weekend, Cam Ward and the Miami Hurricanes returned after a brief break following their loss to the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets. Waiting for them were the Wake Foreset Demon Deacons, which was a winnable game for Miami. However, the game was much more tightly contested than anyone imagined.
Miami held a narrow 20-14 lead entering halftime, and they didn’t put points on the board until the fourth quarter. Eventually, the Hurricanes won 41-14 to improve to 10-1 on the year.
Ward didn’t put up numbers like he did earlier this season. Ward threw for 280 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception while completing 27-of-38 pass attempts. Ward struggled under pressure, going 0-for-3 for no yards and an interception on five dropbacks. Ward did thrive on medium pass attempts (10-19 yards), completing 6-of-8 for 100 yards and a touchdown.
Next week is a huge one for Ward, who can help Miami clinch a spot in the ACC Championship Game with a win over Syracuse. Much like Sanders, Ward can be considered a lock to be one of the first five players selected.
Next Game: at Syracuse, Saturday, Nov. 30, 3:30 p.m. ET
Jalen Milroe’s stock has fluctuated quite a bit this year. When facing great teams, Milroe shows up in a huge way and looks like he has the makings to be a legitimate force in the NFL. Then, when facing lesser competition, Milroe makes some baffling mistakes. Milroe’s worst game of the season came on the road in Week 13 against the Oklahoma Sooners.
This was a winnable matchup for Alabama, who were looking to keep their College Football Playoff chances alive. They were double-digit favorites against Oklahoma. And they lost, convincingly, by the score of 24-3.
Milroe threw three interceptions against Oklahoma, one of which was returned for a touchdown. Overall, Milroe completed 11-of-26 passes for 164 yards. When under pressure, Milroe completed 3-of-11 attempts for 50 yards while throwing one interception.
There’s no doubt that Milroe has upside, but you’d like to see more consistency out of him. It’s unknown if he could sneak in as a first-round pick. He can help his case with a strong outing in the Iron Bowl against Auburn.
Next Game: vs. Auburn, Saturday, Nov. 30, 3:30 p.m. ET
Carson Beck had been one of the more disappointing quarterback prospects this year, especially since he was considered the QB1 of the 2025 class. But Beck has been playing better football as of late, including last week against Tennessee.
In Week 13, Georgia took on a UMass team that recently fired their head coach, and only had two wins on the season. It went just as you would have expected it to — a 59-21 win.
Beck was benched after the Bulldogs took a 45-21 lead. Overall, Beck completed 20-of-31 pass attempts for 297 yards and four touchdowns. Beck was efficient on deep passes of 20 yards or further, completing 4-of-8 attempts for 118 yards and two touchdowns.
Beck will have chances to really raise his stock, as Georgia is already locked in for the SEC Championship Game.
Next Game: vs. Georgia Tech, Friday, Nov. 29, 7:30 p.m. ET
Quinn Ewers is unlikely to get selected in the first round. While he does possess the talent teams are looking for, there is the injury history.
This past week, Ewers and Texas picked up a 31-14 win over the Kentucky Wildcats. Most of the damage done by Texas’ offense took place in the first half, taking a 24-7 halftime lead behind two touchdown passes by Ewers.
Overall, Ewers completed 20-of-31 pass attempts for 191 yards. Ewers thrived on medium passes (10-19 yards), completing 5-for-6 passes for 67 yards and a touchdown.
Ewers didn’t escape the game unscathed, as he picked up an ankle sprain that puts his status for a huge game against the Texas A&M Aggies. While Ewers has the potential to succeed in the NFL, his injury woes are an area of concern.
Next Game: at Texas A&M, Saturday, Nov. 30, 7:30 p.m. ET
The Ole Miss Rebels’ playoff hopes were dashed in Week 13 against the Florida Gators. With the SEC being rather chaotic, the Rebels had a chance to at least keep pace of Texas, Texas A&M, and Georgia. The thing is, Florida has been playing inspired football since they announced head coach Billy Napier would be returning next season.
Jaxson Dart played a significant role in Ole Miss’ loss, throwing two interceptions on the team’s last two drives while down 24-17. Two chances to tie the game and force overtime, and Dart threw interceptions on both drives.
