With a few good QBs graduating like Brady White, Shane Buechele, Zach Smith and a few good ones transferring like McKenzie Milton (FSU) and Anthony Russo (Michigan State), let's look at the conference in 2021 and their career stats.......
1) UCF- Dillon Gabriel- 61 TDs/11 INT......Strong arm. Good leader. Can make any throw on field. How will he do in Gus' new offense? Can he win the big game?
2) CINCINNATI- Desmond Ridder- 57 TDs/20 INT......Ridder is the perfect game manager QB for a great defense like Cincy. He doesn't make many mistakes and can beat you on 3rd and long with his feet. How will they be without their DC this year?
3) EAST CAROLINA- Holton Ahlers- 51 TD/22 INT........Strong arm. Went from 48% to 59% to 61% completion percentage in first 3 years but also went from 592 to 359 to 109 rushing yards in 3 straight games; Went from dual threat to strictly pocket passer. Ahlers could throw for 450 yards or 120 yards; Can he be more consistent despite the lack of talent around him? Can his success/talent alone translate into more team wins?
4) TULANE- Michael Pratt- 20 TD/8 INT- 8 rushing TDs.......Played great as a freshman. Coach Willie Fritz says Tulane will focus on a "heavy" pass first offense in 2021. Can Pratt continue to progress and avoid a sophomore slump?
5) MEMPHIS- Grant Gunnell 15 TD/3 INT.............. Graduated Brady White. Brought in two solid transfers to compete for the starting job; Grant Gunnell 6'6 from Arizona and Peter Parrish 6'1 from LSU. Gunnell has experience playing at Arizona with a career completion percentage of 66.5%; Like White he's very accurate. Parrish is the dual threat who can and will beat you with his legs but has no experience. Can Gunnell come in and continue Memphis' high powered offense or will Memphis fade back toward medocrity?
6) SMU- Preston Stone- No Experience (stats)........SMU graduated Shane Buechele. Enter Preston Stone who Sony Dykes compares to Jared Goff already. Stone is competing for the starting job with Oklahoma RS Freshman transfer Tanner Mordecai. Mordecai learned under Lincoln Riley and would have been SMU's all time #2 recruit had he originally gone to SMU; one small problem- Preston Stone is SMU's all time #1 recruit now (last 20 years while keeping track). I think Stone wins the gig. Last year's backup to Buechele is former walk on Derek Green (might have heard of his father 11 year NFL vet Trent Green) will serve as 3rd string this year. Is the future now at SMU under Dykes? Can Dykes turn Stone or Morcedai into Buechele overnight in his system or will they show growing pains?
7) HOUSTON- Clayton Tune- 34 TDs/21 INT......Tune returns as starter in Houston. Tune has been plagued by consistency issues and turnovers. Can Tune take the next in his development? Back to back losing seasons in the American Conference for Dana Holgersen has him feeling some heat but he did go from (2-6) in conference in 2019 to (3-3) in conference in 2020; Will year 3 be the year Holgersen competes for a conference title?
8) SOUTH FLORIDA- Jarren Williams- 19 TD/7 INT.........USF desperately needed a QB transfer in the offseason and landed former Miami QB Jarren Williams who is a solid dual threat. Williams is competing with Cade Fortin (UNC transfer) for the starting job over Marsh and incoming true freshman Timmy McClain (from Sanford Seminole). After just one season Jeff Scott is already feeling a little heat for going (1-8) and (0-7) in conference. Scott was expected to turn USF somewhat quickly. Granted he didn't have any resemblance of a QB last year, we will see how he does with Williams or Fortin. Can Scott right the ship and win a few conference games?
9) TULSA- Davis Brin- 2 TD/0 INT........Redshirt junior Davis Brin has waited for this opportunity and will be given every chance to win job since Zach Smith graduated. Brin has minimal playing experience but supposedly he's accurate and has impressed Montgomery this spring. No coach in our conference was more on the hot seat prior to the 2020 season than Philip Montgomery; luckily for him Tulsa was the surprise of the conference; How will he follow up that season and prove last year was not a fluke? Can Tulsa compete for the conference again this year despite losing their QB and many key defenders?
10) TEMPLE-D'WAN MATHIS........Two guys are competing for the starting QB job; Re-al Mitchell (transfer from Matt Campbell and Iowa State) and former 4 star 6'6 D-wan Mathis (transfer from Georgia)......Neither QB is accurate at all but both possess tremendous athleticism. Re-al Mitchell, who's mother played "Blaze" on American Gladiators, should have the inside track at the job as he learned the offense last year. Mathis needs to harness his potential if he ever wants to see the D-1 field after going 8 for 17 passing during a Georgia Spring game. Can Temple develop either one of these 2 athletes after Anthony Russo left because he said he wasn't being developed at Temple as much as he'd like to be?
11) NAVY- Xavier Arline- Minimal experience.........It's a 4 way battle for starting QB between Arline, Jayden Umbarger, Tai Lavatai, and Maasai Maynor. Arline should win the job as he had a little experience from last year. Can Navy improve on a (3-4) conference record in 2020?
