A closer look at the Will Muschamp effect on QBs: Is it real?

#MuschampEffect is all over Twitter. They’re accompanied by jokes about the demise of quarterbacks under his watch, how those QBs fled Florida and flourished elsewhere, and how current Auburn QB Jeremy Johnson should think of following in their footsteps.

Louisiana Tech quarterback Jeff Driskel has flashed his abilities, enough to possibly put him in position to get drafted in the later rounds of the 2016 NFL draft when also considering his arm and athleticism. N.C. State QB Jacoby Brissett is maybe in an even better position to get drafted, recently rated among the top 5 senior QBs, according to ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr.

Tyler Murphy transferred to Boston College for the 2014 season and looked much more comfortable in Steve Addazio’s offense. Murphy’s dual-threat abilities were effectively put to use as he finished 6th in the ACC in total offense (215.5 yards per game) while setting the ACC single-season record for rushing yards by a QB (90.7), which also ranked as the 3rd-highest average in the league.

Let’s take a closer look at those quarterbacks and compare the numbers:

JEFF DRISKEL

Driskel had a decent outing against Mississippi State this past week, completing 61 percent of his passes (25 of 41) for 303 yards, 2 touchdowns and an interception (a costly one).

Overall, he’s had a solid body of work. One of the things that jumps out immediately are his 300-yard passing games. He has four in seven games so far with Louisiana Tech after never reaching the mark at Florida, and his TD-INT ratio is something to be proud of. He’s been given a chance to air it out more as his passes have traveled an average of 8.3 yards as opposed to 5.4.

Other than the other two quarterbacks you’ll see in here, Driskel has had enough of a sample size to make a respectable comparison between his time at Louisiana Tech and Florida.

JACOBY BRISSETT

Similar to Murphy, Brissett has played in a few more games at NC State (19) compared to Florida (13), and he only started three games at UF. For that reason, it’s not fair to look at total production.

However, the difference in Brissett’s efficiency is undeniable. His completion percentage has risen exactly seven percent. Like Driskel, he’s also been given more freedom to make big plays as his passes have traveled an average of 7.8 yards with NC State as opposed to just 4.5 with Florida. He’s delivered as his TD-INT ratio is very impressive with the Wolfpack (31-6), and so is his QB rating (140).

TYLER MURPHY

For Murphy, you also have to average things out since he played nearly twice as many games for Boston College (13) as he did for Florida (7). While Murphy didn’t complete passes as efficiently or throw for as many yards, he showcased his dual-threat abilities by making a big impact with his legs. Murphy set the single-season ACC record for rushing yards by a QB with 1,179 yards.

Even as a passer, he had a slightly higher QB rating.