Dart threw for 323 yards, two touchdowns, and two interceptions while completing 24-of-41 pass attempts. Dart did poorly when under pressure, completing just 1-of-7 passes for 11 yards while throwing an interception and getting sacked four times.
Dart is likely a Day 2 pick in the NFL Draft. There is plenty to like about his game, but Round 1 may be out of the question due to some inconsistent play.
Next Game: vs. Mississippi State, Friday, Nov. 29, 3:30 p.m. ET
One sleeper quarterback who has made this list frequently is Syracuse’s Kyle McCord. In Week 13, McCord helped lead the Orange to a 31-24 win over the UConn Huskies. McCord threw for 470 yards and two touchdowns while completing 37-of-47 of his attempts.
On the year, McCord threw for 3,946 yards, 26 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions. While there have been clunkers this year, McCord has played well, much better than he did at Ohio State. Now, he has the chance to play spoiler and knock Miami out of ACC Championship Game contention.
We know what Milroe can do when he’s on his game. He can make some incredible throws and give defenses fits with his legs. The problem is, the consistency just isn’t there. There is a high ceiling for Milroe, but there has been a lot of bad during this season. Maybe he can turn things around at the end of this season.
Here is the NFL Draft order entering Thanksgiving Day, courtesy of Tankathon.
Order |
Team |
Record |
---|---|---|
1 |
Jacksonville Jaguars |
2-9 |
2 |
New York Giants |
2-9 |
3 |
Las Vegas Raiders |
2-9 |
4 |
New England Patriots |
3-9 |
5 |
Carolina Panthers |
3-8 |
6 |
Tennessee Titans |
3-8 |
7 |
New York Jets |
3-8 |
8 |
Cleveland Browns |
3-8 |
9 |
New Orleans Saints |
4-7 |
10 |
Cincinnati Bengals |
4-7 |
11 |
Dallas Cowboys |
4-7 |
12 |
Chicago Bears |
4-7 |
13 |
Indianapolis Colts |
5-7 |
14 |
Miami Dolphins |
5-6 |
15 |
Tampa Bay Buccaneers |
5-6 |
16 |
Los Angeles Rams |
5-6 |
17 |
San Francisco 49ers |
5-6 |
18 |
Arizona Cardinals |
6-5 |
19 |
Atlanta Falcons |
6-5 |
20 |
Seattle Seahawks |
6-5 |
21 |
Washington Commanders |
7-5 |
22 |
Houston Texans |
7-5 |
23 |
Denver Broncos |
7-5 |
24 |
Los Angeles Chargers |
7-4 |
25 |
Baltimore Ravens |
8-4 |
26 |
Pittsburgh Steelers |
8-3 |
27 |
Green Bay Packers |
8-3 |
28 |
Minnesota Vikings |
9-2 |
29 |
Philadelphia Eagles |
9-2 |
30 |
Buffalo Bills |
9-2 |
31 |
Kansas City Chiefs |
10-1 |
32 |
Detroit Lions |
10-1 |
The New York Giants are resetting at the quarterback position. They benched Daniel Jones then released him at his request. They are currently on pace to select in the Top 2, which means they’d have their choice of a quarterback. It’s unknown if general manager Joe Schoen and head coach Brian Daboll will be around to make the selection.
The Las Vegas Raiders are in the same position as the Giants — missed out on drafting a quarterback last year and ran with what they had on the roster. With Gardner Minshew done for the year, it will be Aidan O’Connell’s last chance to prove he can provide stability at the position. Either way, the Raiders will take a quarterback.
We can probably rule out the Carolina Panthers, as Bryce Young has been playing well since returning from his benching. This past week, he nearly led Carolina to an upset win over the Kansas City Chiefs.
Will Levis had a strong game in the Tennessee Titans’ upset win over the Houston Texans. That shouldn’t stop the evaluation of Levis to see if he is a long-term solution.
The New York Jets are a team to watch. Head coach Robert Saleh and general manager Joe Douglas have both been fired. With a new regime incoming, would they want to stick with a 41-year-old Aaron Rodgers? It may be time for the Jets to rebuild yet again with a young quarterback leading the way.
The Cleveland Browns need to find a quarterback to replace Deshaun Watson. With the team currently projected to select in the Top 10 of the draft, would they take a chance on a quarterback if Shedeur Sanders and Cam Ward are off the board?