Five college quarterbacks with the most to prove in 2022

Who is facing the most pressure?

The college football offseason was headlined by quarterbacks all over the country moving around thanks to the transfer portal.

Regardless of why, they're a handful of transfers that put a ton of pressure on themselves by making the move. Not to mention, there are also a handful of returning quarterbacks that have a lot to prove.

In an era when the position is played at the highest level, you only get so many chances to prove that you belong before your replacement is under center. Playing the quarterback position is already stressful enough due to the fact it is arguably the most important position in sports, but when you have a fan base which in some cases at the college level is a whole entire state cheering you on things can get tense quickly. 

There is nothing worse than losing the support of your fanbase like we saw with Oklahoma's Spencer Rattler, and for some players across the country like Stanford's Tanner McKee they need to show not only their fan base but the rest of country that their once high ranking was warranted. 

While this list could really be in the 20-30 range, I decided to focus on the five quarterbacks in 2022 that I think have the most to prove based on program expectation's, recruiting rankings, or just expectations for that player in general. If your favorite quarterback is included as apart of this ranking, it is not to say they aren't good but that they do have some pressure to prove themselves. The same can be said if your favorite quarterback is not included, it is not because they aren't as talented but quarterbacks like Bryce Young and C.J. Stroud have already shown that they are among the best gunslingers in the country. 

Let's take a look at the five quarterbacks with the most to prove in 2022.

Spencer Rattler, South Carolina

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After being a highly touted recruit, Spencer Rattler was expected to continue Oklahoma's train of successful quarterbacks following the likes of Baker Mayfield, Kyler Murray, and Jalen Hurts. While Rattler wasn't able to help lift Oklahoma to the success that those three did, he was no slouch by any means. Rattler earned 1st Team All-Big 12 honors, MVP of the Big 12 Championship Game, and finished with a 9-2 record in his first season as the starter. If it weren't for his struggles against Texas this past season, there is a chance that he would have held on to the starting job at Oklahoma rather than being benched in favor of Caleb Williams. 

Rattler went into 2021 as a Heisman favorite, potential first overall pick in the NFL Draft, and viewed as someone who should be one of the best quarterbacks in the country. However, he finished the season as a backup whose own fans were booing. Rattler has since transferred to South Carolina where he along with the other talented transfers are expected to help take the program to heights it hasn't seen in a while. 

J.T. Daniels, West Virginia

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After enrolling at USC early because the high school level was simply to easy for him, J.T. Daniels was expected to lead the Trojans back to prominence. He quickly found success at the college level during his first season, and the expectations for him grew going into his second season. However, injuries derailed him from truly reaching his potential at USC and also gave way for Kedon Slovis to take over as the starter. Daniels then made his way to Georgia where he was viewed as the missing piece for the Bulldogs who were longing for a championship.

Unfortunately for Daniels, another injury sidelined him and allowed for the rise of Stetson Bennet who would go on to guide the Bulldogs to a championship. Daniels is now on his third school of his career after his transfer to West Virginia, which is a program looking to take that next step in the Big 12. This season will give Daniels another chance to be the face of a program if he can remain healthy, and may also give him a chance to get back in the good graces of NFL scouts. 

Tanner McKee, Stanford

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The first and only non-transfer on the list, Tanner McKee might be shouldering the most underrated pressure in the country. After being ranked highly in a class that features two NFL quarterbacks in Trevor Lawrence and Justin Fields, McKee is looking to establish himself as one of the premier passers in the country.

PFF ranked him as QB3 in this upcoming draft class behind Young and Stroud, but he has yet to show he can consistently be healthy and make smart choices. McKee's first five starts saw him complete 65% of his passes on 7.2 yards per attempt, while throwing for 11 touchdowns and no interceptions as he led Stanford to a 3-2 record. After getting banged up, McKee would begin to struggle the rest of the way as he threw just four more touchdowns, throw seven interceptions, and was sacked 17 times while the team would go on to lose the remains games on the schedule. McKee is playing to not only improve his stock, but to revitalize a down Stanford program, and maybe even to save David Shaw's job.

 

Quinn Ewers, Texas

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Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers might have the most to prove out of anyone on this list due to the fact he held a perfect rating as a recruit and we haven't seen a college pass from him. Ewers re-classified and went to Ohio State a year early in order to cash in on NIL deals, but now he is being tasked with resurrecting a Texas program that has been fighting off mediocrity demons for nearly a decade. 

Ewers was announced as the starter on Friday, which has essentially shattered the internet. His pressure might be different than the rest due to the fact the program is expected to be a blue blood of college football, and hasn't been able to have the on-field performance to match that status. No one should envy the pressure he is feeling, but if he does succeed and prove to be one of the nation's elite people will envy the praise he will receive. 

Caleb Williams, USC

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The former Sooner who helped run Spencer Rattler out of town is now with his coach from Oklahoma at USC. Caleb Williams headlines a USC team that rebuilt through the transfer portal, and the national expectation is for this team to be contenders right away. Williams himself was viewed as possibly being the best quarterback in the country while at Oklahoma, but now that he is at a new program it feels fair to say that he will have to prove that again. 

It helps that he got a major weapons upgrade, and the Pac-12 as a whole won't be a stiff from top to bottom as the Big 12. While Williams easily could have been left off this list it seems that him transferring to USC along with the bad taste that he and Lincoln Riley's shenanigans this offseason created, that the media and college football fans alike will be ready to criticize any slip up he has. Williams essentially has to re-prove that he is one of the best, and now he will be doing so in a villain role.