And at my number 7 spot on my list is…
#7- University of Houston’s Greg Ward Jr.- In his Junior year, Greg Ward Jr. passed for 2828 yards, threw 17 touchdowns and threw only six interceptions. Greg Ward is one of the game’s great dual threat QBs as one can also add the 1108 rushing yards and 21 rushing touchdowns to his stats. He can hurt the opposing defense on the ground with his feet and also with his arm. With a coach like Tom Herman he will only get better. Coach Herman comes from the Urban Meyer coaching tree and we will all know how great Urban Meyer is with dual threat QBs. If you evaluate how Ward has improved from his sophomore to his junior year you can tell the Herman apple didn’t fall far from the Meyer tree. Ward Jr. took the college world hard last year and one could see it best in three games specfifically.
In week three he played Texas State, of course the Cougars handled business but, Ward was especially on point. He went 81% on 21 throws, threw for 274 yards and also had 4 passing touchdowns and no interceptions. On the ground, he had 91 yards and 2 scores. But, the most impressive stat was his almost perfect QBR. He had a raw QBR of 99 and he also had a passer rating of 253.4. Both numbers would turn out to be season highs.
Coming into the Navy games Ward had some terrible games against Memphis, a game where an injury sidelined him the second half and the Connecticut game, when he came into the game on the final drive due to the rolled ankle he suffered against Memphis. The Memphis game was the team’s first loss of the season. All this was on Greg Ward’s mind as he made his first start since the injury. Ward was in a QB battle against Navy’s Keenan Reynolds during this game. By the game’s end, Reynolds only out-rushed Ward by one yard. Ward had 83 yards on the ground and one rushing touchdown. Through the air, he passed for a season high of 308 yards and threw 3 touchdowns. Ward had another day with a QBR higher than 90 and a passer rating over 150. On this day, the Cougars rebounded off of their first loss. Houston beat Navy 52-31.
I believe that his bowl game against Florida State is the biggest game of his career so far because of the importance of it. Houston was another non-Power 5 team playing in a big bowl against a Power 5 team. They were playing for themselves and for all the other non-Power 5 teams. The whole season there were the Houston doubters because of their inferior competition. Houston was playing for pride. Ward had a great game against the Noles defense. He had over 300 yards offense for the game. He had 238 yards through the air and he had 67 yards on the ground. He had one touchdown in the air and he had one on the ground. Houston beat FSU 38-24.
Greg Ward and Cougars are destined for another great season and I am predicting an undefeated regular season and another berth into a New Year’s Six bowl. As for Ward I think he will be nothing short of amazing on the field. I would love to see more games of 300 or more yards passing and more passing touchdowns. I believe if he could do that he should be going to New York in early December.
#8- Josh Rosen                                                                            #6- Brad Kaaya