Twitter Tuesday is back again this week, as Southeast recruiting analyst Woody Wommack is answering your questions. Once again this week we focus on a big picture question and go in-depth on the answer.
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This is a really good question because 2018 could be a great year for freshman quarterbacks around the country. I’ll give my Top 5 and go into a little reasoning on each one.
1. JT DANIELS, USC
Daniels famously reclassified from the Class of 2019 and jumped into the mix for the USC quarterback competition earlier this year. He has a great chance to start Game 1 and should be the guy for the Trojans for years to come. I’m sure he’ll have his share of ups and downs but USC has a pretty talented roster and considering his upside, I’m giving him the top spot in this informal poll.
2. TREVOR LAWRENCE, CLEMSON
I’m on record as saying that Lawrence is one of the best high school prospects I’ve ever seen so of course he lands on this list. The question is, will he win the job during fall camp or work his way into the lineup as the season moves along? Kelly Bryant is a talented quarterback, but Lawrence has the “it” factor and Clemson fans and coaches will remember how limited the offense looked at times last year with Bryant under center, especially in the College Football Playoff against Alabama.
3. ADRIAN MARTINEZ, NEBRASKA
With a new staff in Lincoln and Martinez being one of the prizes of Scott Frost’s first recruiting class, Martinez will have every opportunity to win the starting job from Game 1. In Frost’s first year at UCF it took him a few games before handing the reins over to McKenzie Milton, but we all saw how that worked out after Milton was able to learn on the job. Martinez had a terrific spring game and while he will likely make his share of mistakes, he will be the guy to lead the Huskers new-look offense.
4. EMORY JONES, FLORIDA
The Gators have had their share of quarterback problems in recent years and Dan Mullen targeted Jones as player to help turn things around in Gainesville. I don’t expect Jones to win the job right out of the gate, but he will get his share of playing time and ultimately be the quarterback going forward. The Gators have a few veterans on the roster, most notably Feliepe Franks, but his struggles are well-documented so if he gets off to a rough start early in the year it could open the door for Jones.
5. JUSTIN FIELDS, GEORGIA
While I don’t expect Fields to be a starter in 2018 – he will have to wait his turn behind returning signal-caller Jake Fromm, he will find his way onto the field this fall. After injuring his finger last fall, Fields volunteered to play running back so he could find a way to contribute to his high school team. While that never happened, it does show how competitive Fields is and it’s very likely he will have his own packages in the offense this fall.
