Scouting the Opposition: Ranking BC’s Opposing Quarterbacks

Fellow blogger Troy Nunes Is An Absolute Magician has started a new series where they rank their opposition, position by position. Because it was such a great idea, we decided to “borrow” it at BCI. Today, let’s take a look at quarterbacks. Now by ranking them it is more to to do with their effectiveness as a QB, not just ranking them on things you would say at a combine.

1. Louisville - Lamar Jackson: I am still having nightmares from last year’s home game against the Cardinals. Jackson did unholy things against the Eagles throwing for 231 yards and four touchdowns, while scorching them for 185 yards and three touchdowns on the ground. He looked out of worldly, and I can’t believe BC has to face him again...this time on the road.
2. Florida State - Deondre Francois: Another QB that put the absolute lumber to BC’s defense last year, throwing an efficient 183 yards and three touchdowns. Not overly gawdy numbers, but remember he was only a freshman. I think this kid has got the goods, and definitely has the leadership qualities you want in a quarterback. With another year under his belt, he could really shred the Eagles defense in Chestnut Hill this year.
3. Syracuse - Eric Dungey: After his questionable block out of bounds to start the game, Dungey was pretty much unstoppable against Boston College. True he had some fantastic weapons that BC couldn’t stop, but you have to tip your cap to the 434 yards he threw for, along with the four touchdowns. He may be a systems quarterback, but if he can get it going, he could be a big problem for the Eagles.
4. NC State - Ryan Finley: Was he super impressive last year against BC? Absolutely not. But he did have a fantastic bowl game against Vanderbilt where he threw for 3 touchdowns and zero interceptions. He threw for over 3,000 yards and had a tidy 18 touchdowns to 8 interception ratio.
5. Clemson - Hunter Thompson/Kelly Bryant: We are not sure who the starting quarterback will be at this point for Dabo and Company. Bryant is the presumed starter, he has more experience in the system and had a solid spring game. But Hunter Thompson, the #1 quarterback recruit in the country the past year, probably is more intriguing. According to reports he has picked up the system pretty quickly, so don’t be surprised if Clemson is using a freshman when they face BC.
6. Notre Dame - Brandon Wimbush: Another quarterback that will have to fill some big shoes now that Deshone Kizer is off to the NFL. He had a solid spring game, playing against Notre Dame’s 1’s, and throwing for over 300 yards and 2 touchdowns. He was a highly sought after recruit. With BC getting Notre Dame early in the season, it will be interesting to see if he can get it going or if he will be hit with a learning curve.
7. Virginia - Kurt Benkert: Through UVA’s horrid season, it was easy to overlook Benkert, who actually put together a nice efficient season. Throwing for 2500 yards and 22 touchdowns, he does make mistakes, but for a team like UVA that is searching for identity and a place to build, he could be that leader in 2017.
8. Virginia Tech - Joshua Jackson: The Hokies lost a ton of talent on the offensive side of the ball, with Bucky Hodges, Isaiah Ford and Jerod Evans all heading to the NFL. Joshua Jackson was a 4* recruit, who might present the same problems that Evans did against BC. He’s raw, and doesn’t have any NCAA experience yet, but he could cause damage if he gets it going.
9. Wake Forest - John Wofford: A game manager through and through, we have seen Wofford twice against BC and in neither game has he been very impressive. Wake fans are quick to think he is going to take a jump soon, but I haven’t seen anything that would make me believe it.
10. UConn - Bryant Shireffs/Donovan Williams: Neither of these kids are going to do much against Boston College, both were equally ineffective at the end of last season.
11. Northern Illinois - Daniel Santacaterina: The Huskies got bad news this spring when presumed starter Anthony Maddie was denied a sixth year by the NCAA. The depth chart is pretty slim for NIU, as all signs point to redshirt freshman Daniel Santacaterina to be named the starter. He has very little game experience, throwing for only 361 yards so far, and could be lunch and dinner for the BC Eagles front line.
12. Central Michigan - Tommy Lazzaro: A JUCO transfer, he threw for 14 touchdowns and 9 interceptions in junior college. Probably going to be a steep learning curve for a player like this, and I’d expect BC to be well prepared to tear him apart.