On Sunday, rookie Caleb Williams leads the Chicago Bears against second-year starter Anthony Richardson and the Indianapolis Colts. Both quarterbacks are 22 years old.
Combined, Williams and Richardson are five years younger than Saturday’s expected starters in the Utah vs. Oklahoma State matchup in Stillwater.
Cam Rising is 25. Alan Bowman is 24. Rising, a four-star quarterback from Newbury Park, Calif., and Bowman, a three-star out of Grapevine, Texas were in the 2018 recruiting class.
That’s the same class as Trevor Lawrence of the Jacksonville Jaguars, Justin Fields of the Pittsburgh Steelers and Detroit Lions receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown (who finished Nos. 1, 2 and 3 respectively in the 2018 rankings) as all three are in their fourth NFL season. Fields has already been traded and is starting for his second team.
Rising and Bowman are so old they might need a nap at halftime. Where’s the Ovaltine?
Other comparisons are wild.
CJ Stroud (22 years old) of the Houston Texans is in his second season and leads his team against the Minnesota Vikings this weekend. Minnesota is now led by Sam Darnold, who is 27 years old and is on his fourth NFL team.
They’re equal in age to Rising and Bowman.
Jordan Love (25) who patiently waited three years behind Aaron Rodgers in Green Bay before getting his shot and Will Levis (25) who transferred from Penn State to Kentucky, spent five years in college and now is in his second year with the Tennessee Titans, are a combined one year older.
The age comparisons to NFL starting QB matchups this weekend can go on and on.
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Both Rising (who is a game-time decision because of a hand injury) and Bowman have had circuitous routes to their respective locales this weekend.
Out of the blue, Rising flipped his commitment from Oklahoma to Texas only to spend a short time there before transferring to Utah.
He redshirted in Austin in 2018. Then redshirted in 2019 before playing for years as the Utes’ starter but missed all of last season with an injury. He’s back for one final go-round as Utah’s starting quarterback after being ranked No. 149 overall in the 2018 Rivals250.
Bowman originally signed with Texas Tech as Penn State was showing interest since he was a Nittany Lions legacy. He played three seasons in Lubbock, two at Michigan and is now in his second year at Oklahoma State after throwing for 3,460 yards last year.
To put one final point on how long – how painstakingly long – both Rising and Bowman have been in college?
When the two quarterbacks started playing college football at age 18, many if not all of the freshmen at both Utah and Oklahoma State, members of the 2024 class, were just finishing up elementary school.
One final ride Saturday for Rising and Bowman. Afterward, a nice warm blanket, a comfortable chair and Matlock reruns.
