Many reputable sources have Cook in the top 6 going into this season:
6. Connor Cook, Michigan State. Like Hackenberg, Cook at times can look like the best quarterback in the country. He has a solid arm, and he's capable of fitting fastballs into tight windows, as well as making brilliant downfield throws. He's also streaky with accuracy and decision-making. Michigan State's offense -- with the run as a foundation and downfield throws working off of it -- lends itself to a somewhat lower completion rate, so Cook's 58.1 percentage isn't a surprise. Still, he's the type of quarterback who can blow away the competition for one drive, then miss easy throws the next, as his accuracy on short and mid-range throws can be erratic. With that said, Cook -- with the help of an excellent line -- doesn't take sacks, and despite some bad decisions, he's thrown a total of 14 picks over the last two seasons. He's unquestionably one of the best quarterbacks in the country entering his senior year, although he'll have to overcome rebuilding in the receiving corps and at tailback, with Jeremy Langford, Tony Lippett and Keith Mumphery gone. But a senior quarterback and a solid offensive line can go a long way.
5. Dak Prescott, Mississippi State. Prescott was expected to take the Mississippi State offense to another level in his first year as the full-time starter, and he managed to exceed it. Sure, the Bulldogs fell off at the end of the year, but it was still a terrific season, one in which they reached No. 1 in October and Prescott was a Heisman candidate. The 6-foot-2, 230-pound senior is an excellent fit for Dan Mullen's offense, succeeding as a runner and a play-action passer. He complete 61.6 percent for 3,449 yards (8.7 per attempt) with 27 touchdowns and 11 picks, and he ran 210 times for 986 yards and 14 touchdowns. Mississippi State lost three of its last four games, but it wasn't as if Prescott played poorly down the stretch. However, repeating last season's success does present some challenges, as the line has to be rebuilt and tailback Josh Robinson left for the NFL.
4. Trevone Boykin, TCU. Two years ago, amid a disastrous 4-8 season for TCU in which the offense fell apart, Boykin caught 26 passes for 204 yards and attempted only 176 passes. He almost moved to receiver permanently last year. Then, the light went on. Gary Patterson overhauled the offense, bringing in Air Raid co-coordinators Doug Meacham and Sonny Cumbie, and it paid off in a big way. The offense jumped from 88th to second in scoring. The Frogs jumped from 4-8 to 12-1. And Boykin became a Heisman candidate at quarterback. He completed 61.2 percent of his passes for 3,901 yards with 33 touchdowns and 10 picks, and he ran 152 times for 707 yards and eight touchdowns. Boykin was hardly flawless as a passer, as he plenty of room for improvement in the pocket, but he's a dynamic quarterback surrounded by talent, including one of the nation's top receiving corps and offensive lines. No one will be taken by surprise by this offense in 2015, but that won't matter.
3c. Braxton Miller, Ohio State. In 2012, Miller finished fifth in the Heisman vote and was named Big Ten player of the year. He threw for 2,039 yards, 15 touchdowns and six picks, and he ran for 1,271 yards and 13 touchdowns. Ohio State went 12-0 but didn't get a title shot because of previous NCAA violations. In 2013, Miller finished ninth in the Heisman vote and was named Big Ten player of the year. He threw for 2,094 yards, 24 touchdowns and seven picks, and he ran for 1,068 yards and 12 touchdowns. Ohio State went 12-2, with losses to Michigan State in the Big Ten title game and Clemson in the Orange Bowl. He injured his shoulder in that Orange Bowl, then re-injured it last August, sidelining him for the season. In that time, have we forgotten how good Miller is?
He's not just one of the best running quarterbacks in college football; he's one of the best runners period, with Urban Meyer's offense giving him a perfect chance to maximize that ability. The problem? His style leaves him vulnerable to hits, and now the chief concern is whether the shoulder will ever be 100 percent again. Unlike Cardale Jones and J.T. Barrett, his NFL future is probably not at quarterback. He's a senior who has done great things for Ohio State, and it seems absurd that he won't be a staring quarterback, if healthy. But that's what makes Ohio State's quarterback battle an impossible decision, and perhaps the greatest "problem" any team has ever faced.
3b. J.T. Barrett, Ohio State. Barrett has been put in such a strange position. He replaced an injured two-time Big Ten player of the year, and after a mostly brilliant season, he broke his leg and was replaced for a national title run by Cardale Jones, who became a star too. As a redshirt freshman, he finished second nationally in passer rating (169.
