Three College Quarterbacks Considered Fits For Rams Offense

"Mendoza is comfortable standing in the pocket when his line gives him time, and he’s an intelligent player with quick processing skills and quality field vision. He’s made a few bad decisions in key moments under duress on the road, but he’s rebounded against Iowa and Oregon to lead game-winning drives. He’s intelligent, can work through reads, and has the arm to access any part of the field."

Mendoza is probably the best quarterback in the country at the moment and his resume continues to impress. Led Cal to back-to-back bowl appearances after the program had three straight non-bowl eligible seasons, has led multiple game-winning drives, including going 98 yards to defeat Stanford in the 2024 edition of The Game, and then became the first visiting quarterback to defeat Oregon in Eugene since the 2022 season.

Ty Simpson, Alabama

"Simpson had a difficult starting debut against Florida State, but he’s been terrific ever since," stated Flick. The 6' 2" 208-pound Simpson is smart and plays with a level of composure uncommon in relatively inexperienced quarterbacks. His arm strength is underrated—he threw a deep ball against Tennessee that traveled over 60 yards in the air, and he can drive passes into tight windows—and he’s athletic enough to break contain and extend plays. Simpson won’t make many designed runs, but he can pick up yards on scrambles."

"He has an over-the-top release, and his ball placement is excellent—he creates completions where opportunities really shouldn’t exist, simply because he throws guys open with precise placement. Simpson will pick defenses apart if there’s no pressure, he can throw from a clear platform, and he never appears rushed or rattled. Simpson operates at a high level with his timing and pre- and post-snap processing, and his accuracy allows him to attack tight windows confidently. Simpson has led Alabama to big road wins over Georgia and Missouri, and his poise in big moments and loud environments is impressive."

Simpson is one of the few quarterbacks available who has been properly developed. A Nick Saban recruit, Simpson spent the last three seasons learning behind Bryce Young and Jalen Milroe before taking on the starting role. He's 22 years old but the downside on Simpson is that he only has seven career starts.

Dante Moore, Oregon

"At 6' 3", 206 pounds, Moore has a fluid, repeatable delivery, proven game poise and the ability to extend plays. He’s smooth and accurate inside structure, and he’s comfortable progressing through reads in a safe pocket. When the pocket muddies or pressure comes, Moore’s accuracy becomes sporadic, and his efficiency dwindles."

"Moore is particularly impressive when he breaks the pocket, generating considerable velocity on the move, and his ball placement is consistently precise. Moore has experience working under center, and while he too often locks onto his initial target, he’s shown he can work through progressions. Only a redshirt sophomore, Moore is still young, but he handled Penn State’s whiteout environment with veteran poise, and he has a natural ease to his game that’s uncommon."

There's a lot of familiarity with Moore as he attended UCLA as a freshman, and he was teammates with Terrance Ferguson last season. Ferguson said that Oregon implements McVay concepts into their offense so there would be a foundation for the transition from college to the NFL.