Chantel Jennings, ESPN Staff Writer 9y

Pac-12 Quarterback Power Rankings: No. 4

On Monday we started the final Pac-12 Quarterback Power Ranking of the season, one that takes a look at the entire body of work accrued throughout the full season. For some guys, this means looking at 12 games, for others it means looking at 15, but we broke down what exactly that player meant to his team and how impressive he was overall -- not just in a single performance.

So with that we bring you our No. 4 spot in the ranking.

No. 4: Cal sophomore Jared Goff

Statistics: 316-of-509 (62.1 percent), 3,973 passing yards, 35 touchdowns, 7 interceptions

Why he's here: If we had a countdown of the most improved quarterbacks in the Pac-12, there'd be little argument Goff would be No. 1. But as far as this season's final power ranking, he still sits behind a few guys.

Goff finished the year with the fourth-highest adjusted QBR in the Pac-12 (77.4) and the fourth-highest passer efficiency rating (147.6). His third-down passing percentage was third-best in the Pac-12 (43.1 percent) and his 331 passing yards per game was also third-best in the league behind fellow Air Raid signal callers Luke Falk and Connor Halliday.

Of all the quarterbacks on this list, it's no secret that Goff was likely surrounded with the fewest number of playmakers. His completion percentage of 62.1 percent was in the lower ranks of the Pac-12 but his 7.81 yards per pass attempt this season was fifth-best in the league and really within striking distance of Kessler, Brett Hundley and Kevin Hogan's numbers. If he had the likes of Marcus Mariota's or Cody Kessler's arsenal, he likely would've been higher on this list. But what he was able to do with fewer proven weapons really speaks to his abilities as a quarterback.

After seeing the strides Goff made between his freshman and sophomores season, it'll be really interesting to watch what happens next year. Looking around the conference at other three-year starters, there have been some major improvements between their second and third years at the helm of their respective offenses. Mariota passed for about 800 more yards and had more than half a yard more per attempt between his redshirt sophomore and redshirt junior seasons. Hogan's completion percentage went from 61 to 65.9 between his second and third years. Kessler improved his completion percentage by 4.3 percent while throwing for 19 more touchdowns as a junior than a sophomore.

That said, most of those guys have left early for the NFL and Goff is going to be battling for that top spot in next year's quarterback ranking. If he makes a similar jump, it'll be hard to see him as anything other than the conference's best.

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