Brock Huard, ESPN Insider 8y

Huard's QB rankings: Injuries cause major overhaul with top quarterbacks

College Football, Clemson Tigers

It's the least discussed but most important measure of a quarterback: availability.

Players and coaches need to realize that the starting quarterback's ability to stay on the field trumps every other statistic you can come up with. Look at the list of quarterbacks across the country who have missed significant time: Taysom Hill, Malik Zaire, Trevone Boykin, Seth Russell and nearly a dozen other starters.

Is it worth running for that extra yard and trying to barrel over a linebacker or safety? The answer is no.

Throw in the fact that the lack of quarterback progression at certain schools may end up causing coaching vacancies -- LSU comes to mind -- and you can see how much QB play matters. You have to do everything possible to keep your best quarterback under center.

All that said, we're still seeing tremendous seasons from a handful of players, like Deshaun Watson, Baker Mayfield and Dak Prescott. But who's No. 1?

As always, let the debate begin.

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