Checking up on the top five QBs in the 2017 class
Quarterbacks are the focal points of most football teams. They’re analyzed, criticized and pored over ad nauseam. People love to debate their merits, and a handful of them will go in the first dozen picks on the upcoming NFL draft. It’s with all of that in mind, Rivals.com has decided to take a look back at five previous quarterback classes, starting with the class of 2017, and check in on where the top five signal callers in each group are these days.
Signed with: Stanford
Since Signing Day: Mills redshirted at Stanford a year ago due in part to a knee injury he suffered out of high school and has yet to fully recover. Mills, who still has four full years of eligibility, is projected as the program’s backup, but missed the entirety of spring practice. There’s still plenty of time for him to make an impact at Stanford, but he’ll need to get healthy before he begins to live up to his lofty high school ranking.
Signed with: Clemson
Since Signing Day: Johnson served as Clemson’s backup as a true freshman and shined in spot duty, completing 21 of the 27 passes he attempted. He’s now part of an overcrowded Tigers' depth chart that includes last year’s starter Kelly Bryant and decorated true freshman Trevor Lawrence, who some think has a real shot to win the job in fall camp. Johnson could easily find himself as the third option headed into the 2018 season. It seems unlikely that he’ll be the starter. That much is certain.
Signed with: Georgia
Since Signing Day: Fromm’s career at Georgia has been charmed. An injury helped him unseat fellow five-star Jacob Eason as the Bulldogs’ starter, and Fromm never so much as glanced back from there. The Georgia-born quarterback earned SEC Freshman of the Year honors and led the Bulldogs to an SEC title a year ago. He also won the Rose Bowl and played in the national title game. Not a bad start to a career by any stretch. The future is bright for Fromm, who figures to remain the team’s starter in 2018 despite the presence of touted freshman Justin Fields.
Signed with: Texas A&M
Since Signing Day: Mond started his freshman year as the Aggies’ backup but was thrust into action because of an early-season injury to starter Nick Starkel. Mond’s 2017 had its peaks and its valleys, so the jury is still very much out on him as a starter. In six SEC games, he completed 73 of 144 passes (50.7 percent) with three touchdowns and five interceptions. With new head coach Jimbo Fisher now in charge of the offense, Mond will have a chance to unseat Starkel this season. That said, Starkel finished last season incredibly well after returning from injury, so Mond will have a fight on his hands when it comes to winning the gig.
Signed with: Ohio State
Since Signing Day: Martell redshirted a year ago and now finds himself in the thick of a quarterback battle in Columbus. The Las Vegas product has earned high praise from head coach Urban Meyer this spring but still figures as a bit of a longshot when it comes to actually winning the starting job. That said, Martell is certainly not out of the race and stranger things have happened.
