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College Football: 10 players who will make 2017 the year of the quarterback

By Cody Williams

Oct 1, 2016; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Southern California Trojans quarterback Sam Darnold (14) in action during the second half against the Arizona State Sun Devils at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kelvin Kuo-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 1, 2016; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Southern California Trojans quarterback Sam Darnold (14) in action during the second half against the Arizona State Sun Devils at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kelvin Kuo-USA TODAY Sports /
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Oct 22, 2016; University Park, PA, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes quarterback J.T. Barrett (16) calls a play at the line against the Penn State Nittany Lions during the first quarter at Beaver Stadium. Penn State defeated Ohio State 24-21. Mandatory Credit: Rich Barnes-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 22, 2016; University Park, PA, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes quarterback J.T. Barrett (16) calls a play at the line against the Penn State Nittany Lions during the first quarter at Beaver Stadium. Penn State defeated Ohio State 24-21. Mandatory Credit: Rich Barnes-USA TODAY Sports /

9. J.T. Barrett – Ohio State Buckeyes

The debate over whether Ohio State Buckeyes quarterback J.T. Barrett is a good quarterback could go on forever. He’s hardly a consistent thrower in regards to his mechanics and decision-making. However, if there’s one thing that’s hard to argue with about Barrett, it’s his overall success as far as production and winning go.

Certainly the road to Barrett’s senior season in Columbus has been anything but normal. His sophomore season was basically wasted as he was shuffled in and out of the offense in a positional battle with Cardale Jones after the latter came in for Barrett following an injury in 2014 to win a National Championship. When he’s been the unquestioned starter, however, he’s been a bear for any opponent to deal with.

Throughout his three seasons with the Buckeyes, Barrett has totaled 6,381 passing yards, 2,465 rushing yards and 100 total touchdowns. And while his ability as a thrower can be called into question, he’s still remained protective of possession as he threw just 10 interceptions as a freshman, four as a sophomore and only seven as a junior in 2016. No Ohio State player has found the end zone as often as Barrett, which almost says enough in itself.

If you’re looking for the NFL prototype at quarterback, you’re not going to find it in the Ohio State starter. However, he’s going to put up numbers with his arm and legs once again, the Buckeyes are going to keep winning, and the scrutiny of his play will continue. By my estimation, that makes him a major factor in the year of the quarterback.

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