1) UCF- Dillon Gabriel- 61 TDs/11 INT......Strong arm. Good leader. Can make any throw on field. How will he do in Gus' new offense? Can he win the big game?
2) CINCINNATI- Desmond Ridder- 57 TDs/20 INT......Ridder is the perfect game manager QB for a great defense like Cincy. He doesn't make many mistakes and can beat you on 3rd and long with his feet. How will they be without their DC this year?
3) EAST CAROLINA- Holton Ahlers- 51 TD/22 INT........Strong arm. Went from 48% to 59% to 61% completion percentage in first 3 years but also went from 592 to 359 to 109 rushing yards in 3 straight games; Went from dual threat to strictly pocket passer. Ahlers could throw for 450 yards or 120 yards; Can he be more consistent despite the lack of talent around him? Can his success/talent alone translate into more team wins?
4) TULANE- Michael Pratt- 20 TD/8 INT- 8 rushing TDs.......Played great as a freshman. Coach Willie Fritz says Tulane will focus on a "heavy" pass first offense in 2021. Can Pratt continue to progress and avoid a sophomore slump?
5) MEMPHIS- Grant Gunnell 15 TD/3 INT.............. Graduated Brady White. Brought in two solid transfers to compete for the starting job; Grant Gunnell 6'6 from Arizona and Peter Parrish 6'1 from LSU. Gunnell has experience playing at Arizona with a career completion percentage of 66.5%; Like White he's very accurate. Parrish is the dual threat who can and will beat you with his legs but has no experience. Can Gunnell come in and continue Memphis' high powered offense or will Memphis fade back toward medocrity?
6) SMU- Preston Stone- No Experience (stats)........SMU graduated Shane Buechele. Enter Preston Stone who Sony Dykes compares to Jared Goff already. Stone is competing for the starting job with Oklahoma RS Freshman transfer Tanner Mordecai. Mordecai learned under Lincoln Riley and would have been SMU's all time #2 recruit had he originally gone to SMU; one small problem- Preston Stone is SMU's all time #1 recruit now (last 20 years while keeping track). I think Stone wins the gig. Last year's backup to Buechele is former walk on Derek Green (might have heard of his father 11 year NFL vet Trent Green) will serve as 3rd string this year. Is the future now at SMU under Dykes? Can Dykes turn Stone or Morcedai into Buechele overnight in his system or will they show growing pains?
7) HOUSTON- Clayton Tune- 34 TDs/21 INT......Tune returns as starter in Houston. Tune has been plagued by consistency issues and turnovers. Can Tune take the next in his development? Back to back losing seasons in the American Conference for Dana Holgersen has him feeling some heat but he did go from (2-6) in conference in 2019 to (3-3) in conference in 2020; Will year 3 be the year Holgersen competes for a conference title?
8) SOUTH FLORIDA- Jarren Williams- 19 TD/7 INT.........USF desperately needed a QB transfer in the offseason and landed former Miami QB Jarren Williams who is a solid dual threat. Williams is competing with Cade Fortin (UNC transfer) for the starting job over Marsh and incoming true freshman Timmy McClain (from Sanford Seminole). After just one season Jeff Scott is already feeling a little heat for going (1-8) and (0-7) in conference. Scott was expected to turn USF somewhat quickly. Granted he didn't have any resemblance of a QB last year, we will see how he does with Williams or Fortin. Can Scott right the ship and win a few conference games?
9) TULSA- Davis Brin- 2 TD/0 INT........Redshirt junior Davis Brin has waited for this opportunity and will be given every chance to win job since Zach Smith graduated. Brin has minimal playing experience but supposedly he's accurate and has impressed Montgomery this spring. No coach in our conference was more on the hot seat prior to the 2020 season than Philip Montgomery; luckily for him Tulsa was the surprise of the conference; How will he follow up that season and prove last year was not a fluke? Can Tulsa compete for the conference again this year despite losing their QB and many key defenders?
10) TEMPLE-D'WAN MATHIS........Two guys are competing for the starting QB job; Re-al Mitchell (transfer from Matt Campbell and Iowa State) and former 4 star 6'6 D-wan Mathis (transfer from Georgia)......Neither QB is accurate at all but both possess tremendous athleticism. Re-al Mitchell, who's mother played "Blaze" on American Gladiators, should have the inside track at the job as he learned the offense last year. Mathis needs to harness his potential if he ever wants to see the D-1 field after going 8 for 17 passing during a Georgia Spring game. Can Temple develop either one of these 2 athletes after Anthony Russo left because he said he wasn't being developed at Temple as much as he'd like to be?
11) NAVY- Xavier Arline- Minimal experience.........It's a 4 way battle for starting QB between Arline, Jayden Umbarger, Tai Lavatai, and Maasai Maynor. Arline should win the job as he had a little experience from last year. Can Navy improve on a (3-4) conference record in 2020?
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