What are colleges looking for in a quarterback? It's simple: leadership, plus the physical and mental ability to recognize defenses and execute the offense. You can also throw in terms of poise, confidence, toughness, charisma and instinct.

A few preps already have displayed enough of the intangibles during camps, combines and games to be viewed as top prospects, while most have to develop.

But even if a college signs one or two rated quarterbacks it doesn't always mean all its troubles are over. Quality is subjective, some prospects never develop, injuries occur, overall team talent may be poor and others end up behind more complete players on the depth chart. Coaches and coordinators may move on and systems change. Transfers happen.

Let's face it ... every coach wants a 6-foot-3 quarterback who can throw both deep and out patterns, make the correct decisions and escape the rush when he has to. On the other hand, how many fans recall their team winning an SEC or Big Ten title with a so-so quarterback? "Yeah, he was small, slow, couldn't throw at all, always got beat up. But darn, we won with him. The team was different when he finally started. What was the name of that All-American kid we signed?"

Of the consensus Top Eight quarterbacks in the 1996 class, four aren't currently starting:
Quincy Carter, Decatur, Ga. (Georgia Tech): First pro baseball with Cubs, then re-signed with Georgia, where he's a starter.
Rashard Casey, Hoboken, N.J. (Penn State): Second team.
Tim Couch, Kyden, Ky. (Kentucky): Top pick in NFL draft.
Odell James, Aldine, Texas (Baylor): Second team.
Tim Hasselbeck, Westwood, Mass. (Boston College): Starting.
Jason Kapsner, Eden Prairie, Minn. (Michigan): third team.
Tee Martin, Mobile, Ala. (Tennessee): Starting.
Mike Van Raaphorst, La Mesa, Calif. (USC): Starting.

From the consensus Top 15 quarterback prospects in the 1998 class, only Ronald Curry (North Carolina) and Cory Paus (UCLA) are starting. Two -- Oklahoma State's Matt Holliday and Texas A&M's Chip Ambres -- signed pro baseball contracts before entering school, and three more, Jason Thomas (USC to UNLV), Adam Dunn (Texas to pro baseball) and Nate Hybl (Georgia to Oklahoma) have already left their original schools.

Rated quarterback J.P. Losman of Venice, Calif., entered UCLA last January and quit after 15 days of spring practice. He transferred to Tulane.

Or better still, try signing two touted prospects and keeping each happy. Ryan Sorahan of Los Gatos, Calif., and Kyle Boller of Newhall, Calif., both prep All-Americans, signed with Cal this past spring. Sorahan has already quit after being told he would redshirt.

Tennessee signed Peyton Manning and Brandon Stewart a few years ago. Stewart transferred to Texas A&M. The USC Trojans signed Carson Palmer and Thomas in 1998. Palmer started, but now is injured, and Thomas transferred.

Penn State already has 23 commitments for Class 2000, including two top passing prospects. Another national-quality pair has chosen Tennessee. The Fighting Irish of Notre Dame are currently seeking a second commitment, if not a third, as Arnaz Battle will be the only returning true quarterback.

This year's top prep quarterbacks are headed by Brock Berlin of Shreveport-Evangel Christian, La., who has been sought by nearly every major college program. His favorites are Florida, Kentucky, LSU, Georgia and Arkansas. Berlin completed 326 of 473 pass attempts as a junior for 4,834 yards and 54 touchdowns. He passed for 9,683 yards and 109 touchdowns in three years.

Other leading Class 2000 prospects include the Tennessee double of Casey Clausen (Mission Hills, Calif.) and John Rattay (Phoenix, Ariz.). Penn State has commitments from Zac Wasserman (Westlake Village, Calif.) and Zack Mills (Jamesville, Md.).

In a strong year for quarterbacks in California, Matt Cassell of Chatsworth, Calif., picked USC, while Brandon Hance of Woodland Hills, Calif., chose Purdue. Chris Rix of Santa Margarita, Calif., will play at Florida State.

Matt LoVecchio of Oradell, N.J., is headed for Notre Dame. Chance Mock of The Woodlands, Texas, is going to Texas, Jeff Smoker of Manheim, Pa., liked Michigan State, and Andrew Walter of Grand Junction, Colo., selected Arizona State.

Undecided top prospects include: Luke McCown, Jacksonville, Texas (Texas A&M, SMU, Arkansas, Oklahoma), Jason Campbell, Taylorsville, Miss. (LSU, Georgia, Florida, Auburn, Georgia Tech), Craig Ochs, Boulder, Colo. (Arizona, Colorado, Washington, Kansas State and Georgia), Reggie Robertson, Tucson, Ariz. (Arizona, ASU, UCLA) and Brandon Sumner, Daytona Beach, Fla. (Notre Dame, Michigan, Michigan State, Colorado, USC, South Carolina, Georgia Tech).