Over the next two weeks, Rivals national analysts Mike Farrell and Adam Gorney will break down the top pro prospects at each position in college football regardless of class. Today, we look at quarterbacks.
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1. Trevor Lawrence, Clemson
Recruiting: The five-star quarterback committed to Clemson in December after his junior season and his recruitment was drama-free after that, as he never seriously considered any other programs. Before his pledge, Georgia was also a top contender and so were Alabama and LSU but both of those teams seemed like outsiders.
Performance: Lawrence won the starting job early in his freshman year and led Clemson to the national championship last season, throwing for 3,280 yards with 30 touchdowns and four interceptions. The Tigers remain undefeated this season heading into the final few weeks of the regular season but Lawrence’s numbers have ticked down to 2,027 passing yards with 18 TDs and eight picks so far.
Comparison: DJ Uiagalelei
Farrell’s take: Okay, let’s be clear that there is no real comparison for Lawrence from either the 2020 or 2021 class so Uiagalelei is a reach and we know. UIagalelei is much thicker and bigger than Lawrence coming out of high school but they have similar arm strength and excellent mobility for their size. People have criticized Lawrence this year because he’s taken a step back from his amazing freshman season but he’s still the top quarterback prospect in college football to me. And Uiagalelei is a great replacement.
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2. Justin Fields, Ohio State
Recruiting: An early Penn State commitment, Fields backed off that pledge and picked Georgia over Florida State, Auburn, Alabama and LSU in the middle of his senior season. After one season with the Bulldogs – and not being used much in a passing role – Fields transferred to Ohio State where he was granted immediate eligibility and earned the starting job this season.
Performance: Ohio State is arguably the nation’s best team and Fields has played a huge part in that success as he’s thrown for 1,659 yards with 24 touchdowns and one interception. He’s also rushed for 319 yards and nine scores, tying the team-high with running back J.K. Dobbins. He was ranked second in the 2018 recruiting class behind Lawrence.
Comparison: Bryce Young
Farrell’s take: Young is much smaller than Fields but he has the arm strength, accuracy and ability to dominate opponents at the next level as Fields did coming out. Fields was No. 2 behind Lawrence in the 2018 rankings and his play has him the talk of the country. Young is a bit more explosive as a runner while Fields is bigger and stronger, and of course taller, but both of these guys can take over games. Fields is No. 2 behind Lawrence despite being in his first year as a starter; he’s that special.
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3. Joe Burrow, LSU
Recruiting: In the spring before his senior season, Burrow committed to Ohio State over West Virginia, Boston College, Iowa State and others. He was a three-star prospect who was No. 24 at dual-threat quarterback while having 20 offers. Burrow did not get much of an opportunity with the Buckeyes and transferred to LSU, where he has the Tigers No. 1 nationally and he’s in the Heisman Trophy conversation.
Performance: Burrow has been phenomenal in LSU’s offense where he’s thrown for 2,805 yards with 30 touchdowns and four interceptions, completing nearly 79 percent of his passes. He’s also rushed for three scores. LSU’s offense is averaging 46.7 points per game this season.
Comparison: Jack Miller
Farrell’s take: Miller, like Burrow, is headed to Ohio State out of high school and is an athletic and heady quarterback. Burrow has more of an athlete’s mentality while Miller is ahead of him at the same stage as far as quarterback development but this is a good comparison. Ohio State will surround Miller with a ton of talent as Burrow has at LSU and under Ryan Day he can develop as an elite passer.
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4. Tua Tagovailoa, Alabama
Recruiting: Tagovailoa took visits all over the country and for a long time it felt like Oregon held an edge in his recruitment and then it became a battle between Alabama and LSU. Auburn, Ole Miss, UCLA, Texas A&M and others remained in the mix until the end as Tagovailoa picked the Crimson Tide in the spring before his senior season, about two months after Jake Fromm flipped from Alabama to Georgia.
Performance: The former four-star prospect took control of the starting job after halftime in the national title game two seasons ago and has never looked back. So far in his Alabama career, Tagovailoa has thrown for 6,768 yards with 81 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. He missed the last game with a high ankle sprain and could return this weekend for the huge Alabama-LSU matchup. There is also some discussion NFL teams are “Tanking for Tua” as he’s expected to be possibly the No. 1 overall pick in April’s NFL Draft.
Comparison: Sam Huard (2021)
Farrell’s take: I like to compare lefty quarterbacks to other lefty quarterbacks if I can and Huard looks a bit like Tagovailoa at the same age. He has nice accuracy and touch on the football and an arm that can make all the throws but won’t wow you. He sees the field well, handles pressure but lacks the great size NFL teams covet similar to Tua. Tagavaioloa is considered a top five pick in the 2020 NFL Draft and could go No. 1. He’s ahead of Huard in many regards, but this is the best lefty-lefty comparison I can come up with. Watch the film, it’s not a bad call.
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5. Justin Herbert, Oregon
Recruiting: Herbert broke his leg during his junior season and was not a heralded recruit with offers from only Oregon, Montana State, Northern Arizona and Portland State. But he picked the Ducks midway through his senior season as it was always his dream school and he was a season-ticket holder.
Performance: There was a lot of discussion that Herbert would have been a top NFL Draft pick if he left school after last season and that has remained since he decided to return for this year. Herbert is completing more than 69 percent of his passes for 2,329 yards with 24 touchdowns and two interceptions this season. He led Oregon to a 56-24 win at USC this past weekend.
Comparison: Jay Butterfield
Farrell’s take: We are not making this comparison because Butterfield is headed to Oregon but it doesn’t hurt that we can foresee him in that offense. Like Herbert he is a tall kid with a live arm out of high school but very skinny. Butterfield is further along when it comes to reading defenses, accuracy and touch but he will need to be special to develop as much as Herbert has.
