Looking back at the NFL's surprising class of rookie QBs

Rookie quarterbacks are starting more often in the NFL, but it seems to be rare when four of them are starting for teams after just two games. But that’s exactly the case this week as Jacoby Brissett kicks things off for the New England Patriots on Thursday night and three other rookies take the field Sunday. Here’s a look back at each player, none of whom ranked as five-stars in high school.

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Mark Pszonak contributed to this report.

The skinny: Brissett's recruiting process ultimately came down to Wisconsin, Miami and Florida. Despite Urban Meyer's departure from UF, Brissett remained interested in the Gators and eventually committed to Florida a few days after National Signing Day. He redshirted in 2011 and then played in five games in 2012 before deciding to transfer to North Carolina State in 2013. Brissett had two productive seasons with the Wolfpack, totaling 5,268 yards passing and 43 touchdowns, plus 899 yards rushing and nine touchdowns. He was drafted in the third round of the 2016 NFL Draft by New England and unexpectedly enters Week 3 as the Patriots' probable starting quarterback due to Tom Brady's suspension and Jimmy Garoppolo's injury.

Farrell’s take: I liked Brissett a ton and was surprised that he joined Jeff Driskel in Gainesville rather than choosing what seemed to be the more open path to a starting job at Miami. He was raw and a great athlete -- he focused as much on basketball as he did football -- but we saw Rivals100 potential and he showed flashes of that with the Wolfpack. Brissett's first action as an NFL player was impressive, though the play-calling was conservative. We'll see what happens when he doesn't enter the game with the luxury of a 21-0 lead.

The skinny: USC was a relatively late entrant into Kessler's recruitment, but a June visit to Los Angeles was enough to seal the deal for the Trojans. He had to wait until 2013 to make an impact with the program, but played in 41 games during his final three seasons. Kessler was drafted in the third round of the 2016 NFL Draft by Cleveland. With the Browns losing two starting quarterbacks - Robert Griffin III and Josh McCown - to injury in the first two weeks of the season, Kessler is suddenly the starter for the Browns this weekend.

Farrell’s take: Kessler was one of the top guys coming out of an awful quarterback class and the one thing he did so well, protect the football, fell apart a bit during his senior season at USC. However, his overall body of work with the Trojans was solid. He had an average arm and average size, but he did see the field well and made good decisions out of high school. Kessler fell to the third round and the words “game manager” have been used to describe his potential. Now he’s the man in Cleveland.

The skinny: Prescott committed to Mississippi State over offers from Memphis and North Texas. However, a late offer from LSU almost derailed his Bulldog career before it started. He officially visited Baton Rouge, but a subsequent trip to Starkville solidified his commitment to Mississippi State. Prescott showed potential in 2013 and then flourished in 2014 and 2015. Despite throwing for 7,242 and 56 touchdowns, plus rushing for 1,574 and 24 touchdowns, during his final two collegiate seasons, Prescott's draft stock still dipped. Eventually, the Dallas Cowboys selected him in the fourth round of the 2016 NFL Draft. Prescott impressed during the preseason, but was then unexpectedly thrust into the limelight after Tony Romo’s most recent injury. Through two games, Prescott has impressed with his play and poise on the field.

Farrell’s take: It was hard to see this one coming as Prescott wasn’t a major target of many programs and didn’t even get the time of day from in-state power LSU until the very end. What we saw was a big dual-threat quarterback who wasn’t overly fast but made good decisions on the field and had a good arm, but nothing like the Heisman candidate he emerged at for a short period of time at Mississippi State. Prescott has proven us wrong with our mid-level ranking and has improved in almost every facet of the game since high school.

The skinny: Wentz never saw his recruiting process take off. After missing his junior season with a broken hand, he was named North Dakota's 3A Player of the Year as a senior which eventually led to a few FCS offers. Wentz decided to stay closer to home and committed to play for North Dakota State. With the Bison, Wentz posted a staggering 20-3 record as a starter and led the school to two FCS championships. He flew up NFL draft boards and was drafted second overall in the 2016 NFL Draft by Philadelphia. Wentz has impressed during his first two games, while leading the Eagles to a surprising 2-0 start.

Farrell’s take: We knew nothing about Wentz, not a thing, which is why he has no profile. This was a kid who was a one-year starter at quarterback in high school in North Dakota, a state that rarely gets recruited or evaluated. He was apparently very small as a freshman and had a growth spurt at the end of his high school career. Wentz was just off the radar as a non-FBS guy for almost everyone. The way he’s handled himself the first two games of his NFL career point toward potential stardom. He’s been that impressive.