Top Offensive Prospects Shine Bright in West Virginia-Baylor Shootout

September 29, 2012; Morgantown, WV, USA; West Virginia Mountaineers wide receiver Stedman Bailey (3) catches a touchdown pass thrown by Mountaineers quarterback Geno Smith (not shown) in the second quarter against the Baylor Bears at Milan Puskar Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rob Christy-US PRESSWIRE

Well, in case you haven’t checked any box scores yet, Baylor lost a shootout with new Big 12 addition 70-63, and there were tons of fireworks in this game. Heisman front-runner Geno Smith clearly cemented his status as the best QB in the country right now, and probably the front-runner for the number one overall pick. Whatever team is picking first overall–whether they need a QB or not–is going to get either a fantastic looking QB prospect or a bounty in picks for him.

Smith completed all but six of his 51 passes, to the tune of 656 yards and eight touchdown tosses. He now has 20 touchdown passes in just four games, and is on pace to have an unbelievable season.

Now, neither defense is going to be considered among the tops in the country, but both teams had one receiver with over 300 yards, and three total receivers with 100 yards or more. West Virginia receiver Stedman Bailey finished with 303 yards and five touchdowns on the day, averaging nearly 24 yards per reception. Baylor receiver Terrance Williams had a game-high 17 receptions for 314 yards and two scores. WVU’s Tavon Austin eclipsed the 200 yard mark, catching 14 passes for 215 yards and two touchdowns.

This game would be hard to duplicate even in a video game. Both offenses were nearly unstoppable the entire day, and most impressive was the brightest star of all, Geno Smith. If NFL teams aren’t drooling over the opportunity to get their hands on him, they should be. Much of what he does is based on Dana Holgorson’s offensive system, but Smith is for real. He has completed 87 percent or better of his passes in three of the Mountaineers’ first four games.

He is making every throw look relatively easy, facing pressure and moving around in the pocket. He can throw on the run, make plays with his feet, and pretty much do everything in between. This is a true elite prospect, much like Andrew Luck and Robert Griffin III last year. He might not yet be on the same level, but in terms of production and consistently improving, he is certainly on the same trajectory. By season’s end, I think he’ll be the Heisman Trophy winner and probably the odds on favorite to be this year’s top overall pick.