U-Who USC FSU top contenders for title of Quarterback U

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NFL teams can't afford to mi s on quarterbacks early in the draft, yet it can be a trickier position than most to project pro succe s from the college ranks. , NFL personnel executives will tell you, was an easy one. Others -- ahem, -- aren't quite as predictable.Some college programs do a better job of recruiting and developing quarterbacks than others, and ultimately, many of the same schools are equally adept at preparing them for the pro game. takes a look at 10 programs who stand out as candidates for the title of "Quarterback U" based on a 15-year history of their NFL draft picks at the position, factoring in the overall quality of the group, too Jon Lester Jersey .10. LouisvilleFirst-round picks last 15 years: 1Top three rounds: 3Total drafted: 4The skinny: The make a stronger case than some other schools with bigger names. is the program's new link to the pros, following Brian Brohm, Stefan LeFors and Dave Ragone. Chris Redman just mi sed the 15-year cutoff as a 2000 draftee.9. North Carolina StateFirst-round picks last 15 years: 1Top three rounds: 2Total drafted: 2The skinny: N.C. State makes our list even without the help of , who is excluded since he transferred to Wisconsin for his final college season. has been selected to five s and has made 18 starts through two NFL seasons.8. OregonFirst-round picks last 15 years: 2Top three rounds: 3Total drafted: 5The skinny: It's all up to to carry the Ducks' quarterback tradition in the Sunday league. If their NFL careers were a card game, the four other Oregon quarterbacks drafted in the last 15 years wouldn't have a pair of twos between them: Dennis Dixon, , Joey Harrington and A.J. Feeley.7. CalFirst-round picks last 15 years: 2Top three rounds: 2Total drafted: 2The skinny: Cal's candidacy isn't unlike Stanford's -- one shining star in , and a nearly absent supporting cast. Kyle Boller never met first-round expectations in Baltimore.6.  Rowan Wick Jersey AuburnFirst-round picks last 15 years: 2Top three rounds: 2Total drafted: 2The skinny: The list is short, but it has some punch. The continue to make , the top overall pick in 2011, the centerpiece of their offense. With some new, younger weapons around him, Newton's career  Brandon Kintzler Jersey arc should hold steady. was a late first-round pick of the in 2005, and while he never broke into star status in the NFL, he's made 79 career starts in the pros.5. GeorgiaFirst-round picks last 15 years: 1Top three rounds: 3Total drafted: 5The skinny: is one of the top quarterbacks in the NFL and has been what the needed as a No. 1 overall pick in 2009. 's pro career hasn't shown itself one way or the other yet, but the rest of Georgia's draftees in the last 15 years didn't stick around long: D.J. Shockley, David Greene and Quincy Carter.4. PurdueFirst-round picks last 15 years: 0Top three rounds: 0Total drafted: 3The skinny: This group might be the only one on the list that lacks a first-round pick, but -- Brad Brach Jersey  the first pick of the second round in 2001 -- elevates it with his stellar career, which reached new heights with Sean Payton in New Orleans. made 67 starts during his 10 NFL seasons, and Curtis Painter made eight starts while was sidelined for the in 2011.3. StanfordFirst-round picks last 15 years: 1Top three rounds: 2Total drafted: 3The skinny: Can the NFL's best young quarterback stamp Stanford as QB U by himself? No, can't quite do that. Luck has fans primed for a great career ride -- between Luck and Manning, they'll end up with a virtually uninterrupted stretch of two decades or more with stellar quarterback play -- but Stanford's only other draftees since 2001 have been Trent Edwards and Randy Fasani.  Check out the top 10 players from Florida State to play in the NFL. 2. Florida StateFirst-round picks last 15 years: 3Top three rounds: 3Total drafted: 5The skinny: It remains to be seen whether can lift the to new heights, but there is more hope in Tampa Bay right now than there is in Buffalo, where 2013 first-rounder is facing a now-or-never season for the . Meanwhile, has moved on to a backup role with the . Also picked: Adrian McPherson (2005 fifth-rounder to ) and Chris Weinke (2001 fourth-rounder to ).1. USCFirst-round picks last 15 years: 3Top three rounds: 3Total drafted: 6The skinny: No other school in the country has had three quarterbacks picked in the top 10 over the last 15 years,  Craig Kimbrel Jersey although is the only one of the three who even approached that kind of value ( and Matt Leinart are the others). Still, a first-round pick every five years on average is a rate of quarterback production that sustains all the nece sary credibility for "QB U." Other draftees: , John David Booty and former seventh-rounder , who has to be in elite company for seventh-round longevity as an 11th-year pro this fall.*Follow Chase Goodbread on Twitter *