Now that the sun has set on the 2013 college football season and the NFL draft approaching, it has become clear which Pac-12 quarterbacks will return in 2014.

In a bit of a surprise, none of the top signal callers in the conference will enter the NFL draft this year. Some aren’t ready to turn professional yet and need to mature and develop their skills, while others want to return to finish their degree and make a championship run.

One thing is certain, this will crank up the competition another notch on the road to the Rose Bowl next season.

Here are the Top 6 Pac-12 quarterbacks who will return in 2014.

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Sean Mannion (Senior) / Oregon State (6’5” / 220 lbs)

Mannion set the Pac-12 single season passing record with 4,662 yards / 37 TD / 13 INT. A prototypical future NFL pocket passer, he needs to improve his decision making, accuracy, speed and strength. He will work on developing those skills during his senior season, but will be losing one of his top receivers, Brandin Cooks. Mannion was projected to be a third round pick in the 2014 NFL draft.

Taylor Kelly, ASU

Taylor Kelly (Senior) / Arizona State (6’2” / 203 lbs)

Kelly led his team to 10 victories and threw for 3,635 yards / 28 TD / 12 INT. He also rushed for 608 yards and 9 TD. Kelly thrived in his second season under the direction of Mike Norvell, and the Sun Devils can expect more of the same in 2014. In his senior season, Kelly will once again be in charge of a potent offense and a team that will make a run at the Pac-12 Championship.

Marcus Mariota (Junior) / Oregon (6’4” / 212 lbs)

Marcus Mariota, Oregon

Mariota earned first team All-Pac-12 honors after throwing for 3,412 yards / 30 TD / 4 INT. He also rushed for 582 yards and 9 TD. He was a Heisman trophy candidate for most of the season until he was slowed down by injuries. Mariota also set a Pac-12 record with 353 passes without an interception. At one point, he was projected as a Top 5 overall pick in the NFL draft. Mariota will also complete his college degree in 2014.

Kevin Hogan (Junior) / Stanford (6’4” / 220 LBS)

Hogan threw for 2,630 yards / 20 TD / 10 INT while leading his team to the Rose Bowl for the second straight year.  During his time at Stanford, he has shown excellent arm strength, footwork, fundamentals and athleticism. Hogan never seriously considered leaving school early to enter the draft in 2014, so he will return to the powerful Stanford offense for another season and a shot at their third straight Rose Bowl appearance.

Brett Hundley (Junior) / UCLA (6’3” / 222 lbs)

Brett Hundly, UCLA

Hundley threw for 3,071 yards / 26 TD / 9 INT. He also rushed for 748 yards and 11 TD. He needs to develop his raw skills more, most importantly his throwing accuracy. The Bruins dodged a bullet with head coach Jim Mora not going to Texas. With Hundley also returning, UCLA will be a legitimate championship contender next season. Like Mariota, Hundley will  finish his degree in 2014.

Connor Halliday (Junior) / Washington State (6’4” / 190 lbs)

In 2013, Halliday thrived in Mike Leach’s “air raid” offense throwing for 4,597 yards / 34 TD. The big problem was Wazzu’s non-existent running game, so he also had 714 pass attempts and 22 interceptions. There is no doubt that Halliday can light up the scoreboard, but he needs to fine tune his accuracy, put on some weight and get stronger before heading to the NFL. 

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Along with these returners comes new and promising young signal callers at Washington, USC, Cal, Arizona, Utah and Colorado. With so much fire power under center heading into the 2014 season, the Pac-12 will again be one of the most explosive offensive leagues in the country.