Published Nov 5, 2016
Three-Point Stance: Few QB stars in NFL Draft class
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Mike Farrell  •  Rivals.com
Rivals National Columnist

Rivals.com National Recruiting Director Mike Farrell’s Three-Point Stance is here with a breakdown of each Power Five conference, mid-season college football awards and the awful 2017 NFL quarterback class.

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1. FEW STARS IN 2017 QB DRAFT CLASS

I can’t tell you how disappointed I am with how the 2017 NFL quarterback class looks so far.

Right now there is only one quarterback, Clemson's Deshaun Watson, that I would take at the top of the draft. DeShone Kizer? He will probably go high in the draft because he’s big, somewhat mobile and has a high ceiling but I don’t see anything there that warrants a selection in the middle or top of the first round.

As for the rest? Chad Kelly and his “swag” would scare me off if I were a GM. I can’t figure out what scouts love about Brad Kaaya and guys such as Mitch Trubisky, Mason Rudolph, Patrick Mahomes and others are solid but I wouldn't take any of them before the second round.

One name to watch for is Central Michigan's Cooper Rush, who isn’t having the best season but has a ton of upside. Scouts will be enamored with him soon.

I’d take Josh Rosen or Jake Browning right now over anyone except Watson and those two are still a year away from being draft eligible.

2. POWER FIVE BREAKDOWNS

Let’s take a quick look at the recruiting picture for each Power Five conference.

SEC

Overachiever: Kentucky. Mark Stoops is on his way to his first bowl game and his team is in contention to win the SEC East.

Underachiever: Tennessee. Injuries aside, this was a preseason Top 10 program and an SEC East contender. The Vols would be 3-5 without some luck.

Headed For Trouble? Ole Miss. And not just with the continued NCAA investigation. This team is headed in the wrong direction on the field as well.

Dominant Force: Not a team but a player for this category and its Alabama's Jonathan Allen. He’s doing things big men shouldn’t be able to do.

Freshman Phenom: Texas A&M's Trayveon Williams was my guy up until the last couple of games but I have to go with Alabama's Jalen Hurts.

Next Year’s Newcomer: If Najee Harris sticks with Alabama, he will be a star from day one. Mark it down.

ACC

Overachiever: Virginia Tech. The Hokies could take home a division title in Justin Fuente's first season.

Underachiever: Florida State. Despite a lot of overall team talent and a freshman star at quarterback, the Seminoles have three losses and an awful offensive line.

Headed For Trouble? NC State. It's hard to pick a team in the ACC because the league is so top heavy and there are so many new coaches, but the Wolfpack are heading in the wrong direction.

Dominant Force: Dalvin Cook, Lamar Jackson or Deshaun Watson? The ACC is loaded with amazing talent but I’ll go with Jackson because he’s showing he isn’t just a runner.

Freshman Phenom: It’s clearly Dexter Lawrence who, at least at this point in his career, is making us regret dropping him from No. 1 to No. 2.

Next Year’s Newcomer: Tee Higgins could be an instant impact wide receiver for Clemson and the next star at the position for the Tigers.

Big Ten

Overachiever: Nebraska over Penn State in a tight one here. There are many teams overachieving, even Maryland and Minnesota, but the Huskers get the nod after going from 5-7 to the top of the Big Ten West standings.

Underachiever: Iowa was almost in the playoffs last season and now it needs a win over Illinois to be bowl eligible, as it is unlikely to upset anyone else down the stretch.

Headed For Trouble? Michigan State. I’ve been flip-flopping on this one. Last November I said the Spartans' title window was closing and then they made the playoffs. After they beat Notre Dame I was a believer again, but these losses keep mounting while many others in the division improve.

Dominant Force: Jabrill Peppers. Some think he’s over-hyped but those are mostly Michigan haters. He does it all for the Wolverines and is a dominant force wherever he wants to be one.

Freshman Phenom: Lorenzo Harrison is the sleeper choice, Rashan Gary is the big-name choice but Ohio State's Mike Weber is the pick for me. He gets better every week.

Next Year’s Newcomer: Tyjon Linsdey should help an intermediate passing game that is struggling for Ohio State as he’s tough to cover out of the slot.

Big 12

Overachiever: West Virginia. I don’t think anyone expected the Mountaineers to still be in the Big 12 title hunt after seven games.

Underachiever: TCU. We’ve come to expect more from the Horned Frogs and a 4-4 season feels odd. Oklahoma could be the pick here but the Sooners are going to win the Big 12 so it’s hard to pull the trigger.

Headed For Trouble? Baylor. What other program could you pick? Recruiting is not happening and the place is radioactive with devastating news hitting seemingly every couple of months.

Dominant Force: Baker Mayfield. I’m tempted to say Dede Westbrook here or D’Onta Foreman because of how unstoppable they’ve been recently, but Mayfield’s numbers are sick as well.

Freshman Phenom: Texas quarterback Shane Buechele plays up a few classes and has been a sign of hope for the Longhorns.

Next Year’s Newcomer: TCU quarterback Shawn Robinson will have an impact in some way, whether it’s as a situational runner or as the guy who wins the quarterback job eventually.

Pac-12

Overachiever: Colorado – There is no way anyone could have told me the Buffs would be in the hunt for the Pac-12 South heading into this season.

Underachiever: UCLA. Josh Rosen’s injury has hurt but the Bruins should still be better than 3-5 overall and 1-4 in conference. There is supposed to be too much talent on the roster for this.

Headed For Trouble? Oregon. The Ducks are no longer the cool school in the Pacific Northwest.

Dominant Force: Jake Browning. The kid is slinging the ball with amazing efficiency and doesn’t make mistakes.

Freshman Phenom: Cal’s Demetris Robertson has been awesome and has fit right into the Bears' wide open offense as expected.

Next Year’s Newcomer: Davis Mills will battle for the starting quarterback job at Stanford even if David Shaw doesn’t want to turn his offense over to a true freshman. I am not a Keller Chryst believer.

3. TWO-MONTH COLLEGE FOOTBALL AWARDS

If the season ended today, here's how I would distribute the major college football awards.

Heisman: Lamar Jackson in a runaway with Jabrill Peppers gaining momentum.

Coach of the Year: Nick Saban. How about that, give it to arguably the best coach in college football history instead of a coach doing a surprisingly good job.

Doak Walker: Dalvin Cook in a tight one over D’Onta Foreman mainly because of Cook’s ability in the passing game.

Outland: Montravius Adams. He doesn’t get the credit he deserves on that Auburn defense but he has been awesome this season. Christian Wilkins would be my first choice but he’s been playing so much outside that Adams is the best pure interior player on either side of the ball.

Biletnikoff: Dede Westbrook is destroying the world lately and has emerged as the best receiver in college football for Oklahoma.

Mackey: Ole Miss' Evan Engram for me.

Bednarik: Peppers hands down.

Butkus: Vanderbilt's Zach Cunningham should win it as of today.

Thorpe: Peppers is on the semifinal list but doesn’t play a natural defensive back position so this should be Minkah Fitzpatrick right now.

Broyles: Clemson defensive coordinator Brent Venables hands down.