PIVOTAL QUARTERBACK SEASONS

As the 2022 season approaches and rosters start to settle in we get a chance to see how pivotal quarterback play can be to teams. Teams looking to bounce back or take that next step forward who have the pieces in place, however, QB play is what can really make or break their seasons. We take a look at 6 QBs that come into the new season with a ton of weight on their shoulders.

Let's get the most obvious out of the way. Clemson took a step back in 2021 and most of it was driven by pretty poor quarterback play. Clemson did not lose many pieces over the offseason and is primed for a solid bounce-back year. However, odds are in order to get their ACC crown back and make it back to the playoffs, a drastic jump in QB play will be needed. Last year D.J. Uiagalelei did not have much of a threat behind him in the QB room which may have contributed to the pedestrian at best year. This year incoming freshman Cade Klubnik will push D.J. for that starting job, hopefully sparking the position for the Tigers in 2022. The QB position will likely be the difference between an 11/12 win season or another 9-3 year.

Florida State has apparently decided to ride it out with Jordan Travis. Chubba Purdy has moved on to Nebraska and McKenzie Milton has wrapped up his football career. Outside of freshman, AJ Duffy (4-star recruit) there is not much behind Travis. With the Seminoles roster coming together around him on both sides of the ball the pressure continues to grow for Travis to have a solid year. Florida State has particularly bolstered the receiving core through the transfer portal. Winston Wright (WVU), Mycah Pittman (Oregon), and Johnny Wilson (Arizona State) all join the Seminoles this year giving Travis plenty of weapons to make a much-needed jump in the passing attack. The Seminoles are trending up in the CFB world and a jump in QB play this year could really jumpstart the FSU turnaround.

The Terps can be a sneaky team in 2022. Maryland returns their entire offensive line and one of the best receiving duos in the nation. Before Dontay Demus went down with an ACL injury in the Iowa game, the Terps started the year 4-0 and had one of the more exciting offenses in the nation. The combination of Demus and Rakim Jarrett is a serious threat and now the Terps add yet another weapon with Jacob Copeland coming over from Florida. Similar to Jordan Travis' situation in Florida State, Tagovailoa does not have much depth behind him. With no career attempts outside of Taulia in the QB room, true freshman Cameron Edge may have a path to the backup role. The Terps lost a key duo in the secondary from a year ago but still come into 2022 with an athletic above-average defense that should be just fine in the BIG10. The plethora of weapons at WR and a veteran OL group should set Taulia up for a huge year. If the Terps were on the other side of the BIG10, they could potentially be a sleeper pick to win the West. Unfortunately, they are in one of the hardest divisions in football but don't be surprised if the Terps sneak up on one of the top dogs in the division.

The Sam Howell era at UNC did not end with as much success as many thought it would as the Tar Heels did not top more than 8 wins in any of the 3 years Howell was at the helm. Regardless of results, North Carolina seems to continue to gain steam in the national view as serious ACC contenders. Their defense returns basically everyone and includes many talented players with a chance to take that next leap to becoming a very solid defense. The offense took a step back last year after the loss of two NFL running backs and Dyami Brown at WR. Josh Downs is one of the best receivers in the nation but the weapons are a bit thin after Downs. Drake Maye will presumably step in for Sam Howell as the next QB for the Tar Heels. If UNC wants to take that next step and gain momentum as a program Maye will have to have a huge year.

The start of a new era at Oklahoma will rest on the shoulders of UCF transfer Dillon Gabriel. Gabriel will have the comfort of one of the best receivers in the nation in Marvin Mims, but outside of Mims you may not find the normal plethora of weapons for Oklahoma. The new defensive minded head coach, Brent Venables, will have plenty of talented returning on the defensive side of the ball from a year ago which will help any type of downfall offensively. Fans are obviously hoping Gabriel can keep the offensive engine of years past running smoothly, however, with limited QB depth it will all fall on his shoulders. A step back on offense could lead to missing the Big12 Championship game for two consecutive years for the first time since 1999, even if you included years without Championship games (2011-2016).

Assuming Kedon Slovis even wins the job over Nick Patti, there will be a ton of pressure on the quarterback to come anywhere close to replacing the season Kenny Pickett had a year ago. The transfer from USC will have to do so without last year's Biletnikoff Award winner, Jordan Addison, after he famously transferred to Slovis' old squad out west. The Panthers do return their entire offensive line and many are predicting them to go back to a more run-heavy team and depend more on the defense. Something that most Pitt fans would not want to see after watching their explosive offense in 2021 capture their 1st ACC title. It may be unlikely, but for Pitt to find their way back to the title game again this year it is likely that Slovis will have to play a huge role.