Where Do Outlets Have Jurkovec Ranked Entering 2022 Season?
Andy Backstrom (@andybackstrom)
Publisher
How Boston College performs in 2022 is dependent on the play of quarterback Phil Jurkovec. Last year was evidence why.
When Jurkovec was sidelined with a season-threatening hand injury, the Eagles averaged a meager 10 points per game in their first four ACC games.
He returned to guide BC to its sixth straight year of bowl eligibility but faltered down the stretch, in part because of weakened grip strength and, in the regular season finale, a bout with the flu.
Projecting Jurkovec's 2022 season is tricky. He experienced a breakout 2020, during which he logged 2,558 passing yards—leading the country in passing yards under pressure—and a touchdown-interception ratio of 17:5. Then he had a roller coaster 2021, filled with unexpected roadblocks. Durability, of course, is a concern, given that Jurkovec has yet to play a full 12-game season. He dealt with a shoulder injury in 2020 as well as a non-contact knee injury that kept him out of the final game and a half.
Back in December, BetOnline listed him with 40/1 Heisman Trophy odds. This week, Pro Football Focus college football analyst Anthony Treash ranked the former Notre Dame transfer as the 37th-best quarterback in the FBS.
Again, the spectrum is wide.
Here's a roundup of where outlets have Jurkovec ranked heading into the 2022 season, a year which will dictate if he's a top-10 pick, a late first rounder, a Day Two or Three pick or maybe even an undrafted free agent.
PFF: 37th
As stated in the article disclaimer, Treash's list has "nothing to do with pro potential." Here are the ACC quarterbacks ahead of Jurkovec in this top-50:— Wake Forest's Sam Hartman (5th)
— Virginia's Brennan Armstrong (7th)
— Kedon Slovis (9th)
— Miami's Tyler Van Dyke (10th)
— North Carolina State's Devin Leary (12th)
— Louisville's Malik Cunningham (14th)
SPORTING NEWS: 24th
This article cites Jurkovec's five-touchdown performance at Georgia Tech last season as a reminder of the dual-threat quarterback's high ceiling. Jurkovec rushed for 71 yards and three scores that game, in addition to throwing for 310 yards and two touchdowns. Here are the ACC quarterbacks ahead of Jurkovec in this top-25:— Miami's Tyler Van Dyke (8th)
— N.C. State's Devin Leary (9th)
— Wake Forest's Sam Hartman (10th)
— Louisville's Malik Cunningham (11th)
— UVA's Brennan Armstrong (13th)
PRO FOOTBALL NETWORK: 20th
Cam Mellor's comprehensive 131-quarterback list weighs several factors and is not a reflection of NFL potential. Mellor writes, "The film-watching portion of these rankings dictated a heavy portion of the weight on where a player landed. Also incorporated in these rankings were injury history, head coach or offensive coordinator changes, roster turnover, and general quarterback mechanics all over the field."Here are the ACC quarterbacks ahead of Jurkovec in Mellor's rankings:
— N.C. State's Devin Leary (4th)
— Louisville's Malik Cunningham (5th)
— Miami's Tyler Van Dyke (11th)
— UVA's Brennan Armstrong (16th)
— Wake Forest's Sam Hartman (19th)
KIPER'S INITIAL 2023 DRAFT POSITION RANKINGS: 9th
ESPN NFL Draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr. is much higher on Jurkovec, but that's also because he's projecting NFL talent. And Jurkovec's size—6-foot-5, 214 pounds—and talent—namely his mobility outside the pocket—make today's NFL scouts salivate. Jurkovec clocked in at ninth in Kiper's initial 2023 NFL Draft position rankings.Here are the ACC quarterbacks ahead of Jurkovec in those May rankings:
— Miami's Tyler Van Dyke (3rd)
— N.C. State's Devin Leary (8th)