, completing 64.6 percent for 2,834 yards, 34 touchdowns and 10 picks with an average of nine yards per attempt. He also ran 171 times for 938 yards and 11 touchdowns, meaning he would have passed for 3,000 yards and rushed for 1,000 yards had he stayed healthy. He did have poor passing games against great Virginia Tech and Penn State defenses, but he also threw for 300 yards and three touchdowns on the road at Michigan State, after the offensive line had improved. He's a better passer than Miller and a more explosive runner than Jones. He doesn't have Jones' arm strength, but he's proved to be a terrific distributor and point guard for the offense, in addition to being a dangerous runner in this system. Ohio State would be crazy to sit him this year. But, then again, …
3a. Cardale Jones, Ohio State. Barrett is more consistent, and Miller is the best runner, but Jones proved so much in three games last year that he probably would have been the third quarterback taken in the draft. While Jones lost the battle to replace the injured Miller last year, he still ended up proving that he had matured greatly, on top of owning perhaps the strongest arm in college football. Barrett is a great player who has the most versatile skill set to take advantage of everything the playbook has to offer -- more so than Jones -- but the Ohio State offense reached its peak with Jones at quarterback. To be fair, he played at the end of the season when the offensive line had solidified, but Jones' Tebow-like power-running ability, combined with that arm strength, made the Buckeyes impossible to defend, with tailback Ezekiel Elliott (who returns as a Heisman candidate) becoming a superstar and Devin Smith (who will be tough to replace this fall) becoming unstoppable as a downfield threat.
In leading the Buckeyes to wins over Wisconsin, Alabama and Oregon, Jones completed 61.3 percent for 742 yards (9.9 yards per attempt) with five touchdowns and two picks, and he proved to be a chain-moving tank as a runner. These were his first-ever starts, against three quality defenses, in a season in which he was expected to be the third-string quarterback. While he's still raw and in a heated quarterback competition, he has benefited from being the only healthy quarterback during the offseason. Jones' talent is still a bit of a projection, but he's earned the hype.
2. Cody Kessler, USC. After an underrated performance during USC's tumultuous 2013 season, Kessler emerged as a star last year as new coach Steve Sarkisian pushed the tempo. Kessler is a perfect fit for what Sarkisian wants to do: He's a smart, poised leader who distributes the ball accurately with impressive timing and rhythm. As a junior, he completed 69.7 percent of his attempts for 3,826 yards, averaging 8.5 yards per attempt with 39 touchdowns and just five interceptions. He's mechanically sound, and while he's not a runner, he has pocket mobility and keeps his eyes downfield in the face of pressure.
Two negatives stand out: He took many sacks last year, and his numbers were inflated against terrible defenses. The first is partially his fault, but expect the number of sacks to decline, given that USC returns all five starters to the line after as many as three freshmen started last year. The second is something that happens to anyone, but Kessler's splits were more noticeable than most: In four games against ranked opponents, he averaged 6.6 yards per attempt with four touchdowns and three picks. In nine games against unranked opponents, he averaged 9.3 yards per attempt with 35 touchdowns and two picks. To compare, Marcus Mariota averaged 8.9 yards per attempt against seven ranked opponents last year. At 6-foot-1, 215 pounds, Kessler won't wow anyone physically, but mentally he's ahead of anyone else in the country, and even if he doesn't have a huge arm, he's accurate anywhere on the field. With an improved line, he's a Heisman candidate.
1. Deshaun Watson, Clemson. There is danger in letting the hype get out of control. Watson is a sophomore who has started only five games and played in eight. He has missed three games with a broken hand, and he's coming off surgery to repair a torn ACL. He'll be playing behind a questionable offensive line that just unexpectedly lost its best player, left tackle Isaiah Battle, to the supplemental draft. He lost offensive coordinator Chad Morris to SMU. Go ahead, add up the negatives. There are significant caveats here. But it took only three games for Cardale Jones to become a superstar. Sure, those games doubled as the biggest stages of the sport, but Watson's potential is obvious too, and in a season in which there is no clear-cut top quarterback, Watson has the potential to be the best quarterback in college football, even if putting him here now requires a leap of faith.
In the games he played, he completed 67.9 percent for 1,466 yards with 14 touchdowns and two picks, and he ran 63 times for 200 yards and five touchdowns. He averaged 10.7 yards per attempt and had a passer rating of 188.6, both of which were higher than Marcus Mariota. He's mature beyond his years as a quarterback, with a command of the offense, a strong arm, confidence, poise and mobility -- all of which he showed the minute he stepped onto the field. If he stays healthy, he's a superstar and a Heisman candidate, whether it's this year or next. Despite the hang-ups entering 2015, it's worth betting on his stardom sooner rather than later.
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