It's well established that quarterback is the most important position in football, and that's becoming even more apparent as teams continue to install offenses which are so heavily dependent upon the pass. That's why Heisman Trophy voters are so hesitant to hand over the award to someone who plays another position and are justified in doing so.

Over the past few seasons, we've had some incredible quarterbacks pass through the college ranks, from Johnny Manziel to Jameis Winston to Marcus Mariota. But even as those players move on to the next level, the overall depth of the position on a national scale only continues to grow, and that trend doesn't seem likely to change in 2015.

We recently released our ranking of the Top 247 players in college football for the upcoming season and 22 quarterbacks made the list.

As with any ranking involving more than one person, we all had differing opinions on where the respective players should be ranked. Here’s my personal ranking of top five signal-callers in the country for the 2015 season.

5. Jared Goff | Jr. | 6-4 | 215 | California

High School (2013): Greenbrae (Calif.) Marin Catholic

247Sports Composite: Four-Star (0.9127), No. 15 Pro-Style QB

Summary: Jared Goff hasn’t gotten much recognition for his stellar play last season, and Cal’s 5-7 record is largely to blame for that. But thanks to Goff, the Bears were able to give several good teams – UCLA, USC and Arizona among them – a run for their money, despite fielding a defense that ranked among the nation’s worst. In 12 games last year as a true sophomore, Goff was 316-of-509 passing (62.1 percent) for 3,973 yards with 35 touchdowns and just 7 interceptions to his credit. Perhaps the nation’s best pure passer, Goff possesses a very good arm with even better accuracy and, while not a major running threat, is mobile enough to maneuver around the pocket to buy time as he goes through his progressions. With a strong junior campaign and continued improvement, it’s a very real possibility that Goff could be the first quarterback off the board come next year’s NFL Draft.

4. J.T. Barrett | RS-Soph. | 6-2 | 225 | Ohio State

High School (2013): Wichita Falls (Texas) Rider

247Sports Composite: Four-Star (0.9348), No. 3 Dual-Threat QB

Summary: Ohio State’s end-of-season run with Cardale Jones at the helm has made some forget just how good J.T. Barrett was prior to his season-ending injury. When Braxton Miller went down before the season, many thought the Buckeyes’ national title hopes were doomed, only to have Barrett step in and lead the team to an 11-1 record, placing the Buckeyes right in the thick of the playoff race. The redshirt freshman finished the year with 2,834 passing yards, 938 rushing yards, and a Big Ten record 45 total touchdowns (34 passing, 11 rushing), and his 169.8 passing efficiency mark ranked 2nd in the country. As a result of his outstanding season, Barrett was named the Big Ten Quarterback of the Year and finished fifth in Heisman Trophy voting. With an outstanding offensive line, one of the best running backs in the country, and a loaded wide receiver corps at his disposal, the pieces are all in place for Barrett to have another big year. But first, he’ll need to beat out Jones to win the starting job.

3. Cody Kessler | Sr. | 6-1 | 215 | USC

High School (2011): Bakersfield (Calif.) Centennial

247Sports Composite: Four-Star (0.9311), No. 4 Pro-Style QB

Summary: Though it seems unfathomable that a USC quarterback could fly under the radar, Cody Kessler somehow managed to do just that last season. Despite posting incredibly efficient numbers, the Trojans’ signal-caller didn’t factor into the Heisman conversation. He finishing the year having thrown for 3,826 yards with 39 touchdowns and a mere five interceptions, ranking third nationally in completion percentage (69.7%) and fourth in passing efficiency (167.1). As Kessler enters his senior season, he'll have to find a new favorite target due to the departure of Nelson Agholor, but the Trojans’ depth at the skill positions should make for an easy transition. There will be no flying under the radar for Kessler this season, however, as the Trojans are ranked No. 8 in the preseason AP Poll and are expected to contend for the national title.

2. Trevone Boykin | Sr. | 6-2 | 205 | TCU

High School (2011): Mesquite (Texas) West Mesquite

247Sports Composite: Three-Star (0.8491), No. 53 ATH

Summary: TCU experienced an offensive resurgence last season and Trevone Boykin’s emergence had a lot to do with that. Boykin thrived in his first season at the helm of offensive coordinator Doug Meacham’s spread system, completing 61.2 percent of his passes for 3,901 yards with 33 touchdowns and 10 interceptions, while also picking up 707 yards and 8 scores on the ground. The former wide receiver even added a 55-yard TD reception for good measure. This season, his top three targets are back and so is most of his offensive line, so Boykin’s second year in the system should be even better. And with TCU having to replace several key defensive players, Boykin may need to be even better as the Horned Frogs look to make it to the College Football Playoff after being left out a season ago.

1. Deshaun Watson | Soph. | 6-2 | 210 | Clemson

High School (2014): Gainesville (Ga.)

247Sports Composite: Four-Star (0.9791), No. 1 Dual-Threat QB

Summary: Sure, Deshaun Watson has only played in a handful of games at the college level and he’s coming off a major knee injury. But what little we have seen from him was really good and all reports indicate he’s back to full health. Last year as a true freshman, Watson completed 67.9 percent of his passes for 1,466 yards with 14 touchdowns and just two picks. He averaged 10.7 yards per attempt while posting a 188.7 passing efficiency rating, both marks that would have led the nation if he had enough pass attempts to qualify. His finest performance may have come in the regular season finale against South Carolina, when he threw for a pair of scores and rushed for two more to help Clemson snap a 5-game losing streak against its bitter rivals, despite playing with a torn ACL that would require surgery. We’ve only seen a fraction of what Watson is capable of as a quarterback and he should only continue to get better going forward. If he can stay healthy, look out.

