Hit or Miss: Highest-ranked QBs ever at each Pac-12 school
With some recent big quarterback commitments like Quinn Ewers to Texas and Gunner Stockton to South Carolina, I thought it would be interesting to take a look at each program's highest-ranked quarterback signee (or in a couple cases, a future signee as they're still just commitments) in Rivals history and give a take on whether we HIT or MISSED on the prospect's ranking. We continue today with the Pac-12.
Mark Pszonak contributed to this report.
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HIT OR MISS: Highest-ranked QB signees/commits for Big Ten teams | SEC | ACC
CLASS OF 2021 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Position | Team | State
CLASS OF 2022 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Position | Team | State
COVERAGE: Rivals Transfer Tracker | Rivals Camp Series
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ARIZONA - Anu Solomon (2013)
Overview: Solomon was a big-time talent. He was mobile and could throw on the run. Solomon had two great years at Arizona and then transferred to Baylor, where a concussion derailed his career. He had a strong showing with 7,300 passing yards and 53 touchdowns and only 18 interceptions.
Judgement: HIT. Solomon quietly had a very good career at Arizona on a team without a ton of talent.
ARIZONA STATE - Jayden Daniels (2019)
Overview: Daniels played as a true freshman last season and threw for more than 2,900 yards with 17 touchdowns and only two picks. He also ran for 355 more yards and three touchdowns. His future is bright.
Judgement: HIT. So far this is a great start and he could end up outplaying his ranking.
CAL - Zach Kline (2012)
Overview: Kline was a huge bust who had one bad year at Cal in six games and then transferred to Fresno State and didn’t make it there. He was polished out of high school and smooth, so this is puzzling.
Judgement: MISS. This is a huge bust and one of the worst in recent years.
COLORADO - Bernard Jackson (2003)
Overview: Jackson was a thick and mobile quarterback coming out of high school with a live arm but he never developed at Colorado. The one year he was a starter he ran better than he passed and missed his senior year to academics.
Judgement: MISS. He never developed the accuracy we had expected and then ruined his career with academic issues.
OREGON - Ty Thompson (2021)
Overview: Thompson hasn’t signed yet at Oregon and is their first five-star QB recruit. He has a great future ahead of him with a good arm and size with mobility.
Judgement: TBD. He’s a huge commit for Oregon and talent continues to follow him.
OREGON STATE - Sean Mannion (2010)
Overview: Mannion started a ton of games for Oregon State (10 or more each of his four seasons) and threw for more than 13,000 yards and 83 touchdowns. He is one of the best quarterbacks in the program's history.
Judgement: HIT. Everything we liked about Mannion — arm talent, accuracy and leadership — showed on the field. He had a career completion rate of 65-percent.
STANFORD - Davis Mills (2017)
Overview: Mills is the starter for Stanford whenever the Pac-12 decides to play. He showed flashes last year completing 65-percent of his passes with 11 scores.
Judgement: MISS. So far he hasn’t come close to living up to the hype.
UCLA - Josh Rosen (2015)
Overview: Rosen threw for more than 9,300 yards in three years with 59 touchdowns but he also threw 26 picks. He didn’t have a ton of talent around him but was still a top-10 NFL Draft pick.
Judgement: HIT. His college career wasn’t as great as expected but being a first-rounder makes this a hit for ranking.
USC - JT Daniels (2018)
Overview: Daniels accelerated his graduation to join the 2018 class and showed promise his freshman season at USC with some growing pains. An ACL injury led to the emergence of Kedon Slovis as the starter and Daniels' eventual transfer to Georgia. Daniels is now expected to start for the Bulldogs but, so far, he hasn’t lived up to the hype.
Judgement: MISS. No. 4 should mean All-American and potential first-rounder and that hasn’t come close to happening yet.
UTAH - Jack Tuttle (2018)
Overview: Tuttle transferred out of Utah to Indiana after just one year. He’s now the backup in Bloomington, so he hasn’t done much yet.
Judgement: MISS. One transfer and being behind a talent like Michael Penix isn’t a great start.
WASHINGTON - Sam Huard (2021)
Overview: Huard hasn’t signed yet but he’s an amazing in-state keep for the Huskies. The slick lefty will draw talent in this and future classes.
Judgement: TBD. Just the name alone will make wide receivers show interest.
WASHINGTON STATE - Jayden De Laura (2020)
Overview: De Laura was a great talent out of QB-rich Hawaii and is set to be the next successful QB from the island. He was in a battle to be the starter before the season was postponed, but he’s a big-name recruit and will get his chance.
Judgement: TBD. He hasn’t played yet but the hype is enough to make this seem like an early hit.