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Cleveland Browns: Week 4 college quarterback tracker

By Eric Szczepinski

Sep 17, 2016; Louisville, KY, USA; Louisville Cardinals quarterback Lamar Jackson (8) runs the ball against the Florida State Seminoles during the second half at Papa John
Sep 17, 2016; Louisville, KY, USA; Louisville Cardinals quarterback Lamar Jackson (8) runs the ball against the Florida State Seminoles during the second half at Papa John /
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Sep 17, 2016; South Bend, IN, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish quarterback DeShone Kizer (14) throws the ball over Michigan State Spartans defensive lineman Raequan Williams (99) during the second half a game at Notre Dame Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mike Carter-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 17, 2016; South Bend, IN, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish quarterback DeShone Kizer (14) throws the ball over Michigan State Spartans defensive lineman Raequan Williams (99) during the second half a game at Notre Dame Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mike Carter-USA TODAY Sports /

DeShone Kizer was tested against No. 12-ranked Michigan State last Saturday.

Despite the 36-28 loss, Kizer continued his growth and maturation as a young passer, throwing for 344 yards on 20-of-37 passing for two touchdowns and one interception. He also added two rushing touchdowns. The Irish trailed by 29 points late in the third quarter, but the Kizer-led offense rallied and scored three unanswered touchdowns to make it a one-score game late in the fourth quarter.

The second loss of the season dropped the Irish out of the top 25 poll, but the play of their young quarterback was superb. The moment against a top team in the country wasn’t to big for Kizer as he remained poised and confident, and almost completed the nearly impossible comeback.

Former Notre Dame quarterback Brady Quinn had high praise for Kizer, according to Monday Morning Quarterback:

"“This kid is special,” says Brady Quinn, Notre Dame’s most recent first-round QB (2007, 22nd overall to Cleveland). “You see a lot of natural athletes who play quarterback because they can throw the football and they’re fast and athletic and they can get a coach out of a bad call because they can scramble. DeShone can get out of the pocket and run, but he’s a natural passer. He can pass with different anticipations, different speeds.”"

What has separated Kizer is his red zone and 3rd down passing numbers from other top quarterback prospects. Kizer has excelled from the pocket in the early stages of this season and these numbers on 3rd down and the red zone validate his capability as an NFL passer. There is a huge difference in production in these situations between Kizer and Watson.

This is a beautifully thrown deep ball by Kizer to help start the late-game comeback. A week ago against Nevada, Kizer didn’t incorporate his legs into a deep throw and the result was an interception. Here Kizer shows improvement with his lower half by using his legs to throw a strong accurate deep ball to the outside shoulder of his receiver.

Kizer is impressing and improving each week. If he keeps up the consistent play he could over take Watson as the top quarterback prospect for 2017.

Next Game: Saturday vs. Duke at 3:30 p.m.

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