How did the top quarterbacks fare in Week 13?
The New York Giants are a team in search of answers, first and foremost at the quarterback position.
There are a bunch of paths open to the Giants to address their quarterback position, but the team would likely prefer to draft their next Franchise Quarterback. The 2-9 Giants currently hold the second overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft after their loss to the Carolina Panthers.
If the Giants’ draft position holds through the remainder of the regular season, that should put them in excellent position to draft a top quarterback.
At least assuming they deem one of the quarterbacks in this draft class to be worth the pick. And to that end we’ve been tracking the top quarterbacks’ draft stock this year. There’s still football left to play, including some of the biggest games of the year, but Week 13 of the college season wasn’t kind to several of the top prospects.
Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel was on a bye week, so his stock should be considered to be neutral.
Cam Ward (Miami)
Stock: Neutral
Ward, and Miami as a whole, did what they were supposed to against a 4-6 Wake Forest team in beating them 42-14. For his part, Ward played well enough, completing 71.1% of his passes for 280 yards (7.4 per attempt) and throwing two touchdowns, as well as having a 1-yard touchdown run.
He also threw a bad interception at the end of the second quarter on a second-and-14 in which he tried complete a shovel pass to a player who didn’t appear to be expecting it. Ward was scrambling and simply flipped the ball forward, right to a defender. It was the kind of ugly play that can come from a quarterback trying to create magic out of chaos.
To a certain extent, Ward’s tendencies in that direction are reminiscent of Eli Manning. Refusing to give up on a doomed play can result in big plays, or disaster. The best quarterbacks can usually tip the scales such that it works out in their favor more often than not, but there’s always going to be a risk. That’s something whatever team that drafts Ward will have to reckon with.
I’m not going to overreact to Ward’s interception, nor am I going to put too much weight on Miami’s 22-point outburst in the fourth quarter. So we’re keeping his draft stock neutral for now.
Next game: vs. Syracuse — Saturday, 11/30 (ESPN, 3:30 p.m.)
Shedeur Sanders (Colorado)
Stock: Down
This doesn’t really have anything to do with Colorado’s 37-21 loss to Kansas.
Shedeur didn’t play poorly, and there really isn’t anything he can do about an opposing player exploding for almost 300 yards and four touchdowns. Which is what Kansas RB Devin Neal did: 207 yards, three touchdowns rushing, 80 yards, one TD receiving.
This has everything to do with Shedeur’s actions during the game when he shoved a referee in the back during a scrum. I get that he was frustrated and had taken some hard hits, but frustrations happen. The quarterback has to be the leader of the team, and that means keeping your cool when going through adversity. Hopefully this is a teachable moment and not a sign of things to come.
Next game: vs. Oklahoma State — Friday, 11/29 (ABC, noon)
Jalen Milroe (Alabama)
Stock: Down
This game was a disaster for Alabama, no two ways about it. The Sooners were able to suffocate the Alabama running game, holding them to just 70 yards on the night and an average of 2.3 yards per carry. Milroe made some nice throws over the course of the game, showing off his prodigious arm strength and flashing his ability to place the ball on deep passes.
However, he wasn’t able to do much without the threat of a running game and he went just 11 of 23 (42.3%) for 163 yards and three interceptions when forced to carry the offense with just his right arm.
Next game: vs. Auburn — Saturday, 11/30 (ABC, 3:30 p.m.)
Kurtis Rourke (Indiana)
Stock: Down
This was a fantastic chance for Rourke to catapult himself into the conversation at the top of the QB depth chart. Ohio State has one of the most talented defenses in the nation, and a good (or even solid) performance would have attached a rocket to his draft stock.
Instead, Indiana was completely outmatched and Rourke was largely a non-factor. He only 44% of his passes for 68 yards (3.8 per attempt), and was sacked 5 times.
Rourke did show some of the traits that’ve made him interesting this year and lifted the Hoosiers to being ranked fifth in the nation. He does have an impressive arm and the ability to be accurate to all areas of the field, as well as work his way through progressions against a sophisticated defense. However, he also needs to continue to work on his pocket presence as well as his movement within the pocket.
Next game: vs. Purdue — Saturday, 11/30 (FS1, 7 p.m.)
