Ask Farrell: Could Uiagalelei, Young win a national title?
There has been a lot of talk recently about the top quarterbacks in this class - D.J. Uiagalelei and Bryce Young - especially since Young flipped his commitment from USC to Alabama.
Uiagalelei is having a fantastic senior season at Bellflower (Calif.) St. John Bosco but his recruitment has been dormant since he committed to Clemson in May. The five-star and No. 1 overall prospect in the 2020 class has shown no serious interest in any other program since committing to the Tigers.
Young, the top-ranked dual-threat quarterback in the class, is also having a terrific senior year, especially in Santa Ana (Calif.) Mater Dei’s dismantling of fellow powerhouse Baltimore (Md.) St. Frances recently. That game was supposed to be a back-and-forth battle, but Young was phenomenal, rushed for four touchdowns and turned it into a snoozer.
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Now that Young is committed to the Crimson Tide after a weekend visit to Tuscaloosa, the two top-ranked quarterbacks in the country are committed to schools that compete for the national championship every season.
And both are going into relatively good situations. It’s expected that Uiagalelei will sit behind another former five-star and No. 1 overall recruit in Trevor Lawrence before he heads off to the NFL and Uiagalelei will have a chance to win the starting job.
Young might be in an even better situation to get on the field early since it’s highly expected that Tua Tagovailoa will leave Alabama after this season and Young could compete for the starting position immediately after stepping on campus.
FARRELL'S TAKE
We ask Rivals National Recruiting Director Mike Farrell how he sees the college careers of Uiagalelei and Young playing out and whether he thinks either - or both - could lead their future schools to a national title.
"Yes, I think either or both could win a national title because I don't see Alabama or Clemson going anywhere soon. They will continue to play and recruit at the highest level and both quarterbacks will be surrounded by a ton of talent. Young has an earlier impact at Alabama and perhaps wins a Heisman there while Uiagalelei will wait a year to impact behind Lawrence and will put up good but not great numbers.
"When you see what Jalen Hurts did in the Alabama offense, that's what Young can do. He's not as big, but he's a better passer. And Lawrence has been down a bit this season and doesn't get to play that long because so many games are blowouts and I can see Uiagalelei in a similar situation down the road.
"Both will be Heisman contenders and at least one will win a national title. The only question about Young is his size, so I give Uiagalelei an edge when it comes to pro potential."