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2012 College NCAA Passing Efficiency Leaders

College play-by-play before 2025 does not record where passes went, so depth, direction, ACE and throw maps start in 2025. Counting stats are the official NCAA season lines.

The NCAA's official passing efficiency rating: (8.4 × yards + 330 × TD + 100 × completions − 200 × INT) ÷ attempts. It is not on the same scale as the NFL's passer rating, which we also show.

How to read it. Around 140 is average for an FBS starter; 170 and up is excellent.

The 2012 leaders: AJ McCarron (173.1), Aaron Murray (172.4), David Fales (170.9).

NCAA Passing Efficiency

Minimum to rank: 15 pass attempts per team game (the NCAA's minimum for passing efficiency). 112 players.

RkPlayerPosTeamAttDropbacksEff
1AJ McCarronQBALA286306173.1
2Aaron MurrayQBUGA353376172.4
3David FalesQBSJSU408424170.9
4Tajh BoydQBCLEM377400168.5
5Marcus MariotaQBORE312329165.4
6Geno SmithQBWVU490503164.6
7Teddy BridgewaterQBLOU387411161.6
8Derek CarrQBFRES457477160.6
9EJ ManuelQBFSU349375157.6
10Brett SmithQBWYO330359157.6
11Matt BarkleyQBUSC387403157.6
12Connor ShawQBSC202221156.9
13Chuckie KeetonQBUSU376364156.7
14Seth DoegeQBTTU496515156.6
15Collin KleinQBKSU272283156.1
16Johnny ManzielQBTA&M400422155.8
17Ryan AplinQBARST376385155.8
18Tino SunseriQBPITT361394154.9
19David AshQBTEX285294154.9
20Nick FlorenceQBBAY451461154.9
21Terrance BroadwayQBUL283284153.4
22Taylor KellyQBASU340372153.3
23Colby CameronQBLT522532153.2
24Jordan LynchQBNIU353316153.0
25Bryn RennerQBUNC422435150.8
26Brett HundleyQBUCLA429470150.1
27Kawaun JakesQBWKU288310147.8
28Rakeem CatoQBMRSH584614147.1
29Landry JonesQBOU507514146.5
30Tyler BrayQBTENN451456146.3
31Kolton BrowningQBULM389385145.2
32Shane CardenQBECU371370144.9
33Ryan NassibQBSYR448459144.7
34Bo WallaceQBMISS336346144.2
35Tyler WilsonQBARK401415143.8
36Blake BortlesQBUCF366389142.5
37Cody FajardoQBNEV336349142.4
38Taylor MartinezQBNEB341368142.3
39Eric SozaQBUTSA282260142.2
40Joe SouthwickQBBOIS333336141.5
41Robert MarveQBPUR219231141.4
42Jake MedlockQBFIU263294140.5
43Braxton MillerQBOSU254281140.5
44Tyler RussellQBMSST366378140.4
45Jordan RodgersQBVAN294313140.2
46Logan KilgoreQBMTSU335339139.9
47Corey RobinsonQBTROY389404139.0
48Sean MannionQBORST309319138.8
49Stephen MorrisQBMIA421436138.1
50Shaun RutherfordQBTXST299307137.8
51Matthew McGloinQBPSU446465137.7
52Terrance OwensQBTOL337355137.2
53Jacob KaramQBMEM274302137.0
54Tyler TettletonQBOHIO345315136.8
55Sean RenfreeQBDUKE392412136.4
56Ryan RadcliffQBCMU378357136.2
57Zac DysertQBM-OH480513136.1
58Jeff DriskelQBFLA216248136.0
59Keith WenningQBBALL426434134.6
60Graham WilbertQBFAU405432134.5
61Gary NovaQBRUTG348358132.8
62Matt ScottQBARIZ452467132.8
63Ryan GriffinQBTULN394381132.4
64Everett GolsonQBND282295131.8
65Mike GlennonQBNCSU511543131.6
66Zach MaynardQBCAL296329130.3
67Tyler Van TubbergenQBWMU261228130.2
68Trevone BoykinQBTCU263281129.7
69Michael RoccoQBUVA266275129.7
70Zach MettenbergerQBLSU329352129.6
71Tyler BenzQBEMU212229127.7
72Austin BrownQBUAB355392127.6
73Dalton WilliamsQBAKR522440126.6
74B.J. DanielsQBUSF289302126.2
75Munchie LegauxQBCIN230236125.7
76Taylor McHargueQBRICE317329125.3
77Keith PriceQBWASH393423124.5
78Andrew ManleyQBNMSU384377124.1
79Cameron CoffmanQBIU407419123.9
80Alex CarderQBWMU248260123.7
81James FranklinQBMIZ234252123.6
82Travis WilsonQBUTAH204217122.2
83Derek ThompsonQBUNT372374121.8
84Caleb TerBushQBPUR189199120.7
85Riley NelsonQBBYU306326120.5
86Steele JantzQBISU262277120.3
87Logan ThomasQBVT390409119.7
88Josh NunesQBSTAN235243119.6
89Jeff TuelQBWSU332368119.5
90Phillip SimsQBUVA203220119.1
91Chandler WhitmerQBCONN361394118.9
92David PilandQBHOU448451118.5
93Trevor SiemianQBNU197202117.7
94Cody GreenQBTLSA396404116.9
95Dominique BlackmanQBIDHO243254116.6
96Matt SchilzQBBGSU378383115.9
97Chase RettigQBBC467504115.6
98Nick LamaisonQBUTEP252222114.8
99Spencer KeithQBKENT300309114.7
100Connor HallidayQBWSU291307114.5

More 2012 College Quarterback Leaderboards

EPA per Dropback Success Rate Total Passing EPA Total QB EPA (Passing + Rushing) First-Down Rate per Dropback Explosive Pass Rate Negative-Play Rate EPA per Dropback, Excluding Garbage Time NFL Passer Rating Completion % Yards per Attempt Adjusted Net Yards per Attempt Adjusted Yards per Attempt Net Yards per Attempt Yards per Completion Touchdown % Interception % TD:INT Ratio Sack % Passing Yards per Game Pass Attempts per Game Passing Yards Passing Touchdowns Completions Pass Attempts Interceptions Thrown Sacks Taken Passing First Downs 20+ Yard Completions 40+ Yard Completions Longest Completion 300-Yard Passing Games 4-Touchdown Games Wins as Starter 3rd-Down Conversion Rate Red Zone Touchdown Rate Clutch EPA per Dropback Clutch Passer Rating Two-Minute Drill EPA per Dropback Game-Winning Drives 4th-Quarter Comebacks Quarterback Rushing Yards Quarterback Rushing EPA Quarterback Rushing Yards Excluding Sacks QB Sneak Conversion Rate Touchdowns Responsible For Total Yards (Passing + Rushing)

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