SMU is having a tough time figuring out who its QB is, ACC Power Rankings- Week Three
Quarterback play in the ACC has been nothing short of electric through two weeks.
Nine players are averaging north of 250 yards a game, with Syracuse QB Kyle McCord leading the conference with 735 total yards and eight touchdowns. Cam Ward follows close behind with 689 air yards and six touchdowns of his own. The most disappointing QB this season has been undoubtedly DJ Uiagalelei of Florida State, but even he is just shy of the 250-yard mark, with 465 yards this season.
Rank | QB | School | Previous Rank |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Cam Ward | Miami | 1 |
2 | Kyle McCord | Syracuse | 3 |
3 | Haynes King | Georgia Tech | 2 |
4 | Kyron Drones | Virginia Tech | 5 |
5 | Grayson McCall | NC State | 4 |
6 | Cade Klubnik | Clemson | 7 |
7 | Conner Harrell | North Carolina | 8 |
8 | Maalik Murphy | Duke | 9 |
9 | Anthony Colandrea | Virginia | 11 |
10 | Eli Holstein | Pitt | 12 |
11 | DJ Uiagalelei | Florida State | 10 |
12 | Tyler Shough | Louisville | 13 |
13 | Hank Bachmeier | Wake Forest | 14 |
14 | Preston Stone/Kevin Jennigns | SMU | 6 |
15 | Thomas Castellanos | Boston College | 16 |
16 | Fernando Mendoza | Cal | 17 |
17 | Ashton Daniels | Stanford | 15 |
That doesn't mean the ACC hasn't had its share of bad, either. SMU can't seem to figure out who their quarterback is. Preston Stone and Kevin Jennings combine for 678 yards, averaging 226 yards after three games. On Thursday, Mustangs head coach Rhett Lashley announced that Jennings has finally won the starting spot.
However, SMU hasn't been tested yet, and Jennings is an underclassman with little experience. Stone has at least played an entire Season for SMU, so we'll see what happens the first time Jennings faces adversity.
Right now, the Stone-Jennings duo drops from No. 6 to No. 14 because of SMU's indecisiveness and performance so far. But a few QBs are coming in below them. Thomas Castellanos of Boston College, Fernando Mendoza from Cal, and Stanford's Ashton Daniels are all still in the basement.
Unless something miraculous happens, Daniels will probably finish dead last, but Mendoza and Castellanos had led their teams to big-time wins already, with Boston College basically ending Florida State's season in week one and Cal going into SEC territory and beating Auburn in one of the most intimidating away environments in the country. They both can move up the rankings in the next couple of weeks with solid performances.