Auburn football: Power ranking every QB the Tigers will face in 2018

The Auburn Tigers’ defense is expected to be one of the very best in the country in 2018, but their schedule is certainly not kind.

Yes, it does give them the opportunity to craft one mighty resume to the Playoff committee, but it’s also fraught with potential roadblocks throughout the year. Obviously with a schedule as difficult as theirs, you can expect they’ll be playing against some decent QBs this fall.

So, what would a ranking of the QBs Auburn is going to face look like? Let’s take a look:

12. Darryl Pearson, Alabama State

There’s a far better chance Pearson will hurt the Tigers with his legs (248 rushing yards, 2 TDs in 2017) than his arm (481 passing yards, 43.4 percent completion, 4/3 TD to INT ratio), and he did show decent athleticism in the second half of last season. Still, this game has the makings of a slaughter, and as it’s nestled right between Washington and LSU in Week 2, so it’ll provide a great opportunity for younger guys to see the field.

11. Kwadra Griggs, Southern Miss

Griggs is indefinitely suspended as of now, so the Tigers might be facing Jack Abraham when they meet in Week 5. Griggs is certainly the better athlete of the two and he did a good job taking care of the football last year (16/2 TD to INT ratio), but struggled with accuracy (55.8% completion). Abraham put up prodigious passing numbers in JUCO, but an SEC defense is a different animal entirely.

10. Stephen Calvert, Liberty

He’s quietly become one of the better QBs you’ve never heard of from a production standpoint, and in 11 games last year managed to throw for over 3,300 yards with 29 TDs and just 6 INTs. We must take those numbers with a grain of salt, however, because the Flames were still on an FCS-heavy schedule last year as they transitioned to FBS ball. Auburn’s defense should provide quite a different test.

9. Joe Burrow, LSU

Maybe Burrow is as good as Tigers fans are predicting he’ll be. If that’s the case, this ranking is much too low because they’re of the opinion he’s an All-American candidate. But as of this writing, he’s never taken a meaningful snap in college. Sorry, but mop up duty success against UNLV and Rutgers doesn’t always translate into similar success against elite defenses like the one Auburn has.

8. Kellen Mond, Texas A&M

Mond has won the starting job over Nick Starkel, and he presents a different challenge to the Tigers given his ability to make plays with his legs. It’ll be interesting to see what new HC Jimbo Fisher can do in terms of improving his accuracy, because the 51.5 percent completion percentage he posted last year as a freshman will put him in his new coach’s doghouse in a hurry.

7. Jarrett Guarantano, Tennessee

This could also be Stanford transfer Keller Chryst, but it appears the incumbent Guarantano has the edge here. He took his share of lumps last year as a freshman (997 yards, 61.9 percent completion, 4/2 TD/INT) on a truly abysmal UT offense, though there is optimism he’ll show improvement as a sophomore under new OC/QB coach Tyson Helton, who developed Sam Darnold at Southern Cal into the No. 3 overall draft pick last spring.

6. Cole Kelley, Arkansas

Kelley certainly had his share of ups and downs in 2017, and finished with just over 1,000 yards passing in 9 games (4 starts), completing 57.6% of his passes with 8 TDs and 4 INTs. It’ll be interesting to see how he responds to the new hurry-up Chad Morris offense, and how well Morris can capitalize on Kelley’s prodigious arm talent. Auburn certainly won’t play against another QB the size of Kelley (6-7, 260), who looks more like a TE than a QB.

QB1. @ColeKelley10 pic.twitter.com/3Nt42ln2NE

— Arkansas Razorback Football (@RazorbackFB) August 27, 2018

5. Jordan Ta’amu, Ole Miss

The Tigers will face very few offenses that can toss the ball around like the Rebels can. Ta’amu looked very good down the stretch last year when Shea Patterson went down (1,682 yards, 66.5%, 11/4 TD/INT), and he’ll have the luxury of throwing to the best receiving corps in the country led by All-American WR A.J. Brown (75 receptions, 1,252 yards, 11 TDs). This kind of passing attack will test any secondary, even one as talented as Auburn’s.

4. Nick Fitzgerald, Mississippi State

There are few QBs nationally, much less in the SEC, with Fitzgerald’s level of production, who have passed for more than 4,400 yards and rushed for another 2,400 with a combined 72 TDs. He should show signs of improvement as a passer this year under QB guru Joe Moorhead, and he’ll be working with what should be a vastly improved receiving corps. This will be one of the tougher tests the Tigers have this fall, and it’s in Starkville no less.

3. Jake Fromm, Georgia

He was a revelation as a true freshman last year, throwing for 2,615 yards (62.2 percent completion) with 24 TDs against just 7 INTs while helping lead the Dawgs to an SEC Championship and a berth in the national title game. He’s not blessed with an elite arm, but he’s a smart and heady competitor with strong leadership skills, who will be throwing to a very good receiving corps. Oh, and he has a strong group of RBs behind him and a very good offensive line in front of him. This will a tough one, no doubt.

2. Jake Browning, Washington

The Tigers won’t face a more accomplished passer than Browning, who, in just three years has thrown for 9,104 yards (64.4%) with 78 TDs and just 24 picks, while also leading his team to a 29-10 record. With that said, his effectiveness can be mitigated, as evidenced last year against teams like UCLA, Arizona State and Colorado. He’ll be a good litmus test for the Auburn defense in Week 1. If they’re as good as we think they are, they’ll be challenged by Browning and the Husky offense, but they should still manage to control them and come home with a huge non-conference win.

1. Tua Tagovailoa, Alabama

If Tagovailoa plays as well (or better) as he did in the second half of the title game, he’ll be in strong consideration for the Heisman at the end of the year. He’s blessed with a tremendous arm, showing very good velocity and touch, and he’ll be throwing to a very talented group of receivers. Throw in the fact that defenses can’t just drop 5 or 6 guys into coverage every play due to the brutally powerful rushing attack, the Tigers will need to play assignment sound football in this game and find a way to come up with some turnovers to win.

Rick Stavig

Rick Stavig, who played at Ole Miss and Shippensburg University, is the owner of SE Scouting. A veteran scout, he specializes in the NFL Draft and recruiting coverage.