45
game between 2012 and ’17. At Oregon, a true freshman
hadn’t started at quarterback in 33 years before Justin Her-
bert did it in 2016, and the next year, Braxton Burmeister
became the second in two years. In five instances at four
Power 5 schools, a true-freshman-QB starter replaced
another in the same season.
There’s another new batch of high-profile freshmen this
season: Graham Mertz, out of Kansas, will challenge for
the Wisconsin job, and Sam Howell is expected to contend
at his home-state school, North Carolina. Arizona State’s
quarterback competition features not one, not two, but three
true-freshman QBs. And at TCU, highly touted rookie Max
Duggan is positioned to be the first true freshman to start
the opener at quarterback under coach Gary Patterson.
The four QBs who have appeared in a title
WELCOME FRESHMEN
SMASHING DEBUTS
SIM
ON BRU
TY (H
URTS); GREG N
ELSO
N (FRO
MM
); JO
HN W
. M
CDO
NO
UGH (LAW
REN
CE); KEVIN D. LILES (TAGOVAILOA)
JALEN HURTS
ALABAMA, 2016–17
JAKE FROMM
GEORGIA, 2017–18
TREVOR LAWRENCE
CLEMSON, 2018–19
TUA TAG OVAI LOA
ALABAMA, 2017–18
COLLEGE FOOTBALL PREVIEW
QB YOUTH MOVEMENT
