Rivals QB Week: Which signal caller could surprise in 2017?
Rivals.com National Recruiting Director Mike Farrell and National Recruiting Analyst Adam Gorney don’t always see eye to eye. In this QB Week edition of Rival Views for, the two debate which college quarterback could emerge and surprise this season.
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FARRELL'S VIEW: Kyle Allen, Houston
The quarterback depth in college football is impressive for the 2017 season; finding a breakout guy isn’t easy, as many are already hyped. But I’ll go with Kyle Allen at Houston. Allen is already well known for his work at Texas A&M and subsequent transfer (as well as his five-star ranking), but I still think he’s a breakout candidate because his time at A&M was up and down.
For a guy that many don’t know about, I’ll mention Clayton Thorson from Northwestern. Thorson has a ton of talent and could be a breakout guy this year. He threw for 22 touchdowns against nine interceptions in 2016, so he’s not a stranger to success, but this year he could take that next step. If they win the jobs respectively or take over early in the season, Nick Starkel (Texas A&M) and Jarrett Guarantano (Tennessee) are guys to watch as well as is Blake Barnett, who is now at Arizona State.
GORNEY'S VIEW: Max Browne, Pitt
Max Browne patiently waited his turn for years at USC, but when it finally came, it was a disaster for the former five-star quarterback. He got thrown into the biggest fire of them all in last season’s opener against Alabama and then was replaced by mid-September when Sam Darnold took over.
I don’t blame anybody for any of this since coach Clay Helton felt the move needed to be done, and Darnold might be better than Browne. But that hardly makes Browne chopped liver. He’s a graduate transfer now at Pitt, and he could resurrect his career and do something special with the Panthers this season.
There have been some departures – most notably offensive coordinator Matt Canada to LSU – but Browne is surrounded by speedy and talented receivers in Jester Weah and Quadree Henderson, so he’ll have weapons.
Browne faced Alabama and Stanford in two of his three starts. Much of the competition he’ll face running Pitt’s offense won’t be nearly as challenging.
