2021 College First-Down Rate per Dropback 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 share of dropbacks that produced a first down or touchdown, including scrambles.

The 2021 leaders: Grayson McCall (48.8%), C.J. Stroud (43.5%), Stetson Bennett (42.2%).

First-Down Rate per Dropback

Minimum to rank: 15 pass attempts per team game (the NCAA's minimum for passing efficiency). 118 players.

Rk	Player	Pos	Team	Att	Dropbacks	1D%
1	Grayson McCall	QB	CCU	211	217	48.8%
2	C.J. Stroud	QB	OSU	395	393	43.5%
3	Stetson Bennett	QB	UGA	231	237	42.2%
4	Bailey Zappe	QB	WKU	639	667	42.1%
5	Aidan O'Connell	QB	PUR	393	399	41.9%
6	Brennan Armstrong	QB	UVA	501	519	40.3%
7	Emory Jones	QB	FLA	310	316	39.2%
8	Clayton Tune	QB	HOU	381	411	39.2%
9	Daniel Richardson	QB	CMU	282	266	39.1%
10	Sam Hartman	QB	WAKE	469	486	39.1%
11	Brock Purdy	QB	ISU	368	380	38.9%
12	Spencer Rattler	QB	OU	187	199	38.7%
13	Cameron Rising	QB	UTAH	298	293	38.6%
14	Jake Constantine	QB	RICE	206	226	38.5%
15	Todd Centeio	QB	CSU	380	388	38.4%
16	Will Levis	QB	UK	325	340	38.2%
17	Max Duggan	QB	TCU	227	228	37.7%
18	Bryce Young	QB	ALA	462	484	37.6%
19	Matt Corral	QB	MISS	380	391	37.6%
20	Adrian Martinez	QB	NEB	306	322	37.6%
21	Ben Bryant	QB	EMU	372	389	37.3%
22	Jaren Hall	QB	BYU	296	307	37.1%
23	Chase Brice	QB	APP	367	375	37.1%
24	Jake Bentley	QB	USA	303	260	36.9%
25	Kaleb Eleby	QB	WMU	348	359	36.8%
26	Jake Haener	QB	FRES	449	463	36.7%
27	Malik Cunningham	QB	LOU	316	325	36.6%
28	Kenny Pickett	QB	PITT	497	489	36.6%
29	Tanner Mordecai	QB	SMU	454	464	36.4%
30	Caleb Williams	QB	OU	184	198	36.4%
31	Desmond Ridder	QB	CIN	355	361	36.3%
32	Frank Harris	QB	UTSA	362	365	36.2%
33	Brett Gabbert	QB	M-OH	268	252	36.1%
34	Spencer Sanders	QB	OKST	340	341	36.1%
35	Dorian Thompson-Robinson	QB	UCLA	283	295	35.9%
36	Chris Reynolds	QB	CLT	338	340	35.9%
37	Will Rogers	QB	MSST	630	646	35.8%
38	Darren Grainger	QB	GAST	209	193	35.8%
39	Devin Leary	QB	NCSU	431	446	35.4%
40	Gerry Bohanon	QB	BAY	258	264	35.2%
41	Logan Bonner	QB	USU	420	423	35.2%
42	Gavin Hardison	QB	UTEP	332	294	35.0%
43	Kedon Slovis	QB	USC	297	287	34.8%
44	Jayden de Laura	QB	WSU	342	343	34.7%
45	Skylar Thompson	QB	KSU	205	217	34.6%
46	Grant Wells	QB	MRSH	419	417	34.5%
47	KJ Jefferson	QB	ARK	275	284	34.5%
48	Rocky Lombardi	QB	NIU	310	305	34.4%
49	Hank Bachmeier	QB	BOIS	401	416	34.4%
50	Jaxson Dart	QB	USC	189	216	34.3%
51	Casey Thompson	QB	TEX	261	266	34.2%
52	Chance Nolan	QB	ORST	288	287	34.1%
53	Seth Henigan	QB	MEM	393	410	34.1%
54	Carson Strong	QB	NEV	524	545	34.1%
55	Payton Thorne	QB	MSU	339	343	34.1%
56	Jack Coan	QB	ND	317	338	34.0%
57	Kyle Vantrease	QB	BUF	262	271	33.9%
58	Tyler Van Dyke	QB	MIA	324	336	33.9%
59	Hendon Hooker	QB	TENN	261	286	33.9%
60	Bo Nix	QB	AUB	323	334	33.8%
61	Sean Clifford	QB	PSU	396	400	33.8%
62	Austin Kendall	QB	LT	243	259	33.6%
63	Davis Brin	QB	TLSA	376	370	33.5%
64	Tanner Morgan	QB	MINN	236	244	33.2%
65	Max Johnson	QB	LSU	373	377	33.2%
66	Jayden Daniels	QB	ASU	280	293	33.1%
67	Nick Starkel	QB	SJSU	248	228	32.9%
68	Hayden Wolff	QB	ODU	225	213	32.9%
69	Levi Lewis	QB	UL	360	360	32.8%
70	Chevan Cordeiro	QB	HAW	353	354	32.8%
71	Taulia Tagovailoa	QB	MD	450	465	32.7%
72	Gunnar Holmberg	QB	DUKE	324	338	32.5%
73	Jarret Doege	QB	WVU	386	411	32.4%
74	Braxton Burmeister	QB	VT	255	263	32.3%
75	Connor Bazelak	QB	MIZ	377	375	32.3%
76	Malik Willis	QB	LIB	315	361	32.1%
77	Graham Mertz	QB	WIS	269	271	32.1%
78	Dustin Crum	QB	KENT	355	372	31.7%
79	Tanner McKee	QB	STAN	315	336	31.5%
80	Anthony Brown	QB	ORE	350	360	31.4%
81	Layne Hatcher	QB	ARST	341	332	31.3%
82	Sam Howell	QB	UNC	327	361	31.3%
83	James Blackman	QB	ARST	184	179	31.3%
84	Jordan Travis	QB	FSU	194	212	31.1%
85	Holton Ahlers	QB	ECU	414	434	31.1%
86	Cade McNamara	QB	MICH	308	309	31.1%
87	Taylor Powell	QB	TROY	189	187	31.0%
88	N'Kosi Perry	QB	FAU	345	340	30.9%
89	Dylan Hopkins	QB	UAB	212	240	30.8%
90	Brady McBride	QB	TXST	244	250	30.8%
91	Cameron Friel	QB	UNLV	226	231	30.7%
92	Dequan Finn	QB	TOL	211	222	30.6%
93	Kurtis Rourke	QB	OHIO	261	265	30.6%
94	Chase Garbers	QB	CAL	348	372	30.4%
95	Zach Calzada	QB	TA&M	328	337	30.3%
96	Drew Plitt	QB	BALL	365	361	29.9%
97	Timmy McClain	QB	USF	262	278	29.9%
98	Max Bortenschlager	QB	FIU	342	292	29.8%
99	Jeff Sims	QB	GT	188	186	29.6%
100	Spencer Petras	QB	IOWA	258	278	29.5%

More 2021 College Quarterback Leaderboards

EPA per Dropback Success Rate Total Passing EPA Total QB EPA (Passing + Rushing) 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 NCAA Passing Efficiency QB Sneak Conversion Rate Touchdowns Responsible For Total Yards (Passing + Rushing)

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