Mark Pszonak contributed to this report.
Sam Darnold could be the No. 1 pick in the NFL Draft later this month, but out of high school he was ranked No. 8 at dual-threat quarterback. We take a look at the seven quarterbacks rated ahead of him and see how they panned out.
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The skinny: Francois committed to the Seminoles in late July over Auburn, Florida, Oregon and Tennessee. After redshirting in 2015, Francois had a breakout season in 2016 with 3,350 yards and 20 touchdowns through the air, plus five rushing touchdowns for the Seminoles. Even bigger things were expected in 2017, but a knee injury in the opener quickly ended his season. Now healthy, Francois will be battling James Blackman for the starting job during this off-season.
Farrell’s take: Francois lacked great size but he had a cannon of an arm and almost pushed for five-star status. He could make all the throws, extend the play and fit the ball into tight windows. The jury is still out regarding his long-term success but he has certainly shown toughness.
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The skinny: Barnett initially committed to Notre Dame during his junior season, before re-opening his process in early June. Only two weeks later he committed to Alabama. After redshirting in 2015, Barnett only attempted 19 passes for the Crimson Tide in 2016 before deciding to transfer. Landing at Arizona State, Barnett has yet to win the starting job in Tempe, as Manny Wilkins again seems poised to lead the Sun Devils' offense in 2017.
Farrell’s take: Barnett was a five-star at one point, but accuracy issues dropped him down to a four-star. However, he was a very talented kid who was a long-strider and could gain yards with his feet and extend the play easily. His pocket passing needed work but the ceiling was high. I will be interested to see how he does at ASU because he has a ton of talent.
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The skinny: Waller committed to Oregon in early July over offers from Notre Dame, Ohio State, Alabama and Arizona. Waller, who has since changed his name to Travis Jonsen, struggled with injuries during the 2015 season, before being bypassed by Justin Herbert for the starting job in 2016. During the summer of 2017, Waller transferred from the Ducks, landing at Riverside City College for a season before signing with Montana State in December.
Farrell’s take: Waller was an evasive quarterback with a solid arm and the ability to make some plays that would make you stand and watch. However, he was erratic in the pocket overall. His injury didn’t help his progress and now he’s been passed over and has transferred like five of the quarterbacks on this list.
The skinny: Wimbush initially committed to Penn State in May, but after scheduling a visit to Notre Dame during his senior season, rumors began to swirl that a flip may be possible. That flip became reality in October, a few days after he returned home from South Bend. Wimbush waited his turn at Notre Dame until the 2017 season, when he passed for 1,870 yards and 16 touchdowns, while rushing for 804 yards and 14 touchdowns. However, after a solid display by Ian Book at the conclusion of last season, Wimbush is currently battling for the starting job.
Farrell’s take: Wimbush developed from a young high school kid with a cannon arm but little accuracy to a polished player by his senior season of high school. He isn’t tall by quarterback standards, but he is thick and powerful as a runner, and his character and leadership have always stood out. Now he has his chance to show what he can do in an offense that fits him perfectly but he needs to take a big step from last year’s performance.
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The skinny: Murray’s recruiting process had plenty of twists and turns, but he eventually committed to Texas A&M despite a late push from Texas. With the Aggies, Murray had his fair share of success during his true freshman season, but still decided to transfer to Oklahoma. He sat out the 2016 season and then served as Baker Mayfield’s back-up in 2017, which now puts him in line to be the starter for the Sooners this fall.
Farrell’s take: I wasn’t enamored with Murray like everyone else was because he was so small, but he sure could run. He was as fast as an all-purpose back and could either outrun defenders or make them miss. As a pocket passer, he was solid in high school but I worried about his lack of height at the next level. That being said, we had him highly ranked, just not the five-star everyone else felt he was. He’s another to transfer on this list.
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The skinny: Stidham initially committed to Texas Tech, before re-opening his process in December and then committing to Baylor a few days later. After passing for 1,265 yards and 12 touchdowns in 2015 due to a season-ending injury to Seth Russell, Stidham decided to transfer in the off-season. After spending a year at a junior college, Stidham transferred to Auburn, where he passed for 3,158 yards and 18 touchdowns during the 2017 season. Deciding to return for the 2018 season, big things are expected out Stidham this fall.
Farrell’s take: We liked Stidham out of high school quite a bit, especially his mobility along with his pocket presence. His efficiency his senior year was off the charts and he’s always been good at taking care of the football. He was a Rivals100 prospect but never pushed that hard for a fifth star because he was always a bit inconsistent with his decision-making, mechanics and feel for the game during in-person evaluations. Were we putting too much emphasis on camps and not enough on game action? Perhaps, as he developed this past season and became key to Auburn’s run despite having a few poor games.
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The skinny: Lawson trimmed his list to Ole Miss and UCF before committing to Virginia Tech in early January. In Blacksburg, Lawson’s only action came during the 2015 season, when he saw playing time in four games. Leading up to 2016, Lawson decided to transfer, ending up at Garden City Community College. This led to his commitment to Illinois, but academic issues stopped that move from taking place. Currently he is not with the Illini and continues to work on his academic standing.
Farrell’s take: I liked Lawson a lot because he had a huge frame, a good arm and he was a deceptive runner. He was also hard to tackle. Another transfer on the list, he hasn’t panned out as expected at all and who knows when he will get his next chance.
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The skinny: Darnold took unofficial visits from coast-to-coast, with Duke, Oregon, Northwestern and Utah all getting closer looks. Ultimately his familiarity with the in-state Trojans put USC over the top. Following an impressive 2016 season which concluded with a memorable performance against Penn State in the Rose Bowl, Darnold threw for 4,143 yards and 26 touchdowns in 2017 despite experiencing some ups and downs. Foregoing his senior season at USC, he is currently projected as one of the top picks in the upcoming NFL Draft.
Farrell’s take: Darnold slipped in our final rankings after a rough week at the US Army All-American Bowl, but being No. 8 on this list doesn’t make him a miss despite his projected lofty draft status. He’s going to be a top three or four pick, and could go No. 1 overall, but some of the things we worried about in high school are still there (turnovers, etc.), so it will be interesting to see how his career plays out.
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