Austin Reed

The Hilltoppers lost record-breaking quarterback Bailey Zappe, as well as offensive coordinator Zach Kittley who reshaped the passing game with aplomb. It didn’t hurt in 2022, as we got basically the B-plus version of the Zappe-and-Kittley campaign. Reed stepped in as the new starting quarterback and threw the ball 603 times in 14 games. He completed 64.5 percent of his passes for 4,744 yards, 40 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions. Reed also added 224 yards and eight scores on the ground. Yeah, Zappe had put up 62 passing touchdowns, but 40 had Reed tied for third most in the FBS, and his passing yards ranked first. A revamping of Conference USA should yield an easier conference schedule for Reed, which could mean numbers that are just as good, and maybe even better. Maybe you’ll want him on your bench when the Hilltoppers visit the Buckeyes, but otherwise, Reed has the potential to put up video-game numbers.