His team has been ranked in the top five of the AP CFB poll all season. He has thrown for over 500 yards three times this season. He’s averaging 425 passing yards per game. He’s thrown 25 TDs in seven games and only been sacked four times. Since putting up 23 points in an opening win against Minnesota, his offense has scored at least 45 points in every game. And yet, somehow Trevone Boykin is not yet a household name?
Nevertheless, he is “quietly” making the case to be called the best QB in the nation. A leading candidate for this year’s Unitas Award and sure finalist for the Heisman, Trevone Boykin is a name all college fans should get to know.
Matt Hinton of ESPN’s Grantland did a great piece on Boykin early in the season in which he chronicled the senior quarterback’s journey from recruited “athlete” to star QB. A lot of credit has to be given to Head Coach Gary Patterson for make the bold shift in his offensive scheme during the 2014 offseason. He brought in a new coordinator and installed the so-called “Air Raid” system that incorporates a spread base formation with a pass happy attack.
It was the change in system and his own determination that kept Trevone Boykin from becoming another former high school QB turned college wide receiver. While the system was a dramatic change for the seasoned Patterson, it was strikingly familiar to Boykin. Most high schools in Texas today employ some variation of the “Air Raid” with a reliance on spread formations and no huddle offense. Boykin found the new scheme to very much like what he thrived in at West Mesquite High School. And the new found familiarity helped him display abilities even his coaching didn’t know he had.
In his first season running TCU’s new offense, Boykin threw for 3,901 yards and 33 touchdowns. This season, he’s following that performance up with one for the record books. He’ll likely surpass all of his personal benchmarks set last season. In addition, he looking to break school and NCAA records.
Earlier this season, Boykin became TCU’s most prolific passer in school history by passing Andy Dalton’s TDs mark with his 73rd and 74th TD passes against Texas. (Highlights here). And if anyone is giving points for character, the senior QB was incredibly humble when asked about the record and Dalton after the game.
“No, I did not keep the ball. Actually, I didn’t even think about it just because of the way the game was going. To be in the same category as a guy as Andy, who’s doing good with the (Cincinnati) Bengals, is really just a blessing and honor in itself. There’s really nothing much I can say about it. Just, I mean, thank God for it, if anything.”
B.J. Symons is the current NCAA record holder for most passing yards in a season with 5,833 yards. Symons did that in 2003 during his senior year at Texas Tech. At his current pace, Boykin would end up 5th all-time right behind Colt Brennan’s 2006 season and right ahead of Ty Detmer’s 1990 season (assumes Boykin plays in 13 games this season). It means Symons’ record might be a bit of stretch but it’s not beyond possibility.
But Boykin isn’t just lighting it up with his arm, he’s hurting opposing defenses with his legs. He gaining nearly six yards a carry and has piled up 440 yards on the season. He’s run for five touchdowns so far as well. He is a bonafide dual threat quarterback who can hit the hot receiver, throw the deep ball, or tuck and run. No opponent this season has felt the headache and heartbreak of trying to stop the dual threat Boykin more than Kansas State. K-State had TCU on the ropes with an 11 point lead going into the 4th quarter. Then Boykin took over and passed and ran his team to victory.
Highlights courtesy of ESPN.
Boykin’s ability to play at the NFL level shouldn’t be a factor as to whether he’s currently the best QB in CFB. However, the reality is that so many fans have a hard time separating an exceptional skill set displayed on Saturday versus one on Sunday, that it has to be part of the conversation. While some might think it’s not fair, it’s the same critique last year’s top QBs (Winston, Mariota, Petty) went through.
So how would Trevone Boykin’s skills transition to a full-time job on Sunday?
Well, a recent quote from one NFL scout was very positive.“Trevone Boykin has a bright future ahead of him at quarterback. TCU believes that and so does the NFL. ‘With the way the NFL game is morphing with the college game, his style of play plays right into what the league is looking at right now,’ said an NFC personnel director.”
Last year, NFL analyst Gil Brandt compared Boykin favorable to Seattle Seahawk QB Russell Wilson. Not a bad comp if you’re Boykin … and that was before this season.
Bucky Brooks, another analyst for the NFL, isn’t sold yet on Boykin as an NFL QB. He thinks it’s more likely Boykin will need to transition to another offensive position if he wants to earn a spot on an NFL roster. Maybe reflecting solely his own opinion or possibly a wider view held by many NFL execs given the struggles of Johnny Manziel in Cleveland, Brooks just doesn’t see a disciplined passer. “I’m all about giving Trevone Boykin a chance to play (quarterback), but when I see him play, I see a guy that’s more of an athlete than a quarterback, a guy who just makes plays,” Brooks said. “A lot of it seems off the cuff, unscripted, impromptu (plays) where he runs around and throws it over the top of a defender’s head. I don’t know if he’s a disciplined enough passer to make consistent reads through a progression and pick apart a defense on the strength of his arm.”
http://gty.im/491159406
Regardless of the final verdict from the NFL, it’s impossible to deny that Trevone Boykin is playing some exciting football right now. He is keeping opposing defensive coordinators guessing and has TCU contending for a national title. That crown is better than the Unitas award and even the Heisman.