Rivals Rankings Week: How should top 2021 QBs be ranked?

The first update to the Rivals100 for the 2021 class is out, and six quarterbacks rank among the top 27 prospects. How those quarterbacks should be ordered was a hot topic among our analysts, and each have their say on a preferred order here.

RIVALS RANKINGS WEEK:

Monday: Top 10 revealed | Will USC nab No. 1 Korey Foreman?

Tuesday: Rivals100 revealed | New five-stars | Mind of Mike

Wednesday: Rivals250 revealed

Thursday: Position rankings revealed

CLASS OF 2020 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Position | Team | State

"I like the order for the most part. I might flip Sam Huard with Caleb Williams if it were up to me, as I’ve been extremely high on Huard since seeing him at a national 7-on-7 event in the spring. None of the top six guys are in my region, so my opinion on the matter isn’t refined because I’ve only seen them in camps. That said, my order is Brock Vandagriff (Oklahoma commit), Kyle McCord (Ohio State), Huard (Washington), Williams, Jake Garcia, J.J. McCarthy (Michigan).

"The 2021 class is loaded at quarterback and this is how I'd order them if I was the only one doing the rankings: Vandagriff, McCord, Williams, Garcia, Huard and McCarthy.

"Right now, I don't think there should be any more five-stars at quarterback, but I could see McCord and Williams taking that next step as we evaluate them as juniors. Both have amazing upside and excellent ceilings and just need to refine a few things."

"It may seem a little far-fetched at the moment, but I’d put Washington (D.C.) Gonzaga's Williams at the top of the group. He does everything just as well or better than current No. 1 QB Vandagriff, and everything seems a bit more natural to him. Williams is able to quickly pick up what coaches tell him and he has no problem working through his progression, regardless of the level of competition.

"After Williams, the order should be Vandagriff, McCord, Huard, Garcia, and then McCarthy. Williams and Vandagriff should be five-stars and McCord is right on the borderline."

"There is going to be a lot of debate and discussion over these six quarterbacks over the next two years because all of them are so talented. We might have had a little overreaction when it comes to McCarthy struggling a little bit at the RIvals100 Five-Star Challenge presented by adidas.

"My order would be Vandagriff, McCord, Williams, Huard, McCarthy and Garcia. I am also in the camp after seeing him this summer that McCord should be a five-star now and if he can deliver in games then I think that's going to happen in the next rankings cycle.

"McCarthy is a really talented kid who had some accuracy issues early at the Five-Star Challenge but settled in. He just needs to get bigger. Huard never makes a bad throw and Garcia is great as well but I just need to see him more in game settings.

"Williams will be an interesting one because he might have the most talent of any QB in this class so he's another one who will get five-star consideration. I liked Vandagriff this summer and he's going to the perfect place to develop further as a quarterback, so I have no issues at all with him."

"I have not seen the West Coast quarterbacks live, whereas I have seen Vandagriff, McCord and McCarthy extensively and I have even seen a little bit of Williams in-person. Based on our discussions in the rankings meetings, I have stronger enthusiasm for McCarthy than my colleagues. The Five-Star Challenge was not his best day, but he was far from poor and had one of the strongest arms at the event while leading his 7-on-7 team to the championship game. McCarthy still has a lot of growth ahead of him compared to others on this list who are closer to being maxed out physically.

With that said, McCord is the quarterback I would have highest right now followed by Vandagriff and then, very closely, McCarthy. I will have to see more of the other three to be able to accurately place them among that group."

"I have not seen half on this list live yet, so I have to go with Vandagriff at the top. I have seen him a lot the last couple of years, and despite some struggles at the Five-Star Challenge, there are plenty of reasons to rank him No. 1. He is an elite signal caller headed to Oklahoma, where I think he will be a star.

"In that next group, the one I have heard the most buzz around is Williams. Based on what I have seen, and what I have heard, I would rank the top six pro-style quarterbacks like this: Vandagriff, Williams, McCord, McCarthy, Huard and Garcia.

"Again, going off the buzz, there should be more five-star quarterbacks in this class. Did it have to be done this update? No. We still have plenty of time, and it is safe to say there will be a few more at this position with five stars on their profiles. Who will it be? For me, Williams is one who has a real chance.

"One thing for sure is that the 2021 crop of quarterback has a chance to be one of the better cycles for the position in some time. Right now, Vandagriff is the No. 1 quarterback in the class and at the Five-Star Challenge, it was easy to see why. Once he found his rhythm, the future Sooner was dealing.

After Vandagriff, I'm a huge fan of Williams. He was spectacular at LSU camp earlier this summer and he should be in the five-star discussion before long. From there out, I like McCord, McCarthy, Garcia and Huard, but the junior year film will really tell the story. One name to watch out for is Garrett Nussmeier, who on the cusp of entering this conversation as one of the best in the country."