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College football rankings: Sam Howell, Spencer Rattler and the top 20 quarterbacks of 2021

By Cody Williams

Dec 27, 2019; Annapolis, Maryland, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels quarterback Sam Howell (7) runs during the fourth quarter against the North Carolina Tar Heels at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 27, 2019; Annapolis, Maryland, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels quarterback Sam Howell (7) runs during the fourth quarter against the North Carolina Tar Heels at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports /
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Bryce Young, Alabama Crimson Tide
Bryce Young, Alabama Crimson Tide. (USA Today) /

10. Bryce Young, Alabama

The season that Mac Jones put forth at the helm of the Alabama offense last year was historically great. Asking any quarterback to step into that role and produce at the same level is almost surely setting them up for failure. Everything that we’re hearing throughout the offseason, though, suggests that true sophomore Bryce Young is ready to answer the challenge in Tuscaloosa.

Young barely saw the field as a true freshman and, when he did, it was in garbage time. He didn’t look all that impressive in those moments, it should be said, but anyone reading too much into that is just trying to find reasons to take away from an uber-talented young player. And Young is undoubtedly that.

The good news for Young is that he’s in a prime position to succeed. While Steve Sarkisian has been replaced by Bill O’Brien at offensive coordinator as the former left for Texas, the Crimson Tide offense has been humming for years now and they have an inordinate amount of talent at the skill positions and on the line to keep Young in the best spots to have success.

This is a safe play to put a quarterback who hasn’t started in college yet at the backside of the top 10 but Young has the situation and raw talent to be a top-five quarterback this season. For now, though, we’re only comfortable putting him at No. 10 until we see him actually do it in live games.