The Mid-American Conference (MAC) has always had a great group of quarterbacks with successful NFL careers. Chad Pennington and Bryon Leftwich from Marshall University, Joshua Cribbs and Julian Edelman played quarterback for Kent State University, although they’ve found their success at wide receiver in the NFL, and of course Miami’s own Ben Roethlisberger.

Who’s next?

Enter Zac Dysert.

Dysert is the next great MAC quarterback. He is first player to throw for 500 yards and rush for 100. Ever. Dysert is 15th in the nation in total offense per game. He is ahead of Heisman hopefuls like Braxton Miller, E.J. Manuel and Collin Klein. Matt Barkley is not even in the top 50.

Dysert is going to pass Ben Roethlisberger for most career passing yards as a RedHawk. It is just a matter of time. Dysert is the key to the current RedHawk team, and rightfully so. When you have such a talented player who can do it all, it is reasonable to rely on him.

Even when Dysert doesn’t have his best game (see: OSU or UC) he still is able to throw for over 300 yards.

The point is that Dysert is one of the most prolific college quarterbacks in recent memory in the MAC. That doesn’t always translate over to the NFL, but it will with Dysert.

Dysert will likely be taken in the first three rounds of the NFL Draft.

The big name scouts are starting to notice him. Matt Miller had him ranked as the 53rd overall prospect and seventh best quarterback. My sources tell me that Dysert entered the year with a third round grade.

It’s easy to see why scouts are in love with him. Dysert looks like a prototypical pocket passer, but Dysert has the ability to run the ball when needed. He has a Ben Roethlisberger-esque ability to keep the play alive by making guys miss in the pocket and extending the play. He also has the Tony Romo spin move away from the pressure in his arsenal as well.

Dysert has also overcome much adversity during his time at Miami. It is hard for any player, let alone the quarterback, to deal with three new head coaches. He has also had five different combinations of quarterback coaches and offensive coordinators.

And yet, Dysert has played as well as anyone in the nation. Imagine what happens when he has the same coaching staff for a few years in a row.

Dysert also has an incredible pocket presence. His internal clock is on par with anyone in the NFL right now. Dysert makes reads at an NFL level. Very rarely does he lock in on one receiver. He has no problem going to his third or even fourth read. Nowhere is this more evident than in the uptick in passes to RedHawk tight ends, which have never been a major part in the offense.

Dysert is an extremely accurate passer, and while he doesn’t have Joe Flacco’s arm, his arm is strong enough.

It is easy to compare Dysert to Roethlisberger, but Dysert reminds me a lot of Alex Smith. Both are 6-4 and weigh around 220 pounds. Smith also has the ability to run the ball when needed and also has gone through several coaches and coordinators.

Dysert will likely go between rounds two and three to a team looking to groom a quarterback for a few years behind its current starter. Dysert can fit in a variety of offenses, but I think his best fit might be a West Coast offense where he can use his feet if needed.

Scouts from the Eagles, Cowboys, Steelers and several other teams have watched Dysert this year and could be looking at their future franchise quarterback, who just so happens to come from the Mid-American Conference.