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By Braden Gall
Everett Golson has announced that he will transfer from Notre Dame with one season of eligibility left. Golson isn’t the only talented quarterback who could decide to leave school in the coming weeks knowing that he isn’t likely to start.
And there are plenty of big-time teams with conference championship aspirations that need starting signal-callers to put them over the top. So it got me thinking. Who are the best quarterbacks in the nation who won’t be starting this fall, what are the best teams in the nation in need of a QB and which ones fit the best?
Here are nine quarterbacks and teams that need to get together:
Everett Golson, Notre Dame: Florida
Jim McElwain needs a guy who can run his system quickly and efficiently. That’s Golson. He’s got a great arm, great wheels and was the best player on the field for the Irish in the BCS title game drubbing against Alabama. This makes Florida the top challenger to Georgia in the East.
J.T. Barrett, Ohio State: Texas
The Wichita Falls, Texas, native likely isn’t going to beat out Cardale Jones and should return home to the Lone Star State. The Horns could be a Big 12 contender along with Baylor and TCU if they could just get quality QB play. Barrett gives them that and more. Try 45 touchdowns in 12 games as a freshman last season.
Trevor Knight, Oklahoma: Alabama
Oh, the irony. Jake Coker clearly isn’t taking control of the job like he was supposed to — this year or last. But with elite talent and a coordinator who loves to chuck it around, Knight could return to prominence at Alabama. He isn’t likely to beat out Baker Mayfield and he's very accustomed to Crimson and Cream color schemes.
Braxton Miller, Ohio State: Ole Miss
Hugh Freeze might be one player away from winning an SEC title and Miller could be the guy. He fits the spread offense Freeze wants to run and might be relegated to third string in Columbus. This would be a blast to watch.
Max Browne, USC: Louisville
Bobby Petrino has been churning out NFL Draft picks but is a big-armed quarterback away from contending in the ACC this fall. The tall, pocket passer from USC isn’t going to start and would be a perfect fit in Louisville’s system.
Kyler Murray, Texas A&M: LSU
Talk about fun to watch. Murray is just a freshman but isn’t likely to beat out future pro Kyle Allen anytime soon. Why not ship him next door to LSU and give the Tigers an instant playmaker at a position they been lacking for nearly a decade?
Drew Barker, Kentucky: Nebraska
It’s no secret that Mike Riley wants a pro-style, pocket passer running his offense. But he doesn’t have that on his roster right now. The highly-touted and rocket-armed Barker won’t beat out incumbent Patrick Towles and has all the tools to excel in Lincoln.
Davis Webb, Texas Tech: Michigan
Webb looks to be the odd man out in Lubbock but knows how to chuck it around in a big way. The lanky pocket passer would fit well into Jim Harbaugh’s system and gives him a better option than Jake Rudock entering the year. Michigan is good quarterback play away from being a very dangerous team in the B1G.
Mitch Trubisky, North Carolina: Georgia
Possibly the best backup quarterback in the ACC, Trubisky has been beaten out by Marquise Williams multiple times. Georgia needs a tall, strong-armed, pro-style passer. This marriage could result in Mark Richt’s first SEC title in a decade.
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