Danny Kanell has made his stance clear: if you want to talk national title contenders in college football, start with the quarterbacks.
The former Florida State quarterback and NFL passer said there are only five teams he sees as having the kind of quarterback play that can carry a run to a championship: Miami, Georgia, USC, Ole Miss and Notre Dame.
“This is a QB driven game…that's why I think these teams are the strongest national title contenders:”
Miami Georgia
USC Ole Miss
Notre Dame
Darian Mensah and Miami had to grind through their first real test of adversity in Week 9, but the Hurricanes came away with a 38-35 win over North Carolina. Mensah kept the offense rolling, finishing 22-of-29 for 274 yards and three touchdowns. On the season, he has thrown for 2,425 yards, 25 touchdowns and just one interception.
The next week should tell a lot more about him, because Miami heads to South Bend to face Notre Dame.
The Irish have their own quarterback on Kanell’s list in CJ Carr, who has been just as careful with the football. Carr has thrown for 1,849 yards, 18 touchdowns and one interception, and the matchup with Miami is shaping up as more than just a College Football Playoff showdown. It could also have Heisman Trophy implications.
Next week brings another quarterback duel from Kanell’s group when Gunner Stockton and Trinidad Chambliss meet in Oxford. Both have already played in the College Football Playoff, and both have shown they can win on that stage.
The last quarterback on Kanell’s list is Jayden Maiava. USC is still on the outside looking in for the CFP, but Kanell sees Maiava as one of the best quarterbacks in the country.
In Other News...
Georgia Now Has A Bigger Concern Than Beating Florida
Ellis Robinson IV gave Georgia plenty to feel good about before the injury scare in Jacksonville, picking off a pass and adding tackles in the rivalry game against Florida before leaving in the third quarter with a lower-leg issue. Kirby Smart said Robinsons knee tightened up, and at the time there was no confirmed structural damage, but the cornerback did not return, leaving the Bulldogs to sort through both the result of the game and a developing concern in the secondary.
For a defense that has leaned on Robinsons playmaking, the bigger question now is how quickly Georgia can get clarity on his status for the stretch ahead. His availability for upcoming games is uncertain, and for a team with bigger goals than one rivalry win, any lingering issue with a key defensive back is the kind of problem that can ripple beyond a single afternoon. [Read more 🡒]
Gunner Stockton Made One Thing Clear After Georgia Beat Florida
Gunner Stockton came away from Georgias win over Florida with the kind of measured postgame tone that usually plays well in a locker room. He praised the defense for setting the standard, acknowledged that the offense had its rough patches, and pointed to the atmosphere around the rivalry game as part of what made the day feel bigger than a normal Saturday. Even in victory, Stockton kept the focus on the details, including specific plays and the work of his teammates.
For Georgia, that mindset matters as much as the result itself. The Bulldogs got the win they wanted, but Stockton made clear there is still room to clean things up and keep pushing forward, which is often the message that carries most weight in November. A rivalry victory can cover up a lot for a week, but his comments suggested the goal inside the building is to treat it as a checkpoint, not a finish line. [Read more 🡒]
Eric Singleton Just Gave Georgia Fans One More Reason To Remember Him
Eric Singleton has spent plenty of time on the wrong side of Georgia, and not just once. The wide receiver has taken four losses to the Bulldogs while suiting up for three different rivals, first at Georgia Tech, then Auburn and Florida, which already made him a familiar name around these parts before his latest comments added another layer to the story.
During a recent press conference, Singleton made a remark about Georgia that drew attention quickly enough for Florida to remove it from the official transcript. It has only added to the intrigue around his future, too, with speculation growing about whether he could get an extra year of eligibility and what that might mean if he ends up looking for another transfer landing spot. [Read more 🡒]