Quinn Ewers (Texas)
Stock: Neutral
Ewers didn’t do anything to hurt his draft stock in a comfortable win over the Wildcats. However there wasn’t much in his game to boost his stock, either. It was a representative performance, completing 20 of 31 (64.5%) for 191 yards (6.2 per attempt), and two touchdowns.
As you could guess from his yards per attempt, Texas schemed a lot of short passes for Ewers. Much of the Longhorns offense is predicated on getting the ball to playmakers in space and relying on their athletic advantage. Ewers did appear indecisive early in downs, particularly if he had to look downfield. However, he balanced that by being able to find answers while extending plays and on scramble drills.
Next game: vs. (15) Texas A&M — Saturday, 11/30 (ABC, 7:30 p.m.)
Jaxson Dart (Ole Miss)
Stock: Down
The nightmare this weekend continued, and Dart had a miserable game as well. Ole Miss was widely expected to beat a bad Florida team, and instead lost as a direct result of Dart’s play. He threw two backbreaking interceptions late, the second one being a game-ender.
Credit where credit is due, Dart was playing through an ankle injury suffered last week. So he wasn’t at 100% and likely didn’t have his usual mobility, nor did he drive the ball quite like he’s capable. That said, he still made some bad decisions throwing into coverage. Ole Miss was the more talented team and had opportunities to win, but Dart let his team down.
It is worth mentioning that Dart owned up to his culpability after the game, saying, “Yeah, bad decision by me. I think the only thing I can say right now — sorry to my teammates. Sorry to my coaches, sorry to the fans — can’t lose these games. Yeah, this one is going to hurt for a really long time.”
Next game: vs. Mississippi State — Friday, 11/29 (ABC, 3:30 p.m.)
Carson Beck (Georgia)
Stock: Up
Unlike some other teams this week, the Bulldogs did what they were supposed to do against a 2-8 UMass team and demolished them 59-21. Beck, likewise, did what he’s supposed to do and went 20 of 31 (64.5%) for 297 yards (9.6 per attempt) and four touchdowns.
Beck has benefitted from his team far outclassing their opponents in recent weeks, and so he hasn’t been under much pressure to carry the team. But we should also recognize that his play has improved over this stretch as well. Ultimately, Beck will need to carry that forward through the end of the season into the College Football Playoffs. Those are the games that will be scouting tape and should ultimately determine his draft stock.
Next game: vs. Georgia Tech — Friday, 11/29 (ABC, 7:30 p.m.)
Drew Allar (Penn State)
Stock: Neutral
Penn State squeaked past the Minnesota Golden Gophers, 26-25. Allar had a fine performance, completing 75% of his passes for 244 yards (8.7 per attempt) and a touchdown. He also carried the ball nine times for 8 yards and a touchdown.
He didn’t really do anything to hurt his draft stock, but if you were expecting him to take over the game you would be disappointed. He was somewhat shaky in the first half before calming down in the second. But considering how good his traits are, “Fine” is honestly a bit of a letdown.
Next game: vs. Maryland — Saturday, 11/30 (Big Ten Network, 3:30 p.m.)
Garrett Neussmeier (LSU)
Stock: Up
I tend to believe that Neussmeier should stay in school and get another year of starting experience before he enters the NFL Draft. But it’s games like this that show us his upside and why scouts are excited about him. He went 28 of 37 (75.7%) for 332 yards (9.0 per attempt) and a touchdown.
When he’s on his game, Neussmeier’s ability to read the defense, navigate the pocket and extend plays and then find his answers downfield is impressive. So, too, is his foot quickness and arm talent to drive the ball accurately when off-platform and off schedule. Vanderbilt played well and did a good job of forcing Neussmeier off of his first read, but he countered that by keeping his eyes downfield. Even when he was forced to scramble, Neussmeier did a good job of finding his check-downs or receivers working open on scramble drills.
I’m always hesitant with respect to quarterbacks who only have one year of regular starting experience. There’s just so much football they haven’t seen, and adjusting to opponents’ adjustments is an important part of playing the position. But performances like this that make it easy to get excited for Neussmeier.
Next game: vs. Oklahoma — 11/30 p.m. (ESPN, 7 p.m.)
