If last year was the Year of the Quarterback, this year will be the Year of the Supersized QB. Sure, there are still a bunch of top passers of normal dimensions out there (Rex Grossman, Ken Dorsey, Eli Manning, Jason Gesser, Kliff Kingsbury, Casey Clausen, etc.) -- but in the spirit of Daunte Culpepper, watch out for Louisville's Dave Ragone and Marshall's Byron Leftwich. Both aren't just looking to strong-arm their way into the Heisman race -- they're also on the NFL's short list (bad pun intended) to be the top picks in the 2003 NFL Draft. And, both say they've gotten even bigger this winter.

Ragone (60% completions, 23 TDs, 7 INTs) also might look a little different to observers when U of L begins spring ball Tuesday. He has altered his mechanics over the last two months, changing the starting point of his motion. Before, he would hold the ball up by his ear. Now, Ragone clutches it a little lower, from just beneath his shoulder. "I feel like I can be more accurate and have better touch with it and I've found I can also get more velocity on my throws too," he says. "It's something I've wanted to work on for awhile."

He began toying with the change during December bowl practices, but didn't want to try anything new until he had enough practice time to make sure it worked. "To be honest, it's like night and day," he says.

Another change for Ragone (pronounced RAH-gohn) is a new offensive coordinator. Scott Linehan has moved on to the NFL, replaced by former Washington coach John Pettas. Part of the deal with Pettas taking over at U of L was that he would adapt to the Cards terminology so the transition wouldn't be as difficult for the team's players. But Pettas will tweak the offense, adding more rollouts and plays outside the pocket, something he did with huge success when he tutored Jake Plummer at ASU in the mid-'90s. And despite Ragone's massive frame (he's 6'4" and 255 -- seven pounds heavier), it should do wonders for the Cards offense because the tight end-sized quarterback is also a dangerous runner with legit 4.7 speed.

One other thing that will be interesting to check on at Cards camp will be the impact of Deion Branch's departure. The guy Ragone expects to replace the standout WR headed for the NFL is JC transfer James Taylor. The 6'3" 195-pounder, who signed with Michigan out of high school, isn't as quick as Branch, but he's much bigger and has long arms and deceptive speed. "He can make plays, and gives us something we've not had since I've been here in that you can just toss it up to him and he can go get it," says Ragone.

Whether Taylor can propel Ragone, last year's Conference USA Offensive Player of the Year, to a Heisman Trophy is a different story. Ragone will get his share of the spotlight (the Cards will make four national TV appearances, including a Sept. 1 opener against fellow supersized QB Jared Lorenzen of Kentucky), but he knows he and his team need to be perfect. "Realistically, I don't have a chance unless we become the Fresno State of this year -- without the losses."

Leftwich can relate. But that isn't stopping the Marshall PR department from trying. "We're doing anything and everything you can think of," says Thundering Herd sports information director Ricky Hazel. That includes a CD-rom, a life-size poster of the 6'6", 245-pound QB and 1000 bobblehead dolls to be sent out to the media. "It's crazy, man," says Leftwich of the PR campaign.

Like Ragone, Leftwich is working with a new offensive coordinator (O-line coach Mark McHale was promoted). But don't expect any big changes in the Herd offense. After all, this is Leftwich's fourth coordinator in five seasons at Marshall. And since the towering QB from DC does call 75% of the plays at the line of scrimmage, the joke around the team was the school should save itself some money and just name Byron as the new offensive coordinator. "Two years ago, I'd call 30-40% at the line, but now I've learned the tempo of the game and when I can do certain things to a defense," explains Leftwich, who probably has an unequaled level of control over his team's offense in the college game. The trust his coaches have in him is as much a reflection of Leftwich's preparation as it is of his intelligence.

Leftwich has remained close to former Marshall star QB Chad Pennington, now with the New York Jets. The two speak every week. Leftwich has also become buddies with Miami's Ken Dorsey. And, in case you were wondering, he says he never really gave much thought to leaving Marshall early for the NFL. "It really was an easy decision," Leftwich says. "Everybody else tried to make it tough. I came in here with a lot of these guys and I want to leave here with them. This is my family."

· David Koral, who still holds the national record for most passing yards in a prep game, has left Vandy. The 6'3" 210-pound Southern Californian, who redshirted last year, opted to transfer when new Commodore coach Bobby Johnson came in bringing a more option-oriented system with him. Koral will play at Santa Monica CC in the fall and then transfer back to a 1-A school and have three years to play. In the meantime, he'll continue to work with LA passing guru Steve Clarkson five times a week, and with speed coaches Travis Hannah and Quincy Watts to hone his footwork.

"To me, he's another Kurt Warner," says Clarkson, who also tutors Chris Rix, Casey Clausen, and BYU's Bret Engemann among others. "David's got such a fast release, the quickest of all the quarterbacks I've ever worked with. He's also so accurate and can make all the throws and now he's running a 4.6."

· Clausen visited Clarkson twice last week while the Vol QB was on his spring break, and the mentor was impressed with his protege's development. "He has really accepted that leadership role," says Clarkson, who continued to work with Clausen on fine-tuning his delivery, transferring his weight from his back to his front foot on his quick throws.

RANDOM NOTES: Memphis appears to have found a gamebreaker for young Tiger QB Danny Wimprine. The new impact receiver? Former UM starting QB Travis Anglin, a smooth 6'4" player with 4.4 speed who lit up the Tiger DBs in the team's first scrimmage of the spring ... Standout WR Justin Gage, one of the nation's top 10 receivers and also the guts of the Missouri hoops team, says he is through with basketball after the Tigers came up just short of the Final Four ... In hopes of boosting a horrendous run defense (104th nationally), new West Virginia DC Todd Graham has switched the team's scheme from attacking eight-man fronts to a more conservative zone with a "30" scheme featuring a three-man line, anchored by NG David Upchurch.

Bruce Feldman covers college football for ESPN The Magazine. E-mail him at bruce.feldman@espnmag.com.