Black Friday Special: Top Quarterbacks on Display

Nov 23, 2013; Baton Rouge, LA, USA; LSU Tigers quarterback Zach Mettenberger (8) throws against the Texas A

Well, if you’re looking for some value, you’ve got it with the Black Friday college football slate.

In addition to the excellent new Iowa-Nebraska rivalry, which is in its third Big Ten season already, you get to see a handful of the nation’s best quarterbacks in top 25 action, starting at 2:30 Eastern time with LSU vs. Arkansas and Zach Mettenberger, whom some have compared to Joe Flacco of the Baltimore Ravens.

At 6’5″ 235 pounds, Mettenberger is generating top 40 hype, and possibly even a growing consensus on a first round grade. So far this season, he’s thrown for 2,926 yards and 22 touchdowns, leading LSU to an 8-3 record.

Then at 3:30 Eastern time, you’ll get to see star junior Blake Bortles of Central Florida, the young quarterback that has taken the nation by storm. Bortles is 6’3″ 230 pounds, and has gotten a lot of national hype this season as the Knights are a top 20 team in the country. There are some who think that Bortles would be a first round pick if he leaves after this season, even with a smaller sample size.

You’ll also get to see on this black Friday Fresno State star quarterback Derek Carr, another first round candidate who has led the Bulldogs to an undefeated record (10-0) while leading the nation with 39 touchdown passes and just four interceptions. To be quite honest, there might not be a QB in the country playing better football than Carr, regardless of competition.

Going up against Carr today is San Jose State and quarterback David Fales, who had first round hype before the season that has since cooled off. Fales has had a respectable season completing over 62 percent of his passes for 3,642 yards and 27 touchdowns, but San Jose State has only been able to win five of their 11 games.

To cap it off, tonight you will get to see Sean Mannion of Oregon State against Marcus Mariota of the Oregon Ducks. Mariota is probably the highest graded player of any QB going tonight, though only a redshirt sophomore.

Despite only having two years of college experience on the field, Mariota has been considered a top overall pick candidate because of his size, arm strength, speed, and decision making. He has 27 touchdown passes this year compared to just two interceptions, but the Ducks have lost a couple of games in recent weeks and it’s caused some people to step back a bit on Mariota.

Either way, you’re getting some good looking young quarterbacks all day Friday, so pull up a chair and enjoy.